FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) Operator | SWAT & FBI Agent | Drug Squad | Bicycle Bandit | Operation Black Widow | Shaffer Security | Greg Shaffer
Release Date: 05/18/2024
Combat Story
In today's Combat Story, we sit down with Kevin Seiff, a former Marine officer turned Navy SEAL who now leads the Vet Collective and co-hosts the Harder Not Smarter Podcast with Green Beret Greg VanDyne. ๐ฆ ๐๏ธ ๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit . In this episode: Kevin's relentless journey to become a Marine and Navy SEAL ๐ชโ Two attempts to get into the Naval Academy and BUD/S Hell Week ๐ฒ๐โโ๏ธ Must-read books and the no-shortcuts mantra ๐๐ก๏ธ Overcoming swimmer-induced...
info_outline Inside the Iron Triangle | Vietnam Combat in Pictures (from the time) | Kent Hillhouse Rd 2Combat Story
Today we have a round two Combat Story with Kent Hillhouse where we recorded the episode with a screen available to look and talk through some more of his combat experiences with maps and photos from his time in service. Kent is a retired Major General who spent a year as a Platoon Leader and Tank Commander in Vietnam from August of 1967 to August of 1968. ๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit . We wanted to do a Round 2 with Kent after I spent some time with him following our first interview...
info_outline FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) Operator | SWAT & FBI Agent | Drug Squad | Bicycle Bandit | Operation Black Widow | Shaffer Security | Greg ShafferCombat Story
Today we have a Combat Story first with Greg Shaffer, who spent a career in the FBI as an Agent, SWAT member, and Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) operator. He also started his career leading a patrol boat team in the Coast Guard before moving over to the Bureau. ๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit combatstory.com/newsletter. In this episode, we talk about the selection and entry process to both the FBI and HRT, the origins and mission of the HRT - which numbers fewer than 500 members since its inception in...
info_outline Commanding Tanks in Vietnam | Silver Star Mission | Armored Cavalry M48 Tanks in 'Nam | Kent Hillhouse (MG, Ret)Combat Story
Today we have a unique Combat Story where we hear about the armored cavalry in Vietnam from then Platoon Leader with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Kent Hillhouse. Kent would go on to retire as a Major General in the Army Reserve and has continued to support veterans leading his communityโs Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation of Los Gatos. ๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit combatstory.com/newsletter. Many will likely be surprised to learn we had tanks in Vietnam given how the war has so...
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This episode dives deep into the challenges and conditions dubbed 'Operator Syndrome' faced by veterans and active-duty members of the military, exploring both psychological and physical facets, including traumatic brain injury, PTSD, hormonal imbalances, low testosterone, existential issues, and more. ๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit combatstory.com/newsletter. The episode features insights from Dr. Chris Frueh, a clinical psychologist with extensive experience treating thousands of veterans,...
info_outline Last Great Tank-on-Tank Battle | Battle of 73 Easting | Armored Cavalry | M1A1 Abrams | Tim GauthierCombat Story
๐ฅ Dive deep into the heart of armored combat in this gripping interview with Tim Gauthier, a Platoon Leader during the iconic Battle of 73 Easting in Desert Storm! ๐๏ธ ๐ From the tactical viewpoint of both a scout platoon leader and a tank commander, discover the intense preparation, reconnaissance, and combat strategies that shaped this pivotal tank-on-tank clash. ๐ก๏ธ ๐ค Experience the high-stakes world of M1A1 Abrams and Bradleys as they faced off against Iraqi T-72s and armored vehicles. Learn about the tactics, challenges, and crew dynamics that define the fierce realm of...
info_outline Navy SEAL Sniper | UNSEALED | Hardest Experience Losing a Fellow Frogman | Enlisted & Officer | Mark GreeneCombat Story
๐ฏ๐ฅ Today's Combat Story Features Mark Greene, an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper! ๐ฅ๐ฏ Join us as we dive deep with Mark Greene, a courageous former Navy SEAL who has experienced the sharp edge of battle as both an officer and enlisted sniper. ๐๏ธ๐ฅ Mark's extensive service spans the pivotal moments of our time, from the intense pre-9/11 missions to the high-stakes post-9/11 operations where his sniper skills were put to the ultimate test. ๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit . In this gripping...
info_outline Epic Medal of Honor Battle Description | Marine Force Recon | Army Special Forces | Earl PlumleeCombat Story
Today we have a once in a lifetime Combat Story with one of the few living Medal of Honor recipients from the war in Afghanistan: Earl Plumlee. Earl was a Marine infantryman, Force Recon team leader, and Special Forces Weapons Sergeant in the pre- and post-9/11 era. Earl would deploy multiple times with the Marine Corps and the Army, to include combat deployments with Force Recon and a historic deployment in 2013 with the his ODA where he would earn the Medal of Honor. In this episode, we touch on both of Earlโs Recon deployments but spend a considerable amount of time walking through...
