Mike Drop, hosted by former Navy SEAL and bestselling author Mike Ritland, is a no-holds-barred platform that dives deep into the stories and experiences of extraordinary individuals. Known for his candid and unfiltered approach, Mike interviews guests ranging from special operations veterans and elite athletes to renowned authors and thought leaders, offering listeners a exclusive glimpse into the human side of those who have excelled in their fields. Whether it&#39;s discussing the intense challenges of combat or the resilience required to overcome personal adversity, Mike Drop provides a space where real conversations happen.

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Retired Secret Service Special Agent Darin Kinder recounts surviving 9/11 from inside the World Trade Center, entering the North Tower to help people evacuate, and escaping the collapse of the South Tower. He also shares stories from his 25-year career, including counterterrorism work with the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, protecting President George W. Bush, and how those experiences ultimately shaped his faith and mission after leaving the Secret Service. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Secret Service Agent Reveals What REALLY Happened Inside the Twin Towers on 9/11 | Ep. 308

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Former Navy SEAL Jonathan Wilson sits down with Mike Ritland to share his path from getting kicked out of the Naval Academy to fighting his way into the SEAL Teams and deploying to Iraq. He opens up about combat, taking a life, rediscovering his faith, the toll his career took on his family, his own struggles after service, and the mission that ultimately led him to help other veterans navigate transition and mental health. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Navy SEAL: Kicked Out of the Naval Academy — Then Earned His Way Into the SEAL Teams | Ep. 307

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Air Force Special Operations JTAC veteran Conan Higgins joins the show to break down what a Joint Terminal Attack Controller actually does on the battlefield—and why he believes air power could have changed the outcome of missions like Operation Red Wings. Conan deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Philippines, earning two Bronze Stars for combat action, while simultaneously serving as a Washington State trooper, undercover narcotics detective, and SWAT team leader—all while finishing law school. Today he&#39;s the president of an international law firm based in D.C., advising security, defense, and risk consulting clients in 19 countries across six continents. We get into calling in airstrikes under fire, the raw power and vulnerability of close air support, and his blunt take on where the current strikes on Iran could be headed. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Air Force JTAC Reveals Why Special Operators Can’t Fight Without Air Support  | Ep 306

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In the final part of this conversation, Tony Mayne shares the story he says he&#39;s never told publicly before—the loss of his soldier Hing Shaw to an IED, and the impossible decisions made in the seconds and hours that followed. Tony also opens up about being forced out by a medical board, the fight to stay in uniform, and the calling that led him to build Ranger transition and ministry programs for the veteran community. The conversation closes with reflections on accountability, faith, retirement, and what it truly means to give back after a life of service.
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In the final part of this conversation, Tony Mayne shares the story he says he&#39;s never told publicly before—the loss of his soldier Hing Shaw to an IED, and the impossible decisions made in the seconds and hours that followed. Tony also opens up about being forced out by a medical board, the fight to stay in uniform, and the calling that led him to build Ranger transition and ministry programs for the veteran community. The conversation closes with reflections on accountability, faith, retirement, and what it truly means to give back after a life of service.


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The Day I Lost a Ranger: Tony Mayne on Faith, Death, and Purpose | Ep. 305 | Pt. 3

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In Part 2, former Army Ranger Tony Mayne takes us deep into the objective and execution of the Haditha Dam mission—one of the most heavily defended objectives of the early Iraq War. Tony details the harrowing overnight drive through the desert, the ambush that nearly cost his team everything, and the unique cooperation between Rangers and Delta Force on the ground. From there, the conversation follows his path from enlisted squad leader to commissioned officer, the personal cost of extended deployments to Ramadi, the loss of a close friend to an IED, and a career-altering hearing waiver that nearly ended his time in uniform. It&#39;s a candid look at leadership, sacrifice, and the toll of nearly two decades at war.
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In Part 2, former Army Ranger Tony Mayne takes us deep into the objective and execution of the Haditha Dam mission—one of the most heavily defended objectives of the early Iraq War. Tony details the harrowing overnight drive through the desert, the ambush that nearly cost his team everything, and the unique cooperation between Rangers and Delta Force on the ground. From there, the conversation follows his path from enlisted squad leader to commissioned officer, the personal cost of extended deployments to Ramadi, the loss of a close friend to an IED, and a career-altering hearing waiver that nearly ended his time in uniform. It&#39;s a candid look at leadership, sacrifice, and the toll of nearly two decades at war.


