Navy SEAL & 160th Aviator (MH-47 Pilot) | 17 Combat Deployments | Mike Rutledge

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/COMBAT and get on your way to being your best self and HELP the show. 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 Mike Rutledge, a Navy SEAL turned to 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) aviator who completed 17 combat deployments over a 30 year career. This is a special episode for me personally because I went to flight school with Mike (as we discuss in the episode) and I still remember being in awe when I saw this other flight school candidate wearing a trident on his uniform.  Mike had a very unconventional route to becoming a special operator in two branches, and flew along some of the greatest pilots of our time, including Al Mack, who you’ll recall from a previous episode of Combat Story. Among the multitude of mission during his 17 deployments, Mike found himself on a mission in 2007 when we thought we were going to capture Bin Laden. That was, of course, a dry hole but generated lessons learned that were used in 2011 in the final raid.  I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging and humble perspective into the world of someone who went from being a SEAL to a 160th aviator 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 Rutledge Online: - Learn more about Mike https://www.westpointcoh.org/interviews/a-career-filled-with-detours-from-seal-to-night-stalker Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro  01:07 - Guest Introduction (Mike Rutledge) 02:08 - Interview begins 02:30 - Office Statue 04:37 - Being a SEAL in Aviation classes 08:50 - SEALs in 160th 13:15 - Challenges growing up 16:56 - Experience with father 21:53 - Being bullied as a kid 25:50 - Being a parent 29:00 - Joining the Navy 49:38 - Regrets on path  01:00:42 - Going back to Guam  01:03:50 - First time outside the wire in combat 01:11:11 - Deciding to go into Aviation 01:23:50 - reminiscent on the SEALs 01:28:28 - First flight mission 01:39:22 - Things that go wrong  01:45:48 - One mission from Mike's perspective 01:53:48 - Processing crew rest 01:55:19 - A tough infil/exfil 02:00:47 - Close calls 02:10:38 - Perfection in the mission 02:14:16 - The most courageous thing 02:19:19 - Transitioning out 02:24:50 - Continuing being a pilot  02:26:35 - raising pilots 02:31:16 - Sentimental items 02:33:35 - Do it all again 02:39:47 -  Listener comments and shout outs