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Ones Ready

Aaron Love, Trent Seegmiller, and Jared "Peaches" Pietras

#39 in Government this week

A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone. 

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  • Today · 24 min

    VA Tech Upgrade: 13 Years and Counting - Ep 644

    Send us Fan Mail The Department of Veterans Affairs has spent years trying to modernize its electronic health record system, but Aaron, Trent, and Peaches dig into why the project has become such a massive government-tech story. The original contract carried a roughly $10 billion ceiling, Oracle later acquired Cerner, the timeline moved from 2028 to 2031, and the contract ceiling increased to about $27 billion. The guys walk through how a project meant to simplify veteran healthcare instead became a case study in delays, added complexity, and questions about accountability. The Spokane rollout becomes the clearest example. According to the figures discussed in the episode, staffing increased, productivity dropped, and later inspections raised concerns about workflow, burnout, and patient safety. Aaron’s larger point is that inefficiency at the VA is not just an annoyance — when staff are overloaded and systems are slow, veterans waiting for medical or mental-health care feel the consequences directly. Trent and Peaches also compare those problems with their own relatively positive VA experiences in San Antonio and Las Vegas, highlighting how uneven the system can be across locations. Then the numbers get even harder to ignore. The transcript notes that by July 2026, the new system was live at only 14 of 164 facilities, while later estimates discussed in the episode put the total rollout and sustainment cost far above the original contract ceiling. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches also get into Oracle’s upcoming congressional testimony, proprietary software concerns, contractor accountability, and the difference between a contract ceiling and actual money spent. Their bottom line is simple: modernization is necessary, but veterans should not have to accept waste, delay, and poor performance as the normal cost of doing business. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:10 - The VA Has a Technology Problem 02:33 - Why VA Systems Feel So Outdated 03:30 - Oracle Health and the $10 Billion Contract 04:36 - Why Government Tech Contracts Balloon 05:26 - From $10 Billion to $27 Billion 06:42 - Did DHA Make Things Worse? 07:52 - Spokane Becomes the Test Case 08:30 - More Staff, Less Productivity 10:01 - When Healthcare Inefficiency Becomes a Patient Problem 10:14 - The MICT Checklist Comparison 11:11 - Trent and Peaches’ VA Experiences 12:35 - Why Veterans Accept Broken Systems 13:34 - Big VA Hospitals vs Smaller Facilities 14:13 - Why It’s Hard to Attract Staff 15:00 - Only 14 of 164 Facilities Were Live 15:43 - Oracle, Cerner and Proprietary Systems 16:46 - Congress Subpoenas Oracle Executives 18:00 - What Oracle Says in Its Defense 19:11 - How Much Will This Actually Cost? 20:05 - Vegas vs San Antonio Veteran Populations 20:52 - Fraud, Waste and Accountability 22:15 - Ones Ready Partners and OTS 23:12 - Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • Friday · 29 min

    Is the Air Force Running Out of Money? - Ep 643

    Send us Fan Mail The Air Force is flying, moving, supporting and striking everywhere — but the money still has to come from somewhere. Trent and Peaches break down what happens when current operations consume existing Air Force resources while the service is simultaneously trying to modernize aircraft, rebuild munitions stockpiles and repair bases that spent two decades taking a back seat to GWOT requirements. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, operations dominated the priority list. Now aging HVAC systems, electrical grids, sewage, dorms and military construction are all demanding attention at the same time. The guys also get into why military construction costs so much, what “taking it out of hide” actually means, and why the next fight cannot be funded by simply stripping money from everything else indefinitely. The Air Force still has to buy aircraft, upgrade capabilities, replenish weapons and maintain installations while supporting missions around the world. Trent argues that if the Air Force continues carrying a disproportionate share of operational requirements without additional resources, something eventually has to give. Then the conversation turns nuclear. Peaches and Trent dig into small modular reactors and Air Force efforts to experiment with microreactors that could provide resilient power to installations even if civilian infrastructure goes down. They discuss Eielson AFB, potential projects at other installations, the limitations of wind and solar at large scale, and why nuclear power may ultimately be one of the most practical ways to make military bases truly energy-resilient. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:10 - Trent and Peaches Become GWOT Boomers 02:30 - Desert Wars vs Jungle Warfare 03:55 - The Air Force’s New Resource Problem 05:52 - How GWOT Changed Air Force Spending 07:46 - Twenty Years of Deferred Infrastructure 09:44 - Why Military Construction Costs So Much 11:06 - Operations Are Eating the Budget 12:00 - Dorms, Mold and Aging Air Force Bases 13:25 - HVAC and Electrical Systems Are Getting Crushed 13:48 - Nuclear Power for Air Force Bases? 15:27 - Why Military Bases Need Independent Power 16:49 - Eielson AFB’s Microreactor Project 18:00 - Coal, Nuclear, Solar and Wind 19:58 - Is Nuclear the Cleanest Realistic Option? 21:12 - More Air Force Bases Could Get Microreactors 22:15 - Texas Infrastructure Detour 23:22 - Toll Roads and Paying for Infrastructure 25:02 - The Air Force Is Doing Everything 26:14 - The Ben Affleck Air Force Meme 27:30 - Ones Ready Merch and Partners 28:53 - Ones Ready Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • Thursday · 22 min

    Space Force Joins SOCOM - Ep 642

    Send us Fan Mail The U.S. Space Force now has a formal component inside U.S. Special Operations Command, and Aaron, Trent and Peaches break down what that actually means for SOF. The new relationship is not about creating “Space Force commandos.” It is about putting Guardians who understand satellite communications, ISR, navigation, electronic warfare and space effects directly alongside the people planning and executing special operations. Instead of SOCOM requesting support from outside the organization every time a problem appears, the expertise is already inside the command and looking at the mission from the beginning. That integration could matter more than most people realize. Aaron argues that simply having Guardians in the room allows them to recognize problems other components may not even know can be solved with space capabilities. The guys also discuss the growing Space Force budget, commercial innovation from companies like SpaceX and Anduril, and why space and cyber are becoming increasingly important to modern warfare. Special operations does not necessarily need a new breed of Space Force operator — special operations needs immediate access to people who already understand how to create effects from the space domain. The episode also pushes back on the stereotype that Guardians have easy jobs because they sit behind screens. Aaron describes missions that can keep people cognitively engaged inside vaults for extremely long periods, where they may have only seconds to solve a complex problem with real consequences. The guys talk about the strange but high-performing Space Force culture, the growing pains of a young military service, and why exposure to USSOCOM could produce better leaders on both sides of the relationship. Naturally, they finish by designing the ultimate Space Force Ranger with jump wings, a dive bubble, free fall and a Weapons School patch. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:00 - Operator Training Summit Las Vegas 02:20 - Aaron Becomes the Ideal PJ Specimen 03:20 - Surviving the Ones Ready DMs 04:50 - Space Force Joins USSOCOM 05:33 - The New Space Force SOCOM Component 06:34 - Why SOCOM Wants Space Capability 07:17 - What Does Space Force Actually Bring to SOF? 08:20 - Space Support to Special Operations 09:25 - Why Integration Matters 10:00 - Space Force Budgets and Expensive Satellites 11:53 - Could Anduril Build It Cheaper? 12:13 - Special Operations Doesn’t Need Space Commandos 13:02 - Space Force and SOCOM Have Been Converging for Years 14:00 - Why Putting Guardians in the Room Matters 15:18 - Space Force Culture Is Different 17:40 - The Human Performance Problem Nobody Sees 19:18 - Thirty Seconds to Prevent Catastrophe 20:00 - Building the Ultimate Space Force Ranger 21:08 - Ones Ready Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • Thursday · 1 hr 9 min

