SOFREP Radio (iHeartPodcasts)

In this episode, Rad welcomes Master Sergeant (MSG, Ret) Howard “Mad Max” Mullen Jr., a 2013 Ranger Hall of Fame inductee among a long list of other achievements in the Army. A 26-year veteran, he was one of the most dynamic Ranger instructors to serve during the 1980s and early 1990s. 

Max recalls his legendary mentors, how they set him up for success, and the physical and mental rigors of Ranger School. He shares his tours of duty overseas, especially in South Korea where he served in the DMZ, as well as the airborne invasion of Grenada when he dropped in to help secure the airport and save American students.

Find out more about Max in the links below: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-max-mullen-87023a10

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max_mullenn/

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On this week's podcast SOFREP Senior Editor and SOFREP Radio host, Steve Balestrieri sits down with Michelle Black the author of Sacrifice, A Gold Star Widow’s Fight for the Truth.

Michelle Black's husband, Bryan, was a Green Beret and one of four American soldiers killed in an ambush in Niger in October 2017 by ISIS terrorists.

Steve and Michelle talk about her husband's life, the events leading up to the ambush, its aftermath, and the investigation surrounding it.

Michelle and the families of the other team members were offered inaccurate and, in some cases, untrue accounts of the events that transpired on that day and leading up to the ambush. Her desire for truth led her to interview Bryan's team members and piece out the true story. And in the process, reveal the Army's ugly underbelly. 

Tune in to an intimate, honest, and revealing episode of SOFREP Radio.

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On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Kevin Maurer and Lucky Luckadoo. Kevin is an award-winning journalist and author of critically-acclaimed books, including No Easy Day, the inside story of the Bin Laden raid. John "Lucky" Luckadoo also joins today's show to share his experiences during WW2 and how he collaborated with Kevin to tell his story.

He shares how he was stationed in England and the virtually unheard-of feat of surviving 25 bombing runs in broad daylight without fighter escort. Lucky shares that they didn’t talk about the war, they just lived it. 

He comments on the nature of war and how there is nothing to be learned in it. There are no victors, only victims. He says that finding the will to get in the cockpit again and again was a horrific responsibility, but he did it as it was his duty.

 Get a copy of Damn Lucky: https://amzn.to/3vplVqb

Follow Kevin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScribblerSix

Visit Kevin's Website: https://kevinmaurer.net/ 

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SOFREP Podcast host Aaron “Rad” Radl sits down with three Skydio veterans—Mike Deeds, Josh Coryell, and Bryan King—as they share stories from their military careers and discuss the unique skills they bring to their current roles at Skydio. With years of service across the Air Force and Army, they explore the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian roles, how their experiences inform their work in cutting-edge drone technology, and the significance of continuing to serve the nation in a new capacity. This conversation honors their journeys and contributions, both past and present.

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On this week's podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri talks with Green Beret and Retired U.S. Army Colonel Mark Rosengard. Among other commanding roles, Colonel Rosengard served as the director of Task Force Dagger, the Special Forces unit and first American element in Afghanistan after 9/11. Colonel Rosengard was also the group deputy commander for 10th SFG and served in a number of countries. He finished his military career as chief of staff of SOCCENT. 

Colonel Rosengard talks about the first days in Afghanistan post-9/11 and how, despite a multitude of challenges, Task Force Dagger succeeded in its mission. 

He discusses the efforts to gain the trust of local warlords against the Taliban and how the American Special Forces had to negotiate and tread the differing and shifting allegiances of local and regional groups. All the while Task Force Dagger was hampered by a lack of intelligence and the technological limitations of the era, but received the support of a number of Afghans.

Finally, Colonel Rosengard explains the difference between federal security and local autonomy and how the U.S. failed in understanding the importance of the latter for the Afghans. A better understanding of local autonomy could possibly have led to a stabler and safer Afghanistan both for the locals and the U.S.

Tune in to another episode of SOFREP Radio and discover what America's finest faced to protect our way of life immediately after 9/11.

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Max Lauker is a former Swedish Arctic Ranger and the author of "Number 788". Today, he shares an overview of the Swedish special forces and how operating in the harsh Arctic environment necessitates the use of the most basic equipment, with a strong emphasis on sheer survival.

Lauker discusses his experience as a squad leader in the army and how he found himself in a unique position to join the special purpose unit. He also talks about his role as a communications specialist and his eventual entry into intelligence. Additionally, he touches on how Arctic training proved to be a good fit for operations in Afghanistan, despite the seemingly opposite conditions. 

Get a copy of "Number 788" here: https://amzn.to/4fWrnGs

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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Robin Bartlett chose ROTC as the Vietnam War escalated and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He volunteered for Infantry, Airborne, and Ranger training and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division as a Combat Platoon Leader. He got everything he asked for, and much much more. 

During the height of the war, from 1968 to 1969, he led 28 soldiers on helicopter combat assaults and search and destroy missions with the famed 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Robin recalls his experiences there, from mastering artillery with reconnaissance by fire to processing the fallen for repatriation, all of which he tells in his book Vietnam Combat: Firefights and Writing History.

Robin is the President of the NY/NJ Chapter of the 1st Cavalry Division Association and lives with his wife in Norwood, New Jersey. They have three sons, none of whom have pursued military careers.

Get your copy of Vietnam Combat: https://amzn.to/3pF2Znn

Website: https://robinbartlettauthor.com/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida's 6th congressional district. He is a current Green Beret who also serves as a Colonel in the National Guard. He is the author of a couple of books including Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan.

Rep. Waltz shares that one time he jumped out of a plane only to realize his reserve chutes were undone. He also talks about his upcoming children's book Dawn of the Brave. He comments on the waning sense of duty of Americans and taking the fight to the terrorists in Afghanistan.

On immigration, Rep. Waltz also stresses the need for a managed system. There is a humanitarian crisis at the southern border and cartels make hundreds of millions per week due to smuggling and human trafficking. Lastly, Rep. Waltz also warns against the CCP and how they are undermining the US.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-waltz-0557964/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz
• Brave Books website: https://bravebooks.com/

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Ben Williams is a former US Navy Surface Warfare Officer and current CEO of Exyn Technologies. Drones serve a vital function in search and rescue missions, like in Acapulco recently, providing valuable information to rescuers on the best routes and plans that mean the difference between life and death.

Williams shares dicey situations back in the Navy when he led small boat boarding teams and encountered a caricature of the quintessential Russian captain—a half-finished bottle of vodka in one hand and pistol in the other. He also talks about how he transitioned from the military to civilian life and how combat-specific duties comprise just 10% of a serviceman or woman's skill set.  

Learn more about Ben:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentropy/

Website - https://www.exyn.com/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Mike Lamonica, Chief Master Sergeant who retired as Chief Enlisted Manager for the 720th Special Tactics Group at the Air Force and current Vice President of Architecture and Engineering for Optiv. 

Mike recalls his missions as a combat controller and the extreme danger of his job and talks about the significance of the rock in building character and teamwork during the pipeline. Mike and Rad go through the jargon of combat controllers as they have a unique language.

Mike shares some advice for aspiring combat controllers. He also tells the story of his Bronze Medal and how the Combat Control Association takes care of their specific needs as veterans. 

Reach out to Mike and the Combat Control Association through the following links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lamonica-27273315/

Combat Control Association: https://combatcontrol.team/

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Jeff Depatie, a former sniper/assaulter with Joint Task Force 2, the tier 1 solution of the Canadian Armed Forces comparable to SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force. JTF2 famously holds the record for the longest confirmed kill at 3,540 meters.

Jeff is the founder of The Special Forces Experience (SFE), a collective committed to building communities that facilitate post-traumatic growth (PTG). He shares how they induce stress to jumpstart growth and the physiological and psychological foundations of their therapy that ultimately heal veterans. 

Rad and Jeff dig into the psychedelic renaissance happening today and the need to set guidelines on plant-based therapy. Their own experiences with the healing properties of cannabis help inform the kind of groundbreaking work that Jeff and his community are doing.

Find out more on The Special Forces Experience in the links below:

• Website: https://thespecialforcesexperience.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialforcesexperience/

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Jeremy was a former USMC officer whose platoon served as the tip of the spear during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He recalls the intense training they had leading up to the invasion and the hurdles he had to get past like fighting at night instead of day. Jeremy also shares how his life after 10 years in the Marines was a total wreck.

He decided to dedicate his life to working in ministry full-time. A decade after leaving the Marines, he reconnected with some of the guys he served with. Jeremy saw how lost they were and realized that his time serving with them did not end when he hung up his uniform for the last time. 

He felt it his duty to equip his fellow soldiers with the tools to move forward. This became the catalyst for The Mighty Oaks Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit that works with veterans, active duty service members, and first responders to help them find their true north, deal with PTSD, and adjust to civilian life.   

Find out more about Jeremy and the Mighty Oaks Foundation in the links below:

• https://www.mightyoaksprograms.org
• https://www.jeremystalnecker.com/

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This week on SOFREP Radio we're excited to welcome our guest, Col. Michael Leonard (ret.), US Air Force pilot and author of the new book An American Combat Bird Dog Pilot: From the Battlefield of Vietnam and Beyond.

In this exclusive interview with Leonard, we get a first hand account of his adventures, from his days before the military right on through to his years as an executive working for companies like the Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation and Lockheed-Martin.

Of note is Leonard's recounting of close calls as a O-1 Bird Dog pilot in Vietnam. As a Forward Air Control, or FAC, Leonard was often the only link between ground forces and friendly artillery fire. In his little fixed-wing plane, Leonard had to circle over hot battlezones, dodging enemy anti-air and small arms fire while calling in coordinates on enemy locations.

Don't miss this glimpse into the world of the Bird Dog pilots of Vietnam; a job that consisted of “long hours of sheer boredom, interspersed by moments of stark terror.”

About Col. Michael Leonard (Ret.)

Leonard is a retired Air Force officer and highly experienced global business executive. He was a USAF Command Pilot with a military career spanning 20 years, including 2 combat tours to Vietnam in 1965-1966, and 1969-1970. Mike spent 4 years flying the VC-140B Special Air Mission aircraft during his time with the 89th Military Airlift Wing, the “Home of Air Force One”. His combat decorations include 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 9 Air Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.  

