SOFREP Radio

On this week’s podcast, Rad features Darril Fannin, a former US Army medic who left after 9 years to pursue a career in film. He recalls his hyper-conservative roots in the United Pentecostal Church which taught him about love for neighbor, a lesson that he has brought with him throughout the years. 

Darril digs into writing, producing, and acting in the Netflix series Green Beret's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse and working with Matt Damon. He also comments on society's lack of support for veterans and introduces how blockchain technology can be used to protect artists' rights in perpetuity.

Find out more about Darril and work with him here https://www.kinoapp.xyz/.

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Jack Goodwin, a 25-year veteran of the British Army where he served as a physical trainer and is now a highly sought-after boxing referee. He shares his journey which started when he joined the Army at 16 years old and his growth in the Army Physical Training Corps.

His passion for training carried over well after his time in the Army. Jack worked with the police for 8 years as a civilian trainer before zeroing in on his current career as a boxing referee. 

Jack shares some of the exciting if bizarre projects he's refereeing today, such as influencer matches, which really fill up major stadiums. While the nature of boxing events is certainly changing, Jack remains committed to keeping matches professional and safe for the fighters in the ring.

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Peter Shinkle, author of Uniting America. The years preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor saw the unification of Democrats and Republicans under the administration of FDR. 

This potentially catastrophic political move was embraced by the general public who felt that now was the time to prepare for inevitable war. The success of this unification was based on the mutual respect for constitutional democracy that both sides shared. 

Rad and Peter then dig into the fundamental differences between WW2 and the Vietnam War to understand why people support or resist conscription. They also comment on the possible lack of democratic values in America today.

Get your copy of Uniting America: https://amzn.to/3VcRbnb

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Jeff Depatie, a former sniper/assaulter with Joint Task Force 2, the tier 1 solution of the Canadian Armed Forces comparable to SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force. JTF2 famously holds the record for the longest confirmed kill at 3,540 meters.

Jeff is the founder of The Special Forces Experience (SFE), a collective committed to building communities that facilitate post-traumatic growth (PTG). He shares how they induce stress to jumpstart growth and the physiological and psychological foundations of their therapy that ultimately heal veterans. 

Rad and Jeff dig into the psychedelic renaissance happening today and the need to set guidelines on plant-based therapy. Their own experiences with the healing properties of cannabis help inform the kind of groundbreaking work that Jeff and his community are doing.

Find out more on The Special Forces Experience in the links below:

• Website: https://thespecialforcesexperience.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialforcesexperience/

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Ethan Chorin, a former diplomat posted to Libya during the 2012 Benghazi attack. This single catastrophe continues to have far-reaching effects on the domestic and foreign policy of the US and Ethan shares his account of the events prior to the attack and its aftermath. 

He gives an insider's perspective on Ambassador Chris Stevens' thoughts leading up to this fateful day and the tremendous amount of risk he volunteered to take on entering Benghazi. 

Ethan also comments on the rather unfair portrayal of Ambassador Stevens in the Hollywood dramatization. He points to the fact that what people want is a scapegoat for why this tragic event even took place and not an understanding of its implications to policy-making, risk aversion, and partisanship.

Grab a copy of Ethan's book Benghazi! : https://amzn.to/3RPSZRh

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features James Rife and Craig Reed, both military historians and published authors. James discusses the tense geopolitical history between Ukraine and Russia going back a thousand years that laid the foundations for the invasion happening today. 

Meanwhile, Craig analyzes the backbreaking mistakes that Russia has made thus far which has dragged on what was supposed to be a 3-day invasion into a protracted war now on its 6th month. 

They look at the sweeping changes Ukraine enforced after the ease with which Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. After getting a taste of Western democracy and freedom, Ukraine’s now battle-hardened veterans, armed with cutting-edge weapons and tactics, have put up stiff resistance against their country's greatest existential crisis.

Grab a copy of James and Craig's book The Russia Ukraine War Factbook in the link below:

https://militaryminiaturepress.com/product/the-russia-ukraine-war-factbook/

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On this week’s podcast, Rad features Anthony Stephen Malone, a former Paratrooper in the British Army and former CIA operator in Afghanistan. He is the host of The Patriot Show, as well as the author of 4 books, including the Honour Bound series and his latest release called Hostage/Evacuation which details his capture by the Taliban.

He shares the critical and apolitical role of the veteran community in helping move up to 400 families out of Afghanistan during the chaotic evacuation in 2021. He also sheds light on the brain drain happening there right now where educated young people simply do not want to be in a country governed by extremist Taliban. 

There are many elements within Afghanistan that actually want the country to progress. More of the world needs to realize that leaving Afghanistan to devolve back into civil war and getting Western boots on the ground again is simply not in anyone’s interest.

Connect with Anthony, learn about his advocacy to help fellow veterans by visiting his website: http://www.anthonymalone.me.uk/

Get a copy of Honour Bound Part 1: https://amzn.to/3CVEsi6

Get a copy of Honour Bound Part 2: https://amzn.to/3cHRZiK

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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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