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Alex Dekker on Writing Desert Heist, Green Beret Brotherhood & Life After Service | Security Halt! Podcast Ep. 435
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Former Green Beret turned author Alex Dekker joins the Security Halt! Podcast to discuss his powerful transition from Special Forces service to fiction writing and storytelling. In this episode, Alex dives into the inspiration behind his upcoming novel Desert Heist, the therapeutic side of writing, and why authentic veteran stories matter now more than ever.
From navigating military transition to reconnecting with brotherhood and purpose, Alex shares how storytelling became a way to process experiences, preserve history, and inspire others in the veteran community. He also breaks down his creative process, how real-world experiences shaped his fictional characters, and why vulnerability is essential for veterans who want to share their stories.
Whether you’re a veteran transitioning out of service, an aspiring author, or someone passionate about military history, fiction, and mental health, this episode delivers valuable insight into purpose, creativity, and life after the military.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Storytelling and Authorship
02:57 The Genesis of Desert Heist
05:59 The Writing Process and Literary Journey
09:01 Creating Characters and Drawing from Experience
12:05 The Impact of Fiction on Reality
15:13 The Role of Green Berets in Storytelling
17:56 Therapeutic Aspects of Writing
20:56 The Importance of Sharing Your Story
26:56 The Journey of Writing and Publishing
35:06 Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life
39:52 The Importance of Brotherhood and Connection
45:36 Future Projects and What’s Next
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From Soldier To Storyteller
SPEAKER_00How did you get to the point of dreaming to become an author after serving the military for twenty plus years, man?
SPEAKER_01I had never planned to be an author. It was not in the cards. The plan was I'll be a Green Beret for uh as long as they let me be, and then I'll go do something else that's pretty close to being a Green Beret. Um and uh, you know, I had a rare wall in off tempo and not much to do with it. Guys like us probably don't do too well with idle time or I need to fill the space.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah. We have a long history of problems that arise when there's nothing to do.
SPEAKER_01I kind of just felt like I had the story in me and so I sat down to write and I kind of thought about what I know and what I know is special operations from uh having having a career in it, and what I love is history, so I just kind of meshed the two together. So just kind of a natural uh setting for the story to take place. When I sat down to write, the rest of it just kind of took care of itself.
SPEAKER_00Alex Decker, welcome to Security How Podcast, brother. How are you? I'm good. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. I've it's been uh I've been waiting anticipation to have you here to discuss your book, Desert Heist. Um, we have a lot of authors in the community, and I always champion, I always say, and I'll say it again, folks, tell your story, no matter what it is. If it's an autobiography, if it's a book on science fiction, if it's the next great thriller, write your story. Nobody else has what you have inside. Nobody. You you could be the next great author, or you could, you know, take that book and turn it into a movie. Who nobody knows. You you have a story within you, all of us do. And today we're here to talk about yours, brother, because it's one thing to serve and have this idea to write a book, but another, it's completely different to dive into this genre and create something that's captivating. And and I I want to know everything. I want to know where the inception for this book came from, where you started thinking about it, because um I I I I a hundred percent know that the story is gonna be riveting. So without further ado, Alex, how did you come up with this story? But more importantly, how did you get to the point of dreaming to become an author after serving the military for 20 plus years, man?
Loving History And Finding The Muse
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, well, like like a lot of things, they just kind of happen. So uh, you know, where I got the idea from, I've always been a huge, like a huge fan of history. History has always been a big passion of mine. You know, I was the I was the kid in in elementary school that when it was time to switch from, you know, uh history to math or whatever, I was still kind of poking around the book, looking at the seven, you know, wonders of the world or or whatever, right? I always loved history. And so along with that, you know, always loved Indiana Jones and these like riveting adventures where they're searching for lost history and treasure and archaeology and all of these things. I obviously took a different path in life. Um, but that that kind of passion for that and interest just never really went away. And so uh, you know, I had never planned to be an author. It was not in the cards. It wasn't like I'll be a Green Beret for 20 years and then I'll go be an author. That was not the intention. The plan was I'll be a Green Beret for uh as long as they let me be, and then I'll go do something else that's pretty close to being a Green Beret. Um and uh, you know, I had a rare lull in op tempo and not much to do with it. And so, but you know, I think guys like us probably don't do too well with with idle time, right? You need to fill the space. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We have a long history of problems that arise when there's nothing to do. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01So you gotta keep them busy, you know. So uh, you know, so I I kind of just felt like I had this story in me, and I just kind of I sort of sat down to write. I kind of I thought about what what I know and what I know is special operations from uh having having a career in it, and what I love is history, so I just kind of meshed the two together. Um, you know, I started writing. I'm originally spent the first half of my career at fifth group, so fifth group guy, Middle Eastern guy, so the Middle East made sense, you know. I'm an Arabic speaker. Um, so it was just kind of a natural uh setting for the story to take place. When I sat down to write, the rest of it just kind of took care of itself.
SPEAKER_00You know, uh Stephen Pressfield talks about the muse, talking about sitting down and how this idea kind of takes over.
SPEAKER_01I love that you brought that up. I I bring that up to people all the time. Um, you know, because before I had heard Stephen Pressfield talk about that, I used to describe it as, you know, I do the the research, so all the historical research and uh you know most of the places I've been, but going back and looking at things and all the things to get to make sure that's accurate and correct. When I sit down to write, it feels as if I'm a conduit and the story's coming from somewhere else. I just sit down and it just passes through me and I just get it out. And and then I heard Stephen Pressfield talk about the muse. And if you put yourself in the right space at the right time and you're doing the right thing, it's gonna come to you. And that has just been uh exactly my experience uh throughout throughout this and everything else that I've I've written since.
Drafting For Yourself Not For Sales
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And when you were sitting down specifically for this book, how how long after you transitioned did you start really like were you were you already a hundred percent fully developed in the story, or was it only until when you got out that you were able to say, okay, let me revisit this, let me retool this, let me dive into this hell the head headlong, or was it completely done in that period of you know free time?
SPEAKER_01So it was uh, you know, it was at a uh you know, I don't want to give it a percentage, but it was at a at a fair solution there. And I kind of I put it away whenever things uh got busier, and then uh kind of came back to it and and and got it for a second look. And uh yeah, I wasn't I didn't write it to publish it. I didn't I I wrote it for me, I guess, as a story, essentially. Um and I enjoyed writing it so much that I kind of wrote a second one and didn't necessarily have plans to do anything with these. And I let my now wife read it. Um, you know, we were we're we're talking when we were dating, and I said, Yeah, you know, I wrote something and she uh, you know, I wonderful woman. She didn't say it, but I'm sure in the back of her mind it's kind of like, okay, you wrote a book, you know. How awkward would this be to tell them this thing sucks? Um you know, no, but she read it and she loved it, and I but then on the flip side of it was like, well, she loves me, so you know, is this a good story? Or I think it's good, but um, I let a couple other people read it, a couple other guys in the community. I got some good feedback. Um and somebody that I had to let read it kind of handed it off to a literary agency, and they expressed a lot of interest. And so my thought process was if they're interested, I wonder if other people would be interested too. That's a good friend.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01So I had to look up the whole the whole process of you know, how does one go about this? And you you write query letters and you send them out to literary agencies and you give them whatever is they want, the first couple chapters or you know, half manuscript or whatever. Um, so I I sent some out and I got, you know, um I got some interest back, I got some some non-interest back, and I got some some silence back as well. Um, but my my current agent now, who she's amazing, um, you know, I I I had heard from people and I was gonna make a decision, and so I sent a follow-up email out just of uh, you know, hey, if anybody's interested, I gotta make a decision in the coming week or so. You know, she got back to me and was like, I must have lost your email in in my, you know, in my my inbox, like give me the weekend to read it, and if I like it, let's talk. Um, she I emailed me on that's that was on Friday, she emailed me on Sunday, and she was like, it's great, let's do it. And uh so I said, okay, still just kind of stumbling my way through this, this, this process. Um, and she told me, you know, I think I have uh someone in particular in mind that I want to show it to, but I want to wait for the right time. Uh the right time was about seven or eight months later, while I was actually on my honeymoon in Hawaii, and uh my agent calls and says, I have uh uh Emily Bessler, she loves your book, she wants to talk to you. Um and for anybody who doesn't know Emily Bessler is the uh the massive talent and genius behind people like Jack Carr, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn. Um, so she's she's amazing. And um, you know, so I'm in Hawaii and I'm like, okay. Yeah, can you talk in 10 minutes through a Zoom call? So I'm sitting in a hotel room in Kawaii. I'm like, yeah, and I dig around for the nicest shirt that I have, you know. And uh, you know, we did an hour-long Zoom call, talk to her, she was wonderful. My agent called me right back and said she she wants to do it, and that was um that was kind of how the whole process started, and it's kind of just been been taking off since
Agents Query Letters And A Breakthrough Call
SPEAKER_01since then.
SPEAKER_00So that's incredible. That's that's insane. That's insane. For sure.
SPEAKER_02Very fortunate.
SPEAKER_00I'm very fortunate. To be and the thing that strikes me uh uh about this is you were happy with what you created and you didn't have an expectation to even publish it. It it brought joy to you and you were happy what you created. And and that for a lot of people in today's modern age where everything's about how can I monetize it, how can I make this be the biggest, best-selling book ever. That there's something to just creating because you love it. Uh, you know, I I I completely agree, and I think um that's where if you're if you're doing it for a work, this episode of Security Health is brought to you by Dr. Taylor Bosley and Persistian Wellness Group. Let's be real. By now, a lot of New Year's resolutions have already fizzled out, life gets busy, motivation drops, and health ends up on the back burner. But here's the truth there's no better time to start than right now. Persion Wellness Group specializes in hormonal optimization and hormone health, delivering first-like care and future right to your door. If you've been dealing with low energy, brain fog, forced sleep, forced all performance, hormone imbalance, maybe the missing feet. Dr. Taylor Bosley and his team take a data-driven, individualized approach to help you get back to operating at year fast. SecurityHall lets nurse receive 25% off of their initial consultation when they use Security Hall 25 at checkout. Click the link in the episode description to find out more and get started today.
SPEAKER_01You know, so I I'd I get a write about, you know, former, former special operators. And so I got I know that world, but if I was trying to write a book about, you know, current special operators and they're, you know, in a task force that's fighting terrorism or doing whatever, it would probably exhaust me, to be honest. You know, uh so long, and it's just I I feel like it'd be tiring. But getting to take those those those characters and put them into a setting where they're living out their best, you know, Indiana Jones style, you know, high adventure thriller, um, it's just fun. It's exciting to write. I look forward to writing it. You know, I I I do hear some writers talk about, you know, you have to you have to do the work. You have to sit down and say, you know, today I'm gonna write 2,500 words or whatever, because you know, if you're if you're a professional, you act professional. So, you know, if you're a doctor, you go to work. If you're a lawyer, you go to work. If you're a writer, you go to work. Um, I think that's a great mentality to have. I have the opposite issue. When I sit down to write, I just don't want to stop writing, and it's like 3 a.m. and I'm like, I gotta go to bed, I gotta get some sleep, you know, I have other things to do. This this can't be all consuming, but I just enjoy it. I enjoy crafting the enjoy doing the research. Um, and I enjoy just writing and crafting the stories so much that uh yeah, you know, I I it could have been that no one was ever gonna see the light of day of Desert Heist. And uh I probably would have still just kept writing them because they were just stories kept coming
Building A Lighter Adventure Thriller
SPEAKER_01to me.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. And and the other great thing about this, it's we whether we like it or not, there is an abundance of stories that share the grittier, more action detail and oriented stories of soft operators. Um which is great. Some of them I I love too. I I enjoy them. Um, especially modern, the the the modern fictionalization that uh you know those books are awesome. But what you created is completely different, still utilizing the same mindset, still uh utilizing the incredible gifts that individuals from this community have in a in a richer environment. And and something that's deeply connected to us. We all grew up for the most part watching Indiana Jones, high adventure. Like it takes you away from some of the feelings, and and I talk about this a lot specifically when it comes to the veteran community because some authors are really good. They're so good that they can put people right back into that moment, right back in that place where they have to revisit something that was absolutely chaotic that they don't want to think about. But when you're able to give it a different scene, a different mindset, and still have the adventure, you give somebody the ability to pick up a book again and enjoy reading, which is something that is very difficult to get our veteran community rallied behind to read again.
SPEAKER_01For sure. You know, and I used to joke that there's a lot of truth in it that you know uh for a while there I had to stop, I had to stop reading guys like Jack Carr and Brad Thor, you know, Brad Taylor, because they they did they do make it so realistic, it just stressed me out, you know. I'm at work and this is what I'm doing at work. I need to do something else. So, you know, I started picking up a random genre, a sci-fi book, something different, just to just switch my brain off.
SPEAKER_00So it will spin you up. It will spin you up. It gets you in that mindset of like oh F3EAD. We're going back in, boys. Like we're looking for we're targeting.
SPEAKER_01That is that is the best and highest compliment I can pay to those guys so that they write so well that it it was putting me into it. I think I think now that I'm disconnected from it, I can get back to it and and enjoy it again for for what it is. Um, but no, I you know, I the thing about um books like that. So I mean I grew up reading guys like Vince Flynn and and Brad Thor and those things that guys like that wrote is is a large part of why I had the career that I had, you know. Um as I think about it now from this standpoint, um, you know, the the power of fiction is it's pretty heavy, you know, especially whenever you're whenever you're younger. I mean, I think I saw Indiana Jones for the first time in like you know, fourth grade. I was like nine or ten years old, and that stuck with me. Um but I also read, you know, read a bunch of other books, read books like First Blood and things like that. So I mean books, movies, you write, you know. I mean, I was raised, like I think a lot of us in the same kind of time frame, yeah, Commando, Predator, uh, you know, uh First Blood, all these things. And so fiction, it it especially for kids, it like really has the ability to inspire and really sticks things in your mind that, you know, um will will grow with you. And uh, you know, there are not as many, I feel like, works of fiction out there about Green Berets, right? Or the quiet professionals. We don't have, you know, there's there's a lot more, I think, in the SEAL community, right? As you see a lot of the SEAL type stuff, even in fiction and whatnot, there's there's less of them in Green Berets, and that's probably to our detriment. Um, and there is something to be said for the quiet professionals. I think it's great. I think that that's how guys should be. Um I but when you're on the other side of it, like I am, like I say, those those guys can be the quiet professionals. I will sing their praises for them and I'll do some soft pitch recruiting for them. So hopefully if somebody's reading Desert Heist, they can enjoy, you know, the adventure and all the things that come with it. But maybe put something in the back of the minds of, you know, 18-year-olds that are that are coming up, you know, in in in the world and be like, oh, being a green beret seems pretty cool. Maybe uh that's something I should look into.
SPEAKER_00So uh hopefully it helps the community out in that way too. I I think you're 100% correct on that. The the singular focus on the ability of a Green Beret to go on a night raid, to to do a an ambush, all these things, these kinetic operations, like that's how everybody sees us now. We've forgotten about that the detachment in Berlin. We've forgotten about the guys that were in the Cold War. We forgot about the guys that were not doing kinetic raids back in the day, but we're focusing on building relationships, setting the groundwork, setting the foundation for a follow-on operation. That's that is part of being a Green Beret. That is part of the mission set that doesn't get amplified, doesn't get talked about.
Showing The Full Green Beret Skillset
SPEAKER_00The thinking man, the individual who is completely able to be part of that culture, understands where he's going, can think on it, think quick, and has the gift of gab, all those things that translate so well to a story. When you were writing this, were you able to identify were you did you identify some of your former teammates or or some of your peers that you really liked and and maybe you know gave those characteristics to some of the characters on there?
SPEAKER_01For sure. So the characters are all you know can conglomerations of uh of people that I've worked with, you know, for people that have never worked in, you know, the special operations community, whether it's an ODA, I think SEAL platoons, you know, Marshoc teams, whatever, they're probably all pretty, pretty similar in nature. Um just the the the dynamics that go on with them, right? And so that's the other half of it, is that you know a lot of these characters and interactions write themselves. Whenever you spend, you know, almost a decade on an ODA, um, you know, you see all the interactions and it's it's it it it's it's pretty easy to recreate, right? Um so the characters themselves, you know, um so uh for you know the uh the lead protagonist Nate, right? He's an 18 Fox Special Forces intelligence sergeant. And so I wanted him to have all those abilities. You know, he's he's done his time, he got out mid-career, he's got some deployments. He's he's a green beret. He's a green beret through and through. Um he's also a thinking man. He's his his superpower is his mind, right? And we always say Green Beret's mind is your best weapon or your greatest weapon. Um, you know, for him, it really is true. He's that uh the epitome of that warrior scholar, you know, um, that I think that we all we all strive to be in the service, right? Um and so that's that's kind of his role. He has the the rest of the cast of characters, which if you uh you know have a background in special forces, you'll recognize pretty quickly the you know the 18 Bravo Um who is maybe a little rough around the edges, you know, a bit of a gruff guy, great, great with weapons and tactics, maybe a little soft.
