Latest / The Stan R. Mitchell Show / The 5-16-24 edition of The View from the Front podcast.

Transcript

The 5-16-24 edition of The View from the Front podcast. · The Stan R. Mitchell Show

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: What is going on guys?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hope everyone is doing great out there.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for joining us and I'm honored that you're here.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Just one quick update before we get into all the news tonight.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to say that I'm not sure how it happened but we had just amazing growth in
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: the show since last week.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Some of the best numbers as far as downloads that we've had in like six months.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm totally blown away by that.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I really appreciate all you guys out there who are sharing the news or sharing the links.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure how exactly it's happening, but it's starting to happen.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it's amazing to see.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I certainly give God all the glory for that.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Just blown away by it, honestly.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Also, just a reminder, we have timestamps in the episode notes.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to jump forward to certain sections,
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: I do my best to kind of provide a like a table of contents so you can jump forward
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: if you wish.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Although,
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: honestly,
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: it's a podcast,
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: and it is as well-designed as I can possibly do to make it something that you enjoy,
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: and I hope it's something that you listen to the whole thing while you're out for a
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: walk or a jog or driving to work or if you're in one of those office environments
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: where you can work or construction sites or whatnot where you can listen to it.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you listen to the whole thing.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's the way I try to design and lay out the show, but...
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Either way,
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to give you a hard time if you want to jump to some future section in
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: the show.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: We've got to begin with the big news coming out of Ukraine this week.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Russia has broken through Ukraine's defenses near Kharkiv.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: That is in the northeastern part of the country.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: This is land that Ukraine took back about a year ago.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: And Russia has broken through and is advancing some of the outer towns near Kharkiv.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot up in the air as far as how large this advance is,
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: how much of a threat it is toward Kharkiv.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Kharkiv is the second largest city inside Ukraine.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's a huge city.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: And they're trying to get closer,
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: the Russians are,
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: so that they can bring Kharkiv into artillery range,
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: which would be horrific for Kharkiv.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's already under enough aerial attacks from missiles as it is.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: But let's talk a bit, let's get into the weeds a tad about this attack.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I've got some great...
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Great reporting from the New York Times and the Washington Post that I want to share,
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: as well as some stuff I've seen from some analysts who've been covering this
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: intensely on social media.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you say, Stan, I have no idea where Kharkiv is.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I get it.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: I've got you covered.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: I have a map in the episode notes so you can go look at it.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's basically, again, as I said, if you imagine Ukraine as essentially a rectangle map,
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: This is in the right hand side of the rectangle toward the top.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: So it's the northeast or like I said you can go look at the map.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: But Russia was able to hit this area from Russian territory.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: So this is actually along the border.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: in an area that Russia hasn't tried to advance through for at least well over a year.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: But they have pushed across the border into this part of Ukraine where there hadn't
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: been a lot of fighting up to this point,
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: other than,
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: as I said,
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: the missile attacks into the second largest city of Kharkiv.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: I want to first share what the New York Times had in some of its most recent reporting,
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: and I've got a gift link to this article if you want to read more details,
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: but I want to go just a bit into that reporting from the New York Times.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: The New York Times article makes a couple of big points.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: The first big point that it makes out is that Russia is trying to do a couple of
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: things with this advance.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: First, it wants to create a buffer zone so that Ukraine cannot attack into Russia directly.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: with some of its drones and other weapons systems.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And so they want to build a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: But the second thing that the New York Times points out as a reason for this offensive is
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: is they want to distract and draw Ukrainian reserves and elite units to the north,
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: pin them down there,
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: which will weaken the front further down to the south on what is the eastern part
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: of the country,
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: which you've mostly heard us talking about,
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: the Donbass region.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so they see that as, some analysts see that as one of the key areas
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: draw the Ukrainians away from their current defenses,
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: and Russia is trying to push through in other parts of the line,
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: so the idea is draw some troops to the north,
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: draw Ukrainian troops up there,
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: and then Russian troops can more easily advance further south.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Those are the two main points that are made by the New York Times as you get into
