Army Apache Pilot Emily Joy Hills | Mike Drop Episode 36 *Special Re-Release*

About this video

Mike Ritland introduces a re-release of episode 36 featuring Emily Joy Hills, a former Army Apache pilot with 17 years of active duty service including combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Hills recounts her difficult childhood in Oregon, including sexual abuse by her grandfather, becoming pregnant at 15, and choosing adoption for her son. She discusses her path into the military, her career flying Apaches, and her transition to civilian work, sharing stories about her call sign origins, tattoos, and experiences in military aviation.

Key takeaways

• Hills recounts surviving childhood sexual abuse by her grandfather and choosing adoption for her son at age 16, decisions she says gave her purpose and direction.
• Hills served 17 years in the Army with five deployments, including combat tours as an Apache pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, and says she misses the inherent purpose and familial relationships of military service.
• Hills explains her Instagram handle ‘gun bunny actual’ was created to distinguish herself from what she describes as social media ‘gun bunnies’ who lacked real firearms experience, emphasizing her role flying Apache helicopters with 30mm chain cannons.

Episode details: published January 9, 2025 · 34.7K views · 4:04:17 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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