Mike Drop
Mike Drop, hosted by former Navy SEAL and bestselling author Mike Ritland, is a no-holds-barred platform that dives deep into the stories and experiences of extraordinary individuals. Known for his candid and unfiltered approach, Mike interviews guests ranging from special operations veterans and elite athletes to renowned authors and thought leaders, offering listeners an exclusive glimpse into the human side of those who have excelled in their fields. Whether it's discussing the intense challenges of combat or the resilience required to overcome personal adversity, Mike Drop provides a space where real conversations happen.
Episodes
The Day I Lost a Ranger: Tony Mayne on Faith, Death, and Purpose | Ep. 305 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this conversation, Tony Mayne shares the story he says he's never told publicly before—the loss of his soldier Hing Shaw to an IED, and the impossible decisions made in the seconds and hours that followed. Tony also opens up about being forced out by a medical board, the fight to stay in uniform, and the calling that led him to build Ranger transition and ministry programs for
Rangers, Delta Force, and the Cost of War | Ep. 305 | Pt. 2
In Part 2, former Army Ranger Tony Mayne takes us deep into the objective and execution of the Haditha Dam mission—one of the most heavily defended objectives of the early Iraq War. Tony details the harrowing overnight drive through the desert, the ambush that nearly cost his team everything, and the unique cooperation between Rangers and Delta Force on the ground. From there, the conversation fol
75th Ranger Veteran Finally Speaks On Haditha Dam & the Ambush That Followed | Ep. 305 | Pt. 1
Retired Major Tony Mayne joins the podcast to walk through 12 years in U.S. Special Operations Command, including nine years in the 75th Ranger Regiment's 3rd Battalion, where he took part in the regiment's historic combat parachute assault into Afghanistan after 9/11 and later jumped into Iraq — completing eight combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terror and earning induction into
Debunking the Extortion 17 Conspiracy Theories Once & For All | Ep. 304 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this conversation, Mike Sarraille recounts the base attack in Jalalabad where he served as Joint Strike Force commander, dismantles the conspiracy theories surrounding Extortion 17, and shares the story of Guardian dog Bart's final act protecting his handler Jet Li. He then breaks down his transition out of the military, the founding of Talent War Group, and his current role a
The Night Extortion 17 Went Down & Notifying the Families | Ep. 304 | Pt. 2
Part 2 of this conversation with Mike Sarraille picks up inside the deployments that followed Ramadi, including the chaotic quick-reaction mission into Sadr City alongside a hastily assembled team from two different SEAL platoons. Mike breaks down the brotherhood built with Army infantry on the ground, the Sunni Awakening, and why he believes the Iraq War was ultimately a policy mistake despite th
The REAL Story Behind Michael Monsoor & Task Unit Bruiser | Ep. 304 | Pt. 1
Mike Sarraille breaks down his path from getting kicked out of college to Force Recon to Navy SEAL to DEVGRU. He talks Delta vs DEVGRU, deploying to Ramadi with Task Unit Bruiser, and standing three feet from Michael Monsoor the day he died saving his team. Also covers DEVGRU selection and why he thinks the Iran conflict is repeating Iraq's mistakes.
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Permission to Heal: Prime Hall on Plant Medicine, Faith, and Finding Purpose | Ep. 303 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this Mike Drop conversation, Prime Hall traces his path from military transition into deep psychological healing. He details his first 5-MeO-DMT experience, a profound "hard reset" that showed him both the devastating and the redemptive paths his life could take, and how it launched an unexpected connection to Mike Tyson and Tyson Ranch. Prime opens up about the harder road th
Shot Through the Neck: A Marine Raider's Deadliest Day in Helmand | Ep. 303 | Pt. 2
Prime Hall returns for Part 2 of this Mike Drop conversation, taking listeners deep into his time as a Marine Raider deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He recounts the brutal June 14th, 2012 ambush where two of his closest teammates were shot, the insider attack that nearly killed him weeks later, and the invisible wounds—traumatic brain injury, hearing damage, and psychological toll—that
MARSOC Raider on Combat, Resilience, and Staying Alive | Ep. 303 | Pt. 1
Mike Ritland sits down with Prime Hall — former Marine Raider, Marine Corps water survival instructor, co-founder of Deep End Fitness and Operation Resilience, founder of the Underwater Torpedo League, and recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star, and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Prime is also the author of "Permission to Heal: Redefining Strength for Warriors,
80% of Russian Drones Never Reach Ukraine—Here's the Robot War | Ep. 302 | Pt. 3
In the final part, Mike LeBlanc explains why Ukraine has become a real-time preview of future warfare, where robots and drones now do most of the fighting and over 80% of incoming Russian drones are stopped before impact. He breaks down the political reasons Russia hasn't crushed Ukraine, the underexplored frontier of subsurface warfare exposed by Iran, and why he believes autonomy—not new weapons
Ukraine Battlefield Tests: Robots That Can Now Open Fire | Ep. 302 | Pt. 2
In Part 2, Mike LeBlanc details how a chance call pulled him away from a private equity offer and into Silicon Valley, where he co-founded Cobalt Robotics before launching Foundation Future Industries. He walks through the brutal early days of building a robotics startup, a company crisis over fabricated sales contracts that forced him to overhaul the business, and the pivot into humanoid robots f
He Built the Defense Humanoid Robots Now Fighting in Ukraine | Ep. 302 | Pt. 1
Former Marine Corps officer, Harvard Business School graduate, and entrepreneur Mike LeBlanc spent 13 years in the Marine Corps, including back-to-back deployments advising Afghan forces, service with First Recon, a joint special operations task force in Bahrain, and a Pentagon role evaluating emerging military technology. After leaving active service, he founded Cobalt Robotics and later co-found
WAR BENEATH THE SURFACE: Tunnels, Sub-Terra Combat, and the Next Battlefield | Ep. 301 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this conversation, Major John Spencer breaks down the discipline he's built his career on: urban warfare. He explains why cities are the most complex environment any military can fight in, why the U.S. lacks real expertise in fighting underground, and how history's most costly urban battles keep repeating the same avoidable mistakes. He closes by discussing what he sees as the
THE COST OF COMMAND: 150 Lives, Zero Sleep, and the Making of an Urban Warfare Expert | Ep. 301 | Pt. 2
Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 25 years in uniform, including two combat tours in Iraq as an infantry platoon leader and later as a company commander during the Battle of Sadr City. In this part 2, he describes taking command of a company hours after it was devastated by an Iranian-backed rocket attack, and explains how he rebuilt a broken, stop-lossed unit into one o
TOP WAR STRATEGIST: Why the Iran Escalation Theory Left Out What Mattered Most | Ep. 301 | Pt. 1
Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer with more than 25 years of service and is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare. In this conversation, he breaks down the conflict with Iran, challenges popular predictions about escalation, and explains why war remains inherently human, political, and unpredictable.
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Free Will, Faith, and Second Chances After the Fall | Ep. 300 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this conversation, Derek Janisch talks about rebuilding his life after prison — reconnecting with his ex-wife in Hawaii, moving back to California, and starting over as a father, husband, and businessman. The conversation closes with a deep dive into faith, free will, and how his time in jail shaped a worldview built on second chances.
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He Survived Afghanistan, Then Got Shot Growing Weed | Ep. 300 | Pt. 2
Derek Janisch spent a decade in the SEAL Teams, deploying to Afghanistan and the Philippines, before his life came apart at home. In this part 2, he talks openly about the affair that ended his marriage, the arrests that followed, and the night on a Humboldt County cannabis farm when a dispute over money ended with him being shot in the chest. It's a raw look at what happens when a warrior's nervo
I Survived Afghanistan, But Almost Got K*lled in California Over $3k | Ep. 300 | Pt. 1
Derek Janisch took PKM and RPG fire in Afghanistan and walked away alive. Years later on a California cannabis farm, an argument over $3,000 put a bullet in his chest. In this episode he breaks down both nights, the firefight that should have killed him and the one that almost did, plus the recovery, the scar people mistake for a war wound, and how he ended up back in California teaching shooting
Why the Epstein Files and Its Names Are Never Touched | Ep. 299 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this conversation, Nic McKinley traces his path from private personal recovery work to founding DeliverFund, and delivers a hard-hitting breakdown of the forces enabling child trafficking in America today. He names Roblox CEO David Baszucki's own words on predators and minors, connects the Epstein files to a broader pattern of political silence, and lays out the exact mechanic
CIA Recruitment, High-Speed Chases, and the Op That Led to DeliverFund | Ep. 299 | Pt. 2
Nic McKinley returns for Part 2, picking up right after his time as a Pararescue instructor and walking through his recruitment into a specialized CIA unit. He details the grueling 30-day vetting process, the shooting standards that eliminated seasoned special operators, and the small-team tactics that shaped his work overseas. Nic recounts high-speed chases, joint operations with elite military u
