The Protectors® Podcast
The Protectors® Podcast is where powerful stories ignite purpose. Hosted by Jason Piccolo—a retired federal agent, former U.S. Army Infantry Captain (Iraq 2006), and author—the show explores the human side of courage, resilience, and leadership.
More than a podcast about service, it’s a platform for storytelling that empowers. Each episode highlights personal journeys of adversity, sacrifice, redemption, and triumph—revealing the mindset, discipline, and heart behind extraordinary lives. From frontline professionals to bestselling authors and acclaimed actors, the conversations uncover how real experiences inspire the stories that move us—and how storytelling itself becomes a force for strength and transformation.
Past guests include Sean Patrick Flanery, Andrews & Wilson, Mark Greaney, Stephen Hunter, Remi Adeleke, Florent Groberg, Clint Emerson, and Travis Mills—voices that inspire listeners to lead with courage, live with purpose, and tell their own stories boldly.
The Protectors® Podcast
#27 | Dan Gabriel| Former-CIA | Director of MOSUL Film
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Dan Gabriel was in one of the first classes of CIA officers post-9/11. He completed multiple tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. Dan and I discuss his journey from college to the front lines of the CIA’s war on terror to filming Mosul.
From Dan “MOSUL is a feature-length documentary built around several characters that come from the vibrantly diverse cultures and backgrounds that make up modern Iraq: Sunni Tribesman, Shiite Militias, Christian Fighters, and Kurdish Peshmerga. The story is told as a journey north along the Tigris River and into the heart of darkness as key participants fight to reclaim Mosul from the grip of the Islamic State in Iraq.”
From Dan’s BIO: “ Daniel Gabriel is the creative direction behind MOSUL. His knowledge and deep understanding of the region and its politics began while he was working as a CIA counterterrorism officer in 2003, eventually completing six tours to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After his time with the CIA, Dan’s interest in filmmaking led him to complete graduate work in Filmmaking at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (2013), and in Producing (2014) at UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television. This is his debut film.”
https://www.facebook.com/mosulfilm/
https://www.instagram.com/mosul_film/
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
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