Ones Ready

Aaron Love, Trent Seegmiller, and Jared "Peaches" Pietras

A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone. 

  1. 1 day ago

    OTS FAQs II - Ep 623

    Send us Fan Mail Peaches goes solo to finish another stack of Operator Training Summit questions — or at least tries to before the ribs downstairs start calling his name. This is OTS FAQ Part 2, and it starts with one of the biggest questions candidates ask: what actually gets people through the hardest parts of selection and the job? Peaches’ answer is pretty simple. Train your ass off. Build confidence through preparation. Get comfortable spending a lot of time on your feet. Run. Swim. Ruck. Be durable. And understand that the physical version of you that gets through selection may not be the version of you that your operational team eventually needs. Then he gets into what actually makes a good teammate: integrity, reliability, communication, stress tolerance, teamwork, trainability, fitness, and drive. The inverse is just as important. If people cannot trust you, cannot rely on you, or have to constantly motivate you to do your job, you become a liability fast. The episode also hits peer reviews, breath-hold apps, the four stupid mistakes candidates keep making, why dangerous jobs are still worth doing, and an easy way to build push-up volume without pretending every workout needs to be some heroic event. Then things widen out: drone warfare, one-way attack drones, counter-UAS, and why the next fight will probably look very different from Iraq or Afghanistan. Peaches also gives his mental-toughness trick: get on a treadmill, shut off every distraction, remove the clock, and live inside the suck. If you say you are running six miles, run six miles. Stop when the job is finished, not when it becomes uncomfortable. He also breaks down Whoop recovery scores, why yellow does not mean “take the day off,” how people sabotage themselves by redlining every workout, and why backing off to 70–80% can actually produce more useful weekly training volume. Then there is pipeline-specific stuff: possible two-week prep between BMT and SWAS, when spouses may join you, BAH questions, how fast a “good runner” should actually be, why Rocket Fins destroy your feet, what gear you can bring, and one of the most important lessons Peaches learned at Combat Dive School: Eat. Everything. You are not there to get shredded. You are there to pass. If midnight cookies and chips keep you fueled enough to survive the next dive, congratulations — you just discovered performance nutrition. Also: ribs, soul mac and cheese, Velveeta, creamed corn, and why there will apparently be a Part 3. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 01:06 - OTS FAQ Part 2 Begins 05:50 - What Gets People Through Selection? 09:41 - What Makes a Good Teammate? 16:00 - Breath-Hold Training and Peer Reviews 18:16 - Biggest Candidate Mistakes 20:10 - Why Choose a Job Where You Could Die? 23:25 - How to Build Push-Ups Fast 26:50 - How Drone Warfare Changes the Fight 29:59 - Mental Toughness Without Distractions 34:30 - Whoop, Recovery, and Training Readiness 38:39 - Should You Take Recovery Weeks? 41:56 - Is a SWAS Prep Course Coming Back? 43:05 - Spouses, BAH, and Pipeline Logistics 46:06 - How Fast Should a Good Runner Be? 47:20 - Why Your Feet Cramp in Rocket Fins 49:11 - What Can You Bring Into the Pipeline? 49:54 - Should You Eat Everything You Can? 53:50 - Midnight Snacks Saved Combat Dive School 55:10 - Ribs, Soul Mac, and Part 3 Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  2. 5 days ago

    PJ reacts to the rescue of Dude 44B - Ep 622

    Send us Fan Mail This isn’t analysis. This isn’t politics. This is raw. Aaron unloads on what just happened—and why it matters more than anything you’re arguing about online.  Helicopters shot off target. Aircraft lost. Teams hit, patched up, and went right back on alert. Because someone was alone, injured, and needed help. That’s it. That’s the mission. This is CSAR stripped down to its core: no ego, no Instagram, no “pipeline hype.” Just one question—are you going to risk everything to bring someone home? Aaron makes it painfully clear: nobody cares about your run times, your programming, or your opinions. When it’s real, the only thing that matters is whether you’re willing to go when everyone else can’t. If that question makes you uncomfortable… good. It should. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 Turn This Off If You Want “Safe” Opinions 01:30 This Was a Historic CSAR Event 03:30 Helicopters Hit—And They Still Went Back 05:00 This Isn’t Sexy. This Is The Job 06:30 Are You Going or Not? 08:00 No One Cares About Your Fitness Stats 09:30 The Reality of Risk & Sacrifice 11:00 Why CSAR Is Different 13:00 The Dumbest Internet Arguments Right Now 15:00 The Only Thing That Matters—Did You Bring Him Home? 17:00 Brotherhood, Duty, and Zero Hesitation 19:00 This Career Field Isn’t What You Think 21:00 Final Thought—Earn It Every Day 🎯 Call-to-Actions: 👍 Like if this hit you in the chest 🔔 Subscribe for real conversations that matter 💬 Comment—would you go? No BS 🌟 Leave a review if you respect the mission 🪖 Join the Ones Ready Membership 👕 Check out onesready.com for merch Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  3. 5 days ago