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Rangers, Delta Force, and the Cost of War | Ep. 305 | Pt. 2

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Retired Major Tony Mayne joins the podcast to walk through 12 years in U.S. Special Operations Command, including nine years in the 75th Ranger Regiment&#39;s 3rd Battalion, where he took part in the regiment&#39;s historic combat parachute assault into Afghanistan after 9/11 and later jumped into Iraq — completing eight combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terror and earning induction into the 2024 Ranger Hall of Fame. We go deep on the night of October 19, 2001, standing in the door of a C-17 as one of the first U.S. Rangers to parachute into Afghanistan, and the fight for Haditha Dam, where his vehicle broke down mid-assault and later got caught in an ambush on both sides of the road.
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Retired Major Tony Mayne joins the podcast to walk through 12 years in U.S. Special Operations Command, including nine years in the 75th Ranger Regiment&#39;s 3rd Battalion, where he took part in the regiment&#39;s historic combat parachute assault into Afghanistan after 9/11 and later jumped into Iraq — completing eight combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terror and earning induction into the 2024 Ranger Hall of Fame. We go deep on the night of October 19, 2001, standing in the door of a C-17 as one of the first U.S. Rangers to parachute into Afghanistan, and the fight for Haditha Dam, where his vehicle broke down mid-assault and later got caught in an ambush on both sides of the road.

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75th Ranger Veteran Finally Speaks On Haditha Dam & the Ambush That Followed | Ep. 305 | Pt. 1

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In the final part of this conversation, Mike Sarraille recounts the base attack in Jalalabad where he served as Joint Strike Force commander, dismantles the conspiracy theories surrounding Extortion 17, and shares the story of Guardian dog Bart&#39;s final act protecting his handler Jet Li. He then breaks down his transition out of the military, the founding of Talent War Group, and his current role at Overwatch Mission Critical, before diving deep into the booming and controversial world of AI data centers. The episode closes with the story behind the record-breaking 7-continents-in-7-days skydiving mission and his reflections on purpose after service.
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In the final part of this conversation, Mike Sarraille recounts the base attack in Jalalabad where he served as Joint Strike Force commander, dismantles the conspiracy theories surrounding Extortion 17, and shares the story of Guardian dog Bart&#39;s final act protecting his handler Jet Li. He then breaks down his transition out of the military, the founding of Talent War Group, and his current role at Overwatch Mission Critical, before diving deep into the booming and controversial world of AI data centers. The episode closes with the story behind the record-breaking 7-continents-in-7-days skydiving mission and his reflections on purpose after service.


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Debunking the Extortion 17 Conspiracy Theories Once & For All | Ep. 304 | Pt. 3

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Part 2 of this conversation with Mike Sarraille picks up inside the deployments that followed Ramadi, including the chaotic quick-reaction mission into Sadr City alongside a hastily assembled team from two different SEAL platoons. Mike breaks down the brotherhood built with Army infantry on the ground, the Sunni Awakening, and why he believes the Iraq War was ultimately a policy mistake despite the valor shown by the troops who fought it. He also opens up about the line he drew when ordered to move his men into an unnecessary risk, his transition to DEVGRU, the reality of Green Team versus BUD/S, the night Adam Brown was killed in Afghanistan, and the devastating loss of Extortion 17—including the brutal process of notifying the families left behind.
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Part 2 of this conversation with Mike Sarraille picks up inside the deployments that followed Ramadi, including the chaotic quick-reaction mission into Sadr City alongside a hastily assembled team from two different SEAL platoons. Mike breaks down the brotherhood built with Army infantry on the ground, the Sunni Awakening, and why he believes the Iraq War was ultimately a policy mistake despite the valor shown by the troops who fought it. He also opens up about the line he drew when ordered to move his men into an unnecessary risk, his transition to DEVGRU, the reality of Green Team versus BUD/S, the night Adam Brown was killed in Afghanistan, and the devastating loss of Extortion 17—including the brutal process of notifying the families left behind.


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The Night Extortion 17 Went Down & Notifying the Families | Ep. 304 | Pt. 2

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Mike Sarraille breaks down his path from getting kicked out of college to Force Recon to Navy SEAL to DEVGRU. He talks Delta vs DEVGRU, deploying to Ramadi with Task Unit Bruiser, and standing three feet from Michael Monsoor the day he died saving his team. Also covers DEVGRU selection and why he thinks the Iran conflict is repeating Iraq&#39;s mistakes.
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Mike Sarraille breaks down his path from getting kicked out of college to Force Recon to Navy SEAL to DEVGRU. He talks Delta vs DEVGRU, deploying to Ramadi with Task Unit Bruiser, and standing three feet from Michael Monsoor the day he died saving his team. Also covers DEVGRU selection and why he thinks the Iran conflict is repeating Iraq&#39;s mistakes.

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The REAL Story Behind Michael Monsoor & Task Unit Bruiser | Ep. 304 | Pt. 1

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In the final part of this Mike Drop conversation, Prime Hall traces his path from military transition into deep psychological healing. He details his first 5-MeO-DMT experience, a profound &#34;hard reset&#34; that showed him both the devastating and the redemptive paths his life could take, and how it launched an unexpected connection to Mike Tyson and Tyson Ranch. Prime opens up about the harder road that followed—relapse, medication struggles, and losing two close friends to suicide within days of each other—and how ayahuasca, integration therapy, and a structured approach to plant medicine helped him rebuild. The conversation closes on his new book, Permission to Heal, his work in the firearms tech space, fatherhood, and his personal relationship with faith.
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In the final part of this Mike Drop conversation, Prime Hall traces his path from military transition into deep psychological healing. He details his first 5-MeO-DMT experience, a profound &#34;hard reset&#34; that showed him both the devastating and the redemptive paths his life could take, and how it launched an unexpected connection to Mike Tyson and Tyson Ranch. Prime opens up about the harder road that followed—relapse, medication struggles, and losing two close friends to suicide within days of each other—and how ayahuasca, integration therapy, and a structured approach to plant medicine helped him rebuild. The conversation closes on his new book, Permission to Heal, his work in the firearms tech space, fatherhood, and his personal relationship with faith.


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Permission to Heal: Prime Hall on Plant Medicine, Faith, and Finding Purpose | Ep. 303 | Pt. 3

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Prime Hall returns for Part 2 of this Mike Drop conversation, taking listeners deep into his time as a Marine Raider deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He recounts the brutal June 14th, 2012 ambush where two of his closest teammates were shot, the insider attack that nearly killed him weeks later, and the invisible wounds—traumatic brain injury, hearing damage, and psychological toll—that followed him home. Prime also weighs in on the Charlie Kirk shooting, drawing on his own firsthand experience witnessing a similar gunshot wound in combat. The episode closes with his medical retirement, the unraveling that came with it, and the first steps toward healing through ayahuasca.
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Prime Hall returns for Part 2 of this Mike Drop conversation, taking listeners deep into his time as a Marine Raider deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He recounts the brutal June 14th, 2012 ambush where two of his closest teammates were shot, the insider attack that nearly killed him weeks later, and the invisible wounds—traumatic brain injury, hearing damage, and psychological toll—that followed him home. Prime also weighs in on the Charlie Kirk shooting, drawing on his own firsthand experience witnessing a similar gunshot wound in combat. The episode closes with his medical retirement, the unraveling that came with it, and the first steps toward healing through ayahuasca.


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Shot Through the Neck: A Marine Raider's Deadliest Day in Helmand | Ep. 303 | Pt. 2

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Mike Ritland sits down with Prime Hall — former Marine Raider, Marine Corps water survival instructor, co-founder of Deep End Fitness and Operation Resilience, founder of the Underwater Torpedo League, and recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star, and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Prime is also the author of &#34;Permission to Heal: Redefining Strength for Warriors, Athletes and High Performers&#34; and features in the upcoming documentary &#34;Air Hunger.&#34; 

In this episode, Prime opens up about being dropped into a Village Stability Operations post in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the insider attack that changed his life, and how 5-MeO-DMT and ayahuasca journeys became the turning point in a healing process he now shares through his book and work with veterans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>
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Mike Ritland sits down with Prime Hall — former Marine Raider, Marine Corps water survival instructor, co-founder of Deep End Fitness and Operation Resilience, founder of the Underwater Torpedo League, and recipient of the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star, and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Prime is also the author of &#34;Permission to Heal: Redefining Strength for Warriors, Athletes and High Performers&#34; and features in the upcoming documentary &#34;Air Hunger.&#34; 

In this episode, Prime opens up about being dropped into a Village Stability Operations post in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the insider attack that changed his life, and how 5-MeO-DMT and ayahuasca journeys became the turning point in a healing process he now shares through his book and work with veterans.
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MARSOC Raider on Combat, Resilience, and Staying Alive | Ep. 303 | Pt. 1

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In the final part, Mike LeBlanc explains why Ukraine has become a real-time preview of future warfare, where robots and drones now do most of the fighting and over 80% of incoming Russian drones are stopped before impact. He breaks down the political reasons Russia hasn&#39;t crushed Ukraine, the underexplored frontier of subsurface warfare exposed by Iran, and why he believes autonomy—not new weapons types—is the true turning point in combat. 
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In the final part, Mike LeBlanc explains why Ukraine has become a real-time preview of future warfare, where robots and drones now do most of the fighting and over 80% of incoming Russian drones are stopped before impact. He breaks down the political reasons Russia hasn&#39;t crushed Ukraine, the underexplored frontier of subsurface warfare exposed by Iran, and why he believes autonomy—not new weapons types—is the true turning point in combat.  


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80% of Russian Drones Never Reach Ukraine—Here's the Robot War | Ep. 302 | Pt. 3

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In Part 2, Mike LeBlanc details how a chance call pulled him away from a private equity offer and into Silicon Valley, where he co-founded Cobalt Robotics before launching Foundation Future Industries. He walks through the brutal early days of building a robotics startup, a company crisis over fabricated sales contracts that forced him to overhaul the business, and the pivot into humanoid robots for the Department of War. The conversation turns to real combat testing in Ukraine, the ethical debate inside his own company over weaponizing robots, human-in-the-loop safeguards against battlefield mistakes, and why he believes America—not China—will lead the humanoid robotics race.
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In Part 2, Mike LeBlanc details how a chance call pulled him away from a private equity offer and into Silicon Valley, where he co-founded Cobalt Robotics before launching Foundation Future Industries. He walks through the brutal early days of building a robotics startup, a company crisis over fabricated sales contracts that forced him to overhaul the business, and the pivot into humanoid robots for the Department of War. The conversation turns to real combat testing in Ukraine, the ethical debate inside his own company over weaponizing robots, human-in-the-loop safeguards against battlefield mistakes, and why he believes America—not China—will lead the humanoid robotics race.


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Ukraine Battlefield Tests: Robots That Can Now Open Fire | Ep. 302 | Pt. 2

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Former Marine Corps officer, Harvard Business School graduate, and entrepreneur Mike LeBlanc spent 13 years in the Marine Corps, including back-to-back deployments advising Afghan forces, service with First Recon, a joint special operations task force in Bahrain, and a Pentagon role evaluating emerging military technology. After leaving active service, he founded Cobalt Robotics and later co-founded Foundation Future Industries.

In this episode, we dig into his early days advising Afghan forces, including a green-on-blue attack just 30 days into his deployment after an Afghan soldier saw news coverage surrounding the “Innocence of Muslims” film. We then shift into his work building humanoid robots and why he believes they could eventually replace American troops in some of the battlefield’s most dangerous roles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>
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Former Marine Corps officer, Harvard Business School graduate, and entrepreneur Mike LeBlanc spent 13 years in the Marine Corps, including back-to-back deployments advising Afghan forces, service with First Recon, a joint special operations task force in Bahrain, and a Pentagon role evaluating emerging military technology. After leaving active service, he founded Cobalt Robotics and later co-founded Foundation Future Industries.

In this episode, we dig into his early days advising Afghan forces, including a green-on-blue attack just 30 days into his deployment after an Afghan soldier saw news coverage surrounding the “Innocence of Muslims” film. We then shift into his work building humanoid robots and why he believes they could eventually replace American troops in some of the battlefield’s most dangerous roles.
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He Built the Defense Humanoid Robots Now Fighting in Ukraine | Ep. 302 | Pt. 1

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In the final part of this conversation, Major John Spencer breaks down the discipline he&#39;s built his career on: urban warfare. He explains why cities are the most complex environment any military can fight in, why the U.S. lacks real expertise in fighting underground, and how history&#39;s most costly urban battles keep repeating the same avoidable mistakes. He closes by discussing what he sees as the next frontier of warfare — the world beneath our feet.
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In the final part of this conversation, Major John Spencer breaks down the discipline he&#39;s built his career on: urban warfare. He explains why cities are the most complex environment any military can fight in, why the U.S. lacks real expertise in fighting underground, and how history&#39;s most costly urban battles keep repeating the same avoidable mistakes. He closes by discussing what he sees as the next frontier of warfare — the world beneath our feet.


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WAR BENEATH THE SURFACE: Tunnels, Sub-Terra Combat, and the Next Battlefield | Ep. 301 | Pt. 3

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Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 25 years in uniform, including two combat tours in Iraq as an infantry platoon leader and later as a company commander during the Battle of Sadr City. In this part 2, he describes taking command of a company hours after it was devastated by an Iranian-backed rocket attack, and explains how he rebuilt a broken, stop-lossed unit into one of the most requested companies in his battalion. 
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Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer who served 25 years in uniform, including two combat tours in Iraq as an infantry platoon leader and later as a company commander during the Battle of Sadr City. In this part 2, he describes taking command of a company hours after it was devastated by an Iranian-backed rocket attack, and explains how he rebuilt a broken, stop-lossed unit into one of the most requested companies in his battalion. 


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THE COST OF COMMAND: 150 Lives, Zero Sleep, and the Making of an Urban Warfare Expert | Ep. 301 | Pt. 2

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/20/20/a91b4d84-2ce4-448a-abfc-5c9782072b7a_WWO7596840219.mp3

Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer with more than 25 years of service and is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare. In this conversation, he breaks down the conflict with Iran, challenges popular predictions about escalation, and explains why war remains inherently human, political, and unpredictable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>
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Major John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army officer with more than 25 years of service and is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare. In this conversation, he breaks down the conflict with Iran, challenges popular predictions about escalation, and explains why war remains inherently human, political, and unpredictable.
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TOP WAR STRATEGIST: Why the Iran Escalation Theory Left Out What Mattered Most | Ep. 301 | Pt. 1

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/20/20/077c30f6-942a-4454-bb44-4c61455c341a_WWO5213292965.mp3

In the final part of this conversation, Derek Janisch talks about rebuilding his life after prison — reconnecting with his ex-wife in Hawaii, moving back to California, and starting over as a father, husband, and businessman. The conversation closes with a deep dive into faith, free will, and how his time in jail shaped a worldview built on second chances.
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In the final part of this conversation, Derek Janisch talks about rebuilding his life after prison — reconnecting with his ex-wife in Hawaii, moving back to California, and starting over as a father, husband, and businessman. The conversation closes with a deep dive into faith, free will, and how his time in jail shaped a worldview built on second chances.


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Free Will, Faith, and Second Chances After the Fall | Ep. 300 | Pt. 3

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/20/20/876c167d-2e7d-4fe0-8f56-86ca3b63572d_WWO3058382539.mp3

Derek Janisch spent a decade in the SEAL Teams, deploying to Afghanistan and the Philippines, before his life came apart at home. In this part 2, he talks openly about the affair that ended his marriage, the arrests that followed, and the night on a Humboldt County cannabis farm when a dispute over money ended with him being shot in the chest. It&#39;s a raw look at what happens when a warrior&#39;s nervous system has nowhere left to go, and how one man found his way back.
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Derek Janisch spent a decade in the SEAL Teams, deploying to Afghanistan and the Philippines, before his life came apart at home. In this part 2, he talks openly about the affair that ended his marriage, the arrests that followed, and the night on a Humboldt County cannabis farm when a dispute over money ended with him being shot in the chest. It&#39;s a raw look at what happens when a warrior&#39;s nervous system has nowhere left to go, and how one man found his way back.


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He Survived Afghanistan, Then Got Shot Growing Weed | Ep. 300 | Pt. 2

The Mike Drop podcast is hosted by former Navy SEAL, Mike Ritland. It is a not so politically correct discussion of wide ranging topics that span from government, politics and war to health and fitness, from guns and survival skills to food and...

Mike Drop, hosted by former Navy SEAL and bestselling author Mike Ritland, is a no-holds-barred platform that dives deep into the stories and experiences of extraordinary individuals. Known for his candid and unfiltered approach, Mike interviews guests ranging from special operations veterans and elite athletes to renowned authors and thought leaders, offering listeners a exclusive glimpse into the human side of those who have excelled in their fields. Whether it's discussing the intense challenges of combat or the resilience required to overcome personal adversity, Mike Drop provides a space where real conversations happen.