The Megyn Kelly Show
Delta Force Operator John McPhee on Afghan War Stories, Keys to Leadership, and America as a Friend | Ep. 1080
Mon, 26 May 2025
Megyn Kelly is joined by retired U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major John McPhee, founder of SOB Tactical, to discuss how he got into the Army, the people who misjudged him along the way, why he loved basic training, his rise to the Army Rangers and Delta Force, his experience in Afghanistan killing hundreds of terrorists, what really happened with bin Laden, whether he could have been killed or captured just months into the conflict, the political implications of war, why Hegseth and Trump are right to fix the military, the keys to leadership, why Jiu Jitsu is a core element of keeping him sane and in survival mode, his tough childhood, living in a brothel, his relationship with his parents, and more. More from McPhee- https://sobtactical.com/ Riverbend Ranch: Visit https://riverbendranch.com/ | Use promo code MEGYN for $20 off your first order.Everglades Foundation: Learn more about President Trump’s Everglades support project at https://www.EvergladesFoundation.orgMasa Chips: Get 25% off your first order | Use code MK at https://MASAChips.com/MKFollow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKellyTwitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShowInstagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShowFacebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at: https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow
Chapter 1: How did John McPhee start his military journey?
Welcome to The Megyn Kelly Show, live on Sirius XM Channel 111 every weekday at noon east. Hey everyone, I'm Megyn Kelly. Welcome to The Megyn Kelly Show. On this Memorial Day, we honor all of the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep the United States of America free and prosperous.
As we do every Memorial Day, we are bringing you the story of a remarkable veteran and what a story this vet has. Joining me today is retired U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major John McPhee, a.k.a. the Sheriff of Baghdad.
John served our country for over 20 years, specializing in various special mission units and combat experience across multiple theaters, including Afghanistan and Iraq, where he hunted both Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. I would like to introduce you to a new brand of Angus beef. You can order it directly from Riverbend Ranch, which is located just a few miles from West Yellowstone, Montana.
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John, great to have you.
Thank you.
How are you doing?
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Chapter 2: What challenges did John face during his childhood?
Yeah, for a long time.
How'd that happen?
I don't know. You get in fights. You go to ding-dong. They call it ding-dong school. That's where kids that fight all the time. And you end up there.
How did your parents settle in a neighborhood where you would wind up being the only white kid in class?
That's where we lived. It's South Chicago. It's where we lived. You know what I mean? I would say the South Chicago of the 70s, 80s was like a different place.
So I know that you were very badly bullied on the bus every day. I heard you telling our pal Sean Ryan about that. I mean, it was every day they beat you up.
Daily. Well, no, until they got me a cab.
I mean, it must have been bad for the South Side of Chicago school system to get you a cab every day to school.
I think, yeah, yeah. It cost, well, it cost them a lot of money because the police would have to come to the bus on the side of the road. They'd have to break up the fight. And then the seats were broke. A window was broke. And then the school's got to pay for all of that. And then by the time we get to school, school would be over. How old were you?
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Chapter 3: What was it like for John to serve in Delta Force?
I don't know. I don't got the energy to like hang on to that much shit.
You know what I mean? Yeah. Good.
Yeah.
So no, we always joke. My husband's brother, they're Presbyterian and he always jokes when you're, when you're thinking about something like that, push it down, push it down. He's not wrong.
I mean, on some things you got to let it go. Yeah. Like letting it go is the better way. You know what I mean?
But the beatings, that would be tough to let go. I mean, I just feel like, did that create any resentment in you?
I don't know. Yes. I mean, of course it did. It did. It didn't. I mean, look, I look at it this way. I turned out the way I turned out. And I think anybody in the situations I was in would come out the same way. And then you have to realize, like, you got to want to choose good. You know, it's easy for people to be bad. And I say this all the time. No one has bad intent, but shit gets fucked up.
Can I say that?
Yeah, you can. Yeah. I wouldn't have had you on if you couldn't say that word. That's your favorite word.
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Chapter 4: What were John's experiences in Tora Bora?
Uh, The Ranger Regiment is its own unit in the Army. They're infantry, basically. And nowadays, they're a Tier 1 unit. Back in my day, they were just like specialized infantry or whatever they called them, right? But yeah, the Ranger Regiment is a way of life. And then back in my day was RIP, is what they called it. And like basic training was a joke. We jog in the morning and sing songs.
It's like summer camp, you know, in Rip, like some random looking dude just takes off faster than you've ever seen another human being running. You're just like... Holy shit. Like these guys do this. Let's go. Yeah. Real talk, you know? And, and, and like the whole time, like, I mean, I didn't know if I was going to make it or not. I was just doing my best.
How long is the training?
Oh, it was three weeks back then.
Okay. But it's intense.
Yeah. Back then it was. Yeah. And back then it was more about creating guys that won't quit than it was like training you at your actual job.
Now from there you joined special forces. How long did that take?
I did five years in ranger battalion. And then like the, the sergeant major at the time was like sending people to like Korea or some random army shit that I wanted nothing to do with. What did you want? I'm not that like combat, not that, you know what I mean? Didn't never wanted to go to Korea. I heard it's cold. And like, anyway, never wanted to go there. Sorry. No offense.
Where were you in the States?
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Chapter 5: How did 9/11 affect John McPhee's military career?
So especially when you grew up in Chicago, right? Yeah. Yeah. For once. Yes.
Yeah. So love Savannah. Right. And I didn't want to go anywhere. So I figured I'd hit special forces selection. At least it would like, give me a path where I might control my ending.
Can you talk about that? Cause as a civilian, you hear special forces and you think, Oh, it's cool. Something cool is happening. Like he knows shit. Like he's done stuff.
Yeah.
What, what did it mean to you?
Oh, I don't know. I mean, like, it's okay. I like special forces. Like, why do it?
Like, when you were back a range of the sitter.
Oh, yeah. What was the lure? I don't know. Like, the John Wayne shit when I was a kid, right? It's badass. Yeah, like Rambo, right? Like, that's what I thought. Yes. Kind of in the middle 90s, not really what was happening, but later on it got better. More towards a G-Wad. Everything got better.
What do you mean you thought it would put you in charge of your own death?
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Chapter 6: What are John's thoughts on the military-industrial complex?
Like it's like a tryout? Yeah. What does selection mean?
Uh, it's not a lot of stupid shit. You know what I mean?
Like it's a one day you show up. Oh no.
It's like a run. No. Okay. Special forces selection kind of works like this. It's based off a team and you got to work in a team. Right. And it's 12 guys in a, in a, a team, a special forces, a team. Right. Um, And then so you're kind of grouped in 12 guys and then like you do like random stuff like you got to build these. They'll give you like one wheel, some pipe and a 500 pound barrel.
And it's like it's you got to take it 20 miles that way. Go.
It's very MacGyver-y.
Very MacGyver-y. Right.
And then you have the right background for this, too, though.
Yeah, but you're not in charge every day. And then if someone bad's in charge and they talk about they do stupid shit, you're stuck doing their stupid shit all day long. I was on the worst team ever, I think, in selection.
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Chapter 7: How does John view the impact of his military service?
Were you in Delta Force when 9-11 happened?
Yeah.
Okay. So you're doing your training, what, still down in Savannah?
I was at Bragg, Fort Bragg.
Okay.
And then, well, 9-11, I was trying to skydive to go to a free fall jump master school. Teach people to skydive. Of course you were. That's what I do.
So what happened on 9-11? What was your reaction to that day?
Well, the first plane, I was like, it looked like a little plane crashed in. Yeah, we didn't know. Some drunken idiot in his little plane crashed in, right? And then the second was like, oh, shit. And then we were grounded and that was it. Then you knew it was like something bad.
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Chapter 8: What lessons does John have about leadership?
You knew, but unlike the rest of us, you actually were going to have to answer the call. I mean, does that... is that exciting? Is it nerve wracking? Is it everything?
Uh, it's a lot of things, but I would say this is, uh, I was too far in not to go. You know what I mean? I was excited. I was nervous. You know, like the whole, I say this all the time. People are going to have a thousands emotions today, right? Like it's just how people work. You'll have a thousand emotions. Don't let it stop on the bad ones. You know what I mean?
I know what you mean, but it's harder to do than actually, you know, it sounds.
Maybe. I don't know.
You know, people get stuck. They get stuck in sort of obsessive thinking, especially if their life might be on the line.
Yeah, people get stuck.
So how do you rejigger that if that's you and you get stuck on something?
Smack them in the back of the head. Sometimes you need that. You know what I mean? Sometimes I need that. You know what I mean? Snap them out of it.
So what was the first word you had that you were getting deployed and to where?
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