22 SAS Operator | Phil Campion (throwback ep)
original air date 3|1|24 presented by VAER Watches go to--> https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse and get a free watch roll with your purchase & 20% off for activde duty, veteran, leo's & first responders. Phil Campion takes us from a brutal childhood and conventional infantry service in Northern Ireland through SAS selection, counterterrorism work, operations in the Balkans, and the Sierra Leone hostage rescue. We also discuss his post-military years in private security, the personal cost of that lifestyle, his transition into media, and the launch of Forces Radio. Support our show here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse 00:00 – Start 01:18 – Phil Campion’s Childhood & Early Life 03:32 – Growing Up in a Children’s Home 04:20 – Joining the Army & Finally Feeling Safe 06:05 – How Phil Ended Up in the Infantry 08:35 – Joining the Royal Hampshire Regiment 10:16 – British Army Basic Training 14:33 – Arriving at His First Unit 16:01 – Phil’s First “Operation” as a Soldier 17:27 – Meeting Princess Diana 19:12 – Deploying to Northern Ireland 19:46 – Understanding the Troubles From Both Sides 22:29 – Counterinsurgency & Patrolling Northern Ireland 25:19 – Fighting, Military Jail & a Troubled Young Soldier 27:43 – Why Phil Wanted Special Forces 29:36 – What the British Army Was Actually Doing in Northern Ireland 31:11 – Deciding to Attempt SAS Selection 32:06 – Going Around His Chain of Command 34:18 – “You Should Try Special Forces Selection” 36:40 – The SAS Hills Phase 37:51 – Jungle Selection in Brunei 42:14 – SERE, Escape & Interrogation Training 44:07 – Parachute Training & Nearly Killing Himself 48:00 – SAS Counterterrorism Training 48:15 – Passing Selection 50:16 – Joining D Squadron 52:17 – Life as the New Guy in the SAS 56:08 – Hunting War Criminals in the Balkans 57:35 – The Stansted Hijacking 59:19 – Preparing to Storm the Aircraft 1:02:25 – More Stories From the Hijacking 1:05:27 – The Sierra Leone Hostage Crisis Begins 1:07:12 – Two SAS Soldiers Killed Before the Mission 1:08:49 – D Squadron Gets the Call 1:09:52 – Deploying Into Sierra Leone 1:11:02 – How the Royal Irish Soldiers Were Taken Hostage 1:14:25 – When the Rescue Mission Became Necessary 1:16:02 – Intelligence & Planning the Assault 1:17:05 – Three Plans to Rescue the Hostages 1:18:01 – The Crazy Helicopter Assault Plan 1:20:33 – Launching the Mission 1:21:12 – The SAS Hits the Village 1:22:06 – Surprise, Firepower & Securing the Hostages 1:28:50 – Weapons, Mortars & SAS Firepower 1:30:31 – Why Phil Left the SAS 1:31:02 – Losing a Close Friend 1:32:46 – Leaving the Army Days Before 9/11 1:34:45 – Entering the Private Military Contracting World 1:35:34 – The Early Afghanistan Contracting Boom 1:36:43 – When the Contractor Lifestyle Caught Up With Him 1:37:21 – Drinking, Violence & an Attempted Murder Charge 1:38:54 – Gaza, West Africa & Anti-Piracy Work 1:41:47 – Becoming a Civilian After Years at War 1:42:19 – Prison, Losing Everything & Starting Over 1:43:31 – Breaking Into Television & News Media 1:44:18 – Reporting From Syria 1:47:37 – How the Media Uses Veterans 1:49:20 – Taking Back Control of His Own Story 1:50:39 – Building Forces Radio 1:53:03 – Launching the Forces Radio Podcasts 1:58:31 – Audience Questions 2:00:06 – Phil’s Favorite SAS Story From World War II 2:01:04 – Secret Surveillance in Northern Ireland 2:02:58 – How Conventional Troops Learned Covert Surveillance 2:04:34 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: <a...