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.
Lieutenant Colonel Liam Walsh is currently the commander of the 4th Battalion of the 9th Infantry Regiment, "Manchu." In this episode of The Spear,...
Before his NFL career, Alejandro Villanueva was a rifle platoon leader in the 10th Mountain Division. During a deployment to an especially restive sector...
This episode of The Spear features Brian Humphreys, a former US Marine Corps officer who shares stories from two deployments. In the first, to...