When retired Sgt. Maj. Kelly Venden remembers his 21 years in the Army, one event ranks above the others: Operation Acid Gambit.
That mission happened on Dec. 20, 1989, when Venden and 22 of his fellow Delta Force operators executed their first successful hostage rescue, saving an imprisoned American CIA operative in Panama.
“That was the epitome of my military career,” said Venden, who went on to serve as an air marshal, firearms instructor and now government civilian stationed in Germany. “I still have lasting friendships from that day — it’s something I will never forget.”
Fans of military history haven’t forgotten, either, leading to multiple media appearances for Venden over the last three decades.
The most recent one came in December, as Venden commemorated the 34th anniversary of Acid Gambit with an appearance on a podcast called RESCUE. Hosted by Marine veteran and survival expert Donny Dust, the 20-part podcast focuses on unique rescue missions worldwide.
“It’s important to pay homage to those people who are fighting and serving every day,” said Dust, a former infantry machine gunner and counterintelligence specialist. “I think it’s important to know about ops like Acid Gambit simply because those are the things that shape us and our ways going forward.”
Venden and Dust, a TikTok star with nearly 11 million followers, discussed the operation’s details during the Sony Music Entertainment-produced podcast. Some of those include how a Delta Force operator and Venden, then age 26, were the pair chosen to breach the cell door holding Kurt Muse hostage at a fetid Central American prison, then rescue him.
Venden and the rest of his unit trained for months for that exact situation.
“We did everything we could think of to make things go bad so we could be successful in any situation,” said Venden. “It was so impressive to see how they built a mockup [of the prison], with all the money and time with the aircraft and role players and all that stuff, just to prepare us to be on target at that very moment to make sure we succeeded. That left a lasting impression.”
What they hadn’t counted on, however, was the helicopter crashing that Venden, Muse and the others climbed into for extraction. Venden landed on his head and upper chest from the fall out of the aircraft. He cracked his skull, broke his nose and four ribs and punctured a lung in the process, alongside a myriad of scrapes and bruises. The group hunkered down in a nearby building and behind a vehicle until an armored personnel carrier retrieved them.
“It was both exciting and scary, because you never know who’s coming from where to get you,” Venden said. “Let’s just say that your confidence in your teammates is at its utmost, because those are the only folks you had to count on in that moment.”
Muse went on to write a book called “Six Minutes to Freedom” and now gives talks about his experience. He also calls Venden every year, usually on Acid Gambit’s anniversary.
“Thank you very much,” he often says. “Because I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
Dust was happy for the chance to meet Venden through the RESCUE podcast, calling it a “throwback moment” to discuss everything from the gear used (“They were wearing, like, skateboard helmets,” he said) to strategy. But beyond military details, he said, the podcast was meant for more.
“People give the title of ‘hero’ to pop stars and actors in movies, but I get the opportunity to share with the world who the real heroes are,” Dust said. “It’s quite an honor.”
RESCUE is available on Apple.
