Episode 62: The Bull Riders

09/16/21 • 56 min

A cowboy is made in eight seconds. That's how long you have to last on a bull for it to count as a successful "ride." Anything less than that is a failure. Eight seconds, as the host of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast found out, is a lot harder than it sounds.

In episode 62 of the official podcast of the US Army, we'll meet a group of American Soldiers who are also professional and semi-professional bull riders.

Bull riding is an adrenaline rush. It initiates a sense of terror, power, and, once complete, relief. That's because it is INCREDIBLY dangerous....the bulls have no interest in your risk assessment. In fact, a professional bull rider is much more likely to be seriously injured than an NFL player.

Moises Silva, an Army Specialist stationed on Fort Bragg, has been riding bulls his entire life. He's been injured more than 20 times, cracked his skull, and spent a month in a coma. He's also gotten really good at hanging on and riding up to that eight seconds.

Casey Jones, another Army specialist, is one of the few woman Army bull riders. She absolutely loves everything about the sport: the training, working with the animals, the teamwork.

Both Moises and Casey join the podcast, both in the Fort Bragg studio and then at a rodeo in Hope Mills, North Carolina, for this episode.

One thing should be clear by the end of this episode: the host of this podcast will do ANYTHING to promote the 18th Airborne Corps podcast...to include risk serious injury at the hands of a 2,000-pound bull.

Find out how Moises and Casey engendered a sense of community with a small group of Fort Bragg Soldiers through this odd pastime. Find out what they got involved with bull riding, what they get out of it, and what they hope to achieve in the sport. Find out if our host can last two seconds on a bull.

The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is an official Department of Defense program. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a new episode is released every Tuesday.

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You won't miss any of the interesting guests or cool stories if you subscribe. We also ask you to leave a 5-star rating and a review, as these will help others find the program.

In episode 62 of the official podcast of the US Army, we'll meet a group of American Soldiers who are also professional and semi-professional bull riders.

Casey Jones, another Army specialist, is one of the few woman Army bull riders. She absolutely loves everything about the sport: the training, working with the animals, the teamwork.

Both Moises and Casey join the podcast, both in the Fort Bragg studio and then at a rodeo in Hope Mills, North Carolina, for this episode.

The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is an official Department of Defense program. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a new episode is released every Tuesday.

You won't miss any of the interesting guests or cool stories if you subscribe. We also ask you to leave a 5-star rating and a review, as these will help others find the program.

Previous Episode

Episode 61: Leading With Authenticity: Major General Milford ”Beags” Beagle, Climb To Glory 6

Major General Milford Beagle, known around the Army as "Beags," leads with authenticity, humility, and compassion. He's the kind of leader who reveals his vulnerability to his troops and communicate with them on their level.

A native of Enoree, South Carolina, Beags commissioned in the Army after graduating from South Carolina State University in 1990 as an infantry officer. He's since had a long and distinguished career as an infantryman with stops at the Old Guard, Korea, the 10th Mountain Division on Fort Drum, and the Pentagon. In 2018 that career brought him home: he took command of the Fort Jackson, South Carolina-based US Army Training Center.

This past July, he returned to Fort Drum to command the 10th Mountain Division. As the 31st "Climb To Glory 6," he upholds a legacy that dates back to the formation of a ski-based unit for World War II.

Beags joined the 18th Airborne Corps podcast to talk about his priorities with the 10th Mountain Division, his leadership philosophy, and his Family. This is a thoughtful discussion for anyone interested in Army leadership.

Next Episode

Episode 63: Operation Market Garden Scene Setter

September 17, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Market Garden, a massive offensive intended to end WWII by Christmas. The nine-day operation ended on September 25th in failure.

77 years later, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, the official podcast of the US Department of Defense, releases a nine-episode series based on Market Garden.

Nine days. Nine episodes. September 17 - 25. Almost as bold and ambitious as the operation itself...let's just hope this podcast is a little more successful.

Market Garden is a big story. Episodes 63 to 71 will unwind that story.

Over these nine episodes, you'll hear multiple elements on this grand tragedy: the American airborne, the British airborne, the British ground forces, the Dutch resistance, the German defenses, the Polish paratroopers. We'll have many guests, many historians, and many perspectives.

In this first in our Market Garden series, host Joe Buccino describes the strategic overview of the operation and the broad outlines of the plan. This episode sets the scene for the next eight.

Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify. Please live a 5-star rating and a review and please tell others about the program.