Combat Story

Today, we hear the combat story of Terry Buckler, the youngest of 56 Green Berets on one of the most dangerous and daring missions in U.S. military history, when they went 300 miles behind enemy lines into North Vietnam to rescue American POWs at the Son Tay POW camp. Terry is part of a rare group known today as the Son Tay Raiders. The mission does not have the intended outcome (as you'll hear in this interview), but changes the lives and morale for hundreds of American POWs for years to come. This is a story of true sacrifice, amazing bravery and selflessness, and some of the most impressive planning and execution you'll ever hear. I know this sounds like hyperbole but I promise you, it is not. The stories you're about to hear from Terry are detailed beautifully in the book Who Will Go: Into the Son Tay POW Camp. Terry wrote this book with Cliff Westbrook, who is also part of this interview and whose father was the Air Mission Commander for one of the aircraft involved in this incredible story. I sincerely hope you enjoy this front row seat to one of the most impressive, selfless, and expertly planned and executed operations in our military's storied history. Book - Who Will Go - https://www.amazon.com/Who-Will-Go-Into-Camp/dp/164990150X Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sontayraid/ Website - https://thesontayraid.com/ #Special Forces #Son Tay #Veterans #combatstory Show Notes 0:00 Intro 1:23 - Introduction of Terry and Cliff 6:36 - Terry's childhood 15:25 - Aviation training and resourcing for the Son Tay Raid, including the new technology that made the mission possible: aerial refueling. 17:27 - Being selected for the raid. 25:46 - The situation and plight for POWs in North Vietnam at the time and the decision for a rescue. 31:45 - The Mission Statement, which is phenomenal, and the reaction of the 56 Green Berets will make your hair stand up. 45:45 - Captain Dan Turner and the relationship with Terry on the raid. 50:45 - Combat Story Planning and Son Tay Raid task organization and resources. 55:50 - Why choose 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL) for the flight route. 57:50 - What's it like being 20 years old going into one of the most dangerous missions you can imagine for your first combat experience. 1:02:35 - Combat Story as the plan was drawn up (but did not go as planned, like any mission). 1:07:35 - Combat Story and what actually happened. 1:18:31 - This is why this mission was a success despite not finding any POWs. 1:36:43 - How do you find purpose in your life after such a significant event in your 20s. 1:40:25 - What did they carry with them in combat? 1:43:14 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Robin Horsfall is a former British Special Air Service (SAS) Tier 1 operator, paratrooper in 2Paras, mercenary, entrepreneur, and author. During his time in service, he deployed five times to Northern Ireland in brutal "Peace Keeping" operations, was part of one of the most storied and successful hostage rescue operations in the heart of London, and was part of a "one way" or "suicide" mission during the Falklands War. His combat is well documented in his first book, Fighting Scared, in which we describes his evolution from victim to Tier 1 operator to Warrior Poet (the title of his most recent book). Robin's lessons can be applied to soldiers, leaders, parents, and children, including how to overcome a difficult childhood of abuse and a lack of male role models to become a role model to others. His stories are brutally honest (being bullied for years) and lighthearted (such as SAS training with Delta Force or how he and the SAS helped Princess Diana with her hair) in a way that only Brits can manage. Find Robin online: Fighting Scared Warrior Poet Northern Ireland Vet Campaign Facebook Wise Old Paratrooper Speaking Engagements Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Robin bio and introduction. 1:51 - Robin 5:01 - Difficult childhoods and the challenge of authority later in life. 8:12 - Recognizing issues with authority in other people, particularly children, when building a Karate empire. 18:58 - Why the military at age 15? 22:37 - Who were the British military vets in the early 1970s? 26:36 - The British "Paras" and what it means within the UK military. 28:24 - First combat experience was Northern Ireland. 31:57 - What was it like to do "Peace Keeping" after paratrooper training for years? 33:09 - Combat Story #1: Northern Ireland. 35:51 - Combat Story #2: "Encounter" with an IED. 42:04 - Difference between SAS (Special Ops) and conventional military. 44:55 - Team vs. Individual in SAS and the SAS process. 47:21 - Death during SAS selection. 53:48 - Combat Story #3(A): Setting the scene for an amazing hostage rescue operation. (Jump to next time stamp if you don't want to hear the lead up to this operation). 55:53 - Combat Story #3(B): Incredibly detailed account of an SAS high visibility hostage rescue in downtown London. 1:14:09 - Combat-lite Story #3.5: Princess Diana supporting an SAS training operation. You have to hear the bit about her hair! 1:16:04 - Combat Story #4: A 'one way" or "suicide" mission during the Falklands War. There's some great comedy in this and lessons about what not to do. 1:25:49 - Delta training with SAS and some of the hilarity that ensues. 1:31:06 - Why title the book "Fighting Scared"? 1:32:19 - What Robin's doing now: Veterans campaign and the Wise Old Paratrooper trilogy, plus a new book on poetry called "Warrior Poet." 1:36:29 - What did Robin carry with him into combat. 1:37:32 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today we hear a heartbreaking yet inspiring set of combat stories of three brothers, told by the only one to survive the post-9/11 battlefield: former Marine Beau Wise. While serving in Afghanistan, SEAL veteran and CIA contractor Jeremy Wise was killed in an al Qaeda suicide bombing that devastated the US intelligence community (as you'll hear in this interview and as depicted in this scene from Zero Dark Thirty and also in the book Triple Agent). Less than three years later, Green Beret Ben Wise was fatally wounded after volunteering for a dangerous assignment during a firefight with the Taliban. Ben was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, while Jeremy received the Intelligence Star AND a star on the CIA's Memorial Wall, which I can attest to. Our guest, Beau, is the only known American service member to be pulled from the battlefield after losing two brothers in Afghanistan. This was a challenging interview but one that I'm eternally grateful that I was allowed to do. The account you're about to hear is detailed in the incredible book, Three Wise Men: A Navy SEAL, a Green Beret, and How Their Marine Brother Became a War's Sole Survivor, written by Beau Wise and Tom Sileo. Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - Beau bio. 1:50 - Interview begins. 3:05 - "My mom was a walking encyclopedia of American conflicts." 5:25 - Introducing Ben and Jeremy as kids. 10:12 - Life shaping event for Beau and his brothers. 12:25 - How on Earth do three brothers choose three different branches of service and become a SEAL, a Green Beret, and a Marine? 18:30 - How your mom might react after signing up for the Marine Corps. 22:10 - Beau's description as an 0331 Marine. 27:57 - The loss of the first Wise brother, Jeremy, who was one of the seven CIA personnel killed at FOB Chapman in Khost, Afghanistan on Dec 30th, 2009. 33:28 - Mindset after a devastating loss and being sent back into the breach. 35:55 - Advice on how to handle the loss of someone close in combat. 40:18 - Beau's experience identifying an IED emplacement in Marjah. 47:25 - A phenomenal training and then combat story from Jeremy Wise in his time as a SEAL. 49:55 - A combat story from Ben Wise during his time as a Green Beret medic and sniper. 54:15 - What happens after Beau learns of Ben's passing. 56:48 - What did Beau, Ben, and Jeremy carry into combat for good luck. 1:01:30 - Would you do it all again, after all the pain and suffering?

