In this episode, Brock speaks with Levi West. Levi is an 0311 in the Marine Corps, but if you ask him, that's definitely not the first way describe himself. He's a writer, a photographer, and an all around creative. He talks about why we need our own identity outside of the military, and how to start down the path of creating that. We also discuss his firsthand account of the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the mental toll that that put on the on the ground decision makers. Levi also gets into launching an indie publication called Dirtbag Magazine featuring everything cool. 

Episode Resources:

Levi on Instagram

Dirtbag Magazine

Dirtbag on Instagram

Notes:

(01:56) - What Levi is most proud of
(09:04) - The big picture of 'making an impact'
(14:45) - Why he joined the Marine Corps and any regrets
(19:23) - Introduction to photography
(21:57) - Withdrawal from Afghanistan - the good, the bad, and the ugly
(31:58) - Why experience in the military should give an immense appreciation of being an American
(39:15) - The military as an identity
(45:06) - Doing creative work just because and how to get started
(49:35) - Starting Dirtbag magazine
(55:30) - Content and the future of the magazine
(01:05:23) - Q&A from Instagram; vet writing culture, machine gun poets, and more

The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.

The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.

Get a weekly episode breakdown, a sneak peek of the next episode and other resources in your inbox for free at https://scuttlebutt.substack.com/.

Follow along:    
• Brock: @BrockHBriggs        
• Instagram: Scuttlebutt_Podcast      
• Send me an email: scuttlebuttpod1@gmail.com
• Episodes & transcripts: Scuttlebuttpodcast.co