Combat Story

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 Derek Nadalini, who spent decades in the Army with both Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta, better known as The Unit. This is one of the most interesting interviews we’ve ever done. Derek deployed countless times beginning in Afghanistan in 2002 and conducted HVT operations, hostage rescue (including the rescue of Roy Hallums), ran low visibility and sniper operations, and eventually volunteered to execute singleton missions. After leaving the service, Derek went through a painful and long process to manage traumatic brain injury (TBI). Despite those challenges, he would go on to help sell the company Spatial Networks (earning what he aptly refers to as his “Business Ranger tab”), became a certified life and wellness coach providing pro bono support to Veterans, and is now the Director of Outreach and Development at MusiCorps, which is a music rehabilitation program that helps wounded warriors play music and recover their lives. Derek is easily one of the most accomplished people we’ve had on the podcast and I hope you enjoy this funny but also very personal experience and highs and lows of the elite as much as I did. Find Derek Online: 

• MusiCorps http://www.musicorps.net/Home.html
• LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-nadalini-0964141b6/
• The Warhorse https://thewarhorse.org/

Find Ryan Online:

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• - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial
• - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus
• - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

 

Show Notes: 

• 0:00 - Intro 
• 0:31 - Guest Introduction (Derek Nadalini) 
• 2:07 - Interview begins 
• 6:41 - Growing up with a father  who is a Vietnam combat veteran. 
• 13:38 - Early musical influences
• 21:17 - How music and creativity are useful in the service 
• 23:28 - Choosing to join the military and why the Army
• 31:06 - Where were you on 9/11?
• 35;57 - Leaving The Battalion and becoming a  member of General Dell Dailey's staff in Afghanistan  
• 41:10 - Experiences while in a coveted General Staff position 
• and story of leadership lessons learned 
• 49:46 - Balancing OTC with having a family 
• 54:16 - Roy Hallums rescue mission
• 1:02:00 - Combat Story - a weapon malfunction 
• 1:09:26 - funny story of launching first grenade in combat 
• 1:14:43 - Why selection is so tough and how the training show up later 
• 1:16:21 - Most dangerous ops doing low visibility work as a singleton  
• 1:22:32 - Discovering a traumatic brain injury. (TBI)  
• 1:38:32 -  Life in the private sector and missing the mission 
• 1:42:53 - Going to Berkelee and starting MusicCorps
• 1:55:46 - Tattoos 
• 1:57:31 - What did you carry into combat?
• 1:59:02  - Would you do it again? 
• 2:01:23 - Listener comments and shout outs 

This video covers the following subjects:

• - 1st SFOD-D Operator
• -  Delta Force 
• - Sniper Ranger Battalion 
• - MusiCorps
• - Traumatic Brain Injury
• - Derek Nadalini 

If you would like to learn more about 1st SFOD-D Operator, Derek Nadalini I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ _________________________ Have I responded to all of your questions about 1st SFOD-D Operator, Derek Nadalini? Possibly you wish to comment below and let me understand what I can help you with or information on 1st SFOD-D Operator, Derek Nadalini.

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Today we hear our first Combat Story from a former Marine Corps Infantry Officer turned Civil Affairs Officer Frank "Gus" Biggio. Gus has a very unusual history in that he served his initial five years in the Marine Corps pre-9/11 and then got out to begin a very promising and successful career as an attorney.

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In the years following 9/11, however, Gus felt the need to return to service and support the war effort. So rather than hold onto a profitable and cushy corporate career, Gus did what many of dream of doing and went back in.

He deployed in 2009 as a Civil Affairs officer which you can think of as a local mayor or governor of a particular area - in his case Nawa - where he settled local disputes, funded development efforts, compensated families for losses as a result of the war and far more. This required significant time outside the wire and in harm's way.

Do not be fooled into thinking that this is an administrative role. I spoke to now Sergeant Major David Wilson who led the patrols that protected Gus as he moved around the battlespace and he confirmed that it was anything but quiet and that Gus shifted the balance of power locally, driving significant counterinsurgency wins.

Gus chronicled his experience and the service of his fellow Marines in the book 'The Wolves of Helmand: A View from Inside the Den of Modern War' (which is a great read) and is now directing proceeds to a charitable cause supporting efforts in Ukraine.

