Delta Force EOD Operator | Taamir Ransome

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Team House

Episode: Delta Force EOD Operator | Tamir Ransom
Date: June 13, 2026
Host: Jack Murphy
Guest: Tamir Ransom, retired Delta Force EOD operator and author of Mind of a Soldier: 34 Laws of War After the War

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Tamir Ransom, a Special Operations Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician who has served in the 75th Ranger Regiment and Delta Force. Now an author and advocate for veterans, Ransom shares his journey from a tough upbringing to high-stakes missions, offering a raw, insightful look at the realities of special operations, combat deployments, leadership, and most critically, the challenges of transitioning into civilian life. The episode is both a war story and a how-to manual for returning veterans, woven together with honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom.

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Major Discussion Topics & Insights

Early Life and Path to the Military

(04:13–07:23)

• Tamir grew up in Newark, NJ, later Atlanta, with strict discipline at home.

• Initially wanted to be a rapper; a pact with his cousin led him to enlist in the Army when music didn't pan out.

• His mother insisted on a "technical" job for safety; Tamir started as a radar repairman with the 82nd Airborne.

  "I wanted to be a rapper initially and...if our rap careers didn't take off by the time we were 18, we'd join the army." (Tamir, 04:26)

First Deployments and Early Combat

(09:33–13:48)

• Deployed to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne in Fallujah (2003–04), serving on the battalion commander's PSD (Personal Security Detachment).
• Witnessed firsthand the evolution of the battlefield, especially with the onset of IED threats.
• Developed a drive to join special operations—tried and failed early attempts at SF selection.

Path to EOD and Special Operations

(14:05–20:24)

• When told to “get some grit,” Tamir sought new MOS: reclassified as EOD, attracted partly because it was a gateway into SOF.

• EOD school itself was intense ("the hardest...I've ever been to mentally" – 16:22).

• Learned the highly technical joint-service EOD curriculum (bombs, IEDs, chem/bio, nukes).

  "EOD school is probably...the fastest, hardest school I’ve ever been to, mentally." (Tamir, 16:22)

18-Month Deployment: Baptism by Fire

(26:19–29:46)

• Tamir's EOD team was "forgotten" and extended to 18 months in Iraq’s MND North sector.

• Massive real-world IED exposure, including evolving threats (pipe bombs to EFPs), gained hard lessons in countermeasures and battlefield adaptation.

  "By month nine, we didn’t care anymore...we're like 30, 40ft from an IED just cracking them up—like, 'Please kill me.'" (Tamir, 27:30)

Building EOD Support for the Ranger Regiment

(29:46–36:14)

• Helped stand up the 28th EOD unit for Ranger Regiment, which had previously relied on Navy support.

• Entered the "no-parent" world of direct support, fast-tracking to combat deployments.

  "We had no training whatsoever...The first sergeant was like, 'Don’t get yourself dead.' And I deployed." (Tamir, 32:17)

• Supported all three Ranger battalions, adapting to various unit cultures; emphasized the respect and tactical integration afforded to EOD in SOF.

  "If I was like, 'Hey, we can't go here,' they're like, 'Bro, you're the guy. We're not going there.' It was amazing—I was living the dream." (Tamir, 36:14)

Combat in Iraq and Afghanistan – IEDs, CQB, & Adaptation

(37:05–43:13)

• Described working under stress in Afghanistan: landmines, booby-trapped rooftops, large-scale caches, escalation in booby traps.

• Recalls incidents of teammates maimed or killed, the burden of risk, and the necessity of adaptability.

  "I’ve been blown up like 40 plus times, right? But this is...the last time I got really rocked..." (Tamir, 39:45)

Surreal & Defining “Delta Force” Moments

(73:59–76:55)

• Shared “only in the unit” vignettes: landing aircraft on highways using Walmart-bought lanterns, bar raids in Fayetteville, and “Delta Force moments” that make the extraordinary seem routine.
• Stories underscore the rare autonomy, ingenuity, and camaraderie in top-tier SOF.

Delta Force Selection, Training, and Operations

(47:51–66:09)

• Took Tamir three tries to make it to the unit—each previous failure fueled his resolve.

• Described the unique flavor of EOD selection, OTC (Operator Training Course), advanced freefall parachuting, and integration into the troop/squadron level.

• Emphasized that even as an enabler, you’re fully immersed—physically, tactically, and emotionally ("marathon at a sprint pace" – 53:26).

  "You’re a lion being chased by faster, hungrier lions." (Tamir, 54:37)

• Absorbed into clandestine and recce operations, using his urban skills and language training (French) in counter-ISIS and anti-WMD missions.

The Fight Against ISIS & Chemical Warfare

(66:48–73:16)

• Firsthand descriptions of the diverse, brutal battlefield in Syria and Iraq against ISIS.

• Major role in tracking chemical/WMD threats—confirmed regime's use of chemical weapons, witnessed tactical innovation by ISIS in booby traps.

  "I watched every form of warfare I’ve ever read about...trench warfare, tank warfare, Vietnam, CQB—all in Syria." (Tamir, 66:58)

• Candid about the frustration with endless wars and lack of clean “victory”:

  "I haven't felt that way about any war in a long time...I try to make light of it so I don’t drive myself crazy." (Tamir, 73:16)

Transition to Civilian Life: The Real Battlefield

(83:02–98:44)

• The book Mind of a Soldier arose from Tamir’s own challenging transition: struggling with loss of tribe, purpose, and accountability.

• Discussed how the system (VA, civilian hiring) isn’t designed for or by veterans—navigating the “civil-military divide.”

• Talked about the dangerous interface of TBI, PTSD, loss of identity, and the real risk of veteran suicide.

  "It's the greatest brainwashing tool in history...they have rebooted your BIOS, dude." (Tamir, 92:02) "I was that guy with a freaking pistol in his mouth...I didn’t want to die. I just didn’t love how my life was at the time." (Tamir, 94:56)

• Advocates for purpose, adrenaline (in a healthy way), and rebuilding tribe as key steps for healing.

Alternative Treatments and Advocacy

(101:24–105:17)

• Strong advocate for alternative therapies: psychedelics, stellate ganglion block (SGB), hyperbaric oxygen, emphasizing their transformative effect where traditional meds fail.
• Shares own experiences with ketamine, SGB, and the need for honesty/vulnerability to save others:

  "I've done all four [SGB treatments]...I slept for the first time in years." (Tamir, 104:20)

Translation of Military Skills to Civilian Context

(105:30–108:29)

• Addresses the undervaluing of enlisted experience versus officers in the workforce.
• The struggle for recognition: "I have to use Halo and Navy rank and Navy units to get my worth across." (Tamir, 107:44)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Delta selection:
  "They will literally find what you’re afraid of, and then they will freaking hit on that.” (54:25)

• On ‘Delta Force moments’:
  "Did we just land a bird on the highway with shit we bought from Walmart? ...I don’t believe the story myself when I tell it." (76:35)

• On the dangerous grind of deployment:
  "By month nine, we didn’t care anymore...please kill me.” (27:30)

• On transitioning out:
  "They didn't build the system the same way they built us to actually be a part of that system." (89:56)

• On the civil-military divide:
  "There’s 18 million veterans in the United States. The VA is only tracking half of those, so you can’t be doing that great if 9 million don’t even want to talk to you.” (90:57)

• On why “Thank you for your service” isn’t quite right:
  “It’s an over-correction for how bad they treated Vietnam vets...I don’t know what to say to that, right? Thank you for your service. I usually say thank you or OK, I’ve never really said 'you’re welcome’. It’s just so awkward, dude.” (99:32–99:59)

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Key Timestamps

• Early upbringing, joining Army: 04:13–07:23
• First deployment to Fallujah: 09:33–13:48
• EOD school & career pivot: 14:05–20:24
• 18-month deployment, IED evolution: 26:19–29:46
• Standing up EOD for Rangers: 29:46–36:14
• CQB/Booby traps/Afghanistan deployments: 37:05–43:13
• Delta Force selection and training: 47:51–66:09
• Anti-ISIS/WMD operations: 66:48–73:16
• Transition challenges & book genesis: 83:02–98:44
• Alternative treatments & advocacy: 101:24–105:17
• Military–civilian translation, skills gap: 105:30–108:29

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Final Thoughts & Resources

Tamir Ransom closes by encouraging both veterans and civilians to seek understanding—whether it’s through honest conversation, alternative therapies, or just asking the right questions instead of offering platitudes. He now dedicates his post-military life to helping other veterans find purpose, pack, and peace—mentoring, matching veterans with service dogs, and spreading the hard truths necessary for healing.

Book:
Mind of a Soldier: 34 Laws of War After the War
Available on Amazon (Kindle, paperback, hardcover).

Connect with Tamir:

• LinkedIn: Tamir Ransom
• Social pages for Mind of a Soldier (searchable on major platforms)

Recommended:
If you’re a veteran, family member, or anyone seeking to bridge the civil-military divide, this episode and Tamir’s book are essential, practical guides.

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“You need adrenaline, you need a purpose, and you need a tribe. That’s the change for me.”
(Tamir, 97:44)

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Transcript

[Tamir Ransom]

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[Jack Murphy]

Hey guys, I want to tell you tonight about my new novel, the Most Dangerous man, coming out June 9th. I think like a lot of you, I read in high school the short story the Greatest Game, which is almost a century old at this point, but it's the classic premise of man hunting man for sport. This book is based off of that a little bit, but also on stories that I have heard over the years about safari guides that have actually taken hunting parties, wealthy people hunting poachers in West Africa. That idea kind of cooked off in my mind when I was asked to write a novel and get back into writing fiction again. And this book is about a ranger with the Ranger Reconnaissance Company who's on a mission in West Africa and gets kidnapped and hunted for sport by a group of wealthy tech billionaires I had a lot of fun writing this book and I think you'll have a good time reading it. It's a quick, fast and furious, fast paced action action novel and I hope you all check it out. It's up there. You can find it wherever books are sold. The hard copy, the hardback, the softcover, and also the Kindle ebook edition. We'll have some links down in the description for you. The book comes out June 9th and I hope you all let me know what you think of it. Hey folks, welcome to the team house. I'm Jack Murphy here with our guest today, Tamir Ransom, who is the author of mind of a 34 laws of war after the War. I'm almost done reading this book. I can't recommend it enough. Probably the most important book about transitioning out of the military into civilian life. Four veterans to read is probably this one. Tamir has a pretty amazing career. Served as a explosive ordinance disposal technician and the 75th Ranger Regiment and then in Delta Force, many deployments with both of those units and then retired, you know, just three years ago and currently working on the book. So, Tamir, thank you for joining us on the show. We really appreciate it.

[Tamir Ransom]

Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Well, let's start at the beginning, man. Tell us a little bit about sort of like your upbringing and like why, why did you even join the army in the first place?

[Tamir Ransom]

So this got me slapped in Sears school, but it's a true story. I wanted to be a rapper initially and I was doing construction in Atlanta and my promise, me and my cousin made a promise that if our rap careers didn't take off by the time we were 18, we'd join the army.

[Jack Murphy]

That's awesome.

[Tamir Ransom]

Seriously. Like that again. They got slapped. They got me slapped in sear school. But it's a true story.

[Jack Murphy]

So what, what was your kind of teenage rap career like?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, it's trash, man. Like it was me working at freaking Burger King and doing other stuff as a pharmacist, if you will, and just kind of getting by trying to pay for studio time. But yeah, like I've always been a writer, but like rapping just wasn't in the car screen. I'm glad though.

[Jack Murphy]

So we can't find you on like some obscure YouTube video rapping?

[Tamir Ransom]

Nah, this is way before YouTube, man. It's about like 99. 01.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh yeah. Okay. Okay. Damn. So, so did your friend follow through on this promise also?

[Tamir Ransom]

No. So my cousin actually got a, he went to college and got a degree in Music production. But like, I always wanted to be a protector man. I've known that since I was a kid. I want to be a ninja. Right. Growing up. So joining the army was. Was like a no brainer for me.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Where do you think that came from? Is that like something that came from your parents?

[Tamir Ransom]

No, not at all. I only heard like horror stories about people in the Army. Like when I joined the army, I wanted to be infantry. And my mom told me like, that I was gonna be a bullet sponge. This is before 9 11. And I was just like, but I want to join the Army. And like, all she had to go off was her grandfather and her crazy uncle from Vietnam.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course they're scared for you.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

I remember talking to years ago, someone on the show who, whose father was in Vietnam and was so upset with his son joining the Ranger regiment until he came to see his son graduate RIP and saw like, what the regiment had become, what the army had become since Vietnam. You know, it's a different animal now.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, it was the same for me. Like, my mom was like, I'll support it if you do a technical job. That's how I pick Radar repair.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay, so you came into the army as a radar repair guy and you were in the 82nd?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yes, sir.

[Jack Murphy]

What was that like? This was. This is still pre 911, I take it?

[Tamir Ransom]

No, no. So I was working construction in Atlanta on 911 and my recruiter called me. He goes, you still want to join? So I guess a bunch of people are backing out. And I was like, we're going to war, right? He's like, yeah, I think so. I was like, know, sign me up, dude. Like, I've never done war before, so. That sounds pretty cool, right? So when I was in Fort SEAL for my first ait, Drill sergeant re. I'll never forget this dude. He's like the epitome of what a soldier is. And he's always talking about his division at the 82nd. And I was at. At the time, like, again, I had no clue. I thought like, the 82nd was the most elite thing on the planet. And so I was like, I want to go airborne. I want to go to eight second. And so he hooked me up with a contract.

[Jack Murphy]

That's awesome. And I mean, how did you like the army coming in as a young guy? Do you take take to it pretty easy?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So my mom was mean. I love her. She's the sweetest woman ever. But like, we had to make our bed with hospital folds. We had, you Know, six inch folds on our stuff. Like if I didn't, like there's been about three or four times that I didn't make my bed before school. When I came home, my entire bed was apart. Like, not like she flipped the bed, she took it apart. I had to rebuild my bunk bed because I shared a bunk bed with my brother and then make the bed.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, that's even more extreme than basic training, so. Yeah, I get it.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yeah, basic training was easy for you, man. Like, there's nobody meeting my mother when it comes to cleaning the house.

[Jack Murphy]

You're good to go. And what exactly is the job of a radar repair guy at the 82nd?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, so it's funny, they sent me the 782nd. And so normally you would go to the Vardy division artillery and fix the. Back then it was the Q36, Q37 radars. Those are like the anti artillery radars.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay.

[Tamir Ransom]

But they sent me to a small like special electronics company and so I was fixing like night vision goggles, computers, a bunch of other stuff, tinkering. The one radar supposed to fix was a speed radar for the mps. I never fixed it. I refused to help the police at that time. So.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, I appreciate that. I, I at one point had to go in for like, you ever have to do one of those like remedial training events on a Saturday at Fort Bragg because you got a speeding ticket and like you go in there and they scold all of you and tell you that, you know, if you drive wearing sunglasses, you're doing something dangerous.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, that, that was, that was my stickiness to the man because I think I did that like two weeks prior. And I was like, I ain't fixing this freaking radar, so stay on the shelf. So after we got back.

[Jack Murphy]

So you're a radar repair guy in the 82nd Airborne. America is at war at this point. Are you looking at deployments or is this like purely a stateside job for you?

[Tamir Ransom]

No. So we deployed and I was already training up. Like once, you know, when you get the brag, they give you these briefs, right? You get a brief from SF guys, the green braids. And you get this other brief from these guys in suits and they're like, don't go this far down group of road, right? And so again, I had no freaking clue what any of the. I didn't know what a green beret was. I didn't know what a ranger was really. And then I didn't know what the hell was down rubber road. So I started asking around, like in the paraglide, they would always have these. These things are like, hey, we're going to recruit. And so at the time, the story was that if you can get to the commanders, this is at the unit, you can get on the compound and you can get to the commander's desk, you automatically be accepted as a unit. My young and dumb self was like, that's the plan I came up with. So I started freaking skydiving. I started doing like wing chun boxing, like I was working out. So when I deployed with the 82nd, they put me on my. Everybody knew what I was doing. I don't know, like they thought I was crazy as hell, but they knew what I was doing. So they ended up putting me on my battalion commander's psd. And that's the whole. That's what I did for that whole deployment. And so we just getting the firefights all over Fallusion. I was like, yeah, this is why, like, this is what I want to do,

[Jack Murphy]

by the way. I mean, just to warn any hapless private on Fort Bragg that tries that you will be shot as you jump the fence. Don't do that.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, don't ask me why. I don't know who the hell I was gonna get to fly me over to freaking compound or over Fort Bragg, period. But like, like 19 year old me was like, I'm learning how to skydive. I'm learning, like I was going, I was paying for shooting courses. All my money went into training to get, get to the commander's desk.

[Jack Murphy]

Dude, you were gonna be like a DB Cooper. So you get over to Fallujah and like, it sounds like you're really in the. At this point.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So the 82nd Appalujah. And then this was right. This is when we locked it down the first time, right before we handed over some marines right before they. Right before they captured Saddam.

[Jack Murphy]

So this is like 2004.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, 2003. 2004 time frame. Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Yeah. What was sort of like the, the disposition of Fallujah at that time?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, Fallujah was wild, man. It was. It was crazy because like, I think the 82nd did a hell of a job like locking it down. And I remember, you know, back then you would all your kit went to Kuwait and then you had to drive from Kuwait to Baghdad and then disperse. So we did that. And then on the way back, we didn't leave our kit there. We had to drive our kit back to Kuwait and clean it and get through customs. Right. And so while we're in Kuwait waiting to pass, waiting for our customs thing. That's when they hung up the. Those contractors. And that's when the Marines got tuned up in Fallujah. And I thought we were going to go back. And I was pissed, right? Like. Because I was like, I'm ready to go home. Because I think we were deployed for 10 months,

[Jack Murphy]

and as a PSD for the commander, you were just kind of, like, driving him around as he goes to check on the troops.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, he was. It was. They were just now starting to talk about, you know, hearts and minds and. And like, I think the gwat became a thing. Like the actual phrase G wat IDS really weren't a thing yet. And until the end of it. Because I remember back then, I hated EOD guys because I didn't know what it was because, like, we would be coming back for child. We have been out for three, four days, right? And they're like, what's taking so long? They're like, oh, EOD's out there. I'm like, what the hell's the year? Yeah, like, oh, they're taking care of id. Like, the hell's the id? Like, all news, EOD made me late for child. And I hate EOD guys.

[Jack Murphy]

Well, it's. I mean, later on, the war is still a pain in the ass when you had to call EOD and wait six hours. You know, not their fault, but it happens. I. So, any. Anything before we move on? Anything particular from Fuja? Any stories that you'd like to tease out before moving on?

[Tamir Ransom]

No, not really. It was a. Is my first appointment. I was super cherry with everything. Turned 21 over there, so that's one of my first of many birthdays. Right. Couldn't get any alcohol. It was cool. My battalion commander made me a freaking, like, printed card. So. That's about the coolest thing that happened to me over there was I got a birthday car from my battalion commander on my 21st birthday.

[Jack Murphy]

That's pretty cool.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Not as cool as a beer, but still facts. So where does the Ranger regiment start to come into your head as a possibility as opposed to breaking into the Delta compound?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh. So when I get back from that deployment, I get an email from the unit and they're. I was at E4 at the time, and they're like, hey, but you're a soft skill mos. You probably better off going to Ranger regiment and. Or becoming the Green Bray first. Get some skills or reclass imagery. I couldn't reclass. I think my MOS is too Short. So I was like, all right, I'll go to. I wasn't gonna go to Ranger Regiment. I think Blackhawk down had just, like, recently came out. And so I watched that, and the only thing I knew about Ranger Regiment was high entice dude. And I was like, yeah, no way. I'm not cutting my hair right? So this is principal. So I end up going to selection to become a Green Beret. And this was like, this would have been September of 04.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay?

[Tamir Ransom]

And again, I'm a city boy. So I grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and then I joined the army from Atlanta. Like, I had never been in the woods by myself or, like, don't. Like, back then. You couldn't even ask me to read a map. And I felt a star. Like, one of my favorite stories about selection is I walked up on the deer stand and had no freaking clue what it was, and it scared the out of me, and I ran away. So, like, until one of the instructors was like, you good? I'm like, yeah, dude, there's a monster out there. He's like, what are you talking about? I was like, yeah, there's a monster by the Puppy Palace. And he was like, what did it look like? And I explained to him. He's like, it's a deer stand, you idiot. I'm like, why are deer in stands? He's like, no, that's what hunter sit to shoot at deer. Like, why? Like, I just. I didn't understand. So I ended up failing the star and not. Not making it. And then the 82nd back then, and I hope this is not the way anymore, they kept putting me on these jumps, and I got hurt. I thrashed my ankle really bad, and I was like, that's it. I'm done with the Army. And EOD recruiter hit me up and was like, you should reclass the eod. And, like, again, I was like. But then he said the magic words. He was like, EOD is one of the fastest way to get in the soft. And then he got my attention. I went to EOD school. Didn't look back.

[Jack Murphy]

That's awesome. So, I mean, yeah, going to EOD school, I mean. And this is also, as you point out, the time where IEDs are starting to become a really big thing. What was sort of that environment like, and that, you know, you're going to be a part of a group of guys that are, like, really at the forefront of this. This threat that the troops are facing.

[Tamir Ransom]

So the school is the hardest we've ever been to every Other like mentally, the everybody schools at least a B student, right. So you either do like a major. A major infraction is 16 points, which is a fail. You need 85 to pass, or two minor infractions, or eight points each, which is 16 points, and you fail. So EOD is probably. It was the fastest, hardest school ever been to, mentally.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Oh, you want to tell us a little bit about like the curriculum? Just so for the civilians or people who are interested in joining the military, what, what EOD school is really.

[Tamir Ransom]

Right. So right when I went Phase one. So most services have some type of phase one. The Army's phase one used to be at wrestling arsenal in Alabama. Now it's at Fort Lee in Virginia or whatever they change the name to for phase one. It's all like what they call Common Core. So you learn about demo, you learn safeties associated with explosives, bombs, grenades. And then you, you kind of dabble on some of the things that you will learn in phase. Once you're done with phase one, you go down to phase two. That's where all the services meet up together. So EOD school is actually really cool because it is like I was an army guy on an Air Force base going to a Navy school. So you train like, there's Marines there. You have Air Force Marines and Navy folks in your class. And basically they just kind of go in order. So you do ground first, which is rockets, projectiles, landmines, and grenades. And then you go. That's one whole division in each. Each subdivision is a certain part. So you learn about all types of grenades. And then from there, when you test, you can get any grenade in the inventory from any country you call your safeties. You do whatever your render safe procedure is. You learn how to search the books, and then you just continue on. And then the second division is the air division, which is guided missiles, bombs, and then payloads for like submunitions. Oh, and then injector seats is a huge. Another one. That's an EOD thing too. Really? So. Yeah, because they. It's almost like airbags. Right. They use essentially they small charge. Those things explode. Yeah, it's a small charge that throws the pilots out of the freaking. The aircraft. Right. And then from there you have the bio and chem division. So you learn about bio, biological and chemical weapons. ID has its own division. And then depending on whether you. What service you're in, you'll go to the nuclear division, where you learn about nukes.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

And then you graduate. So like, literally, it's the Is the. The probably one of the most professional, like, hardest, fastest pace courses I've ever been to.

[Jack Murphy]

How many weeks?

[Tamir Ransom]

Nine months total.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay. Okay.

[Tamir Ransom]

So, yeah, 30, 40 weeks, something like that. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

You're covering a lot of ground.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

And so this is joint service, this Navy, Air Force, Army?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep. Marine Corps.

[Jack Murphy]

Cool, cool. And then I imagine you guys go on a more specialized training, like. Like the Navy EOD divers go and do their thing and so on and so forth.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So with the Navy, so they usually have two classes. You have either Sierra class or surface class. So that's Air Force, Army, Marine Corps. And you have a November class, which is Navy or underwater. You guys go through all your training. So we had a big Navy class, like, fail some tests and roll back. And I think we had like six or seven Navy folks rolled back into our class. They stayed with us all the way up until the ID division. Once we graduated, they graduated with us, but then they went on for another couple weeks to underwater. Right, right.

[Jack Murphy]

And what was the path for you after you graduated from, you know, your basic course?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, so after I came back to Fort Bragg, so I did my damn near my entire career at Fort Bragg, so I was in 82nd. I did on the job training with the 18th EOD, and then I went to EOD school, graduated, came right back to the 18th EOD for my first EOD deployment.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay, and. And how did the Ranger regiment kind of come up on your radar as a possibility?

[Tamir Ransom]

So with EOD, after my first EOD deployment, which was damn near 18 months, I tried out for the unit because I have the skills, whatever, and I failed the 18 miler. And so, like, two days later, one of my buddies is like, hey, I'm standing up at EOD unit for Ranger regiment. And initially I was like, no, I ain't doing it, dude. And I was like, I'm not. Not getting a high and tight again. I'm still stuck on freaking Blackhawk now. He's like, dude, regimen's totally changed. Just come freaking to selection and you'll be a part of something new. And I was like, all right, cool. So I didn't make it past unit selection. Two days later, I went to the selection for the 28th, was the first guy selected, and then ran selection three days later for the next group of guys to come through.

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[Jack Murphy]

And so before you went and did that, you said you deployed for 18 months?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, they forgot us.

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Where, where was this?

[Tamir Ransom]

This is MND north. So oh my God, I can go into that super quick, right? So one of the other reasons I joined UD is because they were only supposed to do six month deployments. We get there on ground and then we get there. As soon as we get there, they extend us to a year and I'm like, all right, you know What? I've done this before. We get R R. So I plan my R R at the six month mark, as soon as I get home or R R, my team member calls me and goes, hey, we gotta extend it again. We gotta send it to 15 months. At the 15 month mark, there was nobody to come replace us. So we ended up staying over there for 18 months.

[Jack Murphy]

That's insane.

[Tamir Ransom]

And I left. My sister was pregnant. When I got back, her son was talking.

[Jack Murphy]

And were you guys busy up there that whole time?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, big time. Because that's when they did the whole surgery on Baghdad. We're up north and Mosul. And so all the bad guys just ran up north. And we had like, we had one company covering the entire MND north.

[Jack Murphy]

That's totally insane.

[Tamir Ransom]

It was like nine teams.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. And so you were out there every day, every night, basically.

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, big time. Yeah. We had a. We tried to have a schedule, but it was. Yeah, it was tiresome. I'm surprised, like, none of us got killed over there, dude, because like by month nine, we didn't care anymore. Like I tell you. I can honestly tell you, like, we're like 30, 40ft from ID just cracking them up. Like, please kill me. Nobody cared at that point, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah. The nerve endings are frayed. Yeah, it. I mean, this is a tremendous amount of like real world experience you're gaining. I guess that's the only silver lining we can put on an 18 month deployment. What are you learning about IEDs and about your job at this time?

