Mike Drop

Kyle Morgan opens up with raw honesty about his decade with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force). He details the legendary Radisson Blu Hotel hostage rescue in Mali that he led, the intense pre- and post-Radisson deployments, the personal toll of repeated blast injuries and combat trauma, his struggles with alcohol, opioids, ego, and moral injury, multiple DUIs, and the difficult path to redemption, sobriety, faith, and retirement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kyle Morgan continues his conversation with Mike Ritland, detailing his remarkable journey through the U.S. Army. From his turbulent youth and early deployments with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, through Ranger School, the Old Guard, and Special Forces as a Green Beret, to his selection and service with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), Kyle offers unfiltered insights into combat, leadership, personal struggles with alcohol and ego, team dynamics, failure and redemption at Delta selection, and the profound impact of service on his life and faith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kyle Morgan spent over 20 years in the Army as a Green Beret and Delta Force operator, serving in every kinetic conflict since 9/11 including deployments to Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. He is best known for leading the hostage rescue and evacuation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali, where terrorists killed 20 people and took 170 hostages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major James Capers spent years after Vietnam running ambushes behind enemy lines, surviving an assassination attempt in Hamburg, and serving as a bodyguard to President Nixon before a general sent him home after receiving intelligence that his wife and son would be killed on a Saturday morning. But the moment that defines this episode happened after his bloodiest mission — when he was loaded onto a helicopter with his wounded men and his dead dog King, flown through a storm, and placed in a hallway with the bodies. Someone walked by and said this one is dead. Then another person stopped, looked closer, and said this one is breathing. They pulled him out and brought him back to the operating room. In this episode, Major Capers closes out his story — the ambushes, the training mission loss that made him retire, and what he believes about the country he fought for and would fight for again. Support Major James Capers https://www.instagram.com/major_james_capers_jr/ https://www.capersthedoc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Major-James-Capers-Jr-100040737672030/ https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/holt-oral-history-program/james-capers-jr-major ---------- SPONSORS PARTICLE FOR MENCheck out Particle's Face Cream here: https://particleformen.co/mikedrop and use my code MIKEDROP for a 20% discount sitewide AMERICAN FINANCING NMLS #182334 nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-891-3262 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/MikeDrop. Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99 BETTER HELP Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/mikedrop/ BEAM Here's the deal: Beam is giving my listeners the ultimate patriot discount of UP TO 40% off. Try their best‑selling Dream Powder and get UP TO 40% off for a limited time. Go to https://shopbeam.com/products/dream-powder-4?variant=41387075567671&selling_plan=1794441271&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=mikedrop&code=applied15&discount=MIKEDROP and use code MIKEDROP at checkout. NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog's Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog's health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike's bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major James Capers ran 50 missions in Vietnam as a Force Recon Marine — combat swims in shark-infested waters, a POW rescue that earned him his first Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and a four-day battle that left him wounded with his legs broken and his dog dead. He was one of the few African Americans in Force Recon, and fought his way into Combat Swimmer school when the commanding officer tried to send him home before he even started. He spent three months at Khe Sanh facing a Chinese division, and when the helicopter finally came in on his bloodiest mission, he put every man on board and stayed on the ground alone. President Trump called him personally to invite him to the White House to receive the Medal of Honor. In this episode, Major Capers walks through the missions and what it cost him to bring everybody home. Support Major James Capers https://www.instagram.com/major_james_capers_jr/ https://www.capersthedoc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Major-James-Capers-Jr-100040737672030/ https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/holt-oral-history-program/james-capers-jr-major ---------- SPONSORS PARTICLE FOR MENCheck out Particle's Face Cream here: https://particleformen.co/mikedrop and use my code MIKEDROP for a 20% discount sitewide AMERICAN FINANCING NMLS #182334 nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-891-3262 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/MikeDrop. Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99 BETTER HELP Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/mikedrop/ BEAM Here's the deal: Beam is giving my listeners the ultimate patriot discount of UP TO 40% off. Try their best‑selling Dream Powder and get UP TO 40% off for a limited time. Go to https://shopbeam.com/products/dream-powder-4?variant=41387075567671&selling_plan=1794441271&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=mikedrop&code=applied15&discount=MIKEDROP and use code MIKEDROP at checkout. NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog's Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog's health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike's bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major James Capers led a four day mission in Vietnam that should have killed him. His unit was inserted, took heavy contact, and fought through the night with everything they had. He was wounded, his dog was killed, and when the helicopter finally came in to pull them out, he told the crew to take his men and leave him behind. President Trump signed a bill awarding him the Medal of Honor for what he did on that trail, outnumbered and outgunned, refusing to abandon a single Marine no matter the cost. In this episode, Major Capers sits down to walk through the mission, the decisions made under fire, and what it actually means to bring every man home when everything around you is falling apart. Support Major James Capers https://www.instagram.com/major_james_capers_jr/ https://www.capersthedoc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/p/Major-James-Capers-Jr-100040737672030/ https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/holt-oral-history-program/james-capers-jr-major ---------- SPONSORS PARTICLE FOR MENCheck out Particle's Face Cream here: https://particleformen.co/mikedrop and use my code MIKEDROP for a 20% discount sitewide AMERICAN FINANCING NMLS #182334 nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-891-3262 for details about credit, costs and terms. Visit https://AmericanFinancing.net/MikeDrop. Average savings based on borrowers who save over $199.99 BETTER HELP Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/mikedrop/ BEAM Here's the deal: Beam is giving my listeners the ultimate patriot discount of UP TO 40% off. Try their best‑selling Dream Powder and get UP TO 40% off for a limited time. Go to https://shopbeam.com/products/dream-powder-4?variant=41387075567671&selling_plan=1794441271&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=mikedrop&code=applied15&discount=MIKEDROP and use code MIKEDROP at checkout. NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience. https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog's Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog's health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike's bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson closes out a conversation that covers everything from geopolitics to personal redemption. Terry and Mike dig into the Venezuela raid, the consistency problem with U.S. foreign policy, and whether fighting an ideology like Islamic extremism is even winnable. Then it gets personal — Terry reflects on rebuilding his marriage, watching his kids move forward after losing their brother, and how faith, not discipline alone, became the foundation that finally held. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson returns for Part 2 with some of the rawest conversation yet. From witnessing a Chinook go down in flames in Afghanistan to losing his son in 2020, Terry opens up about the grief he buried for years — and what it finally took to break him open. A brutally honest look at rock bottom, rebuilding, and the unlikely path that brought him back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson spent 24 years in uniform with the 7th Special Forces Group, racking up 11 combat deployments and nearly 11 years total downrange. He is now the CEO of Tactical Edge Coaching and Consulting, where he works with high performance men to become better leaders in all aspects of their life. In this episode we get into the daily troops in contact grind of Helmand Province, watching a Chinook get blown out of the sky a couple hundred meters away, recovering bodies from the crash site through the night, losing a teammate to an IED within days, the brutal reality of the Afghanistan withdrawal, and hitting rock bottom after losing his son before faith and fitness gave him a way back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Marine Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kuperus closes out his conversation with Mike Ritland with the kind of honesty that makes people uncomfortable — and that's exactly the point. From a brutally candid take on the "silent professional" myth and what weak leadership actually looks like, to a raw account of his ibogaine experience in Mexico and what it revealed about his relationship with his kids, Kuperus doesn't hold back. He also weighs in on Iran, Israel, the Epstein files, and why he thinks the Monroe Doctrine is the only foreign policy that makes sense. And after nearly losing everything to a court-martial he should never have faced, he found his next mission: The Reason Outdoors, a nonprofit using hunting and the backcountry to pull veterans back from the edge — one hunt at a time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Marine Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kuperus returns for part two with some of the most harrowing combat accounts you'll hear. From a near-fatal friendly fire incident involving Cobra attack helicopters, to navigating an IED-saturated district center while rescuing a shattered sniper team, Kuperus pulls no punches on what it actually costs when leadership fails on the ground. He also recounts the operation that quietly identified a Taliban shadow governor in northern Helmand — the kind of mission that rarely gets told. The conversation shifts into a candid reckoning with the military's promotion system, the compounding damage of poor senior leadership, and why the men who fight hardest are often the ones the institution fails most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ryan Kuperus is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 17+ years in infantry, recon, and Force Recon. Medically retired after multiple combat deployments and enough