Ops Brief 075: Daily Drop - 15 July 2025 (Pentagon's Drone Panic: Why We're Still Screwing Up the Sky While China Laughs)
Send us a textBuckle up, buttercups—Jared's back in the Ones Ready team room, dishing out yesterday's DoD drama because the PAO couldn't update today's headlines. Hegeth's memo: stop being bureaucratic wimps, buy American drones fast—excessive caution is the enemy. Joint air drills with B-52s flexing on North Korea; AI saving lives in mass casualties; SOCOM slashing Skyraider buys in half, likely budget tight. Jared throws shade at AFSOC's PAO for dodging his interview ask, calls out China's South China Sea bullying flop, cheers Senate's A-10 rescue (thunder lives!). Wraps with cyber fails, Turkey's F-35 snub (beat it, nerds), and pushing for service members' right to repair gear without contractor scams. Tired of bland military news? This is your sarcastic, straight-talk wake-up from Ones Ready—no apologies.Key Takeaways:- Hegeth's drone memo: Stop being cowards and buy American expendables ASAP—excessive caution is the real enemy. 😤- SOCOM halves OA-1K buys: From 12 to 6 in FY26, delaying the fleet but keeping the 75-goal dream alive—funding drama incoming.- Joint drills galore: B-52s over Korea, naval logistics pacts with Aussies and Japan—deterring North Korea and China like it's 1945 all over again.- Air Force recruiting rebound: 15K in delayed entry, but did they just move the goalposts post-COVID? Jury's out.- Senate saves A-10s: Retaining 100+ Thunderbolts in the NDAA—11th-hour heroics for the Warthog warriors. 🛩️- Right to repair push: Warriors deserve to fix gear without voiding warranties—screw the contractor scams.- Operator Training Summit announced: Nashville, Oct 25-26—land PT day one, pool drown-proofing day two. Get wet or go home.Timestamps:- 00:00 - Intro & Operator Training Summit Tease: Nashville vibes incoming- 01:59 - Drone Drama: Hegeth orders faster buys, Blue UAS shifts to DCMA- 02:58 - Pacific Power Plays: Joint air drills, naval logistics pacts- 04:18 - AI in Action: TransCom's patient movement toolkit- 06:33 - SOCOM Cuts & Skyraider Shade: Halved buys, PAO beef- 06:47 - China Fails in South China Sea: No one's backing down- 09:12 - Air Force News: Recruiting wins (maybe), Iranian missile hit- 11:13 - Space Force Flex: Resolute exercise, digiSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page: HERECollabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1Ready ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYDanger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYDFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYHoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYKill Cliff - Pro...
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Ep 489: Founder of Carolinas for Ukraine - (ret) COL Curtis Lee
Send us a textThis episode is a gut punch of clarity and common sense wrapped in Hoist-fueled sarcasm. Aaron and Peaches sits down with retired Marine Corps Colonel Curtis Lee—civil affairs legend, community builder, and founder of Carolinas for Ukraine. From mentoring under three-war combat vets to spearheading grassroots refugee resettlement, Curtis breaks down the real meaning of service after service.And oh yeah—we’re not afraid to poke the bear. Illegal immigration? We say no. Strategic, vetted, value-driven immigration? Hell yes. Curtis’ program resettles Ukrainian families legally—and it might just be the model for how we fix the entire U.S. immigration dumpster fire.We hit topics the media won't touch with a ten-foot boom mic:The Afghanistan withdrawal debacle 💣Weaponizing civil affairs before the first shot is fired 🧠How to actually win in the gray zone war ⚔️The death of assimilation in America 🇺🇸And why your HOA might have more impact than your congressman 🏘️If you want talking points, go watch cable news. If you want real talk that’ll challenge your worldview and maybe even get you off the couch—press play.🔥 Key Takeaways:Curtis Lee dropped nearly 30 years in uniform, then turned around and started winning wars without firing shots.The "Uniting for Ukraine" program is legal immigration done right—screened, vetted, and integrated.“Two things can be true at once” becomes the battle cry of the episode—and it's time America learned that nuance is not weakness.You can be anti-illegal immigration and still pro-humanity. Shocking, we know.Civil affairs isn't just soccer balls and smiles—it's psychological warfare with real-world outcomes.Afghans were left hanging. Ukrainians got help. The difference? Planning, legality, and leadership.Local action > national outrage. HOA boards, school committees, and city foundations are where real change starts.America’s greatest threat isn’t a border crisis—it’s apathy.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Aaron Rants About Grape Hoist 01:45 – Hoist IV Hydration and Chaos in a Box 03:00 – Shoutout to Modern AthleteSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page: HERECollabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1Ready ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYDanger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYDFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYHoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYKill Cliff - Pro...
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Ops Brief 074: Daily Drop - 11 July 2025 (Drones, Dress Codes, and Space Wars)
Send us a textWelcome to the July 11th edition of the Daily Drop, where the Pentagon plays Monopoly with rare earth minerals, drones become the new IEDs, and Trump hands out Patriot missiles like party favors—with NATO picking up the tab (allegedly). Jared unpacks the latest military madness with his usual blend of sarcasm, side-eyes, and straight-up disbelief. From AI drone swarms to banned eyelash extensions, from therapy dogs saving morale to space lasers tracking Chinese satellites—this one’s got it all. Oh, and apparently we bombed Iran’s nuclear sites… but maybe didn’t hit anything? It’s like a military-themed episode of “Nailed It!”🔥 Key Takeaways:🧨 Trump greenlights NATO-funded weapons for Ukraine… totally won't backfire.💥 Drone warfare = IEDs 2.0. Welcome to the chaos.🥾 Air Force bans fake lashes but keeps outdated procurement pipelines.🛰️ China’s satellites playing bumper cars in space, but we're the bad guys?🐕 South Dakota Air Guard hires a therapy dog. Name’s Captain. He’s a good boy.💬 Gen. Deptula’s warning: Kill the F-35 and E-7, and you kill future air dominance.⚛️ Iran’s nukes: bombed or not? Depends on your political flavor of the day.🔥 Washington Army Guard trains for wildfires; Coast Guard saves Texans from floods.🇵🇼 A Marine from Palau goes full circle in Koa Moana 25—heartwarming but vague.👨🚀 Space Force rolls out SWARM and warns China to knock it off in orbit.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Atakalite discount + rocket fins, booties, and gadgets 01:10 – Trump sends weapons to Ukraine (NATO’s problem now?) 02:00 – Pentagon’s drone reform: UAS go full budget-friendly 03:00 – DoD invests in rare earth mining, coz China bad 03:45 – Air Force bans lashes, updates boot regs, and triggers outrage 04:30 – Retired generals: Cut the F-35 and Wedgetail? Big mistake 05:20 – Pacific exercise goes full “high-end fight” mode 06:10 – Meet Captain: the morale-boosting therapy dog 07:00 – Space Force’s digital SWARM training kicks off 07:50 – China’s satellite shenanigans… again 08:40 – Commerce wants to axe space traffic control (what could go wrong?) 09:20 – Space Force goeSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page: HERECollabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1Ready ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYDanger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYDFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYHoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYKill Cliff - Pro...
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Ep 488: Updates to the Updates for AFSW Pipeline!
Send us a textAaron rolls solo to drop a grenade on your expectations and walk you through the jaw-dropping overhaul of the Air Force Special Warfare pipeline. New names. New timelines. New chaos. Is dive school back? Is SWOE-V dead? Will your career implode before it starts? Aaron breaks it all down with brutal honesty and zero fluff. No sarcasm (seriously)—just straight facts and insider updates from the front lines of AFSPECWAR’s Frankenstein pipeline rewrite. If you’re anywhere near the door to this career field, buckle up. You’re not ready for what’s coming—but you will be after this.🔥 Key Takeaways:SWOE-V is (probably) toast. Guaranteed contracts are coming back.New 3-week land-based selection starts October."Zulu Course" = 16-week common skills crucible for all 1Z AFSCs.No more job selection at SWAS—now happens after Zulu.Pre-dive follows Zulu. Dive school may be resurrected (again).PJs still get hosed with 18–20 month pipelines due to paramedic training.Everyone else? Aim is 12 months to team placement.Apprentice courses will be cut down—no repeating Zulu content.Already in the pipeline but not in an apprentice course? You're going to Zulu anyway. Sorry.This is either brilliant efficiency or a flaming disaster. TBD.Aaron wants to be wrong… but probably isn’t.⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome to Aaron’s solo mission 01:20 – The “no sarcasm” promise (mostly) 02:30 – Why is the pipeline changing? 04:15 – Should you still join? Short answer: Yes. 06:00 – Death of SWOE-V? Long live GTAP 08:45 – PJ bottleneck: no slots, no mercy 10:30 – Guaranteed contract vs “hope and cope” 11:40 – Zulu Course: What it is, how long, and why it matters 13:50 – Should you stop swimming? (Hard no) 16:00 – What common skills are covered in Zulu 17:30 – Dive school might be coming back—again 21:00 – Pre-dive’s weird limbo and fairness concerns 24:00 – Lack of standards = morale hits = suck it up 26:30 – 12-month pipeline push—is it even possible? 29:00 – Cutting apprentice course length (but keeping the suck) 31:45 – Already in the pSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page: HERECollabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1Ready ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYDanger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYDFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYHoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYKill Cliff - Pro...
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Ops Brief 073: Daily Drop - 10 July 2025 (We Bombed Iran, Moved F-16s, & Still Can’t Share Simulators)
Send us a textIt’s July 10th, and the Daily Drop is back with Jared dropping truth bombs harder than a B-1 on afterburner. From the announcement of the next Operator Training Summit in Nashville (spoiler: it’s gonna slap) to the Pentagon lobbing real ones at Iran, this episode’s got more hot takes than a Twitter war during a government shutdown.Jared breaks down military logistics like your drunk uncle explaining the NFL draft—passionate, slightly unhinged, but mostly right. He rants about AF simulators being broken garbage, drones flying into everything, the VA being predictably dysfunctional, and why the Air Force is still pretending they might keep the B-1 (spoiler: they’re not). Also, the Space Force apparently needs another $6 billion. For what? Who knows.If you like your defense briefings with a side of sarcasm, a shot of cynicism, and topped with real-world experience, this one’s for you.🔥 Key Takeaways:🧠 The Air Force Research Lab is full of brainiacs... if only we let them cook📦 Simulators are trash—and creating more harm than good✈️ F-16s moved from Japan to Korea to flex on North Korea💣 Operation Midnight Hammer = cool name, questionable effectiveness🚀 The Space Force wants $6B more because “reasons”🧴 Forever chemicals? Still forever. Still deadly.🏥 VA and DOD still don’t know how to share medical records in 2025🇮🇷 Bombed Iran’s nuclear sites but maybe only slowed them down 2 years? Big “meh”🧢 “Dress and appearance” updates dropped—cue the Facebook rage⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Nashville OTS announcement & signup overhaul 01:00 – U.S., South Korea, Japan meet for trilateral security flex 01:30 – Weapons shipments to Ukraine resumed… kinda 02:30 – Air Force’s new drone detection tech (CLUE is no joke) 04:00 – VA/DOD healthcare systems still don’t talk 05:30 – Iran gets smacked—was it worth it? 06:30 – Netanyahu shows up at the Pentagon 06:50 – DoD’s ManTech expanding microelectronics & hypersonics 07:30 – Massive AF/Space Force Cold War-style exercise 08:20 – Japan joins Resolute Force Pacific 08:50 – Red Hawk weather tests—Eglin AFB in “extreme weather”? lolSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page: HERECollabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: 1Ready ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLeteCardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADYDanger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYDFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADYHoist - Promo Code: ONESREADYKill Cliff - Pro...
A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone.