The Stan R. Mitchell Show

Hey guys!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Just wanted to put up a brief announcement today. I’m going to be changing things up a tad on here.

We’re going to be going to one day a week, publishing on Thursdays.

There are a number of reasons for the change.

For starters, I’ve been researching the most successful publications, and almost every one of them is once a week. (Same thing for podcasts. The most successful ones that you find on Apple, Spotify, etc, are once a week — with the great exception being re-broadcasts of television cable shows, or in news situations where it’s a full-time enterprise). 

Also, I know that once a week would be of better quality, allowing for higher-quality writing and recording. 

Finally, I have reached out to many of my paid subscribers and even some of them have admitted that they get behind or skip/miss editions with it being twice a week. I know people are super busy, and I get that. But if even my paying folks aren’t reading/listening to every edition, then twice a week is too much.

So, for all of these reasons, I’m going to move to a once-a-week publication on Thursdays.

I also wanted to say that I’ve become convinced based on my research of talking with other creators and my own paid subscribers that people convert to paying subscribers based on a patronage/support reason; not for some benefit such as unlocking a day early, commenting as a paid subscriber, or receiving exclusive paid-post-only editions. 

So the posts will be free to everyone on Thursdays.

This once-a-week schedule will have one added advantage, besides simply quality. That advantage is that by moving to once a week, I’ll be able to put out occasional breaking news editions, instead of just waiting a day or two for the Tuesday or Friday edition, when the news by that point was already stale. 

The bottom line is I think that once-a-week releases will allow for higher-quality writing and podcasting, as well as occasional breaking news alerts that are timely.

As always, I am super appreciative of everyone’s support!

If you have any questions, please free to reach out to me. And if I don’t hear from you, you’ll see the next episode in two days! I’m already hard at work on it!

Thanks!

Stan R. Mitchell

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hi friends!

Hope everyone is doing well!

There’s a lot to cover, but if you haven’t already, please sign up for email notifications. (It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time. Here are three reasons why you should.)

We’ll start this episode with President Biden naming the country’s two biggest national security threats, then, we’ll move on to the following:

* Besides discussing the two national security threats that Biden named, I’ll also talk about a big one I think he missed.

* Ukraine’s advances in the south near Kherson are causing Russia to urge residents to evacuate.

* NATO is talking about delivering increased numbers (and quality) of anti-air weapons to Ukraine.

* SpaceX, which has been providing critical internet for Ukraine, announced it can no longer pay for those services, and is asking the United States to cover those costs.

* And, as always, end with our motivation and wisdom section.

The biggest news of late was President Biden laying out the country’s two largest security threats.

Biden’s National Security Strategy Focuses on China, Russia and Democracy at Home

From the story:

President Biden declared on Wednesday that the overwhelming challenge for the United States in the coming years would be “outcompeting China and restraining Russia” while focusing on restoring a damaged democracy at home.

In his 48-page national security strategy, which every new administration is required to issue, Mr. Biden made clear that over the long term he was more worried about China’s moves to “layer authoritarian governance with a revisionist foreign policy” than he was about a declining, battered Russia. More than six months after the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military appears less fearsome than it did when the first drafts of the document circulated in the White House in December.

Honestly, it’s kind of hard to disagree with these two threats. Though I’m certain if things heat up with Iran (or some kind of terrorist threat happens), then conservatives will pounce on those things not being named. (I am on vacation, as I had said, and couldn’t fully scrutinize the document, but I didn’t see Iran mentioned in a quick scan.)

You can scan the open-source document yourself here: full national strategy.

One of the items that I’m surprised wasn’t discussed more was our wide-spread division and the surprisingly-high reality of internal strife/conflict.

I found only a single sentence, unless I’m missing something:

And at the same time, we are standing up to threats to our democracy such as domestic terrorism by implementing our nation’s first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism.

Not to state the overly-obvious, but…

We’ve had protestors fighting in the streets during the BLM protests, we’ve had plans to abduct a governor (in Michigan), and we’ve had a mob storm the capital (with an uglier back-up plan that included weapons from some groups).

Commentators and political figures from the right routinely talk about increasingly aggressive actions to take back the country, and it’s not even rare to hear discussions of a looming civil war.

This is one of the main reasons I’ve been doing this newsletter; this division is real, it’s nasty, and it’s dangerous. It’s arguably lethal to our country, if you study the history of other countries.

But I also know President Biden likely hesitated highlighting these threats further because such a thing would be taken by the right as proof that the federal government would use its powers to attack its opposition.

Always a balancing act for sure, and often, the art of politics is discretion and biting your tongue.

Moving along…

Ukraine continues to advance in the south, gaining new ground near Kherson. It’s gotten so bad that Russia has said it will help civilians evacuate from the area to Russian territory, though I have no idea why anyone in their right minds would want to do that.

At the same time, the Russian missile attacks against civilian structures in Ukraine are galvanizing support for better anti-air weapons.

Somewhat worrying, this news broke as well:

I’m going to wrap things up there for today on the news portion. It’s vacation and I probably SHOULD be relaxing more (always a struggle for me). Lol

Having said that, let’s end with Motivation and wisdom portion now.

And, I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Please don’t name-call the other side. They are mothers and fathers and folks not much different than you.🇺🇸🇺🇸

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Subscribed

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hi friends!

Hope everyone is doing well!

There’s a lot to cover, but if you haven’t already, please sign up for email notifications. (It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time. Here are three reasons why you should.)

We’ll start this episode with Ukraine’s attack on the only bridge that connects Crimea to Russia, then, we’ll move on to the following:

* Russia’s large-scale retaliation for the bridge strike.

* Ukraine’s reaction to the ramped-up Russian terror.

* The latest way Ukraine is helping Russian soldiers to surrender.

* Some news about arctic operations for America.

* News about what a Republican win in November during midterm congressional elections would mean for the military.

* And end with our motivation and wisdom, as always.

The biggest news of late is the following:

Blast on sole bridge linking Crimea with Russia deals blow to Moscow’s war effort.

From the story:

A fireball consumed two sections of the only bridge linking the occupied Crimean Peninsula to Russia on Saturday, disrupting the most important supply line for Russian troops fighting in southern Ukraine and dealing an embarrassing blow to the Kremlin, which is facing continued losses on the battlefield and mounting criticism at home.

The blast and fire sent part of the 12-mile Kerch Strait bridge tumbling into the sea and killed at least three people, according to Russian authorities, who said a Ukrainian truck bomb had caused the blast.

Here’s an older map that shows how the bridge connects Russia to Crimea, but remember it’s not showing the

Most analysts believe the attack was from a truck bomb, and Ukraine is saying Ukrainian intelligence services were behind the attack.

In the video below you can actually see the explosion, which was just massive.

If you remember, the Ukrainians had taunted the Russians with destroying the bridge previously. In the 8-23-22 edition, I shared the below tweet from Ukraine’s armed forces.

As a reminder, this bridge is a new construction, built to connect Crimea with Russia. It’s the longest bridge in Europe, and it’s also the longest bridge ever constructed by Russia. The importance of the bridge is hard to overstate, as it includes a four-lane road and a double-track railway.

Of course, it didn’t take long for Putin to avenge the act.

Putin claimed the massive missile strike was revenge for the strike on the bridge. Russia only targeted civilian targets, including electrical stations, according to Ukraine.

But the large missile strike was blunted by the success of Ukraine’s improving anti-air defense. Ukraine knocked 43 of the 83 missiles out of the sky, Reuters reported.

Ukraine remained defiant despite the attack, which knocked the power out in many places. They quickly posted the following reactions:

While Russia may be able to still hit civilian targets, its strength on the war front continues to deteroiotate. And visiting reporter described how much better things are now compared to when he visited months ago.

Moving along, I shared a video in the last episode of Russian soldiers surrendering their tank.

