Podcasts.
- Thread starter TLDR20
- Start date
They fight the fundamentalist faction of the little known Church of Ghostbusters.
What are your takes on this? I've watched a few interviews of former CAG guys in Shawn Ryan's podcast and, to me, at least, they didn't seem to divulge any OpSec stuff.
Devildoc
Verified Military
My opinion about Murphy aside.....
I think it's fine line to walk. I mean, I am not sure they have any legal standing to prevent VUMs from talking about things that have either been vetted for publication or is public information. Most of the Unit guys I have known (a couple well, most through classes) seem to be pretty tight-lipped unless the story is already out there, then they speak pretty candidly. None have ever violated OPSEC/PERSEC or discussed any TTPs that were verboten for public consumption. It seems those who have talked/published out of school have been hammered pretty hard and PNG'd.
The CANSOF and JTF2 command started this with the Dallas Alexander episode. He didn't breach any OpSec or his NDA but that's not stopping them from trying to drag him through the coals.
From my perspective, it's some public affairs dweeb is pissed they aren't involved and Shawn Ryan is doing more for the SOF image than those morons ever did.
At first, I thought it was that scope "Tacom HQ Prism" they were using to hit those insurgents 2.2 miles out... but a simple Google search shows it's already out there. Can't believe the guy got kicked out of JTF2 for not wearing a facemask.
Yeah. I wondered if guys like Andy Stumpf and Shawn Ryan got the same emails... probably just Jack.
Anyone watch Tucker and Trump, last night? I think it was one of the better interviews Trump has done.
Devildoc
Verified Military
I think those guys do it well, along with the guy who runs Combat Story. It seems it's Murphy who is the variable here.
Ryan appeared on JTF-2's radar because one of his guests challenged the COVID shot and was subsequently kicked out. Ryan's not a sensationalist in my opinion, and he's been very careful with previous guests and classified details. I believe JTF-2 lied about the reason for pulling the video. It had nothing to do with OPSEC or any other SEC, it was all about COVID and how ridiculous JTF-2 and the Canadian military looked.
This is going to be a hard one to watch but a good one.
TLDR20
Verified SOF
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I’m listening to these now. I find the podcasts enthralling, but god I wished whoever edits them wouldn’t put ads in these super emotional moments. In comes across so tasteless.
I finished the last part, last night. By far the best ones so far. I hope the last part gets some reach into the community.
Devildoc
Verified Military
Agreed, the timing was awful.
I was stunned about how he left the unit, and that it happened that way so many times to others.
It was a tough watch. I despise the adds but figure the adds pay for the podcasts.
Episode 2 was a tough listen. Necessary, but very hard. I see why it is his last time talking about Somalia. Garbage bags...
His end in the Unit was surprising, but I'm really, really curious about one comment. He mentions a CSM who played a part in Tom's departure and "I thought he had my back like I had his in Somalia." Given the number of former CAG guys we know were there, I'm really curious if that was someone in the public eye.
As an aside, of all the podcasts with SOF, especially Tier 1 guys, that I listen to, they universally have one shared experience: operating with injuries and multiple surgeries on their spine, shoulders, knees, or ankles. I think all of them had one or more back/ neck surgeries and several were told "don't jump again" and of course they kept jumping.
For all you highspeeds out there who want to do these jobs: nobody rides for free.
Devildoc
Verified Military
I have taken some shooting classes from a handful of former Unit guys, one of whom lives not terribly far and he and I have become an acquaintance. He has told me a lot about his journey in the unit and a lot of history and politics (OPSEC/PERSEC withstanding). I have to be honest, some of the gold has lost its luster. Yeah, I was a bit of a Delta fanboy, but when I heard about the politics and the infighting and how guys would be kicked out for very petty reasons I became a little disillusioned. This guy I'm talking about, he wasn't a Somalia guy, but he was with AFO in Afghanistan and multiple tours in Iraq.
I agree, the number of Delta guys in Somalia who are still active in that unit at the time Satterly left, the number was probably few and far between, I am also curious as to whether that sergeant major was in the public eye. Just narrowing down what I know of open book history and of the books I've read, I think there's a handful that are good guesses.
Regarding your comment about the multiple surgeries and being constantly broken, I think in general that's true of the infantry / field oriented lifestyle, but is amplified with the high op tempo of SOF. When I was young, in my twenties, I wondered why so many guys retired in their late '30s right at 20 years. Once I hit 38, 40, and I had bad shoulders, a bad lumbar back, bad hips, bad knees, I got it. And I wasn't even SOF.
The other thing I took away from this podcast, when you watch the movie and see the character "Hoot," he was pretty hardwired, he had his shit together, and I think there's an assumption all the Delta guys were like that. I think Satterly did a good job of explaining the humanity and showing how they're humans.
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