This episode is brought to you by the OSS Society. Use the link below to register for the Tuesday, June 13 · 6 - 7pm EDT 'Oh So Social' Conversation between General Jim Mattis and Dr. Michael Vickers. They'll discuss Vickers upcoming book In By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operation and Strategy and his remarkable career. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mattis-vickers-an-oh-so-social-conversation-tickets-627293320207

This episode is brought to you by 4Patriots Survival Food Kits.The kits are compact, sturdy, water-resistant, and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners. You can make these meals in less than 20 minutes. Just add boiling water, simmer, and serve. Go to 4Patriots.com and use code COMBAT to get 10% off.

Join our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan for people who love and support our veterans, service members, and their families. It has info on a significant event in military and/or intel history, a funny military joke, an update on a current event I'm following, something I'm doing that week in my life, a book I'm reading, a look at an upcoming interview, a reflection on a past episode and more! ======= Today we have a unique Combat Story from long time veteran, CIA officer, and policy maker: the Honorable Mike Vickers. Mike spent 10 years in the Green Berets with 10th Special Forces Group as both an enlisted Weapons Sergeant and Officer, including command of a counterterrorism element operating in Europe during the Cold War. 

He then transitioned to one of the most impactful jobs in Cold War history as the Program Officer overseeing the covert action program to fight and ultimately defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan. His first assignments in the Agency before going to training were in stark contrast to my own as Mike went directly to a war zone (a story we begin the podcast with because it’s so unique) with nothing but his polo, linen pants, loafers, operational cash and a firearm!

Mike would go on to very senior levels in the government, including the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflicts, and Interdependent Capabilities where he played an instrumental role in so many facets of our national security policy, to include pioneering drone capabilities to target Al-Qaida around the world and helping get the necessary support for the raid to kill Bin Laden.

I found this to be a fascinating piece of history and one that Mike details in his book, By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations and Strategy. I found Mike thanks to Frank Gargon, who - along with MIke- is helping to raise funds to support the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society in building a museum in honor of intelligence and special operations professionals. With that, please enjoy this front row seat to so many historical events over the past 40 years.

Find Ryan Online: - Ryan’s Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory - Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats... - Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory - Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial - Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial - Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus - Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle Find Michael Vickers Online: - Learn more about Michae: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_G._Vickers - Purchase By All Means Available: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537236/by-all-means-available-by-michael-g-vickers/ - OSS Society Conversation with Jim Mattis tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mattis-vickers-an-oh-so-social-conversation-tickets-627293320207 - OSS Society: https://www.osssociety.org/

Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro  01:01 - Guest Introduction (Ryan Rogers) 02:48 - Interview begins 04:00 - Unusual beginning at the CIA 09:40 - On the ground in Greneda 13:36 - Growing up and focus on the CIA 17:29 - Underachiever to Multitasker 19:20 - OSS Society Conversation Ad 20:22 - Time in the Army 23:48 - Serving along side Vietnam Soldiers 27:21 - Advantage of Special Forces training to CIA 29:03 - Chance encounter with Gina Haspel 30:34 - Homebased and the Covert Action Program 34:41 - Afghanistan Covert Action Program Officer 39:28 - 4Patriots 40:47 - Stalemate in Afghanistan 41:43 - Plan to infiltrate Afghanistan 45:00 - Secret partners 45:48 - Escalation against the Soviets 50:10 - Soviet withdrawl from Afghanistan 53:38 - A covert mission 56:17 - Afghanistan war post 9/11 01:01:13 - Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflicts, and Interdependent Capabilities  01:07:30 - The Drone Program 01:12:02 - On the ground in Pakistan 01:13:53 - Secretary of Intel 01:17:52 - A challenging mission 01:21:42 - Building confidence in the Bin Laden raid 01:29:49 - Sentimental items 01:31:03 - Do it all again 01:31:53 - Plan B 01:33:02 -  Listener comments and shout outs