Special Forces Sergeant Major in Afghanistan, Memoir Ghostwriter Randall Surles (SGM, Ret.) Round 2
About This Episode
Today on Combat Story we have our second interview with 32-year veteran and retired Special Forces Sergeant Major Randy Surles, who entered the Army in 1987 and retired in 2019. In round one we covered Randy’s jump into Panama where he broke his leg and had to crawl for seven hours to safety, his transition into Special Forces from the Ranger Regiment, and his attending Lancero school in Colombia, which you can think of as a more dangerous Ranger School (entirely in Spanish!).
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In this episode, we dive into his time leading Green Berets in the post-9/11 era in Afghanistan where he saw multiple combat deployments. Randy now helps veterans write their own memoirs as a ghostwriter with the aptly titled website The Military Editor. With that, please enjoy our second interview with Randy Surles.
Show Notes:
Chapters
- 00:00Intro
- 00:34Introduction to Combat Story
- 00:53Randy Searles' Military Journey
- 01:49Lancero School Challenges
- 02:38Jungle Survival Training
- 12:10Mission in South America
- 17:34Early Deployment to Afghanistan
- 41:19Adapting to New Equipment and Strategies
- 42:16Unexpected Challenges and Base Management
- 44:56IED Encounters and Tactical Adjustments
- 49:20Leadership and Tactical Raids
- 54:30Hostage Rescue in Colombia
- 01:10:51Military Editor and Skill Bridge Program
- 01:19:31Conclusion and Final Thoughts
