Special Forces to CIA in Afghanistan Fighting the Soviets | Mike Vickers (throwback)

Special Forces to CIA in Afghanistan Fighting the Soviets | Mike Vickers (throwback)

Author: dee takos July 2, 2026 Duration: 1:40:55
original air date 12/1/23
Michael Vickers joins us to discuss his path from 10th Special Forces Group to the CIA, including Cold War missions, Berlin tradecraft, Grenada, Beirut, and Ground Branch. We also get into the covert war in Afghanistan, the Reagan Doctrine, working with foreign partners like Pakistan and China, and how the U.S. helped drive the Soviet Union out by all means available.

Grab Mike's book here:
https://a.co/d/05Lzlki9

00:00 — Start
02:19 — Michael Vickers’ Origin Story
03:39 — 10th Special Forces Group During the Cold War
07:14 — Berlin, Detachment A, and Denied-Area Tradecraft
08:28 — Training With Man-Portable Nuclear Weapons
12:30 — OCS, Panama, and 7th Special Forces Group
15:16 — Embassy Rescue Prep and the RST Mission
21:16 — Leaving Special Forces for the CIA
22:27 — CIA Training, Suriname, and the Road to Grenada
26:16 — First Combat in Grenada
30:33 — Beirut, Hezbollah, and Failed Policy
33:49 — Ground Branch and the Afghanistan Assignment
40:31 — How the Afghan Covert Action Program Evolved
45:12 — “By All Means Available”: Defeating the Soviets
50:45 — Blowpipe, Stingers, and Escalating the War
53:12 — Selling the Strategy to Foreign Partners
56:18 — Working With Chinese Intelligence
01:00:07 — The Soviet Withdrawal From Afghanistan
01:03:32 — Reagan Doctrine and the Global Irregular War
01:10:21 — CIA Covert Action vs. Special Forces
01:18:23 — China, the New Cold War, and U.S. Power
01:30:38 — Cyber Attacks as Acts of War
01:37:09 — Chips, Rare Earths, and Protecting U.S. Infrastructure

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Hosted by Jack Murphy, The Team House is a long-form conversation built around a simple, powerful premise: to understand national security, you need to listen to the people who have been there. This podcast deliberately steps away from the partisan noise, offering a fiercely apolitical space where special operations veterans, intelligence professionals, and frontline reporters can share their experiences and analysis. Many guests here are speaking publicly for the very first time, providing raw, firsthand accounts that you won't find elsewhere. Each episode is a deep dive into the realities of conflict, the nuanced tradecraft of intelligence work, and the underlying geopolitical forces that shape global events. The conversations are detailed, often technical, and always grounded in the lived expertise of the guests. Alongside this main show, the The Team House network includes the sister program Eyes On Geopolitics, hosted by Mick Mulroy, Andy Milburn, and Jason Lyons, which continues the focus on global dynamics with a similarly experienced lens. For listeners seeking substance over soundbites, this podcast delivers complex narratives about modern warfare, espionage, and international relations, told directly by the individuals who have operated within these shadowed worlds. It’s a rare opportunity to hear unfiltered perspectives on the most critical security challenges of our time, making each episode an immersive lesson in the human and strategic dimensions of power.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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