Mike Drop
Mike Drop, hosted by former Navy SEAL and bestselling author Mike Ritland, is a no-holds-barred platform that dives deep into the stories and experiences of extraordinary individuals. Known for his candid and unfiltered approach, Mike interviews guests ranging from special operations veterans and elite athletes to renowned authors and thought leaders, offering listeners a exclusive glimpse into the human side of those who have excelled in their fields. Whether it's discussing the intense challenges of combat or the resilience required to overcome personal adversity, Mike Drop provides a space where real conversations happen.
Episodes
In Episode 250, Part 3 of the Mike Drop Podcast, Joe Malone opens up about the darkest chapter of his life, where personal and professional turmoil collided. Battling traumatic brain injury (TBI), overprescription of 26 medications, and severe substance abuse, Joe faced isolation, depression, and near-suicidal despair after being ostracized by his Marine command. He recounts a chilling night contemplating murder-suicide, only to be...
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In Episode 250, Part 2 of the Mike Drop Podcast, Joe Malone dives into gripping accounts from his 2016 deployment in Iraq, where he faced intense combat situations against ISIS. From witnessing Katyusha rocket attacks and mustard gas threats to observing a fierce gunfight near Mosul Dam, Joe shares the chaos and adrenaline of the battlefield. He recounts a particularly harrowing day involving heavy firefights, an ISIS armored vehic...
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July 29, 2025 • 66 mins
In this powerful episode of The Mike Drop Podcast, former Marine Raider Joe Malone sits down with Mike Ritland to share his raw and unfiltered journey—from growing up in a mafia-connected suburb to battling early drug use and heroin withdrawal, all the way to surviving brutal deployments with MARSOC in Afghanistan and Syria. Joe opens up about facing ISIS on the battlefield, surviving a deadly KC-130 crash that claimed his fellow M...
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In Part 3 of Episode 249 of the Mike Drop podcast, David Packouz lays bare the unraveling of the War Dogs saga. From shady dealings with Albanian connections to Efraim Diveroli’s ruthless betrayal, David reveals the high-stakes fallout of their $300 million Afghan contract. Hear how a scorned subcontractor’s tip to the FBI and the New York Times sparked a federal raid, a media scandal, and 71 counts of fraud. David shares the perso...
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In Part 2 of The Mike Drop podcast with Mike Ritland, David Packouz dive deeper into the wild world of government contracting and the real story behind War Dogs. David peels back the curtain on the Hollywood exaggerations, sharing what really happened with the infamous $300 million Afghan contract, his partnership with Efraim Diveroli, and the shady dealings that led to their downfall. From Albanian mob connections to high-stakes r...
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This week we sit down with David Packouz—former arms dealer, the real story behind War Dogs. He breaks down how he landed huge U.S. defense contracts in his twenties, what the movie nailed, what it didn’t, and the parts Hollywood skipped.
It’s blunt talk about ambition, shortcuts, and fallout. Specifics, not fluff. After this, you won’t see the film—or that industry—the same way.
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Welcome to Part 3 of our compelling series with Chris Clem on The Mike Drop podcast. In this episode #248 pt. 3, Chris dives into the intensified efforts of ICE and other federal agencies to target criminals, national security threats, and illegal immigrants, addressing media misconceptions and the complexities of enforcement policies. He shares his candid perspective on balancing compassion with law enforcement, including the chal...
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Welcome to Part 2 of our gripping conversation with Chris Clem on the Mike Drop Podcast, EP 248. In this episode, we dive deeper into the complexities of border security, exploring the challenges faced by the U.S. Border Patrol in managing illegal crossings, combating potential terrorist threats, and addressing the influx of migrants, including a significant number of Chinese nationals. Chris, a former chief in Yuma, shares firstha...
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In this explosive episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, former Chief Patrol Agent Chris Clem pulls no punches as he dissects the sweeping "One Big Beautiful Bill", a $170 billion border security package signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025.
From Trump’s campaign rally cries and hats to finalizing the funding of $46 billion for the wall, $6 billion for border technology, $4 billion for CBP agents, and billions more — Clem lays out...
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Welcome to Part 3 of the Mike Drop podcast, where we dive deep into the gritty world of law enforcement with former FBI agent and Marine veteran Mark Sewell. In this explosive episode, Mark pulls back the curtain on his high-stakes career, from busting Mexican street gangs in small-town Georgia to exposing fraudulent heroes in stolen valor cases that shook the nation. With candid insights, he tackles burning questions about the FBI...
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In Episode 247, Part 2, Mike continues his gripping conversation with former FBI agent Mark Sewell, diving deeper into the high-stakes world of federal law enforcement. From hazardous SWAT missions to infiltrating outlaw motorcycle gangs and battling organized crime, Sewell shares raw, unfiltered stories from his 20-year crusade against America’s toughest criminals. Expect candid insights, intense anecdotes, and a front-row seat to...
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July 8, 2025 • 77 mins
In this explosive episode of Mike Drop, Mike Ritland sits down with national security expert Mark Sewell to tackle what they argue is America's most urgent and misunderstood threat: the southern border. The $46.5 Billion Wall fuels the conversation and rips the curtain off not just cartel violence or illegal crossings—but the hidden danger of student visa overstays.
Sewell exposes how even a handful of bad actors slipping through ...
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July 2, 2025 • 317 mins
In this explosive Mike Drop episode, Mike Ritland sits down with Dale Comstock—former Delta Force operator.
Dale rips the band-aid off America’s foreign policy failures and reveals the raw, no-BS reality behind military operations that were supposed to “save” the world—but only made things worse. He shares brutal takes about leadership, mindset, survival, and the cost of war. Get ready for a hard-hitting conversation you won’t f...
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July 2, 2025 • 240 mins
In this episode of the Mike Drop Podcast, I sit down with Ant Middleton—former UK Special Forces operator and one of the most unfiltered voices out there—to dig into the truth behind the special relationship between the US and UK. We go way beyond the headlines, from the trenches of World War I to the modern battlefield, talking about the real brotherhood, the friction, and the political BS that soldiers have to navigate. Ant share...
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June 25, 2025 • 222 mins
The war in Afghanistan didn’t end when the last C-17 lifted off from Kabul. That was just the beginning of the fallout.
It was a trillion-dollar failure, and that failure didn’t just disappear—it sent shockwaves across the Middle East. Now, with Israel and Iran staring each other down and the world edging closer to full-blown war, we’re seeing the cost of the Global War on Terror in real time.
On this episode of Mike Drop, I ...
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June 11, 2025 • 223 mins
Charles 'Chuck' Ritter is a Retired U.S. Army Special Forces Sergeant Major Green Beret. Having served multiple combat deployments - 17 in total - to areas including Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, & Syria, Chuck has an extensive military career spanning over 27 years in service, primarily with the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). He was blown up by an IED in 2008, shot three times by a PKM in 2013, and caught another bullet in his r...
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June 4, 2025 • 292 mins
Chris Fettes is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who served for 13 years with SEAL Team 10 and the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU). He deployed to combat zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, where he served as a sniper and earned a Bronze Star at JTAC. A notable marksman, Fettes once made a 900-yard sniper shot on an enemy in Somalia, and would often bring a high-end ice cream machine on deployments to make ice cream fo...
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May 28, 2025 • 246 mins
Marc Gonsalves is an American who was held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) from February 13th, 2003 to July 2nd, 2008. A former imagery analyst in the U.S. Air Force, Marc was working as a civilian military contractor on a drug surveillance mission in Colombia when his single-engine plane crashed in the jungle. Upon being swiftly captured by the FARC, Marc would go on to live as an active hostage alongs...
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May 21, 2025 • 221 mins
Scott "Kidd" Poteet is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel and a commercial astronaut. He was the pilot for the Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024, a privately funded human spaceflight operated by SpaceX. Having previously served 18 years in the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, Scott transitioned to the USAF Thunderbirds as a pilot in Position 4, racking up over 3,200 total flight hours in various aircra...
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May 12, 2025 • 199 mins
'Danger Pig' CW4 Dan McClinton is a retired U.S. Army AH-64D Apache Helicopter Pilot with 24 years of service. A decorated aviator with three combat tours in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dan started his career flying UH-1H helicopters in El Salvador before pivoting to the Apache airframe as a Pilot and Battalion Tactical Operations Officer with the 1st Cavalry Division. During his tenure, Dan's unit responded to over 800 tr...
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