Ones Ready
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- Dernier épisode
- 23 Oct 2026
À propos du podcast
A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone.
Épisodes 934
Andruil's Drone Wingmen - Ep 637
Send us Fan MailThe F-22 is no longer just flying with other fighter jets. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches break down the emerging world of collaborative combat aircraft, autonomous drone wingmen, and Anduril’s …
Notes de l’épisode
The F-22 is no longer just flying with other fighter jets. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches break down the emerging world of collaborative combat aircraft, autonomous drone wingmen, and Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury concept — where a fighter pilot can act as the quarterback and assign high-level tasks to unmanned aircraft operating alongside the formation. The guys also talk about the possibility of ground forces eventually gaining access to those aircraft and what happens when the person on the ground effectively has their own airborne combat network overhead.
The bigger conversation is about why companies like Anduril seem able to move so quickly. Instead of waiting years for the perfect government program, the model they describe is simple: find the warfighter’s problem, build a minimum viable product, let the military break it, fix what failed, and repeat until it works. Trent and Aaron compare that mentality to SpaceX and Tesla — organizations willing to crash prototypes, absorb failure, and keep iterating rather than treating every mistake like the end of a program.
Naturally, the episode eventually gets completely off the rails. The guys talk about rocket-powered Teslas, autonomous Cybercabs, Knight Rider becoming real life, Aaron’s caffeine problem, Weapons School recovery data showing what Friday-night drinking does to performance, and the eternal military question of where high performance ends and team-room culture begins. Peaches also walks through the refreshed Ones Ready and Operator Training Summit sites before the crew tees up the MBRS-only follow-on discussion.
LINKS
onesready.com
operatortrainingsummit.com
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Ones Ready
01:10 - Aaron and Trent Start Without Peaches
02:20 - Aaron’s 91st Squadron Leadership Talk
04:36 - Peaches Finally Shows Up
05:08 - The Rise Against Ticket Disaster
07:19 - War Room Recall and the Election Episode
09:05 - Are Ones Ready Actually Vet Bros?
10:24 - Anduril, F-22s and Autonomous Combat Aircraft
12:20 - F-22 Controlled Robot Wingmen
13:08 - Ground Forces Controlling Combat Drones
13:51 - Why Anduril Moves Faster Than Traditional Defense
14:53 - Build It, Break It, Fix It
15:59 - New Ones Ready Website and OTS Updates
19:23 - Operator Training Summit Level 2 Is Coming
19:50 - Autonomous Aircraft That Take Off and Land Themselves
20:51 - Elon Musk and the Rocket-Powered Tesla
23:14 - Why Elon’s Failure Model Works
24:17 - Why Government Innovation Moves Differently
25:13 - The $500,000 Flying Tesla Problem
26:41 - Tesla Is Basically Knight Rider Now
27:59 - The Flying Tesla Needs Autonomous Wingmen
28:44 - Cybercabs and OTS Dallas
30:01 - Aaron’s 800mg Caffeine Habit
30:25 - Weapons School Recovery Data and Alcohol
33:51 - Military Culture vs Human Performance
34:47 - The MBRS Episode Gets Teased
35:33 - Ones Ready Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...***Sneak Peek*** MBRS 99: Run More, Fix Your Hips, Nuclear Energy Is Safe, and Society Is Failing Young Men
Send us Fan MailThis MBRS episode starts where most people get uncomfortable and keeps going. Peaches and Trent open with a simple truth from Taylor Starch: nobody runs enough, your hips are probably trash, and …
Notes de l’épisode
This MBRS episode starts where most people get uncomfortable and keeps going. Peaches and Trent open with a simple truth from Taylor Starch: nobody runs enough, your hips are probably trash, and injury fear is mostly self-inflicted. From there, the conversation spirals—into broken leadership inside special warfare training, why loosening standards hurts recruiting instead of helping it, and how accountability actually attracts the right people. The back half dives hard into culture: nuclear power fear-mongering, why modern society is terrible at raising functional young men, the illusion of safety, bullying, discipline, violence, and the consequences of parents outsourcing responsibility. Add conspiracy detours, EU dysfunction, Army crime cases, and a brutal assessment of American cultural decay—and you get a classic members-only rant that doesn’t pretend to be polite.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Members intro and running truth bomb
01:00 Nobody runs enough—Taylor Starch wisdom
03:00 Hips, gait issues, and injury prevention
05:00 Zulu course chaos and leadership gaps
08:00 Pipeline frustration and entitlement mindset
12:00 Standards, accountability, and recruiting reality
15:00 Tightening discipline vs “unprofessional” complaints
18:00 Validation, war myths, and why people want testing
21:00 Younger generations: fitter, smarter, different
24:00 AI models, GPUs, and future warfare brains
27:00 Nuclear power fear vs reality
31:00 TSA, illusion of safety, and wasted money
35:00 Violence, bullying, and social correction
40:00 Army murder case and cultural breakdown
47:00 Parenting failures and lost male mentorship
55:00 Teaching basic life skills and confidence
01:00:00 Final rant, nuclear saves the world, wrap-up🎯 Call-to-Actions:
👍 Like the episode
🔔 Subscribe
💬 Comment if standards should rise, not fall
🌟 Leave a review
🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member
👕 Check out the merch storeJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...HE RAN TOWARDS THE FIGHT
Send us Fan MailA 36-year-old father was driving home on his lunch break when he heard gunfire near Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon — the school his two daughters attended. According to the …
Notes de l’épisode
A 36-year-old father was driving home on his lunch break when he heard gunfire near Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon — the school his two daughters attended. According to the account Trent and Peaches discuss, he saw the teenage gunman entering the building, followed him inside, and stopped the attacker before police arrived. But afterward, his family said he wasn’t looking for recognition. He was struggling with the fact that he hadn’t gotten there sooner.
That becomes the real conversation in this Outside The Wire episode. Trent and Peaches talk about survivor guilt, trauma involving children, combat experience, PTSD, and the difference between someone trained and conditioned for violence versus a civilian who suddenly finds himself walking into something no normal person expects to see. They also revisit the problem with the “hero tour”: society wants to celebrate people who perform extraordinary acts, but recognition can also mean forcing someone to repeatedly relive the worst day of their life. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}
The hardest question is also the simplest. Most people would hear gunfire, call 911, and wait for police. This father had every survival instinct telling him to stay outside — and still went in. Trent and Peaches break down what it takes to override that voice, why examples like this matter, and why being called a hero does not mean the psychological consequences simply disappear when the cameras leave.
LINKS
onesready.com
operatortrainingsummit.com
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Ones Ready Outside The Wire
00:34 - Silver Rail Elementary School Shooting in Bend, Oregon
01:35 - Father Runs Into School and Stops the Gunman
02:59 - Survivor Guilt After Heroic Action
03:25 - Uvalde and Why Children Change Trauma
04:50 - What Happens After Becoming a Hero?
05:47 - Combat Training, PTSD and Unprepared Trauma
07:25 - The Problem With the Hero Tour
07:55 - “If Not Me, Who?”
09:16 - Online Scrutiny After Public Heroism
10:27 - Why His Actions Mattered
11:23 - Overriding the Survival Instinct
12:34 - Combat Trauma and Compartmentalization
13:40 - Outside The Wire Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Rappel Incident - Ep 636
Send us Fan MailThis episode starts with something none of us wanted to talk about.A member of the Air Force community was killed during a rappelling demonstration at a UTSA event in San Antonio.At the time …
Notes de l’épisode
This episode starts with something none of us wanted to talk about.
A member of the Air Force community was killed during a rappelling demonstration at a UTSA event in San Antonio.
At the time Trent and Peaches recorded, next-of-kin notifications were still being completed and the member had not yet been publicly identified.
First and foremost:
Much love to his family, teammates, and everyone at the 6th Combat Training Squadron.
Trent and Peaches walk through the publicly available footage from the perspective of two guys who have spent a lot of time around this type of training.
And the first clarification matters:
This was a RAPPEL.
Not a fast rope.
Those are different techniques with different equipment, different safety considerations, and different levels of risk.
The available video raises obvious questions about descent speed, rope friction, routing, hardware, hand position, and whether the system was functioning correctly.
But neither Trent nor Peaches claims to know exactly what failed.
Equipment?
Routing?
Connection?
Human error?
Something else entirely?
That is what the investigation is for.
What they do know is that a roughly 170-foot free rappel gives you very little room for error.
Buddy checks matter.
Rigging matters.
Equipment checks matter.
And just because you have done something a hundred times does not mean evolution 101 deserves any less attention than evolution one.
The conversation then moves into TACP, CCT, JTACs and the old ROMAD concept.
Peaches explains how young Airmen who were not yet JTAC qualified could still become extremely useful members of the team by learning radios, aircraft integration, procedures and enough of the job to become an extra capability if somebody went down.
Trent talks about his first Afghanistan deployment in 2006, where the TACP and Combat Controller on his team took the time to teach him enough of their job that he could help if things went sideways.
Back then, that mattered.
Teams were taking casualties.
ODAs were getting combined.
People were getting wounded and medevaced.
And the mission still had to continue.
Later, Peaches tells a completely different story about running into a senior enlisted leader years after realizing they had apparently crossed paths downrange.
That turns into one of the strongest leadership conversations in the episode.
A senior leader arrives on a tightly controlled itinerary.
Airmen are standing in a hangar who were not part of the scheduled stop.
His staff expects him to keep moving.
Instead, he sees them, changes direction, walks over and speaks to every one of them.
Schedule be damned.
Peaches follows that with another story about a Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force visiting wounded service members while somebody reminds him that a general is waiting.
His answer was essentially:
The general can wait.
Because sometimes leadership is as simple as remembering which people actually matter.
The episode closes by returning to the rappelling footage and one final point:
Rappelling is dangerous.
Take everything seriously.
LINKS
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Ones Ready
01:09 - Why This Episode Starts Differently
01:32 - Fatal Rappelling Incident at UTSA
02:04 - What Happened?
03:12 - Rappel vs. Fast Rope
04:02 - Why Fast Roping Is Different
05:25 - We Don’t Know the Cause Yet
06:06 - 6 CTS Det 2 and Next-of-Kin Notification
07:43 - A Celebration Turns Tragic
08:30 - Breaking Down the Available Video
09:39 - Equipment Failure or Routing Problem?
