Podcasts.

I was a guest on Hazard Ground a few weeks ago and the episode aired today.

I chose a specific featured image for the podcast because the episode was reflective in nature, and the other person in the picture, MSG (R) Ellery Edwards, was the person outside of my family who most shaped the direction of my Army career. He was my first platoon sergeant when I was an infantry platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division in the mid-90s. He took care of me, development me professionally (and physically), and gave me space to learn and to lead. Several of the NCOs portrayed in the various case studies I posted on this site are based on things he actually did, or what I think he would have done if certain fictitious situations were true.

As an E7, he was selected from all of the other senior NCOs in the battalion to fill in as the HHC first sergeant. When we eventually got another E8 in he could have gone anywhere in the battalion he wanted, and he chose to come back to our platoon. That was perhaps the best compliment I ever received as a commissioned officer, that someone like him would want to come back to a unit I led, when he had options to go elsewhere.

Then-SFC Edwards is cropped out of the picture in the podcast and I'm sad to say I lost track of him after he came to my promotion to major many years ago, but I have not forgotten what he, and many other NCOs, did for me, for the units I was in, and our Army during my 27+ years in uniform.
 
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I was a guest on Hazard Ground a few weeks ago and the episode aired today.

I specifically chose a specific featured image for the podcast because the episode was reflective in nature, and the other person in the picture, MSG (R) Ellery Edwards, was the person outside of my family who most shaped the direction of my Army career. He was my first platoon sergeant when I was an infantry platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division in the mid-90s. He took care of me, development me professionally (and physically), and gave me space to learn and to lead. Several of the NCOs portrayed in the various case studies I posted on this site are based on things he actually did, or what I think he would have done if certain fictitious situations were true.

As an E7, he was selected from all of the other senior NCOs in the battalion to fill in as the HHC first sergeant. When we eventually got another E8 in he could have gone anywhere in the battalion he wanted, and he chose to come back to our platoon. That was perhaps the best compliment I ever received as a commissioned officer, that someone like him would want to come back to a unit I led, when he had options to go elsewhere.

Then-SFC Edwards is cropped out of the picture in the podcast and I'm sad to say I lost track of him after he came to my promotion to major many years ago, but I have not forgotten what he, and many other NCOs, did for me, for the units I was in, and our Army during my 27+ years in uniform.
Hazard Ground was awesome. Can’t wait to listen.
 
JUST an hour? Dude, y'all were getting warmed up and it ended?
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Buckle up- 3 hours long, complete exploration of the fall of HKIA, from the team leaders on the ground.

Sean and Chris are mentioned by name in every book, interview and AAR for the Afghanistan JTE- we were the first folks to get them to sit down and talk about it. We address the (my opinion) near criminal lack of recognition for their actions. If you could, like, comment, and share this one as wide as you can. I appreciate you all!


 
Buckle up- 3 hours long, complete exploration of the fall of HKIA, from the team leaders on the ground.

Sean and Chris are mentioned by name in every book, interview and AAR for the Afghanistan JTE- we were the first folks to get them to sit down and talk about it. We address the (my opinion) near criminal lack of recognition for their actions. If you could, like, comment, and share this one as wide as you can. I appreciate you all!



How ironic. I have this playing on my other screen now while I have lunch. Digging it.
 
Buckle up- 3 hours long, complete exploration of the fall of HKIA, from the team leaders on the ground.

Sean and Chris are mentioned by name in every book, interview and AAR for the Afghanistan JTE- we were the first folks to get them to sit down and talk about it. We address the (my opinion) near criminal lack of recognition for their actions. If you could, like, comment, and share this one as wide as you can. I appreciate you all!


Outstanding. I have about three more hours on this drive…
 
Yesterday I finished the One's Ready episode above. It was a bit hard to listen to at times having spent so many years there and watched it end that poorly. Anyway...

Fantastic, just a simply fantastic episode. Just two "average guys" who got after it and did unbelievable things in absolute chaos. I can only imagine what an Alamo scenario would be like and I don't think the US has a single block of instruction on a situation like KAIA in 2021. Having supported the air war's C2 side until the end of April 2021, when they say air support was lacking and gas was a problem, they weren't joking.

Reading between the lines, it sounds like some Silver Stars and maybe even and Air Force Cross or two should come out of that mission. Just so many fantastic stories of people excelling under absolutely horrible conditions.

My one criticism, and this is bigger than the podcast, is why are we softening the blow by calling it a "retrograde?" Call it what it is, a retreat. We need to stop making it sound like there was some honorable conclusion to the war, like we left the place on our own terms and under our own conditions. It was retreat, pure and simple, and by PC'ing the language we avoid a really hard look at ourselves and what went wrong. We're just sweeping it under the rug and hoping it will go away. It was fucking retreat, America. Own it. Own the L.

My rant aside, and no fault of OR and @amlove21, the episode was great and worth your 3 hours. 5 out of 5 reappropriated Land Cruisers.
 
“Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” has been a consistently funny podcast.
 
One's Ready w/ John Koren. I love that OR is running a "Legends" series, bringing in a lot of the pioneers of what is now AFSOC. Fascinating series, but this episode...Peaches is not a dumb man and there were things he didn't know about CCT history (which is kind of awesome to be honest, to have that rich legacy), but he was also left speechless. Peaches was so floored by what he heard that his brain had to catch up.

I read a ton of history and I never knew we had a such a presence in SEA into 75, Americans still running combat operations in Laos and Cambodia (the Mayaguez notwithstanding).

And the PT test to get into CCT? 80 deep knee bends and a run in a certain time. Straight from basic to jump school. Incredible.

Fantastic episode, can't wait for Part 2.
 
One's Ready w/ John Koren. I love that OR is running a "Legends" series, bringing in a lot of the pioneers of what is now AFSOC. Fascinating series, but this episode...Peaches is not a dumb man and there were things he didn't know about CCT history (which is kind of awesome to be honest, to have that rich legacy), but he was also left speechless. Peaches was so floored by what he heard that his brain had to catch up.

I read a ton of history and I never knew we had a such a presence in SEA into 75, Americans still running combat operations in Laos and Cambodia (the Mayaguez notwithstanding).

And the PT test to get into CCT? 80 deep knee bends and a run in a certain time. Straight from basic to jump school. Incredible.

Fantastic episode, can't wait for Part 2.

Watched it on YT over lunch ("professional development"). In the last couple minutes he said "we aren't legends." The hell you aren't. I love when they (Ryan, Willink, any podcaster) have on the legends who were 'there' when it all got started.

I love these podcasts. Living history.
 
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