Afghan Refugee Turned Marine & Green Beret | Ep. 266
In Episode 266 of the Mike Drop Podcast, Mike Ritland sits down with Kawa Mawlayee—the first Afghan-born Green Beret—for a raw talk on war, immigration, and identity. Kawa recounts fleeing Soviet-invaded Afghanistan, losing his father, and growing up as a refugee in Nebraska before serving 21 years across the Marines and Army, including Iraq’s invasion and the battle of Fallujah.
They dive into today’s immigration crisis, where Kawa contrasts his own integration with the current border chaos and even imagines how he’d fix ICE. From Fallujah’s brutality to the moral injuries of endless wars, Kawa reflects on leadership failures, resilience, and the cost of service—told with the blunt honesty only veterans share.
----------
Support Kawa Mawlayee
https://www.instagram.com/kawa_m_official/
https://www.instagram.com/2alpha_traininggroup/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kawa-mawlayee
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10340302/
----------
SPONSORS
BUBS Naturals
BUBS Naturals products are rooted in sustainably sourced ingredients and controlled consistency to provide our customers with the highest quality Collagen Protein & MCT Oil Powder that help you feel amazing and live a fuller life.
Beam
Here’s the deal: Beam is giving my listeners the ultimate patriot discount of UP TO 40% off.
Try their best‑selling Dream Powder and get UP TO 40% off for a limited time.
Go to https://shopbeam.com/products/dream-powder-4?variant=41387075567671&selling_plan=1794441271&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=mikedrop&code=applied15&discount=MIKEDROP and use code MIKEDROP at checkout.
Mizzen & Main
Mizzen & Main is offering our listeners 20% off your first purchase at mizzenandmain.com, promo code MIKEDROP20.
TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS
Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise.
https://www.teamdog.shop
TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING
Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog.
https://www.teamdog.pet
SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS
Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog
https://shop.mikeritland.com
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:55 UFO Show Fail
00:10:31 Water-Sucking UFO
00:13:40 Black Flags
00:24:02 Shallot EDC
00:28:20 Dad Killed by Russians
00:41:21 80s/90s Midwest Life
00:46:38 America Changed
00:52:12 ICE Raid Problems
01:02:44 Joining Marines Pre-9/11
01:04:26 Marine Corps Identity
01:09:40 Marine Fight Over Jokes
01:12:23 First Iraq Combat
01:17:09 Cultural Edge in War
01:19:03 Fallujah: Phantom Fury
01:21:25 Leadership Failures
01:31:39 Families Return to Ruins
01:36:01 Iraq & Afghan Lies
01:50:46 WWII: Last Just War?
01:53:46 Post-9/11 Alternatives
01:58:52 Why Not Saudi?
01:59:00 Netanyahu’s Push
02:00:02 Ad Break
02:01:35 AIPAC/ADL Power
02:04:20 Why 10x to Ukraine
02:06:22 Ukraine Proxy War
02:10:27 Ukraine Nazi Ties
02:19:03 Scofield & Zionism
02:27:31 Land Loss Map
02:32:02 Why Arabs Refuse Refugees
02:42:44 1947 to 2025
02:52:19 Muslim Nations Silent
02:54:00 Why Iran Won’t
02:58:30 Proxy Wars 101
03:01:35 Marines to SF
03:02:00 SEAL Respect
03:04:04 Green Beret vs SEAL
03:05:07 Minigun Future Team
03:06:56 Joining 5th Group
03:08:08 Marine vs Army Culture
03:10:20 11 Deployments
03:11:04 Back to Afghanistan
03:15:15 Can We Get ’80s Back?
03:19:11 Hold GOP & Trump
03:20:40 Trump’s Style
03:21:51 Tariffs = Tax
03:44:45 Israel Breaks Truces
03:47:44 UN Peacekeeper Plan
03:55:14 Unique Perspective
03:57:45 US Foreign Policy Hypocrisy
04:00:26 Accountability Push
04:00:57 Texas Funds Israel
04:03:17 Kirk Assassination Doubts
04:04:30 What Happened to Kirk?
04:05:01 Kirk’s Early Backers
04:09:22 Candace Owens
04:11:36 JFK/Epstein/9-11 Files
04:12:46 Hegseth Speech
04:14:29 Women in Combat
04:24:53 Uniting Over Epstein
04:30:57 Racism Is Manufactured
04:33:20 Foreign Influence Online
04:46:14 Culture vs Religion
04:51:11 Modern Crusades
04:55:49 9/11 = Surveillance State
04:57:18 Final Message
04:58:51 Swag & Rodeo
04:59:03 Find Kawa
05:00:42 Wrap-Up
#TheMikeDropPodcast #MikeRitland #veteran #Geopolitics #MikeRitlandPodcast #KawaMawlayee #GreenBeret #SpecialForces #AfghanRefugee #SovietInvasion #FallujahBattle #IraqWar #MarineVeteran #ArmyVeteran #BorderCrisis #ImmigrationPolicy #ICEReform #TrumpAdministration #HollywoodConsulting #UFOEncounters #CombatTrauma #MoralInjury #WarMemoir #VeteranStories #MilitaryLeadership #PatriotMindset #CulturalCommentary #IraqInvasion #veteranStory
