SOFREP Radio

While doing intelligence work for the Marine Corps in Afghanistan during 2010, Craig Grossi came across a dog that changed his life. They sparked an immediate connection when Craig fed the dog and the dog wagged his tail in response. Deciding to keep him while he continued his service, and eventually giving him a new home in America, it's safe to say Craig also changed that dog's life. The story is the catalyst for the critically acclaimed book "Craig & Fred: A Marine, A Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other." Craig joins me this episode to go into detail on rescuing Fred, and the philosophy of "stubborn positivity" as Grossi puts it, that Fred taught him. We also get into the subjects of Guantanamo Bay (where Craig spent his first four years in the Corps working as a prison guard), and why veterans should be encouraged to write and share what they've gone through, good or bad. Grossi has such a feel good story in a world where there's a lot of bad news out there, and I'm happy to have him on to tell our audience all about it. If you're a dog lover, you'll be moved. If you have a child in your life that loves dogs and the military, there's also a young readers' edition available. Tell us what you think on our Instagram and Twitter @SOFREPRadio, or shoot us an email at sofrep.radio@sofrep.com. You can follow Craig & Fred as well @FredTheAfghan. Be sure to also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Jun 20181h 8min

SOFREP Radio is normally a spotlight interview show highlighting some amazing things happening with individuals in the veteran community, and telling their stories. This show however, is not that. There's been a surge of left wing activists in the veteran populace, many of whom attended Jack's alma mater Columbia University, and many of which also write for Task & Purpose. These #WokeVets or social justice warriors as we'll refer to them as, have attacked Jack Murphy and SOFREP in the past, and Jack decided to give a well researched exposé response in the form of this podcast.  Some of the major issues tackled here are Task & Purpose CEO Zach Iscol's ties to the Clinton family, which explains their glowing coverage of Hillary. We also get into comments made in a leaked private chat log by Alexander McCoy and other writers from Task & Purpose. As Jack puts it this episode, he is by no means the PC police, nor is he politically correct, but if you're going to posture as being such, you'd better be consistent. Strap in for this one! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Jun 20181h 13min

Rob Trivino has had a highly decorated military career from serving in the Special Missions Unit under the Army's Special Operations Command, serving in the Army's 18th Airborne Corps, as well as the 75th Ranger Regiment. We're honored to have him join us, and hear him open up about his history including being there at the inception of the war in Afghanistan. We also get into Rob's experience with General Stanley McChrystal while serving, who he could not speak more highly of. He details all of this in his book "A Warrior's Path: Lessons in Leadership." It's a great read, we suggest you pick it up. Currently, Rob is the founder and head instructor of Evergreen Mountain, LLC. Evergreen Mountain offers tactical classes of many varieties which you can see on their website at EverGreenMountainUSA.com. If you are in the New Mexico or Colorado Springs area and want to learn from one of the best, check them out. Also on Episode 362 we check our email, keep those coming to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com. Plus, we react to the announcement of an upcoming Space Force. Not much is known yet, but the response has been interesting. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Jun 20181h 27min

Alex Hollings's "Old Man Fitness" column here on SOFREP has truly gained a sizable following, and we often get asked when he'll be back on with us to discuss, and so we delivered. We talk personal fitness goals, but as usual with Alex, we dive into a whole lot more. We talk about a breaking controversial story of Australian SASR soldiers flying a Swastika flag. That gets us into another recent story of a National Guard officer stealing an armored personnel carrier, driving it off base, and leading police on a two-hour chase. We talk about disaster preparedness, and in particular how urban environments would respond VS rural areas. We react to Trump saluting a North Korean general (a huge topic of conversation as this week ends.) Plus, we also get into some social justice warrior talk. Needless to say, a lot is covered, and we had a lot of fun on this two-hour hang. We hope you enjoy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

15 Jun 20182h

Watching The President of the United States shake the hand of North Korea's dictator early this week was truly a sight to see.  I believe it is something that will be remembered for decades to come regardless of where things progress from here. For over three decades serving in the CIA, Jack Devine held the prestigious positions of both Acting Director and Associate Director of operations outside the U.S. He's been on with us twice before, is a wealth of knowledge, and I really couldn't think of anyone better to react to this major world event. Devine also wrote further on the subject which you can read in his Spring/Summer Intelligence Report for his LLC, The Arkin Group. Also joining us is Dr. Leonard Wong. You may remember "Lenny" from Episode 327 on with us discussing a culture of lying in the military due in part to a great deal of monotonous paperwork and courses required for soldiers. Well, in some positive news, the military has taken steps to reduce this, and we feel it is in great part due to the study he co-authored, "Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession." We follow up with him to discuss. Last, you'll hear about some new material we shot over the weekend for the latest "Inside the Team Room" series. That will be up on The Spec Ops Channel, which you can subscribe to now for only $4.99 a month if you're not already a Team Room member. Some really awesome content is on the horizon! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Jun 20181h 4min

Andy Grant served as a Royal Marine for the U.K., something that he had always dreamed of. The dream however became a nightmare when he received a life changing injury at the hands of The Taliban in Afghanistan to his right leg that he electively amputated because of it's severity. This is his story which he documents in his new book release "You'll Never Walk." The title may seem obvious, but it's actually a reference to his "You'll Never Walk Alone" tattoo (paying homage to the song that became the battle cry of The Liverpool Football Club) ironically losing the last word of the phrase during his amputation surgery. As you'll hear, he laughs about it now, but it took a great deal of willpower to carry on and inspire others the way that he has. Running became therapeutic for him with the ultimate goal of becoming a record holder. He now is, holding the record for the fastest 10K with one leg. We hope that you pick up the book, and you can follow Andy on Twitter and Instagram @AndyGBootneck.  Let him know what you thought of the interview! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Jun 20181h

Matthew Betley served ten years in the Marine Corps as an officer, and is now fulfilling his dream and what he describes as his life's purpose as a military thriller writer. He's now three books into the Logan West series, the latest of which is "Field of Valor." He hopes to see the Logan West series receive similar critical acclaim to Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series as he keeps putting out quality books each year. You'll hear how the character of West is inspired by some of Betley's own life, and what inspired Betley to pick up a pen in the first place. Matthew also talks about his own personal battle with alcohol addiction, and the joy of now living life sober and as a family man. Matthew will also be on the road the rest of this month signing books and meeting readers, so check out those dates at MatthewBetley.com. Get the latest book autographed, and be sure to tell Matthew what you thought of the interview! Also on the episode we have an in-depth discussion on the Satmar sect of Hasidic Jews protesting Israel this past weekend in New York City, which leads to a talk about religious cults. We later have a conversation about the size and scope of government, and political ideology. To top it off, we answer your emails sent to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com, and give a Throat Punch for the week. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Jun 20181h 31min

2017-2018 thus far has marked some excellent in-studio appearances on SOFREP Radio by some of America's best known military thriller writers. So we figured we'd spotlight some of these on this special episode. Clips on here include: - Brad Thor telling us the inspiration behind Scot Harvath, the protagonist of his novels. Also, his origin story and what drove him to become a writer - A.J. Tata getting into the creation of Jake Mahegan, the protagonist of his own series. - Anderson Harp on North Korean leadership from Kim Jong-il to Kim Jong-un, and a tragic story from 9/11 All of these episodes are available in their entirety at SOFREP.com/radio - we hope you enjoy these highlights. As always, send us your emails to sofrep.radio@sofrep.com, and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter @SOFREPRadio. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Jun 201836min