I met this dude and his team in western Iraq back in 2006. We were the Marine Corps base that allowed his unit to stay with us on our shitty ass FOB for several days since the task force declared that the airspace was RED. We gave them our sleeping bags, warming layers, and stuff so that they could camp out with us in the courtyard of this abandoned school where our hooches were located. I remember that some of the operators reminded me of pirates since the had these sawed off shotguns they kept rigged behind their should shoulders. When it was time for them to bounce, they gave our platoons these high speed low drag flash bangs as like a gift for our hospitality. Our 1st Sgt confiscated all of them (except our squad 😎). We did a raid shortly after, and we threw in one of these bangs into our targets front door and made entry, but the bang just kept banging! Me and the other dude in the initial stack all got banged by our own equipment. We all walked away with an awesome story and some green silkies that needed to be changed.
This guy spent time in Baghdad and some of the most dangerous places in the world and doesn’t want to go back to Chicago. What does that tell us about Chicago. After all he’s been through he’s still smiling and funny when telling his story. We need more men like him today.
What it tells us about Chicago? It tells us that 1. He didn't have to rent a house in Baghdad 2. He can't walk around with a full auto AR & Grenades like he could in Baghdad and 3. Can't wear military grade body armor like he could in Baghdad.
@Flare - hahahaha so naive, you see to invade the usa, china, or any country, would need a navy which they dont have. they dont even have a way to transport 50k troops across the pacific, much less a full invasion army. china cant even invade taiwan, whose mere existence is a loss of face for china and which sits miles off their coast, much less america thousands of miles away, and having to fight past our carrier groups. so yeah i wouldnt worry about that at all.
@Flare - you can say you will invade someone all day long, that doesnt make it true. taiwans existence is a literal slap in the face of china, yet china is so weak they cant do a thing about it.
John is a true warrior and the best combat proven NCO I ever worked with. He was my Team Sergeant on my first Iraq rotation. When an operation came down, everyone to include the supporting unit command leadership looked to him for guidance. I'm am fortunate to have served along him. John take care brother.
@@Patrick-cr7ql china isn't scared of us. america is crumbling socially and demographically, and china is strengthening significantly in this area. they're playing an intergenerational game and the US is constantly focused on the next year or two.
My grandfather served for 26 years all over the world. He served in japan at the end of ww2 as a paratrooper, in the 24th infantry unit in Korea, and in the signal corps in Vietnam, as well as many other places. He never once talked about war. He didn’t overshare anything
“I love chaos”, explains why this man is a legend. He knew equipment would break including himself, learned from lessons and prioritized his training to what he knew were essentials. So grateful for people like this.
"The Italian job, what was that raid done in? Like 17 seconds? And during daylight...That is why the unit is the unit and then there is everyone else, you cant compete with that"
@@sosmotorcycles That's a bit of a stretch, bro. Just because you're resilient and flexible with morally complex situations doesn't mean you're a sociopath. But I would agree that the sort of mental agility this man has is more like a feature of many sociopaths, but that's also true with psychopaths to a lesser degree.
@GettingAIDS BeatsGettingWOKE I always wanted to know how those types of guys interact when they're on the same team/ODA or whatever. A lot of SF dudes have said assholes and bloated ego dicks slip through the cracks so I wonder if those guys are just really high speed operators who do their jobs really well or if the chill, even keeled smart guys like McPhee operate even better during missions
That is not too far off, usually when the Unit reaches out to you its via some sketchy email inviting you for a brief. Then if you pass the screen and fill a need youll go to tryouts. Usually end up failing selection a few times before getting invited to OTC. You only get another try typically if youre already in Group or Batt. You can get into the Unit as conventional, I got my first invite as a commo dude supporting 5th Group - and failed of course.
Loved when he said “They would say I’m an asshole, but I’m technically and tactically proficient at everything I do” - this guy is my fucking spirit animal.
This guy has done so much that he talks about going to combat, in probably the most elite fighting force in the world, like he just took a trip to the grocery store
@@Soulrollsdeep actually there's plenty of people that can attest to that. When it comes to the elite of the elite tag is the most premier and capable unit in the world. Has nothing to do with my maturity. Get your head out of your ass. Ryan Fugit, former Apache pilot and then CIA has a RUclips channel called combat story in a lot of the podcasts he's done everybody pretty much unanimously agrees tag is the best unit in the world. Even Chris Ryan former SAS operator has a podcast and he had John Shrek McPhee former CAG operator and Chris Ryan even admits himself that tag has taken the number one spot simply because of the funding that goes into the unit and the level of training but please tell me to grow up again you f****** idiot
@@Soulrollsdeep and the reason why I mentioned 9/11 is because before 9/11 the United States really didn't have a lot of experience in special operations but once we had the ball rolling in Afghanistan and Iraq and the fact that we've been in Afghanistan since has only sharpened their blade especially special operations so shut the hell up
@@jackpeter642starting with a damn report, followed on by your leadership, battle buddies, family, writers, congressional hearings etc etc etc etc....everyone asks these guys to describe what happened, over and over. Yeah, it gets streamlined a bit, and exagerrated a bit, but they actually did the damn thing. It's just a byproduct of the process.
Woah...he hinted that there have been SOCOM General(s) that have overdosed on narcs on the job...I dont think people realize how "good" a operator is to be allowed to go on solo missions let alone hundreds. Shrek was the elite of the already elite. Absolute legend!
I love how he was talking about trash talking. Spent 8yrs in the army, another 4yrs as an army civilian cop, and 9yrs total in the oil field, trash talk is a way of life!!!! And the people that get pissy about it don’t last.
This man is a beast. I remember how legendary The Unit was in the Army. It was like a mythical pantheon of demigods. You never knew who they were but you knew they were out there whenever needed.
I have read a *lot* of military history and memoirs. I have never heard of a guy going out on missions alone. This is so next level, it's like it isn't even a concept. Very cool.
John, I was raised by my Dad to be a Diesel Mechanic, and a Welder. I too was a late Bloomer. My Dad rest his soul was a Korean War Bad Ass. I thank Him every day for the knowledge He gave Me. I now own and operate my own Welding Business. I love Your story, Thank You for Your Service!....and Your Story. 😀👍
Me too brother. 1982! Kids from this generation have no clue. Weird getting older right? Mentally I want to keep doing what my body could handle 20 years ago and my body, broken down from life, is arguing with my mind the entire time 😅. I think sometimes, if I live another 20 years, I'm going to be one grumpy, miserable old man 😂.
