SGM Mike Vining @ Blasting Through Official

I'm Mike Vining, SGM USA (Retired). Welcome to my official X account. In the next several months, I'll share EOD and Delta Force memories. And I'll offer info on moral injury and PTSD. I'm calling this account "Blasting Through," because that's the title of my book, a memoir, due for release in August 2026.

@tangopapadelta @EODHappyCaptain Also, the primary trait the Unit selects for hasn’t changed. They look for people who will never quit.

@EODHappyCaptain @BlastingThrough Now I'm beginning to think this is an archetype they select for.

Do I spy @BlastingThrough in the wild?

@tangopapadelta @EODHappyCaptain I explain this in “Blasting Through.” The person in this photo is a good friend of mine, Bill Kronin. He was on General Schwarzkopf’s security detail. I was serving in Desert Storm, too, but at Taji #2.

@BuzzPatterson I can relate. And your mentoring of your co pilot — spot on. 👍

Another flying story. And the time I should’ve died. When I was the Operations Officer for a USAF C-141 squadron at Travis AFB, CA, we had an “Island Run” where we flew to Hawaii, Johnston Atoll, Kwajalein, Midway Island, and into crew rest. The next day, back to Honolulu. Long first day and mostly in the middle of the night. On approach to Midway at midnight we hit severe turbulence on at about 500 feet and ingested birds into two engines. Lost one and the other was degraded but still operating at about 50%. I initiated a go around, climbed out, and entering holding to run checklists and access our damage. The weather folks in Midway radioed that it was only going to get worse. We couldn’t get in and our divert base was Honolulu. Unfortunately, because of the severe turbulence, we lost our dual navigation systems (INS) and diverting back to Honolulu was our only option. Initially, I asked for a “DF steer” on the HF radios. Basically, a WWII means of picking up a radio signal and flying to it for about 3 hours. It’s an emergency situation, definitely. To compound matters, my copilot was so freaked out she became “inoperable.” She couldn’t talk. So, now I’m soloing. In what I can only surmise was a God thing, my flight engineer “Smitty” happened to be an avid fisherman and just happened to have an original Garmin GPS in his helmet bag. He says, “hey, will this work boss?” I said, “fuck yeah, plug in HNL and give me a heading!” It worked. We taped Smitty’s little GPS to the cockpit dash so I could see the course and navigate accordingly. Approximately 3 hours later, we picked up the the lights of the islands. Honolulu picked us up and put us on vectors. We and landed safely in Honolulu. Sometimes you feel God’s hand on your shoulder. I made my copilot fly the approach to bring her around. Much like driving a car after an accident. She wasn’t happy about it but she cowboyed up. The night I probably should’ve died.

@lulumain2025 I cover these in “Blasting Through.” Thank you for asking.

@BlastingThrough What about you? What kind of ethical minefield (no pun intended) did you had to resolve in your days as a soldier?

@Titania977 I didn’t cover that part. She wouldn’t know for forty more years why her foot swelled during her flu illness. She had an immune disorder. When she got sick with the flu, different parts of her body would react by swelling.

@BlastingThrough Thanks for sharing this story from WWII. I had a great-aunt who served in the Red Cross in the South Pacific. What was wrong with Mary’s foot? Did I miss that part?

@brentlajeunesse Well said. Thank you.

As a police officer, I always tried to do what I believed was truly right in the moment—even when it clashed with strict policy or procedure. Rules matter, but sometimes the humane or just choice doesn't fit neatly inside them. In the end, you have to look yourself in the mirror and live with the decisions you've made. That's the real accountability

@OceanEarthSpac3 I’m sorry for your loss.

@BlastingThrough @BlastingThrough Some obstacles are not measured in winning but in holding till the bitter end, no matter what. My wife stayed with our son 5 months without a day off, as he fought for his life. We lost, but we didn't quit. The Army can be proud of her.

Obstacles can be physical, situational, or imagined. They will get in your way. Do not let them. Blast through them by knowing who you are. Tomorrow, I'll post a blurb about obstacles and personal ethics. The photo was taken in the early 1980s

@OceanEarthSpac3 Great story. Thanks for telling us about your wife’s experience and her journey to healing. 👍

@BlastingThrough @BlastingThrough My wife lost her leg to a training accident in the Army. She volunteers to teach karate to children at our local YMCA. Everyday she has to overcome obstacles. One tough Army troop!

@RDSubVet Inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story.

I hear you. Fast attack vet Cold War. 2 years of high school, in boot camp a week after turning 17. Long story short, received my GED before end of my enlistment. after my discharge went on to get a bachelors in geology and a masters in oceanography. When I started on this journey many said dude you only completed 2 years of high school and have a GED. It was a serious rough road but eventually made it to newly paved one

@MRTs_Haircut @smilesunshine42 Thank you.

@BlastingThrough @smilesunshine42 Amen. Work ethics are learned early. It’s amazing what we can do to persevere. Your lessons are important Mike. Needed now more than ever.

@DaOthrJR I don’t know how to respond to this.

Every class had it's Roger In COBET we had a guy who couldn't figure out how to use a voltmeter. He used his fingers to test for voltage. On small circuits he got away with it but week 9 was power supplies. His test for hot almost killed him I think they sent him to tanker school after his release from hospital

Marine Raider Aaron Sekulov is only 35 years old. He has served in the shadows as a critical skills operator, in places across the world, doing what less than 0.1% of the world can or will do.  In January 2026, he was diagnosed with one of the most deadly forms of cancer - Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). AML fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which abnormal white blood cells multiply rapidly and crowd out healthy blood-forming cells. The treatment for AML is to literally wipe out all leukemia cells in the bone marrow through chemotherapy. Because chemotherapy does not discriminate, it will kill all "protective" cells, placing Aaron at an incredibly high risk for fungal, bacterial, and viral infections, making this phase of treatment one of the most dangerous. Once the leukemia cells are destroyed, Aaron will be given a bone marrow / stem cell transplant from a healthy donor (if you haven't registered yet to swab for Aaron, you can do so here: Swab for Aaron!) While Aaron has coverage through TRICARE as he is still currently serving as a Marine Corps reservist, many things targeted towards a successful, clean, infection-free lifestyle is not. Here are some of the needs for Aaron and where exactly these funds will be used (invoices and receipts produced for reimbursement): - $1,600 / month for apartment minutes from U of M Cancer Center for 8 months = $12,800 - $825 to clean air ducts in home to reduce mold / infection exposures (at least quarterly) = $1,650 - $2,300 for central air filter upgrade (HEPA quality) = $2,300 - $260 for upholstered furniture cleaning (at least quarterly) = $520 - $1,700 for rower/assault bike combo for home during quarantine period = $1,700 - $1,500 incline-capable treadmill for home during quarantine period = $1,500 - $10,656 for Sun Home Red light & infrared Sauna for quarantine period detox. = $10,656 - $500+/- for dietary-restricted foods (Neutropenic diet) while in treatment / quarantine (as live plants, fresh fruit, veggies carry extreme risks, Aarons diet needs to be high in protein and calories) = $3,000 - $1,000 for travel expenses / gas to-and-from treatment for Kelley and Aaron = $1,000 Totaling approximately $34,126 - all additional funds will be used for Aaron and Kelley's needs throughout his treatment and recovery. How you can help power the mission to save Aarons life: 1Donate: Every dollar counts in helping Aaron survive. Contribute now to help Aaron. 2Share: Share our campaign with your friends, family, and on social media, be sure to tag @H7Foundation 3Swab for Aaron: Consider completing a swab through DKMS, or Salute to Life (if you are active duty). Thank you for supporting Aaron and Kelley, your support is invaluable and truly lifechanging.

@WatchesWinWars Of course. Only once.

@BlastingThrough Was this the only time he went ballistic???

Check out my blurb about a time that COL Beckwith went ballistic.

@MRTs_Haircut How’d you guess?

@BlastingThrough lol. I bet that was repeated as a password for decades.

It’s an AI cartoon. So … it doesn’t get everything right. Still captured the moment pretty well.

@StanSmithsSUV @SomeWelder @skptclperspctcl @TElcope177989 No. We’re still in the editing phase. I’ll keep you posted.

@BlastingThrough @SomeWelder @skptclperspctcl @TElcope177989 Is there a link for signed first editions somewhere?

You could ask @BlastingThrough he was on the ground in Iran in 1979. You could also ask the survivors of the Iranian IRGC & Basij EFP IED's in the GWOT.