Stew and the Nunn

Tonight we are glad to welcome Active Army Duty Captain, Zac Fike. However Zac is not hear to represent his full time job but a second job he does for free on the side as Founder and CEO of the non-profit, Purple Hearts Reunited Inc. (PHR).

Purple Hearts Reunited Inc. is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Their mission is to return lost or stolen military medals of valor to veterans or their families, in order to honor their sacrifice to the nation. Founded in 2012, the organization has been able to locate and return medals to over 150 military families to date. The organization returns what is often the last tangible piece of a veteran to his or her family. This is often the solace that is needed for a military family to commemorate their loved one’s service and move on from the pain of his or her sacrifice.  

Zac has combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, participated in multi-national operations in Macedonia, counter drug operations on the Mexican border, and taken part in countless emergency response efforts in the United States. Some of his awards and decorations consist of two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart for wounds received in Afghanistan, the Meritorious Service Medal, nine Army Accommodation Medals, and six Army Achievement Medals. He is also an Army Paratrooper, Pathfinder, Mountaineer, and has earned the coveted Combat Infantry Badge. Zac comes from a long line of patriots, to include descendants of the American Revolution, War of 1812, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. He is currently married to his wife Jessica and has two children, a son, Zac Jr., and daughter, Emily. He resides in Georgia, VT.

On this episode of Stew and The Nunn, we welcome past guest Jim Hanson as one of the founders and creators of counterjihad.com. We will be talking to him about why they created this site, its mission in more depth and what he and his comrades are looking to accomplish from this site. We will also be talking about the Sharia law that is trying to take hold in America and where threats are today and will be tomorow. 

A little about the website and why they created it...

The CounterJihad is a response to the ongoing incursion by Islamist groups and their ideology into American life. We will help educate the public with facts and ask you to join us in an effort to stop this. We call it a CounterJihad since there is a global Jihad against free Western society with both violent and civilizational arms and we must respond to their attacks.

We are not anti-Muslim, but we strongly oppose the subset of Muslims who believe they are divinely called to impose their religion on others, by force if necessary. The best way to describe them is adherents of the Islamic supremacist doctrine called sharia.

The CounterJihad is designed to ensure that the freedoms enshrined in our founding documents of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are not eroded or taken away. The totalitarian and oppressive nature of sharia makes it totally incompatible with the U.S. Constitution. The Muslims who are working to insinuate sharia here are a danger to all Americans, but especially the American Muslims who simply want to live in peace.

You can find out more about the site and its mission at http://counterjihad.com or at https://www.facebook.com/thecounterjihad 

In 2010, Danish screenwriter and director Tobias Lindholm both helmed and wrote the prison drama R, which was a collaborative work with director Michael Noer. The same year, he served as episode writer on the hit series BORGEN (2010) and in 2012 he wrote and directed A HIJACKING, which received both national and international acclaim, winning a Critics' Award (Bodil) for Best Danish Film as well as five Danish Academy Awards (Robert). 

As Lindholm did with R and A HIJACKING, he once again employs those who have been closest to the conflict. In A WAR he uses Danish soldiers and Taliban warriors, relatives and refugees, as he strives towards realism.  A WAR has been nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film. 

 

Film Summary:

In his third feature, A WAR, Director Tobias Lindholm continues his investigation of how people react under extreme pressure. The stakes are higher than ever, as a Danish company commander is forced to choose between his responsibility to his troops, the Afghan locals, or his family back in Denmark and the written and unwritten rules of war    

Company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk) and his men are stationed in an Afghan province. Meanwhile back in Denmark Claus’ wife Maria (Tuva Novotny) is trying to hold everyday life together with a husband at war and three children missing their father. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy crossfire and in order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that has grave consequences for him - and his family back home.

On this episode we will be welcoming the Commanding General of Forces Command, Gen. Robert “Abe” Abrams to the show.

Gen Abrams comes from a long line of military heritage, from his Father Gen. Creighton Abrams (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creighton_Abrams) to all his brothers and sisters who have also all served, with many also achieving the rank of General Officer.

We look forward to talking with the General on everything from the recent Command decisions he has had to make to what he sees in force realignment, impacts of military budgets, and everything in between for the time we have him on the air.

Matt Gallagher is a former US Army captain and the author of the acclaimed Iraq war memoir 'Kaboom,' based on the popular and controversial blog he kept while he was deployed.

He lives with his wife in Brooklyn and his debut novel 'Youngblood' is out this month from Atria/Simon & Schuster.

Susan Katz Keating is an investigative journalist specializing in national security. She is a correspondent for Soldier of Fortune and PEOPLE magazines, covering stories such as Bowe Bergdahl, the assault on Osama bin Laden, the devastating helicopter crash that took the lives of SEALs in Afghanistan, and more. A former Washington Times reporter, she is the author of Prisoners of Hope: Exploiting the POW/MIA Myth in America. Her work has appeared in Time, Readers Digest, The New York Times, Air&Space, American Legion, VFW, and other publications. She has been cited in the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, Salon, and other journals. She is a founding trustee for the National Museum of Americans in Wartime, and serves on the board for Cooking With the Troops. She was a director of the Travis AFB Museum, and served as restoration crew chief on a B-52.

Stew and the Nunn have teamed up with Unapologettically American to bring you some Political Observations Opinions and Personalities! A lot has happened in the politcal sphere in the past couple weeks and with a primary early next week we want to share all the info and opinions we have.

Greg Drobny is an US Army Infantryman who served within the 75th Ranger Regiment. He has also spearheaded a large pro second amendment PAC, is an accomplished writer, father and when not running Ranger Ups's Rhino Den and Unapologetically American still has time to crush Grad School!

Tune in while we get down on the recent political events!

LtCol Mitch “Taco” Bell joined the Marine Corps in 1986 and was winged a Naval Aviator in January of 1991. He flew the KC-130 in Cherry Point, NC, Okinawa Japan and Fort Worth TX in the Reserves.  His primary duty has been Recruiting for nine of his 29 years in the Marine Corps.

In 1998, he left active duty, was hired by American Airlines, and currently flies the Boeing 787 around the world. As a reservist, he ran an old Mig Base in TQ Iraq from 2005 to 2006 and worked with the Afghan Police for 8 months in 2008 and again for a short tour in 2009 with Prison Corrections over in Afghanistan.

Bell currently assists with numerous charities and Veterans organizations in the DFW area. He directs Purple Hearts Reunited’s Valor Guard, a return team dedicated to delivering lost medals of valor across the country.

Colby Buzzell will be joining the guys tonight to talk about books, writing and the life of a modern day traveller. Colby served as a member of the 1-23 Infantry the foundational unit of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division which was the very first unit to employ the STRYKER vehicle and be organized as a unit of action. While deployed as part of OIF I Colby blogged and was truly a pioneer in the field making him basically the "Blog Father" of Military bloggers.

His New York Time Best Selling Book, My War, Killing Time in Iraq, is based on his experience within this storied unit and how a San Fransisco kid found himself as an Army man and wrestling with combat and the effects it has on the human condition. Since that book he has written two more and several feature articles for major publications. Tune in while we talk with him about these and life.

Defensor Incorporated is a defensive strategies and home defense training company based in Western New York. Defensor specializes in the training of civilians, law enforcement and military members in home defense safety and tactics. Through a combination of research and life experience Defensor has put together the most comprehensive and up-to-date courses available today.


David DiTullio is a decorated combat veteran with over 20 years of military service. An expert in small unit direct combat missions, long range surveillance, and training multi national military forces in small unit tactics. Specialized skills in Air Assault, Maritime, Pathfinder, Reconnaissance operations. OIC/NCOIC for Sniper known distance, M9 Pistol, M4 Rifle, and M249 Squad automatic Rifle ranges. David has over 10 years with the Department of Homeland Security and is trained in the latest security equipment and specialized skills as a Behavior Detection Officer, Behavioral Analysis, Surveillance and Counter Surveillance, Interview and Interrogation Techniques and Suicide Bomber Indicators.