How This Marine Raider Became a Legend | TRS 047

How This Marine Raider Became a Legend | TRS 047

In Episode 047 of The Resilient Show, Chad sits down with Nick Jones, retired Marine Raider, Navy Cross Recipient, & founder of the Talons Reach Foundation.

In this gripping episode, Nick Jones takes us through his personal story—from his early years before enlisting to the journey to become a MARSOC Raider, and the events of March 8, 2020, which resulted in the rescue of a French special operator, and recovery of MARSOC Capt. Moises Navas and Gunnery Sgt. Diego Pongo. Jones received the Navy Cross for his heroism in this fight - the second highest military decoration for the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps.

Nick Jones is a retired U.S. Marine Raider who served with the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Enlisting in 2010 from Olathe, Kansas, he completed multiple deployments, including three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. On March 8, 2020, during a mission in northern Iraq, Jones heroically led a counterattack against ISIS forces in a cave complex, saving a French special operator and attempting to recover two fallen Raiders, earning him the Navy Cross—the Marine Corps' second-highest valor award. Wounded in the leg during the fight, he medically retired after 11 years of service and six surgeries. Jones later founded the Talons Reach Foundation to support special operators’ recovery through outdoor activities and mindfulness.

CHAPTERS:
[00:00] - Introduction: A Harrowing Moment in Combat
[00:51] - Welcome to The Resilient Show with Nick Jones
[01:59] - Nick Jones’ Bio: Navy Cross Recipient and Marine Raider
[04:23] - Growing Up in Kansas: A Troubled Youth
[11:40] - Joining the Marine Corps: A Turning Point
[14:35] - Early Marine Life: From Mortarman to Sniper Dreams
[20:59] - Life in the STA Platoon
[25:17] - First Combat Deployment: Helmand Province 2012
[33:43] - The Loss of Scout Snipers: A Tactical Mistake?
[39:19] - Path to MARSOC: Assessment and Selection
[45:35] - Training as a Raider: Nine Months of Intensity
[51:13] - Deploying with MARSOC: Mortars in Iraq 2016
[01:07:43] - The Fateful Mission: Chaos in the Caves
[01:25:14] - Aftermath

Learn more about Talons Reach Foundation ⁠https://www.talonsreachfoundation.org⁠
Follow Nick: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/Itisnickjones⁠
Follow Talons Reach Foundation: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/talonsreachfoundation⁠

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