Episodes
Drago Dzieran was born in Poland while under Communist rule. After spending time in a Communist prison (also known as a Gulag) as a political prisoner for his activism against against censorship, he immigrated to the United States in 1984, becoming a full U.S. Citizen in 1991. That same year he joined the Navy, where he'd go on to be assigned to SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4, and Naval Special Warfare as a BUD/S Instructor. He's been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, The Navy Commendation Medal, and...
Published 11/05/23
Nobody understands the border crisis quite like Vince 'Rocco' Vargas. Though most know him now as the actor behind Gilly Lopez on FX's 'Mayans M.C.', Vince is also a retired specialized law enforcement BORSTAR agent, where he operated for years on both sides of the border. He's also a veteran, having been deployed as an Army Ranger, and the author of 'Borderline: Defending the Homefront', where he shares more stories from his work in law enforcement.  Having traveled the country and...
Published 10/29/23
'Going Hollywood'. It's a phrase that's all too familiar to Vince 'Rocco' Vargas - a veteran turned actor, Vinny's appeared in FX's Mayans M.C. along with a handful of features that have had a surprisingly large impact online. He's also a former Army Ranger, prison guard, drill sergeant, and BORSTAR agent, and nowadays he's an author, podcast host, father, and husband. From afar, it might seem like Vince has had an easy go of things, but that's far from the truth. Struggles in schooling and...
Published 10/22/23
Jason Hanson knows how to keep a secret. It's part of his job, actually - he's a former officer of the CIA, or 'The Agency' as insiders call it - along with an instructor in escape and evasion via his his tactical spy school, a frequent media guest on television programs around the world, and even a New York Times bestselling author with his book 'Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life.' And with a resumé ranging from surveillance to Shark Tank, safe to say Jason's got more than a few good...
Published 10/15/23
Retired Recon Marine Rudy Reyes has got quite the resumé. He's a wildly popular Call of Duty character, he played himself on HBO's Generation Kill, he hosts Special Forces: The World's Toughest Test on FOX - and that's just the popular stuff. He even founded a veteran nonprofit, Force Blue, that's dedicated to changing the world through ocean conservation, all while helping veterans along the way. Some might say Rudy's 'gone Hollywood', but pushing celebrities to their limits every week on...
Published 10/08/23
Call of Duty. Generation Kill. Special Forces: The World's Toughest Test. For Rudy Reyes, it's all in a days work, but Hollywood's far from his only priority. It's change that matters most to Rudy - you can see it at Force Blue, his veteran nonprofit dedicated to ocean conservation, and in Special Forces on Fox, where he teaches stars to test their limits every week.  How does a recon marine go on to host one of the most daring shows on television? How does he end up playing himself on the...
Published 10/01/23
Every year, CrossFit's toughest athletes enroll to compete in The CrossFit Games, a three-week global competition designed to find the Fittest Man and Fittest Woman on Earth. It's a grueling endeavor, filled with agonizing events and creative challenges that are guaranteed to weed out the weak and crown the victors in glory. Just take it from Dave Castro - he's a retired Navy SEAL that's been organizing the games since 2007, way back on his parents ranch in Aromas, California.  Since those...
Published 09/24/23
Chronic pain. Adrenal Fatigue. Veteran Care. When it comes to meeting the needs of the average American, western medicine has a lot to answer for. Doctors today are quick to prescribe an all-in-one solution, but does that really help? Rachel Scheer doesn't always think so. She's the Founder and CEO of Rachel Scheer Nutrition, host of the Scheer Madness podcast, and actually a returning guest on Mike Drop, from all the way back on Episode 49.  So what's she been up to since she's been away?...
Published 09/17/23
As a senior non-commissioned officer of Delta Force, the most elite and secretive special operations unit in the U.S. military, Command Sergeant Major Tom Satterly fought some of this country's most fearsome enemies. Over the course of twenty years and thousands of missions, he's fought desperately for his life, rescued hostages, killed and captured terrorist leaders, and seen his friends maimed and killed around him. Since then, Tom's found an incredible partner in Jen Satterly, started a...
Published 09/10/23
As a senior non-commissioned officer of Delta Force, the most elite and secretive special operations unit in the U.S. military, Command Sergeant Major Tom Satterly fought some of this country's most fearsome enemies. Over the course of twenty years and thousands of missions, he's fought desperately for his life, rescued hostages, killed and captured terrorist leaders, and seen his friends maimed and killed around him.  Since then, Tom's found an incredible partner in Jen Satterly, started a...
Published 09/10/23
MARSOC. Intelligence Hacking. Dagger Ops. For Staff Sergeant Michael Bloch, doing rad stuff is all in a days work. And after 12 years of service to our country as a Marine Corps. Raider, Bloch's been busy - he's served as a combat instructor, deployed as a contractor, and even founded his own company, EBS Defense Consulting, along with Project Vetworx, a veteran nonprofit. It's a lot for any one person to handle, much less a vet suffering post-traumatic stress. Fortunately, the V.A. has...
Published 09/03/23
After only 18 months at Savannah PD, Officer Jon Lindsey made the jump to SWAT - partly due to his Army experiencing serving on The 75th Ranger Regiment, but mostly due to his outstanding work ethic and a natural knack for the job. Paired with K-9 Jas, the two got into their own fair share of scrapes and close calls, but nothing too serious. That is, until a race to a scene went all too wrong in July of 2021. Fortunately, when it comes to working dogs, Mike knows a thing or two about...
