As Ukrainian troops continue to fight against invading Russian forces, they are supported by a growing cadre of civilians. Many among this group, however, have no training or experience. Matt Gallagher, a former US Army officer and veteran of Iraq, recently returned from training some of those civilians in Lviv. In this episode, Gallagher talks about his decision to travel to Ukraine, the differences between his experiences as an officer in Iraq and as a private citizen in Ukraine, the training he provided in Lviv, and the human costs of war. Gallagher's reflections are both personal and profound.
In 2007, Patrick Melton was a military police soldier on his first deployment in Baghdad, when his combat outpost was hit by a barrage...
For then-Major Bill “Fenway” Wyman, Sadr City in 2004 was a strange mix of combat and humanitarian missions. Fenway was a civil affairs team...
In the fall of 2006, Rory McGovern was a company fire support officer assigned to a combined arms team operating in the area around...