John Stryker Meyer was a pioneer in the special operations community who served two tours as a MACV-SOG operator and team leader in Vietnam. John led small covert Spike Teams "across the fence" on clandestine operations into Laos and Cambodia in what many now refer to as the secret war in the Vietnam conflict. John shares what it was like signing up for this covert world, signing a 20 year secrecy agreement, and how the aircraft that brought him to his first FOB then loaded a small special ops team that was never heard from again. It was an ominous start, to say the least. In one unbelievable battle, John describes the enemy stacking dead bodies in an effort to get an elevated firing position on John's team and in another, the enemy uses a tactic where they get so close to the U.S. positions that aircrews won't be able to drop napalm rounds. John has three books that chronicle both his stories and those of his fellow SOG operators (listed below) and he's been featured in various interviews, including several with Jocko Willink, and is currently building his own podcast with Jocko to tell the stories of other members of the SOG community. John and Jocko are also collaborating on a video game based on SOG missions. It's amazing John lived through the experiences he shares with us and he's a living testament to the courage so many showed in Vietnam. Books Across the Fence On the Ground SOG Chronicles Show Notes 3:53 - "Pushing things a little bit" as a kid. The book, The Green Berets influenced John's decision to join Special Forces. 6:21 - How an eye doctor changed John's life trajectory and sent him from being a pilot to being a SOG operator. 9:51 - Glad he missed the Korean War because it was so hard. Referenced Pork Chop Hill. 12:45 - John's path from enlisting straight to Special Forces. 14:57 - An "offer" to join the elite. 16:55 - "We go to the safe house that night…" (Reference to MIKE Force and Project DELTA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_DELTA) 27:11 - Description and composition of a "Spike Team" and the "One-Zero" call sign. 44:11 - First contact in Vietnam at "Echo 4" 55:55 - First confirmed kill. 58:10 - What is a "Covey" in this war? 1:07:55 - Blacking out while attached to a rope attached to a helicopter in flight. 1:13:47 - The relationship with the indigenous forces. 1:23:44 - A Thanksgiving mission to find THREE NVA Divisions. 1:42:57 - What did John carry for good luck? 1:43:56 - Would you do it all again? 1:46:34 - Exciting news for what John is working on now, including a new podcast hosted by John to interview other SOG members that Jocko will then share on his social media. Also a video game coming out based on SOG.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Jeff Depatie is a retired Canadian Special Operations Forces JTF2 sniper and assaulter. For those who aren't familiar, JTF2 is Canada's Tier 1 military force. Jeff deployed multiple times, both as an infantryman in the regular Canadian forces and again as a member of the elite JTF2. After leaving the military, Jeff created a company called The Special Forces Experience, which is a highly tailored process designed for men who have achieved their own version of excellence but want to know how far they can really push their limits. Jeff shared that this is such a demanding course that one of the recent courses didn't successfully graduate any of the candidates! In this episode, we dive into some of Jeff's combat experiences and also spend time hearing Jeff draw on his lessons learned from the Tier 1 military community and all the research that's gone into creating the Special Forces Experience surrounding human performance. The Special Forces Experience Instagram @jeffdepatie_ and @specialforcesexperience Show Notes 0:00 - Intro kick-off story. 0:20 - Jeff Depatie bio and introduction. 1:31 - Welcome to the show. 4:34 - Family military background included a Scotsman from WWII fighting from North Africa through Europe. 11:11 - JTF2 (Joint Task Force 2) description which is the Canadian military Tier 1 element (https://tinyurl.com/ac48x7c5). 14:27 - Description of Canadian military basic and advanced training (like US Basic and AIT). 18:48 - True cold weather training for the Canadian military. 27:51 - Using visualization techniques to improve your capabilities. 36:42 - Combat mission #1 - Jeff's first combat experience moving from Kandahar. 49:38 - Combat mission #2 - Jeff describes a more difficult combat experience. 56:02 - Canadian Special Operations organization and units. 1:06:15 - Ailments and injuries from years in the Tier 1 community. 1:10:04 - What Jeff carried for good luck in combat. 