    Run More! - Ep 621

    Send us Fan Mail Peaches is stuck at home with FOMO while the boys are at Operator Training Summit Pennsylvania, and somehow that turns into exactly what candidates need to hear again: you are probably not running enough. Trent and Peaches start with OTS updates, CrossFit Hershey, Pennsylvania, Miami University in Ohio, and Vegas in December. Then Peaches brings up something he has been noticing online: everyday recruiters and MTIs are putting in real mileage. Not candidates training for one of the hardest pipelines on the planet. Recruiters. MTIs. Air Force members with normal jobs who are running 20, 25, even 40 miles a week because they care about fitness, mental health, professional image, and being ready for life. Which raises the obvious question: if they can do it, why are pipeline candidates still acting like a mile and a half is the finish line? The boys break down the difference between passing the test and preparing for the life. Air Force Special Warfare candidates need more than a passing Initial Fitness Test. They need the aerobic base to absorb long days, recover, move under load, ruck, run, swim, train again, and not fold when volume stacks up. They also talk about why OTS exposes people so quickly. It is not selection. It is not a pipeline smoke session. It is two days of coaching: land day, water day, running, rucking, mobility, pool work, instruction, and mentorship. And still, people get absolutely smoked. That should tell you something. Then the conversation swings into MTIs, BMT, cones, cadre wakeups, student shenanigans, Air Force investment in Basic Military Training, and why trainees need to understand that MTIs are not the enemy. They are the people trying to turn 60 random civilians into Airmen in seven and a half weeks. Bottom line: minimum standards are not the goal. If you are serious about Air Force Special Warfare, stop training like a normal person trying to pass a test. Build the engine. Run more. Recover better. Stay consistent. And quit acting shocked when the people around you are outworking you. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:00 - Ones Ready Intro 01:04 - ATACLETE and Partner Discounts 02:10 - Jared Pietras Sent You a Discount Code 02:40 - Ohio and Vegas OTS Updates 03:13 - Christmas OTS in Vegas 03:23 - Peaches Has Pennsylvania OTS FOMO 04:08 - What’s Happening at CrossFit Hershey 04:34 - The Podcast Must Go On 05:03 - Missing OTS Hits Different 05:33 - New Guest Instructor at OTS 06:00 - Are Candidates Running Enough? 06:59 - OTS Alumni Keep Hearing the Same Message 08:10 - Recruiters Are Putting in Work 08:34 - 40.9 Miles in One Week 08:55 - Running for Mental Health and Life 09:35 - MTIs and Recruiters Training Hard 10:09 - Hyrox, Running, and Real Fitness 10:51 - Grandma Is Outworking Pipeline Candidates 11:57 - Why Are Normal Airmen Doing More? 12:37 - Professional Image Matters 13:22 - Stop Making Excuses for Looking Unprepared 14:33 - What Started Their Fitness Push? 15:31 - Why OTS Breaks People Into Mileage Groups 16:00 - Your Numbers Become Your Identity 16:31 - Getting Around Fit People Is Sobering 17:11 - Fitness Is for the Rest of Your Life 18:19 - OTS Is Not Selection 19:06 - Why Candidates Are Starving After Land Day 20:00 - Some People Do Not Come Back for Day Two 20:46 - Long Days Expose Low Volume 21:31 - Cadre Wakeups Are a Gift 22:01 - Clear Instructions and Megaphones 22:38 - Cone Lives Matter 23:20 - Everything Cadre Do Is for You 24:09 - Old-School Cadre Visits 24:59 - Triangle Girls and Keesler Shenanigans 26:14 - Guilty Until Proven Innocent 27:20 - Can Trainees Escape BMT? 27:57 - The McDonald’s Sign at Basic 28:56 - MTIs Are on Your Side 29:48 - Imagine Managing 60 Random Civilians 30:38 - Air Force Investment in BMT 3.0 31:33 - Cut Your MTI Some Slack 31:55 - How to Find an Air Force Recruiter 33:06 - Find a Recruiter Putting in Miles 33:34 - Ohio, Vegas, and Christmas OTS 34:06 - Like, Subscribe, and Go Run Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  4. 10 Sept

