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This episode starts with something none of us wanted to talk about.

A member of the Air Force community was killed during a rappelling demonstration at a UTSA event in San Antonio.

At the time Trent and Peaches recorded, next-of-kin notifications were still being completed and the member had not yet been publicly identified.

First and foremost:

Much love to his family, teammates, and everyone at the 6th Combat Training Squadron.

Trent and Peaches walk through the publicly available footage from the perspective of two guys who have spent a lot of time around this type of training.

And the first clarification matters:

This was a RAPPEL.

Not a fast rope.

Those are different techniques with different equipment, different safety considerations, and different levels of risk.

The available video raises obvious questions about descent speed, rope friction, routing, hardware, hand position, and whether the system was functioning correctly.

But neither Trent nor Peaches claims to know exactly what failed.

Equipment?
Routing?
Connection?
Human error?
Something else entirely?

That is what the investigation is for.

What they do know is that a roughly 170-foot free rappel gives you very little room for error.

Buddy checks matter.

Rigging matters.

Equipment checks matter.

And just because you have done something a hundred times does not mean evolution 101 deserves any less attention than evolution one.

The conversation then moves into TACP, CCT, JTACs and the old ROMAD concept.

Peaches explains how young Airmen who were not yet JTAC qualified could still become extremely useful members of the team by learning radios, aircraft integration, procedures and enough of the job to become an extra capability if somebody went down.

Trent talks about his first Afghanistan deployment in 2006, where the TACP and Combat Controller on his team took the time to teach him enough of their job that he could help if things went sideways.

Back then, that mattered.

Teams were taking casualties.

ODAs were getting combined.

People were getting wounded and medevaced.

And the mission still had to continue.

Later, Peaches tells a completely different story about running into a senior enlisted leader years after realizing they had apparently crossed paths downrange.

That turns into one of the strongest leadership conversations in the episode.

A senior leader arrives on a tightly controlled itinerary.

Airmen are standing in a hangar who were not part of the scheduled stop.

His staff expects him to keep moving.

Instead, he sees them, changes direction, walks over and speaks to every one of them.

Schedule be damned.

Peaches follows that with another story about a Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force visiting wounded service members while somebody reminds him that a general is waiting.

His answer was essentially:

The general can wait.

Because sometimes leadership is as simple as remembering which people actually matter.

The episode closes by returning to the rappelling footage and one final point:

Rappelling is dangerous.

Take everything seriously.

LINKS

OnesReady.com

OperatorTrainingSummit.com

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Ones Ready
01:09 - Why This Episode Starts Differently
01:32 - Fatal Rappelling Incident at UTSA
02:04 - What Happened?
03:12 - Rappel vs. Fast Rope
04:02 - Why Fast Roping Is Different
05:25 - We Don’t Know the Cause Yet
06:06 - 6 CTS Det 2 and Next-of-Kin Notification
07:43 - A Celebration Turns Tragic
08:30 - Breaking Down the Available Video
09:39 - Equipment Failure or Routing Problem?
10:24 - Why Buddy Checks Matter
12:24 - Identity Still Not Released
13:17 - TACP Training and JTAC Qualification
13:48 - ROMADs and the “Mini Jag”
14:52 - Learning Another Teammate’s Job
15:33 - Afghanistan When Everybody Was Taking Losses
17:32 - OnesReady.com and Training Programs
20:19 - Peaches Runs Into an Old Teammate
21:31 - “Wait... We Were in Afghanistan Together”
23:27 - When Rank Disappears
24:25 - The Chairman Sees the Airmen
26:29 - He Breaks the Schedule to Meet Them
28:47 - “The General Can Wait”
30:55 - Another Angle of the Rappel Incident
32:22 - Why the Media Keeps Calling It Fast Rope
33:07 - Watching Military TV After Retirement
35:29 - What Pressure Reveals
37:55 - Watching People Quit Before It Starts
39:08 - Take Rappelling Seriously
39:11 - Wrap-Up
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

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Collabs:
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18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
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Apparently the Air Force looked around and decided what we were desperately missing was another beret.

This time it’s EOD.

Aaron, Trent, and Peaches react to the new rust-colored EOD beret and immediately ask the obvious question:

Who was asking for this?

This isn’t an anti-EOD episode. EOD technicians do an extremely difficult job, go through a demanding pipeline, and bring a legitimate capability to the fight.

But does every specialized career field need its own funny hat?

The boys break down why berets existed in the first place, why they were historically tied to unique units and qualifications, how PJ and CCT ended up with theirs, why Rangers changed colors after the Army adopted the black beret, and why distinctive headgear starts losing some of its meaning when everybody gets one.

Also discussed:

What happened to Goggins in the pipeline?

Is SR actually being merged with CCT?

What traditions do Combat Controllers have?

Should EOD move under AFSOC?

What does an EOD mission inside AFSOC actually look like?

And why would you voluntarily leave Civil Engineering, where you’re the cool guy with the bomb suit and new beret, just to walk into a Special Tactics team room and immediately become another support function getting roasted by Controllers?

The episode also takes a minute to remember Operation Gothic Serpent on its anniversary, including the legacy of the Airmen, Rangers, and special operations forces who fought through Mogadishu and the lessons that shaped the decades that followed.

And eventually the crew discovers the most important possible follow-up question:

If EOD joins the Special Warfare team room...

where exactly do they rank?

That one had to go to MBRS.

Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com

Chapters:
00:54 - Does EOD Really Need a Beret?
03:08 - Who Was Asking for This?
04:32 - Are Berets Actually Functional?
05:36 - What Makes a “Sharp” Airman?
06:18 - Who the Hell Is Samson Kearns?
10:31 - The E-4 Mafia Cannot Be Stopped
15:06 - How Did PJ and CCT Get Their Berets?
16:46 - Why Are Berets Supposed to Mean Something?
18:16 - How Big Is Air Force EOD?
21:00 - Your Questions: EOD, Goggins, and Beret History
25:18 - Remembering Operation Gothic Serpent
28:18 - Why Do Some Career Fields Get Berets?
30:07 - Is SR Merging With CCT?
31:11 - What Traditions Do Combat Controllers Have?
32:29 - Does the AFSW Pipeline Need Another Update?
34:26 - Should EOD Move to AFSOC?
37:46 - Why Moving to AFSOC Might Actually Suck
39:37 - Who Ranks Where in the Team Room?
39:51 - Continue the Fight on MBRS
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE
Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com

Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...

Send us Fan Mail
What actually happens on a military base when a hurricane is headed straight at it?

Trent and Peaches break down the stuff most people never see.

Aircraft have to move.
Families may have to evacuate.
Training stops.
Other bases have to make room.
Commanders are staring at forecast models trying to decide whether they are moving too early — or waiting too long.

And every decision costs money, training time, operational capability, and potentially lives.

Both Trent and Peaches spent time around Hurlburt Field and the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, so they walk through what hurricane preparation actually looks like inside the Air Force.

One of the coolest pieces:

The ride-out team.

When most people evacuate, selected personnel stay behind.

Special Tactics.
Security Forces.
RED HORSE.
Rescue-capable personnel.
People with boats, communications, recovery equipment, and the skills to start working almost immediately after the storm passes.

At the 23rd, that meant Zodiacs, inflatable boats, rescue equipment, and people already trained to operate in ugly conditions.

Families get moved somewhere safer.

The ride-out team stays.

Then when the storm clears:

Go to work.

They also talk about how difficult the evacuation decision actually is.

Move aircraft too early and you burn money, disrupt training, impact operations, and create problems for every receiving base.

Wait too long and eventually the weather gets bad enough that you cannot safely fly the aircraft out at all.

There is no perfect answer.

There is only risk management.

The conversation then expands into something useful for everybody — not just military people:

How prepared is YOUR family?

Power.
Water.
Food.
Communications.
Starlink.
A bug-out plan.
A vehicle.
And enough capability to sit tight for roughly 72 hours while you figure out what the actual situation is.

Trent makes the point that everybody loves talking about the bug-out bag, but if you have a family, your house is probably your best initial position in most emergencies.

You do not need a bunker.

You need enough preparation to buy yourself time.

The guys also get into military disaster response after Hurricane Maria, why Hurlburt’s Special Tactics capability is uniquely useful after a storm, getting recalled to active duty, Rocky IV indoctrination, Vegas flash floods, and Peaches accidentally winning a one-minute bench-press challenge in flip-flops.

Normal Ones Ready progression.

Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com

Chapters:
01:04 - Ones Ready and OTS Updates
04:16 - Hurricane Hits the Gulf Coast
05:15 - What Happens When a Base Prepares for a Hurricane?
07:49 - Trent Left Anyway to Take Care of His Family
08:11 - When Do You Evacuate a Military Base?
10:02 - Commanders Have an Impossible Decision
11:02 - What Happens When You Wait Too Long?
12:01 - What Is a Ride-Out Team?
13:20 - Who Should Stay Behind?
14:17 - Riding Out the Hurricane
15:30 - No Power, No Internet, Starlink Saves the Day
17:07 - What Should Your Family Actually Have Ready?
18:39 - Bug Out or Stay Home?
19:30 - Why Communications Matter After the Storm
20:39 - Special Tactics Disaster Response
22:59 - Would Trent and Peaches Ever Re-Enlist?
25:40 - Vegas Gets Hammered With Rain
26:50 - Hiking Through Lightning Is Apparently Fine
27:40 - Rocky IV Parenting
29:16 - Peaches Accidentally Wins the Bench Press
31:47 - Wrap-Up
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE
Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com

Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
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This MBRS Only goes deep on internet outrage culture, hypocrisy, and why performative morality keeps collapsing under scrutiny. Peaches and Trent break down the Scotty K Fitness implosion—virtue signaling, selective Second Amendment outrage, and the moment he crossed the line by doxxing a private citizen and their family. From ICE protests and whistle tactics to media manipulation, AI-altered images, and why nuance dies online, the conversation expands into accountability, restraint, and how fast people rush to conclusions without facts. They also hit why leadership under stress matters, why mob energy is the goal—not justice—and why most people have no idea what they’d do in the chaos they’re cheering for. Messy, uncomfortable, and exactly why this stays behind the paywall.
⏱️ Timestamps:
 00:00 Members intro and attributes-based mindset
 02:00 Scotty K Fitness and internet hypocrisy
 04:30 Selective outrage and Second Amendment takes
 07:00 Kyle Rittenhouse comparisons and false equivalence
 10:30 Doxxing a private citizen crosses the line
 13:30 Sponsors drop him—consequences explained
 15:45 Performative outrage vs real accountability
 17:30 ICE protests, whistles, and sensory overload
 19:30 Stress, restraint, and real-world decision-making
 22:00 Media manipulation and AI-altered imagery
 24:30 Mainstream media trust and incentives
 26:30 Revolution rhetoric and manufactured chaos
 29:00 Colorado ANG hero story and readiness
 32:00 Fitness, composure, and community expectations
 35:30 Drone pilot mental health study explained
 40:30 PTSD, micro-stress, and long-term exposure
 45:00 Medical establishment vs reality-based care
 50:30 Brain optimization, performance, and bro science
 56:30 Training vs real-world decision making
 01:02:00 Black Hawk Down legacy and mindset
 01:06:00 Final thoughts and member thanks
🎯 Call-to-Actions:
 👍 Like the episode
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 💬 Comment if nuance still matters
 🌟 Leave a review
 🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member
 👕 Check out the merch store
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE
Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com

Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...

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Should the government livestream an execution?

Trent and Peaches get into the proposed public execution of the Fort Hood shooter — and immediately land somewhere that is probably going to piss off people on both sides.

Neither guy has much sympathy for the man convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more at Fort Hood.

The argument is about something different:

Should Americans be able to WATCH the punishment?

They dig into why public executions disappeared from American culture in the first place, how old executions turned into massive public spectacles, and why the firing squad historically has one very practical advantage:

It works.

Then Trent asks the uncomfortable question.

We live in a country where Game of Thrones became a cultural phenomenon, real combat footage lives on social media, police shootings appear online within hours, wars are documented almost in real time, and people willingly consume violent content every single day.

So why does this particular violence suddenly become morally unbearable when the government makes it available to watch?

Peaches can understand the argument that America should not put itself in the same category as countries known for public executions.

Trent’s counterpoint:

Nobody is forcing you to watch it.

That leads into firing-squad procedures, why some rifles historically contained blanks, victims wanting to witness executions, political hypocrisy, and the difference between an execution being available online and turning it into a literal public carnival.

Then the episode pivots into another outrage cycle:

Pete Hegseth working out with Marines.

Videos show him falling behind younger Marines and struggling through parts of the workout, and naturally the internet reacts like the Secretary of Defense just failed selection.

Trent and Peaches have a different reaction.

He’s in his 40s.
They’re young Marines.
They SHOULD smoke him.

The weird part would be if they didn’t.

They argue that whatever criticisms somebody has about Hegseth’s policies or leadership, voluntarily showing up, doing PT with troops, answering questions, and letting everyone film the results probably isn’t the hill to die on.

Peaches also tells the story of a former SOCOM commander doing exactly what operators would do:

Pick the event you’re good at and then absolutely crush everybody younger than you.

Also included:

The redesigned OnesReady.com and OperatorTrainingSummit.com.

Why OTS is instruction and mentorship — not an $18,000 fake hell week.

How public firing squads historically used blank rounds.

Why outrage culture makes everything political.

And why the Marines absolutely should have smoked the boss.

Links:
OnesReady.com
OperatorTrainingSummit.com

Chapters:
00:19 - Ones Ready and OTS Got a Facelift
04:48 - Should an Execution Be Livestreamed?
08:18 - Are We Actually Offended by Violence?
10:14 - Why America Stopped Public Executions
11:39 - Why Firing Squads Rarely Fail
12:29 - Should Victims Be Allowed to Watch?
15:05 - Why Some Firing-Squad Rifles Had Blanks
17:50 - Is the Outrage Actually Political?
23:38 - Pete Hegseth Gets Smoked at PT
27:05 - Who Is Actually Criticizing Him?
29:47 - Marines SHOULD Beat the Boss
30:39 - When the SOCOM Commander Smoked Everybody
32:49 - OTS Vegas and Wrap-Up
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE
Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com

Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...