Ayman Kafel and his family survived civil wars in Lebanon and Liberia before immigrating to the United States. Following the September 11 attacks, Ayman enlisted in the US Army and deployed to Iraq, where he served in several different combat roles, including as an Arabic interpreter and a member of his battalion commander’s personal security detail.

This wide-ranging and deeply personal interview examines themes of identity, service, and leadership, highlighting how Ayman's immigrant background, language skills, and cultural fluency contributed to his effectiveness as a noncommissioned officer and trusted adviser. He reflects candidly on both effective and ineffective leadership, emphasizing the importance of trust, empowerment, and genuine care for soldiers, rather than rigid enforcement of standards. The discussion also addresses the long-term psychological effects of combat, shortcomings in early post-deployment reintegration, and the stigma surrounding mental health. Ayman also explains how writing, physical fitness, and philosophical study are essential tools for healing after war. Ultimately, the interview connects Ayman's military experiences to his approach to policing and leadership today: managing situations, leading people, and treating those under one’s command as human beings first.

JJ Pinter graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a field artillery officer. A few short years after 9/11, JJ found himself in Iraq, leading route clearance missions and performing counterbattery fire against persistent insurgent mortar and rocket attacks. In this episode of The Spear, JJ shares lessons learned in combat in Iraq, and recounts his experiences leading troops in fighting fires in Montana as well as performing humanitarian assistance after Hurricane Katrina. He also discusses the importance of physical fitness and the need for veterans to find community after military service ends.

Fred Lough began his Army career as an engineer officer before deciding to leave military service to attend medical school and become a surgeon. After rejoining the Army to support the Global War on Terror, Fred later served two combat tours in Afghanistan, where he was part of a mobile forward surgical team. In this episode of The Spear, Fred speaks with MWI's Charlie Faint about his experiences in Afghanistan at FOB Shank and Herat, as well as his thoughts about Ranger School, the Haqqani Network, and damage-control combat medicine.

During his service as a combat rescue officer in the US Air Force, Captain Sal Sferrazza and his team of Air Force pararescue jumpers were deployed to Afghanistan, where their mission set included casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, and reintegration operations. In this episode of The Spear, Sal relates the story of how he and his team were called into action in Helmand Province to assist in the recovery of the body of a Marine who stepped on a pressure-plate IED and was blown into a fast-moving mountain river.

While serving as an infantry officer in the 75th Ranger Regiment, First Lieutenant Scott Filbert was deployed to Afghanistan to serve as the J1, or personnel officer, for a joint special operations task force. In this episode of The Spear, Scott describes the leadership lessons he learned along his path from West Point cadet to the Ranger Regiment and back to West Point again as an instructor, as well as the dangers of "lying to ourselves" in terms of personnel management and mission readiness.

In 2005, Jeff Marshburn was a reconnaissance platoon leader in the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, in Mosul, Iraq. While leading his platoon during the battalion's first contact with the enemy, several of his troops were wounded in action. In this episode of The Spear, Jeff recounts the lessons learned from his many combat missions in Iraq, with an emphasis on trust, competence, and the value of pre-deployment training.

In 2010 Kevin Mott's unit arrived in Afghanistan's Kunar province for a deployment that would see months of hard fighting. At one point, he was even wounded so badly—shot in the head, four fractured vertebrae, a broken leg, a torn labrum—that he was sent back to the United States for medical care. Several months later, he managed to be cleared to return to his unit in Afghanistan. After he did, the battalion conducted a mission aimed at clearing an area known to have a strong Taliban presence. Kevin shares the story of his platoon's heavy fighting as they worked their way toward their objective of Barawala Kalay.

In 2004, Tim Strabbing was a lieutenant and platoon commander in the Marine Corps, deployed to an area just outside Fallujah in Iraq's restive Anbar province. On his platoon's very first patrol, they were ambushed by enemy fighters, earning his Marines a baptism by fire and setting the tone for a difficult deployment ahead. He joins this episode to share the story of one particularly eventful 48-hour period.

In 2007, United States Marine Captain Kyleanne Hunter was flying an escort mission above Marines operating in western Iraq. When the Marines on the ground discovered a massive weapons cache—and a large group of armed insurgents protecting it—she found herself in a situation that challenged her as a pilot and changed the way she and her fellow Marines flew in Anbar province. She joins this episode to share the story.

In this episode of The Spear, retired Marine officer David Berke joins to share a story from 2006, when he was a forward air controller attached to an Army unit in Ramadi, Iraq. During a movement-to-contact patrol, they began to take fire, and his job became especially important. He declared the TIC—troops in contact—and two Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornets headed their way to provide close air support. Listen as he tells the story, explaining what it's like to work with the pilots in the air to engage the enemy in support of the ground force.