[Tamir Ransom]

So IEDs came in all shapes and sizes. When we first got there, they were telling us about pipe bombs. Right. And the only pipe bombs I knew at the time is probably the one you think of, right? A little small, like plumber pipe bombs. And like not. Dude, these things were freaking 30 inches long. This is when they start making the. The metal.

[Jack Murphy]

Like the EFPs.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, they had EFPs, right? Those. Those came out. That's like. It was crazy because, like, I saw the whole, like trend, like transition of command, wire ID to command debt, us getting ECM and rhinos, all that stuff. And then I'm going right back to the original stuff. It was. It was interesting, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Yeah. There's like this sort of game that gets played a lot. Some of it is like in the electronic warfare spectrum also where like we do something and then they adapt and then we have to adapt to what they're doing and it goes back and forth.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep. So yeah, it was. Yeah, it was interesting. It was baptism by fire. Like I said, I went over there. I got out of ELD school as an E5, and by the time I came back, I was a. A senior team leader in the EOD.

[Jack Murphy]

Which a team. An EOD team is what, four guys?

[Tamir Ransom]

Three guys.

[Jack Murphy]

Three guys. Okay.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So you have an E6 is a team leader, E5 is your senior team member, and usually E4 is your team. Our junior team member.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay. Okay, so now let's. Let's jump back forward a little bit here to this EOD unit that you're standing up to support the Ranger regiment. Was that specifically for the Ranger regiment or was it more of like special ops use of sock wide.

[Tamir Ransom]

So specifically for the Ranger regiment. So up until that point, the regiment had a support from the Navy because those guys are already airborne qualified. They're like, in great shape. Right. And at the time, there wasn't a bunch of EOD guys in the army that were like, great shape minus the unit. And then there was a. For a unit in Fort Jackson that kind of picked up that mission, but they wanted something more solidified, so they stood up the 28th.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay, and so you're standing. What was the process of standing up that unit down at Bragg? That's always a lot of fun doing. Building a unit from scratch.

[Tamir Ransom]

To be honest, man, I have to give all the credit to the first sergeant. That guy was a. Was pretty cool. And then my buddy, oh, Scotty Weimer, he. He was up at the J Monster every day fighting for us. Right? For us. We end up standing like we. Like I said, I went through selection. I passed. And it was me and, like three other guys, and they're like, all right, cool. What the hell was wrong with your selection? What would you change about it? We revamped selection and, like, literally ran the next one, like, three, four days later. And then we did that for like a couple months. And we're not even a couple months, more like a couple weeks. Because I would say I did my first 28th deployment two months after I got selection or after I got selected. So I. Standing it up was. It was just getting bodies in there.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, dude, I mean, it sounds like your feet barely touched the ground. I mean, you went and did unit selection. Well, you did. You went. Did SFAs and then unit selection and then went right into this EOD selection.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Don't quit.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, no kidding, man. And so how long is it before the unit is at. Is operational?

[Tamir Ransom]

We were operational immediately. Two months. So, like, literally. Yeah, so it was. I went to. Because I had got promoted to staff Sergeant. But I hadn't gone to. I don't know what they call it now, this pldc. Back in the day, I think when I went through wlc, I had to go through WOC as a. Excuse me, as a staff sergeant. And I deployed. I didn't even go to my own graduation because I ended up deploying. See, I did the 18 month deployment, came back home, went to selection, stood up that unit. And it's funny, I didn't get any training either because we didn't have any. We didn't know what the training was. It was funny. The first sergeant was like, hey, I got a surprise for you boys. Like, you about to go out the door. And he's like, I'm gonna take you to some unit members, right? He's like, they're gonna train you up with some stuff, like in. To their defense, now that I know what I know, right? They literally, like, opened up their bag and was like, hey, bud, this is stuff I carry. Don't get yourself dead. And I was like, okay. And I deployed two.

[Jack Murphy]

Holy. So which battalion did you deploy with first?

[Tamir Ransom]

First bet.

[Jack Murphy]

Okay, cool. And, well, and, you know, I should mention, you got to deploy with all three battalions, so.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

You got to see the different cultures and different personalities between the battalions.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah, it was interesting, man. Like, and it. I. I went into all those deployments with different stereotypes, but, like, all the companies that I deployment, the strike forces, I deployment, like, totally broke all those, like, some really good dudes in time.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, I. I think the. The platoons and the companies are like, very consistent and consistently high standards. It's just the personalities maybe are a little different.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. So, well, tell us about the first. The first pump with Ranger Battalion.

[Tamir Ransom]

So I had no freaking clue, man. Like, like I said, my. All my training was conventional EOD training. And then I go from having the truck with a robot and a bunch of other stuff to having to carry everything on my back. So, like, the first couple of ops out, we're in Solerno up in the mountains, man. And the first couple of ops out was. Or actually the first couple of deployment, the first deployment was in. Still in Iraq. We're in Baghdad, so a little bit easier because we're doing everything with strikers. But, like, I was carrying certain stuff, but, like, right away I was like, yeah, I can't do this for anything. Offset. First time I had been on a bunch of, like, been on helicopters. I didn't know what a helicopter infill with, you know, half or any of that Stuff, dude. We did infills on boats and everything. Like, so I was like, we had no training whatsoever. It was just like the guys that we, we would rip out one of the guys and they're like, hey, this is what we do. This is what we carry. Like, good luck, dude. Don't get yourself dead. Now that was kind of like our motto for like probably the first two or three deployments of 28.

[Jack Murphy]

And I mean, I'll say this sounds like it was also like during some of the hottest years of the war, frankly.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

What was it like rolling out on strikers every day with first bat one,

[Tamir Ransom]

Like, I knew how to shoot just from the army stuff. So like getting the firefights in Baghdad, like not knowing what CQB is really like. Again, I was a soft skill guy, right. And you guys don't get that type of training. So it was interesting. But like I said, like, like, regimen was really good about it, man. Like, one of the things I loved about regiment was like, right away as they're doing their rip deploying, they're like rebuilding like the privates and stuff. And like, they had no issues with any of us, no matter what our rank was jumping on any of that, like beginner level training, if you will. So they set us up for success from a tactical standpoint. Like, it was. It was really good.

[Jack Murphy]

And you fit in.

[Tamir Ransom]

Eye opener.

[Jack Murphy]

Like you fit in with your high and tight.

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, that's right. Like again, I forgot who the sergeant major was, but he came from the unit, so regiment had multi cam. They changed their hairstyle and all this stuff. Stuff. Like, I was good, man.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, it was, it was. It was Sergeant Major Birch that. That happened while I was there.

[Tamir Ransom]

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I rocked the Mohawk down there the whole time, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

I am surprised they let you get away with that.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, well, because we didn't belong to anybody. That, like I said, this is the best secret. 20 didn't belong to anybody. They're just like, these are cool EOD guys we had. We have better attitudes in the Navy and we were army guys, so the regiment loved us, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

Right, right. Yeah, it's. It's sort of like you're a child that had their parents abandoned them at the county fair, and you're just hoping that like a platoon sergeant takes you in. He's like, oh, it's okay. You're one of my boys.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, that's exactly what it's like. You guys are freaking weird, but like, we like you.

[Jack Murphy]

And how is being an EOD Guy supporting Ranger bat different than what you had done previously? If there was a difference,

[Tamir Ransom]

there's a different level of respect in, in regiment, man. Because you gotta think, when I first. My first deployment with first bat, I was a staff sergeant, so I was treated on equal grounding with all their squad leaders. And so, like, that felt really, really different. So if I was like, hey, we can't go here. They're like, bro, you're the guy. Like, we're. We're not going there. So it was really good. Or once I actually started, like, shooting with them more and doing cqb, I was like number two. Like, I would check the breach for booby traps and be like, number two man in the door was amazing. I was living the dream, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

Any stories about finding those kinds of booby traps, having to disarm them?

[Tamir Ransom]

No, not. Not at that time. Not like, as we were wrapping up by Iraq. No. Once we started getting into Afghanistan, it started getting a little more sketch.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. You want to talk about that?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we get back, we start. We figure out like, after that first deployment, that was like the first true 20th deployment. Now we got guys going back, but our job was. So I did that deployment with first bat, and then I stayed behind for. With second bat because again, we used to have enough guys. But once I got back, when third bat was over, it was my job to now figure out, take my two deployments and revamp all our training to get us ready for Afghanistan because initially they were. They weren't going to send us to Afghanistan because they're like, hey, 20 who stood up to support Baghdad, blah, blah. Regiment didn't know what they were doing, but I was like, not, dude. Like, we're about to go to the mountains. So we started training in Utah, places in Arizona, and started getting our skills together for, for mountain warfare. And then looking at what the Taliban was doing different than what they were doing in Iraq, which for at the time, the Taliban, it was more. It was interesting. It was more conventional ordinance that was being used in unconventional ways. So they had ids, but like, going to like Salerno up in the mountains was more so run into landmines and, and like ginormous caches. Right. Like, and like, first time I learned how to call for fire because I just didn't have enough freaking, you know, demo on my back. So, like, I'm working real close to the JTAC now, running with the dog guys and, and learning certain things. So, like, we had a bunch of. We took our first casual season 20th in Afghanistan.

[Jack Murphy]

Wow.

[Tamir Ransom]

So per example, Congressman Brian Mass out in Florida, he was one of my soldiers in his 28th. That's how he lost both his legs in Afghanistan. Climbing on a rooftop. They start booby trapping the roofs. Holy.

[Jack Murphy]

And so this is kind of like you're having to contend with these booby traps as the rangers are assaulting a target.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So it was. It was fast and furious. You. So you're fighting Taliban, you're fighting Haqqani network. They're taking lessons learned from Yemen, freaking Iraq, and then they're applying that to the mountains. And then you got all the freaking tribal stuff going on. So it was, it was, it was interesting, dude. Like, it was. It was definitely still trial by fire. And as an EOD guy now, like, again, my last deployment with. With regimen, I was now starting first class. So I'm being looked to as a, you know, down there platoon sergeant. Right. Not the tactical platoon sergeant, but, like, I'm going in with the squad leaders. And so it has been like I've dropped the L bomb a thousand, thousand or so times, where it's like, I look around, I'm like, ain't nobody here. And I see something in the corners, like, get the out of here, dude. And that house blows up, you know, as soon as we jump out. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

I mean, any stories like that where you did have to diffuse something or blow something in place?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So that happened all the time. But I will say my last deployment or the. Because I've been blown up like 40 plus times, right? But this is like, the last time I got, like, really, really rocked. We were looking at target X or whatever. I can't remember who we're going after, but this guy just magically pops, right? And I'm like, this dude is way more savvy. Like, there's no way that they're there. So we're, you know, we're looking at him, we see this meeting of people, and then they're like, we're going after. I'm like, hey. I tell the battalion commander at the time and the. For the battalion commander, Battalion Sergeant Major. Hey, we're getting baited. And they're like, what? I'm like, hey, man, I've been tracking this guy for, like, we've been. I've been. I've been personally following this dude because he's a ID maker for like four years now. And like, this dude is not this stupid, right? I said, we're getting baited, like, something bad's gonna happen. So we, we go There, it's dry hole. Nobody's there. And they're like, the job calls back, and it's like, oh, yeah. While you guys are in the air on infill, they left like five, 10 minutes ago. They walked west or something. And I'm like, all right, cool. So the platoon sergeant's like, all right, hey, I'm gonna take a squad over there. We're gonna go secure this house. We'll wait for you guys to finish SSE before we hit it. No problem. And I'm like, hey, let me go with you. Because there's only one path that gets to that other house. And sure enough, we go there. Kid didn't even go to range school yet. McGuire, he goes. It's McGuire, platoon sergeant, squad leader, myself, I'm four behind him. And McGuire comes out the. The compound makes a left, starts heading west. And then explosion, right? So I get knocked down, pinned to the wall. Like, I feel my face burning because I got all this dirt and stuff or whatever. I hear Maguire screaming. Medic comes up. They call a medic. I crawl over to McGuire. And then, luckily for him, I say, luckily, he lost his leg. But it was those WIPOC, you know, those yellow containers. Those things hold about 40 pounds of explosive. Only half of it went off. So he only got hit with 20 pounds, but still knocked the rest of the squad down to include me down. So then I, like, look at that. I freaking cut the rest of the deck cord. I call up, they start calling for a medevac. And so now I'm like. Days of my ankle's hurting because, like I said, I got pins on the wall. My face is hurting because I got freaking dirt and gravel on my face. And I'll tell the dog guy. I'm like, hey, we gotta get this guy to xville. I don't have time to pull out a metal detector. I'm just gonna run, like, have your dog run behind me, like he's chasing me. If I get blown up, you know the deal. So we would train our guys that if one of the UD guys would get blown up, have your dog bite us and pull us back with the dog so nobody else comes up there. So I run and clear, clear up to the hlz. And then we're zigzagging. I'm like, hey, just make sure the guys, as they're pulling out McGuire for Exville, make sure they follow my path. And I cleared the path. There's no more. I didn't step on anything. Nobody else stepped on anything. But we was able to get McGuire out of there, but that was like my last regiment. That was my last mission.

[Jack Murphy]

Did. Do you think McGuire stepped on a pressure plate? Is that what they were doing at the time?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, all day long, yeah. It was a pressure plate.

[Jack Murphy]

Any word on the IED maker? Did you guys roll him up?

