The Half Percent Podcast

Jose Belen spent 4 years in the US Army and saw combat in the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a Field Artilleryman (13B), Jose was with Old Ironsides (1st Armored Division) as they pushed into Iraq in spring of 2003 and he speaks in stark and bracing terms of the mindset of preparing for war and the atmosphere of combat that he and his fellow soldiers faced.  After leaving the Army in 2005, Jose embarked on a successful civilian career, but was battling inner demons related to his combat experiences and the loss of close friends in battle. Jose takes us deep into his soul and explores the very dark places that veterans with PTSD can go to, and what he did to climb out of that darkness and into the light. With the help of his family and friends, Jose sought help, got off the pills and drugs he was being prescribed and  branched out to a new career in the fitness industry and a newfound passion and talent as an artist. Jose also is a passionate and tireless advocate for veterans' mental health issues and uses his art as a platform to keep the memory of fallen comrades alive and bring awareness to veterans' issues. Please check out Jose's work at https://artbyjosebelen.com and follow Jose on Instagram @josebelenofficial

Joe Hayes served four years in the US Marine Corps and deployed twice to Iraq in the early stages of the GWOT. Joe was part of 2nd Battalion/4th Marines (Magnificent Bastards) and his first deployment took him into the heart of the Sunni Triangle and Ramadi, where he and his fire team engaged in an intense gunfight that would forever change Joe and those he served with. Joe goes into fascinating detail of that fateful April day in Ramadi and speaks with moving respect and reverence of his fellow Marines, many of whom lost their lives in the fight. After finishing his 4 years in the Corps, Joe entered civilian life and became a  police officer for over a decade. Joe's a man of deep religious faith and speaks with great conviction and contemplation about being a Christian,  soldier, police officer, citizen, father and husband.  The thread of service runs through Joe's life and career and his latest venture, the Day of Battle podcast, seeks to reach Marines and service members of all branches and connect them with spirituality and purpose.
You can find Joe on Instagram @dayofbattlepodcast and at his Youtube channel:
http://www.YouTube.com/@dayofbattle

Mike Nelson spent 23 years in the US Army, first in the 82nd Airborne and then the majority of his career in the special operations community as a Green Beret. Mike grew up in an Army family and attended Virginia Military Institute. He served at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels including as the Deputy Director of the US Central Commander’s Action Group, Future Operations director of Combined Joint Interagency Task Force-Syria, Director of the Baghdad Targeting Cell, and as a special forces company and operational detachment- alpha commander in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He deployed eleven times to Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Qatar, and Kosovo with the 82nd Airborne Division, the 5th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command, and Special Operations Command-Central.  

Mike exemplifies the warrior/diplomat/scholar on many levels and this conversation ranges from details of combat to war fighting strategy to foreign policy to individual stories of fellow soldiers Mike served with and enemies he faced. Mike covers the nuances of combating multiple insurgencies in Iraq, from Sunni groups to Iranian-backed Shia militias to local villagers sitting on the fence waiting to see which group would emerge victorious. Mike explains in great detail the under appreciated,  deep familial ties and ever-shifting allegiances of Iraqi tribes that made the Coalition's mission that much more difficult.  Mike also speaks movingly of his fellow Green Berets and the culture inside 5th Group that helped keep its members grounded and focused on mission during extremely trying times. Mike was later involved in the planning for dealing with ISIS in Syria and gets into the frustrations of formulating a battle plan hampered by bureaucracy and politics.  

Mike is a visiting fellow at George Mason University’s National Security Institute and his writings have appeared in institute's blog, The SCIF, as well as War on the Rocks, Real Clear Defense, and the Modern Warfare Institute/Irregular Warfare Institute. 

You can find/follow Mike on Twitter @mikenelson586

Fran Racioppi spent 13 years in the US Army, much of that time in Special Operations as a Green Beret. Fran's Army career saw him deploy 3 times to Iraq as well as to multiple countries throughout Africa. His service there included coordinating Special Operations response to Al-Shabab throughout East Africa. In 2014, he planned and coordinated the Special Forces response to Boko Haram in West Africa, as well as oversaw the operations of Special Forces teams countering the Lord's Resistance Army in Central Africa and ISIS in North Africa. In 2014, Fran was selected to serve as the advisor and aide to the Commander of Special Operations Command Africa. Fran has maintained a dizzying pace in civilian life, earning an MBA from New York University, Director of Global Security for Snapchat, founding his own company-FRsix and is the host of The Jedburgh Podcast. Fran also serves as the performance development coach for Boston University Men’s Rowing and volunteers with Sailahead, a veterans service organization.
Listen and subscribe to the Jedburgh Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jedburgh-podcast/id1558608802

Kyle Cassel spent 4 years in the US Marine Corps and another 3 years as a private contractor assigned to the US Army. In that capacity, Kyle was deployed to multiple forward operating bases (FOBs) in southern and eastern Afghanistan, where he spent his days in small workshops and even smaller living quarters. In this wide ranging conversation, Kyle talks about learning cricket from soldiers of the Afghan National Army, the sensations of being under a rocket attack for the first time and how that experience became almost routine shortly after. We also discuss Kyle's Marine Corps career and things he would've done differently and how he is striving to regain his purpose and find balance in civilian life. To that end, Kyle started his own podcast, 15 Minutes Prior, where he interviews fellow vets about their experiences.
You can find 15 Minutes Prior here https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1617189602
and on all major podcast directories and platforms. 

