Mike Drop

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 federal elections, the U.S.-Israel relationship, term limits, and why the VA system may need a complete rethink. Raw, informed, and unfiltered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. The conversation cuts through the noise on Iran, the lessons learned from splitting forces across Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam also breaks down the ground-level mechanics of running a grassroots Senate campaign in one of the few states where money and name recognition don't automatically win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, what it actually took to cross from Marine infantryman to SEAL officer, and why he believes boots on the ground in Iran could turn into another Middle East disaster. The conversation gets brutally honest about what veterans understand about Iran that politicians don’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 after the Teams — navigating the Covid fallout inside San Diego Fire, his journey to black belt, moving to Texas, and why he finally wrote the book he never thought he'd write. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 weight of leaving Afghanistan the way we did, and whether it was all worth it. Raw, honest, and unapologetic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 in special operations history — Randy's story is one of the most raw, honest, and flat-out relentless journeys I've had the privilege of putting on this show. This one's worth every minute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, and the need for clear military objectives backed by decisive action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 harrowing first recon extraction under fire using McGuire rigs, and his intense personal experience surviving the devastating sapper attack on FOB 4 at Marble Mountain on August 23, 1968. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 from me and tell the whole story. This is the kind of conversation that reminds you what the word "operator" actually means before it became a hashtag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 discussion also covers his book Courage Through Adversity, lessons on leadership, ownership, and becoming a better man, plus reflections on writing, self-publishing, and inspiring the next generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 five-day dry fast he completed, and his upcoming 3,100-mile Pacific rowing expedition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 stoicism and warrior philosophy helped him rebuild after hitting rock bottom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 multiple continents. The conversation also covers his transition out of the unit, rock-bottom struggles with identity and loss, his path to becoming a Black Hawk pilot, and how stoicism helped him rebuild purpose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 are missing about the threat landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Group, Carry The Load, Hold Fast, and Windage—to train civilians, families, and organizations in personal readiness, global security, and high-performance mindsets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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-earned lessons on conviction, discipline, and doing what’s difficult when it matters most. This is a raw, unfiltered discussion about mindset, purpose, and what it truly takes to earn your place among the elite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 operations planning role, insights into high-level interagency operations, and the challenges of transitioning out of the military. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, and the loss of a teammate to an IED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices