CS#73: Lessons from a Delta Force Commander from Afghanistan to Panama | CEO | Author | Pete Blaber

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 rare Combat Story from a long-time Delta Force Commander and operator, Pete Blaber, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Colombia, and Panama. Call to Action: For former military, government and law enforcement, if you're looking for a high paying and meaningful job, check out our Trust & Safety Institute.  Pete is an understated, humble, and soft spoken warrior leader who applies a commonsense approach to all of his decisions, to include those in combat. His decision to join the military came from studying centuries of warfare and how seemingly brilliant leaders made senseless decisions and wanting to avoid making the same mistakes. He spent most of his career in the special operations side of the Army from Ranger Battalion to Delta Force and then, after retiring, took on a role as a senior leader in a multi-billion dollar tech company. He has since written two books (The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander, and, more recently, The Common Sense Way: A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing) that share the lessons he learned from leading in some of the most historic and high intensity conflicts in the past 35 years. I hope you enjoy this humble, understated, and unique perspective into the life and thinking of a Tier 1 operator and officer as much as I did. Find Pete Online: The Common Sense Way: A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing  The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander  Instagram @blaberpete  Find Ryan Online: Trust & Safety Institute - Jobs/Careers, News, Training, Policies Patreon Community Combat Story Merch Ryan’s Linktree Instagram @combatstory Learn more about Ryan Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 0:55 - Guest Introduction (Pete Blaber) 2:02 – Introducing The Trust & Safety Institute 2:54 - Interview begins 3:14 - Childhood and the origins of the common sense perspective 7:16 - Being obsessed with military history as a kid and the impact it had 22:12 - Using notes from when he was deployed or in service to write his books 28:19 - If the military wasn't an option, what would you have done? 31:50 -  Story of navigation skills at work trying to escape a wild animal in pursuit 46:37 -  Path including Ranger Battalion, Infantry Offer, and Delta 49:29 - Combat Story #1 - First time in combat in Panama as a company commander in the military five years 1:05:33 - Formative time with Rangers and how it informed tactics as Company Commander and later with the Unit 1:10:05 - Combat Story #2 - Afghanistan mission from a leadership perspective 1:28:56 - The most rewarding point along the journey 1:38:38 - What did you carry into combat? 1:40:02 - Would you do it all again? 1:43:11 - Help connect those who served with meaningful and great paying jobs after service 1:45:49 - Listener comments and shout outs