Break It Down Show

Chris Binch is a British veteran who joined 2 PARA at 17, serving 7 years with tours in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, the Balkans, and Afghanistan. He later worked in close protection in Iraq, anti-piracy, and as a firefighter. veterans-for-veterans.co.uk His Old Paratrooper Podcast delivers raw, no-frills chats with veterans and others. Motivated by losing friends to suicide across his high-stress careers, Chris aims to break mental health stigma—getting "big tough" soldiers to open up so everyday people feel it's okay to seek help, declutter the mind, and embrace camaraderie. This is Chris' 2nd visit to the Break It Down Show with Pete A Turner. Chris and Pete met at SPYQ 2025.

Ajit George joins Pete A Turner. Ajit and Pete were introduced by Liberté Press Founder Teresa Rodriguez. Pete, "When Teresa introduces me to someone, I get to meeting that person." Pete sent an immediate note to Ajit. The two discovered that they'd not only be in Bogota at the same time, but were going to be staying about 100 yards from each other, in a huge city that's about 600 square miles that's remarkable indeed. Ajit has done many things, he's from many places, and he knows incredible people. You are going to be blown away by how wonderful Ajit is and how closely aligned his to Pete. Let's get to know Ajit on the Break It Down Show

Former US Army Counterintelligence Agent Rick Hoppe returns to the Break It Down Show to talk more spy things with Pete A Turner on the Break It Down Show. Rick's book, Rick is an author. Beyond being a spy, he's a recognized expert in the process of national revolutions. Get Eight Stages: A Primer on Modern Revolution on Amazon at amzn.to/4elORpG Rick and Pete have a lot of time in combat zones. They actually overlapped at one point with Pete leaving-got fired-and Rick coming in to run the team. The CI world is small, but fractured. Two dudes with this level of spy experience are a rare and unique thing.

Nia Peeples is a true multi-hyphenate whose career has spanned music, television, movies, dance, and personal development. From her breakout role as Nicole Chapman on the hit series Fame to starring in Walker, Texas Ranger and building a successful career as a singer and performer, Nia has continually reinvented herself. Most recently, she has focused on transformational coaching, wellness retreats, and empowering people to live with greater purpose and authenticity while continuing to connect with audiences through speaking engagements and media appearances. Her upcoming book Dirty Dancing with the Divine: 5 Hidden Rhythms of the Body and Soul as One will be released soon and she discusses its meaning and purpose. Hosted by Jon Leon Guerrero for the Getting the Gig Series of the Break It Down Show, produced by Pete A. Turner and Larry Lemas

Jim DeFelice writes incredible stories, he puts them in books. im is a NY Times #1 Best Selling author. His book. Amercian Sniper was made into the movie with the same name. Jim wrote, Code Name Johnny Walker. We're fans of his book West Like Lightning, the history of the Pony Express. Jim is one of our longest tenured guests. Jim's latest book is They Call us Lucky., Get DeFelice's They Called Us "Lucky" on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4vbvnKf The book's blurb: At first, they were "Lucky Lima." Infantryman Ruben Gallego and his brothers in Lima Company—3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, young men drawn from blue-collar towns, immigrant households, Navajo reservations—returned unscathed on patrol after patrol through the increasingly violent al Anbar region of Iraq. After two months, Lima didn't have a casualty, not a single Purple Heart, no injury worse than a blister. Then, in May 2005, Lima's fortunes flipped. Unknown to Ruben and his fellow grunts, al Anbar had recently become a haven for al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. The bin Laden-sponsored group had recruited radicals from all over the world for jihad against the Americans. On one fateful day, they were lured into a death house; the ambush cost the lives of two men, including a platoon sergeant. Two days later, Ruben's best friend, Jonathon Grant, died in an IED attack, along with several others. Events worsened from there. A disastrous operation in Haditha in August claimed the lives of thirteen Marines when an IED destroyed their amphibious vehicle. It was the worst single-day loss for the Marines since the 1983 Beirut bombings. By the time 3/25 went home in November, it had lost more men than any other single unit in the war. Forty-six Marines and two Navy Corpsmen serving with the battalion in Iraq were killed in action during their roughly nine-month activation. They Called Us "Lucky" details Ruben Gallego's journey and includes harrowing accounts of some of the war's most costly battles. It details the struggles and the successes of Ruben and the rest of Lima Company following Iraq, examining the complicated matter of PTSD. And it serves as a tribute to Ruben's fallen comrades, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Join Dr. Amber Brittain-Hale and Rational Policy's Mike Coté for a timely deep dive into the groundbreaking US-Iran peace accord. Fresh off the recent memorandum of understanding that halts hostilities, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and sets the stage for nuclear talks, they break down the deal's terms, strategic implications, potential pitfalls, and what it means for the Middle East and global energy markets. Pete A Turner is glad to welcome back Dr Amber Brittain-Hale and MIke Cote to the Break It Down Show

Andrew Vaughn joins host Pete A Turner and contributor Brad Hutchings to discuss the latest IT things, including AI, LLMs, Anthropic, agents, and just doing the work. There is much to discuss today! Andrew Vaughn leads CMIT Solutions of Glendale, helping law firms and healthcare organizations reduce downtime, strengthen cybersecurity, and stay ahead of compliance risk. Andrew and his team build proactive, observable IT environments backed by 24/7 monitoring and national resources—so your business stays secure, operational, and predictable. Despite all the excitement about AI and agents, this is work that still has to be done! Brad Hutchings makes the Mmojo Appliance, which helps you make AI tokens at home. Brad helps his clients understand what large language models actually do and are actually useful for, allowing them to feel delight and avoid frustration.

Randy Oglesby is welcome to the Break It Down Show with Pete A Turner. Randy's most recently had a supporting role as President Jim Bragg on the Apple TV series, For All Mankind and has guest starred in many television shows series among them all the David E. Kelly shows and played a record 7 combined different characters from Star Trek, Next Generation to Enterprise and had a supporting role in the HBO telefilm, Path To War starring Michael Gambon, Donald Sutherland and Alec Baldwin. Oglesby has also had recurring roles are in the series Godless, Strange Angels and Sharp Objects. His feature film credits include Pale Rider starring Clint Eastwood, Independence Day starring Will Smith and Bill Pullman, Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck, The Lone Ranger starring Armie Hammer, Path to War, Patch Adams starring Robin Williams, Liar, Liar starring Jim Carrey and The Island starring Ewan McGregor.

Dr. Amber Brittain-Hale, PhD in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine, is a geopolitical strategist, scholar-practitioner, and Director of Strategic Research at BrainStates Inc. A returning guest on Pete A Turner's Break It Down Show, she brings sharp analysis on foreign policy, diplomacy, and global security. In the upcoming episode, Amber and Pete will break down President Trump's recent Meet the Press interview—covering Iran, leadership decisions, and international dynamics—with her signature insightful, optimistic perspective. Brittain-Hale's academic credentials are the exact ones we need to help us see what was happening when Kristen Welker sat with President Donald Trump.

What is the cost of undermining old, calcified systems? The next great idea also has costs. When the Trump Administration seeks to change how the world negotiates, there are benefits and costs. The UN, is recognized as never living up to the dream...but a deal making president who has a limited time in office and influence...can that be a better way to reliably and repeatedly make the deals that make the peace? And what if the longer tenured leaders don't abide by a deal when it no longer makes sense? Scott Richards returns to hang with Pete A Turner and discuss these concepts on the Break It Down Show