This is a wide-ranging discussion with the laughs, heartache and nostalgia of someone who gave up everything (including missing the birth of his second child) to be downrange with his fellow Marines and I hope you enjoy his Combat Story as much as I did.

#marines #veteran #helmand #army

Find Gus Online:

The Wolves of Helmand website https://wolvesofhelmand.com/

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro

0:34 - Guest Introduction (Frank "Gus" Biggio)

2:43 - Interview begins

5:31 - Growing up, military family, and being a hell raiser

7:04 - Why Marines and the influential people at that time

15:04 - Feeling like he's missing his big war, about Marines, and choosing to walk away

17:45 - Successful career as a civilian and the impact of 9/11

21:30 - Choosing to go back into the Marines in Civil Affairs unit

30:56 - What Civil Affairs is and the mission set

33:22 - Context for Operation Khanjar a.k.a. Operation Strike of the Sword

39:25 - Combat Story - first kinetic engagement in Afghanistan as a passenger in a helicopter

43:35 - Combat Story - first outside the wire engagement on the ground getting shot at including with RPG

52:18 - The conversations leaving law firm to go to Afghanistan

55:23 - Why he kept a journal

57:03 -Civil Affairs operations and how he sees his role supporting the Battalion

1:02:09 - Story of settling a land dispute local farmers

1:05:53 - Using a Polaroid camera as an icebreaker in Afghanistan

1:09:04 - Funny and surreal story of getting paid in watermelons

1:14:09 - Story of a moral failure and how it changed his approach to future engagements

1:23:52 - Still wanting to do more after leaving a second time

1:34:56 - Story of where the name of the book 'The Wolves of Helmand" comes from

1:38:46 - What did you carry into combat?

1:42:20 - Would you do it again?

1:46:48 - Listener comments and shout outs

This video covers the following subjects:

- US Marine Corps

- Marine Corps Infantry & Civil Affairs

- The Wolves of Helmand

- Frank "Gus" Biggio

Frank ("Gus") Biggio served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from mid-1993 until December 1997 after graduating from Denison University. He then returned to his native Ohio where he earned a law degree from Case Western Reserve University, then worked in jobs in finance and law in New York City and Washington, DC, picking up a degree from Georgetown University along the way. Nearly ten years after first leaving the service, he rejoined the Marine Corps in October 2007. With his country at war, the same itch that drove him to volunteer in the 1990s drove his desire to serve again. His writing about the military and politics has appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Washington Post, Weekly Standard, and the online journal, War on the Rocks. The Wolves of Helmand is his first book. Through his work, he spends his time between Switzerland and Washington, DC, but has always called Ohio home.

If you would like to learn more about Civil Affairs Officer, Frank "Gus" Biggio I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ

_________________________

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Today we hear an incredible Combat Story from across the pond from a legendary UK SAS operator Billy Billingham who served over 30 years with deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, Africa, and many other places we can't discuss.

Billy came from an extremely challenging childhood drinking and fighting on the streets of Birmingham to being appointed a Member of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen for his efforts on select hostage rescues and serving as the SAS Ground Commander on what is known as 7/7 or the deadly coordinated attacks in London on July 7th, 2005.

Billy went from being the absolute elite leader, working alongside our own Delta and DEVGRU operators for years in the post-9/11 world, to hanging up his uniform and finding a new path. He has know written an autobiography aptly titled 'The Hard Way' and two fiction novels based on his own exploits titled 'Call to Kill' and 'Survive to Fight' (think SAS meets 007).

He is also a lead on two incredibly successful programs in the UK and Australia titled "SAS: Who Dares Wins" where he and other special operators take civilians and celebrities through punishing special ops training; he shared that the show is coming to the US soon! He and his wife run a charity organization and he does public speaking engagements across the UK.

I hope you enjoy this incredibly humble story that takes us inside the "Interest Room" (which I learned is the term for the SAS Team Room) and the highs and lows of a life well-lived at the tip of the spear from our UK brothers and sisters as much as I did.

#military #veteran

Find Billy Online:

• - Instagram @billingham22b https://www.instagram.com/billingham22b/
• - Twitter @billingham229b https://twitter.com/billingham229b
• - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MarkBillinghamSAS/
• - Deux Mains Academy @rebuildglobally https://www.instagram.com/rebuildglobally/
• - Billy's Website https://www.markbillybillingham.com/about

Find Ryan Online:

• - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory
• - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/
• - 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

Show Notes

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:41 - Guest Introduction (Billy Billingham)
• 2:36 - Interview begins
• 5:11 - Rough childhood in Peaky Blinders neighborhood in Birmingham, England
• 17:26 -Cadet School experience
• 22:12 - Overcoming getting burned by caustic soda at 15 yrs old and almost dying in a gang fight to still join the military
• 28:30 - Joining The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 PARA)
• 30:03 - Lessons from the PARAs and first jump in the jungle of Belize
• 42:48 - First time in a combat zone in Cypress
• 44:23 - Fighting terrorists in Ireland
• 48:15 - Why SAS route and the brutal training and selection process
• 57:50 - Path after SAS selection into Mountain Troupe
• 1:01:25 - Excitement of first op in first week as SAS
• 1:04:17 - Squad "Interest rooms"
• 1:05:45 - The squadron dynamic and respect for those who came before
• 1:09:21 - Why the B Squadron are characterized as the "rogues"
• 1:11:12 - Combat Story - A hostage rescue during a bloody time in Bosnia
• 1:19:36 - The sixth sense that comes with experience
• 1:2102 - Emotions after a mission and after getting out
• 1:24:25 - Where were you on 7/7 during London bombings?
• 1:27:56 - TV show "SAS: Who Dares Wins" and what is coming to the US
• 1:30:40 - "The Hard Way" autobiography and "Call to Kill" novel
• 1:35:46 - What did you carry into combat?
• 1:39:40 - Would you do it again?
• 1:42:55 - Listener comments and shout outs

This video covers the following subjects:

- SAS Sergeant Major

- 7/7 SAS Ground CDR

- SAS Ground Commander

- UK SAS operator Billy Billingham

Billy is a certified SF and Counter Terrorist Sniper Instructor, Advanced Evasive Driving Instructor, Tracking/Jungle Warfare/Navigation Instructor, Demolition/Sabotage Instructor, Ski Mountaineering/Rock Climbing/Abseiling/Ice climbing Instructor, Combat Survival/RTI Instructor, Counter Terrorist Instructor (all options) and has worked as a Patrol Medic/Trauma Life Support agent for 5 hospital attachments.

If you would like to learn more about SAS Sergeant Major, Billy Billingham I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ

_________________________

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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 unique Combat Story from Ranger-qualified and former Engineer in combat Lisa Jaster who was the first female reservist to complete Ranger School…at the age of 37 with two kids!

Lisa is still in the reserves and recently rotated out of Battalion Command where she led Combat Engineers as she did early in the post-9/11 era as a young active-duty lieutenant, including in 2002 in Afghanistan, 2003 in Iraq, and back to Iraq 15 years later.

Her story is remarkable and highlights how much harder she worked to reach levels many others take for granted. She's a West Point grad and stood on the shoulders of the brave women who came before her in breaking the barrier of women at the Academy only to break a similar barrier herself.

Beyond being a sought-after public speaker, accomplished entrepreneur, and part of retired DEVGRU Mike Sarraille's Talent War Group, Lisa is also a competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and CrossFit athlete and is getting ready to release her first book that describes her journey.

This is a phenomenal and wide-ranging interview with an accomplished, tough-as-nails Ranger and I hope you enjoy her story of perseverance as much as I did.

#army #military #veteran #rangers

Find Lisa Online: -

Instagram @lisaajaster https://www.instagram.com/lisaajaster/

Twitter @lisa_jaster https://twitter.com/lisa_jaster

Book Page for "Delete the Adjective"

and contact https://deletetheadjective.com/

Find Ryan Online:

- Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory

- Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/

- 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

Show Notes:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:56 - Guest Introduction (Lisa Jaster)
• 2:29 - Interview begins
• 2:42 - A passion for Brazilian jujitsu
• 6:06 - Being an unconventional Military couple and making sure her son can fight
• 10:06 - Childhood as a naturally driven person and where the military comes in
• 14:55 - Funny story of Army interview
• 17:16 - Going to West Point and and choosing Engineer Branch after graduating
• 27:37 - What is Engineers and their role in Afghanistan 2002
• 33:24 - Where were you on 9/11?
• 41:06 - Story about combat patches
• 45:01 - How an engineer prepares for deployment
• 47:48 - Family and feelings before and during a dangerous deployment
• 53:47 - "There's no book for this" and funny story of trying to communicate with Pakistani man
• 55:27 - Building the airfield in Afghanistan and funny story about constructing the sewage pond
• 58:27 - From Afghanistan to Iraq
• and being an SME as a First Lieutenant
• 1:06:42 - Processing difficult experiences and how jujiostu helped
• 1:09:33 - Ranger school
• 1:21:17 - Advice for someone wanting to go to BUD/S or Ranger School
• 1:29:04 - Hell Week at Ranger School
• and being in the first ever class with women
• 1:43:57 -Mixed emotions on graduating Ranger School
• 1:47:48 - Full circle moment meeting author Carol Barkalow
• 1:51:36 - What's the first thing you ate coming out of Ranger School?
• 1:52:46 - What did you carry into combat?
• 1:55:08 - Would you do it again?
• 1:57:11 - Listener comments and shout outs

