Combat Story

We sit down with previous guest and former Ranger and Delta Force operator Brad Thomas as he sets the record straight about what happened back in Mogadishu and how his recollection of one event (as he shared back on Episode 58) was different than what another person remembered.  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! In the former interview, Brad describes a "jackass lieutenant" running around during the battle collecting fastropes because they were an accountable item. The individual in question listened to the interview and contacted Brad to explain what was actually going on. Being the standup guy that he is, Brad immediately wanted to acknowledge this new information and share that we often don't recall things as they were. Many will recall Brad gave up a promising musical career to serve, first with Ranger Battalion and then finding his way into Delta Force. His first combat experience was in Mogadishu in what we know as Black Hawk Down as part of 3rd Ranger Battalion in a true baptism by fire. Since leaving the military, Brad returned to his passion: music. He gathered a group of veterans who now make up the band “Silence and Light” and saw far more success than they expected on their debut album. We sit down today to discuss misinterpretations on the battlefield and clarify a situation discussed in Brad's interview from two years ago (Ep58). 🔗 Find Brad Online: - Instagram @bradthomas_official - Silence and Light Website https://www.silenceandlightmusic.com/ - Silence and Light Merch http://www.silenceandlightmusic.com/ 🔗 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 Join hundreds of others with our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan each week about the show, life, and the military.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today we have our second round Combat Story with Sam Mackey, who overcame a challenging and rebellious youth to successfully earn his SEAL Trident, carrying him to SEAL Team Eight where we left off at the end of round one. In this second round interview, Sam’s deployments continue as he faces defining moments, including the loss of a close friend in a helicopter crash and intense firefights in Afghanistan. This includes a brief morbid but hilarious story of Sam nearly breaking the longest sniper shot record. Transitioning from the military, Sam partnered with former pro-football QB Jay Cutler to launch Outsider, focusing on high-quality outdoor lifestyle products. This venture reflects his entrepreneurial spirit, shaped by his time in the SEALs. Sam's story, from a troubled past to military excellence and business success, is a testament to the power of resilience and adaptability. It's an inspirational tale for those who admire the military, combat, and life's challenges. For those who heard our recent Combat Story interview with Joel McGuire, you’ll recall Joel mention that he and Sam served together in Afghanistan. Stay tuned next week to hear Joel and Sam interviewed together talking about the same battles and what it takes to earn the trident (and recommendations to aspiring SEALs and Special Operators). Many thanks to Ari for connecting us with Sam!  And now, please enjoy this wide ranging discussion with retired Navy SEAL and entrepreneur, Sam Mackey. 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 01:04 - Guest Profile: Sam Mackey 02:33 - Start of Interview 02:40 - First Hairy Operation 11:26 - Specialties Within Teams 13:13 - Sniper School 14:35 - Respect In Teams 18:33 - Challenging Moment 1  20:31 - Mint Mobile Ad 21:38 - Challenging Moment 2 32:54 - After Op De-Brief 34:07 - Working With Lithuanians 39:03 - Lithuanian Operation 48:06 - Most Courageous Act 51:20 - Responsibility For The Team 52:09 - Marriage Throughout Teams 55:07 - Outsider Company  01:08:25 - Entrepenurialship in Teams 01:21:58 - Sentimental Items 01:23:10 - Would You Do It All Again? 01:24:47 - Listener Feedback 🔗 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 Sam Online: - Outsider https://shop.outsider.com/ Thanks to our sponsor, Mint Mobile. To get the new customer offer and your new 3-month unlimited wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to www.mintmobile.com/combatstory. Additional taxes, fees, & restrictions apply. 

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! Please leave us a 5 star review at Apple podcasts or Spotify to get these amazing stories of valor and sacrifice to more people. Today we have our first of a two round Combat Story as we delve into Sam Mackey's extraordinary journey from a rebellious youth to a Navy SEAL and, after retiring with 20 years in the service, to a successful entrepreneur. His early years were marked by selling drugs and legal troubles, finding purpose in a love for boxing and eventually joining the military. This decision, fueled partly by a need to escape legal issues, led Sam on a transformative path of discipline and self-discovery. Sam's time in the military was challenging yet formative. His first attempt at BUD/S training was unsuccessful, leading to a stint in Italy where misadventures and personal growth went hand in hand. However, Sam returned to BUD/S more mature and focused, eventually joining SEAL Team 8. His first combat experience comes in Iraq, where he first grappled with the harsh realities of warfare with an intense gunfight marking a significant shift from training to real-world operations, highlighting the need for quick, tactical decision-making and adaptability.  Stay tuned for Round 2 where we cover even more of Sam’s time downrange and the entrepreneurial skills he develops in the teams that translate into his current work on Outsider, an outdoor lifestyle brand with high quality products, alongside former NFL QB Jay Cutler. Many thanks to Ari for connecting us with Sam! And now, please enjoy this inspiring episode with retired Navy SEAL, Sam Mackey. 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:31 - Guest Profile: Sam Mackey 01:48 - Start of Interview 05:32 - Fighting Growing Up 10:31 - Legal Troubles 14:17 - Joining the Military 16:50 - Mentors 21:46 - Hello Fresh Ad 23:09 - Taking Accountability 24:03 - Deciding Branch of Service 27:47 - Boot 33:26 - Path to Teams 41:00 - BUDS 49:47 - Time In Italy  01:01:45 - 2nd BUDS 01:04:29 - West Coast Team 01:15:29 - First Call After Making Teams 01:23:12 - First Time Downrange 01:29:51 - Loadout Advancements 01:32:25 - Feeling Coming Back Home 01:33:08 - Listener Feedback 🔗 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 Sam Online: - Outsider https://shop.outsider.com/ This episode was sponsored by HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/combatstoryfree and use code combatstoryfree for FREE breakfast for life!

To help us support our Veterans, Subscribe, Like, and Comment on this video. It helps us get more people to watch and bring more guests on! 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 Combat Story with former Navy SEAL Joel McGuire, who completed multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to deployments to Europe and South America over a 20 plus year career. We were introduced to Joel when scheduling an upcoming interview with Sam Mackey, another SEAL. Sam was deployed with Joel and we’ll have a combat story with both individuals together talking about a few of their battles they fought in. In this episode, Joel goes into detail about his multiple attempts to finally get through BUD/S, his battlefield experiences, managing short-term memory loss, sleep deprivation, and emotional challenges of losing close-knit community members in action. Joel also talks through the challenges of Maritime Interdiction Operations (or MIO), which many have likely seen in the news recently as an MIO tragically claimed the lives of two Navy SEALs in the past month, and it’s helpful to better understand what goes into these operations and what makes them so risky. With that, please enjoy this conversation with Joel McGuire, a tough old frogman (stay tuned for a future episode for our joint interview with Joel and his fellow SEAL, Sam)! 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:43 - Guest Profile: Joel McGuire 01:51 - Start of Interview 02:22 - First Time In California 03:49 - Childhood 05:47 - Javolina 08:05 - Fighting As A Kid 17:29 - Path To Teams 26:37 - NordVPN Ad 28:14 - BUDS 32:39 - Teammates in Teams 35:32 - Team 2 Reputation 43:36 - Maritime Interdiction Operations 52:20 - Specialties Within Team 53:53 - Leadership and Platoon Relationships 59:18 - FIrst DA Op. 01:04:27 - Being A Parent While Deployed 01:11:33 - Team 10 Petty Officer 01:14:33 - Relationships With Squad 01:19:30 - A Memorable Op. 01:23:34 - 2011 Deployment 01:39:34 - Post Deployment 01:51:49 - Losing A Teammate 02:08:10 - Deciding To Get Out 02:13:05 - Sentimental Items 02:14:25 - Would You Do It All Again 02:15:42 - Listener Feedback 🔗 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   Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here → https://nordvpn.com/combatstory. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Link is in the episode description.

