Mike Drop

Jack Stewart always wanted to fly. Following in his pilot father's footsteps, he pursued a career in aviation at the U.S. Naval Academy before serving 23 years as a fighter pilot, flying combat missions from three different aircraft carriers and deploying to Afghanistan as a member of an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party. He's also a graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, better known as TOPGUN, both for it's esteemed reputation of bringing up the finest dogfighters in the country, as well as the film series starring Tom Cruise, of course. 

When you tell people you graduated from TOPGUN, it doesn't take long for the conversation to wander from real-life situations to whimsical Hollywood schlock, because c'mon - who doesn't want to know more about TOPGUN? Is the real program anything like what's in the movies? What kind of flight risks are people not aware of, and how does new technology help make dogfighting safer in modern warfare? And most importantly - did Jack ever buzz the tower, or is that just Hollywood bunk?

----------

Get Your Copy of Jack's Book, 'Unknown Rider' on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/t33vbtyy

Support Jack Stewart -

Website: https://jackstewartbooks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackstewartbooks

X: https://twitter.com/JackStewartBook

----------

Sponsors: 

Contingency Medical

Don't Wait! Go to https://www.contingencymedical.com/mikedrop now and enter promo code MIKEDROP for $20 off any pack! That's $20 off ANY pack at https://www.contingencymedical.com/mikedrop with promo code MIKEDROP!

----------

ZBiotics

This holiday season, give your friends and family a gift they will actually want and use with ZBiotics. Go to zbiotics.com/MIKEDROP to get 15% off your first order when you use MIKEDROP at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Remember to head to https://www.zbiotics.com/mikedrop and use the code MIKEDROP at checkout for 15% off. Thank you ZBiotics for sponsoring this episode and our good times.

----------

WileyX

Whether it is the great outdoors, hunting, fishing, shooting, working around the house, or putting in an honest day’s work on the job, Wiley X has you covered.

Protect what matters… Stock up this Holiday season at https://www.wileyx.com

----------

Beam

Take advantage of Beam's biggest sale of the year and get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to https://www.shopbeam.com/MIKEDROP and use promo code MIKEDROP at checkout!

----------

BUBS Naturals 

The BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB’ Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived. 

BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.

Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life. 

Go to https://www.bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order. 

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The French Foreign Legion - a unique corps of the French Army that, unlike nearly any other army in the world, allows foregin nationals to enlist at will. It's a diverse fighting force, deploying all over the world into any conditions necessary. They're also the home of Taylor Cavanaugh, a former U.S. Navy Vet that enlisted just a few years ago. But Taylor's not just any veteran - he's a former U.S. Navy SEAL from SEAL Team Seven. 

Safe to say there's a lot of questions to ask here - why's Taylor living in France? What made him leave the United States to fight for another country? And how exactly did he come to join - and then ultimately depart from - the Tip of the Spear? One thing's for sure - when Taylor's at the wheel, it's gonna be a wild ride. 

----------

Support Taylor Cavanaugh -

Website: https://www.taylorcavanaugh.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcavofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tcavofficial

----------

Sponsors: 

American Financing

American Financing’s salary-based mortgage consultants will help you consolidate uour debt into one payment. Make the call today. Call American Financing at 866-890-9313 or visit https://www.americanfinancing.net.

----------

ZBiotics

This holiday season, give your friends and family a gift they will actually want and use with ZBiotics. Go to zbiotics.com/MIKEDROP to get 15% off your first order when you use MIKEDROP at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Remember to head to https://www.zbiotics.com/mikedrop and use the code MIKEDROP at checkout for 15% off. Thank you ZBiotics for sponsoring this episode and our good times.

----------

WileyX

Whether it is the great outdoors, hunting, fishing, shooting, working around the house, or putting in an honest day’s work on the job, Wiley X has you covered.

Protect what matters… Stock up this Holiday season at https://www.wileyx.com

----------

Manscaped

Get 20% off + free shipping with the code MikeDrop at https://www.manscaped.com. That’s 20% off + free shipping with the code MikeDrop at https://www.manscaped.com. I can promise you’ve never seen a ball trimmer look like a spaceship. Get yours today from our folks at MANSCAPED™.

----------

MUD/WTR

Go to https://www.mudwtr.com/mike to support the show and use code MIKEMUD for 15% off!

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Ritland and Shane Hiatt have been friends for a long time. Which is a surprisingly rare thing in the veteran community - the odds that two SEAL Team guys would run into each other again and again aren't quite as high as you might think. But Shane's a nomad - a wandering traveler, that's been living out of his truck with just his dog and the natural beauty of the American countryside for over 15 years. 

Fortunately, he's not just panning for change out there on the open road - Shane owns and operates SH9, an elite knife company that ships American-made products all over the world. So now that he's drifted into town again, Mike's gotta know - what's a former Navy SEAL looking for out there on the highway? 

----------

Support Shane Hiatt -

Get One of Shane's Knives At: https://www.sh9.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SH-sl5qm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sh9outdoorshop

----------

Sponsors: 

Beam

Take advantage of Beam's biggest sale of the year and get up to 50% off for a limited time when you go to https://www.shopbeam.com/MIKEDROP - discount applied at checkout, no code necessary! 

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It takes all sorts to make the world, but only a select few are chosen to lead. Just ask Shane Hiatt - he's a former Point Man for SEAL Team 3, where he met and served together with our very own Mike Ritland. Since then they've been good friends for over 25 years, with Shane swinging by to visit whenever he's in town. He's a modern nomad, living out of his truck for over 15 years (a self-described 'van-lifer' before it was cool) and he owns SH9, an elite knife company that ships products all over the world. He's even been on the podcast before, way back on Episode 50 with Clint Emerson. 

Since then, Shane's been traveling, crafting knives and spinning yarns all over the country. But there's a lot more to his past that wasn't revealed last time he was on Mike Drop - that's why he's sitting down with Mike again to share a collective look back at where they've come from early in their careers, and the men they'd eventually grow to become. 

----------

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

03:53 - This Is All A Huge Mistake

10:46 - I Live In My Truck

16:07 - Growing Up in the Rio Grande Valley

21:22 - Problems with Grandpa-Dad

34:52 - DON'T Become a Navy SEAL

43:44 - BUD/S and Two Deployments

54:57 - Testing Mettle on the Somalia Coast

01:02:15 - A Navy SEAL in College

01:11:42 - Now I Owed the Navy Three Years

01:17:23 - How Shane Hiatt Met Mike Ritland

01:29:00 - A Bad Hat in Fort Chaffee

----------

Support Shane Hiatt -

Get One of Shane's Knives At: https://www.sh9.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SH-sl5qm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sh9outdoorshop

----------

Sponsors: 

American Financing

American Financing’s salary-based mortgage consultants will help you consolidate uour debt into one payment. Make the call today. Call American Financing at 866-890-9313 or visit https://www.americanfinancing.net.

----------

BUBS Naturals 

The BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB’ Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived. 

BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.

Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life. 

Go to https://www.bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order.  

----------

MUD/WTR

Go to https://www.mudwtr.com/mike to support the show and use code MIKEMUD for 15% off!

----------

Jase Medical

Go to https://www.jasemedical.com and enter code DROP at checkout for a discount on your order. That’s promo code DROP at J-A-S-E Medical.com.

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Navy SEAL Drago Dzieran has a complicated past. Before serving twenty years at the Tip of the Spear, he was a political prisoner in his home country of Poland after they assumed Communist rule. After immigrating to America, he became a citizen, joined the military, and not long after started serving with Jocko Willink over at SEAL Team 2, before eventually transitioning to SEAL Team 4. He's operated all over the world, stopped a lot of bad guys, and even archived his travels in his memoir 'The Pledge to America: One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL'. 

What makes a man move away from his home to fight for another? What was Jocko like on SEAL Team 2? And what does the future have in store for Drago Dzieran? Let's find out.

----------

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:36 - Life was Totally Different Now

06:46 - A Newly-Released Political Prisoner

14:25 - An Emergency U.S. Visa

19:35 - Working-Class American Compassion

33:42 - Joining the Military

38:05 - A Brief Explanation of Skydiving (& American Women)

43:01 - I Joined the Navy, Having Never Seen the Ocean

50:47 - Joining SEAL Team 2

01:01:21 - Meet Jocko Willink

01:14:23 - Working Out on 9/11

01:28:08 - Deployed to Iraq

01:38:23 - SEAL Team 4's Craziest Raid

01:46:05 - Teams in Fallujah

01:56:05 - Dating Advice from SEAL Team 4

02:08:23 - The Pledge to America & The Navy Seals Fund

02:13:54 - Censorship and ConnectZing

----------

Support Drago Dzieran -

Book - The Pledge to America: https://www.amazon.com/Pledge-America-Journey-Political-Prisoner/dp/1637583710

Website: https://dragodzieran.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragodzieran

----------

Sponsors: 

American Financing

American Financing’s salary-based mortgage consultants will help you consolidate your debt into one payment. Make the call today. Call American Financing at 866-890-9313 or visit https://www.americanfinancing.net.

