Global Recon

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GRP 173-First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 With Toby Harnden Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

Joining me for this week's podcast is a veteran foreign correspondent and author of First Casualty: The Untold Story Of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 Toby Harnden. Harnden is a Royal Navy Veteran from the United Kingdom and has spent years covering wars in conflict zones worldwide. We discussed his journalism career, and he cut his teeth in Northern Ireland, covering the conflict there. He's also spent time in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The initial American response to the 9/11 attacks was a secret eight-man CIA squad called Team Alpha. Team Alpha rode into battle on horseback alongside the Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum. Mike Spann, an ex-Marine and member of Team Alpha, was the first American killed in combat in Afghanistan. We discussed his book in detail, including the role of Delta Force, The British Special Boat Service, and Army Green Berets in routing Al Queda during the early days of the war. Plus many more topics. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

Early Naval career
Working with the Norweigan Navy
Covering the conflict in Northern Ireland
Imprisoned in Zimbabwe
Alpha Team
Mike Spann

This episode is sponsored by Ten Thousand, a men’s training brand.

Visit www.tenthousand.cc and enter code Global Recon for 15 % off

Connect with Toby Harnden

www.tobyharnden.com

Connect With John Hendricks

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GRP 172- Nothing endures but change: The story of Australian SASR Trooper Andrew White Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

oining me for this week's podcast is recently retired Australian SASR Operator Andrew White. White served for nearly 30 years in two different armies. He began his career in the British infantry with deployments to various areas of the world. White was part of the initial invasion of Iraq and would deploy there three times. Due to an issue with his command after his third deployment to Iraq, he transferred to the Australian Army.

He passed selection into the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, where he spent the remainder of his career with multiple combat deployments. White was on the operation where SASR Trooper Jason Brown was tragically killed in Afghanistan. He illuminates the skill and courage under fire displayed by his troop to recover Brown. A few members of the Australian Special Forces are accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan. The situation has been very controversial, and we discussed this in detail. We talked about his experiences in Afghanistan, and Iraq, working as a dog handler, and his advocacy for those SASR Operators accused of war crimes. Plus more. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

Early life and entry into the British Army
Deploying into Northern Ireland
Deploying into Iraq three times
Attempting Special Forces Selection and transferring out of the British Army into the Australian Army
The history of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment and selection
Deploying into Afghanistan
Firefight in which SASR Operator Jason Brown was killed.
Dogs of War
SASR Troopers accused of war crimes

This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit www.4patriots.com and use the code RECON for 10% off

Connect with Andrew White: www.instagram.com/dirtybeardedpilgrims

Connect With John Hendricks

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GRP 171-Death Waits in the Dark: Six Guns Don't Miss: My Conversation With an MH-6 Little Bird Pilot Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

Joining me for this week's podcast is retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Gregory Coker. Coker wrote the book "Death Waits in the Dark: Six Guns Don't Miss!" and has donated 100% of the profits to organizations that support veterans. He flew helicopters in the Army for over 20 years and spent 15 of those years in the world's most elite helicopter unit, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He flew the MH-6 Little Bird, an attack helicopter with thousands of hours spent flying in and out of combat.

Coker was shot down in Iraq, supporting an assault force during a daytime operation. He remained with the assault force after he and his co-pilot made it out of the downed aircraft, where they were engaged in a six-hour gun battle. We discussed this operation in detail and some of the aerodynamics of controlling a helicopter as its crashes. Blades for Brothers is partnered with Shied 91, a 501c3 non-profit started by Greg, to craft blades and help veterans learn how to bladesmith. Greg had experienced a traumatic brain injury from combat, and we discussed this, plus veteran's mental health issues and much more. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

Blades for brothers
Early Army career
Flying Apaches in Korea
Joining the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as an MH-6 Little Bird Pilot
Deploying into Afghanistan in 2001
Getting shot down in Iraq

This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit www.4patriots.com and use the code RECON for 10% off

Get a copy of Greg Coker's book: Death Waits in the Dark

Follow Greg on social media: www.instagram.com/bladesforbrothers

Connect With John Hendricks

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www.instagram.com/erick.miyares

GRP 170-Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change: The Story of Army Special Missions Sergeant Major Erick Miyares Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

Retired Army Special Missions Sergeant Major Erick Miyares is joining me for this week's podcast. SGM Miyares's family immigrated from Cuba to Florida, where he lived until joining the Marine Corps and served for six years. He transitioned into the Army, serving as a Signals expert in the 7th Special Forces Group. He was shot during a deployment to Ecuador in the late 90s. After recovering, Sergeant Major Miyares tried for and got selected to serve in the Army's Special Missions Unit, where he stayed for 20 years. We discussed working with the SEALs, counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and veterans' mental health. Tune in

Main Takeaways

Joining the Marine Corps
Entering the 7th Special Forces Group in the Army to work as a Signals Electronic Warfare Specialist
Getting shot in Ecuador supporting a Special Forces team
Joining the Army's Special Missions Unit
Working with the SEAL Special Mission Unit
Working Hostage Rescue Operations
SIGINT and HUMINT Intelligence
Veterans mental health

This episode is sponsored by Ten Thousand, a men’s training brand.