10:24 - Why Buddy Checks Matter
12:24 - Identity Still Not Released
13:17 - TACP Training and JTAC Qualification
13:48 - ROMADs and the “Mini Jag”
14:52 - Learning Another Teammate’s Job
15:33 - Afghanistan When Everybody Was Taking Losses
17:32 - OnesReady.com and Training Programs
20:19 - Peaches Runs Into an Old Teammate
21:31 - “Wait... We Were in Afghanistan Together”
23:27 - When Rank Disappears
24:25 - The Chairman Sees the Airmen
26:29 - He Breaks the Schedule to Meet Them
28:47 - “The General Can Wait”
30:55 - Another Angle of the Rappel Incident
32:22 - Why the Media Keeps Calling It Fast Rope
33:07 - Watching Military TV After Retirement
35:29 - What Pressure Reveals
37:55 - Watching People Quit Before It Starts
39:08 - Take Rappelling Seriously
39:11 - Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Beret Inflation - Ep 629
Send us Fan MailApparently the Air Force looked around and decided what we were desperately missing was another beret.This time it’s EOD.Aaron, Trent, and Peaches react to the new rust-colored EOD beret and …
Notes de l’épisode
Apparently the Air Force looked around and decided what we were desperately missing was another beret.
This time it’s EOD.
Aaron, Trent, and Peaches react to the new rust-colored EOD beret and immediately ask the obvious question:
Who was asking for this?
This isn’t an anti-EOD episode. EOD technicians do an extremely difficult job, go through a demanding pipeline, and bring a legitimate capability to the fight.
But does every specialized career field need its own funny hat?
The boys break down why berets existed in the first place, why they were historically tied to unique units and qualifications, how PJ and CCT ended up with theirs, why Rangers changed colors after the Army adopted the black beret, and why distinctive headgear starts losing some of its meaning when everybody gets one.
Also discussed:
What happened to Goggins in the pipeline?
Is SR actually being merged with CCT?
What traditions do Combat Controllers have?
Should EOD move under AFSOC?
What does an EOD mission inside AFSOC actually look like?
And why would you voluntarily leave Civil Engineering, where you’re the cool guy with the bomb suit and new beret, just to walk into a Special Tactics team room and immediately become another support function getting roasted by Controllers?
The episode also takes a minute to remember Operation Gothic Serpent on its anniversary, including the legacy of the Airmen, Rangers, and special operations forces who fought through Mogadishu and the lessons that shaped the decades that followed.
And eventually the crew discovers the most important possible follow-up question:
If EOD joins the Special Warfare team room...
where exactly do they rank?
That one had to go to MBRS.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:54 - Does EOD Really Need a Beret?
03:08 - Who Was Asking for This?
04:32 - Are Berets Actually Functional?
05:36 - What Makes a “Sharp” Airman?
06:18 - Who the Hell Is Samson Kearns?
10:31 - The E-4 Mafia Cannot Be Stopped
15:06 - How Did PJ and CCT Get Their Berets?
16:46 - Why Are Berets Supposed to Mean Something?
18:16 - How Big Is Air Force EOD?
21:00 - Your Questions: EOD, Goggins, and Beret History
25:18 - Remembering Operation Gothic Serpent
28:18 - Why Do Some Career Fields Get Berets?
30:07 - Is SR Merging With CCT?
31:11 - What Traditions Do Combat Controllers Have?
32:29 - Does the AFSW Pipeline Need Another Update?
34:26 - Should EOD Move to AFSOC?
37:46 - Why Moving to AFSOC Might Actually Suck
39:37 - Who Ranks Where in the Team Room?
39:51 - Continue the Fight on MBRSJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Hurricane Ride Out - Ep 635
Send us Fan MailWhat actually happens on a military base when a hurricane is headed straight at it?Trent and Peaches break down the stuff most people never see.Aircraft have to move.Families may have to …
Notes de l’épisode
What actually happens on a military base when a hurricane is headed straight at it?
Trent and Peaches break down the stuff most people never see.
Aircraft have to move.
Families may have to evacuate.
Training stops.
Other bases have to make room.
Commanders are staring at forecast models trying to decide whether they are moving too early — or waiting too long.
And every decision costs money, training time, operational capability, and potentially lives.
Both Trent and Peaches spent time around Hurlburt Field and the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, so they walk through what hurricane preparation actually looks like inside the Air Force.
One of the coolest pieces:
The ride-out team.
When most people evacuate, selected personnel stay behind.
Special Tactics.
Security Forces.
RED HORSE.
Rescue-capable personnel.
People with boats, communications, recovery equipment, and the skills to start working almost immediately after the storm passes.
At the 23rd, that meant Zodiacs, inflatable boats, rescue equipment, and people already trained to operate in ugly conditions.
Families get moved somewhere safer.
The ride-out team stays.
Then when the storm clears:
Go to work.
They also talk about how difficult the evacuation decision actually is.
Move aircraft too early and you burn money, disrupt training, impact operations, and create problems for every receiving base.
Wait too long and eventually the weather gets bad enough that you cannot safely fly the aircraft out at all.
There is no perfect answer.
There is only risk management.
The conversation then expands into something useful for everybody — not just military people:
How prepared is YOUR family?
Power.
Water.
Food.
Communications.
Starlink.
A bug-out plan.
A vehicle.
And enough capability to sit tight for roughly 72 hours while you figure out what the actual situation is.
Trent makes the point that everybody loves talking about the bug-out bag, but if you have a family, your house is probably your best initial position in most emergencies.
You do not need a bunker.
You need enough preparation to buy yourself time.
The guys also get into military disaster response after Hurricane Maria, why Hurlburt’s Special Tactics capability is uniquely useful after a storm, getting recalled to active duty, Rocky IV indoctrination, Vegas flash floods, and Peaches accidentally winning a one-minute bench-press challenge in flip-flops.
Normal Ones Ready progression.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
01:04 - Ones Ready and OTS Updates
04:16 - Hurricane Hits the Gulf Coast
05:15 - What Happens When a Base Prepares for a Hurricane?
07:49 - Trent Left Anyway to Take Care of His Family
08:11 - When Do You Evacuate a Military Base?
10:02 - Commanders Have an Impossible Decision
11:02 - What Happens When You Wait Too Long?
12:01 - What Is a Ride-Out Team?
13:20 - Who Should Stay Behind?
14:17 - Riding Out the Hurricane
15:30 - No Power, No Internet, Starlink Saves the Day
17:07 - What Should Your Family Actually Have Ready?
18:39 - Bug Out or Stay Home?
19:30 - Why Communications Matter After the Storm
20:39 - Special Tactics Disaster Response
22:59 - Would Trent and Peaches Ever Re-Enlist?
25:40 - Vegas Gets Hammered With Rain
26:50 - Hiking Through Lightning Is Apparently Fine
27:40 - Rocky IV Parenting
29:16 - Peaches Accidentally Wins the Bench Press
31:47 - Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...***Sneak Peek***MBRS 98: Virtue Signaling, Doxxing, and an ANG Hero
Send us Fan MailThis MBRS Only goes deep on internet outrage culture, hypocrisy, and why performative morality keeps collapsing under scrutiny. Peaches and Trent break down the Scotty K Fitness implosion—virtue …
Notes de l’épisode
This MBRS Only goes deep on internet outrage culture, hypocrisy, and why performative morality keeps collapsing under scrutiny. Peaches and Trent break down the Scotty K Fitness implosion—virtue signaling, selective Second Amendment outrage, and the moment he crossed the line by doxxing a private citizen and their family. From ICE protests and whistle tactics to media manipulation, AI-altered images, and why nuance dies online, the conversation expands into accountability, restraint, and how fast people rush to conclusions without facts. They also hit why leadership under stress matters, why mob energy is the goal—not justice—and why most people have no idea what they’d do in the chaos they’re cheering for. Messy, uncomfortable, and exactly why this stays behind the paywall.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Members intro and attributes-based mindset
02:00 Scotty K Fitness and internet hypocrisy
04:30 Selective outrage and Second Amendment takes
07:00 Kyle Rittenhouse comparisons and false equivalence
10:30 Doxxing a private citizen crosses the line
13:30 Sponsors drop him—consequences explained
15:45 Performative outrage vs real accountability
17:30 ICE protests, whistles, and sensory overload
19:30 Stress, restraint, and real-world decision-making
22:00 Media manipulation and AI-altered imagery
24:30 Mainstream media trust and incentives
26:30 Revolution rhetoric and manufactured chaos
29:00 Colorado ANG hero story and readiness
32:00 Fitness, composure, and community expectations
35:30 Drone pilot mental health study explained
40:30 PTSD, micro-stress, and long-term exposure
45:00 Medical establishment vs reality-based care
50:30 Brain optimization, performance, and bro science
56:30 Training vs real-world decision making
01:02:00 Black Hawk Down legacy and mindset
01:06:00 Final thoughts and member thanks🎯 Call-to-Actions:
👍 Like the episode
🔔 Subscribe
💬 Comment if nuance still matters
🌟 Leave a review
🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member
👕 Check out the merch storeJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Public Execution - Ep 634
Send us Fan MailShould the government livestream an execution?Trent and Peaches get into the proposed public execution of the Fort Hood shooter — and immediately land somewhere that is probably going to piss …
Notes de l’épisode
Should the government livestream an execution?
Trent and Peaches get into the proposed public execution of the Fort Hood shooter — and immediately land somewhere that is probably going to piss off people on both sides.
Neither guy has much sympathy for the man convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more at Fort Hood.
The argument is about something different:
Should Americans be able to WATCH the punishment?
They dig into why public executions disappeared from American culture in the first place, how old executions turned into massive public spectacles, and why the firing squad historically has one very practical advantage:
It works.
Then Trent asks the uncomfortable question.
We live in a country where Game of Thrones became a cultural phenomenon, real combat footage lives on social media, police shootings appear online within hours, wars are documented almost in real time, and people willingly consume violent content every single day.
So why does this particular violence suddenly become morally unbearable when the government makes it available to watch?
Peaches can understand the argument that America should not put itself in the same category as countries known for public executions.
Trent’s counterpoint:
Nobody is forcing you to watch it.
That leads into firing-squad procedures, why some rifles historically contained blanks, victims wanting to witness executions, political hypocrisy, and the difference between an execution being available online and turning it into a literal public carnival.
Then the episode pivots into another outrage cycle:
Pete Hegseth working out with Marines.
Videos show him falling behind younger Marines and struggling through parts of the workout, and naturally the internet reacts like the Secretary of Defense just failed selection.
Trent and Peaches have a different reaction.
He’s in his 40s.
They’re young Marines.
They SHOULD smoke him.
The weird part would be if they didn’t.
They argue that whatever criticisms somebody has about Hegseth’s policies or leadership, voluntarily showing up, doing PT with troops, answering questions, and letting everyone film the results probably isn’t the hill to die on.
Peaches also tells the story of a former SOCOM commander doing exactly what operators would do:
Pick the event you’re good at and then absolutely crush everybody younger than you.
Also included:
The redesigned OnesReady.com and OperatorTrainingSummit.com.
Why OTS is instruction and mentorship — not an $18,000 fake hell week.
How public firing squads historically used blank rounds.
Why outrage culture makes everything political.
And why the Marines absolutely should have smoked the boss.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:19 - Ones Ready and OTS Got a Facelift
04:48 - Should an Execution Be Livestreamed?
08:18 - Are We Actually Offended by Violence?
10:14 - Why America Stopped Public Executions
11:39 - Why Firing Squads Rarely Fail
12:29 - Should Victims Be Allowed to Watch?
15:05 - Why Some Firing-Squad Rifles Had Blanks
17:50 - Is the Outrage Actually Political?
23:38 - Pete Hegseth Gets Smoked at PT
27:05 - Who Is Actually Criticizing Him?
29:47 - Marines SHOULD Beat the Boss
30:39 - When the SOCOM Commander Smoked Everybody
32:49 - OTS Vegas and Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Ready To Ship? - Ep 633
Send us Fan MailHow do you actually know when you’re ready for Air Force Special Warfare?Trent and Peaches are back with Part 3 of the Operator Training Summit FAQs, answering questions submitted directly by …
Notes de l’épisode
How do you actually know when you’re ready for Air Force Special Warfare?
Trent and Peaches are back with Part 3 of the Operator Training Summit FAQs, answering questions submitted directly by candidates.
And this one gets into some of the stuff people obsess over before shipping.
What actually helps people survive the hardest parts of selection?
Should you tell everyone what you’re trying to do?
What qualities matter most in a teammate?
How much should you train your breath hold?
Are peer reviews just popularity contests?
What mistakes get candidates in trouble?
How do you build mental toughness?
How much recovery is too much recovery?
Is there still a SWIC program between BMT and Assessment & Selection?
And most importantly:
How do you know when you’re actually ready to ship?
Trent and Peaches make the case that candidates spend way too much time worrying about secret programs, pipeline changes, apps, recovery scores, and the exact training plan somebody else used.
The bigger things are much less complicated.
Be consistent.
Be trainable.
Tell the truth.
Take responsibility.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Eat enough.
Build an aerobic base.
Get strong enough to handle volume.
And stop relying on the pipeline to prepare you for the pipeline.
The Air Force may change prep programs.
Accessions may increase.
SWIC may exist in one form and disappear in another.
None of that changes your responsibility:
Show up ready.
Trent’s rough benchmark?
If you’re running around a 9:00 mile-and-a-half, handling the rest of the IFT comfortably, and putting up strong pull-up numbers, you’re probably in a much better place than the person who barely passed an IFT and immediately accepted the first available ship date.
Peaches adds another test:
Could you pass an IFT tired, after you already trained, with almost no notice?
If the answer is no, you might have more work to do.
This is the stuff we wish candidates would focus on before they get on the plane.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:00 - OTS FAQ Part 3
02:49 - What Gets Candidates Through the Hardest Parts of Selection?
05:16 - What Qualities Matter Most in a Teammate?
07:07 - What’s the Best Way to Train Breath Holds?
09:33 - Are Peer Reviews Just Popularity Contests?
11:34 - What Are the Biggest Candidate Mistakes?
13:19 - Why Choose a Job Where You Could Die?
15:36 - How Would You Build Push-Ups From Scratch?
17:08 - How Will Drone Warfare Change Future Operations?
18:10 - How Do You Actually Build Mental Toughness?
19:47 - Should You Listen to Your WHOOP Recovery Score?
22:28 - When Do You Need a Recovery Week?
25:04 - Is SWIC Still Part of the Pipeline?
27:44 - Should You Ship Just Because You Passed the IFT?
29:42 - How Do You Know When You’re Ready?
31:25 - FAQ Part 4 Is ComingJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Tim Kennedy WOUNDED in CONGO?! MOH Drama Update - War Room Recall
Send us Fan MailThe War Room is back — Aaron Love, Jake Zweig, Nate Cornacchia, and Ben Pappas — and this one goes off the rails almost immediately.The biggest story:Tim Kennedy was reportedly seriously wounded …
Notes de l’épisode
The War Room is back — Aaron Love, Jake Zweig, Nate Cornacchia, and Ben Pappas — and this one goes off the rails almost immediately.
The biggest story:
Tim Kennedy was reportedly seriously wounded during a contracting operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The crew works through what is currently known, what is still unverified, and what appears to connect the operation to companies associated with Eric Prince.
According to the information discussed on the show, Kennedy was reportedly part of a small private military/security element supporting Congolese government interests involving mineral revenue protection, border security, and tax enforcement when the team was ambushed.
A former New Zealand SAS operator was reportedly killed.
Kennedy was reportedly shot multiple times — including wounds to the foot, ankle, femur, and upper body — before eventually being evacuated for advanced medical treatment. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}
Aaron breaks down what a catastrophic femur injury can actually mean medically, especially when combined with a prolonged tourniquet time and additional wounds farther down the leg.
The crew also asks the uncomfortable question:
Why was Tim Kennedy there in the first place?
At nearly 50 years old, after a Green Beret career, UFC career, businesses, media success, and everything else he has already accomplished — what keeps somebody going back?
Combat addiction?
Identity?
Adrenaline?
Trying to prove something?
Or simply taking another contract because that is still the world he knows?
Nobody on the panel celebrates what happened.
In fact, all four make the same point:
They hope Tim recovers.
But accountability and empathy can exist at the same time.
From there, the War Room moves into another wild story:
The proposed public firing-squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter.
The panel agrees the punishment itself is not the issue.
The livestream is.
Do Americans really want the government broadcasting an execution?
Does that create deterrence — or propaganda?
Does it strengthen society — or normalize something that should remain solemn?
The guys compare the proposal to public executions historically, discuss why violence can become intoxicating in crowds, and question what message America actually sends if state-sponsored killing becomes entertainment.
Finally, they give a brief update on the John Chapman / Takur Ghar controversy and the Ground Truth documentary.
That documentary is still coming.
Britt Slabinski remains connected to the project.
And because that story requires about two decades of context to explain correctly, the guys decide it deserves its own episode rather than trying to cram it into twenty minutes. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"}
Also included:
- hurricanes and BUD/S surf misery
- Blackwater history
- modern drone warfare
- whether Tim Kennedy could rebuild his public image
- Pete Hegseth and performative leadership
- JD Vance surprisingly giving a solid answer
- why SOF personalities are not exactly normal
- combat addiction
- prosthetics after catastrophic trauma
- and the War Room crew repeatedly losing the plot
Chapters:
00:07 - The Whole War Room Is Back
06:05 - Tim Kennedy Reportedly Wounded in the Congo
08:09 - What Was Kennedy Doing There?
09:04 - Eric Prince, Vectus, and the Congo Contract
11:53 - This Was Not a U.S. Military Mission
14:03 - Why Was Tim Kennedy Back in the Fight?
16:31 - The Crew Wishes Tim a Full Recovery
17:33 - What Happened in the Ambush?
20:56 - Five Hours With a Tourniquet?
23:22 - Was the U.S. Military Anywhere Nearby?
30:26 - Is Tim Kennedy at Walter Reed?
32:01 - Was Russia’s Africa Corps Involved?
34:04 - Combat Is a Hell of a Drug
36:08 - How Bad Is a Gunshot Through the Femur?
41:19 - Could He Lose the Leg?
47:01 - Can Tim Kennedy Rebuild His Reputation?
54:57 - What Really Happened in the Ambush?
01:02:22 - Should the Fort Hood Shooter Be Executed Publicly?
01:09:04 - Punishment vs. Spectacle
01:12:19 - What Other Countries Publicly Execute People?
01:17:55 - Is Pete Hegseth Becoming the Problem?
01:23:54 - Why Public Violence Changes Crowds
01:31:44 - Is Hegseth a Change Agent or Just a Liability?
01:40:06 - John Chapman / Ground Truth Update
01:54:36 - What Does AFSOC Actually Need From Special Warfare?
02:29:07 - Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...TRUST COLLAPSE with Aaron and Ben Pappas live
Send us Fan MailWhy don’t Americans trust institutions anymore?Aaron Love joins Ben Pappas for a live conversation about collapsing confidence in government, media, the justice system, major institutions, and …
Notes de l’épisode
Why don’t Americans trust institutions anymore?
Aaron Love joins Ben Pappas for a live conversation about collapsing confidence in government, media, the justice system, major institutions, and the people who are supposed to tell us the truth.
Ben starts with polling discussed on the show showing confidence in major U.S. institutions near historic lows — while the military and small business remain among the most trusted.
So what happened?
Aaron’s argument is that there wasn’t one single event.
It stacked.
Vietnam.
Watergate.
Iraq and the WMD claims.
Afghanistan.
The 2008 financial crisis.
Government surveillance.
COVID.
Epstein.
Every time an institution gets something wrong, hides something, spins something, or refuses to provide accountability, another little piece of trust disappears.
Aaron argues that COVID accelerated that collapse more than anything else in recent memory because distrust spread across multiple institutions at once — government agencies, health authorities, employers, media organizations, and political leadership. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}
That leads into another question:
Why are people increasingly getting their information from podcasts, YouTube, X, and independent creators?
Aaron makes the case that long-form podcasting is simply better suited for difficult subjects. You can hear context, disagreement, tone, nuance, and people actually challenging each other instead of compressing everything into a short scripted news segment. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"}
But that creates responsibility too.
Aaron and Ben talk about the difference between skepticism and paranoia, why independent voices still have to check themselves, how leaders rebuild trust once it is lost, and why sometimes restoring credibility means exposing everything — even when the truth is painful.
