Nick Irving - "The Reaper" | SRS #118

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I served in the USMC from 1992 to 2012 and worked with Nick on two of his deployments, including the one where he had the “worst mission” of his life. There was a gap of a few years between the meetings and he matured a lot between those two deployments. For anyone nitpicking his faults or breaking his balls, this guy saved a lot of lives and put himself at extreme risk more than a few times to do it. That’s more than 99% of anyone here has done with their lives, including some of the so called “combat vets” who seem to love yammering in the comments here. In my opinion and based on personal experience, Nick straight up should have received a Silver Star for one mission in particular, but some fobbits in his command were more interested in patting themselves on the back than actually recognizing their people. Nick is a good man.

If your think im going to sit here at work for 6 hours and watch this. Your fucking right i am

He doesn’t wanna be told “you saved my life” cause he couldn’t save his friend. That’s so deep, only a veteran knows. I’m impressed how he opened up, much respect for Nick. Longest best podcast I’ve seen, holy shit. Thank you Shawn.

He says “my bad bro” after telling one of the hardest experiences anyone could go through.. it’s not your bad bro. I’m sorry him and many others have to go through that. Thank you for your service 🙏🏽

The irony of Nick living in a haunted house built on a cemetery as a kid then later becoming known as The Reaper for taking souls is crazy to me

For the people that focus on his .50 cal comment..get a life. Dude has multiple deployments with one of the U.S. military’s most decorated units, the 75th Ranger Regiment. He served our country at the highest level.

Glad this episode came out. Nick will always be my leader. Listening to Him brings back many memories. Like I always said and told him, “ you’re the Seal team 6 that was never a seal team 6.” He’s a badass man. Good to see him alive. 6 hours is not enough for everything he went through. Will always be thankful, he saved a lot of our lives.

Shawn you are the standard for interviewing. You allow your guests to not only speak without being interrupted, but you let them feel their emotions and paint the picture of the missions as they seen it. Absolutely fantastic!

Gotta give Shawn credit on this interview. You never find ANYONE doing interviews that allows the guest time to unpack their thoughts, feelings and emotions. This style is exactly why this is a must listen to show.

When he couldn't remember how many dudes were on the roof and said "I'll pick it up in a minute " then continued his story, it occurred to me that it's not just a story. He's living that moment again. Damn.

It speaks volumes to his character to be honest about not only his accolades but also about not being “perfect”, making mistakes, and his struggles. Amazingly raw and real and greatly appreciated.

It took me 4 days to finish this podcast, 100% worth the time!! WE NEED TO ORGANIZE. Only 3% of the people in 1775 were willing to fight the KING.

I worked with Nick for a few months at a training facility in Texas. By that time, Nick had left the Army and was instructing in carbine, pistol, and precision rifle. He was always very professional and drew from a wealth of real-world experience. During one of our training sessions, we had a former Australian SAS operator also teaching. The level of experience and the similarities in how they conveyed information to students, the drills they ran, and their ability to recognize and address each student's strengths and weaknesses were impressive. I mention this, because I have the utmost respect for the ASAS, and especially for the instructor from SAS that was present during that training session. One day, when we didn't have any students, Nick and I went to the tower (an elevated shooting platform) to test one of my rifles with new ammo. I can tell you from firsthand experience, Nick is incredibly skilled behind a rifle. Nick ran my rifle from 300 yards out to 1000 yards, consistently hitting targets as small as 1/2 MOA. The wind that day, typical of South Texas, was blowing at 15 to 20 miles per hour, causing very high mirage that made seeing targets difficult, to say the least. It didn't mater to Nick. Round after round, Nick was was hammering targets with speed and precision. On another occasion, Nick was teaching transitions between pistol and carbine. We were doing shoot and move drills, breaking contact, transitions, reloads, and other skills, all combined, which was challenging for the students. Nick grabbed an M4 and demonstrated the drill himself. His speed and accuracy were stunning as he seamlessly transitioned from the carbine to a Glock pistol holstered on his hip. From about 25 to 50 yards, he was consistently hitting tight groups with his pistol shots while on the move, demonstrating remarkable skill. There was no bravado in his demonstration. It was simply a mater of fact demo of what you can do if you practice the drills and start putting the pieces together. During the short time I worked with Nick, he shared a few of the stories he's recounting today. I'm amazed at how he can recall those periods in such detail—dates, names, places, and circumstances. Having spent nearly 20 years working overseas in various countries and war zones myself, I know firsthand how memories can blur. Names, faces, and places often blend together, and in some cases, it's a relief not to remember all the specifics. I sense Nick shares a similar sentiment; there are stories he's told me that he clearly wasn't proud of or found incredibly painful to remember. I suppose Nick is like many soldiers I've encountered over the years—just another person navigating through life, much like you and me, trying to make sense of it all. I hope Nick, like all soldiers that have served in combat will find peace in his life. Good luck Nick!

Shawn Ryan is the best interviewer online. Let’s people talk. Gets back to topics down the road in no rush. Has empathy. We are lucky to have you sit!!

Easily one of the greatest interviews of our time

These types of guests are the REAL celebrities I want to look up to. This guy’s story is fascinating, like so many of your other guests, and I want to watch a movie about his life.

Shawn is a GREAT interviewer because he rarely injects himself into the conversation. This kind of selflessness brings out the best in others. So called, "journalists" need to take notes. THIS is TRUE journalism.

Bless the woman who marked the hidden numbers in the color blind test.

You can tell everything this guy says is meaningful and straight from the heart..in the beginning when he was talking about his son and said he was already about to choke up I felt that something serious...I have so much respect for this man