    Train for AFSPECWAR + Space Force Joins SOCOM | Ones Ready Live

    Send us Fan Mail What should training for Air Force Special Warfare actually look like before you ship? Aaron, Trent, and Peaches go live to break down how future AFSPECWAR candidates should approach running, rucking, calisthenics, strength, water confidence, recovery, durability, and overall preparation — including what candidates consistently get wrong and how to know whether you’re actually ready for the pipeline instead of simply capable of passing an IFT. Then the conversation shifts to Space Force inside the USSOCOM enterprise. The guys break down why special operations needs Guardians integrated directly into the command, what space-based ISR, communications, navigation, electronic warfare, and other space effects can bring to SOF, and why having Space Force expertise in the room could matter more than creating some mythical “Space Force commando.” onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • Monday · 22 min

    Ones Finally Ready - Ep 641

    Send us Fan Mail The Air Force Special Warfare meme wars are apparently back. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches break down how a joke between Ones Ready and JT escalated into an entire AI-generated “Ones Finally Ready” universe, complete with fake movie posters, character transformations, campaign-style content and enough production value that people started messaging the guys asking whether the feud was actually real. The answer is both simpler and somehow more ridiculous: the boys are chirping, everybody has too much access to AI, and some people on the internet have completely lost their ability to recognize a joke. That leads into the bigger conversation about humor, military culture and cancellation. Aaron talks about people becoming genuinely angry over TACP jokes, including messages and discussions about fighting him in Vegas, while the guys point out that the actual people involved in the “beef” can still hang out, have drinks and laugh about it. They also discuss anonymous military meme pages, why AI keeps blending Trent and Aaron together, the strange professionalism behind JT’s parody campaign, and why being able to make fun of each other may actually be healthier than treating every joke like a personal attack. Naturally, it gets worse from there. The crew pitches Morgan Freeman narrating the fake movie, wonders whether Ones Finally Ready could outperform the Ground Truth documentary, talks about the LGBTACP shirt raising money for the TACP Foundation, and debates whether Peaches needs to retaliate or simply lean harder into the absurdity. Somewhere underneath all the chaos is a very Ones Ready message: you can disagree, roast each other, get chirped online and still be friends when the phones go away. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:10 - The Episode Immediately Gets Cancelled 02:00 - The Air Force Special Warfare Meme Wars Are Back 03:00 - Can Military Communities Still Take a Joke? 04:15 - Aaron Apologizes for Going Too Dark 05:04 - The Death of Anonymous Military Meme Pages 05:44 - Pararescue Is Fraud Enters the Chat 06:09 - Ones Finally Ready 06:46 - How the JT vs Ones Ready Beef Started 08:11 - The AI Movie Gets Way Too Professional 09:11 - People Actually Want to Fight Aaron 10:20 - Why AI Keeps Mixing Up Aaron and Trent 11:01 - JT’s AI Character Choices Get Questionable 12:05 - People Think the Feud Is Real 12:59 - Ones Finally Ready vs Ground Truth 13:29 - Building the Fake Documentary 14:08 - Morgan Freeman Should Narrate It 14:50 - The “Beef” Exists Mostly on the Internet 15:20 - Aaron Was Drinking With JT Two Days Earlier 16:12 - Is This the Price of Making TACP Jokes? 17:01 - The Joke Is Actually Helping Ones Ready 17:30 - LGBTACP Shirts Support the TACP Foundation 18:34 - The Ultimate TACP Logic Trap 19:37 - Should Peaches Respond? 20:19 - When the Bit Goes Too Far 20:40 - Operator Training Summit Las Vegas 21:19 - Ones Ready Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 30 · 12 min

    Did VALENTINA GOMEZ SLANDER SEC ARMY - OTW

    Send us Fan Mail Political ads are about to get louder, AI-generated content is getting better, and election-season outrage travels faster than context. In this Outside The Wire episode, Aaron breaks down a campaign attack from Valentina Gomez aimed at Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle over the scheduled execution of former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan. Instead of reacting to the clip, Aaron walks through the underlying timeline, Army regulation and specific claims to show how a political narrative can change when the missing context gets put back in. The central dispute is timing. President Trump approved Hasan’s death sentence on October 2, 2026, and Army Regulation 190-55 requires the Secretary of the Army to select a date between 60 and 150 days later. Aaron argues that portraying Telle as delaying or protecting Hasan does not match that timeline: the execution is currently scheduled for December 3, just 62 days after presidential approval. He also addresses attacks on Telle’s lack of prior military service and explains the broader principle of civilian control of the military. But the bigger point is not Valentina Gomez, Adam Telle or even one campaign ad. It is how to consume political information without letting outrage do your thinking for you. Aaron breaks down appeals to emotion, ad hominem attacks, missing context and unsupported claims while arguing that viewers should apply the same standard to political messaging even when it comes from someone they generally agree with. Agreement on policy does not make a false claim true. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Outside The Wire: Political Misinformation 00:44 - Valentina Gomez Targets Adam Telle 01:58 - Nidal Hasan and the Fort Hood Shooting 02:31 - The Nidal Hasan Execution Timeline 03:10 - Army Regulation 190-55 Explained 04:00 - Why December 3 Matters 05:02 - Civilian Control of the U.S. Military 06:36 - When Political Attacks Become Personal 07:11 - Campaign Ads, Emotion and Missing Context 07:50 - Did Adam Telle Defy the Administration? 08:28 - What the Reporting Actually Shows 09:08 - Recognizing Appeals to Emotion 09:56 - How Political Misinformation Works 10:45 - The Facts Behind Hasan’s Scheduled Execution 11:25 - Hold Your Own Side Accountable 12:17 - Outside The Wire Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 30 · 16 min

    Should Air Force BMT Teach Everyone to Swim? - Ep 640

    Send us Fan Mail After an Airman stationed at Shaw Air Force Base drowned during an off-duty boating trip on Lake Wateree, his family called for swimming instruction to become part of military training and, according to the discussion in this episode, filed a $50 million lawsuit against the federal government. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches wrestle with the tragedy while asking a much harder question: should Air Force Basic Military Training actually be responsible for teaching every Airman how to swim? The guys break down what that requirement would mean in reality. Air Force BMT receives roughly 800–1,000 trainees every week, the service has limited pool infrastructure, and basic swim proficiency is very different from being capable of rescuing another person in open water. Trent and Aaron argue that turning swim training into an enterprise-wide requirement would create enormous infrastructure, scheduling, sustainment, and follow-on training requirements — eventually leading to the completely reasonable Ones Ready solution that everyone in the Air Force should simply become a qualified rescue swimmer. Then the rails come off. The conversation shifts to the F-35, F-22, F-47, B-21 and F-15EX, why modern fighters are becoming airborne quarterbacks for autonomous systems, and whether the F-15EX should remain a two-seat aircraft. The episode finishes with the newly invented scientific category of “overbeast,” Airmen thanking Ones Ready for fat-shaming them into getting healthier, Roy Nelson’s legendary overhand right, and Trent choosing chaos on virtually every subject available. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:06 - Airman Drowning at Lake Wateree 02:20 - Should Every Airman Learn to Swim? 03:23 - Can BMT Realistically Teach Swimming? 04:35 - The $50 Million Lawsuit and Personal Responsibility 06:07 - Is Swimming an Air Force Responsibility? 07:19 - Everyone Becomes a Rescue Swimmer 08:05 - What OTS Can Teach in Two Days 08:44 - The Logistics of Swimming at Basic Training 10:06 - F-35s and the Future of Airpower 10:27 - F-16 vs F-35 Capability 11:20 - F-47, B-21 and Connected Combat Aircraft 11:51 - F-15EX: One Seat or Two? 12:40 - Active Duty vs Guard Fighter Culture 13:17 - Trent Chooses Chaos 13:58 - Fat Shaming Apparently Works 15:06 - Overbeast Science 15:33 - Roy Nelson and the Overhand Right 16:00 - Ones Ready Wrap-Up PINNED COMMENT Should Air Force Basic Military Training include mandatory swim instruction? A — Yes, every Airman should know how to swim B — Basic water survival only C — Only career fields that actually need it D — No, swimming is a personal responsibility And where do you draw the line between what the military should teach every service member and what adults should already know before they join? Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 29 · 23 min

    AFSPECWAR Pipeline Is 70 Days Faster - Ep 639

    Send us Fan Mail Air Force Special Warfare trainees are reportedly reaching their berets roughly 70 days faster under the revised training pipeline, and Aaron, Trent, and Peaches dig into what that number actually means. The biggest improvement appears to be less wasted time between courses — reducing the periods where students are awaiting training instead of actually progressing through the pipeline. For Pararescue, Combat Control and other AFSPECWAR career fields with complex course schedules, cutting that dead time could be a significant improvement without removing actual training requirements. That distinction matters. The guys have been extremely critical of previous “optimization” efforts that shortened a pipeline on paper by simply moving requirements somewhere else. Removing dive training from the three-level pipeline, for example, does not eliminate the requirement — it pushes the scheduling, pre-dive requirements and administrative burden onto operational squadrons. A real improvement is different: keep the standards and capabilities intact while removing unnecessary waiting, improving course alignment and getting fully trained operators to their units sooner. And this time, Ones Ready gives credit where it’s due. The rollout of the Zulu Course and broader AFSPECWAR pipeline changes generated months of criticism, including plenty from this podcast, but Aaron, Trent and Peaches acknowledge that the current cadre and leadership appear to be moving the system in a positive direction. The unanswered question remains the most important one: are they producing the same quality operator? If the standards remain intact and the Air Force can genuinely graduate the same product faster, then cutting 70 days is a legitimate win. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:10 - Operator Training Summit Vegas Update 01:53 - The 90s Christmas Photo Shoot Goes Sideways 03:18 - Air Force Special Warfare Pipeline Changes 03:32 - AFSPECWAR Trainees Graduate 70 Days Faster 04:08 - Faster Pipeline or Lower Standards? 05:05 - Air Force PAO Is Making a Comeback 05:43 - The Nellis Active Shooter Messaging Disaster 08:29 - How to Complain to Ones Ready 09:50 - Aaron’s Best Backhanded Compliment 10:20 - Where the 70 Days Actually Came From 11:10 - SNIT, SAT and Students Awaiting Training 11:59 - Could the AFSPECWAR Pipeline Reach One Year? 12:44 - Why 70 Days Actually Matters 14:09 - The Problem With Removing Dive Training 15:01 - Why Moving Training to the Squadron Isn’t Optimization 16:22 - The Zulu Course Could Actually Work 17:22 - Giving the AFSPECWAR Training Wing Credit 19:20 - Early Results Are Trending Positive 20:15 - SERE Duress Signals and a Famous Photo 21:44 - Public Episode Wrap-Up PINNED COMMENT AFSPECWAR cuts roughly 70 days from the pipeline — but assume the standards stay exactly the same. What matters most? A — Less time sitting between courses B — Getting operators to units faster C — Keeping every capability in the formal pipeline D — None of it matters until we see the quality of the graduates And if the product stays the same or gets better, is 70 days enough for you to call the pipeline overhaul a win? Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 26 · 22 min

    New Guard Special Tactics Squadron - Ep 638

    Send us Fan Mail A new Guard Special Tactics Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base could become one of the most desirable assignments in Air Force Special Warfare. Aaron, Trent and Peaches break down why Tampa is such a strong location, why experienced operators could immediately compete for those billets, and why a Guard STS gives Airmen another option besides staying active duty or walking away from the community completely. The guys argue that the demand could be enormous, especially among experienced CCT, SR and Special Tactics personnel looking for civilian careers, family stability and a way to stay connected to the team. The bigger conversation is talent retention. The Special Tactics Guard footprint is extremely small compared with the number of experienced operators who eventually leave active duty, and Trent argues that Tampa should be the first of several additional Guard STSs. The crew discusses the potential short-term hit to active-duty manning, but also the possibility of retaining people who might otherwise leave the Air Force entirely. They explore future locations in the Carolinas, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and the Southwest, along with the idea of Guard squadrons developing specialties in areas like drones, diving, global access and other mission sets. The episode also gets into MacDill’s potential role in hurricane and humanitarian response, Guard authorities, NASA support opportunities and the advantages of keeping experienced operators connected to both military and civilian innovation. The guys react to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s announcement about the unit and her emphasis on disaster-response capability, then close with the usual Ones Ready discussion about internet behavior, politicians, and why people say things online they would never say face-to-face. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 00:48 - The Entire Crew Actually Wears Ones Ready Merch 01:12 - Operator Training Summit Las Vegas Is Filling Up 02:28 - New Guard Special Tactics Squadron at MacDill AFB 03:15 - Why Tampa Could Become the Most Popular Guard STS 05:19 - The Team Room After Active Duty 06:15 - Why Air Force Special Warfare Needs More Guard STSs 07:35 - Would a Tampa STS Hurt Active-Duty Manning? 08:33 - CCT and PJ Manning Challenges 09:18 - Retaining Experienced Special Tactics Operators 10:27 - Guard Service and Civilian Career Opportunities 11:20 - Where Should the Next Guard STSs Go? 12:40 - Carolinas, Arizona, Nevada and Texas 13:05 - Specialized Guard STS Mission Sets 14:20 - MacDill Facilities and Florida Response Missions 15:47 - The Politics Behind the New Tampa STS 16:51 - Anna Paulina Luna Explains the Guard STS 18:10 - Why Humanitarian Response Is Strong Messaging 19:38 - Why People Act Differently on the Internet 20:54 - Ones Ready Wrap-Up PINNED COMMENT If the Air Force builds more Guard Special Tactics Squadrons, where should they go next? A — Carolinas B — Arizona C — Texas D — Nevada E — Somewhere else And bigger question: would more Guard STSs help retain experienced CCT/SR/ST talent — or hurt active-duty manning too much? Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 23 · 36 min

    Andruil's Drone Wingmen - Ep 637

    Send us Fan Mail The F-22 is no longer just flying with other fighter jets. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches break down the emerging world of collaborative combat aircraft, autonomous drone wingmen, and Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury concept — where a fighter pilot can act as the quarterback and assign high-level tasks to unmanned aircraft operating alongside the formation. The guys also talk about the possibility of ground forces eventually gaining access to those aircraft and what happens when the person on the ground effectively has their own airborne combat network overhead. The bigger conversation is about why companies like Anduril seem able to move so quickly. Instead of waiting years for the perfect government program, the model they describe is simple: find the warfighter’s problem, build a minimum viable product, let the military break it, fix what failed, and repeat until it works. Trent and Aaron compare that mentality to SpaceX and Tesla — organizations willing to crash prototypes, absorb failure, and keep iterating rather than treating every mistake like the end of a program. Naturally, the episode eventually gets completely off the rails. The guys talk about rocket-powered Teslas, autonomous Cybercabs, Knight Rider becoming real life, Aaron’s caffeine problem, Weapons School recovery data showing what Friday-night drinking does to performance, and the eternal military question of where high performance ends and team-room culture begins. Peaches also walks through the refreshed Ones Ready and Operator Training Summit sites before the crew tees up the MBRS-only follow-on discussion. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:10 - Aaron and Trent Start Without Peaches 02:20 - Aaron’s 91st Squadron Leadership Talk 04:36 - Peaches Finally Shows Up 05:08 - The Rise Against Ticket Disaster 07:19 - War Room Recall and the Election Episode 09:05 - Are Ones Ready Actually Vet Bros? 10:24 - Anduril, F-22s and Autonomous Combat Aircraft 12:20 - F-22 Controlled Robot Wingmen 13:08 - Ground Forces Controlling Combat Drones 13:51 - Why Anduril Moves Faster Than Traditional Defense 14:53 - Build It, Break It, Fix It 15:59 - New Ones Ready Website and OTS Updates 19:23 - Operator Training Summit Level 2 Is Coming 19:50 - Autonomous Aircraft That Take Off and Land Themselves 20:51 - Elon Musk and the Rocket-Powered Tesla 23:14 - Why Elon’s Failure Model Works 24:17 - Why Government Innovation Moves Differently 25:13 - The $500,000 Flying Tesla Problem 26:41 - Tesla Is Basically Knight Rider Now 27:59 - The Flying Tesla Needs Autonomous Wingmen 28:44 - Cybercabs and OTS Dallas 30:01 - Aaron’s 800mg Caffeine Habit 30:25 - Weapons School Recovery Data and Alcohol 33:51 - Military Culture vs Human Performance 34:47 - The MBRS Episode Gets Teased 35:33 - Ones Ready Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 21 · 1 hr 2 min

    ***Sneak Peek*** MBRS 99: Run More, Fix Your Hips, Nuclear Energy Is Safe, and Society Is Failing Young Men

    Send us Fan Mail This MBRS episode starts where most people get uncomfortable and keeps going. Peaches and Trent open with a simple truth from Taylor Starch: nobody runs enough, your hips are probably trash, and injury fear is mostly self-inflicted. From there, the conversation spirals—into broken leadership inside special warfare training, why loosening standards hurts recruiting instead of helping it, and how accountability actually attracts the right people. The back half dives hard into culture: nuclear power fear-mongering, why modern society is terrible at raising functional young men, the illusion of safety, bullying, discipline, violence, and the consequences of parents outsourcing responsibility. Add conspiracy detours, EU dysfunction, Army crime cases, and a brutal assessment of American cultural decay—and you get a classic members-only rant that doesn’t pretend to be polite. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 Members intro and running truth bomb 01:00 Nobody runs enough—Taylor Starch wisdom 03:00 Hips, gait issues, and injury prevention 05:00 Zulu course chaos and leadership gaps 08:00 Pipeline frustration and entitlement mindset 12:00 Standards, accountability, and recruiting reality 15:00 Tightening discipline vs “unprofessional” complaints 18:00 Validation, war myths, and why people want testing 21:00 Younger generations: fitter, smarter, different 24:00 AI models, GPUs, and future warfare brains 27:00 Nuclear power fear vs reality 31:00 TSA, illusion of safety, and wasted money 35:00 Violence, bullying, and social correction 40:00 Army murder case and cultural breakdown 47:00 Parenting failures and lost male mentorship 55:00 Teaching basic life skills and confidence 01:00:00 Final rant, nuclear saves the world, wrap-up 🎯 Call-to-Actions: 👍 Like the episode 🔔 Subscribe 💬 Comment if standards should rise, not fall 🌟 Leave a review 🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member 👕 Check out the merch store Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 19 · 14 min

    HE RAN TOWARDS THE FIGHT

    Send us Fan Mail A 36-year-old father was driving home on his lunch break when he heard gunfire near Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon — the school his two daughters attended. According to the account Trent and Peaches discuss, he saw the teenage gunman entering the building, followed him inside, and stopped the attacker before police arrived. But afterward, his family said he wasn’t looking for recognition. He was struggling with the fact that he hadn’t gotten there sooner. That becomes the real conversation in this Outside The Wire episode. Trent and Peaches talk about survivor guilt, trauma involving children, combat experience, PTSD, and the difference between someone trained and conditioned for violence versus a civilian who suddenly finds himself walking into something no normal person expects to see. They also revisit the problem with the “hero tour”: society wants to celebrate people who perform extraordinary acts, but recognition can also mean forcing someone to repeatedly relive the worst day of their life. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"} The hardest question is also the simplest. Most people would hear gunfire, call 911, and wait for police. This father had every survival instinct telling him to stay outside — and still went in. Trent and Peaches break down what it takes to override that voice, why examples like this matter, and why being called a hero does not mean the psychological consequences simply disappear when the cameras leave. LINKS onesready.com operatortrainingsummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready Outside The Wire 00:34 - Silver Rail Elementary School Shooting in Bend, Oregon 01:35 - Father Runs Into School and Stops the Gunman 02:59 - Survivor Guilt After Heroic Action 03:25 - Uvalde and Why Children Change Trauma 04:50 - What Happens After Becoming a Hero? 05:47 - Combat Training, PTSD and Unprepared Trauma 07:25 - The Problem With the Hero Tour 07:55 - “If Not Me, Who?” 09:16 - Online Scrutiny After Public Heroism 10:27 - Why His Actions Mattered 11:23 - Overriding the Survival Instinct 12:34 - Combat Trauma and Compartmentalization 13:40 - Outside The Wire Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 18 · 41 min

    Rappel Incident - Ep 636

    Send us Fan Mail This episode starts with something none of us wanted to talk about. A member of the Air Force community was killed during a rappelling demonstration at a UTSA event in San Antonio. At the time Trent and Peaches recorded, next-of-kin notifications were still being completed and the member had not yet been publicly identified. First and foremost: Much love to his family, teammates, and everyone at the 6th Combat Training Squadron. Trent and Peaches walk through the publicly available footage from the perspective of two guys who have spent a lot of time around this type of training. And the first clarification matters: This was a RAPPEL. Not a fast rope. Those are different techniques with different equipment, different safety considerations, and different levels of risk. The available video raises obvious questions about descent speed, rope friction, routing, hardware, hand position, and whether the system was functioning correctly. But neither Trent nor Peaches claims to know exactly what failed. Equipment? Routing? Connection? Human error? Something else entirely? That is what the investigation is for. What they do know is that a roughly 170-foot free rappel gives you very little room for error. Buddy checks matter. Rigging matters. Equipment checks matter. And just because you have done something a hundred times does not mean evolution 101 deserves any less attention than evolution one. The conversation then moves into TACP, CCT, JTACs and the old ROMAD concept. Peaches explains how young Airmen who were not yet JTAC qualified could still become extremely useful members of the team by learning radios, aircraft integration, procedures and enough of the job to become an extra capability if somebody went down. Trent talks about his first Afghanistan deployment in 2006, where the TACP and Combat Controller on his team took the time to teach him enough of their job that he could help if things went sideways. Back then, that mattered. Teams were taking casualties. ODAs were getting combined. People were getting wounded and medevaced. And the mission still had to continue. Later, Peaches tells a completely different story about running into a senior enlisted leader years after realizing they had apparently crossed paths downrange. That turns into one of the strongest leadership conversations in the episode. A senior leader arrives on a tightly controlled itinerary. Airmen are standing in a hangar who were not part of the scheduled stop. His staff expects him to keep moving. Instead, he sees them, changes direction, walks over and speaks to every one of them. Schedule be damned. Peaches follows that with another story about a Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force visiting wounded service members while somebody reminds him that a general is waiting. His answer was essentially: The general can wait. Because sometimes leadership is as simple as remembering which people actually matter. The episode closes by returning to the rappelling footage and one final point: Rappelling is dangerous. Take everything seriously. LINKS OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com CHAPTERS 00:00 - Ones Ready 01:09 - Why This Episode Starts Differently 01:32 - Fatal Rappelling Incident at UTSA 02:04 - What Happened? 03:12 - Rappel vs. Fast Rope 04:02 - Why Fast Roping Is Different 05:25 - We Don’t Know the Cause Yet 06:06 - 6 CTS Det 2 and Next-of-Kin Notification 07:43 - A Celebration Turns Tragic 08:30 - Breaking Down the Available Video 09:39 - Equipment Failure or Routing Problem? 10:24 - Why Buddy Checks Matter 12:24 - Identity Still Not Released 13:17 - TACP Training and JTAC Qualification 13:48 - ROMADs and the “Mini Jag” 14:52 - Learning Another Teammate’s Job 15:33 - Afghanistan When Everybody Was Taking Losses 17:32 - OnesReady.com and Training Programs 20:19 - Peaches Runs Into an Old Teammate 21:31 - “Wait... We Were in Afghanistan Together” 23:27 - When Rank Disappears 24:25 - The Chairman Sees the Airmen 26:29 - He Breaks the Schedule to Meet Them 28:47 - “The General Can Wait” 30:55 - Another Angle of the Rappel Incident 32:22 - Why the Media Keeps Calling It Fast Rope 33:07 - Watching Military TV After Retirement 35:29 - What Pressure Reveals 37:55 - Watching People Quit Before It Starts 39:08 - Take Rappelling Seriously 39:11 - Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 16 · 41 min

    Beret Inflation - Ep 629

    Send us Fan Mail Apparently the Air Force looked around and decided what we were desperately missing was another beret. This time it’s EOD. Aaron, Trent, and Peaches react to the new rust-colored EOD beret and immediately ask the obvious question: Who was asking for this? This isn’t an anti-EOD episode. EOD technicians do an extremely difficult job, go through a demanding pipeline, and bring a legitimate capability to the fight. But does every specialized career field need its own funny hat? The boys break down why berets existed in the first place, why they were historically tied to unique units and qualifications, how PJ and CCT ended up with theirs, why Rangers changed colors after the Army adopted the black beret, and why distinctive headgear starts losing some of its meaning when everybody gets one. Also discussed: What happened to Goggins in the pipeline? Is SR actually being merged with CCT? What traditions do Combat Controllers have? Should EOD move under AFSOC? What does an EOD mission inside AFSOC actually look like? And why would you voluntarily leave Civil Engineering, where you’re the cool guy with the bomb suit and new beret, just to walk into a Special Tactics team room and immediately become another support function getting roasted by Controllers? The episode also takes a minute to remember Operation Gothic Serpent on its anniversary, including the legacy of the Airmen, Rangers, and special operations forces who fought through Mogadishu and the lessons that shaped the decades that followed. And eventually the crew discovers the most important possible follow-up question: If EOD joins the Special Warfare team room... where exactly do they rank? That one had to go to MBRS. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:54 - Does EOD Really Need a Beret? 03:08 - Who Was Asking for This? 04:32 - Are Berets Actually Functional? 05:36 - What Makes a “Sharp” Airman? 06:18 - Who the Hell Is Samson Kearns? 10:31 - The E-4 Mafia Cannot Be Stopped 15:06 - How Did PJ and CCT Get Their Berets? 16:46 - Why Are Berets Supposed to Mean Something? 18:16 - How Big Is Air Force EOD? 21:00 - Your Questions: EOD, Goggins, and Beret History 25:18 - Remembering Operation Gothic Serpent 28:18 - Why Do Some Career Fields Get Berets? 30:07 - Is SR Merging With CCT? 31:11 - What Traditions Do Combat Controllers Have? 32:29 - Does the AFSW Pipeline Need Another Update? 34:26 - Should EOD Move to AFSOC? 37:46 - Why Moving to AFSOC Might Actually Suck 39:37 - Who Ranks Where in the Team Room? 39:51 - Continue the Fight on MBRS Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 16 · 33 min

    Hurricane Ride Out - Ep 635

    Send us Fan Mail What actually happens on a military base when a hurricane is headed straight at it? Trent and Peaches break down the stuff most people never see. Aircraft have to move. Families may have to evacuate. Training stops. Other bases have to make room. Commanders are staring at forecast models trying to decide whether they are moving too early — or waiting too long. And every decision costs money, training time, operational capability, and potentially lives. Both Trent and Peaches spent time around Hurlburt Field and the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, so they walk through what hurricane preparation actually looks like inside the Air Force. One of the coolest pieces: The ride-out team. When most people evacuate, selected personnel stay behind. Special Tactics. Security Forces. RED HORSE. Rescue-capable personnel. People with boats, communications, recovery equipment, and the skills to start working almost immediately after the storm passes. At the 23rd, that meant Zodiacs, inflatable boats, rescue equipment, and people already trained to operate in ugly conditions. Families get moved somewhere safer. The ride-out team stays. Then when the storm clears: Go to work. They also talk about how difficult the evacuation decision actually is. Move aircraft too early and you burn money, disrupt training, impact operations, and create problems for every receiving base. Wait too long and eventually the weather gets bad enough that you cannot safely fly the aircraft out at all. There is no perfect answer. There is only risk management. The conversation then expands into something useful for everybody — not just military people: How prepared is YOUR family? Power. Water. Food. Communications. Starlink. A bug-out plan. A vehicle. And enough capability to sit tight for roughly 72 hours while you figure out what the actual situation is. Trent makes the point that everybody loves talking about the bug-out bag, but if you have a family, your house is probably your best initial position in most emergencies. You do not need a bunker. You need enough preparation to buy yourself time. The guys also get into military disaster response after Hurricane Maria, why Hurlburt’s Special Tactics capability is uniquely useful after a storm, getting recalled to active duty, Rocky IV indoctrination, Vegas flash floods, and Peaches accidentally winning a one-minute bench-press challenge in flip-flops. Normal Ones Ready progression. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 01:04 - Ones Ready and OTS Updates 04:16 - Hurricane Hits the Gulf Coast 05:15 - What Happens When a Base Prepares for a Hurricane? 07:49 - Trent Left Anyway to Take Care of His Family 08:11 - When Do You Evacuate a Military Base? 10:02 - Commanders Have an Impossible Decision 11:02 - What Happens When You Wait Too Long? 12:01 - What Is a Ride-Out Team? 13:20 - Who Should Stay Behind? 14:17 - Riding Out the Hurricane 15:30 - No Power, No Internet, Starlink Saves the Day 17:07 - What Should Your Family Actually Have Ready? 18:39 - Bug Out or Stay Home? 19:30 - Why Communications Matter After the Storm 20:39 - Special Tactics Disaster Response 22:59 - Would Trent and Peaches Ever Re-Enlist? 25:40 - Vegas Gets Hammered With Rain 26:50 - Hiking Through Lightning Is Apparently Fine 27:40 - Rocky IV Parenting 29:16 - Peaches Accidentally Wins the Bench Press 31:47 - Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 14 · 1 hr 6 min

    ***Sneak Peek***MBRS 98: Virtue Signaling, Doxxing, and an ANG Hero

    Send us Fan Mail This MBRS Only goes deep on internet outrage culture, hypocrisy, and why performative morality keeps collapsing under scrutiny. Peaches and Trent break down the Scotty K Fitness implosion—virtue signaling, selective Second Amendment outrage, and the moment he crossed the line by doxxing a private citizen and their family. From ICE protests and whistle tactics to media manipulation, AI-altered images, and why nuance dies online, the conversation expands into accountability, restraint, and how fast people rush to conclusions without facts. They also hit why leadership under stress matters, why mob energy is the goal—not justice—and why most people have no idea what they’d do in the chaos they’re cheering for. Messy, uncomfortable, and exactly why this stays behind the paywall. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 Members intro and attributes-based mindset 02:00 Scotty K Fitness and internet hypocrisy 04:30 Selective outrage and Second Amendment takes 07:00 Kyle Rittenhouse comparisons and false equivalence 10:30 Doxxing a private citizen crosses the line 13:30 Sponsors drop him—consequences explained 15:45 Performative outrage vs real accountability 17:30 ICE protests, whistles, and sensory overload 19:30 Stress, restraint, and real-world decision-making 22:00 Media manipulation and AI-altered imagery 24:30 Mainstream media trust and incentives 26:30 Revolution rhetoric and manufactured chaos 29:00 Colorado ANG hero story and readiness 32:00 Fitness, composure, and community expectations 35:30 Drone pilot mental health study explained 40:30 PTSD, micro-stress, and long-term exposure 45:00 Medical establishment vs reality-based care 50:30 Brain optimization, performance, and bro science 56:30 Training vs real-world decision making 01:02:00 Black Hawk Down legacy and mindset 01:06:00 Final thoughts and member thanks 🎯 Call-to-Actions: 👍 Like the episode 🔔 Subscribe 💬 Comment if nuance still matters 🌟 Leave a review 🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member 👕 Check out the merch store Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 14 · 34 min

    Public Execution - Ep 634

    Send us Fan Mail Should the government livestream an execution? Trent and Peaches get into the proposed public execution of the Fort Hood shooter — and immediately land somewhere that is probably going to piss off people on both sides. Neither guy has much sympathy for the man convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more at Fort Hood. The argument is about something different: Should Americans be able to WATCH the punishment? They dig into why public executions disappeared from American culture in the first place, how old executions turned into massive public spectacles, and why the firing squad historically has one very practical advantage: It works. Then Trent asks the uncomfortable question. We live in a country where Game of Thrones became a cultural phenomenon, real combat footage lives on social media, police shootings appear online within hours, wars are documented almost in real time, and people willingly consume violent content every single day. So why does this particular violence suddenly become morally unbearable when the government makes it available to watch? Peaches can understand the argument that America should not put itself in the same category as countries known for public executions. Trent’s counterpoint: Nobody is forcing you to watch it. That leads into firing-squad procedures, why some rifles historically contained blanks, victims wanting to witness executions, political hypocrisy, and the difference between an execution being available online and turning it into a literal public carnival. Then the episode pivots into another outrage cycle: Pete Hegseth working out with Marines. Videos show him falling behind younger Marines and struggling through parts of the workout, and naturally the internet reacts like the Secretary of Defense just failed selection. Trent and Peaches have a different reaction. He’s in his 40s. They’re young Marines. They SHOULD smoke him. The weird part would be if they didn’t. They argue that whatever criticisms somebody has about Hegseth’s policies or leadership, voluntarily showing up, doing PT with troops, answering questions, and letting everyone film the results probably isn’t the hill to die on. Peaches also tells the story of a former SOCOM commander doing exactly what operators would do: Pick the event you’re good at and then absolutely crush everybody younger than you. Also included: The redesigned OnesReady.com and OperatorTrainingSummit.com. Why OTS is instruction and mentorship — not an $18,000 fake hell week. How public firing squads historically used blank rounds. Why outrage culture makes everything political. And why the Marines absolutely should have smoked the boss. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:19 - Ones Ready and OTS Got a Facelift 04:48 - Should an Execution Be Livestreamed? 08:18 - Are We Actually Offended by Violence? 10:14 - Why America Stopped Public Executions 11:39 - Why Firing Squads Rarely Fail 12:29 - Should Victims Be Allowed to Watch? 15:05 - Why Some Firing-Squad Rifles Had Blanks 17:50 - Is the Outrage Actually Political? 23:38 - Pete Hegseth Gets Smoked at PT 27:05 - Who Is Actually Criticizing Him? 29:47 - Marines SHOULD Beat the Boss 30:39 - When the SOCOM Commander Smoked Everybody 32:49 - OTS Vegas and Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 12 · 33 min

    Ready To Ship? - Ep 633

    Send us Fan Mail How do you actually know when you’re ready for Air Force Special Warfare? Trent and Peaches are back with Part 3 of the Operator Training Summit FAQs, answering questions submitted directly by candidates. And this one gets into some of the stuff people obsess over before shipping. What actually helps people survive the hardest parts of selection? Should you tell everyone what you’re trying to do? What qualities matter most in a teammate? How much should you train your breath hold? Are peer reviews just popularity contests? What mistakes get candidates in trouble? How do you build mental toughness? How much recovery is too much recovery? Is there still a SWIC program between BMT and Assessment & Selection? And most importantly: How do you know when you’re actually ready to ship? Trent and Peaches make the case that candidates spend way too much time worrying about secret programs, pipeline changes, apps, recovery scores, and the exact training plan somebody else used. The bigger things are much less complicated. Be consistent. Be trainable. Tell the truth. Take responsibility. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Eat enough. Build an aerobic base. Get strong enough to handle volume. And stop relying on the pipeline to prepare you for the pipeline. The Air Force may change prep programs. Accessions may increase. SWIC may exist in one form and disappear in another. None of that changes your responsibility: Show up ready. Trent’s rough benchmark? If you’re running around a 9:00 mile-and-a-half, handling the rest of the IFT comfortably, and putting up strong pull-up numbers, you’re probably in a much better place than the person who barely passed an IFT and immediately accepted the first available ship date. Peaches adds another test: Could you pass an IFT tired, after you already trained, with almost no notice? If the answer is no, you might have more work to do. This is the stuff we wish candidates would focus on before they get on the plane. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:00 - OTS FAQ Part 3 02:49 - What Gets Candidates Through the Hardest Parts of Selection? 05:16 - What Qualities Matter Most in a Teammate? 07:07 - What’s the Best Way to Train Breath Holds? 09:33 - Are Peer Reviews Just Popularity Contests? 11:34 - What Are the Biggest Candidate Mistakes? 13:19 - Why Choose a Job Where You Could Die? 15:36 - How Would You Build Push-Ups From Scratch? 17:08 - How Will Drone Warfare Change Future Operations? 18:10 - How Do You Actually Build Mental Toughness? 19:47 - Should You Listen to Your WHOOP Recovery Score? 22:28 - When Do You Need a Recovery Week? 25:04 - Is SWIC Still Part of the Pipeline? 27:44 - Should You Ship Just Because You Passed the IFT? 29:42 - How Do You Know When You’re Ready? 31:25 - FAQ Part 4 Is Coming Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 10 · 2 hr 30 min

    Tim Kennedy WOUNDED in CONGO?! MOH Drama Update - War Room Recall

    Send us Fan Mail The War Room is back — Aaron Love, Jake Zweig, Nate Cornacchia, and Ben Pappas — and this one goes off the rails almost immediately. The biggest story: Tim Kennedy was reportedly seriously wounded during a contracting operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The crew works through what is currently known, what is still unverified, and what appears to connect the operation to companies associated with Eric Prince. According to the information discussed on the show, Kennedy was reportedly part of a small private military/security element supporting Congolese government interests involving mineral revenue protection, border security, and tax enforcement when the team was ambushed. A former New Zealand SAS operator was reportedly killed. Kennedy was reportedly shot multiple times — including wounds to the foot, ankle, femur, and upper body — before eventually being evacuated for advanced medical treatment. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"} Aaron breaks down what a catastrophic femur injury can actually mean medically, especially when combined with a prolonged tourniquet time and additional wounds farther down the leg. The crew also asks the uncomfortable question: Why was Tim Kennedy there in the first place? At nearly 50 years old, after a Green Beret career, UFC career, businesses, media success, and everything else he has already accomplished — what keeps somebody going back? Combat addiction? Identity? Adrenaline? Trying to prove something? Or simply taking another contract because that is still the world he knows? Nobody on the panel celebrates what happened. In fact, all four make the same point: They hope Tim recovers. But accountability and empathy can exist at the same time. From there, the War Room moves into another wild story: The proposed public firing-squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter. The panel agrees the punishment itself is not the issue. The livestream is. Do Americans really want the government broadcasting an execution? Does that create deterrence — or propaganda? Does it strengthen society — or normalize something that should remain solemn? The guys compare the proposal to public executions historically, discuss why violence can become intoxicating in crowds, and question what message America actually sends if state-sponsored killing becomes entertainment. Finally, they give a brief update on the John Chapman / Takur Ghar controversy and the Ground Truth documentary. That documentary is still coming. Britt Slabinski remains connected to the project. And because that story requires about two decades of context to explain correctly, the guys decide it deserves its own episode rather than trying to cram it into twenty minutes. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"} Also included: - hurricanes and BUD/S surf misery - Blackwater history - modern drone warfare - whether Tim Kennedy could rebuild his public image - Pete Hegseth and performative leadership - JD Vance surprisingly giving a solid answer - why SOF personalities are not exactly normal - combat addiction - prosthetics after catastrophic trauma - and the War Room crew repeatedly losing the plot Chapters: 00:07 - The Whole War Room Is Back 06:05 - Tim Kennedy Reportedly Wounded in the Congo 08:09 - What Was Kennedy Doing There? 09:04 - Eric Prince, Vectus, and the Congo Contract 11:53 - This Was Not a U.S. Military Mission 14:03 - Why Was Tim Kennedy Back in the Fight? 16:31 - The Crew Wishes Tim a Full Recovery 17:33 - What Happened in the Ambush? 20:56 - Five Hours With a Tourniquet? 23:22 - Was the U.S. Military Anywhere Nearby? 30:26 - Is Tim Kennedy at Walter Reed? 32:01 - Was Russia’s Africa Corps Involved? 34:04 - Combat Is a Hell of a Drug 36:08 - How Bad Is a Gunshot Through the Femur? 41:19 - Could He Lose the Leg? 47:01 - Can Tim Kennedy Rebuild His Reputation? 54:57 - What Really Happened in the Ambush? 01:02:22 - Should the Fort Hood Shooter Be Executed Publicly? 01:09:04 - Punishment vs. Spectacle 01:12:19 - What Other Countries Publicly Execute People? 01:17:55 - Is Pete Hegseth Becoming the Problem? 01:23:54 - Why Public Violence Changes Crowds 01:31:44 - Is Hegseth a Change Agent or Just a Liability? 01:40:06 - John Chapman / Ground Truth Update 01:54:36 - What Does AFSOC Actually Need From Special Warfare? 02:29:07 - Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  • October 9 · 1 hr 46 min

    TRUST COLLAPSE with Aaron and Ben Pappas live

    Send us Fan Mail Why don’t Americans trust institutions anymore? Aaron Love joins Ben Pappas for a live conversation about collapsing confidence in government, media, the justice system, major institutions, and the people who are supposed to tell us the truth. Ben starts with polling discussed on the show showing confidence in major U.S. institutions near historic lows — while the military and small business remain among the most trusted. So what happened? Aaron’s argument is that there wasn’t one single event. It stacked. Vietnam. Watergate. Iraq and the WMD claims. Afghanistan. The 2008 financial crisis. Government surveillance. COVID. Epstein. Every time an institution gets something wrong, hides something, spins something, or refuses to provide accountability, another little piece of trust disappears. Aaron argues that COVID accelerated that collapse more than anything else in recent memory because distrust spread across multiple institutions at once — government agencies, health authorities, employers, media organizations, and political leadership. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"} That leads into another question: Why are people increasingly getting their information from podcasts, YouTube, X, and independent creators? Aaron makes the case that long-form podcasting is simply better suited for difficult subjects. You can hear context, disagreement, tone, nuance, and people actually challenging each other instead of compressing everything into a short scripted news segment. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"} But that creates responsibility too. Aaron and Ben talk about the difference between skepticism and paranoia, why independent voices still have to check themselves, how leaders rebuild trust once it is lost, and why sometimes restoring credibility means exposing everything — even when the truth is painful. Aaron’s answer: Sunlight is the best disinfectant. The conversation then expands into leadership, accountability, personal agency, political principles, the Lindsey Clancy case, rule of law, and what happens when people stop believing the system will produce a fair outcome. They close on something much smaller but probably more useful: Trust is built the same way everywhere. Show up. Do what you said you would do. Be consistent. Own your mistakes. And be there when people need you. That works for governments. It works for teams. And it works at home. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:07 - Why Americans Don’t Trust Institutions 05:42 - Confidence Is Near Historic Lows 10:46 - Did COVID Break Institutional Trust? 14:00 - Vietnam, Watergate, WMDs, and the Long Decline 19:51 - Why Nothing Shocks People Anymore 23:32 - Epstein and the Accountability Problem 30:25 - Can Government Ever Rebuild Trust? 35:38 - Why Podcasts Are Replacing Traditional News 40:33 - Why American Soft Power Still Matters 45:32 - How Do Leaders Rebuild Lost Trust? 48:39 - What If YOU Are the Leadership Problem? 52:18 - How Aaron Decides Who Gets His Vote 56:30 - System Failure vs. Personal Accountability 01:05:45 - Cause Does Not Erase Culpability 01:11:05 - What Happens When Moral Guardrails Move? 01:16:29 - How Aaron Builds Trust in Real Life 01:20:24 - Iran: Preparing for Continued Operations 01:28:00 - Could the U.S. Force the Strait of Hormuz? 01:34:19 - Is the Younger Generation Too Comfortable? 01:36:59 - Could America Win a Ground War With Iran? 01:45:09 - Final Thoughts Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

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