For nearly 30 years, one of America’s most secretive Green Beret units operated inside Cold War Berlin, surrounded by Soviet and East German forces, preparing for a war everyone hoped would never come.

In this episode of Combat Story, AJ Pasciuti sits down with James Stejskal, retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4, former Green Beret, former U.S. Foreign Service Political Officer, military historian, conflict archaeologist, and author of Special Forces Berlin, Masters of Mayhem, and The Snake Eater Chronicles.

James takes us inside the world of Special Forces Detachment A Berlin, a classified unit tasked with operating behind enemy lines in the event World War III broke out. These Green Berets prepared for sabotage, resistance operations, clandestine identities, intelligence gathering, and survival inside one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

We also discuss James’ path from Nebraska to the 82nd Airborne, Special Forces selection, 10th Special Forces Group, Cold War Berlin, special mission units, and his later work as a military historian and author preserving the hidden history of unconventional warfare.

This episode covers:

• Special Forces Detachment A Berlin
• Cold War Berlin and the Berlin Wall
• Green Berets operating behind Soviet lines
• Sabotage plans against Warsaw Pact targets
• CIA-style tradecraft, surveillance, and clandestine identities
• Counterterrorism before Delta Force
• Life inside divided Berlin
• Special Forces after Vietnam
• 10th Special Forces Group
• Military history, conflict archaeology, and writing
• Preserving the untold stories of America’s Cold War operators

If you’re interested in Green Berets, CIA operations, Cold War history, Berlin Wall espionage, Special Forces history, unconventional warfare, resistance networks, Soviet intelligence, or military history, this episode is for you.

Guest — James Stejskal
James Stejskal is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4, former Green Beret, former U.S. Foreign Service Political Officer, military historian, conflict archaeologist, and author of 12 books.
He served 23 years in U.S. Army Special Forces and special mission units before continuing his government service overseas. He is the author of Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army’s Elite, Masters of Mayhem, and The Snake Eater Chronicles Cold War espionage series.

Website:
https://www.jamesstejskalauthor.com

Host — AJ Pasciuti
Retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Marine Gunner, author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of Combat Story.

Book: Darkhorse
https://ajpasciuti.com/Darkhorse
AJ Pasciuti Instagram:
Instagram: ajpasciuti
Website:
https://www.ajpasciuti.com/


Chapters

00:00 The Secret Mission of Cold War Berlin
01:08 Introducing James Stejskal
03:43 From Nebraska to the Army
13:20 82nd Airborne and the Road to Special Forces
20:20 What Makes Green Berets Different
30:55 Robin Sage and Special Forces Selection
39:57 Earning the Green Beret
42:35 10th Special Forces Group
55:55 Discovering Detachment A Berlin
59:57 Life Inside Cold War Berlin
1:01:43 Surrounded by Soviet and East German Forces
1:05:18 Secret Sabotage Plans
1:08:28 Preparing for War Behind Enemy Lines
1:10:49 Espionage, Dead Drops, and Clandestine Identities
1:18:18 Counterterrorism Before Delta Force
1:24:16 Running Covers and Avoiding Detection
1:33:03 Special Operations After Vietnam
1:45:25 America’s Early Counterterrorism Missions
1:47:19 From Green Beret to Military Historian
1:56:57 Preserving Special Forces Berlin History
2:02:44 Cold War Berlin Travel Guide
2:06:54 Final Thoughts


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