Eric Maddox is an American public speaker, author and former special operations soldier. He was attached to a Task Force Special Operations team in Tikrit that was part of the Joint Special Operations Command responsible for tracking down the most wanted men in Iraq.[1] During his six month tour with this Task Force team, Eric conducted over 300 interrogations and collected intelligence which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein.[2][3][4][5]

Early life

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Eric Maddox graduated from Sapulpa High School[6] in 1990 and later from the University of Oklahoma where he made an appointment with an on campus recruiter and enlisted in the United States Army.

Military career

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Maddox enlisted as an infantry paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division. He became a jumpmaster and entered Ranger School. After spending three years as a paratrooper with a Ranger tab, Maddox reenlisted as an interrogator and Chinese Mandarin linguist.[citation needed]

Career

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Eric Maddox is a conference and inspirational speaker[7] teaching the story of his interrogation methods and how every perceived failure leads forward.[8]

 
Maddox speaks about his experiences and his unique methodology.

Maddox created a unique methodology and technique for interrogation, which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein.[9] Maddox teaches this unique methodology called 'Empathy Based Listening'.[10]

Awards

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Maddox was awarded the Legion of Merit, the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award and the Bronze Star.[11]

Books and movies

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Maddox authored the book: Mission: Blacklist #1[12]

Media appearances

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Maddox has been featured in media around the world and many documentaries and TV series feature Maddox telling his story of how Delta Force tracked down and captured Saddam Hussein. This includes CNN, The History Channel, National Public Radio, The Daily Mail, Fox News[13] and more.

References

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  1. ^ "Appetite for fish proved fatal for Saddam Hussein, Iraq veteran says | TribLIVE.com". archive.triblive.com. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  2. ^ Janssen, Volker (31 January 2019). "The Surprising Interrogations That Led to Saddam Hussein's Capture". HISTORY. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  3. ^ "Five Years Later, How They Got Saddam Hussein". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  4. ^ Wilson, Chris (2010-02-25). "Searching for Saddam". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  5. ^ "The interrogator who helped capture Saddam Hussein". Radio National. 2015-03-03. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  6. ^ "Eric Maddox speaks to Sapulpa teachers". www.sapulpaps.org. Archived from the original on 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  7. ^ "MBA student gives talk about role in capture of Saddam Hussein". Student Life. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  8. ^ "U.S. Veteran Talks About The Process Of Finding Saddam Hussein". www.newson6.com. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  9. ^ Patterson, Thom (22 June 2016). "5 (nice) ways to get people to talk". CNN. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  10. ^ Rulison, Larry (2018-04-18). "Soldier who tracked down Saddam says empathy broke the case". Times Union. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  11. ^ "Military interrogator Eric Maddox describes dramatic capture of Saddam Hussein | Liberty University". www.liberty.edu. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  12. ^ Grillot, Brian Hardzinski, Suzette (13 December 2013). "Oklahoma Native Reflects On Iraq And Interrogation On Anniversary Of Saddam Hussein's Capture". www.kgou.org. Retrieved 2019-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Griffin, Jennifer (2015-03-25). "U.S. Intelligence Officer Reveals Secret Story of Saddam Hussein's Capture". Fox News. Retrieved 2019-09-26.