"Letting the Guest Tell the Story"
A military podcast from former British soldiers of the Army's Surveillance and Target Acquisition Patrols unit.
Series One traced the unit’s origins, the intense selection process, and its secretive “stay-behind” mission during the Cold War. You'll hear firsthand accounts from 40 years of global operations, culminating in an interview with the current Officer Commanding.
Future series go beyond the unit bringing you gripping personal stories from WWII through to the War on Terror. Every episode ends with book and film reviews to keep your military mind sharp.
One mission. One story at a time.
New episodes monthly—sometimes more.
Subscribe. Like. Share.
Follow us on social media and be part of the story.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"Letting the Guest Tell the Story"
A military podcast from former British soldiers of the Army's Surveillance and Target Acquisition Patrols unit.
Series One traced the unit’s origins, the intense selection process, and its secretive “stay-behind” mission during the Cold War. You'll hear firsthand accounts from 40 years of global operations, culminating in an interview with the current Officer Commanding.
Future series go beyond the unit bringing you gripping personal stories from WWII through to the War on Terror. Every episode ends with book and film reviews to keep your military mind sharp.
One mission. One story at a time.
New episodes monthly—sometimes more.
Subscribe. Like. Share.
Follow us on social media and be part of the story.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
CONTENT
My guest today is John A. Dailey, retired US Marine Corps Master Sergeant and author of Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations. With over two decades of service, John’s career took him from Force Recon to the front lines of America’s post-9/11 conflicts, shaping the future of Marine special operations.
We discuss his time as a Platoon Sergeant with 1st Force Recon and his role in Detachment One, the Marine Corps’ first contribution to U.S. Special Operations Command. Deployed to Iraq in 2004 as part of Task Unit Raider, Det-1 laid the groundwork for what would become MARSOC, and John played a key role in developing its selection and training protocols. Our conversation explores the evolution of U.S. special operations forces, the demands of leadership in combat, and the difference between training and real-world operations. John also shares personal reflections on writing his memoir, advice for veterans transitioning to civilian life, and the mental resilience required both on and off the battlefield. Since leaving active duty, John has earned an MFA in creative writing and founded Walking Point LLC, where he now mentors Marine Raiders and provides leadership and performance coaching.
John's book choice on Desert Islands Dits is "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. My choice is John's Book "Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations."
John's website can be found here: John A. Dailey | Author of Tough Rugged Bastards
WHERE TO GET OUR DESERT ISLAND DITS BOOK CHOICES
Most of our book recommendations can be bought via the Unconventional Soldier Bookshop. 10% of each purchase supports the pod and helps independent book stores on line sales.
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If you want to support the podcast you can buy me a coffee here.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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Email us: unconventionalsoldier@gmail.com.
This episode brought to you in association with ISARR a veteran owned company.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
