In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Michael Rock. Mike is a former US Army Tanker turned Green Beret turned pedophile hunter.  After growing up with bad situations all around him, he chose to take a leap, and change his path in life.  After medically retiring from the Green Berets in 2014 due to various injuries, he chose to work for a 3 letter agency and take down pedophiles with computer forensics.  Through every hardship, Mike has learned to keep moving forward, and...

In this CROSSOVER podcast, Jason Piccolo (host of the Protectors Podcast) and I talk with  New York Times bestselling author and retired Special Forces Operation Detachment Officer Brad Taylor.  Brad was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry.  Brad served for more than 21 years, retiring as a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel.  During that time he held numerous Infantry and Special Forces positions, including eight years in 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment –...

Just a quick PSA in this week’s episode before taking a few weeks off for the holidays: I’m excited to share with you the 2022 Combat Flags Book Club! It's been a years' long dream of mine to share a collection of curated books for active duty military, veterans, family, friends and military supporters who are committed to learning more about the military experience (physical, mental and philosophical) and improving the lives of our nation's warfighters. At the end of this year you'll have a...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ryan Hendrickson. Ryan served in the Navy, Air Force and Army, most notably as a Green Beret in the famed U.S. Army Special Forces. As a Green Beret, Ryan cleared the way for his twelve-man team while conducting combat operations against the Taliban.  As the "tip of the spear," his role is to ensure the route taken by U.S. and Afghan troops are free of IEDs -- improvised explosive devices. Many soldiers do not...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ryan Hendrickson. Ryan served in the Navy, Air Force and Army, most notably as a Green Beret in the famed U.S. Army Special Forces. As a Green Beret, Ryan cleared the way for his twelve-man team while conducting combat operations against the Taliban.  As the "tip of the spear," his role is to ensure the route taken by U.S. and Afghan troops are free of IEDs -- improvised explosive devices. Many soldiers do not...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Jason McCarthy of GORUCK. Jason enlisted in the Army after 9/11 because of 9/11 and served in Special Forces in Iraq and the Sahel region of West Africa. In 2006, Jason's wife Emily was a Case Officer in the CIA working in French-speaking West Africa. Applying what he had learned in war, Jason built Emily a "go-bag", or "go-ruck" for her to keep in her vehicle and at home, ready to go at all times. Jason's commitment to the Special...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Neville Johnson. Neville was born and raised in South Africa and at the age of 23, he left his home country to travel and work in the United Kingdom.  In 2003 Neville joined the British Army and became an infantry soldier. He served seven years in the British Army and deployed on active duty to Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan. After he left the army, he worked as a private security contractor in the Middle East on numerous Unites...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with published author and poet, Cokie. Cokie, in his own words, is a vituperative redneck who spent his formative years in a seminary, then performed the obvious transition to military service. After doing bang bang things for pew pew people, he picked up a pen and discovered that it was significantly more convenient than the sword (at least regarding his wardrobe). Despite (or perhaps because of) multiple blows to the head, Cokie continues...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Lexi Casiday. Lexi is a  Navy Veteran and jiu jitsu athlete. She joined the Navy in 2004 after escaping a verbally and physically abusive relationship and drug addiction. In the Navy, Lexi specialized as a Religious Program Specialist supporting Marines. After leaving the Navy, Lexi went on to again face drug addiction, alcoholism, homelessness, and PTS from domestic violence and military sexual trauma (MST).  Today, Lexi is earning her...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Tyler Carroll. Tyler was born into a military family and reluctantly enlisted after a failed attempt at college. After being a Medic for US Army, he has since obtained a Bachelor’s in Business and is working on an MFA in Creative Writing. Between writing and running a business, Tyler is a husband, father, and firefighter in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. We cover a lot in this episode, from Tyler’s noted reluctance to enlist, to his...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Johnny Raushi, Marine Corps veteran and founder of Johnny Slicks. Johnny Slicks was born John Raushi in Dec. of 1993 in NJ. He joined the Marine Corps at 18 as an Armorer and spent 4 years in active duty. In 2013, he married his high school sweetheart, Rebecca, and together they moved to Camp Lejeune, NC. John’s first unit was with CLB-2 where he adopted his first leadership traits. He then deployed with 2/2 on the BSRF-14. In 2015, he...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with George Bell, a former Psychological Operations Master Sergeant who retired in 2018 after 20 years of service.   We cover A LOT of ground in this podcast, including George’s combat jump into Iraq as Psychological Operations Specialist and how experiences on that deployment set the tone for the remainder of his impressive Army career. George has multiple deployments all over the world including Ukraine, Libya, and Uganda.  Today, George ...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Keith Dow. Keith is a proud father and a born New Englander, who has been writing ever since he could hold a pen. He spent 5 years on active duty in the US Army before being honorably discharged in 2013. He is currently completing his MSW and engages in a variety of advocacy and educational efforts to help veterans. Dead Reckoning Collective is a veteran owned and operated publishing company. Their mission encourages literacy as a...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Chris Strom, a former US Marine and retired sergeant with the NYPD Intelligence Division. In October 2007, Chris was recruited by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), a government agency that devised top-secret strategies for combating IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the lead tactical debriefing officer, he participated in over 110 combat missions and 91 captures of high-value targets (HVTs) in southern...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Adam Lien, 14-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard and successful entrepreneur. We discuss growing up as an athlete, Adam’s unconventional Coast Guard career (which includes 9 deployments around the world with various partner agencies, DOD counterparts, and allied nations running counter-narcotics missions and training indigenous forces) and the founding of his now successful business - The Lift Box. You can find Adam on...

