Ones Ready

Send us Fan Mail Nick Koumalatsos is a veteran of SOF, a published author, a consultant, and a serial entrepreneur. As a Marine raider, Nick spent 12 years in the USMC with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and all over the world.  After his departure from the SOF and USMC communities, Nick has focused on finding ways to continue to be of service in any way that he can- whether it's through...

Send us Fan Mail Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai International Airport, or HKIA, was the center of the world's attention following the announcement of America's retrograde from Afghanistan over the course of 2021. The images we saw- desperate civilians throwing children over the wall into the arms of Marines and Airmen. The terrifying images of the aftermath of the attack at Abbey Gate....

Send us Fan Mail That L Word with Jody Fletcher and Coach Morgan is one of the absolute bests podcasts you haven't listened to yet. These guys absolutely love helping and coaching- and they drop some absolute knowledge bombs.  Aaron and Trent are equal part students and hosts in this one- thanks to Jody and Morgan for coming on and make sure to follow them on their socials and wherever you ge...

Send us Fan Mail Connor "The Controller" Matthews has been on before, but he is here after preparing for his next fight, scheduled for 15 March!  Connor is a former Combat Controller that followed his dream of eventually getting into the UFC and becoming a pro fighter. It has been a long road, but he is now ready to crush it like only AFSPECWAR can. We are happy to support Connor and eve...

Send us Fan Mail Tyler Mace, the Pararescueman behind Guardian Fitness, had a ten-year career and multiple combat deployments behind him when he decided to answer another calling.  Tyler's desire to guide, coach, mentor, and give his experience to the next generation led him to start Guardian Fitness. At Guardian Fitness, Tyler's only goal is to find the next generation and give them the...

Send us Fan Mail Major John Koren was a Combat Controller, then a Special Tactics Officer and is the definition of the word "legend". From Vietnam to the Philippines, to the highest freefall jump of the time, to BrandX- his career is absolutely unbelievable.  John was gracious enough to share his time and story with all of us, so we can honor exactly what these legends of our career fiel...

Send us Fan Mail We have had Pararescue Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) Ivan Ruiz on a couple times before- he's a close friend to all of us here at Ones Ready, and has always been an example of "how to do it the right way." Now, as Ivan is making his way into the next phase of his life, he sits down and reflects mid-stream about what all that means.  You heard his awesome advice in p...

Send us Fan Mail We have had Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) Ivan Ruiz on a couple times before- he's a close friend to all of us here at Ones Ready, and has always been an example of "how do to it the right way." Now, as Ivan is making his way into the next phase of his life, he sits down and reflects mid-stream about what all that means.  This is part of a much larger conversation t...

Send us Fan Mail Before there was Air Force Special Tactics, there was Chief Master Sergeant retired Wayne Norrad. Chief Norrad started his career before the Air Force knew precisely what Combat Control was going to be and ended his career as the Second AFSOC Command Chief, and the accepted Godfather of what we know Special Tactics to be today.   Chief Norrad is the definition of the word "le...

Send us Fan Mail Colonel (retired) Kurt Buller is a legend in the career field. He has dedicated his life to leadership, helping the men and women of Special Tactics, and making every single person around him better every single day.  Col Buller is one of the most motivating individuals our community has ever produced. We are so thankful that he took time out of his busy life to sit down with us a...

Send us Fan Mail Before there was Air Force Special Tactics, there was Chief Master Sergeant retired Wayne Norrad. Chief Norrad started his career before the Air Force knew exactly what Combat Control was going to be and ended his career as the Second AFSOC Command Chief, and the accepted Godfather of what we know Special Tactics to be today.   Chief Norrad is the definition of the word "lege...

Send us Fan Mail This edition of the Ones Ready podcast was doing no good in the archive- so we decided to get it out to you as soon as we could. We got too much content- our bad.  This one we focus hard on goal setting and knowing the difference between minimums, acceptable standards, and the goal for each and every candidate.  This one has tons of info and we appreciate you following along.  Wha...

Send us Fan Mail The Ones Ready team tries to stay in the lane- we aren't reporters, we try and just provide the platform to promote like minded people, but we still have some opinions on things. Aaron and Peach went in on a couple topics below and talked about a wide range of things-  this was another episode we have had in the completed folder for a while and just haven't had the space...

