Today we have a great interview with 24 year retired Marine and best selling author of Echo in Ramadi, Scott Huesing. Scott led the “magnificent bastards” of 2/4 Marines during one of the most brutal periods of the post-9/11 war from 2006 into 2007 during the Surge.

Scott went from self-described terrible high school student to enlisted Marine to Mustang (a Marine Officer who was formerly Enlisted), serving on 10 deployments in multiple countries. 

In this episode, Scott takes into an intense fight to extract several pinned down Marines that included bringing M1A1s along to losing his first casualty just weeks into the deployment. 

Since leaving the service, Scott wrote the best selling book Echo in Ramadi, has helped others write their own books, run non-profits, and more. With that, please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with someone who made it through some of the hardest fighting in the war.

 

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🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

  00:33 Introduction to Combat Story 00:52 Interview with Scott Houston 01:08 Scott's Early Life and Military Career 03:17 Bob Hamer's Undercover Work 07:36 Scott's High School Days and Joining the Marines 12:57 Marine Corps Brotherhood and Relationships 15:17 James Livingston and the Magnificent Bastards 21:30 Desert Shield and Desert Storm 26:37 9/11 and Its Impact 33:50 Preparing for Ramadi 42:12 The Surge Strategy and Urban Combat 43:48 Daily Firefights and Enemy Encounters 44:13 Super Bowl of Combat: Metrics of Success 44:57 Army vs. Marines: Different Approaches 46:08 Commanders and Combat Strategies 48:43 Living and Fighting in Ramadi 54:29 First Casualty: Corporal Dustin Libby 59:36 Compartmentalizing and Continuing the Fight 01:04:42 Challenges of Urban Warfare 01:08:18 The Bond Among Marines 01:15:31 Writing and Reliving the Stories 01:20:54 Celebrity Softball Classic and Philanthropy 01:26:34 Final Reflections and Encouragement to Serve