Josh Appel: Pararescue, Emergency Medicine, and a Lifetime Commitment to Service

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Josh Appel
Pararescue, Emergency Medicine, and a Lifetime Commitment to Service

Josh Appel is an Emergency Medicine Physician, and Chief of Emergency Medicine at the Southern Arizona VA. He is a former Air Force Pararescue Specialist (PJ) who deployed on the rescue/recovery missions for OPERATION: Red Wings, including Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell and LT. Michael Murphy. Working with the Murphy family, Josh founded the Memorial Day Murph tradition.  Josh is a husband, father of three active girls, a teacher, mentor and wellness evangelist.

Kelly first met Josh while out training his PJ squadron when they were new to strength and conditioning. We get into the origin story of the Memorial Day Murph tradition, Operation: Red Wings and the subsequent film, emergency medicine, and the state of healthcare in the US.

For more info, connect with Josh on LinkedIn.

Points of interest in the episode: 

05:00  Josh and Starrett origin story; Becoming a Supple Leopard
08:00  Josh is now Chief of Emergency Medicine at Southern Arizona VA
10:10  The VA model
13:15  PJs (Pararescue) defined
14:24  Guardian Angel Weapons Systems
16:40  Josh’s path to medical school through pararescue with a backbone of service
25:15  Sidebar: Josh was a high diver in a German circus
26:16  Craziest training moment: bobbing (and drowning)
33:15  Josh re-enlisted September 9, 2001
35:30  After med school Josh volunteered to go back to Afghanistan
38:21  A couple days before heading home, all pararescue personnel was called to the command room
38:35  Operation: Red Wings
41:04  Lone Survivor, the movie
43:20  Murph, the workout
44:50  CrossFit Albany; Jason Ackerman
45:50  Making Murph a national tradition
49:40  The state of healthcare in US; Julie Foucher
55:35  Being head of ER during Covid
57:05  Lessons learned from Covid are being squandered
65:10  Josh’s socials
65:30  Ozempic
67:05  Josh’s million dollar idea: Hose flavored water

Full Transcript

Sponsors

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