PJ Turned CIA Spy Breaks Silence on Human Trafficking in America | Ep. 299 | Pt. 1
Former U.S. Air Force Pararescueman and CIA officer Nic McKinley — a Harvard grad dubbed "the real Jack Ryan" for his operational background across spec ops and intelligence work — breaks down how his 11 years as a PJ and later role as country chief of a special CIA unit exposed him to the realities of child trafficking and illicit markets, work that eventually became the foundation for DeliverFun
From Imposter to Disciple: Tu Lam on Finding Christ After Fame, Psychedelics & a Broken Heart | Ep. 298 | Pt. 3
In the final chapter of Tu Lam's story, the walls come down completely. Part 3 opens where the inner war is still raging — fame, an imposter's burden, and a broken heart that Eastern philosophy and psychedelics couldn't fully fix. What follows is Tu's account of the moment he finally surrendered to Jesus Christ, how three years of daily Bible study rewired his understanding of sin, sacrifice, and
Call of Duty's Most Downloaded Character: Opiates, Ibogaine & Seeing Jesus | Ep. 298 | Pt. 2
Former Green Beret and Special Mission Unit operator Tu Lam opens up about the hidden battles that followed one of the most decorated careers in special operations. In Part 2, Tu and host Mike Ritland go deep on his years conducting covert intelligence work, the opiate addiction that took root after a 2005 IED blast and quietly consumed nearly a decade of his life, and the shame of a medical retir
Tu Lam: How a Vietnamese Refugee Became a Green Beret & Call of Duty Character | Ep. 298 | Pt. 1
Former Green Beret Tu Lam served over 23 years in Special Forces, deploying to 27 countries, and is the founder of Ronin Tactics and author of The Way of the Ronin. In this episode, Tu shares the full arc of his extraordinary life — from being born in Saigon and escaping war-torn Vietnam as a child refugee on a wooden fishing boat, to becoming one of the most elite operators in the U.S. military.
Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins on Trump's Endorsement, AI Dangers, & Why Florida Must Not Fall Back | Ep. 297 | Pt. 3
Jay Collins — Green Beret, combat amputee, and Florida's Lieutenant Governor — is now running for Governor, going up against a Trump-endorsed opponent in what he calls a fight to protect Florida's values and keep the state from falling backward. In this episode, Jay breaks down why he's speaking out against his primary opponent, foreign interference in Florida politics, the dangers of unchecked AI
Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins: Retiring From Special Forces, the VA System, & Fixing America From the State Level | Ep. 297 | Pt. 2
Jay Collins served as a one-legged Green Beret before retiring on his own terms, then transitioned into nonprofit work and eventually Florida politics — passing 55 bills in three years as a state senator and now serving as Lieutenant Governor under Ron DeSantis while running for Governor. In this episode, Jay breaks down the VA system's failures and how to fix them, why states should lead where Wa
GREEN BERET Did Field Surgery on His Own Arm With No Doctor & Stayed in the Fight | Ep. 297 | Pt. 1
Jay Collins spent 23 years in Army Special Forces, serving in South America and the Middle East as a Green Beret, where he was shot in the arm and ultimately lost a leg from injuries sustained in combat. A recipient of two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and the Combat Infantryman Badge, Jay went on to serve in the Florida State Senate and now serves as Lieutenant Governor of Florida, currently runn
Kyle Morgan on the Mali Hostage Rescue, Moral Injury, Sobriety & Serving Others | Ep. 296 | Pt. 3
Kyle Morgan opens up with raw honesty about his decade with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force). He details the legendary Radisson Blu Hotel hostage rescue in Mali that he led, the intense pre- and post-Radisson deployments, the personal toll of repeated blast injuries and combat trauma, his struggles with alcohol, opioids, ego, and moral injury, multiple DUIs, and the difficult path to redemption, sobriety,
From 82nd Airborne to Delta Force: Kyle Morgan’s Path Through Combat | Ep. 296 | Pt. 2
Kyle Morgan continues his conversation with Mike Ritland, detailing his remarkable journey through the U.S. Army. From his turbulent youth and early deployments with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, through Ranger School, the Old Guard, and Special Forces as a Green Beret, to his selection and service with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), Kyle offers unfiltered insights into combat, leadership, personal strugg
Delta Force Operator Who Led the Radisson Blu Hostage Rescue Breaks His Silence | Ep. 296 | Pt. 1
Kyle Morgan spent over 20 years in the Army as a Green Beret and Delta Force operator, serving in every kinetic conflict since 9/11 including deployments to Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. He is best known for leading the hostage rescue and evacuation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali, where terrorists killed 20 people and took 170 hostages.
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Declared Dead in Vietnam: Major Capers on Faith, Loss, and Coming Home | Ep. 295 | Pt. 3
Major James Capers spent years after Vietnam running ambushes behind enemy lines, surviving an assassination attempt in Hamburg, and serving as a bodyguard to President Nixon before a general sent him home after receiving intelligence that his wife and son would be killed on a Saturday morning. But the moment that defines this episode happened after his bloodiest mission — when he was loaded onto
From Force Recon to the Medal of Honor: Major Capers on Vietnam's Bloodiest Missions | Ep. 295 | Pt. 2
Major James Capers ran 50 missions in Vietnam as a Force Recon Marine — combat swims in shark-infested waters, a POW rescue that earned him his first Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and a four-day battle that left him wounded with his legs broken and his dog dead. He was one of the few African Americans in Force Recon, and fought his way into Combat Swimmer school when the commanding officer tried t
DECLARED DEAD IN VIETNAM: Force Recon Legend Finally Gets the Medal of Honor | Ep. 295 | Pt 1
Major James Capers led a four day mission in Vietnam that should have killed him. His unit was inserted, took heavy contact, and fought through the night with everything they had. He was wounded, his dog was killed, and when the helicopter finally came in to pull them out, he told the crew to take his men and leave him behind. President Trump signed a bill awarding him the Medal of Honor for what
Venezuela, Ideology, and Why We Keep Fighting Unwinnable Wars | Ep. 294 | Pt. 3
Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson closes out a conversation that covers everything from geopolitics to personal redemption. Terry and Mike dig into the Venezuela raid, the consistency problem with U.S. foreign policy, and whether fighting an ideology like Islamic extremism is even winnable. Then it gets personal — Terry reflects on rebuilding his marriage, watching his kids
11 Deployments, a Downed Chinook, and the Grief That Broke Him Open | Ep. 294 | Pt. 2
Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson returns for Part 2 with some of the rawest conversation yet. From witnessing a Chinook go down in flames in Afghanistan to losing his son in 2020, Terry opens up about the grief he buried for years — and what it finally took to break him open. A brutally honest look at rock bottom, rebuilding, and the unlikely path that brought him back.
Lea
Green Beret Exposes the Government's Chinook Shootdown Cover-Up | Ep. 294 | Pt. 1
Retired Army Sergeant Major and Green Beret Terry Wilson spent 24 years in uniform with the 7th Special Forces Group, racking up 11 combat deployments and nearly 11 years total downrange. He is now the CEO of Tactical Edge Coaching and Consulting, where he works with high performance men to become better leaders in all aspects of their life.
In this episode we get into the daily troops in contact
Ibogaine, Iran, and the Epstein Files: A Recon Marine Gets Unfiltered | Ep. 293 | Pt. 3
Retired Marine Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kuperus closes out his conversation with Mike Ritland with the kind of honesty that makes people uncomfortable — and that's exactly the point. From a brutally candid take on the "silent professional" myth and what weak leadership actually looks like, to a raw account of his ibogaine experience in Mexico and what it revealed about his relationship wi
When Leadership Fails in Combat: Lessons from Helmand Province | Ep. 293 | Pt. 2
Retired Marine Force Recon Gunnery Sergeant Ryan Kuperus returns for part two with some of the most harrowing combat accounts you'll hear. From a near-fatal friendly fire incident involving Cobra attack helicopters, to navigating an IED-saturated district center while rescuing a shattered sniper team, Kuperus pulls no punches on what it actually costs when leadership fails on the ground. He also r
Recon Marine Exposes the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps for Stolen Valor | Ep. 293 | Pt. 1
Ryan Kuperus is a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 17+ years in infantry, recon, and Force Recon. Medically retired after multiple combat deployments and enough kinetic stories to fill a book. From leading teams in Now Zad to pulling his own guys out of multiple IED strikes, this one gets raw fast. We talk leadership failures in combat, hunting, ibogaine, and why the system chews up warriors.