Aaron’s answer:
Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
The conversation then expands into leadership, accountability, personal agency, political principles, the Lindsey Clancy case, rule of law, and what happens when people stop believing the system will produce a fair outcome.
They close on something much smaller but probably more useful:
Trust is built the same way everywhere.
Show up.
Do what you said you would do.
Be consistent.
Own your mistakes.
And be there when people need you.
That works for governments.
It works for teams.
And it works at home.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:07 - Why Americans Don’t Trust Institutions
05:42 - Confidence Is Near Historic Lows
10:46 - Did COVID Break Institutional Trust?
14:00 - Vietnam, Watergate, WMDs, and the Long Decline
19:51 - Why Nothing Shocks People Anymore
23:32 - Epstein and the Accountability Problem
30:25 - Can Government Ever Rebuild Trust?
35:38 - Why Podcasts Are Replacing Traditional News
40:33 - Why American Soft Power Still Matters
45:32 - How Do Leaders Rebuild Lost Trust?
48:39 - What If YOU Are the Leadership Problem?
52:18 - How Aaron Decides Who Gets His Vote
56:30 - System Failure vs. Personal Accountability
01:05:45 - Cause Does Not Erase Culpability
01:11:05 - What Happens When Moral Guardrails Move?
01:16:29 - How Aaron Builds Trust in Real Life
01:20:24 - Iran: Preparing for Continued Operations
01:28:00 - Could the U.S. Force the Strait of Hormuz?
01:34:19 - Is the Younger Generation Too Comfortable?
01:36:59 - Could America Win a Ground War With Iran?
01:45:09 - Final ThoughtsJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Drone Command - Ep 632
Send us Fan MailApparently the military needs another combatant command.This one, though, might actually make sense.Trent and Peaches break down the proposed four-star command focused on autonomous warfare — …
Notes de l’épisode
Apparently the military needs another combatant command.
This one, though, might actually make sense.
Trent and Peaches break down the proposed four-star command focused on autonomous warfare — unmanned aircraft, robotics, counter-drone systems, networks, software, offensive capabilities, defensive capabilities, and all the other technology that has gone from “cool science project” to absolutely essential on the modern battlefield.
Ukraine made the problem impossible to ignore.
Iran reinforced it.
And every service trying to independently invent, purchase, regulate, fund, and operate its own version of the same technology probably is not the fastest way forward.
A centralized command could mean common standards, dedicated funding, fewer duplicated programs, faster development, better interoperability, and hopefully fewer situations where the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy all show up with equipment that somehow still cannot talk to each other.
But there is another side to it.
The military is simultaneously talking about reducing the number of general officers by roughly 20%.
So how exactly do you create a new four-star headquarters without immediately growing another pile of generals, colonels, chiefs, staffs, deputies, directorates, and all the positions required to feed that headquarters?
That leads into a bigger conversation about military bureaucracy, SOCOM funding, Special Tactics, why Special Warfare probably does NOT need to become another assault force, and what SOCOM actually expects Air Force operators to be world-class at.
The answer is pretty simple:
Be exceptional at the capability nobody else can provide.
The guys also get into drone warfare on the Ukrainian front, how difficult it has become to hide from persistent surveillance, civilian police departments using organic ISR, counter-UAS requirements around military installations, and why some of the Air Force’s aviation rules may be making small-drone training unnecessarily difficult.
Also discussed:
Wu-Tang.
Tom Clancy predicting terrible things.
Why there are too many generals.
Why every four-star apparently needs another general standing next to him.
And why Peaches may or may not survive a piss test after sitting inside T-Mobile Arena.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:54 - Why Is the Military Creating Another Command?
04:33 - What Would an Autonomous Warfare Command Actually Do?
07:18 - Does Congress Still Have to Approve This?
09:43 - Why Not Let Every Service Run Its Own Drone Programs?
11:04 - What Happens If SOCOM Starts Paying for AFSW Training?
12:19 - Does Special Tactics Need to Be an Assault Force?
15:39 - Is This New Command Actually Necessary?
17:37 - What Capabilities Would It Control?
18:57 - Could This Finally Fix Air Force Drone Rules?
20:27 - Why Can’t the Services Just Talk to Each Other?
21:42 - What Has Ukraine Changed About Warfare?
23:31 - How Far Has Drone Technology Already Spread?
25:22 - Did Tom Clancy Predict This Stuff?
28:23 - How Do You Create a New Command While Cutting Generals?
30:47 - How Many Generals Does a Headquarters Really Need?
31:35 - OTS Vegas and Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Just Listen - Ep 631
Send us Fan MailTrent and Peaches get into a problem the Air Force needs to think about now — not five years from now.Airmen are coming home from combat experiences that may look very different from what the …
Notes de l’épisode
Trent and Peaches get into a problem the Air Force needs to think about now — not five years from now.
Airmen are coming home from combat experiences that may look very different from what the GWOT generation went through.
And one of the fastest ways senior leaders can screw this up is by immediately saying:
“I know what you went through.”
Maybe you don’t.
Trent talks about coming home from early deployments and hearing people try to relate to experiences they had never actually shared. Peaches tells his own story about saying the wrong thing to Will Markham after Afghanistan and realizing how badly even good intentions can miss the mark.
That becomes the larger point of the episode.
Some Airmen today are dealing with repeated attacks, large explosive events, exhaustion, high operational tempo, and potentially significant blast exposure. Trent argues that leaders with Iraq and Afghanistan experience need to be careful about turning their own deployments into the measuring stick for somebody else’s experience.
Listen first.
Give people space.
Know what resources exist.
And understand that somebody may not want help the week they get home — but they may need it months or years later.
The crew talks about True North, lessons learned from POTFF and SOCOM, decompression programs, the strange transition from being in combat to suddenly sitting at home with your family, and why resources have to remain available long after the welcome-home ceremony is over.
This is not about treating returning Airmen like they are broken.
It is about recognizing that the environment changed — and making sure our leadership changes with it.
Also: Aaron apparently has a tanning emergency, Peaches accidentally congratulated a combat veteran for surviving Afghanistan, PJs still dress like granola-powered slackline instructors, and OTS has some bigger changes coming in 2027.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:54 - Aaron Has a Tanning Emergency
01:13 - The Dumbest Thing You Can Say After a Deployment
02:01 - Peaches’ “Congratulations” Disaster
03:42 - When People Think They Understand Your War
06:52 - Today’s Combat Environment Is Different
09:10 - Why Trent Started Thinking About This
11:04 - When Leaders Try Too Hard to Relate
14:52 - Airmen Are Becoming Frontline Targets
16:53 - What SOCOM Learned About Brain Health
17:31 - True North, POTFF, and Scaling Support
20:36 - Weapons School Students Coming Straight From Combat
23:24 - Leaders Need a New Playbook
25:45 - Some People Aren’t Ready for Help Yet
28:25 - Did Decompression Actually Work?
30:38 - Support Has to Last Longer Than the Deployment
31:40 - PJ Merch and OTS 2027Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Where Are They? - Ep 630
Send us Fan MailTrent and Peaches start with the completely normal question of whether Noah’s Ark has finally been found after 4,300 years.From there, naturally, they end up fixing marriage, military careers …
Notes de l’épisode
Trent and Peaches start with the completely normal question of whether Noah’s Ark has finally been found after 4,300 years.
From there, naturally, they end up fixing marriage, military careers, Air Force talent management, bureaucracy, government civilians, and the apparent disappearance of larger-than-life Air Force leaders.
The Noah’s Ark claim kicks off a conversation about truth, archaeology, UFOs, and the uncomfortable reality that even if somebody definitively proved something world-changing tomorrow, most of us would still be arguing about gas prices and whatever nonsense is trending online.
Then the episode shifts into something a little more useful:
Who you marry may be the most important decision you ever make.
Trent and Peaches talk about why people settle, why “we’ve been dating long enough” is a terrible reason to get married, and why careers are far easier to change than the person you build your entire life around.
That leads into military careers and why 20 years in the Air Force does not necessarily mean doing one thing for two decades. Different units, missions, deployments, staffs, schools, and responsibilities can make the career far broader than outsiders realize.
Then Trent asks the bigger question:
Where are today’s Robin Olds, John Boyds, and other disruptive Air Force legends?
His theory is not that the talent disappeared.
The talent is still there.
The system just got better at suppressing it.
Too many regulations. Too much bureaucracy. Too many people who see initiative as more work. Too many leaders unwilling to identify a talented Airman, give them room, and tell everyone else to stay out of the way.
They also get into the role of long-term government civilians, continuity, contractors, and when institutional knowledge stops being an asset and starts becoming a roadblock.
Also: Noah, Lindsey Clancy, Adam Carolla, marriages, Spencer going back somewhere he apparently should not, PJ merch, and Peaches once again somehow fixing the Air Force in under 30 minutes.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
01:06 - Did They Actually Find Noah’s Ark?
03:43 - What Would Proof Even Change?
06:21 - UFOs Proved Nobody Cares
08:10 - Why Adam Carolla Still Works
09:49 - Should Marriage Really Be This Much Work?
11:15 - The Most Important Decision You’ll Make
12:30 - Why Military Careers Aren’t One Job
15:09 - Choose Your Spouse Wisely
16:09 - Where Are Today’s Robin Olds?
17:01 - Did the Air Force Kill Its Mavericks?
19:43 - Let Fighter Pilots Be Fighter Pilots
21:15 - Bureaucracy vs. Talent
22:05 - When Continuity Becomes a Roadblock
23:33 - We Fixed the Air Force
25:03 - PJ Merch and Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Air Force PJ vs SEAL on Chapman Medal of Honor, Iran Escalation?
Send us Fan MailBen Pappas brings Aaron Love and Jake Zweig into the War Room, and they start with one of the most emotionally charged stories in modern special operations history:Takur Ghar.More than two …
Notes de l’épisode
Ben Pappas brings Aaron Love and Jake Zweig into the War Room, and they start with one of the most emotionally charged stories in modern special operations history:
Takur Ghar.
More than two decades after the battle, a new documentary is challenging major pieces of the accepted account surrounding Medal of Honor recipient John Chapman.
Aaron lays out why Ones Ready is approaching the controversy differently.
No character assassination.
No anonymous dirt.
No SEAL-vs-PJ nonsense.
