Ep 215: Ryan McDermott on Invading Iraq in 2003

School of War · Jul 18, 2025 · 38m

Ryan McDermott, Army veteran of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and author of Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet, joins the show to talk about his combat experiences.

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Times

• 01:13 Introduction

• 01:55 Seeking purpose

• 04:11 West Point

• 06:48 9/11

• 08:41 3rd Infantry Division

• 10:12 Platoon tactics

• 14:51 “Crossing tonight”

• 18:08 Preparing for combat

• 23:40 Tired

• 29:37 Baghdad

• 35:51 Thunder Runs

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Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

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