kinetic stories to fill a book. From leading teams in Now Zad to pulling his own guys out of multiple IED strikes, this one gets raw fast. We talk leadership failures in combat, hunting, ibogaine, and why the system chews up warriors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former SAS operator Phil Singleton reflects on life after the Regiment. He shares his candid thoughts on the Falklands War, his decision to leave the SAS, and the remarkable journey that followed — from bodyguard work in Saudi Arabia to becoming a U.S. citizen, training American law enforcement with Heckler & Koch, and building his own international tactical training company. Now in his 70s, Phil offers unfiltered perspectives on geopolitics, Britain's direction, America's strengths, and the simple “Rastafarian lifestyle” he lives today. This episode closes with honest wisdom, humor, and hard-earned life lessons from a true warrior and veteran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former British SAS operator Phil Singleton shares hard-earned insights from his distinguished career. He offers a firsthand account of the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London, detailing the planning, explosive entry, chaotic assault amid fire, and the realities of hostage rescue. Singleton also reflects on his experiences during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the rigorous SAS selection process, endurance testing, and other deployments including Belize, Brunei, and the Falklands. With candid perspectives on leadership, adaptability, counter-terrorism, and the human side of elite operations, this conversation delivers unfiltered veteran insight and operational history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phil Singleton spent years operating in the shadows — tier one SAS, Operation Nimrod, the Iranian Embassy siege — and then quietly disappeared into a second career training thousands of law enforcement officers across the U.S. as Training Director for Heckler & Koch. He doesn't carry a cell phone, doesn't chase recognition, and until now has been one of the most quietly consequential British operators most Americans have never heard of. This week Phil pulls back the curtain on what it really took to earn that winged dagger, what it was like to storm a foreign embassy in the middle of London on live television, and why — at 72 — he's perfectly content stacking bananas in a grocery store produce aisle with zero regrets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final installment of this three-part conversation, Adam Schwarze lays out his policy vision with the same directness he brought to the battlefield. From making nuclear energy his Senate legacy to dismantling deficit spending and bureaucratic rot, Adam doesn't speak in talking points — he speaks from experience. The conversation also gets into opposition research, the corruption baked into federal elections, the U.S.-Israel relationship, term limits, and why the VA system may need a complete rethink. Raw, informed, and unfiltered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Schwarze—Marine infantryman turned Navy SEAL officer, Harvard-educated warrior-scholar, and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota—sits down with Mike for part two of a raw, unfiltered conversation. From completing BUD/S as a seasoned combat veteran to conducting 75–100 real-world ship boardings in the Middle East, Adam's operational resume is as uncommon as his path to politics. The conversation cuts through the noise on Iran, the lessons learned from splitting forces across Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam also breaks down the ground-level mechanics of running a grassroots Senate campaign in one of the few states where money and name recognition don't automatically win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Schwarze enlisted in the Marines three weeks after watching the Twin Towers fall live from his senior year English class and never really stopped fighting. Nine deployments, 70 plus countries, classified undersea SEAL operations, and now a grassroots Senate run in Minnesota with no establishment backing. This one gets into all of it, the rocket shots in Iraq, the brother who died in his arms, what it actually took to cross from Marine infantryman to SEAL officer, and why he believes boots on the ground in Iran could turn into another Middle East disaster. The conversation gets brutally honest about what veterans understand about Iran that politicians don't. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Randy Rozzell returns to close out his conversation with Mike Ritland, pulling back the curtain on what it took to rebuild Naval Special Warfare's combatives program from the ground up. From hand-to-hand fights for his life on deployment to standing in front of admirals and master chiefs and admitting the Teams sucked at close-quarters combat, Randy held nothing back. He also opens up about life after the Teams — navigating the Covid fallout inside San Diego Fire, his journey to black belt, moving to Texas, and why he finally wrote the book he never thought he'd write. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Randy Rozzell—retired Navy SEAL, 22-year veteran, and former Chief of Naval Special Warfare Combatives—goes deep on the missions that defined his career. From a grueling five-day firefight in Marjah to covert operations he still can't fully detail, Randy pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to serve at the tip of the spear. He also wrestles with the harder questions: the cost of war, the weight of leaving Afghanistan the way we did, and whether it was all worth it. Raw, honest, and unapologetic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Randy Rozzell is a retired SEAL Chief with 22 years in the teams, multiple combat deployments with Team Seven, the guy who rewrote how Naval Special Warfare teaches hand-to-hand combat. A small-town Texas kid who ran away from home at 14, fought his way into and out of BUD/S more times than most guys even attempt it, then went on to build one of the most operationally relevant combatives programs in special operations history — Randy's story is one of the most raw, honest, and flat-out relentless journeys I've had the privilege of putting on this show. This one's worth every minute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MACV-SOG operator Travis Mills continues sharing his extraordinary journey. He discusses running the One-Zero School at Long Thanh to train new SOG team leaders, the profound sense of purpose that emerged from surviving the FOB 4 sapper attack, his transition out of the Army, and decades of post-service work—and shares his straightforward views on current threats like Iran, nuclear proliferation, and the need for clear military objectives backed by decisive action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vietnam War veteran and former MACV-SOG operator Travis Mills shares raw, firsthand accounts from his time with the elite Studies and Observations Group. He details the extreme challenges of small-team reconnaissance insertions deep into enemy territory, the silent movement techniques essential for survival against overwhelming odds, high-risk missions blocking North Vietnamese supply routes, a harrowing first recon extraction under fire using McGuire rigs, and his intense personal experience surviving the devastating sapper attack on FOB 4 at Marble Mountain on August 23, 1968. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is a man who existed in the shadows of one of the most classified units in American military history — a Vietnam-era Green Beret named Travis Mills who helped build the legendary MACV-SOG one-zero school, ran recon deep into Laos when we "weren't there," got shot multiple times during one of the deadliest single-night attacks ever to hit Army Special Forces, and lived to sit across from me and tell the whole story. This is the kind of conversation that reminds you what the word "operator" actually means before it became a hashtag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final part of Episode 288 on the Mike Drop Podcast, Mike Ritland continues his conversation with retired Army Ranger and jiu-jitsu academy owner Greg Anderson. They dive into Greg's upcoming 3,100-mile unsupported ocean rowing expedition from Washington to Maui, including boat logistics, team dynamics, extreme endurance challenges, and the personal drive behind pushing human limits. The discussion also covers his book Courage Through Adversity, lessons on leadership, ownership, and becoming a better man, plus reflections on writing, self-publishing, and inspiring the next generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part 2 of Episode 288 on the Mike Drop Podcast, Mike Ritland sits down with retired Army Ranger Greg Anderson. They discuss America First foreign policy, skepticism toward endless wars and foreign aid, reflections on World War II and government trust, and when (if ever) the U.S. should get involved overseas. The conversation then turns to Greg's work building community through jiu-jitsu, the five-day dry fast he completed, and his upcoming 3,100-mile Pacific rowing expedition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Greg Anderson returns to the Mike Drop Podcast. The former Army Ranger and U.S. Marshal breaks down the conflict with Iran, the strategic ripple effects, and what's really happening in the Strait of Hormuz that isn't being talked about. He also explains why he wouldn't want his kids to join the military—and why he believes U.S. foreign policy needs a serious shift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe England (The Stoic Viking), shares unfiltered insights on the current conflict with Iran. He breaks down the strategic realities of the Strait of Hormuz, the challenges of regime change, shifting alliances, and why boots-on-the-ground solutions remain extremely risky. He also discusses the long-term threat of China's global influence, the dangers of unchecked conspiracy thinking, and how stoicism and warrior philosophy helped him rebuild after hitting rock bottom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe England (The Stoic Viking) delivers a firsthand account of life inside America's most secretive intelligence unit, Task Force Orange (Intelligence Support Activity/ISA). He details attachments with Delta Force and DEVGRU SIGINT operations in Iraq and beyond, working against Iranian Quds Force elements during the rise of ISIS, and the challenges of clandestine missions under alias across multiple continents. The conversation also covers his transition out of the unit, rock-bottom struggles with identity and loss, his path to becoming a Black Hawk pilot, and how stoicism helped him rebuild purpose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe England—aka Stoic Viking—shares his incredible story of survival, resilience, and purpose. After a near-fatal car accident that changed everything, Joe opens up about rebuilding mentally and physically, his drive to serve, and the mindset forged through adversity. The conversation also dives into hard geopolitical realities, including a raw discussion on Iran, global conflict, and what many are missing about the threat landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clint Bruce weighs the strategic realities of the U.S. strikes on Iran, the regime-change question, nuclear risks, and potential boots-on-the-ground scenarios, while drawing directly from his combat experience and command roles. He also breaks down the conviction and selflessness that define elite SEAL leadership, his own transition out of the military, and the companies he built—Trident