This video covers the following subjects: - First Female Reservist Ranger School Graduate - Ranger School - Combat Leader - Combat Engineer Lisa Jaster Maj. Lisa Jaster, an Army Reserve soldier, performs a fireman's carry-on on a simulated casualty during the Ranger Course at Ft. Benning, GA. The 37-year-old engineer and mother of two children, aged 7 and 3, is the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate from Ranger School.

When Maj. Lisa Jaster walks across Victory Pond Friday at Fort Benning, she will secure her role in history as the first female Army Reserve officer to earn the distinctive black-and-gold shoulder tab. However, the 37-year-old engineer and mother of two children, aged 7 and 3, is the third female to graduate from the grueling combat leadership course, joining the ranks of fellow West Point graduates and Active Duty officers Capt. Kristen Griest, 26, and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, 25.

If you would like to learn more about First Female Reservist Ranger School Graduate, Lisa Jaster I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ _________________________

Have I responded to all of your questions about First Female Reservist Ranger School Graduate, Lisa Jaster? Possibly you wish to comment below and let me understand what I can help you with or information on First Female Reservist Ranger School Graduate, Lisa Jaster.

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 from the very tip of the spear from "Dutch" Chris Moyer, a long-time special operator who spent 14 years in Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in addition to years at 1/75 Ranger Battalion, and CIA's Global Response Staff (GRS).

Dutch walks us through a very open and honest approach to what it's like operating in the elite ranks for so long, including the pressure, brotherhood, and chaos. He doesn't shy away from sharing where he felt he fell short, and how, even after decades of service he still felt like he had more to give.

He saw combat in multiple theaters in the pre-and post-9/11 era, fighting at the same time as and friends with many of the former Tier 1 operators we've heard on this show.

Be sure to stick through to the end where we hear Dutch describe his own "Mr. Goodbar" story (if you don't know about Mr. Goodbar, check out Episode 30) where Dutch ends up in a room one on one having to fight none other than John "Shrek" McPhee (from Episode 25 https://youtu.be/6hvQj06fQUQ).

It's hilarious. Dutch now runs DCM Consulting where he teaches military, government, and civilians how to apply the skills he learned in the Tier 1 community from shooting to CQB to leadership.

In fact, when I reached out to Dutch I had to leave him a message and his voicemail was one of the best I've ever heard and said something like "You've reached Dutch, I can't take your call because I'm out on the range shooting, teaching CQB, or doing some other cool shit right now…"

I hope you enjoy this incredible peak behind the curtain of what it's like in one of the most elite units in our military.

The video is all about Delta Force Sergeant Major, Dutch Moyer. If you want to learn more about Combat Story, you can click: https://www.combatstory.com/

Show Notes

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:38 - Guest Introduction (Dutch Moyer)
• 2:15 - Interview begins
• 11:09 - Not being a naturally gifted shooter
• 18:55 - Important characteristics someone should have on a team
• 26:33 - Earning another nickname, Simon, after "blowing himself up" with a Simon device prepping for a mission in Bosnia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un-ApklIvj4)
• 41:10 - "Coolest thing I've ever done…" The difference coming back and what it is like at the different operational levels from Ranger to Tier 1 JSOC elements
• 50:51 - Getting through selection
• 58:13 - Imposter syndrome and how he handled shooting a paint round into the wall in the team room.
• 1:03:21 - Combat Story - Longest air assault raid in history
• 1:09:53 - The role of a Breacher
• 1:16:29 - Stories of hard landings and crashes including a rooftop helicopter crash
• 1:21:31 - Combat Story - Things go sideways during an ambush in Fallujah
• 1:26:04 - Transitioning out of the elite level and wishing he had done more
• 1:43:54 - DCM consulting for leadership through the evolutionary gun fighter process
• 1:45:55 - What did you carry into combat?
• 1:46:35 - Would you do it again?
• 1:49:17 - Story of fighting John "Shrek" McPhee in hand to hand combat at the end of training
• 1:52:50 - Listener comments and shout outs