No pretending an unreleased documentary has already settled the issue.
Just look at the claims, look at the evidence, and wait for the complete case.
They walk through the ISR footage, the Medal of Honor process, Britt Slabinski’s connection to the story, competing interpretations of what happened on the mountain, the questions raised by Chapman’s autopsy, the Ranger QRF, Jason Cunningham’s actions, and why revisiting these events carries consequences far beyond internet arguments.
Aaron’s bigger point:
Some things in the community should remain sacred.
Then the War Room moves to another rapidly changing battlefield — drones.
Cartels are already using drones for surveillance, smuggling support, and other capabilities. Ben, Aaron, and Jake discuss where that technology could go, what Ukraine has demonstrated about cheap unmanned systems, and why counter-drone technology may become one of the most important capabilities in the next fight.
From there, the conversation moves into current geopolitical uncertainty, energy, military readiness, and finally something everyone can actually control:
Leadership.
How do you lead a family, military unit, business, or yourself when everything around you feels unstable?
Forecast.
Prepare.
Communicate.
Make hard decisions early.
And stop waiting until the organization is already on fire.
This is War Room Recall.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:07 - Welcome to War Room Recall
03:01 - The John Chapman Controversy
06:10 - Aaron’s Ground Rules
08:38 - What the ISR Footage Shows
11:07 - Ground Truth Challenges the Accepted Story
13:22 - Why Takur Ghar Was Such a Dangerous Objective
17:29 - Britt Slabinski Gets Put on the Spot
22:07 - The Impossible Medal of Honor Question
25:36 - Why Chapman and Slabinski’s Stories Are Connected
27:50 - Why Is This Coming Out Now?
30:02 - How Neil Roberts Fell From the Helicopter
34:22 - The Autopsy Question
37:57 - Bunker, Kitchen, or Something Else?
42:50 - What Should a Medal of Honor Represent?
44:55 - Aaron: Some Things Should Be Sacred
48:02 - Stop Turning SOF History Into Team-Room Warfare
50:38 - From Takur Ghar to Cartel Drones
54:37 - The Cartels Are Already Using Drones
58:57 - How Far Could This Actually Escalate?
01:01:08 - What Happens When Drone Swarms Scale?
01:02:25 - The Counter-Drone Arms Race
01:09:40 - The Iran Conversation
01:21:51 - Aaron’s Closing Take
01:24:13 - Ben and Jake Take Over
01:35:55 - Leadership When Everything Is Changing
01:53:29 - Great Leaders See Problems Early
01:57:18 - How Do You Actually Prepare?
02:02:19 - What Will the Next War Look Like?
02:23:53 - War Room Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...BMT Next with CMSgt Colin Fleck - Ep 628
Send us Fan MailTrent sits down at AFA with 2nd Air Force Command Chief CMSgt Colin Fleck to talk about what may be one of the biggest shifts in Air Force Basic Military Training in decades.The conversation …
Notes de l’épisode
Trent sits down at AFA with 2nd Air Force Command Chief CMSgt Colin Fleck to talk about what may be one of the biggest shifts in Air Force Basic Military Training in decades.
The conversation starts with legacy. Trent wears his father’s jacket and talks about how one generation of service can change the trajectory of an entire family. Chief Fleck shares his own family story — grandparents who served, a father in the Army, joining after September 11th, a son who became a Marine, another who just graduated Air Force BMT, and a daughter who married an Airman.
Then they get into why BMT is changing.
The goal is not to trash what came before. BMT built generations of successful Airmen. The question is whether the Air Force can do more to prepare the next generation for a fight that probably will not look like Iraq or Afghanistan.
That means putting the Air Force back into Air Force Basic Military Training.
Instead of learning discipline, teamwork, attention to detail, and military bearing without always seeing where those skills connect to the mission, trainees are now getting hands-on mission context. There is already an F-16 on the ground. C-130s are coming. Trainees are working simulated weapons loading, cargo movement, aircraft refueling, runway repair, casualty movement, planning, risk management, debriefs, and after-action reviews.
The point is not to make every trainee a maintainer, defender, or weapons troop. The point is to make them understand what it means to be an Airman first and how every career field contributes to generating airpower.
Chief Fleck also explains where the culminating exercise is headed: an austere airbase environment, ground and air threats, small UAS, CBRN, limited sleep, noise, pressure, aircraft generation, cargo, refueling, and a real test of whether trainees can operate as a team.
And for the NCOs waiting for these Airmen?
Do not squash them.
They may show up more mission-focused, more willing to plan, more curious about risk, and more proud of being Airmen than previous generations. Challenge them. Teach them. Ask them questions. And get back to the basics that can actually save lives: TCCC, small arms, CBRN, physical fitness, and preparing people to do hard things.
Because as Chief Fleck puts it: Airmen joined the military to do military shit.
Links:
- www.bmt.projects-af.com
- OnesReady.com
- OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
00:07 - CMSgt Colin Fleck at AFA
01:08 - Why Trent Wore His Father’s Jacket
02:30 - Chief Fleck’s Family Legacy
04:45 - What the Name Tape Means
05:21 - Why People Really Join
07:01 - Building the Next Generation
07:44 - The Moral Imperative to Prepare Airmen
09:52 - Changing BMT Is Not an Indictment of the Past
11:44 - So What Is Actually Changing?
13:54 - Putting the Air Force Back Into BMT
15:54 - An F-16 on the Drill Pad
17:37 - C-130s Are Coming Too
18:37 - What Training Got Rebalanced
20:03 - Why MTIs Are Buying In
21:54 - From the Drill Pad to the Airfield
24:21 - Building a Culminating Event Airmen Earn
25:40 - What NCOs Need to Do Next
31:03 - What Comes Next for BMTJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...End Malaria with Dr. Steiger - Ep 627
Send us Fan MailAaron sits down with Dr. Bill Steiger to talk about a problem most Americans assume belongs somewhere else: Malaria...Except it doesn’t.Dr. Steiger explains why global health is directly …
Notes de l’épisode
Aaron sits down with Dr. Bill Steiger to talk about a problem most Americans assume belongs somewhere else: Malaria...Except it doesn’t.
Dr. Steiger explains why global health is directly connected to American national security, military readiness, economic stability, and early warning for infectious disease. Stopping an outbreak overseas is a whole lot easier than dealing with it after it reaches American shores.
And malaria is not some ancient problem we already defeated everywhere.
The parasite evolves.
Mosquitoes evolve.
Drugs lose effectiveness.
Insecticides lose effectiveness.
And even the diagnostic tools used to detect malaria are being challenged.
The good news? This is solvable.
Dr. Steiger walks Aaron through an explosion of private-sector innovation: new medications, improved mosquito-control tools, longer-lasting repellents, new diagnostic methods, vaccines, malaria-free mosquito technologies, and artificial intelligence that could connect disease, weather, supply-chain, and healthcare data in real time.
They also get into why private pharmacies overseas may detect outbreaks before governments do, why the U.S. military is paying attention to new mosquito-control technology, and how countries can move from American assistance toward genuine self-reliance.
The goal is not permanent dependency.
Build the capability.
Transfer responsibility.
Get to zero.
Malaria once existed inside the United States. It has been eliminated here before, and Dr. Steiger argues that the same thing can happen elsewhere.
What if this generation actually ends it?
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
MalariaNoMore.org
Chapters:
00:54 - Who Is Dr. Bill Steiger?
02:58 - Why Should Americans Care About Global Health?
05:27 - How Does Disease Become a National-Security Problem?
07:01 - Why Does the Private Sector Matter So Much?
10:50 - How Big Is the Malaria Problem?
12:49 - Could Malaria Come Back to America?
14:33 - Are We Creating “Super Malaria”?
16:31 - What Is Private Industry Doing About It?
18:53 - Mutant Mosquitoes?
19:48 - Can Malaria Actually Be Eradicated?
20:53 - When Should Countries Take Over Their Own Fight?
23:33 - What Innovation Matters Most Over the Next Five Years?
25:55 - Why Aaron Moved to the Desert
26:51 - What Do Americans Get Wrong About Malaria?
27:54 - How Can People Learn More?Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
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DFND Apparel...UK BEHAVIOR PAMPHLET
Send us Fan MailApparently, there’s a pamphlet for that. Border problems? Public safety concerns? Hand out some reading material. That should handle it.Peaches and Trent head Outside the Wire to break down …
Notes de l’épisode
Apparently, there’s a pamphlet for that. Border problems? Public safety concerns? Hand out some reading material. That should handle it.
Peaches and Trent head Outside the Wire to break down “Understanding Behaviors and Expectations in the United Kingdom,” a guide for asylum seekers covering gender equality, domestic abuse, consent, and public conduct. Their biggest question: what do written expectations accomplish if the government won’t enforce them?
The guys discuss Channel crossings, taxpayer-funded support, and the pressure migrant accommodation can put on small communities. They debate assimilation, national identity, and whether fear of political backlash stops governments from addressing difficult problems.
If you’ve ever sat through military training because somebody, somewhere couldn’t act right, this conversation will sound familiar. Except Peaches and Trent argue that the stakes here go well beyond another mandatory briefing.
Expect British-government roasting, blunt opinions, and a recurring question: where does public information end and government responsibility begin? This episode reflects the hosts’ commentary on the pamphlet and the events they discuss.
Subscribe to Ones Ready, drop your take in the comments, and tell us what you want covered next on Outside the Wire.
Chapters:
00:00 - Outside the Wire With Peaches and Trent
00:27 - Britain Has a Pamphlet for That
02:18 - Channel Crossings and Border Questions
04:46 - The Rules Britain Is Spelling Out
06:38 - Can a Pamphlet Change Behavior?
07:45 - Consent, Enforcement, and Accountability
10:10 - A Small Village, a Big Accommodation Question
11:00 - Political Fear and Government Control
12:51 - Public Conduct and the Dundee Case
15:05 - Assimilation and National Identity
16:36 - Why Americans Should Pay AttentionJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Chapman Cliffhanger - Ep 626
Send us Fan MailAaron, Trent, and Peaches get into the Ground Truth documentary controversy and the growing fight over what happened at Takur Ghar.The crew’s position in this episode is pretty simple: the …
Notes de l’épisode
Aaron, Trent, and Peaches get into the Ground Truth documentary controversy and the growing fight over what happened at Takur Ghar.