About the Book

An American Combat Bird Dog Pilot is a compelling look at the life and times of a member of the Silent Generation. In it, Michael Leonard recounts flying a small, unarmed USAF spotter plane — called an O-1 Bird dog — near ground level risking life and limb just feet above the jungle canopy. Leonard and his Bird dog were the turkey in the proverbial turkey shoot.

The recollection of the life and death struggle on Thanksgiving Day in 1969 with North Vietnamese forces hell bent on capturing or killing the crew of a downed chopper near the Cambodian border is about as hairy as it gets. Then the final straw — and the catalyst for the book — which took place more than 40 years later; Leonard made contact with one of the crewmembers from that chopper.

Surviving combat instilled a chameleon-like sense of innovation in Leonard and a kind of ‘challenge accepted’ attitude you might expect from someone used to taking risks and operating on a wing and a prayer.

An American Combat Bird Dog Pilot is now available in ebook and paperback versions. Don't miss this thrilling tale of an untold side of the war in Vietnam and hair-raising stories from a life just feet above the treetops.

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This week on SOFREP Radio, we're proud to host Mike Hayes, former Navy SEAL and commander of SEAL Team Two.

Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He’s jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate’s leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He’s written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they’d ever read. Outside of the Navy SEALs, he’s run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies.

Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That’s what makes him an effective leader, and it’s the quality that he’s identified in all of the great leaders he’s encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike’s life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on.

In his new book, Never Enough, Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate listeners to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential.

You won't want to miss this straight talk with Hayes, exclusive glimpses into the book, and a handful of stories from his time in the Navy SEALs and beyond.

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This week on SOFREP Radio we are thrilled to welcome Jessica Donati.

Donati covers foreign affairs for The Wall Street Journal in Washington DC, and has reported from over a dozen countries in the role. She joined the paper as the bureau chief in Kabul in 2015, and lived in Afghanistan for over four years.

Previously, she worked for Reuters in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, covering both the conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan. Her work on a series on the war in Libya was chosen as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2012.

In this exclusive interview with Jessica Donati, we dive into her new book, Eagle Down: The Last Special Forces Fighting the Forever War, and hear first hand accounts from the Special Forces battlespace in Afghanistan.

In her new book, Eagle Down: The Last Special Forces Fighting the Forever War, Jessica Donati takes readers into the lives of U.S. Special Forces on the front lines against the Taliban and Islamic State, where a new and covert war is keeping Afghanistan from collapse.

In 2015, the White House claimed triumphantly that “the longest war in American history” was over. But for some, it was just the beginning of a new war, fought by Special Operations Forces, with limited resources, little governmental oversight, and contradictory orders.

Through successive policy directives under the Obama and Trump administrations, America has come to rely almost entirely on US Special Forces, and without a long-term plan, is failing to stabilize Afghanistan, undermining US interests both at home and abroad.

Eagle Down is a riveting account of the heroism, sacrifice, and tragedy experienced by those that continue to fight America’s longest war.

Don't miss this poignant, timely episode of SOFREP Radio.

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This week on SOFREP Radio we welcome former Special Forces Green Beret Sean "Buck" Rogers.

Sean Rogers join the military at the age of twenty-one. After a serious injury during Ranger selection, he changed course and went on to Special Forces. As a Green Beret he served two combat deployments to Afghanistan. When his military service was complete, he returned to serve his community as a member of the Denver Police Department. Always challenging himself, Sean earned a master's degree and committed himself to running ultramarathons.

Today, he uses his experience to help the next generation of Special Forces hopefuls through his podcast, The FNG Podcast, and his YouTube channel, FNG Academy

This week, Sean also tells us about his new book, Rising Above: A Green Beret's Story of Childhood Trauma and Ultimate Healing, which was just released.

About Rising Above:

A simple car accident changed the path of six-year-old Sean Rogers’s life forever. His single mother checked into the hospital as a vibrant young woman and checked out as a full-blown opioid addict. From that day forward, Sean’s life became a silent nightmare of abuse, neglect, chronic hunger, and slow, helpless withdrawal from everything and everyone he loved.

In Rising Above, Green Beret Sean Rogers chronicles the toughest battle of his life: the long, painful fight to confront his darkest fears and reclaim his life. After struggling as a young man to accept the raw trauma of his past, he eventually learned to understand and embrace it, ultimately using it to become an elite Special Forces operator.

Through this profoundly honest and inspiring memoir, Rogers explores what it means to make the pain of your past work for you, showing you how to harness the truth of your own reality and take control of your destiny.

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On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Dr. Bob Adams who served fourteen years in the Navy and eighteen years in the Army. He is the author of 3 books, including Six Days of Impossible which details his experiences during SEAL training class and the 11 of 70 men who achieved the impossible.

After his time as a Commander in the Navy, he changed services to attend medical school where he applied his analytical skills to look back at the men that he shivered and struggled with through Hell Week together. 

As a Colonel in the US Army Medical Corps, Bob managed 5 large full-service family practice clinics, was a command surgeon with the US Army Delta Force, was a department chief for the Department of Deployment Health, and was a recipient of the Lifetime Medical Achievement Award (Order of Military Medical Merit).

Today, Dr. Bob gives his very timely opinion on the recent deaths during Hell Week and how it is very unlikely that Hell Week itself is to blame for it. He zeroes in on one common denominator between the two deaths and that is the mandatory COVID shots that these men got.

He also shares some of the most memorable moments during his time with the Airborne, including the three occasions that his main chute failed and he had to pull his reserve parachute during freefall and a particularly heroic middle-of-the-night ambulance transfer in enemy territory.

Dr. Bob answers some viewer questions, including his tips on combat shooting, running more because endurance is everything on the field, improvising tools to save people's lives, and flyfishing to keep his mental health on point.   

You can get your copy of Six Days of Impossible: Navy SEAL Hell Week - A Doctor Looks Back on Amazon by clicking this link.

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John Dailey is a retired Marine Corps Master Sergeant and author of Tough, Rugged Bastards. In 2003, Dailey was handpicked to become the team leader of Detachment One, the first Marine Corps unit assigned to the US Special Operations Command. Their battlefield success became the proof-of-concept for the formation of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

Dailey shares how the title of his book came about. As team leader, he was free to choose the members of his team but was instructed to select "tough, rugged bastards with strong backs and hard feet" as the sole stipulation. The book covers the creation, training, and deployment of Detachment One, ultimately leading to the creation of MARSOC.

Learn more about John Dailey: https://www.jadailey.com/

Get a copy of Tough, Rugged Bastards: https://amzn.to/49lvWWk

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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On this week's podcast episode SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri along with SOFREP Editor-in-Chief Sean Spoonts talk with Jay Collins. Jay is a Special Forces combat medic veteran and Republican candidate for Congress with Florida's 14th Congressional District.

Jay Collins spent two decades as a Green Beret and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. In the fight, he lost his leg. Nevertheless, he recovered, returned to active duty, and tremendously served in the Green Berets for nearly six more years.

Jay's Special Forces Selection was unique. He was part of the infamous Ice Storm Class of November 2002, one of the very rare occasions when SERE school had to be shut down.

The experience of Selection imparted Jay with the valuable lesson of leaving things better than how you found them.

In sharing tales of Special Forces classes with Jay, Steve recounts a hilarious story of Green Berets pretending to be NASA candidates. After all, everything can happen in Selection.

Jay also shares the awesome story of how he performed surgery on his own arm during deployment.

Since Jay is running for Congress, the conversation also turns to politics. Jay usefully reminds the audience that what unites us is less than what separates us. America will only be strong and healthy through unity. That is, after all, the American way.

As Jay says, it's not about the red nor the blue; it's about the red, white, and blue.

You can find more about Jay Collins's campaign at https://www.jaycollinsforcongress.com/.

Join us for another exciting episode of SOFREP Radio with Steve Balestrieri and Sean Spoonts!

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Peter Feaver is the former special advisor for strategic planning and institutional reform on the National Security Council and the author of Thanks for Your Service. He observes dropping public confidence in the military, resulting in a decline in recruitment. 

Peter sees significant challenges, especially how civilians drag down the military in partisan culture wars. He discusses the role of Hollywood in public perception and using the military for functions it is not designed for, further reducing public perception. 

He recommends that former generals depoliticize themselves and refrain from endorsing their candidates for president unless they are running themselves, and for military leaders to refuse to carry out immoral, unethical, and unwise orders to maintain their integrity.

Get your copy of Thanks for Your Service: https://amzn.to/47r713R

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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Kervin Aucoin is a 15-year Army veteran, owner of Aucoin Analytics, and host of the geopolitical podcast This Week Explained. He begins by talking about the most important conflict today, the Russia-Ukraine War, and how it really began in 2014 with the invasion of Crimea. 

He explores the relationship between former president Trump and Russia, as well as the danger of larger countries like Finland and Sweden getting invaded as Russia continues its expansionism. Kervin then discusses the role of drones in ISR today and the very real opportunities and weaknesses that AI has in intelligence-gathering. 

Rad and Kervin also talk about how people should be accepting and using AI moving forward, especially with the writers’ strike happening today in Hollywood, and why good and accurate information is the key to averting crises like WW3. 

Follow Kervin on social media:

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-explained/id1584681500

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaucoin83/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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Ed Rush is a former F-18 pilot and five-time bestselling author of books such as "The 21 Day Miracle", "Warrior", and his latest book called "God Talks". He gives an insider look into the inner workings of some of the world's most iconic jet fighters and even comments on the declassified reports on UFOs.

In "God Talks", Rush explores the conversational nature of the personal relationship with God. For the skeptics, the black-and-white rules of religion are just guides, but once a personal relationship develops, it is possible to experiment, ask God questions, and get answers. In Rush's experience, even phenomenally supernatural things are possible after opening up a conversation with God.

Get a copy of "God Talks" here: https://amzn.to/47f0ABj

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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Duane Miller, age 95, lived through hell fighting against the Germans in WWII. Miller joined the U.S. Army as an infantryman in October 1943. He was only 18 years old. This American hero has had an incredible life and you'll get some insight in this interview conducted by Navy SEAL and New York Times best-selling author Brandon Webb.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room.

