Guest - LTC Mohamed Massaquoi 

Lieutenant Colonel Mo Massaquoi has had an atypical military career to say the least. He started off as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy, before moving up to become a naval officer, and then eventually, transitioning to the U.S. Army where he continues to serve on active duty. Over his ongoing 22 years of service, Mo has been through a number of great challenges and great successes, some of which he’ll share with us during our interview.

Part 2 covers his time in the U.S. Army. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed by LTC Massaquoi on this podcast are his own and do not represent the views of the United States Army, nor do they represent the views of the Department of Defense.

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

Mo discusses his transition from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Army and the numerous service culture faux pas he encountered along the way. 

Mo talks about the various experiences as a company grade chemical officer and how he eventually gets a second chance at being a military aviator.

Mo shares stories of his professional growth as a field grade officer after transitioning career fields again to become an army strategist.  

Mo reflects on some folks who helped him along his journey and how military service has affected his life.

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

Chemical Corps Past, Present, Future. A short article from the National Museum of the U.S. Army. https://armyhistory.org/the-u-s-army-chemical-corps-past-present-and-future/ 

CH-47 - The World’s Most Iconic Helicopter. YouTuber and Air Force Public Affairs Officer Sam Eckholm takes viewers through a history and ride on the Army’s CH-47 helicopter. https://youtu.be/g90QUoORmc0 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com. 

Guest - LTC Mohamed Massaquoi 

Lieutenant Colonel Mo Massaquoi has had an atypical military career to say the least. He started off as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy, before moving up to become a naval officer, and then eventually, transitioning to the U.S. Army where he continues to serve on active duty. Over his ongoing 22 years of service, Mo has been through a number of great challenges and great successes, some of which he’ll share with us during our interview.

Part 1 will cover his time in the U.S. Navy. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed by LTC Massaquoi on this podcast are his own and do not represent the views of the United States Army, nor do they represent the views of the Department of Defense.

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

Mo discusses his path from civilian life to joining the U.S. Navy as an enlisted sailor. 

Mo highlights some of his struggles in getting through the Navy’s extremely difficult Nuclear Power School.

Mo talks about his transition to becoming a naval officer, facing failure for the first time in his life, and having the courage to follow a lifeline that allowed him to continue his military service.  

Mo reflects on some folks who helped him along his journey.

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). Explore the history and images of the USS John C. Stennis from an incredible historical website. NavSource.org was created over 25 years ago to preserve U.S. naval history and is still maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers. https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/74.htm 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com.  

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

On November 11th, 1918 the guns finally fell silent on the Western Front with the signing of a cessation of hostilities by the belligerents fighting in World War I. The significance of that event started a worldwide adoption of the day for remembrance and celebration that continues today over 100 years later.  

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

The British Imperial War Museum. https://www.iwm.org.uk/  

The Canadian War Museum. https://www.warmuseum.ca/ 

Arlington National Cemetery. https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier 

A short history of the poem In Flanders Fields. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/remembrance-ceremony/4.html 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com.

Guest - John Bruzza

John Bruzza is a 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, John was selected for service as a combat engineer following completion of the Marine Corps Officer Basic School. Over his career he served in a variety of leadership positions and locations both on active duty and as a reserve officer before retiring in 2017 as a Major. In his post-military life John lives in Arizona where he works in the solar energy industry.  

Instagram: @31_maxx_31

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

John discusses his experience attending the U.S. Naval Academy and how it led him to become a Marine Corps officer. 

A discussion on each of John’s assignments throughout his career from lieutenant to major, including deployments to the Middle East.

John shares with us those people, with whom he served, having lasting influences on his life and career.  

We get John’s thoughts on Marine Corps stereotypes and discuss the, then upcoming, Major League Baseball playoffs. *Disclaimer: This episode was recorded weeks before the Major League Baseball playoffs. Our predictions were totally wrong.

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

United States Naval Academy. https://www.usna.edu/homepage.php 

U.S. Marine Corps Operations in Iraq, 2003-2006 (Kenneth Estes). An initial historical look at the first three years in Iraq published by the U.S. Marine Corps Historical Division in 2009. You can download a free copy here on the Federation of American Scientist website. https://irp.fas.org/doddir/usmc/iraq03-06.pdf 

Marine for Life Transition Services. https://usmc-mccs.org/services/career/marine-for-life-network/ 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on.

Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com. 

Part two of our interview with the three friends who joined the Army together out of high school. This episode focuses on their experiences participating in the invasion of Grenada as members of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon (LRRP). 

Guests - Kenneth Williams, Joe Paez, and Dale Comstock

Kenneth Williams served 24 years in the U.S. Army.  First, as an infantryman for a little over four years with the 82nd Airborne division before changing over to the Air Defense Artillery career branch.  Before retiring as a senior instructor for the Air Defense Center (Patriot) Missile and Master Gunner Course, Kenneth served as First Sergeant for Echo Battery, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery in Ansbach, Germany.  In addition to his deployment to Operation Urgent Fury, Kenneth deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia five times, and also supported the invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Post Army retirement, Kenneth became a licensed Realtor in California and currently holds state licenses for running Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, Adult Residential Facilities, and Group Homes for children.  He’s the co-owner of New Vision Services Incorporated, a business that provides care for seniors, disabled adults, and children across 15 facilities in the state of California.

Joe Paez served in the U.S. Army for 4 years as an infantryman. His active duty military career ended due to an almost fatal parachute jump accident suffered while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. After his recovery and discharge, Joe returned to California and served five years in the California National Guard. He earned his Bachelor's degree from California State University, Sacramento and eventually got hired as a civil servant with the State of California, serving for 30 years in the Information Technology sector before retiring in 2020. Post retirement, Joe keeps busy by volunteering with his local VFW Post, where he’s currently the Post Commander,  running his own art studio business, Romero Design Studios, and is a Job Developer for the Volunteers of America non-profit organization, where he works with previously homeless veterans to help them find jobs.    

Dale Comstock is a legendary special operations soldier and warrior. He’s given over 37 years of service to the United States, combating U.S. enemies abroad as a U.S. Army paratrooper, Green Beret, Delta Force Operator, OGA Paramilitary Operative, and as a Mercenary. During his military career, Dale was a renowned weapons expert and fighting instructor.  He was also decorated twice for valor in combat. Since 2001, Dale has been a successful businessman, starting and operating three security companies, selling two of ‘em. He continues to operate the third company, Strategic Outcomes Asia, out of Bali, Indonesia where he resides for half the year. You can read more about his life and combat experiences on his website, DaleComstock.com, and in his autobiographical book, American Badass: The True Story of a Modern Day Spartan.

Instagram: 

Joe Paez - @JoePaez 

Dale Comstock - @OfficialAmericanBadass

Website:

Dale Comstock - www.DaleComstock.com and www.Tier1PerformanceCoaching.com 

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

You’ll hear about our guests' stories of... 

-Going through the alert process at Fort Bragg prior to deploying to Grenada.

-The various missions each of them went on during the combat operations and post-combat periods.

-Reflections on their participation in Urgent Fury and their friendship. 

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

American Badass: The True Story of a Modern Day Spartan. Dale Comstock’s autobiography that tells of his “journey from boyhood to manhood into a world of extreme violence where he learns the values of hard work, sacrifice, and love of family.” Dale explored his successes and failures as a Delta Force Operator, Green Beret, husband and father. https://www.amazon.com/American-Badass-story-modern-Spartan/dp/0989483509    

Urgent Fury: The Battle for Grenada (Mark Adkin). Mark Adkin was a British military officer who wrote one of the first accounts of the operation based on the limited available information at the time.      https://www.amazon.com/Urgent-Fury-Grenada-Military-Operation/dp/0850520231 

The U.S. Invasion of Grenada: Legacy of a Flawed Victory (Philip Kukielski). ‘This book is an overdue reconsideration of Operation Urgent Fury, based on historical evidence that only recently has been revealed in declassified documents, oral history interviews and memoir accounts.”   https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-us-invasion-of-grenada/ 

The Rucksack War: U.S. Army Operational Logistics in Grenada, 1983 (Edgar F. Raines, Jr.). This book provides a detailed account of how Army logistics affected ground operations during Operation Urgent Fury and how combat actions on the ground influenced logistical performance. This publication is available for free as a digital download from the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History.  https://history.army.mil/html/books/055/55-2-1/index.html 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com.  

