The Team House

original airdate: 10/20/23

Mike Edwards recounts his journey from the conventional Army to the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC), sharing stories from combat in Iraq, clandestine reconnaissance missions, and years spent leading and training some of the military's most elite units. He also reflects on Project Exodus Relief, the challenges of transitioning out of the military, and how faith helped him overcome the personal struggles that followed his service

help support the show:
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00:00 - Start
01:27 - Growing Up in Alabama
03:24 - Mechanized Infantry and Plans for Special Forces
06:00 - Korea and the Impact of 9/11
08:36 - Choosing the Ranger Regiment
09:50 - Almost Getting Dropped from RIP
11:26 - Arriving at Ranger Battalion
13:41 - The Smoke Grenade Incident
16:03 - Life in the Ranger Mortar Platoon
19:59 - Leading Raids in Iraq
21:33 - The Tal Afar Firefight
29:36 - Sponsor Break
32:29 - Discovering Regimental Reconnaissance Company
34:18 - The Omega Program
35:59 - RRC Selection and Training
37:05 - 40-Mile Infiltrations with 100-Pound Rucks
41:08 - Life Inside RRC
43:19 - What RRC Actually Does
45:04 - RRC Becomes a National-Level Asset
46:02 - Training the Afghan Reconnaissance Unit
47:17 - Dead Drops and Tradecraft in Afghanistan
50:04 - How the Afghan Reconnaissance Program Worked
55:45 - Working Through Afghan Proxies
56:22 - Low-Visibility Missions and Nighttime Raids
58:19 - Learning Dari for Battlefield Interrogations
1:01:04 - Creating Project Exodus Relief
1:03:47 - The Afghans Left Behind
1:06:51 - Escaping Afghanistan and Human Trafficking
1:10:14 - Afghan Commandos at the Southern Border
1:13:31 - Moral Injury After the Afghanistan Withdrawal
1:16:07 - Life for Former Afghan Special Operators
1:18:18 - Afghan Commandos Joining the Taliban or Resistance
1:20:44 - Wagner Group Recruiting Afghan Commandos
1:21:35 - The American Allegedly Recruiting for Wagner
1:24:12 - A Missed Opportunity for Covert Afghan Units
1:26:07 - Life After Military Service
1:27:20 - Protecting Madonna
1:28:29 - Finding Missing and Trafficked People
1:31:29 - Finding Purpose After the Military
1:33:26 - Anger, Addiction, and Nearly Taking His Own Life
1:35:04 - How Studying the Bible Changed Him
1:38:52 - PTSD, TBI, and Veteran Suicide
1:42:06 - Why Veterans Need Buddy Checks
1:44:04 - The Turning Point in His Recovery
1:46:02 - Psychedelic Therapy and Faith
1:52:08 - The Difficult Transition Out of Special Operations
1:56:55 - Audience Questions
1:58:52 - RRC Selection Compared to Delta Force
2:01:03 - Shooting and Training Inside RRC
2:03:19 - RRC vs. Other Reconnaissance Units
2:07:02 - A Possible Hypersonic Aircraft Encounter
2:11:29 - How the Omega Program Worked
2:18:44 - Military Freefall from 35,000 Feet
2:22:19 - The MP7 and Special Operations Weapons
2:24:31 - Closing Remarks

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As reports of a much larger U.S. military campaign against Iran emerged, the Trump administration abruptly paused the strikes and shifted back toward diplomacy. We break down whether the threat of escalation was a negotiating strategy, why sanctions continue to fail, Iran's asymmetric advantages, dwindling U.S. missile stockpiles, and what happens next in one of the world's most dangerous conflicts.
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Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Check out Mick's new podcast here:⬇️
Apple Podcasts:
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Spotify:
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Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCd0Hq6QFk8CoTu5j-VU0Ong 
Find Mick Mulroy here: 
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Twitter ⬇️
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LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/
Whitefish security summit ⬇️
https://whitefishsecuritysummit.com
Find Marc P here:
https://x.com/Mpolymer
Find Andy Milburn here: 
Twitter ⬇️
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LinkedIn ⬇️
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Substack ⬇️
https://amilburn.substack.com/
Andy’s book ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations
"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 – Start
02:42 – Why Sanctions Keep Failing Against Iran
06:48 – How the IRGC Beats Western Economic Pressure
12:22 – Can Diplomacy Ever Work with Tehran Again?
16:00 – Was the Massive U.S. Strike Threat a Bluff?
18:23 – Saudi Arabia's Push to Stop a Wider War
20:59 – The Credibility Problem Facing the Trump Administration
23:26 – America's Last Truly Successful War?
24:33 – China's Soft Power vs. America's Hard Power
27:12 – What Happens if the U.S. Hits Iran's Infrastructure?
31:44 – Iran's Asymmetric Strategy Is Working
36:49 – Are We Running Out of Patriot Missiles?
41:31 – Is the War Being Used to Move Financial Markets?
47:50 – Predictions: Where Does This Conflict Go Next?
51:07 – Turkey's Rising Influence & Final Thoughts

