Ones Ready
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.
Ones Ready
Ep 581: From Addiction to PJ—Yeah, Xander Was Fighting SecFo BEFORE Enlisting
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Peaches, Aaron, and Trent sit down with Xander—and this one’s not your typical “I always wanted to serve” story.
We’re talking growing up broke in San Francisco, addiction, running from home, and damn near throwing life away… before flipping the script and chasing one of the hardest jobs in the military.
Xander breaks down what actually got him through the pipeline (hint: not being the biggest or smartest), what it’s like being the permanent “new guy” overseas, and why being a good teammate matters more than anything else.
Then it gets real. Mental health, losing friends, almost losing himself—and how that led to building Saints by Day, Sinners by Construct. Not some fake influencer BS. Real talk, real purpose, and real impact.
Bottom line: everyone’s got a story. The question is whether you use it—or let it bury you.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Meet Xander—Not Your Typical Story
03:00 From Chaos to Calling
06:00 SEALs Said No… So PJ It Is
09:00 Pipeline Reality Check
12:00 Failing, Resetting, and Earning It
15:00 “Be a Good Dude”—What That Actually Means
18:00 First Deployments & Real Missions
21:00 Working with SEALs, Rangers, and ODAs
24:00 Overseas Life—No Stateside, No Problem
27:00 The Dark Side—Addiction & Loss
30:00 Rock Bottom & Turning Point
33:00 Building SDSC—Purpose from Pain
36:00 Social Media Without the BS
39:00 Final Advice—Use Your Story
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