SPEAKER_00Don't stereotype us like that. We could be thinkers too.
SPEAKER_01You know what?
SPEAKER_00There's a lot of 18 Bravos that go to be 18 Foxes too. So or in my case, Warren Officers and the 180 Bravo.
SPEAKER_01So what what we're getting what we're getting out of the Tim character is kind of like your your stereotypical 18 Bravo, I guess, you know. Um and then, you know, the character of Shane is your your 18 Charlie, you know, your your guy who loves to blow stuff up, doesn't get near enough time to do that because he's doing inventories, um, and is a little bit greasy, you know, a little bit greasy around the edges, you know, finds ways to get things done, uh, the legality of which may be questionable, um, always has some kind of connections, you know. Um and so, you know, he's got some of those fests as well. And uh so there's I I kind of cobbled pieces of different people together that I've known and worked with over the years, um, to include uh uh the character of Wally, which is a British SAS guy. I had a chance to work with the Brits a couple of times over the years, and so um kind of threw some of those tidbits in there as well.
Turning Teammates Into Fictional Characters
SPEAKER_00Nice. Yeah, it's it's great to see that sort of representation where it isn't the singular, you know, the shadowy figures at night and they're only talking in in short, short brevity codes and going on a hit. Um being able to develop and show the human side. Even if it's in in a thriller book, I think it's important to understand that and like we you were alluding to earlier, that you never know where this book's gonna go. You never know who's gonna reach. And it could be a young man, it could be somebody reaching, and if the story resonates with them, if they if they find themselves within the character, then they're able to say, Well, maybe this is an opportunity for me. Which oftentimes what I've found is a lot of these books don't leave room for that because the characters are so much larger than life. A kid won't be able to say to themselves, like, oh, I I can't do this, like that. That guy's way too like it's too it's like a superhero almost. And that's one of the myths we need to kill. It's that we're human beings. Even in a sci-fi book, we can give the the reality of the situation that you can aspire to do great things. You can do this. Maybe you won't have a grand adventure uh like Desert Heist, but you could be among men like that. You could serve in the regiment and do things.
SPEAKER_01You know, uh ordinary people rise into the occasion to do extraordinary things, right? And that's kind of the um the basis of of what it is. I uh you know, if not quitting will get you. Very far. It's gotten me through a couple selection processes, some tough closes. I used to always joke that uh my life would be easier if I had the ability to quit, you know. I feel like I can remember being like down in dive school and like someone would quit and ring the bell and I'd be like, you know, the balls on that guy. I wish I had that in me, but I don't. I'm just gonna keep sitting here suffering, you know? And uh and I would just keep there suffering until it was over. Not not quit.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, I it's funny you bring that up. I was um a while back, I I do these segments where I answer questions for the audience, and most of them are positive, most of them are pretty good. Um, but somebody reached out and and was you know really angry. And they're their their anger was being directed at the fact that you know I'm always championing being optimistic, being okay, okay, it's gonna be better. It's gonna be better tomorrow. And I remember it said like it's it's it's easy for you to be positive and talk about positivity, everything's going right for you. And I'm like, dude, I fail all the freaking time. I fail nonstop. The only thing that's that's notable is that I don't quit. I keep going. And if I wrote a book and and I've said it before, like it wouldn't be that interesting because it would just be Denny. I I just continue going despite of fucking failing. Like I just keep going. Like that's the reality of life that I think people see the idea of writing a book as being impossible. But individuals such as yourself there within our community, you're showing all of us that if you have a story within you, just write it, just get it out on paper or type it out. It it demands respect and you have to honor it. If it's within you, get it out on paper. Don't worry about if you can sell it, don't worry about if you can market it. Just get the story out. And and your story's a testament of it.
SPEAKER_01100%. And I think on the the flip side of that is what happens if you don't, you know. I think there's something to be said for keeping that bottled up inside of you. If you have it, put it down, get it out. There's for starters, there's probably who knows how many people that are are talented that didn't didn't do that and and could have who knows where it all could have gone. But also, if you just keep that kind of stuff bottled up inside of you and you don't you don't get it out, it's not exactly good for your your your mental state either, you know. Um, and what you might find is that it's a little bit therapeutic, you know. I um I talked to um Daryl Ot uh a while back. Yeah, right. Yeah. And you know, he he asked me, he was like, when you wrote it, was it therapeutic? And I had to like stop and think about it because no one had ever asked me that before. And I was yeah, you know what it kind of was, I think. It was in some way, you know, in a way that I don't have the uh the background or the good sense to to place the words for, but it did, it was slightly therapeutic, getting it out on paper. And uh I think that's probably just part of letting out and whatever whatever creative juices you need to off-gas, get them out, get them out and let that happen.
Not Quitting And Writing As Therapy
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Um I I tell guys, maybe it's not a book right now, maybe it's journaling, maybe it's just getting out your frustrations from the day. There's something to putting your pen that down on paper and just writing. I haven't experienced it with just typing. And it's not the same. I've tried it on Kindle, I've tried it the now that I use my iPad for nearly everything, it's my second brain, it's it's my Cortana or slash Jarvis these points for you sci-fi nerds. Um so it does work on that for me. But I realize the clarity that comes from writing down just a simple gratitude list or just getting frustrations out is like invaluable, especially as an entrepreneur. On your day-to-day basis, do you tap into that? Do you journal? Do you do short form writing where it's not just you know the business aspect of it where you're just sitting down with your thoughts at all?
SPEAKER_01Uh you know, uh I feel like my mind is like a uh you know, a browser with a million tabs open all at once, uh I'm up between them. And so, you know, whenever certain things come up, I will jot them down and uh try to remember or so that I can remember when it comes back. A lot of that is story-based, you know. Uh my agent calls me an idea factory, but I have books planned out and I'll have more ideas that are coming, so I'll fill them in. And so I'm kind of building those, uh building those out all the time. Um but you know, I I think I do it with other stuff too. Whenever I get ideas of kind of any variety, I kind of jot them down, even if just like uh a you know, I not as good with carrying like a notebook and and you know, pen and paper around me, but uh on the on the phone notes type thing or whatever, I jot down all kinds of things because honestly, I'm afraid I'll forget them at some point.
SPEAKER_00And then after 20 years, have to imagine that there's there's probably some uh some memory issues. Well like everything works quite the same way it used to, but now when it comes to sitting, now that you're like in this space professional writing, like has your approach to writing changed? Are you still very relaxed or or because I hear guys like Jack Carr talk about like setting, you know, you talked about a little bit earlier, you setting down the time, making it rigid, like hey, I gotta clock in, clock out, I gotta sit down. You know, it's has it hit you that you're like, okay, this is my my nine to five now. Like I have to do this.
SPEAKER_01Um,
Writing Without A Rigid Schedule
SPEAKER_01you know, no, I guess is the short answer. No, it has not. I uh I will probably develop a schedule here somewhere along, but now it's just kind of I I kind of go with like the creativity hits. So I'll feel I'll have a feeling of like I need to get this out, or you know, I'm in the shower and I'm thinking about something, and that particular browser tab is open for, you know, book three or or whatever it is. And so I'm like, okay. So I'll get out, you know, and I'll just start typing away and then, you know, for a couple hours or whatever. Um it's more of a you know, um, set side, it's less of a set time aside to write and more of a when can I write? Because whenever I can write, I'll I'll dive into it and get into it. Um, it's just a matter of making sure I have the time and space to do it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And what are you exploring right now? It um, you know, is is this gonna be an ongoing are we gonna get a trilogy out of this? Are we going to get a breakout character like we see Jack Carr has done before?
SPEAKER_01Uh you know, I have a lot of ideas. Um hopefully you're gonna get a series out of it. So I have um we have Desert Heist coming out in July uh next year, the second book in the Nate Wilde series will be coming out. Um, and then we'll uh we'll see where it goes from there. But I'm already working on on the book after that, and uh so on and so forth. So I will I will write them as long as people want to read them, and whenever they want to stop reading them, I'll just keep writing them and I'll just keep them for myself.
SPEAKER_00You know, and and going up, you know, I see a lot of guys that go the self-publishing route. Coming out the gate with Simon Schuster, that's insane. That's pretty friggin' cool.
SPEAKER_01You know what? It is. Uh I I'm I'm very, very fortunate and uh very grateful for it. Um just I have, you know, I another joke that I like to say, which is not at all a joke anyway, is that I have an all-star team. Uh I really do. I have you know one of the best agents in the world, one of the best editors, um, you know, publicists, you name it. Everybody is the top of their game in this publishing world.
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SPEAKER_01If this fails, it's all my fault. I am the weak one.
SPEAKER_00Uh I am the problem. And it can be blamed on no one else. So I don't I don't think this is gonna fail, but I have to imagine as we get closer to July, like the the the PR machine, the uh the going on shows, like the publicity is gonna get crazy. Um when you're looking forward to this, like how are like are you excited, or is that part of you that's a the reserved, quiet, professional Green Beret saying, like, maybe I can get somebody to sit in on this?
SPEAKER_01You know, I am I'm I'm very excited for the ramp up uh of getting the book out and having it shared with people and kind of hearing their thoughts and seeing what they like. And um, yeah, that that's very exciting to me. All of the the PR stuff, it's definitely outside of my wheelhouse. Uh, you know, this is like I think the the third podcast that I've done so far. Um and they're all they're all very unnatural for me, you know. Again, the quiet professional spent the entire spent my entire life trying to stay in the shadows, you know, not having social media, not putting myself out there. I used to dodge photos for storyboards because I didn't want to be in the storyboard. Oh no, you were that guy. I was that guy. I was like, he's you know, Jimmy's working on the 240 over there, take his picture.
SPEAKER_00Um, you know, so to go from that was the bane of my existence. I'm like, I need storyboard photos. Nobody wants to take them.
SPEAKER_01100% that guy. So uh to go from that to the complete opposite of you know social media and podcasts, videos to interviews, um, things like that. It's a little bit jarring. It's it's it's a little bit of a of a much different speed, but um, it helps that I'm doing it for something that I love and something I'm passionate about. And you know, it and it's still it's it's for the book, which is which is great. It's you know, the book has all the history in it, which which I love. And uh, you know, I think kind of lost history, ancient civilizations is kind of coming back in vogue and is pretty pretty interesting to a lot of people. So uh that's kind of like fun to explore. But then it's also got the obviously the military and special operations flavor to it, um, which kind of is like uh a tether back to the community, um, which is also nice and and also just kind of helps uh make this this transition to this uh a bit easier.
Clearance Process And Fear Of Critique
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And you know, I have to imagine that uh bringing it out. Did you take it to your command, your previous old command team, and say, hey, uh wrote a book. There's nothing operational in here, but I'd like for you guys to maybe, you know, hold on to it, maybe be proud of me for this. So uh so, like like anyone else, uh stories shape culture. They build trust. And when they're told the right way, they move people to action. That's what we do at Security Hall Media. We don't just produce content, we create authentic, impactful, and purpose-driven storytelling for podcasters, nonprofits, brands, and leaders who are on a mission. From people who've lived real experiences and want their message to actually matter, from podcast production and video to strategic storytelling and distribution. We help you clarify your voice, elevate your brand, and connect with the audience you're trying to serve. You have a story worth telling and a purpose behind it. Security Hall Media is here to help you tell it the right way. Click the link in the episode description to learn more today.
SPEAKER_01Should you or you're supposed to. Um, I had to run it through the DOD pre-publication security review board. Um, and then I as the extra step, I took it to my unit and and ran it through them as well. Yeah. There's there's not a single shred of anything remotely classified in the book, you know. There's nothing, I'm not talking about anything that is um and the and the and they know that it's a work of fiction. And so um, you know, it got it got cleared. I've heard nightmare stories about the the DOD, you know, security process. Uh I maybe if you have stuff in there that they're concerned about or that they, you know, that they want to make an issue out of that's an issue for me. I think it was pretty pretty cut and dry. It's like, all right, some some green berries are going on some history adventure, you know, got it. Nothing to be nothing to be concerned about there. Um so that was pretty cut and dry, cleared the unit pretty, pretty easily. And um actually the second book um has already been through that entire process as well. Oh wow. So uh nice. You know, hopefully, hopefully that's that's a good track record, and that'll that'll continue.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was I thought for sure they'd flag it for Greenberries having fun. Well, everybody know that's not classified, everybody knows it. I don't like this. These guys are wearing baseball caps. No, not on my watch. Yeah, wait a minute. No, not on my watch. Pulling back, pulling back. No, you know, the um when you write something that's so unique to your experience, I have to imagine that um when it comes out and finally everybody has a chance to get it. Are you gonna do you feel like you're gonna have that moment of like, oh man, like I don't know if I want the whole world to know about me and and and like will they will they resonate with the story? Will it impact? Do you feel any sort of like hesitation or any of like doom and gloom about having something that you loved and pour so much time and effort out there and being so vulnerable? Have everybody uh critique it.
SPEAKER_01For sure. Uh, you know, I well for starters, I just always anticipate the doom and gloom, you know. I think that's just part of the trying to stay positive on things, but like in the back of my mind, I'm like, all right, now what where's the other shoe gonna drop, you know? Um, which I think probably a lot of us do. But um yeah, you know, it is it's weird. Uh I I think I experience it whenever I let my my now wife uh read it, you know, kind of for the first time. But and then other people, and every time somebody reads it, I experience it again, which is just it's like an intense vulnerability. It's something that you, you know, you spend time writing whatever it is, 125,000 words or or or whatever that you put on page to craft the story. And um it's it's deeply personal, and it's deeply personal when it's when it's rooted in your own experiences and your own, you know. Um have I gone on a treasure hunt to look for a lost city in the uh empty quarter of Saudi Arabia? I haven't, um, you know, but I have been through some of the other things that the characters go through. And so, you know, it's it's intensely personal and it's it's a kind of a vulnerable thing. So you you hope people like it. And uh, you know, um, you know, yeah, if if if people have critical feedback, I think it's kind of just like being being back on a team where it's like thick skinned, you know, kind of suck it up. But uh, but for sure, for sharing it with everyone and just kind of putting it out there, it's it's something that's so different and so foreign um from you know what what we're used to. I you know, I I I'm used to going on operations, I'm used to briefing those operations before and after, you know, I'm used to doing those things. And um, if you don't like it, you know, too bad. The facts are the facts. This is what happened, you know, or this is this is what we're planning on. This is this is much different. This is all start to finish, you know, something different in the work of fiction. So there's there's certainly some of that in there.
The Hardest Parts Of Transitioning Out
SPEAKER_00Yeah. You know, I want to dive into your transition. Coming out of the military is not easy for for anybody. Um, whether you've got a book that's about to launch, whether it's you got you know, business you're gonna go into, there's challenges. When you were going out, hitting that 20-year mark, spending so much of your adult life in service to our nation, what was that like for you?
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, it's it's tough and it's jarring, and I think uh, you know, people will tell you beforehand what it's like, and so you have it, you know, logically in your in your mind, you know what to expect, but you have to experience it to actually, you know, it's like it's like going through serial school. They can tell you about it all you want, but so you get in there and uh start figuring it out. So um, you know, it was I think probably as jarring as it is for everybody else, you know, when you're used to doing things a certain way, right? The military is its own subset of of society. Within that, special operations is its own subset. Um, and so, you know, things work different out here. People are are different out here. You're also, you know, one of the things that I I think I love writing with Desert Heist and with you know some of the follow-on stuff that I've been doing is I get a right going back to that that time when you're there's nothing like being on an ODA. You know, there there really isn't. It's it doesn't matter what you're doing if you're if you're coming in and you're doing admin paperwork or you're going to the flat range or you're jumping or you know, uh you're going on a dive or you're deployed and you know you're we're going on a raid tonight with the commandos or or whatever it is, you're always doing it with your buddies. You're always doing it with your buddies, with your brothers, with guys that you you know in and out, you know, you drink together, you fight together, you laugh together, you know, you listen to uh uh, you know, uh white girl music together, you know, whatever it is. Like you do all these things together. Um, and it's just like this this tight knit. It's another family, and you spend probably more time with them than you do your f your actual family, right? So um, and then you then then it's just over, and then it's just gone, you know. And that is something that it's like getting your family ripped away, essentially, you know. And you can talk to them and some of them are in, some of them are out. Maybe you scatter the four winds a little bit, but um, you know, that's such uh such a different thing, and it's it's not that it's a bad thing, you know, you're you're moving on with life. Maybe now you have more time to invest with your actual family and things like that, but but uh, you know, man, what a what a what a what a shocking difference it is. And I think that's probably one of the one of the biggest challenges. The second challenge, I think, is just not knowing how you fit into the world. Um I literally just I've I had a couple a couple of buddies that have done recent have recently transitioned and are finding it kind of tough out there in the world, um, especially in the job market. And I think I just threw something on LinkedIn, whether it was this past week or whatever, but you know, guys that are 20-year Green Berets or, you know, guys with uh four-year degrees, master's degrees, things like that, they're just having trouble breaking in because translating those skills, have you know, getting hiring managers to understand the value proposition they bring, um you know, all these are all these are all barriers and challenges. And so the the frustration there, I'm very fortunate. I uh I've said it probably 10 times, and I'll say it again. I feel very fortunate, you know. I have I have Desert Heist, I have the book thing going, I gotta do something I love, and it's kind of without this outside of the scope of that, you know, uh corporate picture. But for for a lot of guys that are getting out, that's not the case. And so figuring out how they can do that, you know, you spend 20 years working at such a high level that you know no matter where you go, you're gonna be successful and you're gonna improve that organization. And people maybe don't let you in the door to give you that chance. Um, you know, that's uh the other frustrating thing. So we talk about transitioning, losing that that second family. Um, second family is in your buddies, not like a seventh group, second family.
SPEAKER_02Um and uh, you know. Gotta get it in there, you know.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god. Yes, that died. I thought it was a I thought it was a stereotype. I thought it wasn't real. And then one mission, I I literally saw people driving up, adding stuff to the palette, but cribs, a whole bunch of stuff, and I'm like, what? Why are you what is that dude adding to our palette? Oh no, no, no, no. We're taking it for his family down there. I was like, it's real.
SPEAKER_01It's real. Not something I had to worry about in fifth group, you know. Um, but so losing that family, losing that family of your brothers, and then also getting to somewhere where you're not sure where you fit in and it's hard to do. That's it's a tough, it's a tough transition for anybody, I think. Um, and those are kind of the challenges. And there's there are great organizations out there that try to like that try to help with that and ease that process, but it's always gonna be tough,
Reconnecting To Fight Veteran Suicide
SPEAKER_01I think.
SPEAKER_00Man, and it's the perfect segue right now, perfect segue. Um Project Reach, new initiative by the Special Forces Foundation. Um, just launched today, and I am proud to be a member of the Special Forces Foundation, official podcast for them. And uh, I just want to plug that out that that this new initiative because it's all about reconnecting with your brothers. Let me tell you, like you're a hundred percent correct. The isolation you feel the moment you're no longer on that team thread, you're no longer walking in that team room, you're no longer chief or team daddy. You're no longer the go-to guy and like solving problems for people. You know how impactful that is for a vast majority of your career, you're the go-to guy to help your brothers do something, fill something out. And then one day you wake up and there isn't some young 20-year-old dude asking you to do his DTS. That is one of the things you will end up missing from your career. You will miss that. You'll do it, you know, but you will miss all those moments where people trusted you or people reached out to you, and you were part of a unit. And you, you know, you don't have to be special forces to deal with that loss. But for our community, that is an issue we're seeing. Guys aren't connecting, they're not reaching out. And even if you do reach out when someone's in trouble, oftentimes they won't tell you the truth. Because they feel that you haven't been there and you don't they don't want to be vulnerable with you. So we're challenging you. Connect with your five of your closest friends, teammates, people you deployed with, people you you went through schools with. Re-engage, reconnect, stay plugged in because you can't expect what you don't inspect. You have to be there for people and you have to let people be there for you. So that when you're going through trouble and your friend calls you, like on the normally scheduled, you know, Saturday afternoon to call you guys have, or you set up and he senses something, it's more likely that you're gonna share and be vulnerable and tell him, yeah, man, I'm not doing good. So please join us in this endeavor, reach out to your friends, put together that signal chat, and um help us end this suicide epidemic. This is the only way we're gonna end it, is by doing this, talking, engaging with each other. And um, I think we have a shot at doing this. We're a very small community, and if we can all reach out to five of our friends and get connected, we can fight back.
SPEAKER_01100%. I that's a great message. And you know, I'll tell you what is that uh the Brotherhood is alive and well, you know, and it really is. And I think that that is something that maybe people forget, guys forget when they get out as well. Uh, you know, as coming up on the launch date of Desert Heist, you know, I thought who who could I reach out to and who'd like get interested in this, maybe help spread the word, whatever else. I started reaching out to other Green Berets, guys that I don't know and I've never met, never worked with, different groups, different units, whatever. Uh the feedback and support that I got from guys that I don't know, didn't know, and have never met was outstanding. You know, I it was a lot of whatever I can do to help type stuff. So uh, you know, I think uh and I did the same, you know, earlier whenever I wasn't quite sure what route I was gonna go down and reached into out to the Green Berets on LinkedIn and like, hey, I see you work at you know, whatever, Boeing or whatever. Like, how do you like that? You know, oh, it's great. Here's what I do. Like, what are you interested in? If there's a job, pass it to me, and I'll put a word for good for you with the hiring manager. Like, reach out to you, you know, reach out to other guys, reach out to the community because they they're there. It might surprise you how much they're there for you.
SPEAKER_00Brother, absolutely. I I couldn't agree more. Uh, we just had an individual get hired with an amazing organization, and it it's it's literally that. And and we have to build these networks. And and the the thing that I always say, the team room is bigger on the outside. You can build from a 12-man ODA into a team room filled with friends from different walks of life, different sister organizations. You don't have to be exclusive for Green Berets. You can have an ADA mic on your team, you can have a Navy SEAL on your team, you have Rangers, infantry guys, paratroopers, S1 clerks, maybe not S1 clerks. All right, never mind. You gotta love those guys too. They do a lot of good work, and actually, they have a lot of freaking pull in the corporate world. So file that important stuff for sure. Because a lot of those cats get out and they're doing very well for themselves. So remember I agree.
SPEAKER_01I I I I liken it. So I liken it to uh how like how my team always was. We always had every team has its own personality, kind of regardless of what the durations go. And um, our personality was if you're on the team and you're doing your job, you're part of the team. So it didn't matter if you were, you know, uh an Intel analyst or a PsyOps attachment or uh, you know, whatever it was, if you were there on the team, you're part of the team. Um I think if we keep that mentality, you know, uh like you said, it's it can be a very inclusive society. Come on in.
SPEAKER_00Heck yeah. We can all help each other and support each other and um because we're not the only ones that struggle. And and if your five incorporates other branches, other people from different walks of life, do it. Please. Anything we can do to end this veteran suicide epidemic, we gotta be willing to do it.
Book Two Tease Events And Preorder
SPEAKER_00And I think it starts with just connection, the grassroots movement, they just call each other. Um before I let you go, let's dive into the next book. What can you share with us? What can you tell us about the story? Uh, because this one's gonna sell out. This is gonna be a bestseller, and then your next one. I can only imagine your entire team is like, we're gonna need 17 more books of this. This series has to go on to 20 bucks.
SPEAKER_01Uh well, thank you. I um I can't tell you much about the next one. What I can tell you is that it continues, you're gonna see a lot of the same characters. Um, it's gonna still revolve around around Nate Wilde. Um, it's gonna pick up a little bit uh not too far after where this one, where Desert Heist leaves off, and we're gonna go to you're gonna see a much different part of the world still relating to history and maybe some of the uh the lost history things that people have been searching for um in a little bit of a different way. So that's super cryptic and it's meant to be, but uh that's all I can tell you.
SPEAKER_00So exciting. That's exciting. That's gonna that that's that's enough. That was that was that's enough to keep us wanting for more. Um got any uh exciting travel coming up for the promotion of the book?
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, so I'll be uh attending Thriller Fest for the first time this year in New York City. Um and so and uh looks like I'll be on one of the panels. Um so that's gonna be fun, should be interesting. Um so if anybody is in New York City or interested in Thriller Fests and you know wants to come on out and say hi or have a conversation or you know, grab a cup of coffee or a beer, let me know. I'll be there. Um and then I have uh Bethany Beach Books up in Delaware. I'll be there the weekend after the book releases, um, and then the following week um down at Fountain Books in Richmond. So that's uh those locations so far, probably probably some more to come.
SPEAKER_00But uh, I gotta tell you, if you got any time um to get to Chicago to do the uh no uh nomadic research podcast, I get you gotta get on their their books. Um I'll get you with Dagan because that's a conversation that I I would love to see. He's got the show.
SPEAKER_01I actually have uh family out in Chicago.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. I gotta tell you, man. Yeah, I I was just there, was it a week? Two weeks ago now? I don't know. My brain. The time. I can't control it. Just constantly you can't keep track of time, but I was just there, and uh that dude does it right. The amazing studio, a great, great host. Um and like I said, that the brand, uh the the quality products they've put out, shameless plug, um, nomadic research. I was actually wasn't gonna say this, but they're a sponsor now, so we gotta pump them up. Great, great group of dudes over there, amazing products, even better podcasts, dare I say better than mine. Only, only because of the production quality and the caliber of host. But other than that, other than most of the things that go into it. Other than that, we're totally neck and neck. So, but uh I'd love to connect you because I think you would have a blast. And uh man, it was just uh a great time sitting down with them. But um Yeah, it sounds awesome. You know, before I let you go, when does the book drop? Where can we pre-order it? Tell us all the details.
SPEAKER_01So book comes out uh 28th July of this year um in the U.S. It's also being published by uh Penguin Random House UK internationally um on July 30th. So it'll be in holy cow. A lot of other different countries as well.
SPEAKER_00You're coming out the gate hitting home runs. Like I said, very very fortunate. Very fortunate. Holy cow, yeah. This is this is gonna do gangbusters, man. Like I am, I am A, I'm thrilled this is coming from uh somebody from our remarkable regiment from our community. But I'm just thrilled to have you here before the the the blitz, the media blitz, because um this time next year, I won't be able to contact you. Well, I will always be reachable to you. Man, dude, thank you so much for being a brother. It's so much for having me. Absolutely. Name of the book, folks, Desert Heights, pre-order it, get your copy. I'll tell you this much. By the time this this airs, uh, you'll still have plenty of time to do your pre-order, but first ten people no, you know what? First five. Make it very exclusive. First five people, I'll pre-order for you. So if you are trying to get back into the habit of reading, because you put it on your New Year's resolution list and you still haven't gone through with it, get this book because it's it's easier to read something when it's uh entertainment, when it's academia, like master's program reading. I'll be honest, some of it's been a pain in the ass. A little dry. But this is gonna keep you hooked. Uh so please hit me up as soon as this airs, hit me up on Instagram, Instagram only. You have to be following Instagram, send me DM first five. I'll pre-order for you. So I'm that nice. And I want you to read more, and I want Alex to be successful. That way, when he gets that Netflix series made, I can write his coattails to success. Brother, thank you so much for being here. Everybody, do me a favor, pause the episode, you know, spiel, go to the episode description, click those links, send my man a friend request on LinkedIn, on Instagram, where can they find you? Uh ALXDecker. Boom. There it is, folks. Brother, thank you for being here. And thank all of you for coming here. And please, again, reach out to your friends, connect, reach out, set up your five, and I'm telling you, you won't regret it. Be able to send memes and all sorts of stuff with your friends. These people going. We need that more in today's world. Until next time, take care, guys.