The crew’s position in this episode is pretty simple: the documentary is not out yet, so the evidence still has to speak for itself.
Aaron explains why he is refusing to get dragged into character attacks, anonymous DMs, off-the-record conversations, or internet games designed to turn disagreement into personal warfare. If the documentary team believes it has evidence that changes the long-standing account of John Chapman’s actions, then release it. Put the timestamps up. Put the ISR up. Put the claims next to the supporting evidence and let people examine it.
Truth should not need a hype campaign.
That leads into Aaron’s exchange with the Ground Truth account after he posted a reel about Jason Cunningham. Aaron says his reel was based directly on Cunningham’s Air Force Cross citation, which describes repeated exposure to enemy fire, moving casualty collection points, continuing treatment after being mortally wounded, and helping get ten gravely wounded Americans to lifesaving care.
Peaches reads the citation on the episode.
The crew also digs into what they see as a recurring problem in the way Air Force operators are discussed: reducing a combat controller to “the JTAC,” questioning why a medic was not treating casualties during an active firefight, or judging a career field you have never actually done.
Then they turn the lens the other direction and make the same point about SEALs. Service rivalry is one thing. Mocking operators who died during a dangerous maritime boarding is something else entirely.
The larger message is consistency:
Critique claims.
Critique evidence.
Critique framing.
But stop pretending you understand every other career field from the outside looking in.
And if you say you have the full video?
Release the documentary.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:
01:05 - Welcome Back to the Team Room
01:33 - Operator Training Summit Updates
04:58 - The Comment Sections Are a Dumpster Fire
05:25 - Why Ones Ready Is Getting Dragged Into This
07:42 - Truth Should Not Need a Defense
09:32 - Why Aaron Won’t Engage Off the Record
13:21 - Not Everyone Wants to Relive the Event
16:07 - Jason Cunningham’s Air Force Cross Citation
19:18 - Does the Problem Run Deeper Than One Claim?
20:21 - JTAC Is Not the Entire CCT Job
23:08 - Stop Pretending You Know Everyone Else’s Job
24:09 - The SEAL Maritime Boarding Example
26:14 - SEALs Became Victims of Their Own Marketing
27:43 - Critique the Claims, Not the People
30:35 - What Video Does the Documentary Actually Have?
32:25 - If You Edit the Video, Expect the Same Questions
33:24 - Social Media Is Still a Dumpster Fire
35:23 - Wrap-Up and New MerchJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Airman First - Ep 625
Send us Fan MailAaron, Trent, and Peaches are back, and Trent just returned from AFA with a firsthand look at where the Air Force is trying to take Basic Military Training.Apparently some people at AFA thought …
Notes de l’épisode
Aaron, Trent, and Peaches are back, and Trent just returned from AFA with a firsthand look at where the Air Force is trying to take Basic Military Training.
Apparently some people at AFA thought BMT was a company selling rockets, so we are off to an excellent start.
Underneath the jokes, though, there is a serious shift happening. Trent talks about seeing senior Air Force leaders getting behind a renewed investment in the enlisted force and asking a question that probably should have been asked more often:
How do we prepare Airmen from day one for the missions they may actually have to perform?
That means connecting BMT to the Air Force mission earlier. Not just marching, folding clothes, saluting, and surviving basic training — but understanding how every Airman contributes to generating combat airpower.
Aaron gets into why that matters strategically. America’s enlisted force is one of its biggest advantages, and developing Airmen earlier means introducing mission context before they are an E-7 sitting through their first serious brief on the threat.
Then Trent casually reveals he has been teaching MTIs palm strikes and muzzle strikes because apparently BMT needed more violence.
Naturally, that turns into drill-sergeant tough-guy fantasies, Ohio, night jumps, Air Advisor tabs, retired PJ reunions, and Vegas weather.
The crew also checks back in on the Chapman documentary discussion, JTAC qualifications, the difference between being JTAC-qualified and doing air-to-ground integration professionally, and why CCTs exist on other SOF teams in the first place.
That leads into a bigger issue: why are Special Warfare communities still fighting each other like staff sergeants in the team room?
Competition is built into these communities. People compete for schools, deployments, opportunities, reputation, and resources. But eventually somebody has to stop fighting over beret colors and start solving the actual problems.
Especially when the latest SWAS numbers still are not producing enough people to sustainably feed PJ, CCT, SR, TACP, officers, and the rest of the enterprise.
Also: old Ones Ready episodes recorded from Africa, Chief Bass, internet mistakes, and the disturbing realization that Aaron may actually own an Air Advisor tab.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
01:05 - Modern Athlete and OTS Updates
04:54 - Trent Comes Back From AFA
05:50 - People Thought BMT Was a Rocket Company
07:40 - Why the Air Force Is Rebuilding BMT
08:32 - Start Preparing Airmen Earlier
10:15 - Connecting Every Job to the Mission
11:07 - Aaron’s Prestigious Air Advisor Career
13:37 - PJ Reunions and Getting Old
17:02 - Why “Airman First” Matters
19:53 - Trent Teaches MTIs Palm Strikes
21:42 - “I’d Punch the Drill Sergeant” Guys
22:54 - Chapman Documentary Check-In
24:17 - JTAC Qualified vs. CCT
25:57 - Why Special Warfare Keeps Fighting Itself
29:10 - Beret Colors Need to Stop Running the Conversation
30:18 - SWAS Still Isn’t Producing Enough People
31:58 - Recording Ones Ready From Africa
32:37 - Chief Bass and Taking Social Media Risks
33:41 - OTS and Wrap-UpJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...SEALs Want Chapman's Medal - Ep 624
Send us Fan MailAaron, Trent, and Peaches jump straight into the renewed fight over MSgt John Chapman, Takur Ghar, and the Medal of Honor narrative after new reels and an upcoming documentary challenge the …
Notes de l’épisode
Aaron, Trent, and Peaches jump straight into the renewed fight over MSgt John Chapman, Takur Ghar, and the Medal of Honor narrative after new reels and an upcoming documentary challenge the accepted account of what happened on that mountain.
And this one is personal.
The crew lived through the era, knew people directly connected to the event, watched the years of investigation that went into Chapman’s Medal of Honor upgrade, and remember the resistance surrounding it. So when a new documentary suggests Chapman was killed within minutes of the second insertion — and questions whether he deserved the Medal of Honor — the standard for evidence gets very high, very fast.
Aaron lays out the central problem: if you are going to overturn an account supported by years of ISR analysis, AC-130 crews, ground participants, Pentagon review, and the eventual Medal of Honor decision, you need something more than a different interpretation. You need evidence strong enough to completely change the picture.
Trent questions the timing, the framing, and the long history surrounding the controversy. Peaches pushes back on attacking individual SEALs, including Slabinski, while also asking the uncomfortable question: who benefits from reopening this fight now?
They also dig into the allegation that the ISR timestamps are wrong, radio-call arguments, conflicting accounts, the Medal of Honor Museum controversy, the difference between questioning evidence and simply introducing doubt, and why this documentary has put itself in a brutally difficult position.
Nobody on this episode claims to have watched the full release yet. In fact, they repeatedly say the opposite: they intend to watch it, look at the evidence, and change their minds if the evidence earns it.
But the bar is simple:
If you are going to overturn the call on the field, the replay better be undeniable.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
01:01 - The Chappie Controversy Is Back
01:47 - Why Peaches Responded
02:47 - “The Truth Matters”
04:23 - Eight Years After the Medal of Honor
04:56 - Why the Timing Raises Questions
05:50 - The ISR Work Behind the Medal Upgrade
06:58 - Is This Becoming Another Internet Investigation?
08:06 - The Timestamp Argument
09:10 - If It Wasn’t Chapman, Who Was It?
11:14 - Has the AFSOC Story Ever Really Changed?
13:02 - Who Actually Benefits?
15:21 - Did They Say Chapman Didn’t Deserve It?
17:07 - Playing the Reel
20:47 - Medal of Honor Museum Fallout
24:22 - Nobody Here Is Asking for Slab’s Medal
26:09 - Why This Looks Bad for the SEAL Community
28:26 - Is This About Evidence or Introducing Doubt?
29:59 - What Would Change Peaches’ Mind?
31:27 - Trent’s Prediction
32:28 - Aaron’s Standard: Clear and Incontrovertible
33:25 - Monday Better Be a Home RunJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...OTS FAQs II - Ep 623
Send us Fan MailPeaches goes solo to finish another stack of Operator Training Summit questions — or at least tries to before the ribs downstairs start calling his name.This is OTS FAQ Part 2, and it starts …
Notes de l’épisode
Peaches goes solo to finish another stack of Operator Training Summit questions — or at least tries to before the ribs downstairs start calling his name.
This is OTS FAQ Part 2, and it starts with one of the biggest questions candidates ask: what actually gets people through the hardest parts of selection and the job?
Peaches’ answer is pretty simple. Train your ass off. Build confidence through preparation. Get comfortable spending a lot of time on your feet. Run. Swim. Ruck. Be durable. And understand that the physical version of you that gets through selection may not be the version of you that your operational team eventually needs.
Then he gets into what actually makes a good teammate: integrity, reliability, communication, stress tolerance, teamwork, trainability, fitness, and drive. The inverse is just as important. If people cannot trust you, cannot rely on you, or have to constantly motivate you to do your job, you become a liability fast.
The episode also hits peer reviews, breath-hold apps, the four stupid mistakes candidates keep making, why dangerous jobs are still worth doing, and an easy way to build push-up volume without pretending every workout needs to be some heroic event.
Then things widen out: drone warfare, one-way attack drones, counter-UAS, and why the next fight will probably look very different from Iraq or Afghanistan.
Peaches also gives his mental-toughness trick: get on a treadmill, shut off every distraction, remove the clock, and live inside the suck. If you say you are running six miles, run six miles. Stop when the job is finished, not when it becomes uncomfortable.
He also breaks down Whoop recovery scores, why yellow does not mean “take the day off,” how people sabotage themselves by redlining every workout, and why backing off to 70–80% can actually produce more useful weekly training volume.
Then there is pipeline-specific stuff: possible two-week prep between BMT and SWAS, when spouses may join you, BAH questions, how fast a “good runner” should actually be, why Rocket Fins destroy your feet, what gear you can bring, and one of the most important lessons Peaches learned at Combat Dive School:
Eat. Everything.
You are not there to get shredded. You are there to pass. If midnight cookies and chips keep you fueled enough to survive the next dive, congratulations — you just discovered performance nutrition.
Also: ribs, soul mac and cheese, Velveeta, creamed corn, and why there will apparently be a Part 3.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
01:06 - OTS FAQ Part 2 Begins
05:50 - What Gets People Through Selection?
09:41 - What Makes a Good Teammate?
16:00 - Breath-Hold Training and Peer Reviews
18:16 - Biggest Candidate Mistakes
20:10 - Why Choose a Job Where You Could Die?
23:25 - How to Build Push-Ups Fast
26:50 - How Drone Warfare Changes the Fight
29:59 - Mental Toughness Without Distractions
34:30 - Whoop, Recovery, and Training Readiness
38:39 - Should You Take Recovery Weeks?
41:56 - Is a SWAS Prep Course Coming Back?
43:05 - Spouses, BAH, and Pipeline Logistics
46:06 - How Fast Should a Good Runner Be?
47:20 - Why Your Feet Cramp in Rocket Fins
49:11 - What Can You Bring Into the Pipeline?
49:54 - Should You Eat Everything You Can?
53:50 - Midnight Snacks Saved Combat Dive School
55:10 - Ribs, Soul Mac, and Part 3Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
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DFND Apparel...PJ reacts to the rescue of Dude 44B - Ep 622
Send us Fan MailThis isn’t analysis. This isn’t politics. This is raw.Aaron unloads on what just happened—and why it matters more than anything you’re arguing about online. Helicopters shot off target. Aircraft …
Notes de l’épisode
This isn’t analysis. This isn’t politics. This is raw.
Aaron unloads on what just happened—and why it matters more than anything you’re arguing about online.
Helicopters shot off target. Aircraft lost. Teams hit, patched up, and went right back on alert. Because someone was alone, injured, and needed help. That’s it. That’s the mission.
This is CSAR stripped down to its core: no ego, no Instagram, no “pipeline hype.” Just one question—are you going to risk everything to bring someone home?
Aaron makes it painfully clear: nobody cares about your run times, your programming, or your opinions. When it’s real, the only thing that matters is whether you’re willing to go when everyone else can’t.
If that question makes you uncomfortable… good. It should.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Turn This Off If You Want “Safe” Opinions
01:30 This Was a Historic CSAR Event
03:30 Helicopters Hit—And They Still Went Back
05:00 This Isn’t Sexy. This Is The Job
06:30 Are You Going or Not?
08:00 No One Cares About Your Fitness Stats
09:30 The Reality of Risk & Sacrifice
11:00 Why CSAR Is Different
13:00 The Dumbest Internet Arguments Right Now
15:00 The Only Thing That Matters—Did You Bring Him Home?
17:00 Brotherhood, Duty, and Zero Hesitation
19:00 This Career Field Isn’t What You Think
21:00 Final Thought—Earn It Every Day🎯 Call-to-Actions:
👍 Like if this hit you in the chest
🔔 Subscribe for real conversations that matter
💬 Comment—would you go? No BS
🌟 Leave a review if you respect the mission
🪖 Join the Ones Ready Membership
👕 Check out onesready.com for merchJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Run More! - Ep 621
Send us Fan MailPeaches is stuck at home with FOMO while the boys are at Operator Training Summit Pennsylvania, and somehow that turns into exactly what candidates need to hear again: you are probably not …
Notes de l’épisode
Peaches is stuck at home with FOMO while the boys are at Operator Training Summit Pennsylvania, and somehow that turns into exactly what candidates need to hear again: you are probably not running enough.
Trent and Peaches start with OTS updates, CrossFit Hershey, Pennsylvania, Miami University in Ohio, and Vegas in December. Then Peaches brings up something he has been noticing online: everyday recruiters and MTIs are putting in real mileage. Not candidates training for one of the hardest pipelines on the planet. Recruiters. MTIs. Air Force members with normal jobs who are running 20, 25, even 40 miles a week because they care about fitness, mental health, professional image, and being ready for life.
Which raises the obvious question: if they can do it, why are pipeline candidates still acting like a mile and a half is the finish line?
The boys break down the difference between passing the test and preparing for the life. Air Force Special Warfare candidates need more than a passing Initial Fitness Test. They need the aerobic base to absorb long days, recover, move under load, ruck, run, swim, train again, and not fold when volume stacks up.
They also talk about why OTS exposes people so quickly. It is not selection. It is not a pipeline smoke session. It is two days of coaching: land day, water day, running, rucking, mobility, pool work, instruction, and mentorship. And still, people get absolutely smoked. That should tell you something.
Then the conversation swings into MTIs, BMT, cones, cadre wakeups, student shenanigans, Air Force investment in Basic Military Training, and why trainees need to understand that MTIs are not the enemy. They are the people trying to turn 60 random civilians into Airmen in seven and a half weeks.
Bottom line: minimum standards are not the goal. If you are serious about Air Force Special Warfare, stop training like a normal person trying to pass a test. Build the engine. Run more. Recover better. Stay consistent. And quit acting shocked when the people around you are outworking you.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
00:00 - Ones Ready Intro
01:04 - ATACLETE and Partner Discounts
02:10 - Jared Pietras Sent You a Discount Code
02:40 - Ohio and Vegas OTS Updates
03:13 - Christmas OTS in Vegas
03:23 - Peaches Has Pennsylvania OTS FOMO
04:08 - What’s Happening at CrossFit Hershey
04:34 - The Podcast Must Go On
05:03 - Missing OTS Hits Different
05:33 - New Guest Instructor at OTS
06:00 - Are Candidates Running Enough?
06:59 - OTS Alumni Keep Hearing the Same Message
08:10 - Recruiters Are Putting in Work
08:34 - 40.9 Miles in One Week
08:55 - Running for Mental Health and Life
09:35 - MTIs and Recruiters Training Hard
10:09 - Hyrox, Running, and Real Fitness
10:51 - Grandma Is Outworking Pipeline Candidates
11:57 - Why Are Normal Airmen Doing More?
12:37 - Professional Image Matters
13:22 - Stop Making Excuses for Looking Unprepared
14:33 - What Started Their Fitness Push?
15:31 - Why OTS Breaks People Into Mileage Groups
16:00 - Your Numbers Become Your Identity
16:31 - Getting Around Fit People Is Sobering
17:11 - Fitness Is for the Rest of Your Life
18:19 - OTS Is Not Selection
19:06 - Why Candidates Are Starving After Land Day
20:00 - Some People Do Not Come Back for Day Two
20:46 - Long Days Expose Low Volume
21:31 - Cadre Wakeups Are a Gift
22:01 - Clear Instructions and Megaphones
22:38 - Cone Lives Matter
23:20 - Everything Cadre Do Is for You
24:09 - Old-School Cadre Visits
24:59 - Triangle Girls and Keesler Shenanigans
26:14 - Guilty Until Proven Innocent
27:20 - Can Trainees Escape BMT?
27:57 - The McDonald’s Sign at Basic
28:56 - MTIs Are on Your Side
29:48 - Imagine Managing 60 Random Civilians
30:38 - Air Force Investment in BMT 3.0
31:33 - Cut Your MTI Some Slack
31:55 - How to Find an Air Force Recruiter
33:06 - Find a Recruiter Putting in Miles
33:34 - Ohio, Vegas, and Christmas OTS
34:06 - Like, Subscribe, and Go RunJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Teamroom LIVE with Nate, Jake, Ben, and Aaron
Send us Fan MailSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.comFind an Air Force Recruiter …
Notes de l’épisode
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...MTI Love - Ep 620
Send us Fan MailTrent goes solo for a short one before heading to Washington, D.C. for AFA, and somehow the haircut actually matters.He explains that he’ll be at the Second Air Force booth for his day job …
Notes de l’épisode
Trent goes solo for a short one before heading to Washington, D.C. for AFA, and somehow the haircut actually matters.
He explains that he’ll be at the Second Air Force booth for his day job, helping highlight work being done around Basic Military Training and the future of how the Air Force builds new Airmen. But this episode is not really about Trent, the booth, or anyone trying to turn AFA into a Ones Ready meet-and-greet.
It is about the MTIs.
Trent makes the case that Military Training Instructors are the single most important link between civilians and the Air Force during those seven and a half weeks of basic training. Policies change, commanders change, paperwork changes, standards get debated forever, and everyone online has an opinion about whether BMT was harder “back in my day.” But the MTIs are still the ones standing in front of flights every day trying to turn brand-new civilians into Airmen.
Basic training may not be the most physically demanding thing in the world, especially for people headed toward Air Force Special Warfare, but that is not on the MTIs. Their job is bigger than push-ups and yelling. They are teaching standards, legacy, expectations, discipline, and what it means to put on a uniform that says U.S. Air Force.
So if you are going to AFA, especially if you are a chief, colonel, general officer, or anyone with enough rank to make someone’s day, Trent has one request: go talk to the MTIs. Ask them about the job. Ask them about the work. Show them some appreciation. A few honest words from the right person can change how someone sees the last few years of their life and the next few years of their career.
