U.S. Allies and the Human Cost of War | Ep. 285 | Pt. 2

U.S. Allies and the Human Cost of War | Ep. 285 | Pt. 2

From Mike Drop by Mike Ritland

April 2, 2026 · 1h 19m

About this episode

Heston Russell shares his experiences in Australia's elite special forces, focusing on counter-terrorism and combat operations.

Former Australian Commando Heston Russell continues his detailed account of life inside Australia’s elite special forces. He covers domestic counter-terrorism readiness, high-stakes training exchanges with U.S. DEVGRU and FBI HRT, protecting the Prime Minister in Afghanistan, and leading intense combat operations during his 2012 deployment—including 67 missions, significant insurgent casualties, and the loss of a teammate to an IED. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Guest: Heston Russell

Topics covered

  • military
  • counter-terrorism
  • special forces
  • combat operations
  • Australia

Keywords

  • U.S. DEVGRU
  • FBI HRT
  • IED
  • combat missions
  • insurgent casualties

Mentioned in this episode

Places: U.S., Australia, Afghanistan

More episodes of Mike Drop

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Mike Drop podcast page.