Latest / The Stan R. Mitchell Show / Podcast Episode 1-25-24 of The View from the Front. (Includes video.)

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Podcast Episode 1-25-24 of The View from the Front. (Includes video.) · The Stan R. Mitchell Show

0:01
SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, welcome to The View from the Front.
0:04
SPEAKER_00: My name is Stan and this is the January 25th edition.
0:09
SPEAKER_00: Hope everyone's doing great out there from wherever you're joining us from.
0:12
SPEAKER_00: We got a ton to cover in tonight's episode, so I can't wait to get into it.
0:17
SPEAKER_00: But first, if this is the first time you've ever heard my voice or come across the show, let me tell you just real quickly what we're doing.
0:24
SPEAKER_00: Every episode, I try to do three things.
0:27
SPEAKER_00: First, I try to cover hotspots that are happening around the world.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: Secondly, I try to help you not the country, make you feel a little bit better, a little bit more optimistic about the country's future.
0:38
SPEAKER_00: And then at the end of each episode, I share some motivation and inspiration because we all need that.
0:44
SPEAKER_00: And in all honesty, I feel like if you listen to a single episode and it doesn't affect you, if you don't feel a little bit more informed about a military and news happening out there that you haven't heard about all week in the news, because frankly, the media does a terrible job covering this stuff,
1:00
SPEAKER_00: U.S.
1:00
SPEAKER_00: News
1:28
SPEAKER_00: and I wanted to cover one piece of sad news that we start the show.
1:33
SPEAKER_00: We mentioned in the last episode that there were a couple of Navy SEALs who were missing and at that point it was starting to look like they probably were not going to be found and unfortunately that is the case.
1:47
SPEAKER_00: The Navy has released their names
1:50
SPEAKER_00: Christopher J Chambers 37 Nathan Gage Ingram 27
2:16
SPEAKER_00: The View from
2:36
SPEAKER_00: Episode 1-25-24
2:53
SPEAKER_00: all kinds of ballistic and cruise missile parts on that ship including warheads, propulsion systems, guidance systems.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: So they did find some stuff on that ship.
3:06
SPEAKER_00: If you're the praying kind it's probably worth saying a prayer for their families.
3:10
SPEAKER_00: I know that those gentlemen were doing what they loved doing and anyone who serves of course raises their hand and
3:19
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
3:42
SPEAKER_00: The Houthis are in a part of Yemen and they control quite a bit of the country.
3:47
SPEAKER_00: Yemen has been in a civil war for a number of years and of course the Houthis are Iranian backed and since the last episode airstrikes have continued against the Houthis.
3:58
SPEAKER_00: As you've probably heard in the news the Houthis have been firing missiles at
4:03
SPEAKER_00: The Defense Department stated that more than 25 Houthi missile launch and deployment facilities have been destroyed.
4:28
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
4:48
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front is a one sided fight.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: Social media has stated that the airbase was hit, but then that never really made the news.
5:18
SPEAKER_00: And so I said, well, it looks like maybe it wasn't.
5:20
SPEAKER_00: Well, since the last episode, the Defense Department has confirmed that there were strikes on Al-Assad airbase in Iraq.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, there's about 2,000 troops in Iraq.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: The Defense Department stated it was one of the largest-scale ballistic missile attacks to date that has been carried out by Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: Two U.S.
5:48
SPEAKER_00: service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
6:04
SPEAKER_00: but apparently these may not have been that serious as the the two folks have already returned to duty so hopefully they're not too bad off.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: These attacks again have been confirmed and the defense department did say that multiple ballistic missiles and rockets that targeted the base were intercepted
6:26
SPEAKER_00: by the Air Base's defenses, which were probably Patriot missiles.
6:33
SPEAKER_00: One final thing, you can read a little bit more in the link in the episode notes, but I did want to mention that the Defense Department said that the use of powerful ballistic missiles were far rarer than the rockets or one-way attack drones that have typically been happening.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: So this was kind of a more serious
6:53
SPEAKER_00: attack by the Iranian-backed militia in Iraq.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're just tuning in for the first time, I've talked about in the past how Iran has a number of militias and groups that it funds and arms and trains.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: The Houthis in Yemen, there are some in Iraq, there are some in other parts of the Middle East, but as far as these in Iraq, this was apparently a more serious attack.
7:16
SPEAKER_00: Now, the U.S.
7:17
SPEAKER_00: military has already conducted airstrikes in retaliation.
