Dive into the harrowing and intense world of military operations with the Shawn Ryan Show as Tim Kennedy, a former Green Beret sniper and UFC fighter, shares first-hand experiences from the battlefield. In an episode that spans far beyond the octagon, Kennedy recounts his time with an elite Special Operations task force assigned to dismantle the notorious Zarqawi network in Iraq, detailing the intricate campaign leading to the demise of a high-profile Al-Qaeda leader.
Tim Kennedy’s tales of warzone realities extend to discussing the broader scope of America's defense challenges and his own efforts toward national and global betterment. Drawing upon his relentless service ethos, he also sheds light on the initiatives he supports - from spearheading educational reforms to his high-stakes involvement in post-military withdrawal evacuations from Afghanistan. As the Shawn Ryan Show marks its 100th episode, listeners are offered a sobering glimpse into the life of a soldier, the urgency of securing borders, and the profound passion for protecting the nation’s future.
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An elite Special operations task force was on a mission to dismantle the Zarqawi network in Iraq, led by the influential Al-Qaeda leader. Tim Kennedy from the task force details the deployment which over several weeks systematically struck Zarqawi's targets, lieutenants, and safe houses based on intelligence gathered by what he describes as an unparalleled intel team. Kennedy's team participated in the final raid, where after constricting Zarqawi's operational capacity, Delta Force successfully located and targeted him, leading to Zarqawi's death under the boot of an American commando.
Kennedy relates the severe conditions in Iraq cities like Fallujah, Ramadi, and Sadr City during the war—where dense urban warfare was rampant. The conflict was characterized by daily threats such as IEDs, direct firefights, and gruesome tactics by the enemy, including hanging and burning Americans. Soldiers endured psychologically scarring episodes, including finding tortured and murdered civilians. The human cost was evident as soldiers returned from deployment gravely injured or not at all.
After 9/11, increased demand and motivation for Special Forces led to significantly larger selection classes and high graduation rates. Kennedy exemplifies this eagerness to serve, discussing how he and other recruits maintained high levels of physical fitness and determination through the selection process, reflecting a period marked by an accelerated path to deployment and the need to address high casualty rates in combat zones.
Kennedy invests in initiatives such as Apogee Academy charter schools, emphasizing critical thinking and practical skills to improve American education. Moreover, Sheepdog Response focuses on citizen training to handle emergencies, and Save Our Allies is involved in rescuing vulnerable people from crisis zones, with Kennedy's team playing a significant role in evacuating thousands from Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrawal.
Kennedy, involved in Operation Lone Star, depicts the substantial illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border, observing up to 60,000 crossings in a single day. He warns that unchecked, this could rise to 300,000 monthly. An influx of immigrants also strengthens drug cartels and human trafficking networks, presenting a critical security threat that his efforts aim to mitigate.
Kennedy and Shawn Ryan express grave concerns for the U.S. with divisive identity politics, dependence on imported energy, a lack of border control, and the devaluation of currency through reckless printing. They assert the necessity for Americans to reclaim individual responsibility and sovereignty, advocating for self-reliance as a path to national strength. This call to action suggests a return to the nation's foundational resilience to prevent decline into a failed state.
1-Page Summary
The Zarqawi operation, led by an elite Special operations task force, sought to eliminate the influential leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and his network through strategic and focused military action.
Special operations task forces embarked on a systematic campaign to dismantle Zarqawi's network. Tim Kennedy from the task force describes a deployment that involved systematically taking out Zarqawi's targets, lieutenants, and safe houses over weeks. His narrative captures a strategic constriction of Zarqawi's operating space, driven by what he describes as the best military intel team to have ever existed.
Kennedy recounts the relentless targeting and elimination of Zarqawi's lieutenants and safe houses, referring to a "murder board" or target board used to connect these individuals to physical locations. By hitting multiple targets nightly and processing intelligence rapidly, they reduced the number of places Zarqawi could escape to. Kennedy mentioned hitting every known target over two weeks, driving Zarqawi to his last safe house.
Kennedy describes the climax of the operation occurring over a single night, indicating his team's role in providing perimeter security while the Delta Force led the decisive raid. This critical raid came ...
Zarqawi network in Iraq, the task force to hunt down Zarqawi and his lieutenants
Tim Kennedy shares the stark realities of the war in Iraq, particularly in cities like Fallujah, Ramadi, and Sadr City, painting a picture of intense urban warfare that spanned from 2002 to 2012.
Kennedy describes real war fought block by block, door by door, with heavy casualties on both sides. The conflict was characterized by sensory overload and traumatic encounters that blurred the lines between combatants and non-combatants. He mentions the onset of a three-day gunfight where PKM machine guns and RPGs were used and a vehicle was disintegrated, leaving all occupants dead.
