Mike Drop

Venezuela. Ukraine. Burma. Africa. A former Navy SEAL Sniper, Ephraim Mattos is the founder of Stronghold Rescue & Relief, a humanitarian aid organization dedicated to protecting families in conflict zones all over the world. Keen listeners of the show may recall that Ephraim's actually been in the studio before - way back on Episode 53, when he was just getting started and finding his way. Now, thanks to the support of listeners just like you, he and his colleagues are saving lives and changing landscapes all over the globe. But in the worst places, run by the most vile of people, it's important to remember - no good deed goes unpunished.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:30 - Stronghold Smugglers08:25 - The Plan to Take Back Venezuela17:55 - I Do Not Represent the U.S. Government23:05 - Choosing Where to Help26:45 - Good Guys, Bad Guys, and American Media34:50 - A Horror in Ukraine46:55 - Are You Sure They're Navy SEALS? 50:20 - Going to Burma01:06:35 - Listener Supported01:08:15 - A Jungle Ambulance Servic

Towards the peak of his military career, Bryan Ray had achieved nearly everything he'd set out to do. He'd excelled as a solider, embraced command, and been entrusted with the kind of decision-making that only the bravest dare to reach. But as any mountaineer knows, with the highest highs come the lowest lows, and it's all too easy for a leaders mind to wander when lives are at stake.Part 2 of Bryan's story picks up where Episode 131 left off - a harrowing story of how another day in the desert became an unforgettable experience, for better or worse. ----------Chapters:00:00 - A RON Site Tragedy08:00 - Learning to Cope24:00 - Countertaliban28:00 - Back to Afghanistan35:00 - Serving Under Different Presidential Administrations43:00 - A Good Ol' Fashioned Prison Raid52:00 - Missile Rick1:01:00 - Coursework at the Racket Club1:04:00 - Getting Out01:14:00 - GWOT Guys Are Gonna Run the World01:17:00 - HVMN & Ketone-IQ01:32:00 - What's the Worst that Could Happen? ----------Support Bryan Ray:Website - HVMN & Ketone

Bryan Ray always wanted to be the best soldier. He served 20 years in the U.S. Army, 15 of which were in Special Forces. He's deployed to Afghanistan, Africa, and Iraq, going from the most inexperienced infantry to ultimately running teams as command. He's also a mountain man, schooling amateurs on everything from moderate hiking to ice climbing at some of the highest elevations on earth.Over the course of his career, Bryan's had a lot of close calls, from ISIS ambushes to a Taliban prison raid and even a hair-raising story of an AC-130 call gone wrong. And since then he's pivoted into Health Via Modern Nutrition, a Mike Drop favorite for fans of high-energy operations. But one thing he knows for sure is don't be a leg - and never, ever quit.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:00 - Traveling to Italy04:15 - A Very Cold Shower09:45 - Born on Fort Bragg14:45 - Paintball with Dad20:15 - "Don't Be a Leg"23:45 - Fort Polk with the 509th32:45 - Deployed to Iraq36:15 - A Wayward Ambush42:15 - The Army's Corporal Recr

Welcome to Carter Ranch, a 40,000-acre natural spring-fed slice of heaven nestled in the western slope of Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains. On Carter Ranch, owner RC Carter is raising a family, honoring his legacy, and hanging his hat on the premise that the best tasting beef has to be raised slowly and with respect to the truth, which is nature. But respecting nature takes more than simply raising cattle - it's building a sustainable environment, from the air, to the water, to the soil, to create better food with richer nutrients for a stronger quality of life. Because at the end of the day, we truly are what we eat - and nobody knows it better than RC. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:30 - The Biggest Misconception About Cattle Ranching10:30 - Born and Raised in Ten Sleep, Wyoming20:00 - Regenerative Farming and 60 Million Bison30:30 - A Typical Day on Carter Ranch38:00 - Carbon from Cardboard47:00 - Tilling Soil the Natural Way52:30 - Marketing Deception Inside the Food Industry55:00 - Reviewing The USDA01:0

Cody Alford served as a Marine Scout Sniper for more than 15 years, including assignments with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1) STA, 1st Force Reconnaissance, and all three Marine Raider (MARSOC) battalions. Now, he's an entrepreneur and speaker, helping others to work through post-traumatic stress and helping to dispel the stigmas associated with mental health awareness, all while running a merch company, We Defy the Norm, and living the nomad lifestyle in his van on the road. To look at Cody, you may never guess that he's served his country in so many capacities; he's an enigma in the veteran space - which is why he's sitting down with Mike to tell everybody what he's really about.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro03:00 - Liver Cleanse05:00 - Temper Tantrums11:00 - A Pocketknife for Christmas14:00 - Convict Conditioning19:00 - Duncanville, Texas24:00 - Dad was a Good Man29:30 - A Marine Corps Superfan40:00 - Fallujah First43:00 - Shot In the Helmet53:00 - Taking Life58:00 - Processing Trauma01:07:00 - Not Eve

What if you served a cruel and powerful dictator to provide for your family? Witnessed a top-secret meeting that could cost you your life? What if death notices showed up at your front door and assassins hunted you? Meet Mohammed Sulaiman: VIP Pilot of Saddam Hussein, father of four beautiful children, and keeper of secrets.Across his career, Mohammed's had a number of wild adventures, both on the ground and off. But nothing compares to the story author Lauren Ungeldi's helped him to tell in their new book 'Flying the Tyrant' - that of Saddam Hussien, the tyrant who personally paid him to fly to secret meetings, classified conferences, and untold dangers. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro03:30 - Brought Up in the Cockpit06:00 - Daily Routine07:30 - How Did We Get This Interview? 11:30 - Growing Up in Habbaniya14:30 - My Oldest Brother Was Killed 18:00 - Blocked from Global Politics22:30 - Cuisine and Combat26:30 - Flying before Driving32:30 - A Prayer Tower & An Umbrella34:30 - Joining the Air Force38:30 - Los

Kelly Sayre is Founder & President of The Diamond Arrow Group, a company that builds women's self-confidence with realistic tactics and tools to help them live life safely and on their own terms. She's the author of 'Sharp Women', a thought-provoking read designed to break down ways for women to deal with everyday situations using their best self-defense weapon - their intuition. She's a speaker, bringing energy and humor to undeniably challenging topics like women's safety and violence prevention, and when she's not teaching people to be better, she's a mother of two and married to a police officer.Safe to say, Kelly knows just about all there is to know about using your intuition to pick up on the little things - the signals, the red flags, and all the signs that point to danger that you can sidestep, if you know how. But how did she get there? Where did she develop the tools? And most importantly - when things start to go awry, are you really safe? ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro04:15 - Pickup Camping06:4

Nick Lavery is an Active-Duty U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret. He's a six-foot-six warrior through and through, with a thorough list of awards that includes the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, two Bronze stars, the Special Operations Command Excalibur Award, and more. He's also considered the first Green Beret to return to combat as an above the knee amputee - a record-setter with a flair for sacrifice, determination, and selflessness. Rest assured, Nick recalls exactly how he lost his leg, in an engagement so shocking that it's only counter may be the moments that immediately followed, in a horrifying Medivac incident that nearly cost him his life. But how did he survive? What called him to go back? And how the hell do you go back to being a Green Beret with only one leg? Fortunately for Mike, Nick's got the answers. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:30 - Indisputably Boston07:30 - Morning Routine10:00 - A New Home Every Year17:00 - The Only Reason I Went to College22:30 - Fort Bragg's Spec Ops Cours

Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald served nine and a half years in the army, predominantly as a Ranger and a Ranger K9 Handler, with eight deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan, and a Purple Heart to match. He's also Layka's handler, who, if you haven't heard, is one of the most famous dogs to come out of the military in recent memory.With Julian in tow, MPC Layka's graced the cover of National Geographic, been the subject of an HBO Documentary, and even helped Channing Tatum make a little movie called 'DOG'. But when you ask Julian just what makes Layka so special, it's not just the dog, but Benno - the one who showed Julian the way - that really counts.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:45 - Seeds of Terror10:00 - Childhood Memories12:00 - First the Gym, Then the Sauna16:00 - Born at Cannon Air Force Base19:00 - Grandpa Beat Us on the Bus24:00 - So Then I Got Expelled31:15 - I'd Like to be a Ranger39:00 - Baptized by Gunfire43:30 - SEAL Team 6 & A Family Reunion49:30 - Civilian Contractors On Target56:30 - An Of

Artificial Intelligence? Nowadays most folks think AI is coming to take their jobs, but Rob Huberty doesn't think so. He's a retired member of SEAL Team 4 with three combat tours under his belt, not to mention a startlingly impressive sniping record at a range of over 1700 yards. Today, Rob's the Chief Operating Officer of ZeroEyes, a bleeding-edge security company that's using AI to detect firearms on existing security cameras in public venues all over the country, and Rob's not alone - he's running ZeroEyes with fellow SEAL Team 4 members CEO Mike Lahiff and CRO Sam Alaimo too. But how does ZeroEyes work? What are the risks involved? And how are a bunch of retired SEAL's going to make it better?Website: https://zeroeyes.comYouTube: https://bit.ly/3vLvnDXFB: https://bit.ly/3WYnDucIG: https://bit.ly/3Izh4K2 ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:30 - Last Name Jokes04:30 - Father of Four08:15 - Born in Chicago12:30 - A Good Old-Fashioned Hazing Story21:00 - Joining SEAL Team Four25:00 - Deboarding in Baghdad39:30

Scott Huesing is a retired United States Marine Corps Infantry Major with 24 years of service, including 10 deployments to over 60 countries worldwide. He has led hundreds of combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa, and since then he's authored the bestselling book, Echo in Ramadi, which tells the story of his experiences and the sacrifices of his fellow Marines during the Second Battle of Ramadi in 2006. Today, Scott serves as the Executive Director of Save the Brave, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans and active duty military personnel. But regardless of the time that's passed since, one thing's for sure - Scott still feels the Echoes of Ramadi, in one way or another.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:45 - California & Texas03:45 - Morning Routine09:30 - The Waukegan Kid14:45 - Genetically Predisposed16:45 - Operation Desert Shield Desert Storm 25:43 - A Criminal Justice Degree 28:00 - Becoming an Infantry Officer33:00 - Generational Differences35:00 - So We Were Liv

Who is Chad Robichaux's JSOC interpreter Aziz? During their eight deployments together in Afghanistan, Chad and Aziz saved each other's lives more times than either could count, providing invaluable intel and establishing connections all over the region. But when the Afghan government fell and interpreters began being hunted by the Taliban, suddenly Aziz and Chad had bigger problems. Because it wasn't just getting Aziz out that was the problem - it was getting his family out safely too. And of course, neither could have known at the time that they were building the foundation for Save Our Allies, an organization that's helped thousands of families escape since.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:20 - Merry Christmas from Mike Drop05:00 - How Chad Met Aziz08:00 - Bashir 14:00 - A Firefight Exit16:00 - Buying Russian Weapons20:00 - It's Not 'Corruption', it's 'Business Facilitation'22:00 - Born in Kabul24:30 - Escaping the Taliban29:00 - Living under Mujahideen Rule35:00 - They're Kind of Like Gangs, but Worse41