7:22
SPEAKER_00: and the Defense Department has said that they have struck three different facilities that are used by these Iranian-backed Qatob Hezbollah militia group.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: They said that they targeted a headquarters, a storage, and a training location.
7:40
SPEAKER_00: So they've struck back, not sure how many people they've injured, but again, just the same way with the Houthis.
7:46
SPEAKER_00: It's a pretty one-sided fight if we choose to strike and strike hard.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: As you can hear from many different folks, whether it's the State Department or like the spokesperson for the Department of Defense, the U.S.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: is doing everything it can to not escalate.
8:03
SPEAKER_00: No one in the U.S.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: military wants to fight with Iran right now.
8:07
SPEAKER_00: And as I've said in previous episodes, Iran clearly doesn't seem to want to fight against either the U.S.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: or Israel as well.
8:16
SPEAKER_00: And that's because Iran has made a lot of progress on some of its nuclear facilities.
8:22
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
8:39
SPEAKER_00: 2 other quick things before we move away from this very topic.
8:43
SPEAKER_00: The first is I've got a link in the episode notes that the 5th Fleet Commander said that Iran is quote very directly involved in those ship attacks that are happening in Yemen from the Houthi rebels.
8:58
SPEAKER_00: And so I did want to mention that.
9:00
SPEAKER_00: And then the final thing
9:02
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
9:18
SPEAKER_00: and of course the media tried very hard to scare everyone because they needed ratings and ad dollars and so the media really has hopped this up and the entire time I've said I don't really think it's going to happen I think Iran has too much to lose so they may use these smaller groups like the Houthis and their groups in Iraq they've got some in Syria they've got some in Lebanon but I don't really think they're going to do anything that can be directly linked to Iran because they don't
9:46
SPEAKER_00: Michael Hayden is the former Director of the CIA
10:08
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell has a background with some of the most classified information that you can possibly get your hands on.
10:14
SPEAKER_00: He actually said on Wednesday of this week, or today as I'm recording the podcast, but on Wednesday the 24th, that in his estimation there was only a 1 in 5 chance of actual conflict with Iran.
10:28
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
10:44
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
11:07
SPEAKER_00: of Stan R
11:20
SPEAKER_00: I'm in the same boat that I was in all the way back in October, four or five months ago, which is that I do not think a conflict will happen.
11:31
SPEAKER_00: I think Iran has way too much to lose.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: And I think, honestly, there are a lot of people in the U.S.
11:36
SPEAKER_00: military, in the Defense Department, who've been waiting for a long time to potentially set back Iran and their nuclear production.
11:45
SPEAKER_00: And so if Iran were to give the opportunity to escalate, I have no doubt that the plans are already in place to bomb some of those mountain facilities where they're doing nuclear production.
11:59
SPEAKER_00: So again, it seems to me like nothing's changed their situation as far as a conflict escalating directly with Iran seems pretty remote.
12:11
SPEAKER_00: I have one last piece of U.S.
12:13
SPEAKER_00: news before we shift to Ukraine, which there are a lot of stories I want to just move quickly through regarding Ukraine.
12:22
SPEAKER_00: But the Department of Defense did announce some good news regarding the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, that he has been released from the hospital on Monday.
12:35
SPEAKER_00: After spending two weeks, of course, we talked about the Situation he went through where he had prostate cancer and some complications from that He kept that secret from the president and since then, of course, that was a huge media kerfuffle and Even the inspector general has launched an investigation into that to see if protocols were followed.
12:59
SPEAKER_00: They clearly probably weren't
13:02
SPEAKER_00: I have a couple of three weeks ago said my piece on that and I think rightly kind of lashed out at what was clearly a mistake on his part but as I said then I'm a huge fan of him and so I'm
13:21
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't appear as though the President is going to request his resignation or that he is going to resign, which is great news.
13:28
SPEAKER_00: We don't need confirmation hearings now.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: Too much going on and he's done an incredible job as I laid out a few episodes ago.
13:38
SPEAKER_00: Some good health news that the Department of Defense did share was that he'll be working from home as he recovers and the doctor said that his strength is rebounding.
13:49
SPEAKER_00: He's making good progress and even better news is that the cancer was treated early and his prognosis is quote excellent so that is certainly great news for a a great gentleman who continues to serve his country who's a retired general who put in 30-something years serving in the army deployed multiple times led lots of troops in combat so great news there.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: I know and I share the military stuff
14:16
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
14:40
SPEAKER_00: Any chance I can get to re-humanize people or officials to listeners, I try to do so that we will soften how we discuss things that are happening out there on social media because these are real people and it's not fun to be attacked on social media.
14:58
SPEAKER_00: I don't think I have to belabor that point.
15:01
SPEAKER_00: Alright, so we're going to move to the subject of Ukraine, which is of course a topic that's very close to my heart.
15:09
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
15:36
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front is part of the Not-So-Good Part of the Podcast.
15:56
SPEAKER_00: and what the media is calling a grim assessment of what would happen in Ukraine if they don't get more aid.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: So President Biden told lawmakers in a private meeting that if Congress fails to authorize additional military aid for Ukraine in the coming days, Russia could win the war in a matter of weeks, months at best.
16:35
SPEAKER_00: And that's according to two people who are familiar with the meeting.
16:39
SPEAKER_00: So the President Biden told Congress that if we don't authorize additional military aid, Russia could win the war in a matter of weeks or months at best.
16:50
SPEAKER_00: Let me go a little bit more into the story before I share my thoughts on that.
16:53
SPEAKER_00: So the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and then the Director of National Intelligence told the lawmakers that Ukraine will run out of certain air defense and artillery capabilities in the coming weeks.
17:07
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
17:28
SPEAKER_00: A small majority of Republican lawmakers support getting more aid to Ukraine since 90% of the money stays in the U.S.
17:36
SPEAKER_00: for production for U.S.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: jobs since most of it's older U.S.
17:40
SPEAKER_00: equipment.
17:41
SPEAKER_00: The amount of reasons for wanting to do this are almost overwhelming.
17:45
SPEAKER_00: I kept thinking that it would perhaps get through.
17:47
SPEAKER_00: And it was tied to Israel aid as well, which is a very popular
17:52
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
18:13
SPEAKER_00: I feel like that it's an overstatement to say that Ukraine will fall in weeks or months.
18:20
SPEAKER_00: And so it frustrates me that I feel like the president is probably over-hopping what might happen.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: The Ukrainian people have shown unbelievable resolve and they clearly, every bit of additional modern weaponry from the West is a great thing.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: The View from
19:06
SPEAKER_00: Washington D.C.
19:06
SPEAKER_00: is in such gridlock, and it seems like former President Trump is telling Republican leaders not to approve any more Ukrainian aid, and so maybe the President felt that this had to happen.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: Certainly, if more aid doesn't go there, especially modern anti-air missiles, far more civilians will die, the war will be prolonged, Putin would be emboldened, and none of that is good.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: So no real news on the negotiations and clearly if you're giving those kinds of briefings behind closed doors.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: It's either the final effort to try to get it over the finish line or it's the negotiations aren't going well.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: It's impossible to know clearly.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: You can find links in all kinds of news that some people make it seem like it's going to happen and some say there's no chance.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: So one other thing that's sort of negative and then we'll get into some of the positive stuff.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: The Defense Department said that because the money for Ukrainian aid from the U.S.
20:15
SPEAKER_00: has essentially run out and no more has been approved that it's going to start affecting Ukraine in that some of the current systems that we've sent such as Bradleys, artillery pieces, other type of U.S.
20:32
SPEAKER_00: equipment that we've sent
20:34
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
20:50
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
21:18
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
21:43
SPEAKER_00: Now, let's counter all the bad news.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: And that is bad news.
21:48
SPEAKER_00: But it isn't just the US that's helping Ukraine.
21:51
SPEAKER_00: Europe has really, really stepped up, especially in the interim in the past few months as the US has really dragged its feet and shown, unfortunately, weakness by saying one thing and not being able to pull off some of our commitments.
22:08
SPEAKER_00: The first story I want to mention is that the European Union has announced a new plan for $22 billion in military support for Ukraine.
22:20
SPEAKER_00: and so the EU has been held up a bit by Hungary Hungary is aligned with Russia and they've been doing things to slow down and impede the EU from being able to supply Ukraine well the EU has found a workaround where to avoid Hungary holding up or halting some of these resupplies
22:44
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
23:15
SPEAKER_00: by Stan R Mitchell
23:44
SPEAKER_00: Second bit of good news is we've talked a fair amount about Ukrainian forces having passed across the Dnipro River.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
24:18
SPEAKER_00: The fighting is horrendous.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: It's difficult for Ukrainian troops to dig in because it's swampy, so you start to dig and the water seeps up.
24:25
SPEAKER_00: It's horrendous fighting, but somehow Ukraine continues to hold on, although the United Kingdom's intelligence agency does note that Ukraine is struggling with some logistical supply efforts to get supplies, ammo, etc.
24:41
SPEAKER_00: across the river.
24:43
SPEAKER_00: So they're definitely not advancing, Ukraine isn't advancing, but at the same time Russia can't dislodge them.
24:49
SPEAKER_00: And they did talk a bit, the United Kingdom's intelligence agency, that Russia has put a lot of effort to try to push them back and they just can't.
24:59
SPEAKER_00: The UK is saying, the United Kingdom is saying that the Russians are suffering from poor training, poor coordination, and it's affecting their ability to conduct any kind of offensive
25:14
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell Podcast Episode 1-25-24
25:43
SPEAKER_00: as the Ukrainians launched a drone attack inside Russia in one of the neighboring provinces
25:50
SPEAKER_00: Setting off 4 different oil storage depots.
25:55
SPEAKER_00: 1.6 million gallons set on fire from this drone attack.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: 40 miles from the Ukrainian border.
26:04
SPEAKER_00: You can read a little bit about this in the episode notes.
26:08
SPEAKER_00: Also put in a YouTube video.
26:10
SPEAKER_00: You can watch this pretty massive fire.
26:13
SPEAKER_00: That's a pretty big hit for Russia.
26:16
SPEAKER_00: And Ukraine is continuing to try to use
26:20
SPEAKER_00: We've talked about sabotage but also drones to attack targets inside Russia so that Russia gets a taste of its own medicine as Russia continues to launch ballistic missiles into Ukrainian cities.
26:33
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine is showing them that they cannot continue to invade and attack Ukraine without suffering some similar results.
26:48
SPEAKER_00: Now I want to share one other great thing.
26:52
SPEAKER_00: Let's move to last week we talked about Ukraine had shot down some planes.
26:56
SPEAKER_00: They have again shot down another major large plane inside Russia.
27:03
SPEAKER_00: Russia is saying Ukraine shot it down with missiles.
27:05
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine admits that its air defenses were active.
27:08
SPEAKER_00: This was a transport plane.
27:10
SPEAKER_00: Had 74 people on board according to Russia.
27:16
SPEAKER_00: Now Russia, of course I barely believe anything Russia says, Russia says that there were dozens of Ukrainian service members on board that were being transported for a prisoner swap.
27:28
SPEAKER_00: I'm a little skeptical of that just because Russia typically puts out information that's false on a regular basis.
27:36
SPEAKER_00: I'm also a little skeptical because Ukrainian intelligence is pretty good.
27:41
SPEAKER_00: And I'd like to think if there were actual Ukrainian prisoners of war on there, Ukraine would have known about it.
27:49
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine is saying that again that their air defenses were active and that these planes military aircraft approaching this province of Belgorod are legitimate targets or legitimate targets because they've been supplying weapons very close to the border and that the shelling has been directly linked to these planes and so Ukraine wanted to stop and
28:15
SPEAKER_00: the military transport aircraft operating in the area and so that's their take on it.
28:21
SPEAKER_00: Now let's move to some more good news.
28:24
SPEAKER_00: This is the kind of thing that of course didn't make the news but to me is a pretty big story.
28:31
SPEAKER_00: The United States and France are trying to create an what they're calling an artillery coalition for Ukraine.
28:38
SPEAKER_00: So Ukraine had already ordered
28:41
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell Podcast Episode 1-25-24
28:56
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell Podcast Episode 1-25-24
29:11
SPEAKER_00: These are very devastating weapons and in many ways they're better than the U.S.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: ones where we've provided a lot of towed artillery where you pull up a piece of artillery on the back of a truck, you stop the truck, you have to spin the artillery around, unhook it, fire.
29:29
SPEAKER_00: It takes, you know, three to five minutes to get that thing back hooked up and moved.
29:34
SPEAKER_00: So these Caesar howitzers are in many ways far superior because they can shoot and move faster.
29:42
SPEAKER_00: So the company that makes this can make up to 72 of these things per year.
29:48
SPEAKER_00: Ukraine, as I said, has ordered six of them.
29:52
SPEAKER_00: So France is trying to lead a coalition with the U.S.
29:55
SPEAKER_00: to get other European countries to buy more of these self-propelled guns for Ukraine to use.
30:04
SPEAKER_00: Now since that company can make, the number was 72 I believe, yes, 72 of those trucks,
30:11
SPEAKER_00: and since Ukraine has already ordered six France is going to pay for itself 12 more for Ukraine and then they're trying to get the other European countries to buy 60 more of them as well as ammunition so that would be 72 again Ukraine's already ordered six of them which they're supposed to get in the coming weeks so that would be 72 plus 6 that's 78
30:37
SPEAKER_00: and you get 78 of these self-propelled guns, 155 millimeter, very long-range howitzers.
30:43
SPEAKER_00: That's the kind of thing that can really, really begin to shift how things are going on the battlefield.
30:53
SPEAKER_00: One other part from that story that I did want to share is that French production of the 155 millimeter shells
31:01
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front is
31:19
SPEAKER_00: is starting to catch up is starting to increase its production and this is good news for the defense of Ukraine it's good news for the economy it's good news you know for decades people said oh we don't produce anything in the West anymore so we're starting to relearn and those skills that we used to have we're starting to get the kinds of production equipment that we need even in the US in Pennsylvania there's a place making 155 millimeter shells it's going to 24-hour production they're hiring people
31:49
SPEAKER_00: In Florida, the place where they make Patriot missile parts, they're up to like 24 hour shifts, three shifts of eight hours.
31:57
SPEAKER_00: So this is very important because for a long time the West has kind of exported its production to other places, which is not good, clearly.
32:07
SPEAKER_00: So the overall news though is that
32:12
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
32:37
SPEAKER_00: One final weapons type update for Ukraine is the Pentagon did announce that Ukraine could receive its first F-16 fighters as well as spare parts and infrastructure this year, this year being 2024.
32:54
SPEAKER_00: So that's good news.
32:55
SPEAKER_00: So far there are apparently, you get lots of different information on this.
33:01
SPEAKER_00: But the story that the U.S.
33:04
SPEAKER_00: Defense Department released stated that there are at least six Ukrainian pilots that have completed basic training with the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force to fly the F-16.
33:17
SPEAKER_00: And they're currently flying them in Denmark.
33:20
SPEAKER_00: So of course this is happening across multiple countries.
33:23
SPEAKER_00: There's been talk that it's happening some in the U.S.
33:26
SPEAKER_00: I think they'll never really release how many pilots are actually being trained because Russia would be dying to know that.
33:33
SPEAKER_00: Now if you have no idea what we're talking about as far as F-16s, that's an older fighter of the US and the West.
33:40
SPEAKER_00: There are lots of them that aren't used very much across both the West, meaning Europe, and the United States.
33:49
SPEAKER_00: So it's a kind of airframe
33:51
SPEAKER_00: That Ukraine is really wanting to get its hands on and it's far superior to most of what the Russians have So it will do a lot to help secure Ukrainian airspace To help some of the air-to-ground attacks, so definitely good news it's just unfortunately taken so long to get f-16s there should have been started way sooner and
34:14
SPEAKER_00: But for months and months if not more than a year the West has been very concerned about antagonizing Russia and Russia has thrown out lots of very crazy threats That they've never backed up and so it's taken us a long time to get here, which is unfortunate But we're finally getting there.
34:34
SPEAKER_00: So I guess better late than never One final thing and we'll move off of Ukraine
34:41
SPEAKER_00: The Turkish Parliament approved Sweden's NATO membership bid.
35:02
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell
35:22
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
35:44
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for watching!
36:11
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
36:29
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
36:54
SPEAKER_00: Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.
36:59
SPEAKER_00: Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
37:18
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell Podcast Episode 1-25-24
37:30
SPEAKER_00: Be so positive that negative people do not want to be near you.
37:54
SPEAKER_00: The purpose of knowledge is action, not knowledge.
38:18
SPEAKER_00: not knowledge.
38:19
SPEAKER_00: The purpose of knowledge is action, not knowledge.
38:22
SPEAKER_00: Nothing will work unless you do.
38:40
SPEAKER_00: It's pretty good.
38:41
SPEAKER_00: Nothing will work unless you do.
38:44
SPEAKER_00: Next one.
38:44
SPEAKER_00: All big things started small.
38:48
SPEAKER_00: All big things started small.
38:52
SPEAKER_00: Next one.
38:53
SPEAKER_00: Failure doesn't mean the game is over.
38:57
SPEAKER_00: It means try again with experience.
39:01
SPEAKER_00: Man, that's a good one.
39:03
SPEAKER_00: Failure doesn't mean the game is over.
39:05
SPEAKER_00: It means try again with experience.
39:10
SPEAKER_00: Next one.
