The Spear

Latest Episodes:

Operation Blowfish Aug 22, 2017

Show notes

In 2010, Col. Jonathan Neumann commanded 1/17 Infantry Battalion, deployed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. Near the end of the deployment, the battalion received intelligence that Taliban forces were massing nearby, intending to try to overrun an American position. Col. Neumann talks through the four-day battle that followed.

Face to Face with a Suicide Bomber Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

On August 16, 2013, Capt. Brandon Thomas was a troop commander deployed to Kandahar province, Afghanistan. That day, during an unplanned halt on a mission, Capt. Thomas and his soldiers were hit by a suicide bomber. In this powerful episode, he talks about that day, the wounds he suffered, and his recovery.

Combat Stories from the Invasion of Iraq Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

In 2003, Maj. John Spencer was a platoon leader in the 173rd Airborne. In this episode, he talks about the very first mission after his unit jumped in northern Iraq. He also described a complex ambush in which enemy forces targeted his platoon. Listen as he reflects on the experiences and what lessons he took from these experiences about combat, training, and fear.

An Insider Attack in Afghanistan Jul 12, 2017

Show notes

In 2014, Master Sgt. Raymond Collazo was a platoon sergeant deployed to eastern Afghanistan. Just weeks into his unit's deployment, the platoon was on a mission that took them to a police compound. Insider attacks had been on the rise in the country for several years, and that day, the platoon would experience what it's like to have a presumed ally open fire on them.

A Firefight on the Edge of Sadr City Jul 05, 2017

Show notes

In 2008, Maj. Emily Spencer was an EOD platoon leader in Iraq. In April, she and one of her teams accompanied a route clearance patrol that was planned to approach Sadr City, a notorious safe haven for militants. As the reached the edge of the dangerous neighborhood, IEDs began detonating and they began taking fire. Listen to Maj. Spencer talk through the fight.

The Battle of Barg-e Matal Jul 05, 2017

Show notes

This is the first episode in MWI's new podcast, "The Spear," which is aimed at providing a window into the combat experience. In this episode, Capt. Jake Miraldi walks us through the 2009 Battle of Barg-e Matal in eastern Afghanistan's Nuristan province, and his role in it as a platoon leader.

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