Show Notes
Photo Courtesy of BCM
To end the year, I’m playing my all-time most downloaded episode.
Right after high school graduation, Kyle Defoor @defoorproformanceshooting left for boot camp in Orlando. A few months later, he was in Coronado going thru BUD/S as an 18-year-old kid.
We talk about growing up together in the small town of Haleyville, AL. And since his chances of playing D-1 football were looking slim, he joined the military. He knew he wanted some type of special operations, but all he knew was the Army’s Green Beret’s (from watching Rambo). After meeting with an overweight Army recruiter, he moved along and met a decent Navy recruiter showing the old video “Someone Special”.
Kyle also shares how he prepared for the Navy and BUD/S. These were pre-internet days, so information wasn’t easy to get. He went to the library and talked with a man in town who was a SEAL from the Vietnam era.
After serving 10 years in the Navy, he got out, did some contracting and other odd jobs and then formed his own company in 2010 “Defoor Proformance Shooting”.
This episode is good stuff from an experienced special operator who was part of multiple military operations globally. He also speaks in generalities about the teams he was part of.
If you’re preparing for BUD/S, this is a good one to listen to b/c you get some insight on Kyle’s mindset and advice. He also shares what he’d do differently.
Read more about Kyle and you’ll understand why he says “boot camp was the greatest thing ever” and why he’d do BUD/S again.
Kyle Defoor supports The Mark Forester Foundation
My notes from Kyle’s Scoped Rifle Class
*This is a rebroadcast from 2017*
Copyright 2021 Thad Foresterwww.patriottothecore.comemail questions to [email protected]
More from Patriot to the Core
Janine Sijan shares the story of her brother, Air Force Capt. Lance Sijan, a Medal of Honor recipient whose courage in Vietnam became a lasting symbol of duty, endurance, and sacrifice. Janine reflects on Lance as a brother and a man, offering personal memories that reveal the character behind the legend and the deep family bond that shaped his life.
What does it mean to sacrifice for someone you’ve never met? In this episode of Patriot to the Core, Thad Forester sits down with his young boys and their friends who completed the Mark Forester JAG 28 Memorial Birthday Walk — a tribute to Senior Airman Mark Forester, who gave his life in Afghanistan on September 29, 2010, earning him the Silver Star.
Seth Burton (@sethburtonforsenate) joins me in the Our Town studios for this episode of Patriot to the Core podcast. We dive into his run for U.S. Senate, unpacking the issues that matter most to Alabama and the nation—from security and leadership to economic growth and nuclear energy. Seth shares how his military background and command experience on nuclear submarines have shaped his approach to leadership, along with personal stories that define his values.
In this episode, Colleen Shine, daughter of Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Shine, shares her decades-long search for answers about her father’s fate after he was shot down and went missing in Vietnam in 1972. At just eight years old, Colleen began a journey that led her from uncertainty and loss to a determined investigation, including traveling to Vietnam to discover her father’s crash site and bringing his remains home in 1996. Colleen reflects on her personal experience as a Gold Star Daughter, the impact of POW/MIA families, and the enduring lessons about honor, family, and the lasting reverberations of war.
In part 2 of my interview with Lori Chapman Longfritz, sister of Medal of Honor recipient John Chapman, we discuss John’s final moments at the Battle of Takur Ghar in 2002, his courage as an Air Force Combat Controller, and the delayed recognition and non-recognition of his heroism (from who you ask?? The Navy, his SEAL team, National Medal of Honor Museum). Lori shares personal stories about John’s character, his dedication to family, and the lasting legacy he left behind. We also cover the Medal of Honor journey, the National Medal of Honor Museum, and Lori’s new book First There: The Life and Legacy of American Hero John Chapman.