July 29, 2025

How Poison Oak, Shame & a Lie Saved This Marine From a Plane Crash | Ep. 250 | Pt. 1

1 hour 2 minutes

In this powerful episode of The Mike Drop Podcast, former Marine Raider Joe Malone sits down with Mike Ritland to share his raw and unfiltered journey—from growing up in a mafia-connected suburb to battling early drug use and heroin withdrawal, all the way to surviving brutal deployments with MARSOC in Afghanistan and Syria. Joe opens up about facing ISIS on the battlefield, surviving a deadly KC-130 crash that claimed his fellow Marines, and the heavy burden of survivor’s guilt that followed.

Listeners will hear about Joe’s struggles with severe poison oak, failing a critical ruck run, and overcoming traumatic brain injury, depression, and suicidal thoughts. He also dives into his transformative discovery of the Law of Attraction and manifestation, his work with a Crimes Against Kids task force, and near-death experiences rescuing colleagues in Somalia.

The episode closes with Joe’s dedication to veterans through his training companies, JM Training and Lethal U, where he tackles tough topics like stolen valor and the critical role mindset plays in overcoming trauma and preventing veteran suicide.

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TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING

Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog.

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