U.S. Military F-35's Just Did Something INSANE To Iran's Coastal Hideouts

Colonel Mike Jernigan, a former Marine Corps combat engineer and battalion commander, joins Max Afterburner for a candid conversation about making decisions when information is incomplete and lives are at stake. They discuss the opening hours of Operation Iraqi Freedom, why leaders must accept responsibility for their calls and how the Marine Corps builds accountability early. The conversation covers what combat engineers do, lessons from commanding Marines, the culture of competition and what real combat is like when every decision matters. Jernigan commanded 1st Combat Engineer Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom I, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and later served as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Engineer School. Hear his perspective on combat leadership, judgment under pressure, and taking responsibility when there’s no perfect answer. Subscribe to the Max Afterburner Podcast for more conversations with military leaders and aviation professionals.

Former Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf sits down with Max Afterburner for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what combat operations really look like from inside a SEAL Team, the missions that shaped him, and why he traded gunfights for wingsuit flights and BASE jumping off some of the most dangerous cliffs on Earth. Andy spent 17 years in the Navy, including time at Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL Team 6), deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, was wounded in combat, and went on to set a wingsuit world record for distance. Today he hosts the Cleared Hot podcast. In this episode we get into special operations planning, the reality of close-quarters combat, what SEAL selection (BUD/S) actually filters for, leadership under fire, the mental game of extreme sports, and the transition from military life to civilian life. Hosted by Ryan "Max" Bodenheimer, former F-15E Strike Eagle combat pilot, F-16 pilot, and USAF Thunderbird.

F-16 pilot James Reeman sits down with former F-15E Strike Eagle and Thunderbirds pilot Max Afterburner for a fighter-pilot-to-fighter-pilot conversation about flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon — the Viper. Reeman flew the F-16 with the Colorado Air National Guard's 120th Fighter Squadron and deployed to Kunsan Air Base, Korea, where his own son served as his crew chief. In this episode: what it's really like to fly the F-16, how the Viper compares to the F-15E and F-15, Air National Guard fighter life vs active duty, deploying to Korea and flying alongside the ROK Air Force, and the lessons a career in fighter aviation teaches about leadership, risk, and trust.

F-22 Raptor pilot/F-35 Pilot/F-15C pilot Josh "Cabo" joins Max Afterburner to break down what the world's premier air superiority fighter can actually do in combat — stealth, sensor fusion, supercruise, and the tactics that make the Raptor nearly untouchable. We get into current events shaping the fight for air dominance, from the F-22's role in today's threat environment to how it stacks up against emerging fifth- and sixth-generation competitors. If you want the real story on modern air combat from a pilot who flew the jet, this one's for you. Check out my book 'The Art Of Modern War' : https://www.mabbook.com My Aviation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxAfterburnerusa My Energy Drinks: https://maxafterburnerenergy.com/

Retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Tim "Monk" Miller — TOPGUN graduate, F/A-18 Hornet pilot, and former squadron commander — joins the Max Afterburner Podcast to talk about what fighter pilots actually see up there, and why the UFO conversation looks completely different from inside the cockpit. We get into Iran's jellyfish drone swarm and what a formation like that means for aircrews flying into contested airspace, the air war over the Strait of Hormuz, and whether cheap autonomous drones are about to end the era of the manned fighter jet entirely. Monk also breaks down the Strike Fighter League, the professional air combat league he founded to put real fighter pilots and real aircraft data into competitive simulation. Check out the Strike Fighter League here: https://the-sfl.com/ Check out my book 'Take Command' : https://www.mabbook.com My Aviation Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaxAfterburnerusa Max Afterburner Energy: maxafterburnerenergy.com