[Tamir Ransom]

Hell no. He might still be alive to this day. It was just. It was. I won't say his name, but I know when we went to go see Maguire, the battalion commander at the time came in there and was like, oh, you know, Ranger, blah, blah. He was like, man, you know, Maguire pretty. Was like. He said we shouldn't go there, man. You, dude, like, like I said, the kid. The kid couldn't even make it to Ranger school now like his whole career was done.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's unfortunate.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. I fought with that BC for about a good. A good 45 minutes. I was like, bro, we should not go on this one. Like we are being baited. And he just like launched force.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Were you there? It was maybe around that time frame. I can't remember which it may. May have been. 1st Battalion hit a target and there are daisy chained IEDs around it and they ended up having like a big mass cal event.

[Tamir Ransom]

That was second bat. Yeah, that was my buddy Tedesco. And that's again, that's when we started right after that. That's when we started taking a bunch of casualties. Yeah, the 28th is. I mean, obviously regiment took a bunch of casualties, but that was our first like EOD casualties, man.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh, you want to tell us the story about your helicopter getting shot down?

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, yeah. So me and true fashion, like not knowing things, right? So this is 3rd Battalion. I'm in Kandahar and I'm with Biko. So second tune. So 2 Bravo now, 2 Bravo has some. A bunch of legends in it, right? One of them being at the time, because first sergeant was first starting fifths, right? Like Blackhawk down legend, right? But probably one of the best first stars ever worked with, right? And a bunch of other really, really good dudes. So I forgot where we're going, but our helicopter gets shot down and I remember like hurting my wrist and we basically. And you know, the 160, man, they're freaking awesome, right? But they slam this freaking thing down and the, the. The back. The back gate is like essentially like kind of closed up. So everybody's kind of low crawling out of the thing, like out of the back of the Chinook and that's where low crawling out. Like we're getting shot from the woods from the east. We're facing. We're facing. We're facing north. We're getting shot from the east, and we're getting shot from the village from the west, right? And so I'm like, everybody's hurt. We. We, like The Coffee Fire A10s come in with their beautiful freaking rock sound, like. And I'm happy, right? So, like, then we go and secure a bunch of places. They're like, hey, we're stuck here, right? Because it's daytime. Sun had already came up, and nobody's coming to get us in the daytime, right? I just saw, like, I think at the time, regiment wasn't allowed to fly in the daytime with 160 and one, so no big deal, right? Yeah. So we're doing our normal thing where, you know, guys are trying to get some rest. We're getting into little ticks here and there, but nothing too crazy, right? Nobody really got, like, hurt hurt other than, like, from the crash. So one of the guys on the squad I was with, so I was always hanging out with one of the squads, and Josh Bernay was a squad leader. Like I said, he plays soccer for the US Paralympic Team. And there's a kid on a team named. On his squad named Gordo. And I thought Gordo was like a nickname that means fat in Spanish, right? But he's a skinny kid, and I just thought that that's what they're called. They call him fat because he's skinny, right? Like, just unbeknownst to me. So the whole deployment, I've been talking shit to Gordo, right? Like, he's a little bit older. And I realized that, and, like, I was like, hey, why are you here? He's like, I was a firefighter. I got dui. My mom made some phone calls. Like, still nothing registered in my head that, like, how the hell does this kid get a DUI and his mom makes her fucking a phone call. I used the regiment, right? But whatever. He didn't have his Ranger type yet. So I'm like, oh, he's lucky, right? So we're eating. We're sharing a first try mre And I asked Gordo. I had. I already made it to selection to the EOD troop in the unit. And so I was like, hey, man, what you doing after this? Like, you know, after Ranger school, you're gonna go to the unit? And he was like, you know, basically got real quiet and kind of weird and was like, no, I want to do something different from my dad. Still never registers, right? And so then Josh goes, you know whose dad is? I'm like, give a who. His father is like, just being, like, just being an a hole, right? Like, not being mean, but just joking. And he's like, dude, that's Gary Gordon. And I'm like. And then it finally clicks and I look at his face. I'm like, holy, man. Why didn't you tell me? He's like, people treat me different. I'm like, I ain't gonna treat you different. I don't give a who your dad is. Like, you're still gordo than me, right? But we've been best friends ever since, man. Like, that's one of my, like, good friends. He. He ended up becoming a platoon sergeant for recce. And it's like, still doing good to this day.

[Jack Murphy]

That's awesome, man.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, dude. But yeah, that's me putting my foot in my mouth as always. Like, not knowing who's people. Like, again, the way I grew up. Like, I don't. I don't think about, like, legacy like that because I didn't have anybody who's like, metal, you know, or metal honor recipients. Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

You never know who you're gonna run into. So I know we're going a little bit out of chronological order, but tell us about, like, how the unit comes up in your mind as, like, this is the next step for me in going to selection.

[Tamir Ransom]

So unit was always my final step. So it took me three times to get to the unit, right? So I said the first time was when I was in 82nd. I got a email and was like, go do something cooler, right? Like get some. Get some grid about you or whatever, right? And that was like, number one. Second time was right after my first EOD deployment. I didn't make the 18 miler, so I was like, okay, work out harder. Right? And then the third time, I actually made it. So as I. That deployment was really cool because I was aligned with the. The squadron and troop that I would go to support after otc.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh, cool.

[Tamir Ransom]

So I had a. I had a unit guy there that was showing me the ropes and stuff during that deployment to Kandahar. It was really good, man. So it was like, it was almost like on the job training with your big brother.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What was the selection course like for eod? Dude? Was that tough?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, so it was. It was. It was interesting. Like, you would do the PT test and you would do the 18 miler on, like, long street. They would do this crazy, you know, they would do the psyche valve and Then the EOD guys would tell you, like, hey, we're gonna come pick you up at this time where you live. And I'm like, I live here. Like, when are you picking me up? They're like, don't worry about it. We'll just. Just be ready. And so where was I at? I was living in an apartment off of Raleigh Road out here in Fayetteville. And I think they came to my house, like, two o' clock in the morning, dude in a van, and, like, hooded me and everything and, like, snatched me up. My girlfriend's like, what the hell is going on? Like, it's okay. They're supposed to do this. I think. I think these are the right guys, right? Like, and they whisk you off to the compound, and then they basically run you for, like, 72 hours straight. And you do all the EOD tasks. They do more land nav, which this time, like, I'm good at landing, right? Like, I didn't fail that, but. And then it's really. They just. It's really hard for them to test, like, pure EOD skills. They're really trying to see how you think without all these tools. So they give you a set of tools that really make no freaking sense, like rope and, like, a Gerber. And they're like, all right, make it happen, dude. And so, like, you, they also. They do a really, really cool scenario. And I won't, like, give it away too much, but basically they throw everything that possibly could happen in, like, a real, like, unit mission. And you'd be surprised, man. Some guys get blue screen to death when all those, like, when stuff starts going off and, like, you got a hostage to do stuff on, you got a bunch of IDS in there. So it's a. It's really interesting. It was, like, one of my favorite scenarios to run because, like, some guys just shut down and. Yeah, those guys, yeah, like, completely overwhelmed.

[Jack Murphy]

Is it one of those. I imagine, like, a very dangerous and technical job like this. You just got to take it, like, one task at a time. I. I would think it's complete opposite.

[Tamir Ransom]

You got to take everything in, really. So, like, for the unit, the EOD guys usually, like, the eyes and ears for the troops are major, man. Depending on, like, what squadron is. So, like, it's really cool because you have to worry about your job, right? But when your job is not happening, which you hope your job is not, like, your goal is to be the laziest EOD guy on the planet, right? You are also, like, the eyes and ears for the troops are major. So because you're usually with the troops arm major as he's directing traffic for all the assaults. So like he might be talking to the commander direct, you know, working in jtac and a team might call in. So you have to actually take it all in when you're not working to help be his. Like, you know, secondhand, if you will.

[Jack Murphy]

Right, right. That's pretty cool. Yeah. So it's sort of like you were with the platoon sergeant before in Ranger regiment. Now you're with a troop sergeant Major.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

And so you get to the unit. Is there any, like, additional schools or training you have to go to after selection?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So you go through as a guy, you go through what's called the in extremist course and they teach you how they take you from being a, a conventional army EOD guy and they turn you into a, you know, a Delta EOD guy. Basically the whole premise is you get taught how to think, not what to think. And so we teach you, you know, our way of doing demo, our way of cutting time fuse, our way of solving stuff. And then because of the unit's mission, it is now not just defeat IDs, everything's about that hostage. Like, so you learn psychology, you learn just, just how to deal with the hostage, how to like, what not to talk about. Right. Don't tell the hostage that they're gonna die. Don't even talk about their family. Like, just really cool stuff. Right. Like, but it's funny because a lot of guys like, who don't know that. So you go through all these different courses on like hostage behavior, and you're doing all this before you even go to OTC. Once you're done with that, that's usually anywhere from nine to 12 weeks long. Some guys aren't airborne qualified. So in between OTC and that, you have to go to airborne school, and then you go to otc, which is no, no different than anybody else.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh, really? So they put the EOD guys through otc like the assaulters.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep. So there's, like I said, if you look at the history of the unit, you have the, what I call the top three Moss, you have EOD medics and common guys. Those guys are all direct support. And, and then you can kind of throw dog guys in there now too. But like, if you look at the history of the organization, even with the, the, the beach, right. The, the EOD guys, the medics and the common guys all go through as a team. So that's your, that's Your. Your. Your CQB team.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh, okay. I got you. So what was OTC like for you?

[Tamir Ransom]

It was a marathon at a sprint pace. Seriously, man. Like. And they will. Like, to me, OTC is a real selection, dude, because they will literally. They will literally find what you're afraid of. Like, anything you're afraid of, like, OTC is gonna pull it out. Like, I'm afraid. I was afraid of heights. Right. But, like, it's crazy because you find yourself. I was in otc, walking across the top of church steeples, right. Repelling off of buildings. Like, stuff that, like, that made no freaking sense. Running up the side of a wall, and all you're holding on is the freaking, you know, paracord or tubular nylon. Yeah. I mean, like, so anything you're afraid of, OTC will find it and they'll pull it out, and then they will freaking hit on that. So either you quit or, like, you refuse to do anything. Right? Or you man up. So, yeah, OTC was the. If EOD school was the most like, challenging thing I've done mentally. OTC was the most physical thing I've ever done mentally.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

Or most physical thing. Most challenging thing I've ever done physically.

[Jack Murphy]

I did it. Was it also, you know, kind of the thing you had been looking for in the army that, you know, now you're shooting and clearing rooms and doing so much. Cool.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yeah. And it's crazy because, like, I was never one of those guys where, like, things came easy, right? So. But, like, I was always a guy that could train for something. And then once I matched it, it became easy. I don't feel like I ever mastered anything otc. It was like. I think one of my instructors said it the best. Like, otc, you're a lion being traced by faster, hungry alliance. Right.

[Jack Murphy]

It's like the basic training for it.

[Tamir Ransom]

It was great, man.

[Jack Murphy]

The basic training to begin. Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. I wouldn't want to do it again

[Jack Murphy]

around this time. Did you also have to go through the accelerated free fall course?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So you go through otc. They run that twice a year. And so we graduated OTC around May time frame. You get, like, a week or so off, if you will, if you can even consider that. And then you go to the free fall course. So that's a week of ground week. So. And that starts usually in June. You graduate right before. For summer class, you graduate right before 4th of July. So you do a week here in Fort Bragg on ground, and then in the wind tunnel, and then you go out to Arizona and Then it's. I think now they're up to like in three weeks. Those do. Like, when I went through, we did something like 50 jumps in three weeks to include like the final hey ho, over to Grand Canyon, which is the most beautiful thing ever. Like 4 o' clock in the morning. Great. Like, but now I think these cats are doing up to like, they're getting their class C license and they're up to like 80, 90 jumps in that three weeks.

[Jack Murphy]

That's crazy. I didn't even know that was possible.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, well, so one of the things that we said was like, if you really want us to train jumping, he already tested us on packing our own shoes. So we had to pack our own shoes the whole time. Yeah, yeah, they got, they hire packers now. So like everybody gets like three shoots now. And so it's literally you jump, you get hit the ground, you go right back up. Dude, you have to pack your own. I think you pack your last shoot or something like that.

[Jack Murphy]

It's good though. I can see the why they want you guys doing that though, to get that proficient under the canopy and getting down to the drop zones and everything.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

Because it's one. It's one thing to be like, kind of like, I would consider myself like a basic freefall guy, which is, you know, okay, you know, you do it. But what, you know what, on the JSOC side, what they were doing and with the, I think they called it the Advanced Tactical Infiltration course, like, it was all just. It was totally different.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah. So that was another cool thing was being able to take typical stuff and not necessarily break the rules, but, like, obviously, you know, you have like the tandem course. Right. Well, what if you didn't need to jump a bundle or what if you need to jump a person, but you need to jump something a little bit like heavier than, you know, a rucksack. Right. Or whatever you're using. And so we had a whole course that was just for. It was almost like the tandem course, but it was just for like 150, 100, 200 pounds. So you couldn't jump a person, you couldn't jump a bundle, but you can jump some extra kit. And that, that was really, really cool to do.

[Jack Murphy]

You might be the first person in history to say that was really cool to do.

[Tamir Ransom]

I don't, I remember, I hate jumping, don't get me wrong. But what I was saying is that the fact that somebody came up with that in between course.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

I remember going to, they gave us the pitch mitt to go to the Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment at one point. And they really, at that time, I think they botched the pitch to us because you got a bunch of Ranger Regiment E4s in the room and they're like, if you come to RRD, you can jump with this 600 pound bundle. We're all looking at it like, oh, hell no.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jack Murphy]

Did you ever have to jump that thing?