Joe Winslow served in the US Marine Corps for 21 years. Enlisting in the late 1980s, Joe's career took him to Germany as the Berlin Wall fell, to reserve status and then back to active duty and Officer Candidate School through multiple deployments, to the last years where he was Combat Historian in Iraq for the Corps as they battled al Qaeda and other Iraqi insurgents in the Battles of Fallujah. Joe was given carte blanche access to all levels of the fighting and time and again witnessed his fellow Marines give the last full measure, bringing terrible and overwhelming force to bear on the enemy under extreme duress and conditions. Joe is a true historian and in our conversation, he eloquently brings to life the incredible acts he witnessed and the bravery and deadly effectiveness of his fellow Marines. The heroism Joe witnessed from his fellow Marines inspired him to find a way in civilian life to honor all those who serve. That inspiration, combined with a passion for arts and crafts, led Joe to found the Tripoli Gift Company, which works with military, law enforcement, first responders and civically minded organizations of all kinds to build and maintain comprehensive award programs for their employees and supporters. 

To learn more about Joe, his team and the Tripoli Gift Company, please visit:
https://tripoli-gift-co.myshopify.com

Kenneth Earl is a retired Navy Master Chief Cryptologist who spent 21 years in the Navy. Deploying around the globe multiple times throughout his career, Earl dealt with America's most sensitive secrets and classified information, helping to keep America's warfighters at the cutting edge of the battle space. After retiring from the Navy, Earl went on to work for multiple government agencies, combatting cyber crime of all kinds, intelligence operations, trafficking and all manner of threats to America's interests. Earl is the author of Illegitimate Sun-How a Navy Cryptologist Cracked the Code of Life Lessons, in which he tells the story of growing up in poverty in South Carolina, to making his way to a successful Naval career and then to the highest reaches of the intelligence world. Earl writes most movingly of his mother, who raised 4 children alone and instilled toughness, resilience and character which prepared him to excel in life against long odds. Earl's is a quintessential American story and an inspiring example of overcoming humble beginnings and creating a successful life through service, hard work, backbone and strong character.

Learn more about Kenneth Earl and order a copy of his book:
https://illegitimate-sun.com

Matthew Charette spent 5 years in the US Marine Corps. From a family of Marines and military service stretching back generations, Matthew knew early on he was going into the military, taking the ASVAB in 9th grade! Initially assigned to Fleet Anti-Terrorism/Security Forces, Matthew deployed to multiple locations in Europe. Later assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines-Kilo Company, Matthew was deployed to Helmand, Afghanistan and was part of the initial assault of Operation Moshtarak, also known as the Battle of Marjah. Matthew takes us through his 8-month Afghanistan deployment in Marjah, part of a province bordering Pakistan thick with Taliban and al Qaeda. From the initial assault and daily gunfights to the more mundane aspects of establishing bases and patrolling, Matthew speaks movingly of his fellow Marines and their professionalism and dedication to duty, often under extreme conditions. Since leaving the Marine Corps, Matthew has linked up with fellow Marine and former guest Ryan Rogers (Episode #56), to create the Choices Not Chances podcast, giving a voice to former Marines, warfighters and people from all walks of life. 

Listen, follow and subscribe to Choices Not Chances here:
https://anchor.fm/choicesnotchancespodcast/episodes/Choices-Not-Chances-Episode-2-e15ckcf

Christopher Strom spent four years in the US Marine Corps, twenty years as a police officer in the NYPD, retiring a sergeant with the NYPD Intelligence Division. In October 2007, Chris was recruited by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), a government agency that devised top-secret strategies for combating IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the lead tactical debriefing officer, he participated in over 110 combat missions and 91 captures of high-value targets (HVTs) in southern Iraq and performed more than 200 battlefield interrogations. Chris details his career and unique experiences in the book, Brooklyn to Baghdad-An NYPD Intelligence Cop Fights Terror in Iraq.
Chris's book is a fascinating account of the gritty details of terrorist interrogation, infighting and politics within Big Army and moving accounts of bravery of the men and women he served with both in law enforcement and the military.
Chris appears regularly as a guest and law enforcement expert on Newsmax TV and you can follow Chris on Twitter: @BklyntoBaghdad
Instagram: @brooklyntobaghdad
Order your copy of Brooklyn to Baghdad here:
https://www.amazon.com/Brooklyn-Baghdad-Intelligence-Fights-Terror-ebook/dp/B07QLG15TB

Ryan Rogers served over a decade in the US Marine Corps. Inspired to join the Corps by the 9/11 attacks, Ryan's service saw him deployed five times, including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan. Ryan also had a ten month stint on the All-Marine Boxing Team, earning a 5-1 record. It was his deployment to Afghanistan as a Squad Leader in 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines in the Battle of Marjah, that formed the basis for his book, Lions of Marjah. In this conversation, Ryan describes this 7-month deployment to Marjah in riveting detail, including landing in the middle of a flooded poppy field, immediately taking fire from the Taliban, establishing posts, patrols, gun fights and most importantly, the bravery, dedication and sacrifice of the Marines he served with. After being medically retired in 2014, Ryan retired to school and completed his degree, released his war memoir, Lions of Marjah-Combat as I Saw It. and started the Choices Not Chances podcast, with fellow Marine and co-host Matthew Charette. Ryan now speaks to young Marines and law enforcement and has dedicated himself to bettering the warfighter community and providing an outlet for his fellow Marines to succeed in their service and as they transition out of the military.

Order your copy of Lions of Marjah here:
https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Marjah-Combat-As-Saw/dp/0578891220


You can find the Choices Not Chances podcast on all podcast streaming services and on their Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsqcmxKqaR4dIFFpaJxhtrQ