Combat Story - Ryan Fugit - TopPodcast.com

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Combat Story (Ep 19): John Stryker Meyer | SOG Operator & Team Leader | Green Beret | Author Mar 06, 2021

Show notes

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.

Combat Story (Ep 18): Dale Comstock Delta Operator | Green Beret | Mercenary | Author | Entrepreneur Feb 20, 2021

Show notes

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.

Combat Story (Ep 17): Greg "Gravy" Coker | Special Ops 160th Aviator | AH-6 Gun Pilot | Author Feb 06, 2021

Show notes

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!).

Combat Story (Ep 16): Thom Shea Navy SEAL | SEAL Sniper | Silver Star | Author | Entrepreneur Jan 23, 2021

Show notes

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?

Combat Story (Ep 15): Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton - F-16 Fighter Pilot | DFC x 4 | Author Jan 08, 2021

Show notes

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.

Combat Story (Ep 14): Todd Opalski Marine Force Recon | Delta Force | Scout Sniper | Zen Commando Dec 26, 2020

Show notes

Todd Opalski is a retired Marine (NCO and Officer), Scout Sniper, Force Recon Operator, Delta Operator, Special Operations Commander, and entrepreneur. After 26 years in the military, he lived the startup experience in Silicon Valley before standing up Camp Zen Commando, a Costa Rican retreat to help people optimize their lives and be prepared for the uncertainties of tomorrow.

If you love the Marine Corps or The Citadel, you will LOVE this episode. In fact, the Marine Corps might just play this on a loop for potential recruits because Todd makes it hard not to want to sign-up.

Todd shares lessons that can be applied to young and seasoned officers, new recruits enlisting today, and civilian leaders trying to break through. He has an infectious positivity that makes you envious of his outlook on life.

He truly was part of the elite Tier 1 units, successfully completed Marine Force Recon selection TWICE, loved Ranger School so much he said he would do it again, crossed the berm into Iraq, fought in Fallujah II, and then lived in the special ops community for years in the post-9/11 era.

Todd is a true professional, leader, and inspiration. 0:00 - Intro 3:40 - “Hard work ethic. Show no emotion. Eat all weakness. That made me a perfect candidate for the US Marines.” 5:58 - “Very Tactical” fishing with dad. “First exposure to military ops.” 7:56 - “Fear of failure.” 8:20 - “Studied Combat...But I never studied Peace.” 12:00 - Marine inspiration and signing up. 13:40 - “You stupid kid.” Todd’s dad after hearing Todd was going into the Marine Corps. 19:55 - First look at Scout Snipers. 22:11 - Working for Colonel John Ripley, who promoted Todd to both Corporel and Second Lieutenant. 24:18 - “The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.” 24:54 - What makes the Marine Corps sniper training the elite? 30:08 - Acquisition of basic skills from Infantry to Scout Sniper to Force Recon. 39:44 - Going back to school at The Citadel. 40:40 - Marine Officer Training MCDP-1 Warfighting. 50:20 - First deployment going into 2003 Iraq. 53:56 - “Leadership is all about anxiety management.” 59:00 - Led Back to Special Ops 1:03:35 - Invited to Delta 1:07:44 - Create Relationships, Not Networks 1:11:00 - Spiritual Brokenness as the biggest blocker for Transitioning Vets. 1:18:23 - Building Camp Zen Commando. 1:20:45 - Learning a New Language and Skill 1:29:02 - The Challenge of Command. Pushing back on leadership and then being second-guessed by your team. How to lead through that. 1:30:45 - Marine jokes while at Delta Force. 1:34:57 - Hiked the Appalachian Trail 1:41:07 - Always carried an American Flag and his Ranger Tab. 1:41:27 “Tough times don’t last. Tough men do.”

Combat Story (Ep 13): Jack Murphy Ranger Sniper | Green Beret | Author | Journalist | Podcast Host Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

Jack Murphy is an Army Special Operations veteran who served as a Sniper and Team Leader in 3rd Ranger Battalion and as a Senior Weapons Sergeant in 5th Special Forces Group, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since leaving the military, he's broken stories on defense and special operations topics around the world as an investigative journalist, co-founded the website SOFREP, wrote four military fiction novels (Deckard Novels) and a memoir (Murphy's Law), and now writes for Connecting Vets and hosts the podcast The Team House.