39:11
SPEAKER_00: This is a quote from Michael Jordan.
39:13
SPEAKER_00: Some people want it to happen.
39:15
SPEAKER_00: Some wish it would happen.
39:17
SPEAKER_00: Others make it happen.
39:20
SPEAKER_00: Some people want it to happen.
39:22
SPEAKER_00: Some wish it would happen.
39:24
SPEAKER_00: Others make it happen.
39:27
SPEAKER_00: Next one.
39:27
SPEAKER_00: Be careful of your thoughts.
39:29
SPEAKER_00: Even your own mind will try to stop you.
39:34
SPEAKER_00: Try and fail, but never fail to try.
39:53
SPEAKER_00: Next one.
39:54
SPEAKER_00: Be thankful for the struggles you go through.
39:57
SPEAKER_00: They make you stronger, wiser, and humble.
40:01
SPEAKER_00: Don't let them break you.
40:02
SPEAKER_00: Let them make you.
40:04
SPEAKER_00: Man, that's good.
40:05
SPEAKER_00: Be thankful for the struggles you go through.
40:08
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
40:33
SPEAKER_00: In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
40:41
SPEAKER_00: That's good.
40:42
SPEAKER_00: In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
40:48
SPEAKER_00: Next one.
40:48
SPEAKER_00: This is from Romans chapter 15, verse 13.
40:52
SPEAKER_00: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope
41:01
SPEAKER_00: Romans 15 verse 13
41:19
SPEAKER_00: Alright, so I always like to end with this one.
41:21
SPEAKER_00: Be the reason someone smiles.
41:23
SPEAKER_00: Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people.
41:29
SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's a good goal, right?
41:30
SPEAKER_00: And like I always say, regardless of your faith, be a decent human being.
41:34
SPEAKER_00: Love your neighbor as yourself.
41:36
SPEAKER_00: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
41:39
SPEAKER_00: So hey, thanks for joining us on this episode.
41:42
SPEAKER_00: I hope you're proud of our country.
41:43
SPEAKER_00: I know we're not perfect, but I'm still so proud of it, and I hope you are too.
41:48
SPEAKER_00: As you go through this week, remember it's easy to be divisive.
41:52
SPEAKER_00: It's easy to argue with people on social media.
41:54
SPEAKER_00: Don't do that.
41:56
SPEAKER_00: Just be that wet blanket that when they're fired up, you just help calm them down.
42:02
SPEAKER_00: A lot of people watch a lot of news.
42:04
SPEAKER_00: They hear nothing but negative stuff about the other side.
42:07
SPEAKER_00: They hear the country's coming to an end.
42:09
SPEAKER_00: They hear the worst stuff.
42:12
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell
42:34
SPEAKER_00: The only way we're going to pass on to our grandkids and future generations what was handed to us is if we believe in the goodness of Americans, if we hold this stuff together.
42:45
SPEAKER_00: So don't let loud talking heads convince you that our best days are behind us.
42:55
SPEAKER_00: Don't believe that.
42:56
SPEAKER_00: We've got to stay optimistic and we've got to pull together.
42:59
SPEAKER_00: Now I'd like to finish with just a couple of last things.
43:02
SPEAKER_00: A bit about myself and my books, and then I always like to mention PTSD.
43:05
SPEAKER_00: If you've never heard the episode before and know nothing about me, just a bit about me.
43:09
SPEAKER_00: I'm a military vet.
43:11
SPEAKER_00: I spent four years in the Marine Corps, all of that time in the infantry.
43:14
SPEAKER_00: After my enlistment, I went to college.
43:16
SPEAKER_00: I became a journalist.
43:17
SPEAKER_00: Spent more than 10 years in the news business.
43:19
SPEAKER_00: Besides all that, I've written 12 books.
43:22
SPEAKER_00: They include a series about a Marine Corps sniper.
43:25
SPEAKER_00: several police detective novels and a few books about war such as World War II and Afghanistan.
43:31
SPEAKER_00: All of those are self-published.
43:33
SPEAKER_00: You can find all of them on Amazon.
43:35
SPEAKER_00: Just search my name, Stan R Mitchell, or just check the episode notes.
43:38
SPEAKER_00: Thanks to your guys.
43:40
SPEAKER_00: Help.
43:41
SPEAKER_00: I've sold 70,000 copies, so there's no big publisher behind me.
43:45
SPEAKER_00: They're pretty good books.
43:46
SPEAKER_00: They're highly rated.
43:48
SPEAKER_00: Would not have sold 70,000 copies if they weren't good.
