Max Afterburner Podcast

Colonel Mike Jernigan, a former Marine Corps combat engineer and battalion commander, joins Max Afterburner for a candid conversation about making decisions when information is incomplete and lives are at stake.

They discuss the opening hours of Operation Iraqi Freedom, why leaders must accept responsibility for their calls and how the Marine Corps builds accountability early. The conversation covers what combat engineers do, lessons from commanding Marines, the culture of competition and what real combat is like when every decision matters.

Jernigan commanded 1st Combat Engineer Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom I, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and later served as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Engineer School. Hear his perspective on combat leadership, judgment under pressure, and taking responsibility when there’s no perfect answer.

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Former Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf sits down with Max Afterburner for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what combat operations really look like from inside a SEAL Team, the missions that shaped him, and why he traded gunfights for wingsuit flights and BASE jumping off some of the most dangerous cliffs on Earth.

Andy spent 17 years in the Navy, including time at Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL Team 6), deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, was wounded in combat, and went on to set a wingsuit world record for distance. Today he hosts the Cleared Hot podcast. In this episode we get into special operations planning, the reality of close-quarters combat, what SEAL selection (BUD/S) actually filters for, leadership under fire, the mental game of extreme sports, and the transition from military life to civilian life.

Hosted by Ryan "Max" Bodenheimer, former F-15E Strike Eagle combat pilot, F-16 pilot, and USAF Thunderbird.

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F-16 pilot James Reeman sits down with former F-15E Strike Eagle and Thunderbirds pilot Max Afterburner for a fighter-pilot-to-fighter-pilot conversation about flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon — the Viper. Reeman flew the F-16 with the Colorado Air National Guard's 120th Fighter Squadron and deployed to Kunsan Air Base, Korea, where his own son served as his crew chief.

In this episode: what it's really like to fly the F-16, how the Viper compares to the F-15E and F-15, Air National Guard fighter life vs active duty, deploying to Korea and flying alongside the ROK Air Force, and the lessons a career in fighter aviation teaches about leadership, risk, and trust.

Check out James on IG: https://www.instagram.com/f16pilot

F-22 Raptor pilot/F-35 Pilot/F-15C pilot Josh "Cabo" joins Max Afterburner to break down what the world's premier air superiority fighter can actually do in combat — stealth, sensor fusion, supercruise, and the tactics that make the Raptor nearly untouchable. We get into current events shaping the fight for air dominance, from the F-22's role in today's threat environment to how it stacks up against emerging fifth- and sixth-generation competitors. If you want the real story on modern air combat from a pilot who flew the jet, this one's for you.

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My Aviation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxAfterburnerusa

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Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Tim "Monk" Miller — TOPGUN graduate, F/A-18 Hornet pilot, and former squadron commander — joins the Max Afterburner Podcast to talk about what fighter pilots actually see up there, and why the UFO conversation looks completely different from inside the cockpit. We get into Iran's jellyfish drone swarm and what a formation like that means for aircrews flying into contested airspace, the air war over the Strait of Hormuz, and whether cheap autonomous drones are about to end the era of the manned fighter jet entirely. Monk also breaks down the Strike Fighter League, the professional air combat league he founded to put real fighter pilots and real aircraft data into competitive simulation. Check out the Strike Fighter League here: https://the-sfl.com/ Check out my book 'Take Command' : https://www.mabbook.com My Aviation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxAfterburnerusa Max Afterburner Energy: maxafterburnerenergy.com

Former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot and F-16 Thunderbird pilot Ryan “Max Afterburner” Bodenheimer sits down with fellow fighter pilot Mike Bodenheimer (F-4 Phantom and F-16 veteran) and his own F-15E Weapons Systems Officer Dale Wood for a raw, no-holds-barred breakdown of the latest Iran crisis. They dig into the breaking news surrounding the downed F-15E, the harrowing survival of the pilot and WSO on the ground in Iran, and the surreal “jellyfish” drone swarm the crew reported seeing during the engagement. Expect unfiltered pilot insight, cockpit-level analysis, and hard truths you won’t get from mainstream coverage.

Check out my book 'The Art Of Modern War' : https://www.mabbook.com

My Aviation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxAfterburnerusa

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On September 10, 2001, American Airlines First Officer Steve Scheibner packed his bag, put his name on the schedule, and waited for the call confirming his assignment to fly Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles the next morning. The call never came. A more senior pilot claimed the trip in the final 30-minute window. The man who took his seat — First Officer Tom McGuinness — was hijacked and perished when Flight 11 became the first plane to hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. In this episode of the Max Afterburner Podcast, former F-15E Strike Eagle combat pilot and Thunderbirds demonstration pilot Ryan Bodenheimer sits down with Captain Steeeve — Navy P-3 Orion submarine hunter turned Boeing 777 American Airlines captain — for the full story of that day, what he saw on the airline's computer screen when he logged in that night, and how one scheduling change rewrote the rest of his life. Subscribe to Captain Steeeve at @CaptainSteeeve and follow the Max Afterburner Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Anderson Salgado didn't just survive Marine Recon — he took everything that training forged in him and aimed it straight at the business world. In this episode, we go deep on the mindset, the discipline, and the hard pivots that turned a lethal Marine into a phenom in the entrepreneurial space. If you think success in business is hard, wait until you hear what this man was doing before he ever walked into a boardroom. Check out my book 'The Art Of Modern War' : https://www.mabbook.com My Aviation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxAfterburnerusa

In this episode of the Max Afterburner Podcast, host Ryan "Max Afterburner" Bodenheimer sits down with former F-16 fighter pilot and current commercial airline pilot Josh Kitchen for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at military life and its lasting impact. Together, they dive deep into the realities of deployment, unpack today's most pressing current events through a fighter pilot's lens, and explore how their time in the military reshaped their mindset, resilience, and leadership.

From high-stakes fighter jet missions to the transition into commercial airline flying, this conversation delivers raw insights, camaraderie, and hard-earned lessons on growth. Whether you're a veteran, aviation enthusiast, or simply curious about the military mindset, this episode of Max Afterburner is a must-listen.

Check out my book 'The Art Of Modern War' : https://www.mabbook.com

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The U.S. military just went full send on Iran and Checkout Lear Capital at https://www.max4lear.com or call 800-411-2430. U.S. Military Launched 49 Tomahawk missiles launched from the destroyer USS Michael Murphy, with F-16CJ Wild Weasels, F-15E Strike Eagles, F-35s, and F/A-18 Super Hornets striking Iranian air defense, radar, surveillance, and communication sites across Iran for the second straight night. The IRGC retaliated against U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan and declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, while President Trump vowed to hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" and announced plans to seize Kharg Island and take control of Iran's oil exports. A former F-15E and F-16 combat fighter pilot breaks down the strike package, the SEAD blinding campaign, CENTCOM's blockade enforcement, and the 4D chess behind the Kharg Island play. Iran war news, CENTCOM strikes, Tomahawk missile attack, Strait of Hormuz closure, U.S. Navy blockade — fighter pilot analysis. Find Exclusive Content Of Max Afterburner that you can't find anywhere else here: https://www.pepperbox.tv/maxafterburner Check out my book 'The Art Of Modern War' here: https://www.mabbook.com