The Alpha Human Podcast

Eric Maddox is a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, 82nd Airborne Infantry Paratrooper, Jumpmaster, and Qualified Ranger, who went on to become an interrogator and Chinese Mandarin linguist with the Defense Intelligence Agency. In 2003, Eric was assigned by the DIA to a Delta Force Special Operations team in Iraq, where he conducted over 300 interrogations and collected the intelligence which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. As a result, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award, and the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement. He was later hired to work w/ the Department of Defense conducting over 2,700 interrogations while deploying eight times in support of the Global War on Terrorism including multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Eric retired from service in 2014 and is now a private consultant and negotiator where he helps corporations, universities, sports teams, and CEOs master the art of questioning, negotiations, and information gathering. Eric is also the author of “Mission: Black List #1: The Inside Story of the Search for Saddam Hussein.” In this Episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Eric recounts his deployment to Iraq as an interrogator, a story that quickly evolves into an unexpected race against the clock manhunt for the Ace of Spades, Saddam Hussein, #1 on the Military's blacklist of Operation Enduring Freedom's most wanted. Eric's story reads like an edge of your seat thriller and details the against the odds discovery of Saddam Hussein's whereabouts by a rookie interrogator on his first mission. Along the way, we learn how Eric completely upends the SOP and process for interrogation and literally rewrites the rulebook on how to elicit effective intelligence in high-pressure detainee questionings. We also discuss his views on the importance of complete sincerity while interrogating, why it is crucial to convince a subject that they are guilty, and why he starts all interrogations with the assumption that he knows nothing about the subject. We also explore Eric's current role as a consultant in high stakes negotiations and his Empathy Based Listening curriculum for companies and sales teams. Links: Eric Maddox - https://ericmaddox.com/ Mission: Black List #1: The Inside Story of the Search for Saddam Hussein - https://amzn.to/35uTIRz “We Got Him!” The Anniversary of the Capture of Saddam Hussein - https://bit.ly/3oKy0kl

Brent Gleeson, is a Navy SEAL combat veteran, entrepreneur, and the founder of TakingPoint Leadership, a management consulting firm where Brent speaks and coaches on topics ranging from leadership development, building high-performance teams, and elite cultures through to organizational transformation. He is also an award-winning business leader and was named a “Top 10 CEO” by Entrepreneur Magazine. Brent writes weekly columns for Inc.com and Forbes.com, and he’s also the bestselling author of "TakingPoint: A Navy SEAL’s 10 Fail-Safe Principles for Leading Through Change," and his new book "Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life." In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Brent Gleeson and Lawrence Rosenberg discuss what led him to make a radical career change and leave a high paying job as a financial analyst with a global real estate development company and become a Navy SEAL. We also talk about how changing the narrative in his mind from being driven to fight the pain and extreme discomfort experienced in SEAL training to simply giving in and embracing it got him through BUD/S. We also explore Brent's new book "Embrace The Suck" and its central theme of resilience, with key lessons that include how high performers who consistently achieve success tend to focus their efforts only on situations and events they have control over. We also talk about how to choose the right set of values, master self-discipline and build willpower, and why you should do something that sucks every day. Links: Brent Gleeson: http://www.brentgleesonspeaker.com/ TakingPoint Leadership: https://takingpointleadership.com/ Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life: https://amzn.to/36suMul TakingPoint: A Navy SEAL's 10 Fail-Safe Principles for Leading Through Change: https://amzn.to/3jeUyI1 Brent Gleeson's Forbes Column: https://bit.ly/39AqDXk Brent Gleeson on Instagram: brent_gleeson #sniper #navyseals #specialops #jsoc #specialoperations #navyseal

In this episode of the Alpha Human Podcast, host Lawrence Rosenberg talks with Bill Rapier, a former Navy SEAL who spent 14 years as an elite operator with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) and who is now dedicated to leveraging his vast experience in special operations to train civilians in self-defense through AMTAC Shooting and AMTAC Blades. In this compelling discussion, Bill shares profound insights into how his Christian faith intertwines with his professional ethos, specifically as it pertains to teaching life-preserving skills in potentially lethal scenarios. He opens up about reconciling the use of force with his spiritual beliefs, offering a nuanced perspective on serving in combat roles while maintaining a strong moral compass. His reflections provide a deeper understanding of the interplay between duty, faith, and the ethical considerations of self-defense and combat. The podcast also explores Bill's approach to personal development, highlighting the significance of physical fitness, mindset, and spiritual alignment in effectively handling violent confrontations. He advocates for a holistic training philosophy that encompasses not just tactical skills but also the cultivation of mental and spiritual resilience. Links: https://amtacblades.com https://www.amtacshooting.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@amtacshooting https://www.instagram.com/amtacshooting https://www.instagram.com/amtacblades

In this episode of the Alpha Human Podcast, Lawrence Rosenberg talks with Jeff Tiegs, a distinguished combat veteran with over 25 years of experience across elite units within U.S. Special Operations. Tiegs's military journey took him from serving as an Army Ranger and Green Beret to leadership roles as an assault force commander and Lieutenant Colonel within the storied ranks of Delta Force, otherwise known as "The Unit," where his contributions were pivotal in combat operations across Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Transitioning from the battlefield, Tiegs now directs his expertise toward a different fight - combating sex trafficking through his nonprofit initiative, Skull Games, which takes a groundbreaking approach to bringing predators to justice and delivering freedom to innocent women and children. Jeff is also the author of "Where Have All the Heroes Gone?: A Pilgrimage Through the Bible, the Battlefield, and Back Home Again," an impactful autobiography that interlaces his experiences with the U.S. Army Special Forces alongside pivotal stories from the bible and his spiritual journey, enriched with compelling insights into the lives of biblical figures such as King David and Jesus Christ. Throughout the podcast, Jeff reflects on the nuances of leadership, the moral complexities of combat, and the transformational power of Christian faith and duty. His story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the importance of a purpose-driven life, and the continuous quest for redemption and service beyond the uniform.

Rich Diviney is a Navy SEAL commander who served over twenty years in the Teams and deployed eleven times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also the officer in charge of training for one of the world's premier special-operations units where he spearheaded the creation of a directorate where the best of the best SOF soldiers practiced the physical, mental, and emotional disciplines of flow states and peak performance. He led a team that designed the “Mind Gym,” a cutting edge facility that helped special operators strengthen and enhance their mind to perform faster, longer, and more effectively, especially in high-pressure environments. Since retiring from the NAVY, Rich has worked as a speaker and consultant with the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc. Rich is also the author of a new book, due for release on January 26th, 2021 entitled, "The Attributes, 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance." In this episode, Rich and I discuss his role in the selection of the world's best Special Operators for a specialized command and how he learned to look past building a team based on skills and instead focus on the qualities and traits that made for elite SpecOps soldiers. We also explore his creation of the Navy SEALs first ever Mind Gym, his move to train Special Operators to achieve superior mental performance and achieve flow states. Additionally, we delve into Rich's upcoming book, "The Attributes - 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance," and the key distinction between operating at peak versus optimum levels. Rich and I also talk about the "Courage Circuit," Task Switching and the myth of the "Multi-Tasker," why it's more important to be Disciplined than to have Self-Discipline, and why being Authentic and encouraging Trust is the key to great leadership and building optimally performing teams. Links: Rich Diviney - https://theattributes.com/ The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance - https://amzn.to/2X4Kg2T

Thom Shea served 23 years as a Navy SEAL. During his military career, he served in three wars, ultimately leading a team of Navy SEALs into Afghanistan in 2009 where he earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Army Commendation with Valor, and his second Combat Action Medal. Thom was also a SEAL Instructor in BUD/S and was hand-selected to be the Officer in Charge of the famed SEAL Sniper course. After retiring from the Navy, Thom went on to found Unbreakable Leadership, a learning and development company that helps people lead during chaos and achieve new levels of performance. He and he is the author of the bestselling books "Unbreakable: A Navy Seal’s Way of Life” and, his latest release, “Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos.” In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Thom and I discuss what drove his desire for war and his yearning for combat, and the mindset that led him to overcome four failed attempts to make it through SEAL training and graduate BUD/S Class 207. We also talk about his book "Unbreakable," originally written as a journal of his last deployment in Afghanistan so that his children would have a record of what made him who he was should he not make it back home, however, his musings on war and his outlook on life evolved into a cannon of principles on what made him excel as a warrior and a high achiever, ultimately penning 13 lessons on how to live life to the fullest of one's potential. We also explore Internal Dialogue as a central theme of Thom's Unbreakable philosophy and how controlling the language we use both in our self-talk and in our interactions with others will ultimately shape who we become. Along the way, we also delve into Thom's thoughts on how damaging it is to use words (or invest in concepts like) like hope and belief, his views on commitment as the avoidance of living in an excuse driven world, and why men who survive and win have a "need to be needed." Thom also gives us a preview of his new book "Three Simple Things," which grew out of his process for training people to master 5 key areas of their life (Body, Intellect, Spirituality, Wealth, and Relationships) using three powerful precepts. Links: Unbreakable Leadership: https://www.unbreakableleadership.com/ Unbreakable Lessons: https://www.unbreakablelessons.com/ Unbreakable Podcast: https://unbreakablepodcast.libsyn.com/ Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL's Way of Life: https://amzn.to/2KuuHyP Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos: https://amzn.to/3nWxNtC

Jason Redman served 21 years as a Navy SEAL and SEAL Officer. During a mission to capture an Al Qaeda High-Value Target, Jason and his Team came under heavy machine-gun fire, although he was mortally wounded, having been shot twice in the arm and once in the face, he and his team triumphed and brought everyone home alive. For his service, Jason was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and two Combat Action Ribbons. However, Jason’s road to recovering from the devastating injuries he sustained during the ambush was an enormous challenge requiring dozens of reconstructive surgeries, but he overcame the physical and psychological toll to his body and mind, and after retiring from the Navy he started Wounded Wear, a Non-Profit organization which supported wounded combat veterans and their families. Jason then founded SOF Spoken, a speaking company that focuses on leadership, teamwork, and overcoming adversity for businesses, first responders, sports teams, and government organizations. In 2018 he launched the Overcome Academy, where he teaches wounded warriors who want to regain their mental edge and begin a new mission how to leverage the leadership skills and Overcome Mind-Set that helped him not only survive but, thrive. Jason is also the author of two very powerful books: “Trident - The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader,” and his most recent, “Overcome: Crush Adversity with the Leadership Techniques of America's Toughest Warriors.” In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, we discuss the ambush that left Jason Redman near death and fighting for his life, as well as the mindset that allowed him to will himself to hold on long enough for the surgeons to save his life. We also talk about the Overcome Mindset and how it not only got him "Off the X," but how it will help anyone endure life's many ambushes and ultimately give you the strength to thrive in spite of the challenges faced. Additionally, we delve into Jason's process, known as REACT, for pulling yourself out of the quicksand of life's perils before getting stuck (or worse comfortable) living your life in the past. We also talk about the importance of sharing your story, and once you're off the X, how to embrace his "Pyramid of Peak Performance" to find a new level of awareness, ownership, and success. Links: Jason Redman: https://jasonredman.com/ Jason Redman's Moving The Needle Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/c/JasonRedmanww/featured Overcome: Crush Adversity with the Leadership Techniques of America's Toughest Warriors: https://amzn.to/2KC6HcQ The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader: https://amzn.to/37ROzEL

Jason Van Camp is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he also played Linebacker for the Army Black Knights football team. After graduating from West Point, Jason attended U.S. Army Ranger School and was later deployed with the 101st Airborne in the invasion of Iraq. Jason would go on to become a Green Beret and a Detachment Commander with the 10th Special Forces Group where Jason led his team on close to 300 combat missions to kill or capture high-value targets and created and commanded one of the largest Foreign Internal Defense Forces in U.S. history. Jason is also the founder of Mission Six Zero, a leadership assessment, and development company and he is the author of “Deliberate Discomfort: How U.S. Special Operations Forces Overcome Fear and Dare to Win by Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable.” In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Jason and I discuss why he joined the U.S. Army Special Forces as well as the lessons he learned as a Green Beret and Detachment Commander. We discuss his book "Deliberate Discomfort" and the profound experiences faced in combat by many of the men he served alongside and what they can teach us about embracing our fears, getting uncomfortable, and succeeding in the unknown. We delve deep into a number of concepts that allow teams and individuals to push the boundaries of human performance including the difference between trust and belief, self-determination theory, and how to find a locus of control in the fog of war and volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. We also discuss how to feed and energize the human spirit, why the "Look Up" mantra is the secret to the elite mind-set of Special Operations Forces, and how happiness, success, and a life worth living is found only through a life in service to others. Links: Mission Six Zero: https://missionsixzero.com/ Deliberate Discomfort: How U.S. Special Operations Forces Overcome Fear and Dare to Win by Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: https://amzn.to/3lPzZBi Warrior Rising: https://www.warriorrising.org/