He nearly died in uniform, has been smuggled across international borders, was detained by a foreign intelligence service, met Bashar al-Asad in Syria, and more.

Here's where you can find him: Facebook - JackMurphyAuthor Twitter - @JackMurphyRGR Instagram - jackmcmurph Show Notes 00:00 Intro 7:47 - Patriot Games movie propaganda! 20:26 - Army Sniper School - Ghillie suits, stalking, rifle, patience, but not like Vietnam stories. 22:30 - 1st Combat in Afghanistan - Landed in Bagram AFB 2004, then moved to Khowst. As a sniper, used the SR-25. 24:24 - Direct Action Sniper in a Ranger Batt. 26:53 - 1st time outside the wire. HVT op with C Co, 3/75. 30:58- 1st Combat Trigger Pull 39:48 - Close-in Firefight. 45:30 - I Don't Have Anything to Prove 58:53 - Ops from a Little Bird (MH-6). 1:02:25- Ranger vs. SF Mentality 1:12:46 - SF Combat Ops - Mechanical vs Explosive breaching. 1:16:40 - Transition to Journalism 1:19:19 - Smuggled into Syria 1:23:12 - "Does any of it matter?" 1:30:17 - Would You Do It Again? 1:33:09 - The Team House Podcast. Books, Show, Articles.

Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez: F-15 Eagle Fighter Pilot | Three Air-to-Air Victories Nov 26, 2020

Show notes

Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez is an Air Force Colonel (ret.) and former fighter pilot in an elite group among veterans: he is one of three pilots with three air-to-air shootdowns since Vietnam. His dog fights and experiences from the cockpit of an F-15C Eagle taking down MiGs in both Desert Storm and Kosovo provide a first-hand account of just how challenging aerial combat can be.

In this Combat Story, Rico describes his journey from a kid in Puerto Rico to the Citadel to the Air Force and, finally, to his current life at Raytheon continuing to help the Air Force win the next air war. 2:11 - Where the call sign "Rico" came from. Unsurprisingly, it was coined at a bar. 6:35 - A description of F-15C aircraft tail number 114, an image behind Rico in the interview that you can see on the YouTube interview. Rico flew this aircraft for his first two shootdowns. 10:05 - Rico's father - an Army Air Defense Officer - also had a desire to fly but Rico's journey to fly had a different origin. 16:50 - Flying certain aircraft and profiles felt more like a team sport than others where you had to work as a team. 21:48 - Rico's first aircraft was the A-10 but he then worked his way back to flying the F-15. 23:13 - Being part of a small group (Latinos Unidos) from Puerto Rico as an Air Force pilot and cadet at The Citadel. 25:15 - What was it like to be a fighter pilot in the Cold War? 31:14 - A description of Red Flag intense and real-world training scenarios as Nellis AFB. 33:55 - "Master arm hot" means all weapons are hot and raises the intensity factor. 34:23 - Transition from A-10 to F-15 personally and within the Air Force fighter community. 40:38 - The experience being part of the Panama Campaign in 1989 and it was the first time to have live weapons and open an Air Tasking Order. 49:14 - First hostile contact and shootdown on January 16th with Craig "Mole" Underhill southwest of Baghdad. 53:18 - Description of a Split-S maneuver. 1:02:00 - A classic "two circle fight" and the red baron's description of a two vs one circle fight. 1:04:58 - The only course of action is to defeat the missile when it's coming at you. 1:10:18 - A story of how lessons learned authored by those who fought it can change as it goes up the chain of command. 1:14:30 - The lethality of the AMRAAM missile and how it revolutionized fighting. 1:17:57 - First kill of the Kosovo War was at night and at long range and a lesson learned to not look at the missile coming off the rail when at night. 1:21:31 - Rico's last flight teaming up in training with the youngest pilot in the Squadron going up against four Gen 4 fighters. 1:24:00 - Flying with a flag and a coin. 1:25:00 - Would you do it again and the next generation of fighter pilots?

Tom Satterly: Delta Force Operator | Command Sergeant Major (retired) | Entrepreneur | Author Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

Tom Satterly is a Command Sergeant Major (retired) who spent 20 years in the Army’s elite Delta Force (aka “The Unit”). His 25 year Army career took him from the storied Battle of Mogadishu (Operation Gothic Serpent aka “Black Hawk Down”) and the capture of Saddam Hussein in Operation Red Dawn.

He rose up through the ranks in Delta to leading troops through multiple OIF deployments executing multiple hits per night for months at a time.

The brutal fighting and optempo took a toll on Tom as he lived and survived with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) for years. After retiring, Tom and his wife Jen created the All Secure Foundation (allsecurefoundation.org), which assists special operations active duty and combat veterans, and their families, in recovery of PTS through education, awareness, resources for healing, workshop retreats, and PTS resiliency training.

His book All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront chronicles his trials and experiences from combat to treatment and provides some insight into the secretive world of Delta Force.

He and Jen and their work can be found at: Website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Show Notes 5:07 - The decision to join the Army on the way to a John Cougar Mellancamp concert. 15:59 - Influence of a Hungarian Platoon Sergeant and exposure to unique training with the French, Germans, and Swiss. 18:31 - The decision to become a Green Beret with an unusual twist of stolen valor (17:54). 22:56 - Finding the way to Delta Force. 27:15 - The psychologists at Delta noticed the desire to keep climbing the next mountain. 30:26 - Handling missing Panama and the Gulf War and wanting to test your mettle. 33:10 - Surviving “The Long Walk” and Delta selection. 44:01 - First combat experience was in Mogadishu felt like the movies, until October 3rd (Black Hawk Down). 49:48 - Description of Battle of Mogadishu aka Black Hawk Down. 56:31 - Thinking “this is it” and coming to peace with the idea that you might not make it out alive. 57:31 - Running the Mogadishu Mile with no cover and no ammo. 1:02:04 - A description of the physiological aspects of PTS and the tipping point. How to stop being angry all the time (1:02:48). 1:06:51 - Resiliency training to help pre-combat SF recruits prepare for what’s coming in combat. 1:10:48 - Becoming a leader responsible for other’s souls. 1:14:20 - Still judge myself everyday. Making mistakes is even worse. 1:16:41 - Starting to slow down and have the younger operators take a weight off. 1:18:32 - The reality of near death experiences and how luck plays into your life. 1:20:14 - “War is disgusting.” 1:21:41 - The future of the All Secure Foundation and moving to online content and virtual therapy. 1:24:03 - Would you do it again? 1:25:04 - Jen Satterly’s book Arsenal of Hope will be coming out in February 2021.

Combat Story (Ep 1): Elliot Ackerman | Marine Platoon Leader in Fallujah | Special Operator | Author | Silver Star Oct 25, 2020

Show notes

This is the Combat Story of Elliot Ackerman, a former Marine who served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry and special operations officer, for which he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart.

As a Marine, he led a platoon in Fallujah II during some of the most brutal fighting in the post-9/11 era.

His story will resonate to anyone who fought in urban combat and, in particular, the leadership challenges small unit leaders face, especially newly minted officers. His platoon's experience in Fallujah II is exactly what you think about when you hear stories of this operation and included losing half his Marines in less than 24 hours.

After his time in the Marine Corps, Elliot also served as a paramilitary officer in the CIA.

After his time in uniform, Elliot became a novelist and journalist. He has published five books and his fiction and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New Republic, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Ecotone and others. He is also a contributor to The Daily Beast.

His books include: Green on Blue: A Novel, Dark at the Crossing, Waiting for Eden, Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning, Red Dress in Black & White. Show Notes: 9:39 - Never understood war until I had kids. 14:22 - Why the Marines? 20:57 - The best advice I never took. 23:47 - Discussion with Doug Zembiec, who was later killed in Iraq, for advice. 31:35 - SGT Bonatie pushing back on a young PL. 37:10 - Description of Dean Long and the GPWD (Great Patriotic War in the Desert). 42:53 - Phase Line Fran in Fallujah (battlefield map ; Marine Corps' battle). 48:35 - Sunny Risler led his mobile platoon through the battle to help MEDEVAC some of Elliot's wounded out. 49:22 - Pushing back with leadership when your unit is exposed. 51:21 - Nearly hit by a PKM. "It's suicide if we go out there." 55:50 - Combat leadership sucker punch. 56:05 - Going from 46 to 21 combat effective Marines. 1:04:29 - The bravest thing I ever saw in Fallujah. 1:08:17 - One of the most challenging things: talking to a Marine who couldn't go anymore.

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