S6 #097 A British Army Reservist’s War in Iraq – Op TELIC 4

CONTENT

My guest is former Army Reserve infantry soldier Matt Okuhara, whose story highlights the often-overlooked role of Britain’s reservists in war. After joining the TA while working in banking, Matt was mobilised for Operation TELIC 4 and deployed to Basra, Iraq. He shares the realities of pre-deployment training, patrolling under constant threat of IEDs and militia attacks, and the contact that changed everything.

We also discuss the challenges of returning to civilian life, the loss of comrades, and how he channelled his experiences into writing Basra and Back: The Memoir of an Infantryman in the Iraq War.

On Desert Island Dits, Matt chooses A Thousand Shall Fall by Murray Peden, while I select his own book, Basra and Back.

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This episode brought to you in association with ISARR a veteran owned company.

Warrior photo credit - Reuters/Pool/Mark Richards

Book photo credit - Author.

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