    MTI Love - Ep 620

    Send us Fan Mail Trent goes solo for a short one before heading to Washington, D.C. for AFA, and somehow the haircut actually matters. He explains that he’ll be at the Second Air Force booth for his day job, helping highlight work being done around Basic Military Training and the future of how the Air Force builds new Airmen. But this episode is not really about Trent, the booth, or anyone trying to turn AFA into a Ones Ready meet-and-greet. It is about the MTIs. Trent makes the case that Military Training Instructors are the single most important link between civilians and the Air Force during those seven and a half weeks of basic training. Policies change, commanders change, paperwork changes, standards get debated forever, and everyone online has an opinion about whether BMT was harder “back in my day.” But the MTIs are still the ones standing in front of flights every day trying to turn brand-new civilians into Airmen. Basic training may not be the most physically demanding thing in the world, especially for people headed toward Air Force Special Warfare, but that is not on the MTIs. Their job is bigger than push-ups and yelling. They are teaching standards, legacy, expectations, discipline, and what it means to put on a uniform that says U.S. Air Force. So if you are going to AFA, especially if you are a chief, colonel, general officer, or anyone with enough rank to make someone’s day, Trent has one request: go talk to the MTIs. Ask them about the job. Ask them about the work. Show them some appreciation. A few honest words from the right person can change how someone sees the last few years of their life and the next few years of their career. Also: Ones Ready, Outside The Wire, members-only chaos, OTS, AFA awkwardness, contractor-life boundaries, and Trent asking you not to tell the MTIs he said nice things because that would be embarrassing. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:02 - Trent Solo With a Fresh Haircut 01:02 - Ones Ready, Members, and Outside The Wire 01:43 - Why OTS Exists 02:22 - What Members Only Really Is 03:15 - Trent Is Heading to AFA 03:59 - Why He’ll Be at the Second Air Force Booth 04:43 - Keeping Ones Ready Separate From the Day Job 05:27 - Come See the BMT Work 06:18 - The Focus Should Be the MTIs 07:05 - What Basic Training Should Actually Do 07:58 - BMT Is Not Hard Because of the MTIs 08:44 - MTIs Affect the Next Generation 09:22 - The Hours and Responsibility Are Real 10:10 - Show Some Appreciation at AFA 11:49 - The MTI Link in the Chain 12:40 - Senior Leaders, Be Real People 14:12 - Focus on the MTIs, Not Trent 15:21 - Civilians Become Airmen Here 16:06 - Show the MTIs Some Love 16:32 - Like, Subscribe, and Trent Escapes Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  5. 9 Sept

    ***Sneak Peek***MBRS 97: Posting Your Dream Online Won’t Save You—Performance Will

    Send us Fan Mail This members-only episode goes off the rails in the best way. Peaches and Trent start with social media hopefuls broadcasting their Special Warfare dreams—and break down why visibility without performance can come back to haunt you in the pipeline. From authenticity vs cringe, performers vs non-performers, and why teams eventually protect their own, the conversation rolls into accountability, medals, general officers, Mark Milley, CQ Brown, and why shiny ribbon racks don’t equal integrity. Toss in meme culture, Delta legends, fitness across generations, alcohol, Shot Show chaos, gun safety, and why the military still self-corrects faster than the internet thinks. Messy, funny, real—and exactly why this one stays behind the paywall. ⏱️ Timestamps:  00:00 Members welcome and no-filter mode  02:30 Social media candidates and pipeline reality  06:00 Visibility vs performance  09:30 Authentic weirdos who make it  13:30 Teams protect performers  17:30 Generational shifts and social media pressure  21:00 Meme culture and internet obsession  27:00 Accountability and firing senior leaders  31:00 Ribbon racks, medals, and meaning  36:00 Mark Milley, CQ Brown, and double standards  42:00 Leadership, legality, and obedience  48:00 Delta legends and quiet professionals  52:30 Fitness baselines then vs now  56:00 Alcohol, discipline, and balance  59:30 Shot Show chaos and gun safety  01:02:00 Final member thoughts 🎯 Call-to-Actions:  👍 Like the episode  🔔 Subscribe  💬 Comment if performance still matters  🌟 Leave a review  🪖 Stay a Ones Ready Member  👕 Check out the merch store Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  6. 7 Sept