And the first scene is like an old Clint Eastwood western where he’s in the middle of the road with two pistols, a sheriffs badge, and boot spurs... as a tumble weed blows past the screen and women and children seek cover, a shadowy figure from the other end of the street emerges... it’s... Osama Bin Laden riding a goat with a suicide vest on. The sheriff tilts his head slightly, cowboy hat covering his eyes and with one swift motion calls in an air strike and suddenly, in what seemed like a split second... an AC-130 gunship emerges overhead and drops every single round of ordinances on the enemy. Target neutralized.
That "hall pass" analogy at 1:20:00 is spot on 👌🏼 At some point, we all have to get back to class and pick up where we left off. The hall pass just buys us some goof off time. I had a mentor tell me, "Life will enroll you in classes you need to pass to advance. And it'll keep re-enrolling you in the same course until you pass it."
We had a guy at Ft Benning with a PhD in philosophy and he was enlisted infantry. We called him Doc, and i believe he went on to be an infantry officer. Nicknames and presonas were great in the Army. You had to have tough skin, but it was a great experience overall.
John is like the uncle that everyone wants. I imagine he is a lot of fun to hang out with and probably hilarious after a couple of beers. Thank you for your service sir.
45:19 he says “when you deal with negativity everyday of your life you start to think negatively” i’m a junior in hs rn and i’ve been homeless for almost the whole year, it’s been pretty hard my entire life dealing with things a lot of people deal with... but this resonates with me and i’ve been trying to find a reason and or a stronger incentive to join the military and he pin points it with what he talks about in this podcast.
Hey brother i grew up in homeless shelters im 32 now and ive paved my own path. Keep putting one foot in front of the other in the right direction and embrace the suck. You will be fine
i was in boot camp with a couple fellas that were previously homeless (as in homeless the day before recruit training indoc) and they breezed through... after living on the street, navy boot camp was a cake walk... one dude went to college and became an officer... if youre willing to take the advice from an old bubblehead, id say go and just talk to a recruiter, take the asvab, learn your options/possibilities... if nothing else it can help remove the negativity and allow you to live a life of choice... your choice
I am going to comment something different from what most people are commenting. I am just very happy to see a guy with so much time in combat being able to enjoy life. He is able to relax and be funny. We need to study guys like this to learn how we can help others to be happy once they get out. And i understand he might also have his moments, but he seems to be doing very good. It makes me very happy when i see a retired warrior living a good life.
This is a damn good comment. You need three things to be able to go through the worst trauma a man can go through and appear to be normal to normal people. 1. Graveyard humor: We can crack jokes in the middle of something incredibly sad, scary, or even life threatening and get a laugh. You couldn't pay us to ever get offended. 2. Service to others: Men like us do little for ourselves but find great joy in doing whatever we can for others. We will gladly go out of our way and sacrifice even for strangers. It's a level of selflessness to such an extreme that it doesn't allow us to have self pity, let alone committing suicide. 3. Principles: We are die hard principled men who will not abandon principles for anything. You couldn't pay us enough to go against them. Because of this, we have a fairly easy time accepting things for what they are, which allows us to be calm under pressure and in most cases perform even better because we thrive in stressful situations.
He hit me in the feels with the Army and VA talk. My back sprain was actually broken vertebrae, no discs left and crushed nerves. That happened in 06 I deployed again in 08 and by 2010 I couldn't walk. VA left me doped up. Took me almost 11 years but I'm running again and narcotic free thanks to civilian Dr's.
Good for you man. I have not been able to run for 4 years. I need a surgery or two but I hope to run again one day. I know that I need one new knee, maybe two. I have patience, being in my 40s and life being what it is but it still sucks waiting 😂.
We're so fortunate to have had you, thank you for everything you did Mr. McPhee. I appreciate what you said about the importance of getting appropriate rest and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on booze.
@@remedy-1879 I served but I never SERVED. But this guy SERRRRRRRVED. Some people are just next level. These guys are above Olympic level of conditioning.
@@MobileAura don't forget the lucky as fuck to still be alive factor hahaha . These guys do fuck it up and some how death fucks it up too and they make it home after messing up some shit. It's like mission what the fuck just happened? Not sure but we made it home by mistake glad we did. Lol 😆 🤣
Shrek probably should try his hand at stand-up comedy. This guy is a kill! That how you know how legit he is, by how matter-of-fact he is about things. “I fixed my own compound fracture, walked thru a mine field, scaled a fence...”
"There's kinda gotta be something wrong with me if I do what u expect me to do" that statement sums it up for all of us. Get well brothers keep pushing
YES ! Understand this guy so much I grew up in Toledo Ohio all the elders spoke Southern dialect all the old sayings and ways . It's a million miles away from that now . Thanks for your service . My son Rory McFarland now serves .
So much Fun ! My dad was from Back Of the Yards. Marine Veteran with 2 tours Vietnam. I was born in North Carolina. Fishing hunting from the age of 5. Thanks for the show !!!
Bro u ever watch sheriff of Baghdad podcast or booze an views tons of great content if u go to beggining of podcast i think 2015-16 he started it all good stuff
I met John last week at a Carbine class. He is one hell of a good guy. He is made of granite. I hope they put up a statue of "ShreK" in the middle of Washington D.C. He is an American Bad Ass.
Agreed lol so I’m a Leo been to two of his classes for law enforcement but originally before i was Leo i went to his pistol video diagnostics class an became a better shooter in 7 min lol after quite sometime of shooting an classes
Easy top 3 interviews. Amazing content and I'd buy the Shrek a beer every time I saw him. He's a legend in the operator space. He's a legend story teller. Thanks for your service gents!
Hey check out Sheriff of Baghdad podcast it’s all him an some guest as well a lot of episodes available on Spotify an iTunes im sure elsewere but it’s awesome content go to beggining you’ll learn tons about him his career tactics etc.. very smart man
These delta guys are amazing humans. For those who don't know, delta force recruits from rangers and special forces and about 95% of those guys fail selection.
