Behind the Badge
by Behind The Badge
EducationE · Explicit
Latest episode
039: Becoming Donny - Todd Maguire
039: Becoming Donny - Todd Maguire
About this podcast
Hosted by Australian firefighters Josh Alpen and Jason Anderson, Behind the Badge is a podcast about life in service — beyond the uniform, beyond the job, and beyond what most people see.
While the conversations are grounded in frontline experience, the themes are universal — pressure, identity, adversity, and growth.
Whether you’re in the job or not, the goal is the same:
To provide honest perspectives and real-world insights that help people perform better, think clearer, and navigate challenges more effectively — both on and off the job.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 38 episodes
- 039: Becoming Donny - Todd Maguire · 1 h 40 min · Season 3 Episode 10Todd Maguire never planned on becoming a police officer. A conversation over a few schooners changed that — and began a career that would eventually take him deep into…
- 038: What the Job Takes - Keith Banks · 1 h 57 min · Season 3 Episode 9What does a career spent running towards danger eventually take from you? Keith Banks spent decades in policing, including some of the most demanding and dangerous roles…
- 037: Two Years Behind the Badge - Jase and Josh · 1 h 28 min · Season 3 Episode 8Two years. Thirty-six episodes. Countless conversations. In this special anniversary episode, Josh and Jase take a step back to reflect on the journey so far—why they started…
- 036: Laughter Isn't a Luxury - Mark Mcconville · 2 h 0 min · Season 3 Episode 7Laughter is often dismissed as entertainment. Mark McConville argues it's much more than that. Mark is Australia's only comedian and suicidologist, combining nearly three decades…
- 035: Getting back on the horse with Tommy Archer · 2 h 11 min · Season 3 Episode 6From lying awake at Kapooka convinced he'd made a huge mistake, to serving in Afghanistan, policing Australian communities and pursuing a lifelong passion for acting, Tommy…
- 034: It’s What You Do, Not Who You Are - Geoff Cameron · 1 h 35 min · Season 3 Episode 3In this episode, we sit down with Geoff Cameron — paramedic and counsellor — to talk about the realities of the job, the impact it can have over time, and what comes next. From…
- 033: Finding a way forward - Scott May · 3 h 38 min · Season 3 Episode 2In this episode, we sit down with Scott May — former Army and Police — to unpack a journey shaped by service, trauma, and what happens when the job is taken away. After years of…
- 032: When Identity, Trauma & Purpose Collide - Marissa Rose · 2 h 48 min · Season 3 Episode 1In this episode, we sit down with a paramedic who opens up about the realities behind the uniform — from a challenging childhood to the cumulative weight of trauma, and what…
- 031: Lessons in Fire and Flood: Luke Smith on Service, Growth and Doing the Right Thing · 1 h 53 min · Season 2 Episode 24Firefighter and former cavalry soldier Luke Smith joins Behind the Badge to share a raw, insightful and often emotional journey across two careers defined by service—first in the…
- 030: Rock Bottom and Rising: Will Burnett on Healing, Identity, and the Run Across Australia · 1 h 59 min · Season 2 Episode 23Former Air Force PTI, veteran, and endurance runner Will Burnett (@theveteranrunner) joins Behind the Badge to share his incredible story of resilience—from military life and…
- 029: Philosophy, Performance and The Fourth Pillar - Harry Moffitt · 1 h 16 min · Season 2 Episode 22Harry Moffitt spent more than 30 years with the SAS before becoming a psychologist and leadership consultant. In this episode of Behind the Badge, he joins us to explore the…
- 028: Data-Driven Resilience: Redefining Firefighter Health and Longevity - Dr Daniel Higuera · 1 h 33 min · Season 2 Episode 21In this episode of Behind the Badge, Dr. Daniel Higuera — professor of kinesiology and director of one of California’s largest firefighter wellness programs — shares insights…
- 027: Finding Stillness After the Fire - Kate Duncan · 2 h 9 min · Season 2 Episode 20Kate Duncan’s career took her from firefighting in the US to paramedicine in Australia — high-intensity roles that left lasting scars. With Anxiety, hypervigilance, and…
- 026: Strength in the Setbacks - Paul Mildner · 1 h 32 min · Season 2 Episode 19In this episode of Behind the Badge, firefighter Paul Mildner reflects on his career spanning from East Sussex, UK, to Queensland, Australia. Paul opens up about surviving a…
- 025: From Service to Psychology: Finding Growth After Trauma - Josh Bailey · 1 h 52 min · Season 2 Episode 18From Army Reservist to Air Marshal, AFP officer to fitter armourer, Josh Bailey’s service life has spanned decades, continents, and critical incidents. Along the way he’s faced…
- 024: Discipline & Doing the Work - Dan Cooper on Mindset & Mastery · 2 h 19 min · Season 2 Episode 17Dan Cooper is no stranger to challenge. From years in the Australian Special Forces to pushing physical and psychological limits in the name of research, Dan has built a life…
- 023: Beneath the Badge, Identity & Starting Again - Matty Newlands · 2 h 8 min · Season 2 Episode 16Matty Newlands thought he was managing. Until one day, he wasn’t. In this episode of Behind the Badge, Matty shares how the weight of the job slowly crept in—changing how he saw…
- 022: The Mission After the Mission - Tom Bown on Building Origin · 1 h 5 min · Season 2 Episode 15In Part 2 of our raw, unfiltered conversation, Tom Bown opens up about what came after the uniform. He talks candidly about the slow onset of depression, what it looked like to…
- 022: Fitting In, Standing Out - Tom Brown on War, Identity & Doing It His Way · 1 h 32 min · Season 2 Episode 15Tom Brown isn’t your typical soldier—and this isn’t your typical story. In Part 1 of this raw and unfiltered two-part episode, Tom opens up about growing up in a volatile home…
- 021: Sleep, Shift Work & Survival: Making Nights Count - Dr. Ian Dunican · 1 h 26 min · Season 2 Episode 14From UN deployments to sleep science labs, Dr. Ian Dunican knows what it takes to stay sharp in high-pressure, high-risk roles. In this episode, we dig into the real cost of…
