Although we had some fun recording this episode discussing some lighter subject matter, as you can see from the title, we largely focused on the most serious military issue of our time, veteran and active-duty suicide. I am joined by Alex Hollings this episode as the former Marine and writer discusses why this is an issue he’s so passionate about. Alex recently wrote an article up now on Newsrep regarding the VA abandoning the issue and not using over 6 million dollars allocated for suicide prevention related media. Alex was disgusted by the move, felt that their explanation for the oversight was weak, and you’ll hear why. We also give some suggestions to those struggling with these thoughts, and point out that there are some great organizations like GallantFew focused on this crisis. In other news, Alex is now the editor for our aviation site, Fighter Sweep. He gets into his passion for the subject matter and why he jumped at the chance to run this site for Hurricane Media. Alex is currently looking for WWII bomber crewmen to interview for the site, so if you know someone, be sure to contact him on Twitter at @AlexHollings52.

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Paul de Gelder was a Navy Clearance Diver and Army Paratrooper, but his life would change forever in 2009 when he lost his right leg and much of his right arm in a brutal shark attack during an equipment test with the Navy. Paul speaks with us for over an hour recalling his rough and troubling upbringing that led him to the military, and detailing the event that nearly ended his life. Paul has since become a motivational speaker, actor, and you likely have seen his work as well on Shark Week where he continues to put his life on the line diving for some incredible footage we see each year. He also documents his story in the memoir “No Time for Fear: How a Shark Survivor Beat the Odds.” Be sure to follow him @PauldeGelder on Instagram and Twitter as well. What an amazing and inspirational story! Beyond that we react to the swearing in of new members of Congress, as well as the arraignment of former SEAL and 19-year Navy vet Edward Gallagher for war crimes. Have any questions? Shoot them over to [email protected], and if you want them possibly read on the show, keep them concise.

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2018 was a great year for SOFREP Radio. We recorded over 100 episodes of kick ass content, had more listeners checking us out than ever before, and a variety of awesome guests from all different backgrounds. Of those guests, here are excerpts from 5 of the most listened to of 2018. Pat McNamara joins the podcast as we discuss a HALO jump story as told to us by George Hand. Andrew Wilkow discusses hyperbolic news, national security, and knowing Steve Bannon prior to him joining the Trump administration. Ed Darack, who will be back on with us later this month, gets into the real story behind Operation Red Wings…and it’s a controversial one. Mike Vining recalls his experience in Vietnam and the tragic death of his teammate Ken Foster. We wrap it all up with Navy SEAL and now Congressman Dan Crenshaw, joining us early on in the campaign trail as we have a frank discussion on foreign policy. Much more to come in 2019, please spread the word and follow us on all social media platforms. Any questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

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Jared Van Driessche is the co-author of “Public Figures, Private Lives,” and as the CEO of Asgard Technology Group, he’s been involved in protecting a long list of high net worth individuals in nearly every continent. These range from the most recognizable musicians and actors, to billionaire entrepreneurs that keep as low of a profile as possible. What’s the job like? If you want to know, this is an interview you do not want to miss. From anxiety inducing situations to funny stories, we cover it all with Jared right here. Beyond that, we react to the resignation of beloved General and now former Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis. We get into a discussion on the future of industry in America, and also read an email that I absolutely loved sent to [email protected]. Last, I’d like to make you aware of the latest at Newsrep, and that is our new Financial Report. We hope that you join us to get a better understanding of where to invest your money in an uncertain economy from our team of experts. With that, we hope you’ve enjoyed over a hundred shows from us this past year, and have a fantastic New Years eve celebration! We’ll see you folks in 2019.

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It may be the day after Christmas, but that didn't stop us from hitting you with a brand new episode. Okay, truthfully, all credit to Newsrep writer Jamie Reed for insisting we give the people an update on the happenings in Ukraine. If not for him, you'd likely be hearing a "best of." It's been a while since the former British Reconnaissance operator joined us, and he was enthusiastic to give us some news on the region. It's a subject which he often writes about, as many of you Newsrep readers know. Also, interestingly enough, Jack Murphy and Jay first made contact in Syria, so we get the guys take on the withdrawal from the region. Hope you enjoy this episode, and most importantly, whether you got to spend the day with loved ones, or you're stuck overseas protecting our freedom, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas. To those ladies and gentlemen downrange, stay safe for us.

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Carmen Gentile is a journalist who has reported from war zones, embedded with Army units, to get the real story on the ground for the public to learn. In September of 2010 while in Eastern Afghanistan however, his livelihood and passion took a horrific turn when he was hit in the face with an RPG. This all happened as Carmen was capturing stories on the ground, and due to this, the entire ambush was caught on film and is now up on Youtube. As you can imagine after shattering and blinding his right eye, this led to a long and trying recovery process dealing with a lot of physical and emotional pain which he documents in his book, “Blindsided by the Taliban: A Journalist’s Story of War, Trauma, Love, and Loss.” Incredibly, Carmen went right back to work in the Middle East once he was healed despite many thinking he was crazy for it. In this interview we not only discuss Carmen’s story, but what it means to be a journalist working from war zones in this era. Carmen also relays a funny story involving the idol worship of Army generals he’s seen during his time, and in this case, General Patraeus. In addition to his work, Carmen is a motorcycle enthusiast and he’s currently tying this passion with a future story on the ground in Iraq. You’ll hear all about that right here on Episode 415…crank it up!

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On December 16th President Trump went on Twitter to announce his plans in reviewing the case of Major Matt Golsteyn, a Green Beret who was charged with the murder of an enemy combatant. Gosteyn may have acted in a manner that goes against the Geneva Conventions and the Manual for Military Courts Martial article 118. This stemming from an interview during a CIA interrogation, routine for the job selection process, in 2011, and then during an appearance five years later on Fox News. Former Army Brigadier General A.J. Tata, now a regular on the podcast, wrote an excellent piece for Fox News explaining this. The op-ed also pans critics of the President’s that have snubbed his right in reviewing this important case. Tata also has a brand new book out titled “Dark Winter,” the fifth in his Jake Mahegan thriller series. We get into the inspiration behind this book dealing with tech giants censoring opposition voices. Also on this show is a former Marine with 3rd Recon Battalion, 1st MSOB, Chris Duplantis. What makes Chris’s background unique is his history in three different branches of the military. If you’re a member of the armed forces interested in going into a different branch, you may find this information useful. In addition, Jack and I dig into the conspiracy realm, and some theories often discussed by the alt-right. A whole lot covered on Episode 414 that you don’t want to miss! Enjoy the show? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, it’s quick to do and we love to hear your feedback.

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If you read Brandon Webb's book "Mastering Fear," you may recall an awesome story from Ramones bass player and Marine, CJ Ramone. This is the interview that inspired that story. CJ joined us back on Episode 273, and we split that interview into two. The first half for SOFREP, second half for Brandon Webb's Power of Thought Podcast. So for the first time, here's that great interview in it's entirety. CJ was fresh off of a tour with The Aquabats as we recorded this and was ramping up to go off to the UK for another tour. The guys talk their mutual love of travel and some of the great sites they've seen around the world. CJ's music is what allows him to travel so much, and he has a true appreciation for it. You'll hear about the trial by fire when he was asked to replace the legendary Dee Dee Ramone for rambunctious crowds not exactly thrilled to see a new member of The Ramones. His biggest fear? Running out of time, and you'll hear why. He also just released a vinyl pressing of his "Christmas Lullabye," which I must say would make a pretty kick ass gift for the punk rocker in your life! Be sure to pick it up.

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Captain Jerry Yellin flew the final combat mission over Japan during WWII in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He flew the P-51 Mustang for the Army Air Forces (the branch's shortly lived name from the early to mid 1940's between being known as the Army Air Corps and the Air Force.) Yellin died this month a year ago, but just a couple of months prior, Brandon Webb had the honor to interview him on The Power of Thought Podcast. It very likely may have been the final interview of his life, and the last time he got to tell his incredible story. Some of you may have heard it, and some of you have not. So I wanted to celebrate the life of Yellin, his remarkable service, and the twist of fate when his son moved to Japan and married a woman he fell in love with there. Your legacy lives on Captain!

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Hurricane Group just held our end-of-year meeting for 2018 to brainstorm and discuss what we have coming up in the new year. It's all very exciting stuff, and I know that many of you, our listeners, have been with us for a long time and feel invested in what we do. So this episode is mainly for you guys, the diehards.  Nick Coffman joins us in studio who was just promoted to the Editor in Chief across all of our sites such as The Loadout Room, while Jack Murphy remains dedicated in his role to Editor in Chief solely at Newsrep. Back on board with the site as a staff writer is Jamie Read A.K.A. Jay, I know that many of you are familiar with this work over the years. Staff writer Alex Hollings will now also be handling our site devoted to military aviation Fighter Sweep, in addition to his work at Newsrep (the man stays kind of busy.) In addition to that, we currently have an amazing giveaway sponsored by Crate Club and The Loadout Room for an Axelson Precision Custom Elite 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle Package at CrateClub.us/gaw; and this you do not want to pass up on! Beyond that we followup with Nick on the aftermath of his amazing work covering Fred Galvin and the MARSOC 7 being exonerated a decade later after false accusations of war crimes. So dig in, and get the full scoop on all of this with us.

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