How Our FIRST Iraq Raid as Special Forces Turned Into a BL*ODBATH

About this video

A Special Forces operator recounts combat experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan deployments. He describes being pulled from Iraq to Afghanistan when a helicopter was shot down, and his first operation there resulted in several enemy casualties. The guest provides detailed accounts of early Iraq operations, including a first raid where his helicopter was heavily fired upon during insertion, resulting in casualties including a door gunner shot in the head who survived and a Ranger who later died from infection.

Key takeaways

• The guest recalls doing two deployments to Iraq and eight to Afghanistan, initially being frustrated about leaving Iraq when Afghanistan ‘heated up’ after a bird was shot down
• The guest describes his first Iraq raid where his helicopter was backlit after power was cut on short final, taking heavy fire that wounded a door gunner in the head and a Ranger
• The guest recounts how an EOD team member missed getting off the helicopter during infill, found the wounded door gunner, and provided life-saving first aid that helped him survive

Episode details: published August 16, 2025 · 8.5K views · 6:58 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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