We recently connected with Joel Hunt and have shared our conversation below.

Joel , appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

One of the biggest things I’ve learned from my journey is that nobody hands you a roadmap.

When I started adaptive skiing, I wanted to make it to the Paralympics. The problem was, every time I asked someone how to get there, nobody seemed to know. There wasn’t a simple guide. There wasn’t a checklist. So I had to figure it out myself.

I went to camps. I talked to athletes. I spent years researching and learning. Eventually, I discovered that the path to the Paralympics isn’t much different than the path of a wrestler, baseball player, or football player. You learn, you train, you fail, and you keep moving forward.

The same thing happened when I started Military Broadcast Radio. I didn’t know anything about broadcasting, lighting, electronics, streaming, or production. I remember spending hours trying to figure out why a light wouldn’t work, only to discover there were a couple of metal tabs that had to be removed first. Nobody told me. It was one of those lessons you only learn by doing.

I’ve spent money making mistakes. I’ve paid for my education. Sometimes that’s the price of learning. Since 2018, I’ve personally funded this mission, with some help from donations along the way. Every lesson, every success, and every setback has helped build what MBR is today.

What I’ve learned is that civilian life can feel like a secret. Veterans leave the military and suddenly find themselves in a world where everyone assumes you already know how things work. Too often, nobody explains the process.

That’s one of the reasons Military Broadcast Radio exists. We want to help veterans navigate those challenges. We want to share knowledge, experiences, and opportunities so the next veteran doesn’t have to spend years trying to figure out what nobody would explain to them.

Because sometimes the most valuable thing you can give someone isn’t money—it’s a roadmap.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My name is Joel Hunt, although many people know me as “H-Train.” I’m a U.S. Army veteran, a Paralymian, and the Executive Director of Military Broadcast Radio (MBR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving veterans a voice.

My journey into broadcasting wasn’t planned. After being injured during my military service in Iraq, I faced many of the same challenges that countless veterans face when transitioning back into civilian life. One of the things I noticed was that many veterans had incredible stories, experiences, and talents, but they often didn’t have a platform to share them. Too many veterans felt isolated, unheard, or disconnected from the communities around them.

That realization led me to Military Broadcast Radio. Since taking over the organization in 2018, I’ve worked to transform it into more than just a radio station. Today, MBR serves as a platform where veterans, first responders, military families, and community members can connect through podcasts, live broadcasts, educational programming, entertainment, and storytelling.

Before broadcasting, I was heavily involved in adaptive sports and competed on the world stage as a Paralympic alpine skier. One of the most important lessons I learned through that journey was that success often comes from persistence and education. Nobody handed me a roadmap to the Paralymics. I had to learn, research, ask questions, attend camps, and build relationships with other athletes. That same determination carried over into broadcasting. I knew very little about radio, production, streaming, or media when I started, but I was willing to learn.

What sets MBR apart is that we are mission-driven. We are not focused solely on ratings, clicks, or profits. Our primary focus is helping veterans find purpose, build confidence, develop new skills, and reconnect with their communities. We provide training opportunities, broadcasting experience, podcasting platforms, community engagement, and a place where veterans can continue serving by helping others.

The accomplishment I am most proud of is not a medal, award, or title. It’s the fact that Military Broadcast Radio has helped countless veterans discover their voice and realize they still have something valuable to contribute. Watching someone go from believing they have no purpose to hosting a show, sharing their story, or helping another veteran is incredibly rewarding.

If there is one thing I want people to know about me and the MBR brand, it’s that we believe every veteran has a story worth telling. Our mission has always been simple: give veterans a voice, create opportunities for connection, and prove that life after service can still be filled with purpose, impact, and hope.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience is not something I learned from a book—it’s something I’ve had to live every day.

I served in the United States Army and was injured during my service in Iraq. Like many veterans, I faced the challenge of rebuilding my life after military service while dealing with injuries that changed my future. There were times when it would have been easy to give up, but I chose to keep moving forward.

One of the biggest chapters in that journey was adaptive skiing. I eventually competed as a Paralymian, but getting there wasn’t easy. Nobody handed me a roadmap. I had to research, attend camps, learn from other athletes, and figure out the process one step at a time. That experience taught me that resilience isn’t about never failing—it’s about continuing to move forward even when you don’t know the path ahead.

The same lesson applied when I entered broadcasting. When I took over Military Broadcast Radio, I knew very little about radio production, streaming technology, lighting, or media. I made mistakes, spent money learning lessons the hard way, and invested countless hours teaching myself skills that most people take for granted. Since 2018, I’ve personally funded much of the mission because I believed veterans deserved a platform where their voices could be heard.

Today, Military Broadcast Radio provides veterans, first responders, and their families with opportunities to tell their stories, learn new skills, and reconnect with a sense of purpose. Looking back, I realize that every setback, challenge, and obstacle became part of the foundation that helped build what we have today.

If my story teaches anything, it’s that resilience isn’t about being fearless or having all the answers. It’s about continuing to take the next step, even when the road ahead is uncertain. Sometimes the greatest victories come from simply refusing to quit.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the most defining moments of my life happened in 2022. I reached a point where I felt overwhelmed by everything I had been carrying. Like many veterans, I struggled with injuries, survivor’s guilt, purpose, and trying to find my place after the military. At that moment, I didn’t believe I had much left to offer.

The fact that I’m here today is something I don’t take for granted.

After that experience, I started thinking about a lesson my squad leader, Sgt Dupree used to tell me. Whenever I was stressed or frustrated, He would say, “Be like a duck. Let it roll off your back like water.”

At first, it sounded simple, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Ducks live through storms, wind, rain, and rough water. They don’t spend their time fighting every wave. They keep moving forward.

That image stayed with me.

What I realized is that most people are capable of far more than they believe. I honestly think many of us only tap into a fraction of our potential. Sometimes it takes adversity, a challenge, or a reason bigger than ourselves to discover what we’re really capable of.

For me, that motivation became helping other veterans find their voice and purpose. That’s one of the reasons I built Military Broadcast Radio into what it is today. Every show, every interview, and every opportunity we create is a reminder that our stories matter and that our struggles don’t have to define us.

My journey taught me that resilience isn’t the absence of hardship. It’s deciding that the storm doesn’t get the final say. No matter what life throws at you, you can keep moving forward, one step at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mbradio.us
• Instagram: mradio.us
• Facebook: Mbrradio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbradious/
• Twitter: @mbradious
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MBRadious
• Other: Military Broadcast Radio (MBR) is a veteran-run platform dedicated to giving veterans, first responders, and their families a voice. We broadcast a variety of shows on our website, across social media, and on our Roku app. You can tune in live or find out more at [www.mbradio.us](http://www.mbradio.us), or reach us at [manager@mbradio.us](mailto:manager@mbradio.us).