Joe Kent details his old covert gear, says drones matter more now
In a video from Shawn Ryan Show, host Shawn Ryan sits down with Joe Kent to revisit his time in one of the military's most secretive units, this time focusing on the gear he actually carried downrange rather than the missions themselves.
Snapshot
Kent walks through the sidearms, submachine guns and everyday carry items that defined his work in the Middle East, explaining how mission type and clothing dictated his setup. The conversation then shifts forward, with Kent saying that if he deployed today his first priority wouldn't be a weapon at all, but learning to counter FPV drones.
Key points
- Everyday carry: Kent says his consistent sidearm was a Glock 19, with a Glock 43 or Glock 26 swapped in depending on what he was wearing and where he was working.
- Beyond the gun: He describes carrying a small digital camera, a pen and paper, and roughly a thousand dollars in cash as essential tools for the human intelligence work he did, along with a worn North Face courier bag he treated as a superstition before every deployment.
- Submachine guns in Baghdad: Kent says he used an Uzi as a "lap gun" in vehicles because of its suppressor, and calls himself a big fan of the UMP45 for its stopping power in close quarters.
- On the MP7: He says he carried it a few times but stayed skeptical of the round's effectiveness compared to larger-caliber options.
- Looking ahead: Asked what his loadout would look like today, Kent says he'd focus first on drone and counter-drone technology rather than long guns or pistols.
Quick take
This is less a gear-review list and more a window into how an operator's loadout was shaped by mission, environment and intelligence work, not just firepower. Kent's pivot toward drone threats as the modern priority is his own assessment, offered as a veteran reflecting on how the fight has changed since his time on the ground.
Watch the full video: Shawn Ryan Show