Today we have a great interview with 24 year retired Marine and best selling author of Echo in Ramadi, Scott Huesing. Scott led the “magnificent bastards” of 2/4 Marines during one of the most brutal periods of the post-9/11 war from 2006 into 2007 during the Surge.
Scott went from self-described terrible high school student to enlisted Marine to Mustang (a Marine Officer who was formerly Enlisted), serving on 10 deployments in multiple countries.
In this episode, Scott takes into an intense fight to extract several pinned down Marines that included bringing M1A1s along to losing his first casualty just weeks into the deployment.
Since leaving the service, Scott wrote the best selling book Echo in Ramadi, has helped others write their own books, run non-profits, and more. With that, please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with someone who made it through some of the hardest fighting in the war.
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🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
00:33 Introduction to Combat Story
00:52 Interview with Scott Houston
01:08 Scott's Early Life and Military Career
03:17 Bob Hamer's Undercover Work
07:36 Scott's High School Days and Joining the Marines
12:57 Marine Corps Brotherhood and Relationships
15:17 James Livingston and the Magnificent Bastards
21:30 Desert Shield and Desert Storm
26:37 9/11 and Its Impact
33:50 Preparing for Ramadi
42:12 The Surge Strategy and Urban Combat
43:48 Daily Firefights and Enemy Encounters
44:13 Super Bowl of Combat: Metrics of Success
44:57 Army vs. Marines: Different Approaches
46:08 Commanders and Combat Strategies
48:43 Living and Fighting in Ramadi
54:29 First Casualty: Corporal Dustin Libby
59:36 Compartmentalizing and Continuing the Fight
01:04:42 Challenges of Urban Warfare
01:08:18 The Bond Among Marines
01:15:31 Writing and Reliving the Stories
01:20:54 Celebrity Softball Classic and Philanthropy
01:26:34 Final Reflections and Encouragement to Serve
