The Nomadic Research Podcast
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Long-form conversations with operators, adventurers, entrepreneurs and subject matter experts about service, travel, endurance, and the work it takes to stay ready for whatever comes next.
Co-founder · Podcast Host
Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten
Recon Marine and Scout Sniper. Special operations veteran who went on to work for the CIA.
Shawn Coffey
Marine, Teaching in Jail, Combat Cargo
The Show
Long, unfiltered conversations with people who have lived it.
Years of living out of a pack in some of the hardest places on earth teach you which gear holds up and which gets left behind. Nomadic Research was built on those lessons, and the podcast carries the rest of them.
Hosted by Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten, the show sits operators, cops, firefighters, athletes, entrepreneurs and subject matter experts down for long, unfiltered conversations about what they did, what it cost and what came next. No scripts and no sound bites. Every guest has lived it.
Co-founder · Podcast Host
Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten
Recon Marine and Scout Sniper. Special operations veteran of the Global War on Terror who went on to work for the CIA. Co-founder of Nomadic Research. Dagan hosts every episode, books every guest and reads every application himself.
What we talk about
- Service and transition
- Travel and expedition life
- Mindset and endurance
- Building a business after the military
- Gear that holds up
Out there
Where the stories come from.
Episodes
35 episodes and counting.
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Shawn Coffey
Marine, Teaching in Jail, Combat Cargo
Shawn Coffey on life after the uniform: improvise, adapt and teach.
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Armand Carbonel
French 11th Parachute Brigade, Project Achilles
A former French Army captain on leaving the battlefield without leaving the warrior behind.
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Ethan Gardner
USMC FAST, Marketing, and Building the FAST Legacy
Before he was building marketing campaigns, Ethan Gardner was part of one of the Marine Corps' fastest-deploying units — a Fleet Anti-Terrorism Sec...
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Nick Ige
Army Ranger, Harvard, Alpinist
Nick Ige: From Army Ranger to Harvard, the Seven Summits, and the Search for a Way Back
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Tristan Wimmer
Scout Sniper, 22 Jumps
In this episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, we sit down with Tristan Wimmer—former Marine Scout Sniper, Iraq War veteran, and co-founder of 22...
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Justin Pillion
75th Ranger Regiment, Ranger Creed Whiskey
From driving trucks in the Army to earning a place in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment, Justin Pillion's journey is a testament to perseverance, grit...
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Clay Novak
Combat Vet Turned Bestselling Author
After more than 25 years in the U.S. Army — including multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and years serving as a paratrooper with t...
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DJ Kelly
DTD Podcast, Undercover Cop, Army Veteran
On this episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, Dagan sits down with US Army veteran, police officer, undercover operator, and DTD Podcast host DJ...
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Denny Caballero
Airborne, Special Forces, Security Halt Media
What happens when the mission changes but the warrior remains?
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Paul Ross
Ranger, Green Beret, Deadline Defense, Mission Builder
What does it take to go from a troubled kid in Memphis to serving in the most elite units in the U.S. military — and then successfully transition i...
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Dylan Beers
USMC to Finding Life's Purpose
In this episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, we sit down with Marine Corps veteran Dylan Beers for a raw and honest conversation about service,...
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Lincoln Lafaver
Crossfit to Recon
From the podium at the CrossFit Games to Marine Recon.
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Justin Penaflor
Sauk Valley Jiu Jitsu
In this episode of Nomadic Research, we sit down with Justin Penaflor, owner-operator of Sauk Valley Jiu-Jitsu and a first-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jit...
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Luke LaFaver
CIA-GRS, Marine Scout Sniper, Combat Vet, BJJ Black Belt, LEO
In this episode, we sit down with Luke LaFaver—a CIA-GRS Contractor, Marine Corps Scout Sniper, combat veteran, law enforcement officer, and Brazi...
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Chris Jewell
Force Recon, Fallujah, Entrepreneur
In this powerful episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, host Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten sits down with Marine Corps veteran Chris Jewell, a former S...
