The Muster Point Podcast

Episode 11: Bullshit & Bunkers – The Hidden Madness of Army Life

This week on The Muster Point Podcast, hosts Stu Mendelson and Steve dive into the hilarious, head-scratching world of military madness. From the most pointless army tasks to the absurd orders that made zero sense, this veteran-led podcast episode explores the side of service life they don’t put in the recruitment brochures.

If you've served, you'll laugh (and maybe cry) at the ridiculous rules, soul-destroying admin, and classic “we’ve always done it this way” moments. It's squaddie humour meets veteran honesty in one of our most relatable episodes yet.

🪖 In This Military Podcast Episode:

• Army Bureaucracy – Lost leave forms, endless signatures, pointless inspections
• Military Life WTF Moments – Painting grass green, last-minute parades, and cleaning weapons for no reason
• Veteran Stories from Listeners – Dumbest military rules and weirdest tasks you’ve survived
• Muckers Remembered – Honouring those who served and sacrificed
• Bravo Zulu Spotlight – Military Veterans Football team doing good post-service

🧠 Why You Should Listen:

• Real, unfiltered veteran experiences from the British Army and beyond
• Squaddie humour and mental health insights for former forces
• Top-ranked military podcast for veterans, service personnel, and supporters
• Listener-submitted stories that prove you're not the only one who thought “this is total bollocks”

🎧 Tune in now and discover the shared struggle, laughs, and lunacy behind army life that only veterans truly understand.

📩 Got a story to share with The Muster Point Podcast?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Credits:

Intro - FX comedy marching.wav by v0idation -- https://freesound.org/s/115144/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Outro - Cinematic Orchestral Heroic Army Music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/686217/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

The Last Post - Last Post.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/61811/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Beyond the Wire: From PTSD to Purpose – Darren Wright and Veterans into Logistics

In this powerful Beyond the Wire episode of The Muster Point Podcast, Stu and Steve sit down with Darren Wright, founder of Veterans into Logistics—a game-changing charity helping former military personnel rebuild their lives through careers in HGV driving.

From PTSD and prison to purpose and passion, Darren’s story is one of brutal honesty, second chances, and real-world impact. After losing a fellow veteran to suicide, he made it his mission to ensure no ex-soldier is left behind. Veterans into Logistics has since helped hundreds of veterans across the UK find stability, employment, and a new identity beyond the uniform.

🪖 What’s Inside:

• Darren’s lived experience of life after the Army: trauma, adversity, and turning it all around
• The tragic catalyst that sparked Veterans into Logistics
• How the charity funds HGV training and connects veterans with top employers
• Why employment is key to better mental health and reduced reoffending
• The power of mentorship, belonging, and community in civilian life

🎧 Perfect for: Veterans, service leavers, military families, employers, logistics firms, criminal justice professionals, and anyone passionate about veteran support, mental health, and career transition after the Armed Forces.

🫡 Once you’ve served—no matter the battle—you’re family.

👉 Want to find out more or support their mission?
Contact Veterans into Logistics directly at info@veteransintologistics.org.uk or visit www.veteransintologistics.org.uk

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: stu@themusterpoint.org.uk

 

Episode 10: Stu Mendelson’s Story of Survival, Trauma & Recovery

This week on The Muster Point Podcast, we flip the mic and put co-host Stu Mendelson (ex-Royal Engineer) in the hot seat. Steve takes over to dig into the day that changed everything—when Stu was hit by a Taliban IED in Afghanistan.

In this raw, honest, and powerful episode, Stu shares what it’s really like to be blown up on patrol, the chaos that followed, and his long journey of healing—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a story of trauma, dark humour, and resilience that only those who’ve served can truly understand.

🪖 In This Episode:

• The IED Blast – What happened that day in Helmand and how it unfolded
• The Aftermath – What no one prepares you for when the dust settles
• Listener Q&A – Your questions, Stu’s unfiltered answers
• Muckers Remembered – A tribute to the fallen who never came home
• Bravo Zulu Spotlight – Shoutout to Veterans into Logistics, helping ex-forces into new careers
• The Muster Quiz – Can Stu keep it together under pressure?

