Mike Drop

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Jeff Reid has a lot of mouths to feed. He's the owner/operator of Frozen Trident, a dog kennel he and his family founded in 2018 in Two Rivers, Alaska: the dog-mushing capital of the world. He's an Iditarod racer, having received the Red Lantern Award after racing with his own dogs along the wildly difficult long-distance annual sled dog race traveling 938 miles from Anchorage to Nome. He's also a former SEAL, having served 9 years with SEAL Team 4 with two kinetic deployments in Afghanistan.  But Jeff wasn't always a dog guy - he never even owned one growing up, in fact. It wasn't until his platoon met a stray dog named Frank on his second deployment in Afghanistan that things really started to change. So how's a Pennsylvania native end up deploying to Afghanistan, serving at the Tip of the Spear, retiring to Alaska, and competing in one of the coldest, most difficult races in the count

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Dan Hughes was working as a Special Agent in the New York Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service when the first plane hit the North Tower on September 11th, 2001. As the second plane hit the South Tower, Dan set up an on-site triage area for the injured, witnessing atrocities and providing life-saving assistance that would later earn him the U.S. Secret Service Medal of Valor for his actions on the day. Later, Dan joined the Secret Service's Technical Security Division as an Advance Agent, supervising explosive detection canine sweeps for the President, Vice President, and major Heads of State, where he would discover a major K-9 shortage for preforming pre-event security sweeps. To help fill the role, Dan would go on to join the Bismarck Police Department in North Dakota, developing key K-9 team strategies along with his own business, 'Dogs for Defense' where he would personally subcon

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop The Unrelenting Pursuit of Excellence. That's what Dean Stott's chasing - a 16-year career Veteran, Dean's started his military service by joining the SBS, an elite special forces unit of the United Kingdom. In 2011, an injury pushed Dean into the private security sector, providing expertise to governments, presidents, and royals, including single-handedly evacuating the Canadian Embassy in Libya in 2014. Then in 2016, Dean set his sights on a new challenge - cycling all 14,000 miles of the Pan-American Highway, a feat he completed while nabbing two world records to boot. An author, a speaker, and a personal friend of England's Prince Harry, it's safe to say Dean's got no shortage of incredible stories from his globetrotting work in protecting the people that matter most, from everyday citizens to the most privileged among us. But what's the real difference between an SBS Operator and th

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Jared Pietras knows the unbridled power of Close Air Support. With over 11 deployments and 25 years of service as an Active-Duty Air Force Combat Controller, he's worked with dozens of different special forces units across the globe, dispensing aerial resources wherever necessary. He's also one of the creators behind Ones Ready, an unparalleled resource providing information and consulting via podcast and special events specific to the Special Operations community.  Safe to say, there's no shortage of stories when it comes to calling in CAS, but how does somebody manage to do it consistently for such a long time? What are the nuances to managing battlefield resources, and how do you know when to deploy the right plane at just the right moment? And when it really comes down to it, how close does Close Air end up getting, anyway? Let's ask Peaches.  ---------- Support Jared Pietras -  S

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop The Mike Drop Podcast supports active-duty police officers in all capacities. The views and opinions expressed by Zach Pfannenstiel on this podcast are reflective of Echelon K9 and not of the San Diego Police Department.  Patrol Officer. Gang Suppression Team Officer. Canine Handler. Training Sergeant. For Zach Pfannenstiel, these aren't just familiar titles - they're positions he's served as a faithful executor of the San Diego Police Department - a department that he still serves under today. He's also dedicated a notable amount of time in his career to the canine unit; over a decade in fact, where he continues to serve as the Training Sergeant responsible for overseeing a team of over 40 working dogs.  But law enforcement is about more than simply catching criminals, - just last April, Zach testified in Sacramento to combat the elimination of Police Canines with Assembly Bill 3241, r

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Benjamin Sledge is a wounded combat veteran. He served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving most of his time under Special Operations Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command. He's received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and two Army Commendation Medals for his actions overseas. He's also a multi award-winning author, having penned several viral articles and two books, the most recent being 'Where Cowards Go To Die', an unflinchingly honest detail of his time served overseas and the haunting experiences that followed.  Since then, Ben's dedicated himself to his family and his creative works, tapping into his unique narrative voice characterized by a rare blend of poetic eloquence and unfiltered authenticity. But how does an aspiring comic-book artist end up going to Afghanistan, anyway? What's the story behind that Purple Heart of his? And when a soldier does finally come hom

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop AI isn't always welcome when it comes to advanced warfare capabilities - we've all seen Terminator 2, after all. But when it comes to saving lives overseas, safety is always a top priority. Just ask Brandon Tseng - with 7 years in SEAL Teams under his belt, he's seen firsthand just how dangerous an aptly-named fatal funnel can really be. That's why he started Shield AI, a groundbreaking technology company that's set out to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems, driven by Hivemind, an AI Pilot that's designed to enable swarms of drones and aircraft to operate autonomously, without GPS, communications, or a pilot.  So how does one go about building an artificially-intelligent driven swarm pilot? Are we headed towards a future right out of science fiction, where machine learning inevitably starts to spin outside of human control? And most importantly, can an AI-powe

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Sean Lake and Glen Doherty were best friends from the start. Right out of high school, the two traveled the country, hitchhiking across America via odd jobs and offbeat adventures in a quest to uncover the unbridled freedom at the heart of every American dream. Eventually, Glen would go on to enlist and serve as a Navy SEAL (where he would go on to meet our very own Mike Ritland) while Sean pivoted into the world of professional sports marketing. It was a friendship that transcended distance and profession, until Glen tragically lost his life in Benghazi in 2012. To honor Glen as the patriot he was, Sean helped found the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation, as well as co-founded BUBS Naturals, a line of collagen peptides and other all-natural supplements to help athletes of all levels perform their best. It's a cause that centers around the adventure-seeking lifestyle that Glen lived - one

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Mark Greene is a surprisingly down-to-earth retired Navy SEAL. Born an Air Force brat (his words), Mark played college ball before dropping out, only to subsequently enlist and pursue SEAL Teams. He served on Teams 5 and 8, deploying to multiple combat theaters in the Pacific, Iraq, Afghanistan, and he even spent a little time serving alongside Mike in country, too. And most importantly, Mark got very, very good at performing extremely calculated maneuvers as a SEAL Sniper, until a fateful accident began tearing it all down. Since then, Mark's penned a memoir in 'Unsealed - A Navy SEAL's Guide to Mastering Life's Transitions' and dedicated himself to sharing his story, in the hopes that other Veterans may find comfort when they too begin to feel isolated. The way Mark sees it, nobody expects you to go into combat all by your lonesome - so how could anybody be expected to fight their demo

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop As our cultural landscape changes, so do our leaders. Few know that better than Ken Valentine, of course; a retired Secret Service agent, Ken served under three Presidents - Clinton, Bush, and Barack Obama - as each wrestled with their own challenges of office, in their own time and in their own ways. For Ken, keeping up with the President wasn't just a challenge - it was a career, full of travel, intel, and unique situations that demanded not just his utmost attention, but his life and the lives of his fellow agents if necessary. But 24 years at the Agency doesn't capture all of Ken's work - since his tenure, he's joined the Board of The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, penned a memoir about his work called 'Cheating Death: Three-Time Presidential Secret Service Agent Lives To Tell You How,' and even spent time in the fields of science and technology, joining the Board

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop John McPhee, widely known as “The Sheriff of Baghdad” or “SHREK,” is a retired U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major with over 20 years of distinguished service. A retired DELTA Force Operator, John was responsible for countless solo missions in country across a number of combat theaters all through out the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from active duty, John founded the S.O.B. Tactical brand to extend his expertise to civilians, law enforcement, and militaries worldwide.  Talking to John, one thing's for sure - he's not one to apologize about anything. In fact, he's more down to earth than you might expect, and he's more than happy to answer any questions anybody dares to throw at him. So how does a homegrown Chicago man go on to run solo missions of the highest order? How does one develop the skills necessary to pass their skillset onto the next generation? And most

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Daniel Corbett provides unique solutions to those with unique problems. An elite Navy SEAL operator, Daniel deployed to Iraq with SEAL Team 5 in the summer of 2005. Later, he joined DEVGRU at SEAL Team 6 in 2007, deploying to various classified locations around the world before shifting into instructing at NSWBTC. After that, he fell into private military contracting, where he would go on to make international news when he was thrown in jail in Belgrade, Serbia for eighteen months after tracking a terrorist financier.  Today, he continues to monitor international news, taking meetings with those who need unique solutions to unique problems, but there's more to Daniel's story than meets the eye. What's it like operating at the Tip of the Spear? How does somebody get into private contracting? And most importantly - what is life like when you're spending 18 months in a Serbian jail? Let's a

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Jeff Gum has a complicated career history. He served 10 years at SEAL Teams with SEAL Team Five, deploying to Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, after which he helped develop the Combatives Instructor Course to train SEALs how to lead training for their own platoons. He spent time in Denmark training Danish Frogmen, and shortly after launched his own swimwear line with 2-time ESPY award-winning adaptive athlete Kyle Maynard called Sunga Life. He even spent time working with friend of the show (and former #156 guest) Rudy Reyes over at Force Blue, developing a community of veterans to help aid in the protection of our planet's marine resources.  Since then, he's been busy - he appeared on Mike Tyson's podcast, worked with Jake Paul in his Boxing Bullies initiative, and even appeared on a South Korean game show (yes, really) called 'Iron Squad 3.' So what's it like spinning up an athletic

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Zack Ferguson is a former Navy SEAL Team 7 veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq, Yemen, Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, where he served as his platoons Lead Sniper/Point man, JTAC, Combatives Instructor, and Weapons Ordnance Specialist. He's also an instructor and co-owner at Defense Strategies Group, a collective of Special Operations Combat Veterans dedicated to continued service and empowering communities through defense training and security solutions. And when he's not training with the best, he's even a competitive 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu purple belt and amateur MMA fighter, where he met fellow Defense Strategies Group instructor (and previous Mike Drop Episode #62 Guest) Angel Cortes. But for every hardened warrior there's a complicated backstory, and Zack's story doesn't end overseas. So where did the trouble at home come from? How does a SEAL recover when they've lost e

Jay Dorleus has seen more than his fair share of explosive engagements. With 2 Iraq and 4 Afghanistan Deployments under his belt, he's served 14 years in country as a Green Beret, with his first 4 years served as a Combat Engineer specializing in demolitions - tracking IED's and disarming charges that would otherwise devastate forces on the ground. And devastate they did - to hear it from Jay, he's picked up parts of his squad mates (literally) on more than one occasion.  But violent beginnings often lead to violent ends, and for Jay, becoming a Green Beret wasn't just a matter of duty - it was a means to exact revenge on the very fighters that caused such devastation in the first place. So what's it like serving as a Green Beret in Afghanistan? How does a Combat Engineer make the leap to Special Forces? And how is Jay Dorleus still creating dynamic warriors through his company, The Green Beret Chronicles? Let's meet Jay.  ---------- Support Jay Dorleus -  Find Jay's Training, Resources, and More at https

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop The United States Special Forces are a force to be reckoned with, but like any great nation, they weren't built in a day. Just ask Colonel Rich Wall, a Vietnam Green Beret with three tours under his belt - two with Special Forces before pivoting into the MACV-SOG Program, a highly classified Special Operations unit that conducted covert and unconventional warfare operations. He'd go on to receive the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars for his time in country, along with having taught history at West Point and working with NATO at the Pentagon. Of course, Vietnam is a totally different theater to the more arid climates (and more modern trappings) of the Middle East, and to hear Rich tell it, you were just as likely to catch disease as you were to catch fire from your adversaries waiting for you in the jungle. So what's it like to ship out in a draft army? How did Special Forces operate b

Mike Jones is the owner and head trainer at Primal Canine, a dog training service for all breeds, sizes, and age that specializes in severe behavior modification cases, high-level obedience training, and working dog training. He's also a founder at K9 Street League, a professional sports league for professional protection dog sport. When he's not training or organizing events, he's working in marketing and advertising, working in research and development, running his apparel company Carpe Omnia, or volunteering at a charity event like Valor Canines working against human trafficking.  With a resume rich in experience it's hard to believe Mike started from the bottom, but he wasn't always working with dogs. How'd he end up working in 'collections' when he was only 16 years old? Where'd his work ethic come from? And when you're locked up in solitary confinement for over 500 days, what can all that time alone in a cell do to a man? Let's meet Mike. ---------- Support Mike Jones -  Primal Canines - https://www

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop Mitch "Smashin' Frog" Aguiar is one tough dude. He's a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Navy SEALs, he's a professional MMA Fighter, and he's even an entrepreneur, having built two businesses out of his 'Smashin' Greens' superfood and Violent Hippie Apparel. He's also a returning guest to the podcast - longtime fans may recall his appearance way back on Episode #008 of the show when he appeared alongside Kyle Maynard.  Since then, Mitch has been hard at work building his businesses while knocking lights out both in and out of the octagon and traveling the world, constantly chasing new challenges like hiking from Sparta to Thermopylae on a fast and building Adopt a Cop Jiu Jitsu training for officers all over the country. What keeps this Smashin' Frog smashing? Let's ask Mitch. ---------- Support Mitch Aguiar -  Check out Mitch's Smashin' Greens and other Superfoods at https://masfsupplemen

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop CW5 Alan C. Mack is an elite aviator, war hero, public speaker, and the author of 'Razor 03: A Night Stalker's Wars.' Over the course of his near 36 year military career, he flew over 6700 hours of flight time, of which over 3200 hours were flown with Night Vision Goggles. He's trained and flown with the best, and he's been a part of a number of operations that were later adapted into Hollywood film productions like '12 Strong' and 'Lone Survivor'. He even had a hand in the rescue of Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. Army soldier that was held captive by the Taliban from 2009-2014.  So how do you become one of the most skilled aviators in our Armed Forces? How do you manage to clock that many flight hours, at night, in the desert, with night vision goggles on? And most importantly - what's the secret to making those incredibly difficult flight maneuvers look so simple to pull off? Let's ask Alan. 

Subscribe to the Mike Drop Patreon Page to see Ad-Free Episodes Early + Bonus Content at https://www.patreon.com/mikedrop The world of private military contracting is wildly complicated. Take it from Morgan Lerette - he's a retired Blackwater Operator, Army Intelligence Officer, and the author of 'Guns, Girls, & Greed: I Was A Blackwater Mercenary in Iraq', an irreverently honest memoir that shows both the good and the bad of injecting private armies into active combat zones in the name of diplomacy, spread out over the early days of the Iraq War.  With gut-wrenching tragedy, dark humor, and absolutely insane party stories that make 'Animal House' seem like a Disney film, Morgan's memoir offers a firsthand perspective of how men act and react in war, for better or worse. It's a story of national incompetence, international collapse, and the search for blood and treasure that either helped - or hindered - the American war effort in Iraq. Was all the carnage worth it? Let's ask Morgan.  ---------- Support M