FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) Operator | SWAT & FBI Agent | Drug Squad | Bicycle Bandit | Operation Black Widow | Shaffer Security | Greg Shaffer

Mike shares his story, from being involved in the combat arts, to a job injury that led to addiction, to his redemption story!

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more!  Today we hear the Combat Story of Mark Wales, a former Australian SAS (Special Air Service) officer who spent 16 years in the Australian Military, including six years in the elite SAS. He led special operators as a Troop Commander and completed 10 deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, East Timor, Lebanon, and the Solomon Islands. After separating from the military, Mark battled depression and stress disorders but found a way to power through and turn his life around. Mark would go on to earn an MBA from the prestigious Wharton School of Business and then worked at McKinsey & Company. He has since written the book Survivor: Life in the SAS, was on Australian Survivor (where he met his wife) and competed in the Bear Grylls’ World’s Toughest Race: Eco Challenge Fiji 2019, which I highly recommend watching on Amazon with your family. And since all this isn’t enough, Mark also founded Kill Kapture, a tough-luxury ecommerce brand and is now a sought after keynote and motivational speaker. I hope you enjoy Mark’s honest, self deprecating, and relatable Combat Story as much as I did. Find Mark online: Website Instagram: @mark.a.wales Book - Survivor: Life in the SAS LinkedIN Kill Kapture: Website | Instagram @kill_kapture Find Ryan online: Follow on Instagram @combat_stories Email ryan@combatstory.com Learn more about Ryan  Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 0:46 - Mark Wales bio 1:42 - Interview begins 2:32 - Combat Story (in a way): Going to a brothel at 14 years old 8:19 - What is the pipeline for an officer? 16:42 - The view of 9/11 from an Aussie's perspective 18:08 - Training on how to throw a grenade 24:35 - Combat Story #1: Mark’s first patrol in East Timor 30:20 - The road to SAS and Selection 42:45 - First time being deployed to the Middle East 45:45 - For a team of six SAS guys, how do they feel about doing executive protection? 47:04 - Two more rotations to Afghanistan 49:25 - Combat Story #2: Tracking an HVT in East Timor 51:40 - Combat Story #3: SAS Troop Command in Afghanistan 1:02:36 - The language of the "unconscious body". 1:05:00 - Combat Story #4: Dangerous experiences in Helmund Province 1:16:02 - Combat (Reality Version) Story #5: Getting on Australian Survivor 1:19:20 - Combat (Reality Version) Story #6: Completing World's Toughest Race Fiji 2019 Eco-Challenge 1:23:40 - Kill Kapture 1:24:24 - What did you carry into combat? 1:26:17 - Would you do it all again?

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more!  Today we hear the Combat Story of Travis Hall, an Army Ranger and Special Forces Green Beret who survived 18 combat deployments post-9/11 to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Niger. You heard that correctly: 18 deployments. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Loansteady LLC. A small-by-design lender, Loansteady believes in bringing a much-needed dose of humanity to the mortgage process. They are waiving all lender fees for Veterans in 2021. Visit http://www.loansteady.com/combatstory to request a rate quote or start an application. Loansteady LLC, All rights reserved, NMLS# 1701910, (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/), Equal Housing Lender. For more licensing information, please visit https://www.loansteady.com/licenses-and-legal. Travis was an 18D (Special Forces Medic) and one of the first K-9 handlers deployed with the Green Berets in combat. He’s been in day long firefights, run both high and low vis ops, trained thousands of partner forces, and survived some incredibly difficult operations. Travis founded Second Chance K9, which is a rescue organization that pairs working military dogs with special operations veterans suffering from PTSD. He also runs Second Chance Medical Consulting, where he provides private and semi-private training on firearms and medical aid. After 18 deployments over almost two decades, Travis’ positive approach to life and his focus on making people’s (and dogs’) lives better is tangible. I hope you enjoy this Combat Story of someone who spent many years deep in our wars (with and without a dog at his side) as much as I did. And if you do enjoy it, I hope you’ll subscribe and leave a positive review (it would mean a lot). Find Travis Online: Travis’ Linktree  Second Chance K9  Donate to Second Chance K9  Instagram @secondchancek9  Facebook @2CK9SD  YouTube  Ryan: Instagram @combatstory  Show Notes/Time Stamps 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - A word from our Sponsor (LoanSteady) 2:10 - Guest introduction (Travis Hall) 3:16 - Interview begins 6:40 - Travis and a childhood WITHOUT (surprisingly) animals 10:56 - A family military history and a SEAL contract 17:46 - Why Green Berets? 20:04 - Fear of Missing the War 26:20 - Combat Story #1 - Arriving in country and immediately in a fight 30:21 - What’s a Low Vis mission profile? 39:27 - Combat Story #2 - Brutal fighting in Kandahar, Afghanistan 44:15 - Combat Story #3 - Lighter/funnier side of combat and being mistaken for a local 51:37 - Combat Story #4 - Life as an 18D Special Forces Medic 56:23 - Combat Story #5 - Treating himself downrange 1:01:45 - Travis’ documentary to support veterans 1:04:29 - Being one of the first SF K9 handlers 1:11:31 - Combat Story #6 - Travis and his K9 Bear in Iraq 1:25:59 - Origin of Second Chance K9 1:33:54 - What did you carry into combat? 1:36:12 - Would you do it all again? 1:39:44 - Listener comments and shout outs

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! Today we hear the Combat Story of Kim “KC” Campbell, a retired Air Force Colonel and A-10 Fighter Pilot.  NOTE: Combat Story is launching a Patreon account later this month. Sign-up here: https://www.combatstory.com/patreon Kim racked up over 1.8K flight hours in the Warthog; 375 of those in combat across more than 100 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.  She also has one of the coolest call signs ever: Killer Chick.  For anyone who’s been on the ground and seen an A-10 on a gun run, you can understand why so many ground pounders love this platform. For Apache pilots, the A-10 is our fixed wing cousin and we feel a very close affinity with this incredible machine.  Outside the cockpit, Kim led the Air Force Academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development and, since retiring, has carried that expertise to the private sector where she provides leadership development training and team engagement.  She’s also a keynote and motivational speaker.  Kim, like many fighter pilots, is driven, dedicated, and successful. She’s delivered rounds on target in heated battles and narrowly avoided death, including being hit with a Surface to Air Missile.  I hope you enjoy this insightful Combat Story from the cockpit of THE Killer Chick as much as I did.   Find Kim Online:   Website  LinkedIN  Twitter @kchawg987 Ryan Online Information Ryan’s Linktree  Instagram @combatstory  Facebook @combatstoryofficial  Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial Email ryan@combatstory.com Learn more about Ryan  Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Show Notes 0:00 - Intro 1:01 - Guest introduction (Kim “KC” Campbell) 2:10 - Interview begins 2:46 - Origin of her fighter pilot call sign 7:30 - Early years and what enamored her with flight 12:55 - Why Air Force Academy? 18:18 - Choosing her aircraft 22:14 - Where she was on 911 and how it changed her training 24:43 - Going to Afghanistan immediately after training 27:23 - A quiet first combat mission in Afghanistan 34:48 - Firing from the A-10 for the first time 44:05 - Combat Story #1  - First kinetic operation in Iraq 50:30 - Combat Story #2 - The mission that was a defining moment 1:18:18 -  Combat Story #3 - In combat as a flight lead 1:29:47 - Leadership development, team building, and powerful leadership advice 1:40:22 - What did you carry into combat? 1:44:31 - Would you do it all again? 1:46:07 - Listener comments and shout outs