Episode
Leading Special Forces Selection, Media Battles, and the Fight for Veteran Suicide Reform | Ep. 285 | Pt. 3
- Podcast
- Mike Drop
- Published
- Apr 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4308
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mike-drop-63606/episodes/leading-special-forces-selection-media-battles-and-the-fight-for-veteran-suicide-reform-ep-285-pt-3/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/mike-drop-63606/leading-special-forces-selection-media-battles-and-the-fight-for-veteran-suicide-reform-ep-285-pt-3.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Former Australian 2nd Commando Regiment officer and combat veteran Heston Russell opens up about his personal journey, including coming to terms with his sexuality while serving, family reactions, and the cultural differences in veteran support between Australia and the United States. He details his exchange posting with the 75th Ranger Regiment, a later deployment to Iraq in a joint special operations planning role, insights into high-level interagency operations, and the challenges of transitioning out of the military. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices