Former SWAT Officer and Combat Veteran: "They Told His Family He Was Dead"

In this episode, Blake Cook takes viewers through his journey from a challenging childhood in West Virginia to finding purpose in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, where he was awarded a Purple Heart after surviving an IED explosion in Afghanistan. Upon returning home, Blake entered law enforcement, eventually becoming a gang, gun, and cartel detective and a SWAT team member, grappling with the realities of policing amid a shifting public climate. Blake also opens up about his struggle to reconcile with his estranged father, who battled addiction, and the emotional toll it took. Facing his darkest moment, he reveals how a life-saving call from Kyle Morgan, a former guest of the show, helped him step back from suicide and find purpose.

Blake Cook (aka Blackbeard) was blown up and severely injured in Afghanistan during OEF. After spending 2 years in rehab learning how to walk and talk again, he joined a Cartel & Gang SWAT team where he spent 5 years dealing with PTSD & survivors gilt which lead to a night where he put a gun to his head to take his life. He didn't end up pulling the trigger and now spends his off time from service helping other veterans, police and first responders with PTSD.

Shawn Ryan is a former Navy SEAL, a former CIA Contractor, Special Operations Outreach for Veterans Advocacy Services, CNBC Contributor and owner of Vigilance Elite.

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