In today’s episode, we have the honour of speaking with Max Lauker and Antonio Garcia about their collaborative work—a captivating book that details Max’s experiences as a Swedish special operations soldier. Max was deployed as part of Sweden’s contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, and later, the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) until the final Swedish withdrawal in 2021. Max, a highly trained soldier and ranger, specialising in reconnaissance, intelligence, and covert operations, shares his journey in uniform through his autobiography. Together, we explore the motivations, challenges, and realities faced by Max and his comrades during their operational deployments in Afghanistan. Max and Antonio’s book is called Number 788: My experiences in Swedish Special Operations – preparing for NATO and the War on Terror. It is published by Helion.