Randall Parkes - Warrior to Mentor

<p dir="ltr">Welcome to Combat Story. Today, I'm joined by retired Marine First Sergeant Randall Parkes—a parachute rigger in Recon, founding member of MARSOC, Drill Instructor extraordinaire, and now a leader in both real estate and defense tech—plus everyone's favorite podcaster, the man who started it all.., Ryan Fugit.</p> <p dir="ltr">Randall's career spans from enlisting in July 2001 to a remarkable 20 years of service that took him to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa on four combat deployments. As a founding member of the <strong>1st Marine Raider Battalion</strong>, he helped shape the early years of Marine Special Operations and was named <strong>MARSOC Support Marine of the Year</strong> in 2011. He later became a <strong>Parris Island Drill Instructor</strong>, shaping the next generation of Marines, and commanded 97 Marines and Sailors during a CENTCOM deployment in 2017.</p> <p dir="ltr">In his final active-duty role, Randall returned to <strong>Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego</strong>, capping his service before retiring on <strong>September 30, 2021</strong>. Since then, he's launched <strong>The Parkes Realty Group</strong> with his wife Heather—selling over $40 million in residential real estate—and now serves as <strong>Mission Operations Deployment Lead at Anduril Industries</strong>, helping drive innovation in modern defense technology. His academic credentials include a bachelor's in Business Management (magna cum laude) and an Master of Business for Veterans, an innovative and one of its kind program from <strong>The University of Southern CA.</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Randall's combat stories are intense, unfiltered, and at times deeply personal—so much so that this is only <strong>part one</strong> of his Combat Story. We'll be sitting down with him again in the future to share his incredible role in <strong>saving lives during the chaotic fall of Kabul</strong>, a moment that speaks volumes about his leadership, grit, and unwavering commitment to others.</p> <p><strong id="docs-internal-guid-20d40b9e-7fff-9909-d76e-2b53f44169cd">Let's dive in—here's part one of our conversation with Randall Parkes.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Find Randall Parkes Online:</p> <p>📸 Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/randall_in_sandiego/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/randall_in_sandiego/?hl=en</a></p> <p> 📘 Linkedin : <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-parkes">https://www.linkedin.com/in/randall-parkes</a></p> <p>🔗 Official website: <a href="https://theparkesteam.com/agent/randall-parkes">https://theparkesteam.com/agent/randall-parkes</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Find Ryan Online:</p> <p>🔗 Ryan's Linktree: <a href="https://linktr.ee/combatstory">https://linktr.ee/combatstory</a></p> <p>🛒 Merch Store: <a href="https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats">https://www.bonfire.com/store/combats</a></p> <p>📸 Instagram: @combatstory   / combatstory</p> <p>📘 Facebook: @combatstoryofficial <a href="https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial">https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial</a></p> <p>📖 Learn more about Ryan: <a href="https://www.combatstory.com/aboutus">https://www.combatstory.com/aboutus</a></p> <p>🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle</p> <p> </p> <p>Find AJ Online:</p> <p>🔗 Official website: ajpasciuti.com</p> <p>📸 Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/">https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/</a></p> <p>📘 Linkedin : <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/</a></p> <p>📕Personal Website & Book Pre-Order ("Darkhorse"): <a href="https://www.ajpasciuti.com/">https://www.ajpasciuti.com/</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Chapters:</p> <p>00:00 Introduction<br /> 00:48 Introduction to Combat Story<br /> 01:12 Meet Randall Parks<br /> 02:59 Randall's Early Life and Military Beginnings<br /> 04:09 Joining the Marine Corps<br /> 13:31 Bootcamp During 9/11<br /> 33:41 First Deployment to Iraq<br /> 47:30 Loaded for Battle<br /> 47:52 A Close Call with a Civilian<br /> 48:45 Cultural Differences in Handling Disabilities<br /> 49:13 A Sergeant's Tough Love<br /> 49:37 The Reality of Deployment<br /> 50:57 IED Encounter and Aftermath<br /> 57:58 A Model Marine's Worries<br /> 59:10 The Impact of Movies on War Memories<br /> 01:00:10 Returning Home to Personal Turmoil<br /> 01:04:51 A New Assignment and a Change of Plans<br /> 01:07:21 Joining MARSOC<br /> 01:10:42 Deployment to Afghanistan<br /> 01:21:47 Facing the Taliban's Mortar Attacks<br /> 01:29:58 Spotting the Enemy<br /> 01:30:33 Engaging the Mortar Team<br /> 01:31:39 Aftermath and Reflections<br /> 01:34:32 The PX Gunny Story<br /> 01:43:58 Returning Home and Getting Married<br /> 01:44:53 Drill Instructor Duty<br /> 01:48:51 Challenges and Successes as a Drill Instructor<br /> 02:04:55 Final Thoughts and Reflections</p>