The Protectors® Podcast

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Author, veteran, and former SWAT officer Joshua Hood stopped by The Protectors®. BC Sanders joined us as we dived into some deep topics, from alcohol to stress. In Part 1 of this series, we talk all things guns.

About Joshua: Author of The Treadstone Resurrection & Search and Destroy Series—Aficionado of Sharp Knives & Loud Guns. Josh decided to follow his brother into the military and joined the army after graduating with an English degree from the University of Memphis. He spent five years in the 82nd Airborne Division, becoming a team leader in the 3-504 Parachute Infantry Regiment in Iraq from 2005-2006, where he conducted combat operations supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. From 2007-2008, Hood served as a squad leader with Afghanistan's 1-508th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He put more Foot-to-Taliban-Ass and was decorated for valor in Operation Furious Pursuit. On his return to civilian life, he was a sniper team leader on a full-time SWAT team in Memphis, TN, where he was awarded the lifesaving medal for saving the life of a civilian with quick, creative, and resourceful instincts. Unfortunately, he quit SWAT and the Police Department the day his son was born, knowing he couldn't bring that "trash" home to his family. Hood now lives in Collierville, TN, as a full-time author. He is married to Amy (who's clearly out of his league!) and is frequently outsmarted by his toddler, Jake.

Joshua Hood is the author of the Search and Destroy Black Ops thriller series, Clear by Fire and Warning Order, The Treadstone Exile (2/2021), and The Treadstone Resurrection (2/2020). Learn more about Josh by going "Under the Hood" to get his insights on The Art of Writing, Good Books, Sharp Knives, and Loud Guns.

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The Protectors Podcast TM Presents T.R. Matson. T.R. is a combat proven pilot and author. In this episode, T.R. talks about flying, leadership, and his book TREASON FLIGHT.
About: T.R. Matson has more than two decades of Military and civilian aviation experience. He’s served in the U.S. Navy flying the E-2C Hawkeye and F/A-18C Hornet on combat tours, as well as multiple training tours as a T-45 Goshawk Instructor and Landing Signals Officer (LSO). On the civilian front, T.R. Matson flies for a major airline.

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Ted Bell joined The Protectors Podcast TM to talk about his new Alex Hawke book SEA HAWKE. Ted has been on the NYT Best-Sellers list so many times I can’t count them on two hands. I was joined by newly published author Eric Bishop. We talk writing, Ted’s background, and the many great movies of Michael Mann.

About Ted: Theodore A. Bell, author of 11 consecutive New York Times best sellers and former advertising executive, began his advertising career in the 1970’s as a junior copywriter at Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), New York. At the age of 25, he sold his first screenplay to Hollywood, as well as became the youngest vice-president in the storied history of DDB. He then joined Leo Burnett Co., Chicago, as a creative director and four years later, he was named President, Chief Creative Officer where he was credited with developing numerous innovative and award-winning advertising campaigns. In 1982, Bell joined Young & Rubicam, London, and in 1991 became the Vice Chairman and Worldwide Creative Director. Bell has won every award the advertising industry offers, including numerous Clios and Cannes Gold Lions, and while at Young & Rubicam, the Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival. In 2001, Bell retired to write full time. He has 10 New York Times Bestsellers to his credit: The Alex Hawke series of spy thrillers published by HarperCollins and the young adult targeted time travel adventure series, Nick of Time and The Time Pirate published by St. Martins Press.

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Brad Taylor joined a live discussion to talk about his books and the situation in Afghanistan.
About Brad: Brad Taylor was born on Okinawa, Japan, but grew up on 40-acres in rural Texas. Graduating from the University of Texas, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry. Brad served for more than 21 years, retiring as a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel. During that time he held numerous Infantry and Special Forces positions, including eight years in 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta where he commanded multiple troops and a squadron. He has conducted operations in support of US national interests in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other classified locations.

His final assignment was as the Assistant Professor of Military Science at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. He holds a Master’s of Science in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, with a concentration in Irregular Warfare. In 2011, Brad published his debut novel, One Rough Man, which was an immediate success and launched the Pike Logan series. Now with more than 14 installments and nearly 3 million copies sold, the series has consistently hit the New York Times bestseller list. When not writing, he serves as a security consultant on asymmetric threats for various agencies.

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Paul Letersky joined The Protectors to talk about his book THE DIRECTOR: My Years Assisting J. Edgar Hoover. We also go into what a day in the life of J. Edgar Hoover was like.

The Book: Since Hoover’s death half a century ago, millions of words have been written about the man and hundreds of hours of TV dramas. But until now, there has been virtually no account from someone who, for a period of years, spent hours with the Director on a daily basis.

Paul Letersky began working for Director Hoover in 1965 and had a front-row seat to the comings-and-goings of Hoover’s personal office at the height of one of the most turbulent decades since the Civil War. The Director showcases the dedication of history’s longest serving FBI director, including:

The animosity felt by Hoover towards Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the comments made by Hoover on first hearing of Dr. King’s shooting from Letersky.

A deeply personal look at Hoover’s longtime assistant Helen Gandy, the highest paid woman at the DOJ in the 1970’s and considered to be Hoover’s most trusted confidant.

The effectiveness of the FBI’s "COINTELPRO" programs—black bag projects from 1956-1971 aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, sowing discord and discrediting American organizations.

How "COINTELPRO" targeted groups as disparate as the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Panther Party, as well as civil rights leaders like Dr. King and influential public anti-war figures like John Lennon.

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Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo