SOFREP Radio

On this week's podcast episode SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri along with SOFREP Editor-in-Chief Sean Spoonts talk with Jay Collins. Jay is a Special Forces combat medic veteran and Republican candidate for Congress with Florida's 14th Congressional District.Jay Collins spent two decades as a Green Beret and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. In the fight, he lost his leg. Nevertheless, he recovered, returned to active duty, and tremendously served in the Green Berets for nearly six more years.Jay's Special Forces Selection was unique. He was part of the infamous Ice Storm Class of November 2002, one of the very rare occasions when SERE school had to be shut down.The experience of Selection imparted Jay with the valuable lesson of leaving things better than how you found them.In sharing tales of Special Forces classes with Jay, Steve recounts a hilarious story of Green Berets pretending to be NASA candidates. After all, everything can happen in Selection.Jay also shares the awesome story of how he performed surgery on his own arm during deployment.Since Jay is running for Congress, the conversation also turns to politics. Jay usefully reminds the audience that what unites us is less than what separates us. America will only be strong and healthy through unity. That is, after all, the American way.As Jay says, it's not about the red nor the blue; it's about the red, white, and blue.You can find more about Jay Collins's campaign at https://www.jaycollinsforcongress.com/. Join us for another exciting episode of SOFREP Radio with Steve Balestrieri and Sean Spoonts! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Okt 20211h 15min

On this week's special podcast SOFREP Senior Editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri talks with George Hand IV, better known as "Geo" among his many readers and fans.Geo was a member of 1st and 7th Special Forces Groups before joining the tip of the American military's spear, the Delta Force. Geo stayed in the Unit until his retirement from the Army.His civilian career has taken him to many places from working for the Department of Energy in the Nevada Desert to tracking down human traffickers to writing for such sites as SOFREP, WE ARE THE MIGHTY, Sandboxx, and contributing expert commentary to Business Insider.From traversing Morocco on camelback to visiting Auschwitz to training SEALs on breaching techniques the interview is filled with exciting details of Geo's military and civilian life.Steve and Geo also talk about Geo's book Brothers of the Cloth. The book is a collection of short stories from Geo's days in the Unit. The stories focus on and memorialize Geo's brothers in Delta Force making Brothers of the Cloth perhaps the definitive account of life in Delta Force. The book is elevated by Geo's inimitable writing style, which accentuates both the lighthearted and the more poignant moments of the stories.You can visit Geo's website at https://georgehand.org/.Join us for a very special episode with a dear friend. Thank you, Geo! Editor's Note: We would like to apologize to our listeners as, due to a production issue, small sections of the interview have an echo. But don't worry! You'll be able to hear Geo loud and clear throughout! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Sep 20211h 2min

On this week's podcast episode SOFREP Senior Editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri talks with Chris Wallace the host of Fox News Sunday and the author of the recently released book Countdown Bin Laden, the Untold Story of the 247-day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice.Chris Wallace's book details the 247-day hunt for the head of al-Qaeda after the CIA located the courier that he was using to communicate with his operatives around the world. Talking to Steve, Chris Wallace highlights the contrast between the bungled handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the events at Kabul Airport with the series of successes that led to tracking down, positively identifying, and eliminating Osama bin Laden. In recounting these, Chris's book is a celebration of American capabilities. As Steve says, the hunt for bin Laden is a case study of everything going right.Chris relates how Rob O'Neill, the veteran SEAL Team Six who took out bin Laden, told him that it was a "one-way mission;" the uncertainties were just that many.As Steve points out, the book can be considered a historical thriller. Although we know the ending, this doesn't detract from the tension that the participants in the events felt. And through Chris Wallace's expert writing the reader feels the same tension.Chris also emphasizes how tracking down bin Laden became a top priority for President Obama, despite common perception.Nevertheless, the book isn't only about the operational aspects of the mission. It also portrays the emotional impact it had on the families of 9/11 victims. This is done by telling the story of New York police officer Jessica Ferenczy, whose fiancee was a NY City police officer killed during 9/11. Join us for another episode of SOFREP Radio with Steve Balestrieri and Chris Wallace and find out the process that led to this highly recommended book. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

17 Sep 202134min

On this week's podcast episode SOFREP Senior Editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri talks with author and helicopter pilot veteran Colin P. Cahoon.Before becoming an author, Colin was an Army officer and pilot of UH-1 and OH-58 helicopters in which he accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours.Steve talks with Colin Cahoon about his latest book Mended Wings: The Vietnam War Experience Through the Eyes of Ten American Purple Heart Helicopter Pilots. Colin talks about his inspiration behind Mended Wings and his wish to honor the Vietnam War era helicopter pilots and all that they gave to the next generation of helicopter pilots.This was Colin's first non-fiction book, nevertheless, the jump from fiction to non-fiction was made easier through the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots' Association (VHPA). Through VHPA, Colin was able to locate Vietnam-era Purple Heart pilots and tell their stories for posterity.Colin also talks about the strong cohesion of the aviation units and the particular experience of Vietnam veterans that set them apart from others.Mended Wings is an incredible page-turner about a group of heroic aviators and their accomplishments. You can order the book here.Join us for another episode of SOFREP Radio! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Sep 202150min

On this week's podcast SOFREP Senior Editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri speaks with his former Green Beret commander in Panama and Special Forces Colonel (Ret.) Kevin Higgins.Colonel Higgins is a subject-matter expert on Latin America, so the two talk about Special Forces operations and involvement in Latin American from 1962 to the present day.Colonel Kevin Higgins recounts his professional history and deployments in Latin America while interconnecting his narrative with the development of American foreign policy in the region.Join us for another enthralling and informative SOFREP Radio episode.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Aug 20211h 15min

On this week's special podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri talks with Tom Spooner former Delta Force member and Co-founder of Warriors Heart.Warriors Heart is an organization, which provides healing from a variety of issues, including PTSD and drug problems, for veterans, law enforcement agents, and first responders. Yet, its approach is unique. At Warriors Heart healing is achieved communally and holistically; and not in a clinic, but at an idyllic ranch in Hill Country, Texas.In 2006 Tom suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which went undiagnosed. His condition deteriorated eventually forcing him to retire from the military.He talks with Steve about his journey to overcome his TBI and how his commitment to the welfare of the troops led him to eventually create Warriors Heart in 2016. Since the organization's creation Warriors Heart has treated 2,000 men and women.Tune in to another informative episode of SOFREP Radio. You can find more about Warriors Heart, including how to attend or donate at their website at https://www.warriorsheart.com/about-us/.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Aug 202154min

On this week's podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri speaks with Pete Blaber, Former Delta Force officer, author, and leadership expert.During his career as an officer in special mission units, Pete Blaber would keep notes and write in order to learn and improve. Nevertheless, as he explains, during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. did not appear to be learning anything on a foundational level. So, after retiring from the Army in 2006, Pete decided to use his writing skills and try to fill the gap.The results were his two books: The Mission, The Men, and Me, and the latest, The Common Sense Way.In The Common Sense Way, Pete talks about what common sense really is and how it is linked to good leadership. As Steve says, we all recognize what common sense is but each of us would give a different definition of it.After all, good leadership transcends field and sector. From engaging our neo-cortex to the contagiousness of survival instincts and the benefits of speaking calmly, the lessons found in The Common Sense Way are not only applicable to leaders in both the military and corporate world but to everyone.Finally, Pete underlines how former Delta Force member George Hand (better known to his fans as Geo) with whom Pete served, epitomizes common sense. And he also shares some valuable and entertaining stories to illustrate that.If you are interested you can purchase Pete Blaber's The Common Sense Way here and you can connect with Pete through his website. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

14 Aug 20211h 1min

On this week's podcast SOFREP senior editor and SOFREP Radio host Steve Balestrieri speaks with General (Ret.) Don Bolduc.General Bolduc served as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force commander and in 2012-2013 as Commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Component in Afghanistan where he logged 10 deployments and started the Village Stability Operations program. He was then the commander of Special Operations Command Africa.Steve and General Bolduc discuss the state of affairs in Afghanistan and how we've come to this point. They also talk about PTSD and the silent toil it has enacted on our troops.Further, General Bolduc bewails the current politicization of the military, and especially its top leaders, and the deeply divisive political environment plaguing the United States.The general also talks about his decision to become a police officer in light of the shortage of officers in New Hampshire.General Don Bolduc is now running for New Hampshire State Senate. To learn more about his campaign you can visit the general's website here.Join us for another episode of SOFREP Radio. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Aug 202142min