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Jay Morton discusses his career in the British Parachute Regiment and the Special Air Service (SAS), including deployments to Afghanistan, the challenges of SAS selection, and the realities of life in one of the world's premier special operations units. He also reflects on his transition to civilian life, climbing Mount Everest, and the lessons he's carried with him since leaving the military.
https://www.instagram.com/jay__morton/?hl=en
https://www.deltathreeoscar.com/
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"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 - Start
01:32 - Why He Joined the British Parachute Regiment
05:00 - Inside British Paratrooper Selection
10:20 - First Deployment to Afghanistan
14:17 - First Major Firefight
17:42 - Surviving Sangin Valley
22:39 - How Combat Changes You
25:19 - Coming Home from War
31:01 - The Hidden Cost of Special Operations
35:04 - Deciding to Attempt SAS Selection
37:25 - The Brutal SAS Selection Process
44:01 - Breaking His Back During Selection
48:47 - Escape & Evasion & Interrogation
52:14 - Becoming an SAS Operator
59:12 - Life Inside the SAS
1:01:24 - Hunting Taliban IED Networks
1:04:13 - HALO Jumps into Afghanistan
1:10:48 - Hunting High-Value Targets
1:13:01 - Was the Afghanistan War Worth It?
1:17:55 - Covert Deployments Around the World
1:24:30 - Leaving the SAS Behind
1:32:01 - Building a New Life After the Military
1:37:43 - Climbing Mount Everest
1:43:43 - The World's Greatest Mountains

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We sit down with former U.S. Navy submariner and defense analyst Thomas Shugart to examine the rapidly shifting military balance between the United States and China, from Taiwan invasion planning and shipbuilding to missile stockpiles and the future of Indo-Pacific deterrence. We also explore whether America is prepared for a prolonged conflict with China and why Beijing may be far closer to that goal than many realize.
Find Tom here:
https://x.com/tshugart3?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-shugart-703079114
https://thomasshugart.substack.com/
Support the show on Patreon:⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
Subscribe to our newsletter!!!!
https://teamhousepodcast.kit.com/join
Jack's news outlet:⬇️
https://thehighside.substack.com/
Jack's new book:⬇️
https://a.co/d/0gywUGvn
Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️
Jon's Twitter:
https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Jon's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Jon's books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett
"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 Start
01:50 China's Military Pressure Is Increasing, Not Slowing
03:38 Why the PLA Is Building a Different Military Than America's
07:18 Does China's Lack of Combat Experience Matter?
10:41 Why Hasn't China Invaded Taiwan Yet?
13:58 Would the U.S. Actually Defend Taiwan?
17:32 Can Diplomacy Reduce the Risk of War?
20:21 The First & Second Island Chains Explained
25:27 China's Special Operations and Fifth Column Threat Inside Taiwan
28:04 Rare Earth Minerals, Seabed Mining & Military-Civil Fusion
30:58 America's Shipbuilding Problem in a Long War
34:01 China's Military Doctrine and "Active Defense"
39:04 Can the Pentagon Innovate Fast Enough?
43:15 China's Allies, Overseas Bases & Global Logistics
48:29 Missile Stockpiles, Air Defenses & Preparing for a Pacific War

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We break down the latest phase of the U.S.-Iran war, from dwindling interceptor stockpiles and the fight over the Strait of Hormuz to Iran’s nuclear leverage and the limits of American military power. We also examine Ukraine’s attacks on Russian supply ships bound for Iran, growing anger across the Middle East, and whether smarter sanctions, covert action, and diplomacy can still bring the war to an end.

Support the show on Patreon:⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
Subscribe to our newsletter!!!!
https://teamhousepodcast.kit.com/join
Jack's news outlet:⬇️
https://thehighside.substack.com/
Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️
Jon's Twitter:
https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Jon's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Jon's books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Check out Mick's new podcast here:⬇️
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/pub-and-porch-applied-stoicism/id1836955475
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1k3QPmkAMwnGJxMLDwUSSd?si=n6piIu8XRcag1Z0K43A3bQ
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCd0Hq6QFk8CoTu5j-VU0Ong 
Find Mick Mulroy here: 
Fogbow ⬇️
https://fogbow.com/
Lobo Institute ⬇️
https://www.loboinstitute.org/
Twitter ⬇️
https://x.com/mickmulroy?s=21&t=-Ze3F_Ix2vlJ18KFvORTCA
LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/
Whitefish security summit ⬇️
https://whitefishsecuritysummit.com
Find Marc P here:
https://x.com/Mpolymer
Find Andy Milburn here: 
Twitter ⬇️
https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8
LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023
Substack ⬇️
https://amilburn.substack.com/
Andy’s book ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations

"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"

00:00 – Start
02:20 – Can the United States Still Win This War?
05:29 – The Nightmare of Attacking Pickaxe Mountain
09:02 – Why Military Force Cannot Reopen the Strait of Hormuz
11:08 – Strangling the IRGC’s Money and Supply Lines
13:31 – America’s Dangerous Missile and Munitions Shortage
17:53 – Iran Wants a Nuclear Weapon—and Holds the Leverage
22:53 – Risking American Pilots as Advanced Weapons Run Low
25:15 – How the Midterms Could Decide the Iran War
27:49 – Anger and Anxiety Across the Middle East
32:22 – The Confusing US–Saudi Nuclear Agreement
40:36 – Dysfunction Inside the National Security Process
46:05 – Ukraine Attacks Russian Supply Ships Bound for Iran
48:13 – A Smarter Strategy for Breaking the Iranian Regime
56:13 – Inside Andy Milburn’s New Book on the Gaza War

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.