[Tamir Ransom]

Not the bundle. Like I said. I went through the, the. Whatever the hell they call the course. Yeah, I, I hated jumping, dude. Like, I'm the most. Like, I'm great in the tunnel, but like, I'm not doing tricks. I don't want to do backflips off the ramp. I don't know that like, let me out. Let me get like too much, too many people doing stuff up there, right. I just want to get out, hit the ground and go shoot or do EOD work. Right. Yeah, I wasn't, was never a big fan of jumping, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

So tell us to, about, you know, getting to the unit now and you're getting attached to a troop, I would imagine.

[Tamir Ransom]

So you, you belong to that troop, right? So like, that was another misconception. Like, that was another thing. That misconception I had is that like the EOD troop at the unit was like a attachment thing. It wasn't like, again, like, you are. Yeah, you are like, I was part of a squadron, right? So I was a squadron, but that was really cool. Like, you, you are part of the squadron and then you're, you're with your troop and it's a little bit, a little different than regiment because usually what happens is. And it's really cool because like, it's almost like every couple months one of the teams will like take you under their wing. And so like you, you belong to. Your troops are major, right? And you're part of his like, fire team, if you will. But one of the assault teams will take you under their wing and you get to train with them and do stuff with them. The only issue from an EOD standpoint was we were on duty twice. So we were on duty for the unit's mission to do, you know, rescuing people. But then we had our own mission when it came to like, things that go boom. Yeah, right. And produce mushroom clouds. So like that, that was another, again, from an EOD guy perspective. We still got two moms, right? Like, or two dads or however you want to put it. Right. So, you know, do you guys get the shit worked out of Them, like, no matter where you're at. Soft.

[Jack Murphy]

So I guess you guys had to, like, work or help with the FBI. I think they call it the Render Safe Team.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, they change their name, like, every two years. Dude, it was Render Safe Unit rsu. I think that's the current name or. But at one point, it was hdru. So I don't know. I don't know what their name is now. But that changed in the. I think, early 2000s. But that only applies to the NCR. So you still have, you know, guys on the hook for the rest of the world.

[Jack Murphy]

Right, Right.

[Tamir Ransom]

The rest of the U.S. right. Like, so. And I don't want to get in trouble for Sands, but you probably want either. Either the. The. The. The boys at the. At Fort Braggart and boys at Virginia beach to go, okay. Pops up. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

I actually want that to happen.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. I mean, if somebody put something like that in this country, I mean, there would probably be a security element around it, too.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

But thank God we've never had to deal with that. Okay, so what was the first deployment with. With the squadron.

[Tamir Ransom]

So my team leader, they were trying to do something different. They wanted me to get on my WMD training. So I. I leave. Get rid of OTC or get out of otc. Get out of your school. And they're like, hey, you're gonna go to Maryland. You're gonna go to, like. I started traveling all over. You're gonna go to New Mexico. You're gonna get all this, you know, WMD training. I'm like, all right, cool. My squadron deploys. And they're like, hey, don't worry. You're gonna go back with your. Put all your kit on the freaking. On a bird, and you'll meet your squadron in, like, a month and a half. Like, you only be. You'll miss a month of deployment. I'm like, all right, cool. As long as everybody else is good with it, no problem. Again, this is me as a conventional guy who also came from regiment. Like, you never put your gun anywhere you don't have eyes on. So what ends up happening is I. I sent all my kit. I didn't send my guns, though. My gun stay in the freaking team, right? Like, because I'm not sending my guns anywhere. Like, but nobody explained to me, like, the unit's different, right? You can send your guns over there. It's gonna go straight from, you know, Fort Bragg straight to where it is. Somebody's gonna pick your guns up. They're gonna. Like, nobody explains to me like, again, because the unit is just kind of a grown man business is what I like to call it. Yeah, you just gotta figure it out, right? So some stuff pops off. The guy who was. Who went in my place was an older guy, and he's like, I'm in Baltimore at the time doing WMD training, and my troops are major. Calls me, he's like, hey, get home right now. And I'm like, holy. Like, somebody got killed, right? He calls me back five minutes later. He's like, I realized what I just did to you. Nobody's dead. Get home right now. So I'm like, okay, nobody. The ploy's dead. Damn it. My. Like, at the time, my girlfriend was pregnant. I'm like, the girl. My girlfriend lost the baby. He goes. He calls me back two minutes later. He goes, the baby's okay. Just get your ass home now. And I'm like, somebody from my family died, right? He's like, look, dude, nobody's dead. I'm sorry I keep doing this to you, but just come get on the first flight. So I, you know, go to the airport, swipe a credit card, and I'm in Fort Bragg. A couple hours later, some other stuff went down. A different country. The guy who was in Afghanistan with my troop had to leave, so I had to go and deploy my troop. I don't have a gun, though. So I call my team leader. I'm like, how do I get my gun over there? He's like, what are you talking about? Because I had to fly commercial to Afghanistan, which is weird.

[Jack Murphy]

Yes.

[Tamir Ransom]

So he was like, what do you mean? How do you get your gun over there? I was like, my gun's in the team room. How do I deploy? And he's like, that's how you put all your. On the. On the kit. And I'm like, yeah, but not my gun. Who does that?

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

He's like, we do, right? I'm like, so I get in trouble for that. So he's like, give it to so and so. It'll be. It'll be there two weeks later. He's like, don't worry. Use Jason's gun. So Jason's the guy I replaced, and I get. Finally gets Afghanistan. I'm like, hey, dude, how's things been going? He's like, oh, it's quiet, man. You know, I just. He dusted his gun off. He hasn't deployed in a couple years. Like, he's an older guy, right? And he's like, you probably don't see any action. And sure enough Jason leaves the next day. And this is a. I was on the infamous vi, right? So this is the first time, like, in regimen, I've heard about vehicle introductions, right? But I had never done one, right. Because it's for the unit, right? So now I'm like, oh, like we're doing vis. And sure enough, freaking the next day, Jason's on the bird. Like, we get. We get the call, and I like, do so much damage with this guy's gun. I felt. I felt. I felt dirty about it, right? And so I sent him an email right away on messenger, and I'm like, guess what, dude? I was like, you know, I forget I molested your gun, man. He's like, what? He's like, what? You guys. He's like, I've been here for three. You know, he had been there almost three weeks. He's like, we didn't do anything. I'm like. He's like, you lucky son of a. He's like, I don't. I only want a back keeper, right? So that was my first deployment and we did that for four months straight, dude. It was just the.

[Jack Murphy]

That's ball.

[Tamir Ransom]

The greatest. Yeah, dude. It was wake up, work out, sleep. Sun comes up, pages go off, and it was like out the door, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

It was going in on little birds.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, little birds and Blackhawks, man. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was dope, dude. I thought those days were over because, like, I'm like, we're in Afghanistan. We're like, nah, dude. And it was. It wasn't cars, it was motorcycles. So it was really cool.

[Jack Murphy]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

I mean, so, yeah, going out and policing up the HVIs.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

As opposed to drone striking them.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah, it was. It was a good time, man.

[Jack Murphy]

So now you're off to the races, man. Like, this is the real deal.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So I do. I do another. I call it conventional deployment. The unit. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I do another assault style deployment like that. And then they realized I'm from New Jersey, right? And that I'm actually really, really good on the streets because I grew up on the streets. And so the unit wanted to take advantage of that and, you know, put me through some more courses. And that was pretty much what I did the. The rest of the time I was there.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh, really? That's pretty cool.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, dude, like clandestine word recce style stuff, whatever. Like, yeah, I did that. I did that the rest of times of the unit until I left.

[Jack Murphy]

Wow. So you. So you reclassed without reclassing?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, Exactly. Yeah. And again, it was something I was good at, man. Like, I was able to get. I was able to stand up other programs in, like, four or five other countries and help them out. And then I got language school, so I was the first EOD guy in the unit to get French. That opened up some doors when Syria kicked off because a lot of, you know, ISIS fighters had French passports. And so. Yeah, dude, it was. It was really, really good, man. Like, this real, real cool stuff.

[Jack Murphy]

I. I know you're probably limited on what you're allowed to say about that, but can you talk about the ISIS stuff and sort of how that went down? 20. What? 15.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. I'll tell you a funny story because this. This was quite hilarious to me. So we started seeing all this news, and we all knew we're going back to Iraq, right? We all. Everybody knew. Yeah, Everybody called, right? Anybody ever talks like, it will be that. I thought it was gonna be a hell of a lot, like, longer. Like, I think it was gonna go back as soon. But I remember when we got the word, and whenever the unit commander wants to, like, put out a. Like, a mass message, like, he does it in person, which, like, every unit commander has done this at least the whole time I was there. And I love it. They usually do it in our child hall, right? And so I remember the commander goes, all right, guys, you know, the President has authorized 300, you know, people to go on ground. And I remember, like, asking, like, wait a minute, man. Like, the last time anybody sent 300 of anybody to fight a massive force that ain't turn out too good for them, right? So we're all thinking it, right? It ended up being a hell of a lot more than 300. I just think the politics or whatever, but with ISIS, it was. That was interesting, dude. I think you'd. You probably keep up with it now where it's. It's talking about near peer competition and blah, blah, blah, and all this other stuff. And, like, dude, like, when in Syria, I watched every form of warfare I've ever read about, right? So you had trench warfare in some parts. You had a freaking flot, you know, with, like, tank warfare almost. You would go and hit a building, and they got a ton of warfare, and it was like, Vietnam. Like, it's like, literally every war we have fought, and they're like, this is a new age of warfare. I'm like, no, dude, we're fighting that in. Yeah, yeah, Syria right now, like, on. On multiple different fronts. And it was. It was like. It was the Craziest thing to me, because, like, you would go from trench warfare and calling for fire, and then you would have a fly. You move forward, and then you would go right into, like, you know, freaking tactical style cqb. And it was weird, man. It was. It was super interesting. Like, and ISIS wasn't stupid.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Well, I was gonna ask. I mean, as a. I know you weren't really working in an EOD capacity anymore with the assault squadrons, but ISIS was booby trapping the hell out of everything.

[Tamir Ransom]

It booby trapped everything, dude. Everything. Like, yeah, the. The isis. The reason why the. The Eunice EOD troop took one of his first, like, major casualties is from the booby traps. And then their booby traps are, like, super intelligent, man. Like, booby traps that, like, get tripped a bunch of different times. You never knew, dog. And it was there the whole time. Like, dudes walking in and out, five, six, you know, seven, like, hundreds of times through a doorway. And then finally, like, number 101, it blows up. So those guys. Those guys were. Those guys are smart, man. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

And from your point of view, like, how was the battle unfolding? I mean, we were there for. Or you guys were there for what, five, six years?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, I believe so. I think it was really interesting because, like, I think we were. We were hamstrung for a little bit, and then there was this weird thing with the pair. The. The purse murder. And, like, what they were allowed to do, what they weren't allowed to do.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

How do we use them? But then they have their own agenda. Rightfully so. Right. Like, so. But then I think once they. Once the gloves came off and they just started, like, smashing dudes, like. Like, it went away. Like, once. Once we. Once we stop being told what to do, and they were like, just go win the goddamn board. Like, that's when got, like, real, like. And every time you tell, like, any of the J Monster units, like, go win the goddamn war. Like, we'll be done in, like, two months. So it works, man.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. And thankfully, yeah, you guys had good partner forces also.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

Were you able to use the. I mean, I don't know if you were doing, like, proxy type stuff, but were you able to use the Kurds for intelligence gathering as well?

[Tamir Ransom]

Some guys were. We were doing, like, the team that was on at the time. Our whole deal was, like, confirmed tonight. Like, when you start talking about some of the barrels that are being dropped on the Syrian people. So I was on one of those teams.

[Jack Murphy]

Oh, interesting.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Right. So, like, and WMD's my jam. So.

[Jack Murphy]

So they. They had you oriented, your real mission oriented against the regime rather than isis.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. And because again, you gotta. You gotta think, man, like, if the regime hat fell, right, and then you got ISIS is in charge of the country, what's next? It's like everybody's worst nightmare. You got a terrorist organization with a bunch of.

[Jack Murphy]

With mustard gas.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Did you ever, you know, gather any evidence on the ground of, you know, a chemical weapon deployment?

[Tamir Ransom]

Let me see how to answer that. Let's say that if I have, like, part A and part B, if I put these two together, it's illegal, but if I keep them separate, it still people up. But it's not illegal anymore, kind of.

[Jack Murphy]

Right. Yeah. Okay.

[Tamir Ransom]

That's what it was.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. You found the components.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. And like, again, like, there's this. Some of these rules don't make any freaking sense, but, like, it still has the same effect. Right? Just. But just because it's not those two parts together and. Yeah, it's not technically. It's not illegal. You can technically say I didn't drop chemical warfare agents. Right.

[Jack Murphy]

And I mean, but we know now for a fact that. That they did drop chemical weapons on civilian populations.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep. You took a page right out of D handbook.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Yeah. And there were some limited cases, as I recalled, where ISIS used, like, some chlorine gas or something. Not often, though.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So that's. Yeah. And it was. It was. I think those are targets of opportunity then, like, again. But it's. You can say that that's cwa, like, and I would. I would back anybody who says that any day of the week. Because you gotta think, like, when you start looking at, like, Gen 1 weapons, chlorine is a part of the Gen 1 weapons. Right. Like, chlorine was using World War I. So it's just, again, history is just repeating itself.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Was there a moment where you felt like the tide in that campaign was turning and that, you know, there's going to be some sort of victory or end state for, you know, what you were trying to accomplish over there?

[Tamir Ransom]

Nah, man. I haven't felt that way about any war in a long time.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, I'm sorry.