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In this episode, we sit down with our very dear friend Alex Hollings. A former SOFREP senior staff writer, Alex is now the Editor of Sandboxx. We discuss the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it affects military training and readiness and China’s information operations. We also touch upon how the pandemic might affect the journalism business.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room.

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Our guest is Cee Freeman, Vice President of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association.

In 2010, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm was becoming just a side note in history. Its founder was moved to act and initiated the effort to construct a memorial in Washington, D.C. to both memorialize those who lost their lives and educate visitors from America and around the world.

Since 2011, the National Desert Storm War Memorial (NDSWM) has worked to achieve its singular mission, construction of the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial. NDSWM is on track to complete and dedicate the memorial on Veterans Day 2021.

This episode was hosted by SOFREP writer and Green Beret, Steve Balestrieri.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room.

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Host Steve Balestrieri speaks with Mike Broihier, a veteran running in a Senate campaign in Kentucky. Mike is on the show to discuss his personal story and perspective on life post-service (he has been a teacher, farmer, and local newspaper editor) as well as how his time in service has shaped his Senate run.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room.

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Will Chesney is the author of No Ordinary Dog, the powerful true story of a SEAL Team Operator and military dog handler, and the dog that saved his life.

Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. This is Cairo's story, and that of his handler, Will Chesney, a SEAL Team Operator whose life would be irrevocably tied to Cairo's.

Starting in 2008, when Will was introduced to the SEAL canine program, he and Cairo worked side by side, depending on each other for survival on hundreds of critical operations in the war on terrorism. But their bond transcended their service. Then, in 2011, the call came: Pick up your dog and get back to Virginia. Now.

What followed were several weeks of training for a secret mission. It soon became clear that this was no ordinary operation. Cairo was among the first members of the U.S. military on the ground in Pakistan as part of Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the successful elimination of bin Laden.

As Cairo settled into a role as a reliable “spare dog,” Will went back to his job as a DEVGRU operator, until a grenade blast in 2013 left him with a brain injury and PTSD. Unable to participate in further missions, he suffered from crippling migraines, chronic pain, memory issues, and depression. Modern medicine provided only modest relief. Instead, it was up to Cairo to save Will's life once more—and then up to Will to be there when Cairo needed him the most.

This episode was hosted by SOFREP writer and Green Beret, Steve Balestrieri.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Be sure to subscribe to SOFREP Radio and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

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Our guest, Senator Martha McSally, proudly represents the people of Arizona in the U.S. Senate and spent four years in the U.S. House of Representatives. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, McSally served 26 years in the Air Force, retiring as full colonel. She is the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat and first to command a fighter squadron in combat in United States history. McSally deployed six times to the Middle East and Afghanistan and flew 325 combat hours in the A-10 Warthog, earning the Bronze Star and six air medals. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Her new book Dare to Fly: Simple Lessons in Never Giving Up shows you how to clear the runway of your life: embrace fear, transform doubt, succeed when you are expected to fail, and soar to great heights in this motivational life guide.

This episode was hosted by SOFREP Media CEO and former Navy SEAL, Brandon Webb.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

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Bob Adams began his military career at the U.S. Naval Academy as a 5th generation career officer. After serving as Navigator and First Lieutenant on the USS Hamner (DD-718) he followed his dream to Navy SEAL training where he graduated as class leader. He served 14 years in the Navy – 12 in the SEAL Teams, active and reserve, and was a Navy Commander when he changed services to attend medical school on an Army scholarship to Wake Forest University Medical School.

As an Army physician, he commanded various clinics providing full-service inpatient and outpatient obstetric, pediatric, medical, surgical and gynecologic services to a diverse population, with ages from birth to elderly geriatric patients, for both military and civilian institutions. He was honored to serve four years as the Command Surgeon for the US Army DELTA Force providing rapid deployment special forces combat medical services worldwide.

He is the author of Six Days of Impossible Navy SEAL Hell Week, a Doctor Looks Back.

This episode was hosted by SOFREP Media CEO and former Navy SEAL, Brandon Webb.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

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Ever wonder what kind of lunatic books a vacation to North Korea, Haiti, and cartel-infested Mexico for fun? Meet Jurgis, a businessman and good friend of Brandon's from Lithuania who treats the world’s most dangerous hot spots like they’re all-inclusive resorts. We talk how they met at Harvard Business School and about the thrill of walking through gang territory like it’s Disneyland, the fine art of not getting kidnapped, and why some places on Earth make Mogadishu look like a retirement community. If that’s not enough, we close things out with a deep dive into stem cell therapy—because after all the bullets, bribes, and bad decisions, even the world’s most fearless traveler needs a little body repair. Buckle up—this one’s a wild ride. For more on stem cell treatments visit: https://www.bioxcellerator.com/

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In this episode, Geo and Stavros sit down with Brandon A., a former Air Force AC-130 Spooky gunner and now a detective in a law enforcement department. We talk about his time in the Air Force, what goes inside a Spooky gunship, deployments, danger-close fire support missions in Afghanistan, and his transition from the military to law enforcement. You don’t want to miss this one!

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

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We had such a good time interviewing Bob Adams last week that host Brandon Webb had him back on for more.

Bob Adams began his military career at the U.S. Naval Academy as a 5th generation career officer. After serving as Navigator and First Lieutenant on the USS Hamner (DD-718) he followed his dream to Navy SEAL training where he graduated as class leader. He served 14 years in the Navy – 12 in the SEAL Teams, active and reserve, and was a Navy Commander when he changed services to attend medical school on an Army scholarship to Wake Forest University Medical School.

As an Army physician, he commanded various clinics providing full-service inpatient and outpatient obstetric, pediatric, medical, surgical and gynecologic services to a diverse population, with ages from birth to elderly geriatric patients, for both military and civilian institutions. He was honored to serve four years as the Command Surgeon for the US Army DELTA Force providing rapid deployment special forces combat medical services worldwide.

He is the author of Six Days of Impossible Navy SEAL Hell Week, a Doctor Looks Back.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

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Stuart "Stu" Bradin is the President and CEO of the Global SOF Foundation. He retired as a U.S. Army Special Forces colonel in May 2014 after over 32 years of service. Stu’s Special Forces assignments include service with elements of Joint Special Operations Command, as Deputy Director of Operations at Special Operations Command Europe, and extensive service with the 7th and 10th Special Forces Groups (Airborne). He commanded several SFODAs (“A-Teams”) and served as a battalion Operations Officer as well as the Company Commander of the counter terrorist unit designated as the CINC’s In Extremist Force. He participated in Operation Just Cause, served tours as an adviser in El Salvador and Peru, and is a veteran of multiple unconventional and other special operations with 10th SFG(A) in the Balkans and numerous locations in northern and central Africa.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dwain Worrell is a filmmaker, traveler, and novelist. His writing credits include Marvel’s Iron Fist, CBS’s Fire Country, the Disney+ series National Treasure, and his latest book Androne. The book explores a near future where bipedal androids are omnipresent, even on battlefields.

The action-packed book explores life and death as soldiers now control the killing power of andrones from great distances. The book hinges on an empathetic decision made by a pilot, putting into question the strange and dangerous truths of this new invisible war. 

Rad and Dwain also discuss the Hollywood writers' strike, its causes and effects, and their insider takes on it as members of the ecosystem. They also talk about the invasion of Ukraine and the ideological importance of this fight being won against the Russians. 

Follow Dwain on social media:

Website: https://www.dwainworrell.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worrell_dwain/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DwainAWorrell

Get your copy of Androne here: https://amzn.to/48nVzX7

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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On this week’s special feature for Veteran's Day, Rad features David Bellavia, the sole Medal of Honor recipient for the Iraq war. He is recognized for his legendary heroism in Fallujah. Now living the war for the rest of his life, he felt it his duty to tell the story of brotherhood between him and his comrades in his book Remember the Ramrods.

He speaks about supporting veterans and the community's responsibility to exercise empathy. He is passionate about giving the rest of the Ramrods credit for their service and uses his award to raise veteran support awareness. He advocates for the mental health of veterans, including reigniting a sense of purpose in them. 

Get your copy of Remember the Ramrods here: https://amzn.to/3UxOhsq

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Austin Shamlin is the CEO and Founder of Traverse Project—a nonprofit organization that combats the human trafficking threat through data intelligence—where has pioneered data-driven methodologies to combat human trafficking. He is a former police executive who currently sits on the Advisory Board for the University of Houston’s Center for Research Excellence to Counter Human Trafficking, as well as the Board of Directors for Operation Path Forward—a nonprofit supporting those who serve America. Previously, Austin directed international counter-human trafficking operations for a nonprofit under the Tim Tebow Foundation and managed law enforcement operations for D.C. Public Schools. He has also worked as a government contractor in Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, and Somalia. He is a recognized speaker at Blackhat USA, DefCon, BENS, and other major conferences.

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Damian Porter is a former New Zealand SAS Commando in D Squadron. Also known as the How Not to Die Guy, he pulls from his vast knowledge and experience in the field and pays it forward to help others keep safe. He talks about upgrading and downgrading responses depending on the situation and how this boils down to proper training. 

Since bad guys don't play by the rules, Damian stresses the need to either walk away from a fight or protect yourself immediately and eliminate the threat. The key is situational awareness and it is this skill that he passes on to others. He shares more practical advice like how to lose weight through movement and how it all begins with a choice.

Follow Damian on social media:

Straight Talk - Mind and Muscle Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyDI0IBtcYblCWpiIOalL7w

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hownottodieguy/

Website: https://www.hownottodieguy.com/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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This week we welcome historian and author Paul Bruno to the show.

Paul is an early Jeep historian who has just released a new book with MFM Publishing called The Original Jeeps, the true story of how the US Army created the Jeep some 80 years ago.

He has spent more than 20 years researching, writing and studying early Jeep history. He visited key sites in this story, including the United States National Archives, and combined his knowledge of project management and history in his first book, Project Management in History: The First Jeep, published in 2014. The Original Jeeps further tells the story of early Jeep history and continues his journey into the depths of this important inspirational work of human ingenuity.

Any historian, automotive buff, Jeep fan, or World War II enthusiast will love what he has to say.

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For many, Donnie Edwards is known as a gridiron grinder. A fourth round draft pick out of UCLA who played for thirteen seasons on the NFL — eight with the Kansas City Chiefs and six with the San Diego Chargers — Donnie earned a reputation for doling out hit and having hands. During his time in the NFL he logged 23.5 sacks and 28 interceptions, just nine short of the NFL record for most interceptions by a linebacker.

But for all his football fame, Edwards has come to be known in veteran and military circles for his veterans organization, The Best Defense Foundation.

The Best Defense Foundation's main focus is brining closure to WWII veterans by returning them to the battlefields where they once fought. Edwards and his foundation have helped hundreds of veterans return to battlefields from Normandy to Iwo Jima, some of whom had not set foot in those places since the war.

The Best Defense Foundation has also added to its mantle a mission for Special Forces soldiers. Dubbed simply the Transition Program, Edwards and BDF reintegrate SOF soldiers by "combining concepts from the battlefield with ideas forged on the gridiron" through "unique retreats that preserve bonds of brotherhood while providing tools and services that equip and empower our veterans to move forward."

Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about the Best Defense Foundation and hear tales from the ground from gridiron great Donnie Edwards.

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This week, we welcome back to the show SOFREP friend and SOFREP Books author Eric Davis.

Eric Davis is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and decorated veteran of the War on Terror. Eric has been recognized as one of the premier sniper instructors in the U.S. military and has served as a Master Training Specialist at the SEAL sniper school.

Eric spent years developing, writing and executing curriculum for the SEAL Teams. By leveraging his expertise in the development of systems, structures, processes and practices Eric was instrumental in significantly reducing the failure rate, of Naval Special Warfare’s internationally recognized Sniper course. Since departing from the SEAL teams, Eric has worked in corporate performance, sales and leadership training bringing an unprecedented amount of innovation, efficiency and structure to the domain of business and personal performance.

In his new webinar course, Eric shares his experience as a Navy SEAL instructor and help you apply three core lessons to life and breathing through to the next level. Tune in to learn about the webinar and Eric's 'Tribe 215.' 

Learn more here.

Eric is the author of "Raising Men: Lessons Navy SEALs Learned from Their Training and Taught to Their Sons" and "Habits of Heroes: Being the Hero in Your Own Life"

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In this episode, Rad welcomes back Charles Cunningham, a former military policeman in the Air Force, a local police officer, PA State Trooper, and a retired FBI Agent. He continues to story of David James Lindsey's trial and how one warrant officer systematically discredits every single one of Lindsey's war medal claims. 

David was found guilty on 21 counts and was sentenced to 60 years in jail. He later died in prison and is buried with no honors in White Hall. Charles also shares stories of his career in the FBI where he became the special agent in charge of Richmond, Virginia.

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Robert J. O’Neill is one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of our time. He served at SEAL Team Two, SEAL Team Four and eight years at the legendary SEAL Team Six. Having taken part in and leading over 400 combat missions, Rob operated in Liberia, The Balkans, The Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Having been decorated 53 times, his awards include two Silver Stars for gallantry in action against the enemy, four Bronze Stars with Valor to denote heroism against the enemy, a Joint Service Commendation Medal with Valor, a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor, three Presidential Unit Commendations and three Combat Action ribbons to name a few. Some of Rob’s qualifications include Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster, Tandem Tethered Bundle Master, Naval Special Warfare Scout / Sniper, Breacher, Master Naval Parachutist, Master Training Specialist, Diving Supervisor, Range Officer in Charge for Small Arms, Close Quarters Battle, Breaching, Laser System Safety Officer among many others. Rob took part in the rescue for Operation Red Wings, which extracted the Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell, he was the lead jumper for the rescue operation that saved Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates and he was a Team Leader for Operation Neptune’s Spear, the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Rob is co-founder of Special Operators Transition Foundation, specializing in assisting Special Operations Forces veterans with the successful transition from the service into their next great career in corporate America. Rob is the author of the NY Times and London Times Best Selling Memoir THE OPERATOR: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior. Rob has been interviewed on Fox News, CNN, CBS, Newsmax and others.

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Novritsch, whose real name is Christoph Neuwirth, comes from Austria. He served as a scout sniper in the Austrian military. From this active time in military, he adopted many skills into airsoft sports and still uses them there today. He also incorporates this know-how in the development of his weapon models. 

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On this episode, Rad features JJ Wilson and James Boyd, both former Green Berets who have now transitioned to civilian life as entrepreneurs. After 911, both felt compelled to serve and decided to enlist. JJ Wilson joined the Army because everyone in his hometown ended up in jail or dead. 

He met James Boyd, who gave up his British citizenship to join the Special Forces, at basic training in 2005. Fast forward, they co-founded Adyton, a startup bringing mobile technology to the Department of Defense. Every branch in the military uses their product Mustr which allows service members to use their phones as we all do in our everyday lives. 

Mustr enables all service members or every rank to save countless hours of administrative work to identify service members in distress and make real-time, data-driven decisions to enhance operational readiness. Their app also helps thousands of trainees get coordinated during their Holiday Block Leave. 

Connect with JJ and James and find out how veterans can contribute to their amazing technology in the links below:

• https://www.adyton.io/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-alexander-boyd/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-wilson/

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Jim Lorraine is the President and CEO of America’s Warrior Partnership. He served for 22 years as an Air Force Officer and Flight Nurse. As a staff officer, he served as a Fellow to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and lastly as the Deputy Command Surgeon for USSOCOM. Jim is also the founding Director of the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition, a wounded warrior advocacy organization.

Jim shares about his wife's medical retirement which cut short her otherwise promising career in the military. Their experience finding care and the layers of challenges to this sparked Jim's advocacy for all wounded, ill, or injured SOF warriors. He talks about the continuity of care and how care should be available to all vets without all the unnecessary restrictions and red tape. 

Learn more about Jim and America’s Warrior Partnership:

Website: https://www.americaswarriorpartnership.org/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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#1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brad Thor returns to Sofrep Radio to introduce his latest high-octane thriller, "Shadow of Doubt". This summer thriller follows the next adventure of America's top spy Scot Harvath as he gets entangled in a whirlwind of double agents, international intrigue, and heart-stopping chases.

Harvath is forced to choose between his conscience and his country as he navigates between a shadowy Russian defector, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous Norwegian operative, and a lone French agent who stumbles upon a conspiracy so explosive it could ignite a global firestorm.   

Get a copy of "Shadow of Doubt": https://amzn.to/3LRxuOv

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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Chief Michael R. Carmichael, CW4 Special Forces (Retired), is the President, CEO, and Founder of Check A Vet. He recalls his service as a warrant officer which is judge, jury, and executioner on targets, as well as his team's medic. After 11 combat tours, Michael retired in 2016 and he shares his struggle to provide, take care of himself, and have a purpose. 

He started Check A Vet with a mission to raise awareness on the realities of veteran suicide and to change antiquated ways of thinking on the issue. With the COVID pandemic, he expects the suicide numbers to go even higher. Their model is about veterans helping veterans and leveraging the love and support of friends and family and mobilizing the energy of an engaged community.  

Learn more about Michael and Check A Vet:

Website: https://www.checkavet.org/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri speaks with Pete Blaber, Former Delta Force officer, author, and leadership expert.

During his career as an officer in special mission units, Pete Blaber would keep notes and write in order to learn and improve. Nevertheless, as he explains, during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. did not appear to be learning anything on a foundational level. So, after retiring from the Army in 2006, Pete decided to use his writing skills and try to fill the gap.

The results were his two books: The Mission, The Men, and Me, and the latest, The Common Sense Way.

In The Common Sense Way, Pete talks about what common sense really is and how it is linked to good leadership. As Steve says, we all recognize what common sense is but each of us would give a different definition of it.

After all, good leadership transcends field and sector. From engaging our neo-cortex to the contagiousness of survival instincts and the benefits of speaking calmly, the lessons found in The Common Sense Way are not only applicable to leaders in both the military and corporate world but to everyone.

Finally, Pete underlines how former Delta Force member George Hand (better known to his fans as Geo) with whom Pete served, epitomizes common sense. And he also shares some valuable and entertaining stories to illustrate that.

If you are interested you can purchase Pete Blaber's The Common Sense Way here and you can connect with Pete through his website.

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In this week's podcast episode, SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri talks with Dr. David Eagleman a neuroscientist and serial entrepreneur who tries to help people suffering from tinnitus.

It is estimated that one billion people around the world suffer from tinnitus. The condition is especially widespread in the military and veteran community. As Steve says, be it from a gunshot or an artillery barrage tinnitus is a reality in the military. The condition can be excruciating for some and even lead to suicide.

Dr. Eagleman wants to combat this, so he created Neosensory with technology that he spun out of his lab.

Neosensory addresses tinnitus and hearing loss with the help of a bracelet. The bracelet stimulates your sound and touch in order to retrain your brain to listen to the damaged and lost sound frequencies. You wear the bracelet for a period of two months. The results it provides are long-lasting and it reduces tinnitus by 30 percent.

Dr. Eagleman says that what made him undertake his research was the question of whether information can be fed into our brains via unusual channels, i.e. sensory substitution. After all, as Dr. Eagleman explains tinnitus is ultimately a condition of the brain, not the ear.

You can find more about the technology at Neosensory.com.

Neosensory has kindly provided a one-week-long discount for veterans on its Neosensory Duo for Tinnitus. You can claim it just by applying the coupon code "HONOR."

Join us for another SOFREP Radio episode in which we discuss a very important issue for the military community.

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Brad was with the Ranger Battalion at the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993 and went on to spend 12 years with Delta Force. Now retired, he's killing it music with a band of veteran musicians made up of veterans, "Silence & Light." Brad is an accomplished guitar player and composer. These guys are putting out albums and donating the proceeds to veteran's charities too.

Brad and his brother veterans are still serving and now SOFREP Radio has the pleasure of serving Brad and his story up to you.

Don't miss this podcast.

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In this episode, Senior Editor Steve Balestrieri joins our resident expert on the Chinese Army, Mr. Dennis J. Blasko.

Dennis served 23 years in military intelligence and as a Foreign Area Officer He served in infantry units in Germany, Italy, and Korea and in Washington at the Defense Intelligence Agency, From 1992 to 1996 he was an Army Attaché in Beijing and Hong Kong. Mr. Blasko is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters on the Chinese military, along with the book "The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century", second edition.  

Join us as we discuss emerging trends in the People's Liberation Army of the Chinese Communists on this episode of SOFREP Radio with Steve Balestrieri.

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In this week's episode of SOFREP Radio, Senior Editor Steve Balestrieri talks with Rick Lamb.  

The word "Legend" gets thrown around a lot but in Mr. Lamb's case, it is entirely apt. He joined the Army in 1978 under contract to become an Airborne Ranger directly and over the next 26 years, Rick served in both the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions, the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th Special Forces Group, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major.

He also seemed to be a part of every significant combat operation of the late 20th century the Army was involved in including: Operation Eagle Claw (Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission); Operation Just Cause (Invasion of Panama); Operation Gothic Serpent (Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu); Operations Restore, Uphold and Maintain Democracy (Invasion of Haiti); Operations Joint Forge and Joint Guardian (Bosnia and Kosovo); Operation Enduring Freedom (Horn of Africa); Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After retirement spend another 12 years working for U.S. Special Operations Command as a civilian culminating in a position as Operations Officer in the Center for Special Operations.

Rick is a Member of the SOCOM Commando Hall of Honor, the Ranger Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the SOCOM “Bull” Simmons Award.

He is the present Director of Military Relations for the Global SOF Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit works to build and grow an international network of military, government, commercial, and educational partners to advance SOF capabilities in confronting global and networked threats.

If that is not the definition of a "Legend" then no definition for it can exist.

Don't miss this episode of SOFREP Radio with Steve Balestrieri.

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Miles Lagoze is a Combat Camera Marine veteran and the critically acclaimed director of Combat Obscura, a 2019 documentary that utilizes footage he captured during his unit's historic mission to secure ground in the northern Sangin and Kajaki districts of Afghanistan. His debut book is titled Whistles from the Graveyard. 

Lagoze recounts his enlistment at the age of 18 and the controversy he faced while using a government-issued camera for his film. The documentary presents a raw and graphic portrayal of the Afghan War, often evoking polarized reactions from audiences. Meanwhile, Whistles from the Graveyard uncovers the grim reality faced by the men and women deployed to fight America's longest war.  

Watch Combat Obscura: https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Obscura-Miles-Lagoze/dp/B07N8JZG1C

Get your copy of Whistles from the Graveyard: https://amzn.to/3s34Eoa

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's podcast SOFREP Senior Editor and SOFREP Radio host, Steve Balestrieri is joined by Fox & Friends co-host, author, and veteran Pete Hegseth.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Pete talks about his path to journalism and his subsequent interactions with his former teammates. They also discuss Pete's political plans, his books In the Arena and American Crusade, and his adventurous swim across the Hudson River with 30 Navy SEALs.

The two also touch upon America's foreign policy and the need to counter an ever-assertive China.

In discussing the current state of American society, education, and the divisive ideas permeating large sections of the country Pete offers his views on how America can move forward and overcome its current state.

Steve is then joined by SOFREP Managing Editor Sean Spoonts. The duo discusses their favorite Fox Nation programs and offers recommendations to our listeners.

Tune in to another episode of SOFREP Radio and remember from May 24 to May 31 Fox Nation, in partnership with SOFREP, offers a free one-year membership to active-duty servicemembers and military veterans. 

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On this week's podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri speaks with General (Ret.) Don Bolduc.

General Bolduc served as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force commander and in 2012-2013 as Commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Component in Afghanistan where he logged 10 deployments and started the Village Stability Operations program. He was then the commander of Special Operations Command Africa.

Steve and General Bolduc discuss the state of affairs in Afghanistan and how we've come to this point. They also talk about PTSD and the silent toil it has enacted on our troops.

Further, General Bolduc bewails the current politicization of the military, and especially its top leaders, and the deeply divisive political environment plaguing the United States.

The general also talks about his decision to become a police officer in light of the shortage of officers in New Hampshire.

General Don Bolduc is now running for New Hampshire State Senate. To learn more about his campaign you can visit the general's website here.

Join us for another episode of SOFREP Radio.

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On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Jesse Gould, founder of the Heroic Hearts Project, Army Ranger veteran, and psychedelic therapy advocate. Jesse talks about the modalities of psychedelic treatment, its benefits for neurogenesis, and how it can bring controlled chaos to your mind to reset it. 

Jesse talks about his deployments to Afghanistan and his realization that he was drinking way too much. And, more than that, he started observing his mental state take a turn for the worse.

He shares his discovery of ayahuasca as an alternative treatment. Seeing how none of his efforts as of yet were worth preserving, he decided to go down to Peru to seek a shaman. Jesse details the ceremony, how entering into a psychedelic state brings forth repressed traumas, and the unique way ayahuasca reframes trauma to break the cycle of PTSD.

However, not anyone should just jump in and try ayahuasca. There is preparation needed, both mentally and emotionally, as ayahuasca heightens your senses but your brain interprets the stimuli differently. Therefore, Jesse stresses that being in a safe space is paramount for psychedelic treatment.

Reach out to Jesse and the Heroic Hearts Project through the following links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-gould/

Website: https://www.heroicheartsproject.org/

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Host Steve Balestrieri (retired Green Beret and current SOFREP writer) interviews Jason Lewis, former Army Captain, veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a man who is now helping veterans suffering from tinnitus and hearing loss.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest Jake Lockett was born and raised in central Texas, went to Texas A&M, studied Aerospace Engineering, and ended up studying German Language as well. He moved to LA in 2011 and has been acting ever since. His resume includes roles in the CBS SEAL Team series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, Hawaii Five-O, and many others. Jake is a great guy who also teases out a Special Forces project he's involved with.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born on July 4th and named after the great John Wayne, you could say that our guest John Wayne Walding was destined to be an American hero. He spent 12 years in the US Army and seven in the Special Forces Group serving his country. While serving, John suffered a devastating injury during the Battle of Shok Valley after being shot in the leg. After losing his leg during the battle, John continued to fight on alongside the other soldiers, which ultimately earned him the Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his bravery.

Following his recovery, John’s determination and selflessness drove him to do what no one else had done before – enroll in the Special Forces Sniper School to become the first ever amputee to re-enlist as a Green Beret Sniper. As always, John was looking for another way to give back to the country he loves so much.

To continue on his mission of giving back and serving his country, John is now co-founder of Live to Give, a company built on the premise of giving back and one that donates 50% of its net profits to charities supporting military, first responders and their families. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, John’s company has donated hundreds of cases of water to first responders and schools, partnered with likeminded organizations to help employ those who have lost work, and continued to give back in however possible.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

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On this show we have two incredible guests. Host Steve Balestrieri discusses national security and childhood obesity nutrition with Rear Admiral Bob Besal (U.S. Navy Retired) followed by Brigadier General Gary Pappas (Massachusetts Army National Guard Retired).

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest is Ingrid Centurion, an Iraq war veteran and a small business owner who is running for office as a State Representative in Massachusetts. She began flying airplanes at 17 years old before moving to flying as a commercial pilot at 20 years old, and then moved on to an honorable twenty year plus military career where she operated in mission-critical environments from the cockpit of multiple aircraft platforms such as the UH-1H (Huey), UH-60 (Blackhawk), and RC-12P (Guardrail).

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, host Steve Balestrieri speaks with Marc Goldberg, an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) paratrooper and author of the book Beyond the Green Line.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our community at SOFREP and find the best tactical equipment and apparel in our store, The Loadout Room. Support our veteran team and be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don Mann is a decorated former Navy SEAL Special Operations Technician and the author of 22 books including the New York Times Best Selling autobiography Inside SEAL Team SIX. As a former Training Officer, Mann was directly responsible for shaping the bodies and minds of the SEALs who assassinated Osama bin Laden.

He talks about the genesis of the name of SEAL Team SIX and how it was a tactic to throw off the Russians since there were only 3 SEAL teams then. He shares the mission of SEAL Team SIX in operating anywhere around the world, making them the President's foremost "break glass in case of emergency" solution. 

Learn more about Don: https://www.usfrogmann.com/

Get a copy of Inside SEAL Team SIX: https://amzn.to/3xRuVs7

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stayton Bonner is a former Rolling Stone and GQ Magazine editor and the author of Bare Knuckle: Inside the World of Underground Boxing. This gripping narrative talks about the rise of Bobby Gunn in the lucrative blood sport, as well as intimate details into the gritty criminal underworld that drew in immigrants and mobsters in search of fame and fortune.

Bobby was a skinny but tough kid born into the world of boxing. At a young age, his father taught him dirty street fighting and bare-knuckle boxing. While lesser known, Bobby’s Marine Corps background further honed his toughness and resilience, forging him into a lethal weapon whose name would eventually be etched in bare-knuckle boxing history. 

Get a copy of Bare Knuckle: https://amzn.to/3vNlLfx

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Stejskal is a former U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) officer, seasoned intelligence operative, and author. With a career spanning over two decades, Stejskal has served in numerous high-risk environments around the world, specializing in covert operations, counterterrorism, and military intelligence. After his service, he turned to writing and consulting, sharing his vast expertise on special operations, military history, and the world of intelligence. Stejskal's insights offer a unique perspective on the intersection of military strategy, geopolitics, and the human element of warfare. He is the author of several books, including Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the U.S. Army’s Elite, 1956-1990, which explores the covert operations of U.S. Special Forces in the heart of Cold War Europe.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad features Vincent "Rocco" Vargas, a former Army Ranger who served 3 combat deployments with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Now in Hollywood, Rocco is known for Range 15, Mayans M.C., the MBest11x YouTube channel, and the Vinny Roc podcast. 

He digs into the parallels between the military and acting and shares how he navigates his acting, writing, and producing career today. Rocco gets vulnerable and shares how he overcame his own personal obstacles with the determination to win. 

Rocco also talks about the projects he's working on today like Beteran HQ and the nonprofit Heroes Sports which gives veterans another channel to find community and camaraderie. 

Reach out to Rocco and support his initiatives for veterans in the links below:

• Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/vincent.rocco.vargas/
• Instagram (Heroes Sports): https://www.instagram.com/heroes_sports/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode's guests are Ret. Col. Greg Gadson and Terese Schlachter, authors of Finding Waypoints. Col. Gadson's story is both humbling and inspiring as a hero from one of our nation's military families. During his service in Iraq, he lost both of his legs and has since embarked on a spiritual journey, becoming an assistant coach to the NY Giants that helped propel them from last place to NFC East champions in ‘08.

Terese Schlachter, a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer and writer, quickly became friends with Col. Gadson during his painful recovery and rehabilitation. By interviewing Col. Gadson's doctors and squad, she pieced together the events that led to his fateful injury, forever immortalizing Col. Gadson's journey of finding peace and purpose in Finding Waypoints.

Get your copy of Finding Waypoints: https://amzn.to/3vlkkUX

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Brown is an outstanding former Navy SEAL known for his small stature but immense determination. Standing at just 5'3", he was always underestimated, both by high school bullies and Navy recruiters, yet he remained undeterred and locked in on his goal to serve.

Despite being initially dismissed due to his size, Brown's persistence and resilience led him to pass the rigorous Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, even running with two stress fractures during "Hell Week." He graduated with BUD/S Class 115 and served with Underwater Demolition Team 21 and SEAL Team 4. His deployments took him across Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

His memoir, "And Goliath," tackles the human side of being a Navy SEAL. Especially in Brown's case, where his physical limitations seemed to doom his dreams, "And Goliath" chronicles the willpower he needed to tap into his potential for success, overcome perceived limitations, and come out at the end as an inspiration to all current, former, and aspiring special operators​.

Get a copy of "And Goliath": https://andgoliathbook.com/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fran Racioppi is a former Green Beret and currently the Host and Creator of The Jedburgh Podcast and the Founder of FRsix. He was deployed to Iraq 3 times and spent several years operating across Africa. He is a lifelong sailor and volunteers as the Race Director of Sailahead, an organization dedicated to reducing suicide among vets.

As a leader inside the military and out, Fran shares how leaders and team members must be aligned on their roles in their organizations. He talks about teamwork and accountability and how soldiers and individual contributors must not be simply taught how to follow and instead be developed as future leaders themselves. 

Fran and Rad talk about the emerging AI technology, its dangers, and the need for people to not get reliant on it and develop their own critical thinking with real education.   

Learn more about Fran:

Website: https://frsix.com/

Podcast: https://talentwargroup.com/the-jedburgh-podcast/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad welcomes back Brad Thor, former member of the Department of Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell Unit and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 21 books, including his latest thriller called Rising Tiger. Brad discusses how in-depth he went to get every detail right, from getting the military ranks of the Indian armed forces accurately to depicting the horrific medieval skirmish between the Indians and Chinese in 2020 which served as the opening to the book. Brad explores the geopolitical tension between the two nations and also shares interesting tidbits on cross-referencing characters from other authors' books, learning how to fashion an IED out of garbage, and why a 9mm is the preferred gun in an actual gunfight.

Get a copy of Rising Tiger: https://amzn.to/3OD6WzJ

Reach out to Brad Thor:

Website: https://bradthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BradThorOfficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradThor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realbradthor/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded by combat veterans and seasoned game developers Lewis Manalo and Matt Patak, Old Glory Studios brings over 25 years of experience in the gaming industry. Our founders have worked on some of the most popular tactical shooters in the world, bringing their real-life experiences into game development. Old Glory's goal is to make combat games that are easy to pick up, but hard to master. Backed by a talented network of developers, writers, and artists, our mission is to deliver games that are accessible to everyone while staying true to the authentic combat experiences of our founders. Matt Patak: Served in Iraq with the Third Infantry Division. Level Designer on Tom Clancy's The Division 1 & 2, Ryse: Son of Rome, Exoborne, and more. Lewis Manalo: Served in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne. Worked as an independent film producer before transitioning to video games. Writer on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon franchise, Dying Light 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodhunt, Exoborne, and more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews The Mission Within Founder Dr. Martin Polanco and Director of Operations Michael Higgs, who was also Command Master Chief of a SEAL team and a 30-year veteran. Cognitive damage is the reality for many veterans and psychedelic treatment is a stigmatized solution to regaining what had been lost in battle. 

Dr. Polanco discusses how psychedelic treatment heals post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and mild traumatic brain injury, while Michael talks about life before and after a single treatment session. They share how ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT are used alongside music and the guidance of a coach and other medical professionals.

Psychedelic treatment is holistic and emphasizes the therapeutic effects of exercise, meditation, eating healthily, and proper sleep. They also talk about the benefits of microdosing and the need to change the narrative on the true healing potential of psychedelics.

Reach out to Dr. Polanco, Michael, The Mission Within through the following links:

The Mission Within website: https://www.missionwithin.org/

LinkedIn (Martin Polanco): https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin7polanco/

LinkedIn (Michael Higgs) : https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmhiggs/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Williams is a former Surface Warfare Officer who is now the COO of Exyn Technologies, an autonomous drone technology stack leading the industry in unstructured environment and GPS-denied navigation. He shares his first tour which was aboard the cruiser Bunker Hill and running with small boat teams for visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) missions. 

Ben talks about the exciting tech they are developing today which aims to remove people from the most dangerous parts of their jobs to obtain the data they need. Aside from humanitarian applications, Ben's tech can help the military obtain quick and reliable data on environments to make decisions that minimize risk for soldiers. 

Mentorship is another focus of Ben as he helps veterans utilize their unique skills for civilian life. Even riflemen, their skills are not limited to just carrying and shooting rifles. They do everything from maintenance to leadership and it is these skills that are valuable in civilian jobs.   

Ben is an award-winning entrepreneur and technologist who led the commercialization of Exyn’s core technologies. In 2017, he was selected for Wharton’s 40 under 40. 

Find out more about Ben and the open positions at Exyn:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentropy/
• https://www.exyn.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Command Sergeant Major retired Bart E. Womack, served the United States Army with distinction for over 29 years as a professional soldier, providing focus, leadership, and mentorship to all Officers and Enlisted soldiers. His maturity, expertise, and personal dedication to excellence contributed immeasurably to the readiness of the Armed Forces and the security of our great nation. Highlights of his distinguished military career include Drill Sergeant, Ranger Instructor, and Sergeant of the Guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He culminated his career in dual roles as Commandant of the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, and the 101st Airborne Division Command Sergeant Major. He’s a Combat Veteran whose awards include 2 Bronze Stars, one for Valor, the Legion of Merit, the Combat Infantryman Badge w/star, the Tomb Guard Identification Badge, and the Army Ranger Tab to name a few. He is also a Distinguished Member of the Regiment of the 327th Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Infantry Regiment respectively.

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On this podcast, Rad welcomes Maj. Fred Galvin who served as commanding officer of the first unit that MARSOC deployed to combat in Afghanistan. He is the author of A Few Bad Men and he shares the chilling story of being ambushed by a car bomb and being framed for war crimes they did not commit.

He recounts how they were unwanted guests to their command and the underlying selfish philosophies of his commanders. The media storm that followed the attack got them booted out of Afghanistan and even back home, despite being exonerated by the court of inquiry, they were publicly shamed for supposedly getting away with murder. Fred is fighting back and letting the people know how the military is abusing its power and letting others take the fall for their mistakes.

Get a copy of A Few Bad Men: The True Story of U.S. Marines Ambushed in Afghanistan and Betrayed in America: https://amzn.to/3amnmOv

Connect with Fred via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-galvin-27270116/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During his heyday, Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel were pushing an estimated 70-80 tons of cocaine into the U.S. every month. DEA agents Javier Peña and Steve Murphy were stationed in Colombia and were assigned to take down Escobar and the Medellin cartel.

Many Americans had no idea who Murphy and Pena were until the Netflix series “Narcos” was released. And although the series, like all Hollywood films, took some liberties with the true story, it finally brought Murphy and Pena to the forefront.

The DEA agents worked in Medellin out of the police force base and were part of the Search Bloc (Bloque de Búsqueda), the CNP’s Special Operations unit in charge of the search for Escobar. The task force also included members of Delta Force, Navy SEALs, NSA, and CIA. It was the CIA that both Murphy and Peña remember as being as much at odds with the DEA as it was with the cartel.

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On this week’s podcast, Steve Balestrieri interviews Toby Harnden who served in the Royal Navy and retired as a Lieutenant. Though he served in the Navy for almost a decade, Steve is famously known as a journalist and author of 3 books including Bandit Country: The IRA & South Armagh and Dead Men Risen: The Welsh Guards and the Defining Story of Britain's War in Afghanistan.

Toby talks about how he entered into journalism which seemed like a natural progression from his time in the Navy. While serving, he got to witness the action in Ireland with the IRA. These events led up to his first book which unraveled the murders of senior RUC officers with Garda (Irish police) collusion in 1989.

His next book Dead Men Risen reached number 4 on The Sunday Times bestseller list and earned him the Orwell Prize for books in 2012. Toby details in today's show the background of this book that started with the events of 9/11 and the heroic men he interviewed to create the story.

In Toby's latest book First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA's Secret Mission to Avenge 9/11, he looks back on the 8 men of Team Alpha who led the charge behind enemy lines on October 17, 2001, especially the heroism of David Tyson and martyrdom of Mike Spann.

Toby discusses gritty details that set the stage for the tragedy in the Fort of War and the great cooperation between CIA, Green Berets, SPS, Navy SEALs which, during the early stages of the war, were unheard of. 

Toby also shares radical details about the operation taken from firsthand sources, including a hilarious account of psychological warfare where a lady Navy pilot's singing was used to intimidate the notoriously misogynistic Taliban, an on-the-fly idea of their bloodthirsty warlord companion.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Lee Stuckey, a former major in the Marines, and Founder and President of AHERO and Operation Phoenix. Lee tells the story of his three combat deployments to Iraq, the trauma that he kept under wraps, and his brush with death.  

Now focused on healing, Lee shares how his farm has grown and the evolving programs AHERO has for its veteran community. He talks about AHERO's events which connect veterans to the experts who can help them heal, whether it's for anger management or addiction.

Music for a Hero has been particularly healing and Kevin Adair also comes on the show to perform and bring awareness to their advocacy. Lee further shares the work they do with Operation Phoenix and advises veterans that healing is possible and it’s best done with a community.

Lee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-stuckey-8216697b/

Lee's email: aherostuckey@gmail.com

AHERO website: https://aherousa.org/

Kevin Adair's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kevinadairmusic

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we sit down with Gretchen Smith, founder of Code of Vets. With Veterans Day right around the corner, we thought it was high time we talked about Code of Vets, a non-profit organization which works to raise money through small personal donations and deliver it directly to veterans in need.

Code of Vets is a 501c3 that exclusively uses social media to raise donations and awareness for veterans in crisis and/or in need. With more than 340,000 followers just on Twitter (they have a following on Facebook as well), Code of Vets has raised over $2MILLION in two years to help thousands of veterans with suicide prevention, housing, food, clothing, medical and transportation just to name a few — with only 2% operating costs — nearly every penny that came in went right back out to veterans.

Veterans receive near immediate care/assistance upon request because of their unique platform. Code of Vets has caught the attention of celebrities and public figures alike including Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Sidney Powell, Larry The Cable Guy, Oak Ridge Boys, Scott Baio, Herschell Walker and Charlie Daniels.

The inspiration for Code of Vets came from Sgt. Danny E. Smiley, Gretchen's dad and Airborne Angel. He was a Bronze Star Medal recipient, a 100 percent disabled Vietnam Veteran - exposed to agent orange. He lost his battle with PTSD at age 57.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode we rolled up our sleeves with Jay Dobyns, a tough-as-nails undercover federal agent who served for twenty-seven years before retiring in 2014.

He achieved worldwide notoriety as one of history's most daring undercover operators during high-octane missions targeting America's violent crime. Often playing the role of a shrewdly-calculating hitman or mob debt collector infiltrating scores of deadly criminal enterprises while living among street and prison gangs, anti-government extremists, gunrunning groups, drug traffickers and organized crime members, bomb builders, home invasion robbery crews and "murder-for-hire" suspects.

A defense attorney once described Jay as: "...a government-trained ‘Predator’ repeatedly sent on seek and destroy missions in search of drugs, guns and violence, with instructions to succeed at any cost and without regard for the agent himself or those he crosses paths with.”

Jay is perhaps best known for his landmark effort against the notorious Hells Angels. He was the first-ever lawman to defeat the gang’s multilayered security measures getting inside to become a member of their legendary Skull Valley charter.

Jay's book about that investigation - No Angel, My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels - is a New York Times and international bestseller.

His follow-up book - Catching Hell, A True Story of Abandonment and Betrayal - is a bestselling memoir that details the events of his life and career.

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Joining Rad in this episode is 28-year US Army Veteran, Colonel (Retired) Seth Krummrich. Seth's has experience in extensive Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations. He has commanded 5 organizations including a Reconnaissance platoon, Special Forces Team, Regional Survey Team, Special Forces Battalion, and the Fort Irwin CA Garrison. Seth also had numerous Combat and classified deployments to include Iraq, Afghanistan, and over 18 Horn of Africa, Middle East, and Central Asian countries.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad features Anthony Stephen Malone, a former Paratrooper in the British Army and former CIA operator in Afghanistan. He is the host of The Patriot Show, as well as the author of 4 books, including the Honour Bound series and his latest release called Hostage/Evacuation which details his capture by the Taliban.

He shares the critical and apolitical role of the veteran community in helping move up to 400 families out of Afghanistan during the chaotic evacuation in 2021. He also sheds light on the brain drain happening there right now where educated young people simply do not want to be in a country governed by extremist Taliban. 

There are many elements within Afghanistan that actually want the country to progress. More of the world needs to realize that leaving Afghanistan to devolve back into civil war and getting Western boots on the ground again is simply not in anyone’s interest.

Connect with Anthony, learn about his advocacy to help fellow veterans by visiting his website: http://www.anthonymalone.me.uk/

Get a copy of Honour Bound Part 1: https://amzn.to/3CVEsi6

Get a copy of Honour Bound Part 2: https://amzn.to/3cHRZiK

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Derek Leebaert is the author of Unlikely Heroes, an account of Pres. Roosevelt and his 4 closest associates: Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes, Frances Perkins, and Henry Wallace, and how they would forever change the world. In many ways, history tends to repeat itself, and recognizing patterns of the past gives us the opportunity to shape a better future.

FDR was a titan. He was elected president for 4 terms and to this day remains the longest-serving president of the US. He was known for his fairness and desire for equality for all, an essential factor that got him the Republicans' vote every single time.

A look into his 4 lieutenants reveals much more about the myths that have plagued FDR’s presidencies since then. Derek talks about FDR's New Deal, the secret military build-up that happened in the 1930s, and how each lieutenant played a critical role in getting America through the mayhem of the time. 

Derek Leebaert won the biennial 2020 Truman Book Award for Grand Improvisation. His previous books include Magic and Mayhem and To Dare and to Conquer, both Washington Post Best Books of the Year. He was a founding editor of the Harvard/MIT journal International Security and is a co-founder of the National Museum of the United States Army. He holds a D.Phil from Oxford.

Get a copy of Unlikely Heroes: https://amzn.to/3J6NlXz

Find out more about the National Museum of the US Army: https://www.thenmusa.org/

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This week we're honored to host Lt. Colonel David "Bull" Gurfein, CEO of United American Patriots.

For the uninitiated, United American Patriots is military advocacy group that works to defend service members accused of crimes while in service.

UAP works with professional fundraising organizations to generate contributions for each service member, and uses those funds for attorneys’ fees, court costs, for family members to travel to the penitentiary and/or court hearings, and, for those released from confinement, UAP funds reintegration efforts like vocational training, psychological counseling, and offers stipends for housing and necessities.  

Over the past thirteen years, UAP’s sponsorship has helped dozens of combat Service members defend themselves at trial, upon appeal, and before military boards to upgrade discharges, thereby positioning these warriors for successes in civilian life.

Most recently, UAP has helped raise awareness about the MARSOC 3, and assisted in the parole and release of 1SG John Hatley.

Lear more about UAP's mission, HERE.

About Lt Colonel Gurfein

Lt Colonel Gurfein enlisted in the Marines at 17, completed Boot Camp at Parris Island and went on to become the Honor Graduate from Officer Candidate School, Meritoriously Augmented as a 2nd Lieutenant out of The Basic School, and served as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer.

With 25 years of service, he retired as a Lt Colonel after leading Marines operationally and in combat around the world - From a Rifle Platoon in the jungles of Panama; to a Mortar Platoon across the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait; to a Rifle Security Company on the fence-line at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; to a team of Future Operations Planners in the mountains of Afghanistan; to a Special Operations Task Force during the initial assault into the cities of Iraq; and as a Congressional Liaison on Capitol Hill for both the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and the Marine Special Operations Command.

LtCol. Gurfein also has extensive business executive management experience in diverse highly-competitive industries. To include as the CEO for ArmorSmith, defense technology; SVP and Partner with Holden International, business development consultants; VP for The Venetian and The Palazzo, five-diamond resorts in Las Vegas; National Sales Manager for MV Sport/Weatherproof, emblazoned sports apparel; COO for TeleVend, e-commerce start-up; and Associate with Goldman, Sachs & Co, Wall Street investment bank.

In 2016, LtCol. Gurfein ran for U.S. Congress in NY’s 4th District and was endorsed by 5 parties (Republican, Conservative, Independence, Tax Revolt, and Reform). Although he lost, with over 40% of the vote (120k votes) he did far better than most expected he would as a first-time candidate in a predominantly Liberal Democratic district.

LtCol. Gurfein received his MBA from Harvard Business School and BS in Speech Communication and Political Science from Syracuse University.

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This week we rolled back the clock with journalist and author Kevin Maurer as we talk about his most recent book Rock Force: The American Paratroopers Who Took Back Corregidor and Exacted MacArthur’s Revenge on Japan.

Corregidor, as known as “The Rock” or the “Gibraltar of the East” was the scene of one of the worst defeats in American military history. Corregidor was the largest of four fortified islands protecting the mouth of Manila Bay. It had been fortified prior to World War I with powerful coastal artillery. It was relatively small, just 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide at its head, and only two miles from Bataan. Its widest elevated area, known as Topside, held most of the fort’s 56 coastal artillery pieces and installations. A labyrinth of tunnels connected the gun emplacements that housed 1,000 troops and a hospital.

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and invaded the Philippines, Corregidor came under siege from December 29, 1941, through April 1942. After the fall of Bataan, the Japanese landed troops on Corregidor. The bloody fighting continued until May when General Jonathan Wainwright, who commanded the American and Filipino forces after General MacArthur’s evacuation, surrendered.

By late 1944, the war had turned and MacArthur was leading a monumental, but unnecessary, campaign to retake the Philippines. Thus, retaking “The Rock” was of huge symbolical importance to the Americans.

Rock Force has been called a "genuine, compelling and utterly riveting" account of the harrowing fight for Corregidor in a way that "captures the language and trappings of World War II." It's truly a must-read for any history buff.

Maurer is a very experienced author. He spent time embedded with Special Forces operators in Afghanistan and with the 82nd Airborne. He also co-wrote the book No Easy Day with Navy SEAL Mark Owen that recounts the raid that took out Osama bin Laden. So, he knows how to tell a military story.

Don't miss our full review of Kevin's book Rock Force on SOFREP.

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This week, SOFREP Radio Host Steve Balestrieri sits down with Sam Culper, CEO of Forward Observer.

Forward Observer is an Intelligence services company specializing in threat intelligence, trend analysis, conflict monitoring, and applied intelligence training. Culper started Forward Observer in 2012 when he transitioned out of the military intelligence community. He began looking at unrest in the United States and started to see indicators of low-intensity conflict — from both the left and the right — and began to track those indicators much like a military intelligence cell would.

Culper and his team at Forward Observer use evidenced-based reasoning and structured analytic techniques to think clearly about the future of American conflict.

They work to challenge status quo thinking about instability, collapse, systems disruption, and conflict through weekly analysis and intelligence reporting. They have a proven track record of offering high level, accurate insights and perspectives.

Listen in this week to increase your situational understanding, make better decisions, and reduce your uncertainty about the future.

Don't forget to check out Forward Observer, here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's special podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri is joined by SOFREP Managing Editor Sean Spoonts and they bring you a plethora of goodies.

July 4 is upon us. Steve and Sean recount memorable July 4 celebrations they've had around the world and how their British friends treat the day. 

