Modern War Institute at West Point

The Spear

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The Spear is a podcast from the Modern War Institute at West Point. It sets out to explore the combat experience, with each episode featuring a guest who tells a detailed and personal story, describing the events and exploring topics like decision-making under stress and what it feels like to be in combat.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: mwi.usma.edu

Author

Modern War Institute at West Point

Episodes

An Insider Attack in Afghanistan 12.07.2017 32:45

In 2014, Master Sgt. Raymond Collazo was a platoon sergeant deployed to eastern Afghanistan. Just weeks into his unit's deployment, the platoon was on a mission that took them to a police compound. Insider attacks had been on the rise in the country for several years, and that day, the platoon would experience what it's like to have a presumed ally open fire on them.

A Firefight on the Edge of Sadr City 05.07.2017 26:59

In 2008, Maj. Emily Spencer was an EOD platoon leader in Iraq. In April, she and one of her teams accompanied a route clearance patrol that was planned to approach Sadr City, a notorious safe haven for militants. As the reached the edge of the dangerous neighborhood, IEDs began detonating and they began taking fire. Listen to Maj. Spencer talk through the fight.

The Battle of Barg-e Matal 05.07.2017 37:32

This is the first episode in MWI's new podcast, "The Spear," which is aimed at providing a window into the combat experience. In this episode, Capt. Jake Miraldi walks us through the 2009 Battle of Barg-e Matal in eastern Afghanistan's Nuristan province, and his role in it as a platoon leader.