Jan 13, 2026
On this week’s podcast, I speak with former Australian Special
Forces Special Air
Services Regiment Commanding Officer Colonel ret Paul Burns DSC &
Bar. Paul
served as both a soldier and an officer in the Australian Defence
Force for 25 years,
with operational tours to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
During his service, he commanded 1 SAS Squadron in the Western
Desert during
the invasion of Iraq and was tasked with a mission of vital
strategic importance, for
which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and
Australia’s first
Unit Citation for Gallantry. From 2009, he commanded the Special
Air Service
Regiment (SASR), Australia’s most elite Special Forces unit, tasked
with solving the
Australian government’s most urgent, politically sensitive and
dangerous situations
within Australia and overseas. In 2010, he commanded all of
Australia’s Special
Forces in Afghanistan and executed an operational plan that
resulted in the liberation
of over 30,000 Afghan civilians from Taliban control, and the
removal of numerous
very senior Taliban leaders, for which he received a Bar to the
DSC. His rotation was
awarded a Battle Honour for the Shah Wali Kot Offensive, the first
and only since the
Vietnam War.
Paul is an honour graduate of the United States Marine Corps
School of Advanced
Warfighting (SAW) and holds two Master's degrees. In 2012, Paul
discharged from
the Army after 25 years of service.
Paul is currently the owner of several companies that provide
immersive live fire
shooting capabilities, immersive training solutions and strategic
security services for
Australian and international customers. He is also the founder of
Heroes and Horses
Australia, a 41-day program for combat veterans that “un-programs
the
programmed” post military service. Paul is married with two adult
children.
Presenter: Adam Blum
Guest :Paul Burns DSC & Bar
Editor: Kyle Watkins