U.S. Army Green Beret on Combat Across 10 Deployments | Michael Rodriguez

Michael “Rod” Rodríguez joined the U.S. Army in 1992 and attended the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course to become a Green Beret in 1997. Rodriguez would became an 18 Delta Green Beret and wore the title throughout most his military career. During his 21 years of service Rodriguez would deploy 10 Times to countries like Somalia, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Bolivia and twice to Afghanistan. Rodriguez would find himself wounded on several different occasions including a head and face fracture during a rollover in Afghanistan. A pair of IED explosions led to blindness in one eye for five months, necessitating a special lens for vision. This interview was recorded in collaboration with Honor the Promise, an organization focused on helping Afghan Special Operations Veterans build resilience and fully integrate into their American communities. Interview recorded on February 9, 2026 0:00 — "I'm Not Leaving Them": The Gamble 1:04 — The Quiet Reverence of Vietnam & WWII Legends 2:29 — From Somalia to Selection: Choosing the Green Beret 4:48 — 9/11: The Moment the Mission Changed Forever 6:52 — Behind the Wire: First Impressions of Afghanistan 9:13 — The Mystery of the "Possessed" Girl 14:10 — Hearts, Minds, and Medicine: The True SF Role 17:52 — Triage Under Fire: The Reality of a Hot LZ 21:27 — Two Anti-Tank Mines: Surviving the Unthinkable 25:38 — The Secret Injury: Hiding Blindness to Stay in the Fight 28:40 — The Final Toll: Why Every Hero Has a Breaking Point ---------------------------------------------------------------- Support the American Veterans Center's mission to preserve the legacy and history of our heroes by making a tax-deductible donation today: https://americanveteranscenter.org/do... Learn more about the American Veterans Center: http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/ Like us on Facebook:   / americanveteranscenter   Follow us on Twitter:   / avcupdate   Follow us on Instagram:   / americanveteranscenter   Subscribe to the Veterans Chronicles podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/americanvetera... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Video Credits: Interviewer - Greg Corombos Editor - Daniel Taksas Producer - Bramley Sullivan Pinnacle | Creative Visual Strategies DP/Cam Op - Jon Hambacker