Aug 13, 2022
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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.
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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/
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- 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