43:51
SPEAKER_00: So, again, you can find them on Amazon.
43:53
SPEAKER_00: It's a great way to support the show.
43:55
SPEAKER_00: Great way to support a vet and a guy.
43:56
SPEAKER_00: I think he's a pretty decent dude.
43:58
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
43:59
SPEAKER_00: I'll let you guys be the judge of that.
44:02
SPEAKER_00: Now, I always like to end talking about PTSD, though, because vets are at a 57% higher risk of suicide than civilians their same age.
44:14
SPEAKER_00: But I try to say every week, this isn't just for veterans.
44:17
SPEAKER_00: If you're in the ditch, if you're in a low spot of life, hopefully something I can say might make an impact.
44:23
SPEAKER_00: First, I want to remind you that it's a season.
44:26
SPEAKER_00: It's a valley.
44:27
SPEAKER_00: I think that's important for you to remember.
44:32
SPEAKER_00: But if you're having serious issues, you can call 988-SELECT-1.
44:37
SPEAKER_00: Whether you're a veteran or not a veteran, you can talk to Crisis Line Responder 24-7.
44:43
SPEAKER_00: So again, that number is 988-SELECT-1.
44:44
SPEAKER_00: If you're having serious issues, I beg of you to call it.
44:48
SPEAKER_00: But I also know you probably won't call it.
44:50
SPEAKER_00: I don't know why it is, but for whatever reason, we struggle to reach out for help.
44:55
SPEAKER_00: Do we not?
44:57
SPEAKER_00: And so I want to
45:01
SPEAKER_00: Give some suggestions some encouragement and also some tough love because for whatever reason sometimes tough love is what we need to hear.
45:10
SPEAKER_00: So what I want to say is you can't lose this fight.
45:13
SPEAKER_00: You can't let this low situation that you may be in make you do something that would be the worst mistake a person can make.
45:21
SPEAKER_00: So I like to remind people that we get so into the moment, so short term thinking, that we're not thinking long term.
45:28
SPEAKER_00: But I don't want you to make that mistake.
45:31
SPEAKER_00: And I like to say, you need to think about what happens if you make that mistake.
45:36
SPEAKER_00: And it sounds cold or cruel, but
45:41
SPEAKER_00: I want to reach people and I want you to not make that mistake and unfortunately a lot of people do succumb to suicide and so we have to stop that.
45:52
SPEAKER_00: The military, the government, they're not going to help you.
45:56
SPEAKER_00: They can't, for whatever reason, they've been trying for decades to help find ways to deal with PTSD.
46:02
SPEAKER_00: And there's, I don't know if the answers aren't out there.
46:04
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure.
46:05
SPEAKER_00: But you have to think about what happens if you make that mistake.
46:09
SPEAKER_00: And I like to say, do not make your parents or your family have to plan your funeral.
46:16
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes it's thinking about your loved ones that I think helps get you through that.
46:21
SPEAKER_00: Don't make them feel guilty that they didn't check on you, that they couldn't reach you.
46:26
SPEAKER_00: Don't leave wife or kids out there.
46:29
SPEAKER_00: I think you're stronger than that.
46:31
SPEAKER_00: I think you can hold on for another day.
46:34
SPEAKER_00: I promise you the next day will be a little easier.
46:36
SPEAKER_00: I know I've struggled with some mental stuff.
46:40
SPEAKER_00: It's just getting through that bad day.
46:42
SPEAKER_00: It's just getting to the next day and it gets easier and you get adjusted a little better if you're a military person who's exited service.
46:49
SPEAKER_00: You just got, you cannot lose the fight.
46:53
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
47:15
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell
47:45
SPEAKER_00: I think you got a future family out there waiting for you.
47:49
SPEAKER_00: I think you got a future spouse, future kids.
47:54
SPEAKER_00: It's out there, but you're just so like in the moment.
47:58
SPEAKER_00: It just doesn't, you just can't get through it.
48:01
SPEAKER_00: You got to think long term sometimes.
48:05
SPEAKER_00: You got to stay positive.
48:07
SPEAKER_00: But don't think short term.
48:09
SPEAKER_00: And I'm serious.
48:11
SPEAKER_00: Don't make your family, don't make your friends have to plan your funeral.
48:15
SPEAKER_00: It's the worst thing you can do.
48:17
SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, it kind of gives permission to your other military vets to do the same thing because they're like, oh, so-and-so, that's one of the strongest dudes I know or strongest women I know.
