Delta Force Operator | Ranger | Black Hawk Down | Musician | Silence and Light | Brad Thomas Ep58
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
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Today we hear the Combat Story of Brad Thomas, a former Ranger and Delta Force operator who fought in multiple theaters from Somalia to Bosnia to Iraq and Afghanistan, including 12 years at the Unit in the pre- and post-9/11 era.
[NOTE: Check us out on Patreon www.combatstory.com/patreon]
Brad gave up a promising musical career to serve, first with Ranger Battalion and then finding his way into Delta Force. His first combat experience was in Mogadishu in what we know as Black Hawk Down as part of 3rd Ranger Battalion in a true baptism by fire.
Since leaving the military, Brad returned to his passion: music. He gathered a group of veterans who now make up the band “Silence and Light” and saw far more success than they expected on their debut album and are releasing their second album in the near future.
Since Brad can’t help but go all in on everything he does, he and the band donate their profits to two veteran-focused charities: Marine Raider Foundation and Warriors Heart.
It’s not often you get to sit down and hear directly from someone who spent years at the Tier 1 level and survived Mogadishu so I hope you enjoy this Combat Story and brief glimpse into that world as much as I did.
Find Brad Online:
Instagram @bradthomas_official
Silence and Light Website www.silenceandlightmusic.com/
Silence and Light Merch www.silenceandlightmusic.com/
Find Ryan Online:
Ryan’s Linktree linktr.ee/combatstory
Instagram @combatstory / combatstory
Facebook @combatstoryofficial combatstoryofficial
Send us messages at m.me/combatstoryofficial
Email ryan@combatstory.com
Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus
Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
#military #veteran #deltaforce
Show Notes
0:00 - Intro
0:49 - Guest introduction (Brad Thomas)
1:54 - Interview begins
2:09 - The prevalence of musicians and artists in the Elite Units
4:40 - What sparked Brad’s interest in music as a kid
25:18 - Joining and knowing he wanted to be elite
38:05 - The path to Ranger School
45:48 - Combat Story #1 - Going outside the wire for the first time in Mogadishu
54:25 - Reaction to the Black Hawk Down movie and what it was like for Brad
1:09:04 - Going back out the gate again
1:16:18 - The days following October 3 in Mogadishu
1:23:30 - Transition after Mogadishu
1:33:59 - Combat Story #2 Going back into combat after Mogadishu
1:37:28 - Funny story about goofing around with team
1:39:59 - What Brad is doing now with music
1:55:24 - What did you carry into combat?
1:56:40 - Would you do it all again?
1:59:05 - Listener comments and shout outs
This is a perfect example of why I don’t run my mouth or road rage… you’d never think this dude is ex delta and could pay dearly lol. Great episode, he is so calm cool and collect.
Except Dale Comstock all these former Unit-guys seem super low key. Same goes for most other (former) SOF dudes actually
@@dwightlight I know a former Ranger 18D Delta guy who is balding up top, but let’s the rest of his hair grow to a slightly shaggy length. Mad-scientist looking haircut.
He’s also a pretty unassuming-looking guy at first glance, but he served 26 years during the thick of it. He had been to our house for his current job several times before we finally started talking shop.
Even some SEAL’s I know blend-in to a crowd like you wouldn’t believe. You’d never guess unless you already had an understanding as to what types of behaviors/mannerisms they have in normal interactions.
The skinny, slightly goofy-looking neighbor who mows his lawn with a push mower & goes to church a couple times a week with his family might just have an interesting background. 😇
Hes probably the last dude to do anything violent in response to words. But would def wreck a fool that tried something physical.
Guys like him don’t fight unless there’s a good reason, they know how to avoid the situations altogether i.e., getting drunk in bars and having cock measuring contest or the guy who cuts you off in rush hour traffic and tries pushing your buttons.
Well I think someone who is ex delta is not going to engage in road in the first place. It’s the crazy ex felon who gets road rage and tries to kill people.
I know not every ex-SF or SO guy is like Jocko, but wow Brad is unassuming. If I met a guy like him who claimed to be from the unit it would be hard to believe. Love his attitude and mentality! And somehow he still looks 30… Great conversation!
It's called steroids and TRT
@@JB-td9fz what
@@stephen8996 he's talking about Jocko.
Obligatory Jason Everyman mention
@@stephen8996 what @JB-td9fz is trying to say that he used steroids and now he underwent his full and final TRT(totally retradation transformation)
Now this guy is a perfect example of "Don't judge a book by its cover." He almost has an emo look to him lol! That'd be a fatal mistake to think that. He's unassuming, He's not some broad shouldered, tattooed and bearded guy, like we all picture, but he will just as easily put you in the ground in a second! Thanks for your service, sir.
keep it in your pants buddy
First off he’s in his 50s here… in his prime he was jacked wtf r you on about you weirdo
FDNY Engine 24 Ladder 5 Battalion 2 came to my house on a non-emergency call (smoking oil burner) about 2 weeks before 9/11. I called the station directly and asked the guy on desk duty if he could just send a guy or two to come check it out, as I was worried about CO2 levels in our small 8 unit building. He told me that they couldn't just "send a guy" because they travelled as TEAM: they would all come. Sure enough, a few minutes later a whole truck's worth of guys are standing outside my door ready to check it out. They did their thing and were gone in 20 minutes or so, after breaking into the basement, turning off the burner, ventilating the space and giving me some paperwork for the owner / landlord. I remember their faces so clearly: relaxed, taking it easy, just talking amongst themselves while a couple of their brothers were in the basement doing the work.
Two weeks or so later 9/11 happened. I heard the first plane roar over and hit, and then the silence. I heard the trucks of Engine 24 & Ladder 5 move out (the Firehouse was 2 blocks away), not yet understanding the enormity of the event and what it would mean for our country, hundreds of thousands of veterans or the firefighters from this house - 11 of whom died that day.
I will never forget their faces.
Thank you Brad Thomas for all that you've done; for wearing their patch and representing them. Thank you Ryan for bringing us Brad's story.
Thank you for sharing, people don’t give enough appreciation to the men and women willing to put their lives on the line so that others may live, policemen, firemen, and other various first responders along with the men and women of the military are the most selfless people ever, they forever have my respect
Oh wow, thank you so much for sharing this man... what a heavy/beautiful story.
My son is in the army 11 bravo, when i listen to theses i feel closer to him thank u....
I joined the military after touring in a band for a couple years in 2006. Ended up in chosen company 173rd and in Afghanistan in 2007 and got shot 9 time on Nov 9th. Crazy time. Went back to touring in a band
The Herd!
The November 9th ambush. Chosen Company.
Not to mention how many mohs came out of those valleys/province that one specifically. Shits insane. Cop Bella had it rough man. Wasn't that ambush also put on the internet
@@billyruprecht9581 yep
@@justinplaysguitar I forgot you’re with the band Syskosis. I read the book The Chosen Few and that’s how I found out. It’s also cool that you’re from Ohio. Me too.
If I met this guy on the street I would never in a million years think we was former CAG. I would naturally assume Brad is into punk rock or skating based on his look. Like a dude you might see at a Pennywise or Strung Out show.
Exactly what I was thinking. I would say for the most part, that there is no "look" that you can rely on for the types of people who make it through the various selection schools: BUDS, Delta, PJ's, etc). I suppose because it's all mental, what gets you through them successfully, and so the square-jawed dude whose a specimen isn't necessarily - or even likely - to make it.
It’s exactly like Jimmy’s story. He’s such a goofy, laid back, calm, cool, collected guy and you would never have thought he went through years of training to become a PJ, was in Iraq for two weeks before he got shot in the head and even still with a gunshot to the head he continued to render aide to his fellow soldiers on the aircraft, and less then an hour after he was checked out he got up off his bed and gave his bed to another injured soldier and began to render aide and 24 hours later he insisted on getting back in the helicopter continued working for a week with a splitting headache. These guys are exactly who I want my kids to look at as role models and these are exactly the kind of guys I want protecting our country. I am grateful and thankful for their service and sacrifices to allow us to continue to live a privileged life and they absolutely deserve to be treated better by our government then what they have been. It angers me they are treated so poorly and when they reach a certain point so many are kicked out like red headed step children so they avoid paying that 20 year pension or they avoid paying for their medical or ptsd treatments. It’s the reason why so many end up homeless, hooked on drugs or alcohol, commit suicide, etc etc. We need to do better because I am not okay with 23 suicides a day.
@@Crafting_Through_Life well said Katie , well said .
Both amazing bands but Strung Out is insane! Suburban Teenaged Wasteland Blues is still my favorite.
@@WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot290 Hell yeah bro. Strung Out is one of my all time favs. STWB is one of the bet punk records from the 90's.
Sir, thank you, for risking your life, so people like me can feel safer and raise their families. God bless you.
I am a combat vet and a professional musician in ATX. I love this story
This is the best Combat Story yet. Well done.
2:00:47 Hello Ryan, just learned about your podcasts from watching your fathers who I flew with in VN. Have been watching them all and am really impressed with them and you. Especially enjoyed both your fathers and yours, I am sure he is very proud. Thanks for creating this.
JV ( Maddog 6)
what a great character - keep on rocking and thanks for serving!
I did 26 years as a military musician. When we worked for SF the level of respect we were given was unmatched. We knew that we could do the job of almost anyone we worked for given enough training, but when we met the SF folks we knew that wasn't the case. We didn't know exactly what they did, we just knew that we couldn't do it. That created an awesome respect for them on our part and we fully expected to be treated as POGs who were beneath them, but that never happened. Every interaction I had was was tinged with a strange mutual respect. There was a weird curiosity about what we did and how we got where we were and on our part there was just an amazement of meeting people who just shrug off what they did for a living. The men you interview are special and truly amazing. Thanks for bringing their stories to us.
Seen the guy on a few other podcasts. One of the coolest resumes around, and the definition of a "quiet professional." Big compliments to both for having a conversation with the mission "nitty gritty," that didn't make it into other shows
Thats one hell of a 1st combat experience, Mogadishu during "Black Hawk Down"
It's cool to hear him describe his very limited situational awareness. He had no idea what was going on besides what was happening directly in front of him. He admitted he didn't want to go back out there after surviving Hell once already... He says 1 guy with an AK can cause major problems for a group of the most elite Soldiers. Lots of good quotes in this interview.
Ryan "Without getting into anything too sensitive" Fugit
I can't remember a better interview on this channel. A decent guy.
Much respect to Brad for staying with the unit to help the newbies, personal sacrifice for the good of the organization. Great insight on this OP and lessons learned. As a Marine Grunt I often found myself saying some of the same things, "let's take a second to evaluate this before we get in deeper", but the other side of the coin is your brothers are still out there suffering, you gotta get back to it!!
This is the 3rd time I see an interview of Ranger Thomas and his by far the coolest brother around. All The way !!
I have watched ALOT of podcasts/interviews about The Battle of Mogadishu and this one was by far the best.
Fantastic interview! Much respect!
Good video “Task Force Ranger” and “Task Force 2/14”. Brad Halling is also a former Operator and legend.
Awesome video as always. Love this!
Awesome interview!! Really interesting & entertaining, keep Killin' It with these podcasts each one gets better and better!
Another fantastic story and interview.
One of my favorite interviews yet.
one of the best, coolest interviews! loved it! THX so much!
Amazing content. Thank you.
Awesome man I'm so glad Brads on here. Great dude!
Another great episode.....Good insight into Somalia operation. Brad is one cool dude!
Good interview... I really enjoyed Brad's story. Thanks.
Needs a part two!
So no one is gonna talk about how does this guy look so young
Best interview by far... great job brother
This was best interview period. Have to get him in for the patch story
Loved the story your a outstanding man..
Thank you for your service. And Mr. Interviewer your excellent.
This was the best interview so far!
What a great and honest interview.
Brad, thank you for your service and all that you did and do. From one NYer to another, god bless you.
I remember this so well. I was with C.co 3/75 during the Somalia debacle back in 93. B.co was who was mixed up in all that. The whole battalion(3rd) was sent to Ft Bliss, Texas for a few weeks to train for this, but only a small package of Special Operations soldiers got sent over.
As far as the Hardee boys are concerned, I remember some guys having to go to Delta selection twice because they weren't quiet mature enough. CAG is full of former bat boys.
Brad, thanks for your story!
I love how he says when you shoot people they still run and you have to keep shooting them. I remeber my first kill and I shot him twice and he kept shooting so I kept shooting
Better him than you
Great interview. What a down to earth guy for someone with such a elite background.
I wish he would come back for a part 2 and talk more about his time at the Unit.
He doesn’t like to talk about his time in the unit.
@Brian Beatty then how come Chris VanZant, Pat McNamara, and John McPhee have talked about there time at the unit?
@@kevinmorthorst521 yea that’s dumb, this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about
1 hour into it, I had to take a break. This is one of the best interviews I have heard besides KC. Brad Thomas, you are a hero to America plain and simple. May you raise upon your strengths and support everyone else. I am so proud of you.
Watch the DJ Shipley interview on the Shawn Ryan show.
Amazing interview
Thank you, shared!
His band is badass! I’m gonna tell everyone I know about this! Thanks for keeping our country free Brad, I really enjoyed this interview. Please play Soul Kitchen in Mobile, AL with your band. Sevendust just played a few days ago and you guys would’ve been a great band to see with them
Thank you for this video and thank you for your service.
Wow. I am amazed that this guy looks like any person anywhere. I guess that's the good thing in such a unit.
Great great insight. Awesome podcast. Brad is the best. Bad ass operator, warrior, great guy. Much respect. Please do a "part 2".
I’ve watched a ton of content pertaining to operators of all sorts. This is by far one of the best interviews and stories I have heard. My hat is off to you, sir. Thank you for your service to our country.
Oh ya new episode.Keep em coming👍
Good interview way to keep it on point and flowing without too many distractions or glamorizing it. Insightful questions
Good work, Ryan. Brad’s story is a good one, not everyone’s life or war story has a fairy tale ending.
Awesome ! Great episode!
Great episode. Glad I found your channel. These are the stories people need to hear. I served in the 82nd as an 11B and then went on to serve as an 11C. These are the guys we looked up to. I joined in 1997, so guys with combat patches and a CIB were held high.
I just wanted to add my support for both your podcast, and as a for 3/75 guy, for Brad. Great stuff. BLUT, there were others of us who saw those MOG guys and that was what we wanted to emulate. Then on to RRD which I saw in Germany. Great stuff. My time in BN was relatively short, but Ryan is crushing these these interviews with soft-spoken hiitters!
black hawk down was my favorite movie growing up and i always thought the rangers were the most badass guys ever. this story just took it to a whole new level. the movie doesn’t do it justice how chaotic it really was and how much they fought just to get to the target building. thank you for your service sir you have my utmost respect!
I dont think that Brad dismisses your comment.... but did you join the army??? Brad used to couph on my door knob.....but as i look back he was the calibration standard for our modern day super soldier...
Roger that! War is over if you want it to be. Love it brother! Great words. Thanks for spending the time
Another excellent interview Ryan keep it up, I can't wait for the next one!!!!
Btw, it'll be great if you could interview ex Australian SAS Harry Moffitt on your podcast who know runs a successful psychology performance business and also he is a musician as well as he is the lead singer of the the rock group called The Externals. Also, his autobiography called Eleven Bats of him serving in the Australian SAS is by far the funniest military, honest and intriguing military autobiography I have ever read
Humble and honest. Just listened to songs fm album. Nice. Cheers Brad.
Mr. Thomas has a great mix of Cali Metalhead, and savant clandestine operator.💪🏻👌🏻 We share some uncanny time in service parallels (started my Basic in Dec '90) and roots with Vietnam/Panamá Vets. I have a great respect for your persistence and courage to continue forward. Roll strong Brad!💪🏻
Your guest list is second only to the way you package it all up for a truly awesome podcast!!
It's also great to hear someone else geek out over someone that's a musician. I'm on your level of musical ability... Meaning it doesn't exist. Lol.
Keep up the great work in 2022.. we all really appreciate your interviews, the incite these guys give is really unique to your channel. Great to see how honest and open they all are. Which we all understand at there level there are rules to what they can talk about.. Really great stories for all, especially a retired soldiers like myself that never made it to that level. Really brave warriors.. congrats on a great channel and year.. kennyb3275.. us.army retired..
Thanks for sharing
Love this guy. He's really cool!
The mention of how some guys are so amazingly fit really hits home. When I trained with guys like that I never stressed about the actual training, I stressed about if I could keep up.
Amazing conversation! I never served but I love listening to these men and women of the armed forces tell there stories.
This is my kinda guy. I learned music by ear also. That's an operator!
My favorite Combat Story so far. Perfect.
This story was maybe ran once or twice on the news cycle when I was a small child…..then years later after the film it really blew up obviously…when I was a child it truly enraged me cause. This is the USA I pictured us immortal in action
I love Silence and Light and it's great to hear the background of one of the founding members
It wasn’t too long ago I found your channel and hands down it went straight into my top 3 subscriptions. Great interviews with great people telling awesome stories. Way to go!
Would of really liked to hear more stories from his time in Iraq. Such an interesting dude!
Amazing interview.
I’ll check out the band.
Keep on creating !
I played music (lead guitar and vocals) my entire 28 year Army career. We had a jam in Kandahar in 2004. Me and a bunch of my brothers in 3/3 SFG(A) took over the jam....played in Korea too - put a soldier band got hired by 8th Army Entertainment and played 11 of the 17 2ID camps. I was voted 'best guitarist" at the 1995 All-Army battle of the bands. Played in bunch of bands at Ft. Bragg. Played the national anthem to about 8,000 at the 1998 Ft. Bragg July 4th Red, White and Blue concert. So cool what's he's doing with his band!
Best interview
This man explains it straight and clear amazing and thank goodness I wish zero of your comrades past, but I have to say that your expression and explanation of the situation is unbelievable. I don’t know if I would ever have the nerve to do this.
Fantastic interview! Would be great to have him back on and go deeper on post-Mog training, RRD, and stories from early GWOT. Probably could interview him for days on end! Thanks, Ryan for bringing these stories to us!
Detailed and very informative interview. Thank heavens we have guys like Brad Thomas keeping us safe at night. God Bless the USA!
Everyone must listen to his band. They ROCK
WTF?! I was looking at this guy, thinking he was about 10 years younger than I. But, he was buying 45 lp’s BEFORE I was born! Damn his genes!
Great Human right there! Thanks Ryan!
Damn man this podcast is so fucking good !!! 🤯
You can tell how heavy BOTH these guys truly are - like wow , I’ve never felt this on edge in a good way ! You can tell brad is the REAL DEAL !
Love this one guys
First time listener here. Super cool! As a retired Navy SWCC I met a ton of dudes from every flavor and the vast majority of them (us) are so down to earth and easy to relate to. Wish I could have met Brad.
He's being so nice to the leadership... I remember when they instituted the 3rd Ranger Bn. @ Fort Benning, those guys were no joke. Delta is another two levels. TY for your service.
YESS!!!! Thanks Ryan!
The story I can really dig been playing music since third grade. Thanks this was real cool
Great show today
Great story, well done. Retired Navy Master Chief.
Awesome dude
How does combat story not have a million subs all ready !
Super interview!! Really awesome & what a cool, talented guy. Thank you for this great interview!
These are really cool👍🏼
This guy is soo humble...
Beautiful story, great teaching and leadership moments in these videos!
Ryan I’m not sure why but your my favourite podcast interviewer by far
Great grab of a interview
I just stumbled upon this channel and when I saw Black Hawk Down and this i8nterviewed someone that had actually been there I had to know the rest of this story and I was not disappointed. I have probably seen the movie at least a dozen times, and it does not compare to what Brad described happened to him during that time. I never got the chance to experience combat, only a taste from being in law enforcement for 12 years. I did Subscribe and Like as well and can hardly wait to hear other combat veteran's stories. Touching stuff.