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! In this second round Combat Story with Jack Beaumont, we pickup with Jack being forced to walk away from flying jets after wrecking his back in a hard landing. His back was too injured to handle the Gs and an ejection from the aircraft, making him a liability to his fellow fighter pilots.  He found his way over to fly planes in the French COS or Special Operations Command in some amazing circumstances, to include evading radar and landing to unimproved runways at night in bad weather (it’s really amazing piloting), followed by a transition into the very secretive world of the French External Security Service or DGSE, which is the French version of the CIA and a very capable service.  In this episode, Jack shares some of the challenging experiences in the cockpit and in the shadowy world of the intelligence community, including the unthinkable moment of losing a human source and his family. This tragic story forms the basis of the book that Jack wrote - The Frenchman - which was picked up for TV by the people who delivered True Detective, The Night Manager, and A Most Wanted Man. His next book, Dark Arena, comes out in February 2024. Please enjoy this very insightful Combat Story that goes deep into the experiences of a French special operator and intelligence professional! 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. 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:52 - Guest Profile: Jack Beaumont Round 2  02:14 - Start of Interview 02:44 - SOCOM and Life After Plane Incident 12:46 - Serbian Mission 19:06 - Jack's Books 25:53 - Nord VPN Ad 24:33 - DGSE Reputation and Rainbow Wire 32:04 - Getting Accepted To DGSE  46:40 - Factor Ad 48:05 - Spy Training 01:08:24 - Truth To The Frenchman Opening 01:18:50 - Toll of Intelligence Officers 01:26:25 - Sentimental Items 01:27:19 - Would You Do It Again? 01:28:24 - Making of The Frenchman 01:31:48 - Listener Feedback 🔗 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 Beaumont Online: - Website https://jackbeaumontofficial.com/ - Purchase The Frenchman or Dark Arena https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jack%20Beaumont/author/B0034O2UHA Get Exclusive NordVPN deal here → https://nordvpn.com/combatstory. It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! This Combat Story was sponsored by Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service. Use FACTORMEALS.com/combatstory50 and use code combatstory50 to get 50% 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 have round one of an incredible two part Combat Story and our first from a member of the French military and intelligence services, Jack Beaumont. Jack was an elite fighter pilot in the French Air Force flying single seat Mirage2000’s, designed for dog fighting, in combat operations.  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. He would go on to fly Special Forces aircraft in unbelievable conditions (blacked out, bad weather, to unimproved runways), and then found himself running covert intel operations across the globe with the French DGSE (the French version of CIA and an incredibly capable service as I know very well!). He went on to write a spy thriller called The Frenchman that was recently picked up for a TV show by the people who delivered True Detective, The Night Manager, and A Most Wanted Man! In this first round interview, we hear about Jack’s storied family military history that goes back to Napoleon’s generals and a member of the French resistance in WWII. Jack would carry that lineage forward by competing with 3,600 other would-be fighters pilots and becoming just one of only three men who made it through that gauntlet. We also hear one of the most challenging experiences for any recruit during training in terms of loss that really hits home, followed by an unprecedented hazing for someone arriving at a new unit that I’ve ever heard that will leave you crying with laughter.  We end this episode when Jack wakes up in a hospital after a very hard landing with a surgeon telling him he’d never fly again. He was back in the cockpit three months later.  Stay tuned for Round 2 where Jack has to change flying roles as he moves into the secretive French Special Operations aviation community doing things in the air you can’t imagine and eventually finding his way into the French DGSE. With that, please enjoy this very interesting and unique Combat Story from our close partners across the pond! 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 01:05 - Guest Profile:  02:48 - Start of Interview 04:26 - The Frenchman and Dark Arena 06:20 - Childhood 21:52 - Path to the Military 28:22 - HelloFresh Ad 29:35 - Flight School 43:18 - Tough Part of Flight Curriculum 52:11 - Induction Into First Unit 01:03:46 - Timeline of Career 01:04:29 - First Combat Flight 01:20:16 - The Crash 01:38:42 - Continuing To Fly 01:39:55 - Listener Feedback 🔗 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 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! Go to www.HelloFresh.com/50combatstory and use code 50combatstory for 50% off plus free shipping to get delicious and healthy meals that you can make at home with your family in no time and add some variety to what you serve! Our family has used Hello Fresh for years!

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 second round of our insightful two part Combat Story with former Green Beret and Delta Force operator Brent Tucker. In this episode, Brent runs through deployments with The Unit, including what it feels like breaching a door on an objective and earning a Purple Heart (the last one on his team to earn one), after being shot and hit with grenade shrapnel. Since leaving the military, Brent founded First Responder’s Coffee Company, which uses the tagline ‘Coffee with a purpose’ because it supports the First Responder community. We dig into the intent behind it’s sister entity, First Responder’s Cigar Company, and Brent’s recollection of cigars and coffee in the military. Please enjoy this deep dive and wide ranging discussion with a former Tier 1 operator and all the ups and downs that come with that career…and maybe listen to this with a cup his Bourbon flavored coffee from FRCC! 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. 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:54 - Guest Profile:  02:02 - Start of Interview 02:09 - First Responders Coffee and Cigar Company 10:37 - Smoking Cigars in Uniform 21:21 - Celbrating After A Mission 25:41- Mint Mobile Ad 26:53 - First Near Death Experience 38:42 - Losing a Teammate and Grief 46:54 - Loss of Purpose After Service and First Responders 01:05:02 - Getting Shot Story  02:02:02 - Existing Outside The Military 02:08:11 - First Responders Coffee Company Future 02:10:36 - Sentimental Items 02:15:01 - Would You Do It All Again? 02:17:47 - Listener Comments and Feedback 🔗 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 Brent Online: - First Responders Coffee Company https://frccoffee.com/ Thanks to our sponsor, Mint Mobile. To get the new customer offer and your new 3-month unlimited wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to www.mintmobile.com/combatstory. Additional taxes, fees, & restrictions apply. 

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 round one of our two part Combat Story with an elite member of the Tier 1 community, Brent Tucker who completed over a dozen deployments with Special Forces and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (or more commonly referred to as Delta Force). Brent is now the founder of First Responder’s Coffee Company and First Responder’s Cigar Company, which uses the tag line ‘Coffee with a purpose’ because it directly supports the First Responder community.  In our first round interview, we cover Brent’s unlikely path into the military, to include bringing along his brother and somehow going from Air Defense Artillery to Special Forces to Delta. In this episode, we also delve into Brent’s first deployments with 20th Group, which sounds very similar to a former guest who many will recall who went from 20th Group into Delta: Bob Keller. Brent is what many of us expect when we think of the Delta Operator as his experiences downrange, book recommendations, friendships, and approach to life show. Please enjoy this wide ranging discussion with a former elite operator, Brent Tucker. 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:52 - Guest Profile:  01:55 - Start of Interview 03:45 - Childhood and Sibling Relationships 10:23 - Fear Bfore and During Enlistment 14:44 - Family Business and Raising Kids 24:08 - Factor Meals Ad 25:27 - Family Discussions on Enlisting 27:11 - Recruiter Experience 30:45 - Deciding To Go Special Forces 38:01 - 1st Deployment and Going to Selection 52:52 - Raising Kids and Missing Missions 01:01:25 - Time in 20th Group 01:10:08 - Thinking of Quitting 01:18:34 - First Time in Combat 01:32:10 - Recommended Literature 01:51:35 - Experiences with Apaches 01:53:56  - Listener Comments and Feedback 🔗 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 Brent Online: - First Responders Coffee Company https://frccoffee.com/ This Combat Story was sponsored by Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service. Use FACTORMEALS.com/combatstory50 and use code combatstory50 to get 50% 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 have the second round of our two part Combat Story with Mike Edwards, a former Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC) operator and longtime Ranger with 18 combat deployments. Mike was one of the few to serve in the Omega Program, which the Washington Post described as “units comprising CIA personnel and troops with JSOC…using co-mingled bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen” and “mostly designed against specific high-value targets.” Effectively, Omega was some of the best and most elite operators and intelligence officers paired up downrange to bring the full weight of both JSOC and the Agency.  