# Jocko Poccast 519: A Soldier’s Pain, Purpose, the Brotherhood That Endures. Crazy Joe Claburn Pt.2 Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOgFEV6wFRk Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/SOgFEV6wFRk Generated: 2025-12-17T10:02:50.597+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Jocko Willink continues his conversation with Crazy Joe Clayburn, detailing his unique assignment as an exchange officer in the British Parachute Regiment in England, which included being unexpectedly frocked to Major months ahead of schedule and subsequently enduring a harrowing deployment to the highly dangerous Helman Province in Afghanistan. **Key Points:** - Jocko and Clayburn discuss Clayburn swapping his Ranger School instructor orders for an assignment in England with the British Parachute Regiment, which ended his relationship due to the demanding deployment schedule. - Upon arrival in England in 2007, Clayburn landed on a holiday, had no one to meet him at Heathrow, and navigated driving on the left side of the road using a paper map to find his temporary housing. - While checking in at the US Embassy in London, the Attache immediately frocked Clayburn to Major, months before his actual promotion was due, stating he would likely receive more respect at that rank from his British counterparts. - Clayburn participated in the British static line jump school, noting their use of the LLRP (low-level parachute release system) allowing jumps from as low as 600 ft, and earned his British jump wings despite already being a US Jump Master. - During the subsequent deployment to Helman Province, Afghanistan, Clayburn experienced extreme danger, including witnessing IEDs capable of ripping trucks apart and surviving a severe vehicle rollover accident in Belize that resulted in a concussion and four broken ribs. - As the liaison between the British 16 Air Assault Brigade and the US 24th MEU during the Helman operations, Clayburn helped coordinate joint planning, leveraging his American perspective while wearing a British uniform. - After the six-month British tour, Clayburn immediately left the decompression period on the island of CIT to train in a German Commando course in Bavaria, which included an Olympic-Committee-designed fitness course and culminated in a low-level parachute descent where his chute malfunctioned, leading to a hard landing. **Context:** This is the second part of Jocko Willink's interview with "Crazy Joe" Clayburn, a soldier who served with Willink in the Battle of Ramadi. The discussion picks up after Clayburn's initial deployments, focusing on his unexpected assignment as an exchange officer with the British Parachute Regiment in England, which occurred around 2007, and the subsequent combat deployment to Afghanistan. ## Detailed Analysis Clayburn recounted the unusual circumstances leading to his transfer to England, where he was slated to be a Ranger Instructor Company Commander but swapped for an officer needing to return to the US for family reasons, leading to the end of a budding relationship due to the impending overseas commitment. His arrival in England was chaotic; he landed during a holiday with no reception, rented a car, and drove on the wrong side of the road using a map to locate housing, eventually being assisted by a neighbor who was a British officer. Upon reporting to the US Embassy in London, he was immediately frocked to Major, several months early, by the Attache who recognized the political advantage of the rank among the British officers. Clayburn integrated into the 16 Air Assault Brigade, participating in their jump training using LLRP parachutes and earning British jump wings, though he noted their training was more restricted by equipment availability than US standards. The deployment to Helman Province in 2007 was characterized by extreme danger from sophisticated IEDs, which Clayburn found more perilous than Ramadi due to the open terrain. He served as the air operations officer and liaison between the British and the US Marines (24th MEU), gaining TS clearance to facilitate planning. Clayburn frequently volunteered for ground missions, riding in the turret of Irish Guards Land Rovers, before being sent to Belize to develop jungle warfare training where he survived a severe, multi-roll vehicle accident, sustaining major injuries which he promptly ignored to rejoin his unit in the jungle. Upon returning to England, he barely paused before heading to Germany for a demanding German Commando course, which concluded with a low-level parachute operation where his parachute experienced a catastrophic twist after exit, forcing him to execute a hard landing. ### Exchange Assignment and Arrival in UK - Clayburn swapped Ranger School for the British Parachute Regiment assignment in England - He arrived single, found no one waiting for him at Heathrow during a holiday, and navigated to Colchester using a paper map and driving on the left side of the road - He was checked into the officer's mess, meeting his 'best mate' the 'Bevster' before reporting to duty. ### Frocking to Major and British Military Differences - The US Embassy Attache immediately frocked Clayburn to Major, months ahead of schedule, recognizing the status difference compared to a Captain in the British system - He noted the British jump school was highly restricted by aircraft availability, unlike the US system - He participated in low-level parachute jumps using LLRPs, landing in sheep farms, and earned British jump wings. ### Deployment to Helman Province (2007) - Clayburn served as the air operations officer and liaison between the 16 AAB and the 24th MEU in the highly dangerous Helman Province - He observed the enemy employed very basic but highly effective IEDs, often using pressure cookers and simple electrical circuits, which he felt were more dangerous than Ramadi IEDs. ### Combat Experience and Incident Reporting - Clayburn volunteered for patrols with the Irish Guards on a .50 cal, traveling across Helman, including securing routes for a $10 million hydroelectric turbine delivery to Kajjaki Dam - He was privy to TS information despite being American to facilitate operational planning - He survived a severe vehicle rollover in Belize during pre-deployment training that broke four ribs and compressed his spine, yet he immediately left the hospital to rejoin jungle training. ### Post-Deployment Training - After completing the six-month British tour, Clayburn skipped most of the decompression period on the island of CIT to immediately participate in a German Commando course in Bavaria - This course, designed by the German Olympic Committee, involved rigorous fitness tests and culminated in a low-level parachute operation. ### German Commando Course Incident - During the final exercise, Clayburn, jumping as JM number three from a C160, experienced a complete twist in his risers after exiting at low altitude, resulting in a hard landing, though he was not seriously injured beyond the initial shock.