The 160th SOAR Pilot Who RESCUED Us Was My Cousin

About this video

A former Army Ranger recounts his eight combat deployments between 2006 and 2012 to Afghanistan and Iraq. He shares stories including discovering his cousin was a 160th SOAR pilot who rescued him, operating with relaxed rules of engagement in Iraq, and witnessing both the brutality of war and signs of hope in Iraqi society. The guest describes feeling invincible through his first four deployments before the first casualty in his unit shifted that perspective.

Key takeaways

• The guest recounts discovering his cousin was the 160th SOAR pilot who rescued him after a helicopter was shot down, and later his cousin flew many of his missions and re-enlisted him mid-flight.
• The guest describes operations in Iraq with relaxed rules of engagement, including supporting British SAS in a hostile area declaration and using the M2 Carl Gustaf weapon system to level structures.
• The guest recalls seeing signs of hope in Iraq’s younger generation and civilian life returning, including nightlife, universities, and businesses reopening, though he notes he cannot speak to where things went wrong politically.

Episode details: published March 29, 2026 · 15K views · 25:21 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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