Today we speak with Tom Marshall about his time in the U.S. Army, private military contracting, and his writing .

A graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Tom Marshall has spent more than a decade as a professional writer and content creator in the firearms and tactical marketspaces. Before his writing career, Tom served as a Cavalry Officer in the US Army, managed security at a Bureau of Prisons community corrections facility, and worked as a private military contractor providing force protection services to American intelligence officers serving overseas.

He's visited or worked 23 countries on 4 continents including a year-long deployment to Iraq and 13 individual tours to Afghanistan. After his last deployment to Afghanistan, Tom embraced tactical media full-time as a staff editor for Caribou Media Group - the owners of Gun Digest, Blade, Blade Show, and the RECOIL family of brands. He served as Senior Editor of RECOIL, Editor of RECOIL OFFGRID, and Network Manager before accepting a position as Director of Communications for Staccato.

Recently, Tom returned home to RECOIL as Director of Special Projects where he hosts the RECOILtv Podcast, assists with management of the CANCON event series, and continues writing both print and digital content. The Windsor Kraft series of novels is a (mostly) fictional culmination of Tom's numerous deployments overseas and extensive real-world training in a variety of relevant subjects including:

advanced marksmanship, close quarters battle, offensive driving, man-tracking, reconnaissance & surveilance, static-line airborne operations, aerial target interdiction, improvised weapons, and counter custody methods.

​When not behind a keyboard or a gun, Tom's life is deeply enriched by his beautiful family, self-entitled dogs, and amazing friends and colleagues - all of whom will tell you that Tom can usually be found within arms' reach of Kentucky bourbon or Nicaraguan cigars.

Tom can be found on the following platforms:

IG: @tom.marshall.author

FB: Tom Marshall Author

www.tommarshallauthor.com

In this episode, we sit down with Gideon from Judges Rescue, an anti-human trafficking nonprofit dedicated to rescuing victims of sex trafficking and supporting their path to recovery. Operating across the United States and internationally, Judges Rescue works in partnership with law enforcement, charitable organizations, and other NGOs to identify victims, dismantle trafficking networks, and provide survivors with the resources they need to rebuild their lives.

Gideon shares an inside look at the fight against modern-day slavery, discussing how rescue operations are conducted, the realities investigators face in the field, common misconceptions about human trafficking, and how everyday people can recognize the warning signs and help protect vulnerable individuals.

https://www.judgesrescue.org/

https://www.instagram.com/judgesrescue/

In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Reed — a former volunteer with the Ukrainian International Legion, U.S. Army Iraq veteran, private military contractor, mixed martial artist, and writer. Benjamin shares stories from his travels around the world, the struggles and challenges that shaped his life, and the path that ultimately led him to join the fight in Ukraine.

Benjamin is currently working on and promoting his memoir titled, "War Tourist, a Reckoning with Dog."

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Today we are joined by Alan Chiasson and Edward Ford, co-authors of "Postcards Through Hell", which documents the exploits of a team of private security contractors who are recruited to Afghanistan, working high-risk contracts for SOC (Special Operations Consulting) delivering supplies and most importantly, the U.S. Mail.

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Operation Gideon, a failed coup attempt that began on or around May 3, 2020, which consisted of an attempted seaborne insertion of foreign mercenaries near the city of Vargas to “capture/detain/remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.”  

This is a wild story involving former USA Green Berets, Silvercorp USA, Colombian based  mercenary training camps, Venezuelan military and political exiles, and allegations of foreknowledge by theTrump administration. It’s a story straight out of a Fredrick Forsythe novel. 

In this episode, we speak with Tim Foley, a U.S. Army veteran and the founder of Arizona Border Recon. Tim discusses how his team conducts intelligence gathering and reconnaissance on Mexican cartel activity along the United States–Mexico border, specifically in Arizona.

Foley explains the origins of Arizona Border Recon, how the group monitors cartel movements in remote desert areas, and the challenges posed by smuggling routes used by criminal organizations. We also discuss what his team observes on the ground, how they document activity, and the broader debate around border security, citizen involvement, and cartel influence in the region.

Today’s guest is Evan Ratliff, an American journalist, author, and podcast host known for his deep investigative reporting. Ratliff has contributed to major publications including Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The New Yorker. He is the author of the nonfiction book The Mastermind and has hosted several podcasts, including Shell Game.

His book explores the extraordinary story of Paul Calder Le Roux, born December 24, 1972—a former programmer who went on to become a powerful businessman and international criminal cartel boss before eventually becoming an informant for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

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It's Morgan Lerette's third appearance on Merc Works Podcast. He shares his insight on PMC activities taking place across Haiti, Gaza, DRC, and Ukraine.

@BlackWaterDude1

@Private_Military_News

Today we speak with Soldier of Fortune Magazine contributor and U.S. Army veteran Heath Hansen. Heath details his work writing about Mexico cartel activity on the U.S./Mexico border.

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We discuss the many wars of Fredrick Russell Burnham with Steve Kemper, the author of "A Splendid Savage."

https://www.stevekemper.net/

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