Send us Fan Mail The recruiting process for the Air National Guard is distinct for a lot of different reasons, and sometimes that can get confusing. We brought on one of our friends, Guard Recruiter TSgt Anissa Testaverde! She is a TACP and EOD pro from the 147th Attack Wing! Peaches and TSgt Testaverde break everything down from the ASVAB to shipping out. If you have any questions, drop them belo...

Send us Fan Mail The Air Force Special Warfare Candidate Course is the premier DoD preparation program. Special Warfare Training Wing is the gate all Air Force Special Operators must pass. Located in San Antonio, Texas, SWCC (pronounced "swick") has an experienced and professional human performance staff, from dieticians to athletic trainers to strength and conditioning coaches to psycho...

Send us Fan Mail This was one of those that we just hit record and saw what happened. In true Ones Ready fashion, we covered a lot of ground, and didn't really have a true outline. We start out talking self-improvement, ethical decision making at the like.  But along the way we took a ton of detours and this one was truly just some dudes talking and laying out concepts.  Hopefully, you like t...

Send us Fan Mail Frequently asked questions are why we are here, regardless of what our reactions may appear to be sometimes! We had some really good responses to an Instagram question a while ago and recorded these bad boys a little while ago- time to get them out to you.  Aaron, Trent and Peaches shoot the breeze  00:00 Sometimes we just hit record and then talk about who is going to lead.  02:4...

Send us Fan Mail CMSgt Tom Schaefer lives by the words, "Humble, Approachable, Credible". As the Command Chief of the 57th Wing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chief Schaefer is responsible for a wide array of Airmen of all AFSC's and capabilities.  Chief Schaefer lays out his philosophy as a team guy for his entire career all the way up to his current position. From candidate to active duty...

Send us Fan Mail CMSgt TJ Gunnell has has one of the most unique careers of any Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) we can think of. Currently, Chief Gunnell is in Washington, D.C., as a staffer to some of the most influential people in the United States Government. Most people don't know exactly how much you can do as an AFSPECWAR Airman- Chief Gunnell is the shining example of exactlty how di...

Send us Fan Mail Special Missions Unit Operator Bob Keller has a career that is  nothing short of legendary. In before 9/11, he got out before the Global War On Terror kicked off and knew he had to get back in and get after it.  After that short stint at college, he worked his way from the Rangers to Special Forces to the one of the most specialized teams in the world. He has continued to serve hi...

Send us Fan Mail MSgt (ret) Phil "PIMP" Freeman had a historic career in Combat Control, and he was gracious enough to sit down with Chief Peaches and Trent and walk us through it. Phil was instrumental in the hunting of war criminals in Europe and his contributions to the Weapons School have been immeasurable.  From his experiences in the pipeline to his experience with the Fulton recov...

Send us Fan Mail Your journey into Air Force Special Warfare can't begin until you talk to a Special Warfare recruiter- so we brought on one of the best, TSgt Richard Walkowiak, aka TSgt Waka.  He has successfully guided hundreds of folks into the USAF, and lots into AFSPECWAR. We talk all things development and what the process looks like step by step- this episode should be required materia...

Send us Fan Mail In April 2003 in Iraq, Kim "Killer Chick" Campbell flew a mission that defied logic and common sense. Responding to a call for help from a ground force about to be overrun, KC risked her own life to save them. The enemy always gets a vote, and then Captain Campbell's A-10 was almost shot down.  With no hydraulics, in a plane that shouldn't have been able to fly...

Send us Fan Mail Special Tactics Training Squadron, or STTS, is one of the premier training squadrons in the entire Air Force. Every single Combat Controller and Special Reconnaissance Airman passes through the doors of STTS, and for a good reason- it's where ST performs it's final evaluations on all candidates before they hit their unit. Maj Chris Walsh, a Special Tactics Officer, took...

Send us Fan Mail MSgt Brian Davis has had a crazy career- from hydraulics to recruiting to his current gig as an MQ-9 maintainer (otherwise known as an RPA, or Remotely Piloted Aircraft), he has seen it all. MSgt Davis and Trent sat down to talk all things MQ-9, Air Force, and his many different jobs.  This one is great for all of you that aren't sure what you want to do and it's a great...