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Today we hear our first Combat Story from a military intelligence linguist and signal interceptor, Clay Jensen. Clay deployed six times to both Iraq and Afghanistan and has spent considerable time helping to get our Afghan allies out of Afghanistan.
Clay was in a Blackhawk when it was shot out of the sky while trying to identify the location of Al-Qai’da’s then #2 leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan. Clay was also forward deployed in 2007 to identify the location of Bin Laden during what became a failed raid to capture AQ’s leader at the time (listeners will recall that our former guest Mike Rutledge was also on that operation).
Clay supported clandestine and Top Secret operations working alongside NSA and other three letter agencies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Latin America as part of both the 82nd Airborne and 7th Special Forces Group in a Special Operations Team - Alpha (or SOT-A).
I hope you enjoy this first ever Combat Story from a signal interceptor who we, as Apache pilots, relied on regularly to triangulate targets, as much as I did.
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- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
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- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-jensen-793b468b/
Show Notes:
00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Guest Introduction (Clay Jensen)
02:15 - Interview begins
02:48 - Impressions on Iraq 20 years later
04:57 - Japanese upbringing
09:24 - Bilingual for Defense Language Institute
11:31 - Interest in the Military
12:58 - Joining the Military
14:57 - Recruitment
18:15 - Working with Agencies
19:24 - Training for the Signals and Intelligence
23:38 - Joining the 82nd
24:40 - Linguistics in regular MOS
28:08 - 9/11
31:05 - 1st Deployment to Afghanistan
37:28 - Supporting the battle as a Linguist
40:08 - Navigating the outcome of a battle
44:06 - Transfering to Special Forces
46:11 - Proving yourself
47:20 - Definition of SOT-A
49:33 - Difference between standard MOS and Special Forces
51:21 - The Raid for Zawahiri
01:09:33 - Columbia
01:16:59 - The importance of Vocabulary
01:19:37 - Funny things
01:24:19 - Relationship with Interpreters
01:27:03 - Getting involved in the Afghanistan Evacuation
01:34:57 - Most courageous act
01:38:26 - Best and worst MREs
01:40:07 - Sentimental items
01:41:22 - Would you do it again
01:43:09 - Listener comments and shout outs
Top Gun Maverick Stunt Pilot to F/A-18 Combat Aviator to Blue Angel to F-35 Squadron Commander | Scott “Intake” Kartvedt
AH-64 Apache & Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Pilot Cleared Hot Author | Trauma to Triumph Brian Slade
Navy SEAL | Seal Team Four | Co-Founder of ZeroEyes | Rob Huberty
Top Gun Pilot and Combat Aviator | Founder of Top Gun Foundation and Top Gun Options | Matthew “Whiz” Buckley
Marines in The Battle of Marjah | USMC NCO | Author | Choices Not Chances Podcast | Ryan Rogers
Combat With USASOC Operator Rick Hogg | K-9 Handler | 7th SFG | 82nd Airborne | War Hogg Tactical | On the Range Podcast
Green Beret | Operation Pineapple Express | Evacuated Afghan Allies from Kabul | Last Man Out Writer | Scott Mann
Combat Controller in Black Hawk Down | Air Force Special Ops | World Record | Author | Dan Schilling
Green Beret Silver Star Destroying Enemy Tanks with a Javelin | 3rd Special Forces Group | Changing Hearts and Minds Podcast | Jeff Adamec
Aircraft Crash on Robert's Ridge | 160th Night Stalker | MH-47 Chinook Combat Aviator | Alan Mack
UK SBS (Special Boat Service) | World Record Holder | Security Expert “Relentless” | Prince Harry Close Friend | Dean Stott
Four Star General George Casey | Army Chief of Staff | Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq
160th Night Stalker | AH-6 & MH-6 Pilot | DFC | Silver Star | CW5 Steve Lapping
Delta Force Operator and Sergeant Major John Shrek McPhee | Reflections on 100 Episodes
Medal of Honor | Only Living Iraq MOH | Infantry Squad Ldr | 2-2 Infantry | Author | David Bellavia
Marine Corps Silver Star Recipient | Operation Utah | Vietnam Veteran | Community Activist | Danny Hernandez
Prisoner of War | Ukraine Marines | Tortured in Captivity by Russia | Aiden Aslin (Round 2)
Marine Special Operator | CIA Global Response Staff | Savage Actual | Jason Lilley (Round 2)
1st SFOD-D Operator | Delta Force | Sniper | Ranger Battalion | MusiCorps | Derek Nadalini
Marine Infantry & Civil Affairs | The Wolves of Helmand | Author | Attorney | Frank “Gus” Biggio
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