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Peaches sits down with retired Sergeant Major Taamir Ransome, an Army EOD veteran and author of Mind of a Soldier, to talk about EOD, transition, veteran suicide, purpose after service, and what happens when the war is over but the fight is not.
Taamir walks through growing up in New Jersey, joining the Army with a GED, starting out in radar repair, attempting SFAS, and eventually finding his way into Explosive Ordnance Disposal. He explains the differences between Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force EOD, what makes the career field so small, and why EOD school is one of the hardest technical schools in the military.
The conversation also gets into deployments, working around Special Operations Forces, wild stories from Iraq, and the reality that the military creates people who are calibrated differently than the rest of society.
Then the episode turns toward Taamir’s book, Mind of a Soldier: 34 Laws for the War After the War. He talks about veteran suicide, transition, moral injury, finding purpose, nonprofits, service dogs, mentorship, and why veterans need to find a new pack and a new mission after leaving the uniform behind.
This one is about more than war stories. It is about what comes next.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, Ones Ready, and Operator Training Summit
04:05 - Meet Retired SGM Taamir Ransome
05:07 - Growing Up in New Jersey
05:40 - Family Military History and Crazy Uncle Jerry
07:39 - Joining the Army With a GED
09:39 - The Cheat Code for Getting Mom On Board
10:23 - GEDs, Recruiting, and the Military
12:05 - From Radar Repair to EOD
12:23 - SFAS, the 82nd, and Finding EOD
13:27 - Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force EOD Differences
16:32 - Why Navy EOD Supports SOF
18:07 - Taamir’s EOD Career
19:23 - How Small the EOD Community Is
21:01 - EOD School and Joint Service Training
21:42 - Deployment Stories and EOD Reality
24:26 - Iraq, Targeting, and Wild Stories
27:19 - Mind of a Soldier
28:00 - Why Veterans Are Killing Themselves
29:16 - Being Calibrated Differently After War
30:10 - Suicide, Policy, and Personal Responsibility
31:37 - Purpose, Pack, and Fighting the Noise
34:44 - Finding a New Mission
35:25 - Moral Injury and Mentoring the Next Generation
40:48 - STEM, AI, and Teaching Kids
42:05 - Training Service Dogs for Veterans
43:05 - Conventional Veterans and SOF Access
44:28 - Veteran Nonprofits and Finding Help
47:51 - VFW, DAV, and the Next Generation
49:11 - Podcasts, Trust, and Reaching Veterans
53:09 - Quiet Professional vs. Silent Professional
54:34 - The Price of Service
55:21 - Where to Find Taamir
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Trent jumps on solo to clear the air on the Zulu course ruck controversy, the role of Ones Ready, and why accountability matters when training risk crosses the line.
This episode breaks down who Aaron, Peaches, and Trent are, what their backgrounds are, and why they are not just random people throwing rocks from the internet. Trent explains his time in Air Education and Training Command, how curriculum actually gets built, what active duty instructors do and do not control, and why people need to understand the difference between writing content, developing training, and owning a formal course.
Then he gets into the real issue: the reported 117-pound ruck, heat injuries, hospitalized students, operational risk management, instructor responsibility, and why a large number of failures or casualties on one event usually points back to instruction, planning, risk management, or leadership decisions.
Trent makes it clear that this is not about attacking TACP, Special Warfare Training Wing, or any one career field. It is about protecting candidates, holding the process accountable, and making sure the training meets the intent without unnecessarily putting students’ lives at risk.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro and Sponsors
01:00 - Trent Solo and Why This Episode Matters
01:56 - Who Aaron, Peaches, and Trent Actually Are
03:19 - Aaron’s AETC and Pararescue Schoolhouse Background
04:00 - Trent’s AETC and Pipeline Experience
05:34 - How Air Force Curriculum Actually Works
08:00 - Lessons From Trent’s First Instructor Tour
10:20 - Why Ones Ready Uses Reels and Spicy Clips
12:43 - Accountability, Mistakes, and Community Standards
16:21 - Why the Zulu Ruck Had to Be Addressed
17:26 - Candidate Safety and Appropriate Training Risk
19:52 - Heat Injuries, San Antonio, and Life-Threatening Risk
22:21 - Leadership, Communication, and Operational Risk Management
24:48 - Instructor Responsibility During Dangerous Events
27:15 - This Is Not About Burning Down TACP
28:37 - Fix the Problem and Own the Mistake
29:42 - Final Message: Feelings Aren’t Accountability
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Aaron, Trent, and Peaches sit down to talk through the ongoing concerns around the Zulu course ruck, heat casualties, instructor accountability, and whether TACP-specific standards should have ever been applied across the entire Air Force Special Warfare pipeline.
The team breaks down why the ruck event has become such a major issue, what makes the progression questionable, how the Zulu course ended up with a ruck standard pulled from TACP requirements, and why the problem is bigger than one bad day in San Antonio heat.
They also address the difference between hard training and bad programming, the role of instructional drift, why students may not feel safe giving honest feedback, and why parents, candidates, instructors, and leadership all deserve transparency when multiple students end up hospitalized.
This episode is not about lowering standards. It is about applying the right standards at the right time, protecting students from preventable injury, and fixing a system before it breaks more people.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, and ATACLETE
03:16 - Why the Team Is Talking About the Zulu Ruck
04:21 - Message to Training Wing Leadership
05:26 - Where the Ruck Standard Came From
06:17 - Should This Ruck Be in Zulu?
06:40 - Trent on Zulu Course Purpose and Overtraining
08:14 - Apprentice Course vs. Zulu Course Standards
08:28 - The 65-Pound Dry Weight Argument
10:51 - Zulu Foot March Standards
12:56 - Applying TACP Requirements Across AFSPECWAR
15:08 - Why the Ruck Progression Does Not Make Sense
17:37 - Proper Ruck Progression and TF Voodoo Lessons
20:03 - Development, BMT, SWAS, and No Real Ruck Build-Up
21:53 - Why Water Training Was Added to SWAS
24:59 - Feedback From Former TACP
26:06 - TACP Requirements vs. PJ, CCT, and SR Requirements
27:47 - Operational Requirements and Bad Logic
28:39 - Heat Casualties Were the Warning Sign
29:46 - Lower-Leg Injuries and Long-Term Damage
30:24 - Comparing Zulu Heat Casualties to Indoc
32:48 - Instructor Judgment and Training Intent
34:46 - Toxic Comments and Public Accountability
36:01 - Blaming Students for Heat Casualties
38:27 - Plate Carriers, Plates, and Student Safety
40:52 - Toxic Culture and When to Amputate the Problem
42:35 - New Leadership and Fixing the Course
43:20 - Giving Leadership Room to Fix It
44:17 - The Thunderbirds Example
47:06 - Asking Leadership for Help
48:30 - Final Thoughts and Members-Only Preview
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