Also: Ones Ready, Outside The Wire, members-only chaos, OTS, AFA awkwardness, contractor-life boundaries, and Trent asking you not to tell the MTIs he said nice things because that would be embarrassing.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
00:02 - Trent Solo With a Fresh Haircut
01:02 - Ones Ready, Members, and Outside The Wire
01:43 - Why OTS Exists
02:22 - What Members Only Really Is
03:15 - Trent Is Heading to AFA
03:59 - Why He’ll Be at the Second Air Force Booth
04:43 - Keeping Ones Ready Separate From the Day Job
05:27 - Come See the BMT Work
06:18 - The Focus Should Be the MTIs
07:05 - What Basic Training Should Actually Do
07:58 - BMT Is Not Hard Because of the MTIs
08:44 - MTIs Affect the Next Generation
09:22 - The Hours and Responsibility Are Real
10:10 - Show Some Appreciation at AFA
11:49 - The MTI Link in the Chain
12:40 - Senior Leaders, Be Real People
14:12 - Focus on the MTIs, Not Trent
15:21 - Civilians Become Airmen Here
16:06 - Show the MTIs Some Love
16:32 - Like, Subscribe, and Trent EscapesJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...***Sneak Peek***MBRS 97: Posting Your Dream Online Won’t Save You—Performance Will
Send us Fan MailThis members-only episode goes off the rails in the best way. Peaches and Trent start with social media hopefuls broadcasting their Special Warfare dreams—and break down why visibility without …
Notes de l’épisode
This members-only episode goes off the rails in the best way. Peaches and Trent start with social media hopefuls broadcasting their Special Warfare dreams—and break down why visibility without performance can come back to haunt you in the pipeline. From authenticity vs cringe, performers vs non-performers, and why teams eventually protect their own, the conversation rolls into accountability, medals, general officers, Mark Milley, CQ Brown, and why shiny ribbon racks don’t equal integrity. Toss in meme culture, Delta legends, fitness across generations, alcohol, Shot Show chaos, gun safety, and why the military still self-corrects faster than the internet thinks. Messy, funny, real—and exactly why this one stays behind the paywall.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Members welcome and no-filter mode
02:30 Social media candidates and pipeline reality
06:00 Visibility vs performance
09:30 Authentic weirdos who make it
13:30 Teams protect performers
17:30 Generational shifts and social media pressure
21:00 Meme culture and internet obsession
27:00 Accountability and firing senior leaders
31:00 Ribbon racks, medals, and meaning
36:00 Mark Milley, CQ Brown, and double standards
42:00 Leadership, legality, and obedience
48:00 Delta legends and quiet professionals
52:30 Fitness baselines then vs now
56:00 Alcohol, discipline, and balance
59:30 Shot Show chaos and gun safety
01:02:00 Final member thoughts🎯 Call-to-Actions:
👍 Like the episode
🔔 Subscribe
💬 Comment if performance still matters
🌟 Leave a review
🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member
👕 Check out the merch storeJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...SECWAR Out? - Ep 619
Send us Fan MailAaron and Peaches are back in the team room talking through the rumors around Pete Hegseth, the future of the Secretary of Defense/Secretary of War role, and what all this political turbulence …
Notes de l’épisode
Aaron and Peaches are back in the team room talking through the rumors around Pete Hegseth, the future of the Secretary of Defense/Secretary of War role, and what all this political turbulence actually means for people thinking about joining the military.
This is not a “pick your team and scream online” episode. The point is bigger than one administration, one secretary, or one headline. If you serve long enough, administrations change. Secretaries change. Policies change. Generals get fired, retire, or quietly disappear into the defense-industrial mist. If your entire decision to serve is based on liking or disliking the current political lineup, you are thinking too small.
Aaron lays out the Hegseth ledger: if you stripped the name off and only looked at the policies and outputs, there are real wins. But the job is not cable news. The job is not dunking on people online. The job is leading a massive organization, communicating clearly, and not turning every press moment into a viral clip.
Peaches and Aaron also get into the tension between cleaning house and creating chaos. Maybe some fired leaders needed to go. Maybe some people speaking out have legitimate concerns. Maybe both can be true. That is the uncomfortable part nobody online wants to hold in their head at the same time.
Then the episode detours into GWOT lessons, senior leaders finally pushing back, Afghanistan moral insanity, General Mattis, Dan Driscoll, Tom Tillis, midterm timing, and why big changes usually happen when the public is distracted by football, holidays, and food comas.
Also included: Canada slander, Fox News habits, workout optics, fake-weight internet detectives, dog-and-pony shows, General Welsh in Djibouti, BG almost getting Aaron with shenanigans, and the eternal truth that if you want to join, stop waiting for perfect politics and go serve.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
00:00 - Ones Ready Intro
01:04 - ATACLETE and Partner Discounts
02:10 - Modern Athlete Strength Systems
03:15 - Aaron and Peaches in the Team Room
03:42 - Why We’re Talking About SecDef Rumors
04:16 - Trump One, Biden, and Trump Two Context
05:05 - Hegseth Rumors Start Flying
06:30 - Looking at the Hegseth Ledger
07:15 - Policy Wins vs. Optics Problems
08:32 - Do Not Base Service on Politics
09:15 - Dan Driscoll and Generational Damage Claims
10:04 - Fired Generals and Competing Narratives
11:31 - When Multiple Leaders Point at the Same Problem
12:31 - Did GWOT Teach Senior Leaders to Push Back?
13:57 - Iraq, Afghanistan, and Failed Culture Exporting
15:05 - Afghanistan Moral Reality Check
17:05 - Charles Martland and the Cost of Doing Right
18:29 - Back to the Hegseth Question
19:36 - Mattis, Letters, Books, and Public Exits
20:25 - Why Driscoll’s Opinion Carries Weight
21:17 - Midterms and Political Timing
22:24 - When Would a Replacement Actually Happen?
22:48 - The Job Is Not Internet Sparring
23:36 - Canada, Foreign Affairs, and Staying in Your Lane
24:30 - Negative Transfer From Cable News
25:35 - Funny Does Not Mean Useful
26:25 - Can Hegseth Course Correct?
26:45 - What Better Messaging Could Look Like
27:38 - Workout Videos and Bad Optics
28:03 - The Pull-Up Clip Context
29:04 - How to Become a Legend With the Troops
30:08 - Matt Lohmeier Gets It Right
30:57 - Stop Making Dog-and-Pony Shows
31:26 - General Welsh in Djibouti
33:00 - BG Almost Got Aaron
34:00 - What Happens After Midterms?
34:34 - OTS and Ones Ready Wrap-Up
35:06 - Special Warfare Selection OutroJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...LINDSAY CLANCY MISTRIAL
Send us Fan MailOne juror held the line—and the Lindsay Clancy trial ended without a verdict.Aaron and Peaches react to the mistrial in the case involving the deaths of Clancy’s three children. They discuss her …
Notes de l’épisode
One juror held the line—and the Lindsay Clancy trial ended without a verdict.
Aaron and Peaches react to the mistrial in the case involving the deaths of Clancy’s three children. They discuss her insanity defense, the reported pressure surrounding the holdout juror, the possibility of another trial, and whether an impartial jury can still be found after years of national attention.
Aaron also challenges the online movement defending Clancy and argues that mental illness can explain someone’s actions without erasing accountability. The conversation expands into justice, political violence, gender double standards, social-media radicalization, and the dangerous precedent created when hormones or psychosis are treated as a complete moral excuse.
This is an angry, unsanitized episode about three children Aaron and Peaches believe cannot be forgotten amid the arguments over their mother.
Links: OnesReady.com
Chapters:
00:00 - Aaron Has Had Enough
01:27 - The Online Defense of Clancy
03:01 - How Did One Juror Hold Out?
04:00 - What the Trial Was Actually About
06:36 - The Defense Targets the Holdout
08:01 - Aaron Called the Mistrial
08:50 - Juror Pressure and Doxxing
10:03 - What Happens After a Mistrial?
11:10 - Could the Holdout Juror Be in Danger?
12:15 - The Double Standard for Fathers
14:20 - The Backlash Against Women
16:17 - Another Collapse in Public Trust
17:12 - Special Pleading and Accountability
18:09 - Remember the Three Victims
18:54 - Can an Impartial Jury Exist?
20:29 - Are Hormones Becoming an Excuse?
22:03 - Aaron’s Final VerdictJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...Beards in Valhalla?- Ep 618
Send us Fan MailTrent and Peaches are back, and somehow the episode starts with Valhalla, Norse paganism, Air Force beard waivers, and whether everybody suddenly developed shaving trauma at the exact same …
Notes de l’épisode
Trent and Peaches are back, and somehow the episode starts with Valhalla, Norse paganism, Air Force beard waivers, and whether everybody suddenly developed shaving trauma at the exact same time.
The boys talk about the lengths Airmen will go to for beards, shaving waivers, religious accommodations, fake individuality, and why spending half your professional life trying to dodge grooming standards might be more damaging than the beard itself. Peaches, as the only truly bearded member of Ones Ready, gives the hard truth: beards are not magic, they are more expensive, more maintenance, and your daughter might still roast your old clean-shaven photos.
Then it turns into a bigger conversation about military culture. Why has so much of the U.S. military, especially special operations, adopted the whole Norse/Viking/Valhalla thing? Trent and Peaches push back on the cosplay version of warrior identity and make the case that the American military fighting legacy is already heavy enough. You do not need to pretend to be a Viking, samurai, or anything else. The legacy is already right here.
From there, they move into fitness, running, and the idea that being better at physical training absolutely makes you better at leadership. It shows discipline, commitment, consistency, and the ability to lead from the front. They break down why most candidates hate running because they train like idiots, why every run does not need to be a death sprint, why heart rate zones matter, and how slowing down can make you faster over time.
Also included: maintainers tracking macros, cinnamon rolls with chili, treadmill lies, pavement reality checks, San Antonio hills, Taylor Starch blood-doping at Colorado altitude by existing, the Manitou Incline, and Peaches nearly getting saved by a Ones Ready fan on a mountain trail.
Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.comChapters:
00:00 - Ones Ready Intro
01:03 - What Is Valhalla?
01:23 - Norse Pagan Beards in the Air Force
02:46 - Why Do People Care This Much About Beards?
03:13 - Peaches Explains Beard Reality
04:38 - Shaving Waivers and Razor Shenanigans
06:23 - Trent’s Anti-Beard SIMSAF Policy
07:54 - Do Beards Make Us More Lethal?
08:53 - Arguing About Beards Is the Problem
09:39 - Individuality or Narcissism?
10:22 - When a Bearded Airman Is Actually Squared Away
11:20 - Maintainers Tracking Macros
12:44 - Cinnamon Rolls With Chili
14:20 - Why Special Operations Loves Viking Stuff
15:44 - American Warrior Legacy Is Enough
18:00 - The 13th Warrior Prayer
18:54 - The Weird Side of Norse Cosplay
19:54 - PT Makes You Better at Everything
21:13 - Learning to Stop Hating Running
22:20 - Heart Rate Training Changes Everything
23:50 - It’s Not the Time, It’s the Miles
25:48 - Zone Two Is Humbling
27:00 - Treadmill Running vs. Real Running
27:59 - Hills Change the Game
30:10 - San Antonio Hill Country Breakdown
31:16 - Taylor Starch at Altitude
32:28 - The Manitou Incline
35:06 - Lightning, Trails, and Podcast Fans
36:05 - OTS Updates and Partner Discounts
37:28 - Members Only TeaseJoin this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...
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