Global Recon.

On this episode we have special guest Travis Osborn on. Travis is a 20-year Army veteran who served in several different capa in Special Forces. Travis and Mike served together for many years as Green Berets in the same time period. Travis was the 18 Delta (Army Special Forces Medic) that treated Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell during the operation to rescue him in 2005.  


GRP 08 The Rescue Of Marcus Luttrell, Mindset, and Special Forces

In this episode we had the privilege to talk with Medal of Honor recipient Army Captain Florent Groberg. Florent talks about the incident in which he earned the medal. It's an incredible story, and Florent is a great American. 

GRP 09 Medal Of Honor Recipient Captain Florent Groberg

GRP 17-We’ve been getting email’s and messages on social media asking if we can have allied Special Operations soldiers on the show. On todays episode we have Australian Special Forces veteran Mitchell McCalister on discussing some of the structure, and mission set that the Australian commandos are responsible for including counter terrorism, and various other security type operations. 

Webinar update: Cut off date to opt in is Wednesday march 30th, the final pay day is Friday April 1st. The Webinar will be hosted April 2nd during afternoon hours’ eastern standard time. Send an email to podcast@globalrecon.net to opt in. 

Mike talks about his leadership/team building seminar with KIXEYE a mobile gaming company that operates out of San Francisco and abroad, and is the creator of Vega Conflict on the iTunes App store. He highlights the next episode where he will interview the CEO of KIXEYE Will Harbin and get a glimpse of his leadership methodology in leading a gaming company using irregular warfare in training, planning and execution.

For any questions regarding anything on the show send an email to podcast@globalrecon.net 

Mitchell McCalisters Instagram: Mitchell_McCalister
Mitchell McCalister’s veteran organization: www.avob.org.au

John Hendricks website: www.globalrecon.net
John Hendricks Instagram/Twitter: IgRecon
John Hendricks Facebook: FB Recon

Mike Glover’s website: www.fieldcraftsurvival.com
Mike Glover’s Instagram: SofSurvivor
Mike Glover’s Twitter: IgSofSurvivor
Mike Glover’s Facebook: Field Craft LLC


Music provided by Caspian: www.Caspianmusic.net


GRP 17 Australian Special Forces, Executive Leadership Training, Survival Webinar

GRP 24- The U.S. service member killed near Irbil, Iraq, by ISIS gunfire was a Navy SEAL. The Associated Press later identified the casualty as Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) 1st Class Charlie Keating IV. From all of us at Global Recon, and Field Craft we want to extend our condolences to the Keating family during this difficult time. Fair winds, and Following Sea’s  

Below is an excerpt from the episode from Special Forces operator Chuck Ritter:

“In the video you see me coming around the corner shot. So basically we under estimated the enemy force present in the area. Our partners were the Afghan Commando’s, and we had very few Americans on the ground.  We came in at night, and it was clear all night. Then in the morning right when the sun came up the enemy actually closed to within 5 to 10 meters of our battle positions, and started throwing hand grenade’s over the wall, and were really lighting us up.

So we were going out trying to push these guys back off our perimeter. The fact that the terrain was very maze like allowed them the freedom of maneuverability to move on us. Aerial imagery, and everything else didn’t paint the right picture on the ground. An overhead drone spotted an ambush, and the operator was telling us that there was an enemy ambush set up a couple hundred meters away. We were trying to flank that ambush, but in reality the ambush was right there. We turned the corner, an Afghan Commando got shot took a round to the leg, and it blew off some fingers. A good majority of the rest of the Afghan Commando’s ran away. 

It was me, my medic, and EOD guy. All of the fast movers moved off station, so the only thing I had overhead was Apache’s. So I started working fire to provide cover for this casualty.” If you have any questions about anything you heard on the podcast send an email to Podcast@globalrecon.net 


GRP 24 Special Forces Team Under Fire, RIP Navy SEAL Charlie Keating IV, Warrior Mindset

GRP 30- On the 30th episode of the Global Recon Podcast, I’ve had the honor of having on Retired Special Forces Major Rusty Bradley. MAJ Rusty Bradley served 21 years in the US Army and US Special Forces. He was recently medically retirement for wounds received in combat. He is the author of the bestselling book “Lions of Kandahar” and has been published in Time magazine, Soldier of Fortune, Veritas, War on the Rocks and numerous other publications and blogs. He has earned 4 Valor awards from 3 different countries. Major Bradley is one of only 40 US service members in the history of the US military to receive the Medal of Valor from the Canadian Prime Minister.

Myself, and John Lovell discuss the Invasion of Normandy, and of the Army Rangers who scaled the 100ft cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc, under withering enemy gunfire, and were able to complete their objective of clearing out enemy fighting positions along the top of the cliff. Below is an excerpt from the interview with Major Bradley.

John Hendricks: You go to Special Forces selection, and you pass. For the next 15 years or so you have multiple rotations all to Afghanistan, and for kind of a unique reason which is pretty interesting. Can you talk about that at all?

Major Bradley: I was the second of the first two languages that was selected by the Special Forces command in order to build long term continuity for it’s forces, and its leaders in Afghanistan. You’ve got these leaders, Non Commissioned Officers, and Officers who are so smart that they can look in their invisible globe and see what’s going to happen in 10, or 20 years. This program was sending guys into a language and area study of Southern Afghanistan, so that we came out we would constantly rotate through, and maintain access and placement in Southern Afghanistan.  All 8 of my rotations were in Southern Afghanistan. 

Any questions, or comments can be sent to Podcast@globalrecon.net 


GRP 30-Lions Of Kandahar, Bowe Bergdahl, D - Day Anniversary

GRP 31- On this episode myself, and Major Rusty Bradley (ret) discuss the attack in Orlando, as well as some solutions for dealing with this threat of Global Terrorism. On the show for the first time are my friends from Agilite Tactical a company comprised of former Israeli commando’s who create innovative new gear used by the IDF, and Special Op’s units around the globe. Special Coupon Code for Global Recon followers: GlobalRecon10  

This gets followers 10% off their whole purchase through June 21st. So be sure to check out www.agilitegear.com and use the coupon GlobalRecon10 for a 10 percent discount off your entire purchase. Below is an excerpt from the episode.

John Hendricks: Ellie you served during the second Intifada what exactly was that for people who won’t know?

Ellie Isaacson: The second Intifada was a period between the end of 2000 to 2003. It started off with a series of terrorist attacks, and had gotten to a stage where it was literally daily suicide bombings, daily shootings. I joined up in November 2000, and I remember everything just kicked off in a big way. One of the major incidents was two Israeli reserve soldiers took a wrong turn into an Arab village. They were beaten to death by a mob, and thrown out of a window for the world to see. 

I remember being back in the UK about a month before my service, and just watching this happen and seeing everyone going nuts. Within two years we were given a mission to capture one of those guys who performed the lynching and killed those Israeli soldiers, so it really came full circle. 

Any questions , or comments send an email to Podcast@globalrecon.net


GRP 31-Israeli Special Operators, Agilite Tactical, Terror In Orlando

GRP 41-On for this episode is former US Navy SEAL Corpsman, and Sniper Kevin Lacz. Kevin is the author of the New York Times best selling book The Last Punisher: A SEAL Team THREE Sniper's True Account of the Battle of Ramadi. Kevin was apart of a Sniper element with US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. We talked about what its like going through BUDS which is the selection course for Navy SEALs. We talk Ramadi, mindset, SOF Medics, and some history. Below is an excerpt from our conversation.


John Hendricks: The book is basically about your experience during a rotation to Ramadi. The insurgency moved from Fallujah to Ramadi. A very dangerous place. You were deployed with Chris Kyle, and he was a close friend of yours. 

Kevin Lacz: That 2006 deployment was the most pronounced out of my deployments. You’re right Ramadi at that point in time was kind of the epicenter of the insurgency in Iraq. It was also primed to be the template for the surge. We deployed in April 06 in support of the the 1st, the 502nd, the 36, 38 Marines in a new campaign to win hearts and minds. We supported them. We were mainly there to support them from a couple of different platforms. One was direct action missions. 


Presence patrols. Working with the Iraqi security forces patrolling daytime, and night time in these areas. The third was the Sniper element which proved to be the most effective. One of the gentlemen in our platoon was Chris Kyle. That deployment our platoon had over 230 confirmed kills, and Chris had 101 of those. Task unit together had 330 confirmed kills. That’s not airstrikes, rifle mainly sniper.


Global Recon Podcast

GRP 41-Navy SEAL Sniper, The Last Punisher, Mindset, RIP Green Beret Matthew Thompson

GRP 42-On this episode I have former Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) solider Wes Kennedy. CSOR traces its unit’s roots to the first American, Canadian Special Operations unit which was a joint unit called the “1st Special Service Force”. Wes is the author of “Sports Vision Training for Shooting Performance”. We talk a little about the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM). We talk fitness, and mindset. Wes runs a company that helps prepare military athletes for the rigorous Special Operations selection programs across the globe.

          An article has come out recently written by Sean Naylor in the New York Times where the Airforce has developed some new technology to help them clean up old drone footage. During Operation Anaconda special reconnaissance units were tasked with heading up into the mountains, and identifying enemy fighting positons in order to call in air support. A highly respected Navy SEAL operator is being bashed on social media because the Airforce is claiming that him and his unit left behind John Chapman an Airforce Combat Control Technician (CCT). The new technology isn’t 100 accurate to say for certain that Chapman was still alive.  

         The facts are the SEALs along with the CCT were out numbered, out gunned, and taking casualties. Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski assumed Chapman was killed during the initial gunfight in which several members of the small team were shot, and wounded. They made the call to leap down the mountain under fire, and commence what would become a 6 hour running gun battle in order to break contact. Slabinski’s actions that day kept the SEALs alive, and his teammates have the highest praise for him. I am disappointed with the level of arm chair quarterbacking that’s taking place on the internet over this issue. 


GRP 42-Canadian Operator, CSOR, New York Times Article

GRP 56-Co hosting for this podcast is Army veteran Tim Kolczak the man behind the Veterans Project. On with us for this podcast is Australian Special Forces Veteran Eddy Robinson. Eddy has multiple combat rotations with the 2 Commando Regiment. We discuss Eddy's career path, get into some combat stories, and honor Eddy's best friend Corporal Cameron Baird, VC, MG. Corporal Cameron Baird is the first Australian commando to be awarded a Victoria Cross and the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia. Corporal Baird is also the 100th Australian to be awarded a Victoria Cross. He's one of Australia’s most highly decorated soldiers of the modern era. We discuss Iraq, counter-terrorism, and Afghanistan. Below is an excerpt from the episode:

John: I'm reading about the rise and roots of ISIS. A lot of it is credited a to the Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The U.S. named him as one of the reasons for going into Iraq when he was just in charge of a small terror cell prior to that. After naming him it catapulted him into the spotlight.  Making him a major player. He then stoked the flames for a civil war being Sunni and Shia Muslims throwing the country into chaos. 

Eddy Robinson:  My experience there was from a contracting perspective 05-06 period. Every morning before 10'o clock you hear the huge IED's being detonated. For the guys on the ground, it was relentless.  Zarqawi was the perfect catalyst for making the situation worse. We got our intelligence reports about mass graves being found on the side of the road. People being mass executed by these guys. It was a very difficult situation during that time. 

Tim Kolczak: I joined in 05 I was 17. My drill sergeants were coming back from their 18-month tours. You could just tell how it affected them. We were the first trainees to get trained up by these guys. I remember the recruiter telling me not to become a truck driver because 1 in 5 was getting killed. One of the guys I knew was killed by a Somali contingent in Samarra. We were fighting people from all over the globe.

GRP 56-2 Commando, Eddy Robinson, Iraq, Counter Terrorism

GRP 67-Back on the podcast for this week's episode is Michael Rodriguez a former Army Green Beret Medic (18 Delta). He sits on President George W. Bush's Military Service Initiative Advisory Council which engages in a wide range of activities that support veterans. Last but not least he's the Chief Ambassador for the Green Beret Foundation. On with us is a friend of Mikes a former 18 Delta Mark Belden. Mark has an interesting story with a background in mixed martial arts. We talk TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), Mike share's a story of when he treated an infant over in Afghanistan, and Mark shares a story of a time when he got into a hand to hand combat situation with a high-value target in Iraq. 

