Special forces

Tan Berets are Rangers.

The Green Berets are Special Forces operations.

So

after airborne school, I get my papers done.

And it says seven special forces unit.

I'm like, but I'm not even I'm not even a Green Beret.

Why am I going there? You know, and it was in Florida.

So did you have to sign any NDAs, anything? Okay.

Tan Berets are Rangers.

The Green Berets are Special Forces operations.

So

after airborne school, I get my papers done.

And it says seven special forces unit.

I'm like, but I'm not even I'm not even a Green Beret.

Why am I going there? You know, and it was in Florida.

So did you have to sign any NDAs, anything? Okay.

So he joined in the infantry and because of the global war on terror was deployed almost immediately back to back for many years.

And then ended up joining the Special Forces community at some point.

And he came into my life in 2010.

And by that time, he had already been deployed, I think, eight times.

My guest today is Mark Nicol, the Daily Mail's defence and diplomacy editor who spent 25 years reporting on British military operations.

His latest book, Blades, the untold story of SAS operations in Afghanistan, examines one of the most controversial chapters in the history of special forces.

At the centre of this story are allegations that SAS soldiers unlawfully killed people during operations in Afghanistan, the Royal Military Police investigation known as Operation Northmore, and the ongoing independent inquiry.

Mark challenges much of the established narrative.

And I hope that eventually prevails.

You've covered the British military for 25 years.

How much access did you have to UK Special Forces community before starting the book?

Well, I'd done a book about the SAS before in the immediate aftermath of 9-11.

They're just action driven.

My good friend Corey Terry is a retired Special Forces team sergeant, medic, 18 Delta.

is one of these.

And it's been a while since I've had him on, and I'm really happy to have him on today.

Here we go.

Hey all, I'm really honored today to have Corey Terry back on.

It's been quite a while, and for those of you that don't know Corey Terry or are new to this personality that comes on, he is a friend and a Special Forces veteran, Special Forces retired team sergeant.

and um just as a great level perspective on so many things and you know i've shared we share conversations almost daily so corey just recently wrote an article and i want to bring that on we'll talk about that and just get some perspectives in this crazy time which As I say so many times, you probably have heard me say it.

did two years there.

Yeah, Special Forces.

Two tours, and somebody online said he did what? Two kitchen tours.

He did.

Yet there had been four years of war, four and a half years of war before that.

I have great respect for where we are today as a military, and that includes our elite Marines, our elite Special Forces guys, our elite Army soldiers, as well as the infantry and the artillery that can come and occupy territory that I think is – I don't have any classified information today, so I don't know for sure, but seems to be fairly unique now in the ability to occupy a territory and maintain that territory.

And I have great respect.

It was just that last week at General Bill Matz's funeral at Arlington, a two-star major general, contracted polio as a child, yet served with the 82nd 101st Airborne in 30 some year career as a infantryman.

Then I'll watch some of my favorite movies.

You know, Mike Ritland and Sean Ryan, some of the former Special Forces guys who have these podcasts, and they have all kinds of really interesting guests.

You know, Seals talking bad about Rangers and Rangers talking bad about Seals, but in the end they all fight together.

But, I don't know, I just love that stuff.