GRP 167-Black Ops: The Story Of A Cuban Refugees Journey Into The Upper Ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency

You can access the full episode on Apple Podcast (Apple users), or Spotify, and Anchor (Android users). Be sure to like, share, subscribe, and download the episodes. Thank you. 

GRP 167-Black Ops: The Story Of A Cuban Refugees Journey Into The Upper Ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Joining me for this week's podcast is Ric Prado. Ric witnessed a firefight at seven in Cuba during Fidel Castro's revolution. After his family fled, they relocated to Miami. Prado would go on to serve as an elite Pararescuemen in the Airforce and spent 24 years at the CIA, retiring at the rank of Senior Intel Service-2, the Major General equivalent at the Agency. 

He was the Deputy Chief of Station of the original Bin Laden Task Force and later served as the head of Korean Operations for the CIA. We discussed Castro and Che Guevara, his time in Nicaragua, countering terrorism in the Philippines, and tracking Bin Laden. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

• Witnessing a firefight between government forces and Castros rebels as a young kid in Cuba

• Fleeing Cuba under the Castro regime

• Joining the Airforce as a Pararescuemen

• Working as a paramilitary officer in Nicaragua with the Contra's

• Working on the Bin Laden task force in the mid-'90s
  

Follow Ric Prado: www.ricprado.com

This episode is sponsored by Ten Thousand a men’s training brand.

visit www.tenthousand.cc and enter code Global Recon for 15 % off

Connect With John Hendricks

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Music provided by Caspian:

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GRP 166-The art of living well and the art of dying well are one: A conversation with two Ukrainian Special Forces Operators

You can access the full episode on Apple Podcast (Apple users), or Spotify, and Anchor (Android users). Be sure to like, share, subscribe, and download the episodes. Thank you. 

Two active-duty Ukrainian Special Forces Operators are joining me for this week's podcast. Back on the show is Mikko, and joining us for the first time is his teammate Quebec. Quebec joined Special Forces in 2014 when the Russians annexed Crimea.

He was wounded during a battle in eastern Ukraine, leading to his retirement from the military. He later worked as a security contractor in Afghanistan. Once Russia invaded Ukraine, he went back into Special Forces and has been fighting ever since. We discussed the Partisan movement and undercover operations in Russian-controlled territory, Bahkmut, the Wagner Group, and much more. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

• Quebec's path into Ukrainian Special Forces

• Deployed to Afghanistan as a security contractor

• Undercover operations in Russian-controlled territory

• Bakhmut, the location of the heaviest fighting in the war

• Quebec's father was killed fighting the Russians

• Assaulting Russian positions in Kherson

Connect with Mikko: Instagram

Connect with Quebec: Instagram

Check out the website below if you want to support them

Website

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Music provided by Caspian:

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GRP 165-Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man: A conversation with a Marine Corps General

You can access the full episode on Apple Podcast (Apple users), or Spotify, and Anchor (Android users). Be sure to like, share, subscribe, and download the episodes. Thank you. 

My guest for this week's podcast is retired Marine Corps Major General Arnold Punaro. Punaro went on to serve for 34 years, finishing his career as the Commanding Officer of the 4th Marine Division and reaching the rank of Two Star General. He was shot during a firefight as a young Officer leading Marines against an enemy position in Vietnam.

After the war, he went to work for Senator Sam Nunn in National Security matters serving as his director of National Security Affairs and then as Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His latest book, "The Ever Shrinking Fighting Force." Highlights the issue of how more money being spent is not equating to a more effective fighting force. We discussed General Punaro's time in Vietnam, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China, and his book. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

• Being shot by a sniper

• CPL Roy Hammonds saves Punaro and gets killed shortly after

• Working National Security for Senator Sam Nunn

• Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine

• The Ever Shrinking Fighting Force

Connect with Arnold Punaro

Website

Book

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www.globalrecon.net

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Music provided by Caspian:

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GRP 164-The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing: A conversation with a 26-year veteran of the CIA.

You can access the full episode on Apple Podcast (Apple users), or Spotify, and Anchor (Android users). Be sure to like, share, subscribe, and download the episodes. Thank you. 

Joining me for this week's podcast is Marc Polymeropoulos. Marc retired from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks in 2019 after serving for 26 years. He is a highly decorated field officer serving in various leadership roles. His book "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA" was published in 2021. He received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Commendation Medal, and the Intelligence Medal of Merit. We discussed his time working counter-terrorism in the middle east, running agents in the field, being hit with Havana Syndrome in Moscow, and much more. Tune in.

Main Takeaways

• Running agents in the Middle East

• Gina Haspel

• Working alongside American Special Operations Forces

• The Tragedy in Khost, Afghanistan

• Open Source Intelligence

• Russia

Connect with Marc Polymeropoulous:

Website

Social Media

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www.globalrecon.net

Instagram

Music provided by Caspian:

www.caspian.band

GRP 163-With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: A Conversation with Senator Marco Rubio

You can access the full episode on Apple Podcast (Apple users), or Spotify, and Anchor (Android users). Be sure to like, share, subscribe, and download the episodes. Thank you. 

GRP 163-With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: A Conversation with Senator Marco Rubio 

For this week's podcast, joining me is the Senior United States Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio. Senator Rubio came on to discuss veterans who have been exposed to toxic burn pits while serving overseas. Many of these veterans are diagnosed with cancer and other rare illnesses at an alarming rate. An issue Senator Rubio is passionate about tackling is human trafficking. We discussed how to protect schools in the wake of a deadly shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Tune in.

          Main Takeaways

• Veterans exposed to toxic burn pits

• Hunter Seven Foundation

• Fixing the VA

• Human Trafficking

• Utilizing the national threat assessment center to protect schools

• Calling out the hypocrisy of the NBA when it comes to China

If you are interested in supporting my friends at the Hunter Seven Foundation, click here: www.hunterseven.org

Connect With John Hendricks

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Music provided by Caspian:

www.caspian.band