Army veteran, Deep sea diver, and physician assistant Dr. Travis Kaufman breaks down moral injury, veteran mental health, and the realities of military medicine and life after service. From dive school and deployments to the White House Medical Unit and Ukraine, Travis shares the weight medics carry, the impact of moral injury, and what transition really feels like.

Also in this episode: vasectomy stories, Air Force envy, and why every vet needs to “close their tabs” before it’s too late.

Resources & Links:

• Center for the Intrepid: https://www.bamc.health.mil/page.asp?id=502

• World Extreme Medicine: https://worldextrememedicine.com

• Pole Star Coffee: https://polestarcoffee.com

• Cadence Wealth Partners – Nick O’Kelly: https://www.cadencewealthpartners.com/nick-okelly

• Alone and Unafraid Podcast Website: https://aloneandunafraid.org

Guest Info:

Dr. Travis Kaufman is a retired Army diver and physician assistant with a doctorate in medical science. He’s served in Iraq, Ukraine, and at the White House Medical Unit. Travis now works in global health leadership and teaches emergency and disaster medicine.

🧠 “You guys are probably a little bit type A and you probably stay really busy. That's like a telltale sign of just staying, not really facing what demon or whatever might be kind of haunting you.”
💬 “Sometimes it's harder to face it and be like, okay, let me take a look at this and see how I can look at it.”
🎙️ “You can't hack your way through transition. You have to go through it to come out the other side.” — TMFK!