GRP 45-SF Medic, Traumatic Brain Injury, President George W Bush Military Service Initiative

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GRP 45-My guest on for this episode is retired Green Beret Medic Sergeant First Class Michael Rodriguez. Michael spent 21 years in the US Army with his first deployment to Somalia with the 10th Mountain Division, to his last deployment to Afghanistan with the 7th Special Forces Group. We discuss Special Operations medicine, the advances in technology as a result of war. First Sergeant Rodriguez was medically retired due to sustaining several TBI's (Traumatic Brain Injury) from IEDs.

He sits on President George W. Bush's Military Service Initiative Advisory Council which engages in a wide range of activities that support veterans. Last but not least he's the Chief Ambassador at the Green Beret Foundation. Below is an excerpt from the episode:

John: Now for the Special Operations medical course the individuals going through are Rangers, SEALs, or Green Berets it's a course that all SOF attends. Was it like that during those days?

Sergeant First Class Rodriguez: It was. The way it was when I went through it was two courses. Special Operations Combat Medic(SOCM), and then Special Forces Medical Sergeants Course(SFMS). We had PJ's , Ranger Medics, and SEALs go through SOCM. The only people who went on through SFMS the more advanced stuff were 18 Delta's Green Beret Medic's or they would send back seasoned SEALs the IDC's (Independent Duty Corpsman) those guys were seasoned veterans going through that portion. Now it's a bit different but there's still somewhat of a distinction for the 18 Delta's.

John: You are medically retired with several injuries throughout your career. You've had TBI's and you're very vocal and open about it. That's a good thing.

Sergeant First Class Rodriguez: I was fortunate that every time I got blown up, or whatever it was that rang my bell that day I kept all my pieces. Me being an 18 Delta I recognized what was going on. Conducting combat operations on my last rotation I received three TBI's. I knew what was going on but I didn't say anything. I knew I was jacked up , I knew there were issues. My life changed on that deployment. A couple guys saw with this IED, in particular, they asked me if I was ok, and I responded with "I'm fucking fine". Brain injuries are a cumulative effect. Every time you get concussed your brain releases a protein called a Tau protein that's very corrosive.

Sergeant First Class Michael Rodriguez:

Email-Michael@greenberetfoundation.org

www.greenberetfoundation.org

www.bushcenter.org

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9/11’s Fifteen Year Anniversary, Major Rusty Bradley, Counterinsurgency

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 GRP 44- In Reflecting on the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks it led me to think about what level of progress has been made in this Global War on Terror. Are we safer than we were 15 years ago? Are we any closer to defeating this ideology shared by many that are doctrinally hell bent on setting the world on fire?

Back on the podcast is retired Special Forces Major and Author of the best-selling book "Lions of Kandahar" Rusty Bradley. The Major served for 21 years and was medically retired for wounds received in combat. Major Bradley is one of only 40 service members in US history to receive the Medal of Valor from the Canadian Prime Minister. Below is an excerpt from the episode.

John Hendricks: I recently read a book called Hammer Head Six, about a Special Forces ODA who went into Afghanistan early in the war. They set up what is known as a Special Forces A-Camp. Can you give the audience some background on what an A-Camp is?

Major Rusty Bradley: The term A-Camp comes from the US Special Forces teams in Vietnam. The A-camp is essentially a self-supported, self-supplied base with which Special Forces have the ability to conduct operations by with and through the indigenous people. Doctrinally they're supposed to have all of their own assigned capabilities. Indirect fire, helicopter support lift assets. Indigenous units. If you imagine what is now understood by a lot of people as a Forward Operating Base by conventional forces. If you take that platform you place it in an extremely remote location that is exactly what a Special Forces A-Camp is.

 Dozens of these A-Camps were set up all over Afghanistan in order to allow us to be able to coordinate, and link up with tribes in order to project US combat power into the insurgent-held territory.

 John Hendricks: One of the reasons the A-Camps are successful is because it removes the ability for the insurgents to live amongst the people and to operate and that what the insurgent needs to survive. This method should have been what spearheaded the efforts in countering an insurgency but it didn't. Can you explain why that is?

 Major Rusty Bradley:  The Green Berets are the only US Special Forces by doctrine. The US Special Forces, are the only force on the entire planet that can either build a nation or destroy one. Commanders expected conventional infantry forces to conduct the same kinds of missions as Green Berets without proper training, or support.  A lot of the issue comes from a control mechanism by senior members of the Pentagon and the US Army. All SOF falls under the control of regular Army commanders.

 These conflicts are not being led by experts who trained their whole lives to fight those types of fights. Policy changes need to be made that allows Special Forces commanders to control conflicts that are determined to be light or medium intensity conflicts. You've got a battle space owner that's a regular commander that knows how to fight with a regular army unit that they're in command of.      We're mitigated to a very small space because doctrinally you have a full bird colonel who doesn't want to have to answer to a Special Forces Captain

Lions of Kandahar:https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Kandahar-Story-Fight-Against/dp/0553386166/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473815328&sr=1-1&keywords=lions+of+kandahar

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British Army Combat Medic, Global Surgical Medical Support Group, Women in Combat

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GRP 43- For this episode I had two different conversations with two very interesting individuals. The first conversation is with former British Army Combat Medic Chantelle Taylor. A former Combat Medic she had a remarkable career in the British Army. Renowned for being the first British female soldier in history to engage and kill an enemy combatant at close quarters, she was the lead medic supporting an infantry fighting company during prolonged combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Chantelle is the director of tactical medicine within Spectre International/FVEY Group. She is an ambassador for GBV UNCOVERED an international online think tank dedicated to improving the medical and psychological care available to the survivors of sexual gender-based violence [GBV] in the world's conflict regions. Taylor transitioned into diplomatic security and for a further four years she undertook the role of primary protection officer for the Australian Ambassador to Iraq. Currently she specializes in the provision and effective implementation of medicine in unstable or hostile regions. We discussed her career as a medic, and post military as a defense contractor working in war zones. We also discuss combat medicine, women in combat, and a variety of other topics.

The second conversation I had is with Aaron Epstein. Aaron is the president of an organization called the Global Surgical Medical Support Group. This unique organization provides medical training, and support to the Kurdish military, and Kurdish civilian population in Northern Iraq, as the continue to battle ISIS. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”-Chinese proverb. Very popular aid organizations go into Iraq, drop some limited supplies, take some photos then leave. GSMSG is the exact opposite of that. They train the Kurds, so that they are no longer needed in the conflict zone. Enjoy.

Send questions, or comments to podcast@globalrecon.net

Chantelle Taylor:

Battleworn: The Memoir of a Combat Medic in Afghanistan.

https://www.amazon.com/Battleworn-Memoir-Combat-Medic-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B00JR2PVO2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473292250&sr=8-1&keywords=battleworn

Facebook: Battleworn: The Memoir of a Combat Medic in Afghanistan

Global Surgical Medical Support Group:

www.gsmsg.org

Facebook: Global Surgical Support Group

Instagram: Global_Surgical_Medical_Group

Canadian Operator, CSOR, New York Times Article

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GRP 42-On this episode I have former Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) solider Wes Kennedy. CSOR traces its unit’s roots to the first American, Canadian Special Operations unit which was a joint unit called the “1st Special Service Force”. Wes is the author of “Sports Vision Training for Shooting Performance”. We talk a little about the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM). We talk fitness, and mindset. Wes runs a company that helps prepare military athletes for the rigorous Special Operations selection programs across the globe.

          An article has come out recently written by Sean Naylor in the New York Times where the Airforce has developed some new technology to help them clean up old drone footage. During Operation Anaconda special reconnaissance units were tasked with heading up into the mountains, and identifying enemy fighting positons in order to call in air support. A highly respected Navy SEAL operator is being bashed on social media because the Airforce is claiming that him and his unit left behind John Chapman an Airforce Combat Control Technician (CCT). The new technology isn’t 100 accurate to say for certain that Chapman was still alive.  

         The facts are the SEALs along with the CCT were out numbered, out gunned, and taking casualties. Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski assumed Chapman was killed during the initial gunfight in which several members of the small team were shot, and wounded. They made the call to leap down the mountain under fire, and commence what would become a 6 hour running gun battle in order to break contact. Slabinski’s actions that day kept the SEALs alive, and his teammates have the highest praise for him. I am disappointed with the level of arm chair quarterbacking that’s taking place on the internet over this issue.

Wes Kennedy:

Book: www.sportsvisionforshooting.com

Membership Site Training: www.teamroomtraining.com

Website: www.elitetrainingprograms.com

Facebook: @EliteTrainingPrograms

Wes Kennedy

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Navy SEAL Sniper, The Last Punisher, Mindset, RIP Green Beret Matthew Thompson

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GRP 41-On for this episode is former US Navy SEAL Corpsman, and Sniper Kevin Lacz. Kevin is the author of the New York Times best selling book The Last Punisher: A SEAL Team THREE Sniper's True Account of the Battle of Ramadi. Kevin was apart of a Sniper element with US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. We talked about what its like going through BUDS which is the selection course for Navy SEALs. We talk Ramadi, mindset, SOF Medics, and some history. Green Beret Staff Sgt. Matthew V. Thompson, 28, of Irvine, died Tuesday while advising Afghan forces on patrol in southern Afghanistan. RIP brother. Below is an excerpt from our conversation.

John Hendricks: The book is basically about your experience during a rotation to Ramadi. The insurgency moved from Fallujah to Ramadi. A very dangerous place. You were deployed with Chris Kyle, and he was a close friend of yours.

Kevin Lacz: That 2006 deployment was the most pronounced out of my deployments. You’re right Ramadi at that point in time was kind of the epicenter of the insurgency in Iraq. It was also primed to be the template for the surge. We deployed in April 06 in support of the the 1st, the 502nd, the 36, 38 Marines in a new campaign to win hearts and minds. We supported them. We were mainly there to support them from a couple of different platforms. One was direct action missions.

Presence patrols. Working with the Iraqi security forces patrolling daytime, and night time in these areas. The third was the Sniper element which proved to be the most effective. One of the gentlemen in our platoon was Chris Kyle. That deployment our platoon had over 230 confirmed kills, and Chris had 101 of those. Task unit together had 330 confirmed kills. That’s not airstrikes, rifle mainly sniper.

Kevin Lacz:

The Last Punisher: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0176M3PUG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

www.kevinlacz.com

Instagram: RealKevinLacz

Facebook: KevinDauberLacz

Twitter: Dauber246

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