American Warrior Show

Show featured sponsor: Tip Top K9 Training 
In this episode, Rich Brown sits down with Walt Settlemyre, host of The Distinguished Savage Podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation on readiness, capability, and what it actually means to live prepared in the modern world.
They discuss:
Why competence is disappearing as comfort increases

The difference between talking about violence and preparing for it responsibly

How physical fitness, mindset, and skill intersect in real-world self-defense

The danger of outsourcing personal responsibility to systems, gear, or credentials

Why training must be continuous, uncomfortable, and intentional

What "civilized savage" really means - and why it matters now more than ever

The role of community, discipline, and standards in developing capable humans

This is not a tactics episode. It's a truth-based conversation about readiness, accountability, and becoming harder to break - physically, mentally, and morally.
If you care about:
Self-defense

Leadership

Personal responsibility

And building real-world capability

This episode will resonate.

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On this episode of the American Warrior Show, Rich Brown sits down with retired Navy SEAL Bill Rapier, founder of AMTAC Shooting, for a no-nonsense discussion on real-world self-defense. He is the lead instructor of over 200 Amtac Shooting courses and has trained over 2500 students since 2020. Bill is retired after twenty years in the Navy, where his duty assignments included several years at SEAL Team 3 and over 14 years at Naval Special Warfare Development Group. Positions held include assaulter, breacher, sniper, team leader, troop chief, and military working dog department senior enlisted adviser. He has always been an avid shooter and is heavily involved in combatives.
Bill brings decades of experience from Naval Special Warfare, including time at SEAL Team 3 and DEVGRU, where performance under pressure wasn't optional—it was survival.
Why most self-defense conversations focus too heavily on the gun—and what happens when the fight starts inside arm's reach.
The importance of a layered defensive approach: awareness, decision-making, combatives, and firearms—used in the correct order.
How to train shooting skills that actually transfer to real life, not just the square range.
Integrating fighting and shooting so skills don't collapse when stress, chaos, and violence show up fast.
Common training blind spots among armed citizens—and how to fix them with smarter practice and higher standards.
Why efficiency, simplicity, and pressure-tested fundamentals matter more than flashy techniques.
Practical takeaways for warriors who want skills that work when it counts, not just look good on Instagram.

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Episode #422: Gavin Glasenapp: From Special Operations Aviation to Defender Development
On today's American Warrior Show, we will be joined by former 160th Pilot and the current Training Operations Manager at Delta Defense, Gavin Glasenapp.

 
Gavin Glasenapp is the Training Operations Manager at Delta Defense, supporting the U.S. Concealed Carry Association's nationwide instructor network. He brings a deep operational background built over two decades in the U.S. Army, where he retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Four.
 
Gavin spent the first half of his career in the AH-64A and AH-64D Apache community, serving as both an Instructor Pilot and Standardization Instructor Pilot. He later assessed into the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), flying the MH-47G on heavy-assault missions in direct support of special mission units. Across twelve combat deployments flying both the Apache and Chinook, he gained extensive experience in complex, high-risk environments.

 
After the Army, Gavin served as a police officer in Southeastern Wisconsin, completing advanced LE training, including ALERRT and SWAT school. He now leverages his combined military, law-enforcement, and instructional expertise to strengthen USCCA training programs and enhance the readiness and capability of responsibly armed Americans. Gavin enjoys multiple hobbies and spending time, especially traveling, with his soon to be wife, Jessica.

This episode gives listeners a rare look at the training, standards, and mission profiles of the legendary 160th SOAR.

Gavin Glasenapp explains what sets these pilots apart and how their approach to risk, planning, and contingencies offers powerful lessons for everyday carry practitioners.

Rich and Gavin connect SOF aviation principles to personal defense, instructor development, and decision-making under pressure.

A fascinating mix of story and strategy.

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"WE MAKE HOLSTERS FOR PISTOLS WITH LIGHTS"
Episode 421: Justin Carroll & Rich Brown — Competent and Dangerous
In this powerful conversation, Rich Brown sits down with author, Marine veteran, former intel professional, and long-time friend of AWS Justin Carroll to dive deep into his new book, Competent and Dangerous. This episode breaks down what it truly means to be a capable, prepared, and resilient protector in a world that is shifting faster than most realize.
In this episode you'll hear:
Why Justin wrote Competent and Dangerous and who the book is designed to serve.

The gap between "owning a gun" and "being dangerous enough to win."

Justin's model for developing well-rounded capability across shooting, fitness, medical, communication, and decision-making.

The realities of modern threat environments and why most citizens dramatically underestimate them.

Why competence must precede confidence — and how to build both through structured training.

The role of mindset, deliberate practice, and environment design in building daily habits that stick.

Justin's take on preparedness culture — what we're doing right, and where most people are failing.

Rich and Justin's shared experiences training, carrying, and working with real-world protectors.

How to turn information into action and begin closing capability gaps immediately.

Who is Justin Carroll?
U.S. Marine Corps veteran

Former intelligence professional

Security, preparedness, and communications expert

Author of multiple well-regarded works on readiness

Instructor and long-time AWS contributor

Host of the "Across the Peak" podcast

One of the clearest voices in the modern preparedness and training community

Why this episode matters:
Because being armed is not the same as being dangerous. Justin's book and this conversation outline the roadmap for the modern citizen-protector: capable, adaptable, trained, and mentally resilient.
Get the Book here!

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On today's episode of the American Warrior Show, Rich Brown is joined by Michael "Mac" McNamara, founder of Post-Traumatic Winning and ALL MARINE RADIO. Mac's story spans finance, combat, leadership, and a lifelong mission to help others thrive after trauma.
About Michael McNamara:
Began his career at Merrill Lynch in Los Angeles, first as a bookkeeper and later as an account executive.

Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, later commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1983.

Served in multiple assignments, including:
1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment

1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion

Marine Detachment, USS Ranger CV-61

The Basic School

3rd Light Armored Infantry Battalion


Left active duty in 1994 after more than a decade of service.

Post-Service Career & Return to Duty:
Became Director of Sports for Special Olympics North Dakota in 1998.

Launched his broadcasting career in 2000 as host of MacTalk, earning the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award (2007) for Small Market Personality of the Year.

Returned to active duty in 2004, promoted to Major, and deployed to Ramadi, Iraq, with the 1st Marine Division.

Mobilized again in 2006 for duty in Fallujah, Iraq, with the 5th Marine Regiment, while simultaneously serving on the Grand Forks City Council.

Deployed once more in 2010 with the 1st Marine Regiment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, serving until his retirement in 2015.

Post-Traumatic Winning & Advocacy:
Founded The Post-Traumatic Winning Company, LLC and launched ALL MARINE RADIO, an online platform promoting mental fitness and reducing veteran suicide.

Began presenting Post-Traumatic Winning in 2019, first at Camp Lejeune, NC.

The presentation has since reached audiences across the U.S., Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and Europe, impacting organizations of over 10,000 members with measurable results in combating destructive behaviors and suicide.

Launched the Post-Traumatic Winning Weekly Seminar series in January 2021, expanding the program's reach and dialogue.

Published his first book in March 2025, From Trauma to Joy: Life-Changing Lessons That Fellow U.S. Marines Taught Me After Traumatic Events Occurred in My Life — designed to share these universal lessons with a wider audience.

In This Episode:
How trauma can become a source of growth, not defeat.

The creation and impact of Post-Traumatic Winning.

Lessons learned from leading Marines and civilians through crisis.

Building mental fitness and resilience in the face of adversity.