Life After SAS & Training America’s SWAT Teams | Ep. 292 | Pt. 3
Former SAS operator Phil Singleton reflects on life after the Regiment. He shares his candid thoughts on the Falklands War, his decision to leave the SAS, and the remarkable journey that followed — from bodyguard work in Saudi Arabia to becoming a U.S. citizen, training American law enforcement with Heckler & Koch, and building his own international tactical training company. Now in his 70s, Phil
From SAS Selection to Storming the Iranian Embassy | Ep. 292 | Pt. 2
Former British SAS operator Phil Singleton shares hard-earned insights from his distinguished career. He offers a firsthand account of the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London, detailing the planning, explosive entry, chaotic assault amid fire, and the realities of hostage rescue. Singleton also reflects on his experiences during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, the rigorous SAS selection process
SAS vs. P Company: Inside British Tier One Selection | Ep. 292 | Pt. 1
Phil Singleton spent years operating in the shadows — tier one SAS, Operation Nimrod, the Iranian Embassy siege — and then quietly disappeared into a second career training thousands of law enforcement officers across the U.S. as Training Director for Heckler & Koch. He doesn't carry a cell phone, doesn't chase recognition, and until now has been one of the most quietly consequential British opera
Nuclear Power, $39 Trillion in Debt, and a Broken VA: Adam Schwarze's Senate Blueprint | Ep. 291 | Pt. 3
In the final installment of this three-part conversation, Adam Schwarze lays out his policy vision with the same directness he brought to the battlefield. From making nuclear energy his Senate legacy to dismantling deficit spending and bureaucratic rot, Adam doesn't speak in talking points — he speaks from experience. The conversation also gets into opposition research, the corruption baked into f
From Ship Boardings to the Senate Floor: Adam Schwarze on Iran, COVID, and Running for Office | Ep. 291 | Pt. 2
Adam Schwarze—Marine infantryman turned Navy SEAL officer, Harvard-educated warrior-scholar, and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota—sits down with Mike for part two of a raw, unfiltered conversation. From completing BUD/S as a seasoned combat veteran to conducting 75–100 real-world ship boardings in the Middle East, Adam's operational resume is as uncommon as his path to politics. T
WAR With Iran Would Be a DISASTER... And Nobody Wants to Admit It | Ep. 291 | Pt. 1
Adam Schwarze enlisted in the Marines three weeks after watching the Twin Towers fall live from his senior year English class and never really stopped fighting. Nine deployments, 70 plus countries, classified undersea SEAL operations, and now a grassroots Senate run in Minnesota with no establishment backing. This one gets into all of it, the rocket shots in Iraq, the brother who died in his arms,
We Suck at Combatives: How One SEAL Chief Rebuilt the Teams' Fighting Program | Ep. 290 | Pt. 3
Randy Rozzell returns to close out his conversation with Mike Ritland, pulling back the curtain on what it took to rebuild Naval Special Warfare's combatives program from the ground up. From hand-to-hand fights for his life on deployment to standing in front of admirals and master chiefs and admitting the Teams sucked at close-quarters combat, Randy held nothing back. He also opens up about life a
Was It Worth It? A SEAL's Honest Reckoning With Combat, Sacrifice, and Afghanistan | Ep. 290 | Pt. 2
Randy Rozzell—retired Navy SEAL, 22-year veteran, and former Chief of Naval Special Warfare Combatives—goes deep on the missions that defined his career. From a grueling five-day firefight in Marjah to covert operations he still can't fully detail, Randy pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to serve at the tip of the spear. He also wrestles with the harder questions: the cost of war, the
Survived Hell Week 4 Times & Built the Combatives Program That Changed NSW Forever | Ep. 290 | Pt. 1
Randy Rozzell is a retired SEAL Chief with 22 years in the teams, multiple combat deployments with Team Seven, the guy who rewrote how Naval Special Warfare teaches hand-to-hand combat. A small-town Texas kid who ran away from home at 14, fought his way into and out of BUD/S more times than most guys even attempt it, then went on to build one of the most operationally relevant combatives programs
SOG One-Zero School, Post-War Reflections & Views on Vietnam, Iran & Modern Conflicts | Ep. 289 | Pt. 3
MACV-SOG operator Travis Mills continues sharing his extraordinary journey. He discusses running the One-Zero School at Long Thanh to train new SOG team leaders, the profound sense of purpose that emerged from surviving the FOB 4 sapper attack, his transition out of the Army, and decades of post-service work—and shares his straightforward views on current threats like Iran, nuclear proliferation,
