logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
1h 29m

Episode 36: Warzone Extraction, China vs...

Grey Dynamics
About this episode

Today, I spoke to Bryan Stern, who has 25 years of service focused on intelligence and special operations with the US. He specializes in counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, hostage rescue, personnel recovery, critical technology protection, and unconventional warfare against near-peer threats. He is a Purple Heart recipient and is credited with being a military first responder at the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 attacks. Currently, he manages Project Dynamo, a non-profit international search, rescue, aid, and assistance organization. Initially established to aid individuals in leaving Afghanistan after the US withdrawal, Project Dynamo has since been involved in extracting people from Ukraine, Sudan, and various other perilous locations.


You can find Project Dynamo on:



We spoke about:


  • Bryan’s background (0:56)
  • Bryan on the focus of near-peer threats (4:40)
  • US-China strategy and national focus (7:40)
  • Developing US capability to fight near-peer threats (11:26)
  • Questioning China’s combat experience (15:06)
  • China’s legal claim to Taiwan (17:10)
  • Do Americans care about Taiwan? (20:18)
  • Project Dynamo and its origins during the withdrawal from Afghanistan (21:15)
  • Project Dynamo after Afghanistan (31:57)
  • Discussing what human infrastructure is (41:28)
  • Project Dynamo in Sudan (49:02)
  • Preparing for an evacuation from Taiwan (59:28)
  • Advice (1:10:36)
  • Being disarming (1:12:04)
  • Advice continued (1:15:06)
  • Cultural recommendations (1:24:50)


Related Links:



The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!



Subscribe to Grey Dynamics



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Oct 17
Former Senior CIA Officer Raymond White Returns to Discuss the Human Intelligence Fundamentals Course
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast. This week, we welcome back Raymond White, a former CIA senior case officer with over 25 years of experience in the field. Raymond spent his entire career as a case officer focusing on counter-proliferation and counter-terrorism, earning ... Show More
35m 30s
Sep 26
Former Australian Commando Scott Ryder on Tier One Culture
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast. Today, we kick off season five guest lineup with Scott Ryder, a former operator of the 2nd Commando Regiment with more than twenty years of experience in the Australian Army, including multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as we ... Show More
54m 36s
Sep 12
Ground Truth, Family Time, and Why I Won’t Shut Up About Gaza - A Grey Dynamics Update
Recording this from a hotel room in Amman because I couldn’t sleep and figured I’d update you all on where we’ve been and where we’re going.We took a break this summer - mainly because my family comes first, full stop. But Grey Dynamics hasn’t been sitting still. We’ve grown sign ... Show More
43m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Could America Lose a War Against China Over Taiwan? | Alex Velez-Green
<p dir="ltr">In Episode 326 of <a href= "https://hiddenforces.io/podcasts/could-america-lose-a-war-against-china-over-taiwan-alex-velez-green-strong"> Hidden Forces</a>, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Alex Velez-Green, the fmr. National Security Advisor to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, ... Show More
55m 21s
Jun 2023
White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan | General Mick Ryan
<p dir="ltr">In Episode 317 of <a href= "https://hiddenforces.io/podcasts/white-sun-war-the-campaign-for-taiwan-general-mick-ryan"> Hidden Forces</a>, Demetri Kofinas speaks with General Mick Ryan. Mick Ryan is an author, strategist, and retired major general who has commanded at ... Show More
47m 35s
Jan 2024
China's Role and Impact on MENA's Air Domain
Welcome to the China-MENA podcast. In this episode, host Jonathan Fulton discusses China's influence on the air domain in the Middle East and North Africa with guests Dr. Assaf Heller and Sarah-Masha Fainberg. They explore potential biases in analyzing China's strategy, its limit ... Show More
52m 38s
Feb 2022
Michael Hilliard | Conflict Journalist & Geopolitical Analyst On Russia/Ukraine War
🎙️: A Curious Worldview Podcast - Search, Subscribe 5-Stars! https://curiousworldview.buzzsprout.com/1485736 ✍️: https://atlasgeographica.com/michael-hilliard/This was recorded at 1000 on the 26th of February.Michael Hilliard is the host of what is both Australia’s best and my p ... Show More
49m 30s
Apr 2024
High stakes in the strait: US -China competition and Taiwan’s future
<p>Taiwan has come to represent a strategic flashpoint in US-China relations. As Beijing ramps up its political and military pressure on Taipei, any escalation could trigger a major conflict between the two powers. Unlike Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China may have to reckon wit ... Show More
35m 28s
Dec 2023
While The World Watches Gaza and Ukraine, The Pentagon Eyes China
The world's attention has been on the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine. But US military planners and strategists are laser focused on China’s military capability and the possibility of a Taiwan invasion. Bloomberg’s Peter Martin jo ... Show More
28m 42s
Jun 2024
China’s great power strategy
<p>Gideon talks to Oriana Skylar Mastro, author of&nbsp;<em>Upstart: How China Became A Great Power</em>. They discuss China’s rapid rise, Beijing’s ambitions on the global stage and how the US will respond.</p><p><em>Clip: Bogdan Kokkonen</em></p><br><p><strong>Free links to rea ... Show More
28m 43s
Oct 2022
China keeps peeling off Taiwan’s allies
<p>The pace of US job growth is expected to have cooled in September, Ukrainian forces are continuing their counteroffensive in the southern part of their country, and China keeps trying to pick off Taiwan’s allies.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p><strong>Mentioned in this podcast:</strong ... Show More
9m 34s
Sep 2020
#122 – David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering
David Fravor is a navy pilot of 18 years and a primary witness in one of the most credible UFO sightings in history, video of which has been released by the Pentagon and reported on by the NY Times. Please check out our sponsors to get a discount and to support this podcast: ... Show More
3h 56m