Combat Story

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today we hear the inspirational combat story of Eric Hollen, a former Ranger in 2/75 Ranger Regiment and Green Beret with 2nd Bn, 10th Special Forces Group. This is a unique episode where we filmed in person for a change while Eric and I were in Graham, Texas, courtesy of Greg Coker, who many will recognize from the podcast, for an aviation hog hunt to benefit veterans and gold star families. In this episode, Eric shares what was going through his head when he sustained a life-altering injury on his horse farm in Tennessee and how he persevered through dark times to reach a level of excellence very few will ever see. Eric was awarded USA Shooting's Paralympic Athlete of the Year two years in a row and competed in the Olympics as a shooter for the U.S. Hollen strives to help newly injured veterans through a program called the Care Coalition which supports injured Special Operations soldiers. I hope you enjoy his inspirational story as much as I did. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for a short clarification from Eric. #specialops #rangers #teamusa #olympics Show Notes 0:00 – Intro 0:42 - Eric's Bio 2:34 – First time holding a Firearm 6:11 – Eric's left turn moment 11:35 – Joining the military 13:46 - "I thought I was cold and miserable, and then a snowflake went right into my ear hole." 14:59 – "We aren't there to hang out. We all want that scroll on our right shoulder that follows us wherever we go." 16:30 – "I either pass, or I die trying." 17:53 – "We go to bed every night expecting to go to war the next day." 23:04 – Combat Story – Operation in Haiti: The mission where everybody came home 27:21 – The Catastrophic Life-Changing Injury 28:25 - "It took probably about ten years before I can talk about this without getting emotional." 29:06 – The "Come to Jesus" moment about Career and Family 32:21 – The Injury 35:11 – "I had kind of a looming sense of doom." 36:16 – Could you put into words the way that you felt at that time of the injury? 38:43 – "Eric, if you try to move again, you'll die." 39:46 – Eric's conversation with the Lord 42:06 – From a Good Place to a Dark Place 45:15 – Eric's Surgery 50:34 - What was it that kept you from taking the step? 50:48 – The Balloon Message 55:14 - "It's not necessarily fighting and dying with your boys. It's like getting hurt so bad that you can't function at a high level." 55:35 – What would you tell somebody who is having a similar looming sense of doom and a catastrophic life-changing event occurs? 56:36 – "I wouldn't trade the injury for all the good it's done to me." 57:35 – What drove you to become an Olympian? 1:25:24 - The Paradigm Shift 1:27:32 - Is there something that you would say to people who do not have this type of injury who just see the wheelchair? 1:30:18 – "Whatever that (injury) is, it's a choice to allow that to define you as an individual." 1:30:38 – "Don't let the injury define you." 1:31:24 - Was there something you carried with you when you were in combat or in the Olympics that had sentimental value? 1:32:14 - Would you go back and do all that again? 1:33:32 - Eric clarifies a point.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today we hear the combat story of Patrick Moltrup, a former Marine, Soldier, CIA, and Special Operator who served as a Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (or SWCC). Patrick served 25 years in the military, much of it in the Special Operations community. Patrick is one of the very few who has been a part of the Marines, the Army National Guard, Navy, and CIA. He spent most of his time with the Marines and SWCC where he worked on all kinds of boats from RHiBs to Mark Vs. As a side note, I was once picked up on these boats and, to this day, these rides remain some of the most fun I ever had, particularly the times at night (it actually reminded me of flying a Kiowa low level with the doors off)! Patrick was also a Navy Corpsman (medic) and attached to various units, including Gold Squadron, one of the assault forces SEAL Team Six, which we hear about in this episode. After leaving the military, Patrick collaborated with Jason Lilley, another former special ops warrior, to create Savage Actual, a YouTube channel and brand where Patrick and Jason discuss games, gear, and the military. They're now working on a video game themselves, have been sponsored by a craft brewing company, and more. I hope you enjoy Patrick's combat story as much as I did. Find Patrick online at: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuCUwc_C7IxNToDXhR39HBg Website - https://www.savageactual.com/ Instagram - @savage.actual About - https://www.savageactual.com/about Show Notes 0:00 - Into 2:57 - Growing up in upstate New York. 7:08 - Why the military and the Marines Corps? (Ryan's note: After many interviews now, it really seems that mothers do NOT like hearing their boys are going to become Marines). 22:27 - Wanted to be an 0311. 26:26 - Deployed to Somalia just before Blackhawk Down. 28:45 - How to creatively truth tell your way into a cool job. 32:32 - Why leave the Marine Corps? 39:26 - Finding your way to the CIA. 1:02:08 - SWCC mission statement. 1:04:33 - Combat Story #1, imagine your first combat experience with SWCC was with the members of Operation Red Wings (https://www.google.com/search?q=operation+red+wings&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS852US852&oq=operation+red+wing&aqs=chrome.0.0i433j69i57j0l2j69i61j69i65l3.2148j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8), known by many from the experiences recorded by Marcus Latrell in Lone Survivor. 1:14:57 - Combat Story #2 as an augmentee with Gold Squadron in Iraq (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAL_Team_Six). 1:21:33 - Turning down an offer from likely Special Missions Unit and how hard that can be. 1:25:25 - Combat Story #3: Having to help save an enemy combatant. 1:33:13 - Savage Actual and what Patrick's doing now. 1:41:35 - What did you carry with you while deployed? 1:43:23 - Would you do it again?