I wanted to share the video below, as well, which shows a hotline Ukraine set up for soldiers to call into and surrender to. (Hat tip to Aida.)

As stated, more than two thousand Russians have called to discuss surrender. And they are promised safety under the Geneva Conventions, the meals a day, and even phone calls home to their families.

Let’s move now to something happening in our side of the hemisphere.

DOD Establishes Arctic Strategy and Global Resilience Office 

From the story:

The United States is an Arctic power, and the Defense Department has established an office to ensure U.S. strategy and policy protects U.S. interests in that crucial region. 

Iris A. Ferguson is the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Arctic and global resilience, a new position that signifies the importance U.S. leaders place on the region.  

Russia is only 55 miles away from the United States at the Bering Strait. Russian officials maintain their bases and assets in the Arctic are defensive, yet they arm their icebreakers with Kalibr-K missiles, defense officials have said. "We're increasingly watching the amount of activity that's happening in the Arctic region from them," she said.   

China, the United States' other strategic competitor, is thousands of miles from the Arctic. Yet, Chinese leaders have "been trying to insert themselves into the Arctic," she said. "They have called themselves a near-Arctic nation, even though they aren’t even remotely near the Arctic."  

….

The Arctic is often overlooked, "but it's a place where we have immense territorial equity, actually, for our homeland defense needs, our ability to monitor and respond to threats, and our capacity to project power," Ferguson said.   

The Air Force has based its top-of-the-line aircraft in Alaska because they can be easily deployed to respond to crises throughout the Indo-Pacific. It's also a key refueling stop for aircraft. The Army has established the 11th Airborne Division in the region to develop expertise in Arctic mobility and extreme cold weather operations.  

Let’s move to our own matters for a moment. I try not to cover too much as far as politics, but since this affects our military, I wanted to share this for sure.

Republicans Vow to Put 'Woke' Military in Crosshairs if They Win November

Republicans will have more opportunities to take aim at Biden administration defense policies they've decried as "woke," including the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, if they take control of Cess in November's midterm elections.

"I think it's one of our very top priorities to clean up the mess the administration has made with the excessive and dangerous COVID mandates on our troops at a time where we have historically low recruitment," said Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

Any legislation would have to be signed by President Joe Biden. Additionally, Democrats “are favored to maintain control of the Senate, according to election prediction models,” The story said, “which would likely block such bills from making it to Biden's desk in the first place.”

Moving on to some tech news, I thought this seemed cool and worth sharing.

So, with that, let’s move to the motivation and wisdom portion now.

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Please don’t name-call the other side. They are mothers and fathers and folks not much different than you.🇺🇸🇺🇸

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Subscribed

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hi friends!

Hope everyone is doing well!

There’s a lot to cover, but if you haven’t already, please sign up for email notifications. (It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month, and you can cancel at any time. Here are three reasons why you should.)

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber

We’ll start this episode with the decision by OPEC to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day, then, we’ll move on to the following:

* Ukraine.

* A little bit about the leadership situation in Russia, and what might happen there.

* A little bit about what elections in November might mean for the military.

* The latest on the reaction to North Korea firing a ballistic missile over Japan.

* A raid the U.S. conducted in Syria.

* The latest news about the tensions in China and Taiwan.

* Some news about arctic operations for America.

* And end with our motivation and wisdom.

The biggest news of late is the following:

OPEC, allies move to slash oil production, eliciting blistering White House response

A coalition of oil-producing nations led by Russia and Saudi Arabia announced Wednesday it will slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day, in a rebuke to President Biden that could push up gas prices worldwide, worsen the risk of a global recession and bolster Russia in its war in Ukraine.

The move by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners prompted a blistering reaction from White House officials and reverberated almost immediately through domestic and global financial markets, threatening higher energy costs for the United States and European countries already grappling with inflation and economic instability.

In another article, Biden said the move was “a disappointment, and it says that there are problems” in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

Possible countermoves by the U.S. include:

* A move by Congress to repeal a long-standing exemption to federal antitrust law that allows OPEC to align prices.

* Removal of American forces from Saudia Arabia. (Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) has already said he’d introduce a bill to do so.)

President Biden is taking serious heat for the situation.

Here are just a few examples:

Also, this, from Senator Chris Murphy, who’s a Democrat and member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Finally, there’s this from retired CIA member and author, Marc Polymeropoulos, who appears on news segments and is on the @AtlanticCouncil.

We’ll see where this goes from here, but clearly Saudi relations are on shaky ground.

Moving along, I wanted to share this article from Defense One.

The article, Just How Long Should the US Send Aid to Ukraine?, was written by Erik Swabb, who served as a U.S. Marine infantry officer in Iraq and in the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia. He also served as General Counsel of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

He wrote the following:

Should future U.S. assistance be measured in months, or at most a few years, especially if Ukraine is no longer in danger of being overrun by Russia?

The short answer is no. If the United States provides long-term assistance—likely for more than 10 years, not only could Ukraine secure its future against a revanchist Russia, Washington could gain a first-rate military partner. Because of its legitimate government, capable leaders, level of socio-economic development, highly motivated public, and combat experience, among other factors, Ukraine has a strong foundation on which to build. As a result, U.S. support could have an exponential impact on Ukrainian military capabilities. The United States would be a major beneficiary, allowing U.S. forces to focus on potential conflicts outside of Europe over the coming years.

Initially, my thoughts on helping Ukraine were about stopping a bully. About wrong and right, and which side we come down on.

But as Swabb explains, there’s a lot more benefit that we’re getting than we’re even thinking about.

Moving along, here are some questions for Putin to consider…

But Putin’s message isn’t completely being bought by the soldiers he’s sent. See this surrender video below.

As the losses mount, so does the pushback against Moscow. Such as this:

Blunt Criticism of Russian Army Signals New Challenge for Putin

An official in a Russian-occupied region of Ukraine suggested Russia’s defense minister should shoot himself because of his army’s failings, an unusually blunt and public rebuke of Kremlin leadership.

And also this:

As his troops retreat, Russian defense chief comes under pressure at home

The growing, strident criticism of the Russian military command is drive hard-line nationalists

…

Shoigu, 67, has no military background but has served as defense minister for nearly a decade, and has been part of Putin’s leadership team since he was elevated to the presidency on Dec. 31, 1999. Until the war, Shoigu was among the country’s most popular politicians, and was often tipped as a potential successor to Putin.

He is one of Russia’s longest-serving ministers, going back to 1991, when President Boris Yeltsin named him minister for emergency situations. Over the years, Shoigu has remained close to Putin, sometimes accompanying the president on trips to the Siberian taiga.

And the pressure on Putin is continuing to grow, as well. See this:

As Ukraine war falters, Russians ask a risky question: Could Putin fall?

Putin, who turns 70 on Friday, came to power himself through a quasi-legal succession process — appointed as deputy prime minister and then acting prime minister by President Boris Yeltsin, who resigned within five months, catapulting his handpicked successor into the presidency.

…

Names mentioned as potential successors include the Security Council secretary, Nikolai Patrushev; former president Dmitry Medvedev; longtime Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin; and Patrushev’s son, Dmitry, now agriculture minister.

I told you I’d keep up with any news about the aftereffects of North Korea launching a ballistic missile over Japan.

Well, here’s the latest on that.

Allies Conduct Naval Defense Exercises Following North Korea Missile Launches

In response to this provocation, the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, joined by two Japanese navy destroyers and one South Korean destroyer, arrived yesterday in the Sea of Japan to conduct trilateral ballistic missile defense exercises, Ryder said.

"These exercises send a clear message of allied unity between our nations and enhance the interoperability of our collective forces," he said.

"The exercises also demonstrate the deep strength of our trilateral relationship with Japan and the Republic of Korea, which is resolute against those who challenge regional stability," he said.

And moving to the Middle East, the United States conducted a risky in-person raid in Syria two days ago.

Let’s now move to China and Taiwan.

Hat tip to Joshua Hughes for sharing the next story.

From the story (U.S. Aims to Turn Taiwan Into Giant Weapons Depot):

American officials are intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in Taiwan after studying recent naval and air force exercises by the Chinese military around the island, according to current and former officials.

The exercises showed that China would probably blockade the island as a prelude to any attempted invasion, and Taiwan would have to hold out on its own until the United States or other nations intervened, if they decided to do that, the current and former officials say.

But the effort to transform Taiwan into a weapons depot faces challenges. The United States and its allies have prioritized sending weapons to Ukraine, which is reducing those countries’ stockpiles, and arms makers are reluctant to open new production lines without a steady stream of long-term orders.

Along those same lines, I wanted to share a couple of stories below, just because they show the increasingly aggressive words of American leaders toward China.

U.S., Australian Defense Leaders Stress Importance of Alliance System

The two discussed their unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and the challenges to that ideal.Both Australia and the United States are dedicated to the premise that all countries should be free to choose their own destinies. Further, the international, rules-based order is based on the idea that nations should respect international laws and resolve disputes peacefully, Austin said. 

"These shared convictions run deep, and they are the foundation of our unbreakable alliance," the secretary said. "The region and the world face a growing challenge from autocratic countries attempting to change the status quo through threats, coercion and provocative military activities and even naked aggression," Austin said. "We're deeply concerned by China's aggressive, escalatory and destabilizing military activities in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere in the region." 

Nations around the world are uniting to oppose Russia's unprovoked and cruel invasion of Ukraine. "The United States and Australia are united in opposing actions that threaten peace, stability and the rules-based international order," he said.

Indo-Pacific Component Commanders Stress Importance of Partners

"Clearly, China wants to be the world's only superpower, and they actually believe that everybody else has to be a loser, and they can be the only winner," Air Force Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said. (He’s the commander of Pacific Air Forces.) "It's clear that they want to impose their will on the world, especially their close neighbors. And that's, that's counter to our objective of [being] free and open."

Pitch Black exercise hosted by Australia. As the name implies, it is an exercise that emphasizes operating in low light. "There were 17 countries flying," he said. "And often when you have that many countries flying in one exercise, you actually have to reduce the complexity of the exercise so that everybody can participate."

I know I had said earlier I’d cover the artic command and Republican plans for Congress regarding the military, but this newsletter has gotten too long, so I’ll do my best to do that in the next edition.

So, with that, let’s move to the motivation and wisdom portion now.

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Please don’t name-call the other side. They are mothers and fathers and folks not much different than you.🇺🇸🇺🇸

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hi friends!

Hope everyone is doing well!

There’s a lot to cover, but if you haven’t already, please sign up for email notifications. (It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month, and you can cancel at any time. Here are three reasons why you should.)

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

We’ll start this edition with the war in Ukraine. We discussed in the last edition that Ukrainian forces were surrounding the city of Lyman, and that Putin had told Russian forces to hold at all costs. I shared the image below in the previous episode:

Shortly after publishing that episode, Putin ordered the retreat of Russian forces to prevent them from being captured. And since that announced retreat, you can see from the link below just how much progress Ukraine has made since Friday.

The Washington Post described the news in an article as follows:

Zelensky said the town of Lyman, which Russian troops used as a key logistics hub in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region since their arrival this spring, was completely “cleared of the Russian occupiers” as of midday local time, the Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

The president’s statement came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged it had been forced to withdraw troops from Lyman “to more advantageous lines.”

Ukraine not only shocked analysts in the eastern part of the country in the Donbas region, with its seizure and breakthrough of Lyman, it also caused ripples of excitement when news broke that a breakthrough had occurred in the south; in the region of Kherson.

Here’s a look at what the breakthrough looked like, according to quite a few pro-Ukrainian analysts on social media. (Please note: these are from sources who are not unbiased, but the information aligns with numerous sources that I trust. And I trust this information enough to share it here.)

The goal is to achieve an encirclement, as was done last week at Lyman. (See below.)

So far, the Institute for the Study of War hasn’t updated its maps to reflect the latest advances. Their maps are currently reflecting shorter thrusts by Ukraine.

But mainstream media such as The New York Times are now reporting the breakthroughs.

In Retreat on Ukrainian Fronts, Russia Shows Signs of Disarray

Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged on Monday that Ukrainian tank units had penetrated its line of defense in part of the region (of Kherson), a fertile part of southern Ukraine that Russian forces seized in the first weeks of the war.

…

Russia’s troops are in a precarious position in the Kherson Region. The bulk of the Kremlin’s forces are deployed west of the broad Dnipro River, in and around the city of Kherson, while their supplies and logistical support are mostly on the river’s east bank.

Ukrainian forces have largely destroyed the crucial bridges needed to continue to supply troops with ammunition and equipment. Though the Russians are well dug in after many months in control of the territory, a concerted attack could tax their limited supply lines and possibly force — and complicate — a retreat across the river.

At this point, very little — if anything — is going Russia’s way. So, Putin has again worked hard to scream about the threat of using a nuclear weapon, in the hopes of backing down the West.

And while I really wanted to not discuss this over-the-top ultimatum, events have simply given me no choice.

So we begin with this article from The New York Times, which sums up the situation nicely.

Russia’s Small Nuclear Arms: A Risky Option for Putin and Ukraine Alike

For all his threats to fire tactical nuclear arms at Ukrainian targets, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is now discovering what the United States itself concluded years ago, American officials suspect: Small nuclear weapons are hard to use, harder to control and a far better weapon of terror and intimidation than a weapon of war.

…

The primary utility, many U.S. officials say, would be as part of a last-ditch effort by Mr. Putin to halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive, by threatening to make parts of Ukraine uninhabitable. … The targets could be a Ukrainian military base or a small city.

…

Still, the risks for Mr. Putin could easily outweigh any gains. His country could become an international pariah, and the West would try to capitalize on the detonation to try to bring China and India, and others who are still buying Russian oil and gas, into sanctions they have resisted.

Attempting to flesh out some of the same lines of thinking, Axios discussed some of the options Putin might take, as well as their consequences.

U.S. grapples with risk of nuclear war over Ukraine

If Putin does use nuclear weapons, he could seek a "demonstration effect" — perhaps by detonating a nuclear weapon over the Black Sea or in the Arctic — or deploy a smaller-yield "tactical" nuclear weapon on the battlefield, says Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the Center for a New American Security.

The U.S. would not likely go nuclear in response, but it could conduct a conventional military strike on Russian soil — perhaps targeting the site or unit behind the Russian launch — and pursue non-military steps like permanently seizing Russian central bank reserves, Kendall-Taylor says.

…

Retired general Ben Hodges, who commanded U.S. forces in Europe, has said if Russia conducts a nuclear attack in Ukraine, the U.S. could destroy Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Stating the obvious here perhaps, but both of these would be horrendous consequences for Russia.

And then I wanted to share one third and final thing regarding Putin possibly using nuclear weapons, because this is just so informative.

The Atlantic published a long, in-depth piece on the threat of Russia using nuclear weapons.

WHAT IF RUSSIA USES NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN UKRAINE?

First, the article explains there will be a lot of warning time.

According to Pavel Podvig, the director of the Russian Nuclear Forces Project and a former research fellow at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, now based in Geneva, the long-range ballistic missiles deployed on land and on submarines are Russia’s only nuclear weapons available for immediate use. If Putin decides to attack Ukraine with shorter-range, “tactical” nuclear weapons, they will have to be removed from an Object S site—such as Belgorod-22, just 25 miles from the Ukrainian border—and transported to military bases. It will take hours for the weapons to be made combat-ready, for warheads to be mated with cruise missiles or ballistic missiles, for hydrogen bombs to be loaded on planes. The United States will most likely observe the movement of these weapons in real time: by means of satellite surveillance, cameras hidden beside the road, local agents with binoculars.

Presumably, at a minimum, once these actions are seen, some phone calls will be made to government officials. Possibly even military commanders. But if the U.S. can’t stop them from being used, the U.S. will humiliate Russia almost immediately. Such responses include, according to the article:

The number of Ukrainian casualties should determine the severity of the American response—and any escalation should be conducted solely with conventional weapons. Russia’s Black Sea fleet might be sunk in retaliation, and a no-fly zone could be imposed over Ukraine, even if it meant destroying anti-aircraft units on Russian soil.

And that is the response based solely on the weaker/softer side. All of this leads me to continue to believe that Putin is bluffing.

He’s the loudmouth bully on the playground, who’s finally been beaten up after running his mouth the entire school year, and while his classmates laugh and point, he’s now threatening to run home and get a knife to use. But it’s all a lie because the bully knows if he pulls a knife — or even brings it to school — he’ll end up in juvenile or jail; and that’s best case scenario.

So, while I might be wrong, I continue to believe that Putin is bluffing. And I continue to believe that the West should not appease him by backing down.

If we back down now, he will just threaten to use nuclear weapons again further down the road, but maybe next time it’s the demand that Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, surrender or else. Or maybe Putin threatens an invasion of some other country?

Appeasement has been shown throughout history that it never works. And at some point, you have to stand up to bullies. The West needs to remain defiant and steadfast in its convictions.

I do not believe Putin will risk the military humiliation that will occur if he uses nuclear weapons. Nor do I believe he can surrender the oil and gas deals he currently has with China, India, and what few remaining trading partners he still has.

The West must hold firm and not blink.

Let’s move briefly away from nuclear threats back to regular fighting on the ground.

I’m going to share one final thing that I’m dying to share, but that also might be too hopeful and too much conjecture.

And yet.

And yet this guy has been right about so much regarding the war. And what he is predicting he is claiming would happen this week. So, if I’m going to share it, it has to be now.

So, I’m going to share it because it’s the most mind-blowing, earth-shattering thing I’ve seen since probably the beginning of the war. And it’s the ONLY thing I’ve seen that could end the war in weeks and months; instead of years and years.

With all of that out of the way, I present to you what could be the death blow to Russia’s third invasion of Ukraine.

It’s the final thrust labeled as number three in the image above. First, there was number 1, up in the east, in the Donbas region.

Then there was number 2, in the south, in the Kherson/Crimea region, which we discussed earlier in this edition.

And Dr. Mike Martin is predicting a number 3 thrust. A strategic reserve that hits the middle and cuts the Russian forces into two pieces. It would sever the land bridge and remove any connection between Russian forces, destroying their ability to reinforce and move troops from flank to flank.

Now, I have no idea if Ukraine has a strategic reserve that could pull this off. But like I said, you can’t un-see this. It’s absolutely brilliant.

You pull the Russians to their right, trying to stop the advances near Lyman. You’ve already pulled them left, to defend Kherson, which was talked about for months and was perhaps the biggest threat up to that point.

And after the Russians put their best troops in the South around Kherson, you rip apart their flank in the Lyman area, you keep them pinned in Kherson, and then you drive right through the middle.

Dr. Martin predicts this will happen this week.

It’s a stunningly aggressive prediction, and I almost hesitate to share it. But I also don’t want to NOT share it in case it does happen.

(And at this point, there’s literally nothing the Russians could do if it’s going to happen this week. They’re pinned down, and lack the time or logistics to move forces to prevent it from happening.)

Using a football analogy, the ball has been hiked, the play is already started, and there’s not time to move your linemen around. There’s a giant gap that the Ukrainians could drive through, and let’s hope that they do.

Let’s move from Ukraine back to the subject of crazy escalations…

North Korea alarmed world leaders and made national news on Monday, when it sent a ballistic missile over Japan, forcing the American ally to sound sirens before the missile landed in waters beyond the 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

In a story published by The New York Times, Japan Warns Residents to Take Shelter as North Korea Launches Missile, the international incident was described like this:

North Korea on Tuesday fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years, the South Korean military said, prompting a rare warning by the Japanese government for residents in two northern prefectures to seek shelter.

The launch represented a major escalation by North Korea, which has conducted a flurry of missile tests in recent days as the United States and its allies held military drills in the region.

The U.S. response from the White House was as follows:

The United States strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) dangerous and reckless decision to launch a long-range ballistic missile over Japan. This action is destabilizing and shows the DPRK’s blatant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions and international safety norms. Tonight, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with his Japanese and Republic of Korea (ROK) counterparts, Secretary General Akiba Takeo of the National Security Secretariat of Japan and National Security Office Director Kim Sung-han of the ROK. In both calls, the National Security Advisors consulted on appropriate and robust joint and international responses and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reinforced the United States’ ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK. The United States will continue its efforts to limit the DPRK’s ability to advance its prohibited ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including with allies and UN partners.

I’ll definitely keep an eye on this in the coming days and weeks.

Moving to Iran, we had discussed the protests that had broken out there last week. And so far, nothing much has changed. President Biden released a statement yesterday condemning the attempts by Iran to clamp down on the demonstrations.

To me, it seems the U.S. will likely be dropping additional sanctions on some Iranian officials and groups. I’ll keep an eye out on this and keep you apprised of any additional developments.

Moving from Iran to Africa, American forces bombed militants in Somalia on Monday. (Web link: https://bit.ly/3SvWDzP)

Back in December, we discussed that the U.S. Navy had charged a sailor in the case of the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard.

It turns out that case wasn’t much of a case. Like, not a case at all.

Here are some of the ugly details from that case from NPR, which it sounds like the Navy should have never charged or tried.

A sailor has been acquitted of setting a fire that destroyed a massive ship

"I can say that the past two years have been the hardest two years of my entire life as a young man," he said. "I've lost time with friends. I've lost friends. I've lost time with family, and my entire Navy career was ruined. I am looking forward to starting over."

Prosecutors presented no physical evidence during the nine-day trial that the sailor set the ship on fire, while the defense chipped away at the credibility of a key witness, XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX, who changed his account over time.

Gary Barthel, a former Marine judge advocate who represented Mays at a preliminary hearing, said undercutting Velasco's credibility was key. Barthel has said the judge in the preliminary hearing recommended against a court martial, but Vice Adm. Steve Koehler, former commander of the San Diego-based U.S. 3rd Fleet, had the final say.

It upsets me the Navy proceeded with such a case, and I apologize to the sailor for even announcing the charges. Obviously, I definitely wanted to correct the record, as well.

Finally, I am quite embarrassed and horrified at the Navy’s actions in this case.

They have certainly wrecked one man’s life unnecessarily.

Okay, that was a dark topic.

Let’s move to something more positive.

Motivation and wisdom:

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Please don’t name-call the other side. They are mothers and fathers and folks not much different than you.🇺🇸🇺🇸

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Subscribed

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys, welcome to the View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist, who twice a week discusses military matters, while also adding in a little motivation, wisdom, and history. I do my best to cover our military: where’s it at, what they’re doing, where they might be going, and any conflicts and hotspots that could lead to military intervention.

Besides covering this news, I also try to share some motivation and wisdom with each episode, while also working as hard as I can to unite this country. Without question, I feel like our wide division and animosity toward those with whom we disagree is the greatest threat our country faces. 

So, twice a week I do my best to bridge this great divide, while also reminding each of us that most of us are being played by divisive political and news figures, who are ripping apart this great country just so they can reach a higher office or gain more followers and ad dollars. 

Most Americans are good, and we need to remember this. Always. 

While we face great challenges as a country, America has stood together for more than 240 years, and it’s only by pulling our country closer together that we can pass on a better future for our kids. 

