Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team | Kyle Vowinkel
Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team | Kyle Vowinkel  
Podcast: The Team House
Published On: Sat Sep 26 2026
Description: Kyle Vowinkel looks back on a 25-year FBI career that took him from counterintelligence and SWAT in Los Angeles to the Hostage Rescue Team, JSOC deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some of the Bureau’s most high-profile crisis operations. We also discuss HRT selection, the Boston Marathon bombing manhunt, the Alabama bunker hostage rescue, and the leadership lessons behind his new book, Shaping Chaos.Find Kyle here: https://www.kylevowinkel.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-vowinkelGrab Kyle's book here: https://www.kylevowinkel.com/bookToday's Sponsors:GhostBed ⬇️https://www.ghostbed.com/houseFOR 10% off! Quince⬇️go to: https://www.quince.com/housefor free shipping and 365 day returns For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouseTo help support the show and for all bonus content including:-live shows and asking guest questions -ad free audio and video-early access to shows-Access to ALL bonus segments with our guestsSubscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse___________________________________________________GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featuredJack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouseSocial Media: ⬇️The Team House Instagram:https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_linkThe Team House Twitter:https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePodJack’s Instagram:https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_linkJack’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21Team House Discord: ⬇️https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"00:00 – Start01:27 – Growing Up in San Diego & Wanting to Serve05:38 – A Rebellious Kid Goes to West Point07:55 – Discovering the FBI While at West Point09:17 – Military Police, Korea & Guantanamo Bay10:14 – Taking Back a Rioting Refugee Camp13:17 – Learning to Lead While You’re Scared14:35 – Leaving the Army & Applying to the FBI18:41 – Counterintelligence & FBI SWAT in Los Angeles21:38 – Manhunts for Cop Killers23:31 – Working Security at the Golden Globes26:07 – FBI SWAT Raids a Las Vegas Strip Club28:34 – 9/11 & the FBI’s Immediate Response30:18 – Training for FBI Hostage Rescue Team Selection33:11 – Inside the Brutal HRT Selection Process36:09 – Failing HRT Selection Because of His Ego41:13 – Coming Back a Year Later & Making the Team42:29 – The HRT New Operator Training Pipeline45:34 – Marine Corps Scout Sniper School47:20 – What Exactly Is the FBI Hostage Rescue Team?50:20 – How HRT Began Working With JSOC52:07 – The First Full FBI Embed With Task Force 27556:17 – Going on Target in Mosul59:03 – Capturing a Senior Al-Qaeda Leader in Tal Afar1:05:23 – Operation Brass Balls in Ramadi1:07:26 – HRT Operations in Afghanistan1:09:21 – Raiding by Zodiac on the Euphrates1:10:53 – A Deadly HRT Standoff in Puerto Rico1:19:57 – Leaving HRT for the Crisis Negotiation Unit1:25:56 – The Tension Between Negotiators & Tactical Teams1:27:49 – Negotiating With Somali Pirates1:32:56 – The Boston Marathon Bombing Manhunt1:35:00 – Hundreds of Rounds Fired in Watertown1:40:16 – Negotiating the Surrender of the Boston Bomber1:47:58 – The Alabama “Bunker Boy” Hostage Crisis1:55:07 – Discovering an IED Inside the Bunker’s Speaking Tube2:00:40 – The Kidnapper Issues a Final Demand2:03:42 – HRT Launches the Hostage Rescue2:10:31 – Leaving Operations for FBI Leadership2:14:28 – Shaping Chaos & Lessons From a 25-Year FBI CareerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.