Combat Story

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more!  Today we have a unique episode where I (Ryan Fugit) share my own combat story as SOB Tactical founder and retired Delta Force Sergeant Major John “Shrek” McPhee interviews yours truly.    Do not be fooled, however. Although John helps me tell my origin story growing up overseas, and going on to be an Apache helicopter pilot and CIA officer, we hear more amazing insights from John’s career as well.   In this episode, John and I talk about combat, losing friends, growing up, and swapping stories about our experiences as a pilot and Delta operator that many outside the profession have never heard...such as ‘flying the bag’ and the ‘Mr. Goodbar’ test. John even takes a moment to put on a sweater that used to belong to Saddam Hussein.    I hope you enjoy this wide ranging, real, and whiskey-filled interview as much as we did. Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 1:21 - Episode preview 2:12 - Let the games begin 3:29 – Talking about whiskey 6:25 – Why Combat Story? 9:46 – Ryan’s origin story 14:00 – The little guy in southern Africa 15:44 – Living in Pakistan in the middle of the Gulf War 24:30 – Ryan’s experience with Channing Tatum aka Chan Tatum aka Magic Mike 26:10 – The problem with social media 25:06 - People don’t understand the premise of the American life. 30:10 – Keeping in touch with others 34:57 – “How great you were today, tomorrow they don’t need you.” 37:17 – The unfortunate truth 37:55 – The D-Day Jump 41:56 – “I believe we’re in the longest peace this planet has ever seen post World War Two.” 49:07 – What it’s like learning to hover 57:30 – Inherently dangerous training. “Injuries and loss happen every day, no matter what your level is.” 1:12:35 – Air Medals for ground guys. 1:19:21 – Importance of flexibility. “Flexibility makes you a formidable enemy.” 1:23:05 – Flying the “Bag“ and teaching yourself how to fly with one eye. 1:27:37 - The “Mr. Goodbar” Test at Delta where “If you do what has been taught to you, people won’t fight you when you walk out.“ John and one-on-one situations. 1:34:30 – Performance-based unit and how “Nobody cares as long as you’re doing your job in combat.” 1:40:20 – Ryan’s worst near-death experience story 1:47:50 - Defining failure, “acceptable failure,” and how “Wisdom is knowing better.” 1:48:51 – “You should be making mistakes. Mistakes teach you what works, what doesn’t. You got to make mistakes.” 1:55:27 – The Saddam Sweater 2:13:50 – Near death experiences. “You’re supposed to live through this near-death experience and feel like every day is a gift, but it’s not—it doesn’t feel that way.” 2:16:43 – John’s near death experience. “Never do a shoot behind, except when you have to.” 2:24:03 – “The unit in training will always give you scenarios that can’t be solved.” Find John and Ryan Online:   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sobtactical/ Instagram @combat_stories https://www.instagram.com/combat_stories/ SOB Tactical - https://sobtactical.com/ SOB TV - https://watch.sobtactical.com/ Booze N Views - https://watch.sobtactical.com/booze-n-views

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 Jeff Morris, a former Army Infantry Officer who commanded soldiers in Iraq over two brutal deployments fighting on some of the most well-known and infamous streets of Baghdad.   NOTE: Stay tuned after Jeff's Combat Story to hear a Combat Story from one of our listeners!   Jeff was an Infantry Platoon Leader on Haifa Street in downtown Baghdad from 2004 to 2005 with 1st CAV where his Platoon of 34 men were awarded 27 Purple Hearts. He describes a significant battle that he was a part of on September 12th, 2004, in which two Silver Stars were awarded and he received a Bronze Star w/ V Device.   He was then a junior but highly respected Infantry Company Commander in east Baghdad during the Surge from late 2006 to summer 2007, again with 1st CAV, where he lost eight men during fighting that saw almost every Bradley and M1 tank assigned to his unit destroyed by EFPs.   Jeff went on to document these experiences in his book, “Legion Rising: Surviving Combat and the Scars it Left Behind” and established the Legion 8 Foundation to honor the lives of the eight men lost under his command. The Legion 8 workout is also a Hero Workout of the Day (WOD) done at hundreds of CrossFit gyms around the country.  He has previously been featured on other podcasts, including Mike Drop with Mike Ritland. I hope you enjoy this inside look at the burden of command in Iraq and Jeff’s combat story as much as I did.   Find Jeff online:  Instagram @jeffrmorris  Book Legion Rising  Show Notes 0:00 – Intro 4:26 – The book, “Black Hawk Down.” 7:07 – The desire to be a SEAL 11:36 – “If it doesn’t make sense, don’t do it.” 13:00 – Jeff’s childhood 16:59 – The desire to serve the country 18:46 - “After I stood up for myself and took that challenge on, I wanted more.” 19:30 – The fastest guy in school 22:22 – “Boys do what they want to do. Men do what they have to do.” 28:37 – “You can’t go and create a leader of men and women in 14 weeks.” 31:03 – The role of a Platoon Leader 35:48 – The Bradley Military Vehicle 40:40 – Battle of Haifa Street 49:24 – The beauty of war 53:00 – The breezeway grenade 54:19 - “There’s a fine line between valor and stupidity and just plain luck.” 56:25 – Communicating in Battle 58:53 – September 12, 2004 (The Haifa Street Incident) 1:00:41 – Coming back to base 1:02:01 – Jeff’s Second Deployment 1:04:46 – Quotes from other podcasts about Jeff 1:05:55 – Building Camaraderie 1:12:50 – How having a child changed Jeff’s way of thinking 1:14:05 – The difficult mission 1:16:01 - “You know in that environment that you’re probably going to lose somebody.” 1:18:24 – Losing comrades 1:21:21 – Taking the dangerous route 1:24:18 – “I’m making decisions that are putting other people’s lives at greater risk.” 1:26:26 – “I’ve never had a positive thing happen in my life that came from me sitting around, waiting for somebody else to make a decision.” 1:29:12 – The Catalyst to turn things around 1:31:54 – “There’s no background music playing in combat.” 1:33:39 – A conversation with a Vietnam War Veteran 1:36:37 – The Man in the Arena 1:38:00 – Would you go back and do all that again? 1:41:48 - NEW FEATURE: A New Listener's Combat Story from Yonel Yogi Dorelis

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 another Combat Story from Elliot Ackerman, a decorated Marine infantry officer, Special Operations operator, CIA Paramilitary Officer, Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient, and best-selling author. As many will recall, Elliot was our first guest on Combat Story long before we ever did video interviews. That first interview remains one of my favorites and covers an incredible inside look at his role as a Platoon Leader in Fallujah II in 2004 and the true grit and determination it required. It was that battle that earned him the Silver Star. In this second interview, we pick up where we left off from Round 1 as Elliot describes being one of the first members of Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) and his subsequent deployments with this unit. We also dive into his National Bestselling book, Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning, where Elliot describes revisiting, both in mind and body, his combat experiences. It’s a fantastic read and in the interview he shares moments from the book that include returning to the very buildings he occupied in Fallujah years earlier and another experience having an unthinkable meal with a former Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader as they shared their memories on the frontlines fighting against each other. Elliot is a special Marine who survived five deployments and fought at the highest levels. I hope you enjoy this next set of combat stories with Elliot as much as I did. Instagram - @elliot.ackerman Website Books Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 1:01 - Elliot introduction 4:53 – Moving to Special Operations 6:16 – Talking your way to the military school 8:32 - Force Recon vs MARSOC 9:39 – Go to Ranger School or something else? 10:51 – Strategy session to lead the class 12:59 – “I never would have guessed how profound those relationships would be throughout my life.” 31:02 – We’re two teams 34:35 – Contribution in the military 35:44 – Being a great commander 37:41 – Going on a mission leaving your child 38:35 – “I’ve come to understand what it means to be a father to my own children.” 41:32 – Leaving the military and started writing 44:57 – First Book 46:16 – Hiring former democratic activists in Syria 47:42 – Story of Al Qaeda in Iraq 48:46 – Protesting in jail 51:08 – Out of translation 52:05 – “There will be an end-of-days battle and the Armageddon is coming.” 53:52 - "We've once chased each other around a rock and hands chasing each other around the map." 55:01 – “You can either try to see someone’s humanity, or don’t ever want to see it again.” 57:04 – “He went to Cairo on a Thursday, protested on Friday, thrown into the Egyptian prison on Saturday, and get evacuated by the State Department on Sunday.” 57:49 – “It’s an experience so large that you shrink to insignificance when you are close to that experience.” 59:05 – “Has my desire to have purpose diminished over the years?” 1:00:27 – “I am one who was able to repurpose successfully.” 1:01:27 – “What makes them more insidious is this purposelessness after having these immense purposeful experiences at a very young age.” 1:03:56 – “I want to stand on this rooftop where a friend of mine have been killed.” 1:05:08 – “I wanted to go this house where our platoon have been surrounded for a day.”

