Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Mike Drop
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Private Intel Brief on Iran: What the Headlines Aren't Telling You | Mike Drop Newsroom | 03 Oct 2026 | 00:32:03 | |
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 03 OCTOBER 2026 The Saturday papers split again, and this episode includes something new: a private intelligence summary from Mike's friend Max at Asylum Security, a former SEAL sniper who now works in executive security. It's not classified, but it comes from serious sources, and it covers threats that never make the front page. The headlines: Russia is pushing migrants across Latvia's border as a tactic against the West. Student protests over school conditions have turned violent across France. The U.S. added a lower-than-expected 29,000 jobs in September. Chinese officials' unusual requests at a recent summit are raising new questions about Xi Jinping's health. DHS is paying local police departments for help with immigration arrests. And the Wall Street Journal reports that more voters dislike both parties than in any recent election. From the intel brief: Iran is reviewing retaliation options that reach beyond the Middle East, tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, cyber threats are aimed at critical infrastructure and personnel data, and China's spy satellite network is growing fast. Mike's take: he doesn't understand why secure borders became a partisan issue, since knowing who is coming into your country is common sense. He supports students fighting for better schools but says violence defeats the purpose. On Congress, he argues that both parties have to hold their own side to the same standard they hold the other. And he has a simple fix for the budget: if the government shuts down or the budget isn't balanced, Congress doesn't get paid. On Iran, the intel brief brings him back to the question he keeps asking: months of strikes later, Iran can still hit shipping and plan attacks abroad, so what does success actually look like? Your turn. Should Congress go unpaid until the budget is balanced? What does winning in Iran look like to you? And who do you think takes over China after Xi? Tell us in the comments. Mike reads them. Timestamps 0:00 Happy Saturday and a special intel brief 1:15 Why wildfires in Indonesia led the Times 1:50 FlyDubai: the mother's scream that alerted passengers 2:15 A new inquiry into the Cornell case 3:20 Russia uses migrants against the West 4:35 Why secure borders shouldn't be partisan 6:15 Student protests turn violent across France 8:20 A weak September jobs report 9:25 Xi Jinping's health and who comes next 12:05 DHS pays local police for immigration arrests 13:45 A hurricane-free summer and El Niño 14:40 "Double haters" and the midterms 16:35 Holding your own side accountable 19:10 No balanced budget, no paycheck for Congress 20:40 The intel brief 21:45 Iran's retaliation planning 23:20 What does success in Iran look like? 24:20 Tankers struck in the Strait of Hormuz 25:50 Cyber threats to infrastructure and personnel data 28:55 China, Russia and the race for space 30:25 A Sunday preview: faith and suffering 31:40 Wrap-up Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you. On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed. Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| A Third Aircraft Carrier Is Headed to the Middle East. What's Coming? | A Navy SEAL Reacts | 02 Oct 2026 | 00:25:27 | |
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 02 OCTOBER 2026 A busy front page to close out the week. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal split today, so Mike covers both. The headlines: the Pentagon is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and more Marine Corps ships to the Middle East, adding roughly 10,000 troops to the region. OpenAI and Anthropic are spending to influence the midterm races and shape AI rules. Teachers and students warn that Google's AI push in schools is hurting learning. The FlyDubai captain who was stabbed by his co-pilot is being hailed for saving Flight 1073. Also covered: the Cornell case dominating social media, Tennessee halting executions after an inmate survived two doses of lethal injection, OpenAI firing researchers who shared information with an AI safety group, a global bond selloff, and high rates freezing the housing market. Mike's take: a third carrier group on top of an already heavy presence isn't just a show of force; he thinks it signals something may be about to happen, and he wants the administration to define what winning looks like. He calls lobbying a legal term for bribery and says he's baffled it's still allowed. On AI in schools, he compares it to map and compass versus GPS: AI is a great tool if you already know the subject, but kids who lean on it may never learn to think for themselves. He also tips his cap to the FlyDubai captain, the crew and the passengers who fought back, and asks for more civility, online and off. Your turn. Is the military buildup a signal? Can anyone make the case for lobbying? Is AI helping or hurting our kids? Tell us in the comments, and as Mike asks, keep it civil. He reads them. Timestamps 0:00 Happy Friday 0:25 The Times and the Journal split today 0:50 The Cornell case 2:55 Faith, family and how we treat each other online 5:50 Tennessee halts executions 7:30 AI giants spend on the midterms 7:55 Is lobbying just legal bribery? 9:10 Questions about the FlyDubai co-pilot's motive 10:00 The captain who saved Flight 1073 12:05 OpenAI fires researchers over AI safety leak 13:45 The global bond selloff 15:00 Why interest rates aren't fixing inflation 16:15 Texas home prices and a frozen housing market 18:20 AI in schools: can kids still think? 21:15 Map and compass vs. GPS 22:05 A third carrier group heads to the Middle East 23:20 What does winning look like? 24:10 Weather and wrap-up Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you. On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed. Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| America Is Leaving Iraq. Was It Worth It? | A Navy SEAL Who Was There | 02 Oct 2026 | 00:21:10 | |
MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 01 OCTOBER 2026 Both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times led with the same two stories today. The first: after more than 23 years and $1.7 trillion, the U.S. has closed its last major military base in Iraq, ending what critics call America's forever war there. The second: on FlyDubai Flight 1073, a pilot stabbed the other pilot and tried to hijack the plane, sending it into a terrifying nosedive before passengers and crew subdued him. Also in today's papers: Iran is linked to a foiled attack on a British air base that houses American troops, the Pentagon is creating a new command for autonomous warfare, and BMW plans to use AI to shrink its workforce. Mike's take: as someone who served in Iraq and lost brothers there, he asks the hard question: was it worth it? He argues that toppling Saddam removed the one force keeping Iran in check. That opened a power vacuum that fueled ISIS, emboldened Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and set off a refugee crisis that has reshaped countries around the world. Twenty-three years later, he thinks Iraq may be worse off than before, and he admits he doesn't see a good way forward. On the hijacking, he looks back at the 1980s hijacking he watched unfold as a kid and asks how anyone stops an attacker who's already in the cockpit. Mike doesn't have the answer on Iraq, so he wants yours. Was it worth it? What should the U.S. do now? And how would you stop a pilot-turned-hijacker? Tell us in the comments. Mike reads them. Timestamps 0:00 Happy October 0:25 Same two stories in both papers 1:15 The Times' weather report (a tangent) 2:30 Pilot hijacks FlyDubai Flight 1073 4:35 The 1980s hijacking Mike never forgot 6:15 The U.S. leaves Iraq 7:05 Was it worth it? 8:20 Saddam, Iran and the power vacuum 10:00 Iran's proxies and the IED war 10:50 The refugee crisis no one talks about 12:30 Is Iraq worse off now? 14:35 No good options 15:25 BMW using AI to cut jobs 16:15 Iran linked to foiled attack on a British air base 17:30 Pentagon's new autonomous warfare command 18:20 Senate Republicans' late push on cost of living 19:10 Iran's stranded oil tankers 19:35 Mexico cracks down on cartel money laundering 20:00 Wrap-up Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you. On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed. Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| Navy SEAL Captain Brad Geary: I Refused to Go Quietly | Ep. 311 | 29 Sep 2026 | 04:55:01 | |
WANT MORE MIKE DROP? Become a Mike Drop YouTube Member and get closer to the show with exclusive members-only content, bonus access, and perks you won’t get as a regular subscriber. 👉 Click “JOIN” below the video to become a member. Former Navy SEAL Captain Bradley Geary joins Mike to reflect on 25 years in Naval Special Warfare—from SDV missions and DEVGRU to commanding BUD/S. They dive into leadership, modern warfare, faith, family, and the three-year battle with the Navy that pushed Geary to the point of being willing to give up his rank, his career, and even his SEAL Trident in order to stand for what he believed was the truth. See the unreleased photos and NSW Command 100-page Report: : https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uw65fld4719wbl0hmcf70/ABo2Fsa7EygD8n6Dtvtr0I0?rlkey=ny7z5ax3t4oq2j7s8c6px78zp&st=5p4qroi5&e=1&dl=0 If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend. ---------- Support Bradley Geary http://www.hardmindsoftheart.com/ https://thekeynoteagency.com/speakers/brad-geary/ https://standwithwarriors.org/ https://www.instagram.com/bradleyandamy/ https://x.com/bradleydgeary https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-geary ---------- MIKE DROP PATREON Watch ad free never before seen content at https://patreon.com/mikedrop WARRIOR DOG FOUNDATION These dogs served when we needed them most—now it’s our turn. Help Warrior Dog Foundation provide lifelong care for retired military and law enforcement K9s by donating today. https://warriordogfoundation.org/donate TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com #MikeDropPodcast #MikeRitland #veteran #military #Geopolitics #MikeRitlandPodcast #AndyStumpf #DonaldTrump #PeteHegseth #ClearedHotPodcast #ShawnRyanShow #MikeGlover #NavySEAL #NickIrving #ValhallaVFT #Politics #JockoWillink #DavidGoggins #Tier1 #DeltaForce #SpecialOperations #SpecialForces #NavySEALs #BradGeary #NavalWarfare #DEVGRU #BUDS #ModernWarfare #SEALTraining #MilitaryService #MilitaryFamily #LeadershipPrinciples #ShawnRyan #MikeDrop Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| Max Afterburner Reveals Why He Broke the Rules to Save a Navy SEAL | Ep. 310 | 21 Sep 2026 | 03:53:35 | |
Former F-15E Strike Eagle combat pilot and U.S. Air Force Thunderbird number two Ryan Bodenheimer — founder and host of Max Afterburner — joins me exactly 25 years after 9/11, the day that sparked his entire career. We cover his 70 combat missions and 300 combat hours in Afghanistan, a near air-to-air engagement with an Iranian jet, losing his best friend in pilot training, a hypoxia incident that nearly killed him on the Thunderbirds, and multiple unexplained UAP encounters. Then we get into Iran — Ryan spent years building actual U.S. war plans against the IRGC, and now he's watching that exact scenario unfold in real time. If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend. ---------- MIKE DROP PATREON Watch ad free never before seen content at https://patreon.com/mikedrop WARRIOR DOG FOUNDATION These dogs served when we needed them most—now it’s our turn. Help Warrior Dog Foundation provide lifelong care for retired military and law enforcement K9s by donating today. https://warriordogfoundation.org/donate TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| Federal Agent Reveals Why He Believes Epstein Left His Cell Alive | Ep. 309 | 15 Sep 2026 | 03:30:14 | |
Former Diplomatic Security Service special agent and attorney Ryan Dalton joins Mike to discuss his career investigating human trafficking, protecting U.S. officials overseas, and his investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Ryan explains why, after reviewing released Epstein files, prison records, and other anomalies surrounding August 2019, he believes the evidence raises the possibility that Epstein left his cell alive. He also shares what happened when he traveled to Little St. James as part of his ongoing investigation. If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend. ---------- Support Ryan Dalton https://closedhorizon.com https://epsteinisntdead.org https://www.instagram.com/spokedriver ---------- SPONSORS HELIX Get 120-night sleep trial at https://helixsleep.com/mikedrop TRUE NUTRITION Get 20% off on your first custom protein blend with code mikedrop at https://truenutrition.com/mikedrop MIKE DROP PATREON Watch ad free never before seen content at https://patreon.com/mikedrop WARRIOR DOG FOUNDATION These dogs served when we needed them most—now it’s our turn. Help Warrior Dog Foundation provide lifelong care for retired military and law enforcement K9s by donating today. https://warriordogfoundation.org/donate TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| Secret Service Agent Reveals What REALLY Happened Inside the Twin Towers on 9/11 | Ep. 308 | 08 Sep 2026 | 03:31:22 | |
Retired Secret Service Special Agent Darin Kinder recounts surviving 9/11 from inside the World Trade Center, entering the North Tower to help people evacuate, and escaping the collapse of the South Tower. He also shares stories from his 25-year career, including counterterrorism work with the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, protecting President George W. Bush, and how those experiences ultimately shaped his faith and mission after leaving the Secret Service. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| Navy SEAL: Kicked Out of the Naval Academy — Then Earned His Way Into the SEAL Teams | Ep. 307 | 31 Aug 2026 | 03:09:10 | |
Former Navy SEAL Jonathan Wilson sits down with Mike Ritland to share his path from getting kicked out of the Naval Academy to fighting his way into the SEAL Teams and deploying to Iraq. He opens up about combat, taking a life, rediscovering his faith, the toll his career took on his family, his own struggles after service, and the mission that ultimately led him to help other veterans navigate transition and mental health. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| Air Force JTAC Reveals Why Special Operators Can’t Fight Without Air Support | Ep 306 | 25 Aug 2026 | 03:19:12 | |
Air Force Special Operations JTAC veteran Conan Higgins joins the show to break down what a Joint Terminal Attack Controller actually does on the battlefield—and why he believes air power could have changed the outcome of missions like Operation Red Wings. Conan deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Philippines, earning two Bronze Stars for combat action, while simultaneously serving as a Washington State trooper, undercover narcotics detective, and SWAT team leader—all while finishing law school. Today he's the president of an international law firm based in D.C., advising security, defense, and risk consulting clients in 19 countries across six continents. We get into calling in airstrikes under fire, the raw power and vulnerability of close air support, and his blunt take on where the current strikes on Iran could be headed. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | |||
| The Day I Lost a Ranger: Tony Mayne on Faith, Death, and Purpose | Ep. 305 | Pt. 3 | 21 Aug 2026 | 00:52:48 | |
In the final part of this conversation, Tony Mayne shares the story he says he's never told publicly before—the loss of his soldier Hing Shaw to an IED, and the impossible decisions made in the seconds and hours that followed. Tony also opens up about being forced out by a medical board, the fight to stay in uniform, and the calling that led him to build Ranger transition and ministry programs for the veteran community. The conversation closes with reflections on accountability, faith, retirement, and what it truly means to give back after a life of service.
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| Rangers, Delta Force, and the Cost of War | Ep. 305 | Pt. 2 | 20 Aug 2026 | 01:00:57 | |
In Part 2, former Army Ranger Tony Mayne takes us deep into the objective and execution of the Haditha Dam mission—one of the most heavily defended objectives of the early Iraq War. Tony details the harrowing overnight drive through the desert, the ambush that nearly cost his team everything, and the unique cooperation between Rangers and Delta Force on the ground. From there, the conversation follows his path from enlisted squad leader to commissioned officer, the personal cost of extended deployments to Ramadi, the loss of a close friend to an IED, and a career-altering hearing waiver that nearly ended his time in uniform. It's a candid look at leadership, sacrifice, and the toll of nearly two decades at war.
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| 75th Ranger Veteran Finally Speaks On Haditha Dam & the Ambush That Followed | Ep. 305 | Pt. 1 | 18 Aug 2026 | 01:03:33 | |
Retired Major Tony Mayne joins the podcast to walk through 12 years in U.S. Special Operations Command, including nine years in the 75th Ranger Regiment's 3rd Battalion, where he took part in the regiment's historic combat parachute assault into Afghanistan after 9/11 and later jumped into Iraq — completing eight combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terror and earning induction into the 2024 Ranger Hall of Fame. We go deep on the night of October 19, 2001, standing in the door of a C-17 as one of the first U.S. Rangers to parachute into Afghanistan, and the fight for Haditha Dam, where his vehicle broke down mid-assault and later got caught in an ambush on both sides of the road.
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| Debunking the Extortion 17 Conspiracy Theories Once & For All | Ep. 304 | Pt. 3 | 14 Aug 2026 | 01:06:38 | |
In the final part of this conversation, Mike Sarraille recounts the base attack in Jalalabad where he served as Joint Strike Force commander, dismantles the conspiracy theories surrounding Extortion 17, and shares the story of Guardian dog Bart's final act protecting his handler Jet Li. He then breaks down his transition out of the military, the founding of Talent War Group, and his current role at Overwatch Mission Critical, before diving deep into the booming and controversial world of AI data centers. The episode closes with the story behind the record-breaking 7-continents-in-7-days skydiving mission and his reflections on purpose after service.
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| The Night Extortion 17 Went Down & Notifying the Families | Ep. 304 | Pt. 2 | 13 Aug 2026 | 01:11:03 | |
Part 2 of this conversation with Mike Sarraille picks up inside the deployments that followed Ramadi, including the chaotic quick-reaction mission into Sadr City alongside a hastily assembled team from two different SEAL platoons. Mike breaks down the brotherhood built with Army infantry on the ground, the Sunni Awakening, and why he believes the Iraq War was ultimately a policy mistake despite the valor shown by the troops who fought it. He also opens up about the line he drew when ordered to move his men into an unnecessary risk, his transition to DEVGRU, the reality of Green Team versus BUD/S, the night Adam Brown was killed in Afghanistan, and the devastating loss of Extortion 17—including the brutal process of notifying the families left behind.
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| The REAL Story Behind Michael Monsoor & Task Unit Bruiser | Ep. 304 | Pt. 1 | 11 Aug 2026 | 01:13:37 | |
Mike Sarraille breaks down his path from getting kicked out of college to Force Recon to Navy SEAL to DEVGRU. He talks Delta vs DEVGRU, deploying to Ramadi with Task Unit Bruiser, and standing three feet from Michael Monsoor the day he died saving his team. Also covers DEVGRU selection and why he thinks the Iran conflict is repeating Iraq's mistakes.
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| Permission to Heal: Prime Hall on Plant Medicine, Faith, and Finding Purpose | Ep. 303 | Pt. 3 | 07 Aug 2026 | 01:09:21 | |
In the final part of this Mike Drop conversation, Prime Hall traces his path from military transition into deep psychological healing. He details his first 5-MeO-DMT experience, a profound "hard reset" that showed him both the devastating and the redemptive paths his life could take, and how it launched an unexpected connection to Mike Tyson and Tyson Ranch. Prime opens up about the harder road that followed—relapse, medication struggles, and losing two close friends to suicide within days of each other—and how ayahuasca, integration therapy, and a structured approach to plant medicine helped him rebuild. The conversation closes on his new book, Permission to Heal, his work in the firearms tech space, fatherhood, and his personal relationship with faith.
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| Shot Through the Neck: A Marine Raider's Deadliest Day in Helmand | Ep. 303 | Pt. 2 | 06 Aug 2026 | 01:17:36 | |
Prime Hall returns for Part 2 of this Mike Drop conversation, taking listeners deep into his time as a Marine Raider deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He recounts the brutal June 14th, 2012 ambush where two of his closest teammates were shot, the insider attack that nearly killed him weeks later, and the invisible wounds—traumatic brain injury, hearing damage, and psychological toll—that followed him home. Prime also weighs in on the Charlie Kirk shooting, drawing on his own firsthand experience witnessing a similar gunshot wound in combat. The episode closes with his medical retirement, the unraveling that came with it, and the first steps toward healing through ayahuasca.
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| MARSOC Raider on Combat, Resilience, and Staying Alive | Ep. 303 | Pt. 1 | 04 Aug 2026 | 01:09:46 | |
Mike Ritland sits down with Prime Hall — former Marine Raider, Marine Corps water survival instructor, co-founder of Deep End Fitness and Operation Resilience, founder of the Underwater Torpedo League, and recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star, and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Prime is also the author of "Permission to Heal: Redefining Strength for Warriors, Athletes and High Performers" and features in the upcoming documentary "Air Hunger." In this episode, Prime opens up about being dropped into a Village Stability Operations post in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the insider attack that changed his life, and how 5-MeO-DMT and ayahuasca journeys became the turning point in a healing process he now shares through his book and work with veterans.
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| 80% of Russian Drones Never Reach Ukraine—Here's the Robot War | Ep. 302 | Pt. 3 | 31 Jul 2026 | 01:07:16 | |
In the final part, Mike LeBlanc explains why Ukraine has become a real-time preview of future warfare, where robots and drones now do most of the fighting and over 80% of incoming Russian drones are stopped before impact. He breaks down the political reasons Russia hasn't crushed Ukraine, the underexplored frontier of subsurface warfare exposed by Iran, and why he believes autonomy—not new weapons types—is the true turning point in combat.
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| Ukraine Battlefield Tests: Robots That Can Now Open Fire | Ep. 302 | Pt. 2 | 30 Jul 2026 | 01:11:51 | |
In Part 2, Mike LeBlanc details how a chance call pulled him away from a private equity offer and into Silicon Valley, where he co-founded Cobalt Robotics before launching Foundation Future Industries. He walks through the brutal early days of building a robotics startup, a company crisis over fabricated sales contracts that forced him to overhaul the business, and the pivot into humanoid robots for the Department of War. The conversation turns to real combat testing in Ukraine, the ethical debate inside his own company over weaponizing robots, human-in-the-loop safeguards against battlefield mistakes, and why he believes America—not China—will lead the humanoid robotics race.
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| He Built the Defense Humanoid Robots Now Fighting in Ukraine | Ep. 302 | Pt. 1 | 28 Jul 2026 | 01:10:37 | |
Former Marine Corps officer, Harvard Business School graduate, and entrepreneur Mike LeBlanc spent 13 years in the Marine Corps, including back-to-back deployments advising Afghan forces, service with First Recon, a joint special operations task force in Bahrain, and a Pentagon role evaluating emerging military technology. After leaving active service, he founded Cobalt Robotics and later co-founded Foundation Future Industries. In this episode, we dig into his early days advising Afghan forces, including a green-on-blue attack just 30 days into his deployment after an Afghan soldier saw news coverage surrounding the “Innocence of Muslims” film. We then shift into his work building humanoid robots and why he believes they could eventually replace American troops in some of the battlefield’s most dangerous roles.
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| WAR BENEATH THE SURFACE: Tunnels, Sub-Terra Combat, and the Next Battlefield | Ep. 301 | Pt. 3 | 24 Jul 2026 | 00:59:42 | |
In the final part of this conversation, Major John Spencer breaks down the discipline he's built his career on: urban warfare. He explains why cities are the most complex environment any military can fight in, why the U.S. lacks real expertise in fighting underground, and how history's most costly urban battles keep repeating the same avoidable mistakes. He closes by discussing what he sees as the next frontier of warfare — the world beneath our feet.
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| THE COST OF COMMAND: 150 Lives, Zero Sleep, and the Making of an Urban Warfare Expert | Ep. 301 | Pt. 2 | 23 Jul 2026 | 00:54:30 | |
Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 25 years in uniform, including two combat tours in Iraq as an infantry platoon leader and later as a company commander during the Battle of Sadr City. In this part 2, he describes taking command of a company hours after it was devastated by an Iranian-backed rocket attack, and explains how he rebuilt a broken, stop-lossed unit into one of the most requested companies in his battalion.
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| TOP WAR STRATEGIST: Why the Iran Escalation Theory Left Out What Mattered Most | Ep. 301 | Pt. 1 | 21 Jul 2026 | 01:05:42 | |
Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer with more than 25 years of service and is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare. In this conversation, he breaks down the conflict with Iran, challenges popular predictions about escalation, and explains why war remains inherently human, political, and unpredictable.
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| Free Will, Faith, and Second Chances After the Fall | Ep. 300 | Pt. 3 | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:51:42 | |
In the final part of this conversation, Derek Janisch talks about rebuilding his life after prison — reconnecting with his ex-wife in Hawaii, moving back to California, and starting over as a father, husband, and businessman. The conversation closes with a deep dive into faith, free will, and how his time in jail shaped a worldview built on second chances.
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| He Survived Afghanistan, Then Got Shot Growing Weed | Ep. 300 | Pt. 2 | 16 Jul 2026 | 00:50:01 | |
Derek Janisch spent a decade in the SEAL Teams, deploying to Afghanistan and the Philippines, before his life came apart at home. In this part 2, he talks openly about the affair that ended his marriage, the arrests that followed, and the night on a Humboldt County cannabis farm when a dispute over money ended with him being shot in the chest. It's a raw look at what happens when a warrior's nervous system has nowhere left to go, and how one man found his way back.
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| I Survived Afghanistan, But Almost Got K*lled in California Over $3k | Ep. 300 | Pt. 1 | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:51:47 | |
Derek Janisch took PKM and RPG fire in Afghanistan and walked away alive. Years later on a California cannabis farm, an argument over $3,000 put a bullet in his chest. In this episode he breaks down both nights, the firefight that should have killed him and the one that almost did, plus the recovery, the scar people mistake for a war wound, and how he ended up back in California teaching shooting at the Outfit.
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| Why the Epstein Files and Its Names Are Never Touched | Ep. 299 | Pt. 3 | 10 Jul 2026 | 01:18:19 | |
In the final part of this conversation, Nic McKinley traces his path from private personal recovery work to founding DeliverFund, and delivers a hard-hitting breakdown of the forces enabling child trafficking in America today. He names Roblox CEO David Baszucki's own words on predators and minors, connects the Epstein files to a broader pattern of political silence, and lays out the exact mechanics—burner phones, anonymity loopholes, and smartphone adoption—that turned trafficking into a scalable market. Nic closes with concrete policy proposals and a direct challenge to parents and everyday listeners on what real accountability looks like.
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| CIA Recruitment, High-Speed Chases, and the Op That Led to DeliverFund | Ep. 299 | Pt. 2 | 09 Jul 2026 | 01:24:52 | |
Nic McKinley returns for Part 2, picking up right after his time as a Pararescue instructor and walking through his recruitment into a specialized CIA unit. He details the grueling 30-day vetting process, the shooting standards that eliminated seasoned special operators, and the small-team tactics that shaped his work overseas. Nic recounts high-speed chases, joint operations with elite military units, and his rise to Country Team Leader in a nuclear-armed nation—before revealing the two pivotal moments that first exposed him to child trafficking and set him on the path toward founding DeliverFund.
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| PJ Turned CIA Spy Breaks Silence on Human Trafficking in America | Ep. 299 | Pt. 1 | 07 Jul 2026 | 01:20:45 | |
Former U.S. Air Force Pararescueman and CIA officer Nic McKinley — a Harvard grad dubbed "the real Jack Ryan" for his operational background across spec ops and intelligence work — breaks down how his 11 years as a PJ and later role as country chief of a special CIA unit exposed him to the realities of child trafficking and illicit markets, work that eventually became the foundation for DeliverFund, the nonprofit he now runs that arms law enforcement with technology, actionable intelligence, training, and data-driven tools to fight human trafficking. We dig into how smartphones and gaming platforms turned into a direct pipeline connecting predators to kids, why the policy fixes are obvious but the people with the power to enact them won't touch it, and what it actually takes to hunt a human trafficker for a living.
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| From Imposter to Disciple: Tu Lam on Finding Christ After Fame, Psychedelics & a Broken Heart | Ep. 298 | Pt. 3 | 03 Jul 2026 | 01:16:08 | |
In the final chapter of Tu Lam's story, the walls come down completely. Part 3 opens where the inner war is still raging — fame, an imposter's burden, and a broken heart that Eastern philosophy and psychedelics couldn't fully fix. What follows is Tu's account of the moment he finally surrendered to Jesus Christ, how three years of daily Bible study rewired his understanding of sin, sacrifice, and purpose, and what it now means to walk as a disciple in the tactical and law enforcement world he built his name in. Host Mike Ritland and Tu also go deep on marriage in special operations, the global consequences of the Iraq War, the trap of media consumption, and what Tu carries every day — on his hip and in his heart.
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| Call of Duty's Most Downloaded Character: Opiates, Ibogaine & Seeing Jesus | Ep. 298 | Pt. 2 | 02 Jul 2026 | 01:14:38 | |
Former Green Beret and Special Mission Unit operator Tu Lam opens up about the hidden battles that followed one of the most decorated careers in special operations. In Part 2, Tu and host Mike Ritland go deep on his years conducting covert intelligence work, the opiate addiction that took root after a 2005 IED blast and quietly consumed nearly a decade of his life, and the shame of a medical retirement he never felt he earned. From rock bottom in a dark room to becoming the most downloaded character in Call of Duty history, Tu traces the long road back — through psychedelics, spiritual warfare, and an encounter he never expected — to something that finally gave him peace.
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| Tu Lam: How a Vietnamese Refugee Became a Green Beret & Call of Duty Character | Ep. 298 | Pt. 1 | 30 Jun 2026 | 01:20:52 | |
Former Green Beret Tu Lam served over 23 years in Special Forces, deploying to 27 countries, and is the founder of Ronin Tactics and author of The Way of the Ronin. In this episode, Tu shares the full arc of his extraordinary life — from being born in Saigon and escaping war-torn Vietnam as a child refugee on a wooden fishing boat, to becoming one of the most elite operators in the U.S. military. They dig into the Bushido code, the warrior's path, faith, addiction, and what it truly means to surrender.
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| Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins on Trump's Endorsement, AI Dangers, & Why Florida Must Not Fall Back | Ep. 297 | Pt. 3 | 26 Jun 2026 | 01:03:22 | |
Jay Collins — Green Beret, combat amputee, and Florida's Lieutenant Governor — is now running for Governor, going up against a Trump-endorsed opponent in what he calls a fight to protect Florida's values and keep the state from falling backward. In this episode, Jay breaks down why he's speaking out against his primary opponent, foreign interference in Florida politics, the dangers of unchecked AI and hyperscale data centers, his push for classical education and trade apprenticeships, and why he believes when Florida leads, America wins.
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| Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins: Retiring From Special Forces, the VA System, & Fixing America From the State Level | Ep. 297 | Pt. 2 | 25 Jun 2026 | 01:09:45 | |
Jay Collins served as a one-legged Green Beret before retiring on his own terms, then transitioned into nonprofit work and eventually Florida politics — passing 55 bills in three years as a state senator and now serving as Lieutenant Governor under Ron DeSantis while running for Governor. In this episode, Jay breaks down the VA system's failures and how to fix them, why states should lead where Washington has repeatedly failed, and what it takes to bring a combat veteran's mindset into government.
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| GREEN BERET Did Field Surgery on His Own Arm With No Doctor & Stayed in the Fight | Ep. 297 | Pt. 1 | 23 Jun 2026 | 01:05:02 | |
Jay Collins spent 23 years in Army Special Forces, serving in South America and the Middle East as a Green Beret, where he was shot in the arm and ultimately lost a leg from injuries sustained in combat. A recipient of two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and the Combat Infantryman Badge, Jay went on to serve in the Florida State Senate and now serves as Lieutenant Governor of Florida, currently running for Governor. In this episode, he takes us back to Firebase Anaconda in Afghanistan, one of the worst defensible positions imaginable, and breaks down the presence patrol where he took a round to the arm, the mortar blast that would silently cost him his leg years later, and what it took to keep fighting through all of it.
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| Kyle Morgan on the Mali Hostage Rescue, Moral Injury, Sobriety & Serving Others | Ep. 296 | Pt. 3 | 19 Jun 2026 | 01:32:03 | |
Kyle Morgan opens up with raw honesty about his decade with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force). He details the legendary Radisson Blu Hotel hostage rescue in Mali that he led, the intense pre- and post-Radisson deployments, the personal toll of repeated blast injuries and combat trauma, his struggles with alcohol, opioids, ego, and moral injury, multiple DUIs, and the difficult path to redemption, sobriety, faith, and retirement.
