Mike Drop

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Bedros Keuilian believes that you can have it all. Fame, fortune, glory - any earthly desire, all within reach, but only if you're willing to earn it. He's a CEO, entrepreneur, author, mentor, podcast host, and an early immigrant, having immigrated from Armenia to southern California at a young age. Most importantly, he's an ardent believer in the American Dream, and the power of the human spirit.  Today, Bedros uses the stage, social media, and his podcast to share his story and inspire others, but that's far from where he started. So what's it like starting over with nothing? How do you find your footing in a country where you don't speak the same language as everybody else? And most importantly - what's got Bedros so fired up in the first place?  ---------- Support Bedros Keullian -  Website - https://bedroskeuilian.com/ Podcast, 'The Bedros Keuilian Show' - https://bedroskeuilian

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Jimmy Watson has got one hell of a story to tell. He served 17 years on active duty, first with two deployments as a U.S. Marine before getting into private contracting at Blackwater, where he'd eventually rise to the rank of Team Leader and find himself squarely in the sights of the F.B.I. following the events of the Nisour Square Massacre.  From there he'd join SEAL Teams over at SDV off the coast of Hawaii, before eventually pivoting into bodyguard work for one John McAfee - shortly before becoming Team McAfee's very own CEO. Throw in a scandalous dash of crypto trading, a sketchy stint doing in contract work in Columbia, and you've got yourself one hell of a story. Fortunately for us, when it comes to Jimmy Watson, nothing is off limits.  ---------- Support Jimmy Watson -  Join Jimmy's Warrior Tribe, Touchpoint Nation, at https://www.jimmywatson.co Instagram: https://www.instagra

Air Force Pararescuemen, also known as PJ's, are the only elite combat force in the Department of Defense that are trained and equipped to perform personnel recovery. PJs are highly trained special operators who rescue, recover, and return American or allied forces in times of danger or extreme duress. It's a dangerous position from any angle - air, land, or sea, PJ's are there when others are not. Just take it from Brandon Daugherty.  With seven back-to-back deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and a few classified missions in parts unknown, Brandon knows a thing or two about flying into the dark. And after 10 years in Pararescue, he's since pivoted to rescuing astronauts with his company at Operator Solutions that we covered in his previous episode. But what makes PJ's so special? Where's Brandon seen the most action? And most importantly - what kind of situations has he seen that the rest of us never even heard about?  ---------- Support Brandon Daugherty and Operator Solutions -  https://os-rescue

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Brandon Daugherty rescues Astronauts. It's a complicated notion for a such a simple statement - where do Astronauts need to be rescued from, exactly? How many Astronauts are you rescuing in a given month, or even a year? And how does a guy like Brandon go from diving out of helicopters to snatching cosmic explorers right out of the ocean? Turns out, it all starts in the Air Force with a decade of Pararescue, along with seven back-to-back deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa to boot. Nowadays, Brandon's own Operator Solutions is doing incredible work alongside the likes of NASA and SpaceX, as well as his philanthropic work over at the Alpha 5 Project for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, but you don't get to save spacemen without doing a little homework first. So how do you rescue an Astronaut, anyway? Brandon's got the answers.  ---------- Support Brandon Daugh

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop You might not know it, but the United States Secret Service does a lot more than simply protecting the President. They're acting security for any Heads of State, including those foreign and domestic, alongside their families and any close confidants that require around-the-clock service. They also investigate crimes against the financial infrastructure of the United States, moving across the globe to ensure the validity of our economic systems. And with any wide berth of responsibility comes preparation - simply put, when you have to be prepared for anything, preparation quickly becomes everything. So what's it like working inside the White House? Have there been any close calls or scandalous operations that the mainstream media never reported on? And most importantly - how can you tell whether or not somebody is telling the truth when it really counts? Let's ask Evy.  ---------- Get Y

The United States Secret Service is one of our nation's most important federal agencies. Serving under the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service Agents are charged with conducting criminal investigations, protecting U.S. political leaders and their families, and ensuring the safety of visiting heads of state, no matter the cost. Just take it from Evy Poumpouras - she's a former NYPD Officer turned Secret Service Agent with over a dozen years of experience, having served under the protection detail of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.  And while the Agency may have 'Secret' in the name, there's plenty of questions worth asking. What's training look like when you have to protect some of the world's most important assets? How is the Agency - and the Oval Office - equipped to handle whatever may come? And most importantly - when you're protecting an Enemy of the State, just how far will you go to keep them safe?  ---------- Get Your Copy of Evy's Book 'Becoming Bulletproof: L

Sam Mackey retired from the U.S. Navy with over 20 years of service in SEAL Teams, having served first as a Sniper at SEAL Team Eight before pivoting to SEAL Team Four. During his tenure he deployed to the likes of Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda, Cameroon, and more. He's also nearly a record-holder, having taken a shot at the title (literally) with a particularly long-distance engagement during his time in Afghanistan. Today, he's the CEO and Co-Owner of Outsider, a high-quality outdoor lifestyle brand that's encouraing people to get outside, be bold, and live free.  Serving on a SEAL Team is tough enough, so how does somebody end up deploying twith two of them? What's the story behind that nearly-a-world-record sniper shot? And most importantly - what kind of stories do you get when you serve 20 years at SEAL Teams? Let's ask Sam.  ---------- Support Sam Mackey & Outsider -  Website - https://www.outsider.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/outsiderig ---------- Sponsors:  Beam Take advantage of Bea

The crisis at the southern border is a hotly-contested topic among Americans, but few have seen the realities of the situation quite like Arizona Chief Deputy Sheriff Matthew Thomas. During his 31 years on the force, he's served in a variety of roles, from SWAT to Detention to Narcotics, and he's seen firsthand just how awful human beings can be to one another when there's something to be gained. In fact, that's why he sat down with Mike in studio in the first place - to talk about the very real dangers happening every day at the border, and why those hazards often seem to spill over into both sides of the fence. ---------- Get Your Copy of 'Interceptors: The Untold Fight Against the Mexican Cartels' at: https://www.onetimenation.com/shop Support Matthew Thomas -  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deputy_onetime/ Website: https://www.onetimenation.com/ ---------- Sponsors:  Ned Visit https://www.helloned.com/mikedrop to get 15% off your first order using promo code MIKEDROP. That's https://www.helloned.com

Matthew Thomas is an active-duty Chief Deputy Sheriff in Pinal County, Arizona - one of the fastest growing counties in the country, in no small part due to it's proximity to the southern border. During his over 31 years of duty, Matthew's served in Detention, Patrol, Traffic, Training, Academy, Narcotics, Anti-Smuggling, Motors and SWAT. Not only is Matthew a tried and true on-the-ground resource for the current crisis at the border - he's also a bellwether for how judicial precedence has worked in the state for the last three decades, and a verifiable indicator of where things may be headed next.  But you don't get to be Chief Deputy just for spending time on the force - there's a whole mess of stories just waiting to be told, from working undercover to busting trafficking rings, catching cartel members, and even a few car chases to boot. Let's meet Sheriff Thomas.  ---------- Get Your Copy of 'Interceptors: The Untold Fight Against the Mexican Cartels' at: https://www.onetimenation.com/shop Support Matthew

Anyone can be Special Operations - or at least, that's what Mike O'Dowd thinks. To him, Special Operations is a mindset - one about never accepting failure and refusing to settle for mediocrity. He's a 9 year Navy SEAL Vet with SEAL Team Seven, having deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He's served as a Breacher, Fighter, Waterman, Weapons Instructor, and he's even qualified as an NCAA Division 1 Athlete in rowing. He even founded Defense Strategies Training Group, a collective of Special Operations Combat Veterans dedicated to providing world-class security training with decades of real-world Special Operations Experience.  Safe to say, Mike's seen his fair share of hard times. Fortunately, like any problem, it's rarely something a little hard work (and maybe a few explosives) can't solve.  ---------- Train with Defense Strategies Group at https://www.defensestrategies.us Support Mike O'Dowd -  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_oscar_delta YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5bH6wg7ln8lTc7

Training an animal to move, obey, and communicate effectively is no easy feat - especially when you're serving at the Tip of the Spear. That's where SEAL Team Seven Canine Handler Chris Cappa met Mickey anyway - a scrappy pup that would go on to become an absolute beast on deployment, snagging bites and catching bombs for nearly every op he went on. Of course, that's only part of the story, and finding out the full weight of the military's might in the wake of the coronavirus scare, traveling to foreign lands for plant-based medicines, and joining the Warrior Dog Foundation's new Home with Handlers program all play a part. Just take it from Chris.  ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - From SEAL Team 10 to SEAL Team 7 07:11 - Mickey's First Bite 19:55 - Training for Targeted Bitework 30:00 - Dampened Deployment 35:40 - LPO of the MPC  42:59 - No Shot For Me, Thanks 50:56 - Haircuts and Mustaches 54:19 - What Would Have Been Next? 01:03:06 - Ibogaine and Plant-Based Medicines 01:21:50 - The Warrior Dog

Every warrior has a different reason for going over the wire. For Chris Cappa, it was almost destiny; a chance encounter at a local gym turned into a series of relationships that were suddenly severed in a 2011 Afghanistan Boeing Chinook shootdown - otherwise known as Extortion 17. Soon after, Chris found himself headed to bootcamp, and before long, deploying at the Tip of the Spear with SEAL Team Seven in West Africa and Afghanistan.  It wouldn't be long before Chris would find his real passion - canine handling with Mickey, the scrappy dog he feared may have been a non-starter right out of the gate. Turns out, great things really do come from small beginnings.   ---------- Support Chris Cappa - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_chriscappa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WarriorDog/videos/warrior-dog-home-whandler-program/380732714475128/ Support the Warrior Dog Foundation -  The Warrior Dog Foundation: https://warriordogfoundation.org/donate Teamdog: https://teamdog.shop/ ---------- Sponso

There's more to being a Marine Squad Infantry Leader than simply telling other Marines what to do. You're not only responsible for your squad's successes, but you also feel the weight of the most devastating of failures. But The Battle of Marjah isn't where Lions of Marjah author Ryan Rogers' story ends - a resurgence of vengeance, a Five-Day War, and getting out alive is all an integral part of the tale. Remember - it's not about the choices, it's about the chances.  ---------- Get Your Copy of Ryan's New Book, 'Lions of Marjah', on Amazon - ibit.ly/AYKJ_ Subscribe to Ryan's Podcast, 'Choices Not Chances' - https://choicesnotchancespodcast.com Support Ryan Rogers -  Website: https://choicesnotchancespodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsqcmxKqaR4dIFFpaJxhtrQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChoicesNotChances ---------- Sponsors:  ZBiotics Go to zbiotics.com/MIKEDROP to get 15% off your first order when you use MIKEDROP at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee

The Battle of Marjah. A knock-down, drag-out, world class brawl. Featuring over 15,000 soldiers from all over the world, it was the largest joint operation in Afghanistan up to that point. And Ryan Rogers knows it better than most - he was a Marine Infantry Squad Leader for the whole damn thing. He was on the ground for the first day, and the next, and the day after, making the sort of decisions most wouldn't dare face. He's also the host of the Choices Not Chances podcast, and he's the author of 'Lions of Marjah', where he retells the events of the entire engagement from his perspective on the ground.  Believe it or not, there's more to this story than meets the eye - a fleet anti-terrorism security team, a surprising turn in the boxing ring, and a unique appreciation of just how powerful the men and women of the armed forces really are all play a part in Ryan's tale. Let's meet the man.  ---------- Get Your Copy of Ryan's New Book, 'Lions of Marjah', on Amazon - ibit.ly/AYKJ_ Subscribe to Ryan's Podcast

After 7 years of flying as an Apache Helicopter Pilot for the Army, Ryan Fugit knew it was time to settle down. So naturally, he moved back to the States, settled in with his family, and immediately joined the CIA as a Collection Management Officer. But working at The Agency isn't all office work - Ryan spent time in Europe and North Africa, rubbing elbows with some of the most unique individuals in spy craft. He even took his kids on a couple of operations, though they'd never know it at the time. And after all that, he took up securities work at huge Fortune 500 companies, tracking down some of the most illicit material on the internet and serving justice to the most offending trolls on the internet.  Now, he hosts Combat Story, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories from veterans just like our very own Mike Ritland, but that's far from the only detail worth sharing. How did Ryan's time at the CIA change with the constant influx of new tech, like facial recognition? Why are the world's most popular search

Ryan Fugit is pretty good at seeing the bigger picture. Nowadays, he's a podcast host - hosting 'Combat Stories,' a weekly interview series dedicated to sharing war stories from some truly incredible veteran warriors - but before podcasting, he was a veteran himself, having served over seven years as an Army AH-64 Apache Helicopter pilot in Afghanistan in the post-9/11 era. After that, he spent eight years at the CIA (or 'The Agency', as it's known internally), supporting warfighters indirectly from a different kind of foxhole.  When it comes to providing additional support, whether it's in the air above a battlefield or inside the very technology that keeps us safe, it's safe to say that Ryan knows just how valuable those moment-to-moment decisions can be. The smallest move, the slightest tilt, and suddenly, everything could come tumbling down. After all - whoever said piloting a helicopter was easy?  ---------- Subscribe to Combat Story (Podcast) on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1HfaevfdgCfgc5Z

Wait a minute, TOPGUN only trains students to become instructors? Turns out, there's quite a few details the Tom Cruise movies missed when it comes to the most elite flying academy in the world - but when it comes to real world dogfighting, it's not all about academics. It's truly a mental game, where you mean to outwit the opposite pilot before they can get the jump on you. Just take it from Jack Stewart - after he passed through TOPGUN he too became an instructor, before pivoting into commercial aviation. In Part Two of his discussion with Mike, Jack digs into Hollywood myths, real-world dangers, and whether or not there we really are alone in the universe. And what pilot hasn't seen a few UFO's in their day?  ---------- Get Your Copy of Jack's Book, 'Unknown Rider' on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/t33vbtyy Support Jack Stewart - Website: https://jackstewartbooks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackstewartbooks X: https://twitter.com/JackStewartBook ---------- Sponsors:  ZBiotics This holid

Why's my dog so aggressive? How can I start to train them more effectively? And what's the secret to getting any dog to truly obey your commands? There may be a million ways to skin a cat, but dog training doesn't have to be that complicated. Just ask Mike Ritland. When he's not hosting his podcast, he's hard at work over at Teamdog, training elite protection dogs and providing nutrition, supplies, and insight solutions for dog owners everywhere. That's why he's sitting down for a special end-of-the-year Q&A episode of Mike Drop - to answer some of your most asked questions about man's best friend.  ---------- Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:53 - Is My Dog Afraid of Men? 08:52 - My Dog Loves People but Hates Other Dogs! 15:30 - How Long Does it Take to Train a Dog? 17:30 - Is Mouthing as Bad as the Experts Say? 19:28 - When Should I Start Using a Training Collar?  25:49 - Does Mike Ritland like Cats? 30:26 - Animal Canine Chiropractors?  32:16 - Aggression versus Reactivity 34:09 - Canine Puzzles for Brain Acti

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