----------

Beam

Take advantage of Beam's biggest sale of the year and get up to 50% off for a limited time when you go to https://www.shopbeam.com/MIKEDROP - discount applied at checkout, no code necessary!

----------

Manscaped

Get 20% off + free shipping with the code MikeDrop at https://www.manscaped.com. That’s 20% off + free shipping with the code MikeDrop at https://www.manscaped.com. I can promise you’ve never seen a ball trimmer look like a spaceship. Get yours today from our folks at MANSCAPED™.

----------

Black Buffalo

Go to blackbuffalo.com/discount/MIKEDROP and use promo code Mike Drop at checkout for 20% off your first order!

Black Buffalo products are intended for adults aged 21 and older who are consumers of nicotine or tobacco.

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Drago Dzieran was born in Poland while under Communist rule. After spending time in a Communist prison (also known as a Gulag) as a political prisoner for his activism against against censorship, he immigrated to the United States in 1984, becoming a full U.S. Citizen in 1991. That same year he joined the Navy, where he'd go on to be assigned to SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4, and Naval Special Warfare as a BUD/S Instructor. He's been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, The Navy Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal, among others. 

Since then, Drago's helped to found The Navy SEALs Fund, freedom-of-speech platform ConnectZing, and written a book about his experiences called 'The Pledge To America: One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL'. His story serves as a reminder that America's a country of builders - people who can come together, from far and wide, and build a life for themselves and their family with a little bit of hard work and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. But how did he escape a Communist Gulag? What led him to enlist to fight on behalf of another country? And how the hell did Drago get to be so damn tough? Let's meet the man. 

----------

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

03:31 - Missing Poland

09:31 - Concerning Communism

14:35 - Born into Socialism

23:23 - Poor in Poland

41:03 - Polish Education, Socialist Values

52:51 - Sports for the State

59:08 - Warsaw with Dad

01:08:08 - Learning to Box

01:18:15 - Dad Wanted to Believe

01:23:19 - Running the Bubble-Gum Scam

01:28:25 - Socialized Medicine, State-Run Media

01:42:14 - Firearms, Martial Law, & Military Regime

01:53:54 - A Three-Year Prison Sentence

----------

Support Drago Dzieran -

Book - The Pledge to America: https://www.amazon.com/Pledge-America-Journey-Political-Prisoner/dp/1637583710

Website: https://dragodzieran.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragodzieran

----------

Sponsors: 

BUBS Naturals 

The BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB’ Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived. 

BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.

Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life. 

Go to https://www.bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order. 

----------

MUD/WTR

Visit https://www.mudwtr.com/mike to support the show and get up to 20% off on participating products!

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nobody understands the border crisis quite like Vince 'Rocco' Vargas. Though most know him now as the actor behind Gilly Lopez on FX's 'Mayans M.C.', Vince is also a retired specialized law enforcement BORSTAR agent, where he operated for years on both sides of the border. He's also a veteran, having been deployed as an Army Ranger, and the author of 'Borderline: Defending the Homefront', where he shares more stories from his work in law enforcement. 

Having traveled the country and witnessed the problem firsthand, it's safe to say that Vince has got more than a few hot takes on how to tackle the avalanche of issues that make up the border crisis. But one thing's for sure - Vince has seen the danger, and now he has something to tell us. 

----------

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:16 - Going to the Border

08:47 - Drill Sergeant Selection

16:58 - You're a BORSTAR Agent Now

25:37 - The Mission That Pushed Me Out

31:08 - Sons of Anarchy & Mayans M.C.