Published 08/27/23
Officer Jon Lindsey is what you'd call a 'dog guy'. He's also a husband, a father, and a veteran - he served as a Multi-Purpose Canine Handler while a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. After the Army, he took up at the Savannah Police Academy in Georgia, where he trained police K9 prospects, until he officially joined the department in 2019. Since then, it's been a wild ride serving the good people of Savannah, but it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. Let's meet the man....
Published 08/20/23
Jason Sweet's darkest days seem to be behind him now, but last we heard he still had a ways to go. In his most dangerous engagement yet, Jason digs into Mission #0427 Alpha and his closest call in pararescue before stumbling into playing Division 1 Football at the University of Arizona (yes, really) and getting his start in training the next generation with SOCOM Athlete, an elite training group for aspiring SEALS and BUD/S participants. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:09 - Mission #0427...
Published 08/13/23
Jason Sweet isn't like other PJ's. As a members of Air Force Special Warfare, Pararescue Specialists (PJ's) are directly responsible for the rescue and medical treatment of downed military personnel all over the world. And saving lives is only a part of his service record - Jason also spent a spell in Afghanistan, roomed with his own father while he was at boot camp, and even played on special teams for University of Arizona Football. Nowadays he's running an elite Special Operations...
Published 08/06/23
Remi Adeleke has a lot on his plate. Between writing, directing, acting, producing, and even authoring his new book 'Chameleon: A Black Box Thriller', it's safe to say he's busier than ever, and that's in an industry that's not always easy to work in - film and television. He's also been on the show before - avid listeners might remember his appearance back on Episode 32 to talk about his military career as a SEAL, or when he came back again in Episode 59 to catch up and talk current events....
Published 07/30/23
BORTAC: Border Patrol Tactical Unit. An elite arm of the United States Border Patrol, BORTAC works in conjunction with other law enforcement departments to stop criminals, catch smugglers, and protect the U.S. from dangers at home and away. Just take it from Erin 'Jammer' Switzer - he's been a part of BORTAC for years. And the border isn't the only place he's smashing heads - he's also appeared in Call of Duty and Amazon's 'The Terminal List' too. But what exactly does BORTAC do? How do...
Published 07/23/23
Call of Duty. The Terminal List. In the entertainment world, Erin 'Jammer' Switzer is already a stud - and that's without mentioning his service record. Throughout his career, Erin spent 23 years in the special operations community after serving as a Reconnaissance Marine, where he worked alongside several K9 teams and developed a passion for working dogs. Eventually, he adopted Rex, who would eventually land roles Call of Duty, The Terminal List, and more, along with joining him in his work...
Published 07/16/23
The word 'Caim' is Gaelic for 'Protection'. It's at the center of everything Jeremy Mahugh's doing at Caim Technology, an organization dedicated to preventing fraud and human trafficking. And Jeremy's perfect for the job - as a retired Navy SEAL sniper with Spec Ops and Intelligence Community experience, he's seen firsthand just how terrible people can be. Since then, Jeremy's dedicated his career to fighting human trafficking with his team at Caim, and they're only just getting started....
Published 07/09/23
MARSOC - an elite component command of the United States Special Operations Command that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM. Just take it from Christian - he was one of the first Marines admitted into the Corps' elite program. Since his days in deployment, he's pivoted; a turn as a Texas State Trooper on Border Patrol and a police officer in Austin certainly don't hurt his already outstanding resume. But titles are more than just accolades - they're a sterling reminder of the...
Published 07/02/23
Christian Holloway was just a mild mannered, all-American, belt-fed marine, right up until he found himself being deployed as infantry to the second battle of Fallujah. It was far from the only time he'd find himself in a tough spot - Christian's got more than one story of close calls, stray squirters, and unexploded rocket-propelled grenades courtesy of Saddam's best and brightest. Eventually his experiences led him to becoming one of the earliest members of MARSOC, the Marine Special...
Published 06/25/23
Last week on the podcast, Mike talked to Greg Anderson about his background and military service - after a turn as an Army Ranger with 14 overseas deployments and some additional work in private contracting, Greg stepped into law enforcement as a U.S. Marshall, and later a Police Officer for the Port of Seattle in Washington. All of these moments are things that would define anybody else's biography - soldier, contractor, Marshall, officer, and even Jiu-Jitsu gym owner would all be enough for...
Published 06/18/23
'No one is coming to save you.' It's not quite as dour as it sounds - to Greg Andseron, it's a phrase that he says all the time at his Electric North Jiu Jitsu Academy in Washington. It reminds him to chart his own course; that you yourself are truly the only person blazing the trail for your own life. And it's perfect for him too - not all that long ago Greg was an Army Ranger with 14 overseas deployments, with an added turn in private contracting and even a brief stint as a national U.S....
Published 06/11/23
Zach Garner's career as a Green Beret was on thin ice. Following his first seizure, he quickly discovered that something deeper was beginning to rise to the surface - a cavalcade of medical maladies that nobody could've predicted. Fortunately, Zach's no quitter, so he shifted gears, transitioning seamlessly into contract work and participating in Iron Man marathons around the country. But sometimes there's more to life than simply being resilient, and some illnesses aren't so easily remedied...
Published 06/04/23
Resilience is a word that gets thrown around a lot when it comes to describing the warriors and veterans that fight for our freedom, but few embody the term moreso than Zach Garner. On the surface, he's a retired Green Beret from 7th Special Forces Group that completed multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. But a peek under the hood tells a different story - surgeries, seizures, multiple-month hospital stays, and even a brutal fight with an absolutely devastating flesh-eating bacteria...
Published 05/28/23