Podcasts about Marine expeditionary unit

AJ Pasciuti grew up in Sunnyvale, California, the son of Italian and Argentine immigrants. After 9/11 reshaped his sense of purpose, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division — one of the most storied units in the Corps — where he served as a rifleman and team leader. Over twenty-one years of service, he deployed three times to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including the Battle of Fallujah. He led a Scout Sniper team that tracked and killed the most lethal enemy sniper in Iraq — a figure known as "Juba" — and recovered a stolen Marine sniper rifle in what was the first mission of its kind by an American service member since Vietnam. He went on to serve with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company, deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom and later with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. As an instructor, he taught at the Scout Sniper School at Camp Pendleton, created the Recon Team Leaders Course, and helped develop the Infantry Marine Course at School of Infantry–West, modernizing foundational training for enlisted Marines. Selected for the highly competitive Marine Gunner program, he became an Infantry Weapons Officer and rose to Chief Warrant Officer 3 before retiring from the Marine Corps in 2023. He holds a Master of Business for Veterans from the University of Southern California and a Master of Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at the University of San Diego. He is the host of the Combat Story podcast and the author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, releasing May 19, 2026. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Go to https://helixsleep.com/SRS for 27% Off Sitewide Find candidates who really want YOUR job on ZipRecruiter. Try it FOR FREE at https://ziprecruiter.com/SRS Our listeners get the Harry's Plus Trial Set for only $10 at https://www.Harrys.com/srs #Harryspod For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://Mengotomars.com New customers can save 35% on your first month of Dose for Cholesterol by going to https://dosedaily.co/SRS or entering SRS at checkout. Go to https://meetfabric.com/SHAWN and apply today, risk-free. AJ Pasciuti Links: WEB - https://ajpasciuti.com/about IG - https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti YT - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. troops are training for chemical and nuclear fallout while fresh forces and warships surge toward the Middle East, and I can't shake the feeling that those “routine drills” are happening for a reason. We walk through what the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit's radiation preparedness could mean in the context of reports that the U.S. is weighing major escalation options against Iran, including strikes on critical infrastructure and the far more dangerous scenario: a special operation aimed at securing Iran's 60% enriched uranium stockpile. If that material has been moved, buried, or sits inside damaged tunnel networks, the operational risks get ugly fast. From there, we connect the dots between diplomacy headlines and the on-the-ground reality of military buildup. I lay out why previous negotiation windows seemed to buy time for positioning assets, not building trust, and how Trump's own public statements reveal confusion rather than a coherent strategy. We also dig into the Strait of Hormuz chatter and the China dimension, including why threatening Beijing while the U.S. burns through interceptors and depends on Chinese-controlled supply chains like rare earth minerals and gallium is a strategic gamble with real consequences. We then shift to Israel's posture, Netanyahu's messaging about influence in Washington, and the demand to remove enriched uranium as a public red line that could drag the U.S. deeper in. Finally, we break down why the Lebanon “talks” look like optics while pressure builds toward confrontation with Hezbollah, and why “grand bargain” negotiation tactics keep failing in real geopolitics. If you want a clear, unsentimental breakdown of U.S.-Iran tensions, Israel's war aims, and the risks around nuclear escalation and regional shipping chokepoints, hit play, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review with your take on what happens next.

Iran isn't just trading blows with the US and Israel. According to our guest, the fight is turning fixed American advantages like bases, radars, and regional headquarters into fragile targets, forcing withdrawals and relocations across the Middle East. We walk through what it means when places like Al-Udeid, Bahrain's Fifth Fleet footprint, and multiple high-end radar sites take hits and why “no massive casualties” does not automatically mean “no massive damage.” From there, we connect the battlefield to the economy. Oil and LNG infrastructure disruption is framed as the kind of shock that can ripple into global inflation, shipping risk, and political pressure at home, especially with the Strait of Hormuz looming over everything. We also unpack Trump's public threats and sudden delays, asking whether the messaging is about real negotiations or simply buying time for major reinforcements like a Marine Expeditionary Unit to get into position. Then we get brutally practical about military feasibility. Could the US actually seize Karg Island or “open” the Strait of Hormuz with limited forces? We pressure-test WWII analogies, talk terrain and coastal defenses, and look at why mines, drones, fast-attack craft, and underwater threats make “quick fixes” unlikely. Finally, we dig into troop morale, the aircraft carrier fire controversy, and the harder constraint that rarely makes headlines: interceptor depletion, missile production limits, and rare earth mineral supply chain problems. If you care about the Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz, US military readiness, oil prices, and what escalation looks like when logistics are strained, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who follows geopolitics, and leave a review with your take: do you think this ends with de-escalation or a wider regional war?

Ralph welcomes international security expert Paul Rogers to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran. Then, Ralph speaks to constitutional law experts Bruce Fein and John Bonifaz about their upcoming impeachment symposium.Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. He is open Democracy's international security correspondent.I think if you look at the war overall, then essentially of the three (I use the term as a crude term) participants, the one that is basically doing most badly is the United States, followed by Israel, followed least by Iran. Relatively speaking, the Iranians (particularly the Revolutionary Guard Corps) are closer to where they wanted to be, which is not true of the United States and certainly isn't true to a very large extent of the Israelis as well. In other words, the war is going badly. for the people who are determined to try and defeat Iran.Paul RogersPeople tend to think Iran is on its own against these huge odds. Well, it isn't. In many ways, certainly Russia and certainly China have a real interest in what is happening. But as far as China is concerned, they will not help directly. They will not, in other words, as far as we know, arm Iran without payment. They will see them as a reasonable customer. I think (more widely than we realize) as far as you get away from D.C., then I think you see the world in a rather different way, particularly across the global south it is certainly seen in a different way…And I would come back to a point which I think is a fair point made earlier—essentially, the Iranian Republican Revolutionary Guard Corps has been working towards this time for decades. And they will not be easily dislodged. It could happen eventually, but I think it's highly unlikely.Paul RogersJohn Bonifaz is a constitutional attorney and the co-founder and president of Free Speech For People. Mr. Bonifaz previously served as the executive director and general counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute, and as the legal director of Voter Action. He is the author of Warrior-King: The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush and the co-author (with Ron Fein and Ben Clements) of The Constitution Demands It: The Case For The Impeachment of Donald Trump.Threatening to execute members of Congress is unique to Trump. Kidnapping people off the streets and sending them to foreign torture prisons is unique to Trump. Freezing public funds that have been duly appropriated by the United States Congress and not distributing those funds is unique to Trump. Attacking the United States judiciary, refusing to comply with multiple court orders issued by federal courts across the country is unique to Trump. Engaging in these murders on the high seas…these paramilitary attacks on people in the Pacific and in the Caribbean is unique to Trump. Now, it's true that there have been other violations of the War Powers Clause…But the scale of the War Powers violations today is unique to Trump. And this current new, illegal, and unconstitutional war against Iran is threatening the entire world. And so I think that whether they be Democrats or Republicans or Independents, they have to wake up and recognize they have a duty here.John BonifazBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.Ralph, me and John have been trying to impeach Presidents—Democrat, Republican—for decades for these illegalities. The idea that we picked out Trump is absurd. Look at my history. Half of my life has been devoted to getting Presidents impeached and removed from office…So the idea that this is partisan, at least among us, is factually absurd.Bruce FeinI think we need to be even more candid about the nature of the crimes. This is not just illegal wars under the Constitution. He is committing the crime of aggression, the same crime that we sentence Nazis to death at Nuremberg for committing aggression against Poland, against Denmark, against Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, etc.Bruce FeinThis is what is defined as a dictator by any ordinary use of the English language. We need to get away from “authoritarian,” “Oh, he's pushing the envelope.” This is what dictators do. He stated, “I can do anything I want.” And he does it. He kills people. He deports them without due process. He spies on them. He suppresses free speech by using the government to penalize anyone who says anything that's critical, detracts from Mr. Trump. I mean, it is impossible to conceive of the framers thinking anyone like Donald Trump, given his words and his actions, would remain in office more than a fortnight if Congress was doing its duty.Bruce FeinNews 4/3/26* This week, the Trump administration backed down and allowed the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin to pass through the American blockade and deliver a shipment of 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba. The AP writes, the shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba's daily energy demand for nine or 10 days. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío commented on the situation, “The arrival of an oil tanker to a country has likely never generated so much news as the Russian one to Cuba…It's a sign of the brutal siege Cubans endure with heroism and stoicism. It's a demonstration of the criminal cruelty of imperialism against a nation that refuses to be dominated.” Trump's public statements on the matter however loom ominously over the island nation. On Sunday night, Trump told reporters “Cuba's finished…whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter.”* In more news of Trump backing down, or “chickening out” as the saying goes, the Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is telling his inner circle that he is willing to end the military operation in Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he wants the U.S. to stick to its original 4-6 week timeline and focus on “hobbling Iran's navy and its missile stocks…while pressuring Tehran diplomatically.” This report adds that if this fails, Trump plans to “press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait.” This aligns with Trump's recent statements on Truth Social, telling allies like the UK to “Go get your own oil!” With all of this said, Trump has sent the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, is weighing the deployment of another 10,000 ground troops, and is considering a “complex and risky mission to seize the regime's uranium,” all while calling the war an “excursion” and “a lovely stay.”* Meanwhile, 25 Senate Democrats have signed a letter by Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia requesting that Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican Chairman of the Armed Services Committee launch a bipartisan probe – complete with hearings and a report – into the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School for girls in Minab, Iran at the beginning of the war. This letter notes that the majority of those killed were girls between ages seven and 12. Moreover, this letter implies that the Pentagon chose this target based on wildly outdated intelligence, raising grave questions about the competence of the military apparatus. While several high-ranking Democrats signed this letter, including Dick Durbin and Cory Booker, along with progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's name is nowhere to be found.* Elsewhere in the region, the Israeli Knesset has passed a new law effectively proscribing the death penalty exclusively to Palestinians. Human Rights Watch states “the bill imposes the death penalty for the deliberate killing of a person with the intention of negating the existence of the State of Israel.'” HRW adds that the new law “mandates execution by hanging, restricts access to legal counsel and visits from family members, limits external oversight, and grants immunity to those involved in carrying out executions.” In a piece calling for the immediate repeal of this law, Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International writes “By authorizing military courts, which have a conviction rate of over 99% for Palestinian defendants and which are notorious for disregarding due process and fair trial safeguards, to impose effectively mandatory death sentences and ordering the execution within just 90 days of the final ruling, Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away the most basic fair-trial safeguards.” In an interview with CNN, Mustafa Barghouti said this law “confirms very serious fascist tendencies in Israel” and “consolidates further the system of apartheid.”* Anti-Palestinian extremism continues to grow within the United States as well. Al Jazeera reports that last week, domestic law enforcement “foiled a plot against prominent Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani in New York City.” Kiswani is the founder of Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist group active in the City. The suspect, apprehended by the FBI in an undercover operation, has been identified as a New Jersey man named Andrew Heifler, a young man affiliated with an offshoot of the far-right Jewish Defense League (JDL), described as an extremist group with a history of violent attacks targeting Arab American activists during the 1970s and 1980s. Heifler was reportedly planning to target Kiswani's home with Molotov cocktails. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the plot, saying “We will not tolerate violent extremism in our city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or their advocacy…Our city must meet hate with solidarity, and meet fear with an unshakable commitment to justice and to one another.” Kiswani vowed that she “will not stop speaking up for the people of Palestine.”* Also in New York, Congresswoman and possible 2028 presidential candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a private meeting with the powerful local branch of the Democratic Socialists of America. During this meeting AOC was asked whether she would support the imposition of an arms embargo on Israel. According to City and State NY, AOC affirmed that she would and stated that “The Israeli government should be able to finance their own weapons if they seek to arm themselves.” Pressed on whether she would vote against so-called defensive capabilities – namely the Iron Dome – Rep. Ocasio-Cortez definitively answered “yes.” This marks an evolution of her position; AOC previously voted “present” on a bill to provide $1 billion in funding for the Iron Dome in 2021. Many read this as an acknowledgment from AOC that the politics of this issue have shifted, particularly on the Left, and in order to shore up her progressive support she needs to stake out a bold position now.* Turning to the international progressive movement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has led Spain in a Leftward direction since 2018 despite the rise of the European Right is convening a summit of progressive forces in Barcelona slated for April 17th and 18th. Sánchez, who has chaired the Socialist International since 2022, emphasized that the Right has “for years woven a network of alliances to propagate their national populist discourses adapted to each country,” and stressed that the Left must do the same to remain politically viable, per El País. Notable attendees include Brazilian President Lula, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. There have been many attempts to unite the international Left, with mixed results, but it is never too late to try.* In our final story on the international Left, the New Democratic Party of Canada – the country's third largest and most progressive major party – has selected former journalist and activist Avi Lewis as their new leader, the BBC reports. This story notes that Lewis' elevation comes in the context of the NDP suffering a steep decline in recent years, going from the main opposition party in 2011, to holding just six seats in Canada's House of Commons today. Lewis – grandson of one of the party's founding members and son of Stephen Lewis, who led the Ontario NDP and served as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations – ran on a platform designed to revive the struggling party by “prioritising worker rights in the age of artificial intelligence, ending new oil and gas pipelines and projects, and exploring state-owned, non-profit grocery stores.” Despite his illustrious lineage, Lewis holds no seat in parliament and therefore cannot participate in official debates. The NDP faces an uphill climb not only back to power but even to relevance. According to this story, “a quarter of past voters…see the party as ‘irrelevant'...and 40% say its best days are behind it.”* In Los Angeles, a shocking new poll shows City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who entered the race at the last possible moment, in a commanding lead. In this poll, Raman drew 33% support, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass trailing at 17%, statistically tied with another insurgent progressive candidate, Rae Huang. Other candidates – tech executive Adam Miller and former reality television personality and registered Republican Spencer Pratt – round out the field with 13% and 12% respectively. This poll appears to be an outlier. Other recent polls have shown Bass at 20% to Raman's 9%, and Bass at 25% with Raman at 17%. But, if this poll is accurate, it would be a stunning testament to the success of Raman's campaign thus far and a massive warning signal to Bass. If the Mayor slips any further, she could find herself locked out of the general election by Los Angeles' top-two “jungle primary” structure. This from the LA Times.* Finally, we turn to the world of professional sports. This week, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Home Team Act, which, if passed, would require the owners of major league sports teams to allow local communities the option to buy a team before unilaterally relocating across state lines or to a different metro area. This announcement sent ripples through the sports world, with many fans excited by the prospect of keeping their home teams at home. ABC7 Chicago notes that “Sanders specifically mentioned the Bears' threat to leave Chicago,” while the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this bill could keep the Padres in San Diego despite multiple offers to sell. San Diego has been particularly sensitive to this threat since the Chargers left for LA in 2017. In the press conference announcing this bill, Bernie unsubtly displayed the jerseys of the Brooklyn Dodgers, his hometown team, which famously relocated to Los Angeles ahead of the 1958 baseball season.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