This video covers the following subjects:

- Delta Force Sergeant Major - Ranger Battalion - CIA GRS - DCM Consulting Dutch Moyer DCM Consulting Founder Christopher "Dutch"

Moyer served 31 years in the Army – 26 of those in Special Operations.

He has taken part in over 1,000 successful combat assaults in classified & unclassified missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He found that the Army in the 1980s was not what he had hoped. After a five-year break, he returned. This time he "Wanted to be in the worst possible places with the best possible people."

He became an Army Ranger and spent the last 14 years of his career with the elite Joint Special Operations Command. JSOC was created after the disastrous "Desert One" mission.

If you would like to learn more about Delta Force Sergeant Major, Dutch Moyer, I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ _________________________

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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 Joe McNamara, a former Marine Corps officer who experienced a unique kind of violence from his time on campus at Virginia Tech during the horrific 2007 shooting to leading Marines in combat in Afghanistan. After leaving the service, Joe founded a leadership development company called Impact USA that trained both elite athletes and private sector leaders. Impact was recently acquired by Mike Sarraille's Talent War Group, where Joe is now a partner and Chief Revenue Officer. Many will recall a fantastic interview with Mike (episode 70 https://youtu.be/v4TPJtkZrek), the former enlisted Marine who went on to Force Recon then served as an officer in SEALs and, eventually, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). The fact that someone like Mike who went through that crucible of leadership experiences went on to acquire Impact says a lot about what Joe does to develop leaders. This episode dives between combat experiences and the leadership lessons we can apply to our lives, from the foxhole to athletics to the office. In fact, Joe answers two questions I've always had: how do you create a sense of shared adversity in a corporate setting and how do you find time to train corporate leaders without taking them off operations for a full six to 12 months the way the military does it. I hope you enjoy this Combat Story with a battle hardened Marine Corps officer and some of the tangible leadership lessons we can all apply from his experiences as much as I did. Find Joe Online: - LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcnamara1/ - Instagram @joe_mcnamara_ https://www.instagram.com/joe_mcnamara_ - Impact Leadership https://www.impactthepace.com/ Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ - 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 Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:35 - About our sponsor, Let's Get Checked 1:57 - Guest Introduction (Joe McNamara) 3:46 - Interview begins 5:13 - Childhood and path to the military 10:04 - Support for Combat Story brought to you by Manscaped 11:24 - Somber stories of courage and leadership from the school shooting at Virginia Tech 22:08 - When certain experiences harden you emotionally 25:10 - The most impactful leadership advice from Marine Corps mentors 30:40 - Training and what it was like in Afghanistan with insane amount of IEDs 40:31 - Being in a leadership role at 20-21 years old and the most important attribute in leadership 44:12 - Combat Story - What it is like as infantry men when your vehicle gets hit by massive IED 53:47 - Combat Story - First time someone in his platoon was hit while on foot 1:00:24 - What an "XO" is in the military and what the role entails 1:04:24 - Combat Story - How leadership planning and drills show up after a mass casualty event 1:14:29 - Formative Company Command time at Paris Island 1:24:55 - Where the idea for Impact Leadership came from 1:28:10 - Replicating shared adversity and military training in corporate sector 1:36:03 - The biggest challenges seen in corporate leadership 1:39:55 - What did you carry into combat? 1:40:39 - Would you do it again? 1:43:26 - Listener comments and shout outs

This video is sponsored by Aura. Get a 14 day free trial at http://aura.com/combatstory to secure yourself online and support Combat Story!