Today, we hear the combat story of Terry Buckler, the youngest of 56 Green Berets on one of the most dangerous and daring missions in U.S. military history, when they went 300 miles behind enemy lines into North Vietnam to rescue American POWs at the Son Tay POW camp. Terry is part of a rare group known today as the Son Tay Raiders. The mission does not have the intended outcome (as you'll hear in this interview), but changes the lives and morale for hundreds of American POWs for years to come. This is a story of true sacrifice, amazing bravery and selflessness, and some of the most impressive planning and execution you'll ever hear. I know this sounds like hyperbole but I promise you, it is not. The stories you're about to hear from Terry are detailed beautifully in the book Who Will Go: Into the Son Tay POW Camp. Terry wrote this book with Cliff Westbrook, who is also part of this interview and whose father was the Air Mission Commander for one of the aircraft involved in this incredible story. I sincerely hope you enjoy this front row seat to one of the most impressive, selfless, and expertly planned and executed operations in our military's storied history. Book - Who Will Go - https://www.amazon.com/Who-Will-Go-Into-Camp/dp/164990150X Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sontayraid/ Website - https://thesontayraid.com/ #Special Forces #Son Tay #Veterans #combatstory Show Notes 0:00 Intro 1:23 - Introduction of Terry and Cliff 6:36 - Terry's childhood 15:25 - Aviation training and resourcing for the Son Tay Raid, including the new technology that made the mission possible: aerial refueling. 17:27 - Being selected for the raid. 25:46 - The situation and plight for POWs in North Vietnam at the time and the decision for a rescue. 31:45 - The Mission Statement, which is phenomenal, and the reaction of the 56 Green Berets will make your hair stand up. 45:45 - Captain Dan Turner and the relationship with Terry on the raid. 50:45 - Combat Story Planning and Son Tay Raid task organization and resources. 55:50 - Why choose 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL) for the flight route. 57:50 - What's it like being 20 years old going into one of the most dangerous missions you can imagine for your first combat experience. 1:02:35 - Combat Story as the plan was drawn up (but did not go as planned, like any mission). 1:07:35 - Combat Story and what actually happened. 1:18:31 - This is why this mission was a success despite not finding any POWs. 1:36:43 - How do you find purpose in your life after such a significant event in your 20s. 1:40:25 - What did they carry with them in combat? 1:43:14 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Robin Horsfall is a former British Special Air Service (SAS) Tier 1 operator, paratrooper in 2Paras, mercenary, entrepreneur, and author. During his time in service, he deployed five times to Northern Ireland in brutal "Peace Keeping" operations, was part of one of the most storied and successful hostage rescue operations in the heart of London, and was part of a "one way" or "suicide" mission during the Falklands War. His combat is well documented in his first book, Fighting Scared, in which we describes his evolution from victim to Tier 1 operator to Warrior Poet (the title of his most recent book). Robin's lessons can be applied to soldiers, leaders, parents, and children, including how to overcome a difficult childhood of abuse and a lack of male role models to become a role model to others. His stories are brutally honest (being bullied for years) and lighthearted (such as SAS training with Delta Force or how he and the SAS helped Princess Diana with her hair) in a way that only Brits can manage. Find Robin online: Fighting Scared Warrior Poet Northern Ireland Vet Campaign Facebook Wise Old Paratrooper Speaking Engagements Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Robin bio and introduction. 1:51 - Robin 5:01 - Difficult childhoods and the challenge of authority later in life. 8:12 - Recognizing issues with authority in other people, particularly children, when building a Karate empire. 18:58 - Why the military at age 15? 22:37 - Who were the British military vets in the early 1970s? 26:36 - The British "Paras" and what it means within the UK military. 28:24 - First combat experience was Northern Ireland. 31:57 - What was it like to do "Peace Keeping" after paratrooper training for years? 33:09 - Combat Story #1: Northern Ireland. 35:51 - Combat Story #2: "Encounter" with an IED. 42:04 - Difference between SAS (Special Ops) and conventional military. 44:55 - Team vs. Individual in SAS and the SAS process. 47:21 - Death during SAS selection. 53:48 - Combat Story #3(A): Setting the scene for an amazing hostage rescue operation. (Jump to next time stamp if you don't want to hear the lead up to this operation). 55:53 - Combat Story #3(B): Incredibly detailed account of an SAS high visibility hostage rescue in downtown London. 1:14:09 - Combat-lite Story #3.5: Princess Diana supporting an SAS training operation. You have to hear the bit about her hair! 1:16:04 - Combat Story #4: A 'one way" or "suicide" mission during the Falklands War. There's some great comedy in this and lessons about what not to do. 1:25:49 - Delta training with SAS and some of the hilarity that ensues. 1:31:06 - Why title the book "Fighting Scared"? 1:32:19 - What Robin's doing now: Veterans campaign and the Wise Old Paratrooper trilogy, plus a new book on poetry called "Warrior Poet." 1:36:29 - What did Robin carry with him into combat. 1:37:32 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today we hear a heartbreaking yet inspiring set of combat stories of three brothers, told by the only one to survive the post-9/11 battlefield: former Marine Beau Wise. While serving in Afghanistan, SEAL veteran and CIA contractor Jeremy Wise was killed in an al Qaeda suicide bombing that devastated the US intelligence community (as you'll hear in this interview and as depicted in this scene from Zero Dark Thirty and also in the book Triple Agent). Less than three years later, Green Beret Ben Wise was fatally wounded after volunteering for a dangerous assignment during a firefight with the Taliban. Ben was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, while Jeremy received the Intelligence Star AND a star on the CIA's Memorial Wall, which I can attest to. Our guest, Beau, is the only known American service member to be pulled from the battlefield after losing two brothers in Afghanistan. This was a challenging interview but one that I'm eternally grateful that I was allowed to do. The account you're about to hear is detailed in the incredible book, Three Wise Men: A Navy SEAL, a Green Beret, and How Their Marine Brother Became a War's Sole Survivor, written by Beau Wise and Tom Sileo. Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - Beau bio. 1:50 - Interview begins. 3:05 - "My mom was a walking encyclopedia of American conflicts." 5:25 - Introducing Ben and Jeremy as kids. 10:12 - Life shaping event for Beau and his brothers. 12:25 - How on Earth do three brothers choose three different branches of service and become a SEAL, a Green Beret, and a Marine? 18:30 - How your mom might react after signing up for the Marine Corps. 22:10 - Beau's description as an 0331 Marine. 27:57 - The loss of the first Wise brother, Jeremy, who was one of the seven CIA personnel killed at FOB Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan on Dec 30th, 2009. 33:28 - Mindset after a devastating loss and being sent back into the breach. 35:55 - Advice on how to handle the loss of someone close in combat. 40:18 - Beau's experience identifying an IED emplacement in Marjah. 47:25 - A phenomenal training and then combat story from Jeremy Wise in his time as a SEAL. 49:55 - A combat story from Ben Wise during his time as a Green Beret medic and sniper. 54:15 - What happens after Beau learns of Ben's passing. 56:48 - What did Beau, Ben, and Jeremy carry into combat for good luck. 1:01:30 - Would you do it all again, after all the pain and suffering?