48:26
SPEAKER_00: They couldn't handle it.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: Stop.
48:29
SPEAKER_00: Let it stop with you.
48:31
SPEAKER_00: Be the strong one.
48:34
SPEAKER_00: I always like to remind people
48:37
SPEAKER_00: Because I've just gone through this a year ago.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: But who is going to take care of your parents in 30 years if you make the mistake, if you give up?
48:46
SPEAKER_00: And that's something you got to think about.
48:48
SPEAKER_00: I helped my mom last year.
48:49
SPEAKER_00: I'm helping my dad now.
48:52
SPEAKER_00: Who's going to take care of them?
48:53
SPEAKER_00: Like you cannot make this mistake.
48:57
SPEAKER_00: So I'm saying don't you dare quit.
48:59
SPEAKER_00: Don't make the mistake.
49:00
SPEAKER_00: There's something you're meant to do.
49:03
SPEAKER_00: You haven't found it yet.
49:04
SPEAKER_00: Probably dealing with some short-term things like alcohol, maybe even some pills to help you get through.
49:11
SPEAKER_00: You just can't see the end result.
49:13
SPEAKER_00: You're in a tough valley, but I believe there's a mission for you.
49:17
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's to help the poor.
49:19
SPEAKER_00: Maybe help others with PTSD.
49:21
SPEAKER_00: Maybe help unite the country.
49:23
SPEAKER_00: Maybe run for government office someday.
49:24
SPEAKER_00: Help us tackle our debt.
49:27
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell Podcast Episode 1-25-24
49:47
SPEAKER_00: Stan R Mitchell Podcast Episode 1-25-24
50:07
SPEAKER_00: I know you can do this.
50:08
SPEAKER_00: You can't give up.
50:09
SPEAKER_00: I always like to share a couple of examples I found online.
50:12
SPEAKER_00: If you're struggling, it's hard to reach out.
50:14
SPEAKER_00: I get it.
50:14
SPEAKER_00: Like, what do you say to someone?
50:16
SPEAKER_00: Especially if they're civilian.
50:17
SPEAKER_00: They don't really totally relate to what we've been through.
50:21
SPEAKER_00: Here's a couple of examples.
50:22
SPEAKER_00: Text someone.
50:23
SPEAKER_00: Here's the first example.
50:25
SPEAKER_00: Quote.
50:25
SPEAKER_00: Put it in a text.
50:26
SPEAKER_00: This is really hard for me to say, but I'm having painful thoughts and it might help to talk.
50:30
SPEAKER_00: Are you free?
50:33
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front
51:02
SPEAKER_00: You haven't talked to in a while, someone who may be struggling, especially if it's a military friend.
51:09
SPEAKER_00: You know, the Bible says in Ecclesiastes, I always like to share this.
51:13
SPEAKER_00: A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer.
51:21
SPEAKER_00: Three are even better because a triple braided cord is not easily broken.
51:28
SPEAKER_00: Just as that verse says, we serve as the hands of God.
51:32
SPEAKER_00: Reach out to someone.
51:34
SPEAKER_00: Don't even have to have faith to be that way.
51:36
SPEAKER_00: Just be a good person.
51:37
SPEAKER_00: But reach out to someone.
51:39
SPEAKER_00: It'll be good for you.
51:40
SPEAKER_00: It'll be good for them.
51:42
SPEAKER_00: But again, if you're struggling, don't give up.
51:45
SPEAKER_00: And you can call the number 988-SELECT-1 or start moving toward God.
51:50
SPEAKER_00: I even have something in the episode notes, a link, if you want to read something that I've written that helps some people.
51:56
SPEAKER_00: B-Lock Ozzy
52:15
SPEAKER_00: If you want to reach out to me, you can reach out to me privately.
52:17
SPEAKER_00: My email is authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
52:22
SPEAKER_00: Again, authorstanrmitchell at yahoo.com.
52:27
SPEAKER_00: You can say hi, you can vent, you can send news tips.
52:30
SPEAKER_00: If you're struggling, you can reach out to me.
52:31
SPEAKER_00: I'll do my best to answer.
52:32
SPEAKER_00: I try to keep up with all of the emails that come in.
52:37
SPEAKER_00: Also, I'd like to mention if you love my moderate optimistic view of politics, I write about politics some.
52:43
SPEAKER_00: It's called
52:45
SPEAKER_00: of The View from the Front.
52:47
SPEAKER_00: The View from the Front by Stan R Mitchell