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

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

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 Sergeant Major (ret) John “Shrek” McPhee AKA “The Sheriff of Baghdad,” who spent 20 years in the Army’s Special Operations community, from Ranger Battalion to Group to Delta Force.    He is one of the handful of operators to have served in multiple theaters from Bosnia and South America to Iraq and Afghanistan. John’s one of a smaller group of operators to successfully execute raids in combat by himself during hundreds of solo operations.   After leaving the military, John created SOB Tactical that helps people, law enforcement, and special operators improve shooting skills and security. He also hosts a channel called Booze N Views that talks about current events and new whiskey!    John brings me to tears with laughter in this episode, which is just a byproduct of John’s sense of humor and way of life. I hope that like me, your jaw hurts from laughing by the end of this interview. Enjoy.   From the website: SOB Tactical is a word of mouth based business. As such we stand ready, willing, and passionately able to serve anybody important to you. Giving them exceptional service, products, training and treating them in a very special way. Find John Online: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sobtactical/ SOB Tactical - https://sobtactical.com/ SOB TV - https://watch.sobtactical.com/ Booze N Views - https://watch.sobtactical.com/booze-n-views Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:49 - John McPhee’s bio. 2:46 - “Talking s&*% should be a PhD in school.” 5:16 - Growing up as the little guy. 10:46 - Military history in the family. 11:40 - “I’ve always been incredibly mechanically inclined.” 15:04 - Why the infantry? That was not the intended route. 17:59 - “You can’t follow my path ‘cause I didn’t have one.” 19:07 - “I want to win.” 23:48 - “Never seen anyone run like that.” A guy John couldn’t shake. 27:34 - Combat Story #1: Jumping into Iraq and why static line jumps are so bad. 30:29 - How not to lie to people. 39:22 - Feelings on the Q Course and the route to Delta. 41:47 - How hard was Delta selection? It’s a great response! 49:48 - Where does the nickname “Shrek” come from? 52:00 - Combat Story #2: The Battle of Tora Bora. 55:37 - “Chaos is my jam…” 1:06:23 - Combat Story #3: Solo operations with The Unit. 1:11:33 - Combat Story #4: Craziest thing I’ve ever done. 1:16:44 - How you get soldiers, including the elite, to decompress after multiple hits each night. 1:18:39 - What’s a “hall pass?” 1:25:26 - Tell us about the “Pornstache.” 1:28:04 - Sheriff of Baghdad aka SOB Tactical. Where the name came from and what type of training and work SOB does. 1:37:04 - Booze N Views. https://watch.sobtactical.com/booze-n-views 1:42:17 - What did you carry with you on missions? 1:44:09 - Would you do it all again?

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

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

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

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!  Eddie Penney is an elite Tier 1 operator and entrepreneur. Eddie was a Marine, Navy SEAL (in SEAL Team 2), and member of the storied Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). This is an incredible inside look at the mind, perseverance, experience, and journey of those who serve at the very tip of the spear, including the moments that seemingly broke Eddie and made him who is today. Eddie shares insights that many would not, including the loss and courage that those of us who were never part of the Tier 1 community can only imagine. Since retiring from the military, Eddie founded and runs The Contingent Group, which provides risk mitigation services and executive protection to clients. He also created the UNAFRAID mindset and has an app called The Den where people can gather to share inspirational stories and seek motivation from others. You’ll be excited to learn that Eddie is releasing a book with Keith Wood about Eddie’s experiences that’s sure to be an incredible read. Instagram @eddie.penney  Unafraid and The Den  The Contingent Group Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 0:43 - Eddie Bio 1:55 - Interview begins 2:17 - Where did Eddie’s ambition come from? 5:02 - Hard to believe that Eddie ever quit anything. It’s a great lesson though. 16:52 - A key loss in Eddie’s life: his swimming coach Larry Lyons (who still has an award given out each year to the best coaches in Ohio). 19:25 - Marine Corps “boot camp was awesome.” 21:28 - A life changing event (“a switch” from boy to man) at boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. 30:18 - Decision to move from the Marines to the SEAL teams. 31:57 - An experience that almost pushed Eddie out of the military trying to get to Marine Sniper school. 36:34 - Another great story of how one man can leave a lasting impact on you by just believing in you. 44:18 - A scary gang attack in Chicago that could have been much worse. 52:40 - Combat Story #1 with SEAL Team 2 going into a house on an operation. 56:03 - How do you find your way to Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)? A description of assessing into the Tier 1 world. 59:58 - Intangible quality unique to DEVGRU that operators from other SEAL teams might not have. 1:01:23 - Combat Story #2 and how combat became like “crack.” 1:06:20 - Combat Story #3 when moving to assault a building. 1:08:06 - Combat Story #4 when a mortar landed nearby in Mosul, Iraq. 1:10:33 - Combat Story #5 where Eddie is in the stack and he felt a need to move while on an operation in Iraq. This is a tremendous story for those who also battle with “survivor’s guilt.” 1:20:19 - Eddie describes “dark seasons” when he dealt with the emotional and psychological challenges that come from the Tier 1 community. 1:25:18 - “Unafraid” motivational mindset with a reference to the Skillet song “Lions,” the idea behind it and how to take on big plans beginning with Step One.  1:30:52 - Contingent Group’s origins and focus now (spoiler...it sounds awesome). 1:35:32 - What Eddie carried on missions that had significant meaning to him. 1:37:11 - Would you do it again?