A.M. Edition for Mar. 30. President Trump is considering using U.S. troops to extract uranium from Iran. WSJ national security correspondent Shelby Holliday discusses the expanding list of military options available to the president now that the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is in the region. Plus, with its energy links to the Gulf disrupted, Europe looks for new sources of gas with questions over whether the U.S. can be a reliable supplier. And why airports may take time to return to normal even as TSA workers begin receiving delayed paychecks. Luke Vargas hosts.  Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darrell Castle talks about war and the President’s statement that it is basically over and we won. Is that statement true and what are the most recent developments in Iran. Transcription / Notes THE WAR HAS BEEN WON Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 27th day of March in the year of our Lord 2026. I will be talking about war today and the President's statement that it is basically over and we won. Is that statement true and what are the most recent developments in Iran. What is war but the most horrific thing in which a country, a people, can engage. It is killing on an industrialized scale and from the carpet-bombing campaigns of WWll to the guided munitions of today it is about killing. It is the young men of a country being ordered by the old men of that country to kill the young men of another country but they kill everybody, men, women, little schoolgirls, everybody. Unless done for purely defensive purposes it is immoral and unconscionable. Was Iran an imminent threat to the U.S. No case for that has been made as far as I know. Joe Kent, Counterterrorism Director said there was no imminent threat and his boss, Tulsi Gabbard, refused to state under oath that she knew of such a threat. Well, last weekend the President said he had quite enough of the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact of the world's economies, it's rapid increase in the price of fuel and the price of everything here in the U.S., and its downward effect on his poll numbers. He gave the Iranians 48 hours to open the Strait or he would destroy their power system by attacking power plants. Apparently, the new Supreme Leader of Iran was not amused nor was he in a mood to accept the threats. It appears to me that President Trump is desperate to end America's part of this war with some kind of deal, any kind of deal that would free up the flow of oil. The new leader, Mr. Khamenei, has suffered enough he most likely thought, so why should he voluntarily end the President's suffering. His father, his mother, his sister, his nephew and his brother-in-law were all killed by the U.S./Israeli military. His father was not only the Supreme Leader of Iran, but he was also the spiritual leader of his faith that being Shia Islam. So, let bygones be bygones the Americans said to him just move on there's nothing to see here so let's move on. He was not going to submit meekly to the threats and he said that if the U.S. attacks his energy, he would attack energy infrastructure all around the gulf. Once again the bible speaks to us and says, you reap what you sow. I am not sure right now who is in charge in Iran, of the speaking to diplomats or of the Iranian military because supposed leadership and armed forces leadership are often different. Americans play similar games because Trump is saying the war is over and we won and at the same time diplomats are begging to negotiate while the Israelis are still attacking. That, I suppose, is just psychological gamesmanship. Here's a quote from Iran's armed forces spokesman. “We are watching your cowardly officials and commanders, pilots and wicked soldiers. From now on, based on the information we have on you, the promenades, resorts and tourist and entertainment centers in the world will not be safe.” The U.S. warned Americans across the world to exercise increased caution. So, was this a threat to the start of another worldwide terrorism campaign against Americans amusing themselves. Well, perhaps because that's the sound of it to me. Did he mean only the resorts in the Middle East such as those in Dubai or did he mean worldwide such as those in the U.S. Time will tell I guess but it was an ominous threat. Americans residing in Iraq were warned to leave immediately as well. Then we heard that Mr. Trump had decided to postpone the attacks for five days while negotiations were ongoing. It gets really confusing at this point because we are told that chief negotiator, Steve Wittkoff and Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law, were at a point where a partial deal was in place pending further negotiating. The Iranians said that no deal was in place and further they would not speak to Wittkoff and Kushner anymore. If any further talking which had not occurred were to be done only J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio would be acceptable. I understand why they prefer Vance because for one thing he is Vice-President and for another he has been sidelined through all this and my guess is that he was opposed to the attacks in the first place. Trump has made many statements about offered solutions to the Strait including joint U.S. and Iranian control of it but recently he offered a 15-point peace plan to end the war. He once again said he would unleash hell if the plan was not accepted. The plan went something like this; without giving you all 15 points, the Strait would be opened immediately and remain open. Iran would reject nuclear weapons forever and cease enrichment of uranium. Iran would allow international inspections and abide by their decisions. Iran would restrict its missiles to the short-range defense only type and would immediately cease attacks around the region and would cease attacks through its various terrorist proxies. The U.S. would do its part by ceasing its bombing campaign and the U.S. would assist Iran with development of peaceful nuclear energy. Washington says it wants a framework agreement for a ceasefire until details can be negotiated over a period of a month. So, we are given some hope that the bloodshed might end soon, but as usual those hopes were dashed very quickly. Last Wednesday Iran completely rejected the 15-point plan and said it would not negotiate. Instead, it would run the Gulf shipping lanes along with its proxies in the area. Iran offered its own five-point plan in response most of which has zero chance of acceptance. They want the U.S. to fix or pay for the damage it caused in Iran. Iran continues attacks inside Israel and continues to attack Gulf States friendly to the U.S. Reportedly Bibi Netanyahu has urged Trump to not make a deal until all the Mullahs are gone from Iran. I have even seen a report that Mr. Bin Salman down in Saudi Arabia has joined Israel in that urging. Iran's response is one of anger from their armed forces while diplomats pretend to talk.  “Someone like us will not come to terms with someone like you” the IRGC spokesman says. Trump says we are in negotiations right now, but the Iranians, officially anyway, say no we are not so go figure. In the meantime, the U.S. is not acting as if this war is ending soon. The Saudi report also said that U.S. ground troops should be used to remove the Mullahs from power. Notice I said U.S. ground troops not Saudi ground troops. The U.S. has a Marine Expeditionary Unit on its way to the Gulf onboard an LPH. There is normally between 2500 and 5000 Marines in such a unit. This week about 3000 members of the 82nd airborne division have deployed to the Middle East. This historic division which jumped into occupied France prior to the D-Day landings in 1944 contains some of the best troops in the U.S. military. Trump says that he is confidant he is dealing with the right people. I know one thing he usually doesn't bluff so these Marines and airborne troops are rather ominous to me and it is starting to take on an Armageddon type of vibe. The importance of all this to the world's economies is enormous. Aside from the bloodshed and destruction the Gulf and its Strait connect the oil rich nations of the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world and about 30% of the world's oil passes through that Strait every day. For some nations, such as China, the percentage is higher. Many other nations are very concerned about how the closure of the Strait effects their economies. India said it plans to deploy five warships near the Gulf to protect its interests. England, France, and Germany have all sent warships to the region but the British Navy is apparently not what it used to be. I guess it has been allowed to deteriorate because to this point the UK could only muster one out of date destroyer to contribute. In fact, listen to a few words from a recent article in European Business Magazine. “For over 300 years, Lloyd's of London has underwritten maritime insurance for the tankers and cargo ships that carry the world's oil, gas, and goods. Its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which approximately 30% of the world's seaborne oil supply passes represented one of the most quietly powerful financial monopolies in history. Control the insurance, and you control who can sail. Control who can sail, and you control the flow of energy that powers the global economy.” That article is really telling us that the 300-year imperial world order has changed and that created a vacuum and as we know power abhors a vacuum. Into that vacuum stepped the U.S. Navy offering the protection that insurance underwrites. The British Crown's 300-year-old chokehold on global energy insurance has been severed by the U.S. when the UK got cold feet at the wrong moment. America now controls the physical protection of the most critical oil shipping lanes and the world knows it. The world order has indeed been changed on purpose or by accident it has changed. I wonder if the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, is embarrassed by this development. My guess is that he is but he seems to have no idea about what to do. He is in the middle of a terrible scandal involving close associates of the PM and the Epstein files. He has a lot of Muslim voters in his country now so he doesn't want to be seen as supporting Donald Trump and I suppose that contributed to the embarrassing decline of the British Navy which can't even protect its own base in Cyprus. In conclusion, world order has changed for certain. Is Trump that smart and just playing 3 or 4d chess while the world plays checkers. I don't know the answer to that but I know that American dead to this point numbers about 15. About 290 have been wounded and about 255 of those have returned to duty and 10 are in very serious condition. Can we trust the Iranians to keep a deal they agree to with the U.S. while Israel just sits fuming and waiting. Can we trust the Mullahs not to murder the tens of thousands of protesters they know about and who trusted the U.S. to remove their regime. No, is my answer to all of that. Finally, folks, did the U.S./Israeli war machine kill the new Supreme Leader's father, mother, sister, nephew and brother-in-law. My research indicates that the answer is yes and if so what does that say about the prospects of peace. Would you make peace if you were him or would you say no we will fight to the last drop of blood. Yes, me too. Does the last drop of revenge include atomic weapons in the hands of terrorists. I pray that it does not. At least that's the way I see it, Until next time folks, This is Darrell Castle, Thanks for listening.

A version of this essay has been published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/iran-war-no-winners-oil-de-dollarisation-global-impact-13992276.htmlWar is hell, we all know, and it's bad for everybody, but there is – usually – a winner. After more than three weeks of the Iran war, I am beginning to believe that there are no winners here, only losers. The principals are overextending themselves, and will suffer as a consequence. Innocent or not-so-innocent bystanders are suffering significant collateral damage.Some are getting hurt more than others, so it's mostly a question of degree: but the bottom line is that this is war that is just not good for anybody. As usual, Henry Kissinger had a useful aphorism: “It's a pity both sides can't lose”, quoth he. (Hat tip to reader Sudarshan M). Well, Henry, both sides are losing this one, so take heart: your wish has come true.Someone made the analogy of going to Family Court with a dispute: there are no winners, as the father, mother, and the children, will all suffer, whatever the outcome. It is best in that situation to listen to a counselor and solve your problems amicably. Similarly, it would be good to find a neutral intermediary to help iron out a ceasefire in this war, too.In a way, this war is the classic idea of irresistible force meeting an immovable object, thus leading to a stalemate, as Walter Russel Mead suggested in the Wall Street Journal.First, the toll on the belligerents, in alphabetical order:* Iran. It is creditable that Iran has held out against the might of the US war machine for three weeks and more. My belief is that they can keep it up for a while longer, because they have been preparing for this eventuality for some decades, ever since the 1979 crisis in which they held Americans hostage for 444 days. They are taking, and will take, horrendous losses, but it will be difficult to completely overthrow the Islamist regime. Among other things, Iran is a large country, about half the size of peninsular India.* The US attack on Kharg Island's military targets (but not its oil terminals) has shown that Iran's oil exports could be in jeopardy, pushing global prices up.* Just like their proxy Hamas, it appears Iran has built extensive tunnel complexes, veritable underground labyrinths, where they are hiding all sorts of things, including fast patrol boats. Their military assets are doubtless ensconced in these tunnels which makes them hard to locate and possibly quite mobile.* Israel. Iran's consistent rhetoric that Israel doesn't deserve to exist leads to fears that Iran's nuclear arsenal (if and when built) will be primarily aimed at Israel. This, and troubles with Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas, have led to massive Israeli human intelligence penetration of Iran (as seen in the Stuxnet incident as well as the effective strikes on the Ayatollahs and Hamas, including the pager incident). But Israel is also believed to be taking heavy losses, which it can ill afford, although information has been tightly censored. There were apparently missile attacks near Israel's nuclear sites at Dimona as well.* The US. The original idea of a decapitation strike that would lead to a rapid regime change as the Iranian public rose up and anointed a new leadership (one more acceptable to the US), was questionable, as I pointed out fairly early. It appears that the CIA and US intelligence have just one playbook, which they used more or less successfully in Iraq, Libya, etc. But that was never going to work in Iran, and now the US is stuck with a tar-baby and may be quietly seeking de-escalation and an off-ramp.* Talk of a Marine Expeditionary Unit of 2500 American soldiers re-deployed from Japan means “boots on the ground” followed inevitably by that dreaded word, “body bags”. The troops will be meant to keep Hormuz open, or perhaps to capture Kharg Island. Whether they can achieve these is unclear right now.* However, overall it appears that the US' capacity to coerce other countries through economic means is declining, as suggested by the FT in “The era of US dominance in economic warfare is over” on March 17th.Now for the others in the firing line and in the periphery:* The GCC, consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They have taken the brunt of the Iranian drone and missile attacks, and their oil and gas exports, and economies, are affected by the closure of the Straits of Hormuz. But more alarmingly, their food and water supplies may also be affected, and they are, being desert nations, highly dependent on imported items via the blockaded Hormuz, and critically dependent on their desalination plants. Keeping the Straits of Hormuz open may be critical for them. They have been with human casualties, infrastructure damage, and reputational damage as well. In particular, Dubai, which has been a magnet for high-net-worth individuals, is affected.* Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon was hit by Israeli fire, and Jordan by Iranian fire, although they are mostly bystanders. Israel has been responding to increased activity by Iranian proxy Hezbollah, and Iran has sent drones and missiles towards Jordan as part of general horizontal escalation.* Pakistan and Turkey. These are wild card nations in the conflict. So far they have not (yet) been affected badly, but they have to walk a tightrope. On the one hand, it is very likely that Pakistan has offered logistical and intelligence support to the US in its air attacks on Iran. On the other, as a fellow-Islamic nation, Iran has, under both the Shah and the mullahs, consistently supported Pakistan (especially against India).* Furthermore, if there is a ground assault on Iran, it will probably involve Balochis from Pakistan and Kurds from Turkey, both attempting to capture land in, respectively, the Sistan and Baluchistan Province, and the heavily Kurdish regions of Iran bordering Turkey.* Turkey, as a NATO member, is obligated to support the US, despite its Islamist leadership which is duty-bound to side with the fellow-Islamic Iranian regime. The traditional Sunni-Shia split, which has been exacerbated by Shia Iran attacking Sunni Gulf nations, sharpens the dilemma for both nations. (Meanwhile, Pakistanis slaughtered 400 Afghans by bombing a hospital, but they get a free pass from, e.g. the BBC.)* The United Nations. It has been rendered superfluous. Nobody even called for a Security Council meeting condemning the war. This is the latest in a long process wherein whatever the UN, or many other multilateral organizations do or say has become immaterial. The UN, hit by a budget crunch, might as well be shut down.* Europe and Britain. The EU and NATO have been noticeably absent in the discussions about the war. Of course, they are likely to be affected by the increase in hydrocarbon prices. In fact, their folly in shuttering their nuclear power plants in pursuit of vague ‘green' goals has put them at the mercy of Russian oil and gas. In particular, the virtual shutting out of Britain from the entire war is notable, considering that their Whitehall has long managed to treat the US Deep State as their vassals, ‘master-blaster' style.* Russia. Even though Russia has long been friendly with Iran, it has desisted from doing anything that could bring it into direct conflict with the US. Russia is probably supplying satellite and other reconnaissance data as well as spares for existing systems (such as the S-300 air defense batteries, Su-35 fighters) and possibly Iranian-designed Shahed drones as well. Interestingly enough, Russia may be the one possible winner in the war, considering its oil is now a coveted commodity, prices have soared, and there is less attention being paid to its Ukraine war. Europe, China and India are ever-more dependent on Russian oil, and the windfall profits may be sustainable. The US may even lift its sanctions and bring Russia back into the Western fold.* China. There are wins and losses for China, but in sum it may also be a bit of a winner.* The loss is in energy security: China has lost Venezuelan oil as well as access to Iranian oil, but they have overland pipelines from Russia, as well as access to Russian tankers at sea. Besides, they have a massive strategic petroleum reserve (1 billion barrels), so it should be manageable, for a while at least. Cuba, their reliable ally in the US' backyard, is now back to the wall with the US enforcing a blockade.* On the other hand, they have acquired a significant military edge: US munitions inventory has been getting depleted at a furious rate, so much so that if China were to attack Taiwan now, the US would be hard pressed to intervene. Even US THAAD (Theater High Altitude Air Defense) systems are being cannibalized: after four of their radars in the GCC were damaged, the US is forced to scavenge for them from their South Korean bases. Now comes news that China is massing both civilian ships and military aircraft near Taiwan, quite possibly a precursor to an actual invasion.* Unfortunately for China, their weapons systems don't seem to have performed very well in Iran, just as they didn't in Operation Sindoor. There are sarcastic posts on X, especially about their radar that looks like a big grille and is supposed to detect stealth aircraft, but didn't quite work.* China has also been on the horns of a dilemma, as it were: what would Xi do when Trump visits in April while in the midst of a war with one of China's principal allies? It would be “damned if you do, damned if you don't”. If China were to greet him warmly, it would send a negative message to Iran, as well as its other Belt and Road Initiative partners. If China were to treat Trump coldly, then trade wars will continue. Fortunately for Xi, Trump decided to delay his visit; perhaps he intends to continue the war well into April, or maybe he thought he'd be too much at physical risk. It's interesting to speculate on why Trump did this, but of course it may have been just whimsy.* India. This war is pretty much a disaster for India from every perspective. Being dependent on Persian Gulf oil and gas for everything from transportation to household cooking fuel to raw material for plastics to APIs for pharmaceuticals leaves India particularly exposed. There are other big vulnerabilities:* The $50 billion in remittances sent back yearly by 10 million Indians toiling away (often in very difficult circumstances) in that area, in addition to the personal hardships these migrants will face, including life and death situations.* Despite large increases in renewable energy, the major energy input, especially in transportation, continues to be imported oil and gas. Households have largely switched from wood-burning stoves to (admittedly much less polluting) bottled or piped gas. At the very time that electricity demand is peaking (e.g. AI data centers and railways), this disruption may have severe consequences.* The feedstock for agriculture is increasingly petroleum-based, and disruptions in fertilizer availability may cause production costs to skyrocket. Increased transportation costs will make vegetables and grains more expensive for those states (such as Kerala) that depend on internal transfers from producing states. In the short run, some agricultural commodity prices have collapsed as their primary markets in the Persian Gulf are inaccessible due to the Hormuz blockade. Basmati rice prices are down by Rs 5-10/kg according to LiveMint.* Trade through Chabahar Port (where India's $120 million investment is at risk) to Central Asia bypassing Pakistan, will likely grind to a halt* The dramatic increase in the price of oil (from around $60 per barrel to $100-$120, and threatening to go higher) is a huge ‘tax' on India, and a transfer of wealth out of India, which may reduce GDP growth by as much as 1-2%, and push inflation up to 4-5% (according to the Economic Times).* The ‘Goldilocks moment' of low inflation and high growth is possibly over.* The one positive for India will be the increasing importance of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which is basically the old Spice Route,, e.g. containers from Mundra and Vizhinjam to Dammam in Saudi Arabia or Jebel Ali in the UAE, then by rail to Haifa in Israel, and onwards to Piraeus in Greece by sea.* There is really no obvious benefit to India if the war continues, and therefore it is in India's interest to try to be an ‘honest broker' intermediary which has reasonably good relations with all the belligerents as well as the frontline GCC states. India could use its diplomatic goodwill to try to bring the war to a quick close, thus pursuing its own interests as well as something in the larger good of the global economy.There are a couple of other notable points in this war. One is from systems theory, and the other is from 18th century colonial British machinations in India; and finally a speculation about the future of the US economy and even the US nation.Distributed SystemsSystems theory suggests that distributed systems are far more resilient than centralized systems, because they may have redundant mechanisms that come into play when the primary mechanism is knocked out. Iran has anticipated decapitation strikes on its leadership, and the danger that signals intelligence from their foes may tap into all communications. Therefore, it appears they have created a system where 31 independent IRGC military commands have the autonomy to take local decisions without a go-ahead from a central authority.This means it will be relatively hard to quell all resistance, as some commands may fight on even if large parts of the country are conquered. It makes their actions also more unpredictable and potentially more dangerous.It is interesting to compare this to the sudden collapse of the Persian Sasanian Empire to invading Arab Muslim armies in the 7th century, when they were conquered in a space of no more than twenty years. Even though there were other factors like imperial exhaustion from constant wars and long supply chains for the Arab armies, the contrast with the Hindu resistance (of several hundred years in Sindh) suggests that the decentralized nature of the Hindu kingdoms played a significant role in their ability to fend off the Muslims for centuries.The Tipu SyndromeIn the late 18th century, imperial Brits pulled off a particularly clever ploy in southern India. Tipu Sultan, Muslim king of Mysore, invaded Malabar in a combination of religious jihad and economic loot. He was intent on both forced conversion and on the loot of Hindu temples in Malabar, which had grown rich from millennia of the trade in spices, especially black pepper. As Sanjeev Sanyal suggests, temples were banks and venture capitalists to trading guilds.Britain did conduct some desultory campaigns against Tipu, who was allied with the French, but did not accomplish much. In the end it was the desperate breaching of a natural dam on the Periyar by Travancore forces in 1790 that forced Tipu to retreat, as his artillery, munitions and supplies were flooded and swept away. Of course, then the British charged the entire cost of the 3rd Anglo-Mysore War to ‘ally' Travancore, bankrupting it.Next, the British attacked Tipu's headquarters, Srirangapatnam, killed him, and took all the loot. In other words, Tipu did all the dirty work in collecting the booty from the temples, and the British got it all in one stroke. And looked good, at least in their own propaganda, for killing a tyrant.A very similar thing happened in 1973. Arab oil states quadrupled oil prices (from $3/barrel to $12), imposing a massive strain on hapless developing countries such as India, leading to severe distress. Under the 1974 US-Saudi agreement, oil sales were to be only denominated in US dollars, thus leading to the ‘petrodollar' accumulation with OPEC. They recycled this money via buying US Treasury bonds, and especially via buying US arms, to the delight of the Military-Industrial Complex.Thus the net effect of the 1973 oil crisis was a large transfer of wealth from the developing countries to OPEC. The US economy did not suffer greatly (despite long lines at gas stations) and in fact US deficits were funded by petrodollars for the last several decades. This is why any move to de-dollarize oil sales is strongly resisted by the US.Summary: Oil and the petrodollarAt the end of the day, American wars always seem to go back to simple ideas: control of oil, and the prevention of de-dollarization. It makes sense: why not use economic and military heft in pursuit of the national interest? Those who go against this learn a big lesson, to their discomfiture: Saddam Hussein in Iraq wanted to trade oil in Euros, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya wanted to create a new pan-African currency in which to trade oil, Nicolas Maduro was trading in yuan and stablecoin, Ayatollah Ali Khameini has been selling in yuan mostly, and not at all in dollars. That meant they all had a Damocles' sword hanging over their heads.Putin and Xi are undesirables too, but then they have nuclear arsenals, which everybody has to respect.The dollar has been hegemonistic ever since Bretton Woods. Even allies learn to respect American sensitivity over the currency. The Japanese economy, once growing at a blistering pace, was ruined after the Plaza Accord of 1984, which set the yen-dollar exchange rate artificially high. Japan lost its mojo and is yet to recover, forty years later.Tailpiece: The end of many eras?Balaji Srinivasan, formerly a Silicon Valley VC, a thought leader and a supporter of ‘Network States' and crypto, posted this intriguing tweet on March 17th. I don't necessarily agree with his framework of (US) ups and downs (see diagram) or his assertions: he surely paints a grim picture for the US, including de-dollarization. He openly wonders if the US itself will survive in its present form.The AI-generated podcast courtesy notebookLM.google.com is at 3000 words, 18 March 2026 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

According to the Wall Street Journal, more U.S. Marines are headed to the Middle East. They are from the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. They are a rapid-response force of 2,200 Marines. The President is said to be considering whether to send even more troops to Operation Epic Fury. As of today, US Central Command says there are about 50,000 US troops already in the Middle East as part of Trump's war with Iran. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is looking to get $200-Billion to fund Trump's so called “excursion.” We'll talk about it with Michael Shure and Mo Kelly as we recap the biggest stories of the week with This Week in Politics. Doctor of Physical Therapy, Adam James, returns to shed more light on Trump's faltering health. A quick stop by Florida and a check of the latest movies with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, sweeps us right into a beautiful weekend.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine held a press conference at the Pentagon on Thursday. Secretary Hegesth said that today will be the ‘largest strike package yet' in the operation in Iran, saying that the U.S. is winning ‘decisively.' Caine and Hegseth stressed that the U.S. will continue to strike Iran's industrial base.President Trump issued a sharp warning to Iran, after overnight strikes on a major natural gas site in Qatar. This comes as the president says Israel struck the South Pars Gas Field in Iran. President Trump saying the U.S. was not involved, but said that any further attacks on Qatar could trigger a strong U.S. response, and that no more attacks will be made by Israel on the facility.Airport chaos continues as Congress fails to break the stalemate over DHS funding. Democrats now rejecting the latest proposal from the White House regarding immigration enforcement. Democrats are instead trying to get Republicans to settle for a partial funding deal, a plan that would fund certain parts of the DHS like FEMA, and TSA. This approach would likely prolong the shutdown for the other aspects of DHS and it's a mo

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.comWar is hell, we all know, and it's bad for everybody, but there is – usually – a winner. After more than two weeks of the Iran war, I am beginning to believe that there are no winners here, only losers. The principals are overextending themselves, and will suffer as a consequence. Innocent or not-so-innocent bystanders are suffering significant collateral damage.Some are getting hurt more than others, so it's mostly a question of degree: but the bottom line is that this is war that is just not good for anybody. As usual, Henry Kissinger had a useful aphorism: “It's a pity both sides can't lose”, quoth he. (Hat tip to reader Sudarshan M). Well, Henry, both sides are losing this one, so take heart: your wish has come true.Someone made the analogy of going to Family Court with a dispute: there are no winners, as the father, mother, and the children, will all suffer, whatever the outcome. It is best in that situation to listen to a counselor and solve your problems amicably. Similarly, it would be good to find a neutral intermediary to help iron out a ceasefire in this war, too.In a way, this war is the classic idea of irresistible force meeting an immovable object, thus leading to a stalemate, as Walter Russel Mead suggested in the Wall Street Journal.First, the toll on the belligerents, in alphabetical order:* Iran. It is creditable that Iran has held out against the might of the US war machine for two weeks and more. My belief is that they can keep it up for a while longer, because they have been preparing for this eventuality for some decades, ever since the 1979 crisis in which they held Americans hostage for 444 days. They are taking, and will take, horrendous losses, but it will be difficult to completely overthrow the Islamist regime. Among other things, Iran is a large country, about half the size of peninsular India.* The US attack on Kharg Island's military targets (but not its oil terminals) has shown that Iran's oil exports could be in jeopardy, pushing global prices up.* Just like their proxy Hamas, it appears Iran has built extensive tunnel complexes, veritable underground labyrinths, where they are hiding all sorts of things, including fast patrol boats. Their military assets are doubtless ensconced in these tunnels which makes them hard to locate and possibly quite mobile.* Israel. Iran's consistent rhetoric that Israel doesn't deserve to exist leads to fears that Iran's nuclear arsenal (if and when built) will be primarily aimed at Israel. This, and troubles with Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas, have led to massive Israeli human intelligence penetration of Iran (as seen in the Stuxnet incident as well as the effective strikes on the Ayatollahs and Hamas, including the pager incident). But Israel is also believed to be taking heavy losses, which it can ill afford, although information has been tightly censored..* The US. The original idea of a decapitation strike that would lead to a rapid regime change as the Iranian public rose up and anointed a new leadership (one more acceptable to the US), was questionable, as I pointed out fairly early. It appears that the CIA and US intelligence have just one playbook, which they used more or less successfully in Iraq, Libya, etc. But that was never going to work in Iran, and now the US is stuck with a tar-baby and may be quietly seeking de-escalation and an off-ramp.* Talk of a Marine Expeditionary Unit of 2500 American soldiers re-deployed from Japan means “boots on the ground” followed inevitably by that dreaded word, “body bags”. The troops will be meant to keep Hormuz open, or perhaps to capture Kharg Island. Whether they can achieve these is unclear right now.* However, overall it appears that the US' capacity to coerce other countries through economic means is declining, as suggested by the FT in “The era of US dominance in economic warfare is over” on March 17th.

Leave Hormuz Now, We Can't Assure Civilians Safety – US Army Speakshttps://osazuwaakonedo.news/leave-hormuz-now-we-cant-assure-civilians-safety-us-army-speaks/#Aframax #China #Donald #Gulf #Hormuz #Island #Karachi #Kharg #Korea #MarineTrafic #Oman #Strait #Europe #France #Germany #Iran #Iraq #Israel #Italy #Japan #NATO #Putin #Russia #Trump #UAE #UK #US There may be no doubt that Iran is apparently giving the United States, US a tougher time at the Strait of Hormuz, holding strong that none of its enemies and their allies will sail their ship through the strait of hormuz, an action that has since made the US President, Donald Trump to make contradictory statements after the US army obviously failed in its intimidating military campaign and destruction of the Iran Naval base, airport control tower, helicopter hangars, Naval mine storage, missile bunkers and anti aircraft and ballistic missiles defense system, with a threat to destroy the oil lifeline of Iran at the Kharg Island if Iran continued to block ship from sailing through the strait of Hormuz, but yet, as at the time of filing in this report today, Iran remains deviant to US threat, with close watchers saying; Iran may not fight a traditional normal naval war with the US Marines who are currently on a high speed traveling from their base in Japan to the strait of Hormuz, of which, over 2,500 of the US Marines and Sailors have been redeployed and apparently drawn from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, MEU, an elite rapid-response force, and the Marines are traveling aboard an Amphibious Ready Group, ARG led by the assault ship USS Tripoli, LHA-7, an assault ship that can function as a Lightning Carrier, carrying F-35B stealth fighters and MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft and the assigned Marines are expected to arrive the strait of Hormuz in a week or less than two weeks time, but, currently, close watchers said; Iran is using deviant tactics like GPS. #OsazuwaAkonedoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/osazuwaakonedo--4980924/support.Kindly support us for more productivity and efficiency in news delivery.Visit our donation page: DonateYou can also use our Mobile app for more news in different formats: CLICK TO DOWNDLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY STORE 

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up — the United States is sending more firepower to the Middle East, with a Marine Expeditionary Unit now heading to the region. I'll explain what capabilities that powerful rapid-response force brings to the fight and why the Pentagon believes it may soon be needed. Later in the show — protests erupt in Cuba as demonstrators attack a Communist Party office amid growing frustration over widespread blackouts and deteriorating living conditions on the island. Plus — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees a live-fire exercise featuring tactical nuclear rocket launchers capable of striking targets across the region. And in today's Back of the Brief — Chinese military aircraft return to the skies around Taiwan after an unusual two-week absence that had raised new questions about Beijing's intentions. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief CBDistillery: Visit https://CBDistillery.com and use promo code VIP for 50% off your entire order! DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/PDB and use promocode PDB at checkout. Mars Men: For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://Mengotomars.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Monday Headline Brief of The Wright Report, Bryan delivers the latest developments in the war with Iran, including new estimates that the conflict could last several more weeks as U.S. and Israeli forces continue targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure near Isfahan. Bryan also reports on the Pentagon preparing possible operations to secure Iran's enriched uranium, the deployment of the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, and the strategic importance of islands and shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. works to reopen global energy routes. Plus, the White House pressures European and Asian powers to send naval forces to the Gulf, oil markets brace for sustained price spikes, intelligence questions swirl around Iran's new Supreme Leader, and Israel prepares for a possible ground offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: Iran war update, Operation Epic Fury, Isfahan nuclear facility Iran strikes, USS Tripoli 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit deployment, Strait of Hormuz oil shipping crisis, Kharg Island Iran oil exports, Iran Supreme Leader succession rumors, Israel Hezbollah Lebanon ground invasion, global oil price spike Iran war, Bryan Dean Wright podcast, The Wright Report

In this episode, Michael dives into the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, discussing the recent strikes on Kharg Island and the Strait of Hormuz. He shares his thoughts on President Trump's strategy, citing a 1988 interview where Trump expressed his willingness to take a tough stance against Iran. Michael also touches on the economic implications of the conflict, including the impact on China's energy needs and the potential consequences for the global economy. He also discusses the US military's capabilities and the deployment of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Kelly and retired Air Force General Blaine Holt discusses the strategic and domestic complexities of an ongoing conflict with Iran. The conversation highlights the critical mission of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to secure the Straits of Hormuz, emphasizing that the objective transcends oil to include protecting essential global supplies for agriculture and high-tech manufacturing. Beyond the overseas theater, General Holt warns of potential domestic terror threats and identifies recent industrial incidents as evidence of a "hybrid" battlefield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Marine Corps is gearing up to expand its first-person view drone capabilities in the New Year by purchasing 10,000 new platforms and increasing the number of troops who are trained on them, according to government contracting documents and service officials. Earlier this week, the Corps announced a standardized training program for small-sized unmanned aerial systems, which include several courses for attack drone operators, payload specialists and instructors. Several units, from III Marine Expeditionary Force in the Pacific to Marine Forces Special Operations Command are now authorized to immediately start these courses. Meanwhile, the service is also asking industry to make thousands of UAS for under $4,000 per unit, according to a request for information posted in December. The intent is for Marines to be able to modify these drones with “simple” third-party munitions and repair them on their own. The RFI also inquired about autonomy and machine learning integration for these systems. Over the next several months, the service will aim to certify hundreds of Marines to use FPV drones, according to the Pentagon, with the goal of having every infantry, reconnaissance and littoral combat team across the fleet equipped with these platforms by May. Officials said that these courses were shaped by recent certifications and the Drone Training Symposium in November, an event intended to solidify and scale training across the fleet. DefenseScoop also reported last week that the Marine Corps had certified forward-deployed Marines on FPV drones for the first time in November. More than two dozen troops with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to the Caribbean trained for more than a month-and-a-half to qualify on various FPV drone capabilities, a significant milestone for the force after a year of navigating untrodden ground. The Army recently established an artificial intelligence career field that select officers can transfer into starting next month, DefenseScoop has learned. It is also considering the potential for warrant officers to join the new role. The service created the 49B “area of concentration” for AI and Machine Learning on Oct. 31, according to Maj. Travis Shaw, a spokesperson for the Army. Between Jan. 5 and Feb. 6, 2026. Army officers who already have a few years of service or more can apply for the role through the Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program (VTIP), which is meant to support the Army's manning needs. It was unclear how many officers the Army hopes to transfer into the job, but those selected will reclassify by Oct. 1, 2026, Shaw said. The service expects those personnel to have completed their transition into the AI field by the following year. The effort comes as the Department of Defense continues to boost the use of large language model AI systems for military purposes. Earlier this month, the Pentagon launched GenAI.mil, a hub for commercial AI tools — one that DefenseScoop reported military personnel were meeting with mixed reviews and a bevy of questions about how to use it in their daily operations. The Army has also been embracing LLMs and AI, including through its Army Artificial Integration Center (AI2C), which was established in 2018 to integrate those systems into the service. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Paul welcomes back CBS News national security coordinating producer (and Marine infantry veteran) James LaPorta, one of the most tenacious and respected reporters in the national security and veterans' space. From the CBS bureau in Washington, LaPorta brings exclusive reporting, deep sourcing and hard-won combat perspective as Paul rips through a wild 48 hours: Trump's lie-filled prime-time address and new “warrior dividend” checks, a dignified transfer at Dover, rising tensions in Venezuela, new Ukraine aid, Trump's sinking approval and fresh mass shootings in Sydney and at Brown University. LaPorta then walks listeners through what's really happening off the coast of Venezuela—carrier strike groups, Marine Expeditionary Units, submarines and air sorties lighting up flight trackers—and why the U.S. posture is “unprecedented” and eerily reminiscent of the run-up to Iraq. The conversation digs into the escalating war over truth: new Pentagon efforts to restrict press access and punish basic reporting, conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer moving from Infowars-style harassment into official briefing rooms, and what that means for accountability and safety. In an exclusive segment, LaPorta reveals new details on 18 Navy SEALs disciplined after racist memes targeted a Black teammate, what command climate surveys show about repeated harassment, and how it collides with Trump Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push to “de‑woke‑ify” the force and downplay symbols like nooses and swastikas. Paul and James connect it all to recruiting, morale and trust—especially for troops of color and Jewish service members—while talking about FOIA as a weapon for regular citizens and the need to “FOIA and Find Out.” They close with signature IA humanity: LaPorta on Parkland, his Ghostbusters‑obsessed son and a day with the original Ecto‑1, and Paul on watching The Mandalorian with his son as a reminder to keep finding “something good” in anxious times. Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of https://youtu.be/thjhZczozlYhttps://youtu.be/thjhZczozlY. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the holidays.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Podcasts  Ways to watch: YouTube • Instagram  X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook  Ways to listen:Social channels: Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul welcomes back CBS News national security coordinating producer (and Marine infantry veteran) James LaPorta, one of the most tenacious and respected reporters in the national security and veterans' space. From the CBS bureau in Washington, LaPorta brings exclusive reporting, deep sourcing and hard-won combat perspective as Paul rips through a wild 48 hours: Trump's lie-filled prime-time address and new “warrior dividend” checks, a dignified transfer at Dover, rising tensions in Venezuela, new Ukraine aid, Trump's sinking approval and fresh mass shootings in Sydney and at Brown University. LaPorta then walks listeners through what's really happening off the coast of Venezuela—carrier strike groups, Marine Expeditionary Units, submarines and air sorties lighting up flight trackers—and why the U.S. posture is “unprecedented” and eerily reminiscent of the run-up to Iraq. The conversation digs into the escalating war over truth: new Pentagon efforts to restrict press access and punish basic reporting, conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer moving from Infowars-style harassment into official briefing rooms, and what that means for accountability and safety. In an exclusive segment, LaPorta reveals new details on 18 Navy SEALs disciplined after racist memes targeted a Black teammate, what command climate surveys show about repeated harassment, and how it collides with Trump Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push to “de‑woke‑ify” the force and downplay symbols like nooses and swastikas. Paul and James connect it all to recruiting, morale and trust—especially for troops of color and Jewish service members—while talking about FOIA as a weapon for regular citizens and the need to “FOIA and Find Out.” They close with signature IA humanity: LaPorta on Parkland, his Ghostbusters‑obsessed son and a day with the original Ecto‑1, and Paul on watching The Mandalorian with his son as a reminder to keep finding “something good” in anxious times. Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of https://youtu.be/thjhZczozlYhttps://youtu.be/thjhZczozlY. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the holidays.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Podcasts  Ways to watch: YouTube • Instagram  X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook  Ways to listen:Social channels: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From August to December 2016, then Marine Special Operations Officer Ivan Ingraham lived on an assault ship off the coast of Sirte, a city in northern Libya that lies between Tripoli and Benghazi. It was the hometown of Muammar Gaddafi, who invested in Sirte before dying there during Libya's first civil war. In the midst of a second civil war, ISIS had filled a power vacuum and overrun the city, sending its civilians fleeing. At the request of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord, the United States provided support. Ivan led a five-man special operations team attached to a Marine Expeditionary Unit to help push ISIS out. The mission was known as Operation Odyssey Lightning. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ For more information about the International Spy Museum, visit:  https://www.spymuseum.org/ And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic,  you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org. This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, Airwave, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. This episode was produced by Flora Warshaw and the team at Goat Rodeo. At the International Spy Museum, Mike Mincey and Memphis Vaughan III are our video editors. Emily Rens is our graphic designer. Joshua Troemel runs our SPY social media. Amanda Ohlke is our Director of Adult Education and Mira Cohen is the Vice President of Programs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, retired Marine Intelligence Officer Hal Kempfer breaks down the newly announced Operation Southern Spear, a major U.S. military action aimed at targeting narco-terrorist networks in Latin America. With the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and an Amphibious Ready Group deploying to the region, the buildup represents one of the most significant demonstrations of American power in South America in generations. We examine what this force can actually do, what it can't, and how its presence is being interpreted by Venezuela and regional actors. The episode also explores rapidly evolving Middle East diplomacy: the U.S. envoy's potential meeting with Hamas leadership, Saudi-Israeli normalization talks tied to F-35 sales, and competing U.N. resolutions shaping the future of Gaza. Could these developments signal the emergence of a much larger geopolitical deal? We walk through the complexities, risks, and potential outcomes shaping the global landscape.Takeaways:Operation Southern Spear signals a major U.S. military escalation in Latin America.The USS Gerald R. Ford and Marine Expeditionary Unit form a powerful but non-invasion strike force.Venezuela accuses the U.S. of manufacturing pretexts for regional intervention.Debate intensifies over whether drug cartels meet the FBI's definition of terrorist organizations.U.S. envoy's planned meeting with Hamas sparks criticism over timing and intent.Saudi-Israeli normalization increasingly tied to F-35 sales and U.S. diplomatic leverage.Competing U.N. proposals reveal fractures over Gaza's future and transitional governance.A potential “grand deal” may be forming across Latin America and the Middle East.#STRATPodcast #HalKempfer #MutualBroadcastingSystem #StrategicRiskAnalysis #OperationSouthernSpear #USMilitary #MiddleEastCrisis #VenezuelaTensions #GeraldRFord #MarineExpeditionaryUnit #GazaCeasefire #Hamas #SaudiIsraelNormalization #F35Deal #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity #DefenseAnalysis #MiddleEastPolicy #LatinAmericaSecurity #GlobalStrategy

The Modern Marine Corps: MEUs, Amphibious Ship Shortages, and the Role in East Asia. Colonel Grant Newsham discusses the Marine Corps, celebrating its 250th birthday and historic legacy at Belleau Wood. Newsham describes the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) as a flexible force of about 2,000 Marines aboard amphibious ships, capable of missions from humanitarian aid to combat. A critical challenge is the Navy's low prioritization of amphibious ships, leading to a deployment shortage. In East Asia, Marines are expected to seize key terrain and use long-range precision weapons to control maritime territory, though prioritizing missile units has reduced overall mission versatility. 1920 JOHN CARTER ON MARS

The Netflix documentary series Marines follow the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit as they prepare for a high-stakes training exercise that tests their readiness “in the air, on land and sea.” The series follows a group of enlisted men and officers  - snipers, gunners, and pilots - as they push themselves physically and emotionally in order “to claim the title of United States Marine.”  In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews Director Chelsea Yarnell and author & Executive Producer Sebastian Junger. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Marines yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at tudum.com.  Check our true crime hub at tudum.com/truecrime. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts. 

In this episode of STRAT, retired Marine Intelligence Officer LtCol. Hal Kempfer analyzes escalating U.S. military operations targeting fast boats and semi-submersibles linked to narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean and East Pacific. He explores the mounting tension between Washington and Venezuela as American naval and air forces, including F-35s and strategic bombers, position off the Venezuelan coast. With the Maduro regime accused of deep ties to the Soles cartels—designated as a terrorist organization—Kempfer examines how the U.S. is framing the mission under counterterrorism logic. He also discusses the geopolitical stakes, the weakness within Venezuela's military, and whether growing U.S. actions could precipitate the fall of Nicolás Maduro's government.Takeaways:· The U.S. has launched strikes on cartel-linked vessels in the Caribbean and East Pacific.· A Marine Expeditionary Unit and carrier task force are operating off Venezuela.· F-35s are based in Puerto Rico, signaling possible escalation.· The FAA's extended airspace warning hints at planned operations.· Maduro's regime is tied to the Soles and Tren de Aragua cartels.· U.S. actions may include leadership strikes if cartels equal terrorism.· Maduro's fall could reshape Venezuelan politics and U.S. influence.· Strategic calculations suggest the U.S. cannot afford inaction.#USMilitary #Venezuela #MaduroRegime #DrugCartels #NarcoTerrorism #CaribbeanOperations #EastPacific #F35 #NavalStrike #Counterterrorism #WesternHemisphere #ForeignPolicy #MaritimeSecurity #Geopolitics #MilitaryStrategy #LatinAmerica #STRATPodcast #HalKempfer #MutualBroadcastingSystem #StrategicRiskAnalysis

In this episode of the GovDiscovery AI podcast, Lieutenant General Matthew Jerry Glavy shares insights from his 39-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, discussing the evolving landscape of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the importance of adaptability in military strategy. He emphasizes the need for continuous learning within the military, the impact of technology on warfare, and the critical role of industry in supporting defense priorities. General Glavy also reflects on lessons learned from past conflicts, including the rise of ISIS and the use of social media, and highlights the importance of innovation and collaboration between the military and industry. RESOURCES: GovDiscovery AI Federal Capture Support: https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/ AI Ready Veteran: https://aireadyveteran.org/ DCode: https://dcode.co/  BIOGRAPHY: Lieutenant General Matthew “Jerry” Glavy, USMC (Ret.), is a distinguished leader in national defense, cyberspace operations, and digital transformation. A Buffalo, New York native, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1986 with a degree in Systems Engineering and became a Marine aviator, flying the CH-46 Sea Knight. Throughout his career, he deployed in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom, as well as global humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and evacuation missions. He commanded Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (REIN) as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard U.S. Navy amphibious warships deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also commanded Marine Helicopter Squadron One, serving as the President's Helicopter Pilot aboard Marine One, executing global presidential support missions. He was the Commanding General of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, responsible for the readiness and global deployment of 14,000 Marines and Sailors and 500 aircraft. LtGen Glavy played a pivotal role in modernizing cyber warfare and information operations. As Deputy Director of Operations for U.S. Cyber Command, he led efforts to defend the Department of Defense Information Network and conduct offensive cyberspace operations. He later commanded U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, implementing hybrid cloud architecture and cybersecurity and leading Joint Task Force ARES to counter terrorist cyber threats. He was instrumental in establishing U.S. Marine Corps Forces Space Command as the first Commander, integrating space operations into Marine Corps expeditionary operations. His career culminated as Deputy Commandant for Information, serving as the Director of Marine Corps Intelligence, Chief Information Officer, and driving digital transformation. With deep expertise in leadership, cybersecurity, and strategic innovation, LtGen Glavy continues to drive change in business and technology. LEARN MORE: Thank you for tuning into this episode of the GovDiscovery AI Podcast with Mike Shanley. You can learn more about working with the U.S. Government by visiting our homepage: Konektid International and GovDiscovery AI. To connect with our team directly, message the host Mike Shanley on LinkedIn. https://www.govdiscoveryai.com/  https://www.konektid.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gov-market-growth/ 

 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 8.mp3 Guests: Gordon Chang and Rebecca Grant, Vice President of the Lexington Institute. Venezuela, Guyana, and US Deterrence in the Caribbean Rebecca Grant discusses Guyana'sburgeoning oil wealth and Venezuela's threatening territorial claims under Maduro, who also opposes democracy. She and Gordon Chang analyze a significant US Navy presence off Venezuela's coast, including destroyers and a Marine Expeditionary Unit, as a strong deterrent against Maduro's actions and his alliances with Russia and China. Grantindicates improving morale and combat readiness within the US Navy, emphasizing its vital role in global operations. 1922 PEKING

SHOW SCHEDULE  9-3-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR GOOD EVENING: The show begins in Beijing, watching the trio of Xi, Putin and Kim review the display of offensive weapons and offensive battalions. FIRST HOUR 9-915 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 1.mp3 Guest: Colonel Jeff McCausland, United States Army retired artilleryman, CBS News, Dickinson College visiting professor, and Diamond 6 Leadership and Strategy CEO. Global Geopolitics and Military Displays Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses a Beijing military parade featuring Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, and Vladimir Putin, interpreting it as a message of strength and innovation, not peace, while downplaying the US role in WWII. He also covers the static battle lines in Ukraine, European proposals for a military force, and US involvement in Middle East conflicts in Yemen and Gaza, noting a tactical agreement with the Houthis. 915-930 : John Batchelor 09-03 segment 2.mp3 Guest: Colonel Jeff McCausland, United States Army retired artilleryman, CBS News, Dickinson College visiting professor, and Diamond 6 Leadership and Strategy CEO. Pentagon's Evolving Mission and Global Order Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses the new national military strategy emphasizing homeland defense as the primary mission for the Department of Defense, shifting from an international "cop on the beat" role to a domestic one. This is reflected in increased border forces and Caribbean operations. McCausland also touches on China's ambition to establish a new global order, returning to its perceived historical position as a superpower, utilizing organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.930-945 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 3.mp3 Guest: John Cochrane at the Hoover Institution. Federal Reserve Independence and Financial Regulation John Cochrane explores the complex debate on whether financial regulation should be integrated with or separated from monetary policy and less independent of Congress. He raises concerns about the Fed's independence, its failure to foresee the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and the "too big to fail" phenomenon. Cochrane also discusses the risks of the Fed monetizing debt, its stance on stablecoins, and how its actions influence fiscal policy. 945-1000 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 4.mp3 Guest: John Cochrane of the Hoover Institution. Reforming the Federal Reserve's Role John Cochrane addresses proposals to reorganize the Federal Reserve, questioning whether it should become more political or have its scope narrowed to monetary policy, his preferred option. He criticizes the Fed'spandemic response, specifically its decision to print trillions of dollars for deficits, which he argues was a choice leading to the 2022 inflation. Cochrane also examines the wisdom of Quantitative Easing (QE), suggesting it had limited economic impact but expanded the Fed's political influence. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 5.mp3 Guests: Gordon Chang and General Blaine Holt, US Air Force General, retired. China's Historical Revisionism and Autocratic Alliances Gordon Chang and General Blaine Holtdiscuss China's military parade, led by Xi Jinping, which falsely claims Chinese victory over Japan in WWII, omitting the US and Allied contributions. Holt views the parade as theater for a crumbling Belt and Road Initiative, not a united front. They note India's absence from the parade due to animosity with China. Despite appearances, Putin and Kim Jong-un also have underlying animosity towards Xi Jinping, making their alliance one of expediency, not unity.1015-1030 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 6.mp3 Guests: Gordon Chang and Peter Huessy, President of Geostrategic Analysis, a fellow at the National Institute for Deterrent Studies. China's Nuclear Ambitions and Arms Control Challenges Peter Huessy describes China's nuclear weapons as tools for coercion and hegemonic goals, a stark contrast to the US view of deterrence. He notes China's rapid nuclear buildup, exceeding Soviet Union rates during the Cold War. Huessy and Gordon Chang discuss the imminent expiration of the New Start treaty with Russia and the absence of arms control talks with China, which has historically aided proliferation. This signals a "brave new world" with zero legal restraint on nuclear weapons.1030-1045 : John Batchelor 09-03 segment 7.mp3 Guests: Gordon Chang and Captain James Fanell, United States Navy retired, intelligence officer for the Seventh Fleet and for the Indo-Pacific Theater. Pacific Tensions: Philippines, China, and US Naval Strategy Captain James Fanell and Gordon Chang analyze China's strategic ambition to subjugate the Philippines, building militarized islands in the South China Sea. Fanell highlights Scarborough Shoal as a critical "cork in the bottle," potentially used by China as a military base. He notes the Philippines' new forward operating base with anti-ship missiles in the Bashi Channel as a counter. Fanell suggests a reinvigorated US Navymorale and a shift in the Pentagon's approach to deter China.1045-1100 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 8.mp3 Guests: Gordon Chang and Rebecca Grant, Vice President of the Lexington Institute. Venezuela, Guyana, and US Deterrence in the Caribbean Rebecca Grant discusses Guyana'sburgeoning oil wealth and Venezuela's threatening territorial claims under Maduro, who also opposes democracy. She and Gordon Chang analyze a significant US Navy presence off Venezuela's coast, including destroyers and a Marine Expeditionary Unit, as a strong deterrent against Maduro's actions and his alliances with Russia and China. Grantindicates improving morale and combat readiness within the US Navy, emphasizing its vital role in global operations. THIRD HOUR John Batchelor 09-03 segment 9.mp3 Guest: Brett Arends of Market Watch (Return on Investment). Bond Market Anxiety and Federal Reserve Pressures Brett Arends explains the bond market's current unhappiness stems from unsustainable national debt and uncertainty surrounding President Trump's tariffs. He clarifies that the Fedcontrols short-term rates, while the bond market sets long-term rates. Arends warns that Trump's pressure on the Fed to cut short-term rates could paradoxically cause long-term rates, including mortgage rates, to rise, hurting the economy and exacerbating market nervousness. He emphasizes the need for fiscal sustainability. 1100-1115 : John Batchelor 09-03 segment 9.mp3 Guest: Brett Arends of Market Watch (Return on Investment). Bond Market Anxiety and Federal Reserve Pressures Brett Arends explains the bond market's current unhappiness stems from unsustainable national debt and uncertainty surrounding President Trump's tariffs. He clarifies that the Fedcontrols short-term rates, while the bond market sets long-term rates. Arends warns that Trump's pressure on the Fed to cut short-term rates could paradoxically cause long-term rates, including mortgage rates, to rise, hurting the economy and exacerbating market nervousness. He emphasizes the need for fiscal sustainability. 1115-1130 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 10.mp3 Guest: Brett Arends of Market Watch. Addressing Bond Market Turmoil Brett Arends explains that the troubled bond market stems from unsustainable national debt and recent court rulings questioning President Trump's tariffs. He advises Donald Trump to support Federal Reserve independence, abandon attacks on Jerome Powell and Lisa Cook, and work with Congress on tariffs to ensure fiscal sustainability and calm market anxieties. Arends notes that gold's all-time high reflects a lack of market confidence.1130-1145 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 11.mp3 Guest: Bob Zimmerman who keeps the website Behind the Black. New Discoveries in Space and Planetary Science Bob Zimmerman highlights new solar research using the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter probe, improving predictions of solar events that impact Earth's technology. He discusses the uniqueness of stars, Juice's Venus flyby en route to Jupiter, and Mars' chaotic mantle structure. Zimmermanemphasizes Mars' ample near-surface ice, making it attractive for colonization, and presents an exoplanet found in an accretion disc, challenging planetary formation theories.1145-1200 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 12.mp3 Guest: Bob Zimmerman who keeps the website Behind the Black. NASA Unionization and SpaceX Milestones Bob Zimmerman addresses the recent executive order by President Trumpeliminating unions at NASA and other agencies, arguing that government unions are inefficient and costly. He then praises SpaceX's achievements, including a Falcon 9 first stage completing its 30th flight—a new reuse record. Zimmerman notes SpaceX is significantly reducing launch costs and enabling new space technologies like Starlink, also mentioning the reuse of a Starship super heavy booster. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 13.mp3 Guest: Simon Constable writing for The Wall Street Journal and other distinguished publications. European Politics, Commodities, and Digital Identity Debates Simon Constable reports on pleasant weather in the South of France and seasonal produce. He reviews commodity prices, noting gold's all-time high, coffee's surge, and orange juice's decline. Constable discusses political crises in France, with President Macronfacing a no-confidence vote, and the UK, where Keir Starmer struggles with spending cuts and migration. He advocates for digital national ID cards as the only reasonable solution to migration.1215-1230 : John Batchelor 09-03 segment 14.mp3 Guest: Simon Constable writing for The Wall Street Journal and other distinguished publications. The Rise of AI in Romance Simon Constable shares surprising polling data from the Kinsey Institute on romantic engagement with AI. He reveals that 16% of single adult Americans romantically interact with AI, with Gen Z being the most likely cohort at 33%. Furthermore, 44% of single Americans dating AI believe emotional support from an AI partner is superior to human support, highlighting a stark generational shift in romantic relationships.1230-1245 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 15.mp3 Guest: Janatyn Sayeh from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Iran's Nuclear Dilemma and Regional Threats Janatyn Sayeh discusses the looming snapback mechanism of the 2015 JCPOA, which could reinstate UN sanctions on Iran if it fails to comply with demands. Iran's non-compliance has its currency hitting new lows, yet Tehran threatens regional war and exiting the NPT if sanctions return. Sayeh notes Iran seeks rearmament, primarily from China, with Belarus and North Korea acting as potential intermediaries for Russian weapons.1245-100 AM John Batchelor 09-03 segment 16.mp3 Guest: Ivana Stradner from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Autocracy and Protests in the Western Balkans Ivana Stradner reports on mass protests in Belgrade demanding snap elections following a fatal accident and criticizing President Alexander Vučić's autocratic regime, which she likens to "Belarus 2.0". Vučić is accused of corruption and suppressing free media, while fostering close military and economic ties with China and Russia to maintain power and "blackmail" the West. Stradner expresses concern over the repression against Serbian people.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this episode of The Wright Report, we cover the return of the deadly screwworm parasite to U.S. soil, a sweeping Deep State update from the DIA to Epstein, and global headlines from Gaza, Ukraine, and Venezuela. From maggots threatening America's cattle herd to Marines steaming toward Caracas, today's brief connects domestic crises with international conflicts that could reshape U.S. policy. Screwworm Parasite Returns to America: Health officials confirm the first human case of screwworm infestation in decades, discovered in Maryland after a traveler returned from Latin America. Ranchers warn of catastrophic risks to U.S. beef herds, recalling outbreaks from the 1930s. Critics blame Biden's open border surge through Panama for allowing the parasite north. As Bryan puts it, “This screwworm crisis was preventable but Democrats and Joe Biden allowed it to happen.” Deep State Update — DIA, Bolton, and Epstein: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fires DIA chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse after his team relied on Iranian disinformation to downplay Trump's strike on Tehran's nuclear program. Senator Mark Warner blasted the move, warning of “a dangerous habit of treating intelligence as a loyalty test.” The FBI raids John Bolton's home and office in a classified documents probe, raising questions about why Biden-era DOJ buried the case. And newly released Ghislaine Maxwell testimony insists, “The President was always a gentleman in all respects,” while controversially minimizing Bill Clinton's Epstein ties as “one journey.” Gaza Hospital Strike Kills Civilians and Journalists: Israeli missiles hit Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, killing at least 20 including reporters for Reuters and the AP. Prime Minister Netanyahu's office calls it a “tragic mistake” as an investigation begins. Israeli media demand answers, asking, “How did this happen?” Ukraine Unveils 1,800-Mile Missile: President Zelenskyy announces Ukraine has built a long-range missile dubbed “The Flamingo” capable of striking deep into Russia. “We can and will strike deeper into Russian territory without the permission of Washington,” he declared, though Trump's Pentagon has quietly ordered U.S. weapons held back from long-range use. U.S. Marines Deploy Toward Venezuela: The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit sails south with destroyers, submarines, and aircraft in what may be preparation to topple Nicolás Maduro's regime. Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister backs Trump, declaring, “No amount of Trump Derangement Syndrome tantrums will prevent my government from welcoming assistance to combat the terrorist drug cartels of Venezuela.” Bryan suggests the timing may connect to Trump's deportation strategy under the Alien Enemies Act.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Keywords: screwworm parasite Maryland case, Biden border crisis cattle, U.S. beef industry threat screwworm, Pete Hegseth fires DIA chief, Jeffrey Kruse Iran strike intel, Mark Warner loyalty test quote, John Bolton FBI raid classified docs, Ghislaine Maxwell Epstein testimony Trump Clinton, Gaza hospital missile strike journalists killed, Zelenskyy Flamingo missile 1800 miles, Trump Pentagon Ukraine ATACMS, U.S. Marines Venezuela deployment, Trinidad Tobago supports Trump, Nicolás Maduro drug cartel regime, Alien Enemies Act deportations

Today at 11:11 am CST, on the Flyover Conservatives show we are tackling the most important things going on RIGHT NOW from a Conservative Christian perspective! Today at 11:11 am CST, on the Flyover Conservatives show we are tackling the most important things going on RIGHT NOW from a Conservative Christian perspective! TO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.theflyoverapp.com TO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.theflyoverapp.com To Schedule A Time To Talk To Dr. Dr. Kirk Elliott Go To To Schedule A Time To Talk To Dr. Dr. Kirk Elliott Go To ▶ https://flyovergold.com▶ https://flyovergold.comOr Call 720-605-3900 Or Call 720-605-3900 ► Receive your FREE 52 Date Night Ideas Playbook to make date night more exciting, go to www.prosperousmarriage.com► Receive your FREE 52 Date Night Ideas Playbook to make date night more exciting, go to www.prosperousmarriage.comwww.prosperousmarriage.comTommy WallerTommy WallerWEBSITE: https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/WEBSITE: https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/https://centerforsecuritypolicy.org/Text GRID to 40509 for Tommy's SlidesText GRID to 40509 for Tommy's SlidesTommy Waller is the President and CEO of the Center for Security Policy, bringing over two decades of distinguished service in the U.S. Marine Corps. Commissioned in 2002 after earning an NROTC scholarship, he served multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, including roles as a Reconnaissance Platoon Commander and Marine Expeditionary Unit officer. Waller's career included leadership positions at Officer Candidates School, completion of advanced military education, and a prestigious executive course at the Wharton School of Business. In the Marine Corps Reserves, he commSend us a message... we can't reply, but we read them all!Support the show► ReAwaken America- text the word FLYOVER to 918-851-0102 (Message and data rates may apply. Terms/privacy: 40509-info.com) ► Kirk Elliott PHD - http://FlyoverGold.com ► My Pillow - https://MyPillow.com/Flyover ► ALL LINKS: https://sociatap.com/FlyoverConservatives

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're featuring a conversation with Marine Corps Veteran, Michael Hudson, Vice President for Insider Risk and Suicide Prevention for Clearforce, a risk analytics company that has developed the Resolve platform that is designed to address challenges associated with personal risk, including increased risk for suicide in the service member and veteran population. Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. About Today's GuestColonel Michael Hudson, United States Marine Corps (Ret.), served 30 years as an Aviator, Commanded a Helicopter Squadron and a Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of combat and contingency operation in Africa, Central and Pacific Commands. Has intelligence and operational background, lead joint operational centers, safety, and risk professional designation. Restructured and lead USMC Sexual Assault Prevention Response program, working closely with behavioral health and suicide prevention to take USMC from worst to best program in DoD.  Retiring in 2014, he joined ClearForce as they formed.  Hudson holds a bachelor's Degree from San Jose State University in Aeronautics, Master's Degree from the Naval War College in National Security and Strategic Studies, Master's Degree from Troy State University in Management and is Global Counter Insider Threat Program (GCITP) credentialed.Links Mentioned in this Episode Clearforce Web siteRESOLVE Platform Web sitePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Helping Others Hold On. Compared to the civilian population, suicide rates among the military and Veterans is very high. This series of lessons help to give tools and tips to recognize, understand, and combat suicidal feelings in Veterans. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/helping-others-hold-on Episode Partner: This week's episode is brought to you by Humana, a leading health and well-being company that has joined forces with PsychArmor to develop campaigns and courses that support veterans and their families in achieving their best health. To learn more about how Humana honors and serves veterans visit healthequity.humana.com/veterans” Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Tadifi's legendBook 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Meanwhile, Elsa was quietly amused. It wasn't like I could request the SD to force my House Guard to not do something they had been told to do by someone in my hierarchy. That would lead to chaos, and it was unfair to Juanita."Fine," I decided. "Get us three some water. Elsa and I will be practicing."Now Juanita was stuck. I wasn't asking her to leave the room, just leave me alone. I was technically her leader, respect notwithstanding."It is good to see you have not become drunk with power," Elsa smirked once Juanita had left on her errand."Your mockery is unappreciated," I glared back. I was only kidding. "I haven't seen you around recently. It is good to see you.""It is good to see you too," Elsa said in a voice far softer and compassionate than I would have preferred. After all, she had me drugged, beaten, then beaten me up again in the not so distant past.Of course, I had also sexed her up, bringing her to orgasm with my fingers alone. We had also exchanged a burning French kiss in Katrina's office that Buffy was aware of. Then there was the Buffy-Elsa personal feud and the Elsa-Rhada family feud. Balancing that was Elsa's super-hot body and intriguing personality. Sex with her promised to be memorable, more memorable than normal."What have you been up to? I'd like to say I've been behaving myself, but I don't want to advance our relationship by lying (right now, about this).""You are largely responsible for what I've been up to the past two weeks," she stepped back. She tossed her spear aside and entered her fighting stance. How nice of her to warn me, and get rid of her weapon. How erotically odd of her to give me the illusion of a chance."I deny everything," I rocked back. She was blindingly fast. The fact that I was able to block most of the blow was a testament to how much I had learned in the past two and a half months."Watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu', 'Wǒ shuō pǔtōnghu ', 'Wǒ shuō guǎngdōng hu ' and 'Aku isa basa jawa'," she lectured me as she maneuvered me into a corner with a series of kicks and feints. She spoke Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Javanese. That was nice to know."Wait," then she kicked me off the mat."Amazons don't have a 'time out'," she smiled. I cautiously worked my way back onto the practice area."What part did you play?" I readied myself. This time, I went on the offensive. I used my greater strength and reach to compensate (rather poorly) for her superior reflexes."Someone had to ride herd on those disparate forces. My status was respected by the Amazons, I had experience dealing with outsiders, plus your person Addison nominated me, and Katrina suggested that you and I were close. That was enough for the Khanate. Your embassy and earlier aid to the Seven Families brought the 9 Clans along.""And you stole the carrier?""It was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to humiliate the Seven Pillars," she grinned. "Riding in a nuclear submarine was interesting, right up there with running around, spray painting translations next to all the markings onboard the captured vessel. Herding regular civilians wasn't nearly as much fun.""In the annals of the SD, that is going to be a victory hard to surpass," I got out right before my legs were swept out from under me. Before I could roll over, she landed on top of me. She didn't go for a pin. Elsa simply sat there, straddling my hips and looking down at me. We were both breathing heavily."I owe you for that," she patted me on my bare chest."Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?""I'll let you figure that out during the Great Hunt," she gave a sliver of a smile."Not you too," I groaned."Who else are you worried about?""You and twenty-nine other Amazons. By name, Rachel. She's pretty upbeat about her chances and believes she has a score to settle.""Rachel will be a tough one," Elsa acknowledged."Comfortable?" Juanita muttered."Yes, I am," Elsa grinned her way. "Thank you for asking." Juanita gave me a look that suggested I do something like protest, or actually try to fight her off."Why are you being nice to me?" I wondered."I've learned to appreciate your numerous qualities," Elsa enlightened me. "I am also honest enough to admit I was completely wrong about you. You make a good Amazon." That was huge praise indeed and more importantly, it was to a public audience. I was double fortunate that no one was close enough to see Elsa's camel toe resting against my lightly covered hard-on."Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you?""Aren't you engaged to someone?" Juanita reminded me. What she was really saying was 'don't you know you belong to the maidens of House Ishara?' Trust me, I know these things. Had she meant Hana, she would have said Hana."She has the patience of Job," I reasoned. "Oh, Elsa, Job is a figure in the Old Testament of the Bible." I doubted she knew."Oh. Is he a bloody-handed butcher, raging misogynist, or one of those pacifistic wimps?""He's a nice guy who gets swallowed by a whale.""That's Jonah," Juanita corrected me. "Job is the one who was tested by God. Job accepted God taking away all his family, wealth and health, only to be rewarded for his loyalty to God with more than he ever had before.""Wimp.""I would never turn away from Ishara," Juanita rumbled."Zorja would never feel the need to test my loyalty so," Elsa riposted."Oh look," I thrust my hips up. "I seem to need a shower." Elsa's expression was of superiority and lust combined into a lethal cocktail of my demise."Let's go. You can wash my back," she said as she rose over me. She even offered me a hand up. That was unexpected and accepted warily."Is there some battle wound that makes you incapable of bathing yourself?" Juanita got feisty. Holy Hell, she was my Caribbean Buffy-twin."None," Elsa smugly commented. "I like the feel of his hands on my body. He possesses non-threatening masculinity wed with sisterly solidarity. It is a unique experience that you seem woefully unaware of.""Yippee!" I whispered."You really are a man-whore," Juanita declared under her breath."Check," I gave her a thumbs-up. Sadly, Elsa gave me enough respect to walk at my side, not in front of me (so I could have been mesmerized by her buttocks.) As I was stripping down in the locker room, I noticed Juanita hovering close by. "Are you going to follow me into the shower?""Yes.""Why? I am not going to be in danger in the middle of Havenstone.""I'll be the judge of that," she insisted."You do realize I've had sex with an audience before, don't you?""I've been warned about that and know proper counter-measures.""What? What kind of measures?" I was now naked and, towel in hand, was making my way to the communal showers."Charlie horses, trips, stun-gun if applicable," she informed me with relish."You are threatening to damage my prestige," I enlightened her."Cáel, I was chosen for more than my martial skills. I was selected because I will not wilt before your childish ways.""Are you a lesbian?""No. Why would a woman have to be a lesbian to withstand your wiles?""You'll figure it out eventually," I chuckled. Actually, knowing what a playboy-cad I was turned out to be a counter-intuitive edge for me. Expecting me to be a letch just meant I totally ignored the woman. Then the doubt would set in. 'Why wasn't I hitting on her?' she would think. She'd go through the phase of her not being good enough for me to knowing that wasn't the case, definitely, and would come at me to prove herself right. Wham-bam, another one in the can. Oink.Step One: reduce the amount of time talking to her as a fellow human traveler of life. From here on out, I would address her by her name when I wanted something and otherwise treat her like furniture ~ furniture I was comfortable with. In this case, I treated her like a towel rack. She promptly dropped it. That was okay, I was planning to get dressed wet anyway.I rinsed off my hair quickly as Elsa settled underneath the showerhead beside me. As soon as I finished, she handled me a bottle of (scentless) body soap. It was probably one of those the jaguar will smell me coming ten miles away excuses Amazons used to avoid being girlie. I got my hands all sudsy and began working on her shoulders and neck from behind.Wordlessly, Elsa followed my physical directions, allowing me to wash her arms before working my way down her back in languid, amorous circles. Around the 10th thoracic vertebrae, Elsa gave me a deep, cleansing exhalation. I dug my fingers into her taut back muscles, racking them down to her buttocks, deftly ran them along the sides of her glutes and finished up caressing them along the line between her thighs and ass.I worked her buttocks apart, worked my fingers along her perineum, tickling the back of her labia then up, across her anus and back to her tailbone and the small of her back. A crazy idea came to me: maybe I could talk her into a tramp stamp; something like If you are reading this, know I'll kill you next. That would be so Elsa.I lathered her ass up for another half-minute before working my way down to her thighs, starting with the hip joints and then coaxing of her parted lips. I knelt down so that I was resting on the balls of my feet. Elsa obliged me by parting her legs, standing on her toes with her feet over a foot apart, then placing her hands against the shower stall while arching her back so that her hips were thrust back."Oh, come on," Juanita protested. "What kind of bath is this?""Did you hear something?" Elsa looked down at me."Nope. I was focusing all of my attention on you," I smiled up at her. I was really liking the way her muscles were stressed through her exertions. I couldn't seem to pay enough attention to her robust calves. I didn't pass up the opportunity to plant gentle kisses on each cheek either.Elsa's ankles and feet happened all too fast and the pretense of a bath was complete. She looked at me while she soaped up her breasts then let the water cascade all over her body."Thank you, Cáel," she gave me a regal nod of her damp head, turned and left. "Train harder for the Hunt. You are going to need every edge you can get.""I'm stalking oysters over the weekend. They are cunning and stealthy adversaries," I replied sagely. Elsa snorted, then started toweling off as she left, going toward her own locker. I walked past my soaked towel on the floor without a single glance. Juanita stalked behind me, clearly with a lot on her mind she was now waiting for the proper moment to share. I got dressed."Not going to dry off?" she grumbled."I never use towels," I lied. "I like the rain-washed feel." By ignoring her act of defiance, I really steamed her. I wasn't done. As we headed toward the elevator, I opened up with my next jibe. Buffy really shouldn't challenge me so. I'm a past-master of dealing with clingy, bossy women."Regretting you made that bet?" I mused while we waited."What bet?" she simmered."The bet where you assured Buffy and whomever else was in the room that you wouldn't break down and physically harm me ~ punishing me for my wicked ways?""What? How did," she groused then, "You are playing me.""Yep.""You really are full of yourself," she seared me with her gaze."No, but I know what I'm good at and I'm good at frustrating women. I've been working at it for the past four years and I've got over 200 women who would agree that I'm very good at doing it.""Why are you doing this to me? I'm on your side," she turned all pouty and hurtful."Because if I don't, I'll go mad, Juanita," I enlightened her. "You want to protect me, right?""Yes," she sensed a verbal trap. The elevator opened and we stepped in."See, I don't want to be protected," I started."That's,""Let me finish, please," I stopped her. She gave me the visual 'go-ahead'. "I don't want to live a life where I need to be protected. I don't want to worry that women I hang out with could be cornered by some unsavory types at an eatery because those women happen to know and like me.""I admire what you are doing, I really do. This is not the life I wanted, though. This is not what I wanted to be doing four months after leaving college. I wanted to be some corporate worm, barely scraping by on my work reviews and being, as you said, 'a man-whore'.""You don't have that luxury," she pointed out."Am I not doing my job?" I countered."I guess you are," she grudgingly admitted."Yet you feel you have the right to critique my personal life and how I approach it," I related. "I'm not beating you up by playing the I am Ishara bullshit. I certainly don't expect anyone to be grateful to me for the opportunity to be in a House. I don't because I believe that every member of House Ishara has already proven they belong here before I ever meet them. I believe in you. Sometimes I would appreciate it if my sisters would give me the same respect."She looked away because my harpoon had struck home."Unlike the rest of you, I inherited my place in this madhouse. Unlike every other Amazon here, I am only a part of House Ishara because I am the choice of a thousand ancestors to be our leader. Notice that no one asked me if I wanted to do this. And I don't think I ask too much of you because frankly, there are times when I feel unworthy to be in your company.""You are still Ishara and I must still be your guardian," she held her ground. I glared at her. She glared back. I coughed. She kept glaring."What's my name?""Oh," she shrugged. "Cáel Wakko Ishara.""That may sound silly you to, but I have chosen the designations for myself, my First Ancestor and the Goddess for a good reason."We rode in silence. When we got to the ground floor, we made our way to our bikes and got ready to head home."What is the reason?""To never take ourselves too seriously. The worst thing I can think to befall my House is we become as humorless as the rest of the bitches around here. 'Laugh at Death' should be our motto.""Isn't that a bit childish?""Of course it is," I groaned. "You clearly haven't been paying attention to a damn thing I've been saying. I swear I'm thinking about bringing back 'National Clown Nose Day'.""We had a 'National Clown Nose Day'?" she pedaled to keep up."God help me," I muttered.(Where is my Serge?)"You are not going to let me go through my door first?" I sighed in exasperation. Juanita insisted that she go through every door first, because today was so very different than yesterday, when I had Pamela, perhaps I protest too much."You have a gun," a somewhat familiar voice said from inside my/Timothy's apartment. Oh, fuck. Ya know, because Juanita was as pretty as she was lethal, which is to say 'too much for the given company'."Don't make any sudden moves unless you want to see it," Juanita cautioned her."Oh, it's okay," Odette intervened. "This is Anais Saint-Armour. She's a Mountie.""Oh, she's on the List too," Juanita grumbled. "What has he done wrong this time?""Why don't you tell me who you are first?" Anais growled at Juanita while I pushed my way into the room."I don't like your attitude," Juanita glared."Anais, this is Juanita Leya Antonio Garza; she's my latest bodyguard. Juanita, this is Anais, a good friend of mine who helped save my life in Hungary when the 'terrorists' were closing in," I somewhat exaggerated,, she had helped me catch up with the rest of the team when Pamela and I got sidetracked."Why did he chose you?" Anais fumed. Did I mention she's insanely jealous with an aching need to know why I was marrying anyone else, but her."What list?" Odette proved to be on the ball."He didn't chose me. I volunteered for the spot.""Buffy made an anti-girlfriend list. Elsa is on it too," I mumbled."I bet you did," Anais (responding to Juanita)."It is not like that," I moved to interpose myself between my Mountie and my non-mounted (for now) guardian. "I'm on the board of directors for Havenstone now and,""How did that happen?" Anais turned 'The Force' on me. (That's Canadian for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, really) "You insisted (reference back in the days we were seeing one another) you were impoverished.""I inherited it from my Father,""He's poor too. I ran a background check when we first started dating," Anais kept up the pressure."My Mother?""She's dead.""Okay, it was my Father through a convoluted meandering of genetics," I went back to attempting the truth (shame on me)."Which is it?" she glowered."My Father, but it's too complicated to get into now," I tried to touch her. She recoiled. She was still pissed with me."He's telling the truth this time," Odette rose to my defense."Why didn't you tell me this when you were in Hungary? For that matter, if you are rich, why didn't you use those resources to get yourself out of trouble instead of involving me?" She really was a great cop."I had to make a call to someone I trusted and who couldn't be traced back to me, or Havenstone, or the Irish Embassy," I fibbed."What have you gotten yourself into?" Anais thawed somewhat."I believe I promised you dinner," I reminded her."You did.""Where are we going?" Juanita stressed our lack of privacy."'We' aren't going anywhere. Ms. Anais Saint-Armour and I are going to a restaurant of her choosing. Don't worry about it. She carries a gun.""I'm not carrying a gun," Anais torpedoed my plan."Where are we going?" Juanita repeated herself. I had to switch mental gears quickly to take in the new looks I was getting from Anais. I shouldn't have ignored those cues."I can't get around my personal security service," I sighed. Why did I give in? Anais was all about gathering evidence and then drawing conclusions from the facts in available.I had been involved in some significant bad-assery in Europe that was way beyond anything she would have associated with the old me. Terrorist cells duking it out with me (and others) in a Budapest metro station? A rustic inn being reduced to ashes after a suspected firefight? Bomb threats? A full-scale military operation in Romania?I had been kidnapped with a resultant massive manhunt for me then returned under highly mysterious circumstances. There had been a young girl with me, we were close for reasons not really gone into and I had saved her despite all forms of parenthood had been anathema to me.I was a man who others deemed necessary to protect, thus a man making secretive phone calls, getting snippets of information and being involved in the deaths of way too many people to be the old, playboy me. Who had I become?I therefore might be a man who 'needed' to marry a billionairess due to some unspeakable political reasons, not out of any romantic/sexual desire of my own. Anais knew that I was a commitment-phobe, not a gold-digger. That meant she could be involved with me without it really being cheating. I needed her help, I had reached out to her when I was in crisis and she was in the people-helping business, right?There was clearly more evidence out there for her to discover and she had the good fortune to be able to have me in a spot where I could be interrogated."Where do you want to go?" I disengaged and went to my room. The door was only partially shut as I changed."Eleven Madison West," I was told."Oh," Odette cooed, "that place is expensive.""I know," Anais remarked."Why did you pick it?" Odette inquired."To remind Cáel that meals can be very expensive." That was my 'date' reminded me that I'd cheated with her over the course of a home-cooked meal, cooked not-by-her in someone else's home. I wondered how Maya was doing.Eleven Madison West meant I pulled out one of my Havenstone suits. They were tailored after all and I suspected that getting into this place at this time of night was going to take some charisma and finagling. Dressing as causal-me wouldn't do. When I stepped out, jaws dropped ~ I do look good all gussied up. Odette dispelled the shock by jumping into my arms."You look hot," she squealed. "Too bad I'm not going out with you.""You might want to remember that," Anais griped."We need to stop by Havenstone so I can attempt to dress up for this affair," Juanita stated."How about we call in a replacement? Give you the night off?" I suggested."Who?""Chaz?""You want that British SSR non-commissioned officer to be your personal bodyguard for tonight? You've got balls," Juanita coughed. I took out my phone and got ready to give him a call."Hey, Anais, why didn't you call me to tell me you were coming over?" I carefully avoided the word 'warned' as she would take that the wrong way."I don't have your personal phone number. I called your home phone and got the answering service, last night and again this morning," she narrowed her eyes."Odette, did Timothy get lucky last night?" I looked past the Mountie."No. A good friend of his rolled his motorcycle and he went to the hospital to help him out," Odette shook her head. Poor Timothy. My roomie/fuck-buddy misinterpreted Anais's pique. "Timothy is gay, not a sexual enabler.""Huh?" Juanita wondered."Wingman," I translated. "Sometimes the three of us go to gay clubs where I act as his wingman,""And they feed me to lesbians," Odette sounded enthusiastic. Thanks to me she was hardly a same-sex virgin."If there are three people living here and two bedrooms, who sleeps on the sofa?" Anais skewered Odette with her eyes."If Cáel has company and isn't sharing, I sleep with Timothy," Odette refused to wilt, or cut me some slack with Anais."Isn't sharing?" those ocular death orbs flicked my way."Hmm, if we are going to Elven Madison West, I had better make that call," I evaded. I rang Chaz."Nyilas," he answered. "How are you doing this evening?""I'm good. I have an ex-girlfriend from out of town visiting, she wants to go to a swanky place and Juanita isn't dressed for the detail so,""You want me to double date?""No, I need a bodyguard.""You are assuming I have something appropriate to wear.""You are British!" I protested. "Even your chicks have tuxedos.""Very well. Will this be a personal protection detail, or close support?""Aahhh,""Close support," said Anais."Personal Protection," countered Juanita."The one most likely to save me from being stabbed with a steak knife," I muttered."I am not going to physically attack you," Anais simmered. Yeah, right, I had heard that one before, and not just from her."Personal Protection it is," Chaz informed me."Oh, and she's a Mountie.""Is she armed?""No," I thanked the goddesses."Does she want to be?""Huh? Are you going to arm her?" I panicked."No. You have a NYPD liaison. Give Officer Kutuzov a call and make a formal request. If she is a law enforcement officer in good standing, it shouldn't be a problem.""Oh, I can do that?, I'm not sure that's the best idea," I prevaricated."Man up, Nyilas," he chided me. "You should work on making it so women don't want to shoot you instead of thinking of ways to disarm them.""Spoken like a man who wisely prefers the company of other men," I grumbled."Good use of the word 'wisely'. Next question: what are we using as a means of conveyance?""Umm,""I have my motorcycle," Anais was less than helpful."If you weren't one of the bravest human beings I'd ever met, I would determine at this moment that you are a dolt. Call Havenstone and arrange for one of those Mercedes Armored GL550s. Bring your license. I drive on the correct side of the road and I'm not keen on having a distraught paramour driving into a storefront at 80 kph.""Man, I like the way you speak," I joked."I took advantage of a proper English education.""I was joking with you.""I know.""Can I date your sister?" I didn't know if he had a sister, but he'd hinted there were multiple Tomorrow's out there. Anais' mood didn't improve."Yes. I like you. You are a good bloke.""Does your sister know how to kill people?""Yes. I'd say she's relatively proficient with a variety of small arms and hand-to-hand techniques," he enlightened me."Just checking.""Cáel, every woman you are interested knows how to kill people, or how to have people killed," Chaz reminded me."What about Odette? She's neither well connected nor lethal.""Odette is indeed an enigma. She counters that by being well liked by people who are capable of killing others who hurt her, except where you are concerned. You live a treasured life.""Have you made dinner reservations? If you need me for a black tie event it has to be, what is the American for it, swanky.""That's more of a Cael/Pamela thing," I corrected him. "American's say 'high class', expensive, or 'hot spot'.""Thanks for the update. Make those calls.""O-kay. Will do. I'll meet you at Havenstone in thirty minutes. Does that work for you?""Yes. Make those calls. I'll see you at, 7:52 pm, EDT. Mark.""Huh?""Goodbye Cáel," and he hung up."Who is this 'Chaz' character?" Anais questioned me."He is Color Sergeant Charles Tomorrow of the British Army's Special Reconnaissance Regiment, he's a badass and he's delicious," Odette answered for me."How do you know him, either of you?" came next."He was with," Odette began blabbing 'National Security' stuff."Odette, don't. Anais, he is member of the Joint International Khanate Interim Taskforce along with me. Odette helps out in an auxiliary role," I answered."Cáel, how did you end up doing this kind of work?" she was perplexed. "You were devoid of anything approaching civic responsibility when we were last together. Quite frankly, I didn't think you cared for anyone but yourself.""Hey now," Odette got feisty. She was my friend after all."We can talk about that over dinner?" I suggested. She didn't like that answer, so I lied. "I grew up," which was what she wanted to hear. I was spared any more interrogation at the moment by the necessity of making those three phone calls. Nikita liked hearing from me again, though she was less pleased that it was official business. She did agree to contact the appropriate agency for me, despite me making it for a different female law enforcement agent.I'd wised up about Havenstone. I called Executive services to have the car delivered to my door step. I cautioned the operative that, in my neighborhood, they might be stopped on suspicion of purchasing guns, drugs, and/or a good time. I would have the car in fifteen minutes and agreed to take the delivery driver back to work afterwards. I'd have done it even if I wasn't meeting Chaz.At Eleven Madison West, I got a snooty 'exactly who do you think you are?' followed by 'you will be placed on the waiting list, a spot may open up around 9:50'. Was I going to inform Chaz and Anais of this? Of course not. I planned to beg like a big dog, suggest that while I was a nameless face, I actually knew people, a person, and we'd see how far that got me.While waiting for the S U V to arrive and on the drive back to Havenstone, this is pretty much what followed:"Do you know who was behind your father's murder yet?""Yes, but I can't talk about it.""Was that the reason people are trying to kill you?""Yes. That and other reasons.""What other reasons?""Things I can't talk about.""Why can't you talk about it?""Secret society stuff ~ decoder rings, secret handshakes, writing in cyphers, holding clandestine meetings in public places after dark, and various other things world governments don't want me talking about.""Are you pulling my leg?" I wished I was running my hands over her legs. This wasn't the time for that revelation."No. Most of what I am telling you is the truth.""Were you in a shootout at the Chicago Medical Examiner's morgue?""Yes. I was unarmed at the time.""Was your life in danger?""It depends on what you mean by 'danger'. My allies had guns and were expert shots. I was shot at, but they missed me, so I not sure how much my life was at risk.""Can you please be serious?""I'm trying. You scare me.""You don't need to be afraid of me. I only want to help." That was mostly true. She was a diligent, hard-working incorruptible public servant,well, as long as you overlooked her charging me with bestiality when she was truly pissed with me."I'm not afraid of you hurting me. I'm afraid for you. You are an excellent peace officer and I'm worried that you will learn too much. Then your life will be as screwed up as mine.""I can take care of myself.""The reality that you are going out with me unarmed speaks volumes about what you don't know, Anais.""Don't think this line of questioning is over, Cáel.""Don't worry. I know you are not done.""Very well. How is your aunt?" The crab-fisherwoman, not the Irish menagerie."Happy as a clam, working a real job and living life on her own terms.""Where did you go wrong?" That was a loaded question. I had to tread carefully."A girl humiliated me in high school. I decided to take control of my life and somehow, despite my best intentions to be an unreliable lothario, I've ended up with people closer to me than family,and this constant need for physical protection.""Why are you engaged?" Finally, the real reason she was here. Had she come by to pick up her accoutrements, she would have been gone by the time I came home. She wanted answers, answers that allowed her to be in charge of our relationship again. It was the double-barreled impact of exceptional sex and wondering why she wasn't 'the one'.(Me) "Are you seeing somebody?""You didn't answer my question.""I've answered plenty of your questions. Answer mine.""No. Men expect too much from a career woman." Translation: 'I'm a bitch that, regardless of my dynamite looks and raunchy sex drive, repels men because I'm a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.'"You do put your career first." Translation: 'I've totally forgotten that you are a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.' It was what she wanted to hear."Your turn.""Put on your tin-foil hat. I did it to save lives in Central Asia when the anthrax strikes were going on. I have this friend over there that people listen to.""Who? The Great Khan?"I didn't respond which wasn't the answer she was expecting."How?" as in how could I possibly be good friends with the master of arguably the third or fourth most powerful nation on the face of the Earth"That's one of those things I can't talk about.""Do you love her?""I don't know. I'm lousy at relationships. I get along with her daughter. Her father wants to bury me alive in the Nevada desert. The rest of the family seems to be coming around to the idea that I might be one of them.""That isn't a 'yes'.""No, it isn't.""Do you think you can ever love someone?" If you need translated, sigh, okay, 'why don't you love me?'"Do you mean 'when am I going to stop stumbling from botched relationship to botched relationship and make something constructive of my personal life?'""Yes.""Did I mention that I've discovered I have a grandfather?""No. That isn't answering my question.""It is in a way. Did I mention that Mom had ten sisters I wasn't aware of? I had an uncle, but he died in my arms.""No. My condolences on your uncle. What does this have to do with you becoming more of an adult and becoming accountable for your life?""Did I mention I have an adopted grandmother who is my spiritual twin?""No.""Don't worry about my uncle. He died trying to kill me. My aunts murdered him, though I can never prove it.""Oh.""My grandfather? He was the one who sent those terrorists to kill me. It was his litmus test to see if I was worthy of being in his family. I passed.""Are you serious?""Yes. My spiritual grandma? She's a retired professional assassin. Daily I interact with a half-dozen people who have killed multiple human beings in their lifetimes. You want to know why I'm not behaving responsibly? I am acting responsibly. I'm trying to not get the decent civilians around me killed."She took awhile digesting that. By that time, we had returned to Havenstone and picked up Chaz. I made introductions."So, are you really with the SRR?" she asked him."Yes.""Why are you with Cáel?""My mandate contains multiple answers. Suffice it to say, since my RAF contemporary will not be returning from the UK until tomorrow, I am presently chief liaison officer for Her Majesty's government with JIKIT.""Why are you coming along as Cáel's bodyguard? Don't you have something better to do with your Friday evenings?" Subtle and polite, Anais ain't. Why was I putting up with her? She was a sexual tornado who would try anything once. She was a real prize."First question: Cáel is a friend, his life is in perpetual danger and I consider it my duty to keep him alive. He would do the same for me. Second question: the nature of my present assignment doesn't leave much room for any meaningful romantic associations.""Hmm," I contemplated what wasn't being said. "Chaz, you are nailing one of my security chicks, aren't you?""Yes.""Which one?""A man of character doesn't brag about such things."Chaz was getting some Amazon nookie. I had to find a way to tell him how dangerous that was. She might decide he's make good father material, not a good thing where Amazons were concerned."Are all of his security personnel women?" Anais pressed."Miss Saint-Amour, Havenstone is a corporation that employs over ten thousand people. There are precisely five men currently on their payroll. All their security personnel are woman. Cáel has very limited, if any, input on the matter.""Are you sure about that?""Yes, Miss Saint-Amour. Who would trust a man of Cáel's dubious experience with his own security?" Chaz pointed out."Oh." She hadn't thought of that."Can you tell me why you think his life is in danger?""He is far more likely to be kidnapped than murdered. He possess certain sensitive data that powerful entities would like to access, thus I am his bodyguard tonight. Considering the quality of the women who normally guard him, I consider it an honor.""To guard Cáel, on a date?""He was kidnapped visiting a child at a playground. Yes, we believe his life is in constant peril. The training and experience of his security service is top flight and it has been a pleasure to serve among them.""Were you with him in Budapest and Romania?""The metro station?""Yes.""Yes.""Romania?""Do you mean the counterterrorism action south of Miercurea Ciuc?""Yes.""Yes."Wow, these two were lousy communicators. I could imagine Chaz propositioning one of my Amazons.Chaz: 'You have a superior feminine physique which I find appealing. Want to fuck?'Amazon: 'You look like you have the prerequisite stamina and battle scars to be part of the New Directive. Sure.'"Were you involved in the actual combat? The SRR is normally an intelligence gathering unit.""I was gathering battlefield intelligence, Miss. That required my close proximity to armed and actively hostile enemy aliens (as in they were in Romania illegally, not that they were all supernatural beings). My involvement resulted in two KIA's and one WIA.""Damn Chaz, you rock.""I am a professional.""How many did Pamela gak?""One KIA.""Just one? Whoa, that's so unlike her.""She kept trying to bracket the cell leader (aka Ajax). He had the Devil's Own Luck.""Cáel, why are you making light of all those deaths?" Anais chastised me. "How many terrorists did you wound, or kill?""I wounded one guy.""That is disingenuous," Chaz chided me. "You orchestrated the operation, showed tactical expertise in seizing the most critical terrain feature and engineered the death of the terrorist leader.""My Cáel did that? When I knew him, he was adverse to violence," Anais shook her head."Considering the considerable number of people he's killed, he's still adverse to physical confrontation where his own life is involved. But God help you if you threaten someone he is close to, though. He's the man who can get things done when the team is in a pinch.""Cáel, what happened to you?" she didn't sound upset at all."I learned to care for people beyond my immediate interest, you know, actual long-term relationships," with the unspoken 'as opposed to women I'm currently having sex with'."It took you long enough," she snipped. Reference her being a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.The interrogation was put on hold while we entered the restaurant and,"Mr. Nyilas?" the maytre dee greeted me."Yes.""We will get you a table right away," he nodded obsequiously. What the hell was up with that? Where was my two hour wait time? Oh yeah, I was a minor, fifteen seconds of fame celebrity."Will Ms. Sulkanen be joining you this evening?""No. She had to oversee a packaged Erythrosine-monosaccharides explosion in Boca Raton. Flaming plastic pink flamingo bits were raining down everywhere. I imagine it is taking an Everest-sized load of hush money to keep this out of the media," I replied. I was so eerily sincere, he bought it and a look of horror snuck over his face. I had become the public face of corporate malfeasance."Your table (gulp) is ready, Sir," he began to sweat. He took us to our table for four then beat a hasty retreat. Undoubtedly his civic-mindedness would have him calling up TMZ within a minute. After all, it was unlikely he owned any plastic pink flamingos, or invested in their construction. Once he was gone, Chaz let a thin smile break through his hard-earned military unfazed-ability."What exactly are packaged Erythrosine-monosaccharides?" he inquired."Packaged is self-explanatory. Erythrosine is pink food coloring and monosaccharides are,""Sugar," Anais frowned."Exploding pixie sticks, I have nieces and nephews. You are a genius at misdirection, Mr. Nyilas," he nodded."Thank you, Color Sergeant Tomorrow. It is nice to be appreciated for my bizarre and useless preoccupation," I grinned."You practice lying?" Anais' view of me dimmed."Miss, he excels at extraneous, outrageous utterances. No harm is intended.""Things like I was helping her find her contact lenses?" That had been my excuse when caught coming out of Maya's apartment. Sadly, Anais is highly perceptive and knew the lady didn't wear contacts. The copious female aroma wafting off me certainly hadn't helped."That's unfair," I countered. "Back then, I was a college nitwit suffering from undiagnosed nymphomania. I'd like to think I'm getting better."" tes-vous mieux?" she retorted in French."Je suis assez intelligent pour aller vers vous lorsque des vies  taient sur la ligne." That's right, Anais. When my life and the lives of others were on the line, she was the first one I thought to call. Letting a woman know that you admire her profession, professionalism and reliability never hurts."Are you really a nymphomaniac?" she returned to English. French is the language of sex, as is any derivative of Sanskrit, Farsi and Portuguese. Reference the multitude of Indians, the hotness of Persian women and the outpouring of lust that is Brazil."I had a magnetoencephalography recently. The neuroscientists didn't know what to make of my brain patterns. I appear to be somewhat unique in my madness."She didn't believe me. I didn't blame her. No one really likes hearing a truth they don't want to accept."Here," I leaned forward and pointed to the tiny divot in my forehead. "I was stabbed with a needle in the skull. That is why they looked at me, not because of my sexual malfunction."She touched it to makes sure. We were interrupted by the waiter stopping by to see if we were ready to order yet."We will have three of the most expensive appetizers, dinners, deserts and wines," Anais preempted us. Ugh. I was either a millionaire by the wonders of Havenstone accounting, or broke. I foolishly never looked into such things, never having had much money before. I needed a distraction."Hey Chaz, nice suit," was what came to mind. It was a swell masterpiece of the tailoring arts I hadn't expect from a ground-pounder from a family of ground-pounders serving Queen and Country for generations."Thank you. Pamela picked it out for me, suspecting an event such as this would transpire. She told me you paid for it," Chaz answered."I did?""I made the reasonable deduction that she forged your signature on whatever medium was used for payment," he shrugged, "in the same way she exhibits a criminal tendency toward every other aspect of her life.""What does Pamela look like?" Anais glowered."She's his grandmother," Chaz responded politely. "They make quite the pair. Normally we don't let them alone in the same room. Bad things happen.""Bad things?""Things like that scenic hostel being reduced to ruin," he enlightened her."This is the supposed assassin?""Retired assassin," Chaz corrected her. "So far she's only, what is the term you two use?" he looked at me."Sending a Get-Well card to their next of kin? Pumping up the volume? Making a critical attitude adjustment? Retroactively revoking their lease on life? We have a few.""Yes, those. Pamela has assured the team director that she no longer accepts assignments of a murderous nature. These days she only practices her skills on those we determine are a threat to the greater endeavor," he explained."She murders people? You all murder people?" Anais furrowed her brow. "Cáel, do you engage in these activities?""What? Who? Me? No!" I waved off any conspiratorial associations. "The vast majority of people I've killed was totally by accident.""How do you accidently kill people?" she pierced my soul with her voice."Okay, I let them kill themselves because warning them would have resulted in me and some friends meeting very immediate violent ends," I pleaded."Miss Saint-Amour, I've talked to trustworthy people who were on the scene when this happened. It was a paramilitary action with the lives of children on the line. Cáel acted to save the lives of innocents," Chaz defended me. That is what Anais wanted to believe; that I was basically a decent human being. I was a pig, but a courageous one. I had confronted her after my infidelity, on the other side of the US/Canadian border where her jurisdiction didn't apply.I knew my revelations were hideously hard to believe. In my favor, I had been in dangerous places doing dangerous things. The Metro firefight had been captured on the place's security system (which had been leaked to the public thus leading to some delusional admirers into thinking I would make a great new King of Hungary even though they hadn't had a monarch since 1918 nor was I from the right (Hapsburg) family. In case this whole Havenstone thing came crashing down in flames, I needed to keep my options open).There had been a bomb threat at Mindszent which I had reputable sources call in (and where I had admittedly hung out with a few of the women who saved me from an earlier disaster) and Miercurea Ciuc had made the international news. Well over 100 people had died and some of the terrorists were still at large. The Romanian government declared I had been 'instrumental' in the confrontation without saying what 'instrumental' meant.I was heroically vague, more mature than where we left off and clearly incited pussy-twitching memories. We'd once fucked so continuously hard and long one weekend that neither one of us could stand until an hour after we stopped. Anais was well worth the pain I was contemplating. Sex with her wasn't the pain I was worried about. It was dodging all her calls afterwards. Once again reference her being a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.Oh, how did I know she was reveling in our past coital moments? She hadn't walked out on me yet. She hadn't walked out when she found Odette in my domicile, when she met Juanita, or when she found out that I worked with highly experienced killers as part of my new daily routine.Normally Anais was smarter than this and had a career in law enforcement to contemplate. Lastly, she hadn't asked to be armed, despite getting permission from the NYPD. Had she decided to get a gun, Anais was sure in her hormonally-cascading mindset she would have shot me by now. I incite all kinds of passion in women. It is a curse.The rest of dinner was unremarkable. Anais continued to interrogate Chaz who proved that he was both skilled in counter-interrogation techniques and not willing to spill anymore secrets about what anyone at JIKIT did. However he had provided her with every logical reason to beat feet back across the Canadian border and she hadn't taken the hints about what a disaster sleeping with me could be.We drove Anais back to her motel, then Chaz and I headed home in silence. Despite his earlier declarations, he knew how to drive the 'right' way all along. As he was letting me out in front of my building, he gave me this pleasant warning."I'm not going to lecture you about not going back there, or avoiding the crazy ones. You already know better and are going back by her place anyway. I do advise that whatever you do, don't let her restrict your movements in any way. She's likely to make you pay double for your past indiscretions and take payment out on your cock. Good luck, Mate.""Wait," I stopped him. "Can you help me hotwire her bike? I can use that as an excuse to darken her doorway.""Dolt," he muttered. He helped me anyway because that's what really good friends do ~ assisting you in your self-destruction so we could joke about it later. At least that was what I hoped was going on. Chaz being a closet sadist was an unsettling idea. I didn't get to immediately pursue my plan because,(We work for you, don't we?)At 9 am, the President of the United States of America, after a late night briefing and a good night's sleep, decided that for the sake of world peace he had to intervene in Southeast Asia ~ Thailand to be specific, though he had some vague notion that a summit of regional leaders was in the offing and the US needed to establish some sort of game plan instead of looking impotent and disinterested.Based on carefully selected bits of information supplied to him by us (JIKIT), he ordered two carrier taskforces to move to the Gulf of Thailand to enforce an anticipated UN arms embargo and 'No-Fly Zone'. It would take four days (September 3rd) for Carrier Strike Group Nine (built around the USS Ronald Reagan) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (2,200 souls) to take up a position in the South China Sea close to the Gulf of Thailand. By fortuitous circumstance, 500 Marines and sailors were already deployed to Malaysia on a joint training mission with the Malaysian Marines.The second one, the USS Carl Vinson's Carrier Strike Group One wouldn't arrive until the 9th, six days later. What the US government wanted to know was what the Khanate and Vietnam would do in those long, lonely six days. The Khanate had as many modern, up-to-date combat aircraft on Woody Island as the Reagan could send up. The Vietnamese could add another 48 planes worth worrying about.There was the added complication that Thailand hadn't asked for help yet. His experts (us again) were suggesting that he was about to wake up one morning and find Khanate tanks rolling down the streets of Bangkok, which

Chad sits down with retired Marines major Nick Tazza and Major Dustin Heffel who he served with when they all deployed together as part of Amphibious Squadron ONE and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Both Tazza and Heffel started their career as enlisted Marines before becoming Warrant Officers then Limited Duty Officers. This unique career path can be a great option for enlisted personnel wanting to become commissioned officers. We appreciate them sharing their stories and lessons learned as we reflect on Veteran's Day in 2024. Thank you to all our veterans!(00:57) - Dustin's Story(36:28) - Nick's Story(01:22:08) - Chad, Nick, and Dustin Experiences TogetherNeed Professional Dog Training?  Our team can help : https://www.caninerevolutiondogtraining.com/contact-Board & Train Programs-Private Lessons-Virtual Coaching for dog owners-Custom ProgramsShop the full Canine Revolution Apparel store on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/s?rh=n%3A7141123011%2Cp_4%3ACanine+Revolution+Apparel&ref=bl_sl_s_ap_web_7141123011Optimize your dog's diet by feeding them a raw diet specifically formulated for your dog and delivered to your doorWe Feed Rawhttps://wefeedraw.sjv.io/c/5125268/1993237/22021 Discount Code : CANINEREVOLUTION for 25% offThe best supplements for your dogs, Made in America! JOINT SUPPORT, MULTI VITAMIN, WEIGHT GAINER, PUPPY FORMULA.K9 Super Supplementshttps://k9-super-supplements.myshopify.com/caninerevolutionDiscount Code : CANINE REVOLUTION for 15% offSupplements to optimize your performanceJockoFuel : Hard Work.  Clean Fuel.  No Excuses.https://www.jockofuel.com Discount Code : CANINEREVOLUTION for 10% offFollow all of our socials:https://linktr.ee/CanineRevolutionVideo versions of podcasts can be found at the Pack Talk Podcast YouTube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@packtalkpodcast/videosAre you a dog trainer or business owner and want Coaching or Consulting?  Virtual coaching for dog trainers and business owners is available.Email : info@caninerevolutiondogtraining.com

Tony Trzeciak is a Philadelphia native, husband and father of four. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012. Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Kilo Company, Tony completed a combat tour in Afghanistan and a humanitarian mission in Haiti with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Sadly due to injuries and medical malpractice Tony was paralyzed, which led to many life-saving surgeries, depression, suicide ideation and drug abuse. Tony has triumphed over those daunting challenges and is using his life experiences to help other veterans and military members in need of help and support. Today, he channels his passion for finance into his roles as an angel investor, entrepreneur, and work on AI projects in finance and sports with chata.ai. As the personification of resilience, personal empowerment and personal well-being, Tony joins Dr. Chris Meek on Next Steps Forward to discuss how he managed to navigate through the worst times and come out on the other side stronger, how his experiences with paralysis changed and reinforced his sense of purpose, his transition from a military mindset to a business mindset and how he evaluates risk as an entrepreneur.

David Pouleris grew up in Richmond Virginia and attended Midlothian High School. His interests during this time included skateboarding, flying, collegiate-style wrestling, hunting, fishing, and being an active member of the volunteer fire department and rescue squad. He attended Virginia Military Institute and graduated in 1998. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve as a Motor Transport Operator until his commissioning in 1999. After The Basic School 2nd Lieutenant Pouleris graduated from communication school and was awarded the Communication Officer MOS. In the 20 years Dave spent in the Marine Corps he served in the following units: 4th Combat Engineer Battalion | 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit | 2d Force Service Support Group | 2d Force Reconnaissance Company | 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion (now known as 2d Raider Battalion) | Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic | Programs and Resources, Headquarters Marine Corps - Pentagon | Marine Security Cooperation Group | Headquarters, Marine Forces Special Operations Command. While on active-duty Dave was certified as a Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist and a Joint Terminal Attack Controller Instructor (JTAC-I). His personal awards included the Meritorious Service Medal (x2), Navy Commendation Medal (x3), Army Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and numerous unit and campaign awards. Dave's deployed experiences while on active duty include Joint and Multi-National training evolutions both home and abroad, as well as deployments to Kosovo, Kuwait, two tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan. Upon retirement from the Marine Corps in 2018 Dave became the first Director of Programs for The Honor Foundation (THF) campus serving Marine Forces Specials Operations Command in Wilmington North Carolina. In 2021 Dave turned over his duties at The Honor Foundation and was hired as the Vice President of Operations for CloudWyze, an IT services company in Wilmington N.C. In 2022 Dave was presented with a rare opportunity to return to the fire service as a Firefighter / EMT with the North Topsail Beach Fire Department where he still serves part-time. In 2024 Dave was hired as the full-time Operations Manager with PipeView Technologies, a utility cleaning and surveying company in Wilmington N.C.

Finding and fighting against national security threats is a crucial job. In any election cycle, it's even more necessary as political enemies and disinformation can pose serious threats to our democratic process. As a career veteran and defense specialist, Vance Cryer helps spotlight the threats we may face in the intersection between polarization and national defense and how we can overcome them. Vance describes America's external threats, what they stand to gain by a weakened America, and how they are using America's division as a tool to undermine democracy.Vance Cryer was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1968. To help pay his way through school, Vance worked as a journeyman plumber and also helped his grandfather in a business that prewired new houses for telephone service. During his first semester of school, he joined the Air Force ROTC. He then got a job at the local airport filling airplanes with gas and scraping bugs off windshields, using the cash he earned to pay for flying lessons thereby fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a pilot. By the end of that first semester, he contracted with the Marines to compete for one of two slots in north Texas for Officer Candidate School. Vance's 27-year career with the Marines took him through flight school in Pensacola, Florida; to Top Level School at the National War College in Washington, D.C., where he earned a master's degree in national strategic studies; to four AV-8B squadron tours, including as the commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211. He completed six combat tours in Iraq and served two tours of duty at the Pentagon-Headquarters Marine Corps in the Department of Aviation. In 2013, he was promoted to colonel and commanded the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Pendleton. In 2016, he was handpicked by Secretary Ray Mabus as the Marine Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.In August 2018, Vance retired from active duty in the Marine Corps and is now serving as a Director for Special Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control (MFC). He serves as the liaison between MFC and Lockheed Martin Aerospace, working on the leading edge of missile and sensor technologies and future capabilities.Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

We reached out to our guest for this week's episode after he testified before Congress and used the opportunity to repeatedly highlight military human performance programs. He was also our first guest to tune in from the Pentagon Briefing Room. Troy Black is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the most senior NCO in the entire United States military. We were particularly interested in having him on when we saw that the #2 priority on his strategy document is Holistic Human Performance. SEAC Black assumed his current post as the 5th SEAC on Nov. 3rd, 2023 following his selection and service as the 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in April of 1988 and attended the School of Infantry and Marine Corps Security Force School. Throughout his career, SEAC Black has been assigned numerous duties to include: Machine Gunner, Machine Gun Squad and Section Leader; Weapons Platoon Sergeant and Weapons Platoon Commander; Drill Instructor, Senior Drill Instructor, Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) Platoon Sergeant and Operations Chief, Series Gunnery Sergeant, DI School Instructor, and RTR Drill Master; First Sergeant, Sergeant Major, 3d Bn, 7th Marines, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He has deployed in support of Operation Just Cause, Operation Sea Soldier, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and Sea Angel; Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF), Operation Bright Star, Operation Iraqi Freedom IV (OIF) ; Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010; WESTPAC 14.2 and Operation Inherent Resolve. SEAC Black has a Bachelor of Science in Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies from National American University and graduated from the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy December of 2011.

In this episode Dr. Lyon sits down with Dr. Erik Won, President and Chief Medical Officer of WAVE Neuroscience Biotechnology. Dr. Won shares his journey from being a Navy flight surgeon to leading groundbreaking research in brain health. If you struggle with brain fog, depression, PTSD, or traumatic brain injury, this episode is for you. Learn about innovative treatments that are changing lives and providing hope for those suffering from brain-related conditions. Don't miss this enlightening conversation on the future of neuroscience!Dr. Erik Won is President and Chief Medical Officer of Wave Neuroscience, Inc; a biotechnology company that has innovated breakthrough technologies called Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT) and Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS). These technologies utilize computational neuroanalytics and brain imaging to customize treatment protocols with the aim of restoring optimal neurological function. These modalities represent a form of precision-guided medicine that has been researched or is currently being used by premier institutions such as US Special Operations Command, Stanford University School of Medicine, Duke University - Human Performance Opti-Lab, University of Southern California (USC) Center for Neurorestoration, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - David Geffen School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and the Texas A&M Institute for Bioscience and Technology, among others. Erik joined Wave Neuroscience after serving as the Chief Physician and Chief Technology Officer (Health Services) for the Boeing Company. He also served as a US Navy Flight Surgeon for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268, and received the distinction of serving as the ACE Flight Surgeon for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Dr. Won has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, and presented in numerous academic conferences. He completed his residency at the Harvard OEM combined residency program and was appointed Chief Resident. He received a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard School of Public Health and Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business.

Join Col. Anthony Krockel on an exhilarating dive into the world of military aviation training at Pensacola's Whiting Field. Get an insider's glimpse into how the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviators are forged in the flames of rigorous training and innovative simulation techniques. Tune in to learn how you can earn the prestigious Wings of Gold!   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE The prerequisites needed to begin military aviation training and the path to earning Wings of Gold A comprehensive overview of the military aviation training phases Significance and role of advanced simulators and contractor-operated pilot training in enhancing the quality and efficiency of pilot preparation Insights into the dedication and perseverance required to succeed in the challenging environment of military aviation training Introduction of innovative training methods aimed at modernizing the preparation of student aviators   RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED Training Air Wing Five ICARUS Devices   ABOUT COL. ANTHONY KROCKEL Col. Krockel graduated from UCLA with a BA in International Relations in 1998 and completed flight training in the CH-46E. He deployed several times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and, later, with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Middle East. In 2006, he became the Joint Mission Planning System-Expeditionary Project Manager at Naval Air Systems Command and later earned an MS in Project Management.    He transitioned to the MV-22, serving in various roles, including Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Executive Officer, and eventually assumed command of VMM-365, participating in multiple deployments, including humanitarian missions to Haiti and Puerto Rico. He worked as a program analyst at the Pentagon, graduated with distinction from the Inter-American Defense College, and later became the Director for Training, Exercises and Readiness at III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan before commanding Training Air Wing FIVE in 2023.   CONNECT WITH COL. ANTHONY LinkedIn: Anthony Krockel   CONNECT WITH US Are you ready to take your preparation to the next level? Don't wait until it's too late. Use the promo code “R4P” and save 10% on all our services. Check us out at www.spitfireelite.com!   If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show, email Nik at podcast@spitfireelite.com, and if you need a professional pilot resume, go to www.spitfireelite.com/podcast/ for FREE templates!   SPONSORS Are you a pilot just coming out of the military and looking for the perfect second home for your family? Look no further! Reach out to Marty and his team by visiting www.tridenthomeloans.com to get the best VA loans available anywhere in the US. If you're a professional pilot looking for a great financial planning partner for your retirement, tax, and investment, go to www.tpope.ceterainvestors.com/contact or call 704-717-9300 ext 120 to schedule a consultation appointment with Timothy P. Pope, CFP®. Be ready for takeoff anytime with 3D-stretch, stain-repellent, and wrinkle-free aviation uniforms by Flight Uniforms. Just go to www.flightuniform.com and type the code SPITFIREPOD20 to get a special 20% discount on your first order.

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education and military training, partnerships between academic institutions and the armed forces have become increasingly crucial. Penn State has one such partnership with the Marine Corps in the form of a fellowship program. Today we are joined by Lieutenant Colonel Michael ‘Adam' Taylor and Major Sean O'Rourke to discuss Penn State's Marines Corps Logistics Fellowship Program and how it has honed their professional skillsets and helps support their military strategies for agile supply chains.   About Guest(s) Lieutenant Colonel Michael “Adam” Taylor Lieutenant Colonel Taylor attended the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After graduation, he attended Officer's Candidate Course in Quantico, VA and was commissioned to Second Lieutenant in March 2005. Lieutenant Colonel Taylor's education includes: Officer Candidate School, The Basic School, Ground Supply Officer's Course, Combined Logistics Captains Career Course, Air Force Command and Staff College, Logistics Support to Sensitive Activities, U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape School, Finnish Defence Forces Civil Military Cooperation Course, Theater Special Operations Command Course, Recruiter Management Course, and the UNC LogTech Advanced course.  Most recently, from June 2021 to June 2023, LtCol Taylor served as the Commanding Officer of Combat Logistics Battalion 2 in Camp Lejeune, NC. During his tenure, his command participated in cold-weather exercises in Norway, Sweden, Bridgeport Ca, and deployed to Quantico, VA to set up a sustainment camp and provide all logistical support for 5,000 Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule in 2021. After relinquishing command in June 2023, LtCol Taylor reported to Pennsylvania State University as a Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow to pursue a Master in Science in Supply Chain Management. Major Sean O'Rourke Major Sean O'Rourke is a Logistics Officer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota.  Over his 15 years of active service, he has served in command and staff positions in all elements of the MAGTF, including two combat deployments to Helmand Province Afghanistan and a sea tour in the Pacific.  His previous Fleet Marine Force units include 1st Battalion, 8th Marines; the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit; 3d Maintenance Battalion; and Marine Aircraft Group 26; serving as a Company Commander and Group Executive Officer. His logistics billets include Maintenance Management Officer, Motor Transport Officer, S-4A, S-4, and Intermediate Maintenance Company Commander.  In the Supporting Establishment, he served as a Faculty Advisor, Academics Officer, and Company Commander at Logistics Operations School and Officer Candidates School. He is currently attending Penn State as a Marine Corps Logistics Fellow.

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Paul Merida and host David B. Armstrong discuss the early parts of his life and career, concluding with his time commanding one of the ‘Crown Jewels' of the Marine Corps, a Marine Expeditionary Unit. His insights provide useful lessons about how to manage disparate organizations over distance and differences.Leaders are sometimes thrown into positions where they have the training, but the sudden onset of responsibility hits them unexpectedly. Colonel Merida speaks to his initial leadership baptism when he was called off leave after initial infantry officer training and thrown into Embassy reinforcement operations in Libya with a short-called-up unit itself. The lessons of setting the tone and creating a climate of discipline are useful to people thrown into a leadership position without due warning. While everyone fashions themselves as the next great General or titan of industry, sometimes, perhaps more often than we want to think about, there exist those leaders who, through a misunderstanding of the environment, create a toxic environment that makes it hard to lead in. Understanding how to lead in this environment, and create a safe operational space for their subordinates. Managing and leading are different aspects of command in the Marine Corps. Colonel Merida addresses the difficulties of planning versus executing a plan, the different qualities a person in a leadership position needs to have, and the various intangibles a unit needs versus the bulletized tangibles. The ability to run massive, personnel and distance-based, organizations is probably the most unique aspect Colonel Merida brings to the Moments in Leadership podcast. Having the ability to harness different units, personnel, ships, and operations within a cohesive structure is part of building a climate, focusing on the basics, and creating a culture of learning. Colonel Merida overall provides a nuanced, unfiltered, and non-flinching look at leadership, followership, and teaching that have culminated in an illustrious career. Thank you for supporting the project (below) Please consider supporting this project on Supercast: Moments In Leadership Supercast  Want to support the project AND look cool at the gym or when you take your blouse off for a working party? Grab a cool tee shirt here from Mission Essential Gear, where every order supports this project AND donates back to Patrol Base Abbate Relevant Resources & Other Mentioned Episodes:LtGen David Bellon and the 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMaj Carlos Ruiz – A Command Team Briefing to Alpha Company TBS 2022 (themiloffice.com) Moments in Leadership - David G. Bellon, LtGen, USMC (themiloffice.com)Moments in Leadership - Major General Dale Alford, USMC (themiloffice.com)MajGen Dale Alford: "I Was a Student in AWS, Got Pulled Out, and Sent to Combat" - A Follow-up to Episode 14 (themiloffice.com)What is Moments in Leadership?Moments in Leadership is a podcast where you will hear firsthand about the careers of senior military leaders as they share their unique and individual experiences. Moments in Leadership will immerse you in real-life stories where you will learn about the challenging situations these accomplished leaders faced and discover the lessons they learned early in their careers that were the most influential in developing their overall leadership style.  Conceptualized by a group of friends who served together as young officers in the early to mid-1990s sitting around a firepit telling funny leadership stories, Moments in Leadership is designed to provide some relatable context to the formal leadership training leaders of all ranks and services receive throughout their military careers through the power of storytelling. Why Should You Support this project? I realize all of the leaders who listen to the episodes are at different levels of life, and my goal is to be able to have this project remain free and available to anyone who wants it and your donations help go towards that. Your donations go towards offsetting my costs of producing high-quality episodes. Additionally, since this is a part-time hobby project for me, I'm forced to outsource a good deal of work to others to maintain a regular publishing schedule. Your donations help offset these costs as well.  Check out my Supercast site and see if any level is a good fit for helping:  Connect with Us:Visit the Moments in Leadership website: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: Email us: themiloffice@gmail.com Other Podcasts Interviews with David B. ArmstrongScuttlebutt Podcast EP 38Former Action Guys Podcast EP 161 Former Action Guys Podcast EP 141 Former Action Guys Podcast EP 60 Former Action Guys Podcast EP 54  About the Host:David B. Armstrong, CFA, is President and Co-Founder of Monument Wealth Management, an independent wealth management firm he started in 2008 in Alexandria, Va. David received his BA from the University of South Carolina in Government & International Relations and his MBA at the University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business in International Finance. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant through the Navy ROTC program and served on Active Duty in the Marine Corps from 1990-1997 as an Artillery Officer and then received a secondary MOS as a Tank Officer. He re-entered the Selected Marine Corps Reserves in 2003 and served in several billets across the Artillery, Tank, and Light Armored Reconnaissance communities. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in late 2018.

As a seasoned Marine and former scout sniper school instructor, Caylen Wojcik joined us on the podcast to lay bare the trials and triumphs of his military journey. We traverse the storied corridors of our military experiences, reflecting on the pivotal roles of mentorship and the impactful life lessons that service so generously offers. Caylen cracks open the door to his past, shedding light on his personal decision to step into the shoes of a sniper, and detailing the varied roles he undertook during his service.Our conversation takes a mathematical turn as we dissect the intricate role of numbers and calculations in the military, before plunging into the riveting nexus of psychology and leadership. We touch upon the Marine Corps Combat Hunter Program and the Tactical Decision Games, adeptly designed to decode human mannerisms. Moreover, the chat spotlights Caylen's experience in training for the Marine Expeditionary Unit, his deployment, and the valuable insights he harvested from his tenure at the School of Infantry. As we discuss the significance of a guiding 'North Star' in life, Caylen and I highlight the importance of aligning personal aspirations with societal expectations as a catalyst for personal growth. We shift gears to talk about the hurdles that military personnel encounter while transitioning into civilian life, and stress the necessity of robust support systems. Wrapping up on an uplifting note, we celebrate the success of the Modern Day Sniper podcast, and its profound impact on veterans who are navigating their way towards a new purpose.Follow Caylen and the Modern Day Sniper/Rifleman on the links below:Caylen InstagramModern Day Sniper InstagramModern Day Rifleman WebsiteModern Day Sniper WebsitePodcast Contact Thad - VictoriousVeteranProject@Gmail.comThanks for listening!

Scott Campbell is a retired Marine infantry officer that served with 2nd Recon Battalion, 2nd ANGLICO, and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. This clip starts with the dumbest thing he's seen a Marine do before moving into a discussion about millennials in combat.Support the Showhttps://patreon.com/formeractionguyshttps://jcramergraphics.comhttps://ANGLICOshop.com

In this episode, our guest discussed the state of Marine Corps entry level, career progression, and skills enhancement training, hosted by Traver Mayfield. This episode was recorded on May 3, 2023. Major Sanford enlisted into the Marine Corps in 2002 and commissioned in 2008. He deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and received other assignments both CONUS and OCONUS prior to his selection on the Commandant's Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board to pursue his master's degree in education in 2018. Following his graduation from Arizona State University in 2020, he received his current assignment as Officer in Charge, Train the Trainer School (now Center for Learning and Faculty Development), Training Command. The Trident Room Podcast is brought to you by the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association and the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation • http://www.npsfoundation.org. For comments, suggestions, and critiques, please email us at TridentRoomPodcastHost@nps.edu, and find us online at nps.edu/tridentroompodcast. Thank you!

In this episode, our guest discussed the state of Marine Corps entry level, career progression, and skills enhancement training, hosted by Traver Mayfield. This episode was recorded on May 3, 2023. Major Sanford enlisted into the Marine Corps in 2002 and commissioned in 2008. He deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and received other assignments both CONUS and OCONUS prior to his selection on the Commandant's Professional Intermediate-Level Education Board to pursue his master's degree in education in 2018. Following his graduation from Arizona State University in 2020, he received his current assignment as Officer in Charge, Train the Trainer School (now Center for Learning and Faculty Development), Training Command. The Trident Room Podcast is brought to you by the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association and the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation • http://www.npsfoundation.org. For comments, suggestions, and critiques, please email us at TridentRoomPodcastHost@nps.edu, and find us online at nps.edu/tridentroompodcast. Thank you!

Its good to have friends that connect you with amazing people. My friend Kelly Cardenes connected me to Buddy in early march. The level of Brillance he has is amazing. On this episode we talked about taking calculated risks on yourself. Starting the business. Have the right partner in your corner and much more. Edward (buddy) Rushing is a retired veteran of the Navy. He is a real estate investor and helps other military and former military build a life they love . He recently wrote a book on the how too as well. Edward “Buddy” Rushing was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated high school in 2000 and received his commission from the United States Naval Academy in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He was commissioned as a Marine Officer and deployed to Afghanistan three times and Southeast Asia on a Marine Expeditionary Unit while stationed overseas in Okinawa. He then graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School with a Masters in Information Technology Management. In his final duty station at the Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters he began to help his Marine friends buy rental properties in Memphis, and it launched a business called White Feather that has now spread across the country. White Feather's mission is to help military members and their families create Financial Freedom and it does that by educating and empowering them to invest in Real Estate. In his Real Estate career, Buddy has purchased and sold hundreds of single family properties, apartment complexes, vacation homes, investment RVs, and even dry lots of land in Florida. He has personally invested in nearly $250,000,000 worth of Real Estate deals as both a primary investor, General Partner, and Limited Partner. His Real Estate Investment Accelerator has trained over 300 students, who have created businesses and built Real Estate portfolios all over the country. As of 2023 there are only 500 members of White Feather, but this small group has purchased just under $1,000,000,000 worth of rental Real Estate collectively. White Feather continues to grow in both members and opportunities, but the commitment to each member remains until that person is Financially Free, no matter how long it takes. Buddy is married to a gorgeous woman named Kimberly, who has helped him build White Feather every step of the way, from driving nails into a roof on a blistering August day in Twentynine Palms, to sleeping in the closet of an investment property she was painting so she could finish the painting before the tenants moved in the next day. They have two precocious children who are too young to realize they are going to grow up rooting for the Chargers and buying investment properties in their spare time. He now runs White Feather out of a renovated Tuff Shed in his backyard in California www.whitefeatherinvestments.com LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/white-feather-investments/FB: https://www.facebook.com/whitefeatherinvestments?mibextid=ZbWKwL

In Episode 2 Henry shares his experiences during his second deployment as part of a MEU, a Marine Expeditionary Unit. His stories on his exploits at various ports of call are NSFW and hilarious! The episode ends with Henry suffering setbacks as his personal life starts to unravel from PTS associated with the suicide of two of his close friends. 

Hello warrior next door listeners - please join us for our next series featuring Sergeant Henry Friedenberger III; a Marine Corps veteran of the Gulf War. We follow Henry as he joins the Marine Corps shortly after 9/11, gets deployed in a Marine Expeditionary Unit and finds his calling in life. However, it all comes unraveled as PTSD begins taking a toll on his friends, his marriage and his life. Its a fresh story of redemption that is still underway as Henry put his life back together after writing a book called "10 rules to succeed like a Marine". Please join us for this incredible story!

Live coverage of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena / Unidentified Aerial Phenomena / UFOs / UAPs with Senator Kirstin Gillibrand as Chair. Under the umbrella of The Senate Armed Services Committee, Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, Director of the Pentagon's UFO program AARO (All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office will testify on what they have discovered on the UFO phenomenon and may possibly discuss historical crash retrieval programs of UFOs / UAPs dating back to Roswell and more.Joining us for live commentary:Attorney Sean Munger. Sean is an attorney practicing law in Massachusetts and a Suffolk University Law School graduate. Munger also served as an intelligence analyst with the United States Marine Corps, and served with its Warfighting Laboratory and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He can be reached at sean@thedebrief.org.Daniel Miller is an actor based out of Los Angeles. A lover of all things space and science, his curiosity has now led him to the UAP topic where as a political junkie, he focuses on the movement and efforts within the US Government and scientific community#ufoキャッチャー #uap #thegoodtroubleshow Thanks to @findjamski on Twitter for the cool UFO graphic!The Good Trouble Show:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheGoodTroubleShowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodTroubleShowTwitter: https://twitter.com/GoodTroubleShowInstagram: @goodtroubleshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodtroubleshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Good-Trouble-Show-With-Matt-Ford-106009712211646

Dr. Erik Won joins Kristin to talk about Personalized Braincare™ and its impact on our mental health!Dr. Erik Won is President and Chief Medical Officer of Wave Neuroscience, Inc; a biotechnology company that has innovated breakthrough technologies called Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy (MeRT) and Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS). These precision technologies utilize computational neuroanalytics and brain imaging to customize treatment protocols with the aim of restoring optimal neurological function. Erik joined Wave Neuroscience after serving as the Chief Physician and Chief Technology Officer (Health Services) for the Boeing Company. He also served as a US Navy Flight Surgeon for Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268, and received the distinction of serving as the ACE (Aviation Combat Element) Flight Surgeon for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Dr. Won has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, and presented in numerous academic conferences. He completed his residency at the Harvard OEM combined residency program and was appointed Chief Resident. He received a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard School of Public Health and Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business.www.waveneuro.com

Retired Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni joins the show to share the lessons he learned from over four decades of public service. He provides leadership insights and stories that range from his experiences in the jungles of Vietnam to the headquarters of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and years of working in the private sector. Anthony Zinni is a retired Marine Corps 4-star General. He joined the Marine Corps' Platoon Leader Class program in 1961 and was commissioned an infantry second lieutenant in 1965 upon graduation from Villanova University. He held numerous command and staff assignments that included platoon, company, battalion, regimental, Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Marine Expeditionary Force command. His staff assignments included service in operations, training, special operations, counter-terrorism, and manpower billets. He has been a tactics and operations instructor at several Marine Corps schools and was selected as a fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group. General Zinni's joint assignments included command of a joint task force and a unified command. He has also had several joint and combined staff billets at task force and unified command levels.His military service has taken him to over 70 countries and includes deployments to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Western Pacific, Northern Europe, and Korea. He has also served tours of duty in Okinawa and Germany. His operational experiences included two tours in Vietnam, where he was severely wounded; emergency relief and security operations in the Philippines; Operation Provide Comfort in Turkey and northern Iraq; Operation Provide Hope in the former Soviet Union; Operations Restore Hope, Continue Hope, and United Shield in Somalia; Operations Resolute Response and Noble Response in Kenya; Operations Desert Thunder, Desert Fox, Desert Viper, Desert Spring, Southern Watch, and Maritime Intercept Operations in Iraq and the Persian Gulf; and Operation Infinite Reach against terrorist targets in the Central Region. He was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Proven Force and Operation Patriot Defender during the Gulf War and noncombatant evacuation operations in Liberia, Zaire, Sierra Leone, and Eritrea.He has attended numerous military schools and courses including the Army Special Warfare School, the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the National War College.General Zinni has held academic positions that include the Stanley Chair in Ethics at the Virginia Military Institute; the Nimitz Chair at the University of California-Berkeley; the Hofheimer Chair at the Joint Forces Staff College; the Weissberg Chair at Beloit College; the Harriman Professor of Government Chair and membership on the Reves Center for International Studies at the College of William and Mary; membership on the board of Villanova University's Center for Responsible Leadership and Governance; and selection as a Carter O. Lowance Fellow in Law and Public Policy at the William and Mary Law School. He has also lectured at numerous colleges and universities in the US and abroad.General Zinni retired from the military in 2000 after commanding the US Central Command.