    SECWAR Out? - Ep 619

    Send us Fan Mail Aaron and Peaches are back in the team room talking through the rumors around Pete Hegseth, the future of the Secretary of Defense/Secretary of War role, and what all this political turbulence actually means for people thinking about joining the military. This is not a “pick your team and scream online” episode. The point is bigger than one administration, one secretary, or one headline. If you serve long enough, administrations change. Secretaries change. Policies change. Generals get fired, retire, or quietly disappear into the defense-industrial mist. If your entire decision to serve is based on liking or disliking the current political lineup, you are thinking too small. Aaron lays out the Hegseth ledger: if you stripped the name off and only looked at the policies and outputs, there are real wins. But the job is not cable news. The job is not dunking on people online. The job is leading a massive organization, communicating clearly, and not turning every press moment into a viral clip. Peaches and Aaron also get into the tension between cleaning house and creating chaos. Maybe some fired leaders needed to go. Maybe some people speaking out have legitimate concerns. Maybe both can be true. That is the uncomfortable part nobody online wants to hold in their head at the same time. Then the episode detours into GWOT lessons, senior leaders finally pushing back, Afghanistan moral insanity, General Mattis, Dan Driscoll, Tom Tillis, midterm timing, and why big changes usually happen when the public is distracted by football, holidays, and food comas. Also included: Canada slander, Fox News habits, workout optics, fake-weight internet detectives, dog-and-pony shows, General Welsh in Djibouti, BG almost getting Aaron with shenanigans, and the eternal truth that if you want to join, stop waiting for perfect politics and go serve. Links: OnesReady.com OperatorTrainingSummit.com Chapters: 00:00 - Ones Ready Intro 01:04 - ATACLETE and Partner Discounts 02:10 - Modern Athlete Strength Systems 03:15 - Aaron and Peaches in the Team Room 03:42 - Why We’re Talking About SecDef Rumors 04:16 - Trump One, Biden, and Trump Two Context 05:05 - Hegseth Rumors Start Flying 06:30 - Looking at the Hegseth Ledger 07:15 - Policy Wins vs. Optics Problems 08:32 - Do Not Base Service on Politics 09:15 - Dan Driscoll and Generational Damage Claims 10:04 - Fired Generals and Competing Narratives 11:31 - When Multiple Leaders Point at the Same Problem 12:31 - Did GWOT Teach Senior Leaders to Push Back? 13:57 - Iraq, Afghanistan, and Failed Culture Exporting 15:05 - Afghanistan Moral Reality Check 17:05 - Charles Martland and the Cost of Doing Right 18:29 - Back to the Hegseth Question 19:36 - Mattis, Letters, Books, and Public Exits 20:25 - Why Driscoll’s Opinion Carries Weight 21:17 - Midterms and Political Timing 22:24 - When Would a Replacement Actually Happen? 22:48 - The Job Is Not Internet Sparring 23:36 - Canada, Foreign Affairs, and Staying in Your Lane 24:30 - Negative Transfer From Cable News 25:35 - Funny Does Not Mean Useful 26:25 - Can Hegseth Course Correct? 26:45 - What Better Messaging Could Look Like 27:38 - Workout Videos and Bad Optics 28:03 - The Pull-Up Clip Context 29:04 - How to Become a Legend With the Troops 30:08 - Matt Lohmeier Gets It Right 30:57 - Stop Making Dog-and-Pony Shows 31:26 - General Welsh in Djibouti 33:00 - BG Almost Got Aaron 34:00 - What Happens After Midterms? 34:34 - OTS and Ones Ready Wrap-Up 35:06 - Special Warfare Selection Outro Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

  7. 4 Sept

    LINDSAY CLANCY MISTRIAL

    Send us Fan Mail One juror held the line—and the Lindsay Clancy trial ended without a verdict. Aaron and Peaches react to the mistrial in the case involving the deaths of Clancy’s three children. They discuss her insanity defense, the reported pressure surrounding the holdout juror, the possibility of another trial, and whether an impartial jury can still be found after years of national attention. Aaron also challenges the online movement defending Clancy and argues that mental illness can explain someone’s actions without erasing accountability. The conversation expands into justice, political violence, gender double standards, social-media radicalization, and the dangerous precedent created when hormones or psychosis are treated as a complete moral excuse. This is an angry, unsanitized episode about three children Aaron and Peaches believe cannot be forgotten amid the arguments over their mother. Links:  OnesReady.com Chapters:  00:00 - Aaron Has Had Enough  01:27 - The Online Defense of Clancy  03:01 - How Did One Juror Hold Out?  04:00 - What the Trial Was Actually About  06:36 - The Defense Targets the Holdout  08:01 - Aaron Called the Mistrial  08:50 - Juror Pressure and Doxxing  10:03 - What Happens After a Mistrial?  11:10 - Could the Holdout Juror Be in Danger?  12:15 - The Double Standard for Fathers  14:20 - The Backlash Against Women  16:17 - Another Collapse in Public Trust  17:12 - Special Pleading and Accountability  18:09 - Remember the Three Victims  18:54 - Can an Impartial Jury Exist?  20:29 - Are Hormones Becoming an Excuse?  22:03 - Aaron’s Final Verdict Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page:  HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADY DFND Apparel...

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone. 

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