Peaches sits down with retired SOF-TACP Clint “Dragon” to talk TACP, Special Tactics, mission planning, leadership, problem solving, and what separates a good operator from someone who just looks good on paper.

Dragon walks through growing up around Fort Bragg, joining the Air Force in 2006, originally looking at CCT, choosing TACP, starting at the 15th ASOS, assessing for the 17th STS, and spending the majority of his career in the Special Operations side of the TACP world.

The conversation gets into the difference between conventional and SOF-TACP life, the mindset shift in the career field, entitlement, grit, the danger of over-reliance on technology, and why the next generation is more capable than people give them credit for — but still needs to be led.

Dragon also breaks down mission planning, danger close strikes, JTAC creativity, command presence, briefing under pressure, training younger guys, taking a knee when family life is burning down, and why the best operators are complex problem solvers who can still win a fight.

The episode also covers retirement, fatherhood, false accusations, private sector friction, writing a book, TBI and PTSD treatment options, and why passing lessons to the next generation still matters.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, Operator Training Summit, and Modern Athlete
03:24 - Meet Clint “Dragon”
03:39 - Growing Up Around Fort Bragg
04:06 - Choosing TACP Over CCT
06:36 - How the TACP Pipeline Has Changed
07:32 - 15th ASOS, Deployments, and Assessing for SOF-TACP
08:14 - Conventional TACP vs SOF-TACP
09:05 - Mindset Changes in the TACP Career Field
12:06 - PhDs Who Can Win Bar Fights
13:00 - Grit, Diva Mentality, and Human Performance Support
14:14 - You Are Never Fully Ready
15:20 - Building Problem Solving Skills
16:49 - Briefing, Command Presence, and Pressure
18:21 - Training and Equipping the Team
19:03 - Team Sergeant Challenges
21:25 - Knowing When to Take a Knee
23:21 - Death, Mission Focus, and Moving Forward
25:24 - TCCC, Emotions, and Critical Thinking
27:35 - Mission Planning and JTAC Expertise
29:39 - Danger Close and When Things Go Wrong
32:26 - Quiet Professional vs Silent Professional
33:45 - Lessons Learned From Mistakes
35:20 - Attention to Detail in Training
37:58 - Translating SOF Lessons to Real Life
40:33 - The Next Generation of Warfighters
42:26 - Technology as a Tool, Not a Crutch
43:57 - Training, Leadership, and Knowing Your People
46:02 - Keep It Simple and Master the Basics
47:16 - Stress Inoculation and Staying Calm
48:59 - Managing the Stack and Target Area Chaos
49:40 - Retirement, Family, and Recovery
51:30 - Where to Find Dragon
52:37 - Private Sector, Business, and Protecting Ideas
54:27 - Writing a Book and Giving People Their Flowers
56:23 - False Accusations and Career Damage
59:24 - Reconnecting After Retirement
01:00:29 - MERT, TMS, PTSD, and TBI Treatment
01:02:44 - Outreach Project and Veteran Support
01:04:10 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

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