Episode 007 — A Conversation with Michael Yon

Summary: Join us in in a discussion with Michael Yon. Today's Sponsors Safe to Carry RSKTKR Consulting   Michael Yon's Background Michael Yon is a former Green Beret, native of Winter Haven, Fl. who has been writing from Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004.  No other writer has spent as much time with combat troops in these two wars.  Michael’s dispatches from the frontlines have earned him the reputation as the premier independent combat journalist of his generation.  His work has been featured on “Good Morning America,” The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, ABC, FOX, as well as hundreds of other major media outlets all around the world. Michael had previously written a critically acclaimed memoir, Danger Close.  He was authoring another book when two of his friends died on consecutive days in Iraq (one of them being Winter Haven native Scott  Helvenston).   Following accounts in the American press, Michael became concerned that we were losing the war.  At the same time, friends in the military said that the media was not telling the whole story.  Not wanting to take sides in the increasingly acrimonious argument over the war, Michael simply wanted to learn the truth for himself, and to write without fear or favor.  He decided to go to Iraq, financing his trip from his own pocket for more than half a year, then eventually receiving generous contributions from readers of his online magazine: MichaelYon-Online.com.  As early as February 2005, Michael described the violence in Iraq as a civil war.  In 2006, he said we were losing in Afghanistan.  In 2007, he was the first writer to claim the success of “the Surge.”  When he first voiced these opinions, they were extremely controversial.  Now they are conventional wisdom. In 2008 Michael published his second book, Moment of Truth in Iraq, which is packed with exciting and heart-rending tales from the battlefields. Michael has since left the battlefields after being dis-embedded and facing controversy himself with his criticism of a Canadian Brigadier General, and US General Stanley McChrystal. Michael currently resides in Thailand where he is working on another book, Bomb Boys, which discusses the phenomenon of adolescents and explosives. Discussion War Correspondence Iraq Afghanistan "...he should be FIRED" Dis-Embedded C.J. Grisham Incident and Starbucks Article Stolen Valor? BLACKFIVE Article Open Carry most recent of many issues/causes Thoughts on 2A & Gun control Open Carry Events Public Opinion Vital "You know when your doing dirt" Upcoming Book... Juveniles and Explosives Changes in society 7th-graders suspended for playing with airsoft gun in own yard Types of Juvenile that make Explosives Tier 1, 2, 3, 4 Legal Consequences Lack of Research How it Differs from Juvenile Fire Setting (JFS) Find Out More about Michael Yon and his work: www.michaelyon-online.com Like him on Facebook Follow him on Twitter     The Practical Tactical Podcast and Blog are presented free of charge. All of our information is given to our readers, listeners and subscribers free of charge. There is no membership program. There are however costs associated with the production, hosting and maintenance of the show and site. If you are able and would like, feel free to utilize the "support the show" PayPal "donation" on the right side of the screen. Also be aware that while we only recommend or advertise products we know, trust, have used and believe in, most links in the resources section of the site are affiliate links. What that means is that if you purchase an item we link to such as a book from Amazon, or an Aimpoint from Brownell's, we receive a modest commission on that purchase. We have chosen to utilize these methods to keep the content free for all.  Thanks for your understanding and support.