We need to hold and cherish the beliefs that got us here today. Beliefs such as patience, kindness, and a strong belief that our best days lie before us. These are the beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the kind of optimistic beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

And with that out of the way, let’s get started.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Source notes follow below, with subject heading in bold. (I again apologize for not being able to do full write-ups at this time. I hope you enjoy the podcast above.):

America’s throwaway spies; How the CIA failed Iranian informants in its secret war with Tehran

The Russian men fleeing mobilization, and leaving everything behind

summarize:

180,000 Russians have fled

To escape fighting in Ukraine, the 42-year-old Russian construction worker flew through two countries in four days, spending so much on tickets, so quickly, he lost track of it all. Finally, he ended up in Turkey, where it was safe. As he stopped to breathe Tuesday, on plastic seats in the airport arrival hall, he conceded he had no idea where to go next.

One person quoted, from the story above:

The government, he said, was enlisting men “en masse.” Neighbors and friends had been called up. “I had no choice. I can’t go to war and kill people in Ukraine. And if I stayed, there was no other option.” He and his wife decided he should leave on the day Putin announced the mobilization.

“In one day, I quit my job, took the money from the bank, took my wife and the baby to my parents. My entire life is breaking apart,” he said.

I don't think you can beat men like this, God bless them.

“A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter.” -- Mike Tyson.

What to know about Russia’s annexations

Russia is proposing to annex four provinces — Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — in the south and the east of Ukraine where intense fighting continues. Moscow hastily put the plan in motion after a humiliating battlefield defeat drove the Russian Army out of another province, Kharkiv, in early September and the Ukrainian advance appeared to be gathering force.

The Kremlin plans to declare the land where battles are raging in all four regions to be Russian territory and to assert that it is defending, not attacking, in the war in Ukraine.

Curtis Moore knows both worlds. He grew up in the small town of Bishop, Calif., and spent his summers packing mules in the Eastern Sierras. Later, he cowboyed at a nearby ranch before becoming a lawyer who deals with natural resource conflict resolution. He likes to cite Aldo Leopold, who wrote, “Is education possibly a process of trading awareness for things of lesser worth?”

News about China and Taiwan:

Motivation and wisdom:

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

Let’s all work together to unite this country.

And also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Subscribed

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys, welcome to the View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist, who brings you the latest military and defense news twice a week, while also adding in a little motivation, wisdom, and history. I’m also a nice guy, who’s working as hard as I can to unite this country. I feel like our division and animosity toward the other side, so to speak, is the greatest threat our country faces.

Every week I do my best to bridge this great divide that separates our incredible country, while also reminding each of us that most of us are being played by divisive political and news figures, who are ripping apart this country just so they can reach a higher office or gain more followers and ad dollars.

Most Americans are good, and we need to remember this. Always.

While we face great challenges as a country, America has stood together for more than 240 years, and it’s only by pulling our country closer together that we can pass on a better future for our kids.

We need to hold and cherish the beliefs that got us here today. Beliefs such as patience, kindness, and a strong belief that our best days lie before us. These are the beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the kind of optimistic beliefs that will get us to a brighter future.

And with that out of the way, let’s get started.

Source notes follow below, with subject heading in bold. (I again apologize for not being able to do full write-ups at this time. I hope you enjoy the podcast above.):

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

News about U.S. national strategy

Iran news:

Iran protests: Death toll rises to 76 as crackdown intensifies - rights group

The 22-year-old Kurdish woman from the north-western city of Saqez had been visiting the capital, Tehran, on 13 September when she was arrested by morality police officers for allegedly violating the strict law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf.

She collapsed after being taken to a detention centre to be "educated" and died in hospital following three days in a coma.

The police said Ms Amini died after suffering sudden heart failure, but her family have dismissed that and alleged that she was beaten by officers.

Ukraine-Russia news:

Kyiv’s western allies boost nuclear deterrence after Putin’s threats

The logistics of deploying nuclear weapons is complex, time-consuming and would be easily picked up by western intelligence satellites. That means that Putin can intensify the nuclear threat by taking several steps before getting to the point of actually using the weapons. It would also allow the west to adjust its preparedness.

“Russian nuclear weapons are staged in hardened shelters across the country . . . The process of transitioning to readiness, mating warheads to delivery platforms, would generate a great deal of observable phenomena for US intelligence,” said Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. “And, an opportunity for Washington to make it explicit to the Kremlin just how bad an idea that would be.”

The horrendous mobilization news coming out of Russia

A recruitment officer was wounded in the latest attack on a Russian draft office.

A gunman apparently distraught over Russia’s chaotic military mobilization opened fire at a draft office in Siberia on Monday, seriously wounding a recruitment officer, as the Kremlin for the first time acknowledged errors in the call-up of hundreds of thousands of civilians to bolster Russia’s struggling army in Ukraine.

…

With Mr. Putin having in effect outlawed dissent against the war, attacks against draft offices have risen since Russia’s invasion began. At least 54 recruitment centers and administrative buildings have been set on fire since then, according to Mediazona, an independent Russian news outlet. Seventeen attacks have occurred since the call-up was announced last Wednesday.

Photos show 10-mile line at Russian border as many flee mobilization

A traffic jam at Russia’s border with Georgia has stretched for nearly 10 miles after President Vladimir Putin’s partial military mobilization order, satellite images show.

The line of cars and trucks trying to leave formed at a crossing point on the Russian side of the border, according to U.S.-based firm Maxar Technologies, which released the photos on Monday. “The traffic jam likely continued further to the north of the imaged area,” the U.S.-based firm said. Aerial photos from the company show vehicles snaking into another long line near Russia’s border with Mongolia.

An explanation for why Russia is actually doing the call-up/mobilization?

In Ukraine’s South, Fierce Fighting and Deadly Costs

The fighting is grinding, grueling and steep in casualties, perhaps the most heartbreaking battle in Ukraine right now.

Russian forces are deeply dug in here … the Russians have built formidable defenses: trenches zigzagging along irrigation canals; fortified bunkers; pillboxes; foxholes; even tank trenches carved out of the earth by bulldozers and covered with concrete slabs that enable the Russians to blast shells from positions that are very difficult for the Ukrainians to hit.

…

Despite the high stakes, there is little face-to-face combat between the two sides, like there was in the early days of the war in the suburbs of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Each Ukrainian soldier along the southern front carries an assault rifle, but few have fired their weapon.

From CNN video below: A senior military official says US tanks are on the table to send to Ukraine. Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson (Ret.) explains why he thinks the US should continue meeting Ukraine's requirements and whether the country should put contractors on the ground to help with logistics.

Tech news:

Motivation and wisdom:

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

Let’s all work together to unite this country.

And also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Source notes follow below, with subject heading in bold. (I again apologize for not being able to do full write-ups at this time. I hope you enjoy the podcast above.):

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ukraine-Russia news:

Putin Raises Stakes in the War, With Direct Challenge to the West

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia accelerated his war effort in Ukraine on Wednesday, announcing a call-up of roughly 300,000 reservists to the military, while also directly challenging the West over its support for Ukraine with a veiled threat of using nuclear weapons.

Biden threatens a consequential response if Russia uses unconventional weapons

“You think I would tell you if I knew exactly what it would be? Of course I’m not going to tell you. It’ll be consequential,” Mr. Biden said, according to an excerpt from the interview. “They’ll become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been. And depending on the extent of what they do will determine what response would occur.”

His warning was in response to an interviewer’s question, not in light of any newly released intelligence suggesting that the threat had changed.

U.S. has sent private warnings to Russia against using a nuclear weapon

The attempt by the White House to cultivate what’s known in the nuclear deterrence world as “strategic ambiguity”

…

The State Department has been involved in the private communications with Moscow, but officials would not say who delivered the messages or the scope of their content.

