Specialist Nathan Dowds discusses his training, the moments when his life was on the line, and the hazy morality of the conflict.

Dowds served as an Army paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Afghanistan twice, in 2002 and in 2004, and once to Iraq in 2003. 

During the episode, he says this about his struggles:
“The world is full of pain and suffering, and has been since the beginning of time. And for me to expect my brief moment in this world to be different than every other moment is kind of naive”
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Specialist Nathan Dowds: Paratrooper in Iraq & Afghanistan

The unsanitized truth of what we have asked of those who defend this nation. From archived tapes of WWI veterans, to conversations with modern-day warriors, these are their stories, in their own words.

History

Society & Culture

“That’s bold talk for a guy that’s only got one bullet…”

Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee served in the Marine Corps before switching to the Army. He became a Green Beret and deployed to Afghanistan in 2013.

Plumlee was awarded the Medal of Honor for his part in helping defend Forward Operating Base Ghazni. His story is straight out of a movie. Under heavy fire, he neutralized several enemies, survived multiple close-range blasts, and emerged with only minor injuries.

In this special Memorial Day interview, Plumlee talks about his military career, recounts what earned him the Medal of Honor, and gives his thoughts on Memorial Day. 
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An Insurgent’s Nightmare: MSG Earl Plumlee

Colonel Sam Hartwell served in Korea, Germany, and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. In Afghanistan he was a part of Special Operations Command, and he later worked at the Pentagon with the USD I&S.

In March 2022, Hartwell left retirement to volunteer in Ukraine.

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Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Pentagon: Col. Sam Hartwell

Specialist 5 Jon Wallenius served in Vietnam with the Army, and fought in the famous Battle of Ia Drang. As a member of the First Cavalry Division, it was his job to scout for enemies in advanced positions and clear LZs for the infantry. 
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The Battle of Ia Drang: SP5 Jon Wallenius

Introducing AI in Healthcare: How Generative AI Is Expanding Fertility Treatment from Smart Talks with IBM. Follow the show: Smart Talks with IBM As artificial intelligence progresses, healthcare providers are exploring how the technology can be used to offer personalized care at scale. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Dr. Laurie Santos sits down with Alice Crisci, co-founder and CEO of fertility-care provider Ovum Health. 
They discuss the barriers to healthcare access, the ways in which AI can be leveraged to expand the reach of healthcare providers, and how Ovum Health’s partnership with IBM and their use of watsonx has been enhancing the patient experience.
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Brigadier General Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager is an Air Force legend. He served in World War II as a fighter pilot, where he shot down a total of 13 aircraft, and escaped capture after being shot down over German-occupied France.

After WWII, Yeager became a test pilot for new, faster aircraft. On October 14th, 1947, he became the first person to break the sound barrier while piloting an X-1 aircraft. He also was the first person to fly more than twice the speed of sound in level flight with the X-IA in 1953. 

Yeager left aircraft testing in 1954, and went on to serve in Germany, Spain, the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam. 

He also served as the commandant of the Aerospace Research Pilot School, where all military astronauts are trained, from 1962-1966.
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Specialist Nathan Dowds: Paratrooper in Iraq & Afghanistan

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