We Called Airstrikes on Our Own Position - A Green Beret's Story

About this video

A Green Beret recounts his experience during Operation Viking Hammer in northern Iraq, describing intense combat at a chemical facility and surrounding villages. He describes witnessing a Kurdish fighter killed by heavy machine gun fire, calling in danger-close airstrikes, and the physical and emotional toll of 12-14 hours of fighting. The veteran reflects on the frustration of combat, the exhaustion that followed, and suspected exposure to toxins from a chemical facility.

Key takeaways

• The guest describes experiencing significant firefights during Operation Viking Hammer, including manning a .50 caliber machine gun and witnessing the devastating effects of heavy weapons on human bodies
• The veteran recounts calling in danger-close airstrikes that nearly struck friendly Kurdish forces, with bombs creating shrapnel-like effects from terrain shale
• The guest emphasizes the frustrating reality of combat - rarely being able to identify targets clearly despite training, and the extreme physical and emotional exhaustion from combining high exertion with repeated adrenaline spikes
• The veteran suspects he and his team were exposed to toxins from the Sarot chemical facility, as several became sick for weeks afterward

Episode details: published August 27, 2025 · 3.7K views · 13:28 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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