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Ones Ready — Government
Ones Ready

A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone.

Copyright: © 2026 Ones Ready

Latest Episodes:

Ops Brief 141: Daily Drop - 3 Apr 2026 - F-15 Shot Down, CSAR Ongoing Apr 03, 2026

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Peaches isn’t easing you into this one—because there’s no soft way to say it.

A F-15 Strike Eagle is down over Iran. CSAR is actively happening. Aircraft are getting hit, crews are ejecting, and this thing just crossed into a very different phase.

At the same time, we’ve got B-52s pushing deeper, electronic warfare platforms spinning up, and Space Force fully integrated into combat ops. This isn’t “tension” anymore—this is sustained conflict.

Peaches calls it straight: you can’t claim air superiority while losing jets, and you definitely can’t pretend this is controlled escalation when people are actively getting shot down.

Add in AI drones, extended carrier deployments, and SecDef opening up base carry policies—and you start to see the bigger picture: everything is shifting fast.

If you’re still treating this like background noise… you’re missing it.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 No Joke—This Day Got Real Fast
01:30 AI Strike Drones—Yeah, That’s Happening
03:00 Army Leadership Shake-Up—What’s Behind It?
04:30 11-Month Carrier Deployment—Imagine That
06:00 Fires, Failures & High Ops Tempo
07:15 Marine Readiness Warning—Pay Attention
09:00 OTS—Train for the Reality, Not the Idea
10:00 F-15 Shot Down—CSAR Active
12:00 Aircraft Taking Hits—This Isn’t Clean
13:30 B-52s Go Deeper—New Phase of War
15:00 Tankers & Crews Getting Decorated
16:00 Electronic Warfare Expands
17:00 Space Force Is In The Fight
18:15 Micro Testing & Rapid Tech Push
19:30 SecDef Expands Firearm Carry
21:00 Leadership Fix or Paperwork Nightmare?
22:00 Final Thought—This Is Escalation

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Ep 573: Run More. Stop Crying. Apr 03, 2026

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You want the truth? Here it is—you're not overtraining, you're underprepared. Trent and Peaches cut through the nonsense and explain why your gym numbers don’t mean squat if you can’t run, swim, or handle actual stress.

This one bounces from pipeline prep to real-world military reality—drone strikes, outdated systems, and why the Air Force (and honestly everyone) needs to toughen up again.

Peaches hammers it home: stop obsessing over comfort, feelings, and perfect programming. Start building capacity, resilience, and actual usefulness. Because when things go sideways, nobody cares about your PR—they care if you can perform.

If you’re serious about making it, this episode might piss you off. Good. You probably need it.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Stop Overthinking—Just Run More
02:45 The Overtraining Myth Is Killing You
06:30 Why OTS Coaching Is Underrated
09:30 Meet the “Unkillable” Athlete Standard
12:00 Strength ≠ Preparedness (Hard Truth)
16:30 Military Reality Check—It’s Not a Game
20:00 Drone Warfare & Why We’re Behind
26:00 Bureaucracy Is Slowing Everything Down
31:30 “If It’s Your Time, It’s Your Time”
35:00 Why Comfort Is Making the Force Soft
40:30 The Air Force Has a Culture Problem
45:00 Investment = Commitment (Fix This Now)
50:30 What Actually Matters in the Pipeline
55:00 Final Advice—Get Serious or Get Left

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Ops Brief 140: Daily Drop - 1 Apr 2026 - F-35 Crash & The A-10 Comeback! Apr 01, 2026

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Peaches is back for April 1st—and no, this isn’t a joke.

An F-35 goes down near Nellis, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is suddenly “needed again,” and we’re now talking about laser weapons for base defense. If that sounds like chaos… it kind of is.

Meanwhile, the USS George H.W. Bush is deploying, more Marines are moving, and leadership still won’t rule out ground troops.

Peaches calls it straight—this is what happens when strategy, politics, and reality collide. The Air Force tried to kill the A-10… now it’s doubling down on it. Acquisition is still slow. And we’re just now getting serious about force protection like anti-drone lasers and hardened shelters.

Oh—and yes, someone tried to sell a Javelin missile. Again.

Bottom line: this isn’t clean, it isn’t organized, and it’s definitely not slowing down.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 No April Fools—This Is Real
01:15 Apache Flyover Drama—Relax
03:00 Cyber Training Cut—Finally
04:30 Anti-Drone Lasers—About Time
06:00 Carrier Deployment Doesn’t Mean War
07:30 Laser Weapons Are Back (And Real)
09:00 Navy Mine Warfare—How Does That Even Work?
10:30 ICE at Bootcamp—Wait What?
12:00 Javelin Theft—Again… Seriously
13:30 OTS Nashville—Last Call Coming
14:30 F-35 Crash Near Nellis—Pilot Safe
16:00 A-10 Comeback—Air Force Hypocrisy?
17:30 MQ-9 Squadron Reactivated
18:30 Moon Mission—Big Deal or Not?
20:00 SecDef Trip & Ground War Talk
21:30 Bunkers, Drones & Force Protection
22:30 Trump: “Not Our Job” in Hormuz
23:30 War Timeline—Are We Actually Ending This?

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Ops Brief 139: Daily Drop - 31 Mar 2026 - Ground War Incoming? 850 Missiles Fired! Mar 31, 2026

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Peaches is back with another Daily Drop—and this one’s not subtle.

Thousands from the 82nd Airborne Division are now in position, the USS Tripoli is on station, and we’ve burned through 850+ Tomahawks in weeks. If you think this is just “posturing,” you’re not paying attention.

Peaches breaks down what’s actually happening: pre-positioning vs invasion, why combat patches are already getting handed out, and how quickly this could turn into something ugly.

Then he goes off—acquisition still sucks, we’re late on nuclear modernization, and somehow we’re just now figuring out micro nuclear reactors like it’s a new idea.

Oh—and yes, someone tried to steal a Javelin missile. Because apparently common sense is still optional.

Bottom line: things are accelerating, stockpiles are getting stressed, and if this goes ground-war level… it’s not going to look anything like what people think.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Daily Drop—Here’s What Actually Matters
01:30 82nd Airborne Arrives—Signal vs Reality
03:15 Combat Patches Already? That Was Fast
04:30 Mobile Command & Control—Or More Contracts?
05:45 USS Tripoli & Marine Presence Explained
07:00 Submarine Commissioned—Why It Matters
08:00 Javelin Theft—You Can’t Make This Up
09:45 OTS Nashville—Get In While You Can
10:30 F-35 Arrival in Japan—Indo-Pacific Shift
11:30 Sentinel ICBM—We’re Late (Again)
12:30 Micro Nuclear Reactors—Finally Moving
13:45 Space Force Wants a “Range”… For What?
14:45 Trump Wants Others to Pay—Good Luck
15:30 Ground War Planning—This Gets Ugly Fast
16:45 AWACS Hit—That Thing Is DONE
17:30 850 Tomahawks Fired—Stockpiles Strained
18:30 Red Sea Escalation—Here We Go
19:15 Peace Talks… Maybe

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Ops Brief 138: Daily Drop - 30 Mar 2026 - “Overwhelming Violence” & Middle East Escalation Mar 30, 2026

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Peaches is back with a no-BS Daily Drop, and if you’re still pretending the world isn’t heating up… you’re behind.

We’re talking real movements—82nd Airborne Division heading to the Middle East, the USS Tripoli rolling into CENTCOM, and an E-3 Sentry AWACS getting smoked at PSAB. Yeah… that’s not “business as usual.”

Peaches breaks it down the way most headlines won’t—this isn’t panic, it’s positioning. Big muscle movements, pre-staging, and letting the world know we’re ready if things go sideways.

Then he goes straight at the uncomfortable truth: acquisition is still broken, low-cost munitions are “coming soon” (sure…), and we’re stretched thin enough to consider shifting aid from Ukraine.

Oh—and the SecDef praying for “overwhelming violence”? That’s not extreme. That’s reality when you’re in the profession of arms.

If that makes you uncomfortable, good. War isn’t supposed to feel safe.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome to Reality—Daily Drop Explained
01:30 82nd Airborne Movement—Signal or Setup?
03:15 USS Tripoli Enters the Fight
04:45 Carrier Deck Injury—How Dangerous It Really Is
06:30 OTS Plug—Train Like It Actually Matters
07:30 AWACS Hit—Yes, That’s a Big Deal
09:15 “Maintainers Will Fix It”—Dark Humor, Real Truth
10:00 Low-Cost Munitions… Supposedly
11:15 Acquisition System Is Still Broken
12:30 SecDef Calls for “Overwhelming Violence”
13:45 Ceasefire Talks Are Going Nowhere
14:30 Ukraine Aid Might Get Cut—Here’s Why
15:30 Drone Boats & New Warfare Trends
16:15 300 Wounded—This Isn’t Slowing Down
17:15 Final Thought—Wake Up or Fall Behind

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Ep 572: Leadership Advice You’ll Ignore Anyway | Combat Rescue Officer - Vance Hawk Mar 30, 2026

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Aaron sits down with Vance Hawk, a Combat Rescue Officer (CRO), to break down the kind of leadership advice everyone hears—and almost nobody actually applies.

This isn’t theory. It’s what leadership looks like when you’re responsible for people, missions, and the consequences when things go wrong. Vance brings real-world CRO experience on leading without hiding behind rank, while Aaron calls out the habits that quietly destroy trust and credibility.

They get into accountability when it costs you, making decisions without perfect information, and why most leaders fail long before anything goes wrong—because they never built trust to begin with.

If you think leadership is about saying the right thing, you’re missing it. It’s about doing the right thing—consistently—especially when it’s uncomfortable.

You don’t need more leadership quotes. You need to execute.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Stop waiting to be “ready” to lead
02:05 Rank doesn’t equal leadership
05:20 Why trust is the real currency
09:00 Accountability when it hurts
13:30 Making calls without perfect info
18:10 Leaders who hide vs leaders who own it
22:50 Building credibility over time
27:15 The cost of poor leadership habits
31:40 When leadership gets uncomfortable
36:10 What good leaders actually do daily
40:30 Why most people fall short
44:00 Final takeaways

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Ep 571: Rejected, Resilient, Still Serving The Bros | TACP - RJ Hunter Mar 27, 2026

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Aaron sits down with RJ Hunter, former Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) operator, to unpack a career that didn’t follow the clean, highlight-reel version you see online.

This is what it actually looks like when things don’t go your way—getting kicked out, fighting your way back in, deployments stacking up, injuries piling on, and still refusing to quit. RJ walks through getting denied by every branch, grinding through waivers, surviving multiple deployments, and navigating the reality of mental health, med boards, and a body that’s slowly breaking down.

No glamor here. Just persistence, frustration, and figuring it out anyway.

If you think your path has to be perfect to make it—you’re wrong. The only difference is whether you keep going or not.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Not built to be average
01:10 Sponsor read and intro
03:20 Who is RJ Hunter
05:15 Getting kicked out and starting over
08:30 Denied by every military branch
10:40 Fighting for a second chance
12:45 Choosing TACP over everything else
15:30 Pipeline reality check
18:20 Deployments start stacking
21:30 Life downrange and tempo reality
25:10 Why timing never lined up
29:00 Instructor duty and hard lessons
33:10 Mental health and career impact
37:40 Waivers, med boards, and setbacks
42:00 Injuries start compounding
46:30 Arctic, Iraq, and NATO experiences
51:00 Transition out and identity shift
55:10 TACP Foundation mission
59:30 Why community still matters
01:02:00 Final advice no one wants to hear

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Ops Brief 137: Daily Drop - 25 Mar 2026 - 82nd Airborne Deploying & 300 Troops Wounded Mar 25, 2026

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Things are not slowing down—and if anything, they’re getting more complicated.

Peaches runs through a stacked update: the 82nd Airborne gearing up for deployment, continued escalation with Iran, and nearly 300 U.S. troops wounded as Operation Epic Fury ramps into week four. Meanwhile, the Air Force is trying to modernize munitions and tankers, Space Force is dealing with cyber and command issues, and military housing is still a disaster.

There’s also a real conversation here about scale—what “bad” looks like today versus what it looks like in a true near-peer fight. This isn’t panic… but it should make you think.

Fast, direct, and exactly what you need to stay spun up.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Quick intro and why this one matters
01:20 82nd Airborne deployment to the Middle East
03:10 Army recruiting changes (age + marijuana policy)
05:00 Navy carrier fire and deployments
06:30 USS Nimitz heading south
07:30 OTS Nashville plug (don’t miss it)
08:20 Air Force munitions progress explained
10:00 KC-135 crash and comms gap
11:20 Why cheap munitions matter now
12:40 Base housing disaster
13:40 Space Force cyber + command issues
15:00 Trump signals potential end to Iran war
16:30 Ceasefire plan details
17:30 Patriot missile incident in Bahrain
18:40 Iran continues attacks
19:30 NATO + UK response shifts
20:30 300 U.S. troops wounded—what it really means
21:40 Perspective on modern vs large-scale war

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Ops Brief 136: Daily Drop - 23 Mar 2026 - F-35 Hit Over Iran & Blackhawk Without Pilots Mar 23, 2026

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You blinked for a week and the military said “hold my beer.”

Peaches is back ripping through everything you missed—an F-35 taking shrapnel over Iran, pilot-optional Blackhawks (yeah… no thanks), and the Pentagon basically accepting jets with no radar like that’s normal. Meanwhile, Marines are out here fixing $5,600 problems for $10 like it’s a side quest.

This is your no-BS catch-up. No fluff, no spin—just what’s actually happening and why some of it should probably make you raise an eyebrow. If you weren’t paying attention, you are now.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Back from spring break—here’s what you missed
01:20 Pilot-optional Blackhawk… absolutely not
02:30 Navy deployment panic? Not so fast
03:40 New destroyer hits the fleet
04:30 Marines deploying and why it matters
05:20 $10 fix that beat the system
06:10 Amphib vehicles… still sketchy
07:10 Air Force fixes COVID discharge records
08:00 F-35 takes shrapnel over Iran
09:10 Jets delivered with no radar… seriously
10:20 Space Force launch switch drama
11:10 Command and control still stuck in the 80s
12:00 Coast Guard getting screwed again

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Ep 570 You Think You’re Ready for AFSW? Yeah… You’re Not Mar 23, 2026

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You keep telling yourself you’re “getting there.” Cool story. Meanwhile, guys who actually make it aren’t guessing—they’re executing. Aaron breaks down the uncomfortable truth about preparation, standards, and why most candidates fail long before they ever show up.

This isn’t motivation. It’s a gut check. If your training is inconsistent, your standards are soft, or you’re still looking for shortcuts—you’re already behind. Trent and Peaches call out the excuses, the ego traps, and the fake “progress” that keeps people stuck.

If you want Air Force Special Warfare, this is the part where you stop pretending and start acting like it. Or don’t—and save everyone the time.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Stop pretending you’re ready
02:10 What “prepared” actually means
05:30 The illusion of progress
09:00 Standards vs feelings
12:40 Why most candidates fail early
16:20 Ego is killing your performance
20:15 Consistency beats talent every time
24:30 Training without a plan = failure
28:00 The reality of showing up unprepared
32:10 Fix your process or quit now

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