The Day We Invaded Panama

About this video

The guest recounts receiving an emergency call-in on a Friday or Saturday for what turned out to be the invasion of Panama. He describes learning the mission destination from CNN news reports mentioning the 82nd Airborne and Ranger Regiment. He shares memories of the rainy, cold preparation at the airfield, the jump from the aircraft, and seeing tracers in the air before hitting the ground.

Key takeaways

• The guest says his unit received an alpha notification without initially knowing the mission was Panama
• The guest learned about the Panama invasion from CNN reporting on the 82nd Airborne and Ranger Regiment’s deployment
• The guest describes jumping into combat and seeing tracers in the air during the nighttime airborne operation

Episode details: published November 30, 2025 · 7.5K views · 1:08 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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