The Jack Carr Channel

Today’s guest is former Naval Intelligence Officer, global tech executive, and New York Times bestselling author M.P. Woodward. During his service with U.S. Pacific Command, Woodward developed strategic war games and deployed multiple times to the Persian Gulf and Far East, working alongside U.S. Special Operations Forces, the CIA, and NSA. After leaving the military, he earned his MBA and built a...

Today’s guest is Elliot Ackerman—decorated Marine veteran, former CIA paramilitary officer, and New York Times bestselling author. A recipient of the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, and Purple Heart, Elliot served five combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the battle of Fallujah, before going on to serve as a White House Fellow.  His acclaimed books - 2034, Halcyon, Waiting fo...

The Jack Carr Book Club July 2025 selection is STRANGERS IN TIME by #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. Set in London during the Second World War, STRANGERS IN TIME follows a grieving bookseller and two war-scarred teenagers as they navigate loss, danger, and unlikely kinship amid the chaos of war. What begins as a story of survival becomes a profound exploration of trust, found f...

Today’s guest is Ryan Pote, a former Navy helicopter pilot, NASA search and rescue aviator, and mission commander who served in a joint interagency special operations task force countering narcotics trafficking throughout Central and South America. After a decorated career flying across the globe, Ryan transitioned to federal investigative work on prototype aircraft and now serves with the Navy’s...

Today’s guest is Jon Dubin—former prosecutor, FBI Special Agent, SWAT Operator, and now the managing partner of Pineapple Brothers Lānaʻi.  Jon began his career in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuting violent crimes before joining the FBI in 2003. Over his time with the Bureau, Jon specialized in counterintelligence, gangs, and counterterrorism. He served as a SWAT operator for 13...

This week on DANGER CLOSE, Jack Carr is joined by Alex Berenson—former New York Times reporter, bestselling thriller author, and investigative journalist. Alex began his career as a journalist after graduating from Yale with degrees in history and economics, joining The Denver Post and later becoming one of the first reporters at TheStreet.com. He spent more than a decade at The New York Times, wh...

This week on DANGER CLOSE, Jack Carr is joined by Eugene H. Pugh, a Vietnam veteran and former member of MACV-SOG’s elite Recon Team Asp. Born in Colón, Panama, Gene began his military journey in 1966, volunteering for Special Forces and serving as a communications sergeant, assistant medic, and intelligence specialist. In 1968, he deployed to Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces Group and was assi...

The Jack Carr Book Club June 2025 selection is POINT OF IMPACT by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Stephen Hunter. POINT OF IMPACT introduces readers to legendary Marine Corps sniper Bob Lee Swagger, a war hero turned recluse who is lured out of retirement for one final mission—only to find himself framed as the patsy in a high-level assassination plot. With the country hunting him down, Swagger must...

This week on DANGER CLOSE, Jack Carr is joined by military historian and national security expert Dr. Mark Moyar. Dr. Moyar is the Director of the Center for Military History and Strategy at Hillsdale College, where he holds the William P. Harris Chair of Military History. A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard with a Ph. D. from Cambridge, he served in the Trump administration as Director of Civil...

This week on Danger Close, Jack Carr is joined by two pivotal figures behind the hit Amazon Prime Video series THE TERMINAL LIST: former Navy SEAL Jared Shaw and Executive Producer and Showrunner, David DiGilio. Jared Shaw, a longtime friend and SEAL teammate of Jack’s, played a crucial role in bringing THE TERMINAL LIST to life — handing the manuscript to Chris Pratt before the book was even publ...

Jim Hawes, a Navy SEAL and CIA paramilitary officer, whose covert maritime missions in the 1960s helped shape the early fight against communism in Vietnam and Africa. In 1964, Jim became the first SEAL Team 2 officer permanently assigned to MACV-SOG in Vietnam, where he led maritime operations into North Vietnam - operations initially run by the CIA and unknown to most outside a tight circle of op...

The Jack Carr Book Club May 2025 selection is GATES OF FIRE by New York Times bestselling author Steven Pressfield. GATES OF FIRE is a modern classic of historical fiction that immerses readers in the grit, blood, and brotherhood of the Battle of Thermopylae. Told through the eyes of a wounded Greek survivor, the novel chronicles the heroism and sacrifice of the 300 Spartans who stood against the...

