JSOC (Regimental Reconnaissance Company), OMEGA (JSOC-CIA Hunter Killers) - Mike Edwards Round 1

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Today we have part one of a two part Combat Story with Mike Edwards, a former special operations soldier and leader with 18 combat deployments with the Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC), and as part of the Omega Program where JSOC and CIA personnel were paired together to form lethal operational units downrange.

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!

The Washington Post described the Omega Program as “units comprising CIA personnel and troops with JSOC…using co-mingled bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen” and “mostly designed against specific high-value targets.”

In this first interview, we dive into Mike’s entry into the military as an 11M and his first round of deployments with Ranger Regiment post-9/11, including earning what is often referred to as the mustard stain on his jump wings after a static line jump to seize an airfield at the outset of the Iraq war (he ends up very much like Shrek did on his first combat jump!). We dig into hunting the deck of cards, earning an EIB, then CIB, losing friends to a female suicide bomber, and then the intense operation in which Mike was awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star.

Stay tuned for part two with Mike where we dive into some of Mike’s more intense combat experiences, low vis tactical work, and fighting in Omega and RRC.

Special thanks to our brothers Jack, Dave, and Dee at the Team House for introducing us to Mike! And with that, please enjoy this first episode with Mike Edwards.

👇 Show Notes:

00:00 - Introduction
00:48 - Guest Profile: Mike Edwards
02:06 - Start of Interview
02:38 - Childhood
05:15 - Serving with Family
09:53 - Path to the Military
10:55 - Decision to Enlist
14:50 - Start of Career and Korea
22:35 - HelloFresh Ad
23:50 - Switching to Ranger Battalion
27:06 - Overlap of Special Forces and Regiment
30:35 - Welcome into the Ranger Community
36:40 - Welcome into the Unit
41:42 - First Deployment
47:57 - First Combat
52:30 - Coming Back After First Deployment
54:07 - Injury During Operation
01:08:25 - Realizing Invinciblity
01:15:25 - Learning from Gunfights
01:17:25 - Strykers
01:18:30 - Snot Story
01:20:46 - Listener Comments and Feedback

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This episode was sponsored by HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/combatstoryfree and use code combatstoryfree for FREE breakfast for life!