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: the weeds,
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: so to speak,
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: on a tactical level.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: On a larger level,
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: the article also points out that – and they quote a Russian expert at the Carnegie
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Endowment for International Peace –
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: And this expert said that in 2024,
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: that the Russian military enjoys a material advantage and a strategic initiative,
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: though it may not prove decisive.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: And they're talking about how Russia currently has more troops,
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: it currently has more artillery,
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: and I'm going to get into this stuff in just a second.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: But that this year, according to this analyst, is a window of opportunity for Russia.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: But if it can't turn these advantages into battlefield gains and generate momentum,
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: then there's a fair chance that this window will close as we enter 2025.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Again,
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: that's an analyst from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who gave
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: those comments to the New York Times.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: As I said earlier, you can read that entire piece.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: There's a gift link in the sub stack notes.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: I really appreciate one of the listeners, David, sending me that article and that gift link.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sharing that with you guys.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: But if you want to get into the weeds, it's a great article.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's worth the read.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Let's move to that Washington Post piece about why are Russian troops suddenly able
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: to advance toward Kharkiv.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now this will be a gift link as well if you want to get into the weeds on this,
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: but I'm going to summarize some of the main points from that article so that you
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: get the broad view and then you're obviously welcome to go read it as well.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: So why the sudden success by the Russians up here?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now,
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: this article was written by Max Boot,
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: who's an opinion writer,
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: but obviously covers foreign affairs and has done so for a long time,
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: been a player in the field,
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: and he mentions quite a few things that have happened.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: First of all,
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: he says the Russian forces are better now than they were in the early days of the war,
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: when they couldn't seem to do anything right anymore.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: They have been adapting to battlefield conditions,
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: he says,
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: and they're just doing things better,
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: including even using motorcycles to advance rapidly toward Ukrainian lines instead
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: of slow-moving tanks and armored vehicles that are pretty easily picked off by
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: drones and Ukrainian artillery.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing that's happening is the Russians are using heavy glide bombs,
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: and they're launching these from inside Russian territory,
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: from Russian aircraft,
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: and they have these extendable wings on these bombs,
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: and so these bombs glide for large distances,
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: and they're very hard to shoot down,
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: and they're very powerful.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And so Russia's been increasingly using these heavy glide bombs,
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: And these are just destroying Ukrainian lines.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: They're hitting homes, towns, obviously apartment complexes.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: They're very powerful.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: One other thing Max Boot cites is that Russia's electronic warfare systems have
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: been doing better at jamming Ukrainian drones and rockets.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: So that's something that I haven't seen a lot of people mention.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen some on social media, but it hasn't really made the more larger newspapers.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: But that's one of the first times I've seen that mentioned.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: The additional thing he mentions is something all of us know, is the delay in aid from the United States.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: That six-month delay allowed Russia...
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: to regain its artillery advantage,
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: and Ukrainians have been outgunned about 10 to 1 in artillery ammunition,
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: so Ukraine has been forced to fire far fewer shells,
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: and that is never a good recipe in battle to have an artillery disadvantage,
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: since artillery really does dictate usually who wins or loses.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: One other thing Max Boot points out is that Ukraine's air defenses are much weaker,
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: and he points out three figures that are pretty mind-boggling.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, in the past six months, Ukraine has been intercepting 46% of Russian missiles.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in the previous six months before that, before the aid from the U.S.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: got cut off and there was that six-month delay, we were at 73% of an interception rate inside Ukraine.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: So it went from 73% to 46%.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Even worse, last month, Max Boot says in the Washington Post that it went from 46% to 30%.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now,
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: you guys know in the last couple of weeks I've talked about how Ukraine's power
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: system has really been getting hit a lot.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, they're even having to ration some of the power usage there.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: And they're having brownouts and blackouts at night.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned that last week.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: That is because the Ukraine air defense system has been running out of ammunition and Patriot missiles.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully those are being sent there and sent there quickly.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: But for the moment, it's not been...