MAC-V SOG in Vietnam: Silent Movement, Supply Route Ambushes, and the Night FOB 4 Was Overrun | Ep. 289 | Pt. 2
Vietnam War veteran and former MACV-SOG operator Travis Mills shares raw, firsthand accounts from his time with the elite Studies and Observations Group. He details the extreme challenges of small-team reconnaissance insertions deep into enemy territory, the silent movement techniques essential for survival against overwhelming odds, high-risk missions blocking North Vietnamese supply routes, a ha
Inside MAC-V SOG: The Green Beret Who Ran the Most Classified Missions of the Vietnam War | Ep. 289 | Pt. 1
My guest today is a man who existed in the shadows of one of the most classified units in American military history — a Vietnam-era Green Beret named Travis Mills who helped build the legendary MACV-SOG one-zero school, ran recon deep into Laos when we "weren't there," got shot multiple times during one of the deadliest single-night attacks ever to hit Army Special Forces, and lived to sit across
Rowing the Pacific: 60 Days at Sea, Endurance & Ocean Expedition | Ep. 288 | Pt. 3
In the final part of Episode 288 on the Mike Drop Podcast, Mike Ritland continues his conversation with retired Army Ranger and jiu-jitsu academy owner Greg Anderson. They dive into Greg’s upcoming 3,100-mile unsupported ocean rowing expedition from Washington to Maui, including boat logistics, team dynamics, extreme endurance challenges, and the personal drive behind pushing human limits. The dis
America First Foreign Policy: Isolationism, Israel, Iran & Endless Wars | Ep. 288 | Pt. 2
In part 2 of Episode 288 on the Mike Drop Podcast, Mike Ritland sits down with retired Army Ranger Greg Anderson. They discuss America First foreign policy, skepticism toward endless wars and foreign aid, reflections on World War II and government trust, and when (if ever) the U.S. should get involved overseas. The conversation then turns to Greg’s work building community through jiu-jitsu, the fi
They LIED About IRAN: What Really Happened in the Strait of Hormuz | Ep. 288 | Pt. 1
Greg Anderson returns to the Mike Drop Podcast. The former Army Ranger and U.S. Marshal breaks down the conflict with Iran, the strategic ripple effects, and what’s really happening in the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t being talked about. He also explains why he wouldn’t want his kids to join the military—and why he believes U.S. foreign policy needs a serious shift.
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Iran, the Strait of Hormuz & Why Boots on the Ground Would Be a Disaster | Ep. 287 | Pt. 3
Joe England (The Stoic Viking), shares unfiltered insights on the current conflict with Iran. He breaks down the strategic realities of the Strait of Hormuz, the challenges of regime change, shifting alliances, and why boots-on-the-ground solutions remain extremely risky. He also discusses the long-term threat of China’s global influence, the dangers of unchecked conspiracy thinking, and how stoic
A Tier 1 SIGINT Operator’s View of Delta, DEVGRU & Iran | Ep. 287 | Pt. 2
Joe England (The Stoic Viking) delivers a firsthand account of life inside America’s most secretive intelligence unit, Task Force Orange (Intelligence Support Activity/ISA). He details attachments with Delta Force and DEVGRU SIGINT operations in Iraq and beyond, working against Iranian Quds Force elements during the rise of ISIS, and the challenges of clandestine missions under alias across multip
Iran Prepares to Strike the US As Tensions Escalate in the Middle East | Ep. 287 | Pt. 1
Joe England—aka Stoic Viking—shares his incredible story of survival, resilience, and purpose. After a near-fatal car accident that changed everything, Joe opens up about rebuilding mentally and physically, his drive to serve, and the mindset forged through adversity. The conversation also dives into hard geopolitical realities, including a raw discussion on Iran, global conflict, and what many ar
Boots on the Ground in Iran? Clint Bruce Breaks Down Trump's Strategy in the Middle East | Ep. 286 | Pt. 2
Clint Bruce weighs the strategic realities of the U.S. strikes on Iran, the regime-change question, nuclear risks, and potential boots-on-the-ground scenarios, while drawing directly from his combat experience and command roles. He also breaks down the conviction and selflessness that define elite SEAL leadership, his own transition out of the military, and the companies he built—Trident Response
Leaving The NFL To Join The SEAL Teams, Trump's Strategy in Iran & More | Ep. 286 | Pt. 1
Clint Bruce, former NFL linebacker who walked away from the league to become a Navy SEAL, completed multiple combat deployments, and now leads Trident Response Group while co-founding Carry The Load to honor our fallen, sits down for a powerful conversation on leadership and resilience.
From the intensity of competing in the NFL to the unforgiving demands of SEAL training, Clint shares hard-earne
Leading Special Forces Selection, Media Battles, and the Fight for Veteran Suicide Reform | Ep. 285 | Pt. 3
Former Australian 2nd Commando Regiment officer and combat veteran Heston Russell opens up about his personal journey, including coming to terms with his sexuality while serving, family reactions, and the cultural differences in veteran support between Australia and the United States. He details his exchange posting with the 75th Ranger Regiment, a later deployment to Iraq in a joint special opera
U.S. Allies and the Human Cost of War | Ep. 285 | Pt. 2
Former Australian Commando Heston Russell continues his detailed account of life inside Australia’s elite special forces. He covers domestic counter-terrorism readiness, high-stakes training exchanges with U.S. DEVGRU and FBI HRT, protecting the Prime Minister in Afghanistan, and leading intense combat operations during his 2012 deployment—including 67 missions, significant insurgent casualties, a
Australian Commando Selection, Iran War & The Future of Warfare | Ep. 285 | Pt. 1
Heston Russell, former Major with Australia’s 2nd Commando Regiment, multiple combat deployments. We’re going deep on what commando selection actually does to your mind and body, how he built and led teams through Afghanistan and Iraq, and why he’s now on a mission to fix veteran support back home. We also discuss the Iran war and Australia's stance in the midst of the the conflict.
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From Honeypots to AI Grooming: Inside the Fourth Intelligence Revolution | Ep. 284 | Pt. 3
Former intelligence officer, NGA Chief Technology Officer, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Mike Ritland on Mike Drop to explore the new frontiers of espionage in the age of AI. They break down honeypot traps and modern recruitment risks, how social media and AI-powered disinformation have transformed propaganda, why teaching civil society to “think like an
Iraq Regret, Iran Strikes & Epstein Timing | Ep. 284 | Pt. 2
Former intelligence officer, NGA Chief Technology Officer, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Mike Ritland on Mike Drop to break down the Iraq War’s long-term consequences, the power vacuum that empowered Iran, and the risks of current U.S. strikes escalating into another costly entanglement. Vinci weighs whether boots on the ground will be needed, the danger
Boots on the Ground in Iran? This Ends Like Iraq… | Ep. 284 | Pt. 1
Former intelligence officer, NGA Chief Technology Officer, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Mike Ritland on Mike Drop to unpack America’s high-stakes Iran moves. As deception returns, ships reposition, and Marines surge into the region, Vinci draws hard lessons from Iraq: boots on the ground may deliver victory but at the brutal price of prolonged insurgent
Epstein Leverage, Iran Strikes & AI Warfare: Nick Koumalatsos Unfiltered | Ep. 283 | Pt. 3
Nick Koumalatsos, Marine Raider, returns for the final segment of Episode 283.
The discussion examines the Epstein case as a form of systemic leverage, followed by a critical assessment of U.S. strikes in Iran—questioning underlying motives, strategic interests, and broader implications.
They address the rapid integration of AI in warfare, including autonomous targeting and the diminishing role
Nick Koumalatsos on Optimizing Men's Health + Iran Strikes as Distraction? | Ep. 283 | Pt. 2
Nick Koumalatsos, Marine Raider and combat veteran, returns for Part 2.
This episode covers hormone optimization and TRT, peptide protocols for recovery, and the importance of discipline and accountability—principles rooted in special operations and applied to business and life.
Nick also shares the powerful story of adopting his youngest child.
The conversation closes with a critical look at
Is Iran a Distraction From the Epstein Files? | Ep. 283 | Pt. 1
Marine Raider and combat vet Nick Koumalatsos breaks down the current U.S. strikes in Iran and answers the hard question: are these precision attacks the opening moves of a real regime-change campaign, or just the latest massive distraction timed perfectly with the Epstein file drops and the sudden mainstream “aliens are real” push? We dig into the first torpedo sinking of an enemy ship since Worl
Iran, Cuba & Venezuela: How Trump Intends to Shift the Global Order in 2026
Trump says Cuba might be next, oil prices are spiking after Iran, China is building submarines, and Russia is feeding intel to Iran.
In this episode, I break down what’s actually going on behind the headlines—why Venezuela, Iran, and Cuba might all be connected, how energy and the petrodollar play into global power, and why transparency from our leaders matters.
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Inside the White House War Room | Special Forces Veteran Mark Grdovic | Ep. 281 | Pt. 3
In Part 3 of Episode 281 of the Mike Drop Podcast, I sit down with Mark Grdovic to talk about what happened after the Iraq invasion—getting pulled out of theater sooner than expected, taking those lessons back to train the next generation of Special Forces, and landing in one of the most unique jobs in the military: running the President’s Emergency Operations Center at the White House.
We also g
The Secret Northern Front of the Iraq War: Special Forces & Kurdish Fighters | Ep. 281 | Pt. 2
In Part 2 of Episode 281 of the Mike Drop Podcast, I sit down with Special Forces veteran Mark Grecovich to break down the planning and execution behind Operation Viking Hammer. We get into working with Kurdish forces, the complications with Turkey backing out, and how Green Berets adapted on the fly to launch a high-risk mission against an Al-Qaeda–affiliated group in the mountains of northern Ir
Operation “Viking Hammer” Was Never the Real Mission? | Ep. 281 | Pt. 1
Retired Green Beret, Mark Grdovic shares the largely untold story of what came to be known as "Operation Viking Hammer", a 2003 U.S. Army Special Forces mission in northern Iraq that targeted the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam prior to the main invasion. Working alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, 10th Special Forces Group conducted a coordinated assault on entrenched enemy positions in mountain
A Sniper’s Redemption: Therapy, Plant Medicines, and Overcoming Combat Trauma | Ep. 280 | Pt. 3
In the final part of this three-part episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, host Mike Ritland wraps up the conversation with former British Army sniper Ted Shirley. Ted shares his path to recovery from severe PTSD through civilian therapy, grounding techniques, EMDR, mindfulness, plant medicines, and years of hard work. He describes backpacking the world, rediscovering music, writing his book Afghanist
The Sniper's Demon: Precision Shots, Trauma, Suicide Attempts, and Life After the Front Line | Ep. 280 | Pt. 2
In this intense episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, host Mike Ritland speaks with former British Army sniper Ted Shirley about his 2009–2010 Afghanistan tour. Ted recounts mile-long confirmed kills, massive air assaults, close calls with enemy snipers, the combat high—and the brutal aftermath: severe PTSD, nightmares, aggression, addiction-like urges around killing, suicide attempts, and medical dis
British Army Sniper on Who Really Killed Charlie Kirk | Ep. 280 | Pt. 1
Ted Shirley, a former British Army sniper with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and author of Afghanistan Sniper: Trauma on the Frontline and Beyond, recounts his two brutal tours in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, where he became one of the UK’s deadliest snipers. He opens up about the psychological toll of combat, including PTSD, addiction to the kill, substance abuse, and suicide attempts, and shares
Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Cartels: Crenshaw’s Take on U.S. Foreign Policy Choices | Ep. 279 | Pt. 3
In the final part of Episode 279 of Mike Drop, Mike Ritland and Congressman Dan Crenshaw wrap up their discussion. Crenshaw addresses federal spending, waste vs. fraud in entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, the unsustainable path of these programs, and why meaningful reform remains politically toxic. The conversation shifts to foreign policy—Ukraine aid, Israel support, deterring Chin
Dan Crenshaw Responds to Shawn Ryan and Eddie Gallagher Controversies | Ep. 279 | Pt. 2
In Part 2 of Episode 279 of Mike Drop, host Mike Ritland sits down with U.S. Congressman and former Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw for a candid, no-filter conversation. Crenshaw breaks down the Shawn Ryan controversy—accusations of insider trading, fabricated threats, and the collapsed podcast interview—while defending his actions during the Eddie Gallagher case. He also shares his perspective on the real
Dan Crenshaw Controversy and Allegations - YOU Be The Judge | Ep. 279 | Pt. 1
Dan Crenshaw sits down with Mike Ritland on the Mike Drop Podcast for a raw conversation. The former Navy SEAL and Texas Congressman opens up about his journey into politics, major policy fights (border security, cartels, flood mitigation, energy dominance), and directly addresses insider trading allegations, campaign finance, and the heated drama with Shawn Ryan and Eddie Gallagher—sharing receip
Epstein Exposed: Julian Dorey on Mossad Ties, Blackmail, and Why the List Stays Hidden | Ep. 278 | Pt. 3
In Part 3 of Episode 278 of the Mike Drop podcast, host Mike Ritland continues his in-depth conversation with podcaster Julian Dorey. The discussion explores handling false claims from guests, the value of constructive criticism from comments, the vulnerability of independent media to psyops and influence operations, the Ashton Forbes MH370 controversy and lessons from public drama, Epstein's like
Julian Dorey: Health Struggles, Podcast Evolution, and the Realities of Content Creation | Ep. 278 | Pt. 2
In Part 2 of Episode 278 of the Mike Drop podcast, host Mike Ritland speaks with podcaster Julian Dorey about his relentless path to building his show. The conversation covers Dorey’s severe, undiagnosed health crisis that nearly ended his ambitions, his all-in commitment to podcasting despite physical and mental exhaustion, the realities of content creation—including YouTube algorithms, guest vet
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