Mike Drop

Jack Stewart always wanted to fly. Following in his pilot father's footsteps, he pursued a career in aviation at the U.S. Naval Academy before serving 23 years as a fighter pilot, flying combat missions from three different aircraft carriers and deploying to Afghanistan as a member of an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party. He's also a graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School, better known as TOPGUN, both for it's esteemed reputation of bringing up the finest dogfighters in the country, as well as the film series starring Tom Cruise, of course.  When you tell people you graduated from TOPGUN, it doesn't take long for the conversation to wander from real-life situations to whimsical Hollywood schlock, because c'mon - who doesn't want to know more about TOPGUN? Is the real program anything like what's in the movies? What kind of flight risks are people not aware of, and how does new technology help make dogfighting safer in modern warfare? And most importantly - did Jack ever buzz the tower, or is tha

The French Foreign Legion - a unique corps of the French Army that, unlike nearly any other army in the world, allows foregin nationals to enlist at will. It's a diverse fighting force, deploying all over the world into any conditions necessary. They're also the home of Taylor Cavanaugh, a former U.S. Navy Vet that enlisted just a few years ago. But Taylor's not just any veteran - he's a former U.S. Navy SEAL from SEAL Team Seven.  Safe to say there's a lot of questions to ask here - why's Taylor living in France? What made him leave the United States to fight for another country? And how exactly did he come to join - and then ultimately depart from - the Tip of the Spear? One thing's for sure - when Taylor's at the wheel, it's gonna be a wild ride.  ---------- Support Taylor Cavanaugh - Website: https://www.taylorcavanaugh.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcavofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tcavofficial ---------- Sponsors:  American Financing American Financing’s salary-based mort

Mike Ritland and Shane Hiatt have been friends for a long time. Which is a surprisingly rare thing in the veteran community - the odds that two SEAL Team guys would run into each other again and again aren't quite as high as you might think. But Shane's a nomad - a wandering traveler, that's been living out of his truck with just his dog and the natural beauty of the American countryside for over 15 years.  Fortunately, he's not just panning for change out there on the open road - Shane owns and operates SH9, an elite knife company that ships American-made products all over the world. So now that he's drifted into town again, Mike's gotta know - what's a former Navy SEAL looking for out there on the highway?  ---------- Support Shane Hiatt - Get One of Shane's Knives At: https://www.sh9.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SH-sl5qm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sh9outdoorshop ---------- Sponsors:  Beam Take advantage of Beam's biggest sale of the year and get up to 50% off for a limited time w

It takes all sorts to make the world, but only a select few are chosen to lead. Just ask Shane Hiatt - he's a former Point Man for SEAL Team 3, where he met and served together with our very own Mike Ritland. Since then they've been good friends for over 25 years, with Shane swinging by to visit whenever he's in town. He's a modern nomad, living out of his truck for over 15 years (a self-described 'van-lifer' before it was cool) and he owns SH9, an elite knife company that ships products all over the world. He's even been on the podcast before, way back on Episode 50 with Clint Emerson.  Since then, Shane's been traveling, crafting knives and spinning yarns all over the country. But there's a lot more to his past that wasn't revealed last time he was on Mike Drop - that's why he's sitting down with Mike again to share a collective look back at where they've come from early in their careers, and the men they'd eventually grow to become.  ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 03:53 - This Is All A Huge Mistake

Retired Navy SEAL Drago Dzieran has a complicated past. Before serving twenty years at the Tip of the Spear, he was a political prisoner in his home country of Poland after they assumed Communist rule. After immigrating to America, he became a citizen, joined the military, and not long after started serving with Jocko Willink over at SEAL Team 2, before eventually transitioning to SEAL Team 4. He's operated all over the world, stopped a lot of bad guys, and even archived his travels in his memoir 'The Pledge to America: One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL'.  What makes a man move away from his home to fight for another? What was Jocko like on SEAL Team 2? And what does the future have in store for Drago Dzieran? Let's find out. ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:36 - Life was Totally Different Now 06:46 - A Newly-Released Political Prisoner 14:25 - An Emergency U.S. Visa 19:35 - Working-Class American Compassion 33:42 - Joining the Military 38:05 - A Brief Explanation of Skydivi