Guests - Kenneth Williams, Joe Paez, and Dale Comstock

Kenneth Williams served 24 years in the U.S. Army.  First, as an infantryman for a little over four years with the 82nd Airborne division before changing over to the Air Defense Artillery career branch.  Before retiring as a senior instructor for the Air Defense Center (Patriot) Missile and Master Gunner Course, Kenneth served as First Sergeant for Echo Battery, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery in Ansbach, Germany.  In addition to his deployment to Operation Urgent Fury, Kenneth deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia five times, and also supported the invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Post Army retirement, Kenneth became a licensed Realtor in California and currently holds state licenses for running Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, Adult Residential Facilities, and Group Homes for children.  He’s the co-owner of New Vision Services Incorporated, a business that provides care for seniors, disabled adults, and children across 15 facilities in the state of California.

Joe Paez served in the U.S. Army for 4 years as an infantryman. His active duty military career ended due to an almost fatal parachute jump accident suffered while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. After his recovery and discharge, Joe returned to California and served five years in the California National Guard. He earned his Bachelor's degree from California State University, Sacramento and eventually got hired as a civil servant with the State of California, serving for 30 years in the Information Technology sector before retiring in 2020. Post retirement, Joe keeps busy by volunteering with his local VFW Post, where he’s currently the Post Commander,  running his own art studio business, Romero Design Studios, and is a Job Developer for the Volunteers of America non-profit organization, where he works with previously homeless veterans to help them find jobs.    

Dale Comstock is a legendary special operations soldier and warrior. He’s given over 37 years of service to the United States, combating U.S. enemies abroad as a U.S. Army paratrooper, Green Beret, Delta Force Operator, OGA Paramilitary Operative, and as a Mercenary. During his military career, Dale was a renowned weapons expert and fighting instructor.  He was also decorated twice for valor in combat. Since 2001, Dale has been a successful businessman, starting and operating three security companies, selling two of ‘em. He continues to operate the third company, Strategic Outcomes Asia, out of Bali, Indonesia where he resides for half the year. You can read more about his life and combat experiences on his website, DaleComstock.com, and in his autobiographical book, American Badass: The True Story of a Modern Day Spartan. 

Instagram: 

Joe Paez - @JoePaez 

Dale Comstock - @OfficialAmericanBadass

Website:

Dale Comstock - www.DaleComstock.com and www.Tier1PerformanceCoaching.com 

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

You’ll hear about our guests' stories of... 

-How they met and became friends as kids in Sacramento, California.

-How they joined the Army together out of high school in the early 1980s and went through basic training, airborne school, and eventually in the same unit at the 82nd Airborne Division.

-They talk about their experiences in the early 1980s Army.

-How they became a part of the then newly established 82nd Airborne Division Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon.  

-They talk about particular leaders that stood out to them their first few years in the 82nd Airborne Division.

-The guys talk about their participation in the Gallant Eagle 82’ exercise at the National Training Center. 

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

American Badass: The True Story of a Modern Day Spartan. Dale Comstock’s autobiography that tells of his “journey from boyhood to manhood into a world of extreme violence where he learns the values of hard work, sacrifice, and love of family.” Dale explored his successes and failures as a Delta Force Operator, Green Beret, husband and father. https://www.amazon.com/American-Badass-story-modern-Spartan/dp/0989483509    

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com.  

Guest - LTC Rick Anderson

Lieutenant Colonel Rick Anderson is an active duty Army officer who currently serves as a History Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves before earning an officer’s commission from the University of Iowa Army ROTC program in 2002. After entering the Active Duty force as an Aviation Officer, Rick’s held leadership positions in various aviation units stateside and while deployed to combat operations overseas. Following completion of graduate school in 2012 he taught history at West Point. While at West Point, Rick transitioned career fields and became a Functional Area 59 Army Strategic Plans and Policy Officer. In this role he served in Korea and most recently in the Future Operations Branch at U.S. Army South. LTC Anderson holds a PhD in History from the University of Kansas.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by LTC Anderson on this podcast are from his own research as an academic and do not represent the views of the United States Military Academy, nor do they represent the views of the Department of Defense.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-anderson-1494a5193/ 

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

You’ll learn about the mission, accomplishments, and legacy of the United States Army Special Observer Group from World War II including…

What was the U.S. Army Special Observer Group.

What major planning initiatives activities they were involved in.

How they laid the foundation for the creation of the European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army (ETOUSA) and the Allied invasion of Europe.

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

Special Observers: A History of SPOBS and USAFBI, 1941-1942. Rick Anderson’s PhD dissertation gives an in-depth narrative and analysis of the Army Special Observer Group mission from their creation in 1941 until the establishment of the ETOUSA headquarters. You can download a copy of this work for free on the University of Kansas KU ScholarWorks website.     

The Origins of the Grand Alliance: Anglo-American Military Collaboration from the Panay Incident to Pearl Harbor (William T. Johnsen). This book, published in 2016 by the University of Kentucky Press, provides the first comprehensive analysis of military collaboration between the United States and Great Britain before the Second World War, which includes discussion of the SPOBS mission. 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it.  https://www.campironmountain.com.  

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show You’ll hear the story of the challenges and triumphs in building the most visited monument in Washington D.C.

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Since the dedication of The Wall, VVMF has pursued a mission of preserving the legacy of The Wall, promoting healing and educating about the impact of the Vietnam War. They run an incredible website that serves as a launching pad for their various education initiatives.

The Wall USA. The 4/9 Infantry Manchu (Vietnam) Association started a website that provides a number of detailed facts and statistics about the names that are found on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This site is no longer updated but the association says they will keep the website live. 

National Park Service - Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Visitors can find the information on the memorial if you look to visit it in person, including a database of all of the names currently included on the wall.

Offerings at the Wall: Artifacts from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection (Thomas B. Allen). This book, published in 1995, is a powerful book, primarily told through photographs, showcasing a small number of the over 400,000 items left at the Vietnam War Memorial. When available, the author shares pieces of the stories behind the artifacts and how they relate to those killed on the wall. 

If You Want to Support The Podcast You can help others find the podcast by leaving a positive review on whatever podcast player you’re listening to it on. Please share a link to the podcast with a friend or family member who you think would enjoy listening to it. https://www.campironmountain.com. 

Lieutenant Colonel Wendy Tokach is an active duty Army officer who earned her commission in the Military Police Branch following graduation from the University of Hawaii Army ROTC program. Entering active duty service in 2002, she’s held leadership positions in various military police units, including multiple deployments throughout her career. LTC Tokach is currently the Battalion Commander for the 787th Military Police Battalion (OSUT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

What You’ll Get From Today’s Show

Wendy shares the story of how she was influenced to join the military as part of the National Guard and how those series of events led to earning an officer’s commission and transferring to active duty. 

Wendy discusses some of her earlier jobs as part of the Army’s Military Police Branch, including some of her experiences deployed to Iraq.

Selected to serve as an Exchange Officer in the Canadian Army, Wendy talks about some of the more memorable events during her time in a foreign army.

Wendy talks about many of the joys in leading a college ROTC program as a Professor of Military Science and some of the unique challenges she had in getting many of her young cadets interested in learning about military history. 

We close the show discussing what of our favorite military museums and movies are. 

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

Canadian War Museum. The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history and one of the world’s most respected museums for the study and understanding of armed conflict. Located in the national capital of Ottawa, it welcomes approximately 500,000 visitors every year. https://www.warmuseum.ca/ 

National World War I Museum and Memorial. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this memorial and accompanying museum is dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. https://www.theworldwar.org/ 

If You Want to Support The Podcast

Help others find the podcast by writing a positive review on Apple Podcasts! 

For more information go to https://www.campironmountain.com

COL Stu James tells the story of his experience as a junior officer leading his company-level combined arms team from Kuwait to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 20 March to 7 April 2003.

Key battles explored during this episode are the engagements at An Nasiriyah, Al Kifl, An Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad. 

Colonel Stu James is an active duty Army officer who earned his commission as an Armor officer following graduation from West Virginia University ROTC. He entered active duty service in 1996 and has held numerous leadership positions in armored and mechanized formations throughout his career. COL James has extensive combat and deployment experience, including three tours to Iraq, one tour to Afghanistan, one tour to Kuwait, and one stability operation in Bosnia. His notable actions with 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division during the Operation Iraqi Freedom ground invasion is the focus of this episode. 

Resources Related to the Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode

On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The initial history that looked at the Army’s role in the ground invasion during Operation Iraqi Freedom in March and April 2003. This book was published by the U.S. Army’s Combat Studies Institute Press in 2004 and is available for free to the public.

Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter David Zucchino was embedded with the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division during the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom ground invasion. This book tells the engaging story of 2nd Brigade’s battles on their march to Baghdad.

If You Want to Support The Podcast

Help others find the podcast by writing a positive review on Apple Podcasts!