Combat Leadership and Cold Truths with Major General (Ret) William M. Matz

Initially enlisted in 1969 to play football for the army, Col. Tiso ended up on a bus to the Virginia Military Institute to ultimately get commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973. He served decades as a soldier and, after mandatory retirement, still chose to serve 11 more years as an intelligence planner and analyst for a defense contractor.   He deployed five more times to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Col. Tiso explains that the Iraqi army was envisioned to be a bulwark against Iran. But its failures in the Battle of Najaf, as well as a pivot in strategy, ended up costing American lives in a war that could have been over by 2005.    Get your copy of In Strange Company: https://amzn.to/3uwbiVa   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Helmi 202454min

Joe Muccia is a former US Marine and co-author of Cry Havoc! He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 where he was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, the Combat Action Ribbon, and a Presidential Unit Citation.   He shares his friendship with the late Thomas Greer, a former special operations commander who wrote under the pen name "Dalton Fury," and how he finished Greer's manuscript after his fight with cancer. Muccia is proud to share the fighting spirit of the individual rangers who parachuted into Grenada in ‘83 and how they lived up to the legacy of their brothers who served in WWII and the Korean War.   Get your copy of Cry Havoc!: https://amzn.to/3SK7glm   Learn more about Joe and his books: Website - https://ssgtmooch.wixsite.com/joe-muccia   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-clubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Helmi 202451min

Abbi D. is the US Tradecraft Advisor of Fivecast, a global provider of open-source intelligence solutions, provides intelligence, investigative, and collections teams access and analysis of unprecedented amounts of digital data. Rad and Abbigail talk about the advancements in AI and how catching illicit activities and weapons capabilities are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to OSINT’s effectiveness.   In this episode, Abbigail explains how Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) utilizes publicly available knowledge and how the current conflicts in Ukraine and Israel have spotlighted its importance. For instance, getting the order of battle in these warzones can be gleaned from real-time data, leading to better decision-making and other lifesaving intelligence. Learn more about Fivecast: Website - https://www.fivecast.com/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-clubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Tammi 20241h 3min

Curtis Fox is a former Green Beret and 10th Special Forces Group member. Fox is also a Russian speaker and the author of Hybrid Warfare, which delves deep into the Russian approach to strategic competition and conventional military conflict. He gives insight into the Russian perspective on security and their basis for wanting back the former Soviet states.    Fox talks about the naval capabilities of Russia, how their submarine fleet is a force to be reckoned with while their sole aircraft carrier is useless and only maintained as a point of national pride. In Ukraine today, Russia's goal is to attack the populace, power grids, and water supply as Ukraine is the fifth largest exporter of grain while Russia is the first, thereby creating demand for Russian grain and subduing Ukraine's capacity to fight back.    Learn more about Curtis and his work: Website - https://www.hybridwarfare.info/   Get a copy of Hybrid Warfare: https://amzn.to/4aI6JHn Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-clubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Tammi 202456min

This episode's guests are Ret. Col. Greg Gadson and Terese Schlachter, authors of Finding Waypoints. Col. Gadson's story is both humbling and inspiring as a hero from one of our nation's military families. During his service in Iraq, he lost both of his legs and has since embarked on a spiritual journey, becoming an assistant coach to the NY Giants that helped propel them from last place to NFC East champions in ‘08.   Terese Schlachter, a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer and writer, quickly became friends with Col. Gadson during his painful recovery and rehabilitation. By interviewing Col. Gadson's doctors and squad, she pieced together the events that led to his fateful injury, forever immortalizing Col. Gadson's journey of finding peace and purpose in Finding Waypoints.   Get your copy of Finding Waypoints: https://amzn.to/3vlkkUX   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-clubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Joulu 202349min

Ben Williams is a former US Navy Surface Warfare Officer and current CEO of Exyn Technologies. Drones serve a vital function in search and rescue missions, like in Acapulco recently, providing valuable information to rescuers on the best routes and plans that mean the difference between life and death.   Williams shares dicey situations back in the Navy when he led small boat boarding teams and encountered a caricature of the quintessential Russian captain—a half-finished bottle of vodka in one hand and pistol in the other. He also talks about how he transitioned from the military to civilian life and how combat-specific duties comprise just 10% of a serviceman or woman's skill set.     Learn more about Ben: Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentropy/ Website - https://www.exyn.com/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Joulu 202352min

Cyrus Norcross is an acclaimed journalist from the Navajo Nation recognized for his coverage of cases involving missing and murdered indigenous people. He served as an Army Ranger in units like the 4th Infantry Division and 75th Ranger Regiment, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.   He shares stories of his actions in the field, from preventing miscommunications through his lifesaving Arabic training and picking up sketchy individuals with gold bars in their homes. His entry into journalism started when he left the Army. Norcross talks about coming face to face with the real dangers of covering cartels and the mafia and the alleged abuses happening in the Navajo Nation.    Learn more about Cyrus and his work as an investigative journalist: Website - https://norcrosscyrus.journoportfolio.com/#/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/navajo_ronin/ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrus-norcross-0b1064264/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 Joulu 20231h 20min

Dr. Melvin Stith is a transformative leader in and out of the military. He joined the Army as a commissioned officer after earning his bachelor's degree in sociology at Norfolk State in 1968, serving with the Military Intelligence Corps. He served in Vietnam until 1972 and retired as a Captain.    After returning from the war, Dr. Stith pursued further education, obtaining his MBA and PhD from Syracuse University. He would dedicate the following decades in the academe, holding prestigious positions as the chairman of the marketing department at Florida State University, dean of Florida State’s business school, and Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration, among others.   Dr. Stith is also notable as a founding member of the PhD Project, a national program that advocates for diversity in the business world. Dr. Stith talks about the importance of improving recruitment in the military and highlighting the benefits of making a career from serving the country.   Learn more about the PhD Project: https://phdproject.org/   Join the SOFREP Book Club here: https://sofrep.com/book-club  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Joulu 202347min