Mike served alongside former Combat Story guest Rodney Brown, a former Navy SEAL and member of the Navy’s Special Warfare Development Group (or DEVGRU which is often referred to in the press as SEAL Team Six). In this episode, Mike describes an operation taking on an entire Taliban camp with Rodney that Rodney also described in his interview. Be sure to go back and listen to Rodney’s and Mike’s account of this same operation to get a more complete picture of the event from two vantage points! If you missed round one I would highly recommend listening to hear about Mike’s start as an 11M and transition into Ranger Regiment, his combat jump into Iraq, and how he earned a Purple Heart and Silver Star.      Once again, special thanks to our brothers Jack, Dave, and Dee at the Team House for introducing us to Mike! And with that, please enjoy this second interview with Mike Edwards. For more information on the Omega program, check out the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/06/06/seal-team-6-the-cia-and-the-secret-history-of-u-s-kill-missions/) or Wired Magazine (https://www.wired.com/2011/09/cia-killing-machine/). 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:57 - Guest Profile: Mike Edwards Round 2 02:33 - Start of Interview 02:41 - Route to Regimental Reconnaissance Company  06:43 - Tough Ops. in Rangers 07:51 - Training and Selection for (RRC) 12:30 - Difficulties During Selection 20:14 - Skydiving and Freefalling 23:31 - Human Tracking 28:23 - Relationship with Rodney Brown 37:30 - Mike's MI-47 Helicopter Crash 41:54 - Interrogations 44:08 - Difference Deploying With A Child 46:39 - Mike's MP7 Op. 58:06 - Challenges With Mental Health and Religion 01:04:40 - A Tough Op. 01:12:15 - Battlefield Interogations 01:17:20 - Most Courageous Act 01:20:58 - Post Service Recovery 01:23:46 - Religious Community 01:26:54 - Exedous Relief 01:30:01 - Plans for the Future 01:34:18 - Sentimental Items 01:36:00 - Would You Do It All Again? 01:36:38 - Listener Comments and Feedback 🔗 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 Online: Project Exodus Relief Afghanistan https://www.proexodusrelief.com/

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! This episode was sponsored by HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/combatstoryfree and use code combatstoryfree for FREE breakfast for life! Today we have part one of a two part Combat Story with Mike Edwards, a former special operations soldier and leader with 18 combat deployments with the Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC), and as part of the Omega Program where JSOC and CIA personnel were paired together to form lethal operational units downrange. The Washington Post described the Omega Program as “units comprising CIA personnel and troops with JSOC…using co-mingled bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen” and “mostly designed against specific high-value targets.”   In this first interview, we dive into Mike’s entry into the military as an 11M and his first round of deployments with Ranger Regiment post-9/11, including earning what is often referred to as the mustard stain on his jump wings after a static line jump to seize an airfield at the outset of the Iraq war (he ends up very much like Shrek did on his first combat jump!). We dig into hunting the deck of cards, earning an EIB, then CIB, losing friends to a female suicide bomber, and then the intense operation in which Mike was awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star.  Stay tuned for part two with Mike where we dive into some of Mike’s more intense combat experiences, low vis tactical work, and fighting in Omega and RRC. Special thanks to our brothers Jack, Dave, and Dee at the Team House for introducing us to Mike! And with that, please enjoy this first episode with Mike Edwards. 👇 Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:48 - Guest Profile: Mike Edwards 02:06 - Start of Interview 02:38 - Childhood 05:15 - Serving with Family 09:53 - Path to the Military 10:55 - Decision to Enlist 14:50 - Start of Career and Korea 22:35 - HelloFresh Ad 23:50 - Switching to Ranger Battalion  27:06 - Overlap of Special Forces and Regiment 30:35 - Welcome into the Ranger Community 36:40 - Welcome into the Unit 41:42 - First Deployment 47:57 - First Combat 52:30 - Coming Back After First Deployment 54:07 - Injury During Operation 01:08:25 - Realizing Invinciblity  01:15:25 - Learning from Gunfights 01:17:25 - Strykers 01:18:30 - Snot Story 01:20:46 - Listener Comments and Feedback 🔗 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 This episode was sponsored by HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/combatstoryfree and use code combatstoryfree for FREE breakfast for life!