Every Chief Thinks They’re Irreplaceable. He Walked Away at the Top. / Martin Foster USAF

About this story

Retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Martin "Torch" Foster (@torchmartin) enlisted two days after 9/11 and spent 23 years as a signals intelligence analyst. He started Passing The Torch as a New Year's resolution in 2017 while still in uniform, and the show has since been named Military Podcaster of the Year at the Military and Veteran Entertainment Awards (MV Awards). He was 11 when his dad died at 51. By the time he retired, he had spent more than 55 percent of his life in the military, and that math is why he walked away at the top.

Ronnie Long sits down with Martin on day three of MIC 2026: getting turned down by the Navy over childhood asthma, picking intel because of the Jason Bourne movies, back-to-back Kuwait deployments that overlapped with Ronnie's, a stretch in Hawaii when people he trusted turned their backs on him, and the non-volunteered job interview that made him hit the retirement button. Plus why critical thinking is the leadership skill nobody teaches, and his rule that nothing good happens after 11:59 p.m.

The uniform builds the foundation, but it was always going to come off. The rank had the power, not the person, and the ones who never build an identity outside of it are the ones who don't know what to do with themselves after. We don't grow despite the storms. We grow because of them, and the people who stay through them are the ones worth investing in long after the uniform comes off.

Recorded live at the Military Influencer Conference 2026 in Tampa, in the VVV studio on the expo floor. @militaryinfluencer | militaryinfluencer.com

Presenting sponsor for this episode VBG / Veteran Benefits Guide (@vetbenefitsguide), who help Veterans get the VA disability rating they earned. By Veterans, for Veterans, over 55k served, they walk you through the claims process so you're never just another number. Start at vbg.com

Veteran in crisis? Dial 988, press 1.

Follow Martin: @torchmartin on Instagram and YouTube. Passing The Torch at passingthetorchpod.com.
Host: Ronnie Long. Produced by Vegas Veteran Voices, a Nevada 501(c)(3) nonprofit Veteran media organization.

GLOSSARY
Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt): E-9, the Air Force's highest enlisted rank
SIGINT: signals intelligence, intercepting and analyzing communications
MEPS: Military Entrance Processing Station
TAP: Transition Assistance Program, the military's out-processing course
VSO: Veterans Service Officer, who helps file VA claims

Air Force Veteran podcast, Military Podcaster of the Year, MV Awards, Chief Master Sergeant, Passing The Torch, military retirement, Veteran identity, military transition, leadership.

Chapters

1. 00:00 "Searching for something I couldn't find in the present"
2. 00:30 Welcome: Martin "Torch" Foster
3. 01:41 Lawton, 9/11 and the Navy that said no
4. 05:31 Morse code, signals intel and Jason Bourne
5. 08:45 Ronnie meets the man who put him in the hospital
6. 13:05 We grow because of the storms
7. 15:27 Five real friends instead of 100
8. 18:24 Knowing when to walk away

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9. 21:05 His dad died at 51
10. 22:20 The interview that pushed him to retire
11. 31:03 15 hours of research for one fireside chat
12. 42:09 Why he started Passing The Torch
13. 44:35 VA CLAIM: filing 180 days out
14. 47:36 "Thank you, Socrates"
15. 50:52 Nothing good happens after 11:59 p.m.