How Poison Oak, Shame & a Lie Saved This Marine From a Plane Crash | Ep. 250 | Pt. 1

Mike Drop

Mike Ritland

Society & Culture, Documentary, Politics, News

4.9 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this powerful episode of The Mike Drop Podcast, former Marine Raider Joe Malone sits down with Mike Ritland to share his raw and unfiltered journey—from growing up in a mafia-connected suburb to battling early drug use and heroin withdrawal, all the way to surviving brutal deployments with MARSOC in Afghanistan and Syria. Joe opens up about facing ISIS on the battlefield, surviving a deadly KC-130 crash that claimed his fellow Marines, and the heavy burden of survivor’s guilt that followed. Listeners will hear about Joe’s struggles with severe poison oak, failing a critical ruck run, and overcoming traumatic brain injury, depression, and suicidal thoughts. He also dives into his transformative discovery of the Law of Attraction and manifestation, his work with a Crimes Against Kids task force, and near-death experiences rescuing colleagues in Somalia. The episode closes with Joe’s dedication to veterans through his training companies, JM Training and Lethal U, where he tackles tough topics like stolen valor and the critical role mindset plays in overcoming trauma and preventing veteran suicide. Visit www.sleep.me/MIKEDROP to get 20% off your Chilipad with code MIKEDROP, one word. That’s free shipping, free returns, and a 30-night sleep trial to test it for yourself. Again — that’s www.sleep.me/MIKEDROP. TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I've ruled out uni because I want to live at home.
0:02.0	I've ruled out uni because I want to earn money.
0:05.0	I've ruled out uni because of my grades.
0:10.0	Study with the Open University and there's no need to rule out anything.
0:13.0	With our respected degrees, you can learn from home and work alongside study.
0:17.0	We're open to all. Plus, you'll have the support of expert tutors.
0:22.9	So rethink your future with the degree you didn't think was possible. The Open University,
0:28.3	the future is open. That deployment ended very anticlimatic. I got promoted to staff sergeant. I didn't know that it was the first sentence in the Marine Corps doctrine was like,
0:42.3	you're only officially promoted when a commissioned officer puts it on your chest.
0:45.3	The same week, the sniper staff there thought that I was blowing off this assignment,
0:50.3	and that was truly not the case it was just a misunderstanding
0:55.0	before I know it I'm standing in front of the major the company commander and I'm
1:00.0	just sitting there wondering to myself what is going on here then he's like who
1:04.5	promoted you by the way I did something that I don't do and I lied they investigated
1:09.8	it behind my back found out that that was not true.
1:11.6	Simultaneously, I got poison oak so severely. And then so, just to top it all off, the only time ever in my life, I failed a ruck run.
1:21.6	They pull me out the field. They tell me I'm getting sent back home. So I deploy in the intel billet and then the C-130 crashed. 16 men killed when their Marine KC-130 crashed in Mississippi. Is it safe to say or accurate to say that if you hadn't got kicked off, you would have 100% been on that plane? It was truly divine intervention. When hunting isn't about hunting at all.
1:54.0	Team Dog features comprehensive and customizable meal plans with dry and raw food options
1:59.0	to meet your dog's unique nutritional needs,
2:02.6	including digestive sensitivities, allergies, or selective eating.
2:07.6	Did you know combining 75% dry food with 25% raw food delivers robust, nutrient-dense meals
2:15.6	for your dog? Be your dog's hero with team dog
	...

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