24th STS Operator | Chad McCoy (throwback episode)
The Team House
dee takos
4.7 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 29 April 2026
⏱️ 159 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Chad McCoy served in the Air Force for over 22 years, 18 of which with the 24th STS. (24th Special Tactics Squadron). Chad has been on 17 deployments the majority of which with JSOC and earned the rank of Chief Master Sergeant.
Check out Chad here:
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http://Foxtrot3.com
LifeLine Rescue Tools
https://lifelinerescuetools.com/
Firestorm Labs
https://www.launchfirestorm.com/
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00:00 — Start
01:20 — Growing up in Hawaii and chasing the special operations dream
08:30 — Pararescue history: Korea, Vietnam, and saving pilots under fire
11:00 — CCTs, PJs, JTACs, and how Air Force Special Tactics works
14:30 — Inside 24th STS: JSOC support, combat rescue, and tier-one assets
21:00 — 9/11 in Okinawa and trying to get into the war
24:20 — Trying out for 24th STS and puking through selection
27:30 — U-2 pilot rescue in Korea and recovering classified gear
34:00 — PJ pipeline: water confidence, scuba, Airborne, SOCM, and Green Team
48:00 — First real gunfight and learning lethal decision-making
53:00 — Humanity in war: prisoners, ethics, and combat medicine
58:30 — Back-to-back Iraq and Afghanistan deployments
01:05:00 — Heavy casualties, compartmentalization, and refusing to process trauma
01:17:30 — Captain Phillips, Somali pirates, and maritime missions
01:25:00 — Safe houses, low-vis work, and the “non-sexy” side of SOF
01:35:00 — Tier-one medics, Navy vs. Army units, and staying sharp
01:44:30 — Running Green Team and learning a different kind of leadership
01:53:30 — How selection changed: diversity of thought and building better operators
01:56:00 — Losing GWOT experience and preparing for the next fight
02:00:00 — Innovation, failure, and why the military struggles to adapt
02:07:30 — Army vs. Navy tier-one culture and mission differences
02:10:00 — Special Reconnaissance, AFSOC’s future, and contested environments
02:16:00 — Retirement, depression, and losing purpose after the military
02:18:00 — Building a low-cost cruise missile after leaving SOF
02:25:00 — Life after combat and why conventional troops deserve more respect
02:34:45 — Veteran mental health, VA failures, and alternative treatments
02:38:00 — Closing thoughts
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Special Operations. |
| 0:06.3 | Covert Ops. Espionage. |
| 0:11.0 | The Team House. |
| 0:13.0 | With your hosts, Jack Murphy and David Park. |
| 0:22.9 | Hey, everyone. |
| 0:23.9 | Welcome to episode 173 of the Team House. |
| 0:26.5 | I'm Jack Murphy, here with Dave Park. |
| 0:28.7 | Our guest tonight on the show is Chad McCoy. |
| 0:31.6 | Chad spent his entire career, really, in Air Force Special Operations with 24th Special Tactics Squadron, |
| 0:39.4 | served as a PJ, Pararescuemen. |
| 0:42.0 | And we're really excited and happy to have you here in our studio tonight, man. |
| 0:46.7 | Flying out here, we really appreciate it. |
| 0:48.7 | Yeah, thanks. |
| 0:49.3 | I didn't get stabbed today, so I'm healthy and happy. |
| 0:52.7 | It's the rocks out here that'll get you. |
| 0:54.8 | Yeah. |
| 0:58.0 | So, I mean, where to begin? |
| 1:01.7 | I mean, we kind of like shot the shit a little bit before we started the show. |
| 1:06.4 | And I mean, your biography and career, I suspect, is too extensive to even fit in one interview. |
| 1:13.1 | But we'll try to hit some of the highlights, yeah. |
| 1:16.2 | And then hit some of the things you'd really like to get into. |
| 1:21.1 | I'd really like to hear, first off, you know, sort of what your path was, you know, growing up as a kid and what, like, sort of took you towards the Air Force. |
... |
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