1:11:13 - Would you do it all again? 1:13:58 - Jeff describes the Special Forces Experience (thespecialforcesexperience.com) and his life after transitioning out of the military.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! John "Tilt" Stryker Meyer was a pioneer in the special operations community who served two tours as a MACV-SOG operator (what many might call the original Tier 1 unit) and team leader in Vietnam. John led small covert Spike Teams "across the fence" on clandestine operations into Laos and Cambodia in what many now refer to as the secret war in the Vietnam conflict. John shares what it was like joining this covert world, signing a 20 year secrecy agreement, and how the aircraft that brought him to his first FOB then loaded a small special ops team that was never heard from again. It was an ominous start, to say the least. In one unbelievable battle, John describes the enemy stacking dead bodies in an effort to get an elevated firing position on John's team. In another, the enemy uses a tactic where they get so close to the U.S. positions that aircrews won't be able to drop napalm rounds. John has three books that chronicle both his stories and those of his fellow SOG operators (listed below) and he's been featured in various interviews, including several with Jocko Willink, and is currently building his own podcast with Jocko to tell the stories of other members of the SOG community (can't wait!). John and Jocko are also collaborating on a video game based on SOG missions. It's amazing John lived through the experiences he shares with us and he's a living testament to the courage so many showed in Vietnam. Books: Across the Fence On the Ground SOG Chronicles Show Notes 3:53 - "Pushing things a little bit" as a kid. The book, The Green Beretsby Robin Moore influenced John's decision to join Special Forces. 12:45 - John's path from enlisting straight to Special Forces. 14:57 - An "offer" to join the elite. 16:55 - "We go to the safe house that night…" (Reference to MIKE Force and Project DELTA ) 22:55 - First "gut check" while flying in a South Vietnamese H-34 helicopter into his FOB. Spike Team Idaho gets on the helo as John gets off. 27:11 - Description and composition of a "Spike Team" and the "One-Zero" call sign. 44:11 - First contact in Vietnam at "Echo 4" that includes hours-long firefights against an enemy stacking dead bodies. 55:55 - First confirmed kill. 59:46 - Carrying a grenade as a last resort to avoid being taken prisoner. 1:20:00 - Being so close to the enemy that they "touched" John's boot in the middle of the night. 1:23:44 - A Thanksgiving mission to find THREE NVA Divisions. 1:42:57 - What did John carry for good luck? 1:43:56 - Would you do it all again? 1:46:34 - Exciting news for what John is working on now, including a new podcast hosted by John to interview other SOG members that Jocko will then share on his social media. Also a video game coming out based on SOG.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Dale Comstock is a former Delta Force Operator, Green Beret, Paramilitary Operative, entrepreneur, mercenary, and author who has also appeared on prime time television. Dale has fought in almost all major US combat operations since Grenada through to Afghanistan, to include being one of the youngest members of 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta. Dale has been involved in some of America's highest visibility operations like the hostage rescue of Ambassador Kurt Muse (in Operation Acid Gambit) and dozens of missions in multiple combat theaters that will likely remain in the shadows for years to come. He's written three books, including American Badass (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DP619WE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), and is writing a fourth on his more recent experiences. He's created several successful businesses, including Tier1 Performance Coaching (check out this awesome performance coaching trailer https://youtu.be/3CKoGy8jTco) and Strategic Outcomes. Dale is a force of nature who truly lives by the performance coaching mantras he preaches. I hope you enjoy his energy and stories as much as I did. Enjoy. www.tier1performancecoaching.com www.strategicoutcomesindonesia.com https://daleamericanbadass.wixsite.com/mysite Show Notes 0:00 - Sound bite 0:50 - Combat Story Intro 1:10 - Dale Comstock bio. 1:57 - Show begins with Dale Comstock. 6:51 - Staying engaged to stay out of trouble. 8:10 - The two personality types in The Unit or Delta Force. 11:40 - Dale's military family and background. 14:23 - Breaking his father's heart when he enlisted. His father, though, later evolved a mentor. 