From West Point to War: A Soldier's Journey

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