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: as easy for Ukraine to defend itself from air attacks from these ballistic missiles
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: and some of these cruise missiles.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about the final three things that Max Boot mentions in his article.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: First, he says that Ukraine has been dealing with a manpower shortfall.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: and that it has been slow to pass a new mobilization law,
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: and thus,
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: without that mobilization law,
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: they're just outnumbered.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: And so he points out that Ukraine has been down to 200,000 troops at the front already,
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: while Russia is around 500,000.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just a big advantage for Russia right now.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: However,
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: he does talk about the parliament inside Ukraine has passed the new mobilization law,
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: and there will be an additional 10 Ukrainian brigades.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: But those units do have to be recruited,
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: trained,
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: and armed,
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: and that will take months for that to happen.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: So in the short term, that's not going to help Ukraine.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: We are going to be getting that U.S.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: aid package there, so that should help.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: He also mentions that Ukraine did not do a good job of fortifying its borders and
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: front lines because that area had not seen much fighting.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: Ukraine was a little lackadaisical, and so there were not good fortifications.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: There were not good minefields.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: In fact,
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: one Ukrainian officer mentioned to the BBC that the Russians just walked in without
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: any minefields in their way.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: The final thing I want to mention that Max Boot talks about is that the United
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: States should lift the restrictions on using U.S.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: weapon systems to strike military targets inside Russia.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: This has been a pretty long-running complaint.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: among analysts,
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: where the weapon systems we've sent,
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: because we fear escalation with Russia,
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: we've said you can only use these inside Ukraine against Russian troops.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Well,
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: as he points out,
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: it's very challenging when you might see across the border units beginning to form up,
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: get into formation,
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: begin to plan their attacks,
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: and you literally can't shoot at them until they come across the border and make
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: that attack happen.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now there is some good news on this front,
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: and I want to move to that next,
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: because it looks like,
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: perhaps because of all this pressure,
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: perhaps because of this small breakthrough,
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure exactly why,
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: it might even be perhaps because the United Kingdom said in the past couple of
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: weeks that UK weapons can be used inside Russia,
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: but it could be that a shift in US policy has finally taken place,
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: so let's move to that right now.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: I want to play for you a short clip from the Secretary of State,
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Antony Blinken,
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: and he literally addresses this topic.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: Here's what he's saying.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: As of Wednesday, May 15th, and it's way different than what's been said for the past year and a half.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: We have not encouraged or enabled strikes outside of Ukraine.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: But ultimately,
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_03: Ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it's going to conduct this war,
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_03: a war it's conducting in defense of its freedom,
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_03: of its sovereignty,
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_03: of its territorial integrity.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_03: And we will continue to back Ukraine with the equipment that it needs to succeed.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: To me, that certainly sounds like a shift, and a lot of analysts have said that's a shift.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, even a month or so ago, the U.S.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: was getting onto Ukraine for using Ukrainian drones to attack Russian oil
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: facilities with Ukrainian weapons.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: We were telling them, don't do that.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: This could escalate.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: This could be bad.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think I covered that, but that has been well reported across multiple media outlets.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: outlets.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so it does seem to me like this is perhaps a shift.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: And for Ukraine, it's not a moment too soon.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you're enjoying the show so far.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't figured out the format of the show or what I'm about, let me just briefly explain it.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: Every week I do three things.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: First, I cover defense news and hot spots happening around the world that could affect our country.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly,
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: I work to unite the nation and make you feel better and more optimistic about the
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: country's future.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then finally,
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: at the end of each episode,
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: I share some motivation and inspiration because we all can use a little of that.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: I also, during that section of the show, recognize a Medal of Honor recipient.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoy the show, you can help support it.