Drago Dzieran was born in Poland while under Communist rule. After spending time in a Communist prison (also known as a Gulag) as a political prisoner for his activism against against censorship, he immigrated to the United States in 1984, becoming a full U.S. Citizen in 1991. That same year he joined the Navy, where he'd go on to be assigned to SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4, and Naval Special Warfare as a BUD/S Instructor. He's been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, The Navy Commendation Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal, among others.  Since then, Drago's helped to found The Navy SEALs Fund, freedom-of-speech platform ConnectZing, and written a book about his experiences called 'The Pledge To America: One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL'. His story serves as a reminder that America's a country of builders - people who can come together, from far and wide, and build a life for themselves and their family with a little bit of hard work and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. But how di

Nobody understands the border crisis quite like Vince 'Rocco' Vargas. Though most know him now as the actor behind Gilly Lopez on FX's 'Mayans M.C.', Vince is also a retired specialized law enforcement BORSTAR agent, where he operated for years on both sides of the border. He's also a veteran, having been deployed as an Army Ranger, and the author of 'Borderline: Defending the Homefront', where he shares more stories from his work in law enforcement.  Having traveled the country and witnessed the problem firsthand, it's safe to say that Vince has got more than a few hot takes on how to tackle the avalanche of issues that make up the border crisis. But one thing's for sure - Vince has seen the danger, and now he has something to tell us.  ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:16 - Going to the Border 08:47 - Drill Sergeant Selection 16:58 - You're a BORSTAR Agent Now 25:37 - The Mission That Pushed Me Out 31:08 - Sons of Anarchy & Mayans M.C. 46:27 - Authoring Borderline - Defending the Home Front 53:08 -

'Going Hollywood'. It's a phrase that's all too familiar to Vince 'Rocco' Vargas - a veteran turned actor, Vinny's appeared in FX's Mayans M.C. along with a handful of features that have had a surprisingly large impact online. He's also a former Army Ranger, prison guard, drill sergeant, and BORSTAR agent, and nowadays he's an author, podcast host, father, and husband. From afar, it might seem like Vince has had an easy go of things, but that's far from the truth. Struggles in schooling and a fiery need to paddle his own canoe led to military service, but what followed is a whole other ball of wax. Here's Rocco's side of the story. ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:20 - Playing Gilly in Mayans M.C. 09:08 - The Threat of AI 16:11 - Gang Wars 20:49 - Going Into the Rangers 28:17 - Losing Faith in Iraq 35:26 - A Dangerous Daylight Op 44:37 - Losing Friends 52:56 - Stories from Prison 01:06:04- Reforming the Prison System 01:14:39 - Going to the Border ---------- Support Vince Rocco Vargas - Book: Bord

Jason Hanson knows how to keep a secret. It's part of his job, actually - he's a former officer of the CIA, or 'The Agency' as insiders call it - along with an instructor in escape and evasion via his his tactical spy school, a frequent media guest on television programs around the world, and even a New York Times bestselling author with his book 'Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life.' And with a resumé ranging from surveillance to Shark Tank, safe to say Jason's got more than a few good stories worth sharing from the world of intelligence espionage. So how does somebody become a CIA Operative? What kind of work was Jason doing when he worked at the Agency? And just what exactly is the CIA up to nowadays, in a digital world that's constantly connected? Let's meet Jason. ---------- Support Jason Hanson - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonHansonSpyBriefing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-r-hanson-5a1760a5/ Spy + Survival Briefing: https://www.spybriefing.com Enroll in Jason's Tactical Spy Co

Retired Recon Marine Rudy Reyes has got quite the resumé. He's a wildly popular Call of Duty character, he played himself on HBO's Generation Kill, he hosts Special Forces: The World's Toughest Test on FOX - and that's just the popular stuff. He even founded a veteran nonprofit, Force Blue, that's dedicated to changing the world through ocean conservation, all while helping veterans along the way. Some might say Rudy's 'gone Hollywood', but pushing celebrities to their limits every week on national television isn't exactly a soft gig. Fact is, Rudy's still doing the same thing he's always done - kicking ass, taking names, and having a great time doing it.  ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:20 - Navigating the State Department 11:25 - Close Calls in Africa 18:04- Cringe Contracting 32:03 - Special Forces Showbusiness 47:42 - Saving Our Oceans with Force Blue 01:03:31 - I Just Want a Tombstone ---------- Support Rudy Reyes - Website: https://rudyreyes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realrud

Call of Duty. Generation Kill. Special Forces: The World's Toughest Test. For Rudy Reyes, it's all in a days work, but Hollywood's far from his only priority. It's change that matters most to Rudy - you can see it at Force Blue, his veteran nonprofit dedicated to ocean conservation, and in Special Forces on Fox, where he teaches stars to test their limits every week.  How does a recon marine go on to host one of the most daring shows on television? How does he end up playing himself on the breakout HBO series like Generation Kill? And through it all, how does Rudy Reyes manage to stay so positive?  ---------- Support Rudy Reyes - Website: https://rudyreyes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realrudyreyes Force Blue Veteran Nonprofit: https://forceblueteam.org ---------- Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND: SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandC

Every year, CrossFit's toughest athletes enroll to compete in The CrossFit Games, a three-week global competition designed to find the Fittest Man and Fittest Woman on Earth. It's a grueling endeavor, filled with agonizing events and creative challenges that are guaranteed to weed out the weak and crown the victors in glory. Just take it from Dave Castro - he's a retired Navy SEAL that's been organizing the games since 2007, way back on his parents ranch in Aromas, California.  Since those early days he's been hired, fired, re-hired, and through it all, has somehow managed to grow the games from a simple weekend workout to a globally-broadcasted event. How did he do it? What's CrossFit's role in all of it? And is a retired Navy SEAL the sole reason the Games are so brutally challenging? Let's meet Dave. ---------- Support Dave Castro - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedavecastro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@davecastro6289 Support The Crossfit Games -  Website: https://games.crossfit.com YouT

Chronic pain. Adrenal Fatigue. Veteran Care. When it comes to meeting the needs of the average American, western medicine has a lot to answer for. Doctors today are quick to prescribe an all-in-one solution, but does that really help? Rachel Scheer doesn't always think so. She's the Founder and CEO of Rachel Scheer Nutrition, host of the Scheer Madness podcast, and actually a returning guest on Mike Drop, from all the way back on Episode 49.  So what's she been up to since she's been away? Are the Hollywood's new fad diets and latest fitness techniques actually working? And just what exactly is Rachel Scheer doing to help the average joe run faster, feel better, and live longer? ---------- Support Rachel Scheer - Podcast - Scheer Madness with Rachel Scheer: https://rachelscheer.com/scheer-madness Website: https://rachelscheer.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelscheer Linktree: https://linktr.ee/rachelscheer ---------- Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet ALL THINGS MIKE

As a senior non-commissioned officer of Delta Force, the most elite and secretive special operations unit in the U.S. military, Command Sergeant Major Tom Satterly fought some of this country's most fearsome enemies. Over the course of twenty years and thousands of missions, he's fought desperately for his life, rescued hostages, killed and captured terrorist leaders, and seen his friends maimed and killed around him.  Since then, Tom's found an incredible partner in Jen Satterly, started a nonprofit at The All Secure Foundation, and even kicked off a podcast of his own talking to other amazing veterans about their stories beyond the battlefield, All Secure with Tom & Jen. What keeps this warrior going? Let's hear it from the man himself. ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:28 - Arsenal of Hope by Jen Satterly 08:26 - John Cougar Freedom 13:18 - Army Man 19:30 - By The Seat of my Pants 30:06 - DELTA Selection 53:23 - Surviving Somalia - Black Hawk Down 01:16:21- On a Plane for 9/11 01:25:44- Taking C Sq

MARSOC. Intelligence Hacking. Dagger Ops. For Staff Sergeant Michael Bloch, doing rad stuff is all in a days work. And after 12 years of service to our country as a Marine Corps. Raider, Bloch's been busy - he's served as a combat instructor, deployed as a contractor, and even founded his own company, EBS Defense Consulting, along with Project Vetworx, a veteran nonprofit. It's a lot for any one person to handle, much less a vet suffering post-traumatic stress. Fortunately, the V.A. has options for treatment like Nuvigil, a medication that's reported to promote wakefulness. But like any medication, too much of a good thing can quickly turn out bad. Just take it from Michael.---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 09:29 - The Quintessential American Dream 20:44 - Kuwait to Babylon29:42 - 63 Engagements a Month 36:15 - The No-Commms Christmas Eve Miracle 47:00 - The Last Day Patrol 01:00:31 - Six Months Home, Six Months Back 01:06:19 - Combat Instructing at Quantico 01:13:10 - MARSOC Selection01:19:21 - A Raider in

