In part two of the Midland City Bunker Hostage Crisis, FBI Special Agent Kyle Vowinkel returns to continue his firsthand, behind-the-scenes account of an incident that still sticks with him nearly a decade later. He goes through a day-to-day breakdown of how the crisis unfolded, the unique challenges law enforcement faced, and how it was ultimately resolved with the safe rescue of young Ethan.
Episode Guests
Kyle Vowinkel dedicated 33 years of service to his country as an FBI Special Agent, U.S. Army officer and West Point graduate. He has significant leadership experience serving at multiple FBI offices and retired as Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the Bureau’s fourth-largest field office, Miami.
He also served on two unique U.S. national assets – the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and the U.S. government’s negotiation arm, the Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU).
As a tactical operator on HRT, he successfully deployed on hundreds of high risk missions domestically as well as overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. At CNU he negotiated with kidnappers, pirates, and even the Boston Marathon bomber who Vowinkel persuaded to peacefully surrender.
Vowinkel has presented to thousands of federal, state, and local partners on leadership and negotiation philosophies. He has been a keynote speaker at West Point, the California Association of Tactical Officers, the Baltimore Hostage Negotiation Seminar, and several FBI National Academy events.
Guest Information
For speaking engagements, such as this podcast’s story on one of the FBI’s most challenging and inspirational hostage rescue missions, contact him via:
LinkedIn: Kyle Vowinkel
Episode Links