• 16:04
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• 16:07
  SPEAKER_00: But for $5 per month, you can help me grow this into something bigger.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: I will be completely honest and transparent here.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: I work a full-time job that I actually do enjoy, but I feel almost compelled to do this.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like we need to unify this country.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like there are people that need some optimism, some motivation, some inspiration.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, I feel like there are some people who need God.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to push that too much, but I also don't want to shy away from that.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: The honest truth is, when I'm not working or spending time with my family, I feel drawn to do this.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: I would love in a perfect world to devote myself to this full time.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: But there's absolutely no pressure.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to continue doing this, whether there are a ton of supporters or not, just in my free time.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: So if you would like to grow this into something better,
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: if you would like to support,
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: if you think what I'm doing is important,
• 17:07
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• 17:10
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• 17:12
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• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps I can reach more people.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: We are in a public square.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: I am performing as best I can with the instrument that I have and with the amount
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: of time that I've been able to devote to this.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: And there is a bucket sitting in front of me.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to throw a few dollars in, that would be awesome.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't, I will be here next week performing again.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: All the details for how to do this are in the episode notes on my Substack page,
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: or you can also do so through Patreon.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned earlier that the New York Times had written that 2024 is going to be a challenging year
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: with Russia having the edge on troops by a large number,
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: even on artillery,
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: since there's been the delay in weapons being sent there,
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: and honestly,
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: even with a presidential election coming up in November,
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: with a chance that President Trump could be elected,
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: and he has been more pro-Russia on some of his stances,
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: and has said that he will end the war there,
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: So this is not the greatest of time for Ukraine.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so I wanted to provide the counter view,
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: a more positive view,
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: if you will,
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: from what the administration is saying.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: And Secretary Antony Blinken, I know I just quoted him a moment ago, but he was in Ukraine.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, Russia has been losing the battle to control Ukraine's destiny for 20 years.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: And Putin has it wrong.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Time is on Ukraine's side.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_03: Because with each passing month,
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_03: the work we're doing together moves Ukraine closer to membership in the European
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_03: Union and NATO.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: With each passing month,
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_03: Ukraine signs more bilateral security agreements,
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: ramps up its defense industrial base,
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_03: churns out more advanced weapons,
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_03: strengthens its economy,
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_03: consolidates its democracy.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_03: As the war goes on, Russia is going back in time.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_03: Ukraine is moving forward.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to share one other thing before we get off of this topic.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that is,
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: I heard someone else again this week talk about how Ukraine should just put
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: together a peace deal with Russia and end this war so that there'd be way less
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: people dying on both sides.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I heard that and I almost just wanted to pull my hair out because...
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: Just in case you have forgotten, this war actually first began back in 2014.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: 2014, when Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: 2014, and the same person was talking about corruption inside of Ukraine, was talking about Zelenskyy.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: People, Zelensky wasn't even the president back then.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like this isn't something that just started because Zelensky became president.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: This goes way back.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: And for those who say, well, we should have a peace deal, Russia has broken dozens of peace deals.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: Every time Russia negotiates a ceasefire or peace deal with Ukraine,
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: all they do is position more troops there.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: move more supplies to the front, and plan their next invasion.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is the third invasion since 2014, so I'm not sure how to make it more clear.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I thought this short clip from Senator Mitt Romney,
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: who's obviously a Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee with the U.S.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: Senate, he talks about some of these things that I think is just important to hear.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to play that.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_02: I find it hard to understand an argument that suggests that we would not stand with
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: a sovereign nation that we have committed to help support their sovereignty.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: We agreed to do that back in the 1990s when they gave up their nuclear weapons.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: For us to walk away from that and to walk away from the defense of freedom strikes
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: me as being a very bad miscalculation on the part of our nation if we were to do that.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: In part because we do well in a world where there is freedom and democracy and
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_02: where people can buy our goods and services.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: We've done well as a nation over the last 25, 30, 40 years.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: And walking away from like-minded people would be a mistake.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you're on the Foreign Relations Committee.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: You watch these international events happening all the time.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: You're briefed by experts.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm curious about your opinion here.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: There's an expected Russian offensive this summer.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: Are you concerned about how Ukraine might perform then?
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: Well, there's no question but that Ukraine is going up against a massive superpower and is an underdog.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_02: There's no question about that.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_02: I think a lot of people,
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_02: even in our own government,
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: felt that Ukraine would collapse in the first few days of the Russian invasion.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: But they have performed extraordinarily well.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: Their leadership was strong.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: Their people were determined and courageous.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_02: And all they're asking for from us is the weaponry that in many respects we promised we'd provide.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_02: And it's in America's interest to see Vladimir Putin get the message.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: You can't invade your neighbors.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_02: And if you do invade, there'll be consequence.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: I can't tell you that the battlefield will be won by Ukraine,
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: but I can tell you that if we were to shrink from providing support to a nation
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: that wants to defend itself,
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_02: then no nation in the world would believe us anymore.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: And Russia would invade their neighbor, another neighbor, Poland, a NATO nation.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: We'd be committed at that point to send in troops to help defend Poland,
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_02: other NATO nations that Putin might invade.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: So keeping our own troops out of harm's way is a high priority.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: Let me end with one other bit of good news for Ukraine this week before we shift to some other news.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_00: It has been announced that Germany will be buying three of the HIMARS weapon systems.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_00: As a reminder,
