CSM Bart Womack on Surviving Betrayal and Practicing Proactive Situational Awareness

Host Andy speaks with retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Bart Womack about his book, "Embedded Enemy," recounting the March 2003 Camp Pennsylvania insider attack in Kuwait.

Womack describes the chaos of responding in darkness with limited ammo and visibility, coordinating security, casualty collection, evacuation and ultimately identifying and apprehending Sgt. Hasan Akbar.

He shares how the incident reshaped his concept of trust and outlines proactive situational awareness strategies—trust analysis, observe/listen/report, "listen don't just hear," know your neighbor/coworkers, gut checks, and recognizing signs—using examples from schools, social media threats, and everyday suspicious behavior.

For more from Command Sergeant Major Bart Womack visit: https://bartwomack.com/

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00:00 Welcome

02:04 Meet CSM Bart Womack

03:24 Kuwait Night Begins

05:30 Explosions in the Tent

08:39 No Ammo Response

11:57 Chaos and Casualties

18:32 Suspect Identified

20:38 Akbar Captured

26:20 Aftermath and Losses

29:53 Lessons Under Fire

37:28 Trust Shattered

44:12 Diary Reveals Motive

46:22 Trust No One

50:14 Proactive Awareness Basics

51:25 School Shooter Reality Check

53:49 Observe Listen Report

57:57 Know Your Neighbor

01:02:55 Listen Dont Just Hear

01:10:35 Gut Check And Signs

01:16:07 Closing Thoughts

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