17:21 - What's your purpose? Dale's two performance coaching questions. 19:15 - Six mentors in Dale's life. 35:00 - Dale's first experience in combat in Grenada with the 2/325th Infantry in the 82nd. 38:01 - Two combat missions that Dale remembers most. 39:21 - Dale's journey to becoming one of the youngest members ever in The Unit. 42:31 - Dale's role with The Unit in the raid on Modelo Prison to rescue Ambassador Kurt Muse in Operation Acid Gambit. 49:50 - The dangers of being too close to a flash bang. 55:11 - Leveraging "Autogenic Conditioning" to improve himself as a kid and then using that with Delta. 1:03:33 - A great story of motivation that changed Dale's life during a shooting course. 1:15:16 - How to use autogenic training in an office. 1:23:59 - How to know who will succeed at Delta. 1:27:57 - How Delta selection brought even Dale to tears. 1:32:00 - Dale's two worst moments in combat in Iraq and Yemen. 1:42:22 - Being a mercenary in Yemen. 1:52:45 - The two items that Dale carried into combat for good luck (both are great). 1:53:50 - Reference to a "beta-male." 1:58:45 - Would you do it all again? 2:01:20 - Dale's upcoming work, to include another book, and work in Tier1 Performance Coaching.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Greg "Gravy" Coker is a legend from the elite 160th Night Stalkers, the Army's Special Operations Aviation Regiment (aka SOAR). He's a long-time Tier 1 Gun Pilot who flew AH-6 Little Birds, AH-64 Apaches, and AH-1 Cobras in multiple combat theaters, providing direct support for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta aka Delta Force, 75th Ranger Regiment, and other Special Operators. Greg logged 7,400 hours in his career, including 1,500 hours of combat time across 11 deployments, and was in the first strike packages that went into Afghanistan and Iraq. Greg reached the pinnacle of the military aviation profession by serving as both a Flight Lead and Instructor Pilot in the most coveted and lethal rotary wing unit in the US military. He survived a combat shootdown while laying down cover for Special Operators in Iraq during the first daylight operation for 160th since Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993 (aka Blackhawk Down). Since leaving the military, Greg has written a memoir about these experiences and more titled "Death Waits in the Dark" and has a children's book coming out with his daughter called "V is for Veterans." Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 2:25 - Watching the "Helicopter War" in Vietnam. 8:54 - A "very kind judge" changed Greg's life (this is a story Greg's never told publicly and well worth the listen!). 13:30 - Flight School Class 89-15 and selected guns (Cobras and then AH-64 Apaches). 15:38 - First assigned to 5/17 Cav in Korea flying Cobras and then moved to A Co, 1-101st Spectres. 20:50 - Seeing "little black helicopters" flying around Fort Campbell. 21:16 - Comparison between flying Cobras, Apaches, and Little Birds. 23:09 - The "Standard" of being on target plus or minus 30 seconds with a map, a compass, and a clock. This is an incredibly difficult standard in aviation terms. 24:56 - This section is for the aviation nerds (like myself) comparing speed, maneuverability, and build of different choppers. 27:02 - The selection process for aviation's Tier 1 element: 160th. 36:19 - First combat experience was 2001 in Afghanistan with the first boots on the ground and in contact within four minutes. 40:43 - Greg describes a classic AH-6 Gun engagement and what "target, torque, trim" means and why a grease pencil mark is important. 50:00 - The relationship between 160th pilots and Delta Operators and Rangers. 53:00 - Description of fighting at Haditha Dam in March 2003 supporting 3/75 Rangers. This involved continuous engagements for eight hours going through 11 loads of ammo. 1:05:18 - How to handle the torque of a GAU-19 (three barrel .50 cal gatling gun) on an aircraft. 1:06:40 - Living through a shootdown in broad daylight in Iraq covering Special Operators. 1:25:18 - Dealing with Imposter Syndrome despite being a legend in the community. 1:28:10 - How a long-time elite gun pilot can also have PTSD. 1:33:50 - What did Greg carry into combat for good luck (these are some good ones!). 1:35:28 - After all the gun fights, crashes, PTSD, and time away from home, would you do it all again? 1:36:01 - Greg and his daughter are working on a new book called V for Veteran for kids using military references to teach the alphabet. Also, Death Waits in the Dark will also be available soon on Audible (with Greg's own voice narrating it!).