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| From 82nd Airborne to Delta Force: Kyle Morgan’s Path Through Combat | Ep. 296 | Pt. 2 | 18 Jun 2026 | 01:39:19 | |
Kyle Morgan continues his conversation with Mike Ritland, detailing his remarkable journey through the U.S. Army. From his turbulent youth and early deployments with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, through Ranger School, the Old Guard, and Special Forces as a Green Beret, to his selection and service with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), Kyle offers unfiltered insights into combat, leadership, personal struggles with alcohol and ego, team dynamics, failure and redemption at Delta selection, and the profound impact of service on his life and faith.
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| Delta Force Operator Who Led the Radisson Blu Hostage Rescue Breaks His Silence | Ep. 296 | Pt. 1 | 16 Jun 2026 | 01:40:14 | |
Kyle Morgan spent over 20 years in the Army as a Green Beret and Delta Force operator, serving in every kinetic conflict since 9/11 including deployments to Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. He is best known for leading the hostage rescue and evacuation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali, where terrorists killed 20 people and took 170 hostages.
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| Declared Dead in Vietnam: Major Capers on Faith, Loss, and Coming Home | Ep. 295 | Pt. 3 | 12 Jun 2026 | 00:45:15 | |
Major James Capers spent years after Vietnam running ambushes behind enemy lines, surviving an assassination attempt in Hamburg, and serving as a bodyguard to President Nixon before a general sent him home after receiving intelligence that his wife and son would be killed on a Saturday morning. But the moment that defines this episode happened after his bloodiest mission — when he was loaded onto a helicopter with his wounded men and his dead dog King, flown through a storm, and placed in a hallway with the bodies. Someone walked by and said this one is dead. Then another person stopped, looked closer, and said this one is breathing. They pulled him out and brought him back to the operating room. In this episode, Major Capers closes out his story — the ambushes, the training mission loss that made him retire, and what he believes about the country he fought for and would fight for again. Support Major James Capers https://www.instagram.com/major_james_capers_jr/ https://www.capersthedoc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Major-James-Capers-Jr-100040737672030/ https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/holt-oral-history-program/james-capers-jr-major ---------- SPONSORS PARTICLE FOR MENCheck out Particle’s Face Cream here: https://particleformen.co/mikedrop and use my code MIKEDROP for a 20% discount sitewide AMERICAN FINANCING NMLS #182334 nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-891-3262 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/MikeDrop. Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99 BETTER HELP Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/mikedrop/ BEAM Here’s the deal: Beam is giving my listeners the ultimate patriot discount of UP TO 40% off. Try their best‑selling Dream Powder and get UP TO 40% off for a limited time. Go to https://shopbeam.com/products/dream-powder-4?variant=41387075567671&selling_plan=1794441271&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=mikedrop&code=applied15&discount=MIKEDROP and use code MIKEDROP at checkout. NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com
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| From Force Recon to the Medal of Honor: Major Capers on Vietnam's Bloodiest Missions | Ep. 295 | Pt. 2 | 11 Jun 2026 | 00:47:44 | |
Major James Capers ran 50 missions in Vietnam as a Force Recon Marine — combat swims in shark-infested waters, a POW rescue that earned him his first Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and a four-day battle that left him wounded with his legs broken and his dog dead. He was one of the few African Americans in Force Recon, and fought his way into Combat Swimmer school when the commanding officer tried to send him home before he even started. He spent three months at Khe Sanh facing a Chinese division, and when the helicopter finally came in on his bloodiest mission, he put every man on board and stayed on the ground alone. President Trump called him personally to invite him to the White House to receive the Medal of Honor. In this episode, Major Capers walks through the missions and what it cost him to bring everybody home. Support Major James Capers https://www.instagram.com/major_james_capers_jr/ https://www.capersthedoc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Major-James-Capers-Jr-100040737672030/ https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/holt-oral-history-program/james-capers-jr-major ---------- SPONSORS PARTICLE FOR MENCheck out Particle’s Face Cream here: https://particleformen.co/mikedrop and use my code MIKEDROP for a 20% discount sitewide AMERICAN FINANCING NMLS #182334 nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-891-3262 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/MikeDrop. Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99 BETTER HELP Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/mikedrop/ BEAM Here’s the deal: Beam is giving my listeners the ultimate patriot discount of UP TO 40% off. Try their best‑selling Dream Powder and get UP TO 40% off for a limited time. Go to https://shopbeam.com/products/dream-powder-4?variant=41387075567671&selling_plan=1794441271&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=mikedrop&code=applied15&discount=MIKEDROP and use code MIKEDROP at checkout. NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com
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| DECLARED DEAD IN VIETNAM: Force Recon Legend Finally Gets the Medal of Honor | Ep. 295 | Pt 1 | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:45:55 | |
Major James Capers led a four day mission in Vietnam that should have killed him. His unit was inserted, took heavy contact, and fought through the night with everything they had. He was wounded, his dog was killed, and when the helicopter finally came in to pull them out, he told the crew to take his men and leave him behind. President Trump signed a bill awarding him the Medal of Honor for what he did on that trail, outnumbered and outgunned, refusing to abandon a single Marine no matter the cost. In this episode, Major Capers sits down to walk through the mission, the decisions made under fire, and what it actually means to bring every man home when everything around you is falling apart.
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| Venezuela, Ideology, and Why We Keep Fighting Unwinnable Wars | Ep. 294 | Pt. 3 | 05 Jun 2026 | 00:44:28 | |
Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson closes out a conversation that covers everything from geopolitics to personal redemption. Terry and Mike dig into the Venezuela raid, the consistency problem with U.S. foreign policy, and whether fighting an ideology like Islamic extremism is even winnable. Then it gets personal — Terry reflects on rebuilding his marriage, watching his kids move forward after losing their brother, and how faith, not discipline alone, became the foundation that finally held.
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| 11 Deployments, a Downed Chinook, and the Grief That Broke Him Open | Ep. 294 | Pt. 2 | 04 Jun 2026 | 00:53:33 | |
Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson returns for Part 2 with some of the rawest conversation yet. From witnessing a Chinook go down in flames in Afghanistan to losing his son in 2020, Terry opens up about the grief he buried for years — and what it finally took to break him open. A brutally honest look at rock bottom, rebuilding, and the unlikely path that brought him back.
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| Green Beret Exposes the Government's Chinook Shootdown Cover-Up | Ep. 294 | Pt. 1 | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:57:35 | |
Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson spent 24 years in uniform with the 7th Special Forces Group, racking up 11 combat deployments and nearly 11 years total downrange. He is now the CEO of Tactical Edge Coaching and Consulting, where he works with high performance men to become better leaders in all aspects of their life.
In this episode we get into the daily troops in contact grind of Helmand Province, watching a Chinook get blown out of the sky a couple hundred meters away, recovering bodies from the crash site through the night, losing a teammate to an IED within days, the brutal reality of the Afghanistan withdrawal, and hitting rock bottom after losing his son before faith and fitness gave him a way back.
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| Ibogaine, Iran, and the Epstein Files: A Recon Marine Gets Unfiltered | Ep. 293 | Pt. 3 | 29 May 2026 | 01:05:19 | |
Retired Marine Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kuperus closes out his conversation with Mike Ritland with the kind of honesty that makes people uncomfortable — and that's exactly the point. From a brutally candid take on the "silent professional" myth and what weak leadership actually looks like, to a raw account of his ibogaine experience in Mexico and what it revealed about his relationship with his kids, Kuperus doesn't hold back. He also weighs in on Iran, Israel, the Epstein files, and why he thinks the Monroe Doctrine is the only foreign policy that makes sense. And after nearly losing everything to a court-martial he should never have faced, he found his next mission: The Reason Outdoors, a nonprofit using hunting and the backcountry to pull veterans back from the edge — one hunt at a time.
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| When Leadership Fails in Combat: Lessons from Helmand Province | Ep. 293 | Pt. 2 | 28 May 2026 | 01:10:13 | |
Retired Marine Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kuperus returns for part two with some of the most harrowing combat accounts you'll hear. From a near-fatal friendly fire incident involving Cobra attack helicopters, to navigating an IED-saturated district center while rescuing a shattered sniper team, Kuperus pulls no punches on what it actually costs when leadership fails on the ground. He also recounts the operation that quietly identified a Taliban shadow governor in northern Helmand — the kind of mission that rarely gets told. The conversation shifts into a candid reckoning with the military's promotion system, the compounding damage of poor senior leadership, and why the men who fight hardest are often the ones the institution fails most.
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| Recon Marine Exposes the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps for Stolen Valor | Ep. 293 | Pt. 1 | 26 May 2026 | 01:10:53 | |
Ryan Kuperus is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 17+ years in infantry, recon, and Force Recon. Medically retired after multiple combat deployments and enough kinetic stories to fill a book. From leading teams in Now Zad to pulling his own guys out of multiple IED strikes, this one gets raw fast. We talk leadership failures in combat, hunting, ibogaine, and why the system chews up warriors.
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| Life After SAS & Training America’s SWAT Teams | Ep. 292 | Pt. 3 | 22 May 2026 | 00:59:36 | |
Former SAS operator Phil Singleton reflects on life after the Regiment. He shares his candid thoughts on the Falklands War, his decision to leave the SAS, and the remarkable journey that followed — from bodyguard work in Saudi Arabia to becoming a U.S. citizen, training American law enforcement with Heckler & Koch, and building his own international tactical training company. Now in his 70s, Phil offers unfiltered perspectives on geopolitics, Britain’s direction, America’s strengths, and the simple “Rastafarian lifestyle” he lives today. This episode closes with honest wisdom, humor, and hard-earned life lessons from a true warrior and veteran.
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| From SAS Selection to Storming the Iranian Embassy | Ep. 292 | Pt. 2 | 21 May 2026 | 00:54:20 | |
Former British SAS operator Phil Singleton shares hard-earned insights from his distinguished career. He offers a firsthand account of the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London, detailing the planning, explosive entry, chaotic assault amid fire, and the realities of hostage rescue. Singleton also reflects on his experiences during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the rigorous SAS selection process, endurance testing, and other deployments including Belize, Brunei, and the Falklands. With candid perspectives on leadership, adaptability, counter-terrorism, and the human side of elite operations, this conversation delivers unfiltered veteran insight and operational history.
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