Mike Sarraille is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served fifteen years as an officer in the SEAL Teams and five years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Recon Marine and Scout-Sniper. Mike served in SEAL Team THREE, Task Unit Bruiser alongside Extreme Ownership authors Jocko Willink and Leif Babin where he led historic combat operations in the Battle of Ramadi, and Sadr City, and received of the Silver Star, six Bronze Stars, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, and a Purple Heart. Following his return from combat, Mike assumed duties as the primary leadership instructor for all officers graduating from the SEAL training pipeline. Mike is currently a Co-Founder (along with Jocko Wilink and Leif Babin) of EF OVERWATCH, an Executive Search Firm specializing in the recruiting, training, and placement of U.S. Special Operations Forces veterans with companies seeking leaders. He's also a leadership instructor and strategic advisor for Echelon Front, he is the founder of the VETTED Foundation, a transition program that identifies and prepares top military talent for industry placement, and he is the author, along with his EF OVERWATCH co-managing partner George Randle, of the book "The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent." Links: Mike Sarraille at Echelon Front: echelonfront.com/mike-sarraille/ EF OVERWATCH: www.efoverwatch.com/ The Talent War: amzn.to/34mQHTr The VETTED Foundation: vetted.org/

Errol Doebler is a Graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Navy SEAL who served as Assistant Platoon Commander at SEAL Team FOUR, and a Platoon Commander at Seal Team ONE. Errol later joined the FBI where he investigated International Terrorist Organizations and also served as a member of the FBI’s New York SWAT Team. While at the Bureau, Errol deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 with the 75th Ranger Regiment as a special agent, participated in extensive combat operations, and was subsequently presented with the FBI’s second-highest award for valor, the Shield of Bravery, for his actions on the battlefield. Following 13 years of service with the FBI, he founded a leadership consulting firm, Leader 193, where he has worked with Fortune 100 companies, professional sports organizations, tech startups, and individual executives across a vast array of industries. Errol is also the author of the book "The Process, Art, and Science of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Confidence and Clarity in Combat, in the Boardroom, and at the Kitchen Table." In this episode, we learn Errol's leadership system, delve deep into emotional awareness, and how to create an elite culture and leadership language. We also discuss Errol's use/teaching of the Wim Hof method of breathing & cold exposure to hone leadership ability. We also explore SMACCC, Errol's bulletproof process for planning modified from his time in the SEAL Teams, and was as Errol would say, "born in blood!" Links: The Process, Art, and Science of Leadership: https://amzn.to/2H1d0Vu Leader 193: http://leader103.com/

Magda Khalifa is a combat veteran, entrepreneur, and author of the book "American DREAM: Discipline, Resilience, Endurance, Adaptability, and Mentorship to Succeed and Win in Life." After witnessing the attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001, Magda, motivated by equal parts anger and a burning desire to serve, enlisted in the Army and left everything behind to join the War on Terror. Following 2 tours in Iraq, she returned home beset by chronic depression, headaches, and anxiety, and struggled to rebuild her life as a civilian. After a decade of suffering in silence, and a long journey of self-discovery, Magda overcame her challenges, took control of her health, and started her first business. Today, as a successful entrepreneur, she brings the lessons learned in war and in re-inventing herself, to help businesses and individuals find significance and success through consulting, speaking, and mentorship. Links: Magda Khalifa: https://magdakhalifa.com/ American DREAM: Discipline, Resilience, Endurance, Adaptability, and Mentorship to Succeed and Win in Life: https://amzn.to/2EXCT7V American Dream The Book: https://americandreamthebook.com/

Joanna Zeiger is an Olympian and professional triathlete who placed 4th at the Sydney Olympics in the Triathalon and went on to become the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Champion. Joanna is also the founder of Race Ready Coaching, where she mentors endurance athletes in running, cycling, and triathlon. Joanna earned a Ph.D. in Genetic Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University and is the founder of the CannaResearch Group, a consortium of researchers and medical professionals who study the relationship between cannabis and chronic pain. Joanna is also the author of she is the author of "The Champion Mindset, An Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness." - Links: Joanna Zeiger: http://joanna-zeiger.com/ The Champion Mindset: An Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness: https://amzn.to/2FVFrDJ Race Ready Coaching: https://racereadycoaching.com/ The Mental Toughness (Sisu) Quiz: http://sisu.racereadycoaching.com/ Canna Research Foundation: https://cannaresearchfoundation.org/

Sean McFate is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington DC think tank, and a professor of strategy at The National Defense University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He served as a paratrooper and officer in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division under Generals Stan McChrystal and David Petraeus and was a private military contractor raising armies for U.S. interests abroad. McFate is also the author of "The New Rules of War: How America Can Win Against Russia, China, and Other Threats" (which was named a “Book of the Year” by The Economist) as well as "The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order." He also writes military thrillers, his latest novel, High Treason, had the #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson announce that: “Sean McFate just might be the next Tom Clancy, only I think he’s even better," and he's been lauded as a new Sun Tzu by the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral Jim Stavridis. In his books, "The Modern Mercenary" and "The New Rules of War," McFate makes a compelling case for the demise of state hegemony, and his treatise lays bare a disturbing reality, the world order that has existed since the end of the 30 years war and the Peace of Westphalia is in its final days as 70% of the world's nations teeter on the brink of imploding, at risk of descending into fiefdoms run by warlords, terrorists or narco-criminal mafias, in the very least these states are incredibly fragile and although many will not descend into anarchy, most will likely simmer with conflict, yet be kept from being torn asunder by competing domestic and foreign interests, a controlled chaos that Sean McFate refers to as "durable disorder." The Westphalian order has given way to a smoldering entropy across much of the world, according to McFate "the number of armed conflicts has doubled since World War II, and of approximately 194 countries in the world, nearly half are experiencing some form of war." The fall of the Berlin Wall, the defeat of communism, and the collapse of the Soviet Union brought with it an end to conventional warfare, and an intractable turmoil, a world populated by unstable nations where non-state actors are plunging the globe into a form of neo-medievalism, and a return to a free market for force rife with expeditionary conflict enterprisers and private military contractors (PMCs). Durable disorder is dramatically changing the way in which conflicts are being fought, with wars of the future being waged in the shadows via mercenary armies, cyber warfare, and influence operations. Economic warfare, lawfare, and the weaponizing of information will all be outsourced and executed by PMCs. Furthermore, the most opportunistic expeditionary conflict entrepreneurs will fight at the behest of rogue regimes, warlords, billionaires, and corporations, as nations give up their monopoly on the use of force. Currently, even the wold's largest, most powerful, and technologically advanced military on the planet, the United States Armed Forces, can no longer go to war without the overwhelming support of PMCs. Up to 50% of U.S. military support, security, and services in Iraq were carried out by contractors, and up to 75% of military-related personnel in Afghanistan have been sourced from the private sector, a reality that would have been unthinkable just two decades earlier. The global war on terror, the increasing economic, political, and cultural instability of much of the world's nations, and the exponential quickening of the globe's descent into durable disorder demands that we plan, purchase, and prepare to manage conflicts and win wars with a completely new set of rules, a fresh strategy that recognizes that the wars of the last few hundred years, especially the world wars of the 20th century, are a relic of the past, and that the stealth wars of tomorrow will be ignited and exacerbated by non-state actors, and exploited by the likes of Russia and China with all sides leveraging private armies, contract warfare, and modern-day mercenaries. Links: Sean McFate: https://www.seanmcfate.com The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order: https://amzn.to/32vQTyw The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder: https://amzn.to/2RxxZ3S

Lawrence (Larry) Dietz, is a nationally recognized expert in the area of Psychological Warfare, Cyber Warfare, and Information Operations. Larry is a former military intelligence officer with the U.S. Army, and was at one time, the Officer in Charge of Strategic Intelligence with the 7th PsyOp Group as well as the commander of the 12th PSYOP Battalion, and Deputy Commander of the Combined Joint Information Campaign Task Force, in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Dietz was also an Information Operations officer with USSOCOM (The United States Special Operations Command), and he is the author of the authoritative blog on Psychological Operations, The PSYOP Regimental Blog. Sun Tzu said, “Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." To accomplish this, the military uses Information Ops or Influence Ops, what Dietz refers to as "non-kinetic fires," and what the Office of the Secretary of Defense characterizes as "the integrated employment, during military operations, of information-related capabilities (IRCs) ... to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp the decision making of adversaries while protecting our own." The IRCs or the "tools" of Information Operations according to Dietz include PsyOps along with Social Media Disinformation, Electronic Warfare (signals and comms disruption), and Cyber Warfare. Effective IO also relies on the application of a number of soft skills to decimate the reasoning, behavior, and actions of an enemy nation including Psychology, Media, and Cultural & Linguistic Skills, however, one of the most important skill sets that the tactical PsyOps team can leverage is marketing and sales techniques. So integral is sales proficiency to the in-the-trenches execution of PsyOps, that Dietz would often have his men study the methods of the masters of sales training, arming his PsyWarriors with the legendary Zig Ziglar's "Secrets of Closing the Sale." Links Lawrence "Larry" Dietz: https://www.dataprivacylaw.com/ The PSYOP Regimental Blog: http://psyopregiment.blogspot.com/ Cyber Influence: Cyber War & Psychological Operations: https://bit.ly/3lDnIBd PsyOps: https://bit.ly/3lEwL52 Secrets of Closing the Sales by Zig Ziglar: https://amzn.to/2YYzw7A

James Gagliano is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Airborne Infantry Officer with the US Army Rangers. Following his time in the military, Gagliano had a 25-year career with the FBI as an undercover agent investigating organized crime, and as a member of the FBI's legendary Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), the Bureau's elite counterterrorism unit, where, as part of the Global War on Terror, he deployed to Afghanistan three times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Gagliano would later be assigned as the Senior Leader for the FBI's New York Field Division SWAT Team. Currently, he serves as an analyst for CNN, where he provides on-air commentary on law enforcement and counter-terror matters and is an adjunct assistant professor and doctoral candidate at St. John’sUniversity. Gagliano first joined the FBI with the goal of infiltrating the Mafia as an undercover agent after being inspired by the hit 1980s TV series Wiseguy, and soon after graduating from training was assigned to Squad C-16, the unit investigating La Cosa Nostra and John Gotti in particular, where he became the handling agent for Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Gotti's notorious underboss, who had struck a deal to testify against the Gambino Crime Family Godfather. While minding Gravano, the two struck up a friendship of sorts and Gagliano got a world-class education in the customs, culture, and inner workings of the American Mafia as the tough as nails underboss held court during their many meals and conversations. Gagliano would go on to study undercover tradecraft at the Bureau's Undercover and Sensitive Operations Unit, the secretive department that runs FBI covert training and spend 20 years targeting and taking down an assortment of high profile drug traffickers, mobsters, and crooked cops. Gagliano would later join the FBI's counter-terror unit, leaning on his previous experience as a U.S. Army Ranger, he spent 4 years as an assaulter on Echo Team and was deployed to Afghanistan to work alongside The Navy SEALS, Delta Force, and Green Berets in their hunting of high-value targets, lending the FBI's unrivaled interrogation and criminal identification capabilities to the Military's special operations units and missions. Beyond helping to dismantle La Cosa Nostra, Gagliano is equally as passionate about keeping the streets of New York safe and free from gang violence. Living just a few miles from Newburgh, the murder capital of NY State, he established the Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency unit that he led in taking down 78 members of the Bloods and the Latin Kings, receiving the “Top Gang Unit” award from the New York Gang Investigator’s Association. Gagliano also works to combat gang culture by intervening before it has a chance to take root, using his role as a basketball coach to mentor and motivate kids at risk of succumbing to the allure of the gang-banger lifestyle. Links: James Gagliano: https://jamesagagliano.com/ A View from the Counter-Terror Foxhole: https://bit.ly/2R4ZuSv FBI Agent Helping To “Save” Children of Newburgh: https://bit.ly/2F3yKPU Becoming Jimmy Falcone: The Perilous Work of an FBI Undercover Agent: https://bit.ly/2R3gGaZ

