meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Mike Drop

Active-Duty Green Beret Amputee Nick Lavery | Mike Ritland Podcast Episode 126

Mike Drop

Mike Ritland

Society & Culture, Documentary, Politics, News

4.96.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2023

⏱️ 196 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Nick Lavery is an Active-Duty U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret. He's a six-foot-six warrior through and through, with a thorough list of awards that includes the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, two Bronze stars, the Special Operations Command Excalibur Award, and more. He's also considered the first Green Beret to return to combat as an above the knee amputee - a record-setter with a flair for sacrifice, determination, and selflessness.

Rest assured, Nick recalls exactly how he lost his leg, in an engagement so shocking that it's only counter may be the moments that immediately followed, in a horrifying Medivac incident that nearly cost him his life. But how did he survive? What called him to go back? And how the hell do you go back to being a Green Beret with only one leg? Fortunately for Mike, Nick's got the answers.

----------

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - Indisputably Boston
07:30 - Morning Routine
10:00 - A New Home Every Year
17:00 - The Only Reason I Went to College
22:30 - Fort Bragg's Spec Ops Course
27:30 - Too Big to Haze
35:00 - The First Trip to Afghanistan
44:30 - Wardak - Dropped in a Hornet's Nest
49:00 - Catching Shrapnel
53:00 - A Bleacher Seat from Fenway Park
59:00 - Vehicular Ambush at a Dead Sprint
01:07:00 - Then I Got Shot in the Face
01:18:00 - Hibernating on Airdropped MRE's
01:22:00 - Flexing the Gustav
01:27:00 - Selfish Love
01:31:00 - Bach the Dog, Moe the Handler
01:35:00 - Losing My Leg
01:43:30 - Three Tournequets
01:54:00 - Six Units of The Wrong Blood
01:59:00 - Amputated Above the Knee
02:04:00 - Prosthetic Recovery
02:10:00 - Fighting to Go Back
02:20:00 - Back in the Saddle
02:26:30 - My Favorite Amputee Gunfight Story
02:31:00 - You Should've Killed Me When You Had the Chance
02:36:00 - How A Mechanical Leg Actually Works
02:42:00 - Finding Toni
02:49:00 - Objective Secure
02:59:00 - Becoming Dad
03:09:00 - What's Next?

----------

Support Nick Lavery:

Book - Objective Secure by Nick Lavery: https://www.machinenick.com/book
Website: https://www.machinenick.com
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3WfuMFn
FB: https://bit.ly/3WlMsyX
IG: https://bit.ly/3wga1Pf

----------

Sponsors:

Bubs Naturals

The BUBS namesake derives from Glen ‘BUB’ Doherty, who was heroically killed in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around the passionate and adventure seeking life that Glen lived.

BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.

Our mission is simple. FEEL GREAT. DO GOOD. 10% always goes back to charity, helping military men and women transition back into civilian life.

Go to bubsnaturals.com and use code MIKEDROP for 20% off your order.

----------

Manscaped

Get 20% off + free shipping with the code "MIKEDROP" at manscaped.com. That’s 20% off + free shipping with the code "MIKEDROP" at manscaped.com.

----------

Ketone-IQ

You can find Ketone-IQ at hvmn.com. Visit hvmn.com and use promo code MIKEDROP at checkout to save 20%. Again, that’s hvmn.com and promo code MIKEDROP.

----------

Athletic Greens

Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE Travel Packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit https://www.athleticgreens.com/MIKEDROP

----------

Fueled by TeamDog | www.mikeritlandco.com | @Teamdog.pet

ALL THINGS MIKE RITLAND:

SHOP for Fueled By Team Dog Performance Dog Food, Treats, Apparel, Accessories, and Protection dogs - MikeRitlandCo.com - https://www.MikeRitlandCo.com

Team Dog Online dog training - TeamDog.pet - https://www.TeamDog.pet

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello and welcome to Hop on Board.

0:02.8

Brought to you by South Eastern Railway.

0:05.6

In each episode, you'll be taken on a whistle-stop tour

0:08.2

of some of the best places to explore on the Southeastern network.

0:11.1

From delicious food and drink and beautiful countryside walks

0:14.4

to vibrant art scenes and fascinating history.

0:17.5

That's for I, Hop on Board.

0:19.7

Join Greg Wallace, Ed Byrne and Mary Bade for Hop on Board,

0:23.8

a podcast giving you the inside track on Kent and East Sussex.

0:27.6

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

0:30.9

On this day, March 11, 2013,

0:38.3

I head around to start cracking off from behind me,

0:40.8

turn my head around and show enough one of these dudes was ripping into our group

0:44.6

from like 15, 20 feet away.

0:46.5

An ideal, talking of opportunity.

0:48.3

The most vulnerable that we would ever be.

0:50.4

dudes are dropping, dudes are scrambling.

0:52.6

I know what I'm supposed to do, but I see one of our infantrymen frozen, like deer and headlights.

0:58.8

18 year old kid, first deployment, and he's just standing there staring at this guy.

1:03.2

25, 20 feet in front of him.

1:05.3

I take some aggressive steps towards him.

1:07.2

We go chest to chest and I kind of rotate my back towards the gunner,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Mike Ritland, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Mike Ritland and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.