Ep. 290 - Big Mountain Heroes premiere

I first met Ricky as a regular at UFC Gym, and he was a guy that everyone knew, and for good reason. Poh has such a diverse background in his passion for fitness from being a physique competitor, Crossfit trainer, and Olympic weightlifter. I don't know how we got into it, but one day I learned in addition to all this he served in the Army as a drill sergeant and also worked his way up to being a Level 4 Combatives Instructor. Naturally, I asked him to come on the podcast a few times. It took some coaxing, but somehow a couple of years later as he also become a member of the NYPD, I convinced him to join us in studio...and you'll be glad I did. Ricky discusses with us why he joined the Army and why his background made for a natural transition to becoming a police officer. He also talks some of the difficulty in between that period of finding what career path he set to embark on. He also gets into how his Chinese ethnic background made for some interesting clashes from his career choice, to his interest in Japanese martial arts, which delivers some laughs. The guys also give their take on the first female to pass Special Forces assessment, and we read an email as well as a voice memo from our shipmate Gene Farnsworth sent to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Marras 20181h 22min

Imagine setting out on a five day adventure trip to Costa Rica, engulfing yourself in a regimen of yoga, meditation, fitness training, and hiking with a former Marine Scout Sniper turned Special Missions Unit Assault Commander. It certainly sounds like quite a departure from the usual tactical training that's prevalent among guys retired from the special operations community, but it's exactly what Todd Opalski sets out to embark on with the Pathfinder Course. It's a part of his project, Zen Commando. We had Todd on with us four months back on Episode 365 to discuss this, and he's in studio again to tell us how the project is fleshing out. Quite honestly, it sounds incredible, and you may be itching to get a spot when Camp Zen Commando opens shop after hearing more. Also on Episode 404, we answer your emails sent to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com. We love getting them as well as your voice memos, keep 'em coming. Plus, how could we not give our reaction to Lieutenant Commander, Navy SEAL, and now Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw making an appearance on Saturday Night Live? He delivered a swift verbal throat punch as well as a heartfelt message with comic Pete Davidson in a rare moment of Americans coming together. Enjoy our show? Then we ask you to follow us on Instagram and Twitter @SOFREPRadio, and please leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Marras 20181h 21min

Jeffrey Wright is an A-List actor who's starred in films and shows like "The Hunger Games," "Boardwalk Empire," "Casino Royale," and "Westworld." He's won Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe awards for his masterful performances, but how did he get hooked up with a collective of veterans creating poetry to deal with issues like post-traumatic stress from combat and sexual assault in the military? You'll hear all about it on this episode where he joins us in studio, along with a 26-year veteran of the Army featured in "We Are Not Done Yet," April Harris. It premieres tonight on HBO @ 8 PM EST, so be sure to tune in right after you check this out. If you're hearing this after, check HBO for future showtimes. As you'll hear, Brandon Webb hosted this episode with me, and we dive into a lot of other major issues and controversies. We also give an update on some great things happening with Crate Club, and if you're not already a subscriber, now is the time to become one! If you're a new listener, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter @SOFREPRadio, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Marras 20181h 31min

Andrew Wilkow is the host of "The Wilkow Majority" on Sirius XM Patriot, "Wilkow" on CRTV, and a long time good friend of ours at the podcast. It's now become tradition that every year at Emmett O'Lunney's in Times Square, New York City, he hosts a Veteran's Day event benefiting different grassroots charities in the community. This year, the money is going to Operation Chillout, Wishes for Warriors, Stop Soldier Suicide, Horses for Heroes, and American Warrior Initiative. You'll hear all about what each of them do on this episode. The way it works is that there is going to be a vet ride of bikers from Harley Davidson in Hope, NJ to the bar for the event. If you want to ride, you just need to give a $30 minimum donation which also gets you a shirt, and you can sign up right now for that through Eventbrite. For you non-bikers, be at the bar for the Voices of Veterans broadcast from 1-4 PM EST on November 11th, and long-sleeve shirts will be available there for a minimum $25 donation (that is if any are left by than!) Now, for those of you outside of the area, you can still donate and get a limited shirt through Andrew's webstore. Of course, we also get into some other talk while Andrew joins us in studio. We talk about the midterm elections, and the problems we see in today's mainstream media. We touch on a recent Newsrep article of some disturbing war crime allegations against the Navy SEALs by writer Stavros Atlamazoglou. Also, Andrew tells a great bar fight story about CJ Ramone from Chiller Theatre in New Jersey that you won't want to miss. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Marras 20181h 24min

Here at SOFREP Radio we really pride ourselves on having on a diverse group of guys that are a part of the spec ops community from around the globe featured, and Jeff Depatie is the first guest of ours who served as a sniper/assaulter from Joint Task Force 2. That's right, the name may ring a bell as you might remember a member of the unit beating the record of longest sniper kill at a mind blowing 3,540 meters. You'll hear the info from him, from the selection process to the characteristics of the Canadian operators he served alongside. An interesting tidbit he gets into is the secrecy around Canada's spec ops community, and how it differs from the now more high profile Navy SEALs for example. Currently, Jeff is running The Special Forces Experience as the Chief Course Architect. What they are is a group of seasoned operators giving the ultimate experience of what it means to serve in high stress combat situations for those guys out there who are dying to get a taste of what it's really like. There's an excellent video on Vimeo giving a sample of what it is that they do. The men from Canada have been some of the toughest and most crucial in the War on Terror, and it's an honor to learn about that story first hand. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Marras 20181h 7min

What happens when you bring together long time friends and veterans of the Special Forces community, Dale Comstock and Jim West, to share some mind blowing fighting stories? Well, let me just say that Episode 400 does not disappoint. Jim West trained Dale in American Extension Fighting, and not only does Dale have a great respect for Jim's craft, he fesses up to having some fear of the guy early on. Can you blame him? Some of you may have seen an excerpt being circulated on Youtube from a much longer DVD of "Smokey" training Comstock in some lethal techniques. The guys bring you back in time to that era, and some of the real life brawls that inspired these deadly skills. These men are the real deal, and you'll hear why if you don't already know. It has truly been an honor working on this show on behalf of everyone involved for 400 episodes. It is incredible to us that we get to do this, and we owe it all to you, the listeners. We reflect on the past five years and what this show means to us. We also answer your emails sent to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com. Have a Happy Halloween, and here's to 400 more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 Loka 20182h 15min

Social media's impact on issues ranging from the democratic process to terrorist recruitment is a subject we've covered in great detail on SOFREP Radio. That's why we were excited to bring on P.W. Singer, co-author of "LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media" written with Emerson T. Brooking, a best-selling book that goes in-depth on this very subject. Singer is also a strategist and senior fellow at New America. We get into Russia's hand in the election of Donald Trump through propaganda spread on Facebook, as well as the de-platforming of vocal figures in conspiracy theory movement. Much scarier than these issues however, is the future of technology that you'll hear us get into, where videos of fake events will become the norm much like the Photoshopping of images. There are no easy answers in this world of "fake news," which is why you'll hear some difference of opinion on the subject from us. If this is a topic you're interested in, we hope you pick up "Likewar." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Loka 20181h 13min

Benedetta Argentieri, who many of you know better by now as "Benni," is excited to discuss her new documentary as she joins us in studio. The film is called "I Am The Revolution" and it follows three females in the Middle East fighting for gender equality in very different ways. One of these women is a politician, one a commander in the Syrian Democratic Army, and another who runs shelters for abused women. This leads to a greater discussion on feminism at large, and what true progress in a society is defined by. The film premieres November 15th at Cinepolis Chelsea, and is a part of the Doc NYC film festival. We hope that you join us, as we'll all be in attendance along with nearly everyone involved in making the film. I'm excited to see the finished product! Benni also had the honor of giving a Ted Talk in Milan regarding the film, and she discusses the anxiety of speaking in front of such a large audience. We also read a reaction to the Dale Comstock episode which is getting a great response, and you can send any emails you'd like us to check out to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com. We also get into the recent news out of Saudi Arabia and Turkey's response, as well as some news on military policy and Jack's perspective on it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Loka 20181h 17min