Hey FYI delta also allows marines an pj an even a cook could apply but likely won’t go to selection due an limit on amount of people that could tryout an more qualified soldiers will get the spots like rangers an SF guys lol
@@kojoe6984 our DFAC NCOIC was old school SF. He served in Vietnam and was later injured doing operations in Honduras. He reclassified because cooks were the only other MOS with the same rate of promotion as infantry. I know the point you were making but Thought I’d share because this was one spooky dude.
Many thanks, @Combat Story. These interviews combine great storytelling with a lot of life lessons. My favorite episodes are John "Shrek" McPhee, Tom Shea, Dale Comstock and Tom Satterly. I appreciate the laid-back approach and that you let each guest tell his story his way. Keep up the great work. Thank you all for your service.
First: *Respect, respect, and respect brother!!* Second: a moment of analysis on trash talking... *my son (26ish) and I (45ish), trash talk A LOT. I actually believe it serves a truly invaluable tactical purpose, that is that it *'keeps the skin, from getting too thin'* so instead of getting too mushy and sensitive, one becomes a bit more hardened to the banter. I think it's a stress coping skill also. Be well. Thank you for sharing, sir. 😎🇺🇸
I heard about this dude as a young soldier. But to watch this interview was just freakin amazing. The skepticism and knowledge and the casual demeanor about it all. It’s fantastic.
Outstanding. The whole thing from start to finish was full of great info, advice and some big laughs. Five stars from me. Shrek is a big man among men.
27 mi @ 7min pace is just a "hun I'm going out for a quick jog to clear my head." for me and I was mearly a SF Recruit (18x) with a Blue Cord and CIB. In bacic I was 220lbs (white cord fat boy club leader) 2nd fastest@13:07 2 mi should have pushed that broken ankle w/torn ligaments a little harder and got ny 300 pt score.
this is the best interview. Shrek is a natural but the interview would not have been the caliber it is without Ryan's talent in enabling John to share his stories. Perfect recipe of experience and skills.
This guy is hillarious...And scary as hell. One of the baddest dudes on the planet but not once does he talk about being a bad ass...he doesnt try to make himself sound cool or tough..minimizes what he did...would love to hear more from him.
I’ve enjoyed many of your combat stories. This was the best one yet. You’re very good at what you do, great questions and you know when to let your guest go without interrupting. Nice work. Thanks.
Love it, especially the part where he talks about his buddy, the Ranger FO, 13F, that’s what I was, one of the best MOS in the service, FIST baby, making it rain steel, followed by some WP(for the equipment 😉) Shake and Bake, outstanding interview with a true legend, 👍🏻💯
I've never heard anything like that in my life! What a legend. Irreverent awesomeness from a new angle, what a perspective! There was genius in that hour an three quarters for sure.
Awesome guy. The best of our soldier class and just a great American. A true Hero and role model for young men which we desperately need in these times.
I’m ex British Army, being a JTAC I was passed around many units, I can say without doubt that this guy is THE most British SAS type American person I’ve ever seen. It might be down to the unit (Delta) being trained up in the same initial way the SAS where due to the recognition that the US needed an SAS type unit in the early 1980s. A few times I was dropped off at a certain teams location to be told, don’t worry about it I prefer to go out alone, when dealing with the SAS I would say around 20% of the time, unless it was a big mission they preferred to be in the smallest group possible to have a chance of success. I’ve gone out on patrols in excess of 100 times n knew most of the guys, if the mission could leave the smallest footprint they would drop a team medic “which was the most common trade to b dropped first” the normal team for an overwatch OP was 1 guy & a comms guy, u had ur pre dated check in times, a grid location to be at in the case anything happened or u couldn’t get comms u would be at said grid @2am for example & a backup time normally 24 hours later, if u didn’t turn up then they could do nothing until u turned up somewhere or intel would somehow hear word of what happened. I always felt best walking at night in a 2 man team. I always felt more exposed in groups of 5 plus (depending on mission). I must admit I didn’t actually pass any SF course, apart from what I picked up over 15 years of working with ppl that needed a JTAC who were a VERY undermanned trade at the time. It was a case of just follow, don’t do nothing dumb, keep ur mouth shut n after a time you started to be accepted.
wait.... why drop the medic first? I would think a medic is vital for every mission. Do other members have some level of medic skills and medical kits as backup?
@@YappyRaccoon exactly, everyone is trained to a high degree & mostly carry minor first aid supplies, if a certain trade has been acknowledged to be NEEDED on a patrol, then that trade is in, the ONLY thing you can even think to drop normally is the team medic as getting injured is not a certainty. Most guys r dual trades anyhoo, but to have a specialist medic with kit on your patrol is a luxury & not a must.
Phenomenal interview, crazy interesting guy. Listened to a few segments multiple times. Also, speaking of, thanks for labeling and time-stamping the podcast, is huge for guys like me doing research
Hands down one of the best, funniest, wow-inspiring interviews you have done - and you have had some great ones on here! Laughed my ass off, blew my mind with respect.
Wow. Great interview. I stumbled into your channel just like a stumbled into SOB a few years ago with one of his original video interviews that he did. Honestly John, it’s your straight shooting, humble, down to earth, keeping it real attitude that makes people give you the time of day. IMO. As a vet/LEO, I think you nailed it with the decision must be made to NOT get jaded & bitter. God did good work when he made ya👍🏻🇺🇸
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you, SGM McPhee, followed the link to your SOB site and laughed even harder at some of the Booze N’ Views 😂🇺🇸
Hell yeah. I'm from Flint when I join the Corps. Once I saw the outside world, I knew immediately I was never going back. You would have had to kill me.
I grew up with a US army drill sgt father, who trained me like we were going to war and my little 5yr old self was going to save the day. I always wanted to go into the military, trained hard for 3yrs in high school running my ass off everyday, and lifting weights after school. My ass was a week from signing everything for the navy for intelligence, and found out I was freaking pregnant. 10yrs later, let me try again and go into the reserves, recruiter had to fight for me because as a single parent, you can only have a certain amount of dependents and I had one too many, but my asvab scores were almost perfect, so they really wanted me,and already was told what I was going to be doing and I was hyped. I was basically raised as a soldier, and I still feel like I missed out on so much because I wasn't able to go. My mom was diagnosed with leukemia the day after I completed MEPS for the reserves. She was my POC for my kids,so I obviously couldn't and wouldn't have gone anyway at that time. When you grow up in the military, it's hard to acclimate to not moving states every year or CPL of years, I still feel anxious when I live in one place for more than 2-3yrs.
Based on Delta and other special units, the stories they tell connects very well to their selection process. With Shrek here, having to escape on his own, without knowing when he could be picked up, while being chased, very much connects with their selection testing. How can you continue to complete the mission while being abandoned of all support force. Seems to go back to the mountains of West Virginia to prove that aspect of it.
I met this dude and his team in western Iraq back in 2006. We were the Marine Corps base that allowed his unit to stay with us on our shitty ass FOB for several days since the task force declared that the airspace was RED. We gave them our sleeping bags, warming layers, and stuff so that they could camp out with us in the courtyard of this abandoned school where our hooches were located. I remember that some of the operators reminded me of pirates since the had these sawed off shotguns they kept rigged behind their should shoulders. When it was time for them to bounce, they gave our platoons these high speed low drag flash bangs as like a gift for our hospitality. Our 1st Sgt confiscated all of them (except our squad 😎). We did a raid shortly after, and we threw in one of these bangs into our targets front door and made entry, but the bang just kept banging! Me and the other dude in the initial stack all got banged by our own equipment. We all walked away with an awesome story and some green silkies that needed to be changed.
Dope story !!! Haha thank you for sharing , I got a kick outta that!
Legend AF story.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
This is the best thing I ever heard, never laughed so hard.
9 banger?
This guy spent time in Baghdad and some of the most dangerous places in the world and doesn’t want to go back to Chicago. What does that tell us about Chicago. After all he’s been through he’s still smiling and funny when telling his story. We need more men like him today.
In true chicago fashion. He spent about 5 minutes just talking about being from Chicago. My man.
He could do something about Baghdad, he can't do anything in Chicago
What it tells us about Chicago? It tells us that 1. He didn't have to rent a house in Baghdad
2. He can't walk around with a full auto AR & Grenades like he could in Baghdad and
3. Can't wear military grade body armor like he could in Baghdad.
@Flare - hahahaha so naive, you see to invade the usa, china, or any country, would need a navy which they dont have. they dont even have a way to transport 50k troops across the pacific, much less a full invasion army. china cant even invade taiwan, whose mere existence is a loss of face for china and which sits miles off their coast, much less america thousands of miles away, and having to fight past our carrier groups. so yeah i wouldnt worry about that at all.
@Flare - you can say you will invade someone all day long, that doesnt make it true. taiwans existence is a literal slap in the face of china, yet china is so weak they cant do a thing about it.
John is a true warrior and the best combat proven NCO I ever worked with. He was my Team Sergeant on my first Iraq rotation. When an operation came down, everyone to include the supporting unit command leadership looked to him for guidance. I'm am fortunate to have served along him. John take care brother.
@Danny Stoddard Even 20 years later and in retirement?
@Danny Stoddard you thought wrong
@Danny Stoddard they made movies about tier 1 operations lol wtf are you talking about
@Danny Stoddard they made movies about tier 1 operations lol wtf are you talking about
Fucking legend! Truly inspirational!
Real combat veterans like this man don't want to talk much about combat. There's something about this guy I really like.
As long as America produces men like this, the rest of America can rest at night. However China may want to think twice.
@@Patrick-cr7ql china isn't scared of us. america is crumbling socially and demographically, and china is strengthening significantly in this area. they're playing an intergenerational game and the US is constantly focused on the next year or two.
@@levitatingoctahedron922 We are still out here, we are the ones thathave kept this continent from being directly invaded.
My grandfather served for 26 years all over the world. He served in japan at the end of ww2 as a paratrooper, in the 24th infantry unit in Korea, and in the signal corps in Vietnam, as well as many other places. He never once talked about war. He didn’t overshare anything
I’m willing to bet he isn’t over sharing either.
“I love chaos”, explains why this man is a legend. He knew equipment would break including himself, learned from lessons and prioritized his training to what he knew were essentials. So grateful for people like this.
If he was a Navy Seal he'd already have a TV show, 5 books, a podcast, and an action figure.
"The Italian job, what was that raid done in? Like 17 seconds? And during daylight...That is why the unit is the unit and then there is everyone else, you cant compete with that"
Seals swim. Forget the ocean, it takes a special breed to want to be a frogman.
@@Warpath1337
SEALs are douche bags. Tough guys but hated as much as enemy
Maybe so but seals are much more tactically sound and capable than Delta. No comparison
@@texastoast5202 🤣🤣🤣🤣 What?
SGM McPhee is so casual about his experience , he makes it sound like he accidentally stumbled into being a Delta Operator :D
He did.
lol i think its because he probably is a bit of a sociopath but you kind of need that in a way i imagine to live that life.
@@sosmotorcycles
That's a bit of a stretch, bro. Just because you're resilient and flexible with morally complex situations doesn't mean you're a sociopath. But I would agree that the sort of mental agility this man has is more like a feature of many sociopaths, but that's also true with psychopaths to a lesser degree.
@GettingAIDS BeatsGettingWOKE
I always wanted to know how those types of guys interact when they're on the same team/ODA or whatever. A lot of SF dudes have said assholes and bloated ego dicks slip through the cracks so I wonder if those guys are just really high speed operators who do their jobs really well or if the chill, even keeled smart guys like McPhee operate even better during missions
That is not too far off, usually when the Unit reaches out to you its via some sketchy email inviting you for a brief. Then if you pass the screen and fill a need youll go to tryouts. Usually end up failing selection a few times before getting invited to OTC. You only get another try typically if youre already in Group or Batt. You can get into the Unit as conventional, I got my first invite as a commo dude supporting 5th Group - and failed of course.
Loved when he said “They would say I’m an asshole, but I’m technically and tactically proficient at everything I do” - this guy is my fucking spirit animal.
The most important thing here is that he lived to tell his stories.. job well done sir 🙏🏽💪🏽⚡️
The hall-pass sections made me realize he is so much more than a war fighter. The guy is a philosopher and genius.
