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Episode 009 – Rob Gutierrez, Air Force Cross recipient, CCT, aka “The Combat Chassis”

September 5, 2016 By Thad Forester

Rob GutierrezRob is one of those guys who was angered by the attacks on 9/11 and quit his job and joined the military THAT DAY.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t pass the swim test for CCT initially, but he kept working and got accepted.

Even though his employer laughed at him for wanting to join, Rob has had a successful career in combat and sent many terrorists to meet their maker.  After being shot, having a lung collapse – twice, and losing over 5 pints of blood during a fight with the Taliban in 2009, he still called in close air support and saved his team which helped eliminate over 47 enemies that night and prevent thousands of pounds of Imodium Nitrate from being used for bombs.

Rob shares an incredible story of bravery and determination by him and his team to fight the enemy, no matter how many of them kept appearing from the spider holes trying to kill them.

He was also named one of the Outstanding Airmen of the Year in 2010.

You can learn more about Rob from this book by Oliver North:
 

https://amzn.com/0805447121

This book:

https://amzn.com/147659936X

And read more about him here:

http://www.sgtmacsbar.com/CCTPhotos/Gallery24/Gutierrez/Gutierrez.html
 

Music courtesy of Soundroad – Believe.

Copyright 2016 Thad Forester

www.patriottothecore.com

email questions to thad@patriottothecore.com
 

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Filed Under: Patriot to the Core Tagged With: 9/11, Air force cross, airmen of the year, cas, cct, rob gutierrez, special operations

Episode 008 – Bart Decker, Air Force CCT (ret), original Horse Soldier in Afghanistan

August 22, 2016 By Thad Forester

The Horse Soldiers

I’ve been wanting to talk to Bart for a long time.  He and his Special Operations team were some of the first men inserted into Afghanistan after 9/11.  They were covert operators named Task Force Dagger that joined up with the Northern Alliance to defeat the Taliban.

They rode on horseback to capture the city of Mazar-i-Sharif.  Once they arrived, the Taliban had moved out and his team were welcomed as liberators.  Bart also tells us how he controlled his emotions when interacting with John Walker Lindh, the American who converted to Islam and took part in a violent uprising after his capture in Afghanistan.

Decker is now retired after 20+ years serving in the Air Force.  He said he wouldn’t go back and change a thing.  He loved his time serving his country and has no regrets.

He and his team are forever honored at One World Trade center with a 13’ bronze statue of an American Commando on a horse.  Hopefully we see this story hit the big screen in the next few years.  It’s definitely deserving of it!

More info here:

“First In” by Gary Schroen

“Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton

Americas Response Monument at One World Trade Center

Sgt Macs Bar on Horse Soldiers and Bart Decker

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Filed Under: Patriot to the Core Tagged With: 9/11, afsoc, americas response, bart decker, bowe bergdahl, cct, first in, horse soldiers, john walker lindh, kunduz, mazar-i-sharif, Mohammad Fazl, wooden saddles

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