…

Biden administration officials have emphasized that this isn’t the first time the Russian leadership has threatened to use nuclear weapons since the start of the war on Feb. 24, and have said there is no indication Russia is moving its nuclear weapons in preparation for an imminent strike.

More on the mobilization:

Some men flee Russia, fearing they could be called up to fight.

Since President Vladimir V. Putin’s announcement on Wednesday of a new troop call-up, waves of Russian men who had previously thought they were safe from being forced to the front lines have realized they could not count on staying out of their country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Some have left the country in a rush, paying rising prices to catch flights to countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Montenegro and Turkey that allow them to enter without visas.

Putin faces fury in Russia over military mobilization

As women hugged their husbands and young men boarded buses to leave for 15 days of training before potentially being deployed to Russia’s stumbling war effort in Ukraine, there were signs of mounting public anger.

More than 1,300 people were arrested at anti-mobilization protests in cities and towns across Russia on Wednesday and Thursday, in the largest public protests since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Russia, Ukraine announce major surprise prisoner swap

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the swap - which involved help from Turkey and Saudi Arabia - had been under preparation for quite a long time and involved intense haggling. Under the terms of the deal, 215 Ukrainians - most of whom were captured after the fall of Mariupol - were released.

In exchange, Ukraine sent back 55 Russians and pro-Moscow Ukrainians and Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of a banned pro-Russian party who was facing treason charges.

"This is clearly a victory for our country, for our entire society. And the main thing is that 215 families can see their loved ones safe and at home," Zelenskiy said in a video address.

The Icon of Ukrainian Resistance: Azovstal Defenders Released From Captivity

… crack troops of the Azov Battalion who led the long defense of Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks, which became an icon of Ukrainian resistance.

The defenders of Azovstal have become an example of invincibility and courage for the whole world and the worst enemies for Russia and its propaganda machine. Azov Regiment soldiers and other military personnel held the Azovstal and Mariupol plant defense for three months.

Under constant shelling and severe wounds, they held back the enemy to the last despite living in terrible conditions.

The evacuation of military personnel from Azovstal began on May 16. The commanders of the units located at the plant were ordered by the Ukrainian authorities to save the lives of the personnel, so the army was evacuated to territory not controlled by Ukraine, but by Russia.

These Ukrainian soldiers were held captive for more than four months. Some of them did not manage to return as they died as a result of the terrorist attack on Olenivka, when Russia launched a missile attack on the isolation ward where the Ukrainian military, including the defenders of Azovstal, were located.

John Hudson, who covers diplomacy and national security for @WashingtonPost, shared the following thread:

Motivation and wisdom:

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

Let’s all work together to unite this country.

And also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Subscribed

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you so much for joining us today on The View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan R. Mitchell and in a nice guy, who’s working as hard as I can to unite this country. This show is mostly about military and defense news, and I’ll explain in a moment why I think it’s important we stay informed on this topic, but the show also includes plenty of motivation, which I hope inspires you and helps you in your daily journey toward your goals.

You know, just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. And we all know that opportunities don't happen, you create them.

So, I want to make sure I do my best to feed you mentally. As you’ve probably heard, people often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily.” That was said by the great Zig Ziglar.

And I may not be the great Zig Ziglar, but my friends say I’m pretty motivating.

But this show is about more than just trying to help you as you confront whatever struggles you’re dealing with. This show is about a bigger issue confronting us, and that’s the great division that we face in America. 

A house divided cannot stand, and I will not remain silent while politicians and media personalities throw gas on a dangerous fire. These hotheads and extremists are simply seeking their own personal gain, and with every waking moment of their day, they’re doing their best to tear this country apart. And they're doing it so that they can advance to a higher office, or so that they can get more followers and advertising dollars. 

These hotheads and extremists are a danger to our country -- a serious one -- but I don’t think they speak for most Americans. Most Americans are good people, who would help you in a heartbeat. I’ve been helped out in the country, and I’ve also been helped in major cities. 

My friends, most Americans are good. And I think you need to hear this said out loud on a regular basis.

Let’s not let the loud, angry politicians and media personalities darken our hearts. And let’s also not let them rip apart this country that we all love.

I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are, and it’s time for a better way.

That’s why I’m doing this. I couldn’t find a podcast designed for people who love their country, and for people who are tired of their news being over-the-top and scary, so I decided to create one. 

This is a show designed for people who are also tired of hysterical, over-the-top politicians and media pundits, who manipulate and take advantage of an under-informed public.

It’s a show for average citizens, who I know are too busy to really study all of the issues that confront us. I’ll do my absolute best to explain things as simply as I can.

I feel I need to say just a bit about why I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions matter. Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. When we get them wrong, such as we did during the Vietnam War, our very country can be ripped apart by division and chaos. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, as we did in Vietnam, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

America is the world’s leading power, and we mostly lead the world from a position of moral authority, showing other countries how they should behave in regards to ethics, restraint, and providing freedom for their citizens.

We are a force of good for the world, although I will acknowledge that we are not perfect. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I know that our democracy doesn’t work without informed voters. And I also know we need to grow closer together and show more patience and kindness. 

I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us, and while we face great challenges as a country, America has stood together for more than 240 years.

It’s only by pulling our country closer together that we can pass on a better future for our kids, and we need to hold and cherish the beliefs that got us here today. Beliefs such as patience, kindness, and a strong belief that our best days lie before us. These are the beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the kind of optimistic beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

So, let’s get a little better informed, which I’ll do my best to help you do, while also keeping it interesting and brief. And let’s also work to get a little more united as a people. 

And with that, let’s get started. 

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Source notes follow below, with subject heading in bold. (I again apologize for not being able to do full write-ups at this time.):

Ukraine-Russia news:

An important reminder, lest we forget.

India Prime Minister Modi tells Russia’s Putin that now ‘is not an era of war’

“I know that today’s era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this,” Modi told Putin at a televised meeting in the ancient Uzbek Silk Road city of Samarkand.

As Modi made the remark, Russia’s paramount leader since 1999 pursed his lips, glanced at Modi and then looked down before touching the hair on the back of his head.

Putin told Modi that he understood the Indian leader had concerns about Ukraine, but that Moscow was doing everything it could to end the conflict.

“I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, the concerns that you constantly express,” Putin said. “We will do everything to stop this as soon as possible.”

…

India has become Russia’s No. 2 oil buyer after China as others have cut purchases following the invasion.

Hat tip to Doc (@docinkc) for the next video and footage. He’s a veteran, who mostly tweets about geopolitics and national security, so go follow him if you’re on Twitter.

From the story:

When Russian President Vladimir Putin held the final meeting of his Security Council before launching the invasion of Ukraine, one Kremlin hawk seemed to dominate the room.

Nikolai Patrushev, the powerful Security Council secretary and close Putin ally from their days together at the KGB in St. Petersburg, told the Russian president that the United States was behind tensions in eastern Ukraine and seeking to orchestrate Russia’s collapse. “Our task is to defend the territorial integrity of our country and defend its sovereignty,” Patrushev said in broadcast remarks.

Patrushev, whose position is equivalent to the U.S. national security adviser, was expressing a Cold War view that has driven Putin’s war.

News about China and Taiwan:

Tech news:

Motivation and wisdom:

Jaylen Watson (born September 17, 1998) is an American football cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ventura College before transferring to Washington State.

Watson began his college career at Ventura College. As a sophomore, he recorded 43 tackles with 13 pass breakups, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery.[1] Watson initially committed to transfer to USC, but did not enroll at the school and did not play in 2019. Watson later decommitted and signed to transfer to play at Washington State.[2]

Watson became an immediate starter at cornerback for the Washington State Cougars and was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference after recording 13 tackles, two passes broken up, a forced fumble and one recovered fumble in three games during the team's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.[3] He repeated as an honorable mention All-Pac 12 selection in his final season.[4]

Watson was a 7th round draft selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

Watson recorded his first career interception and touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. He returned the interception 99 yards for a touchdown.[7]

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

For those who want to know just a little bit more about me, here’s the short version.

