2020 has come and gone, and this year, Borne the Battle has hosted many great Veterans and their stories. This year-end bonus episode of Borne the Battle features clips from the eight most downloaded episodes of 2020.

The following list explains how the top 8 episodes were calculated:

  • The Benefits Breakdown (every fifth) episodes were left off the list since they will appear on their own list.
  • Only the downloads within the first 30 days of an episode’s drop were counted. This allows an equal playing field for all the episodes in the archive.
  • Bonus episodes featuring VA’s COVID information were not included, but they can still be found in the archives.

It was definitely a close call: the top 4 – 15 episodes were separated by less than 1,000 downloads.

2020’s Top 8 most popular interviews:

No. 8: Borne the Battle #202: Marine Corps Veteran Ben Killoy, Host of the Military Veteran Dad Podcast

Marine Veteran Ben Killoy struggled with the challenges of being a father. He found online communities of other men going through the same struggle, connected with them and, in doing so, was able to better connect as a husband and as a dad. He spent years learning to blog, write, and connect with other people. Killoy then founded the Military Veteran Dad Podcast in 2018. He shares stories and helps Veteran fathers be more present for their families.

No. 7: Borne the Battle #199: Army Veteran Josh Strickland, Lead Singer of the Bayou Bandits

Army Veteran Josh Strickland is a family man, the lead singer of the Phoenix-based band the Bayou Bandits, and a registered nurse who has worked through the COVID-19 pandemic in some of the hardest-hit areas of the United States.

No. 6: Borne the Battle #219: Marine Veteran Chad Robichaux, Strikeforce/Bellator MMA Fighter, Mighty Oaks Foundation

Marine Corps Veteran, former police officer, MMA champion, bestselling author, and founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, Chad Robichaux turned his passion and greatest struggles into a foundation that helps his fellow Veterans who suffer from PTSD.

No. 5: Borne the Battle #200: Air Force Veteran Aerial Johnson, AEW Wrestler

This 200th episode of Borne the Battle features Air Force Veteran Aerial Johnson, better known by her wrestling name “Big Swole.” Johnson shares stories from her time in the military and how she transitioned into civilian life, eventually becoming a professional wrestler.

No. 4: Borne the Battle #197: Army Veteran Luke Wade, KC Crew

While most events and clubs aren’t functioning as normal, Army Veteran Luke Wade and the KC Crew have found ways to keep people and communities connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

No. 3: Borne the Battle #217: Jennifer Marshall – Navy Veteran, Host of CW’s Mysteries Decoded

Bigfoot, Aliens, Vampires: Do paranormal creatures really exist or are they all products of our imagination? Navy Veteran and private investigator, Jennifer Marshall, started her own show to investigate and solve these mysteries. Marshall believes she has some answers and joins this Halloween episode of Borne the Battle to share her perspective.

No. 2: Borne the Battle #191: Brian Marren, Human Behavior Pattern Recognition Expert

Marine Corps Veteran and sniper Brian Marren is an expert in Human Behavior Pattern Recognition and Analysis. He has trained Tier One military units, Fortune 500 companies, schools, churches, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Marren explains how Human Behavior Pattern Recognition and Analysis is a scientific form of human behavior profiling – and is not based on race or religion but rather on how all humans behave.

And the most downloaded interview of 2020 is…

No. 1: Borne the Battle #196: Navy Veteran, Bryan Bergjans, Senior VP, National Director of Military Lending

Navy Veteran Bryan Bergjans is brings a unique perspective on VA Home Loan Program by educating future Veteran homeowners and realtors.


Michaela Yesis is a podcast volunteer who recently graduated from George Mason University with a BA in English.

Subscribe and Listen on Your Favorite Podcatcher

Borne the Battle - Listen on Spotify

Google Podcasts Badge

Leave a comment

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.

More Stories