Tyler Grey grew up in Bakersfield, California, joined the army in 1998 and quickly advanced from training into the 75th Ranger Regiment, 2nd Battalion, spending most of his time there as a Sniper. He spent the rest of his career at Ft. Bragg. Grey deployed four times - two each to Afghanistan and Iraq - before he became disabled from an explosion that occurred during a late-night house raid that turned into a gun-battle in Baghdad in 2005. Nowadays, Tyler's an actor, producer, and director on the CBS show SEAL Team, where he puts his skills to work teaching others about the challenges our country's heroes face every day. But how did he get to work on an actual television show? Do people assume he used to be a SEAL? And what exactly happened in that late-night house raid in 2005 that changed everything? ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:00 - ...But I Play One on TV07:30 - Military Rivalries10:00 - Morning Routine12:30 - Hit on a Motorcycle16:00 - Combat in Hollywood22:00 - Filming Action Isn't Easy24:00 - I D

In 1993, U.S. Special Operations Forces were sent to Somalia to capture war criminal Mohamed Farrah Aidid - a mission made famous by the movie "Black Hawk Down". For many, the movie's a glimpse into what really happened - but for Jeff Struecker, it's merely a shadow of a memory he's been remembering for 29 years. Because Jeff Struecker was there during the Battle of Mogadishu, and he remembers everything. Frankly, between serving 23 years in the military, raising five kids, earning a PhD, authoring six books, hosting a podcast, and leading the fine members of his congregation every single Sunday morning, it's still difficult to forget. That's why he's sitting down with Mike to tell his side of the story - the real story - and get to the bottom of how it all happened. Chapters:0:00 - Intro2:10 - Best thing about being a pastor3:55 - Favorite childhood memory4:50 - Last book7:50 - First three hours of the day8:40 - Distance running and mountain biking10:10 - Raising awareness on veterans suicide13:25 - Growing

What's happening in the Russia-Ukraine war? Retired Recon Marine Mark Turner might have the answer. He's a founder of The Overwatch Foundation, a humanitarian nonprofit that's been assembling teams of U.S. Military Veterans to provide critical natural disaster relief and urgent humanitarian response communities all over the world. Mark isn't just sending heroes to help - he's been there, on the ground, in the days and weeks following the Russian invasion into Ukraine. So what's going on over there? Is it really as bad as they say? And most importantly - what can we do to make real change?Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:30 - Scottish Stereotypes05:00 - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu11:30 - Growing Up Scottish19:00 - Religion, Religion, Religion24:00 - American Culture Shock28:00 - Like Wrestling, But Better31:00 - 4 Years of JROTC42:00 - Election Security44:00 - Arriving in Iraq, 200447:30 - Pulling the Trigger to Jason Mraz52:00 - More Training, Less Doing58:00 - Aggressive Intelligence1:00:00 - The Battle for Yusufiyah1:12:00

Shop https://www.mikeritlandco.com for Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel & more! #chokeyourselfWho is Nelson Modrall? He's a former teacher, Silver-Star Colonel, and he just so happens to be the very first Vietnam Veteran to ever grace the Mike Drop studio. That's why Mike's sitting down with him to talk about his tour in the ill-fated country - the tunnels, the injuries, and all the Agent Orange you could stand. What did Nelson find out there in the jungle? Tune in to find out. Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:00 - Platoon and Forrest Gump03:30 - Expert Marksmanship06:30 - The Case for Christ08:30 - Morning Routine10:00 - Born and Raised in Saginaw, Michigan12:30 - Anticipating Vietnam16:30 - Ukraine & Russia19:30 - Collegebound25:00 - In the Army Now31:30 - Draft Recruits34:00 - Landing in Vietnam36:30 - My First Mission47:30 - Finding the Hidden Enemy52:30 - Going Loud59:30 - Agent Orange1:01:30 - Ambushing the Ambushers1:06:00 - Fighting the Jungle1:16:30 - Injured by Contact1:27:30 - A Field Hospital in Saig

