Blackwater Gunner Recounts How This Split Second Decision Stopped an Execution

About this video

A former Blackwater contractor recounts a firefight at a Baghdad traffic circle where his team intervened to save a National Guard unit from being executed by insurgents. He describes how a premonition led him to clean his machine gun the night before, which proved critical during the battle that resulted in 30 enemy casualties. The guest also reflects on witnessing atrocities during his deployments and later struggling with PTSD, which he initially dismissed until his brother’s death forced him to confront his trauma.

Key takeaways

• The guest describes responding to a National Guard unit under attack at a traffic circle, where he intervened as insurgents were approaching the team execution-style, resulting in 30 enemy KIA
• The guest recounts following an intuition to clean his weapon the night before the firefight, despite having the next day off, which he believes was crucial to the weapon functioning during the battle
• The guest shares that he initially dismissed PTSD as weakness while self-medicating with alcohol, but confronting his brother’s death from substance abuse triggered his realization that he needed help

Episode details: published March 20, 2026 · 14.8K views · 21:08 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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