#86 Navy SEAL Ryan “Birdman” Parrott - a podcast by KBMD

Ryan “Birdman” Parrott was a trained sniper in his SEAL team. After transitioning out of the SEAL teams, there was an assumption that they were safe, back home on American soil. On January 2nd, 2019, Birdman received a call from a teammate, stating that his SEAL team partner David R. Metcalf had taken his own life. As he navigated his own grief, Birdman was inspired to do more than simply mourn. The issues facing war tattered and battle worn veterans is far beyond just a label of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). 

Birdman recognized that despite the well intentioned non-profits to help these vets, we continue to lose thousands of military members and first responders every year. 

Army Veteran Daniel Somers wrote this in his suicide note in 2013: “I am left with basically nothing. Too trapped in a war to be at peace, too damaged to be at war.” 

As with Birdman’s observations, Daniel’s words suggest that there is a whole body element to post traumatic stress that is being missed. Birdman reached out to a physician to discuss human performance in people with trauma. His hypothesis was to test these individuals on a physiological level and obtain a baseline. 

Birdman has assembled a world class team of Physicians, Ph.D.’s, Phycologists, Physiatrists, Sports Physiologists, and former Special Operators to make up the Human Performance Project. The mission is to create a manual to guide the tactical population, enabling them to thrive upon entry, during and post service. Ken & Eric are honored to host Birdman on the GCP. 

Please LIKE and SHARE and be certain to check out the links below to find out how you can not only learn but contribute to the mission of healing these heroes. YOU MIGHT EVEN WIN A TRIP TO ALL 7 CONTINENTS!!! Stay tuned!

American Extreme https://www.americanextreme.com/

Legacy Jump Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmP-rxpZcSM

Friday Frogman channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH2UIMEKkGOScxwDUb4QxDg

FB/IG @BirdmanActual

Further episodes of Gut Check Project

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Website of KBMD