Shop https://www.mikeritlandco.com for Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel & more! #chokeyourselfDrew Berquist is a complicated guy. Between his military work as a former U.S. Intelligence Officer in Afghanistan, his media work as a former CRTV and BlazeTV correspondent and current host of “This is My Show” w/Drew Berquist. What's not complicated is just how dedicated Drew is to his country, his friends, and his sources, even when things get hairy. Enjoy this episode of Mike Drop as host Mike Ritland unpacks his career in the Intelligence Community.Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:00 - CIA Orientation04:00 - Kids in the 80's12:00 - Football in Minnesota19:00 - Making My Own Degree23:30 - How to Apply for the CIA31:00 - An Arabic-Speaking NSA Employee41:30 - Language Barriers45:30 - Navy-Adjacent Iraq Interpretation50:30 - You Have to Protect Your Source1:01:30 - A Human Intel Collector1:11:30 - CIA-Certified Training1:22:00 - War Dogs & Arms Dealers1:27:00 - Interrogations1:32:00 - Pul-e-Charkhi Prison1:47:00 - You

Shop https://www.mikeritlandco.com for Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel & more! #chokeyourselfMajor Fred Galvin is a retired Marine Corps Major who served as an enlisted Marine and officer for over 26 years. He served on multiple combat deployments in Afghanistan, including where he commanded the Marine Corps’ first Special Operations Task Force. He's also been painted as the "posterboy for the largest mass murder in U.S. Military History." Since then, he's fought for the freedom of every single marine that was under his command that day - to exonerate the men who volunteered to lay down their lives for their country and restore their reputations, even at the cost of his own career. So how did he do it? What happened that day? And most importantly - who's telling the truth? Fortunately for Mike, Fred's got the answers. Chapters:00:00 - Intro04:00 - A Few Bad Men12:00 - Double Jeopardy16:00 - Daily Routine20:00 - Kansas Roots25:00 - A Brand New Marine29:00 - Penny Stocks32:30 - Back In at 2537:00 - Force

Shop https://www.mikeritlandco.com for Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel & more! #chokeyourself"No one listened to me until I held up the sign." That's Zach Bell's outlook anyway - known online as Veteran with a Sign, Zach's got a lot of hot takes about America's military and the heroes who serve. That's why he's sitting down with Mike to talk about his time serving as an infantryman in the Marines, the nightmare reality of his time in Marjah, and how something as simple as putting sharpie to cardboard turned into a movement that's quickly becoming too big to ignore. Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:30 - Lightning-Round Questions10:00 - Tennessee, Born and Raised19:30 - LiveLeak Changed Everything 30:30 - The Trouble with Stolen Valor38:30 - A Parris Island Marine45:00 - Boots on the Ground in Afghanistan51:00 - My First Gunfight57:00 - So We Went to a Wedding1:03:00 - Hell is on Earth, and it's in Marjah1:17:00 - On U.S. Withdrawal1:23:00 - Squad Dog1:27:00 - Back in the Workforce1:30:30 - Veteran with a Sign1:4

Shop https://www.mikeritlandco.com for Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel & more! #chokeyourselfWait a minute, a politician? On Mike Drop? Relax - Allen West is one of the good ones. He's a Republican Politician and Retired Military Officer who, believe it or not, doesn't work too far from the studio. That's why West was kind enough to dip in and spend some time talking about Parachuting into Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, running for Texas Governor against Greg Abbott in the 2022 Primary, what it's REALLY like to work in Congress, and answer a lightning-fast round of rapid-fire foreign and domestic policy questions that have been on Mike's mind for years. Strap in. Chapters:00:00 - Intro2:00 - Congressional Surprises10:30 - The Worst Part of Washington D.C. 12:30 - Pro Term Limits22:00 - Running for Governor26:00 - Morning Routine27:30 - Growing Up in Atlanta32:30 - On Welfare36:30 - Commissioned at Fort Sill40:00 - Desert Shield, Desert Storm47:30 - Officer Evaluations58:00 - Military Retirement1: