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The Team House

The Team House

By: dee takos
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The Team House is a long-form, fiercely apolitical national security podcast hosted by Jack Murphy, featuring special operations veterans, intelligence professionals, frontline reporters, and guests who have never spoken publicly before. It delivers deep-dive conversations on conflict, tradecraft, and the forces shaping the world, alongside the sister show Eyes On Geopolitics hosted by Mick Mulroy, Andy Milburn, and Jason Lyons, focused on breaking down current geopolitical events and what they mean for national security.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.Copyright dee takos Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Green Beret & SOF Operator | Alex Dekker

    Green Beret & SOF Operator | Alex Dekker
    31 Oct 2026
    Alex Dekker looks back on his path from conventional infantry in Ramadi to 5th Special Forces Group, combat in Afghanistan, the Special Forces Combat Diver course, the fight against ISIS, and his final decade in a more specialized Army special operations unit. We also discuss his transition out of the military and how his experiences in Special Forces, intelligence, archaeology, and the Middle East shaped his debut novel, Desert Heist.Grab Alex's book here: https://a.co/d/00h03vHaFind Alex here: https://www.alexdekkerofficial.com/Today's Sponsors:VAER Watches ⬇️https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse get a free watch roll with your purchase.20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders GhostBed ⬇️https://www.ghostbed.com/houseFOR 10% off! BaerSkin Tactical ⬇️Text 'HOUSE' to 39612 to get a free rain jacket when you purchase 2 hoodies!Mars Men⬇️For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To Mars dot com. That’s MenGoToMars.com for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout.For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse___________________________________________________GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"00:00 – Start00:53 – Alex Dekker’s Interest in Archaeology02:17 – Growing Up as an Army Brat03:43 – His Father’s Career in Military Intelligence04:00 – Why Special Operations Was Always the Goal05:29 – Starting Out in the Conventional Army06:39 – Deploying to Ramadi With 1st Infantry Division07:20 – Seeing Special Forces in Iraq for the First Time08:52 – What Conventional Infantry Life Was Really Like10:32 – Leaving the Army & Going Back to College11:00 – Returning on an 18X Contract12:48 – Passing SFAS & Starting the Q Course13:58 – Learning Arabic for 5th Special Forces Group14:41 – Joining a Combat Dive Team16:28 – Deploying to Afghanistan Six Weeks After Arriving17:00 – His First Special Forces Deployment18:16 – The Taliban Ambush That Nearly Killed Him20:34 – Taking Over After the Team Was Wounded22:53 – Fighting Through the Ambush With Shrapnel in His Leg24:44 – Recovering & Returning to Afghanistan With a Cane26:54 – Preparing for Combat Diver School After Being Wounded29:06 – Inside the Special Forces Combat Diver Course31:13 – Drown Proofing & Learning Not to Panic Underwater32:26 – The 5th Group Guys Watching Everyone Else Deploy Somewhere Nice33:41 – Sitting in Kuwait as the ISIS War Begins35:30 – The Early U.S. Response to ISIS in Iraq36:53 – Training While Waiting for the Mission to Expand38:28 – Returning Home & Preparing for the Next Deployment39:10 – Becoming an 18 Fox Intelligence Sergeant41:15 – Targeting, Intelligence & Building the Battlefield Picture43:04 – Working the Syria Problem as an 18 Fox44:41 – Training Partner Forces Against ISIS46:17 – Why ISIS Struggled Against Professional Forces48:48 – What Special Forces Is Actually Designed to Do50:15 – Looking for the Next Step Beyond 5th Group52:03 – Moving Into a More Specialized Army Special Operations Unit53:13 – What He Can Say About the Final Decade of His Career54:48 – Retiring From the Secret Side of the Military56:39 – The Honor Foundation & Transitioning Special Operators57:34 – Why Networking Matters More Than Blind Job Applications59:28 – Meeting His Wife, a Former CIA Operations Officer1:00:09 – Leaving Two Secretive Careers Behind1:01:52 – Why Intelligence Officers Struggle With Transition Too1:03:34 – Writing Desert Heist in Three Months1:05:32 – Finding a Literary Agent1:08:00 – Combining Indiana Jones, Special Forces & Real History1:09:22 – Building Characters From Real ODA Personalities1:11:06 – Why Veterans Sometimes Miss the Chaos1:13:03 – The Lost City at the Center of Desert Heist1:14:28 – Green Berets, Russian Mercenaries & the Bigger Conspiracy1:16:21 – Turning Desert Heist Into a Series1:17:25 – What to Expect From the Next Nate Wilde Book1:19:07 – Where to Find Alex & Desert Heist1:20:21 – Jack & Alex Compare the Fiction Publishing Process1:22:27 – Planning Storylines Several Books in Advance1:23:31 – What Comes Next for Both Series1:24:07 – Keeping Survival & Combat Realistic in Fiction1:25:23 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.
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    1 hr and 37 min
  • Israeli Elections, & the VetBro Industrial Complex | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS

    Israeli Elections, & the VetBro Industrial Complex | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS
    30 Oct 2026
    We break down Israel’s deadlocked election and coalition fight, what a possible change in government could mean for Iran policy, and the growing counterintelligence concerns around foreign influence, personnel cuts, and recent Iran-linked activity in Europe. We also discuss whether America has lost the initiative in the Middle East, the debate over restrictive rules of engagement during the War on Terror, and what lessons the U.S. military should actually take from 20 years of war.VAER Watches ⬇️https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse get a free watch roll with your purchase.20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders Support the show on Patreon:⬇️https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouseJack's news outlet:⬇️https://thehighside.substack.com/Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️Jon's Twitter:https://x.com/jonathanhackettJon's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackettJon's books:https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackettTwitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackettFind Marc P here:https://x.com/MpolymerFind Andy Milburn here: Twitter ⬇️https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8LinkedIn ⬇️https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023Substack ⬇️https://amilburn.substack.com/Andy’s book ⬇️https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations00:00 – Start00:58 – Israel’s Election Ends in a Deadlock02:18 – How Israel’s Coalition System Works03:27 – Could Israel Be Headed for Another Election?04:16 – Arab Parties Suddenly Hold Major Bargaining Power05:03 – What Arab Israelis Actually Want From the Government06:19 – Israel’s Basic Law & the Question of Equality07:16 – Can Either Side Build a 61-Seat Coalition?08:48 – What Would an Eisenkot Government Actually Change?09:37 – Netanyahu vs. Eisenkot on Iran10:08 – Jared Kushner’s Role in Middle East Policy11:04 – Inside the U.S. Security Relationship With the Palestinians12:06 – Netanyahu’s Relationship With Kushner12:42 – U.S. Military Officers & Foreign Influence Concerns14:06 – How Does This Happen Without Counterintelligence Scrutiny?14:27 – Strava, Wearables & Modern OPSEC Failures17:33 – What Happens When FBI Counterintelligence Teams Get Cut?18:04 – Offensive vs. Defensive Counterintelligence19:14 – How Technology Has Changed Counterintelligence Operations20:32 – Cutting Personnel With a Machete Instead of a Scalpel21:30 – Losing Mandarin Speakers Inside the Government22:41 – Iranian-Americans & the Failure to Use Native Expertise24:14 – Why the U.S. Struggles to Identify Real Regional Experts24:45 – The Books Intelligence Analysts Should Actually Be Reading26:44 – What a New Iran Analyst Should Learn First27:18 – Why Analysts Need to Read the Other Side’s Literature29:02 – The Ugly American & Understanding Foreign Cultures30:00 – The RAF Fairford Plot Returns to the News30:21 – Suspects Go on Trial in the UK31:16 – The Wider Network Behind the Fairford Case32:04 – Iran-Linked Operations Across Europe32:28 – Did a New IRGC Handler Rush the Operation?33:36 – How the UK Network Was Structured34:18 – Has Iran Lost Too Many Experienced Intelligence Officers?34:59 – Sometimes Just Breaching the Base Is the Victory35:24 – What World War I German Sabotage Can Teach Us35:57 – Immigration, Brain Drain & America’s Talent Problem37:05 – Why the U.S. Should Keep Iranian Scientists Here37:43 – Operation Paperclip & Recruiting Enemy Talent38:38 – Has America Lost the Initiative in the Middle East?39:02 – The USS Abraham Lincoln as a Symbol of Strategic Failure39:31 – “Escalate to Deescalate” & the Failure of Policy40:14 – The New York Times on Special Operations Podcasts40:58 – Why The Team House Avoids the Culture-War Trap41:52 – Did America Lose Because We “Didn’t Take the Gloves Off”?43:00 – When Rules of Engagement Really Were Too Restrictive44:04 – The Eight-Hour Targeting Soak45:01 – From Extremely Loose ROE to Extremely Restrictive ROE45:50 – Why Different Battlefields Needed Different Rules47:05 – When a Missed Drone Strike Reset the Entire Targeting Cycle47:34 – “Restrike Authorized”48:04 – Why Rules of Engagement Changed During the War48:29 – McChrystal, F3EAD & the SOCOM Targeting Model49:00 – Jessica Lynch & Early Iraq War Training Failures50:36 – Army vs. Marine Corps Marksmanship Training55:47 – Are We Learning the Right Lessons From 20 Years of War?57:13 – Jack’s Upcoming High Side Story on Sudan58:18 – Jonathan’s Next Writing Project59:15 – Sanctions, Pistachios, Carpets & Iranian Saffron1:00:35 – Is “Spanish Saffron” Actually Iranian?1:01:26 – Syrian Aleppo Pepper & Sanctions Workarounds1:02:12 – American Insurgent & the December 1 Deadline1:03:14 – Closing ThoughtsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://...
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    1 hr and 4 min
  • Delta Force & Ranger Regiment Commander | Pete Blaber (throwback ep)

    Delta Force & Ranger Regiment Commander | Pete Blaber (throwback ep)
    29 Oct 2026
    original airdate 11-3-23Pete Blaber looks back on his path from the Ranger Regiment to Delta Force, including operations in Panama, Colombia, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the leadership lessons he carried from each. We also dig into his reconstruction of the Pat Tillman friendly-fire incident, the command failures that set the conditions for it, and why accountability and common-sense leadership matter so much in combat.VAER Watches ⬇️https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse get a free watch roll with your purchase.20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders Support the show on Patreon:⬇️https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouseJack's news outlet:⬇️https://thehighside.substack.com/Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️Jon's Twitter:https://x.com/jonathanhackettJon's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackettJon's books:https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackettTwitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackettFind Marc P here:https://x.com/MpolymerFind Andy Milburn here: Twitter ⬇️https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8LinkedIn ⬇️https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023Substack ⬇️https://amilburn.substack.com/Andy’s book ⬇️https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations00:00 – Start01:09 – Growing Up Outside Chicago02:48 – Cross Country, Endurance & Learning to Push Through Pain05:45 – Desert One Inspires Him to Join the Military07:07 – Trying to Figure Out How to Get Into the Army08:38 – “I Want to Join Delta Force”09:04 – OCS & Becoming an Infantry Officer10:16 – The Fastest Route to Ranger Regiment10:36 – First Assignment in Korea11:56 – Joining 2nd Ranger Battalion12:22 – The Ranger Battalion Commander Who Shaped His Leadership13:28 – What a Healthy Command Climate Looks Like15:12 – “The Best Welfare for the Troops Is Getting Them Home”16:09 – Learning to Stay Calm on the Radio17:52 – Company Command in the 7th Infantry Division18:14 – Invading Panama19:48 – The Friendly Firefight That Changed His Thinking22:15 – Realizing They Had Been Shooting at Another U.S. Unit25:21 – Learning Leadership as a Young Lieutenant27:18 – The Sergeant Major Who Taught Him “Don’t Be in a Hurry to Die”29:31 – Learning From Bad Leaders31:07 – Preparing for Delta Selection32:45 – Passing Selection & Joining the Unit34:10 – Delta Force in the Early 1990s35:54 – Counternarcotics Becomes a Major Mission36:35 – Hunting Pablo Escobar in Colombia38:17 – Building Teams Around Skills & Personality39:08 – Learning How to Find People Who Don’t Want to Be Found40:36 – From Colombia to Mogadishu41:16 – Why He Distrusted Helicopter-Centric Assaults42:24 – Black Hawks vs. Little Birds43:16 – The Low-Visibility Approach He Wanted in Somalia46:10 – The Hunt for Pablo Escobar48:27 – How Colombian Forces Ultimately Found Escobar49:25 – Arriving in Mogadishu After the Battle49:53 – Searching for Mike Durant52:00 – What Happened After Black Hawk Down53:52 – Personality Conflicts & Interoperability Problems57:51 – Somalia Becomes the Final Nail on Helicopter Assaults58:48 – How Somalia Changed CQB & Special Operations1:00:21 – Taking the Fight to the Enemy Instead of Sitting Still1:02:20 – Bosnia: The “Living Laboratory” for Human Hunting1:04:58 – Learning Low-Visibility Operations in Bosnia1:07:11 – Humor, Creativity & Problem Solving in Combat1:10:01 – Brainstorming Unconventional Ways to Stop a Target1:19:52 – Transitioning From Career Stories to Common Sense Leadership Matters1:20:41 – Why Pete Wrote the New Book1:21:00 – Commanding Delta in Iraq1:22:34 – Four Operators Wounded on a Baghdad Target1:27:22 – A Ranger Asks Pete for Help1:37:15 – Getting Access to the Pat Tillman Investigation1:40:00 – Discovering the Pattern of Toxic Leadership1:42:50 – Reconstructing the Pat Tillman Mission1:43:15 – The Terrain Where Tillman Was Killed1:45:02 – Why Pete Considered the Area Extremely Dangerous1:50:00 – The Sync Matrix & Pressure From Higher Headquarters1:59:59 – The Order to Split the Platoon2:00:32 – The Platoon Leader Explains Why the Order Makes No Sense2:02:06 – How Splitting the Platoon Broke Up Organic Teams2:04:05 – Sending Troops Out Without Reliable Communications2:09:57 – Why Rangers Are a “National Treasure”2:14:49 – Who Pat Tillman Really Was as a Soldier2:16:25 – How Toxic Leadership Set the Conditions for Disaster2:16:54 – Reconstructing the Day Tillman Was Killed2:17:29 – Entering the Canyon2:18:49 – Serial 2 Struggles Through the Terrain2:26:41 – Crossfire Begins Raining Into the Canyon2:28:45 – Tillman Moves Into Position on the Spur2:29:57 – Tillman Takes Fire From the South2:31:30 – The Position That Became the Most Dangerous Place on the Battlefield2:35:25 – ...
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    3 hrs and 30 min
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