Thad Forester

Ep 100 | Michael Blout – Combat Controller, Silver Star Recipient

February 6, 2023 By Thad Forester

Michael Blout joins me to talk about the battle from 2012 where he was awarded the Silver Star. As a former Flight Superintendent, Combat Dive Course Superintendent, and Superintendent over the Department of Training, Special Warfare Preparatory Course and more, we talk much about preparation, mindset, leading, integrating into a team and never quitting. During the CCT pipeline, Blout was smoked many times by one of his instructors, Mark Lauren (aka Klinganator or Cyborg). Mark is also a former guest on this show.

He also shared how to keep the sharks away while scuba training and threw in some surprises about dolphins.

Mike is another Air Force Combat Controller who is a silent professional. He’s sacrificed his body and family to fight evil and to serve in other various ways throughout the world. “Take care of your people and they will take care of you.”

One of Blout’s SF teammates, “Big Mike” Duskin, was killed in this battle on Oct 23, 2012. Please take time to read about him at this link: https://www.duskinandstephens.org/duskin

I hope you enjoy the intro music and full song at the end of this interview. It was written by former Air Force CCT, and 2-time PTC guest, Dan Schilling. You can learn the history of this song here. Dan’s goal is for it to be something that urges people to turn up the volume when they play the track!

“My hope was that this song rocks enough that guys I wrote it for will enjoy it and powerful enough to leave an indelible emotional impact crater,” Schilling said, “one you want to revisit over and over again.”

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Ep 099 | Yvette Sierra – Gold Star Mother to SrA Danny Sanchez

January 9, 2023 By Thad Forester

On Sept 16, 2010, Yvette’s son, Daniel Ray Sanchez (Danny) was killed in Afghanistan by an insurgent who infiltrated the Afghanistan partner force.

Today, Danny’s mom tells us why this “ball of energy” was made for Combat Control and what happened on his first deployment – how was an insurgent able to get on the helicopter with Danny and his team and then kill Danny when they landed. Fortunately, that guy was killed immediately, but only after injuring others, and of course killing one of America’s bravest.

Yvette started the SrA Danny Ray Sanchez Foundation and holds an annual race on Labor Day weekend to raise money to provide scholarships to Montwood High School graduates, and hopefully to other schools in the district soon.

Yvette and I have become friends since 2010. We’ve mourned together and attended several events together. I loved finally getting to have her on Patriot to the Core. Listen to this mother’s love of her son as she shares how she was notified and how she’s handled his loss since. We also discuss how Danny’s death affected her youngest son, Dakota, since he’s no longer being duct-taped to the door or being hung on the door knob by his underwear, compliments of his big brother.

You can also watch this interview on YouTube here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Memorial 3 Gun
Combat Control Foundation

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Ep 098 | Christmas from Heaven – Gail Halvorsen

December 25, 2022 By Thad Forester

On this special Christmas Day episode, we hear from a legend from WWII – Gail (Hal) Halvorsen. He has many names: Uncle Wiggly Wings, The Berlin Candy Bomber and The Chocolate Flier. He became popular for dropping candy from his plane to the children of Berlin, from 1948-49.

His efforts gained support from many back in the states. School children packaged candy in boxes with parachutes, and candy companies like Wrigley and Hershey’s donated items. Thanks to his efforts he and his team had dropped 23 tons of candy by Christmas 1949.

Today we talk of “Operation Little Viddles”, how he became a pilot, how to overcome trials and depression, freedom vs. communism and the importance of serving others. This is an uplifting episode that you don’t want to miss. He shares that these children in Berlin taught him about freedom more than anything else. It’s amazing what 2 sticks of gum turned in to!

Learn more about Mr. Halvorsen here:

http://wigglywings.weebly.com/

His book, “The Berlin Candy Bomber” here: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/088290616X

Special with Tom Brokaw: https://youtu.be/QWbISrde2mQ

Note: Mr. Halvorsen passed away in February of 2022 at the age of 101. This is an interview I did with him back in 2016.

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Ep 097 | Scott DeLuzio – Surviving Son

November 7, 2022 By Thad Forester

Scott’s younger brother, Steven, was killed-in-action in Afghanistan in Aug. 2010 at the same time that Scott was deployed just miles away.

Not only did Scott (@scottdeluzio) have to receive the news of Steven’s death while Scott and his unit were outside the wire, his teammates had to engage in combat until he could get on a bird and to his brother’s body.

Anger immediately ensued, almost a homicidal rage. Scott opens up about the next few days of getting home to his parents before Steven’s body, dealing with the media, using alcohol to cope and sleep, and how he got to a point where he had to make some changes. Thankfully he had a supportive wife and found the right people at the VA to help him out.

You can learn more about Scott and Steven by reading his book, Surviving Son. His parents lost one of their two sons for the price of freedom. And in Scott’s words, speaking of Afghans: “The gift of freedom is priceless, even if the recipients only experience it for a short time.”

Mentioned in this episode:

Drive On Podcast
Scott on PUT6 podcast
Scott on HeroFront podcast

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Ep 096 | Special: Doug Cole on the Impact of Mark Forester

September 29, 2022 By Thad Forester

Today, September 29, 2022, mark’s 12 years since my little brother, Mark Forester’s death in Afghanistan.

Mark’s close friend and roommate, Doug Cole (@dcoleii), spends some time telling us what life was like living with Mark and watching him transform from a narrow-shouldered, pudgy, college student to a solid, chiseled man.

No matter how serious Mark was about prepping for the military, he always made time for Call of Duty, Halo, Terry Tate, Saving Private Ryan, 24, Anchorman, 300, Gladiator, and maintaining the integrity of the handicap parking spots!

This is one of those episodes I publish on Sept 29 (most years) to allow us to learn more intimately about Mark and to reminisce our times together. It’s important to capture these memories so that our loved ones aren’t forgotten.

Doug, thank you for opening up and sharing your feelings. We all miss Mark terribly and his family and close friends will never take for granted his sacrifice for this country that we love.

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