Special agents Steve Murphy & Javier Pena are the real DEA Narcos who together with the Columbian National Police (CNP), and the support of tier-one special operators from the U.S. NavySEALs and Delta Force, ended the reign of the world’s most notorious narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar, and dismantled the infamous Medellin Cartel, one of the largest and most violent narcotics trafficking organizations in history, which at the height of its power generated $26 billion annually by smuggling 15 tons of cocaine per day into the United States. Murphy and Pena's pursuit of Pablo Escobar was recently the subject of the hit Netflix series Narcos, the first 3 seasons of which, are based on their efforts to bring the cartels in Colombia to justice. Murphy and Pena are also authors of the book "Manhunters – How We Took Down Pablo Escobar." After cutting their teeth on the traffickers running in along the Texas-Mexico border and Miami, agents Pena and Murphy would be sent to the front lines of the war on drugs in Columbia, the source for 80% of the world's cocaine, to advise and help guide the country's fight to defeat the cartels and end the out-of-control violence that their reign of terror had ignited. Priority number one was taking down Pablo Escobar, the populist, charismatic head of the Medellin Cartel who also led the terrorist group known as "Los Extraditables," an alliance of the country's drug lords whose goal was to pressure the Columbian government into ending its extradition treaty with the United States, their motto being "We prefer a grave in Colombia to a prison in the United States."[ Escobar's campaign of terror made him public enemy number one, forcing him to manage his drug empire while on the run, while turning the streets of Medellin and Bogota into a warzone. Escobar formed an army of poor, teenage sicarios from the ghettos of Medellin and ordered the execution of hundreds of police, paying a $100 bounty for the murder of any member of the CNP. The devastation was total, beyond the wanton execution of cops, Escobar had green-lighted thousands of car bombings, the assassinations of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento, and Columbia's attorney general, Carlos Mauro Hoyos Jiménez, along with the downing of a jet airliner, Avianca flight 203, placing a bomb on-board that killed all 103 passengers. Pena first arrived in Bogota during the height of Los Extraditables' war on Columbia in 1988 as part of a group of six new DEA agents tasked with infusing the Bogotá office with ambitious go-getters, as the previous crop of agents were making little headway in their efforts to put a dent in the business of the narco-trafficantes that ruled Columbia. He was joined 3 years later by Murphy who had seen the result of Escobar's handiwork first hand as cocaine found it's way into Miami, the central distribution point for American cocaine, and wanted nothing more than to personally put a bullet in Escobar's head. When Murphy's chance finally came to partner up with Pena and personally take the fight to the Medellin cartel, the politicians that ran Columbian government signed off on a deal that saw the drug kingpin keep his billions and surrender to a prison specially built by Escobar himself, a thinly veiled palace nicknamed "La Catedral," where he, his lieutenants and sicarios were to spend a mere 5 years in the most luxurious jail ever constructed. Although the CNP, DEA, and DIJN were devastated by the deal, feeling their efforts to stem the bloodshed and bring down Escobar had been wasted, and the murder of so many left unavenged, they would eventually get a second opportunity to destroy the Medillian cartel and decapitate the head of the snake when Escobar and his people made a daring break from his gilded cage after the Columbian National Army raided the prison in an attempt to transfer Escobar to a maximum security facility after embarrassing the ruling politicians by continuing to run his narcotics empire in brutal fashion, including ordering the deaths of his rivals and personally murdering his own people, from the confines of La Catedral ... and the manhunt was back on. Links Steve Murphy & Javier Pena: https://www.deanarcos.com/ Manhunters: https://amzn.to/3b7Rj0Z Pablo Escobar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar

Will Chesney served 13 years with the Navy SEALS and SEAL Team Six as an operator and Combat Attack Dog Handler. Will and his dog, a Belgian Malinois named Cairo, took part in hundreds of missions together, including Operation Neptune Spear, the mission that led to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Will has been awarded the Silver Star and a Purple Heart, stemming from injuries sustained during a grenade attack while out on a raid and now helps veterans who, much like himself have suffered the effects TBI (traumatic brain injury). Will is also the author of "No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid," and the young adult version "Warrior DogThe True Story of a Navy SEAL and His Fearless Canine Partner." While on deployment with SEAL Team Six, Will had an opportunity to work closely with combat attack dogs (CADs), Belgian Malinois that are trained specifically to operate with the SEALs and are ingrained in their deployment as integral members of the team. The breed is more compact, muscular, and agile than the German Shepards typically used in law enforcement. Upon first witnessing the CADs performance on deployment, both in their ability to uncover IEDs and as manhunters, Will marveled at the CADs' speed, strength, and agility, and saw first hand how their handlers, a Master at Arms (the Navy's Military Police) worked them while on and off the battlefield, and how they became crucial to the effectiveness of many of the team's raids and missions, and, most notably how these dogs saved the lives of his SEAL brethren, even sacrificing their own lives to save the operators they hunted with. Looking to take on a new challenge, Will, a dog lover who grew up with Rottweilers and Pit Bulls jumped at the chance to take on the role of a CAD handler. This was no small decision, and one that most operators avoided, as this was double the responsibility you had as a SEAL, as a CAD handler, you still had all the duties one must carry out as an assaulter, along with the additional obligation of taking care of an exceptional, and highly trained military working dog. After working and training with a new crop of CADs, the dog that was assigned to Will was a majestic looking Malinois that would change Will's life forever. Will trained, handled and cared for Cairo and the two became inseparable, conducting hundreds of missions together, but as phenomenal as these dogs are as special operators, much like their SEAL counterparts, they are not indestructible, and Cairo came as close to losing his life as was possible when Will and his team chased a group of Taliban fighters fleeing a bomb-making operation. Cairo ended up being shot in the chest and the leg and was flown back to base with Will by his side and underwent emergency surgery. Miraculously, Cairo not only survived, he and Will would ultimately be called upon to be part of the historic raid to take down Osama Bin Laden. As thrilling the ride, and exhilarating the journey, no matter how good Will and Cairo were at what they did, and no matter how much they loved what it, there was a price to pay for their victories, one that very few (if any) combat vet escapes, including the dogs that they partner with in the special operations community. Will and Cairo both had to surmount the physical and psychological wounds of war, and both were a crucial part of each other's recovery. Will and Cairo were more than partners, they were brothers in the SEAL teams, they were lifelong friends ... they were family. - Links: No Ordinary Dog: https://amzn.to/3gHiQZ7 Warrior Dog: https://amzn.to/31iIJb8 Will Chesney on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noordinarydogbook/ Will Chesney on Instagram: @willcheeese

Steven Kotler, is the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, and one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, his books include The Future is Faster Than You Think, The Rise of Superman and Stealing Fire, and he's also an award-winning journalist who has been featured in Time, Wired, and Forbes. Kotler is also one of the world's foremost authorities on the science of "flow," a state where we become so deeply immersed in an activity that the conscious mind dissolves and we access a higher intelligence, entering a zone where awareness and action become synchronous, and our performance superlative. Man has been attempting to induce the type of euphoric altered states that allow us to tap into a greater power by freeing us from the confines of our conscious mind for thousands of years, mostly through rituals, fasting, and mind-altering plants, an experience the ancient Greeks referred to as "ecstasis." Today, the tech giants of Silicon Valley seek to boost creativity and tap into a greater, more connected intelligence using everything from wireheading to smart drugs and experiences like "Burning Man." Google has gone one step further by institutionalizing the practice of achieving flow by building a multi-million-dollar mindfulness center, where they attempt to harness the “communal vocational ecstasy” of Burning Man's rituals in the desert. However, of all the organizations looking to better understand the phenomena and train for flow, it is the US Military that is investing most in pushing the boundaries of what is possible. In its pursuit of creating a super-soldier, the U.S. Military, JSOC, and DARPA have all sought to capitalize on what special operations forces, and the Navy SEALs, in particular, have come to understand - that when a team of operators are deployed on a mission, their consciousness merges, with each member of the team executing their actions in synchronicity, without the burden of having to communicate. In addition to their work with Advanced Brain Monitoring, a Neuro-diagnostics device company, the SEALs train for flow at a facility known as "The Mind Gym," where they are tested to better learn how to regulate brain waves, cardiac rhythm, even their core body temperature using advanced biometrics, as well as John Lilly's sensory deprivation tanks. The effects on learning when in a flow state are nothing short of astounding, as the Navy found that by training SEALs to induce "physiological and neurological relaxation and then introducing new content." they were able to reduce the time for learning a new language from six months to six weeks! Beyond the push to create super-soldiers or Silicon Valley-like masters of the corporate universe, Kotler and his Flow Research Collective want to make the knowledge and insight acquired on flow-states and how to induce them available for anyone keen to increase their performance. As such, they have identified 17 triggers to entering "the zone" and have made a tremendous amount of content and studies available for free. And, their flow training program is producing results that are off the charts including 490% faster skill acquisition and a 430% increase in creative problem-solving. For those that want to understand just what they are truly capable of achieving, and experience what warriors, artists, and shaman have chased for thousands of years, ecstasis is no longer shrouded in the realm of ritual and mystery, thanks to Kotler and exponentially accelerating technologies, "flow" is fast becoming a replicable skill-set … and perhaps the most highly prized ability of all. - Links: Steven Kotler: https://www.stevenkotler.com/ Flow Research Collective: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/ Stealing Fire: https://amzn.to/31F0Rfq The God Gene: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_gene Combat Flow: https://bit.ly/3aoo4GG

James Olson, former Chief of Counterintelligence for the CIA, served for over 30 years in clandestine operations against the Russian KGB and the espionage efforts of China, Cuba, North Korea, and Iran, and was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit and the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal for his efforts. Olson is currently a professor at Texas A&M's Bush School of Government where he teaches Counterintelligence (CI) to America's next generation of spy hunters. Jim is also the author of Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying, and To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence. Olson honed his skills as a spy during the cold war and came up during the final years of James Angleton's grip on counterintelligence at the agency. Angleton was the first Chief of Counterintelligence at the CIA, and was a cold warrior who became so obsessed with the Russian threat against the USA that he became consumed by it, seeing moles and Soviet spies everywhere, and falling victim to what he called the "wilderness of mirrors." Angleton alienated many in the CIA with his relentless witchhunts culminating in his ousting in 1974, and a severe backlash against counterintelligence budgets and personnel ensued. Bereft of proper staff and training the Agency’s CI efforts were so hobbled that by the mid-1980s America had become infested with spies operating unencumbered on US soil, with the FBI arresting eight hi-profile traitors run by foreign intelligence agencies in 1985 alone. This led to renewed interest in beefing up America's CI efforts and the creation of the CIC (Counter Intelligence Center) in 1988 which James Olson was tapped to become deputy director, and would later lead. With Olson's rise as Chief of Counterintelligence at the CIA, and with the lessons of the Angleton era still burned in his memory, he made penetrating spy rings operating in America and converting foreign intelligence officers into American assets a relentless pursuit, making his mantra of "Be Offensive" the most important principle in his Ten Commandments of Counterintelligence. Few Americans are aware of the extent to which foreign intelligence agencies are damaging America's companies, infrastructure, and political system, with the greatest threat coming from Russia, Cuba, and China. The magnitude of China's espionage operations against the United States is nothing short of staggering, "they are voracious" warns Olson, from military and industrial technology, to agricultural methods and medical secrets, "they'll go after it all." in an effort to enhance the Chinese economy. For China, espionage is strictly business, driven mainly by the ambition to steal American technology, data, and intellectual property in an effort to gain a corporate, industrial, and military advantage. However, for Russia, the attacks are ideological, personal, and vengeful, according to Olson. Their offensive is born out of animus over the collapse of the USSR and the hatred for U.S. hegemony still held by former KGB spies and veterans of the cold war who have remained in the intelligence community or who have found their way into the governing power structure of modern-day Russia. Surprisingly, of all the intelligence operations ever conducted against the U.S., it was neither Russia nor China whose efforts caused the most damage, the true masters of the game turned out to be the Cubans, the communist threat sitting right at America's doorstep. - Links James Olson: bush.tamu.edu/faculty/jolson/ To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence: amzn.to/34daODQ Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying: amzn.to/3kSN25Q Ex-CIA author takes hard look at spying in the U.S. - bit.ly/3iTBeP2

Andrew Bustamante is a former covert CIA intelligence officer, US Air Force combat veteran, Fortune 10 corporate advisor, and self-professed improvement junkie. As an Intelligence Officer with the CIA, Andrew planned, organized and executed offensive and defensive cyber operations against a wide range of targets and has been involved in independent operations and joint initiatives with FBI, NSA, DIA, and their foreign service counterparts. He is also the founder of EverydaySpy, an education and training platform that teaches the espionage tactics of the world's elite intelligence agencies and how these techniques can benefit anyone that is seeking to gain a competitive advantage. Andrew is also the author of the book "Everday Espionage, Winning in the Workplace" and the is the host of The EveryDay Espionage podcast. Andrew is determined to educate the public on the unique training he received in becoming a master of covert espionage, replete with the skills necessary to convince foreign nationals to betray their countries and divulge the information, knowledge, and secrets they are entrusted with. The benefit of learning the tradecraft of a spy has tremendous value far beyond recruiting double agents, as these same techniques allow those who study the art of espionage to build influence, predict human behavior, and develop high-value relationships in business and in our personal lives. "We all have three lives. We have a public life. We have a private life, and we have a secret life. Our public life is the life that we want people to see. Sometimes we want people to see the truth. But then we also have a private life. Now the private life is something that we keep to ourselves protected from the public, but we still share it with people that are close to us. But then we also have a secret life, that secret life is the life that we protect from even the people closest to us. That's the life where we hide our addictions. That's the life where we hide the places the things that we fear, the areas where we feel either incomplete or we feel like we've missed out or we feel ashamed, that space that secret life is an incredibly valuable tool to an intelligence officer, because when you build a trusting relationship with someone, and you want them to divulge their secrets, you can divulge a secret first. And if they are not trained, mentally conditioned like we are ... then they will react by sharing a secret that they have ... And then you're like, oh, wow, you know, we're sharing secrets together, because we are brothers because we are friends, because we're that close. And once somebody steps into that secret realm, one time, we call that a slippery slope, because now you can come back over and over again. And you can touch on that one secret area, and they can't deny it. So then they're forced to scramble and give more secrets to try to stop you from asking about that one secret. It's a powerful tool that works in the intelligence world. And it's a powerful tool that works in everyday life when it comes to building those impenetrable relationships." Developing bulletproof relationships demands an awareness of what Andrew calls "the 4 motivations": Reward, Ideology, Coercion, and Ego (RICE). Studying how to leverage these motivators is how agents persuade targets to shift their allegiance and spy for America. Such influence over relationships is the true power of espionage and it necessitates a thorough understanding of human nature and the tactical use of behavioral psychology, amongst a number of other skills taught by the CIA at "The Farm," a training facility at Camp Peary, VA where clandestine officers attend the agency's Field Tradecraft Course. Additionally learning how the mind processes information, the art of cognitive conditioning, and what Andrew refers to in his training program as operational thinking (OPTHINK) allows practitioners of his methods to exert total control over their environment, their network, and the people they interact with. This includes learning the difference between information and intelligence, compromise and collaboration, perception and perspective, and why being the "dumbest" guy in the room helps you become the smartest player in the game. - Links: Andrew Bustamante: https://andrewbustamante.org/ EveryDay Spy: https://everydayspy.com/ EveryDay Spy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EverydaySpy/videos EveryDay Espionage Podcast: https://everydayespionage.libsyn.com/

Douglas Laux is an ex-CIA operative who was assigned to some of the most dangerous warzones in the Global War on Terror and he's the New York Times Best Selling Author of "Left Of Boom: How A Young CIA Case Officer Infiltrated The Taliban And Al-Qaeda." Doug also created, wrote, produced, and starred in the Discovery Channel’s Finding Escobar’s Millions, and was part of the Bravo Channel series Spy Games. For the work he performed in penetrating terrorist organizations around the world, Doug has been recognized for his heroism and dedication to our country by Senator Sherrod Brown, as well as Congressmen Warren Davidson, Jim Banks, and Governor Ron DeSantis. Upon arrival at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, Doug Laux expected to be immersed in a Jason Bourne-style training program, however, his introduction to the world of covert operations was not filled with either action or intrigue, instead, he began his new career as a desk jockey doing admin support for Case Officers, sending reports, making copies of files and responding to diplomatic cables. What Doug wanted more than anything was to be thrust into the world of Black Ops, requesting (and in some instances demanding) that he be sent to Afghanistan, a place most Case Officers had no interest in visiting, let alone being deployed to as an undercover operative. Although his overtures to be sent to the front lines were initially rebuffed, Doug's relentless pursuit to break the types of cases that made international headlines wore his superiors down and he was finally sent to "The Farm," the CIA's training center where recruits learn the art of clandestine operations. Soon after graduating from the Field Training Course, Doug got his wish and was assigned to Afghanistan, and was enrolled in language school to learn Pashtu, after which he was sent to the most dangerous warzone on the planet. When Doug first arrived at the Wadi FOB (the base's real name was redacted) in Afghanistan in 2010 he immediately noticed a massive strategic oversight, the Agency had a special branch dedicated to tracking Al Qaeda (AQ), even though there was only about 100 AQ in Afghanistan at that time, yet, astonishingly, there was no unit dedicated to keeping tabs on the Taliban, despite the fact that there were tens of thousands of them present and killing hundreds of Americans every year. Worse, when it came to developing intelligence, Agency Case Officers were more like journalists where, instead of developing precise intelligence on enemy activity, merely reported on attacks. Without being given any initial targets or objectives, Doug quickly learned that there was an IED network operating in the area that was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers, and without being given any guidance or encouragement, decided he would make dismantling the Taliban's explosives operation his primary mission. Doug immediately set out to aggressively recruit sources. He learned the country's southern dialect to better understand the culture, grew a beard, dressed as an Afghan, and attended the village Shuras regularly. Before long, Doug had convinced the locals to start trading money for Intel, and with early successes piling up, he became more ambitious and started working to develop sources directly within the Taliban itself, including those in the command structure. Doug's bold efforts led not only to the identification of "The Wolverine," his code name for the head of the IED network in Afghanistan, but the infiltration of the explosive supplier's organization as well by Taliban leaders who were on Doug's payroll. It turned out that many Taliban commanders were willing to become informants and sell information to Doug and the CIA, not because they weren't loyal to their objective of killing Americans and ejecting the US Military from Afghanistan, but because they lived a life that forced them into survival mode from the moment they were born, as such they saw no issue with taking money from the enemy and giving up their people, assets or information if it helped line their pockets, they were happy to murder Americans and take our dollars at the same time. The Taliban was in many ways much like the Mafia, and some enterprising Taliban commanders realized that they could use their relationship with the CIA to get rid of their internal enemies and those they feuded with, all while getting paid to eliminate their competition ... and Doug was only too happy to oblige. Links: Douglas Laux - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Laux Left of Boom: How a Young CIA Case Officer Penetrated the Taliban and Al-Qaeda - https://amzn.to/30PZOZE 2 Minute Window Productions: https://2minutewindow.com/

Tom Satterly spent 20 years as a member of the elite special forces unit known as Delta Force. His very first combat mission turned out to be the Battle of Mogadishu, the longest sustained firefight in U.S. military history since the Vietnam War, an 18-hour assault in Somalia that left 18 American soldiers dead and was immortalized in the film Black Hawk Down. Tom went on to serve in every major U.S. conflict where the U.S. Special Forces were deployed from Somalia and Bosnia to Afghanistan and Iraq including being an integral part of Operation Red Dawn, the mission that led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. While in Iraq Tom also led a 10,000 person Task Force and was in charge of protection for President Bush while he was in-country. After retiring as a Command Sgt. Major. the highest rank an enlisted soldier can achieve, Tom co-founded an elite military contracting firm to train the next generation of Special Operations warfighters. Tom's book, All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront is an insider's view of "The Unit" and Tom's battle to overcome PTS. Jen Satterly is a filmmaker and photographer, and she was Director of Film and Photography at the Special Ops training company Tom founded where she was responsible for shooting large scale military training exercises. Jen was fully embedded with the Navy Seals and Green Berets filming realistic training missions, before deciding to dedicate all her time to healing veterans and their families suffering the effects of Post Traumatic Stress. Together Tom and Jen are the co-founders of The All Secure Foundation which serves Special Operation combat veterans and their families to help them heal from the psychological toll of war. - Links: All Secure Foundation: www.allsecurefoundation.org Tom Satterly: https://www.tomsatterly.com/ All Secure Mission: https://www.allsecuremission.com/ All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront: https://amzn.to/2Z9iHa8

Rusty Firmin spent 15 years as a member of the SAS, the British Army's elite special forces unit, and has been involved in some of the regiment's most dangerous missions including the planned attack on Argentina during the Falklands War and the SAS' covert operations against the IRA. However, Rusty is most well known for his actions in Operation Nimrod, the May 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London where he was a key figure in the SAS' storming of the embassy as the Blue Team leader. Rusty is also the author of "Go! Go! Go!" a riveting account of the siege which culminated in the SAS rescuing all 19 hostages and killing 5 of the 6 terrorists. The book was turned into a major motion picture entitled "6 Days" starring Jamie Bell as Rusty Firmin and is currently airing on Netflix. Rusty's first book, "The Regiment," is a detailed and fascinating portrayal of his time as part of one of the most renowned Special Ops forces in the world. - Links: www.alphahuman.org The Alpha Human Podcast on Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/2Zta8pI Rusty Firmin's website: http://www.rusty-firmin.com/ Rusty Firmin SAS TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ydzu5K4mTTiJyTqGb4lHQ The Regiment: https://amzn.to/3fVEho9 Go! Go! Go!: The SAS. The Iranian Embassy Siege. The True Story - https://amzn.to/2Yuvl3j

Tony Schwalm is the author of 'The Guerrilla Factory: The Making of Special Forces Officers – The Green Berets.' Schwalm is uniquely qualified to tell the story of what it takes to forge unconventional warriors, as he helped redesign the very test of strength, stamina, and wits known as the Q Course, the Special Forces Qualifications program, which is the formal training program for entry into the United States Army Special Forces. Schwalm is a former lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Special Forces and his military career spans some 30 years. His journey has seen him transition from a tank commander in Operation Desert Storm (the first Iraq war) where he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, to becoming a Green Beret and later a commander of Special Forces officer training at Ft. Bragg. His assignments around the globe include leadership positions in combat operations, humanitarian missions, and counter-drug operations. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Tony served with U.S. Special Operations Command creating state-of-the-art technology architectures to support Special Operations Forces. From there, as a civilian working with the Department of the Army, Tony led a team of social scientists in support of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan, supporting counterinsurgency operations. While much is known about the direct action-focused elements of the USA’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) such as the Navy Seals and Army Rangers, little is known about America’s unconventional warriors the Green Berets. The disparity in the attention given to these elite soldiers is no surprise given that much of the films, novels, and publicity generated around the exploits of America’s special ops is focused on the hyper-muscular actions of the special operators that fight the Global War on Terror (GWOT), the elite warriors responsible for short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions, everything from eliminating high-value targets, raids and sabotage through to hostage rescue. And although the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) have direct action capabilities, and are certainly involved in such missions more than at any time in history since the war on terror began 20 years ago, their formation by President John F Kennedy to wage “unconventional war”,” as they did everywhere from Vietnam through to Panama, is where their deadliest and most effective skill set lies. Unconventional Warfare is rooted in the concept of insurgency, guerilla warfare, subversion, and the use of these strategies in support of a country’s resistance movement, a proxy army that allows the U.S. to topple a dictator, occupying power or a hostile government. And, there is no force better at fomenting a foreign insurgency than the Green Berets, their training and legacy are borne out of an uncanny, almost preternatural proficiency in the art killing the enemy from within. “Broadly speaking, there are two types of SOF, Super Man and Daniel Boone, Superman is what most Americans believe the SOF soldier to be – most Americans believe to be – a barrel-chested freedom fighter capable of bench-pressing twice his body weight and wielding lethal gadgets with an easy expertise. Most Army Special Forces soldiers, on the other hand, are more like Daniel Boone and they move very differently. We’re a group numbering around sixty-five hundred, and our primary mission is entirely different. That mission is unconventional warfare." - Tony Schwalm, The Guerilla Factory Links: The Alpha Human Podcast: http://alphahuman.org/tony-schwalm-ex-u-s-army-special-forces-inside-the-green-berets/ The Alpha Human Podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/alpha-human-podcast/tony-schwalm The Guerrilla Factory: The Making of Special Forces Officers, the Green Berets - https://amzn.to/30oLQiQ United States Army Special Forces - https://bit.ly/2AnNZ3J GREEN BERETS: REBUILDING THE GUERRILLA LEADER IDENTITY - https://bit.ly/3f80eA1 Arrowsmith Press - Tony Schwalm: https://www.arrowsmithpress.com/schwalm-column

John Little is an author and award-winning filmmaker considered by many to be one of the world's foremost authorities on Bruce Lee, his training methods and philosophies. John, who directed, wrote and produced the notable documentaries "Bruce Lee: In His Own Words" & "Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey" for Warner Bros, and authored the book "The Warrior Within, The Philosophies of Bruce Lee," is the only person ever to be authorized by the legendary martial artist's estate to review the entirety of Lee's personal notes, sketches and reading annotations. John's love of philosophy also led him to direct and produce the documentaries "Ayn Rand, In Her Own Words," and "The Making of The Fountainhead" for Warner Bros, a documentary based on Rands's breakout novel of an iconoclastic architect whose designs are so innovative they offend the architectural orthodoxy and city planners, the "second-handers" who seek to snuff out Roarke's ultra modernistic vision and force him to comply with tradition. John is also highly regarded in the world of fitness and bodybuilding, having penned numerous articles for the Joe Weider publications Muscle & Fitness and FLEX magazine. and has written some of the most well-respected books on the subject of high-intensity training including "Body by Science," "Power Factor Training," and more recently "The Time Savers Workout." However, some of John's most notable endeavors in the world of bodybuilding stem from time spent working with (and as a close friend of) Mike Mentzer, the legendary Golden Era pro bodybuilder from the late 70s and 80s who was the only Mr. Olympia competitor to ever achieve a perfect score of 300 in winning the heavyweight class at the 1979 Mr. Olympia. John authored the book, "The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer" and Co-Authored the book "High-Intensity Training, The Mike Mentzer Way" with Mentzer himself. - Links: www.alphahuman.org The Alpha Human Podcast on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/alpha-human-podcast John Little: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Little_(writer) Bruce Lee, a Warrior's Journey: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfHyZjiuW1E Ayn Rand Institute: www.aynrand.org/ Mike Mentzer: www.mikementzer.com/