After only 18 months at Savannah PD, Officer Jon Lindsey made the jump to SWAT - partly due to his Army experiencing serving on The 75th Ranger Regiment, but mostly due to his outstanding work ethic and a natural knack for the job. Paired with K-9 Jas, the two got into their own fair share of scrapes and close calls, but nothing too serious. That is, until a race to a scene went all too wrong in July of 2021. Fortunately, when it comes to working dogs, Mike knows a thing or two about loss.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:13 - Savannah Police Academy22:48 - Triage and Footchases37:18 - Combatives Training45:25 - SWAT Stories55:39 - Crazy Calls, Shocking Situations01:00:22 - Losing Jas01:16:01 - Bolt Bites01:28:37 - What's Next?----------Support Jon Lindsey -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_chris_l19Support the Georgia Police K9 Foundation: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiapolicek9foundation----------Sponsors: BioProteinUse code MIKEDROP to save $30 on your first order at https://www.bioprote

Officer Jon Lindsey is what you'd call a 'dog guy'. He's also a husband, a father, and a veteran - he served as a Multi-Purpose Canine Handler while a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. After the Army, he took up at the Savannah Police Academy in Georgia, where he trained police K9 prospects, until he officially joined the department in 2019. Since then, it's been a wild ride serving the good people of Savannah, but it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. Let's meet the man. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro02:44 - Vacation08:43 - Fireworks over Disneyland13:55 - R.A.S.P. - Ranger Assessment and Selection Program 23:40 - Expectation VS Reality34:39 - Ranger School49:32 - A PFC with a Ranger Tab59:46 - Live Contact in Bagram01:13:24 - Home for the Week01:16:34 - K9 Oriented01:23:32 - A Dog named Witty----------Support Jon Lindsey -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_chris_l19Support the Georgia Police K9 Foundation: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiapolicek9foundation----------Sponsors: Black Bu

Jason Sweet's darkest days seem to be behind him now, but last we heard he still had a ways to go. In his most dangerous engagement yet, Jason digs into Mission #0427 Alpha and his closest call in pararescue before stumbling into playing Division 1 Football at the University of Arizona (yes, really) and getting his start in training the next generation with SOCOM Athlete, an elite training group for aspiring SEALS and BUD/S participants. ----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:09 - Mission #0427 Alpha16:17 - Establishing Contact 32:16- And I'm Free Falling42:41 - Coming Home was Weird, Man50:17 - Chasing the Football58:39 - Playing Div 1 at University of Arizona01:07:53 - A Blown-Out ACL01:17:08 - The Science of Sport01:24:11 - SOCOM Athlete01:31:06 - Hell Day01:36:56 - Is PJ Training Harder than BUD/S?----------Support Jason Sweet - SOCOM Athlete: https://www.socomathlete.com/SEND ME Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0fQDggSL1oCS22ZLa0mo9eInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorsweet51/YouTube: https://ww

Jason Sweet isn't like other PJ's. As a members of Air Force Special Warfare, Pararescue Specialists (PJ's) are directly responsible for the rescue and medical treatment of downed military personnel all over the world. And saving lives is only a part of his service record - Jason also spent a spell in Afghanistan, roomed with his own father while he was at boot camp, and even played on special teams for University of Arizona Football.Nowadays he's running an elite Special Operations training program called SOCOM Athlete, merging his knowledgebase with other professionals from different arms of the military to train America's next generation of warriors. But to hear where he came from, you might be surprised to see how far he's come.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro 02:26 - I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist09:39 - Waking Up at 3:45am17:12 - A Small Town in the Desert23:04 - You Have What's Called 'Deadarm'36:05- Training for Parajumping51:33 - SEALS vs PJ's01:07:58 - HALO School, EMT Certified01:12:56

Remi Adeleke has a lot on his plate. Between writing, directing, acting, producing, and even authoring his new book 'Chameleon: A Black Box Thriller', it's safe to say he's busier than ever, and that's in an industry that's not always easy to work in - film and television. He's also been on the show before - avid listeners might remember his appearance back on Episode 32 to talk about his military career as a SEAL, or when he came back again in Episode 59 to catch up and talk current events. So for his third appearance on Mike Drop - a first for any returning guest of the show - what exactly does he have to talk about? Let's get Hollywood.----------Chapters:00:00 - Intro11:00 - Hollywood Surprises14:46 - Big Budget Pictures21:00 - Moviemaking 10125:43 - A Self-Taught Writer30:36 - AI and the Writer's Strike46:10 - Writer, Actor, Producer, Director57:52 - Bankable Names01:03:07 - What Makes A Good Story?01:17:00 - Targeted Content01:23:33 - Organ Harvesting01:34:19 - Blood Trafficking01:42:30 - Safer Screenwri