{"id":43049,"date":"2026-01-16T13:50:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/?p=43049"},"modified":"2026-01-16T13:50:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:50:03","slug":"john-shrek-mcphee-recalls-harrowing-details-of-solo-missions-while-in-the-us-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/16\/john-shrek-mcphee-recalls-harrowing-details-of-solo-missions-while-in-the-us-army\/","title":{"rendered":"John \u2018Shrek\u2019 McPhee recalls harrowing details of solo missions while in the US Army"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"404\" data-end=\"1111\">John \u2018Shrek\u2019 McPhee\u2019s name might sound like meme fodder, but trust&#8230; this guy\u2019s life reads like a wild mashup of Bravo storytelling and battlefield grit.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"404\" data-end=\"1111\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2025\/12\/12\/ranking-the-boujee-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-by-their-absolutely-insane-net-worths\/\">Real Housewives of Beverly Hills<\/a> stans have been buzzing ever since Erika Jayne stepped out holding hands with a mystery man in summer 2025. That mystery man? <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/15\/a-full-dating-timeline-of-erika-jayne-and-john-shrek-mcphee-as-their-romance-blossoms\/\">John \u201cShrek\u201d McPhee<\/a>, a retired US Army Special Operations Sergeant Major turned private security pro with stories that\u2019ll make even the most seasoned reality TV watcher go, \u201cWait, what?!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"404\" data-end=\"1111\">From run-ins with hostile fire to long, solitary nights overseas, McPhee\u2019s army tales are intense.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1113\" data-end=\"1162\">John shared harrowing details of solo missions<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Live Q or Die Podcast  |  Episode 83  |  John Mcphee  |  Part One\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kosppqpFj1c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"268\" data-end=\"546\">John doesn\u2019t sugarcoat what life was really like on solo missions. And honestly, some of his stories sound like scenes straight out of a war movie.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"268\" data-end=\"546\">Speaking candidly on the Live Q or Die podcast in 2022, he\u2019s opened up about being repeatedly shot at while driving alone through checkpoints in Iraq.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"548\" data-end=\"692\">\u201cI\u2019ve been shot at. I\u2019ve had vehicles shot,\u201d John said. \u201cI\u2019d roll up in a taxi, and they\u2019d point their gun at me and say, \u2018I\u2019m gonna shoot you,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"800\" data-end=\"862\">\u201cYeah, by myself all the time,\u201d he admitted. \u201cAnd I loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"864\" data-end=\"951\">One of the most intense moments he recalled was the very first time he came under fire.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"953\" data-end=\"1107\">\u201cThe first time I was shot at a checkpoint, I was livid. I was fighting mad,\u201d he said. \u201cI was like, \u2018My name is McPhee, what the hell are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1109\" data-end=\"1230\">But instead of panicking, John says he learned to lean into the chaos. His survival tactic? Swearing like a true soldier.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1232\" data-end=\"1416\">\u201cThe best thing to do is start cussing with your best slang,\u201d he laughed. \u201c\u2018What the f*** are you doing, you stupid f***?\u2019 Then they\u2019d be like, \u2018Oh yeah, he\u2019s definitely in the army.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1498\" data-end=\"1603\">\u201cIf you say something like \u2018mother, father,\u2019 they\u2019re like, \u2018Shoot him. He doesn\u2019t even know how to cuss.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1605\" data-end=\"1771\">He also described rolling up to checkpoints at night in unmarked vehicles, surrounded by heavily armed guards who had no idea who he was, and with very little visibility.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1901\" data-end=\"1974\">Despite the danger, John says he never blamed the soldiers on guard duty.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1976\" data-end=\"2099\">\u201cThat kid sits in a sandbag tower in 130-degree heat all day just waiting for someone to blow him up. You can\u2019t blame him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2101\" data-end=\"2383\">Between getting shot at, driving undercover, and navigating life-or-death misunderstandings, John\u2019s solo missions were intense, unpredictable, and mentally exhausting. But, they shaped the fearless, no-nonsense man we\u2019re now seeing step into the Bravo spotlight next to <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/16\/heres-the-real-reason-erika-jayne-kept-her-relationship-with-john-mcphee-a-secret-from-co-stars\/\">Erika Jayne<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2222\" data-end=\"2259\">He gained a reputation in the army<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2261\" data-end=\"2956\">Before he was Erika\u2019s new beau, John spent more than 20 years in the US Army, rising to the rank of Sergeant Major in special operations, a tenure that earned him <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/05\/rhobhs-erika-jaynes-new-boyfriend-is-nicknamed-the-sheriff-of-baghdad-meet-john-mcphee\/\">the nickname \u201cSheriff of Baghdad.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2261\" data-end=\"2956\">His reputation wasn\u2019t just from combat; it was also about leadership and presence.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2261\" data-end=\"2956\">He\u2019s described his <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/16\/john-shrek-mcphee-admits-how-he-really-behaved-as-a-special-ops-soldier-in-the-us-army\/\">younger self as intense and even abrasive<\/a>, admitting \u201cI wasn\u2019t fun to be around\u201d and that he was \u201can a**hole all the time\u201d during parts of his service. He\u2019s shared stories about how burnout affected him and how other soldiers reacted to his tough demeanour, complete with war-zone gallows humour.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2958\" data-end=\"3408\">John\u2019s post-military shift into private security and tactical training, serving as part of Heidi Montag\u2019s security team and founding SOB Tactical, only adds to his legend.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2958\" data-end=\"3408\">It\u2019s a career move that fits someone comfortable with high pressure and responsibility. Though he also openly discusses the personal costs, <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/12\/wait-erika-jaynes-boyfriend-john-shrek-mcphee-is-in-the-middle-of-a-messy-divorce\/\">including multiple divorces<\/a> tied to the strains of life in the Special Operations community.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3445\" data-end=\"3843\">Enter Erika Jayne. The RHOBH star confirmed on her Diamonds in the Rough podcast that she met McPhee after recognising him from past interviews and <a href=\"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/13\/theyve-been-dating-for-seven-months-but-are-are-erika-jayne-and-john-mcphee-still-together\/\">felt an instant connection<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3445\" data-end=\"3843\">They were first spotted holding hands in Los Angeles in July 2025, her first public romance in years. And she\u2019s since described him as a \u201cnice man\u201d with whom she feels comfortable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates \u2013 like\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Reality Shrine<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><i>\u00a0on\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/realityshrineofficial?rdid=TzQu2kEd2cUqU4rD&amp;share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F14zX5cKubf%2F#\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Facebook<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><i>.<\/i><i><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>He doesn&#8217;t sugarcoat what life was like<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":249734210,"featured_media":43055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1358],"tags":[1552,2005,1565],"class_list":["post-43049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bravo","tag-real-housewives","tag-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/realitytvshrine.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/01\/16\/john-shrek-mcphee-recalls-harrowing-details-of-solo-missions-while-in-the-us-army\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"John \u2018Shrek\u2019 McPhee recalls harrowing details of solo missions while in the US 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