🚨OUT NOW: 28 YEARS IN UNIFORM. YOU KNOW THE RETIREMENT SPEECH LEFT SOME THINGS OUT. Four deployments to Iraq. One to Afghanistan. Poland, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. Travis Cooke has some stories—and you’re going to want to hear them. The retired Command Sergeant Major of 5-73 Cav joins Boots & Chutes Unfiltered to talk airborne life, combat, and leading soldiers when the decisions carry real consequences. There are laughs in this one. Some moments remind you why these stories need to be told. After spending much of his career with the 82nd Airborne Division, Travis traded Army life for his family’s northeast Texas ranch. With three sons who served as infantrymen, we’re guessing “back when I was in the Army” gets competitive at that dinner table. 😂 What stays with a man after 28 years of service? Pull up a chair and hear it from Travis himself. ▶️ Watch the full episode of Boots & Chutes Unfiltered—OUT NOW! @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 Follow all our socials, like, subscribe, and share this episode with somebody who always has “one more Army story.” #BootsAndChutesUnfiltered #TravisCooke #82ndAirborne #ArmyVeteran #GWOT #WarStories #militarypodcast youtu.be/1nYWTOxu1xQ?si=d5G6…

YOUR FIRST COMBAT PATROL IN GWOT, WERE YOU NERVOUS, READY, OR BOTH? Trying to remember everything from the brief. Watching the guys who’d been there before. Hoping nobody could tell how nervous you were. You checked rooftops. Windows. Parked cars. Trash along the road. Everything looked like something you’d been warned about. Somebody cracked a joke over the radio. Your team leader checked on you, then pointed out where to look. You kept moving. Maybe you took contact. Maybe the whole patrol passed without a shot. Either way, getting back through that gate felt good. Clear your weapon. Drop your gear. Somebody asks what’s for chow, like you hadn’t spent the last few hours with your stomach in a knot. But you remember who walked out beside you. 👇Where was your first combat patrol, and what’s one thing about it you’ll never forget? Follow all our socials, like, subscribe, and share with someone who was there beside you. #GWOT #IraqVeteran #AfghanistanVeteran #DeploymentMemories #bootsandchutesunfiltered

FROM BAGHDAD TO BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RANGERS. Retired SFC Jonathon “Jon” Baxley joins Boots & Chutes Unfiltered next week to talk combat, mortars, and life as a Ranger instructor. A 4-31 Infantry Polar Bear and Baghdad scout/sniper team leader, Jon didn’t think he was Ranger material. His first sergeant had other ideas. That push sent him straight through Ranger School. Then it was back to Iraq, where he rebuilt the battalion commander’s security platoon while the deployment was still underway. He eventually returned to Ranger School as an instructor, the guy evaluating Soldiers who might have been questioning themselves the same way he once did. Sometimes one leader’s confidence in you changes the rest of your career. 👇Who pushed you toward something you didn’t think you could do, and what would be a question you want us to ask John? Catch Jon’s story next week. Follow all our socials, like, subscribe, and share! @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 #BootsAndChutesUnfiltered #GWOT #RangerSchool #Mortarmen #PolarBears #ArmyVeterans

WE’D CARRY AN EXTRA TEN POUNDS JUST TO BE SLIGHTLY LESS MISERABLE. 😂 Ammo. Water. Batteries. All the stuff you had to carry. Then came the stuff you weren’t leaving without. A Jetboil and coffee. You could deal with a lot, but somebody saying “we’re out of coffee” might ruin the whole patrol. An MP3 player loaded with everything from George Strait to angry divorce music. You weren’t even married, just really into that Papa Roach album. Toilet paper in a Ziploc bag, because that little brown MRE napkin wasn’t built for what you were about to put it through. Wet wipes for a complete “shower.” Face first. Other areas last. That order mattered. And if you had a truck? You were practically moving in. Pillow behind the seat. Snacks in every compartment. A suspiciously comfortable blanket you’d have to explain if anybody found it. We gave the guy with the Jetboil grief for bringing his whole kitchen. Then he fired it up at 0300. “Hey, brother… You got enough water for two?” Tucked somewhere safe was a picture of the family. Maybe your wife, your kids, your parents, or a dog who had no idea why you’d been gone so long. You’d pull it out during some miserable stretch of waiting. Look at it for a minute. Put it away before it gets filthy. Then ask your buddy for another wet wipe. What was YOUR must-have comfort item and who in your truck packed like he was never coming back? 👇 Follow all our socials, like, subscribe, and share with the buddy who always had the good snacks. @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 #GWOT #DeploymentMemories #IraqVeteran #AfghanistanVeteran #BootsAndChutesUnfiltered

Some moments in war test more than courage. Travis Cooke recalls a choice rooted in humanity and compassion on the day Keith Callahan was killed. Full episode on YouTube, also pinned to the top of our page. #leadership #humanity #veterans #bootsandchutes

Dude, the amount of spam and political text messages is outrageous. I think I get a VA home loan text 12 times a day that starts, "Hey Jerry, this is Mark at....” First of all, go "F" yourself, Mark, and leave me alone, dude. Then here comes the political one again: go to hell as well, people. Are you guys sick of everyone trying to sell you stuff now? Commercials on everything. Crazy. Okay, rant over, bye...

If you ever served in the All-American Division, you know about LGOPs, "Little Groups of Paratroopers." That’s part of what makes a young paratrooper so capable. You had to know more than where your squad was going. You needed to understand the objective, the aircraft’s direction of flight, where other units were landing, and the commander’s intent. Because once you hit the ground, you might not find anybody from your platoon. You could get scooped up by another leader, fall in with another company, and end up fighting toward a different objective. You still had to understand how your piece fit into the larger fight. Find other paratroopers. Get organized. Keep moving toward the mission. 👇Who remembers landing and realizing you were about to make some new friends? @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 #82ndAirborne #AllAmerican #LGOPs #Paratroopers #Airborne #BootsAndChutesUnfiltered

THERE ARE GROWN MEN WHO STILL GET QUIET WHEN THEY HEAR A MEDEVAC BIRD. 🚁 Because they remember waiting on one. A nine-line going over the radio. Doc is working on their buddy. Everybody else was pulling security, helping where they could, and asking the same question. “Where’s the bird?” The guy on that litter had been laughing with you that morning. Talking about his kids, trying to bum a cigarette. Now you were watching Doc’s face, trying to figure out how bad it was. Then somebody heard the rotors. “They’re coming.” You still had to get your buddy aboard. The landing zone still wasn’t safe. But the people you needed were finally there. And those DUSTOFF crews came into some terrible places to get us. Pilots putting the aircraft down under fire in dust so thick you wondered how they could see. Crew chiefs watch for threats and help load the wounded. Flight medics taking over from a Doc who’d done everything he could. You handed them, somebody you loved. Then you stood there in the rotor wash and watched them take him away, hoping you’d see him again. Some of us did. Some of us remember that flight as the last time we saw our friend. To the DUSTOFF crews: you might never know what happened to every soldier you carried. But there are veterans out here who remember that ride. And buddies who still remember you showing up. Some families got years together because you got there in time. We remember your crews who didn’t come home, too. We know coming for us costs lives. Thank you for every dangerous landing. Every wounded soldier you cared for. Every chance you gave our friends. 👇If you could speak to the crew that came for you or your buddy, what would you tell them? @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 #DUSTOFF #GWOT #CombatMedics #Veterans #bootsandchutesunfiltered

In our new episode, we honor the memory of my former PSG, SFC Keith Callahan. The 82nd Airborne Division named FOB Callahan in his honor, and this photo was taken just minutes before he was killed in action on January 24, 2007. We reflect on the day we stepped into the fire, remembering a true stud and an incredible Ranger and Paratrooper. Again, he was killed minutes after this picture was taken. If you have a couple of hours, check out the latest episode pinned to my profile. @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 🎖️🇺🇸🪖 #Memory #Hero #Ranger #Paratrooper

Keith Callahan was the kind of platoon sergeant you thought nothing could happen to. The man was a badass. In this clip, I talk with Travis Cooke about the day we lost SFC Keith A. Callahan and how hard it hit us. I looked up to Keith. Having to step in as acting platoon sergeant after losing him was something I never expected to do. Still wish I could sit down and have another conversation with him. Miss you, brother. 🇺🇸 If you served with Keith, I’d love to hear a story about him. Full episode with Travis Cooke is out now on Boots & Chutes Unfiltered, pinned above on my profile. Check it out. Follow all our socials, like, subscribe, and share. @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 #KeithCallahan #82ndAirborne #NeverForgotten #BootsAndChutesUnfiltered

Our good friend Trenton Petty, Ranger Association Executive Director, is helping to start a new apparel company: Death From Above Apparel. Please check it out: instagram.com/deathfromabove…

🚨 EPISODE OUT NOW. Travis Cooke recounts a near-friendly fire incident during the firefight that claimed SFC Keith A. Callahan’s life. Boots & Chutes Unfiltered. The full episode is pinned to my profile. Like, share, and subscribe across all our social media. @Boots_N_Chutes @cmrowe77 @DropzoneBrief #NeverForget #GWOT

What are some of the best moments in your military career? I’ve got a few. 1. Led paratroopers in combat at every level of leadership in the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions, from team leader to command sergeant major. 2. Earning the title of United States Marine in 1995. 3. Building lifelong friendships with some of the craziest knuckleheads you’ll ever meet. The kind you probably shouldn’t put on speakerphone around your family. 4. Performing jumpmaster duties for the first time in the 82nd and finally giving everyone one less thing to give me shit about between passing the course and getting through that 90-day card. 5. Serving as Command Sergeant Major of the 4-31 Infantry Polar Bears during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Being a voice for Polar Bears that served at HKIA. An honor and a responsibility I’ll carry for the rest of my life. 6. 🙏 Having the privilege of serving alongside some of the greatest men who never made it home. Having them in my life, even briefly, meant more than I could ever put into a post. Some memories make you laugh. Others make you wish you had just five more minutes with the people in them. 👇What’s a moment from your military career you’ll never forget? #MilitaryMemories #82ndAirborne #10thMountain #USMC #PolarBears #BootsAndChutesUnfiltered