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! Get extra Combat Story content like Ryan's personal thoughts on this episode on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/combatstory Today we hear the Combat Story of Jake Wood, a former University of Wisconsin football player who enlisted in the Marine Corps and fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine Rifleman and Sniper. One of the key moments that led him to the Marine Corps was the death of Pat Tillman, the legendary NFL Safety who walked away from the League and joined the Army after 9/11, eventually being killed while serving as a Ranger in Afghanistan. Jake found himself leading Marines at the very front end of the "Surge" in Iraq and the bloodiest year of the wars, stepping into a kinetic environment only weeks after arriving in the theater. He was then in Helmand Province in Afghanistan as a sniper. Only two months after leaving the Marine Corps, Jake went on to found the humanitarian support organization Team Rubicon after hastily organizing what he describes as a "Motley Crew" of veterans and doctors to help the people of Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake. He recently created another charitable giving business called Groundswell which seeks to democratize philanthropic giving. In 2018, Jake was awarded the Pat Tillman ESPY for service (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Xef8StXi8), bringing his story full circle from Tillman's death that propelled Jake into this life of service. I hope you enjoy this unique and insightful interview with someone who played football at the highest level and then selflessly decided to put on a different uniform to help others as much as I did. Find Jake Online: - Instagram @jakewoodtr https://www.instagram.com/jakewoodtr/?hl=en - Twitter @JakeWoodTR https://twitter.com/JakeWoodTR - Team Rubicon https://teamrubiconusa.org/ - Groundswell.io https://groundswell.io/ - ESPY Pat Tillman Award https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Xef8StXi8 Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ - 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 Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 0:27 - About our sponsor, Aura 2:28 - Guest Introduction (Jake Wood) 4:22 - Interview begins 5:00 - Football's influence in life and position played 13:23 - Family history and a perspective on a college campus protest in March 2003 17:30 - The significant events and people like Pat Tillman which lead to joining 23:36 - Funny recruitment stories and why Marine Corps Infantry 28:22 - Training with Pugil sticks in bootcamp as an elite football player 31:16 - Getting out of the training pipeline and into a Marine Rifle Platoon 37:58 - First "boots on the ground" moment in Iraq and first time taking mortar fire 40:27 - Combat Story - Driving into IEDs while in Humvees 49:59 - The bloody realities of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan 53:25 - Combat Story - Injuries and booby traps during the bloodiest year of the Iraq war 1:00:14 - What do you tell your family? 1:01:23 - Marine Sniper School experience 1:03:13 - Combat Story - The tough operating environment in Afghanistan 1:08:54 - How snipers desensitize themselves 1:10:52 - Combat Story - Taliban attack and tending to injured civilian children 1:12:36 - Transitioning out and how Team Rubicon Disaster Response started 1:21:34 - Groundswell 1:25:48 - What did you carry into combat? 1:27:33 - Would you do it again? 1:29:04 - Accepting the Pat Tillman award 1:30:24 - Listener comments and shout outs The video is all about Marine Sniper from D1 College Football, Jake Wood. If you want to learn more about Combat Story, you can click: https://www.combatstory.com/ This video covers the following subjects: - Marine Sniper from D1 College Football - Marine Sniper - Marine Scout Snipers - Team Rubicon and Groundswell Founder January 12, 2010. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shakes Port-au-Prince. In moments, hundreds of thousands were injured, infrastructure and buildings were destroyed, and countless were made homeless. In the days following, many traditional aid organizations were slow to establish relief efforts, citing dangerous and unstable working conditions. Troubled by the scenes in Port-au-Prince and the lack of proper aid, two Marines, Jake Wood and William McNulty, decided to act. Gathering supplies and volunteers, the small group of veterans, first responders, and medical professionals deployed to Haiti in the days following the earthquake. If you would like to learn more about Marine Sniper from D1 College Football, Jake Wood I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ _________________________ Have I responded to all of your questions about Marine Sniper from D1 College Football, Jake Wood? If you were searching for more info about Marine Sniper from D1 College Football, Jake Wood did this video help? Possibly you wish to comment below and let me understand what I can help you with or information on Marine Snipers like Jake Wood.

