Marine Special Operator | Battle of Fallujah | MARSOC | Financial Podcaster | Christian Holloway | Combat Story Ep. 86

Combat Story

Ryan Fugit

History

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 August 2022

⏱️ 162 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today we hear a Combat Story from a long-time Combat Story listener Christian Holloway, a former Marine who was part of the initial invasion into Iraq, fought in both Fallujah I and II, and was one of the first Marines in what we now know as Marine Special Operations Command or MARSOC.

[Support us on Patreon and get exclusive content and insights at www.patreon.com/combatstory]

Christian was just 18 years old when he crossed the line of departure into Iraq for the initial invasion alongside M1A1 tanks in his Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV).

He was then clearing buildings on foot in Fallujah alongside his Marine brothers, was among the first to see the effects of IEDs and what later became a very common and lethal enemy TTP, and was then in the elite special operations community training foreign militaries as a force multiplier.

Since leaving the military, Christian continued to train service members in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) as a contractor and now hosts a financial information program on YouTube.

This is a great Combat Story that follows the path from the tactical perspective of the Marine infantryman to the strategic MARSOC operator and I hope you enjoy his humble insights as much as I did.

Find Christian Online:
-YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1jwxG_W_NAVVX8KlZ-Mig
-Instagram @chris.holloway_fi https://www.instagram.com/chris.holloway_fi/

Find Ryan Online:
- Ryan’s Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory
- Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/
- Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory
- Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial
- Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial
- Email [email protected]
- Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus
- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
0:44 - Guest Introduction (Christian Holloway)
1:59 - Interview begins
2:40 - Growing up in Texas
7:31 - Why Marine Corps and recruitment story
10:44 - Training and preparing for deployment only 4 months after after boot camp and school of infantry
17:13 - Preparing for first deployment invading Iraq at only 18 years old
20:48 - MOPP levels and the nuclear, biological and chemical threat
24:53 - Combat Story - Engaged by an artillery unit and the invasion of Iraq
33:10 - Combat Story - An armor to armor engagement
55:27 - Combat Story - 48 hour engagement
1:18:01 - almost dying in Baghdad
from celebratory fire
1:21:03 -Fallujah 1 fighting the insurgency and the first in incorporation of IED tactics
1:35:52 - Combat Story - a very persistent engagement
1:56:24 - Joining what would later be known as MARSOC and the intense training course
2:24:42 - Transition to contractor
2:27:42 - Refelctions on being in combat at 18 years old
2:30:45 - Personal Finance YouTube channel
2:37:19 - What did you carry into combat?
2:39:08 - Would you do it again?
2:40:21 - Listener comments and shout outs

Transcript

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0:00.0	Tank turrets spun and fired a main tank round, one single round into the BMP, a save-o-round,
0:07.5	and to describe the impact, it was as if there was molten like basketball size, molten lava
0:17.4	balls erupting from the impact of this vehicle in all direct, and so it was really bright,
0:22.9	so bright, why did I have the NVGs?
0:25.9	Welcome to Combat Story.
0:26.9	I'm Ryan Fugid, and I serve Warzone Tours as an Army attack helicopter pilot and CIA officer
0:31.9	over a 15-year career.
0:33.7	I'm fascinated by the experiences of the elite in combat.
0:37.2	On this show, I interview some of the best to understand what combat felt like on their
0:41.4	frontlines.
0:42.6	This is Combat Story.
0:44.7	Today we hear a combat story from a long time, combat story listener, Christian Holloway,
0:49.6	a former Marine who was part of the initial invasion into Iraq, fought in both Fallujah
0:53.8	1 and 2, and was one of the first Marines in what we now know as Marine Special Operations
0:59.0	Command, or Marsock.
1:01.8	Christian was just 18 years old and he crossed the line of departure into Iraq for the initial
1:07.1	invasion of OIF-1 alongside M1A1 tanks in his Marine amphibious assault vehicle.
1:14.7	He was then clearing buildings on foot in Fallujah alongside his Marine brothers, was
1:18.9	among the first to see the effects of IEDs and what later became a very common and lethal
1:24.6	enemy TTP, and was then in the elite Special Operations Community, training foreign militaries
1:30.7	as a force multiplier.
1:32.9	Since leaving the military, Christian continued to train service members in survival evasion
	...

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