Special Forces Veteran Rob Leach on Iraq, Military Innovation, and Future Drone Warfare

Military Career and Deployments

• 💡 Rob Leach began his Army career in 2000 as infantry, deploying to Iraq in 2003 with the first Stryker brigade, and later in 2007 during the Surge as a Personal Security Detachment (PSD) leader.
• 🎯 His experiences in Iraq, including intense combat, motivated him to pursue Special Forces selection, which he successfully completed after a brief period in law enforcement.
• 🔑 Leach became a weapons sergeant in the 5th Special Forces Group, specializing in Arabic language, and deployed to Iraq again in 2011 during Operation New Dawn, where his team countered indirect fire threats.

Special Forces Operations and Planning

• 📌 Throughout his Special Forces career, Leach participated in numerous Joint Combined Exercise Training (JSET) events across the Middle East, including Lebanon, Jordan, and the UAE, training partner forces.
• ⚡ He transitioned into the Special Warfare Planning Detachment, gaining expertise in operational design and higher-level military planning, which broadened his understanding of regional geopolitics and strategy.
• 🧠 This role allowed him to see the big picture of military operations, influencing his later work and creative thinking about future conflicts.

Innovation and Future Warfare

• 🌱 After retiring in 2023, Leach joined the Civil Military Innovation Institute (CMI2), focusing on soldier-driven tactical innovation through the Catalyst Pathfinder program, which establishes maker spaces for 3D printing and drone development.
• 🚀 A notable project involved developing 3D-printed, repairable reconnaissance drones for partner forces, emphasizing rapid prototyping and direct soldier feedback to industry.
• 📚 Leach authored the novel "Wretched Descent," which explores near-future conflicts, Turkey's regional ambitions, and the profound impact of advanced drone technology and information assurance on modern warfare.

Drone Technology and Counter-UAS

• ⚠️ The book and discussions highlight the rapid evolution of drone technology, particularly FPV drones as seen in Ukraine, and questions their universal applicability in different military doctrines.
• 🔬 Leach expresses techno-skepticism about over-relying on current drone tactics, stressing the need for the US military to develop its own unique doctrine and capabilities.
• 🛠️ He emphasizes the critical importance of counter-UAS strategies, including electronic jamming and kinetic solutions for emerging threats like fiber optic drones, which are immune to traditional signal jamming.