I’m from Knoxville, Tenn., and I left home to join the Marine Corps at the age of 17. I was also crazy enough to demand that the Marine Corps put me down for guaranteed infantry, even though the recruiter lied and said they didn’t have any infantry slots. He was trying to get me into intelligence because I managed to somehow score high on the ASVAB test. Maybe he would have gotten a bonus if he’d been successful.

But I was a persistent little SOB and I started talking to the Army and even did a weekend training drill with their recruiters. They told me I could get infantry with them with a chance to become a Ranger. I was just about to sign when lo and behold, my Marine recruiter somehow found a guaranteed infantry slot.

It’s been said that I don’t usually stop when I make my mind up to make something happen, and I suppose that’s true to this day. I served four years in the infantry, saw enough danger to decide I no longer had anything else to prove, and exited military service in 1999.

I earned a degree from the University of Tennessee in journalism and spent ten-plus years in the news business. I worked initially as a reporter, but then went on to start a weekly newspaper. What can I say? Anyone crazy enough to start a weekly newspaper at the age of 27 is probably a dreamer and an optimist, and I confess that I’m both. 

I owned that weekly newspaper for nine years, from 2004 to 2013, but once it was clear that owning a newspaper wasn’t the best path to financial security, I went on to become an author. To date, I’ve written eleven books, and while I still have my sights set on the tallest peaks in the writing world, I’m now here, as well, a twice-a-week podcaster, who’s still in love with both this country and the news. 

And I see this podcast as a small way to continue serving our country, doing my best to inform and unite us in a time that we’re as divided as we’ve probably been in a hundred years. 

Well, I’ve talked enough about me. I really hope you’ll consider at least signing up to be a free subscriber. It sounds cheesy, but every new subscriber I get — and I promise you I get an email for each one — they really do help make my day.

And if you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

Make sure to visit our website, stanrmitchell.substack.com, again, that’s stanrmitchell.substack.com. From there, you can subscribe to the show by email, so you’ll never miss a show.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

Let’s all work together to unite this country.

So, please, try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

My friends, thank you so much for joining us today on The View from the Front podcast. My name is Stan R. Mitchell and in a nice guy, who’s working as hard as I can to unite this country. This show is mostly about military and defense news, and I’ll explain in a moment why I think it’s important we stay informed on this topic, but the show also includes plenty of motivation, which I hope inspires you and helps you in your daily journey toward your goals.

You know, just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. And we all know that opportunities don't happen, you create them.

So, I want to make sure I do my best to feed you mentally. As you’ve probably heard, people often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily.” That was said by the great Zig Ziglar.

And I may not be the great Zig Ziglar, but my friends say I’m pretty motivating.

But this show is about more than just trying to help you as you confront whatever struggles you’re dealing with. This show is about a bigger issue confronting us, and that’s the great division that we face in America. 

A house divided cannot stand, and I will not remain silent while politicians and media personalities throw gas on a dangerous fire. These hotheads and extremists are simply seeking their own personal gain, and with every waking moment of their day, they’re doing their best to tear this country apart. And they're doing it so that they can advance to a higher office, or so that they can get more followers and advertising dollars. 

These hotheads and extremists are a danger to our country -- a serious one -- but I don’t think they speak for most Americans. Most Americans are good people, who would help you in a heartbeat. I’ve been helped out in the country, and I’ve also been helped in major cities. 

My friends, most Americans are good. And I think you need to hear this said out loud on a regular basis.

Let’s not let the loud, angry politicians and media personalities darken our hearts. And let’s also not let them rip apart this country that we all love.

I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are, and it’s time for a better way.

That’s why I’m doing this. I couldn’t find a podcast designed for people who love their country, and for people who are tired of their news being over-the-top and scary, so I decided to create one. 

This is a show designed for people who are also tired of hysterical, over-the-top politicians and media pundits, who manipulate and take advantage of an under-informed public.

It’s a show for average citizens, who I know are too busy to really study al of the issues that confront us. I’ll do my absolute best to explain things as simply as I can.

I feel I need to say just a bit about why I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions matter. Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. When we get them wrong, such as we did during the Vietnam War, our very country can be ripped apart by division and chaos. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, as we did in Vietnam, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

America is the world’s leading power, and we mostly lead the world from a position of moral authority, showing other countries how they should behave in regards to ethics, restraint, and providing freedom for their citizens.

We are a force of good for the world, although I will acknowledge that we are not perfect. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I know that our democracy doesn’t work without informed voters. And I also know we need to grow closer together and show more patience and kindness. 

I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us, and while we face great challenges as a country, America has stood together for more than 240 years.

It’s only by pulling our country closer together that we can pass on a better future for our kids, and we need to hold and cherish the beliefs that got us here today. Beliefs such as patience, kindness, and a strong belief that our best days lie before us. These are the beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the kind of optimistic beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

So, let’s get a little better informed, which I’ll do my best to help you do, while also keeping it interesting and brief. And let’s also work to get a little more united as a people. 

And with that, let’s get started. 

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Ukraine-Russia news:

Rapid loss of territory in Ukraine reveals spent Russian military

Moscow’s rapid loss of more than 2,300 square miles of territory in northeastern Ukraine has raised the prospect that the Russian military is spent as an offensive force for the foreseeable future, which could limit Russian President Vladimir Putin to defending the Ukrainian territory he already holds while leaving him open to additional defeats, according to military analysts.

The situation is a sobering reality for Putin, whose forces barreled into Ukraine on Feb. 24 on a mission to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country but retreated from Kyiv just over five weeks later to concentrate on expanding control over Ukraine’s east through artillery warfare.

As Ukrainian forces roll back those eastern gains, Putin faces obstacles in replenishing the battered ranks and degraded equipment of his military to any degree that would allow Russia to again take the initiative on the battlefield. The result is an opportunity for Ukrainian forces, which despite significant losses of their own, are hoping to make more territorial gains before winter conditions harden battle lines. Further gains by Ukraine — particularly around the southern city of Kherson — would deal additional blows to Russian morale and increase pressure on Putin, who is already facing calls by hard-line Russians to announce a general mobilization that could be politically toxic for his regime.

Ukraine’s Coming Winter of Decision, by Richard N. Haass, a long-time analyst and foreign-policy advisor.

With Russia cutting off gas supplies, Ukraine’s recent military success will make it easier for European governments to justify economic and personal sacrifice during what promises to be a difficult winter.

Ukraine’s counteroffensive is having a powerful impact on Russian politics as well. Putin, facing growing criticism from conservative, nationalist forces at home, will have to decide whether to double down on the war effort and, if so, how to go about it. Doing more and asking more of the Russian people is not without domestic political risks, but arguably it could be less risky for him than a course of action that leads to additional, cascading military defeats.

For now, there is the prospect of several more months of intense fighting in the northeast and south of the country. Eventually, though, the scale will diminish as a result of frigid weather and the inability of either side to sustain large military operations.

‘The Russians are in trouble,’ U.S. official says of latest war analysis

“The Russians are in trouble,” one U.S. official said bluntly. “The question will be how the Russians will react, but their weaknesses have been exposed and they don’t have great manpower reserves or equipment reserves.”

The officials were skeptical that Putin, who has resisted calling up additional forces, would resort to extreme tactics such as the use of chemical or tactical nuclear weapons. For all their shortcomings, the Russians still have the capability to regroup and hit back hard, some officials cautioned.

Hat tip on the below goes to Steven Pifer, former US ambassador to Ukraine.

Putin Alludes to China’s ‘Concerns’ as Xi Stays Quiet on the War

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday that Moscow understood that China had “questions and concerns” about the war in Ukraine — a notable, if cryptic, admission from Mr. Putin that Beijing may not fully approve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

And his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping — in his first face-to-face meeting with Mr. Putin since the invasion began — struck a far more subdued tone than the Russian president, and steered clear in his public comments of any mention of Ukraine at all.

Taken together, the remarks were a stark sign that Russia lacks the full backing of its most powerful international partner as it tries to recover from a humiliating rout in northeastern Ukraine last week.

Why the Russian Military Brutalizes Ukraine

Nick Gvosdev: At all levels of Russian society, from the cab driver in the street to the Kremlin insider, there was a strongly held belief that Russian forces would be greeted as liberators, especially in the Russian-speaking areas of Ukraine. Indeed, the initial Russian military plan was based on the assumption that Ukrainian soldiers would refuse to fight and Ukrainian politicians would defect. This turned out not to be the case. Even more striking, it was the two largest Russian-speaking cities in Ukraine—Kharkiv and Odesa–which proved to be focal points of the successful blunting of the Russian invasion. … almost all the atrocities we’ve seen have targeted people precisely in those parts of Ukraine that are part of the Russian-speaking world. There does appear to be a strong undercurrent of giving these “traitors” their due recompense.

China news:

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Call With Philippines Senior Undersecretary and Officer in Charge of the Department of National Defense Jose Faustino, Jr.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Philippines Senior Undersecretary and Officer in Charge of the Department of National Defense Jose Faustino, Jr. on the phone today to discuss opportunities to further modernize and strengthen the U.S.-Philippines alliance.  This was their first phone call since Senior Undersecretary Faustino assumed his current roles.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Philippines alliance, especially in light of changing regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.  Secretary Austin noted that the U.S. commitment to Philippine security is ironclad, and that U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty commitments extend to Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft in the South China Sea.  Secretary Austin and Senior Undersecretary Faustino agreed to continue close operational coordination in the region.

Both leaders noted the importance of enhancing the posture of the alliance to address new and emerging challenges, including by deepening cooperation under the Visiting Forces Agreement and the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. Secretary Austin also expressed his thanks for the Philippines’ support for the people of Ukraine.

The Secretaries closed the call by underscoring the importance of a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Readout of U.S.-Vietnam Defense Policy Dialogue between Assistant Secretary of Defense Ely Ratner and Vietnam Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout:

Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Ely Ratner co-chaired the 2022 U.S.-Vietnam Defense Policy Dialogue (DPD) with Vietnam Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien in Hanoi, Vietnam on September 12, 2022. The U.S.-Vietnam DPD is the highest-level forum for advancing bilateral defense cooperation.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Vietnam comprehensive partnership, especially in light of changing regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.  Dr. Ratner noted that the U.S. commitment to a strong, prosperous, and independent Vietnam is enduring, and also highlighted continued U.S. support for ASEAN centrality.  Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the rules-based international order and agreed to work collectively and with like-minded partners to peacefully address and resolve disputes in the region.

The two leaders underscored the importance of practical cooperation between the United States and Vietnam.  Dr. Ratner and LTG Chien highlighted the importance of collective efforts to recover remains of both U.S. and Vietnamese missing personnel, and Dr. Ratner noted the Department’s enduring commitment to dioxin remediation efforts. Dr. Ratner shared new data, collected by Harvard University, to help identify missing Vietnamese personnel.  Looking forward, the two leaders agreed to focus on enhanced cooperation on defense trade, maritime security, information sharing, cyber security, and military medicine. 

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Call with Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh today to discuss a range of recent security developments of shared interest, including in East Asia, the Indian Ocean Region, and beyond.  Their call came on the heels of a productive set of engagements in New Delhi last week for the 2+2 Intersessional and Maritime Security Dialogues.  

The Secretary congratulated Minister Singh on the commissioning of the INS Vikrant, noting the significance of the event for India’s role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific.  In light of the evolving regional security environment, the two defense leaders committed to expanding information-sharing and logistics cooperation as the U.S. and Indian militaries operate and coordinate more closely together.  Secretary Austin expressed his support for additional mid-voyage repairs of U.S. Navy ships in India following the historic visit of the USNS Charles Drew to Chennai in August.  

They agreed to initiate a dialogue later this year to deepen bilateral collaboration in space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and other new defense domains.  Secretary Austin and Minister Singh highlighted their commitment to strengthening defense technology and industrial cooperation to support India’s rise as an industry leader and regional security provider.  

They also underscored the value of advancing cooperation through the Quad partnership to sustain regional peace, stability, and prosperity, including through coordinated humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. 

The two leaders committed to an ambitious set of initiatives leading up to the 2+2 Ministerial in India early next year, as the United States and India work to swiftly expand the depth and breadth of their cooperation.  They concluded the call by reaffirming the centrality of the U.S.-India defense partnership to their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Learn more about RIMPAC here: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC.

Motivation and wisdom:

I always like to end with this one:

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

For those who want to know just a little bit more about me, here’s the short version.

I’m from Knoxville, Tenn., and I left home to join the Marine Corps at the age of 17. I was also crazy enough to demand that the Marine Corps put me down for guaranteed infantry, even though the recruiter lied and said they didn’t have any infantry slots. He was trying to get me into intelligence because I managed to somehow score high on the ASVAB test. Maybe he would have gotten a bonus if he’d been successful.

But I was a persistent little SOB and I started talking to the Army and even did a weekend training drill with their recruiters. They told me I could get infantry with them with a chance to become a Ranger. I was just about to sign when lo and behold, my Marine recruiter somehow found a guaranteed infantry slot.

It’s been said that I don’t usually stop when I make my mind up to make something happen, and I suppose that’s true to this day. I served four years in the infantry, saw enough danger to decide I no longer had anything else to prove, and exited military service in 1999.

I earned a degree from the University of Tennessee in journalism and spent ten-plus years in the news business. I worked initially as a reporter, but then went on to start a weekly newspaper. What can I say? Anyone crazy enough to start a weekly newspaper at the age of 27 is probably a dreamer and an optimist, and I confess that I’m both. 

I owned that weekly newspaper for nine years, from 2004 to 2013, but once it was clear that owning a newspaper wasn’t the best path to financial security, I went on to become an author. To date, I’ve written eleven books, and while I still have my sights set on the tallest peaks in the writing world, I’m now here, as well, a twice-a-week podcaster, who’s still in love with both this country and the news. 

And I see this podcast as a small way to continue serving our country, doing my best to inform and unite us in a time that we’re as divided as we’ve probably been in a hundred years. 

Well, I’ve talked enough about me. I really hope you’ll consider at least signing up to be a free subscriber. It sounds cheesy, but every new subscriber I get — and I promise you I get an email for each one — they really do help make my day.

And if you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.

The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to make this work sustainable, and to help improve it, is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!

Make sure to visit our website, stanrmitchell.substack.com, again, that’s stanrmitchell.substack.com. From there, you can subscribe to the show by email, so you’ll never miss a show.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

Let’s all work together to unite this country.

So, please, try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Also, if you have a dream kicking around in the back of your mind? Go after it. If you have that friend or family member that you know you should reach out to? Reach out to them.

Finally, and this especially goes to all my awesome military folks listening out there, if you need help, reach out to someone. Please. Call that friend or family member. Do it for us all. We’ve already lost too many of the greatest folks that this country has produced to suicide. So I’m asking you to be brave once more, and show some vulnerability. Take a deep breath, breathe, and call a friend or family member or someone who can help.

I appreciate each and every one of you. Every tweet, every share, every email, etc. I can’t even tell you how much those mean to me, and I love each and every one of you all.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best. As always, don’t forget to check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

And with that, I’m out.

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational/biography book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

P.P.S. And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe