Aug 6, 2022
Today we hear the Combat Story of Kristen Murdock, who spent 13
years in the Navy as a Naval Intelligence Officer from an Aviation
Squadron off a carrier to Naval Special Warfare Development Group
(DEVGRU).
[Check out our Patreon page for more images of Kristen and for an
upcoming Q&A with Ryan]
Kristen spent most of her military time deployed around the world
and focused primarily on intelligence in the Middle East, South
Asia, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa, including deployments
at the strategic level with joint staffs to the tactical with SEAL
Team 3 and DEVGRU.
After her time in service, Kristen transitioned thanks to a
phenomenal program designed for Special Operations service members
and support staff called The Honor Foundation which helped her find
her next career in Silicon Valley working in the Trust and Safety
space at Facebook and, most recently, Twitch, as a senior
leader.
Kristen narrowly avoided be kicked out of the Naval Academy and had
her dreams of flying shattered at the last moment but ended up
hustling to find a more rewarding path in Intel that serves as a
great lessons for those still rising through the ranks and I hope
you enjoy her insights into the shadowy world of intel at a Tier 1
unit as much as I did.
Find Kristen online:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenmichele/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-murdock/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristenmurdock
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 ryan@combatstory.com
- Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus
- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle
Show Notes
0:00 - Intro
00:41 - Guest introduction for Kristen Murdock
6:05 - Reality check from an active duty father and aviator at
Dover Air Force Base
12:17 - Avoiding the use of Intel “Jedi mind tricks” on regular
people
12:38 - What is the “2” in military language (S2, N2, J2, G2,
etc)
15:54 - Going to the US Naval Academy and almost not making it
25:00 - Losing your ‘dream’ career and finding your true path
30:27 - Unfortunate advice from another officer to a woman in
service
32:27 - Arriving to your first assignment as the intel officer on a
carrier
42:22 - Running intel at SEAL Team 3
45:02 - Strategic work as an intel officer and preparing “The
Book”
49:47 - Doing time with DIA to get broader intel experience
53:48 - Detailed to a Special Forces Team (ODA) and then sent to
support ISAF (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgRf_vdx0lg the
International Security Assistance Force)
55:19 - Supporting General Stanley A. McChrystal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA0yXWAAais) and
General Michael Flynn while meeting tribal leaders like Karzai
1:03:01 - Learning of the deaths of Brendan Looney and Travis
Manion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhn4vAgQneE)
1:05:28 - Working threat finance as an intelligence officer and the
skills it teaches you
1:08:30 - Getting to SEAL Team 3
1:15:55 - The weight of giving intel to a team of operators and how
much confidence you need to have
1:17:19 - Walking past the memorial for a fallen friend (Brendan
Looney) at SEAL Team 3 HQs
1:18:28 - The transition to Naval Special Warfare Development Group
(DEVGRU, also known as SEAL Team Six)
1:20:43 - Had a great experience with all the Team guys
1:22:19 - Transitioning out of the military and into Tech with
Facebook (now Meta) and then on to Twitch
1:30:18 - What did you carry with you on deployments?
1:31:12 - Would you go back and do it again?
1:32:55 - Listener comments and shout outs.
Thanks for listening ya’ll! Stay safe.
The video is all about special operations and special operators and
intelligence officers and the intelligence profession. If you want
to learn more about special operations and intelligence, you can
click: https://www.combatstory.com/
This video is describing what it takes to be in special operations
and make it in Intelligence but also try to cover the following
subjects:
- What are special operations?
- Combat Story
- Navy SEALs
- Combat Operations
- DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency)
_________________________
Have I responded to all of your questions about what are special
operations and what is intelligence?
Individuals who searched for Kristen Murdock and intelligence also
searched for Navy SEALs and intelligence officers and we have
interviews with many Navy SEALs and former Intelligence Officers at
www.combatstory.com, including those in Naval
Special Warfare Development Group (or DEVGRU), which many people
refer to as SEAL Team Six, and with the CIA (Central Intelligence
Agency).
If you would like to learn more about the intelligence profession
or SEALs, look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