Brad Colbert, ‘Generation Kill's’ Iceman, Launches New Veteran Podcast

For many military viewers, HBO’s Generation Kill was more than prestige television. It was one of the first mainstream depictions of the early Iraq War that felt lived-in, uncomfortable, and unpolished in a way that rang true for veterans.

Now, one of the Marines behind that story is stepping into a different kind of spotlight.

Retired Marine Corps Master Sgt. Brad Colbert, widely known to fans as the real-life team leader portrayed in Generation Kill, has launched the Carry On Podcast, a project built around the same elements that have defined his career: blunt honesty, small-unit camaraderie, and conversations that don’t shy away from the harder parts of service.

The show launched in October 2025 and blends long-form guest interviews with weekly current-events analysis episodes called “SITREP editions,” designed to provide veteran-grounded context on global security and national defense developments.

My mission with the Carry On Podcast is to build community... Whether you’re active duty, a veteran, or just someone looking for honest conversations — you belong here.  Colbert said in the launch materials for the show. 

From Force Recon to Intelligence Work, Now to the Mic

Colbert’s path to podcasting is rooted in three decades of military and government service.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1995 and built a career in reconnaissance and operational leadership, serving in Okinawa, Afghanistan in 2001, and during the opening phase of the Iraq War in 2003 with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.

His performance during those years earned recognition, including Team Leader of the Year from the Force Recon Association and NCO of the Year from the 1st Marine Division Association.

After retiring from active duty in 2016, Colbert continued to support national security operations through work with the Intelligence Community, deploying globally before transitioning to civilian life and media work.

The through-line, he says, is continuity — taking lessons learned from combat, leadership and intelligence work and translating them into discussions about resilience, identity and long-term recovery after service.

A ‘Generation Kill’ Check-In With Ray Person

One of the podcast’s early anchor episodes features retired Marine Josh Ray Person, who is also depicted in Generation Kill as another real-life Recon Marine.

The episode revisits both the events dramatized in the series and the realities that never made it onto television — from leadership friction to the dark humor that often becomes a survival tool during sustained combat operations.

The discussion also explores something increasingly common in veteran storytelling: what happens after the war ends. Person reflects on leadership decisions, personal aftermath and the complicated emotional terrain that follows deployment cycles.

The approach reflects a broader shift in veteran-led media — less focused on nostalgia and more on long-term impact.

Inside the Podcast’s Weekly ‘SITREP’ Defense Brief

While the guest episodes drive narrative storytelling, Colbert says the podcast’s most distinctive feature is its weekly defense-focused analysis format.

The SITREP edition is designed to provide context on current events without leaning into partisan framing or algorithm-driven outrage cycles, something Colbert says is increasingly missing from modern media.

Recent topics have included defense policy shifts, Pentagon media access debates and geopolitical tensions involving Iran, all framed through second- and third-order consequences rather than headline-level reactions.

The episodes are released every Friday, with guest interviews typically dropping monthly.

Next Up: ‘Warbody’ and the Hidden Costs of War

Upcoming episodes will include retired Staff Sgt. Alexander Lemons, co-author of Warbody, a book examining the long-term physiological and environmental costs of war, including toxic exposure and chronic illness.

Future guests are expected to expand beyond Marine Corps networks to include veterans from other communities, athletes, authors and mental health professionals — part of what Colbert describes as an effort to widen the conversation around service and recovery.

The show also occasionally touches on culture and lifestyle topics tied to Colbert’s personal interests, including whiskey, gear and firearms discussion framed around practical experience rather than product ranking or influencer-style content.

Why This Show Clicks With Veterans

Veteran-hosted podcasts are not new. But projects like Carry On reflect a broader shift in veteran storytelling — away from institutional messaging and toward peer-to-peer community building.

Colbert’s framing is built around something familiar to many service members: mission continuity.

Whether that’s translating combat leadership into civilian careers, processing trauma years after leaving uniform, or understanding global security shifts through lived experience, Carry On positions itself as a conversation hub rather than a nostalgia vehicle.

That aligns with Colbert’s long-standing philosophy that outcomes — in combat, leadership or even distilling whiskey — are determined by attention to detail and honest assessment of reality.

Where to Find It

The Carry On Podcast is available across major podcast platforms, YouTube and Colbert’s official website.

For audiences who first encountered Colbert through Generation Kill, the podcast represents something less scripted but arguably more reflective of the long arc of service: not just what happens during war, but what it takes to keep moving forward afterward.