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Thom Shea is a retired Navy SEAL, sniper, and Senior Chief who served with and led SEALs in multiple combat tours from Kosovo to Iraq to Afghanistan, including brutal fighting in Helmand Province for which he was awarded the Silver Star. During this fighting, not only was he leading other SEALs through some of the most challenging combat engagements of our time, but he also had a fascinating sniper on sniper engagement in which he went up against a very accurate and capable foreign fighter sniper. After Afghanistan, Thom oversaw the famed SEAL Sniper course. Since leaving the SEALs, Thom and his wife Stacy conduct intensive leadership events for fortune 500 companies. He has written two books, including an incredible memoir (Unbreakable) that gives a firsthand account of the life of a SEAL in combat. His books and this interview are chalked full of lessons for leaders and soldiers alike. If you enjoyed Todd Opalski's interview, you're going to love Thom's story and way of life. Unbreakable Book & Leadership Show Notes: 2:16 - Starting out. Unbreakable. 3:40 - Growing up hunting, trapping, and outside in one of the 'best times to be a kid in America' making $6K at 9 years old. 9:09 - Training SEAL Snipers. Half arrived never having touched a gun, which is good for shooting. 11:41 - Thom comes from a "horrifically military" family drawing a veteran lineage through to the beginnings of America. 14:33 - How to deal with failing out of West Point and following a dream to become a SEAL rather than following someone else's path. 18:15 - Perseverance in fighting to become a SEAL and failing BUDS four times. 23:45 - "Oh, you failed again," from family after failing out of BUDS. 28:42 - If you ever failed in what you believe is your dream or been told no and need some inspiration to keep going, listen to this. After having failed out four times from BUDS, Thom would sit in the Admiral's office for his lunch break for TWO years to request authorization to return. He eventually completed Class 207. 32:20 - What is the "Internal Dialogue" and why is it important? When you do difficult things, it's not about how hard the thing is, but how you beat yourself down in the process. 38:32 - First experience in combat is the beginning of the air war in Kosovo doing a rescue as an E-5 SEAL Team 2 Sniper to rescue Chris Hill, the U.S. Ambassador in Macedonia. Described as a 'comical series of the dumbest things that could possibly happen.' 42:18 - First time seeing the 'atrocities of war.' 45:07 - What does it mean to be a "breacher" on a SEAL team? 47:08 - First trigger pull and kill in combat was described rather 'insignificant' and felt like training. 51:07 - Thom's most difficult deployment was in 2009 when he was an E-7 Chief. 1:02:27 - Six MH-47s dropped 200 Special Operations and Special Forces into a single battle in Afghanistan. 1:09:57 - In the last moments that you live, you realize needing and being needed by others when you have nothing left. 1:12:36 - The A-10 is 'the greatest combat machine in the history of combat machines.' 1:14:20 - How leadership can help operators after having lived through hell and killing 200+ Taliban. 1:31:50 - Sniper-on-Sniper engagement. 1:44:01 - Was there something you carried into combat that meant something to you? 1:44:41 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! LTC (Ret.) Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton was a career fighter pilot who flew F-16s in multiple wars from the first Gulf War to Kosovo to Operation Iraqi Freedom over a 20 year career. He's a fighter pilot to the core who earned four DFCs and eight Air Medals with Valor across 151 combat missions and is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and Navy's Top Gun. Dan's experience hunting SAMs and flying 500 knots below 300' give a surreal perspective of life inside the cockpit. He describes his experience from a young, unafraid 25 year old LT flying in Iraq in 1991 when he first "saw the elephant" to the mature flight lead putting his own life on the line decades later, again in Iraq but against a more advanced enemy. He easily balances the near death adrenaline rushes that come at Mach speed with the light-hearted post-flight activities we all expect in the elite fighter pilot community. Since retiring from service, Dan has written a bestselling memoir (Viper Pilot) and multiple novels and other non-fiction books, including national bestsellers Lords of the Sky and The Mercenary. His most recent book, Operation Vengeance, came out in late 2020. A frequent guest analyst on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs, military, aviation, and intelligence issues, he has published in Aviation History, the Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, Vietnam magazine, and Airpower magazine, and written several classified tactical works for the USAF Weapons Review. You can find Dan on Facebook and his books here. 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Dan's bio. 2:14 - Aviation inspiration? Why become a fighter pilot? 3:36 - Why the Air Force and not the Marines like your father and grandfather? 4:53 - "It never crossed my mind to fail." 6:04 - 'Seeing the Elephant.' A reference to seeing combat for the first time. 7:41 - Air Force Instructor Pilots and the 'FAR Line' (Fighter, Attack, Reconnaissance). 9:54 - First combat experience in the first Gulf War. 11:28 - Stationed in Turkey for the Gulf War. 12:52 - The F-16 role as a SAM hunter (SA-8, SA-6, by Srđan Popović). 19:54 - Post-first combat flight and antics that take place at an O Club. 24:56 - Description of an incredible post-9/11 mission in Iraq. 35:31 - Call Sign "Two Dogs." This one is not PG-rated. 37:41 - Dan's good luck charm/talisman that he carried on his missions is PRICELESS. 41:04 - Would you do it again? 42:12 - If you could fly any aircraft, what would it be? The Chance Vought F4U Corsair.