But we want to make this July 4 especially memorable for our veteran and active-duty friends. So, in celebration of July 4, SOFREP has partnered with Fox Nation bringing you one year of Fox Nation for free! 

Fox Nation has a very strong patriotic programming that will appeal to anyone from the history buff to the wilderness enthusiast. Scroll to the end to find more information and sign up.

But there is more. 

Join SOFREP between July 1 and September 30 and get the chance to win fantastic prizes including an iPhone 12 Pro, a Galaxy S21 Ultra, and two must-have everyday carry items, the Emerson Commander knife, and Surefire's E2D Defender Ultra flashlight. You can find more information here and here. 

Tune in to a celebratory episode of SOFREP Radio.

This July 4, SOFREP has partnered with Fox Nation. From July 1 to July 4, if you are a veteran or on active duty, you can get an entire year of Fox Nation for free! Yes, you heard that right. One year. For free.

Just click on the link below to sign up.

Sign Up

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Dean Stott is a former special forces soldier with the Special Boat Service where he served for 16 years. He shares how he transitioned to private security after a parachuting accident ended his military career and tells the story of how he singlehandedly evacuated the Canadian embassy in Benghazi.

Realizing that he was chasing the adrenaline of his SOF days, Dean decided to take care of himself while still keeping his mind and body engaged. He settled on breaking the world record for the fastest person to cycle the 14,000-mile Pan-American Highway, smashing the previous record by a whopping 17 days.

Follow Dean on social media and get his book Relentless:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deanstott/

Website: https://www.deanstott.com/

Get a copy of Relentless: https://amzn.to/45R7z1q

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s podcast, Rad features Darril Fannin, a former US Army medic who left after 9 years to pursue a career in film. He recalls his hyper-conservative roots in the United Pentecostal Church which taught him about love for neighbor, a lesson that he has brought with him throughout the years. 

Darril digs into writing, producing, and acting in the Netflix series Green Beret's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse and working with Matt Damon. He also comments on society's lack of support for veterans and introduces how blockchain technology can be used to protect artists' rights in perpetuity.

Find out more about Darril and work with him here https://www.kinoapp.xyz/.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this weeks SOFREP episode we have a whole lot  of drones. Ryan Gury is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Performance Drone Works (PDW), a U.S.-based innovator in unmanned aerial systems. With over a decade of experience as an inventor, entrepreneur, and drone expert, Gury has been a driving force in the small drone industry. In 2015, he co-founded the Drone Racing League (DRL), establishing it as the world's leading professional drone racing property for elite pilots. As Chief Technology Officer at DRL, he spearheaded the design, engineering, and production of custom-built racing drones and developed groundbreaking radio technology to counteract jamming and interference. The technological innovations under Gury's leadership attracted significant interest from the Department of Defense and the broader defense community, leading to the establishment of PDW in 2018 to meet the specialized needs of military and government agencies. Gury holds ten patents for pioneering drone technologies and has been recognized with two Guinness World Records: fastest battery-operated remote-controlled quadcopter and longest endurance for electric-powered quadcopter.  

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In this week's podcast episode, Abby brings us a story nothing short of a movie. Abby Boretto is a resilient advocate for community, volunteerism, and storytelling. Raised in a historic Connecticut town with deep family roots, she developed a lifelong dedication to service and making a positive impact. For 25 years, Abby dedicated herself to raising her three children in California, becoming a pillar of her community while balancing parenting, civic activism, community volunteering, and bold personal reinvention. She held the title of Mrs. California All-Star United States, became a trailblazing silver-haired model, and most recently, produced The Ring and The Mountain, a powerful documentary exploring legacy, connection, and grassroots nation-building. Through every endeavor, Abby continues to inspire, proving that reinvention and purpose have no limits!

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Dale Buckner is a 24-year Army yeteran who retired as a colonel, a former Green Beret and is now the CEO of international security firm Global Guardian. Recently, his team evacuated thousands of people during the COVID border crisis and the violent conflicts in Ukraine, Russia, and Afghanistan. 

In this episode, Dale talks about the highly specialized yet dysfunctional nature of special forces teams. However, the training always pays off as there is a high degree of success whenever these teams are deployed. Dale also talks about reinventing yourself after life in the military, and his route was to create and become an entrepreneur.

The skills taught in the military cannot be replicated by corporate America, so Dale finds that veterans are highly suited for a range of careers once they retire. Dale also talks about the inevitability of politics when you are a general officer and how heartening it is to see his cohort, who are warriors first before politicians, get promoted to these ranks.  

Work with Dale and Global Guardian:

https://globalguardian.com/

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On this special episode, SOFREP's Editor-in-Chief Sean Spoonts features Brad Thor, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, former member of the Department of Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell Unit, and sought-after keynote speaker on future terrorist threats. They are joined by Brandon Webb, SOFREP's publisher, former Navy SEAL sniper, and himself an author of a dozen books, as well as John David Mann, co-author of over 30 books including Brandon's memoirs. 

Brad shares his creative process, from experiencing as many of his settings as he can to never using an outline to keep the magic of storytelling alive. John then updates on Finn's saga that started in Steel Fear and how the mystery around him will take readers to Iceland next. They comment on the geopolitics of the US, China, Russia, and India and share funny anecdotes on Cold Fear's cover photo. Finally, they give tips to aspiring writers about reading what you love and writing as an intentional decision. 

Visit Brad Thor's website: https://bradthor.com/

Get a copy of Rising Tiger: https://amzn.to/3xFoKDL

Get copies of books by Brandon Webb and John David Mann:

Cold Fear: https://amzn.to/3mZh0aw

Steel Fear: https://amzn.to/3N4dOFk

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Abbi D. is the US Tradecraft Advisor of Fivecast, a global provider of open-source intelligence solutions, provides intelligence, investigative, and collections teams access and analysis of unprecedented amounts of digital data. Rad and Abbigail talk about the advancements in AI and how catching illicit activities and weapons capabilities are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to OSINT’s effectiveness.

In this episode, Abbigail explains how Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) utilizes publicly available knowledge and how the current conflicts in Ukraine and Israel have spotlighted its importance. For instance, getting the order of battle in these warzones can be gleaned from real-time data, leading to better decision-making and other lifesaving intelligence.

Learn more about Fivecast:

Website - https://www.fivecast.com/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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Rob Shaul is the Founder and President of the Mountain Tactical Institute (MTI), where he serves as a self-educated strength and conditioning coach specializing in tactical and mountain athletes. His clientele includes professional mountain guides, alpine climbers, freeskiers, kayakers, backcountry hunters, as well as military, law enforcement, and firefighter personnel from various countries.

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On this podcast, Rad features Gary Weaving, Founder and CEO of Forgotten Veterans United Kingdom (FVUK). A former Royal Engineer who served in Afghanistan, he started the charity in 2016 following his medical discharge from the British Army. Failure to get a correct diagnosis of his physical injuries led him to spiral down, abuse substances, and lose the will to live.

He began posting details about his troubles on social media and was amazed by the response from fellow veterans going through similar difficulties. He started FVUK with his own personal funds to provide immediate and much-needed support for fellow veterans. To this day Gary does not take any payment or money from the charity for himself. 

The mantra of their organization is "selfless commitment to others" and their goal is to give back purpose and hope to veterans forgotten by the system.

Connect with Gary and FVUK by checking out the links below:

Website: https://www.forgottenveteransuk.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelflessCommitmentToOthers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alone_Soldiers

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On this week’s podcast, Rad interviews Jason Van Camp, a West Point graduate who later on became a coveted Green Beret. He has earned Bronze Stars and, after his service, became the author of Deliberate Discomfort and founded Mission Six Zero and Warrior Rising.

Today he shares a crazy story during his time with the Airborne when his chute got tangled and he almost plunged to certain death. Jason also looks back during his time in West Point and gives aspiring seniors some tips on how to mentally prepare for the difficult road ahead.

Jason also tells the story of how he got into Ranger School, supposedly with his buddy, and how he made it in while his friend just slept in. He has a similar story of becoming a Green Beret where he ended up qualifying alone instead of with his classmate.

He shares how it felt to finally get his Green Beret and the overwhelming sense of purpose that came with it. Jason also talks about Mission Six Zero, his for-profit leadership development company for corporate clients, and Warrior Rising, a nonprofit veteran service organization.

Check out Jason's book, Deliberate Discomfort

Check out Mission Six Zero: https://missionsixzero.com/

Visit Warrior Rising: https://www.warriorrising.org/

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From the SOFREP team to you, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

Tom Kilgannon is the President of Freedom Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting military personnel, veterans, and their families. With a strong commitment to defending American values and advocating for the well-being of those who serve in the armed forces, Kilgannon has played a key role in shaping the organization's initiatives. Under his leadership, Freedom Alliance has focused on providing scholarships, financial aid, and other essential services to veterans and their families, while also promoting policies that protect American freedom and security.

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Barry Cohen, Founder of ProTek Watches, and SOFREP Managing Editor Guy D. McCardle join today’s episode of SOFREP Radio. Wristwatches trace their origins back to World War I, serving as essential tools for soldiers in the trenches.

Over the decades, wristwatches have evolved in both materials and technology, yet their fundamental purpose remains unchanged—to provide a quick and convenient means of telling time.

Barry shares insights into the innovative technology featured in ProTek watches, such as tritium illumination for hands and hour markers—the same material used in gun sights. Unlike conventional lume, tritium requires no external light source and provides 100x brighter illumination.

ProTek is the designated official watch of the USMC, proudly showcasing the United States Marine Corps logo embossed on the caseback.

Explore the ProTek collection here: https://protekwatch.com/

Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club

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On this week’s podcast, Rad welcomes Charles Cunningham who is a former military policeman in the Air Force, a local police officer, PA State Trooper, and a retired FBI Agent. He shares the amazing case of David James Lindsey, a bemedalled former Marine, Army NCO, and war hero, who ends up becoming a cocaine dealer in upstate New York. 

Charles got hold of a ledger for David's crimes and this led him down a rabbit hole of racketeering, murders, possession of firearms and silencers, and drug trafficking. They go to trial. David takes a PTSD defense and had one of the most qualified psychiatrists declare that David has one of the worst PTSD cases he has ever seen.

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