As his unit moved through villages on their way to Firebase Anaconda, they faced direct combat in door-to-door, building-to-building engagements. IEDs strategically placed around villages prevented any attempt to bypass these areas, necessitating direct engagement with the enemy.
The year 2005 marked the peak of the war's intensity, with Americans being hung from bridges and burned alive. Zarqawi, known for his brutality, would pose with dead American soldiers and parade their captured weapons. He was also responsible for hanging and dragging bodies through the streets, an act recounted by Ryan as an example of the enemy tactics during this period.
Kennedy recounts a harrowi ...
Warzone situation in Iraq in 2005-2006, the intense fighting and conflict on the ground
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In response to the events of 9/11, there is a surge in recruitment and the demand for United States Special Forces, leading to unprecedented selection rates and a newfound eagerness among recruits to deploy.
Kennedy and Ryan discuss how the post-9/11 period saw an increase in motivated individuals enlisting with the hopes of joining the Special Forces. Kennedy illustrates the atmosphere by describing how a thousand people lined up to speak with military recruiters, all with a fervent desire to serve in response to the national tragedy.
Notably, there was a historic selection rate with 88 individuals out of a large pool being accepted, the highest to that date, according to Shawn Ryan. Despite assumptions that the selection process may have been eased, Kennedy insists standards remained unchanged. The candidates' superior preparation and heightened motivation, often training from basic straight through to the Special Forces preparation course, contributed to the high pass rate.
Kennedy recalls that nobody quit from his selection class — an anomaly compared to typical attrition rates. The recruits, many of whom were high-level athletes from states like Florida, Texas, and California and had not served before, found unorthodox ways to succeed as a group throughout the grueling selection process. Their determination was such that Kennedy remarks they would have had to be killed to stop pursuing selection, showcasing their deep commitment even when faced with serious injuries.
There was also a practical need for more Special Forces soldiers to be deployed due to high casualty rates at the peak of the war, which ...
Post 9/11 operations tempo and demand for more Special Forces soldiers
Tim Kennedy is highly involved in various initiatives focusing on education, citizen training, and rescue operations around the globe. His commitment extends from founding charter schools to rescuing vulnerable individuals from crisis zones.
Tim Kennedy, disturbed by the current state of the public education system, opened Apogee Academy, a K-12 charter school, with the aims to revitalize education through a focus on critical thinking and practical skills.
The first Apogee-Cedar Park school was established as a Socratic institution. Despite difficulties in its inaugural year, the school made adjustments and continued its progress. Kennedy and his team ensure alignment in values and vision with prospective school owners through an extensive mentorship program. He sees the establishment of schools like Apogee Academy as critical to fostering critical thinkers and innovators, contrasting with a public education system geared towards producing laborers. With plans to expand to about 3000 people through mentorship programs and brick-and-mortar school locations, Kennedy emphasizes the development of critical thinking as the centerpiece of Apogee Academy's educational approach.
Kennedy details Sheepdog Response, a program where Americans are trained in fundamental citizenship skills, such as providing for a family and protecting human life. Utilizing his expansive experience across various emergency and tactical roles, Kennedy seeks to train individuals to handle emergencies effectively and responsibly, using a special operations model to empower people to be self-reliant and ensure their own safety.
Kennedy also co-founded Save Our Allies in August 2021, identifying a gap in the U. ...
Tim's efforts to start schools, train citizens, and rescue people around the world
Tim Kennedy shares his first-hand experiences with Operation Lone Star on the Mexican border, shedding light on the significant challenges posed by illegal immigration.
Tim Kennedy mentions encountering an overwhelming episode of illegal immigration, witnessing up to 60,000 people crossing the border in just a single day. This direct engagement has provided him with a vivid understanding of the scale and immediacy of the situation.
Kennedy further discusses his expectations based on the scenario at the border, projecting that the number of crossings could surge to an alarming 300,000 per month if left unchecked.
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The crisis at the US-Mexico border and threats from unchecked illegal immigration
As the conversation illuminates a nation on the brink of potential chaos, Kennedy and Shawn Ryan express their concerns about the signs and causes that could lead the US down the path to becoming a failed state.
Kennedy refers to the US as the most prosperous nation with an elite fighting force, yet on the cusp of a "complete disaster." He hints at a fine line being trod that could endanger the nation's stability, with self-inflicted issues like divisive identity politics and reliance on imported energy exacerbating internal schisms.
Ryan debates the current incompetencies perceived in the governance of the United States, hinting at it becoming a failed state. He brings attention to significant concerns like the border being wide open, which contributes to this viewpoint of incompetence. Further amplifying these worries is the financial practice of incessant money printing, considered another harbinger of decline.
The discussion points to a need for Americans to engage more actively in their nation's welfare, reclaiming a sense of res ...
Concerns about the US being on the path to becoming a failed state
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