Jocko Podcast

511: Between Firefights and Faith, Lessons From Ramadi to Recovery. With Ben Sledge.

76 snips
Oct 22, 2025
Ben Sledge, a former U.S. Army civil affairs soldier and author, shares his gripping experiences from combat in Ramadi and the moral complexities he faced. He discusses the intense realities of deployment, including navigating minefields and the impact of bad leadership. Sledge reflects on personal struggles with trauma and addiction after returning home, emphasizing the healing power of faith and storytelling. He highlights the importance of community support among veterans, urging them to connect and care for one another.
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ADVICE

Win Hearts By Restoring Services

  • Work with local leaders and restore basic services to reduce insurgent influence.
  • Invest reconstruction funds in locally vetted projects that use local contractors and give credit to sheikhs.
ANECDOTE

Walking Into A Minefield

  • Sledge and team discovered they'd walked into a minefield and narrowly escaped via a single lane.
  • He admits leadership failures that could've had deadly consequences.
ANECDOTE

Blasted, Broken, And Brought Home

  • A rocket slammed into Sledge's base; he helped drag wounded Max to medevac while fearing he'd failed.
  • He later received a Purple Heart and R-com, and Max survived and remains a close friend.
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