Two Star General with Bipolar Disorder | Engineer Corps. | Major General (Ret) Gregg Martin, PhD

About This Episode
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======= This is a unique Combat Story with a Gregg Martin, a retired Two Star Army General who has two Combat Stories: one about fighting in uniform that included engineering the US military’s push into Iraq in 2003 and another that involved battling bipolar disorder for years.
Gregg was one of the highest achievers you can imagine as he road a wave of hyperthymia (a near continual state of mild-mania with abnormally high levels of energy, enthusiasm, and positivity that helped him graduate from West Point, complete Ranger School, get a Masters and PhD from MIT, successfully command at multiple levels in the Army, while being an active leader in his community.
Eventually, during the euphoria of leading combined operations in Iraq in 2003, Gregg had what he describes as the onset of his bipolar disorder that manifested as times of mania followed by bouts of depression until, after attained the rank of two star general, he was relieved of command.
Gregg’s book has just come out and is aptly titled “Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness” that goes into detail about his military experience and career alongside the mental health challenges he faced.
I hope you enjoy this insightful interview with a retired General who has successfully managed bipolar disorder for several years as much as I did.
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Show Notes:
Major General (Ret) Gregg Martin, PhD
Chapters
- 00:00Intro
- 00:49Guest Introduction (Gregg Martin)
- 02:03Interview begins
- 02:35Traits of a General
- 05:37Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
- 18:04PTSD to Bipolar Disorder
- 21:02Family Military history
- 25:30Engineer Corps.
- 27:025 year mark commitment
- 28:10Time at MIT
- 33:15Pre 9/11 Military experience
- 39:23Signs of Mania during enlistment
- 43:01DeleteMe Ad
- 44:06Time at Army War College
- 45:30Bipolar Disorder and Genetics
- 56:40Time in Germany during war time
- 49:24Mission set for Engineer Corps.
- 58:23Bridges to Baghdad
- 01:06:26Average day in Iraq
- 01:16:10Onset of Bipolar disorder during Ops.
- 01:20:46Challenging moments
- 01:26:13Differences in character coming home
- 01:29:18Being Relieved
- 01:53:14Life with medication
- 01:54:29Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness
- 01:54:50Sentimental items
- 01:55:32Would you do it all again?
- 01:56:37Closing thoughts
- 01:57:33Listener comments and shout outs