John Stryker Meyer was a pioneer in the special operations community who served two tours as a MACV-SOG operator and team leader in Vietnam. John led small covert Spike Teams "across the fence" on clandestine operations into Laos and Cambodia in what many now refer to as the secret war in the Vietnam conflict. John shares what it was like signing up for this covert world, signing a 20 year secrecy agreement, and how the aircraft that brought him to his first FOB then loaded a small special ops team that was never heard from again. It was an ominous start, to say the least. In one unbelievable battle, John describes the enemy stacking dead bodies in an effort to get an elevated firing position on John's team and in another, the enemy uses a tactic where they get so close to the U.S. positions that aircrews won't be able to drop napalm rounds. John has three books that chronicle both his stories and those of his fellow SOG operators (listed below) and he's been featured in various interviews, including several with Jocko Willink, and is currently building his own podcast with Jocko to tell the stories of other members of the SOG community. John and Jocko are also collaborating on a video game based on SOG missions. It's amazing John lived through the experiences he shares with us and he's a living testament to the courage so many showed in Vietnam. Books Across the Fence On the Ground SOG Chronicles Show Notes 3:53 - "Pushing things a little bit" as a kid. The book, The Green Berets influenced John's decision to join Special Forces. 6:21 - How an eye doctor changed John's life trajectory and sent him from being a pilot to being a SOG operator. 9:51 - Glad he missed the Korean War because it was so hard. Referenced Pork Chop Hill. 12:45 - John's path from enlisting straight to Special Forces. 14:57 - An "offer" to join the elite. 16:55 - "We go to the safe house that night…" (Reference to MIKE Force and Project DELTA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_DELTA) 27:11 - Description and composition of a "Spike Team" and the "One-Zero" call sign. 44:11 - First contact in Vietnam at "Echo 4" 55:55 - First confirmed kill. 58:10 - What is a "Covey" in this war? 1:07:55 - Blacking out while attached to a rope attached to a helicopter in flight. 1:13:47 - The relationship with the indigenous forces. 1:23:44 - A Thanksgiving mission to find THREE NVA Divisions. 1:42:57 - What did John carry for good luck? 1:43:56 - Would you do it all again? 1:46:34 - Exciting news for what John is working on now, including a new podcast hosted by John to interview other SOG members that Jocko will then share on his social media. Also a video game coming out based on SOG.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Jeff Depatie is a retired Canadian Special Operations Forces JTF2 sniper and assaulter. For those who aren't familiar, JTF2 is Canada's Tier 1 military force. Jeff deployed multiple times, both as an infantryman in the regular Canadian forces and again as a member of the elite JTF2. After leaving the military, Jeff created a company called The Special Forces Experience, which is a highly tailored process designed for men who have achieved their own version of excellence but want to know how far they can really push their limits. Jeff shared that this is such a demanding course that one of the recent courses didn't successfully graduate any of the candidates! In this episode, we dive into some of Jeff's combat experiences and also spend time hearing Jeff draw on his lessons learned from the Tier 1 military community and all the research that's gone into creating the Special Forces Experience surrounding human performance. The Special Forces Experience Instagram @jeffdepatie_ and @specialforcesexperience Show Notes 0:00 - Intro kick-off story. 0:20 - Jeff Depatie bio and introduction. 1:31 - Welcome to the show. 4:34 - Family military background included a Scotsman from WWII fighting from North Africa through Europe. 11:11 - JTF2 (Joint Task Force 2) description which is the Canadian military Tier 1 element (https://tinyurl.com/ac48x7c5). 14:27 - Description of Canadian military basic and advanced training (like US Basic and AIT). 18:48 - True cold weather training for the Canadian military. 27:51 - Using visualization techniques to improve your capabilities. 36:42 - Combat mission #1 - Jeff's first combat experience moving from Kandahar. 49:38 - Combat mission #2 - Jeff describes a more difficult combat experience. 56:02 - Canadian Special Operations organization and units. 1:06:15 - Ailments and injuries from years in the Tier 1 community. 1:10:04 - What Jeff carried for good luck in combat. 1:11:13 - Would you do it all again? 1:13:58 - Jeff describes the Special Forces Experience (thespecialforcesexperience.com) and his life after transitioning out of the military.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! John "Tilt" Stryker Meyer was a pioneer in the special operations community who served two tours as a MACV-SOG operator (what many might call the original Tier 1 unit) and team leader in Vietnam. John led small covert Spike Teams "across the fence" on clandestine operations into Laos and Cambodia in what many now refer to as the secret war in the Vietnam conflict. John shares what it was like joining this covert world, signing a 20 year secrecy agreement, and how the aircraft that brought him to his first FOB then loaded a small special ops team that was never heard from again. It was an ominous start, to say the least. In one unbelievable battle, John describes the enemy stacking dead bodies in an effort to get an elevated firing position on John's team. In another, the enemy uses a tactic where they get so close to the U.S. positions that aircrews won't be able to drop napalm rounds. John has three books that chronicle both his stories and those of his fellow SOG operators (listed below) and he's been featured in various interviews, including several with Jocko Willink, and is currently building his own podcast with Jocko to tell the stories of other members of the SOG community (can't wait!). John and Jocko are also collaborating on a video game based on SOG missions. It's amazing John lived through the experiences he shares with us and he's a living testament to the courage so many showed in Vietnam. Books: Across the Fence On the Ground SOG Chronicles Show Notes 3:53 - "Pushing things a little bit" as a kid. The book, The Green Beretsby Robin Moore influenced John's decision to join Special Forces. 12:45 - John's path from enlisting straight to Special Forces. 14:57 - An "offer" to join the elite. 16:55 - "We go to the safe house that night…" (Reference to MIKE Force and Project DELTA ) 22:55 - First "gut check" while flying in a South Vietnamese H-34 helicopter into his FOB. Spike Team Idaho gets on the helo as John gets off. 27:11 - Description and composition of a "Spike Team" and the "One-Zero" call sign. 44:11 - First contact in Vietnam at "Echo 4" that includes hours-long firefights against an enemy stacking dead bodies. 55:55 - First confirmed kill. 59:46 - Carrying a grenade as a last resort to avoid being taken prisoner. 1:20:00 - Being so close to the enemy that they "touched" John's boot in the middle of the night. 1:23:44 - A Thanksgiving mission to find THREE NVA Divisions. 1:42:57 - What did John carry for good luck? 1:43:56 - Would you do it all again? 1:46:34 - Exciting news for what John is working on now, including a new podcast hosted by John to interview other SOG members that Jocko will then share on his social media. Also a video game coming out based on SOG.