Combat Check in - Printable Version

On Combat Story This Week

This is our annual Veterans Day tribute where we play the responses our guests shared when answering our question “Would you do it all again?” These often bring a tear to my eye as I hear these battle-hardened warriors volunteering to go right back into the fight. I particularly think back on Intake’s response where he notes it was a privilege for him to serve but even more important to thank his family who waited for and supported him through years of deployments and near misses. You can’t think of Veterans Day without thinking about the sacrifices of the families at home while the vets were downrange. The same is true for me and my family.

This Day in Military and Intel History…

On November 11, 1918 (as we all know as the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month), the Armistice of Compiègne was signed, marking the end of World War I. This historic agreement between the Allies and Germany came into effect at 11 a.m. Paris time, symbolizing the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front. It was a momentous event that signaled the conclusion of one of the deadliest conflicts in history. One thing I didn’t realize was that over 2,000 people still died on that day before the treaty was signed if you can imagine the heartbreak for those individuals and their families.

What I’ve Been Doing this Week…

I had an eventful week traveling first to San Diego for my late uncle’s memorial ceremony and service at Miramar National Cemetery (it’s a beautiful new cemetery overlooking San Diego and we could see and hear F/A-18s flying on the horizon. My uncle served in the Army in Vietnam, doing his time like so many others. I then traveled to Texas to do an in-person interview and crossover episode with Mike Ritland, the host of the successful Mike Drop podcast which will release in the coming weeks (the image in this newsletter is Mike's studio).

From Our Listeners!

“Georgia Boy US sailorman” said the following with a five star review on Apple Podcasts (THANK YOU) about our interviews with AJ Pasciuti and I would have to agree!

Humble “AJ Peashoo” is one of the all time greatest of all podcasts ever. I don’t know how you keep finding these “Fine Young Men.”keep setting the bar higher and higher. Great job. Keep up the great work of amazing podcasts.

Mutt Q had the following to say with a five star review on Apple Podcasts (Thank you!)

Another Excellent Show

This is a way overdue review of an excellent podcast. I love everything about this show, the adventures, stories of camaraderie and struggles. Ryan is an excellent interviewer.

This particular episode had me in tears several times. Listening to how others experienced trauma and dealing with it afterwards helps me cope with the loss and related trauma related to losing people I was very close to. It helps me to realize I am not alone and sometimes it’s just life. Thank you Ryan for all you do. It’s an important mission.

PS: Ryan, thank you for acknowledging the sound quality and your pledge to work on it. You have a lot of half deaf veterans like myself, who in the past have found it difficult to hear episodes. it has improved greatly over the years. Too many years exposed to firearms, aircraft, and freefall without adequate protection. This episode was spot on.

I (Ryan) wanted to say thank you for this great feedback and trust me when I say that I’m always working on the audio quality for this very humble hobby I have of bringing these stories to more people. These comments are like fuel that keeps me going when times are tough. Thank you!

For those on this newsletter list, please feel free to reach out to me at ryan@combatstory.com if you ever want to share something you learned or enjoyed about an episode.

A Military Joke That Made Me Laugh

In honor of the Marine Corps’ birthday, we dug up the following:

Why do Marines celebrate their birthday every year by cutting a cake with a sword?

Because everyone knows you can't trust a Marine with candles - they'd probably try to blow them up instead of blowing them out! ??

Again, this is just fun from a place of love! If you couldn’t tell from our interview with our Marine brethren over the years, we love our Marines!

An Episode I’m Thinking Back On
While interviewing Mike Ritland this weekend, who is a formidable and wildly successful dog trainer, I’m reminded of one of our very first interviews with Chris Baity (https://youtu.be/PRpHvxaRBwc), a Marine who helped pioneer and shape dog handling tactics and training, not just for the Marines, but also joint efforts across the military. As a military working dog handler, he supported ground units throughout combat theaters, including trojan horse operations with sniper teams and door-to-door house clearings. In one instance, Chris and his dog uncovered a weapons cache in a scene eerily similar to one depicted in the book and movie, American Sniper. It was our third interview ever and so poorly done on my end (I even ran out of recording space at the end!). That being said Chris is another GIFTED dog handler and trainer.