The Reaper in Combat

November 18, 2020 01:08:34
The Reaper in Combat
The Spear
The Reaper in Combat

Nov 18 2020 | 01:08:34

/

Show Notes

This episode features a story from Maj. Joe Ritter, an MQ-9 pilot—the first remotely piloted aircraft story featured on The Spear. The MQ-9 has a wide range of the capabilities—from providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to conducting battle damage assessments to helping a ground element direct their fires to striking enemy targets with air-to-ground Hellfire missiles. Ritter and his sensor operator brought all of these capabilities to the fight during a single mission in Afghanistan in October 2018.

Other Episodes

Episode

June 18, 2026 00:44:42
Episode Cover

Commanding a Multi-Domain Effects Battalion in the Indo-Pacific

In this episode, Dr. Charlie Faint hosts Lieutenant Colonel Tiane Garner, commander of the Multi-Domain Effects Battalion (MDEB) in the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force,...

Listen

Episode

February 08, 2018 00:30:25
Episode Cover

Return Fire and Assault the Objective

In 2003, Maj. John Spencer was a platoon leader in Iraq. One night, while waiting in an ambush position, he gave the order for...

Listen

Episode

August 08, 2025 01:08:35
Episode Cover

Danger in Mosul

In 2005, Jeff Marshburn was a reconnaissance platoon leader in the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, in Mosul, Iraq. While leading his platoon during...

Listen