info_outline F-15E Pilot and Weapons Officer | Teaching Fighter Weapons School - Tom Moser and Mike BenitezCombat Story
Today we have a Combat Story where we bring two F-15E Strike Eagle aviators - a front seater and backseater - together to talk about what it was like flying at the same time and some of the adventures that come with that life. Both Tom โGunnyโ Moser and Mike โPakoโ Benitez are decorated aviators, both Fighter Weapons School qualified and both former Marines (Tom an 0311 and Mike a helicopter aircrew member and door gunner). We interviewed both Gunny and Pako individually if youโre curious about their other near misses and danger close shots (or the origins of their call signsโฆPako...
info_outline Senior CIA Officer on Russia | Legendary Case Officer and Chief of Station | Glenn CornCombat Story
Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today Iโm so excited to share this Combat Story with a legend from the CIA spanning the First Cold War battling the Soviet Union, to the...
info_outlineToday we have a Combat Story first with Greg Shaffer, who spent a career in the FBI as an Agent, SWAT member, and Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) operator. He also started his career leading a patrol boat team in the Coast Guard before moving over to the Bureau.
๐ Don't miss out! Check out our Combat Check-In for exclusive updates, fascinating historical snippets, and much more! Visit combatstory.com/newsletter.
In this episode, we talk about the selection and entry process to both the FBI and HRT, the origins and mission of the HRT - which numbers fewer than 500 members since its inception in the early 1980s, one of the most successful surveillance and bust operations youโll ever hear against the Bicycle Bandit, Operation Black Widow, border security, taking down targets and the hunting the deck of cards in Iraq with Delta Force and more.
Greg now runs Shaffer Security Group that provides executive protection, active shooter response, investigations, firearms training and more. He also wrote Stay Safe: Security Secrets for Todayโs Dangerous World, which provides practical lessons on mindset, situational awareness, and self-defense.
It took us too long to have our first Bureau agent and HRT operator on the show and weโll absolutely be looking to have more. With that, please enjoy this hilarious but inspiring discussion with former FBI Agent and HRT operator Greg Shaffer.
๐๏ธ Find Greg online:
- Shaffer Security Group - https://shaffersecuritygroup.com/our-founder/
- Stay Safe: Security Secrets for Todayโs Dangerous World https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Safe-Security-Secrets-Dangerous/dp/1948484579
๐๏ธ Connect with Ryan & Combat Story:
- ๐ Ryanโs Linktree: https://linktr.ee/combatstory
- ๐ Merch Store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/
- ๐ธ Instagram: @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory
- ๐ Facebook: @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial
- ๐ Learn more about Ryan: https://www.combatstory.com/aboutus
- ๐ต Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
โฐ Show Notes:
- 00:00 - Intro
- 00:46 Guest Intro: Greg Schaefer's Journey from Coast Guard to FBI
- 02:27 The Threat Landscape: Border Security and National Safety
- 05:14 The Significance of a Special Painting: HRT Brotherhood
- 08:10 Choosing a Career in Law Enforcement: It's in the Blood
- 08:57 From the Coast Guard to FBI: A Path of Service
- 16:00 The Rigorous FBI Selection Process
- 28:34 First Steps and Early Successes in the FBI
- 40:10 The Dynamics of SWAT Operations
- 45:10 The Mental Toll of Law Enforcement Work
- 45:49 Undercover Challenges and Mental Separation
- 46:35 Comparing Military and Law Enforcement Stress
- 47:17 The Importance of Mental Resilience
- 48:19 Transitioning to HRT and Selection Process Insights
- 48:44 Sponsor Break: Mint Mobile's Offer
- 49:58 HRT Selection: A Grueling Process
- 54:26 Tactical Training and Surveillance in HRT
- 55:36 The Origins and Mission of HRT
- 01:01:14 Challenges and Operations with HRT
- 01:13:12 Public Perception of Law Enforcement
- 01:16:36 Writing a Book on Active Shooter Survival
- 01:26:37 Reflections and Advice for Future Generations
Greg is a former FBI agent, SWAT team member, and HRT operator. Discover the intensity of his career, including in-depth insights into high-stakes operations such as the Bicycle Bandit and DC Sniper cases. Greg discusses the complexities of HRT selection, major national security concerns, especially regarding border security, and the adrenaline-fueled world of elite FBI missions. Learn about his background, transition from the Coast Guard to the FBI, and the indispensable qualities required in law enforcement. This narrative provides a compelling look at true crime, FBI operations, and military strategies.