"The Sheriff of Baghdad" is John "Shrek" McPhee, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major who served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Forces and Delta Force. "Shrek" is his nickname; John McPhee is his real name. He now runs SOB Tactical, a firearms and tactics training company, and hosts the Sheriff of Baghdad Podcast.
Who he is
John McPhee is one of the better-known retired special operators in the podcast era. In his own telling, he started in the Army with the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, went through the Special Forces Qualification Course, and served in 7th Special Forces Group for less than a year before moving on (Green Beret Foundation, Jedburgh Podcast #157). The Shawn Ryan Show describes him as a former Army Ranger who served as a Sergeant Major in Delta Force, the Army's tier-one counterterrorism unit (Shawn Ryan Show #133).
Why he's called "the Sheriff of Baghdad"
The nickname started as a joke T-shirt, and McPhee has told the story himself. He says a friend who ran the U.S. Embassy Baghdad's Crisis Action Center for the State Department had shirts made with the embassy logo on the front. The back read: "Sheriff of Baghdad, serving strategic policy, one citizen at a time." According to McPhee, "No one in the State Department thought it was funny," so his friend was left with a pile of them.
When that friend later came to work for McPhee, he gave him the shirts. McPhee wore them to jiu-jitsu, workouts, and sniper, pistol and three-gun competitions. People began asking for "that Sheriff of Baghdad guy." A businessman friend later told him that if he opened a business after retiring, he should use the name. That's what he did (Jedburgh Podcast #157). McPhee has also said simply, "I was always in Baghdad."
Some outlets frame the title as a reflection of his work in Iraq. The Shawn Ryan Show says he "played a crucial role in stabilizing the region and rebuilding local governance" (SRS #133). That description comes from the show's promotional summary, not from military records, and his own account is the T-shirt story.
Why he's called "Shrek"
A documentary about McPhee says the "Shrek" nickname began as a teammate's joke. After McPhee moved a pallet by hand without a forklift, the teammate compared him to the ogre (YouTube documentary, "The True Story of Delta Force Operator John 'Shrek' McPhee"). This is an anecdote from a single source, not a documented record.
After the Army: SOB Tactical and the podcast
After retiring, McPhee founded SOB Tactical, short for Sheriff of Baghdad. It offers tactical and firearms training to military, law enforcement and civilian students (SRS #133). He also hosts the Sheriff of Baghdad Podcast, where he and his guests talk about war stories, mindset, guns, tactics and current events (Sheriff of Baghdad Podcast). He has been a guest on major veteran shows, including the Shawn Ryan Show (episode #133, September 23, 2024) and the Green Beret Foundation's Jedburgh Podcast (episode #157, February 28, 2025).
What's verified and what isn't
- Verified (several sources): His name is John McPhee, he goes by "Shrek," he's known as the Sheriff of Baghdad, he's a retired Sergeant Major, and he founded SOB Tactical and the podcast.
- His own account: His Ranger, Special Forces and 7th Group service, and the T-shirt origin story.
- Not independently verified: Specific operations and unit details. Delta Force records aren't public, so his Delta service is documented through his own statements and interviews rather than official releases.
FAQ
Who is the Sheriff of Baghdad? John "Shrek" McPhee, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and former Delta Force operator.
What is Shrek McPhee's real name? John McPhee. "Shrek" is a nickname from his Army days.
Why is he called the Sheriff of Baghdad? He says the name came from joke T-shirts made by a State Department friend at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He wore them everywhere, and the name stuck.
What is SOB Tactical? McPhee's training company. "SOB" stands for Sheriff of Baghdad.