USASOC Operator & K-9 Handler | 7th SFG | 82nd Airborne | War Hogg Tactical | On the Range Podcast | Rick Hogg

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Today we hear the Combat Story of 29 year Army Special Operations veteran Rick Hogg, who spent time with the 82nd, 7th Special Forces Group and US Army Special Operations Command. His time ranged from Desert Storm deep into the post-9/11 era.

Rick spent years as a K-9 handler in the Special Ops community, forging a very strong bond with his dog “Duco” in particular. Rick managed through years of deployments and overcame the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with a very concerted focus on his own health and transition from the military that many can learn from. 

After leaving the service, Rick now owns War Hogg Tactical offers mobile firearms, tactical and K9 training to civilians, military and law enforcement agencies that was borne out of his experience training Special Forces. He’s written the book “The Firearms Training Notebook: 1% Better Everyday”, co-hosts the On The Range Podcast, and founded the “In Honor of Duco” charity. 

I hope you enjoy this wide ranging and emotional discussion with a USASOC operator as much as I did. 

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Find Rick Online: - Rick's Linktree https://linktr.ee/warhoggtactical - Instagram @warhoggtactical https://www.instagram.com/warhoggtactical/?hl=en - Warhogg website www.warhogg.com - Rick's Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcfYEBZu_wjRsdqrKM-zhAw - In Honor of Duco Leash https://www.warhogg.com/product-page/in-honor-of-duco-loop-leash - K9 War Dogg CBD https://kindred-life.com/product/war-dogg/ - Learn more about Rick: https://www.warhogg.com/abou

Rick Hogg is the owner of War HOGG Tactical, Inc. and is a 29 year US Army Special Operation Combat Veteran including being a Special Operations K9 handler. He has taken his 13 combat deployment, to both Iraq along with Afghanistan, as well as his teaching experience as a Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat instructor and harnessed them into a proven training methodology service company, War HOGG Tactical, Inc.

War HOGG Tactical, Inc. offers professional comprehensive mobile firearms, tactical and K9 training to law abiding civilians, military and law enforcement agencies through combat proven techniques and experience to improve students skill ability. War HOGG also conducts product development and product field testing along with a verity of consulting services in the defense and firearms industry. 

War HOGG Tactical, Inc was born in 2002 when my Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat students returned from Afghanistan and said "That stuff you taught me saved my life!"

Rick and his retired Special Operations Forces K9 Duco have been featured on Trigger Time TV covering an entire season on training a military working dog. Rick has also has instructional videos with Panteao Productions. 

Our program’s main goal is to provide you with a skill set to defend yourself or your family members using a building block methodology of instruction

Show Notes: 0:00 - Intro  0:44 - Guest Introduction (Rick Hogg) 1:48 - Interview Begins  2:14 - Background of the Hogg last name 5:27 - Rick's childhood and early years 10:12 - Do you associate more with being an Operator or K9 Handler 11:53 - The Transition from Soldier to Civilian and what Rick did to help out 15:06 - Rick's advice on how to transition out of the Military easier 19:32 - Wondery the Teddy Rosevelt Amazon Expedition AD 20:34 - Rick's experience and dealing with T.B.I. 23:01 - Rick's experience with acceptance, loss, and grief 27:40 - Joe and Rick 35:36 - Rick's thoughts on handleing grief and emotions in the midst of the mission 45:09 - Officer Duco and Rick 50:11 - In Honor of Duco Loop Leash 53:38 - Lowering of a K9 Officer 54:51 - Jumping with a K9 01:00:00 - Rick's love for the K9 Unit 01:04:38 - A death defying mission from Duco 01:09:17 - Training K9 Units with Foreign Forces 01:11:46 - The difference between Conventional and Special Forces Units  01:17:09 - The balance between the Specail Ops and Entrepenureship  01:20:57 - Rick's opinion on if older vs younger generations views on each other 01:23:18 - How Rick divides his time amongst his many projects 01:28:48 - Rick's plans for 2023 01:32:08 - Did you bring anything sentimental with you into combat 01:32:41 - Would you do it all again? 01:34:57 - Is there a book you would recommend to people 1:24:07 -  Listener comments and shout outs