Cleared Hot

Jason Gardner is a retired Navy SEAL Master Chief with 30 years of service, all inside of Naval Special Warfare. His career spans Desert Storm, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is the recipient of the Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and many other awards. We discussed raising our children, a lifetime spent in Special Operations, the pros and cons of a life in military service, life after service, war crimes, and leadership. Enjoy

Leaving a career that has defined you for years can be difficult. I struggled with it immensely post-military after a 17-year career, I still stumble occasionally. There is incredible value to be gained by putting down the past and redefining yourself. I am at the six year point and I have learned a few lessons along the way, hopefully they help. The 4th of July is upon us....hopefully 1776 and Independence can take on a deeper meaning for you this holiday weekend.

Ryan Michler is the founder/creator of the Order of Man, a community and resource designed to help men improve every aspect of their lives from family, money, parenting, responsibility, etc. He is a Veteran, a white belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and as of last week, a resident of the great state of Maine. We discussed our experiences on the mat, the dangers and allure of "connectivity" and connection with our children and their peers on social media, and of course, why his family decided to make the move from Utah to Maine. Order of Man

Pete and Brian are the mad scientists behind Origin USA, a manufacturing company dedicated to products sourced and made in the USA. Their factory is tucked away in the wilderness of Maine, and is dedicated to reinvigorating American production. Origin USA originally started in the BJJ "space," crafting high-quality Gi's for Jiu Jitsu practitioners. Recently they introduced denim jeans that are "Grown and Sewn" in the USA, and are about to launch a series of hand crafted boots. Pete Roberts founded Origin USA after a high-level competitive career in BJJ himself. As the company grew, he met Brian Littlefield, also a high-level BJJ practitioner, and now the CEO of Origin Labs, the nutrition and supplementation wing of Origin USA. www.originmaine.com

Advice for future military officers (or officers of any kind I suppose), Tips for giving kick-ass briefs/presentations, Balancing the dichotomy of being patriotic and accepting of the shortcomings of our nation, Acts that establish an individual as evil, and a brief update on my BJJ journey. Enjoy

For this memorial day, I chose to select questions directly related to military service. I open with my own thoughts on Memorial Day, the individuals that I see as often forgotten, and how to best remember and truly memorialize the service of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. War crimes, and whether or not the President should pardon soldiers convicted of executing them. Differences and similarities between JSOC commands, operators, and the opinions they sometimes hold of each other. My closest moment to "meeting my maker," and how I found humor in others at that same moment. In closing, the audio of Jocko Willink reading my blog post, "A Debt That Cannot be Repaid."

After a week in the wilderness of British Columbia, I convened the round table of hunters (John Dudley and Trevor Thompson) and one of our guides (Dusty Fillion) to talk about the experiences, lessons learned, comical failures, animal encounters, and most importantly the life lessons that one can find in the great outdoors.

Dan Crenshaw is the freshman Republican Congressman from the 2nd District of Texas. Prior to his political career, he served as a United States Navy SEAL for 10 years. On his 3rd combat deployment, he was injured by an IED (improvised explosive device) which cost him his right eye and left him with substantial damage to his left. He was medically retired due to his injuries, and shortly thereafter began his career in politics. https://crenshawforcongress.com/

The internet demanded it, the world has waited for it, and it is finally here. Volume 1 of the Cleared Hot Tactical Asshole series reviews and critiques the worlds greatest military documentary - Navy SEALs starring Charlie Sheen. In this episode, we watch and review various tactical scenes and discuss their accuracy, or most often, the lack thereof. Hostage rescue, free-fall insertions, and gunfights in the streets of Lebanon. Truly there is something for everyone. Enjoy

Erik Prince is a former Navy SEAL and the founder of Blackwater, a training and private military contractor company that worked extensively with the US government in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He recently published an op-ed detailing a plan to "privatize" the war in Afghanistan. Many people will associate the name Blackwater with PMC's (Private Military Contractors) and the controversy surrounding the Nisour square shooting in 2007, and the subsequent loss of their license to operate in that country. Often, contractors are referred to as "mercenaries," a term used pejoratively, and largely inaccurately. Civilians have served on the front lines and in war zones with active duty soldiers since the inception of warfare, and I believe the discussion should be about defining their operational parameters, not their presence there.