MAX Afterburner

Hosted by Matthew 'Whiz" Buckley

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154

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The MAX Afterburner Podcast with Whiz is a long-form conversation hosted by Matthew “Whiz” Buckley, featuring candid discussions with family, friends, leaders, and truth-tellers across veterans’ issues, markets, culture, and politics - always grounded in care for mind, body, and soul.The podcast also serves as a platform for the missions of the No Fallen Heroes Foundation and Sacred Warrior Fellowship, amplifying conversations around healing, purpose, faith, and helping men and women who have served return home to themselves and to God.

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60 recent

June 11, 202651 min

Ep. 158 - Healing Heroic Family Members at Home

🔁 ENCORE EPISODE — In case you missed it, we're bringing back one of our favorites!Suzi hosts her second MAX Afterburner podcast with Carolina Rifenbury — known as Coco — who comes from an Army family and was part of the very first No Fallen Heroes Foundation retreat held in the United States last October in Colorado.Coco's journey was whole — loving and comforting, yet deeply challenging at times. She discovered that many of her actions in life were driven by fear when there was no need to fear. Spirit manifested as a beautiful white horse she rode, guiding her along her path. She shares how her integration process allowed her to understand the messages she received and how she is applying those powerful changes to her everyday life.If this one moved you the first time, let it move you again. 🐎

June 4, 202657 min

Ep. 157 - Healing as a Couple with Psychadelics

Suzi joins whiz on this special episode to discuss how important integration is after a psychedelic experience. They share personal details of the highs and lows as they've navigated their healing journeys on their own and as a couple. They also talk about "holding space" for loved ones and how No Fallen Heroes will launch a family support program this year. In the end "it's fine, it's always fine."

May 27, 20261 hr 14 min

Ep. 156 - Five Years Reborn: Whiz Debriefs the Mission, the Cost, and What Comes Next

Five years ago to the day, Matthew "Whiz" Buckley woke up on a mattress on the floor of a home in Mexico overlooking the Pacific — and met the man he had always been. Decades of abuse, shame, trauma, addiction, sadness, and depression were gone. In their place: the most profound spiritual experience of his life. A reconnection with God. With his sister. With his father. A clarity of purpose that would launch a five-year mission no one could have scripted.In this deeply personal anniversary episode, Whiz debriefs all of it — the highs, the lows, the people and organizations who came and went, the situations that broke him open and built him back up. He reflects on what that single weekend set in motion: hundreds of veterans, first responders, and their families healed. The founding of Sacred Warrior Fellowship. Standing in the White House for the President's executive order signing. Conversations at Harvard Law and Harvard Divinity School. A meeting with the Secretary of the VA. National news appearances. And underneath all of it — a man reconnected to purpose, family, and faith.Whiz doesn't shy away from the cost. He talks honestly about the losses, the betrayals, the seasons of doubt, and the gratitude he now holds for every ounce of suffering that brought him here. He looks ahead to the next five years, but refuses to grip the future too tightly. Everything that is supposed to happen will happen when it is supposed to. He trusts God's plan.This one is for anyone carrying a burden they think they have to carry alone. For the warrior wondering if healing is even possible. For the family member who has been watching someone they love disappear. Share it with someone who needs to hear it.Fight's On!

May 21, 20261 hr 6 min

Ep. 155 - 30 Year Police Officer Finds Healing & Peace in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy

Michael “Morgs” Morgan is a 30-year veteran of law enforcement who honorably served the citizens of Atlanta, Georgia, and Suffolk County, New York. In this riveting episode Morgs shares some of the  heartbreaking trauma he experienced, starting with his first night as a trainee. As a warrior and law enforcement officer he was forced to compartmentalize and press forward, with each incident adding a layer of pain and trauma. The drowning of a 2-year-old child he ‘helped save’ caused unbelievable grief. Later in his career he is taken off the streets because of a back injury. He got hooked on the pain reliever Tramadol and ended up in rehab. A couple years ago he saw tier one operators on podcasts sharing their healing journeys with psychedelic assisted therapy and felt the call of the medicine. He sat with Ayahuasca in Florida, and it completely saved and changed his life. He was given a new mission to put the ladder down to help save and change the lives of other first responder heroes and their families. Follow Morg on Instagram team_morgs_inc

May 14, 20261 hr 3 min

Ep. 154 - Combat Veteran Wives: Healing Through the Unknown

Join us in this illuminating episode of the Max Afterburner Podcast episode 141 as host Theresa Noach interviews Tommi Kirkpatrick, a combat veteran's wife and homeschooling mother of six, who recently embarked on a transformative journey with the Sacred Warrior Fellowship. Following her husband’s own life-changing ceremony, Tommi bravely confronts the dark secrets of her childhood navigating the complexities of motherhood, faith, and personal healing.In this heartfelt conversation, Tommi opens up about her struggles with identity, often hidden behind beautiful dresses and smiles and helping others, and the pain of feeling lost in the world. A dedicated mentor to women in her community, Tommi reflects on her journey of self-discovery that led her to explore her healing needs through a psilocybin ceremony—a choice initially seen as taboo within her cultural and faith background.Listen as Tommi and Theresa share relatable experiences about the challenges many women face when prioritizing the needs of others while neglecting their own healing journeys. Discover how Tommi's courageous decision has not only changed her personal narrative but also the trajectory of her family's legacy.Tune in for an inspiring discussion that encourages reflection, growth, and the importance of embracing one’s true self.Keywords: Tommi Kirkpatrick, Combat Veteran Wife, Homeschooling Mother, Personal Healing, Psilocybin Ceremony, Sacred Warrior Fellowship, Women’s Mentorship, Faith Community, Overcoming Dark Secrets, Personal Growth, Family Legacy, Mental Health, Transformative Journey, Podcast Interview.

May 7, 202643 min

Ep. 153 - It's Fine, It's Always Fine (and she's right...always)

Whiz has a VERY special guest on this podcast (his beautiful bride Suzi) who debriefs her journey with the medicine. She briefs the factors (mainly Whiz) that led to the medicine calling her, the preparation phase, the journey, and her integration. Suzi talks about navigating her journey and how any darkness wasn't really darkness once she let go, "everything is fine, it's always fine." Once again we learn that the power of healing is available to everyone, at any time, and that true love is eternal. 

April 28, 20261 hr 7 min

Ep. 152 - Whiz at the White House: The End of the Beginning

Five years. Closed doors. A mattress on the floor of a home in Mexico. Visits to DC where the "leaders" weren't ready. Retreats. God moments. Sweat and tears and everything in between.Then - a phone call on a Friday afternoon. By Saturday morning, Whiz was standing in the Oval Office with the President of the United States for the historic signing of the Executive Order on psychedelic therapies for veterans.In this episode, Whiz debriefs one of the most extraordinary stretches of his life.It started in a cockpit over Colorado - flying Eric Trump in the No Fallen Heroes fighter jet. Days later he was standing in the Chapel at Harvard Divinity School, the same room where Emerson delivered his famous address, reflecting on faith, mission, and what it means to keep pushing when the doors stay closed. One week after that - the Oval Office.Fighter pilot. Veteran. Founder. And now, a witness to history.Whiz breaks down what this Executive Order actually means for veterans - and calls out the Americans turning a life-or-death mission into a political football. He addresses Joe Rogan directly: a man who has never sat with ibogaine, but who had the platform to shine a spotlight on what veterans and organizations like No Fallen Heroes Foundation have been doing quietly for years. Healing Our Heroes.He shares what this moment means, what it doesn't mean, and why he's calling it the end of the beginning. Because the policy may have changed — but the real work is just getting started.Through it all, Whiz finds gratitude in the suffering. Every closed door. Every hard year. Every low moment. It's exactly what carried him from a mattress on the floor of a home in Mexico to the White House.Fight's On!

April 10, 20261 hr 3 min

Ep. 151 - Inside the Easter Rescue – Airpower, War Crimes Debate, and the Road Ahead

In Episode 151 of MAX Afterburner, Matthew “Whiz” Buckley takes listeners inside one of the most intense and emotional elements of modern combat operations, the rescue of downed U.S. Air Force aviators during Operation Epic Fury.Drawing from inside sources and his own experience as a combat aviator, Whiz delivers a behind-the-scenes debrief of how these rescue missions actually unfold. He breaks down the coordination, risk, and courage required to bring American aircrew home when everything goes sideways, reminding listeners what “so that others may live” truly looks like in real time.Then, in classic Whiz fashion, he takes direct aim at critics accusing the President of potential war crimes for considering strikes on Iranian infrastructure. He dismantles the narrative with a clear, unapologetic explanation of how successful air campaigns are actually conducted. From the opening phases of Operation Desert Storm to modern doctrine, he explains why targeting infrastructure early is not only strategic, it’s often essential to ending conflict faster and saving lives.Whiz connects the dots between past and present, offering his unfiltered assessment of where this conflict is headed, what it means for global stability, and how markets, military strategy, and geopolitics are all intertwined.He closes the episode not with more fire, but with faith, ending in a powerful prayer for peace.This is more than a debrief.This is a must-listen episode.A classic Whiz rant with purpose, perspective, and conviction.Fight’s On!

April 1, 20261 hr 5 min

Ep. 150 - Attack in Any Direction, God Leads the Way

In one of his most personal and wide-ranging episodes yet, former fighter pilot and No Fallen Heroes founder Matthew “Whiz” Buckley targets everything happening across his world - from global conflict to the home front, from the halls of power to the sacred space of a healing retreat.Whiz opens with a full intel brief on Operation EPIC FURY, laying out the current threat picture with characteristic clarity - and delivers a hard truth: things are likely to get worse before they get better.He pauses the mission brief for something deeply personal - saying goodbye to his oldest son, who has left home for active duty service in the United States Air Force.Back on mission, Whiz debrief the most recent Sacred Warrior Fellowship retreat - the sacred work of bringing veterans and first responders back to themselves, back to God, back home.He then turns to Washington, where bipartisan talk of psychedelics for veterans continues to grow louder on Capitol Hill. Whiz gives the unfiltered assessment: bipartisan support sounds good on paper, but words from senators mean absolutely nothing until warriors are actually getting healed.In a significant debrief, Whiz recounts his flight with Eric Trump - breaking down how he briefed him on the mission of No Fallen Heroes Foundation and Sacred Warrior Fellowship, and why he's doing everything in his power to get that message all the way to the Oval Office.He's attacking in every direction to bring healing to America's heroes at home.Whiz closes Episode 150 with a call for close air support - asking fellow Americans to lock in and fund the foundation and the church, because the mission doesn't run on goodwill alone.This one is personal. This one matters. Tune in.

March 26, 20261 hr 6 min

Ep. 149 - Confident in Christ: Becky's Path to Emotional Freedom With Psilocybin

In this episode of the MAX Afterburner podcast, host Theresa Noach had the pleasure of speaking with Becky Gallagher. As the wife of a Marine Combat Veteran and a devoted mother of five, Becky embodies strength and resilience. With a Master's degree and a steadfast Christian faith, she candidly shares the challenges that many face when the answers to their health and emotional freedom seem elusive despite countless prayers and declarations. Becky’s personal journey highlights how her unwavering trust in Jesus empowered her to approach each situation with confidence. Join us as we delve into her inspiring story and explore the transformative power of faith in the face of adversity.