War Story - Conan Higgins

Frank Haidusek Jr., retired TACP, talks about the time he had to make a life changing combat decision.#TACP #JTAC #CAS #AirSupport #Veterans #VAClaims #MedBoard#IraqWar #AfghanistanWar #FishingLife #military #airforce #usaf #combat #war#veteran #specialoperations #militaryaviation #tacp#airforcespecialwarfare #warstories #warstory #history #veterans #warrior#BreastCancer #AmericanHeartAssociation #hearttransplant #clearedhotfishing

Frank Haidusek Jr., retired TACP, talks about combat CAS decision-making in Iraq, the realities of the VA/MEDBOARD process and how service members can protect themselves, and life after service building a fishing guide business while giving back to veterans. https://www.clearedhotfishing.com/#TACP #JTAC #CAS #AirSupport #Veterans #VAClaims #MedBoard #IraqWar #AfghanistanWar #FishingLife #military #airforce #usaf #combat #war #veteran #specialoperations #militaryaviation #tacp #airforcespecialwarfare #warstories #warstory #history #veterans #warrior#BreastCancer #AmericanHeartAssociation #hearttransplant #clearedhotfishing

Zolal Habibi is an Iranian human rights activist and a leading voice for justice, democracy, and women’s rights in Iran. This conversation is an update to our interview from a month ago, focusing on the worsening conditions faced by Iran’s citizens, including arrests, executions, repression of women, and the ongoing struggle of families, protesters, and political prisoners. A member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, she has spent more than two decades advocating for the rights and dignity of ordinary Iranians. Deeply shaped by the loss of her father, a writer and dissident killed in the 1988 massacre, Zolal has dedicated her life to making sure the voices of the oppressed inside Iran are heard around the world.#ZolalHabibi #FreeIranNow #WomanLifeFreedom #VoicesForIran#StandWithIran #IranianWomen #JusticeForIran #BeTheirVoice #HumanRightsNow#IranUprising #FreedomForIran #HearIran #StopTheRegime #IranianResistance#DemocracyForIran #WomenOfCourage #VoiceOfTheVoiceless #StopExecutionsInIran#IranRevolution #FightForFreedom #NoMoreSilence #IranHumanRights #RiseForIran#SpeakUpForIran #BraveWomenOfIran #EndTheOppression #JusticeForTheFallen#HopeForIran #ChangeForIran

Zolal Habibi is an Iranian human rights activist and a prominent voice for justice, democracy, and women's rights in Iran. She serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), where she advocates globally for a free, secular, and democratic Iran. With over two decades of dedicated activism, she has become a fierce advocate on behalf of the voiceless inside Iran, regularly appearing in international forums, human rights conferences, and live broadcasts across major media platforms.Zolal's activism began in her teens, profoundly shaped by the loss of her father—a respected Iranian writer and political dissident—who was killed by the regime during the 1988 massacre. This personal tragedy ignited a lifelong commitment to ensuring that no other family suffers such loss, and that the voices of Iran's political prisoners, dissidents, and freedom-seekers are heard on the world stage.Her work has directly contributed to securing international recognition of the 1988 massacre as a crime against humanity and the safe relocation of 3,000 at-risk dissidents from Iraq, demonstrating her ability to translate advocacy into tangible, life-saving outcomes.#ZolalHabibi #FreeIranNow #WomanLifeFreedom #VoicesForIran#StandWithIran #IranianWomen #JusticeForIran #BeTheirVoice #HumanRightsNow#IranUprising #FreedomForIran #HearIran #StopTheRegime #IranianResistance#DemocracyForIran #WomenOfCourage #VoiceOfTheVoiceless #StopExecutionsInIran#IranRevolution #FightForFreedom #NoMoreSilence #IranHumanRights #RiseForIran#SpeakUpForIran #BraveWomenOfIran #EndTheOppression #JusticeForTheFallen#HopeForIran #ChangeForIran

Retired TACP, Greg Shaffer, talks about his first deployment in the GWOT.#airforcespecialwarfare #tacp #airforce #usaf #usmilitary#War #warstories #warstory #combat #etac #jtac #veteran #veterans #leadership #warriors#history #military #militaryhistory OEF OIF Somalia

