Late For Changeover

Inaugurations, Inspections, and iPods (Jan 15 25)

The Late Crew is back and launching straight into orbit—politically speaking—as the Space Force gets a front-row seat at the 60th presidential inauguration. Are they guarding satellites or just vibing in formation? Either way, it's another win for space force podcast material. Then we pivot to the Air Force’s latest idea: more inspections! Because nothing boosts morale like another surprise visit from the checklist mafia.

Meanwhile, the Army somehow hits 30,000 recruits already this year (did someone finally update the recruiting posters?), and we round things out with a nostalgic dive into the music that defined the Global War on Terror. From barracks iPods to convoy playlists, we crank the volume on the tracks that carried a generation through deployments and dumb decisions. It's patriotic chaos, powered by caffeine, dark humor, and just enough insight to get flagged by your old First Sergeant.

New Year, New Debris, Same Old Chaos (Jan 8 25)

New year, same chaos. The Late Crew kicks off 2025 by teeing off on the new TGL golf competition—because what’s more futuristic than glow-in-the-dark golf with pro athletes and giant screens? Then it’s a salute to a true badass: a WWII Army nurse who just turned 105 and could probably still outpace your morning PT.

We also check in with the Space Force, who’ve fallen head-over-moon for their new fitness watch (because nothing says warfighter readiness like counting your orbital steps). Plus, there’s a psychedelic therapy turf war brewing in Colorado, and in a plot twist straight out of a space news podcast, a chunk of space debris crashes down in Kenya—missing a village but definitely hitting our radar. It’s News for Vets with a cosmic twist and just the right amount of side-eye.

Troops in Space, Girls in the Ranks, and Nimitz in Charge (Dec 18 24)

This week, the Late Crew launches straight into the galaxy-brained idea from Trump’s NASA pick: boots on the Moon, Mars, or wherever the next Space McDonald’s opens. Yep, according to him, it’s only a matter of time before the military starts posting troops in orbit—because if there's one thing the Space Force needs, it's mandatory mustache regs in zero gravity. Speaking of futures in uniform, the DoD reports most girls don’t think they’d succeed in the military—so naturally, the crew digs into what’s broken, what’s improving, and who’s really still gatekeeping the chow hall.

Then it’s a toast to progress as the Air Force names its first female SERE specialist as Chief Master Sergeant (about damn time), and the Space Force drops the hottest new concept in military onboarding: its very own boot camp. Rounding out the ep is a deep-cut history lesson from 1941, when Admiral Nimitz took command of the Pacific Fleet and basically told the Japanese Navy to hold his beer. It's offbeat, off-script, and unapologetically aimed at space force veterans, Air Force vets, and anyone who prefers their military news with a side of sarcasm.

Flying Taxis, Fat Standards & Pay Raises (Dec 11 25)

This week, the Late Crew is all gas, no brake checks, starting with a flying taxi that spins, strafes, and probably violates several laws of physics thanks to a wild new propulsion system. It's basically the lovechild of a drone and a sci-fi fever dream, and we are here for it. Next up: junior enlisted troops are finally getting a serious pay raise in 2025—because nothing says “we see you” like slightly more money for ramen and rent.

Then it’s on to some eyebrow-raising Navy news: physically fit sailors might get a pass on body comp standards soon (sorry, tape test fans). We also tip our caps to the new Jeep Wrangler that throws it back to the 1941 Willys MB—because nothing sells better than nostalgia in camo. And finally, we hop in the time machine for a quick spin through the 1898 Treaty of Paris, which wrapped up the Spanish-American War and handed the U.S. some serious global real estate. It’s military tradition, tech innovation, and tactical sarcasm—aka your go-to space force podcast that occasionally talks about, but always salutes, News for Vets.

Tactical Turkeys and the Police Movie Showdown (Dec 4 24)

This week on Late For Changeover, the crew welcomes former Marine, retired police sergeant, and all-around badass Graham Dunne—just in time to debate the only question that truly divides America: what’s the best Thanksgiving side dish? (Spoiler: someone’s wrong, and it’s probably you.) Graham dishes on his time behind the badge, the true-life chaos that inspired his book The Jagged Blue Line, and how he's now helping folks sharpen their skills over at RagnarTactical.com.

Naturally, we couldn’t let a cop-turned-author walk away without a challenge, so we throw Graham into the gauntlet with the Police Movie Game—because nothing says “thank you for your service” like testing your action flick IQ. It’s one part News for Vets, one part tactical wisdom, and all the irreverent fun you expect from the military-veteran corner of the internet. This might not be your typical space force podcast, but if you’re into real stories, sharp takes, and dark humor served with stuffing, you’re in the right place.

Smells Like Space, Tastes Like Thanksgiving (Nov 27 24)

This week on Late For Changeover, the crew tackles the usual: space smells, stolen weapons, and side dishes that could start a war. We kick off with NASA tracking an asteroid roughly the size of your average football field—because apparently Earth wasn’t stressed enough already. Then we pivot to the ISS, where astronauts caught a whiff of something weird coming from a Russian spacecraft. Spoiler: it wasn’t vodka or victory.

Back on Earth, the Army lost 31 pistols and is now offering $15K for help finding them (because nothing says “secure facility” like a Craigslist bounty), and a former Navy officer got caught stealing $850K in military gear. We also settle one of the most heated debates in modern history: What’s the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish? Finally, we serve up a look at three historic battles fought on Turkey Day—because nothing says “gratitude” like musket fire. It’s chaotic, it’s irreverent, and it’s the only space news podcast where tactical analysis meets cranberry sauce. Welcome to the best kind of News for Vets.

The Pentagon Can’t Count and Robots Smell Bombs (Nov 20 24)

This week on Late For Changeover, we’re talking robot arms in space, sniffing out nukes, and the Pentagon’s legendary streak of failing audits like it’s going for gold in financial incompetence. Northrop Grumman is gearing up to launch a satellite repair robot with actual arms in 2026—so basically WALL-E meets Top Secret Clearance. Meanwhile, the Space Force has deployed a robot that can literally smell nuclear material. We’re not saying Skynet is real… but maybe keep an eye on your Roomba.

We also salute a badass Air Force captain who just became the first woman in service history to receive the Silver Star, then roast the Pentagon for failing its seventh audit in a row. (Honestly, at this point, we’re just impressed by the consistency.) And to wrap it all up, we throw it back to 1863 with President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address—because even after 160 years, you can’t beat brevity, battlefield speeches, and four score-level shade. This is the space force podcast that blends tactical tech, historical hot takes, and News for Vets you actually want to hear.

Operation What Now? Space Politics and Underwater Weirdness (Nov 13 24)

This week on Late For Changeover, we ask the big question: is Boeing ghosting the space game? With rumors of them ditching their space division, we break down what that means for the future of aerospace, Starliner, and corporate “we tried” energy. Then we dive into what a second Trump administration might do for NASA, and whether Space National Guard might finally become a real patch you can wear while playing Halo in uniform. Spoiler: the future’s looking… weird.

Colorado might lose U.S. Space Command, and no one’s happy—except maybe Alabama. Plus, a Navy Rear Admiral is set to testify about underwater UFOs, which is probably the most 2025 sentence ever spoken. We also play the Military Operation Name Game (because someone really did greenlight “Operation Urgent Fury”), and close with a salute to the first woman to fly a U.S. combat mission, back on November 15, 1994. If you like your space podcasts with a side of conspiracy, chaos, and News for Vets, welcome aboard.

$150K for Soap? Must Be Space-Grade (Nov 6 24)

This week on Late For Changeover, the VA swears it’s not $15 billion in the hole—turns out someone can actually read a spreadsheet. Meanwhile, a VA employee leaves a spicy voicemail for a veteran that kicks off an investigation faster than a barracks inspection on payday. Over in Defense Department drama: Boeing bills the Air Force $150K for soap dispensers, which raises the obvious question—was the soap made of moon rocks?

Then we break down the alleged mid-air elbow drop from a CENTCOM commander to an unsuspecting airman (no word yet on if it was a tactical shove), and the Air Force Academy gets pranked by West Point—because inter-service trolling is eternal. We also test our commander-in-chief knowledge in a Presidents + Military quiz (spoiler: we make Lincoln proud), and rewind to 1777 when the Articles of Confederation got slapped together like a first-draft op order. It’s bureaucracy, brawls, budget blunders, and News for Vets—served with irreverence and just enough accuracy to get flagged by your old squad leader.

ISS Evac Drills, F-16 Fails & the Ghosts of Black Week (Oct 30 24)

This week on Late For Changeover, the crew breaks down the high-stakes moment astronauts on the ISS prepped for an emergency evac—because nothing says “happy orbiting” like the phrase abandon ship. We also salute a Marine in the Philippines who took “flexing on the water” to a new level by sinking a boat with a Stinger missile—which is definitely not what that thing was designed for, but hey, it worked.

Meanwhile, the Air Force racks up a $30 million oops after a parked F-16 ends up looking like it lost a bar fight, we swap spooky military ghost stories just in time for your next barracks campfire, and we dig into the brutal WWII saga of B-29 “Black Week” in October 1943. It’s a full-spectrum ride: orbital drama, missile mayhem, financial disasters, flying ghosts, and war history—aka your one-stop shop for space news podcast vibes and News for Vets with way more edge than NPR could handle.