22 SAS Operator | Phil Campion (throwback ep)

original air date 3|1|24

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Phil Campion takes us from a brutal childhood and conventional infantry service in Northern Ireland through SAS selection, counterterrorism work, operations in the Balkans, and the Sierra Leone hostage rescue. We also discuss his post-military years in private security, the personal cost of that lifestyle, his transition into media, and the launch of Forces Radio.

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00:00 – Start
01:18 – Phil Campion’s Childhood & Early Life
03:32 – Growing Up in a Children’s Home
04:20 – Joining the Army & Finally Feeling Safe
06:05 – How Phil Ended Up in the Infantry
08:35 – Joining the Royal Hampshire Regiment
10:16 – British Army Basic Training
14:33 – Arriving at His First Unit
16:01 – Phil’s First “Operation” as a Soldier
17:27 – Meeting Princess Diana
19:12 – Deploying to Northern Ireland
19:46 – Understanding the Troubles From Both Sides
22:29 – Counterinsurgency & Patrolling Northern Ireland
25:19 – Fighting, Military Jail & a Troubled Young Soldier
27:43 – Why Phil Wanted Special Forces
29:36 – What the British Army Was Actually Doing in Northern Ireland
31:11 – Deciding to Attempt SAS Selection
32:06 – Going Around His Chain of Command
34:18 – “You Should Try Special Forces Selection”
36:40 – The SAS Hills Phase
37:51 – Jungle Selection in Brunei
42:14 – SERE, Escape & Interrogation Training
44:07 – Parachute Training & Nearly Killing Himself
48:00 – SAS Counterterrorism Training
48:15 – Passing Selection
50:16 – Joining D Squadron
52:17 – Life as the New Guy in the SAS
56:08 – Hunting War Criminals in the Balkans
57:35 – The Stansted Hijacking
59:19 – Preparing to Storm the Aircraft
1:02:25 – More Stories From the Hijacking
1:05:27 – The Sierra Leone Hostage Crisis Begins
1:07:12 – Two SAS Soldiers Killed Before the Mission
1:08:49 – D Squadron Gets the Call
1:09:52 – Deploying Into Sierra Leone
1:11:02 – How the Royal Irish Soldiers Were Taken Hostage
1:14:25 – When the Rescue Mission Became Necessary
1:16:02 – Intelligence & Planning the Assault
1:17:05 – Three Plans to Rescue the Hostages
1:18:01 – The Crazy Helicopter Assault Plan
1:20:33 – Launching the Mission
1:21:12 – The SAS Hits the Village
1:22:06 – Surprise, Firepower & Securing the Hostages
1:28:50 – Weapons, Mortars & SAS Firepower
1:30:31 – Why Phil Left the SAS
1:31:02 – Losing a Close Friend
1:32:46 – Leaving the Army Days Before 9/11
1:34:45 – Entering the Private Military Contracting World
1:35:34 – The Early Afghanistan Contracting Boom
1:36:43 – When the Contractor Lifestyle Caught Up With Him
1:37:21 – Drinking, Violence & an Attempted Murder Charge
1:38:54 – Gaza, West Africa & Anti-Piracy Work
1:41:47 – Becoming a Civilian After Years at War
1:42:19 – Prison, Losing Everything & Starting Over
1:43:31 – Breaking Into Television & News Media
1:44:18 – Reporting From Syria
1:47:37 – How the Media Uses Veterans
1:49:20 – Taking Back Control of His Own Story
1:50:39 – Building Forces Radio
1:53:03 – Launching the Forces Radio Podcasts
1:58:31 – Audience Questions
2:00:06 – Phil’s Favorite SAS Story From World War II
2:01:04 – Secret Surveillance in Northern Ireland
2:02:58 – How Conventional Troops Learned Covert Surveillance
2:04:34 – Closing Thoughts

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