Host Colin Howe and Aaron Edwards are back, this time with a pulse-quickening deep dive into the world of bomb disposal, elite special operations, and raw human performance under fire. Joining them are Jonnie Barlow - British Army veteran of fourteen years and Dylan McKay, former Ammunition Technical Officer of the New Zealand Army, now co-founders of RenderSafe. Together, they peel back the curtain on a rarely-seen realm where life hinges on expertise, grit, and innovation. Dylan and Jonnie journey traverses the razor’s edge, from trenches alongside the UK and New Zealand’s top-tier special operations units to the relentless grind of high-risk explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). Their firsthand experiences both in the heat of live operations and in the controlled chaos of the training environment brought into sharp focus the gaps and shortfalls in how these warriors are prepared and supported. The result? RenderSafe: a game-changing enterprise on a mission to revolutionize how the world’s bravest are trained to survive and thrive. Listeners are treated to gritty accounts and battle-proven lessons, from nerve-fraying fast-rope insertions onto ships in black water darkness, to the “make or break” split-second choices with lives on the line. The discussion navigates the fast-evolving threats of today’s world from crude mechanical IEDs to next-generation weapons powered by microcontrollers and AI. Jonnie and Dylan make it clear: as threats keep morphing, so too must the way we train and prepare. What sets RenderSafe apart? Jonnie and Dylan share a window into their ground-breaking approach, fusing real-world scenarios (engineered with blockbuster realism and Hollywood-level effects), cutting-edge human performance research, and the latest in cognitive science. From tracking breathing behavior to harnessing educational capnography, they are crafting a new breed of operator: adaptable, resilient, and ready for the rarest and most dangerous contingencies. This conversation offers a rare backstage pass to the mindset, tools, and mental fortitude of bomb disposal specialists, the meticulous preparation, the quiet teamwork, and the moments when everything rides on training and trust. They talk stress inoculation, role-specific resilience, and how elite teams bounce back, adapt, and excel in some of the world’s most unpredictable arenas. If you’re fascinated by special forces, tactical training, or the science of resilience, this is your episode. Whether you’re a bomb tech, tactical instructor, emergency responder, security professional, or simply someone captivated by the chemistry of courage, be prepared to come away with new respect for the technical mastery, steady nerve, and relentless innovation demanded in the hardest jobs on earth. From technical precision to heart-stopping reality, this episode will leave you both informed and inspired, an unmissable look at what it truly takes to master chaos, and forge resilience where it matters most.