Greg Shaffer, Retired TACP, talks about, meeting me in Panama, his time in Somalia, and working in Canada after leaving the Air Force.#airforcespecialwarfare #tacp #airforce #usaf #usmilitary#War #warstories #warstory #combat #etac #jtac #veteran #veterans #leadership #warriors#history #military #militaryhistory OEF OIF Somalia

Greg Shaffer, Retired TACP, talks about, meeting me in Panama, his time in Somalia, and working in Canada after leaving the Air Force.#airforcespecialwarfare #tacp #airforce #usaf #usmilitary#War #warstories #warstory #combat #etac #jtac #veteran #veterans #leadership #warriors#history #military #militaryhistory OEF OIF Somalia

Andy Deacon, former TACP, KC-135, MQ-9, and U-28 pilot talks about flying one of the most valuable assets ever used on the battlefield.#military #airforce #usaf #combat #war #veteran#specialoperations #militaryaviation #airforcepilot #tacp #afsoc #mq9reaper#kc135 #ac130 #airlinepilot #mq9 #gunship #combataviation#airforcespecialwarfare #u28 #pilatuspc12 #tankerpilot #hurlburtfield #warstories#warstory #history #veterans #warrior #hoosierwarriorcoffee

Andy Deacon, former TACP, KC-135, MQ-9, and U-28 pilot, and co-founder of Hoosier Warrior Coffee, talks about the enlisted-to-officer path from TACP to military pilot, how JTAC/U-28/AC-130 crews worked together in combat, and building a life through deployments, airline flying, and family.#military #airforce #usaf #combat #war #veteran#specialoperations #militaryaviation #airforcepilot #tacp #afsoc #mq9reaper#kc135 #ac130 #airlinepilot #mq9 #gunship #combataviation#airforcespecialwarfare #u28 #pilatuspc12 #tankerpilot #hurlburtfield #warstories#warstory #history #veterans #warrior #hoosierwarriorcoffee

Today’s episode is a special replay from At the Water’s Edge with host Scott Kelly.Full credit to Scott Kelly and At the Water’s Edge — check it out on Spotify, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6b6TN2bcrsVF6QCpsuV7K2?si=tD2uWib3TC6HvJeTrz_wpAI wanted to share this episode because it cuts through the talking points and gets to the ground-truth of modern war: what Close Air Support actually looks like when troops are pinned down, visibility is bad, timelines are brutal, and decisions have consequences. If you care about readiness, joint warfare, or what happens when capability gets “optimized” out of existence, this conversation is worth your time.In this episode, Scott is joined by a heavyweight panel of former Air Force pilots, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) veterans, and military scholars to take on one of the most contentious debates in U.S. defense policy: should the A-10 Warthog be retired? Drawing on combat experience from Iraq and Afghanistan, Pentagon planning, and military history from World War II to Ukraine, they argue that retiring the A-10 isn’t about obsolescence — it’s about priorities, incentives, and what gets lost when CAS culture disappears.You’ll hear from:• Steve Call — former B-52 pilot, Pentagon strategist, military historian, author of Danger Close• Nathan Bachand — former TACP (Air National Guard), PhD historian, founder of the Tack Pee Foundation• Conan Higgins — former TACP (25 years), former law enforcement, PhD in international law, author on crisis leadership.They break down:• What the A-10 was designed to do — and why the mission still exists• The difference between dedicated CAS and “CAS as a checkbox”• Why speed, stealth, and altitude don’t replace loiter time, visibility, and survivability• The real limits of the F-16 and F-35 in close-air-support scenarios• Why drones and light attack aircraft aren’t true A-10 replacements• Institutional incentives, budget priorities, and the Air Force–Army divide• What ground troops lose when CAS culture disappearsBottom line: Close Air Support isn’t obsolete — it’s been deprioritized. And future wars will still put soldiers in the mud — and they’ll still need air support they can trust.Note: This episode has been edited and re-posted with permission.#AirForceSpecialWarfare #AFSW #TACP #Leadership #warstories #combat #closeairsupport #CAS #JTAC #USAF #veterans #veteran #usmilitary #etac #alo #MilitaryAuthor #VeteranAuthor #DangerClose #military #history #MilitaryHistory #MilitaryScholar #b52 #tacpfoundation #AtTheWatersEdge #A10 #A10ThunderboltII #ThunderboltII #Warthog #Hawg #BRRRT #GAU8 #GAU8Avenger #MilitaryAviation #Aviation