46:27 - Authoring Borderline - Defending the Home Front

53:08 - The Great Immigration Debate

01:24:50 - Light the Fuse Retreat & The Vinny Roc Podcast

----------

Support Vince Rocco Vargas -

Book: Borderline: Defending the Homefront Book - https://www.theborderlinebook.com

Light The Fuse Mental Health & Wellness - https://ltfmentorship.com

The Vinny Roc Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vinnyroc-podcast/id1284060556

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/VincentRoccoVargas275

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vincent.rocco.vargas

----------

Sponsors: 

Black Buffalo

Go to https://www.blackbuffalo.com/discount/MIKEDROP and use promo code Mike Drop at checkout for 15% off your first order!

Black Buffalo products are intended for adults aged 21 and older who are consumers of nicotine or tobacco.

----------

MUD/WTR

Go to https://www.mudwtr.com/mike to support the show and use code MIKEMUD for 15% off!

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

'Going Hollywood'. It's a phrase that's all too familiar to Vince 'Rocco' Vargas - a veteran turned actor, Vinny's appeared in FX's Mayans M.C. along with a handful of features that have had a surprisingly large impact online. He's also a former Army Ranger, prison guard, drill sergeant, and BORSTAR agent, and nowadays he's an author, podcast host, father, and husband.

From afar, it might seem like Vince has had an easy go of things, but that's far from the truth. Struggles in schooling and a fiery need to paddle his own canoe led to military service, but what followed is a whole other ball of wax. Here's Rocco's side of the story.

----------

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

02:20 - Playing Gilly in Mayans M.C.

09:08 - The Threat of AI

16:11 - Gang Wars

20:49 - Going Into the Rangers

28:17 - Losing Faith in Iraq

35:26 - A Dangerous Daylight Op

44:37 - Losing Friends

52:56 - Stories from Prison

01:06:04- Reforming the Prison System

01:14:39 - Going to the Border

----------

Support Vince Rocco Vargas -

Book: Borderline: Defending the Homefront Book - https://www.theborderlinebook.com

Light The Fuse Mental Health & Wellness - https://ltfmentorship.com

The Vinny Roc Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vinnyroc-podcast/id1284060556

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/VincentRoccoVargas275

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vincent.rocco.vargas

----------

Sponsors: 

MUD/WTR

Go to https://www.mudwtr.com/mike to get your free frother and samples and support the show! 

----------

American Hartford Gold

Visit https://www.americanhartfordgold.com or call 855-967-1413, that’s 855-967-1413, or text “DROP” to 6-5-5-3-2.

----------

Fabric

Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at https://www.meetfabric.com/mikedrop.

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Hanson knows how to keep a secret. It's part of his job, actually - he's a former officer of the CIA, or 'The Agency' as insiders call it - along with an instructor in escape and evasion via his his tactical spy school, a frequent media guest on television programs around the world, and even a New York Times bestselling author with his book 'Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life.' And with a resumé ranging from surveillance to Shark Tank, safe to say Jason's got more than a few good stories worth sharing from the world of intelligence espionage.

So how does somebody become a CIA Operative? What kind of work was Jason doing when he worked at the Agency? And just what exactly is the CIA up to nowadays, in a digital world that's constantly connected? Let's meet Jason.

----------

Support Jason Hanson -

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonHansonSpyBriefing

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-r-hanson-5a1760a5/

Spy + Survival Briefing: https://www.spybriefing.com

Enroll in Jason's Tactical Spy Course: https://www.tacticalspyschool.com

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Recon Marine Rudy Reyes has got quite the resumé. He's a wildly popular Call of Duty character, he played himself on HBO's Generation Kill, he hosts Special Forces: The World's Toughest Test on FOX - and that's just the popular stuff. He even founded a veteran nonprofit, Force Blue, that's dedicated to changing the world through ocean conservation, all while helping veterans along the way.

Some might say Rudy's 'gone Hollywood', but pushing celebrities to their limits every week on national television isn't exactly a soft gig. Fact is, Rudy's still doing the same thing he's always done - kicking ass, taking names, and having a great time doing it. 

----------

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:20 - Navigating the State Department

11:25 - Close Calls in Africa

18:04- Cringe Contracting

32:03 - Special Forces Showbusiness

47:42 - Saving Our Oceans with Force Blue

01:03:31 - I Just Want a Tombstone

----------

Support Rudy Reyes -

Website: https://rudyreyes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realrudyreyes

Force Blue Veteran Nonprofit: https://forceblueteam.org

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices