cct Archives - Page 3 of 5 -

Ep 094 | Ish Villegas – 2-time Silver Star Recipient

September 19, 2022 By Thad Forester

Ish Villegas is one of three people who have received the Silver Star twice, since 9/11.

Today he walks us thru the battle in 2009 where he got his first Silver Star. It was a 16 hour fight that resulted in at least 32 enemy insurgents killed. During this fight, Ish ran 200 feet across an open, uncleared IED minefield to more effective position and returned fire with his M-4 and then directed aircraft (rotary and fixed wing) onto the enemy locations in a surgical and lethal manner. It’s an incredible story; one that he completed with two broken arms.

He also trained my brother, Mark Forester, at FOB Cobra/Tinsley and we are forever grateful for his friendship to Mark and for showing him the ropes in one of the most active areas in all of Afghanistan.

Ish is a great American and we’re lucky to have men like him on our side. You can listen to details of his 2nd Silver Star here on Black Rifle Coffee.

*PTC is on Patreon. If you like what you’re hearing please check out how you can help the cause so I can provide quality content and keep on keeping on!

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Ep 093 | Leading Well in Turbulent Times

August 8, 2022 By Thad Forester

“Good judgment comes through experience, which comes from bad judgment.”

Brig. Gen. Robert (Gwyn) Armfield and Lt. Gen. Bruce Fister, both USAF, retired are on the show to talk about their new book “Lead to Serve and Serve to Lead.”

They use their experience from extensive military careers and now consulting with companies–from non-profits, to large organizations.

Some specifics we discuss:
-Leading in a crisis
-How do develop leaders, including delegating effectively
-Giving feedback: possibly an area where most leaders struggle
-Gwyn and Bruce’s mistakes and responses to them

I’ve already given the book a 5-star rating on Amazon and recommend it to all listeners to Patriot to the Core.

Purchase the book here: Lead to Serve book

You can also listen to my previous interview with Gwyn here.

*PTC is on Patreon. If you like what you’re hearing please check out how you can help the cause so I can provide quality content and keep on keeping on!

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Ep 084 | Zach Asmus and Cress Clippard on Afghanistan and SIV’s

September 6, 2021 By Thad Forester

Afghanistan. What can I say? Well, I have a lot to say, but I’m not unloading my feelings here–much. We lost 13 American lives. At least 18 are injured, last I read (trying to get correct #). My heart goes out to their families. These heroes haven’t gotten the attention they deserve.

Now that our President has declared the war over, what is happening with the thousands of Afghans who are coming to the USA? How are they being vetted? How can we trust them? Why did we leave so many trusted Afghan partners behind? What will happen to them? The questions go on and on for so many of us.

Zach Asmus, former Air Force combat controller, and Cress Clippard, former Marine, have been taking action for several years not only by helping veterans transition from the service, but by helping with the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process to get Afghans and Iraqi’s to the US to live better lives. These are people who have proven themselves as trusted by their US teammates as terrorists hunters and who have been vetted.

I’ve had a ton of anger recently, but that’s not going to solve one of the big problems at hand–what do we do with the SIV’s who are here, and who are coming? Zach and Cress are experts on the SIV process and explain it all. And what were the documents the Afghans were showing to our Marines at the airport and at Taliban checkpoints; and why many of those Afghans who are left have been instructed to burn anything that connects them to the US.

You can learn how Zach and Cress are making Americans by visiting:

Combined Arms

Thank you for listening. Please rate my podcast and consider writing a review on whatever player you use–Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, etc.

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Ep 076 – Special: Brig. Gen. Gwyn Armfield | Behind the scenes of our Next-of-Kin notifications

September 29, 2020 By Thad Forester

Sept 29, 2020 is the 10th anniversary of Mark Forester’s death in Afghanistan. The picture in this post is Mark’s body being taken from the C-17 at Dover AFB for the Dignified Transfer.

My guest is General Robert Armfield who was Mark’s group commander in 2010. Armfield was also at Dover when Mark’s body arrived, he visited our home to provide additional details of his death, and was in the background helping lead the notification activities.

We discuss how they arranged simultaneously notifying our family, how they watched Mom and Dad’s home until Dad got home from work. Why they called the sheriff before they delivered the news and how they prepare to bring this news that rocks someone’s world instantly.

He also shares the purpose of that last big mission Mark and his team were on. It was great to have this experienced, American warfighter on the show and we appreciate him reflecting on Mark’s death from Gwyn’s unique perspective.

“I cannot think of another Air Force general who has more combat time than Brig. Gen. Armfield,” said retired Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, former commander of Air Force Special Operations Command and officiant of Armfield’s retirement ceremony.

Learn more about Brig. Gen. Armfield here

Mentioned in this show:

HBO original movie: Taking Chance

*PTC is on Patreon. If you like what you’re hearing please check out how you can help the cause so I can provide quality content and keep on keeping on!

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Ep 075 – Dan Skidmore | Former CCT, GORUCK Dir. of Training

August 24, 2020 By Thad Forester

Dan Skidmore spent nine years as an Air Force combat controller. As a member of this elite group, he deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other locations across the globe.

He is a member of Force Blue , which unites the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine conservation for the betterment of both.

Dan is also the Director of Training for GORUCK – a gear, apparel, footwear, and events company that I’m a big fan of.

In this episode we cover three main topics: CCT, GORUCK and one of his businesses, Ruck Wrap, which promotes recovery and injury prevention by compression and teaches how to “maintain your machine.”

At the end, I got his opinion on professional athletes kneeling for the National Anthem.

I hope you enjoy this hard-charging, health and fitness advocate that I enjoy following on Instagram.

Follow Dan on Facebook below:

https://www.facebook.com/daniel.skidmore.5

*PTC is on Patreon. If you like what you’re hearing please check out how you can help the cause so I can provide quality content and keep on keeping on!

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