🧠 Why Listen?

• Real story of surviving an IED explosion in Afghanistan
• Insight into veteran mental health, PTSD & post-traumatic growth
• A brutally honest look at life after military service
• Squaddie humour, scars, and strength in equal measure

🎙️ Press play and hear what it’s like to walk through fire—and come out swinging.

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Credits:

Intro - FX comedy marching.wav by v0idation -- https://freesound.org/s/115144/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Outro - Cinematic Orchestral Heroic Army Music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/686217/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

The Last Post - Last Post.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/61811/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Beyond the Wire: Veterans, Addiction & Recovery with Ash from Tom Harrison House

In this powerful Beyond the Wire episode of The Muster Point Podcast, Stu and Steve sit down with Ash, a veteran and peer mentor at Tom Harrison House—a specialist addiction recovery centre for veterans. Together, they dive into the unfiltered truth about life after service, addiction, and the long road to healing.

From the battlefield to rock bottom, and back again—this is real talk about pain, purpose, and what it takes to come back stronger.

🪖 What’s Inside:

• Ash’s lived experience: his journey from military service to addiction and recovery
• Inside Tom Harrison House: how this veteran-led programme changes lives
• The hidden mental health toll of leaving the forces
• Breaking the stigma around addiction in the veteran community
• Finding identity and purpose beyond the uniform

💬 Expect veteran banter, raw honesty, and deep reflections on a topic that affects thousands of ex-forces personnel across the UK.

🎧 Perfect for:
Veterans, service members, military families, addiction support workers, and anyone passionate about mental health, recovery, and veteran welfare.

🫡 Once you’ve served—no matter the battle—you’re family.

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Episode 9: Wet and Wild – Booze, Banter & the Battle After Service

This week on The Muster Point Podcast, Stu (ex-Royal Engineer) and Steve (ex-Royal Tank Regiment) crack open the truth about alcohol in military life—from legendary mess do’s and block parties, to the dark aftermath that many veterans quietly carry.

Is squaddie drinking culture just a laugh and bonding session? Or is it a time bomb that goes off when the uniform comes off? Expect boozy banter, brutal honesty, and some powerful real-life stories.

🍺 Inside This Episode:

• Booze & Barracks – The golden (or groggy) years of squaddie sessions
• Battle Scars – When the bottle bites back: alcohol and PTSD
• The Unspoken Costs – The line between a laugh and a problem
• Voice Notes – Listener stories: from drunken glory to post-service struggles
• Veteran News Roundup – What’s happening across the forces
• Icebreaker – Harmless tradition or hidden danger? Stu & Steve weigh in
• Bravo Zulu Spotlight – Massive respect to Tom Harrison House, helping veterans recover from addiction

Whether you’re still smashing tins or navigating life after the last mess dinner, this episode pulls no punches. It’s funny, honest, emotional—and absolutely necessary.

🎙️ Tune in, raise a brew (or put it down), and join the conversation.

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Credits:

Intro - FX comedy marching.wav by v0idation -- https://freesound.org/s/115144/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Outro - Cinematic Orchestral Heroic Army Music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/686217/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

The Last Post - Last Post.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/61811/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Beyond the Wire: UK vs US Military Life with Former US Marine Chris O'Donnell

In this special Beyond the Wire episode of The Muster Point Podcast, Stu (ex-Royal Engineer) and Steve (ex-Royal Tank Regiment) are joined by Chris O’Donnell, a former United States Marine, for a raw, honest, and unfiltered conversation comparing life in the British and American armed forces.

From boot camp to battlefield bonds, from dark humour to post-service struggles—this episode explores what divides our systems but unites our soldiers.