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: the HIMARS weapon system are those long-range rocket firing systems that can fire
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: and then move around.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_00: They have been a very deadly weapon inside Ukraine.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they're made in America.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: And even though they're some of our older weapon systems from almost 30,
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: 40 years ago,
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: they are very effective.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: And Germany is going to buy three of those and then give them to Ukraine.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's a $30 million deal.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: And initially in the reporting, initially this was part of a
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: to find a way to provide weapons to Ukraine while there was congressional gridlock in the U.S.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: But now that we've passed the Ukrainian aid bill,
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: Germany said it decided to keep the plan in place and go ahead and buy those three
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: HIMARS planes.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: Let's move from Ukraine news to some U.S.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: news.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to cover briefly a story that U.S.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: troops will be withdrawing from the country of Niger and the continent of Africa.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to be pulling out about 1,000 U.S.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: combat troops.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: This will be happening over the coming weeks and months or two.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: Although the article in Politico says that it could still potentially change as
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: congressional negotiations are ongoing.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now,
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: in Niger,
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: the military there had a coup,
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: and they overthrew the government that we had an agreement with,
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: and so that was a bit of a serious hiccup to a U.S.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: partnership with Niger itself.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: that had been seen as a pretty strong counterbalance to Russia's growing influence in the region.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: And so,
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: unfortunately,
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: there was a military coup,
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: and since that time,
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: Russian forces,
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: including members of the Wagner Group,
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: which made its name inside Ukraine primarily,
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: but the Wagner Group have been flown into the country somewhere between 60 to 100 times,
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: Russian fighters have been living,
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: in fact,
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: at the same airbase as Russian troops in the capital for weeks.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: So that's been making the news a little bit,
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: but again,
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: this could change,
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: but at least for the moment,
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_00: it appears the 1,000 troops will be leaving,
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: and they will be moved to nearby countries where they can continue the same
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: counterterrorism mission that they had been doing prior to that.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, let's get to the best part of the show.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: I call this the Never Ever Give Up segment.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I call it the Never Ever Give Up segment because we must never ever give up as a country.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: Though we face great division,
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: a massive debt burden,
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: and probably future problems that none of us could even predict.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: But we must never give up as a country.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe we must stay united.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_00: And also, as individuals, we must never, ever give up.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: We've got family and friends counting on us.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: So in this section, I'm going to share some motivation to help encourage you.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'd like to begin by honoring a Medal of Honor recipient.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't know,
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration you can possibly earn in the military.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: And it's awarded to service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_00: The medal is typically awarded by the President of the United States upon the
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_00: recommendation of the armed services.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: One final footnote before I read this week's.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: As I said when I first began this back in April,
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: I am just going in alphabetical order because I could not possibly decide which
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_00: wars to begin with,
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: which services,
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_00: etc.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: And since there's more than 3,000 of these awards,
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: It was just too much, so I'm just going very simplistic alphabetical order.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: This week, we will honor Private First Class Louis Albanese.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: He served in the Vietnam War in the U.S.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: Army, and as you know, in Vietnam,
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: Vietnam War there was often close in jungle fighting and Private First Class Louis
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: Albanese was involved in some of that so I'm gonna read his citation now it's a
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: pretty incredible what this soldier did for the men in his platoon this is his
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: citation
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: for conspicuous courage at the risk of his own life and beyond the call of duty
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: private first-class albanese platoon while advancing through densely covered
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: terrain to establish a blocking position received intense automatic weapons fire
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: from close range
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: as other members maneuvered to assault the enemy position private first class
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: albanese was ordered to provide security for the left flank of the platoon suddenly
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: the left flank received fire from enemy located in a well-concealed ditch
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: realizing the imminent danger to his comrades from this fire private first class
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: albany fixed his bayonet and moved aggressively into the ditch his action silenced
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: the sniper fire enabling the platoon to resume movement toward the main enemy
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: position
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: as the platoon continued to advance the sound of heavy firing emanated from the
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: left flank from a pitched battle that ensued in the ditch when pfc albanese entered
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: it the ditch was actually a well-organized complex of enemy defenses designed to
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: bring devastating flanking fire on the forces attacking the main position
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: PFC Albanese,
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: disregarding the danger to himself,
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: advanced 100 meters along the trench and killed six of the snipers who were armed
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: with automatic weapons.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: Having exhausted his ammunition,
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: PFC Albanese was mortally wounded when he engaged and killed two more enemy
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: his unparalleled actions saved the lives of many members of his platoon who
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_00: otherwise would have fallen to the sniper fire from the ditch his actions enabled
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: his platoon to successfully advance against an enemy force of overwhelming
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: numerical superiority
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: Private First Class Albanese's extraordinary heroism and supreme dedication to his
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: comrades were commensurate with the finest traditions of the military service and
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: remain a tribute to himself,
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: his unit,
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: and the U.S.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: Army.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: You know,
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: sometimes you read stories like this,
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: and it's just almost overwhelming that someone could be so courageous to charge
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_00: forward alone with a bayonet,
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: fighting until his ammunition is completely exhausted,
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: and then continuing to fight,
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: and in the course of doing so,
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: to sacrifice your life for the men around you.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's just...
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: Read stories like that and then you see the kind of leaders we have today and it's
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: just sometimes a little It's just a lot
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_00: As I say every week,
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_00: I share these Medal of Honor stories to remind us of the sacrifices that have been
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: made through the nearly 250 years of American history.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: Through so many major wars,
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: more than one million Americans have sacrificed their lives and died,
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: getting us to this time and place in our history.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_00: In wars such as the American Revolution, the War of 1812,
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: the civil war world war one world war two the korean war the vietnam war desert
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: shield desert storm then following september eleventh operation enduring freedom in
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: afghanistan operation iraqi freedom
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: And these were only the major wars that I've listed.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I know I overlooked so many smaller conflicts.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: In all, more than 41 million Americans have served over the course of our nation's history.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: And as I said earlier, more than a million have died.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_00: Tens of millions have been wounded or had their lives shattered.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's always important that we remember these facts,
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: particularly when we have people regularly saying that we face a potential civil
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: war or that we should split up our country because of whatever the latest culture
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: war is or any other number of silly reasons.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think our grandparents and our great-grandparents and those who came before them
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_00: would be dumbfounded to think we could rip apart this great nation over such
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: trifling issues.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let's share some motivation to make sure that we never, ever give up in our own personal lives.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: And,
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: of course,
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: if you're a regular listener,
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: you know,
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: I also speak about never giving up when I discuss PTSD at the end of the show.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_00: But for now, let's just talk about some motivation, and we've got some great ones this week.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_00: Here is the first one, and it's a good one.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just something to think about.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's just simply a quote, but the quote is, I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: Then I saw that you were not perfect, and I loved you even more.
• 33:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's pretty deep, isn't it?
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_00: I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_00: Then I saw that you were not perfect, and I loved you even more.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_00: That is something great to chew on if you're in a relationship or you're married.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: Let's not be frustrated or short of patience with those whom we love.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: They indeed are not perfect, but you can love them all the more for it.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: Here is the next one.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_00: Some of life's best lessons are learned at the worst times.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_00: Again, that's another quote.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: Some of life's best lessons are learned at the worst times.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_00: Here's another one.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_00: Patience deepens practice.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_00: Practice deepens patience.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_00: That's another good quote.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: Again, patience deepens practice.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you're patient, you will practice more effectively.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then as you practice more effectively, you will become even more patient.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: This next one is another great quote.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_00: You can't go back and change the beginning.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_00: but you can start where you are and change the ending.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: Such a good one.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good one.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the next one.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_00: Train your mind to be stronger than your feelings.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: Again, train your mind to be stronger than your feelings.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_00: Your mind needs to be stronger than your feelings because if you just laid in bed
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thinking I don't feel like doing anything then you're gonna end up in bed for the
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_00: entire day Alright,
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: here's the next one start where you are Use what you have
• 36:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do what you can.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: Do what you can.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_00: This next one is about habits.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_00: An unproductive minute can turn into an unproductive hour.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_00: An unproductive hour can turn into an unproductive day.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_00: Always be aware of your actions and do what you actually have to do.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: And this next one's about doing what you love as far as whatever dream you're chasing.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't love it, you'll never be great at it.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: Do what you love, be devoted to your craft, show up and do the work one day at a time.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_00: This next one is about mindset.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_00: Before you can succeed, you have to believe you can succeed.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: Again, before you can succeed, you have to believe you can succeed.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_00: This next one's about protecting your dream.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_00: Guard your big goals from small thinkers.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_00: Man, that's so good.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_00: Guard your big goals from small thinkers.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this next one's just, it's so simple, but so good.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: The quote is, It's a slow process, but quitting won't speed it up.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: That is just so good.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_00: It is a slow process, but quitting won't speed it up.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_00: I always like to share a few from the Bible because this book has become such a
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_00: source of strength and wisdom and calm for me during the past year.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope by sharing a few verses,
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: it might help encourage you to get into the Bible yourself because I think it will
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_00: really help you.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly,
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_00: if you were like me and you'd spent years and years reading self-help books,
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_00: meditating,
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: Buddhism,
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: whatever it was that you've been doing and it's still not working,
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: then I say why not try something else?