My good friend Chantel Taylor served in combat with junior combat medic named Mike Lamb in the British Army. Chantel was the senior medic on that kinetic rotation into Southern Afghanistan. Mike went on to get attached to British Special Forces and served as a Medic with the SAS. He recently lost his battle with cancer at the age of 32. Below is a link to the Gofundme campaign used to raise money for his young family. I encourage anyone who can to contribute to help out this warrior's wife and child during these difficult times. https://www.gofundme.com/for-the-family-of-mike-lamblamby

 Below is an excerpt from the show:

John: Mark can you share a deployment story with the audience?

Mark Belden: This isn't something I'm proud of, but it happened.  We were on a mission in Iraq. We knew this guy was a bad cat killed a lot of coalition, and American forces. We got the lead on him. We caught him sleeping on the roof. He was like 300 plus pounds. Heavyweight lifter. We double cuffed him with flex cuffs. The interrogator called me in to stay with him for a second. The interpreter was standing in the back. He was about 2 feet from me. Stone cold look in his eyes. He said something to the terp. He said you might as well kill me now because I'm not going to talk. I said ok whatever man, I’m just here to hang out with you. He took a huge breath and snapped both of his flex cuff's. He charged at me. I think it was a left hook that immediately caught him. He lifted me up. A 45 second battle ensued. One of the guys came into the room and pulled em out. The guy ended up dying. I was later investigated for it. I was in a top shape. A one-minute fight for my life put a lot of things into perspective.

Sergeant First Class Michael Rodriguez:
Email-Michael@greenberetfoundation.org
www.greenberetfoundation.org
www.bushcenter.org

Intro audio: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis

Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 67-Green Beret Medics| TBI| Hand To Hand Death Match| RIP Mike Lamb

GRP 75- Chantel Taylor and I begin this week's podcast by discussing some of the recent events taking place in the past week to include the U.S. dropping the largest nonnuclear bomb in its arsenal the MOAB, we also touched on some of the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and some other topics. 

Our special guest for this week's podcast is former British Special Forces Operator Jason Carl Fox. "Foxy" spent 20 years as a Royal Marine with the last 10 serving as a Special Boat Service commando. Foxy and I met up here in NYC and had an in-person interview. We discussed his background and career in the Royal Marines as well as his personal struggles with PTSD, and separation from the military. He's been very active lately working on television in the U.K. as well as anchoring programs to help veterans transition and teaching mindset and team building. Below is an excerpt:


Foxy: I did multiple deployments predominately to Afghanistan. Everything from counter-narcotics to going after the big hitters on the opposite side. I was also involved in a high-profile hostage rescue operation. That was my last tour of Afghanistan and it was a defining few months for me. Within two days of the beginning of our tour, we went on this hostage rescue. The guy was a New York Times reporter. We were getting shot at in the sky while flying in for a good six minutes. You could see the Chinook behind us getting shot at. You could see air burst RPG's going off. I remember sitting there with a friend of mine and me I thought I was holding my knee and hurting it, but I was holding his and he was holding mine (laughs). We were willing the helicopter to land so we can gain some control over our destiny. We landed and ran off the back and into a crazy firefight. I was a senior guy by this time with multiple tours. I ran about 50 meters and dived into a ditch. The emotion must have been a split second. I remember thinking I wanted to be back at home. I reflected on that moment a lot. What did it mean? We were successful that night but lost a teammate. 

Introduction speech by Winston Churchill 

Global Recon:
www.globalrecon.net
IgRecon – Instagram
BlackOpsMatter- Instagram
Mission_Critical – Instagram
IgRecon- Twitter

Jason Carl Fox:
Instagram: Jason_Carl_Fox
Twitter: JasonFox1976

Chantel Taylor:
Instagram: Mission_Critical
Facebook: Battleworn

Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 75- The Journey Of A British Special Boat Service Operator: Jason Carl Fox

GRP 76-We have a special guest on for this week's podcast. Former Australian SAS trooper Jason Falla who is also the owner of a tactical training company called "Redback One" came on to talk about his journey in the Australian Special Forces world. He spent the first 6 years of his career with the 1st Commando Regiment before then going to SAS selection and finishing out the remaining 6 years of his military service as an SAS an assault team member and patrol medic of a water operations troop in 1 Squadron, 1st SAS Regiment. Jason shared a deployment story with us, and we discussed his post-military career where he worked as an instructor for what was at the time known as Blackwater. He now runs a successful tactical training company which employs former Tier 1 special ops guys working in several facets. We also covered some Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) as both Chantelle and Jason were Combat Medics respectively. Below is an excerpt from the podcast:

Jason Falla: The Australian Special Operations Task Group rolled out after 9/11 into Afghanistan. We were primarily tasked with reconnaissance and surveillance. We had a large area of responsibility.  We had an incident where one of our vehicles struck an anti-tank mine. Our patrol commander was in a bad way. It turned into a situation of being in a minefield. SGT Andy Russell lost a lot of blood. We called a MEDEVAC with American PJ's jumping in. Unfortunately, Andy died on the way to the hospital. We re-postured and made sure we dished back what we got there. 

Our next major operation over there was during Operation Anaconda we were the SAS patrol up there. We got a call that a U.S. helo had been shot down. A special operations component was in a break contact situation. We had to reposition ourselves and get eyes on the crash site and provide situational awareness and interdiction of enemy forces. It was a long arduous march in full kit up to an OP. We had an American Combat Controller attached to us. He started bringing in aircraft. We had B-52's coming in fast air, we were calling in predators hot with AC-130's going Winchester. We asked for a Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA) and an American voice came back " Well, I’m following a trail of cold dead bodies"


Jason Falla: 
Web: www.redbackone.com


Instagram: Redbackone
Facebook: Redback One
Twitter: @RedbackOne

Global Recon:
www.globalrecon.net

IgRecon – Instagram
BlackOpsMatter- Instagram
Mission_Critical – Instagram
IgRecon- Twitter

Chantel Taylor:
Instagram: Mission_Critical
Facebook: Battleworn

Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 76-Who Dares Wins: The Story of SAS Assaulter Jason Falla|Redback One

GRP 78-On for this week's episode is former Army Ranger Sniper and New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Irving. Nick served for several years in the military all with Ranger battalion. We discussed his journey as the child of two military parents and what motivated him to join the Army. We talked about mindset and some of the qualities that you need to succeed in anything you want to do in life. There is a lot of laughing going on in this episode so please bare with us. We talked some of the psychology of being a sniper which you guys might find interesting. Nick also shared some combat stories from his time as a sniper with the 3rd Ranger battalion. Below is an excerpt:

Nick Irving: I didn't learn until the first time I pulled the trigger with a sniper rifle is how intimate it is. We weren't getting shot at. There were 6 Taliban guys. It was on the news. A certain portion of Helmand province was shut down. Some Taliban commanders were killed that day. I and my spotter are zooming in with our scopes, and you can see the outline of a chest rack. Then we can see the outline of an AK-47. I remember getting the call for clearance to shoot these guys and right as we got that call a round cracks. I remember dumping one guy and they started to scatter, but then they stopped and stood there. It was the strangest thing. 

My first mission into Helmand province we got ambushed from this rooftop. I got off the helo and once we got off the ramp the skyline lit up. Maybe its a party I don’t know. I remember this tracer round whizzing passed and we got lit up a little bit. We got up onto this roof. I and my spotter get up on the roof and his gun jams. I'm like dude screw it just light me up. He puts on his IR flood and lights up the targets. You can see the enemy's eyes blinking.  I remember putting the cross hairs right in between this dude's eyeballs. I squeeze off a round the round misses. As dumb as he is the guy sticks his head back up and the next shot connects.

Nick Irving:
www.reaper33.com

OfficalReaper33-Instagram

Global Recon:
www.globalrecon.net

IgRecon – Instagram
BlackOpsMatter- Instagram
Mission_Critical – Instagram
IgRecon- Twitter

Chantel Taylor:
Instagram: Mission_Critical
Facebook: Battleworn

Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 78- Don’t Fear The Reaper: Nick Irving's Journey as a Sniper in the GWOT

GRP 81- Co-hosting for this episode is Army veteran Tim Kolczak founder of The Veterans Project. On with us are two medically retired Green Berets. Mark Belden is a former 18 Delta (Special Forces Medic) who received several traumatic brain injuries during his operational service, and Jared Bullock a former 18 Echo (Special Forces Communications Sergeant) who rode over an IED in Afghanistan. Jared lost his right arm and right leg as well as one of his best friends in the blast. We discuss how both of these men have dealt with their injuries and what it took for them to adjust. We also touched on the topic of terrorism in today's day and age with the recent terror attacks taking place in the United Kingdom. Below is an excerpt.



Tim Kolzcak: I love freedom. I love the freedom of speech. There are certain dangerous viewpoints that can affect the nation. At what point does it become almost like a minority report where you're arresting people for thoughts and speech. Actions are really the problem. I'd rather we stop those types of people from coming in before we get to the point of having to go after people over speech.



Jared Bullock: I didn't want to sit in an office for another 8 years before I retired. I told the Sergeant Major I wanted to retire, and he was kind of butt hurt about it. I'm like ahh well I'm missing half of my body. I started making goals. I did races. I did a bodybuilding competition.



John: That's awesome.



JB: I beat dudes with four limbs. That's got to make you feel like shit (Laughs). This past weekend I met Clint Eastwood. I was speaking to raise money for the Gary Sinise Foundation because they are building up my new home. I made some amputee jokes and they actually laughed at them.



John: Jared and I were in a group chat. They started to joke about his arms, and I remember looking at my phone horrified. I see Jared laughing and going along with the jokes. I guess it takes some getting used to if you haven't been around that.



Tim Kolczak:
www.thevetsproject.com



Jared Bullock:

Instagram: Jared_Bullock



Social Media: The Veterans Project



Global Recon:

www.globalrecon.net



IgRecon – Instagram

BlackOpsMatter- Instagram

Mission_Critical – Instagram

IgRecon- Twitter

Music provided by Caspian:

www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 81-Against All Odds: Two Green Berets overcoming Adveristy| Transnational Terrorism

GRP 82-Today marks the 12th anniversary of Operation Red Wings with what was at the time the worst loss of life for American forces in Afghanistan, and the worse loss of life for Naval Special Warfare in their storied history. 

Back on the podcast is retired U.S. Navy SEAL and New York Times bestselling author Kevin Lacz. Kevin is trained as Corpsman (Medic) and a Sniper. This places Kevin and those like him on opposite ends of the spectrum of combat arms in taking life on the battlefield and saving it. Chantel Taylor the co-host of the show served as a Combat Medic in the British Army. During a tour in southern Afghanistan, a convoy she was traveling in was ambushed. In the ensuing battle, Chantel became the first British woman in history to kill an enemy in close quarters. We talked about the psychology of killing in combat which Kevin touched on in his book. Below is an excerpt from the podcast:

Kevin Lacz: I read "On Killing" prior to my first deployment. It made a mark in the back of mind. At the end of that first deployment, I was like ok I fall in that 2 percent crowd that can conduct business and keep going without the psychological and physiological changes that are experienced by most. In most memoirs, you won't read about how killing effects you. Most people just write about being a tough guy, but there hasn't been much of a psychological approach of having gone through combat and how it affects you. How you sleep at night. It's important to read about how you put your feet in front of you as you walk down the street, but also what you're thinking when you're about to squeeze the trigger and you have someone in the crosshairs. 

Also then 10, 20, 30 seconds, 10 mins, or even 3 years later how you react to that situation. That's what drives people to dig deeper and read more.    

Global Recon:
www.globalrecon.net

IgRecon – Instagram
BlackOpsMatter- Instagram
Mission_Critical – Instagram
IgRecon- Twitter

Kevin Lacz:
The Last Punisher: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0176M3PUG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
 
www.kevinlacz.com
Instagram: RealKevinLacz
Facebook: KevinDauberLacz
Twitter: Dauber246

Music provided by Caspian. www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 82-Killing in Combat: A Navy SEALs perspective on killing on the battlefield

GRP 83-Operation Nimrod: The Story of the Iranian Embassy Siege by SAS Staff Sergeant Rusty Firmin

On for this week’s podcast is a 20-year veteran of the Army Special Operations Command is the owner of Storm Tactical Consulting Fred. Fred served as a Special Forces Medic for a number of years before trying out and getting selected to serve as an operator in a Special Missions Unit. We discussed the oversaturation of the tactical training industry, and some of the core principles of being an effective gunfighter i.e. mastering the basics. We talked about combat medicine and the evolution of trauma protocols as the wars progressed.

