In this podcast, Rad features Master Sergeant John "Mad Dog" B. Melson, who served 3 years in the USMC and almost 17 years in the Army National Guard. After his service in the Marines and in the wake of 9/11, John tried to enlist again but found out that he had a tumor in his neck which was cutting off his blood flow. 

He was in extreme danger and was faced with a difficult decision: undergo surgery that could kill him or do nothing and have less than 5 years to live. He chose to have a fighting chance and went under the knife. Against the odds, he survived and was given the chance to serve again in the National Guard to fight in Afghanistan.

He shares crazy stories of his 9 combat deployments, from popping smoke to signal the A-10 not to fire upon them in the middle of a firefight, to being left to fend for themselves during a Taliban assault. He is the recipient of 5 Bronze Star Medals, 2 Purple Hearts, and 4 Army Commendation Medals for Valor.

Check out John’s podcast Guts and Grit:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guts-grit-great-business/id1516815054

Get a copy of Jessica Ainsworth’s latest book titled At What Cost on Amazon which features John’s foreword and an entire chapter on his story and the personal cost of war: https://amzn.to/3T0FSNQ

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On this podcast, Rad features Gary Weaving, Founder and CEO of Forgotten Veterans United Kingdom (FVUK). A former Royal Engineer who served in Afghanistan, he started the charity in 2016 following his medical discharge from the British Army. Failure to get a correct diagnosis of his physical injuries led him to spiral down, abuse substances, and lose the will to live.

He began posting details about his troubles on social media and was amazed by the response from fellow veterans going through similar difficulties. He started FVUK with his own personal funds to provide immediate and much-needed support for fellow veterans. To this day Gary does not take any payment or money from the charity for himself. 

The mantra of their organization is "selfless commitment to others" and their goal is to give back purpose and hope to veterans forgotten by the system.

Connect with Gary and FVUK by checking out the links below:

Website: https://www.forgottenveteransuk.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelflessCommitmentToOthers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alone_Soldiers

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Paul R. Bruno who has spent twenty years studying and writing about the early history of Jeep. He discusses the genesis of this iconic vehicle and its legendary ability to perform in basically any environment. 

Paul tells the story of a little-known car manufacturer called Bantam and how, in their bid to avoid bankruptcy, aggressively developed the Jeep to the specified needs of the Army. With Bantam’s mechanical genius, they developed the first Jeep in just 49 days and it withstood the toughest tests the Army could throw at it. 

Paul is the author of three award-winning books called Project Management in History: The First Jeep, The Original Jeeps, and The Original Jeeps in Pictures.

Grab a copy of THE ORIGINAL JEEPS here: https://amzn.to/3zZNj0j

Visit Paul's Website: https://originaljeeps.com/

Dispatcher Magazine: https://www.dispatchermagazine.com/books

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In this episode, Rad welcomes Master Sergeant (MSG, Ret) Howard “Mad Max” Mullen Jr., a 2013 Ranger Hall of Fame inductee among a long list of other achievements in the Army. A 26-year veteran, he was one of the most dynamic Ranger instructors to serve during the 1980s and early 1990s. 

Max recalls his legendary mentors, how they set him up for success, and the physical and mental rigors of Ranger School. He shares his tours of duty overseas, especially in South Korea where he served in the DMZ, as well as the airborne invasion of Grenada when he dropped in to help secure the airport and save American students.

Find out more about Max in the links below: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-max-mullen-87023a10

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

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In this episode, Rad welcomes back Charles Cunningham, a former military policeman in the Air Force, a local police officer, PA State Trooper, and a retired FBI Agent. He continues to story of David James Lindsey's trial and how one warrant officer systematically discredits every single one of Lindsey's war medal claims. 

David was found guilty on 21 counts and was sentenced to 60 years in jail. He later died in prison and is buried with no honors in White Hall. Charles also shares stories of his career in the FBI where he became the special agent in charge of Richmond, Virginia.

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On this week’s podcast, Rad welcomes Charles Cunningham who is a former military policeman in the Air Force, a local police officer, PA State Trooper, and a retired FBI Agent. He shares the amazing case of David James Lindsey, a bemedalled former Marine, Army NCO, and war hero, who ends up becoming a cocaine dealer in upstate New York. 