Clint Smith is a Marine Corps veteran, Vietnam combat veteran, former law enforcement officer, and the founder of Thunder Ranch—one of the most respected firearms and tactical training facilities in the country. Since its founding in 1993, Thunder Ranch has set the standard for innovative, practical firearms instruction, training students from all walks of life with an emphasis on safety, discipli...

Larry Serra is a former Naval Intelligence Liaison Officer whose covert missions along the Vietnam-Cambodia border placed him at the heart of one of the Vietnam War’s most dangerous fronts. From 1967 to 1970, Larry served as an officer in the United States Navy, spending nearly two years operating in Vietnam and Cambodia’s combat zones. In 1969, he volunteered for the critical intelligence post at...

Larry Serra is a former Naval Intelligence Liaison Officer whose covert missions along the Vietnam-Cambodia border placed him at the heart of one of the Vietnam War’s most dangerous fronts. From 1967 to 1970, Larry served as an officer in the United States Navy, spending nearly two years operating in Vietnam and Cambodia’s combat zones. In 1969, he volunteered for the critical intelligence post at...

The Jack Carr Book Club April 2025 selection is THE UNVANQUISHED by bestselling author Patrick K. O’Donnell. THE UNVANQUISHED pulls back the curtain on a little-known shadow war that raged alongside the Civil War’s better-known battles. At its center: Lincoln’s special forces, the Jessie Scouts—Union soldiers who disguised themselves in Confederate uniforms to carry out daring raids, intelligence...

In this special episode, Jack Carr revisits key insights from past guests to explore the shifting landscape of global power, warfare, and America’s place in what’s to come. Featured segments include geopolitical strategist ⁠Peter Zeihan⁠ on China’s looming internal collapse—from declining birth rates to famine threats—and its potential push for war to maintain control at home. Zeihan also outlines...

John Dailey is a United States Marine Corps Special Operations veteran and the author of TOUGH RUGGED BASTARDS, a memoir detailing his time as a sniper, Force Recon Marine, and founding member of MARSOC Det One - the first USMC SOCOM unit.  After retiring in 2008, after two decades of service, John shaped the future of Marine special operations as Training and Education Branch Director at the Mari...

Ryan Manion is the CEO of the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering veterans and Gold Star families, and to inspiring future generations. Following the death of her brother, Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, in Iraq, she devoted her life to honoring the fallen, fostering resilience, and advocating for the military community. She is also the author of THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR,...

John Lechner is a journalist, independent researcher, and consultant specializing in Africa. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and the BBC, among others. His latest book, DEATH IS OUR BUSINESS, is the definitive account of the Wagner Group—the mercenary force that changed modern warfare, from Ukraine to Syria to Africa. Through exclusive interview...

The Jack Carr Book Club March 2025 selection is FEARLESS by Eric Blehm. FEARLESS chronicles the remarkable journey of SEAL Team SIX operator Adam Brown. From his adventurous youth in Arkansas to his struggles with addiction and eventual redemption, Adam's life exemplifies unwavering courage and determination. Overcoming personal demons, he rose to the elite ranks of SEAL Team SIX, where his faith,...

John L. Plaster is a legendary MACV-SOG operator who served three tours of duty in Vietnam leading high-risk reconnaissance missions deep behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia, striking supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Wounded in action and decorated for valor four times, he later flew over 350 aerial combat missions as a Forward Air Controller. After Vietnam, Plaster became a pioneer i...

John L. Plaster is a legendary MACV-SOG operator who served three tours of duty in Vietnam leading high-risk reconnaissance missions deep behind enemy lines in Laos and Cambodia, striking supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Wounded in action and decorated for valor four times, he later flew over 350 aerial combat missions as a Forward Air Controller. After Vietnam, Plaster became a pioneer i...

Ric Prado is a paramilitary, counter-terrorism, and clandestine operations specialist with a 24-year career in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations. A seasoned field operative, he spent a decade in the Agency’s Special Activities Division before serving as Deputy Chief of Station of the Bin Laden Task Force and Chief of Operations at the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center on 9/11. From running counter-t...

The Jack Carr Book Club February selection is THE JFK CONSPIRACY: THE SECRET PLOT TO KILL KENNEDY—AND WHY IT FAILED by Brad Meltzer. In this episode Jack sits down with #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer to discuss his latest non-fiction work, THE JFK CONSPIRACY. Brad delves into the little-known story of the first assassination attempt on John F. Kennedy, offering insights into the...