🪖 What’s Inside:

• USMC Boot Camp vs British Army Training – Discipline, drills, and drill sergeants
• Frontline Culture – Banter, bonds, and the mindset that keeps you alive
• Veteran Support Systems – Where the US and UK get it right (and wrong)
• Life After Service – Mental health, purpose, and the transition into civvy life
• Universal Camaraderie – Why it doesn’t matter what flag you served under

Whether you’ve worn green, camo, desert tan—or just want to understand military life—this episode brings you two veterans, two nations, and one shared mission: telling the truth about service, struggle, and the bond that never breaks.

🫡 Once you’ve served, you’re family. No matter the flag.

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, YouTube & more.

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Episode 8: Forces Punishments – The Good, The Bad & The Bloody Hilarious

This week on The Muster Point Podcast, Stu (ex-Royal Engineer) and Steve (ex-Royal Tank Regiment) take a squaddie-sized dive into one of the most chaotic and unforgettable parts of military life: punishments.

From beastings and stitch-ups to full kit parades, kangaroo courts, and pan-bashing nightmares, it’s all here. The kind of stuff that’d make HR departments cry and squaddies laugh for years. If you’ve ever stood in the rain wondering what you did wrong (besides existing), this one’s for you.

🪖 Inside This Episode:

• Best & Worst Punishments – From extras to the just plain illegal
• Civvy Perspective – How would half this stuff go down in the real world?
• Listener SITREP – Wild punishment tales from the frontlines and behind the cookhouse
• Forces News Roundup – Live-firing Vikings, HMS Lancaster’s drug bust, and why airsoft players might be the next recruits
• Muckers Remembered – We honour the fallen
• Bravo Zulu Spotlight – Shoutout to Op Nova for supporting veterans in the criminal justice system | 📞 0800 917 7299

Whether you were the one getting stitched up or just watching with a brew and a grin, this episode brings military banter, real stories, and the kind of nostalgia that civvies will never understand.

🎙️ Tune in, laugh hard, and be glad you're not doing extras anymore.

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Credits:

Intro - FX comedy marching.wav by v0idation -- https://freesound.org/s/115144/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Outro - Cinematic Orchestral Heroic Army Music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/686217/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

The Last Post - Last Post.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/61811/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Episode 7: Life After the Military – Navigating the Transition from Army Life to Civvy Street

This week, Stu (ex-Royal Engineer) and Steve (ex-Royal Tank Regiment) tackle one of the biggest challenges facing veterans today: the transition to civilian life. From finding your purpose outside the forces to the hilarious mistakes every ex-squaddie makes (yes—someone really saluted a shop assistant), this episode mixes raw honesty, squaddie banter, and practical advice.

Whether you’re just leaving the military, deep in the civvy trenches, or supporting a veteran through it—this episode is for you.

🪖 Inside This Episode:

• Civvy Icebreakers – First moments that screamed “You’re not in the Army anymore”
• Listener SITREP – True stories of identity loss, job hunt hell, and civvy howlers
• Mental & Emotional Impact – The hidden challenges of leaving the forces
• Post-Service Purpose – How veterans rediscover mission, community, and meaning
• Forces News Roundup – Updates on veteran affairs & transition support
• Muckers Remembered – A tribute to those we carry with us always
• Bravo Zulu Spotlight – Shoutout to The Poppy Factory & Forces Employment Charity for championing veteran careers

🎙️ The Muster Point Podcast brings you unfiltered veteran stories, military humour, and real talk about what happens when the uniform comes off.

🎧 Press play and fall in with us.

📩 Got a story for us?
Email: steve@themusterpoint.org.uk

DM us:

• Facebook: @themusterpointveterans
• Twitter/X: @themusterpoint
• TikTok: @themusterpoint
• YouTube: @themusterpointveterans

Credits:

Intro - FX comedy marching.wav by v0idation -- https://freesound.org/s/115144/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Outro - Cinematic Orchestral Heroic Army Music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/686217/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

The Last Post - Last Post.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/61811/ -- License: Attribution 4.0