The Protectors® Podcast
The Protectors® Podcast is where powerful stories ignite purpose. Hosted by Jason Piccolo—a retired federal agent, former U.S. Army Infantry Captain (Iraq 2006), and author—the show explores the human side of courage, resilience, and leadership.
More than a podcast about service, it’s a platform for storytelling that empowers. Each episode highlights personal journeys of adversity, sacrifice, redemption, and triumph—revealing the mindset, discipline, and heart behind extraordinary lives. From frontline professionals to bestselling authors and acclaimed actors, the conversations uncover how real experiences inspire the stories that move us—and how storytelling itself becomes a force for strength and transformation.
Past guests include Sean Patrick Flanery, Andrews & Wilson, Mark Greaney, Stephen Hunter, Remi Adeleke, Florent Groberg, Clint Emerson, and Travis Mills—voices that inspire listeners to lead with courage, live with purpose, and tell their own stories boldly.
The Protectors® Podcast
#259 | Wayne Phelps | Author of On Killing Remotely
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Interesting discussion with USMC LTC (Ret.) Wayne Phelps about his book On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones. We discuss his military background as a drone operator, war, and his writing.
About the book: Throughout history society has determined specific rules of engagement between adversaries in armed conflict. With advances in technology from armor in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual warriors? And what are the unforeseen repercussions that could affect us all?
LtCol Wayne Phelps, a former commander of a remotely piloted aircraft squadron, addresses these questions and many others as he tells the story of the men and women of today's remote warriors. Exploring the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots, this book is an urgent and compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
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