Today we have a Combat Story where we bring two F-15E Strike Eagle aviators - a front seater and backseater - together to talk about what it was like flying at the same time and some of the adventures that come with that life. Both Tom “Gunny” Moser and Mike “Pako” Benitez are decorated aviators, both Fighter Weapons School qualified and both former Marines (Tom an 0311 and Mike a helicopter aircrew member and door gunner). We interviewed both Gunny and Pako individually if you’re curious about their other near misses and danger close shots (or the origins of their call signs…Pako shared his call sign origin story with us on air for the first time!).
Pako now distributes The Merge newsletter that provides an inside and more fun look at the defense industry with over 20K subscribers and hosts The Merge podcast. Gunny is now a commercial airline pilot flying domestic routes across the US.
Special thanks to Ryan “Stinger” Fishel for connecting us with these two vets and with that, please enjoy this rare opportunity to hear from two combat aviators together!
Join hundreds of others with our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan each week about the show, life, and the military.
This episode was sponsored by Give Legacy.
Listeners can use the code COMBATSTORY to get 10% off everything on the site
You can find out more by going to www.givelegacy.com. That’s givelegacy.com.
🔗 Find Mike Online:
- The Merge https://themerge.co/
- The Merge Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheMergeMedia
🔗 Find Ryan Online:
- Ryan’s Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory
- Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats...
- Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory
- Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial
- Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial
- Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus
- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Join hundreds of others with our weekly Combat Check-In Newsletter (www.combatstory.com/newsletter) to get a short email from Ryan each week about the show, life, and the military.
👇 Show Notes:
00:00 - Introduction
00:55 - Guest Profile: Mike Benitez
00:19 - Marines Becoming Friends
03:28 - Mike and Tom First Meeting
10:32 - Teachings in Fighter Weapons School
22:25 - Mike's Close Calls
31:09:12 - Tom's Close Calls
41:44 - Flying Together Down Range
51:16 - Working With Foreign Forces
01:00:56 - Dropping Bombs
01:28:09 - What Do You Miss Most
01:36:48 - Listener Feedback
Fighter Pilot (French Mirage 2000), Special Forces Pilot, French Intelligence Officer - Jack Beaumont Round 2
French Combat Fighter Pilot & DGSE Intel Officer | MIrage2000 Pilot | Author of The Frenchman | Jack Beaumont Round 1
Delta Force Operator Shot on Mission | Starting Coffee and Cigar Company | Brent Tucker - Round 2
Brent Tucker - ADA to ODA to Delta Force | Operations at the Tip of the Spear | Round 1
JSOC (Regimental Reconnaissance Company) OMEGA (JSOC-CIA Hunter Killer Teams) Expert Breacher and Free Fall Mike Edwards Round 2
JSOC (Regimental Reconnaissance Company), OMEGA (JSOC-CIA Hunter Killer Teams), Expert Breacher and Free Fall, Plus Earning a Silver Star in Combat - Mike Edwards Round 1
Day of Infamy | Pearl Harbor Attack Stories and Background by Parks Department Tour Guide David Kilton
Ambushing the Taliban; Four BUD/S Attempts; SDV, DEVGRU and ASOT III; Protecting Tom Cruise; Kingsman Anti-Human Trafficking - Rodney Brown
Rd. 2 | Surviving the Largest Naval Special Warfare Combat Operation | Mike Drop | Navy SEAL | Gifted K-9 Trainer | Warrior Dog Foundation - Mike Ritland
Surviving the Largest Naval Special Warfare Combat Operation | Mike Drop | Navy SEAL | Gifted K-9 Trainer | Warrior Dog Foundation - Mike Ritland
Sniper vs Sniper Battle - Killing the Enemy’s Most Lethal Sniper | Force Recon | AJ Pasciuti (RD 2)
USMC Sniper & Force Recon in Fallujah | Shooting w/ Chris Kyle | American Sniper | AJ Pasciuti (Rd1)
When Grown Men Follow You Into Battle, Green Beret 18Z (former 18E), Nick Lavery Dive School Instructor, Overcoming Suicide, Cook to LRSS to Special Forces - Trevor Beaman
Flying Combat Missions as the First Female Afghan Pilot, Receiving the International Women of Courage Award, Flying with the Blue Angels, Avoiding Assassinations - Niloofar Rahmani
16 Hour Gunfight with Special Forces 18C, Kamdesh Battle, No Plan B, 48KIA in One Day, Nearly Shot in the Head, Founder of Green Beret Chronicles | Jay Dorleus
Finding Meaning and Healing After the Military, Trash Talking in Uniform, Camaraderie in Combat | Cav Soldier + 18C | Kenny Stone and Ben Raymond
160th Gun Pilot, Saddam Capture, Jessica Lynch Raid, Vehicle Interdictions, Danger Close Shooting, AH-6 & MH-6 Pilot, DFC, Silver Star, CW5 Steve Lapping (Round 2)
Two Star General with Bipolar Disorder Who Engineered the Push into Baghdad | Major General (Ret) Gregg Martin, PhD
Pat Tillman’s Last Battle and the Importance of Fighting Toxic Leadership w/ Former Unit Operator Pete Blaber
Near Misses as a Marine Rifleman and MARSOC Operator | Losing Fellow Marines in Combat | Company and Non-Profit Founder | Mike Bloch
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