Ep 476: Smart Intel Guy? There’s Only One—And He’s Charlie Faint!

Episode 476

Let’s get one thing straight—Charlie Faint isn’t just an intel officer. He’s the intel officer that made it through JSOC, the 160th, and now West Point without once becoming a PowerPoint nerd with security clearance delusions. In this episode, we dig into his warrior-scholar journey—from nearly drowning in a flight suit during selection to launching the Havoc Journal and mentoring cadets who think Platoon is a recruiting video.

We cover everything: JSOC mythos, combat intel screw-ups, the Rangers' OPSEC paranoia, mentoring Gen Z cadets with TikTok attention spans, and what happens when your daughter accidentally drops a no-strike target’s name over a monitored call. You’ll laugh. You’ll learn. You’ll probably get flagged by the NSA.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

How Charlie nearly failed selection because of a buoyant flight helmet—and why he refused to quit.
What it's really like to work intel inside JSOC and the 160th.
Why the Rangers are more scared of OPSEC violations than combat.
The origin story of Havoc Journal and how it became the literate grunt’s favorite blog.
How West Point cadets are smarter than we were—but still need a “bull elephant” mentor to stay on track.
What Call of Duty and Predator drone feeds have in common (hint: team bonding).
Why trust is everything, and how an imagery guy named Smitty saved an entire air mission with a gut call.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro and “we swear he’s the smart intel guy”
01:30 – Charlie’s military lineage and why he joined
05:00 – JSOC family tree and childhood revelations
08:30 – West Point cadet trends and “the military caste system”
13:00 – Getting humbled in Green Platoon
18:00 – Intel guy vs. underwater harness test (spoiler: fail)
22:00 – Why 160th included him in real ops
28:00 – Trust, Smitty, and a 75% landing risk
33:00 – Havoc Journal origin story
38:00 – OPSEC horror stories: Ranger edition
43:00 – Mentorship and why Gen Z is gonna be just fine
50:00 – Advice for future leaders: “Get in the damn box first.”
59:00 – Final thoughts and where to find Charlie’s work

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Published on 7 months ago

Podcast Episode Details

Ep 476: Smart Intel Guy? There’s Only One—And He’s Charlie Faint!