Navy SEAL w/ 7 Deployments | Author of Warrior to Civilian | Rob Sarver
Release Date: 11/30/2024
Combat from Echo in Ramadi | Marine Commander Takes Us Inside the Deadliest City in Iraq Scott Huesing
Combat Story
Today we have a great interview with 24 year retired Marine and best selling author of Echo in Ramadi, Scott Huesing. Scott led the “magnificent bastards” of 2/4 Marines during one of the most brutal periods of the post-9/11 war from 2006 into 2007 during the Surge. Scott went from self-described terrible high school student to enlisted Marine to Mustang (a Marine Officer who was formerly Enlisted), serving on 10 deployments in multiple countries. In this episode, Scott takes into an intense fight to extract several pinned down Marines that included bringing M1A1s along to losing his...
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Medal of Honor Leadership Ryan Pitts | Medal of Honor | Leadership in Battle
Combat Story
Today we have a once in a lifetime interview with Medal of Honor recipient Ryan Pitts, who truly earned this prestigious award in the mountains of Afghanistan fighting off a very dedicated, organized, and determined enemy force. Ryan and I connected thanks to the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership, a non-profit helping to share lessons of leadership from Medal of Honor recipients and the values they live by with people who lead at any level. In this episode, we dive into Ryan’s near death experiences (there are several) while downrange but we never venture far from what leadership...
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Life Changing Moment in Combat | Leads to Life of Service | Force Recon | Non-Profit Founder | Jake Harriman
Combat Story
Today we have a fascinating Combat Story with Jake Harriman who is one of those guys who makes you feel incredibly lazy for not helping hungry people in Africa (seriously) and helping to heal the divide in America, one person at a time. It’s no surprise that Jake served alongside Todd Opalski (who long time fans of the show will know as the enlisted Marine Sniper who became a Marine officer, Force Recon leader, and was then invited to serve in the most elite unit in the US Military). You can’t help but do great things if you worked with Todd! Jake is truly an incredibly humble but...
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SEAL Troop Commander | Tech Founder | Josh Thurman
Combat Story
Our Combat Story today is former Navy SEAL officer Josh Thurman, who spent over 12 years serving in the SEAL Teams, including at the elite level. Over the course of 11 deployments in the post-9/11 era, Josh led high-stakes special operations missions and nearly lost his own life on countless occasions. Join the AngelQ Waitlist to get a special offer and be one of the first to get access to this amazing product that keeps kids safe online: https://bitli.pro/2pvxr_9464bab7 Josh almost never joined the military and, instead, thought of becoming a religious leader, which we talk about...
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Europe’s New Perspectives on Russia, China, Energy, and Economic Security from Italian Veteran Roberto Toncig
Combat Story
Today we sit down with Roberto Toncig, a retired Italian Army and former Government Executive with 40+ years of experience in the field of Defence and Security. He spent over two decades in steeped in International Relations and Security, most of them spent in challenging positions at various Italian Embassies abroad. In addition to Italian and fantastic English, Roberto speaks German, French, Serbo-Croatian, and Russian. In his post-government work, Roberto is an advisor at Leonardo focused on Regional Security for this global defense, security, and aerospace giant. We connected...
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Wargames for Peace and How to Not be Part of Watergate with Ambassador David Miller
Combat Story
In this episode, we sit down with statesman and Ambassador David Miller, who shares his expansive and storied career, starting from his early days surveying economic impacts in Vietnam to his intricate experiences with the National Security Council and various international postings. We’re joined by Glenn Corn, who spent a career, much like Amb Miller, in service to the United States, but on the CIA side of the house and you get to hear what it’s like when Chiefs of Station and Ambassadors truly work together. Ambassador Miller recounts tales of working closely with influential figures...
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Ukraine, Russia and Military Weapons and Ammo with Arms Expert Tamerlan Vahabov | Drones, Arms Deals, Ukraine’s Future
Combat Story
Today’s Combat Story is a Frontline Perspective with Tamerlan Vahabov on Ukraine's Defense, Challenges, and Future. In this interview, Tamerlan tells us about his work as a former advisor to the Director of Defense Procurement and the Minister of Interior in Ukraine. He shares his compelling journey from Azerbaijan to Ukraine, highlighting his roles in government, law enforcement, and his direct experiences with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We dig deep into drone warfare and the intricacies of defense procurement, the challenges faced by the Ukrainian defense industry, and his ongoing...
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Expert Analysis Feb 18 on Russia Ukraine War w/ CIA Expert Glenn Corn | Battlefield, Geopolitics, New Russian Intel Unit, North Koreans in Russia, Russians in North Korea
Combat Story
Today we talk to CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer Glenn Corn who is calling in from Ukraine and dive into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with on-the-ground insights and analysis. We touch on Ukrainian concerns about being excluded from international peace talks, the mixed reactions to diplomatic efforts at the Munich Security Conference and in Saudi Arabia, and the potential implications of new Russian intelligence tactics. We also hit on a new Russian intel covert unit, possible involvement of North Korean troops supporting Russia, recent prisoner swaps, and the evolving role of...
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Inside the Command Post in Pakistan During the Bin Laden Raid | Earthquake Relief | Leadership Lessons | Vice Adm (ret) Mike LeFever
Combat Story
Today’s Combat Story is with our first Navy Vice Admiral, Mike LeFever, who spent 38 years in uniform supporting US National Security across the world. Rising from an Annapolis wrestler to a surface warfare officer, Mike was selected to command a strike group, would serve at the US Embassy in Pakistan as the head diplomatic officer (during the Bin Laden raid), and finished his military career as the Director of Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center, within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ Try it risk-free...
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Killing 3 Enemy Tanks in 10 Seconds | HR McMaster | Army General & National Security Advisor | Battle of 73 Easting
Combat Story
Today is an amazing Combat Story as we sit down with the legendary retired three star General HR McMaster whose 34 years of service included everything from spearheading the last great tank-on-tank engagement in the famous Battle of 73 Easting to serving as President Trump’s National Security Advisor. McMaster has been a dream interview for our program for years and it does not disappoint. We cover so much in this episode from exactly what it felt like in the tanks on that fateful day taking on and destroying the Tawalkana Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard in minutes to leading a...
info_outlineToday we have a fantastic Combat Story with former Navy SEAL Officer Rob Sarver. Rob had more fun than most on his path to becoming a SEAL, originally with a detour as a surface warfare officer that he very skillfully managed to curtail, and leveraged a really interesting network to get a shot at the Teams.
This episode is chalked full of both great stories from down range but also really practical explanations for getting ahead and succeeding, much of which has made it into his book, Warrior to Civilian: The Field Manual for the Hero’s Journey.
In this episode, Rob covers some amazing stories of ingenuity in combat like using innertubes to float quietly on an assault to using copper wire to make two different radio sets compatible for field use. And despite Rob’s obvious successes from attending the Naval Academy to his time in the Teams and then graduating from Wharton and working in Private Equity, he also hits on the tougher moments, covering tough topics of loss, fear, and desperation, including losing someone on day one of a deployment. Don’t worry, though, there are plenty of laughs and hilarious anecdotes like the story behind the phrase ‘moderation is for cowards’.
With that, please enjoy this Combat Story with Rob Sarver.
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Find Rob Sarver Online:
Warrior to Civilian: The Field Manual for the Hero’s Journey (Link: Hachette Books: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/robert-sarver/warrior-to-civilian/9781538769966/
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Civilian-Field-Manual-Journey/dp/1538769964)
Author Site - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/robert-sarver/
Find Ryan Online:
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🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Show Notes:
00:00 Intro
00:44 Introduction to Combat Story
01:03 Meet Rob Sarver: Navy SEAL Officer
01:37 Rob's Journey to Becoming a SEAL
02:19 The Book: Warrior to Civilian
03:54 Rob's Military Background and Early Life
09:31 High School Adventures and Military Aspirations
14:06 Academy Life and Challenges
15:25 Path to the SEAL Teams
22:49 First Deployment Experiences
29:18 BUD/S Training and Beyond
35:16 Reflecting on Early Military Experiences
36:22 First Mission and Initial Challenges
36:56 Language School and Unexpected Adventures
38:41 Deployment Stories and Combat Encounters
41:19 Leadership and Team Dynamics
42:33 Loss and Resilience
44:43 Bronze Star with Valor: The Story Behind the Honor
48:53 Creative Tactics and Overcoming Obstacles
01:01:14 Transitioning to Civilian Life
01:01:42 Writing the Book: Purpose and Process
01:09:19 Seeking Help and Finding Balance
01:12:57 Memories and Reflections
01:14:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts