Combat Story

This episode is brought to you by the OSS Society. Use the link below to register for the Tuesday, June 13 · 6 - 7pm EDT 'Oh So Social' Conversation between General Jim Mattis and Dr. Michael Vickers. They'll discuss Vickers upcoming book In By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operation and Strategy and his remarkable career. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mattis-vickers-an-oh-so-social-conversation-tickets-627293320207 This episode is also brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits. The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we hear our first Combat Story from a member of the Air Force's aerial special operations community: Mike LaFeve. Mike was an MC-130 Navigator in the Air Force's 8th Special Operations Squadron (8th SOS). The MC-130 is an incredible airframe and we dig into it's configuration, aircrews, and mission sets in this episode. The platform is specifically designed to support the special operations community with airdrops, delivery and extraction of special operators, refueling, combat search and rescue and so much more, including something called the Fulton Recovery which is straight out of a James Bond movie. In this episode we go through Mike's first deployment immediately following 9/11 in what can only be described as the Wild West of Afghanistan. We'll do a second round interview in which we delve into several more deployments and the varied mission set as the battlefield becomes more established. I hope you enjoy this detailed behind the scenes look at a very cool airframe from someone inside the cockpit as much as I did. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Mike LaFeve Online: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikelafeve/ Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Guest Introduction (Mike LaFeve) 02:00 - Interview begins 02:23 - Influential Media 04:29 - Desire to fly 05:57 - Childhood 08:15 - Family Military history 09:08 - Deciding on the Air Force 14:59 - Air Maintenance Officer 20:18 - OSS Society 21:24 - Difference between Navigator and Pilot 29:20 - Heavy instead of Fighter 32:35 - Path to MC-130 and Special Forces 36:28 - In depth look at the C-130s 40:35 - 4 Patriots 41:58 - Aircrew and Mission sets 46:57 - Flying at 250 feet at night 51:00 - Retired plane-escape system 53:46 - Special Ops during 9/11 01:05:42 - Time in Pakistan 01:19:57 - First operation of the War 01:28:26 - Time in the War 01:32:20 - Texas 12 01:42:23 - ODA teamleader 01:46:47 - Last mission on first deployment 01:50:58 - Sentimental item 01:52:33 - Would you do it all again 01:56:35 - Final thoughts 01:57:54 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we hear a remarkable Combat Story from longtime Special Forces Green Beret and 18D medic, Ryan Neel, who spent close to 25 years in the Army, most of that in Special Operations, to include nine deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. We spend a lot of time on Ryan's combat experiences in this episode, starting right away with the story of how Ryan nearly died on his first Iraq deployment. I found Ryan through Darrell Utt (who many will recall from our interview #74 at https://youtu.be/Qzv6lISLnwA), who was a former Green Beret alongside Ryan. Oddly enough, both Darrell and Ryan share the same "Alive Day" as they both nearly died on the same day in April 2005. Darrell described the event in the following way: "Ryan was 15 meters away when a tanker truck rammed through the gate and detonated 500 gallons of diesel fuel, 20 x 155mm HE Artillery shells, and ¼ metric tons of TNT…despite having multiple types of injuries and being trapped in his room while it was on fire for 2 minutes, his teammates kicked the door down and after a quick self-assessment – he proceeded to provide medical treatment to four SF brothers, two interpreters, three Peshmerga guards, reset security, and directed Iraqi & US reinforcements…And, yes, he has the actual terrorist video footage of the attack!" Ryan provides a very real and honest perspective of what 15 years of combat does to a person and family and I am sure so many people will connect with his feelings and perspective. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Ryan Neel Online: - Indeed https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-neel-mba-cpd/ Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Guest Introduction (Ryan Neel) 02:42 - Interview begins 02:55 - Darrel Utt and sharing an Alive Day 19:10 - 4Patriots 20:30 - Alive Day continued 28:05 - Being a Parent and Husband 37:04 - Recruitment and the path to the Army 41:12 - Family history and reception on joining 44:50 - Influences to joining 47:15 - Going Green Beret 51:23 - Time in Kosovo 01:02:59 - Skirmish on the border 01:08:43 - First Deployment with Special Forces 01:22:14 - Missions leading up to the Alive Day attack 01:25:16 - A tough operation #1 01:33:35 - A tough operation #2 01:41:14 - Patching up a Soldier 02:07:32 - Impacts on Home life 02:25:44 - Sentimental items 02:29:43 - Would you do it again? 02:32:24 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we hear our first Combat Story from an 82nd Airborne soldier and medic, Colin Sesek. Colin would go on to serve in Special Operations but started his career as a medic fighting in Iraq during the surge and we've had so many fans asking for a Combat Story from a conventional soldier in the 82nd Airborne and Colin does not disappoint. While downrange, Colin participated in infantry operations and raids while also wearing his medic hat managing mass casualty events, significant trauma incidents, and even treated insurgents who were wounded on the battlefield. After leaving Iraq, Colin went on to write a play titled Bent Compass that is touring in the US and Canada about a soldier changing as a result of the war and conflict he's experienced that I got a sneak peek of and I know our listeners will really appreciate. This was a really fun episode and I hope you enjoy Colin's perspective from the conventional and SOF sides of the house as much as I did. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Colin Online: - Bent Compass https://neilbrookshire.com/bent-compass/ - @BentCompass https://www.instagram.com/bentcompass/?hl=en - Learn more about Bent Compass https://www.kivitv.com/news/bent-compass-tells-the-story-of-a-combat-medic-from-boise Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:54 - Guest Introduction (Colin Sesek) 01:50 - Interview begins 02:43 - A conscientious objector 09:10 - Going the Medic route 12:19 - Black Hawk Down generation 15:09 - Bent Compass Play 19:03 - Recruiter Office stories 21:41 - 4Patriots 23:00 - Medic training 24:05 - 82nd Airborne Division 36:24 - Deployment 41:34 - First time outside the wire 42:57 - First contact 44:24 - Time in Iraq 46:10 - Combat medic 57:16 - Deciding to engage 1:01:08 - Memorials 01:06:09 - Most courageous thing 01:08:03 - Almost going outside the wire 01:20:28 - The VA 01:28:30 - Bird Flu 01:32:18 - Hardest thing to do downrange 01:37:59 - Conventional to Special Forces perspective 01:42:24 - Bent Compass 01:50:02 - Sentimental items 01:50:45 - Would you do it all again 01:52:45 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we turn the tables as Ryan Rogers hosts Combat Story's Ryan Fugit on the Choices not Chances Podcast. Listeners will recall Ryan Rogers' Combat Story interview from Episode (please add episode number and link to YouTube interview) where they dove into the Battle of Marjah. Ryan Rogers returned the favor and hosted Ryan Fugit on his program and we dive into some new ground that hasn't been explored previously. I wanted to give a shout out to Ryan Rogers and his program and felt this was a great way to do it. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Ryan Rogers Online: - Ryan's book Lions of Marjah https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Marjah-Combat-As-Saw/dp/0578891220 - Twitter @RyanRog98054437 https://twitter.com/ryanrog98054437 - Choices Not Chances Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsqcmxKqaR4dIFFpaJxhtrQ Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Guest Introduction (Choices Not Chances Podcast) 01:04 - Interview begins 03:20 - Childhood and Family life 10:11 - Coming back to the U.S. 12:32 - Living in Africa and Afghanistan 16:57 - Path to enlisting 19:43 - 4Patriots 23:05 - Deciding to become an Army Pilot 28:39 - Getting the Apache 32:48 - Flight school 41:28 - Flying the Apache 48:20 - Additional duties for a Staff Pilot 51:49 - First time downrange 58:23 - Time in Afghanistan 01:08:00 - Classified footage 01:11:20 - A bad day in Afghanistan 01:21:03 - Losing Faith 01:26:44 - Leaving the Military 01:29:30 - Time at the CIA 01:28:10 - After the CIA and Combat Story

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we hear the Combat Story of Jack Carr, who many of us know as the author and creator of the book series and Amazon hit show Terminal List. Before becoming an accomplished author, Jack was a Navy SEAL, both enlisted and as an officer. He served as a sniper, led a platoon, and even a Task Force in combat. Jack is one of the most well-read people we've ever interviewed and has had tremendous success as a creator, SEAL, husband, father, and outdoorsman. I gravitated to Terminal List on Amazon because it so authentically depicts the emotions of a combat veteran and because it features a secondary character from Zimbabwe that elicits an amazing background that is so familiar to me from my upbringing in that part of the world (and that Jack and I speak about as we kick off the show). Jack is releasing his sixth book "Only the Dead" on May 16th and, if it's anything like the first five, is sure to be great. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Jack Carr Online: - Website https://www.officialjackcarr.com/\ - Instagram @jackcarrusa https://www.instagram.com/jackcarrusa/?hl=en - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jackcarrusa/ - Danger Close Podcast https://www.officialjackcarr.com/danger-close-podcast/ - The Terminal List Podcast https://www.officialjackcarr.com/terminal-list-podcast/ - (Pre) Order Only The Dead book https://a.co/d/fXC2Jnj - Learn more about Jack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Carr_(writer) Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Guest Introduction (Jack Carr) 01:58 - Interview begins 04:23 - Zimbabwe 09:46 - Travel 15:33 - Becoming a writer 24:26 - 4Patriots 25:45 - Childhood 31:38 - Enlistment 37:56 - Experiences downrange 44:55 - Experiences that inspired writing 50:31 - Close calls 58:04 - Applying tactics in writing 01:04:47 - Most courageous act 01:06:55 - Sentimental items 01:08:56 - Do it all again 01:10:37 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======== Today we hear one of our most inspirational Combat Stories from Aaron Hale, an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal tech who was blinded during an IED blast. Aaron later contracted meningitis and lost his hearing as well. You'll want to feel sorry for him and, if you're like me, yourself as well, but he truly has one of the most infectious and inspiring outlooks you'll ever hear. Aaron started his military journey doing exactly what he always wanted to by learning to cook as a Navy chef in Italy. After 9/11, however, he felt he wasn't doing enough to contribute to the combat going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. He made a deliberate choice to become an EOD tech and it quite literally changed the entire course of his life. There was a point in time where his wife had to spell out every single letter of every word she wanted to say to him in the palm of his hand to communicate because he was, as he put it, trapped without the ability to see or hear. This episode took me through a range of emotions and tears. Aaron's story about the last time he got to physically see his son and his family before the blast reminded me of just how great so many of us have it in life and not to take it for granted. I hope this episode takes you through your own range of emotions and helps put some of your own problems - that might not be so significant after all - into perspective the way it did for me. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Aaron Hale Online: - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-hale-1861477 - E.O.D. Fudge https://eodfudge.com/ - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EODconfections - EOD Fudge Instagram https://www.instagram.com/EODconfections/ - Aaron Instagram @aclayhale https://www.instagram.com/aclayhale/ Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Guest Introduction (Aaron Hale) 02:14 - Interview begins 02:40 - overcoming disabilities and demotivation 07:00 - Medical logistics 12:16 - Childhood and optimism 19:17 - 4Patriots 20:37 - Recruitment and cooking 31:13 - Culinary being deployed in Italy 33:20 - Soldiers and chefs 37:01 - Best Branches food 41:21 - Army E.O.D. path 52:37 - Jobset of an E.O.D. 59:50 - The tech side of E.O.D. 01:15:07 - First deployment 01:08:06 - Encounters with explosives 01:09:02 - First time facing an I.E.D. 01:11:08 - Complex times as an E.O.D. 01:14:11 - Caught in the explosion 01:24:55 - Thoughts while under fire and aftermath 01:40:35 - E.O.D. expectations 01:42:53 - animosity for the enemy 01:44:45 - Regrets 01:45:42 - Extrodinary Delights and Meningitus 01:56:06 - Favorite dessert on the menu 01:57:44 - Other businesses 02:01:05 - Sentimental item 02:01:51 - Do it all again 02:03:20 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======== Today we get a slightly different Combat Story where we still hear from a veteran, but this time in terms of overcoming challenges to succeed in business, in addition to their military experience. For this first Combat Story: Business Edition of, we hear from James Fugit, my brother and a very successful businessman who sold two companies in the defense space providing aviation, intelligence, IT, training, and equipment (in many cases delivering Soviet era helicopter parts and ammunition to various countries while supporting our efforts in Afghanistan). This took him all over the world with many meetings and partners in Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and more. It's like a real life and legitimate Dogs of War if you've seen the movie. James co-founded ARMA Global Corporation, which provided information technology, engineering, and technical support to defense and government customers, and helped build it from a handful of employees in 2008 to over 800 employees in 2014 when it was sold to General Dynamics Information Technology. He also co-founded and served as CEO of ARMA Aviation Corporation, which provided logistics, supply chain management, maintenance-repair- overhaul (MRO), and training and mentoring to the US government and its allies, which merged with another company called ARCTOS in 2019. In the military, James was an Army Armor officer and we delve into how his time in the Army helped shape his business acumen and leadership skills, including going through Ranger school at the same time eight trainees died of hypothermia. As you can imagine, this was a special interview for me given that James is my older brother and someone I've looked up to my whole life so getting to dig into some of the bigger decisions and challenges he overcame meant a lot to me personally and I hope you enjoy this first ever business edition of Combat Story as much as I did. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find James Online: - ARMA LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/arma-aviation Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:59 - Guest Introduction (James Fugit) 02:35 - Interview begins 04:16 - The biggest success 06:22 - ARMA Global history 11:07 - Childhood 13:15 - Boarding school and path to being successful 18:52 - Want to join the Military 19:59 - 4Patriots 21:18 - JMU and the Military 28:25 - Hypothermia at Ranger school incident and impact 30:38 - Time in the Army 39:18 - from the Army to ARMA 47:01 - Meeting Todd and taking risks 51:53 - Building the team 01:01:18 - Milestones of success 01:07:12 - Working with Russia 01:10:57 - Key players 01:12:55 - Surreal moments 01:15:29 - Military training to business success 01:19:58 - What's next 01:20:30 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we hear our first Combat Story from a Marine aviator, David Berke, who is a TOPGUN Graduate and Instructor, in addition to being rated in the F-16, F/A-18, F-22, and F-35. David has a remarkable story of multiple deployments, including dropping rounds in Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11. Beyond his distinguished and almost Hollywood-like time in the cockpit, David also volunteered to serve as a Ground Forward Air Controller where he was assigned to lead Marines in Iraq alongside the Army and Navy SEAL teams, including that of Jocko Willink's in the middle of the fighting in Ramadi in 2006. Despite all the aviation accolades, David's experience on the ground provided a unique experience that he never could have anticipated. Jocko and Leif Babin reconnected with David and brought him onboard to help lead training and leadership development at Echelon Front, which trains leaders at all levels at companies in every conceivable industry. David effectively hung up his uniform as an instructor in the aviation domain (to include serving as the head trainer at TOPGUN) to instructing the next set of business leaders with Echelon Front. This interview is an insightful, humble, and very real perspective of what it's like to lead from the air and the ground while support soldiers, Marines, and SEALs. This was a really special episode from such an accomplished veteran and I hope you enjoy this whirlwind discussion as much as I did. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find David Online: - Echelon Front https://echelonfront.com/dave-berke/ - Extreme Ownership https://echelonfront.com/extreme-ownership/ - Twitter https://twitter.com/davidrberke?lang=en - Instagram @davidrberke https://www.instagram.com/davidrberke/?hl=en - Learn more about David https://echelonfront.com/dave-berke-media/ Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Guest Introduction (Ryan Rogers) 02:22 - Interview begins 02:38 - Callsigns 05:08 - Favorite aircrafts 09:07 - Childhood 15:42 - Would have done if not Military 18:20 - Family reaction to joining 21:04 - Leading up to enlistment 28:14 - Marine path to Aviation 32:27 - Who gets selected for command roles 34:34 - Last f18 out of El Torro 37:05 - Going to Top Gun 41:40 - 4Patriots 42:59 - Afghanistan after 9/11 47:30 - Night landing on an aircraft carrier 52:55 - First deployment after Top Gun 56:40 - Teaching at Top Gun 59:57 - Experiences that make a Top Gun instructor 01:05:46 - After Top Gun deployment 01:12:06 - Difference between ANGLICO and FAC 01:18:48 - A challenging operation 01:27:02 - Near death experience 01:39:22 - Hard to leave behind 01:42:46 - Echelon Front 01:47:20 - Most courageous thing 01:49:25 - Sentimental item 01:50:58 - Do it all again 01:53:11 - Listener comments and shout outs

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we hear our first combat story from a Korean War veteran, Joseph Mills Wise. Joe was injured while in the front lines in 1951 as an infantryman engaged in fighting that, to this day (and understandably), has not left him. When Joe was medevaced out of the combat zone he also had frostbite in both feet. He was able to recover only to be sent back to Korea. While this fighting took place 70 years ago, it's amazing how so many parts of the veteran experience don't change from getting letters from your wife, to sneaking off base in the trunk of a car, to freezing outside in the cold, to humping a massive radio and weapon, and so much more. Joe is part of the silent generation of warriors who, for the majority of his life, did not share these moments of horror with his family and, instead, kept the bottled inside. At 94 years old, he agreed to sit down and share these with us. His wife, Joice, was in the room for our interview and experienced Joe's war through letters and telegrams and then, like many military spouses, was the one who supported Joe through the years of nightmares and pain that come with seeing combat firsthand. This was an honor for me and reminder of this war that came so close on the heels of WWII but with a very different experience for those who fought in it (the war was not even recognized as a war for years). With that, please enjoy this bit of history from someone who lived it. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Guest Introduction (Joseph Mills Wise) 02:33 - Interview begins 02:49 - Surviving Pearl Harbor 11:19 - Joining the Military 14:52 - WWII 16:12 - Being drafted 19:19 - Not dodging the Draft 19:51 - 4Patriots 21:11 - Atmosphere around the Korean War 24:30 - Sneaking out 27:24 - Getting from the States to Korea 34:56 - Being in Korea 36:30 - Meeting the unit for the first time 39:09 - On the front lines 47:10 - Contact with the enemy 48:33 - Passing time 50:18 - Moving in formation 52:35 - A tough operation 58:56 - Wounded in battle 01:04:01 - Letters to Joice 01:10:38 - Food on the battlefield 01:13:19 - Courageous act 01:15:07 - Hardest personal challenge 01:16:13 - Korean War Memorial 01:18:04 - "The Forgotten War" 01:19:08 - 9/11 01:20:43 - Sentimental items 01:23:15 - Joe and Joice

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off. Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ========= Today we hear our first Combat Story from a military intelligence linguist and signal interceptor, Clay Jensen. Clay deployed six times to both Iraq and Afghanistan and has spent considerable time helping to get our Afghan allies out of Afghanistan. Clay was in a Blackhawk when it was shot out of the sky while trying to identify the location of Al-Qai'da's then #2 leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan. Clay was also forward deployed in 2007 to identify the location of Bin Laden during what became a failed raid to capture AQ's leader at the time (listeners will recall that our former guest Mike Rutledge was also on that operation). Clay supported clandestine and Top Secret operations working alongside NSA and other three letter agencies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Latin America as part of both the 82nd Airborne and 7th Special Forces Group in a Special Operations Team - Alpha (or SOT-A). I hope you enjoy this first ever Combat Story from a signal interceptor who we, as Apache pilots, relied on regularly to triangulate targets, as much as I did. Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Clay Jensen Online: - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-jensen-793b468b/ Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 01:02 - Guest Introduction (Clay Jensen) 02:15 - Interview begins 02:48 - Impressions on Iraq 20 years later 04:57 - Japanese upbringing 09:24 - Bilingual for Defense Language Institute 11:31 - Interest in the Military 12:58 - Joining the Military 14:57 - Recruitment 18:15 - Working with Agencies 19:24 - Training for the Signals and Intelligence 23:38 - Joining the 82nd 24:40 - Linguistics in regular MOS 28:08 - 9/11 31:05 - 1st Deployment to Afghanistan 37:28 - Supporting the battle as a Linguist 40:08 - Navigating the outcome of a battle 44:06 - Transfering to Special Forces 46:11 - Proving yourself 47:20 - Definition of SOT-A 49:33 - Difference between standard MOS and Special Forces 51:21 - The Raid for Zawahiri 01:09:33 - Columbia 01:16:59 - The importance of Vocabulary 01:19:37 - Funny things 01:24:19 - Relationship with Interpreters 01:27:03 - Getting involved in the Afghanistan Evacuation 01:34:57 - Most courageous act 01:38:26 - Best and worst MREs 01:40:07 - Sentimental items 01:41:22 - Would you do it again 01:43:09 - Listener comments and shout outs