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: We know that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over,
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_00: expecting a different result.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_00: So if you've never cracked open the Bible, I invite you to try it.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I almost double-dog dare you to try it.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_00: Because if it's all fake, if it's all not real, then it should have absolutely no effect on you.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: If it's just another lame self-help book, then you have nothing to worry about.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: You've tried everything else, so why not try this?
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I think if you do, you'll see that the Bible is the handbook for your life.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think you'll find it speaking to you, because it's not just ancient words, it's the wisdom of God.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need hope...
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_00: and purpose.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you're really drowning and feeling lost, then you need more than the self-help quotes I shared above.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_00: You need God, and one of the best ways to find Him is in the Bible.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to go to some church you're nervous to visit.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can start learning about Him from the safety of your home by simply reading the Bible,
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_00: either in print or on your phone through a Bible app.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_00: Here is the first one.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_00: It is from the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verses 5 through 6.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_00: Keep your lives free from the love of money,
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_00: and be content with what you have,
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: because God has said,
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_00: Never will I leave you,
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_00: never will I forsake you.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_00: So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: What can mere mortals do to me?
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's a great verse.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_00: The next one is from the book of John chapter 6 verse 51.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_00: Whoever eats this bread will live forever.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_00: This bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's another good one.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_00: Then we'll do one more from the book of Isaiah, chapter 40, verses 29 through 31.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_00: He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_00: They will soar on wings like eagles.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_00: They will run and not grow weary.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_00: They will walk and not be faint.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for joining us this week.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_00: I hope as you go through this week that you act a little nicer on social media and in the world as well.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_00: Smile at folks in the grocery store.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do small acts of kindness.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_00: And remember that most Americans are good and they will help you in an emergency,
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_00: even if you don't agree politically.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I have to finish with two things.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: I want to say a bit about myself and my books in case you're new to the show,
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_00: and then I need to say some words for those struggling with PTSD or mental illness,
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_00: especially since veterans are at a 57% higher risk of suicide.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: First, a bit about myself and my books.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: I am a military vet.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_00: I spent four years in the Marine Corps, all of that time in the infantry.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, that does matter.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: After my enlistment, I went to college at the University of Tennessee.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_00: I became a journalist.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_00: I spent more than 10 years in the news business.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_00: Besides all of that, I've also written 12 books.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_00: Those books include a series about a Marine Corps sniper.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_00: several novels about a police detective and a private investigator,
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_00: and a few books about war,
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_00: such as World War II and Afghanistan.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_00: Basically,
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_00: these are all fast-moving books with lots of action and plot twists,
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_00: because those are the kind of books I've always enjoyed reading.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_00: You can find all of those books in the link in the episode notes,
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_00: or you can look on Amazon by just searching my name,
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_00: Stan R.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_00: Mitchell.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_00: Buying a book,
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_00: telling a friend about a book,
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_00: or buying one as a gift for someone,
• 42:19
  SPEAKER_00: friend or loved one,
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_00: is a great way to help support the show.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_00: And in all seriousness,
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_00: they're pretty highly rated,
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_00: and I've been very fortunate to have sold 70,000 copies to date.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I promise you, even though I live in Tennessee, I do not have that many cousins.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_00: the second thing i need to talk about is ptsd and suicide for just a moment this
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_00: isn't just for our veterans although i know ptsd does seem to affect veterans at a
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_00: much higher rate but it's for anyone we can all get in a really low spot but we
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_00: have to remember that it's a season it's a valley if you're having serious issues
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_00: please call 988-SELECT-1.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_00: You can talk to a crisis line responder anytime, day or night.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're a civilian or a veteran, it doesn't matter.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_00: But I do know this is hard to do, and I know most of you won't, so I have to be a little mean here.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_00: the fact is that when we had a drill instructor in boot camp pushing us or maybe a
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_00: tough coach back in high school you know that you can go further than when it's
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_00: just yourself pushing you so i'm going to be that person i'm going to be mean for
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_00: just a moment and i have to remind you that you cannot give up do not lose this
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_00: fight do not make your parents or your family have to plan your funeral
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_00: Don't make them feel guilty that they did not check on you, that they could not reach you.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can hold on another day.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do, I promise the next day will be a little easier.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now, again, if you're in a fight that you worry you may lose, call someone.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_00: Call a friend or a family member.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_00: Please, just do that.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_00: Or call 988-SELECT-1.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_00: But whatever you do, do not quit.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_00: You're in a valley and this world needs you.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_00: Probably, your parents need you.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, seriously, who's going to take care of your parents in 30 years?
