CIA Covert Action Program Against Russia in Afghanistan | Drone Program | Green Beret - Mike Vickers
About This Episode
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.
Show Notes:
Green Beret - Mike Vickers
Chapters
- 00:00Intro
- 01:01Guest Introduction
- 02:48Interview begins
- 04:00Unusual beginning at the CIA
- 09:40On the ground in Greneda
- 13:36Growing up and focus on the CIA
- 17:29Underachiever to Multitasker
- 19:20OSS Society Conversation Ad
- 20:22Time in the Army
- 23:48Serving along side Vietnam Soldiers
- 27:21Advantage of Special Forces training to CIA
- 29:03Chance encounter with Gina Haspel
- 30:34Homebased and the Covert Action Program
- 34:41Afghanistan Covert Action Program Officer
- 39:284Patriots
- 40:47Stalemate in Afghanistan
- 41:43Plan to infiltrate Afghanistan
- 45:00Secret partners
- 45:48Escalation against the Soviets
- 50:10Soviet withdrawl from Afghanistan
- 53:38A covert mission
- 56:17Afghanistan war post 9/11
- 01:01:13Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflicts, and Interdependent Capabilities
- 01:07:30The Drone Program
- 01:12:02On the ground in Pakistan
- 01:13:53Secretary of Intel
- 01:17:52A challenging mission
- 01:21:42Building confidence in the Bin Laden raid
- 01:29:49Sentimental items
- 01:31:03Do it all again
- 01:31:53Plan B
- 01:33:02Listener comments and shout outs
