SOFREP Radio

Derek Leebaert is the author of Unlikely Heroes, an account of Pres. Roosevelt and his 4 closest associates: Harry Hopkins, Harold Ickes, Frances Perkins, and Henry Wallace, and how they would forever change the world. In many ways, history tends to repeat itself, and recognizing patterns of the past gives us the opportunity to shape a better future.

FDR was a titan. He was elected president for 4 terms and to this day remains the longest-serving president of the US. He was known for his fairness and desire for equality for all, an essential factor that got him the Republicans' vote every single time.

A look into his 4 lieutenants reveals much more about the myths that have plagued FDR’s presidencies since then. Derek talks about FDR's New Deal, the secret military build-up that happened in the 1930s, and how each lieutenant played a critical role in getting America through the mayhem of the time. 

Derek Leebaert won the biennial 2020 Truman Book Award for Grand Improvisation. His previous books include Magic and Mayhem and To Dare and to Conquer, both Washington Post Best Books of the Year. He was a founding editor of the Harvard/MIT journal International Security and is a co-founder of the National Museum of the United States Army. He holds a D.Phil from Oxford.

Get a copy of Unlikely Heroes: https://amzn.to/3J6NlXz

Find out more about the National Museum of the US Army: https://www.thenmusa.org/

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Mike Lahiff is a former Seal Team 4 operator and the Co-Founder and CEO of ZeroEyes, the only AI-based gun detection video analytics platform with US Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation. He shares how he was not the best student as he dropped out to enlist, but that becoming a SEAL was the realization of his childhood dream. 

Mike talks about his deployments to Afghanistan and how his FoB was the most attacked FoB in country. He also recounts one time when the NATO forces he was working with ignored intel and ended up getting ambushed. Post-SEALs, Mike started ZeroEyes to monitor guns in the open rather than recognize faces and make the best use of cameras that are already in place to get people to safety.

Find out more about Mike and ZeroEyes in the link below:

Website: https://zeroeyes.com/

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Stephen Hunter is the film critic of the Washington Post, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and the author behind Shooter. He talks about his latest book The Bullet Garden which features Earl Swagger undertaking a top-secret secret mission in the deadly German sniper-controlled hills of Normandy. 

From creating a symphony of action, mystery, and intrigue, Stephen takes us through the creative process of his book and how Carlos Hathcock, an American sniper credited with 93 kills in WW2, is the inspiration behind Earl's character. 

He gives an inside look into working with publishers and newsrooms and how getting historical details accurately is a constant effort in effective storytelling. Rad and Stephen also talk about their shared passion for airsoft and how these guns provide an accessible experience with otherwise exotic and expensive weapons. 

Get a copy of Bullet Garden here: https://amzn.to/3DHBBJf

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Jeff is a former Green Beret who served for 28 years and is the co-author of the
Black Autumn series of books. He talks about his books as a way to get people
emergency preparedness-minded and how reality and fiction collide in the recent
cartel violence seen in Mexico.

Jeff shares how specialized nurse practitioners can be and the effectiveness of
tourniquets in saving lives. He discusses one of his registered patents, the RATS
tourniquet, and how being in emergency services is all about helping your fellow
man or woman in need.

Also, with the crackdown on firearms-related content especially on YouTube, Jeff
shares one of his projects called Juxxi, a video platform that he launched that
focuses on guns and shooting clips. He also talks about the latest in Black Autumn
and what avid fans can expect next.

Get a copy of Jeff’s book: https://amzn.to/3GZqyMs

Check out Juxxi: https://juxxi.com/

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Jeff is an Army special operations veteran, business leader, jiu-jitsu black belter, and author of All the War They Want. He is a highly decorated soldier having received two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, among many others.

He shares a war story during his first deployment about surviving an IED ambush and how sometimes breaking the rules is the only way to make it out alive. He also gives his point of view about eliminating anything unnecessary in an operation, a key lesson that he has carried over even to entrepreneurship, following your passion to really experience living, and being safe with your cyber and social media health.

Get a copy of All the War They Want:  https://amzn.to/3QDMbpM

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Jeremy was a former USMC officer whose platoon served as the tip of the spear during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He recalls the intense training they had leading up to the invasion and the hurdles he had to get past like fighting at night instead of day. Jeremy also shares how his life after 10 years in the Marines was a total wreck.

He decided to dedicate his life to working in ministry full-time. A decade after leaving the Marines, he reconnected with some of the guys he served with. Jeremy saw how lost they were and realized that his time serving with them did not end when he hung up his uniform for the last time. 

He felt it his duty to equip his fellow soldiers with the tools to move forward. This became the catalyst for The Mighty Oaks Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit that works with veterans, active duty service members, and first responders to help them find their true north, deal with PTSD, and adjust to civilian life.   

Find out more about Jeremy and the Mighty Oaks Foundation in the links below:

• https://www.mightyoaksprograms.org
• https://www.jeremystalnecker.com/

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On this episode, Rad features JJ Wilson and James Boyd, both former Green Berets who have now transitioned to civilian life as entrepreneurs. After 911, both felt compelled to serve and decided to enlist. JJ Wilson joined the Army because everyone in his hometown ended up in jail or dead. 

He met James Boyd, who gave up his British citizenship to join the Special Forces, at basic training in 2005. Fast forward, they co-founded Adyton, a startup bringing mobile technology to the Department of Defense. Every branch in the military uses their product Mustr which allows service members to use their phones as we all do in our everyday lives. 

Mustr enables all service members or every rank to save countless hours of administrative work to identify service members in distress and make real-time, data-driven decisions to enhance operational readiness. Their app also helps thousands of trainees get coordinated during their Holiday Block Leave. 

Connect with JJ and James and find out how veterans can contribute to their amazing technology in the links below:

• https://www.adyton.io/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-alexander-boyd/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-wilson/

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On this week’s episode, Rad features John Winn Miller, award-winning investigative reporter, editor, publisher, screenwriter, indie movie producer, and novelist who wrote The Hunt for the Peggy C. He shares how a dream served as the inspiration for the book and the in-depth research he needed to do to get even the smallest details of U-boat operation correctly. 

The book follows the story of Captain Jake Rogers of the tramp steamer Peggy C as he makes his way through U-boat infested waters to transport vital supplies and contraband to the highest bidder. When he witnesses the Jewish oppression in Amsterdam, he decides to take on his most dangerous cargo yet: a Jewish family fleeing Nazi persecution.

Get a copy of The Hunt for the Peggy C: https://amzn.to/3hQQi4E

Find out more at: https://www.johnwinnmiller.com/

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On this week’s special feature for Veteran's Day, Rad features David Bellavia, the sole Medal of Honor recipient for the Iraq war. He is recognized for his legendary heroism in Fallujah. Now living the war for the rest of his life, he felt it his duty to tell the story of brotherhood between him and his comrades in his book Remember the Ramrods.

He speaks about supporting veterans and the community's responsibility to exercise empathy. He is passionate about giving the rest of the Ramrods credit for their service and uses his award to raise veteran support awareness. He advocates for the mental health of veterans, including reigniting a sense of purpose in them. 

Get your copy of Remember the Ramrods here: https://amzn.to/3UxOhsq

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Vincent "Rocco" Vargas, a former Army Ranger who served 3 combat deployments with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Now in Hollywood, Rocco is known for Range 15, Mayans M.C., the MBest11x YouTube channel, and the Vinny Roc podcast. 

He digs into the parallels between the military and acting and shares how he navigates his acting, writing, and producing career today. Rocco gets vulnerable and shares how he overcame his own personal obstacles with the determination to win. 

Rocco also talks about the projects he's working on today like Beteran HQ and the nonprofit Heroes Sports which gives veterans another channel to find community and camaraderie. 

Reach out to Rocco and support his initiatives for veterans in the links below:

• Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/vincent.rocco.vargas/
• Instagram (Heroes Sports): https://www.instagram.com/heroes_sports/

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