Visit www.tenthousand.cc and enter code Global Recon for 15 % off

Connect with Erick Miyares

Connect With John Hendricks

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GRP 169-What War Did to Us Ukraine: My Conversation with Marine Corps Veteran Nick Laidlaw Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

Joining me for this week's podcast is Marine Corps veteran Nick Laidlaw. Laidlaw spent seven years in the Marine Corps as an 0311 Rifleman and Security Forces Marine. He wrote the book "What War Did To Us: Ukraine." Providing first-hand accounts of all aspects of the conflict in the first 150 days of the war. Nick runs the popular Instagram account Battles. and.Beers, where he posts photos and videos of war stories from civilian and soldier perspectives. We discussed talking with veterans from both sides of a war, including Ukraine and Russian soldiers, plus much more. Tune in.

Here is a short story told on the podcast by Laidlaw. It is of Anton Kryll, a Ukrainian soldier who fought at Mariupol's besieged Azovstal steel plant. They were surrounded, entirely out of food and water, and medicine.

" Anton, what do you want to do when the war is over?" He replied, "Here in short, we are always relying on each other. We are in history now, and we have done everything possible and impossible. After we are pulled out of here, I will immediately marry my girlfriend, and everything will be Ukraine. " Anton Kryll was killed the next day on May 14th, 2022.

Main Takeaways

Stories from Battles and Beers
Making it a point to speak with all sides of a conflict
Being contacted by a member of the Taliban and having an honest discussion
Talking with Russians fighting in Ukraine
Documenting the heroism displayed by Ukrainian forces at the besieged Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol

This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit www.4patriots.com and use the code RECON for 10% off

Follow Nick Laidlaw on Instagram: Battles.and.beers

Check out his book here: What War Did To Us Ukraine

Connect With John Hendricks

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GRP 168-Task Force Pineapple: A Conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann. Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

Joining me for this week's podcast is retired Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann. LTC Mann spent a career as a leader in the Special Forces with multiple tours in Afghanistan. Scott is the author of Operation Pineapple Express, a New York Times Bestseller detailing the effort of a group of retired special operations veterans led by Scott who saved 500 Afghans being hunted by the Taliban. We discussed the harsh lives of the men who served in the Afghan Commandos, how they moved families to safety, and much more. Tune in

Main Takeaways

Miscalculation of American assessments on how long the Afghan government can withstand the Taliban
Operation Pineapple Express
The difficult lives of the Afghan Commandos
Village Stability Operations
Working with Colombian Special Forces

Follow Scott Mann: www.scottmann.com

This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit www.4patriots.com and use the code RECON for 10% off

Connect With John Hendricks

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GRP 167-Black Ops: The Story Of A Cuban Refugees Journey Into The Upper Ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency Jan 04, 2023

Show notes

GRP 167-Black Ops: The Story Of A Cuban Refugees Journey Into The Upper Ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Joining me for this week's podcast is Ric Prado. Ric witnessed a firefight at seven in Cuba during Fidel Castro's revolution. After his family fled, they relocated to Miami. Prado would go on to serve as an elite Pararescuemen in the Airforce and spent 24 years at the CIA, retiring at the rank of Senior Intel Service-2, the Major General equivalent at the Agency.

He was the Deputy Chief of Station of the original Bin Laden Task Force and later served as the head of Korean Operations for the CIA. We discussed Castro and Che Guevara, his time in Nicaragua, countering terrorism in the Philippines, and tracking Bin Laden. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

Witnessing a firefight between government forces and Castros rebels as a young kid in Cuba
Fleeing Cuba under the Castro regime
Joining the Airforce as a Pararescuemen
Working as a paramilitary officer in Nicaragua with the Contra's
Working on the Bin Laden task force in the mid-'90s

This episode is sponsored by Ten Thousand a men’s training brand.

visit www.tenthousand.cc and enter code Global Recon for 15 % off

Follow Ric Prado: www.ricprado.com

Connect With John Hendricks

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GRP 166-The art of living well and the art of dying well are one: A conversation with two Ukrainian Special Forces Operators Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

Two active-duty Ukrainian Special Forces Operators are joining me for this week's podcast. Back on the show is Mikko, and joining us for the first time is his teammate Quebec. Quebec joined Special Forces in 2014 when the Russians annexed Crimea.

He was wounded during a battle in eastern Ukraine, leading to his retirement from the military. He later worked as a security contractor in Afghanistan. Once Russia invaded Ukraine, he went back into Special Forces and has been fighting ever since. We discussed the Partisan movement and undercover operations in Russian-controlled territory, Bahkmut, the Wagner Group, and much more. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

Quebec's path into Ukrainian Special Forces
Deployed to Afghanistan as a security contractor
Undercover operations in Russian-controlled territory
Bakhmut, the location of the heaviest fighting in the war
Quebec's father was killed fighting the Russians
Assaulting Russian positions in Kherson

Connect with Mikko: www.instagram.com/1_am_mikko

Connect with Quebec: www.instagram.com/denys_q.u.e.b.e.c

Check out the website below if you want to support them

www.psdinfo.store

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