Much like a psychologist, it helped me a lot hearing that, I could relate
He’s brutally honest, especially in how F’d up things were. “ We did the best we could”.
John makes call of duty campaign seem not so far fetched
The more i hear about SOF stories the more realistic call of duty gets lmao
@@SanLeMans cod black ops was based on the story of John Plaster in SOG just FYI ..
For real!
@@kxkxkxkx I love hearing the SOG stories on Jocko Podcast
They just send them on like 20v100 missions it’s insane. Cod/movies is nothing compared to what they go through daily basis.
This guy has done so much that he talks about going to combat, in probably the most elite fighting force in the world, like he just took a trip to the grocery store
Professional chaos maker and death slinger.
Not probably... CAG is as good as it gets. Pre 9/11 SAS Post 9/11 CAG
@@picolascage5270 Yeah, because you can quite easily play 'top trumps' with special forces based on the date of your choosing. Grow up.
@@Soulrollsdeep actually there's plenty of people that can attest to that. When it comes to the elite of the elite tag is the most premier and capable unit in the world. Has nothing to do with my maturity. Get your head out of your ass. Ryan Fugit, former Apache pilot and then CIA has a RUclips channel called combat story in a lot of the podcasts he's done everybody pretty much unanimously agrees tag is the best unit in the world. Even Chris Ryan former SAS operator has a podcast and he had John Shrek McPhee former CAG operator and Chris Ryan even admits himself that tag has taken the number one spot simply because of the funding that goes into the unit and the level of training but please tell me to grow up again you f****** idiot
@@Soulrollsdeep and the reason why I mentioned 9/11 is because before 9/11 the United States really didn't have a lot of experience in special operations but once we had the ball rolling in Afghanistan and Iraq and the fact that we've been in Afghanistan since has only sharpened their blade especially special operations so shut the hell up
Shrek is so humble but is literally the top tier of the top tier. He did the most dangerous missions in delta force. 🇺🇸
Don’t forget he did them solo. Alone and unafraid like a legend
Yes sir … I read about him 10 years ago .. killing bin Laden by dalton furry aka the late maj Greer .. forever in debt to the warriors of Delta
Bit exaggerated tho
@@jackpeter642starting with a damn report, followed on by your leadership, battle buddies, family, writers, congressional hearings etc etc etc etc....everyone asks these guys to describe what happened, over and over.
Yeah, it gets streamlined a bit, and exagerrated a bit, but they actually did the damn thing. It's just a byproduct of the process.
@@jackpeter642I can almost guarantee a lot of it you couldn't comprehend what it was like
Woah...he hinted that there have been SOCOM General(s) that have overdosed on narcs on the job...I dont think people realize how "good" a operator is to be allowed to go on solo missions let alone hundreds. Shrek was the elite of the already elite. Absolute legend!
yeah but can he ride the 4 train through Manhattan?? now thats good
You can never go wrong with the SOB. He’s a riot, and he’s been there and done that. Great interview 🇺🇸💪💪🏿💪🏻💪🏽🇺🇸
I love how he was talking about trash talking. Spent 8yrs in the army, another 4yrs as an army civilian cop, and 9yrs total in the oil field, trash talk is a way of life!!!! And the people that get pissy about it don’t last.
He is also great teacher one od the few to actually show your ass and corrects your shooting
@@soonerfrac4611 Depends who’s trash talking. If it’s a close friend or some dude you met yesterday and he’s being a d about it.
@@MobileAura in the military it doesn't matter if your friends or not you're gonna endure some ball busting regardless
@@SaltySeaCaptain True, but there are also a lot of d bags who trip on power.
This man is a beast. I remember how legendary The Unit was in the Army. It was like a mythical pantheon of demigods. You never knew who they were but you knew they were out there whenever needed.
A pantheon of mythical demigods!! Well put sir!!
Truly mythical
Wow. He did a static line jump in his 50s. And his partner was in his 70s lmao. These guys are bad ass. Much respect
Yeah because static-line jumping can be executed by retarded chimpanzees.
This is so good. I’m an ex medic, I’ve been to Baghdad. This is some of the best advise I’ve heard in my whole ptsd journey.
I have read a *lot* of military history and memoirs. I have never heard of a guy going out on missions alone. This is so next level, it's like it isn't even a concept. Very cool.
John, I was raised by my Dad to be a
Diesel Mechanic, and a Welder. I too
was a late Bloomer. My Dad rest his soul
was a Korean War Bad Ass. I thank Him every day for the knowledge He gave Me. I now own and operate my own Welding Business. I love Your story, Thank You for Your Service!....and Your
Story. 😀👍
If you're gonna fuck it up, fuck it up so bad they wonder how ya did it... Love it! Words to live by.
Great quote. I also love if you can't beat them with brains, beat them with bullshit
Kill them all!
I was born in 1982(41yo). This guy speaks like guys from my generation. He's awesome.
Me too brother. 1982! Kids from this generation have no clue. Weird getting older right? Mentally I want to keep doing what my body could handle 20 years ago and my body, broken down from life, is arguing with my mind the entire time 😅. I think sometimes, if I live another 20 years, I'm going to be one grumpy, miserable old man 😂.
My guy was out here doing side missions as a taxi driver lmfao. What an incredible guy and soldier such a bad ass
The best title for a movie about him would be "Shrek goes to Baghdad"
Shriek: Adventures in Baghdad. 😂😂😂
Shrek does Baghdad
I think this wins "Shrek's your baghdaddy"
Are we talking live action or animated feature lol
Imagine if they made a movie about him and called it “Sheriff of Baghdad”
BOOOOM 🤯 yesssss sir
Let's do it.
That would be badass!!!!
And the first scene is like an old Clint Eastwood western where he’s in the middle of the road with two pistols, a sheriffs badge, and boot spurs... as a tumble weed blows past the screen and women and children seek cover, a shadowy figure from the other end of the street emerges... it’s... Osama Bin Laden riding a goat with a suicide vest on. The sheriff tilts his head slightly, cowboy hat covering his eyes and with one swift motion calls in an air strike and suddenly, in what seemed like a split second... an AC-130 gunship emerges overhead and drops every single round of ordinances on the enemy. Target neutralized.
