They Used Me as Bait — Operation Bullet Sponge

About this video

A guest recounts a military operation in Afghanistan where he was deliberately positioned as bait to draw enemy fire while British sniper teams provided overwatch. The operation, which he and others dubbed “Operation Bullet Sponge,” was necessary because U.S. forces could not call for fire in the British operations box. When the guest came under sniper fire after entering a compound, he became pinned down, and the British sniper team that could have provided support was facing the wrong direction.

Key takeaways

• The guest describes how U.S. forces worked with British sniper teams to operate in areas where they couldn’t call for fire themselves
• The guest recounts being used as bait to draw enemy fire, an operation he and others informally called “Operation Bullet Sponge”
• The guest describes being pinned down by a sniper after entering a compound, with the nearest British sniper team facing away and unable to assist

Episode details: published February 5, 2026 · 8.5K views · 1:07 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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