Response Group, Carry The Load, Hold Fast, and Windage—to train civilians, families, and organizations in personal readiness, global security, and high-performance mindsets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clint Bruce, former NFL linebacker who walked away from the league to become a Navy SEAL, completed multiple combat deployments, and now leads Trident Response Group while co-founding Carry The Load to honor our fallen, sits down for a powerful conversation on leadership and resilience. From the intensity of competing in the NFL to the unforgiving demands of SEAL training, Clint shares hard-earned lessons on conviction, discipline, and doing what's difficult when it matters most. This is a raw, unfiltered discussion about mindset, purpose, and what it truly takes to earn your place among the elite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Australian 2nd Commando Regiment officer and combat veteran Heston Russell opens up about his personal journey, including coming to terms with his sexuality while serving, family reactions, and the cultural differences in veteran support between Australia and the United States. He details his exchange posting with the 75th Ranger Regiment, a later deployment to Iraq in a joint special operations planning role, insights into high-level interagency operations, and the challenges of transitioning out of the military. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Australian Commando Heston Russell continues his detailed account of life inside Australia's elite special forces. He covers domestic counter-terrorism readiness, high-stakes training exchanges with U.S. DEVGRU and FBI HRT, protecting the Prime Minister in Afghanistan, and leading intense combat operations during his 2012 deployment—including 67 missions, significant insurgent casualties, and the loss of a teammate to an IED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heston Russell, former Major with Australia's 2nd Commando Regiment, multiple combat deployments. We're going deep on what commando selection actually does to your mind and body, how he built and led teams through Afghanistan and Iraq, and why he's now on a mission to fix veteran support back home. We also discuss the Iran war and Australia's stance in the midst of the the conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former intelligence officer, NGA Chief Technology Officer, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Mike Ritland on Mike Drop to explore the new frontiers of espionage in the age of AI. They break down honeypot traps and modern recruitment risks, how social media and AI-powered disinformation have transformed propaganda, why teaching civil society to “think like an intelligence officer” is critical, and the looming threats of a digital Pearl Harbor, drone swarms, and economic warfare with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former intelligence officer, NGA Chief Technology Officer, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Mike Ritland on Mike Drop to break down the Iraq War's long-term consequences, the power vacuum that empowered Iran, and the risks of current U.S. strikes escalating into another costly entanglement. Vinci weighs whether boots on the ground will be needed, the danger of prolonged insurgent warfare, economic fallout from the Strait of Hormuz, and how modern espionage has been transformed by ubiquitous technical surveillance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former intelligence officer, NGA Chief Technology Officer, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Mike Ritland on Mike Drop to unpack America's high-stakes Iran moves. As deception returns, ships reposition, and Marines surge into the region, Vinci draws hard lessons from Iraq: boots on the ground may deliver victory but at the brutal price of prolonged insurgent warfare that Iran is already incentivized to drag out and amplify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nick Koumalatsos, Marine Raider, returns for the final segment of Episode 283. The discussion examines the Epstein case as a form of systemic leverage, followed by a critical assessment of U.S. strikes in Iran—questioning underlying motives, strategic interests, and broader implications. They address the rapid integration of AI in warfare, including autonomous targeting and the diminishing role of human judgment in combat. The conversation also considers the potential for SOCOM to operate as its own branch, along with emerging ideas around energy and recovery that remain outside mainstream focus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nick Koumalatsos, Marine Raider and combat veteran, returns for Part 2. This episode covers hormone optimization and TRT, peptide protocols for recovery, and the importance of discipline and accountability—principles rooted in special operations and applied to business and life. Nick also shares the powerful story of adopting his youngest child. The conversation closes with a critical look at current U.S. strikes in Iran, raising questions about timing, transparency, and public trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marine Raider and combat vet Nick Koumalatsos breaks down the current U.S. strikes in Iran and answers the hard question: are these precision attacks the opening moves of a real regime-change campaign, or just the latest massive distraction timed perfectly with the Epstein file drops and the sudden mainstream “aliens are real” push? We dig into the first torpedo sinking of an enemy ship since World War II, the recurring accusations of Israeli influence, and whether America is once again being played as a proxy in someone else's game—while the bigger upstream truths stay buried. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump says Cuba might be next, oil prices are spiking after Iran, China is building submarines, and Russia is feeding intel to Iran. In this episode, I break down what's actually going on behind the headlines—why Venezuela, Iran, and Cuba might all be connected, how energy and the petrodollar play into global power, and why transparency from our leaders matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 3 of Episode 281 of the Mike Drop Podcast, I sit down with Mark Grdovic to talk about what happened after the Iraq invasion—getting pulled out of theater sooner than expected, taking those lessons back to train the next generation of Special Forces, and landing in one of the most unique jobs in the military: running the President's Emergency Operations Center at the White House. We also get into leadership behind the scenes during Hurricane Katrina, the realities of retirement after decades in uniform, and Mark's perspective on service, war, and what you really take with you when it's all over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of Episode 281 of the Mike Drop Podcast, I sit down with Special Forces veteran Mark Grecovich to break down the planning and execution behind Operation Viking Hammer. We get into working with Kurdish forces, the complications with Turkey backing out, and how Green Berets adapted on the fly to launch a high-risk mission against an Al-Qaeda–affiliated group in the mountains of northern Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Green Beret, Mark Grdovic shares the largely untold story of what came to be known as "Operation Viking Hammer", a 2003 U.S. Army Special Forces mission in northern Iraq that targeted the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam prior to the main invasion. Working alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, 10th Special Forces Group conducted a coordinated assault on entrenched enemy positions in mountainous terrain near Halabja, following Tomahawk strikes. The operation dismantled Ansar al-Islam's stronghold and secured the Kurdish region, enabling follow-on coalition operations deeper into Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final part of this three-part episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, host Mike Ritland wraps up the conversation with former British Army sniper Ted Shirley. Ted shares his path to recovery from severe PTSD through civilian therapy, grounding techniques, EMDR, mindfulness, plant medicines, and years of hard work. He describes backpacking the world, rediscovering music, writing his book Afghanistan Sniper: Trauma on the Frontline and Beyond, giving mental health talks to veterans and military leaders, and reaching full remission—no longer carrying the diagnosis. A moving close full of hope, purpose, and the clear message that complete healing from combat trauma is possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this intense episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, host Mike Ritland speaks with former British Army sniper Ted Shirley about his 2009–2010 Afghanistan tour. Ted recounts mile-long confirmed kills, massive air assaults, close calls with enemy snipers, the combat high—and the brutal aftermath: severe PTSD, nightmares, aggression, addiction-like urges around killing, suicide attempts, and medical discharge. A raw, honest look at the psychological cost of being a sniper and the struggle to come home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ted Shirley, a former British Army sniper with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and author of Afghanistan Sniper: Trauma on the Frontline and Beyond, recounts his two brutal tours in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, where he became one of the UK's deadliest snipers. He opens up about the psychological toll of combat, including PTSD, addiction to the kill, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, and shares his perspective on the assassination of Charlie Kirk through the lens of his experience with political violence. Shirley ultimately reflects on his journey toward healing through therapy, plant medicine, and deep self-reflection, offering a raw but hopeful message about recovery after war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the final part of Episode 279 of Mike Drop, Mike Ritland and Congressman Dan Crenshaw wrap up their discussion. Crenshaw addresses federal spending, waste vs. fraud in entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, the unsustainable path of these programs, and why meaningful reform remains politically toxic. The conversation shifts to foreign policy—Ukraine aid, Israel support, deterring China over Taiwan, cartel threats, and U.S. involvement abroad—before touching on immigration enforcement, regrets, and reflections on public service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Part 2 of Episode 279 of Mike Drop, host Mike Ritland sits down with U.S. Congressman and former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw for a candid, no-filter conversation. Crenshaw breaks down the Shawn Ryan controversy—accusations of insider trading, fabricated threats, and the collapsed podcast interview—while defending his actions during the Eddie Gallagher case. He also shares his perspective on the realities of Congress, term limits, foreign aid, the legislative process, and why he stays in the fight despite the personal cost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan Crenshaw sits down with Mike Ritland on the Mike Drop Podcast for a raw conversation. The former Navy SEAL and Texas Congressman opens up about his journey into politics, major policy fights (border security, cartels, flood mitigation, energy dominance), and directly addresses insider trading allegations, campaign finance, and the heated drama with Shawn Ryan and Eddie Gallagher—sharing receipts and his unfiltered side of the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices