At eighteen, Ian Fritz joined the Air Force out of necessity and was soon selected to become an Airborne Cryptologic Linguist in the war in Afghanistan. Over the course of two tours, Fritz listened to the Taliban for hundreds of hours, all over the country night and day, in moments of peace and in the middle of battle. WHAT THE TALIBAN TOLD ME (Simon & Schuster; November 7, 2023) is the powerful memoir of his harrowing experiences coming of age in a war that is lost. Fritz’s fluency in...

Patrick Brown joined the Army in 2005 as an Infantryman in the US Army, deploying to multiple combat zones throughout his service. Immediately after service, he became a US Army Survival, Escape, Resistance, Evasion (SERE-C) instructor to soldiers who were at high risk of being captured while overseas. Patrick would go on contract work for various government agencies teaching survival techniques. Patrick is married with 4 kids, now residing in Atlanta GA assisting the veteran population...

Mikael Cook is a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. During the August 2021 evacuation of Afghanistan, Mikael was a part of the #DigitalDunkirk team that saved thousands of Afghan allies who had been left behind. He was personally responsible for the evacuation of 20 of our allies, most of whom have now joined him in Michigan. Mikael is an active member of the veteran community and continues his advocacy work for the Afghan allies left behind. Support the...

Nickolas Yost spent a total of 13 years between the National Guard and Active Duty for the U.S. Army before exiting as a Staff Sergeant. Nickolas had multiple deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was injured in Iraq, awarded a Purple Heart, then returned to duty to deploy to Afghanistan. After his military career, Nickolas decided to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon...

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Scott Mann is a former U.S. Army Green Beret with tours all over the world including Colombia, Iraq, and multiple tours in Afghanistan. He is a warrior storyteller and the founder of Rooftop Leadership where he shares the rapport-building skills he learned in Special Forces to help today's leaders make better human connections in high-stakes, low-trust engagements. Scott is the author of the instant New York Times Best-Seller, Operation Pineapple Express, a...

Sergeant First Class Chris Corbin entered military service in July 1995. Prior to becoming a Green Beret with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), he served in various Army units such as the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division (1995-1999), and the 1st Battalion, and 75th Ranger Regiment (1999-2002). On February 17th, 2011, Corbin was on his third tour to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). That day, he was on patrol with his Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA)...

John Ballenger comes from a background of 20 years in the US Marine Corps where he primarily served as a CH-53E helicopter pilot during 4 combat tours, and was one of 7 pilots to fly Marine One for two Presidential administrations over the course of his last 5 years in uniform. Preceding his decorated military career, John had experience in railcar logistics and marketing for Trinity Chemical Industries out of Tulsa, OK. John majored in Business Marketing and minored in Management at Oral...

Sergeant Major Jamie Karnes enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in August of 1988 and spent 30 years in the military. Jamie served two deployments to Iraq and multiple overseas assignments throughout his career, including in Mortuary Affairs. Jamie spent time as a civilian law enforcement officer and part of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, working Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit and multiple other tasks. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors...

Ryan Neel is a retired U.S. Army CW3 who spent almost 25 years in uniform, 17 of those years with the Green Berets. Ryan had eight total deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, plus multiple other deployments around the world. Ryan Neel had his alive day back in 2005. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a...

Ben Bateman, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sportsmen For Warriors, is a Veteran of the United States Army. After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Ben served for nine years as a Commissioned Officer initially as an Infantry Officer, and then after being selected serving as a Special Forces officer, "Green Beret." Ben is married to Cresta, also a West Point graduate and Army Combat Veteran. Ben gained extensive leadership and combat experience while...

Jay Dorleus joined the military in 2003 as a 12B combat engineer and completed basic training and AIT in July 2003. In 2003, Jay deployed in support of Iraqi freedom and redeployed in 2004. After his second Iraq deployment, Jay applied to attend Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) and was selected to attend the qualification course. Once he graduated the qualification course, Jay was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group where he deployed 4 additional times in support of operations...

Daniel Fielding is a former Special Forces Green Beret, a loving husband, a father of three children, a celebrity bodyguard, and a bestselling author. He developed the tools he puts forth in his book, 'The Asset Mindset', through his life experiences, including his time in the Special Forces. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the...

Neil Hansen began his aviation career as a pilot for Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. He later spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War era as a captain for Air America, the CIA’s airline that operated there during the Vietnam era and the ‘Secret War’ in Laos. Neil reveled in the risky flying that fed his adrenaline addiction. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying...

Richard 'Dick' Stroud joined the U.S. Navy at age 17 during World War II, and he continued his service through the Korean War. Richard served as a U.S. Naval Aviator with seven years active duty plus ten years of service in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He was selected to be a member of the U.S. Blue Angels – the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron — in 1951 after the Korean War but was released to inactive duty in August of 1951 because the Navy temporarily canceled the Blue Angels due to...

Brian Tally is a former Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps who enlisted in 1994 and served active duty from 1995-99. He was stationed in Camp Lejeune NC; Okinawa Japan; and Camp Pendleton California during his service while also serving abroad in six different countries. Brian was a successful small business owner prior to his life changing VA medical malpractice injury in 2016. Brian now spends his time advocating for Veteran(s) reform and authored 4 bills in Congress that...

Michael Cataldi joined the U.S. Marine Corps in January of 2003 and would go on to serve in the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion as a Light Armored Vehicle Repairman from August of 2003 to February of 2007. When vehicles weren't broken, Michael deployed as a Dismount Scout (Infantry), Vehicle Driver, Vehicle Commander, and a Designated Marksman. Michael was honorably discharged in February 2007 as a Corporal. Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors...

Jason Roncoroni graduated from West Point and spent over 20 years in the United States Army reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and served in multiple high level roles including battalion command, brigade executive officer and deputy director for strategic plans and policy. Jason also deployed his battalion to Afghanistan along with several other deployments in his career. It was those deployments that led Jason down a dark path that he knew he needed help to change course. Once he found...

JJ Leonard was born in Dallas, Texas in 1972. JJ received a nomination to the US Naval Academy in 1991, and began his college career there on Induction Day. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1995. He then served as an intelligence officer in the US Marine Corps for five years, specializing in aviation intelligence and strategic targeting. Currently, J.J. is the managing director of the Dallas division at Stream Realty Partners and has more than 18 years of commercial real...

Pamela Zembiec is the Gold Star Spouse of Major Douglas Zembiec, a.k.a. “The Lion of Fallujah.” Major Zembiec served in “the Ground Branch of the CIA's Special Activities Division in Iraq when he was killed by small arms fire while leading a raid in Sadr City, a neighborhood of Baghdad, on May 11, 2007. Zembiec was leading a unit of Iraqi forces he had helped train. Reports from fellow service members that were present when he was killed indicate that he had warned his troops to get down...

This week's guest is Barclay Murphy, the wife of late Army Major, Ed Murphy. Ed spent 16 years in the U.S. Army; his last assignment was in Afghanistan in 2005. He was killed in a helicopter accident on April 6th, 2005. Since her husband's passing, Barclay has worked extensively with The Gold Star Wives of America to change laws that were written many years ago for survivors' benefits and spouses' benefits after their spouse was killed in combat. Barclay sits down with Mark to share Ed's...

Peter Strzok spent four years on active duty in the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Peter served in the FBI from 1996 to 2018, rising to the deputy of its Counterintelligence Division. During his career, Mr. Strzok worked around the world against national security threats. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J Trump, and co-host of the Cleanup On Aisle 45 podcast. Strzok is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s...

Chris Irwin is a retired Navy SEAL Commander who suffered from severe mental and physical chronic illness after his time in the military. Through an extensive journey of self-discovery, he overcame these conditions and now teaches mind fitness through his brand, RARE SENSE. He publishes content through Substack, including weekly training, monthly articles, and podcast episodes. His work is changing the paradigm and stigma around mental health and human performance. Chris is also a...

Matt Payne spent over 9 years in the United States Air Force as a Combat Controller and is now the Founder of Inner Circle Solutions. He is a Global Leader with 30 years of experience identifying and managing security risks for Fortune 500 companies. Matt is keenly interested in emerging trends in the corporate sector and seeks to find and implement innovative processes, controls, and tools to help reduce risk for companies. Career highlights include being a retired USAF 24th Special Tactics...

After graduating high school in 1990, Darrell Utt joined the U.S. Army. During his service, Darrell was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with 'Valor' for heroic actions and leadership during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006. He was also awarded four Bronze Star Medals for achievement and service in Iraq. As a Special Forces Team Sergeant, his Operational Detachment Alpha was recognized and awarded the 2006 Larry Thorne Award for best Operational Detachment in 10th Special Forces Group...