The Team House · Podcast summary
Army Special Mission Unit Operator | Erick Miyares (throwback ep)
Erick Miyares, a former Army Special Mission Unit operator, shares his journey from the Marine Corps to the Army's most clandestine units, detailing the psychological toll and unique challenges of a life in the shadows.
Listen on the show ↗Key takeaways
- 🪖Despite initial challenges with reserve duty, Erick's diverse Marine Corps experience, including Airborne and Pathfinder schools, and counter-narcotics missions, provided a strong foundation for his future in special operations.00:45
- 🧠His exposure to the Army's specialized training at DLI and Goodfellow Air Force Base, particularly in intelligence and Russian warfare, sparked a pivotal shift in his career aspirations towards intelligence work.01:18
- 💥Erick's first clandestine mission on the Ecuador-Colombia border, involving an ambush and being shot, profoundly impacted his mindset, transforming him from an intelligence analyst to a combatant.02:38
- 🤯The psychological toll of clandestine operations, including the constant fear of capture and the disorienting experience of living multiple identities, led to a deep sense of isolation and mental health challenges.02:52
- 🇨🇺Erick's Cuban-American upbringing in Hialeah, Miami, and his stepfather's influence instilled in him a strong sense of patriotism and a desire for clandestine work, shaping his early military career.03:05
- 🕵️♂️Erick highlights the unique challenges faced by intelligence professionals in the military, who often operate in a 'gray area' with limited information, requiring high emotional intelligence and compartmentalization.04:46
Chapters
- 0:45Introduction to Erick Miyares
- 3:54Erick's Early Life and Marine Corps Service
- 12:19Transition to the Army and Intelligence Work
- 31:32First Clandestine Mission and Combat Experience
- 57:56The Psychological Toll of Clandestine Operations
- 1:13:20Life After the Military and Healing Journey
The digest
In a candid and revealing conversation, Erick Miyares, a veteran of the Marine Corps and a former Army Special Mission Unit operator, offered a rare glimpse into the world of clandestine operations, the psychological complexities of his work, and the challenges of transitioning back to civilian life. Miyares's journey, marked by intense training, high-stakes missions, and a deep sense of patriotism, sheds light on the often-unacknowledged struggles faced by those who operate in the shadows.
The Path to Special Operations: A Cuban-American's Journey
Miyares's story begins not in the traditional sense of military recruitment, but with a deeply personal connection to his Cuban heritage and the Bay of Pigs invasion. "I came to America, if you would, and my mom's belly," Miyares recounted (3:05), explaining how his family's escape from Cuba in 1971 shaped his early life in Hialeah, Miami. Raised in a bilingual Cuban-American household, Miyares's upbringing instilled in him a unique blend of cultural identities and a strong sense of patriotism. His stepfather, a figure he credits with nurturing his desire for a "cloak and dagger type work," played a pivotal role in steering him towards a life of service.
Initially, Miyares joined the Marine Corps in 1991, intending to go into infantry. However, a recruiter's promise of active duty led him into the reserves, a situation he spent five and a half years trying to rectify. "I spent just about every day trying to get onto active duty or do as much active duty schools or floats or whatever I could be part of in order to kind of earn a spot," he explained (5:43). His early assignments included serving as a TOW gunner in Miami and later joining an Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) unit in West Palm Beach, where he attended Airborne and Pathfinder schools. These experiences laid the groundwork for his eventual role as a scout sniper, participating in counter-narcotics missions with Joint Task Force 6 (JTF6).
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 5-minute article, 3 more sections, and every new episode from The Team House and the creators you follow.
- The Transition to the Army and the World of Intelligence
- Clandestine Operations and the Psychological Toll
- The Aftermath and the Path to Healing
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