Navy SEAL & 160th Aviator (MH-47 Pilot) | 17 Combat Deployments | Mike Rutledge
About This Episode
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============ Today we hear the Combat Story of Mike Rutledge, a Navy SEAL turned to 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) aviator who completed 17 combat deployments over a 30 year career.
This is a special episode for me personally because I went to flight school with Mike (as we discuss in the episode) and I still remember being in awe when I saw this other flight school candidate wearing a trident on his uniform.
Mike had a very unconventional route to becoming a special operator in two branches, and flew along some of the greatest pilots of our time, including Al Mack, who you’ll recall from a previous episode of Combat Story.
Among the multitude of mission during his 17 deployments, Mike found himself on a mission in 2007 when we thought we were going to capture Bin Laden. That was, of course, a dry hole but generated lessons learned that were used in 2011 in the final raid.
I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging and humble perspective into the world of someone who went from being a SEAL to a 160th aviator as much as I did.
Show Notes:
Mike Rutledge
Chapters
- 00:00Intro
- 01:07Guest Introduction (Mike Rutledge)
- 02:08Interview begins
- 02:30Office Statue
- 04:37Being a SEAL in Aviation classes
- 08:50SEALs in 160th
- 13:15Challenges growing up
- 16:56Experience with father
- 21:53Being bullied as a kid
- 25:50Being a parent
- 29:00Joining the Navy
- 49:38Regrets on path
- 01:00:42Going back to Guam
- 01:03:50First time outside the wire in combat
- 01:11:11Deciding to go into Aviation
- 01:23:50reminiscent on the SEALs
- 01:28:28First flight mission
- 01:39:22Things that go wrong
- 01:45:48One mission from Mike's perspective
- 01:53:48Processing crew rest
- 01:55:19A tough infil/exfil
- 02:00:47Close calls
- 02:10:38Perfection in the mission
- 02:14:16The most courageous thing
- 02:19:19Transitioning out
- 02:24:50Continuing being a pilot
- 02:26:35raising pilots
- 02:31:16Sentimental items
- 02:33:35Do it all again
- 02:39:47Listener comments and shout outs