Charles got hold of a ledger for David's crimes and this led him down a rabbit hole of racketeering, murders, possession of firearms and silencers, and drug trafficking. They go to trial. David takes a PTSD defense and had one of the most qualified psychiatrists declare that David has one of the worst PTSD cases he has ever seen.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this podcast, Rad welcomes Maj. Fred Galvin who served as commanding officer of the first unit that MARSOC deployed to combat in Afghanistan. He is the author of A Few Bad Men and he shares the chilling story of being ambushed by a car bomb and being framed for war crimes they did not commit.

He recounts how they were unwanted guests to their command and the underlying selfish philosophies of his commanders. The media storm that followed the attack got them booted out of Afghanistan and even back home, despite being exonerated by the court of inquiry, they were publicly shamed for supposedly getting away with murder. Fred is fighting back and letting the people know how the military is abusing its power and letting others take the fall for their mistakes.

Get a copy of A Few Bad Men: The True Story of U.S. Marines Ambushed in Afghanistan and Betrayed in America: https://amzn.to/3amnmOv

Connect with Fred via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-galvin-27270116/

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On this week’s podcast, Rad welcomes Mark Nutsch and Jim DeFelice. Mark served as a Green Beret and led one of the first Special Forces teams into Afghanistan after 9/11. Mark was trained in unconventional warfare, from using foreign weapons to adapting to riding on horseback. He recalls an amazing scene of their local allies on horseback charging against columns of Taliban tanks and leading his team through the harshest conditions just to survive.

Jim is the author or co-author of sixteen New York Times bestselling books, including American Sniper, Everyman a Hero, and Swords of Lightning which he co-wrote with Mark. He shares some of the tales he learned from Mark, notably the fascinating mix of civil war-era and high-tech warfare that transpired during Mark's mission. He is a winner of the Army Historical Foundation Award for his writing and lives in the Hudson Valley.

The story of Mark and the 12 horsemen of ODA 595 is dramatized in the Hollywood movie 12 Strong.

Get your copy of Swords of Lightning: https://amzn.to/3bJpxMv

Check out Horse Soldier Bourbon in the links below:

Book website: http://swordsoflightning.com/

Horse Soldier Bourbon website: https://horsesoldierbourbon.com/

Horse Soldier Bourbon YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HorseSoldierBourbon

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On this week’s podcast, Rad welcomes back Brad Thor, former member of the Department of Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell Unit and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 21 books, including his latest thriller called Rising Tiger. Brad discusses how in-depth he went to get every detail right, from getting the military ranks of the Indian armed forces accurately to depicting the horrific medieval skirmish between the Indians and Chinese in 2020 which served as the opening to the book. Brad explores the geopolitical tension between the two nations and also shares interesting tidbits on cross-referencing characters from other authors' books, learning how to fashion an IED out of garbage, and why a 9mm is the preferred gun in an actual gunfight.

Get a copy of Rising Tiger: https://amzn.to/3OD6WzJ

Reach out to Brad Thor:

Website: https://bradthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BradThorOfficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradThor

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

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On this special episode, SOFREP's Editor-in-Chief Sean Spoonts features Brad Thor, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, former member of the Department of Homeland Security's Analytic Red Cell Unit, and sought-after keynote speaker on future terrorist threats. They are joined by Brandon Webb, SOFREP's publisher, former Navy SEAL sniper, and himself an author of a dozen books, as well as John David Mann, co-author of over 30 books including Brandon's memoirs. 

Brad shares his creative process, from experiencing as many of his settings as he can to never using an outline to keep the magic of storytelling alive. John then updates on Finn's saga that started in Steel Fear and how the mystery around him will take readers to Iceland next. They comment on the geopolitics of the US, China, Russia, and India and share funny anecdotes on Cold Fear's cover photo. Finally, they give tips to aspiring writers about reading what you love and writing as an intentional decision. 

Visit Brad Thor's website: https://bradthor.com/

Get a copy of Rising Tiger: https://amzn.to/3xFoKDL

Get copies of books by Brandon Webb and John David Mann:

Cold Fear: https://amzn.to/3mZh0aw

Steel Fear: https://amzn.to/3N4dOFk

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