In this episode of Beyond The Dispatch, we sit down with retired U.S. Air Force veteran Scott Swanson, one of the first Predator drone pilots in combat. Over a 20-year career, Scott helped pioneer modern drone warfare, flying missions over Afghanistan and becoming part of history as one of the first to fire a Hellfire missile from an MQ-1 Predator in combat.

Scott opens up about the weight of remote warfare. The mental toll, the responsibility, and what it’s really like to watch events unfold from thousands of miles away. We also talk about his involvement within Robert Ridge and John Chapman during the Battle of Takur Ghar. This is a powerful discussion about service, leadership, accountability, and the unseen burden carried by those operating behind the lens.

War Is No Video Game...Not Even Remotely | Scott Swanson | TEDxDayton:https://youtu.be/LpdRSAnc0mw?si=LihmDbCXG3nA1K_g

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We went live during the Project Fire Buddies Gala setup to capture the heart of the mission before the doors even opened. This episode features conversations with the people who help make Project Fire Buddies what it is today.

We sat down with Kevyn Holdefer, Ryan Ballard, Kelly DeGroot, Kurt DeGroot, and actor Matthew Willig to talk about how Project Fire Buddies was built, why it matters, and the powerful impact it has by pairing firefighters with children facing serious medical challenges.

At its core, Project Fire Buddies is about connection, consistency, and showing up — creating lasting bonds and more good days for kids and families who need them most. These conversations set the tone for an incredible night and an even greater mission.

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This wasn’t about starting a podcast.
It was about helping people before it was too late.

One year ago, two first responders sat down with no roadmap, no audience, and no sponsors — just a shared conviction that silence was killing their peers faster than the job ever did. This episode is where Beyond the Dispatch began. Not polished. Not perfect. Honest.

In this first conversation, Cary and Dom lay it bare: the injuries that ended careers, the trauma that followed them home, the families who carried the weight, and the moment they realized that if they didn’t create a space for these stories, no one else was going to. This show was never meant to be entertainment. It was meant to help. Even if it only reached one person hanging on by a thread.

A year later, this episode hits harder — because everything said here still matters. Because the numbers haven’t gone down enough. Because people are still hurting. And because the mission hasn’t changed.

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👉 Follow Beyond the Dispatch for raw stories that bring our heroes out of the shadows — and give them the mic.