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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 Jason Lilley, a former Marine infantryman, Marine Recon, sniper, MARSOC, and then CIA Global Response Staff (or GRS) operator. As many are aware, Jason is the other half of the veteran media company Savage Actual (https://www.youtube.com/c/savageactual), with his co-host Patrick Moltrup having been a guest on our show on Episode 26 (https://youtu.be/YmOkCKtpvGk). Jason survived brutal fighting in the initial invasion of Iraq with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion alongside journalist Evan Wright who would go on to write the book Generation Kill which was transformed into an HBO series by the same name, depicting some of the battles we talk about in this episode (watch more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLlHcwJ5vS4). In another deployment, Jason earned a Silver Star during a battle on April 7th, 2004 in Iraq that was later depicted in the History Channel program "Ambush of April 7th" (https://www.history.com/shows/the-warfighters/season-1/episode-5#:~:text=On%20April%207%2C%202004%20a,in%20the%20War%20on%20Terror). It is believed to be the most decorations awarded for a single battle during the war, which included four Silver Stars, multiple Purple Hearts, and two Navy Crosses (one award posthumously). We didn't want to shortchange listeners on Jason's incredible stories so we'll schedule a round two to dive into his time with MARSOC and the CIA. This episode is chalked full of combat experiences with a very human, empathetic, and thoughtful lens that I know you will enjoy as much as I did. #military #veteran #marines #combat Support us on Patreon and get exclusive content and insights at www.patreon.com/combatstory Find Jason Online: -YouTube Savage Actual https://www.youtube.com/c/savageactual -Website Savage Actual www.savageactual.com -Facebook Savage Actual https://www.facebook.com/SavageActual -Twitter Savage Actual @SavageActual3 https://twitter.com/SavageActual3 -Instagram @jason_lizzle @savage.actual https://www.instagram.com/savage.actual/ -TikTok Savage Actual https://www.tiktok.com/@savageactual Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Email [email protected] - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:39 - About our sponsor, Better Help 3:01 - Guest Introduction (Jason Lilley) 4:16 - Interview begins and a story of confronting Stolen Valor 12:48 - Childhood in a family of musicians and being bullied 17:56 - Joining the Marines in 2000 22:54 - Advice for young people going through tough times 24:55 - Path from infantry "grunt" to Recon 28:22 - Combat Story - First combat experience taking a Scud before crossing the border into Iraq 34:10 - Auditioning to play himself in Generation Kill (HBO TV series about his platoon) 39:40 - Story of finding a buried enemy helicopter and rockets 40:53 - Combat Story - first time close to danger accidentally driving through heavy fire 49:11 - Combat Story - Perilous engagement in a airfield 58:00 - Being back home after being in combat 1:01:06 - Mindset going in to second deployment 1:04:51 - Combat Story - 7, April, 2004 Silver Star event during second deployment 1:29:13 - Feelings about awards and ceremonies 1:35:04 - Taking a break and then transitioning to MARSOC 1:38:50 - A negative Hollywood experience and starting a media company 1:47:21 - What did you carry into combat? 1:49:48 - Would you do it again? 1:52:52 - Listener comments and shout outs The video is all about Marine Special Operator, Jason Lilley. If you want to learn more about Jason Lilley, you can click: https://www.combatstory.com/ This video covers the following subjects: - Marine Special Operator - Silver Star - CIA GRS - Savage Actual United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM. Its core capabilities are direct action, special reconnaissance, and foreign internal defense. If you would like to learn more about Marine Special Operator, Jason Lilley I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyA... _________________________ Have I responded to all of your questions about Marine Special Operator, Jason Lilley? If you were searching for more info about Marine Special Operator or Jason Lilley did this video help? Possibly you wish to comment below and let me understand what else I can help you with or information on Marine Special Operator, Jason Lilley.

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 from a long-time Combat Story listener Christian Holloway, a former Marine who was part of the initial invasion into Iraq, fought in both Fallujah I and II, and was one of the first Marines in what we now know as Marine Special Operations Command or MARSOC. [Support us on Patreon and get exclusive content and insights at www.patreon.com/combatstory] Christian was just 18 years old when he crossed the line of departure into Iraq for the initial invasion alongside M1A1 tanks in his Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). He was then clearing buildings on foot in Fallujah alongside his Marine brothers, was among the first to see the effects of IEDs and what later became a very common and lethal enemy TTP, and was then in the elite special operations community training foreign militaries as a force multiplier. Since leaving the military, Christian continued to train service members in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) as a contractor and now hosts a financial information program on YouTube. This is a great Combat Story that follows the path from the tactical perspective of the Marine infantryman to the strategic MARSOC operator and I hope you enjoy his humble insights as much as I did. Find Christian Online: -YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1jwxG_W_NAVVX8KlZ-Mig -Instagram @chris.holloway_fi https://www.instagram.com/chris.holloway_fi/ Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Email [email protected] - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:44 - Guest Introduction (Christian Holloway) 1:59 - Interview begins 2:40 - Growing up in Texas 7:31 - Why Marine Corps and recruitment story 10:44 - Training and preparing for deployment only 4 months after after boot camp and school of infantry 17:13 - Preparing for first deployment invading Iraq at only 18 years old 20:48 - MOPP levels and the nuclear, biological and chemical threat 24:53 - Combat Story - Engaged by an artillery unit and the invasion of Iraq 33:10 - Combat Story - An armor to armor engagement 55:27 - Combat Story - 48 hour engagement 1:18:01 - almost dying in Baghdad from celebratory fire 1:21:03 -Fallujah 1 fighting the insurgency and the first in incorporation of IED tactics 1:35:52 - Combat Story - a very persistent engagement 1:56:24 - Joining what would later be known as MARSOC and the intense training course 2:24:42 - Transition to contractor 2:27:42 - Refelctions on being in combat at 18 years old 2:30:45 - Personal Finance YouTube channel 2:37:19 - What did you carry into combat? 2:39:08 - Would you do it again? 2:40:21 - Listener comments and shout outs

