Ian Scotto

Although we had some fun recording this episode discussing some lighter subject matter, as you can see from the title, we largely focused on the most serious military issue of our time, veteran and active-duty suicide. I am joined by Alex Hollings this episode as the former Marine and writer discusses why this is an issue he’s so passionate about. Alex recently wrote an article up now on Newsrep regarding the VA abandoning the issue and not using over 6 million dollars allocated for suicide prevention related media. Alex was disgusted by the move, felt that their explanation for the oversight was weak, and you’ll hear why. We also give some suggestions to those struggling with these thoughts, and point out that there are some great organizations like GallantFew focused on this crisis.

In other news, Alex is now the editor for our aviation site, Fighter Sweep. He gets into his passion for the subject matter and why he jumped at the chance to run this site for Hurricane Media. Alex is currently looking for WWII bomber crewmen to interview for the site, so if you know someone, be sure to contact him on Twitter at @AlexHollings52.

Paul de Gelder was a Navy Clearance Diver and Army Paratrooper, but his life would change forever in 2009 when he lost his right leg and much of his right arm in a brutal shark attack during an equipment test with the Navy. Paul speaks with us for over an hour recalling his rough and troubling upbringing that led him to the military, and detailing the event that nearly ended his life. Paul has since become a motivational speaker, actor, and you likely have seen his work as well on Shark Week where he continues to put his life on the line diving for some incredible footage we see each year. He also documents his story in the memoir “No Time for Fear: How a Shark Survivor Beat the Odds.” Be sure to follow him @PauldeGelder on Instagram and Twitter as well. What an amazing and inspirational story!

Beyond that we react to the swearing in of new members of Congress, as well as the arraignment of former SEAL and 19-year Navy vet Edward Gallagher for war crimes. Have any questions? Shoot them over to [email protected], and if you want them possibly read on the show, keep them concise.

2018 was a great year for SOFREP Radio. We recorded over 100 episodes of kick ass content, had more listeners checking us out than ever before, and a variety of awesome guests from all different backgrounds. Of those guests, here are excerpts from 5 of the most listened to of 2018.

Pat McNamara joins the podcast as we discuss a HALO jump story as told to us by George Hand. Andrew Wilkow discusses hyperbolic news, national security, and knowing Steve Bannon prior to him joining the Trump administration. Ed Darack, who will be back on with us later this month, gets into the real story behind Operation Red Wings…and it’s a controversial one. Mike Vining recalls his experience in Vietnam and the tragic death of his teammate Ken Foster. We wrap it all up with Navy SEAL and now Congressman Dan Crenshaw, joining us early on in the campaign trail as we have a frank discussion on foreign policy.

Much more to come in 2019, please spread the word and follow us on all social media platforms. Any questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Jared Van Driessche is the co-author of “Public Figures, Private Lives,” and as the CEO of Asgard Technology Group, he’s been involved in protecting a long list of high net worth individuals in nearly every continent. These range from the most recognizable musicians and actors, to billionaire entrepreneurs that keep as low of a profile as possible. What’s the job like? If you want to know, this is an interview you do not want to miss. From anxiety inducing situations to funny stories, we cover it all with Jared right here.

Beyond that, we react to the resignation of beloved General and now former Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis. We get into a discussion on the future of industry in America, and also read an email that I absolutely loved sent to [email protected] Last, I’d like to make you aware of the latest at Newsrep, and that is our new Financial Report. We hope that you join us to get a better understanding of where to invest your money in an uncertain economy from our team of experts. With that, we hope you’ve enjoyed over a hundred shows from us this past year, and have a fantastic New Years eve celebration! We’ll see you folks in 2019.

It may be the day after Christmas, but that didn’t stop us from hitting you with a brand new episode. Okay, truthfully, all credit to Newsrep writer Jamie Reed for insisting we give the people an update on the happenings in Ukraine. If not for him, you’d likely be hearing a “best of.” It’s been a while since the former British Reconnaissance operator joined us, and he was enthusiastic to give us some news on the region. It’s a subject which he often writes about, as many of you Newsrep readers know. Also, interestingly enough, Jack Murphy and Jay first made contact in Syria, so we get the guys take on the withdrawal from the region.

Hope you enjoy this episode, and most importantly, whether you got to spend the day with loved ones, or you’re stuck overseas protecting our freedom, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas. To those ladies and gentlemen downrange, stay safe for us.

Carmen Gentile is a journalist who has reported from war zones, embedded with Army units, to get the real story on the ground for the public to learn. In September of 2010 while in Eastern Afghanistan however, his livelihood and passion took a horrific turn when he was hit in the face with an RPG. This all happened as Carmen was capturing stories on the ground, and due to this, the entire ambush was caught on film and is now up on Youtube. As you can imagine after shattering and blinding his right eye, this led to a long and trying recovery process dealing with a lot of physical and emotional pain which he documents in his book, “Blindsided by the Taliban: A Journalist’s Story of War, Trauma, Love, and Loss.” Incredibly, Carmen went right back to work in the Middle East once he was healed despite many thinking he was crazy for it.

In this interview we not only discuss Carmen’s story, but what it means to be a journalist working from war zones in this era. Carmen also relays a funny story involving the idol worship of Army generals he’s seen during his time, and in this case, General Patraeus. In addition to his work, Carmen is a motorcycle enthusiast and he’s currently tying this passion with a future story on the ground in Iraq. You’ll hear all about that right here on Episode 415…crank it up!