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Dane Van Oosten
Brothers, fatherhood and discomfort
In this episode, brothers Dagan Van Oosten and Dane Van Oosten move from everyday fatherhood into real discomfort.
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Jimmy Bell
Force Recon Marine, Fallujah, Director of sales at Kovix.com
"Some people sell equipment. Others build it because they’ve lived with the consequences when it fails."
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Erica McCain
Marine, Podcast Host, Attorney
In this episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, host Dagan Van Oosten sits down with Erica McCain—a former U.S. Marine Corps air traffic controlle...
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Jake Ryks
Hazard Class podcast, firefighter
In this powerful and deeply human conversation, host Dagan Van Oosten sits down with Jake Ryks — a full-time St. Paul firefighter of nearly a decad...
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KG Spradley
CIA, Marine, Pilot, Author, Survivor
If you have ever wondered what keeps pulling people back to the edge, this episode answers it with zero filters.
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Paul Lilley
From Route Irish to Hollywood Actor
In this powerful episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, host Dagan Van Oosten sits down with longtime hometown friend Paul Lilley — an Iraq War v...
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Chet Nielsen
C.I.A. Case Officer. Lessons From the Shadows
In this powerful episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten sits down with long-time friend, teammate, and CIA Case Officer C...
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Dave Bartelt
Marine now Firefighter
Welcome back to the Nomadic Research Podcast, where we sit down with the warriors, wanderers, and real-world operators who live a life of service a...
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Tim F.
CIA - GRS, Marine, Undercover Narcotics Cop, Air Marshall
Marine veteran Tim F., call sign Lizard King, sits down with Dagan "Hoot" Van Oosten for a raw, no-filter debrief on a life spent on the sharp edge...
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Pete Knudson
Prison guard shares his craziest stories
In this episode of The Nomadic Research Podcast, host Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten sits down with Pete Knudson, a veteran Department of Corrections Offi...
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Marvin Van Oosten
MACV Marine with three tours in Nam. Father and Son
In this powerful episode, father and son — Marvin VanOosten, a Marine Corps combat veteran of Vietnam, and Dagan “Hoot” VanOosten, a Marine and Spe...
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Christy Sauro
Marine and author of The Legacy of the Twins Platoon
Christy W. Sauro Jr., a former Marine Corps Sergeant, was a member of the Twins Platoon. He served in Vietnam from December 1967 to January 1969. A...
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Nick Allen
Green Beret & Podcast Host
In this crossover episode, Nick Allen, host of the Lessor Known Operator Podcast, sits down with Dagan “Hoot” Van Oosten of the Nomadic Research Po...
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Jack DiCristofalo
SWAT, Sniper, Homicide, Robbery
In this episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, Hoot sits down with Jack DiCristofalo, a highly decorated officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police ...
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Madison Van Oosten
Growing Up in the Shadows of Service
In this episode, our host Dagan sits down with his daughter, Madison Van Oosten—better known as Maddie—for a deeply personal conversation. Maddie o...
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Josh Shores
Infantry Marine, MARSOC, author of "Counting on Death"
Dagan sits down with Josh Shores, author of the new book "Counting on Death." Be prepared to dive into Josh's incredible journey.
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Dane Van Oosten
Brothers in Arms
On this episode of the Nomadic Research Podcast, host Dagan Van Oosten sits down with someone he knows better than anyone else—his younger brother,...
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Rick Knutson
From Nukes to Navy Lieutenant Commander
From the depths of the Pacific to the dusty roads of Afghanistan, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Rick Knutson’s 26-year Navy career is a rollercoaster ...
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Mark Dallas
Hero cop stops a school shooter
Dive into the gripping story of Mark Dallas, the school resource officer who became a national hero for his courageous actions in stopping a school...
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Meet the Founders
Navy SEAL, Marine Scout Sniper, CIA
Meet the founders of Nomadic Research and hear how they went from special operations and the intelligence world to building travel and adventure ge...
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Have a story worth telling?
From the field, the mountains, the road or the boardroom. Dagan reads every application personally and reaches out by email if it's a fit.