[Tamir Ransom]

Like, it's. It's like, it's. It's. I try to make light of it so I don't drive myself crazy. It's like, all right, it's job security, but, like, I haven't felt that way by any. Like, even Iraq, like, once. Once, like, we took down regime, I was just like, well, we got the, you know, we got the whole deck of cards and like that. And at some point I was like, yeah, we should leave. And I think we can call victory, but I'm not sure we've caught victory anywhere in a long time.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Yes. Yeah. There's never any real closure on it.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Before we move on, you said there are some stories that you wanted to tell about, like, landing on the highway.

[Tamir Ransom]

Oh, yeah. So if anybody's thinking about joining the unit, right, this would be my. My moment to, like, be a recruiter, right? You should, because, like, there's. It's what I call, like, Delta Force moments. I think these. These moments can only happen in, like, these, like, top tier organizations. And so one of the things we were doing, we were training for. We're training on, like, how do we get these samples or whatever, right? Like, out of the country without breaking any freaking laws, right? Like, international laws, right? Because, like, again, that plane goes down, blah. Like, what does the pilot need to wear? Like, we were, like, trying to figure all this out, right? Because nobody had done it before. Like, or at least nobody done it since, like, World War II. And a lot of has changed on, like, what was legal, what wasn't legal, right? And so we're. We're training in Texas, and they're like, okay, your team is gonna go do some cool stuff, go break into this place. We're gonna get a sample, and then we need to get it out of the country, right? Quote, unquote. And so they're like, all right, well, pick a spot. We talked to the pilots and like, hey, we're gonna land here. And I'm like, that's on the highway. They're like, yeah, we know, but that's the only place we can land. Like, all right, cool, dude. Like, we'll do it, right? And so we're like, what do you need to land? They're like, well, we need a Runway. And I'm like, well, you already have the. Like, what do you actually need? Like, well, we need Runway lights. And I'm like, so me and my team leader, we run to Walmart. And like I said, we got a bunch of cash on us. We buy a bunch of, like, buckets or whatever. The. The. The rectangle 10 or rectangle plastic bins. And then he's like, he asked me, he's like, how are we gonna, like, light the Runway up? So I'm like, I got an idea. So I ran and bought a bunch of aluminum tape and then the camping lanterns. And, like, I line a hole inside of these bins with the aluminum tape. And we put the camera lanterns in there, and they're now, they're bright. So the aluminum tape is, you know, reflecting and they're bright as. Right? And I think we end up buying eight of those total and putting four on each side. And, like, we're talking to the pilots through cell phones, but they're in the sky, which is, again, a whole nother. Like, just look it up. It's dope technology, like. Like, it's this whole time, like, we're not about to do this, right? Like, but we're sure enough talking to these pilots, man, and they're like, yeah, dude. We see their Runway clear as day. It's like two or three o'clock in the morning. And sure enough, they land this bird right on the highway. Like, we're parked probably 200ft from they landed. We go and give them a cooler full of whatever the hell is supposed to give them. They get in their bird, they take off. And I like, look at my team. My team leader at this time. I'm like, bro, did we just land a bird on the highway with. We bought from Walmart. And he was like, we sure did. And I was like, yeah, man. That was like one of my many, what I like to call Delta Force moments. Because that happened quite often. It doesn't happen every day, but, like, I would say good three times a year, you get those moments and you're like, man, I'm. I'm in the right spot right now because this would never happen. Like, I mean, I don't believe the story myself when I tell it, so it's just like, yeah, I mean, like, but that happened a lot, man, where you was able to do cool stuff and you just solved whatever problem that came up and nobody stopped you.

[Jack Murphy]

Any other examples you want to give?

[Tamir Ransom]

Let me see. Oh, first. My first Delta Force moment ever was an otc, right? And I'm hoping that if that guy remembers this, that he's cleaned up his life and stopped drinking. So we are doing culmination, and we're in downtown Fville. This is like Thursday o. Thursday on the, like, two in the morning. And we've hit like four or five bars, like, like legit bars in Fville downtown. And, you know, we're training, we're looking for whoever the hell we're looking for.

[Jack Murphy]

So when you say hit the bar, that has, like, a different connotation.

[Tamir Ransom]

We're drinking, right? We're. We're looking for bad guys in the training scenario. But this is downtown Fayetteville. Yeah. So we assault these bars, right? In a bunch of different stores downtown looking for these, looking for these bad guys. And I remember the. I think we had dry hole. We did SSC or something. And I remember the. They're like, hey, about the X file. And so I'm thinking to myself like there's no way they're landing this Chinook. Like by like right where they landed. The Chinook was where, you know the parking lot by the baseball stadium. Yeah, that's where. Yeah. So the parking lot by the baseball stadium was where Xfield was at and the baseball stadium wasn't even there at this time. Right. This is like years ago. Right. I remember walking through this park is. And we're, you know, always have multicam. The uh, the panels had just came out. So I know for a fact that like in the dark like two in the morning, we probably all do like green eyed freaking demons, right? And this bum was like laying on a bench and he's like passed out. He got a bottle of something in his hand, right? And he looks up at us and we're all walking xville quiet as. And I just remember like putting my hand up like he looks at his bottle, he throws it and then goes back to sleep. I'm assuming that guy quit drinking because you watch this troop of Delta Force dudes walk through his apartment two in the morning after we done just torp some bar and we exfilled, right? Like I'm not sure the bird work him up but like. Like I don't know what the hell is going through that guy's head, but I'm like nowhere else would that have happened other than the freaking unit. I'm like literally in doubt. Like I'm. I went to that bar like I was at that bar three, three nights ago. We were something there.

[Jack Murphy]

This is the parking lot behind Husk and Hardware.

[Tamir Ransom]

That's the bar we hit. We hit Husky Hardware. Yeah, yeah, that was our last hire, dude.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know exactly where that is. So I mean you have had some like insane experiences. Highly trained being, you know, trained as really an operator but also an EOD guy, but also as a recce guy. And what's it getting to be like as you're becoming a senior guy? You're becoming. You. You went up to sergeant major at the unit as EOD guy, didn't you?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yep, yep. I left the unit as a sergeant major and went to Fort Lee for a year where I like was in charge of like all things EOD for training and, like, doctrine for the army. And then they end up standing up another. They stood up the CWMD start major position at usoc. And so they were like, hey, there's only one person in the world can do this. Like, you want to come back to Fort Bragging? Like, yep, sure, dude. Because again, I have been here my whole career.

[Jack Murphy]

And what was like, that, like, smaller transition, like, coming out of the unit and going to back to conventional. And now. Now you gotta shave and get a haircut and everything else.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So that was crazy, dude. But I figured out the cheat code, right? So all these sergeant majors at Fort Lee, I'm the youngest guy there, right. Obviously, I got all this stuff on my chest, right. I got scrolls on this side, so, like, nobody really mess with me. But then they started saying stuff like, hey, we got this meeting. And this meeting, I'm like, the good news. At the time, the CASCOM start major was a former unit member, too. He was a mechanic. And so he looked. He took one look at me, was like, where'd you come from? And I was like, you know where I came from, right? Like. And I was like, hey, here's the deal, dude. I'm not going to anybody's meeting. I was like, I'm not. Like, I'm a sorry major. I was like, I'm supposed to be taking care of troops, so I end up spending most of my time finding things that fell off the back of a truck to go help out alc. Yeah. So they can have better hearing aids. Yeah. And so they respected that. I'm not. I don't care about people walking on the grass. I don't give two shits about haircuts. Like, I'm not gonna have a meeting to talk about how cool we're cool sergeant majors when we all supposed to be helping out troops. So that was my attitude. And nobody messaged me the whole time at four League.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

That's awesome.

[Jack Murphy]

And. And then you went back to usasak and what was that position like,

[Tamir Ransom]

different? It was like, trial by fire. So now I'm looking at all the stuff that I'm in charge of, all the money that I bitched about as a team guy. So, like. And I'm looking at the budget and, like, I have to, you know, help out, regimen and write stuff for. For their training. The unit has training. Like, all these other folks have training now. I'm trying to figure out how to get Green Berets, EOD guys now and come up with that training pipeline. So it Made me appreciate the guy I was cursing out that I never met when I was at the lower level, talking about who should give me what money because I became that guy. And so I'm getting all these emails like, oh, gee, you suck. Like, we want this training. I'm like, yeah, bro. Like, we don't have it.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, you see how the machine works?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, it was, it was, it was. It was fun, dude. Like, it was really, really fun.

[Jack Murphy]

Was that your last assignment before retirement?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So I ended up medically retiring, so all those helicopter crashes being blown up or whatever caught up to me. And so it was getting hard to even stand for, like, longer than 10 minutes without, like, just my feet hurting. So they had to rebuild my left foot. So I end up, like, if you seen the X ray on my left foot, looks like freaking Wolverine with all

[Jack Murphy]

the metal in there.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, dude. Like, I don't. Yeah, they got. I don't know how. Like, the doctor told me I got like a seven in one special. So, like. But yeah, they got. They put all kinds of crazy stuff in there, man. Like, and I medically retired with 22 years.

[Jack Murphy]

Wow. And so your book, Mind of a Soldier, it's all about the transition from being a soldier to civilian life. And I mean, it's written in such a direct, non pretentious way. I mean, you wrote it like a sergeant major writes or talks, I should say. It's straight to the point, no BS at all in it. I really appreciated that. But I mean, the fact that you wrote this book tells me you must have gone through a pretty difficult journey yourself, transitioning out of the military.

[Tamir Ransom]

I did, and it caught me off guard. Yeah, big time. Like, I didn't realize, like, how much I needed the boys. And then I didn't realize how I was, like, behaving towards my family. Right. Like, it just. It's just certain things like drinking more and, like, not understanding, like, what's what and how much I actually miss it. Like, and it's hard to explain that to people when you're like, yeah, you in the war. And like, yeah, but I miss it. Like, but I can't explain, like, it was hard for me to explain what I missed and why I missed it. Right. And then, and I talk about this in the book, right. I didn't realize how important. How important the team's role and the team's job is protecting you from yourself. Right. Like, nobody calls me out. I can sleep for three days right now. Nobody will say a goddamn word. Yeah, right. I mean, like, but Couldn't do that in the unit. Couldn't do that regimen. Couldn't do that. Even in the 82nd, you couldn't do that. Right. Like, you were always accountable to somebody.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Yeah. There's always a squad leader that's telling you, like, hey, you need to drink water. Okay.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

But when you're out, you don't have that anymore. And it's just go.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yep. So, like, even if you. Like, even if you go out party with the boys, right? Like, you're drinking just a little too much or you sucking in the gym that day, or, like, somebody notices that, right? Because, like, you guys are all calibrated to each other, right? Like, and it's. I don't think anybody. Like, I don't think you can have that type of calibration with anybody else without going to war being like, yeah, any, like, high stress, like, environments with. With these people. Right. Like, so. Yeah, like, I had a fairly rough transition. The thing that pulled me out was my buddy, like, was like, how are you doing, man? I'm like, I'm good. He's like, dude, come get coffee with me. And then, like, he got me out on it. Like, the first time anybody had did that, I had been out again. Like, I. I feel like on paper, I had a great transition. Right. Like, I left the military with two master's degrees, freaking postgrad certificate in AI, Right. Like, I was writing code. I had. I had a job, right. Like, I just. But something was off, dude, and I couldn't call it.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. One of the points that I think was really good that you make in this book is that there is a system that veterans go through, and the system does not dislike you, but it's not built for you either.

[Tamir Ransom]

Right.

[Jack Murphy]

And you know, from the Veterans affairs system to how corporations hire people, all of it, it's because of, like, this whole civil military divide that people talk about nowadays that there's such a. Most civilians have no experience with the military. It just accentuates.

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[Tamir Ransom]

What's going on everyone?

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[Jack Murphy]

That issue. What was kind of your experience? I mean if you want to talk about it or talk about what's in the book as far as like going to VA and trying to go through the system to get the help that you need.

[Tamir Ransom]

So I'll tell you because I'm medically retired and then I did all the VA stuff prior to like, I've only been through the VA for like a couple things, right? But then like as I realized that like other people need help, like I look, I just talked to one of my friends, she's a, she's a female operator and she got hurt really bad. And now the VA is telling her she has to redo all her stuff. I mean like when I said she got hurt back, she was coming down and jumped and broke her pelvis, both her hips like she tore up, right? And, but the VA just emailed her the other day and they're like, you got to redo all your. Right? And I'm like, why right? Or you know, they came out and they try to sneak it on the table because you know they did because they released it at like 7 o' clock at night when they're like, oh, we're gonna freaking. If medicine is made. This is like two, three months ago, right before I released the book, dude. And I was like, these sons of. They put that if you were taking medication and it was making any of your ailments better, they were lower your percentage. Like, now granted the vfw, the dav, like, they, like, those boys did their damn thing, man, because they were up in arms. Yeah, but I'm only like, for. For me personally, my fight has been to help other veterans because again, I'm a sergeant major, so I can pick up the phone and like, hey, look at my rank and like, get some stuff done. That E4 can't do that. Right, Right. Like, you know, I mean, like that. That E5 can't do that. Right? So, like, I am now working with non profits and working with other better. Like, any better can call me any day of week and I will help them out. Right. Especially if it's. If it's going out there. And again, I'm not blaming the va, the people at the va just. The system's jacked up, man. It's not. It's not built for. They didn't build it the same way they built us to actually be a part of that system.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah, the va, I think, I mean, it's come a long way, I must say. It's much better than it was 10, 20 years ago. But I think the VA is more geared, generally speaking, towards helping, like, really destitute veterans more than guys like, guys like us that, you know, at one point in our lives, I've heard it described as being functionally up that you.

[Tamir Ransom]

You go to.

[Jack Murphy]

You go to work, you're a high performer on, you know, as far as on the outside looking in, you look like you're doing great, you know, making. Making money, all that stuff, but inside your internal world is just a mess.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. The other thing too is like, you'll see. And I see this. I get the emails all the time about, like, how good the VA is doing, but this is. This is what I would say the VA was really doing good. So it's 18 million. And this is a. A guesstimation. Right. But you see a couple other. There's 18 million veterans in the United States. You know, the DA is only tracking half of those, so you can't be doing that great if 9 million people don't even want to talk to you.

[Jack Murphy]

True.

[Tamir Ransom]

Like, that's. That. That's my. That's my. Like, it's definitely a lot better, but they're still, there's still 50 of us. Don't even. Like, the VA is not even tracking. No benefits, no nothing. No. No health care, no nothing.

[Jack Murphy]

I think the other thing this book does very well is explain, you know, what it's like to be a soldier and then come into the civilian world. And your frame of reference has changed, but the way you write it, you talk about how you have an operating system, you know, like a computer operating system that has been programmed into you as a soldier and that the OS is still running in the background so somewhere it's not just gonna go away.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, I hate to say this, but I think like, creating a soldier or marine or airman or sailor, whatever, it's the greatest, like, brainwashing tool in history, right? Like, you L, like, think about who you were before you joined the military, who you were after you joined. Like, literally in nine weeks, you're a whole different person. Like, they, like, they have like, rebooted your freaking bios, dude. Like, you have a whole new. And then you go to Ranger regiment, right? And then, like, you go to rip, you go to rap, you go all these things, right? Put on that freaking beret. You, like, you are not that same kid who freaking joined the army, you know, however many months ago. And then you start doing deployments and like, your operating system is getting better, you know, I mean, like, because when you're successful, like, you learn from mistakes. You get better. It's like, then you get out and they're like, here's taps, right? Here's here's SFL tap or whatever, and they give you two weeks ago. Yeah, cut all that shit out.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, man. I mean, I've complained about it before and again, I think it's probably better today, but when I went through taps. You talk about this actually in your book about how they have you type in your mos to the computer and it tells you what jobs you're qualified for. So I type in 18 Bravo, hit enter. 1 job comes up. I'm qualified to be a security guard.

[Tamir Ransom]

That's it.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, that's the only. And, and you know, like, you know, you have, you know, some wherewithal. You were a retired sergeant major. I at least had some, some, some something in the back of my brain that was like, ah, that I can do other stuff, you know, but what does that do to like a E4 or an E3 who thinks like, this is the only thing I can do in life. This is my potential is here on this computer screen.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So that's where it stops getting funny, right? Like, yeah, you lose your identity. And then you think you're this one person, you. And you type in that job, and it's like, you could be a security guard. Like, you know exactly what it does to those guys. They start over medicating, right? Like, and they don't get help. Nobody's checking their back. They don't have a team anymore. They're by themselves, right? Like, the VA is not checking on anybody. The VA doesn't care, right? Once you leave, like, you're farting away. You know how it is, man. Like, you might still have a couple buddies that checking on you, but, like, we know the worst happens, right? Like that, that E4. Because, like, that's the. The numbers say it. Like, even now, the highest risk for. For post military service suicide right now are like 20 something euros with no deployments. So you can't say it was war. Yeah, right. So what is it? It's that. That thing right there you're talking about.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. You know, again, leading into, you know, it's a little darker, but we should talk about it. In your book, you talk about suicidal ideation and how a lot of veterans don't actually want to die. They really just want to be able to turn the off switch on their brain for a few hours and get some sleep. Yeah, I think a lot of people don't get that.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, it's we. And I don't have no problem talking about this, right? Like, I was that guy with a freaking pistol in his mouth, right? And again, it wasn't a thing that freaking. Like, I didn't want to die. Like, I love life. I just didn't love how my life was at the time. And I didn't have any other. Any other. At least I didn't think I had any other option, right? And it was like, I'm in pain all the time. I'm having headaches. Like, you know, freaking married, divorced three, four times, right? Like, most guys, right? Like, and you, like, you don't get. You don't know who the hell your kids are. Your kids don't know you. And, like, you're straight. You're ghost in the show, right? And it's like, you can't even say stuff like that, all right, without wanting. Destroying your career when you're still in. Yeah. And then two, somebody wanting to freaking take your goddamn shoelaces when you're like, hey, man, like, I just need something. Like, the answer right now is SSRIs, right? And like, that makes you, you know, that makes you freaking fat. You start gaining weight, your junk doesn't work. As a man, like, it's just it, it sets you up to have this cyclic like, I don't know, like noise thing in your head and like start again. You start self medicating, you start drinking. It's just, it's a, it's a, it's a horrible cycle. But we don't talk about that enough. Like there's. They're getting better, right? I'm glad that. Especially recently, right, with the psychedelics thing. But like just that right now, the conversation we're having right now, I don't think that conversation has had

[Jack Murphy]

that. It doesn't happen until recently.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So like it's like nobody. It's a thing of where they are trying. The whole point of the book was it's not any one thing. It's all those things that I talk about, right? That's what's the reason why the book started. Somebody asked me the question of why are veterans committing suicide? And I think they were looking for one answer. It's not one answer. It's all those things, man. And it's like once, once people start paying attention and looking at it holistically and looking at the veteran as a whole and not like, oh, this guy got PTSD or this guy did like, no, it's. Or you know, this female did this. Look at the whole freaking system right now and have this conversation me and you're having right now. Allow people to have that conversation without any taboo or any type of stipulations and less people kill themselves, guaranteed.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, no, absolutely, man. What was. I mean, you talk in the book about how, you know it is important and I agree to go to VA and make the system work. Make it work for you. Figure out how it works. What did, what was kind of your way forward. What did you find was helpful?

[Tamir Ransom]

I can't remember the exact like chapter, but it was, you know, the whole thing, man. You probably said it right, like what's good in life, right? And, and you would. Oh yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

What is best in life.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, right. It's like that used to be my answer. And I would have told you that, that crap like years ago, but now it's like you need adrenaline, right? So you need to scare the out of yourself every day. Whatever that means to you. You need a purpose and you need a tribe, dude. Or you need your, you need your pack, right? So that was the changes for me, right? So like getting out there and doing stuff. Hell, this podcast, right? I'm not, like, even as a starting major dude, like, I was always a worker, right? Like, so public speaking and slowing down and getting my thoughts together. Right? And try not to curse so much. Like, so, like, that scare me, right? Like, not, like, I'm not afraid of anything, but you understand, right? Like, that's a. That's a form of adrenaline, right? Getting out my comfort zone. I ride with a bunch of really, really good dudes. That's my pack. Right. And then my purpose is helping other veterans and getting. Telling our story, like, the proper way, where without a bunch of, like, medical stuff that really doesn't apply to us.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. Yeah. I, I, that's, again, what I liked about the book. It's not a pity party. That's not what it's about. It's not about, like, feeling sorry for guys. That's really not the point. It's just about getting help and getting the steps that you need to take to get where you need to go.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yep. And I figure, like. And that's the other thing is, like, like, writing a book in polishing it scared the hell out of me, dude, because I'm like, hey, there's parts in that book where I'm vulnerable as hell.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

Right. But I would rather be that one guy that saves 20 other dudes. Right? Like, oh, this, you know, default sergeant major can say it like, all right, I'm gonna go talk to somebody.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, absolutely. There's even a chapter in here about why telling a veteran thank you for your service is kind of awkward. I mean, every chapter in this book, I felt like, yeah, I know exactly what this guy's talking about.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. No, I appreciate that. That. I get that one. It's. It is the conversation before it starts. Right. Like, Right. I mean, I get it Again, I'm a data guy, right? So, like, I've researched to figure out why the hell is anybody like. But I don't know what to say to that. Right. Thank you for your service. I. I usually say thank you or, okay, like, I've never really said, you're welcome. It's just so awkward, dude. Like, it's over. Correction for how bad they treated Vietnam vets.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. And, I mean, I understand the intent behind it, and, you know, we'll say thank you, but I feel like, you know, most veterans learn quite quickly that they kind of, like, want to hear something positive come away with a good feeling from that interaction, but they really don't want to hear you telling the kinds of stories that we talk about on this podcast.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

That Makes that gets awkward for them, I think.

[Tamir Ransom]

Think. Yeah. So that's what I try to. Like, obviously in the book, I joke about, you know, you know, you know, hit me with like, donde esty biblioteca or something, right. Like, just ask me, like, where did I serve? Right. Like, you know, what was my job? Like, most veterans want to talk about stuff. Like, they just want to be heard, man. Like, they want. They want people to, like, we want people to understand them. But like, when you say thank you for your service, it's just like, all right, I'm out. I don't hear your crazy. You got going on.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, yeah. I do think there's a desire for recognition. Not like personal recognition, but more like a country wide recognition that these wars took place, that they happened.

[Tamir Ransom]

Right.

[Jack Murphy]

Otherwise it's, you know, the guys out there who served, it feels sort of like this collective fever dream we all had. And you're sort of like, did that really happen?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, it's like, yeah, we're gonna be talking about this five years from now. People like, nah, this is a Mandela effect. Right. We didn't go to war.

[Jack Murphy]

What. What else in the, in the book? So you talk about alternative treatments that guys can take a look at as well. The stellan ganglion block, some of the psychedelics. There's. There's recently on Netflix a documentary about the seals going down to Mexico and doing the. I think it was EBA game.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. I began in ayahuasca.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. And it's a really good documentary. People should go check it out if they have the chance. But, you know, people think on this, or you could think on the surface of it, like, oh, these seals are going down to Mexico and tripping balls. Well, that's not really what's happening there, is that they are going down there and doing that because every other treatment they've received thus far has failed them. And they are looking for some measure of relief that you mention in your book that this operating system is running full tilt until it starts malfunctioning. And it just wants some relief from that. And. And some guys, you know, have found it in psychedelics.

[Tamir Ransom]

I agree. So I'll. So the stuff that the seals are doing. Here's the cool thing about that. Right. It's not obviously, you know, Right. People don't watch the. The documentary. Basically they have to go to Mexico because it started in Canada, right.

[Jack Murphy]

And

[Tamir Ransom]

that treatment facility and that doctor who did that, basically we're getting people to quit Heroin, one of the most addictive drugs on the Planet. Right. From one treatment, from one session. Right. So it was like, however long it lasts, like, you know, three, four days or whatever. Right. One person died. One person. And the reason why, Dodge, he lied on his freaking form and was like, they actually. Have you done any drugs? And blah, blah. And like the whole, the whole platform and the whole thing that they do is probably the most well put together. They have doctors on call, like, they, they monitor your heart rate, do all stuff. But the one guy who died from it had done heroin like two days prior. So his heart gave out on him. And it wasn't because of the freaking ibogaine, it was because of the freaking heroin. Right. But Canada shut them down, so they had to move everything to Mexico. But you have guys going down there and finding a bunch of relief and becoming what I would say, becoming human again. So I am a huge fan of psychedelics. I'm a huge fan of sgb. I've done all four, like, and the dual. So two on this side, two on that side. Slept for the first time in freaking years, man. Like, after they did the first. The first set on that side and I did the ketamine treatment through a nonprofit for. For that, like, I went back to my hotel room and I would say, I think I slept like 13 hours straight. Wow. And it was like, it wasn't like that. That weird. You just land. Like, I legitimately slept 13 hours straight. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

It's like you blinked and it's daylight suddenly.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. And I was like, I wanted to go for a run. Like, I felt amazing. Like, I felt. I haven't felt that good in years. So I'm a huge fan of like alternative options over just putting somebody on freaking Xanax for the rest of their freaking life. Because, like, that's another thing. Like, a lot of these guys are doing these. If you don't know, a lot of these guys are doing these treatments, whether it's like cybercillin or ibogaine or some type of dmt. And they are coming off of all drugs, like to include alcohol and cigarettes. Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah. I know a couple people like that who've came back and like, they just don't drink anymore.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, I don't drink anymore. Not saying I went down to Mexico, but something similar. But I. I drink for my birthday, but I used to be the guy who couldn't take one drink. I couldn't just do one drink, but now I can, right? But I don't drink anymore. I drink for my birthday. I drink for New Year's and like, I have no urge to drink.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah.

[Jack Murphy]

Any other main points from your book that you'd like to talk about?

[Tamir Ransom]

The, I'll say, kind of the two part civilian thing. I don't know how many civilians watch the show. Right? But like the, the hiring piece, because you said you're, you know, you're 18 Broadway, right. And then the, the differences that I outline or lay out in the. Between officers enlisted, right? Not knocking officers, but like, I think we get the, the bad rap when it comes to veterans, right. And I'll back that up with numbers. LinkedIn, right? Like an officer with the same job will get on LinkedIn, like LinkedIn did the study and they will get offered, I think 40% more likely to get offered the executive position over enlisted guy. And so I'll use you if you, you know, if you're 18 Bravo, right? Like a team sergeant, whatever. Right. Even if you weren't. But like, you look at that, that team, that 18 alpha, right? He leads the team for what, one or two years and then that team sergeant might have that team for, yeah, like multiple rotations. But he's also leading foreigners and speaking a different language, right? Like, who has more leadership experience, him or an officer. I don't think a lot of civilians understand that.

[Jack Murphy]

I, I think, you know, we, we can also use, use it as an example that for you to retire and go into the civilian world and trying to get a job and people ask, well, what did you do in the military? And you say, I was an EOD sergeant Major in Delta Force. Everyone who watches this podcast knows that's cool. Like, okay, yeah, that's, that's awesome. But you go into a corporate boardroom and they hear that and they're like, what is a sergeant major? What is eod? What is. What is Delta? And even after you explain all three of those things to them, they're still sort of like, mystified. Like their brain doesn't know how to process that.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah. So it's funny, I've told people, like, you know what a mass chief is, right? Like Halo. Yeah. Okay. I was one of those. And I was like, you see the show Team Six, right? Like, yeah, I was an army version of that, right? Like, oh, Thanksgiving. Like, like, this is the only way I can freaking. They built a better brand, right? So, like, it's funny, like, I have to use Halo and Navy rank and Navy units to, to get my, my worth across, right? So it's, it's. Yeah, that, that's funny to me, man.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, I remember that.

[Tamir Ransom]

I can't blame civilians for it, right? I can't blame them for it. Like, it's not their fault.

[Jack Murphy]

Master chief did so much for enlisted veterans.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, this is the truth, man. Like, I have, like, when I tell people I'm a start major, the first thing they say, which it doesn't piss me off anymore, but it used to. Like, that's like a sergeant, right? I'm like, no, you. You know, I mean, like, no, it's not like, it's nothing like a sergeant. And so I was like, you know, I was a master chief. Like, oh, like Halo. Yes, exactly.

[Jack Murphy]

Like, yeah, no, I mean, you know when you tell people you were a Ranger, and they're like, I didn't know the army had park rangers. That's crazy. And you try to explain it to them and they're like, is that like a Marine? And you're just like, yeah, yeah, it's like a Marine. Yeah, okay.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, I. I've had that. Like, oh, you're a Ranger regiment. It's like, Marine, right? Yeah, but we don't eat crayons. I don't know. Like, I love Marines. Like, like. But yeah, that's funny, man.

[Jack Murphy]

So again, the. The book is Mind of a soldier, 34 laws of war, after the War. So as the title suggests, 34 chapters in here, each laying out something different that veterans need to know. And also, this is a good book for family members to. To understand what their loved one is going through and experiencing and if they. Seems like they have a short fuse, why that is. You know, it's not that they don't like you. There's other things going on in the background. Where can people find the book?

[Tamir Ransom]

Amazon. So it's all on Amazon and Goodreads, but Amazon is number one. So as Kindle paperback, hardback, and.

[Jack Murphy]

And we'll have links down in the description for the viewers or listeners. They want to go and check that out. Another thing maybe I should mention at least in passing here, because of your background. What about traumatic brain injury and what that does to the soldiers, the veterans, and how that sort of interacts with some of the other ailments that they're kind of dealing with.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. So there is. When you. When you take a bunch of, like, hits to, like, the. The prefrontal cortex, it starts to, like, develop, like, white or gray matter. It depends, like, who you talk to, what they're. What they call it. But what that does is. Is eats out. It eats away at that lining that's, like, in your brain. And one of the crazy things is that, like, as that goes away, you lose your. You lose your ability to, like, make good choices, essentially. Right? Another symptom is, like, anger, and essentially, like, the stuff that made us warriors, right, like, downrange it. Those are the symptoms, which is crazy as hell. So a lot of people are like, oh, it's. This is why a lot of PTSD symptoms and TBI symptoms, they can't tell if you have TBI or PTSD because they're. They're similar, right? And they kind of just like, go hand in hand, and they'll tell you it's unspecified or whatever. But then you combine that with lack of sleep because you're in pain, which puts on more anger. And obviously, we all know how it is when we lose a bunch of sleep. And so you're running on fumes, you're in pain, and you potentially have a bunch of traumatic brain injuries, right? Because it's not just like. Like I said, I've been blown. I stopped counting at 40, dude. So I don't know how many concussion events I've had, right? I couldn't tell you, but it's the same symptoms as ptsd. And don't let anybody tell you it's just PTSD if you've got your. You got rocked a couple times, right? Like, and the other thing. I didn't really put this too much in the book, but something else. That guy should start getting checked out because it's. It's real hot and heavy on Congress right now with. With the hyperbaric oxygen, you know, Chambers, now that they're talking about giving AS VA treatments the haps.

[Jack Murphy]

Chambers.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah. Yeah. So it's like, basically they're doing these like. Like these oxygen chambers now that from a high altitude, like, high altitude standpoint, and high altitude being anything over 3000ft, not like 1800ft, but obviously, if you jumped out of planes and did Halo ops, same difference. But that is reversing the effects of, like, TBI and. And some of this other stuff. Yeah, dude. Like, it's. It's. If you look it up, dude, like, Congress is having this whole thing now where they want to start offering that to. To soldiers now, where it's like, you get to go. And he's. I've done it a couple times. It's actually really, really. You feel really good. Like, they're giving you oxygen and, like, doing some other. I don't know all the science behind it because I haven't studied it much, but I've done it in the. It used to be only non profits offered it. But I think that is going through Congress now for, for the VA to start offering that. So if you look up like it's called like H. Pocker or something like that, like just look at oxygen chambers in Congress and then that's going through the whole process now. But that helps a lot with TBI and, and some of the symptoms for PTSD as well because again, those symptoms are very similar. So.

[Jack Murphy]

And I, I guess to wrap up, I'd like to ask sort of like where you've landed in your journey. You said you work in tech now?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, yeah, I do. I'm like the AI guru for a lot of these non profits, man. I mentor veterans who want to get to tech because they are afraid that they, they can't. But and then as a hobby, I, I own three service dogs. I have three service dogs. So I try to pair non soft members with service dogs who can't get them from soft like organizations.

[Jack Murphy]

Gotcha. Gotcha. That's super cool.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, man, that's my, my purpose is helping veterans, dude, to, to try to stop that, that number from climbing every year.

[Jack Murphy]

Where can people find you online? Are you on social media or LinkedIn or anything?

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, so I'm on LinkedIn under my name, Tamir Ransom. And then on social media, Mind of a Soldier has a bunch of pages like, we're not super active, but if they look at my name so they'll find us, just hit me up. I usually answer anybody?

[Jack Murphy]

Awesome, man. Again, I highly recommend people go and take a look at the book, especially transitioning veterans. Better to read this early on rather than wait a few years and have to learn the ropes yourself.

[Tamir Ransom]

Yeah, I appreciate that, man.

[Jack Murphy]

Tamir, thank you so much for doing this interview tonight. Really appreciate it. Any final thoughts before we get going?

[Tamir Ransom]

No, I just appreciate the opportunity, man. Thanks for all the feedback on the book, man. Seriously, like, I'm honored and grateful.

[Jack Murphy]

Yeah, absolutely. I loved it. And for everyone else, we'll see you guys next week. Appreciate you joining us tonight.

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[Jack Murphy]

Hey guys, I want to take a moment to tell you about the Team House Podcast newsletter. If you go and subscribe, it's totally free and what it will do is aggregate all of our data, all of our content that we put out, the things that are on the Team House on our Geopolitics podcast. Eyes on things that I write journalistically with Sean Naylor. On the high side, anything else that we have going on books, we recommend upcoming guests that we have coming on the show and also, you know, filtering in some fun stuff in there as well if you'll go and check it out. We send it out just once a week. We don't want to spam you guys. It's just a kind of roll up of all of our content on a weekly basis. You can find our [e-mail] join again. The website for that is teamhousepodcast kit.com join so we hope to see you there. The link will be down in the description.

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[Jack Murphy]

Foreign

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Lots of places can accidentally expose you to identity theft. Doctor's offices, online retailers, insurance companies. The list goes on. Thankfully, Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. LifeLock keeps an eye on your personal information, credit applications, finances and more. And if they find anything suspicious, like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, they alert you right away, all through text, phone, email or the Lifelock app. Even better, alerts are automatically activated the moment you become a Lifelock member. No extra work on your part. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Don't wait. Join LifeLock now. Visit LifeLock lifelock.com iHeart and save up to 30% your first year. That's LifeLock.com iHeart for 30% off terms apply.

[Tamir Ransom]

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[Tamir Ransom]

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Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Ready to save. It's time for cyber deals. Kick off summer with fresh savings that brighten the season. You don't want to miss these exclusive week long digital offers on your favorite products that are only available when you shop online. Save on eligible items from Gatorade, Oreo, Frito, Lay and Dove. Only available now through June 16th on pickup or delivery orders only restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[LifeLock Announcer]

Lots of places can accidentally expose you to identity theft. Doctor's offices, online retailers, insurance companies, the list goes on. Thankfully, Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. LifeLock keeps an eye on your personal information, credit applications, finances and more. And if they find find anything suspicious like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, they alert you right away. All through text, phone, email or the Lifelock app. Even better alerts are automatically activated the moment you become a Lifelock member. No extra work on your part. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Don't wait. Join LifeLock now. Visit lifelock.com iheart and save the up to 30% your first year. That's lifelock.com iheart for 30% off terms apply

[Lady Luck]

hey guys, Lady Luck here. Are you going on any road trips this summer? I know I'm going to be going on a bunch of road trips and being that I'm going to be passenger Princess I Love playing on Spinquest.com Spinquest has all of my favorite slot games. Live blackjack, live craps. Head on over to Spinquest right now and get yourself a 30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Spin Quest Announcer]

Spin Quest is a free to play social casino Boyd where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway ready to save. It's time for cyber deals. Kick off summer with fresh savings that brighten the season. You don't want to miss these exclusive week long digital offers on your favorite products that are only available when you shop online. Save on eligible items from Jack Links, Celsius, Chobani International Delight and Too Good Only available now through June 16th on pickup or delivery orders only. Restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[LifeLock Announcer]

Lots of places can accidentally expose you to identity theft. Doctor's offices, online retailers, insurance companies, the list goes on. Thankfully, Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. Lifelock keeps an eye on your personal information, credit applications, finances and more. And if they find anything suspicious like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, they alert you right away. All through text, phone, email or the Lifelock app Evening. Even better, alerts are automatically activated the moment you become a Lifelock member. No extra work on your part. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Don't wait. Join LifeLock now. Visit lifelock.com iheart and save up to 30% your first year. That's lifelock.com iheart for 30% off terms apply.

[Lady Luck]

Hey guys, Lady Luck here. Are you going on any road trips this summer? I know I'm going to be going on a bunch of road trips and being that I'm going to be passenger Princess, I Love playing on Spinquest.com Spinquest has all of my favorite slot games. Live Blackjack, live craps. Head on over to Spin Quest right now and get yourself a $30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Spin Quest Announcer]

Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Ready to save it's time for cyber deals. Kick off summer with fresh savings that brighten the season. You don't want to miss these exclusive week long digital offers on your favorite products that are only available when you shop online. Save on eligible items from Gatorade, Oreo, Frito, Lay and Dove. Only available now through June 16th on pickup or delivery orders only restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[LifeLock Announcer]

Lots of places can accidentally expose you to identity theft. Doctor's offices, online retailers, insurance companies. The list goes on. Thankfully, Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. LifeLock keeps an eye on your personal information, credit applications, finances and more. And if they find find anything suspicious like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, they alert you right away, all through text, phone, email or the LifeLock app. Even better, alerts are automatically activated the moment you become a Lifelock member. No extra work on your part. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Don't wait. Join LifeLock now. Visit lifelock.com iheart and save the up to 30% your first year. That's lifelock.com iheart for 30% off terms apply.

[Jack Murphy]

What's up everybody? It's Bretzky and America is turning 250

[Tamir Ransom]

and I can't think of a better way to celebrate that than playing on an American owned social casino. Spinquest.com with all of your favorite games, live craft bubble, crap apps, live Blackjack, there's no better place to play for

[Jack Murphy]

free and win real cash prizes.

[Spin Quest Announcer]

Spinquest.com Spin Quest is a free to play social casino. Boyd where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Ready to save. It's time for cyber deals. Kick off summer with fresh savings that brighten the season. You don't want to miss these exclusive week long digital offers on your favorite products that are only available when you shop online. Save on eligible items from Gatorade, Oreo, Frito, Lay and Dove. Only available now through June 16th on pickup or delivery orders only. Restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[LifeLock Announcer]

Lots of places can accidentally expose you to identity theft. Doctor's offices, online retailers, insurance companies. The list goes on. Thankfully, Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. LifeLock keeps an eye on your personal information Credit applications, finances and more. And if they find anything suspicious, like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, they alert you right away. All through text, phone, email or the LifeLock app. Even better, alerts are automatically activated the moment you become a Lifelock member. No extra work on your part. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Don't wait. Join LifeLock now. Visit lifelock.com iheart and save up to 30% your first year. That's lifelock.com iheart for 30% off. Terms apply.

[Lady Luck]

Hey everybody, lady luck here and we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. Now all summer long I'm going to be celebrating by playing on spinquest.com which is an American owned social casino. It obviously features over a thousand slot games and live blackjack, live craps, live bubble craps. Head on over to spinquest.com get yourself a thirty dollar coin pack for just ten bucks.

[Spin Quest Announcer]

Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Ready to save. It's time for cyber deals. Kick off summer with fresh savings that brighten the season. You don't want to miss these exclusive week long digital offers on your favorite products that are only available when you shop online. Save on eligible items from Jack Links, Celsius, Chobani, International Delight and Too Good. Only available now through June 16th on pickup or delivery orders only restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[Bluff]

What's going on everyone? It's bluff here. And you know what's more American than America's 250th birthday? Supporting American owned companies like Spinquest, America's number one social casino with over a thousand games like Live Dealer, Blackjack and Craps. They're offering new users a 30 coin package for just $10. Go to spinquest.com and sign up today.

[Spin Quest Announcer]

Spinquest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[LifeLock Announcer]

Lots of places can expose you to identity theft. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. If we find anything suspicious like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, we alert you right away all through text, phone, email or the LifeLock app. Save up to 30% your first year. Visit lifelock.com iheart Terms apply.