Desert Storm and Forward

Like many of his generation, Army Ranger Ray McPadden joined the military following the 9/11 attacks. He served seven years with the 2nd Ranger Battalion and 10th Mountain Division – including four combat tours. Ray spent almost two years on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border during which time his unit established the first American foothold in the notorious Korengal Valley – the same valley made famous in Sebastian Junger’s award winning documentary “Restrepo”. Ray also served in Iraq where he helped form [...]

Being named Sailor of the Year on one of the most advanced fighting machines in the world is quite an achievement. USS Tucson Chief Petty Officer Michael Larson and his wife Alisha pop into the studio during their Namesake City visit to share some thoughts. Michael is a Machinist Mate which means he is responsible for maintenance and repairs of key components aboard the submarine. He was named Sailor of the Year for his steadfast commitment to vital repairs that [...]

Delta Force attracted Tom Satterly because he wanted to serve with the best.  It must have been a good fit – Tom served with 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta for twenty years.  His struggle reintegrating into post Delta Force life led he and his wife Jen to create the All Secure Foundation in order to help other Special Forces operators and their families get access to the resources they need. Most Delta Force missions will remain classified.   The [...]

Touching the Dragon is what James Hatch calls the process he had to complete in order to banish his demons. It is also the title of a book he recently published. James was part of a team dispatched to try and rescue deserter Bowe Bergdahl.   On that mission an AK-47 round tore through his femur and out the back of his leg.  Military working dog REMCO was killed in that same action. Had it not been for REMCO, it is likely [...]

Has the budget sequester hurt our fighting forces? The 2013 Congressional sequester cut $500 billion from military budgets. In 2017 testimony to Congress, Air Force Chief of Staff General David Golfien stated: “If we cannot move past sequester in its current form, we are going to break this force.” We have the greatest fighting forces on the planet. But what if they were no longer mission capable? Retired Air Force Lt. General Tom Jones is an expert and shares his [...]

Echo in Ramadi is definitely NOT your typical book about war.  Instead, author Scott Huesing wanted to give readers a look into the power of human connection and brotherhood that allowed his company of Marines to fight and win in one of the deadliest regions on the planet. Capt. Scott Huesing calls in a "danger close" GMLRS strike in Ramadi Scott served a total of 24 years in the Marine Corps, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer.  [...]

BBG with Doug Stanton Doug Stanton probably never thought he would see his name in lights. But that is precisely what happened when the movie “12 Strong” debuted in January. The film is based upon Doug’s second bestselling book “Horse Soldiers”. His first book, “In Harm’s Way” (recounting the World War II sinking of the USS Indianapolis) spent more than six months on the New York Times bestseller list. In this episode we talk with Doug Stanton about [...]

The 2nd Battle of Fallujah was the bloodiest of the Iraq War.  So then why don’t more people know about it? Donald Baker is a Marine Veteran with 9 years of service including three deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.  His path to becoming a Marine was set forth by two elements; his father’s service as a Force Recon Marine in Vietnam and Donald’s dream of becoming a filmmaker. One of his early films about World War I won [...]

When you are a pilot for the Army’s elite 160th SOAR Night Stalkers, there is no such thing as a “normal day”.  But November 27, 2006 was a day David Cooper won’t forget. Cooper was flying an AH-6 “Little Bird” as lead in a six helicopter formation delivering Special Operations Forces on a mission north of Baghdad.  The Night Stalkers earned their nickname as the first unit to fly using night vision equipment. That day they were flying in broad [...]

Charles Faint wanted to provide his West Point cadets with a real life examples of team building.  But he had to get approval before he published the article “Competition, Call of Duty and ‘Naked Chicks with Guns’; Lessons on Team building from an Elite Special Operations Unit”. The issue also caused quite a bit of controversy around his family dinner table – particularly for his daughter Emily.  Emily shares HER perspective to begin our show. This excellent article highlights Charles’ [...]