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Dale Comstock is a former Delta Force Operator, Green Beret, Paramilitary Operative, entrepreneur, mercenary, and author who has also appeared on prime time television. Dale has fought in almost all major US combat operations since Grenada through to Afghanistan, to include being one of the youngest members of 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta. Dale has been involved in some of America's highest visibility operations like the hostage rescue of Ambassador Kurt Muse (in Operation Acid Gambit) and dozens of missions in multiple combat theaters that will likely remain in the shadows for years to come. He's written three books, including American Badass (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DP619WE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), and is writing a fourth on his more recent experiences. He's created several successful businesses, including Tier1 Performance Coaching (check out this awesome performance coaching trailer https://youtu.be/3CKoGy8jTco) and Strategic Outcomes. Dale is a force of nature who truly lives by the performance coaching mantras he preaches. I hope you enjoy his energy and stories as much as I did. Enjoy. www.tier1performancecoaching.com www.strategicoutcomesindonesia.com https://daleamericanbadass.wixsite.com/mysite Show Notes 0:00 - Sound bite 0:50 - Combat Story Intro 1:10 - Dale Comstock bio. 1:57 - Show begins with Dale Comstock. 6:51 - Staying engaged to stay out of trouble. 8:10 - The two personality types in The Unit or Delta Force. 11:40 - Dale's military family and background. 14:23 - Breaking his father's heart when he enlisted. His father, though, later evolved a mentor. 17:21 - What's your purpose? Dale's two performance coaching questions. 19:15 - Six mentors in Dale's life. 35:00 - Dale's first experience in combat in Grenada with the 2/325th Infantry in the 82nd. 38:01 - Two combat missions that Dale remembers most. 39:21 - Dale's journey to becoming one of the youngest members ever in The Unit. 42:31 - Dale's role with The Unit in the raid on Modelo Prison to rescue Ambassador Kurt Muse in Operation Acid Gambit. 49:50 - The dangers of being too close to a flash bang. 55:11 - Leveraging "Autogenic Conditioning" to improve himself as a kid and then using that with Delta. 1:03:33 - A great story of motivation that changed Dale's life during a shooting course. 1:15:16 - How to use autogenic training in an office. 1:23:59 - How to know who will succeed at Delta. 1:27:57 - How Delta selection brought even Dale to tears. 1:32:00 - Dale's two worst moments in combat in Iraq and Yemen. 1:42:22 - Being a mercenary in Yemen. 1:52:45 - The two items that Dale carried into combat for good luck (both are great). 1:53:50 - Reference to a "beta-male." 1:58:45 - Would you do it all again? 2:01:20 - Dale's upcoming work, to include another book, and work in Tier1 Performance Coaching.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Greg "Gravy" Coker is a legend from the elite 160th Night Stalkers, the Army's Special Operations Aviation Regiment (aka SOAR). He's a long-time Tier 1 Gun Pilot who flew AH-6 Little Birds, AH-64 Apaches, and AH-1 Cobras in multiple combat theaters, providing direct support for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta aka Delta Force, 75th Ranger Regiment, and other Special Operators. Greg logged 7,400 hours in his career, including 1,500 hours of combat time across 11 deployments, and was in the first strike packages that went into Afghanistan and Iraq. Greg reached the pinnacle of the military aviation profession by serving as both a Flight Lead and Instructor Pilot in the most coveted and lethal rotary wing unit in the US military. He survived a combat shootdown while laying down cover for Special Operators in Iraq during the first daylight operation for 160th since Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993 (aka Blackhawk Down). Since leaving the military, Greg has written a memoir about these experiences and more titled "Death Waits in the Dark" and has a children's book coming out with his daughter called "V is for Veterans." Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 2:25 - Watching the "Helicopter War" in Vietnam. 8:54 - A "very kind judge" changed Greg's life (this is a story Greg's never told publicly and well worth the listen!). 13:30 - Flight School Class 89-15 and selected guns (Cobras and then AH-64 Apaches). 15:38 - First assigned to 5/17 Cav in Korea flying Cobras and then moved to A Co, 1-101st Spectres. 20:50 - Seeing "little black helicopters" flying around Fort Campbell. 21:16 - Comparison between flying Cobras, Apaches, and Little Birds. 23:09 - The "Standard" of being on target plus or minus 30 seconds with a map, a compass, and a clock. This is an incredibly difficult standard in aviation terms. 24:56 - This section is for the aviation nerds (like myself) comparing speed, maneuverability, and build of different choppers. 27:02 - The selection process for aviation's Tier 1 element: 160th. 36:19 - First combat experience was 2001 in Afghanistan with the first boots on the ground and in contact within four minutes. 40:43 - Greg describes a classic AH-6 Gun engagement and what "target, torque, trim" means and why a grease pencil mark is important. 50:00 - The relationship between 160th pilots and Delta Operators and Rangers. 53:00 - Description of fighting at Haditha Dam in March 2003 supporting 3/75 Rangers. This involved continuous engagements for eight hours going through 11 loads of ammo. 1:05:18 - How to handle the torque of a GAU-19 (three barrel .50 cal gatling gun) on an aircraft. 1:06:40 - Living through a shootdown in broad daylight in Iraq covering Special Operators. 1:25:18 - Dealing with Imposter Syndrome despite being a legend in the community. 1:28:10 - How a long-time elite gun pilot can also have PTSD. 1:33:50 - What did Greg carry into combat for good luck (these are some good ones!). 1:35:28 - After all the gun fights, crashes, PTSD, and time away from home, would you do it all again? 1:36:01 - Greg and his daughter are working on a new book called V for Veteran for kids using military references to teach the alphabet. Also, Death Waits in the Dark will also be available soon on Audible (with Greg's own voice narrating it!).

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Thom Shea is a retired Navy SEAL, sniper, and Senior Chief who served with and led SEALs in multiple combat tours from Kosovo to Iraq to Afghanistan, including brutal fighting in Helmand Province for which he was awarded the Silver Star. During this fighting, not only was he leading other SEALs through some of the most challenging combat engagements of our time, but he also had a fascinating sniper on sniper engagement in which he went up against a very accurate and capable foreign fighter sniper. After Afghanistan, Thom oversaw the famed SEAL Sniper course. Since leaving the SEALs, Thom and his wife Stacy conduct intensive leadership events for fortune 500 companies. He has written two books, including an incredible memoir (Unbreakable) that gives a firsthand account of the life of a SEAL in combat. His books and this interview are chalked full of lessons for leaders and soldiers alike. If you enjoyed Todd Opalski's interview, you're going to love Thom's story and way of life. Unbreakable Book & Leadership Show Notes: 2:16 - Starting out. Unbreakable. 3:40 - Growing up hunting, trapping, and outside in one of the 'best times to be a kid in America' making $6K at 9 years old. 9:09 - Training SEAL Snipers. Half arrived never having touched a gun, which is good for shooting. 11:41 - Thom comes from a "horrifically military" family drawing a veteran lineage through to the beginnings of America. 14:33 - How to deal with failing out of West Point and following a dream to become a SEAL rather than following someone else's path. 18:15 - Perseverance in fighting to become a SEAL and failing BUDS four times. 23:45 - "Oh, you failed again," from family after failing out of BUDS. 28:42 - If you ever failed in what you believe is your dream or been told no and need some inspiration to keep going, listen to this. After having failed out four times from BUDS, Thom would sit in the Admiral's office for his lunch break for TWO years to request authorization to return. He eventually completed Class 207. 32:20 - What is the "Internal Dialogue" and why is it important? When you do difficult things, it's not about how hard the thing is, but how you beat yourself down in the process. 38:32 - First experience in combat is the beginning of the air war in Kosovo doing a rescue as an E-5 SEAL Team 2 Sniper to rescue Chris Hill, the U.S. Ambassador in Macedonia. Described as a 'comical series of the dumbest things that could possibly happen.' 