Books by Russ…
There are days when being a pilot is simply the greatest job in the world. For Russ Bergeman, one was flying a Marine Corps helicopter past the Pyramids of Giza — and weeks later, flying that same aircraft into Baghdad.
Somewhere between those two flights, he discovered what he calls the vertical life: the belief that gaining a little altitude — literal or otherwise — can change how you see everything below.
KICK THE TIRES, LIGHT THE FIRES turns a twenty-four-year Marine Corps career, two combat tours, and thousands of flight hours into a practical framework for life and leadership.
Before pilots take off, they perform a walk-around. They inspect the aircraft, understand the mission, and make sure they’re ready to fly. Bergeman argues that we often skip that same step in our own lives.
Using the mechanics of flight as a guide, the book moves through six stages: know yourself, know where you’re going, commit to the takeoff, fly the mission, finish well, and learn from the flight.
This isn’t simply a collection of inspirational stories. It’s an honest look at fear, failure, leadership, responsibility, and course correction — translated into lessons anyone can use.
Kick the tires. Light the fires. It’s time to start living a vertical life.
Coming Soon!
At sixty, retired Marine helicopter pilot Rob Sutter is supposed to be finished.
He isn't.
Restless and carrying more of the past than he admits, Rob builds a bar near Camp Lejeune around a retired CH-46 helicopter. He calls it The Phrog.
Then people start walking through the door.
Veterans. Widows. Old friends. Young Marines. Each carrying a story, a memory, or a wound they have never quite put down.
What begins as a bar slowly becomes something more—a place for laughter, remembrance, friendship, and healing.
But as Rob creates a place for everyone else's stories, he is finally forced to confront his own.
The Phrog is a novel about service, friendship, grief, marriage, aging, and what happens when the mission ends—but part of you is still searching for home.