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm being dead serious here.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: I just helped take care of my mom while she fought with cancer, before she passed.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm helping take care of my dad now.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_00: But who's going to do it for you?
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_00: Are you going to let the system take care of them?
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_00: How horrible is that?
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_00: So you cannot quit.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_00: And believe me, there's something you're meant to do.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_00: You just can't see it because you're in this immediate fog and pain.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_00: You can't see that end result.
• 44:34
  SPEAKER_00: But there's a mission for you to do.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to coach Little League.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to help others with PTSD.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to run for office.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_00: But there's some calling for you.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_00: You just haven't found it.
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_00: But you need to get involved.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_00: You need to stop isolating yourself.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_00: Go visit a veterans group, the VFW.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_00: Visit a church near you.
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to some family that you have lost touch with.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe reach out to that friend that you've grown apart from.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_00: They're probably dying to talk to you.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_00: But seriously, if you're struggling...
• 45:04
  SPEAKER_00: Call the hotline 988 and select 1.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_00: Or you can also start moving toward God.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not willing to make that phone call, read the Bible if you never have.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think it will help.
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_00: Read some of Psalms or Proverbs or start with the New Testament.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_00: I would suggest the book of John.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_00: I think you'll find that the Bible will start drawing you in and changing your life.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't have a Bible, you can download a Bible app on your phone, or you can look it up online.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_00: There are dozens of sites with it.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_00: Even simpler, I have a link in the episode notes that I think can help you.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_00: I write a faith-based blog about the Bible and God,
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_00: and I have a link in my episode notes to a pretty powerful story about my dog,
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: who is a stray that we adopted from the shelter.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_00: The title of the article is Be Like Ozzie.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_00: Go Near Your Master.
• 45:54
  SPEAKER_00: I've had a lot of people tell me that story really helped move them, that it was very impactful.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_00: So it's free to read.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_00: You got nothing to lose by going to read it.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I always like to end each show by reminding people that you can comment anytime.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_00: I try to monitor those.
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_00: You can also reach out privately by email to me at authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that's in the episode notes, by the way.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_00: But again, it's authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, here's one other thing.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast is about defense news, but I also do a political blog.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_00: So if you love my moderate, optimistic views, you might enjoy that.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's called Thoughts from a Southern Gentleman.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can find a link to the episode notes to that as well, or you can just search that on Google.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, thanks for hanging with me this week.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's truly an honor to talk with each of you and to know that there's a few of you
• 46:46
  SPEAKER_00: out there who are listening and who care about our country and our military and all
• 46:51
  SPEAKER_00: the issues that we face.
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_00: I know there are a lot of scary issues out there,
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_00: but we're going to get through them together,
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_00: the same way America's gotten through everything before this.
• 47:00
  SPEAKER_00: I love you all, but never forget that God loves you more than you can possibly imagine.
• 47:05
  SPEAKER_00: He is our true Father, so I hope you spend some time with Him this week.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_00: If you want true peace and strength and wisdom, make sure you read your Bible some this week.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_00: It'll help you a lot.
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_00: And also, reach out to a friend or anyone who you know is struggling, whether they are young or old.
• 47:21
  SPEAKER_00: Life is truly hard.
• 47:22
  SPEAKER_00: We know this.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_00: But the true strength of this country is its people,
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_00: and that includes you folks listening to me right now.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_00: So be a leader, be a doer, be a servant to someone.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_00: With all of that being said, I'll catch you all next week.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_00: You have been listening to The View from the Front.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed the show.