Calm in the Chaos - U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Podcast

With multiple deployments and decades of service, Jason Barney embodies what it means to be a lifelong student and leader. From his early days as a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer to serving as CNO SAR Model Manager and with HSC-85, Jason’s career has been defined by excellence, mentorship, and innovation.
In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, Jason shares stories from his time in the Navy, the lessons learned from global deployments, and how he continues to shape the next generation of rescue swimmers. His perspective reminds us that leadership isn’t about knowing everything — it’s about staying teachable, even after retirement.

In this episode:
Lessons from multiple deployments
The role and responsibilities of the CNO SAR Model Manager
The evolution of the Rescue Swimmer program
What it means to lead with humility and purpose

👉 Subscribe, share, and review — it helps more veterans, first responders, and families find hope through these stories.

CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST Episode 47

So Others May Live! 🫡🇺🇸

Keep Calm in the Chaos Merch
(Link in bio or https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com)
Military and First Responders get 10% discount with code: SARRESCUE10 applied at checkout
100% of proceeds go to support the podcast!

#JasonBarney #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #CNO #SARMODELMANAGER #HSC85 #CalmInTheChaosPodcast #BrianDickinson #SoOthersMayLive #NavyLeadership #NavyVeteran #RescueSwimmerStories #MilitaryMentorship #SARCommunity #VeteranStories #NavyLife #AlwaysTheStudent #MilitaryExcellence

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For ten years, Tommy Maxwell served as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer, operating under pressure, saving lives, and learning from some of the best — including the late Master Chief Tony DiCenso, a legend in the SAR community.
Now out of the military, Tommy has shifted his mission — from rescuing people to educating and inspiring others through wildlife storytelling. On his popular YouTube channel @Tommys_reptiles, he shares his lifelong passion for reptiles, showing the world that these misunderstood creatures deserve respect, not fear.

In this episode of Calm in the Chaos, we talk about:
What it’s really like to serve a decade as a Navy Rescue Swimmer
The mentorship and legacy of Master Chief Tony DiCenso
Transitioning from the military to civilian life and creative purpose
Tommy’s mission to humanize reptiles and share wildlife filmmaking adventures

👉 Subscribe, share, and review — it helps more veterans, first responders, and families find hope through these stories.

CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST Episode 46

So Others May Live! 🫡🇺🇸

Keep Calm in the Chaos Merch
(Link in bio or https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com)
Military and First Responders get 10% discount with code: SARRESCUE10 applied at checkout
100% of proceeds go to support the podcast!

#TommyMaxwell #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #TonyDiCenso #CalmInTheChaosPodcast #BrianDickinson #SoOthersMayLive #NavySAR #Reptiles #WildlifeFilmmaking #VeteranStories #AnimalEducation #NavyVeteran #RescueSwimmerStories #SARCommunity #HumanizingReptiles #MilitaryToCivilian #NavyLife

For more content, subscribe to our channel and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson

When Hurricane Katrina unleashed chaos across the Gulf Coast, Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer Tim Hawkins was sent into the storm. In the middle of the devastation, he faced an unthinkable decision — save a life or risk losing his.
This episode of Calm in the Chaos dives into the real rescue missions of Hurricane Katrina, told by one of the men who lived it. Tim Hawkins shares what it meant to operate in impossible conditions — flooded cities, downed power lines, exhausted crews, and endless rescues. His split-second decision in that moment would define not just his mission, but his mindset for the rest of his life.

In this episode:
Inside the chaos of Katrina rescue operations
The life-or-limb moment that tested Tim’s training and mindset
Lessons in composure, courage, and compassion under pressure
The brotherhood of the Aviation Rescue Swimmer community

👉 Subscribe, share, and review — it helps more veterans, first responders, and families find hope through these stories.

CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST Episode 45

So Others May Live! 🫡🇺🇸

Keep Calm in the Chaos Merch
(Link in bio or https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com)
Military and First Responders get 10% discount with code: SARRESCUE10 applied at checkout
100% of proceeds go to support the podcast!

#TimHawkins #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #HurricaneKatrina #CalmInTheChaosPodcast #BrianDickinson #SoOthersMayLive #SearchAndRescue #MilitaryStories #NavyLife #HeroicRescue #VeteranStories #NavyAviation #SAR #RealHeroes #SurvivalStories #NavyBrotherhood

For more content, subscribe to our channel and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson

He started as a non-designated airman aboard a Navy ship — no rating, no clear path forward. But through discipline, faith, and relentless drive, Laurquis earned his wings as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer, mastering one of the Navy’s toughest training pipelines. His journey didn’t stop there — he rose again, becoming a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), leading sailors on the high seas.

In this episode, we dive into:
What life is like for a non-rated sailor trying to find direction
The brutal reality and brotherhood of Rescue Swimmer School
Leadership lessons that carried him into the Surface Warfare community
The mindset that separates those who quit from those who rise

👉 Subscribe, share, and review — it helps more veterans, first responders, and families find hope through these stories.

CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST Episode 44

So Others May Live! 🫡🇺🇸

Keep Calm in the Chaos Merch
(Link in bio or https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com)
Military and First Responders get 10% discount with code: SARRESCUE10 applied at checkout
100% of proceeds go to support the podcast!

#LaurquisRockSowell #RescueSwimmer #NavyRescueSwimmer #AviationRescueSwimmer #NavySWO #SurfaceWarfareOfficer #CalmInTheChaosPodcast #BrianDickinson #NavyMotivation #MilitaryLeadership #RescueSwimmerStories #NavyLife #SoOthersMayLive #VeteranStories #USNavy #NavyJourney

For more content, subscribe to our channel and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson

In this powerful episode of Calm in the Chaos, I sit down with Jay Shropshire, retired Senior Chief, Aviation Rescue Swimmer — a brother I went through training with. Jay opens up about the catastrophic Navy helicopter crash in Kuwait that everyone miraculously survived, and the invisible battles that followed after 23 years of dedication to serving our country.

We talk about survival, purpose, and the quiet struggle of transitioning from military life to civilian reality. It’s one of the heaviest and most honest episodes yet — a reminder that even the strongest warriors carry unseen scars.

👉 Subscribe, share, and review — it helps more veterans, first responders, and families find hope through these stories.

CALM IN THE CHAOS PODCAST Episode 42

So Others May Live! 🫡🇺🇸

Keep Calm in the Chaos Merch
(Link in bio or https://shop.calminthechaospodcast.com)
Military and First Responders get 10% discount with code: SARRESCUE10 applied at checkout
100% of proceeds go to support the podcast!

#CalmInTheChaosPodcast #AviationRescueSwimmer #RescueSwimmer #JayShropshire #BrianDickinson #NavyVeteran  #SoOthersMayLive #HelicopterCrashSurvivor #MilitaryTransition #VeteranMentalHealth #Resilience #Brotherhood #FaithThroughAdversity #LeadershipUnderPressure #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranStories

For more content, subscribe to our channel and follow @TheCalmintheChaosPodcast:
Twitter: https://x.com/briancdickinson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandickinson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briancdickinson  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briancdickinson