There isn't an actor that could play him. They are all pussies
That "hall pass" analogy at 1:20:00 is spot on 👌🏼
At some point, we all have to get back to class and pick up where we left off. The hall pass just buys us some goof off time. I had a mentor tell me, "Life will enroll you in classes you need to pass to advance. And it'll keep re-enrolling you in the same course until you pass it."
Well said!
We had a guy at Ft Benning with a PhD in philosophy and he was enlisted infantry. We called him Doc, and i believe he went on to be an infantry officer. Nicknames and presonas were great in the Army. You had to have tough skin, but it was a great experience overall.
John is like the uncle that everyone wants. I imagine he is a lot of fun to hang out with and probably hilarious after a couple of beers. Thank you for your service sir.
The thing I like the most about Shrek is that his mind is so rational and modest despite what he's been through.
People like him are hard to come by.
Gotta say this is one of my favorite episodes so far, John has some crazy stories and he seems like such a good dude.
Ive taken a few classes with John and was able to have dinner with him a few times, he is an awesome person. His classes are so worth it.
45:19 he says “when you deal with negativity everyday of your life you start to think negatively” i’m a junior in hs rn and i’ve been homeless for almost the whole year, it’s been pretty hard my entire life dealing with things a lot of people deal with... but this resonates with me and i’ve been trying to find a reason and or a stronger incentive to join the military and he pin points it with what he talks about in this podcast.
Hey brother i grew up in homeless shelters im 32 now and ive paved my own path. Keep putting one foot in front of the other in the right direction and embrace the suck. You will be fine
Life has ups and downs but overall it will improve. Hang in there, hope you're doing well.
Good luck man stay strong and work hard
i was in boot camp with a couple fellas that were previously homeless (as in homeless the day before recruit training indoc) and they breezed through... after living on the street, navy boot camp was a cake walk... one dude went to college and became an officer...
if youre willing to take the advice from an old bubblehead, id say go and just talk to a recruiter, take the asvab, learn your options/possibilities... if nothing else it can help remove the negativity and allow you to live a life of choice... your choice
U can do it brother your already more of a man then half the men I know .....u got this
Thank for your service and the public service you continue to do...I'm a Vietnam veteran's daughter..thank you again 😊
Fuck Rambo, this guy is the most real and cognitive well together, all round soldier I've ever tell it how it really is so fucken good...Respect
The only one that beats his cognitive abilities is another Delta detachment soldier by the name of Tom Satterly
"Chaos is my Jam".
I felt that too
I am going to comment something different from what most people are commenting. I am just very happy to see a guy with so much time in combat being able to enjoy life. He is able to relax and be funny. We need to study guys like this to learn how we can help others to be happy once they get out. And i understand he might also have his moments, but he seems to be doing very good. It makes me very happy when i see a retired warrior living a good life.
This is a damn good comment. You need three things to be able to go through the worst trauma a man can go through and appear to be normal to normal people.
1. Graveyard humor: We can crack jokes in the middle of something incredibly sad, scary, or even life threatening and get a laugh. You couldn't pay us to ever get offended.
2. Service to others: Men like us do little for ourselves but find great joy in doing whatever we can for others. We will gladly go out of our way and sacrifice even for strangers. It's a level of selflessness to such an extreme that it doesn't allow us to have self pity, let alone committing suicide.
3. Principles: We are die hard principled men who will not abandon principles for anything. You couldn't pay us enough to go against them. Because of this, we have a fairly easy time accepting things for what they are, which allows us to be calm under pressure and in most cases perform even better because we thrive in stressful situations.
He hit me in the feels with the Army and VA talk. My back sprain was actually broken vertebrae, no discs left and crushed nerves. That happened in 06 I deployed again in 08 and by 2010 I couldn't walk. VA left me doped up. Took me almost 11 years but I'm running again and narcotic free thanks to civilian Dr's.
Oh man! Glad to hear you're up and at it again man! That must've been one helluva ride...
Awesome
Good for you man. I have not been able to run for 4 years. I need a surgery or two but I hope to run again one day. I know that I need one new knee, maybe two. I have patience, being in my 40s and life being what it is but it still sucks waiting 😂.
He speaks the truth about being positive and letting it go. That's how I feel and live now. Great stuff.
We're so fortunate to have had you, thank you for everything you did Mr. McPhee. I appreciate what you said about the importance of getting appropriate rest and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on booze.
This is the kind of guy stolen valor folks pretend to be
Dream they could be.
This guy is an absolute legend.
I served. And I wish I was this guy. Lol.
@@remedy-1879 I served but I never SERVED. But this guy SERRRRRRRVED. Some people are just next level. These guys are above Olympic level of conditioning.
@@MobileAura don't forget the lucky as fuck to still be alive factor hahaha . These guys do fuck it up and some how death fucks it up too and they make it home after messing up some shit. It's like mission what the fuck just happened? Not sure but we made it home by mistake glad we did. Lol 😆 🤣
Shrek probably should try his hand at stand-up comedy. This guy is a kill! That how you know how legit he is, by how matter-of-fact he is about things. “I fixed my own compound fracture, walked thru a mine field, scaled a fence...”
It’s absolutely mind blowing how one man accomplished all this. What a legend.
I stumbled across this video. This is a great man reminds me of my dad. Instantly love this guy. God bless ❤️
"There's kinda gotta be something wrong with me if I do what u expect me to do" that statement sums it up for all of us. Get well brothers keep pushing
Heard so many stories about this guy in books and articles and he seems like a real nice guy considering what a badass he is.
Only book I can remember at the moment is “Kill Bin Laden” by Dalton Fury.
Super honest guy that was refreshing to listen to
Oh yeah, he talked about red wings on his podcast! He's very honest!
@@happinesshotel5375 wtf
@@xObscureMars why wtf
What an honest and funny guy. Best comment “ Who shot the hostage, game”. Love this guy.
God bless you and the sacrifice you have made for us.It’s men like you who motivated me to enlist,and it’s men like you who kept me alive.
YES ! Understand this guy so much I grew up in Toledo Ohio all the elders spoke Southern dialect all the old sayings and ways . It's a million miles away from that now . Thanks for your service . My son Rory McFarland now serves .
So much Fun ! My dad was from Back Of the Yards. Marine Veteran with 2 tours Vietnam. I was born in North Carolina. Fishing hunting from the age of 5. Thanks for the show !!!
Thank you so much for getting Shrek on here. I haven't been able to find many deep interviews with him and this didn't disappoint.
Bro u ever watch sheriff of Baghdad podcast or booze an views tons of great content if u go to beggining of podcast i think 2015-16 he started it all good stuff
He has his own podcast, man. Check it out.
I met John last week at a Carbine class. He is one hell of a good guy. He is made of granite. I hope they put up a statue of "ShreK" in the middle of Washington D.C. He is an American Bad Ass.
Agreed lol so I’m a Leo been to two of his classes for law enforcement but originally before i was Leo i went to his pistol video diagnostics class an became a better shooter in 7 min lol after quite sometime of shooting an classes
They should put it up in Bragg
I love this guy...!!! Clearly he is the epitome of adapt and overcome !!!
I used to have a friend who was a navy seal he had such bad ptsd but he told me so many awesome stories
Easy top 3 interviews. Amazing content and I'd buy the Shrek a beer every time I saw him. He's a legend in the operator space. He's a legend story teller. Thanks for your service gents!
This man speaks some serious truth. Great, brutal, honesty spoken here.
That’s an impressive guest, I don’t really see Shrek doing that many interviews. Thanks for another great episode!
So true. He's got an impressive story to say the least!
@@CombatStory Are there more women or men in the American army? 🇺🇲 sorry for the question, Answer please🖐
@@tanks6868 9 men for every woman.
I was thinking about that. Fucking guy is a legend. Legit no bullshit hard charger
Hey check out Sheriff of Baghdad podcast it’s all him an some guest as well a lot of episodes available on Spotify an iTunes im sure elsewere but it’s awesome content go to beggining you’ll learn tons about him his career tactics etc.. very smart man
Growing up in both rural and urban settings, imo, teaches a child to adapt to many very different cultures, and everything that goes with them.
Bro... 100s of solo operations alone. Absolutely amazing
That’s my coach! Been a member for a few years and have learned more from him than I ever did in the Army on combat deployments as a regular joe
This guy and fucking pat Mac together would be a God damn duo to hear tell stories and teach us civilian minutemen.
"I kinda washed it with my canteen and pushed the bone back in"...I f'ing dying over here! SOB is THE MAN!!
Just imagining that makes me whince like a bitch. I'd like to be able to say "I'd do the same thing" but fuck me, that shit hurts to even look at lol
These delta guys are amazing humans. For those who don't know, delta force recruits from rangers and special forces and about 95% of those guys fail selection.
Hey FYI delta also allows marines an pj an even a cook could apply but likely won’t go to selection due an limit on amount of people that could tryout an more qualified soldiers will get the spots like rangers an SF guys lol
@@kojoe6984 well I would argue that marine recon and marsoc are pretty qualified
@@rileyshepherd3862 they are very qualified I’m not arguin that
@@rileyshepherd3862 was referring to cook with qualify
@@kojoe6984 our DFAC NCOIC was old school SF. He served in Vietnam and was later injured doing operations in Honduras. He reclassified because cooks were the only other MOS with the same rate of promotion as infantry. I know the point you were making but Thought I’d share because this was one spooky dude.
I keep coming back to this episode. Such a good interview. Love John’s candor and storytelling
Shrek is such an interesting, likeable and intense dude! I'm proud Americans like this are out there fighting for us! 👍🏻🇺🇲🐅
From Battalion to Group to The Unit, Guys balls must be huge
I heard Shreks balls are so vital to our countries security that they have their own SSN.....
Shit they rode on their own helo
Many thanks, @Combat Story. These interviews combine great storytelling with a lot of life lessons. My favorite episodes are John "Shrek" McPhee, Tom Shea, Dale Comstock and Tom Satterly. I appreciate the laid-back approach and that you let each guest tell his story his way. Keep up the great work. Thank you all for your service.
Hey bro all great guys check out Jamey Caldwell he was in Tora bora wit shrek also a d boy
@@kojoe6984 know any good podcasts that had jamey on?
First: *Respect, respect, and respect brother!!*
Second: a moment of analysis on trash talking...
*my son (26ish) and I (45ish), trash talk A LOT. I actually believe it serves a truly invaluable tactical purpose, that is that it *'keeps the skin, from getting too thin'* so instead of getting too mushy and sensitive, one becomes a bit more hardened to the banter. I think it's a stress coping skill also.
Be well.
Thank you for sharing, sir.
😎🇺🇸
I did not expect to watch that whole thing. John was great. What a character.
I heard about this dude as a young soldier. But to watch this interview was just freakin amazing. The skepticism and knowledge and the casual demeanor about it all. It’s fantastic.
The "let it go" is genius, I've never looked at it that way, and that could translate to stuff in civilian life too! Good stuff John!
Outstanding. The whole thing from start to finish was full of great info, advice and some big laughs. Five stars from me. Shrek is a big man among men.
This guy makes SOF/SF selections look like beer runs.
Go to one of his courses, you'll feel like you can too! 😁 Then you get in the car and back to reality 😂
not all men are created equal....this guy belongs to an elite group of humans
@@MM-eo2oz interesting
@@MM-eo2oz That much coveted 5%. Human being ¿
27 mi @ 7min pace is just a "hun I'm going out for a quick jog to clear my head." for me and I was mearly a SF Recruit (18x) with a Blue Cord and CIB. In bacic I was 220lbs (white cord fat boy club leader) 2nd fastest@13:07 2 mi should have pushed that broken ankle w/torn ligaments a little harder and got ny 300 pt score.
this is the best interview. Shrek is a natural but the interview would not have been the caliber it is without Ryan's talent in enabling John to share his stories. Perfect recipe of experience and skills.
This guy is hillarious...And scary as hell. One of the baddest dudes on the planet but not once does he talk about being a bad ass...he doesnt try to make himself sound cool or tough..minimizes what he did...would love to hear more from him.
I met this guy once he was down to earth a cool dude one of the few that didnt let his caliber of training go to his head 🤙.
Ya I’ve gone to his course an met him he’s great guy dudes that are legit act like him it’s the no it all never did shit dudes that talk the talk
I’ve enjoyed many of your combat stories. This was the best one yet. You’re very good at what you do, great questions and you know when to let your guest go without interrupting. Nice work. Thanks.
I love this dudes energy. How lucky are we to have people like this deticated to our freedom.
Wow! Just gratitude. Thank God for people like CSM McPhee!
This was the most entertaining interview I’ve ever watched. What a great American. Great message as well.
Love it, especially the part where he talks about his buddy, the Ranger FO, 13F, that’s what I was, one of the best MOS in the service, FIST baby, making it rain steel, followed by some WP(for the equipment 😉) Shake and Bake, outstanding interview with a true legend, 👍🏻💯
FFE!
I've never heard anything like that in my life! What a legend. Irreverent awesomeness from a new angle, what a perspective! There was genius in that hour an three quarters for sure.
Love the reality clause in John's perspective. Reality is so very different from what we think...or expect. Great time. Thanks!
Awesome guy. The best of our soldier class and just a great American. A true Hero and role model for young men which we desperately need in these times.
I’m ex British Army, being a JTAC I was passed around many units, I can say without doubt that this guy is THE most British SAS type American person I’ve ever seen. It might be down to the unit (Delta) being trained up in the same initial way the SAS where due to the recognition that the US needed an SAS type unit in the early 1980s. A few times I was dropped off at a certain teams location to be told, don’t worry about it I prefer to go out alone, when dealing with the SAS I would say around 20% of the time, unless it was a big mission they preferred to be in the smallest group possible to have a chance of success. I’ve gone out on patrols in excess of 100 times n knew most of the guys, if the mission could leave the smallest footprint they would drop a team medic “which was the most common trade to b dropped first” the normal team for an overwatch OP was 1 guy & a comms guy, u had ur pre dated check in times, a grid location to be at in the case anything happened or u couldn’t get comms u would be at said grid @2am for example & a backup time normally 24 hours later, if u didn’t turn up then they could do nothing until u turned up somewhere or intel would somehow hear word of what happened. I always felt best walking at night in a 2 man team. I always felt more exposed in groups of 5 plus (depending on mission). I must admit I didn’t actually pass any SF course, apart from what I picked up over 15 years of working with ppl that needed a JTAC who were a VERY undermanned trade at the time. It was a case of just follow, don’t do nothing dumb, keep ur mouth shut n after a time you started to be accepted.
wait.... why drop the medic first? I would think a medic is vital for every mission. Do other members have some level of medic skills and medical kits as backup?
@@YappyRaccoon exactly, everyone is trained to a high degree & mostly carry minor first aid supplies, if a certain trade has been acknowledged to be NEEDED on a patrol, then that trade is in, the ONLY thing you can even think to drop normally is the team medic as getting injured is not a certainty. Most guys r dual trades anyhoo, but to have a specialist medic with kit on your patrol is a luxury & not a must.
Phenomenal interview, crazy interesting guy. Listened to a few segments multiple times. Also, speaking of, thanks for labeling and time-stamping the podcast, is huge for guys like me doing research
Good call about the labeling and time-stamping. The documentation is extremely helpful.
Hands down one of the best, funniest, wow-inspiring interviews you have done - and you have had some great ones on here!
Laughed my ass off, blew my mind with respect.
How can you not like this guy...... Love your heart!!!!!! We should all be like that!!!!!
Like one SEAL said "it's not that we're that good, it's that everyone else is that bad."
Wow. Great interview. I stumbled into your channel just like a stumbled into SOB a few years ago with one of his original video interviews that he did. Honestly John, it’s your straight shooting, humble, down to earth, keeping it real attitude that makes people give you the time of day. IMO. As a vet/LEO, I think you nailed it with the decision must be made to NOT get jaded & bitter. God did good work when he made ya👍🏻🇺🇸
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. Thank you, SGM McPhee, followed the link to your SOB site and laughed even harder at some of the Booze N’ Views 😂🇺🇸
What a great interview, hilarious guy and great stories. I was smiling the whole time. Thank you.
What a humble absolute badass. Thank you sir. Guys like this are why we’re free.
I love your channel. Every American should hear these stories. This is one of my favorites. Keep up the great work!
Thanks very much Ken. Really appreciate the support and couldn’t agree more that Americans should hear about these experiences.
Hell yeah. I'm from Flint when I join the Corps. Once I saw the outside world, I knew immediately I was never going back. You would have had to kill me.
Awesome interview!! What a great story and great person to listen to!!
"I had been at Ft Benning enough to know that there's a big world out there."😄😂🤣
Hooah!😎🤙🏼
Hahah that’s for sure
Downtown Columbus, Georgia.
@@disposablehero4911 Lol good ol Sin City
I grew up with a US army drill sgt father, who trained me like we were going to war and my little 5yr old self was going to save the day. I always wanted to go into the military, trained hard for 3yrs in high school running my ass off everyday, and lifting weights after school. My ass was a week from signing everything for the navy for intelligence, and found out I was freaking pregnant. 10yrs later, let me try again and go into the reserves, recruiter had to fight for me because as a single parent, you can only have a certain amount of dependents and I had one too many, but my asvab scores were almost perfect, so they really wanted me,and already was told what I was going to be doing and I was hyped. I was basically raised as a soldier, and I still feel like I missed out on so much because I wasn't able to go. My mom was diagnosed with leukemia the day after I completed MEPS for the reserves. She was my POC for my kids,so I obviously couldn't and wouldn't have gone anyway at that time. When you grow up in the military, it's hard to acclimate to not moving states every year or CPL of years, I still feel anxious when I live in one place for more than 2-3yrs.
Thank you for everything that you have done, and all whom served, are serving and will be ahead. Much love to all, God is good.❤❤
If someone’s last name is Bueche. It understood that they shall be called Bobby. This is the way
This is the way
Water sucks, Gatorade is better
@GettingAIDS BeatsGettingWOKE
Shut. Up. 😂😂😂
@GettingAIDS BeatsGettingWOKE nobody cares
@GettingAIDS BeatsGettingWOKE nah. I just like to aggravate people
Based on Delta and other special units, the stories they tell connects very well to their selection process. With Shrek here, having to escape on his own, without knowing when he could be picked up, while being chased, very much connects with their selection testing. How can you continue to complete the mission while being abandoned of all support force. Seems to go back to the mountains of West Virginia to prove that aspect of it.