Meet Scott Leeper. Scott is a former Marine (are Marines are former Marines? Once a Marine, always a Marine, right?). Scott joined up just before 9/11 and was at range week during Marine Corps Boot Camp when the planes hit.Scott went on to deploy twice to Iraq as a Marine, once during the initial invasion and later again in 2006. Following an other-than-honorable discharge, Scott found the structure and purpose he felt in the Corps suddenly removed. After a considerable amount of time...

Meet Justin Eichenlaub, United States Army Veteran and leather crafter. Justin served as a 35T - Military Intelligence Systems Maintainer and Integrator. Early on in his career, Justin was diagnosed with an incredibly rare heart condition that threatened to remove him from the Army. Following a successful surgery in a foreign hospital (where only his doctor spoke English), Justin went on to deploy to Afghanistan in 2011 for 12 months  where he maintained intelligence equipment to ensure...

In this episode I’m joined by my dear friend Benjamin Breckheimer. Ben joined me on the very first episode of the Combat Flags podcast to share his extraordinary story of injury, depression and, most importantly, resiliency.  Following a life changing IED blast in Afghanistan, Ben committed to himself to summit the highest peak on each continent. On June 13, 2021, Ben summited the seventh of the famed 7 summits, landing him a place in the history books as the first combat wounded veteran...

From Akron, Ohio, to the battlefields of Iraq, Steve Downey has been from one end of the spectrum to the other.  After his mom called his bluff as an 18 year old, Steve enlisted as an Army Combat Medic in 2005. Fast forward to a kinetic deployment to Iraq, Steve put his training and skills to the test. Layer on the loss of friends and lessons that stick with him to this very day, Steve’s journey to the man he is today is rooted in experience. Following deployment, he was transferred to Walter...

In this episode I talk with Brian Andrews, Navy veteran and best-selling author. We talk about Brian's decision to join the military by way of ROTC, how he became a submariner with almost no engineering experience, and what his transition to civilian life looked like. Brian has had an unusual life post-service, becoming a best-selling author of military thriller books. Taking a key lesson from his time in the military, Brian teamed up with fellow writer Jeff Wilson to develop a series of...

Meet Bryce Mahoney - U.S. Army Ranger Veteran, dad, husband, veteran advocate and avid outdoorsman. Bryce grew up in Virginia Beach where he surfed, camped and hung out with friends. Fast forward to an unplanned pregnancy at age 19, Bryce had a life choice to make. Enter the United States Army. Bryce’s early days in the Army came pre-9/11, but that day came quickly. After graduating RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Process) on Sept. 1, and moving to his squad on Sept. 4, he had just 7 days in a...

In this episode of the Combat Flags Podcast I talk with Travis Lankford, a 12-year veteran of the North Carolina Army National Guard. Travis shares his unexpected story of military service - spurred on by his Green Beret brother - as well as lifelong lessons learned during two deployments. Today, Travis is father, a husband and an entrepreneur. After returning from a deployment in September 2020, he found new purpose and a new desire to live life on his own terms while giving back to...

In this episode I talk with Christof Ambrosch, a veteran of the United States Army. Christof grew up in Pennsylvania where he developed an early love of music. Enter 9/11 and a then 15-year-old Christof had a glimpse of what his future would hold. From lifelong lessons taught by his parents, to lessons learned on a deployment to Afghanistan, Christof doesn’t hold back.  Most importantly, Christof shares the trials and tribulations from his journey back from deployment and out of the military. 

For fans of the History Channel, you may know Mike Simpson from "Hunting Hitler." What the show didn't cover is Mike's extensive background that began as an Army Ranger and later progressed to the Green Berets and to medical school. Mike shares his journey from his upbringing in California through current day with more than 30 years of military experience under his belt spanning the lauded Army Rangers and Green Berets. Mike's career didn't end with the Green Berets - he went on to become...