Shoulder to Shoulder

Episode 15 features Bilal Sarwary, a leading Afghan journalist. We delve into Afghanistan's military and political failures that contributed to the Taliban's rapid takeover, explore how U.S. policies supported their return, and examine the implications of their current status for the international community. Bilal’s insights are invaluable, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested i...

Thomas Kasza is a Green Beret turned humanitarian, innovator, and advocate for the oppressed. Prompted by the Taliban resurgence in August 2021, he founded the 1208 Foundation, an NGO that provides immigration assistance and life-saving aid for persecuted Afghan partners. This episode delves into an incredible Green Beret’s career. Even after he separated from the military, Thomas continues servin...

Bill Roggio is one of our personal favorites over here at GCV+F.  In this episode, we learn more about Bill’s history covering military affairs despite his lack of formal journalism training; the moments he knew that his work had a true impact, including multiple invitations to embed with military units; and his thoughts on the current terrorism landscape, including the mounting threat posed by Is...

Episode 12 with Dr. Tia Corbin-Myers showcases the many challenges veterans face after leaving service.  With candor and grace, she discusses the challenges in finding employment post-service; her decision to spend four years as a contractor in Afghanistan to support her young family; and her ongoing efforts to launch a housing/reentry program for homeless veterans.   https://www.thepeacecenterdmv...

In episode 11, we sit down with Ian Patterson from Operation Recovery to discuss the fall of Kabul, subsequent evacuation work, and the mental toll it took on volunteers. Ian also introduces us to the Heroes Wellness Collective, a central collection of mental health resources for veterans with the goal of offering rapid and meaningful responses to requests for support.   You can learn more about O...

We adored having guest Beth Bailey on the podcast, partly because her work with The Afghanistan Project Podcast inspired Kate and Will to host Shoulder to Shoulder. In episode 10, we discuss Beth’s background and experience with Afghanistan, the healing powers of storytelling, and the notion of ‘healing loudly’ in a way that offers permission to others to do the same. https://www.washingtonexamine...

It’s episode 9, and Will Selber is riding solo (G*d, help us all). Luckily, he was joined by some amazing guests—Major Jason Howk (retired) and Colonel John Agoglia (retired) - to chat about their work planning combat operations in Afghanistan; their efforts to rebuild the country in partnership with the United Nations; the impact of the Donn and Doha Agreements; and the critical need for counteri...

In episode 8, we are joined by the epitome of a leader: Colonel Matthew Norton, Will’s former commanding officer. Colonel Matthew Norton has accomplished many things in life—perhaps none more important than offering his Airmen the support they need to seek meaningful mental health support, both during and after service. Without leaders like him, programs like the Airmen Resiliency Teams wouldn’t t...

In episode 7, we hear from retired Master Sergeant James Meador about the need for allyship in working with Afghans; the impossibility of deploying in place and trying to balance the competing demands of combat and family life; and the moral injury he experienced in watching the various ways we have betrayed our Afghan allies. James offers our listeners a unique opportunity to truly get into the m...

Episode 6 is particularly close to Kate’s heart, as Dr. Trina Clayeux and her colleagues at Give an Hour were one of the only resilience resources available to Afghanistan volunteers during the height of their work. This week, we hear about Give an Hour’s current programming (particularly for veterans); the importance of peer support in addressing resilience needs; and the critical need to adapt f...

Danny Johnson designed a makeshift climbing wall during his deployment. He fell in love with his wife quickly and deeply. He didn’t want his mother to worry. And on October 5, 2010, Senior airman Daniel J. Johnson was killed in action in Afghanistan. In the 14 years since his passing, his mother Holly has found her own mission: keeping her son’s memory alive. In episode 5, we hear about Holly’s un...

This episode is dedicated to SrA Jonathan Yelner. KIA 29 April 2008. Tag Ab District, Kapisa Province, Afghanistan. Kapisa & Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team, Team Southern Kapisa, FB Kutchbock. Gone But Not Forgotten. This episode with Ritchie is close to our hearts, as he served as Will’s combat interpreter many years ago. He describes his military service: the IED incident that took both h...

In this episode, Will shares the story of successfully getting one of his interpreters, Ahmadullah, out of Afghanistan/Pakistan and into the United States. The process involved writing a letter of recommendation for Ahmadullah’s Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application, navigating bureaucratic challenges, and raising funds through a GoFundMe campaign. With the support of the Bulwark family and oth...

In this episode, Kate Kovarovic and Will Selber are joined by Josh Owen, a former intelligence analyst with the Air Force and CEO of Reinaert LLC. They discuss moral injury and its impact on veterans. Josh shares his military experiences, including a humorous story about his first helicopter ride. They also delve into the emotions and frustrations surrounding the US military withdrawal from Afghan...

The wait is over - the inaugural episode of Shoulder to Shoulder is here! Did we encounter some technical difficulties? Absolutely. Did some awkward pauses find their way into the conversation? 100%. And did Kate get schooled on the relationships between U.S. and Afghan military branches? She sure did! The learning curve is real, folks. But we were exceptionally fortunate to be joined in this epis...