I wanted to get Fred’s take on leadership. He shared a story of a time in Fallujah, Iraq where his Special Forces ODA could have easily avoided an ambush, but due to poor leadership, they walked right into one. Recently I’d listened to a popular podcast on iTunes where the host talked about how ISIS shocked everyone and kind of popped up out of nowhere. This couldn’t be further from the truth so Fred and I discussed a man named Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who is the ideological founder of ISIS but was killed in 2006 in Iraq. His followers have continued on the path set forth by him and in recent years we’ve seen the rise of the Islamic State.

Over a long career, Fred has served as an Assaulter, Breacher, Sniper, Human Intel Specialist, and finishing up as a Dog Handler. We touched on PTSD and TBI to close out the episode.  


0:00-Intro

2:30- Storm Tactical Consulting

3:37-The oversaturation of the tactical training industry

6:00-Mastering the basics, muscle memory

7:44- Fred’s background 20 years of service as an 18 Delta Green Beret Medic, and later as an operator in the Army’s Special Missions Unit

12:48-Special Operations Combat Medics Course(SOCM) Combat Trauma, Special Forces Medical Sergeant(SFMS) Dentistry, veterinary care, public sanitation, water quality, and optometry. TCCC

17:00-Great leadership

20:55-Story of an avoidable ambush in Fallujah, Iraq under poor leadership

31:38- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the rise of the Islamic State

38:15-Assaulter, Sniper, Breacher, and a dive into Special Operations Dog Handling

53:39-Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD


Storm Tactical Consulting:

http://stormtacticalconsu.wixsite.com/stormtactical

https://www.instagram.com/storm_tactical_consulting/




Global Recon:
www.Globalrecon.net

https://www.instagram.com/igrecon

https://www.instagram.com/blackopsmatter

www.twitter.com/igrecon

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalReconPodcast/




Chantel Taylor:

https://www.instagram.com/mission_critical

https://www.instagram.com/altern8rv

GRP 86-The Tip of the Spear-An Operator’s Perspective|Storm Tactical Consulting

GRP 93- It’s with great reverence that I introduce our guest for this week’s podcast. Mark Donaldson is a retired Australian Special Air Service Regiment trooper and recipient of the Victoria Cross. The Victoria Cross is Australia’s highest award for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valor or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. It’s the Australian equivalent to our Medal of Honor. 

We discussed Mark’s early life and motivation for joining the Army as he experienced a traumatic event with the loss of his mother at the age of 19. We discussed how one can turn a tragic event into a motivating force. We discussed the mindset required to train for and get selected into a Special Operations unit like the SAS, and how that same mindset can help surmount obstacles in life. We discussed leadership, the bottom-up approach, and the changing strategy and role for western forces in Afghanistan. This is part one of the interview. The second part will be released within the coming days. 

Three U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets have been killed in action this week while on patrol through western Mali, in Niger. We’d like to send our deepest condolences to the friends, teammates, and family of these fallen warriors.





0:00- Episode Overview

6:36:00- Motivation to join the Army, and later the SAS. Using the loss of a loved one to drive you forward in life.

15:51:00- “The best way to honor my mates is to come back and live a good life”-Australian WW1 veteran

28:19:00-The mindset required to make it into Special Operations and surmount obstacles in life. Training for selection. 

57:06:00- The bottom-up approach. Leadership and team building. “I’m the guy on the ground I decide what I drop”-British Special Boat Service JTAC to brigade command over the radio
1:09:00- The evolution of the strategy in Afghanistan and the changing role of the special operations units. 

This episode is sponsored by Abes Baumann a law firm that provides legal services and fights for the rights of disabled veterans. To learn about what they can offer you visit http://www.abesbaumann.com/vets

Follow my co-host and my pages on social media. Links below.

Global Recon:
www.Globalrecon.net

https://www.instagram.com/igrecon
https://www.instagram.com/blackopsmatter

www.twitter.com/igrecon

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalReconPodcast/



Chantel Taylor:
https://www.instagram.com/mission_critical

https://www.instagram.com/altern8rv


Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

GRP 93-Victoria Cross: The story of Mark Donaldson an SAS Trooper

GRP 95- We know you’ve all been anticipating part two of the conversation we had with Mark Donaldson. Mark is a veteran of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and recipient of the Victoria Cross. The VC is Australia’s highest award given for valor in combat. In this segment Mark talks about running operations with U.S Army Special Forces Green Berets in Afghanistan. It was on one of these operations in which the battle took place where Mark went above and beyond the call of duty.
	
Mark walks us through that operation in vivid detail. The most important piece of this conversation is when Mark gives us the reality of it all when saying yes, he’s been celebrated for his actions that day, but for many it was the worst day of their lives. There are second and third effects for the family and friends of the warriors who were wounded, or killed during the chaos and confusion of that battle. It wasn’t said to dampen our moods, but to add perspective to what is generally looked at as something glamorous.

0:00-Episode overview
1:43- 2008 SAS deployment to Afghanistan, running operations with U.S Army Special Forces Green Berets.

6:20-Battle in which Mark was awarded the Victoria Cross

52:15- The realities of war, and remembering the Victoria Cross from the perspective of the men on the ground. 

Follow my co-host and my pages on social media. Links below.

Global Recon:
www.Globalrecon.net

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https://www.instagram.com/blackopsmatter


www.twitter.com/igrecon

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalReconPodcast/

HP Lefler:
https://www.instagram.com/4runner.freyja



Chantel Taylor:
https://www.instagram.com/mission_critical

https://www.instagram.com/altern8rv


Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

Global Recon, Mark Donaldson, SAS

GRP 95- The Reality of War: Perspective of SAS Trooper and Victoria Cross recipient Mark Donaldson

GRP 98-On for this week's podcast is retired Master at Arms Benito Olson. Benny began his career in the Navy working in Bahrain where he developed an interest in dog handling. He eventually became a dog handler and was stationed back in the states. Benny was then recruited as a dog handler into the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) to support the SEALs as their dog handler. We talked what it's like working with military dogs and then working with Special Operations dogs in the SEAL teams. 

Benny deployed 5 times with the Tier 1 SEALs. He was paired up with SEAL dog "Digo". He shared stories of his first deployment where they conducted direct action raids in Iraq. Two of the DEVGRU assaulters were killed on this rotation. Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy and Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Michael E. Koch. 

Benny shares the story of when he was severely wounded conducting a raid where they got into a brief gunfight killing two enemy fighters. Benny moved in with two assaulters to enter the building. Unbeknownst to them, it was rigged to explode. The blast seriously wounded Benny, Digo, and killed Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class Luis A. Souffront. Benny's last trip was to Afghanistan during the Extortion 17 incident in which 30 Americans were killed when they're helicopter was shot down. 17 were SEALs with 15 of them from DEVGRU. Many of them close friends. This was Benny's last trip before he was medically retired out of the Navy. He now runs a company called Patriot Dog Training.


0:00-Episode overview

3:50-Benito's Navy career, Master at Arms, Dog Handler

16:15-Benny's recruitment into the Naval Special Warfare's Development Group (DEVGRU) in a support role as a Dog Handler.  

30:14-SEAL dog "Digo" whom Benny became his handler upon his entry into the squadron. 

35:41: First combat deployment into Iraq conducting direct action missions. Two DEVGRU assaulters were killed on this rotation prior to Benny getting blown up. Rest in Peace Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy and Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Michael E. Koch

1:02:25-The operation in which they assaulted a building that was rigged with explosives seriously wounding Benny, Digo, and killing Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class Luis A. Souffront. Benny was told he wouldn't be able to deploy again. 9 months later he was back in Afghanistan and went on to complete 5 total trips. 

1:21:20-Digo passed away after retiring from the Navy and being adopted by a family. Benny's last deployment was to Afghanistan during the "Extortion 17" incident which the 31 American deaths represent the greatest loss of U.S. military lives in a single incident in the, by then, decade-long war in Afghanistan that began in 2001.
15 of the SEALs on board were from DEVGRU and many were close friends of Benito's. 

1:26:00- Patriot Dog Training. Benito's dog training company.

Check out Benito Olsen's website:
www.patriotdogtraining.com

Social Media: Patriot Dog Training

Global Recon:
www.Globalrecon.net

https://www.instagram.com/igrecon

https://www.instagram.com/blackopsmatter


www.twitter.com/igrecon

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalReconPodcast/

HP Lefler:
https://www.instagram.com/4runner.freyja



Chantel Taylor:
https://www.instagram.com/mission_critical

https://www.instagram.com/altern8rv


Music provided by Caspian:
www.caspianmusic.net

Global Recon.

Dave