42:18 - First time seeing the 'atrocities of war.' 45:07 - What does it mean to be a "breacher" on a SEAL team? 47:08 - First trigger pull and kill in combat was described rather 'insignificant' and felt like training. 51:07 - Thom's most difficult deployment was in 2009 when he was an E-7 Chief. 1:02:27 - Six MH-47s dropped 200 Special Operations and Special Forces into a single battle in Afghanistan. 1:09:57 - In the last moments that you live, you realize needing and being needed by others when you have nothing left. 1:12:36 - The A-10 is 'the greatest combat machine in the history of combat machines.' 1:14:20 - How leadership can help operators after having lived through hell and killing 200+ Taliban. 1:31:50 - Sniper-on-Sniper engagement. 1:44:01 - Was there something you carried into combat that meant something to you? 1:44:41 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! LTC (Ret.) Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton was a career fighter pilot who flew F-16s in multiple wars from the first Gulf War to Kosovo to Operation Iraqi Freedom over a 20 year career. He's a fighter pilot to the core who earned four DFCs and eight Air Medals with Valor across 151 combat missions and is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and Navy's Top Gun. Dan's experience hunting SAMs and flying 500 knots below 300' give a surreal perspective of life inside the cockpit. He describes his experience from a young, unafraid 25 year old LT flying in Iraq in 1991 when he first "saw the elephant" to the mature flight lead putting his own life on the line decades later, again in Iraq but against a more advanced enemy. He easily balances the near death adrenaline rushes that come at Mach speed with the light-hearted post-flight activities we all expect in the elite fighter pilot community. Since retiring from service, Dan has written a bestselling memoir (Viper Pilot) and multiple novels and other non-fiction books, including national bestsellers Lords of the Sky and The Mercenary. His most recent book, Operation Vengeance, came out in late 2020. A frequent guest analyst on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs, military, aviation, and intelligence issues, he has published in Aviation History, the Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, Vietnam magazine, and Airpower magazine, and written several classified tactical works for the USAF Weapons Review. You can find Dan on Facebook and his books here. 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Dan's bio. 2:14 - Aviation inspiration? Why become a fighter pilot? 3:36 - Why the Air Force and not the Marines like your father and grandfather? 4:53 - "It never crossed my mind to fail." 6:04 - 'Seeing the Elephant.' A reference to seeing combat for the first time. 7:41 - Air Force Instructor Pilots and the 'FAR Line' (Fighter, Attack, Reconnaissance). 9:54 - First combat experience in the first Gulf War. 11:28 - Stationed in Turkey for the Gulf War. 12:52 - The F-16 role as a SAM hunter (SA-8, SA-6, by Srđan Popović). 19:54 - Post-first combat flight and antics that take place at an O Club. 24:56 - Description of an incredible post-9/11 mission in Iraq. 35:31 - Call Sign "Two Dogs." This one is not PG-rated. 37:41 - Dan's good luck charm/talisman that he carried on his missions is PRICELESS. 41:04 - Would you do it again? 42:12 - If you could fly any aircraft, what would it be? The Chance Vought F4U Corsair.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Jack Murphy is an Army Special Operations veteran who served as a Sniper and Team Leader in 3rd Ranger Battalion and as a Senior Weapons Sergeant in 5th Special Forces Group, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the military, he's broken stories on defense and special operations topics around the world as an investigative journalist, co-founded the website SOFREP, wrote four military fiction novels (Deckard Novels) and a memoir (Murphy's Law), and now writes for Connecting Vets and hosts the podcast The Team House. He nearly died in uniform, has been smuggled across international borders, was detained by a foreign intelligence service, met Bashar al-Asad in Syria, and more. Here's where you can find him: Facebook - JackMurphyAuthor Twitter - @JackMurphyRGR Instagram - jackmcmurph Show Notes 00:00 Intro 7:47 - Patriot Games movie propaganda! 20:26 - Army Sniper School - Ghillie suits, stalking, rifle, patience, but not like Vietnam stories. 22:30 - 1st Combat in Afghanistan - Landed in Bagram AFB 2004, then moved to Khowst. As a sniper, used the SR-25. 24:24 - Direct Action Sniper in a Ranger Batt. 26:53 - 1st time outside the wire. HVT op with C Co, 3/75. 30:58- 1st Combat Trigger Pull 39:48 - Close-in Firefight. 45:30 - I Don't Have Anything to Prove 58:53 - Ops from a Little Bird (MH-6). 1:02:25- Ranger vs. SF Mentality 1:12:46 - SF Combat Ops - Mechanical vs Explosive breaching. 1:16:40 - Transition to Journalism 1:19:19 - Smuggled into Syria 1:23:12 - "Does any of it matter?" 1:30:17 - Would You Do It Again? 1:33:09 - The Team House Podcast. Books, Show, Articles.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez is an Air Force Colonel (ret.) and former fighter pilot in an elite group among veterans: he is one of three pilots with three air-to-air shootdowns since Vietnam. His dog fights and experiences from the cockpit of an F-15C Eagle taking down MiGs in both Desert Storm and Kosovo provide a first-hand account of just how challenging aerial combat can be. In this Combat Story, Rico describes his journey from a kid in Puerto Rico to the Citadel to the Air Force and, finally, to his current life at Raytheon continuing to help the Air Force win the next air war. 2:11 - Where the call sign "Rico" came from. Unsurprisingly, it was coined at a bar. 6:35 - A description of F-15C aircraft tail number 114, an image behind Rico in the interview that you can see on the YouTube interview. Rico flew this aircraft for his first two shootdowns. 10:05 - Rico's father - an Army Air Defense Officer - also had a desire to fly but Rico's journey to fly had a different origin. 16:50 - Flying certain aircraft and profiles felt more like a team sport than others where you had to work as a team. 21:48 - Rico's first aircraft was the A-10 but he then worked his way back to flying the F-15. 23:13 - Being part of a small group (Latinos Unidos) from Puerto Rico as an Air Force pilot and cadet at The Citadel. 25:15 - What was it like to be a fighter pilot in the Cold War? 31:14 - A description of Red Flag intense and real-world training scenarios as Nellis AFB. 33:55 - "Master arm hot" means all weapons are hot and raises the intensity factor. 34:23 - Transition from A-10 to F-15 personally and within the Air Force fighter community. 40:38 - The experience being part of the Panama Campaign in 1989 and it was the first time to have live weapons and open an Air Tasking Order. 49:14 - First hostile contact and shootdown on January 16th with Craig "Mole" Underhill southwest of Baghdad. 53:18 - Description of a Split-S maneuver. 1:02:00 - A classic "two circle fight" and the red baron's description of a two vs one circle fight. 1:04:58 - The only course of action is to defeat the missile when it's coming at you. 1:10:18 - A story of how lessons learned authored by those who fought it can change as it goes up the chain of command. 1:14:30 - The lethality of the AMRAAM missile and how it revolutionized fighting. 1:17:57 - First kill of the Kosovo War was at night and at long range and a lesson learned to not look at the missile coming off the rail when at night. 1:21:31 - Rico's last flight teaming up in training with the youngest pilot in the Squadron going up against four Gen 4 fighters. 1:24:00 - Flying with a flag and a coin. 1:25:00 - Would you do it again and the next generation of fighter pilots?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! This is the Combat Story of Elliot Ackerman, a former Marine who served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry and special operations officer, for which he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. As a Marine, he led a platoon in Fallujah II during some of the most brutal fighting in the post-9/11 era. His story will resonate to anyone who fought in urban combat and, in particular, the leadership challenges small unit leaders face, especially newly minted officers. His platoon's experience in Fallujah II is exactly what you think about when you hear stories of this operation and included losing half his Marines in less than 24 hours. After his time in the Marine Corps, Elliot also served as a paramilitary officer in the CIA. After his time in uniform, Elliot became a novelist and journalist. He has published five books and his fiction and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New Republic, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Ecotone and others. He is also a contributor to The Daily Beast. His books include: Green on Blue: A Novel, Dark at the Crossing, Waiting for Eden, Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning, Red Dress in Black & White. Show Notes: 9:39 - Never understood war until I had kids. 14:22 - Why the Marines? 20:57 - The best advice I never took. 23:47 - Discussion with Doug Zembiec, who was later killed in Iraq, for advice. 31:35 - SGT Bonatie pushing back on a young PL. 37:10 - Description of Dean Long and the GPWD (Great Patriotic War in the Desert). 42:53 - Phase Line Fran in Fallujah (battlefield map ; Marine Corps' battle). 48:35 - Sunny Risler led his mobile platoon through the battle to help MEDEVAC some of Elliot's wounded out. 49:22 - Pushing back with leadership when your unit is exposed. 51:21 - Nearly hit by a PKM. "It's suicide if we go out there." 55:50 - Combat leadership sucker punch. 56:05 - Going from 46 to 21 combat effective Marines. 1:04:29 - The bravest thing I ever saw in Fallujah. 1:08:17 - One of the most challenging things: talking to a Marine who couldn't go anymore.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! This is the Combat Story of JT Snow, a long time and quintessential AH-64 Apache gun pilot. JT is a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) who flew over 5,000 flight hours, including 2,000 hours in combat across four deployments: two to Iraq and two to Afghanistan. From the cockpit, he supported conventional and U.S. and coalition special operations forces during intense engagements, often pioneering new tactics and technologies to lethal effect. He finished his career as a Task Force (Battalion) Standardizations Pilot (SP) during two year-long combat deployments, where he was the Task Force's senior Pilot responsible for the standardization and execution of combat operations for all assigned to the Task Force, which included OH58D, CH47F, UH60L and AH64D aircraft. JT's children followed in his footsteps, including fighting from inside the cockpit as the next generation of aviator. Show Notes: 3:13 - Flight school and wanted guns and got Cobras and then went into A Model Apaches the very next day. 4:16 - Why JT chose gun ships? 6:43 - Gun choice between JT and Mark Beechum. 11:17 - What was the Apache mission from the beginning? 18:28 - When JT felt he was a part of the brotherhood. 26:05 - A description of what garrison life life is like in a flight unit. 28:23 - JT's experience on 9/11 and the fear of missing the war. 32:28 - Stanley Pebsworth and Not a Good Day to Die. 33:13 - How officers (commissioned and warrant) homestead in Aviation units. 34:07 - JT describes his deployment cycles: Iraq Oct 2003. 36:56 - JT describes being the BN SP when the unit received MTADS and advanced FLIR. 38:38 - Aviation as an inherently dangerous job. When did JT first realize that. 41:44 - JT being three steps ahead. How did you develop your ability to get ahead of the aircraft. 44:03 - By the 3rd deployment, JT was at the top of his game. 47:03 - Description of JT's first flight in combat. Took place in Samara as JT was the Company SP. 55:35 - JT describes what's going on in his mind after his first engagement. 56:47 - What was the toughest deployment and engagement. 58:37 - JT describes his experience in the cockpit during the worst engagement of his career. 59:43 - JT and co-pilot Adam Marik discussing what to do in the cockpit. 61:13 - "Adam, are you okay getting in between where the bad guys are and the Chinooks..." 1:01:58 - "Only time I've ever been scared in the cockpit." 1:04:06 - Ground forces took an RPG to the face. 1:06:20 - F-15 popping flares without coordination at 700'. 1:09:39 - Recollection of a vehicle hit by an IED and what happened. 1:10:21 - The second deployment for JT to Afghanistan was with the Australian SAS doing a lot of deliberate operations. 1:16:52 - Any gear I had to have with me. Two good luck charms: a half broken Budweiser bottle opener; the other was a St. Michael card given to him by a Chaplain that JT's son took to Mosul. JT also carried a folded American flag on all four deployments that his son took with him. 1:18:24 - The next chapter of JT's life where JT steps out of the cockpit and then his son goes to the same war zone that JT fought in. 1:24 - Conversations between JT and his son before he deployed to get him prepared. 1:24:38 - Would you do it all again? 1:26:34 - JT critiquing himself over a mission in which JT and I responded to our base being under attack. 1:27:49 - Near mid-air collision. He almost lost me for a minute.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Chris Baity is a former Marine K-9 handler who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his career in the Marine Corps, he helped pioneer and shape dog handling tactics and training, not just for the Marines, but also joint efforts across the military. As a military working dog handler, he supported ground units throughout combat theaters, including trojan horse operations with sniper teams and door-to-door house clearings. In one instance, Chris and his dog uncovered a weapons cache in a scene eerily similar to one depicted in the book and movie, American Sniper. Chris and his wife Amanda went on to found the hugely successful Semper K-9, a non-profit that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to be service dogs at no cost for disabled service members. This special initiative has been featured in multiple outlets like People Magazine and the Washington Post. For his work, Chris was named one of the Washingtonians of the Year. Find out more at semperk9.org. Show Notes: 3:57 - In Okinawa during 9/11. 5:00 - Assigned to Henderson Hall, Marine Corps HQS. Helped create the dog program at HQS Marine Corps. 12:10 - Helped create the first joint kennel between Henderson Hall and Fort Myer. 13:15 - Offered slot in first mass K-9 deployments to Iraq. 15:41 - Signed up for Iraq after two cigarettes and a red bull (and without checking with his wife). 16:40 - Trust your dog, watch your dog, train your dog. Make sure your dog knows what he's doing and you guide him. The dog's nose was the spear. 17:40 - The dog's paycheck. 20:10 - The role of the "spotter" in a dog team. 21:06 - "How do I pay my dog without setting of a bomb." 23:40 - Chris' first mission with Adam Cann, who was the first Marine military working dog handler to die since Vietnam. 25:20 - Chris' first combat experience. 27:38 - First female dog handlers in combat. 28:54 - Dropped off in Korean Village in western Iraq with 2nd Marines, 2nd Battalion, Fox Company. 41:32 - Pushing hard core missions in Ar-Rutbah. 42:33 - First experience on "missions" using interpreters. 44:05 - Attached to sniper teams and trojan horse missions going into enemy territory with snipers. 53:00 - Chris' first real find. 53:56 - First "oh shit" moment. 59:40 - Mentality of you're probably going to die but you're going to save the whole platoon. 1:02:54 - This dog is a gun and K-9 handlers had bounties on their heads. 1:09:38 - I was there for the paycheck and the fun. 1:20:10 - Description of the work at Semper K-9.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! This is the Combat Story of Jordan Becker, US Army Lieutenant Colonel serving as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) in Paris, France, as a liaison officer to the French Joint Staff. Jordan began his career in the 173rd Airborne Brigade where he led an infantry platoon in a parachute assault that opened the Northern Front in the Iraq war in March of 2003, followed by an 11-month deployment in and around Kirkuk. While in the 173rd, Jordan led a rifle platoon, a support platoon, and served as an executive officer. Jordan completed the Special Forces Assessment and Selection and the Special Forces Qualification Course, after which he was assigned to 10th Special Forces Group. He served in and around Baghdad as the targeting and current operations officer for Special Operations Task Force – Center, and then commanded a detachment assigned to advise Iraq's national-level Special Operations Force's Reconnaissance Troop. In 2008, Jordan's team operated in Mali in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Trans-Sahel. As a FAO, Jordan served as a military assistant and speechwriter to NATO's Chairman of the Military Committee, General Petr Pavel, and a Defense Policy Advisor to the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Douglas Lute. Jordan has written extensively on NATO and transatlantic cooperation and his works can be found on Google Scholar. Jordan's next assignment will take him back to West Point to teach the next generation of Army officers. Show Notes: 3:45 - Watching an Air Force Colonel getting ready to jump into Iraq without a weapon or a ruck sack. 4:32 - Description of then-Major Mike Davis and his ODA team securing the 173rd DZ as an SF Team Leader in 2003. 5:28 - Where were you on 9/11? 5:38 - Mark Brzozowski bitten by a brown recluse spider in a 'sensitive' area during IOBC. 6:39 - Evan Kohlman was a fellow student at Georgetown on Jordan's program who wrote a thesis pre-9/11 about the Arab threat. Evan went on to be a news analyst on terrorism and co-founder of Flashpoint. 9:20 - Description of Jordan's "First time I'd ever bucked the system" 12:10 - Why did you sign up for the Army? 15:50 - First combat experience at 173rd that Jordan saw was on the DZ after static line jumping into Iraq in March 2003. Front end of OIF. 19:45 - Jordan's work on Team Repo in Kirkuk was referenced in a short blurb in Assassin's Gate, a book by George Packer about the war in Iraq at that time. 22:00 - 23:45 - Jordan describes the best moment of his career: being invited to pin E-9 on his former Platoon Sergeant, Mike Barlett, who went on to become a Brigade CSM and recently retired. 32:20 - How do you determine which SF Group you're assigned to? 49:15 - Jordan takes an SF team to Mali. 53:45 - Closest call or most dangerous experience. 1:00:50 - Jordan describes two moments when he felt like he was "in flow" and really doing what he was supposed to be doing. 1:08:08 - If you could only take one person with you into combat, who would it be? 1:12:46 - Jordan on writing, teaching and Google Scholar page.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Wes Bryant is a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant (retired) who served eight combat deployments in the post 9/11 era as a Special Operations Forces Tactical Air Control Party (TAC-P) and Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC). He co-authored the book "Hunting the Caliphate: America's War on ISIS and the Dawn of the Strike Cell," a first-person account of the war on ISIS written alongside the former commanding general of Iraq, Major General (retired) Dana Pittard. Embedded with Special Forces teams under a Navy SEAL task force, Wes was the tactical lead for a contingent of special operations JTACs to first set foot in Iraq to stop ISIS. He's been a lifelong writer, amateur philosopher, and avid student of the martial arts. Today, he pursues writing and editing, and teaches Chinese Kung Fu and Tai Chi in his community in North Carolina, where he lives with his wife and their two daughters. (Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn: @WesJBryant). Notes 2:05 Difference between TAC-P and JTACs. 13:50 Moving between PJ, JTAC, and TACP work finding what was right. 14:25 Pararescue Indoctrination Course. 15:55 Combat Divers Qualification Course. 20:00 Learning about TACPs when at Medina Annex. 22:40 Fought to get back to the CDQC to pass. 28:15 First foray into combat calling in an airstrike in combat. 32:13 First fight in Iraq with 1st CAV in 2004 after Fallujah calling in F-15s with 500 and 2Klbs bombs. 39:40 Being the odd man out from the Air Force dropped into new Army units. 45:20 Description of one of the most formative experiences as a controller in his first control in Afghanistan while getting shot at with 173rd. 58:13 The "most chaos on the battlefield" was early in the fight against ISIS in Iraq in 2014. 1:03:33 Part of the reason for writing the book was to show how deliberate each engagement was. 1:08:38 A tour to Korea in 2007 and finding a way to handle his PTSD. Went kicking and screaming to Camp Casey and was one of the best moves of his career. 1:19:42 Wes describes an experience at a shopping mall in Bahrain that changed his perspective on "the enemy." 1:31:20 Carrying the dog tags of his friend John Brown, a PJ who died in the shootdown of Extortion 17 in August 2011. 1:32:50 Appreciation for Army Special Forces (ODA) teams. 1:33:55 Favorite aircraft: A-10s for fixed wing and Apaches (AH-64s) for helos. 1:34:40 Would you do it all again? "Absolutely...would have done it all again."

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Dr. Clyde Horn is a former Army infantryman, Purple Heart recipient, and Vietnam Veteran. He served in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade near Saigon fighting in the Iron Triangle from 1967-1968 and supported US forces during the Tet Offensive. After the military, he helped children suffering from trauma as a psychotherapist. Despite this work and his attention to other people's trauma, he didn't recognize his own PTSD until 2009. His compelling story of combat, helping others, getting help himself, and eventually returning to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, will ring true for many veterans. He has since written two books PTSD in Pictures and Words and Veteran Guilt in Pictures and Words and uses art as part of his own treatment (ArtLifting). 4:20 - Signed up for the Army without telling anyone in the family. 5:30 - Advanced training in Fort Polk, LA, in "Tiger Land." 6:11 - The basics for any soldier: Don't volunteer for anything. 6:33 - Drill Instructors, existentialism, and pornography. 16:51 - The "Iron Triangle" bounded by the Saigon River (W), Tinh River (E), Phu Cuong (S) just north of Saigon. 19:15 - Assigned to 199th Light Infantry Brigade near Saigon in 1967. 199th Facebook Groups (link, link). 21:31 - Description of first combat patrol in Vietnam. 26:15 - Field rotation cycle. Hot chow, shower, bed with a roof over your head, 27:59 - Moved to Cam Ranh Bay to watch President Lyndon Johnson speak. Footage from the time. 29:46 - First experience in the jungle in a movement to contact was an "out of body experience." 'The beginning of anxiety sets in that stayed with me for the rest of my life.' 34:00 - First time in contact walking into an ambush. 41:21 - "I will survive" mantra. PTSD starts early during a traumatic incident. Rather than let my acute senses and reactions hurt me, how can they help me? 44:50 - Never saw a 'stone cold killer.' Go to Hollywood for that. 48:00 - "Hell on Earth" description of one of the hardest engagements when the 199th had two to three companies ambushed by an enemy regiment. 48:45 - Fire starts coming at us…. 54:24 - Description of engagement in which Clyde earned the Purple Heart. 57:34 - Observing a Platoon Leader being overly cocky and the perils of that mindset. 1:01:06 - Using night vision in Vietnam with an amazing observation made thanks to the new tech. 1:06:07 - Good luck charm: a gold cross. 1:09:50 - Supporting defenses during the Tet Offensive. 1:14:00 - Returning from Vietnam to - of all places - Berkeley. 1:20:55 - After retiring from psychology, Clyde has a 'full blown' attack of PTSD. 1:29:07 - Finally visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial aka 'The Wall.'

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Eric Brethen is a former US Army Chief Warrant Officer and OH-6 "Cayuse" aka "Loach" reconnaissance and AH-1 "Cobra" attack helicopter pilot. At just 19 years old, Eric found himself flying missions out of Cu Chi, just northwest of Saigon, in hunter killer teams in scenes reminiscent of Apocalypse Now. During his 19 months in Vietnam from 1969-1970, Eric flew 3,600 hours and was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Bronze Stars, Air Medals with Valor, Army Commendation Medals with Valor, and the South Vietnamese Gallantry Cross. 4:10 - The Army recruiter asks, 'Have you ever thought of being a pilot? 5:35 - Ending up in 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry (3/4 Cav) flying to Vietnam in first class with Field Grades landing in Ben Oui. 8:13 - Getting picked up by the nephew of then SecDef Melvin Laird. 9:40 - Hunter Killer teams (Loach and Cobra). 12:24 - 'Nobody volunteers for the Loach.' 14:33 - Watching a tail boom skid down the runway in front of the aircraft. 16:35 - The reality of an autorotation (video of MD-500 auto today). 24:50 - First flight outside the wire with a Pig (Loach) and a Snake (Cobra). 30:59 - Based in Cu Chi and farmed out to support missions in Ta Ninh and Katoom (1st Air Cav). 34:04 - Shooting a control tower with a mini-gun. Eric's crew chief and close friend Kenneth Taylor had the idea to mount a mini-gun on the OH-6 for the first time. 40:34 - First combat engagement at Boi Loi Woods near Godaha village. 46:46 - How to steal a helicopter (twice) for a night out to the President Hotel. 50:06 - Fighting Cobras at night lining up on a ground strobe light. 56:15 - Only time being afraid. 1:01:28 - Being shot down a couple times with a real autorotation. 1:04:58 - Picked up a Cobra crew (sitting on the skids) that was shot down. 1:09:25 - Close up view to a Cao Dai temple (example). 1:17:04 - Transition from OH-6 to AH-1 and a testament to control touch. 1:20:49 - The decision to get out. 1:23:57 - Always carried a St. Christopher's medal (the protector of travelers). Got one blessed by the Pope at one point.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Hubert Yoshida is a Vietnam Veteran who served as a U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Commander from 1965-1966 near Chu Lai in the central part of Vietnam with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. He and his platoon fought in the bloody Operation Utah, a significant battle from March 4-7, 1966, which saw over 700 KIA between the North and South Vietnamese forces and Marines. Hubert has a fascinating story that begins as a child in a Japanese prison camp in the U.S., to leading Marines on the front lines, and then transitioning to an exceptionally successful career in senior executive roles in the private sector. Today, he's writing a book about Operation Utah to tell the story of the hundreds of Marines who fought there and is looking for anyone who may have served in that battle. 2:20 - Growing up in a prison camp for US citizens of Japanese ancestry. 7:17 - Family history in both the Japanese and US military. 8:41 - Had to enlist to serve in Vietnam to then earn a commission. 9:15 - Gets put in a data processing unit. 10:56 - Parents were disappointed he joined the Marine Corps after a degree in physics and math from Berkely and not going to grad school. 15:17 - First sighting in Vietnam was an Army Sergeant in underwear drinking a beer on the beach. 18:06 - Gets permission from the CO to go on a mission to a nearby village in first contact. 18:34 - The unit is ambushed on their first mission. 33:17 - Lead up to Operation Utah. Intel on the 21st NVA Regiment moving into Chu Lai. 36:17 - Initial flights into the battle were shot down, including an A-4 Skyhawk and H-34 by fifty caliber machine guns. 39:26 - Call from Battalion Commander to support another company to close a gap in the flank and recover a separated platoon. 41:14 - A suicide mission. 49:57 - Guilt in leaving the dead behind to make sure the wounded were carried out. 50:55 - Secures perimeter one of his men gets killed they call in air strikes. 58:23 - Recognizing the importance of the battle in your life and something you think about almost every night. 58:59 - The story of believing he lost a radio man haunts him to this day and only later found out the radio man lived through the event. 1:05:41 - Returning home from Vietnam and assigned to Camp Pendleton. 1:06:19 - Having to notify a young widow of her husband's passing in Vietnam. 1:07:52 - Leaves the Marine Corps after the death notification and joins IBM. 1:08:45 - Returning to Vietnam in 2016 to revisit his steps. 1:15:34 - Never provided direction to children in terms of joining the military. 1:17:45 - Would have done it again. 1:18:21 - Really proud to have been in the Marine Corps. 1:20:33 - Carrying a pocket bible through the deployment (one in English, one in Korean).

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Jimmy Settle is a retired Air Force Pararescueman ("PJ") credited with saving 38 lives and assisting in saving 28 others in combat, in addition to saves in the Alaskan wilderness. He racked up over 270 combat search and rescue hours in Afghanistan, where he earned an Air Medal with Valor for his life saving heroics and a Purple Heart after being shot in the head (and returning to combat 24 hours later). Jimmy catalogues these and other near death experiences in his book, "Never Quit: From Alaska Wilderness Rescues to Afghanistan Firefights as an Elite Special Ops PJ," where he shares the friendships, hardships, pranks, and events that changed his life, from being an elite athlete competing at the Naval Academy to completing the daunting PJ pipeline to live saving ops in the most austere environments. 5:47 - What is a PJ and the military's pararescue. 13:33 - Introduced to PJ by Chris Robertson. 19:43 - "Cardiac Event" aka the first (of many) near death experience. 27:56 - "19 year old decision" to leave the Naval Academy after invasive surgery on the heart. 30:46 - The PJ "Pipeline" of elite training, INDOC (80%+ attrition rate), Combat Divers Course, Airborne, Free Fall, SERE, Pararescue EMT and Apprenticeship. 48:05 - "Cones" aka unfortunate trainees going through the pipeline (better than a Toad, not yet a Maroon Beret). 50:17 - Covertly free climbing Fort Benning's 250' Jump Towers for a prank. 52:48 - The "Green Feet" image used by PJs, an homage to Vietnam helos. 58:13 - The first time working on a live patient (intubation) in Philadelphia in a paramedic apprentice program. 1:05:51 - The first rescue from an aircraft as a PJ in Alaska at night in the wilderness to help a woman who had an accident with an ATV, chainsaw, and a scalping. 1:09:51 - Another near death experience while training in Alaska's Cook Inlet at night. 1:27:29 - Supporting Operation Bulldog Bite in Kunar province, Afghanistan in November 2010. 1:29:21 - Another near death experience getting shot in the head. 1:36:29 - Going back into combat 24 hours after being shot in the head to rescue dozens of people. 1:48:48 - Saving two soldiers on a chopper and thinking, "This is my purpose in life." 1:49:17 - Losing memory after getting shot in the head and how it creeped in "insidiously." 1:53:12 - Describing the difficulty in transitioning from the service to the civilian world and the loss of identity. 1:56:36 - Living in a car in the Commissary parking lot until a senior enlisted airmen intervened. 2:02:06 - "Without hesitation" would do it again.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Vince "Snapper" Sherer is a retired Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt "Warthog" fighter pilot. Over a 20 year career, he flew 300 combat missions and logged 1,300 combat flight hours in the A-10 and MC-12 across four deployments to Afghanistan. Vince supported troops in contact at danger close range, at times without a wingman, over a decade of evolving combat and technological change. He's the personification of the A-10 pilot and gives an inside look at what combat felt like from the cockpit. Another great set of stories from Vince can be found here on Task and Purpose. 1:57 - Call sign "Snapper" comes from the Sensitive New Age Pilot moniker (Urban Dictionary link). 4:57 - The inspiration to fly came from time with a sibling and watching Top Gun. 7:02 - A key tragic and defining moment with a significant accident in the family. 10:32 - Flying for the Navy or Air Force? 12:22 - Competition and path to get from college into the aircraft you want. 22:17 - Stereotype of the "Hawg" (A-10) pilots, F-16s, F-15s, etc. 24:20 - Hardest part of his Air Force career at Sheppard AFB. 27:22 - First flight in the A-10. "The better your preparation, the less your anxiety." 31:50 - T-38 second hardest aircraft to land in the Air Force (hardest is the U-2). 33:24 - How to do a checkride in a single-seat aircraft? 36:52 - First combat flight was September 2005 in Afghanistan in a Squadron led by now Senator Martha McSally. 40:40 - Normal weapons load in combat on an A-10. 42:49 - A standard engagement planning and execution. 51:22 - First engagement while supporting a convoy that hit an IED in southern Afghanistan in Winter 2005. 57:01 - Engagement in 2014 on fourth deployment supporting Wing Staff at Bagram AFB and flying with 303rd Fighter Squadron from Kansas City. 1:01:01 - Near fratricide incident in combat until something didn't feel right. 1:07:11 - Carrying an American flag on each flight. 1:09:34 - Being in a unit with the first female A-10 Fighter Squadron Commander who flew in combat (Martha McSally). 1:13:32 - Advice on when to start flying in your life. 1:15:21 - Would you do it again? 1:16:39 - A great story about an A-10, a photograph, and the "south end of an unneutered bulldog." 1:19:51 - "I was so fired up that I got to go fly a jet again one more time."