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 a phenomenal Combat Story with our first dedicated insight from a legendary CIA Case Officer, Paramilitary Operations Officer, and Senior Leader Enrique 'Ric' Prado, who fought terrorists from the jungles of Central America with the storied Special Activities Division to eventally overseeing all Agency operations at the helm of the counterterrorism center. [Support us on Patreon and get exclusive content and insights at www.patreon.com/combatstory, including additional photos of Ric and a story of the hardest training course he ever went through] Before joining the Agency, Ric successfully completed the famed Pararescue or PJ pipeline but did not, despite multiple volunteer attempts, have the opportunity to fight in Vietnam. Instead, Ric would see plenty of operations and battles but with the CIA, where he was operating as a solo Paramilitary Ops Officers or PMOO in the Nicaraguan jungles in his first tour. Early in his career Ric first came into contact with and was then mentored by some of the Agency's giants like Cofer Black, Duey Clarridge, Bill Buckley, William Casey, and more. As you'll see during this interview, these are all names I know and revere so I was star struck hearing Ric's stories about these giants and just spending time with Ric, who many of these heavyweights consider one of the best CIA operators of his time. On 9/11, Ric was the Chief of Operations (or C/OPS as the role is know inside the building) of the counterterrorism center, responsible for all counterterrorism operations for the whole CIA. After leaving the service, Ric founded a successful company where he continued to take the fight to the enemy and recently wrote a great book that gives a true behind the scenes look at the wide ranging, unpredictable and often dangerous life of a CIA operations officer. This is one of my favorite interviews to date and I hope you enjoy this peek behind the curtain of the premier covert intelligence organization from one of its legends as much as I did. Find Ric Online: - Ric's website https://ricprado.com/ - Black Ops Book https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/black-ops/ - Ric on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/enrique-ric-prado-052a11186/ Find Ryan Online: - Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/ - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Email [email protected] - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - Guest Introduction (Ric Prado) 2:41 - Interview begins 3:42 - Growing up in Cuba during the revolution in the 1950s and coming to America without his parents 11:46 - Gratitude as an American and choosing life of service 14:54 - The Pararescue Pipeline and becoming a PJ 20:49 - Joining Ground Branch/Special Activities Division in the CIA and role as a Paramilitary Officer 25:11 - The type of work he was doing with the Agency early on and the rewarding feeling of being able to do something about injustice 29:10 - Story of first contact fighting on the front lines during the 1980s Cold War 34:32 - Feelings of being down range after not getting the chance in Vietnam 37:05 - How early experiences informed his role later as Chief of Operations Counterterrorism Center and a story of how street savvy saved him 46:46 - Being a solo operator 47:40 - Working with CIA legends Dewey Clarridge and Bill Casey 51:02 - About the LA (Latin American) Division 54:22 - Legend Joe Fernandez requesting him by name and working more traditional undercover ops 57:17 - Making his first recruitments in Costa Rica 1:02:47 - Role in Alec Station tracking Osama bin Laden 1:10:21 - 9/11 and being Chief of Operations at the Counterterrorism Center 1:16:23 - Story of a particularly dangerous mission 1:25:10 - Story of learning he was under surveillance 1:30:46 - What did you carry with you on missions? 1:32:29 - Would you do it again? 1:34:55 - Hear more on Patreon 1:35:35 - Listener comments and shout outs