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Collabs:
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18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
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Peaches sits down with retired SOF-TACP Clint “Dragon” to talk TACP, Special Tactics, mission planning, leadership, problem solving, and what separates a good operator from someone who just looks good on paper.
Dragon walks through growing up around Fort Bragg, joining the Air Force in 2006, originally looking at CCT, choosing TACP, starting at the 15th ASOS, assessing for the 17th STS, and spending the majority of his career in the Special Operations side of the TACP world.
The conversation gets into the difference between conventional and SOF-TACP life, the mindset shift in the career field, entitlement, grit, the danger of over-reliance on technology, and why the next generation is more capable than people give them credit for — but still needs to be led.
Dragon also breaks down mission planning, danger close strikes, JTAC creativity, command presence, briefing under pressure, training younger guys, taking a knee when family life is burning down, and why the best operators are complex problem solvers who can still win a fight.
The episode also covers retirement, fatherhood, false accusations, private sector friction, writing a book, TBI and PTSD treatment options, and why passing lessons to the next generation still matters.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, Operator Training Summit, and Modern Athlete
03:24 - Meet Clint “Dragon”
03:39 - Growing Up Around Fort Bragg
04:06 - Choosing TACP Over CCT
06:36 - How the TACP Pipeline Has Changed
07:32 - 15th ASOS, Deployments, and Assessing for SOF-TACP
08:14 - Conventional TACP vs SOF-TACP
09:05 - Mindset Changes in the TACP Career Field
12:06 - PhDs Who Can Win Bar Fights
13:00 - Grit, Diva Mentality, and Human Performance Support
14:14 - You Are Never Fully Ready
15:20 - Building Problem Solving Skills
16:49 - Briefing, Command Presence, and Pressure
18:21 - Training and Equipping the Team
19:03 - Team Sergeant Challenges
21:25 - Knowing When to Take a Knee
23:21 - Death, Mission Focus, and Moving Forward
25:24 - TCCC, Emotions, and Critical Thinking
27:35 - Mission Planning and JTAC Expertise
29:39 - Danger Close and When Things Go Wrong
32:26 - Quiet Professional vs Silent Professional
33:45 - Lessons Learned From Mistakes
35:20 - Attention to Detail in Training
37:58 - Translating SOF Lessons to Real Life
40:33 - The Next Generation of Warfighters
42:26 - Technology as a Tool, Not a Crutch
43:57 - Training, Leadership, and Knowing Your People
46:02 - Keep It Simple and Master the Basics
47:16 - Stress Inoculation and Staying Calm
48:59 - Managing the Stack and Target Area Chaos
49:40 - Retirement, Family, and Recovery
51:30 - Where to Find Dragon
52:37 - Private Sector, Business, and Protecting Ideas
54:27 - Writing a Book and Giving People Their Flowers
56:23 - False Accusations and Career Damage
59:24 - Reconnecting After Retirement
01:00:29 - MERT, TMS, PTSD, and TBI Treatment
01:02:44 - Outreach Project and Veteran Support
01:04:10 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

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This episode is a reminder that history—and your life—can turn on one brutal decision. Peaches breaks down George Washington’s darkest hour, when he was losing battles, losing men, and nearly losing the war. Then came one audacious move: crossing the Delaware in a snowstorm when everyone thought the fight was over. This isn’t a history lesson—it’s a mindset check. When momentum is gone, excuses are easy, and quitting feels justified, bold action is the only thing that changes outcomes. If you’re waiting for perfect conditions, you’re already behind.
⏱️ Timestamps:
 00:00 Ones Ready intro and reset
 01:50 The butterfly effect and small decisions
 03:05 America’s 1776 situation was collapsing
 06:45 Washington’s failures and near replacement
 08:40 The gamble: crossing the Delaware
 11:35 The impossible attack at Trenton
 13:25 One decision changes everything
 15:50 What this means for your life today
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Support the show
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE

Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE
Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com

Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY
DFND Apparel...