The Stan R. Mitchell Show

Welcome to The View from the Front podcast, a show about military and defense news, designed for serious people who love their country more than they love their political party. It’s a show for moderates, who are tired of their news being from the left or the right, or being over-the-top and scary. I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are, and I am the very opposite of most news organizations, who often write articles that are too alarming.

My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17 to serve four years in the infantry, I exited military service, earned a degree, and spent ten-plus years in the news business; initially as a reporter, but then going 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 it’s true I’m still writing, 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. 

If you were to ask anyone who lived in Oak Ridge during the nine years that I owned that weekly newspaper, they would tell you that I sought to downplay controversy, I worked hard to understate headlines, and I did my absolute best to never create panic, which is a terrible way to sell newspapers (but a responsible way for a media outlet to act).

I plan to do these same things with my podcast. I love the news, and we need the news, but we need to have news that’s less over-the-top. News that folks don’t dread to hear, because it’s too scary. And news that isn’t so blown-out-of-proportion and fear-based, that it was clearly written to be shared and scare the devil out of people. The news shouldn’t be a game intended to grab eyeballs and monetize dollars.

It is an absolute fact that our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t have informed voters, and since we’re talking about the news and informed voters, let me say this: I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions are the most important decisions that we face as a country. 

They lead to greater consequences on the world stage, and they can lead to tragic deaths. Either because we shouldn’t have intervened somewhere. Or perhaps because we should have. 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.

Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, such as when we did in the Vietnam War, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think much can be gained from discussing these issues, and creating a community where we intelligently discuss the troubles confronting us, and where we work to come closer together and respect each other’s views with more patience and kindness. 

A house divided cannot stand, and I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us. I will not remain silent while politicians seeking their own personal gain try to throw gas on a dangerous fire, doing their best to tear apart this country so that they can advance to a higher office. I will also not remain silent when we have media organizations doing great harm to our country by scaring people or creating panic. 

We face great challenges as a country, but America has stood together for more than 240 years, and it’s only together that we can pass on a better future for our kids. So, let’s get a little better informed. And let’s work to get a little more united as a people. 

Thank you for being patient and allowing me to share that monologue. I think it’s important people hear what I’m about before they listen for too long. And I think it’s also important my regular listeners hear this message enough that it sinks in. That it affects what they believe. That it affects how they act. 

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 beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

Thanks again for your patience on this intro. I know it’s not the sort of fast-paced, really hip, Twitter-friendly, Tik-tok cool intro that fits most podcasts that go viral, but maybe we’ve got a few too many podcasts that are like that. Maybe we need to go back to something deeper. To something firmer and more solid. To something we can build a foundation from. And that’s what I’m offering. 

And with, let’s get started. 

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write-ups, as well.

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.

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:

Ukranian forces have sliced through Russian defenses and now threaten to encircle and cut off conscript defenders around Izium. (See map below.)

Reuters

Ukraine has retaken 6,000 sq km of land - Zelenskiy

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retaken 6,000 square km. (2,400 square miles) of Russian-held territory since the beginning of the month.

"Since the beginning of September and up to today, our fighters have liberated more than 6,000 square km of the territory of Ukraine in the south and in the east," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video. "The advances of our forces continue."

Russia confirms big retreat near Kharkiv as Ukraine offensive advances

The retreat represents one of the biggest setbacks for Russia since President Vladimir V. Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February.

“In order to achieve the goals of the special military operation, a decision was made to regroup troops in the areas of Balakliya and Izyum in order to build up efforts in the Donetsk direction,” the Russian military statement said.

Although Russian officials sought to spin the developments — saying “a powerful fire was inflicted on the enemy using aviation, missile troops and artillery” as they withdrew — it was clear their troops were retreating to avoid being encircled. Ukrainian officials said the Russians had left behind equipment and ammunition.

Ukraine's Nuclear Power Plant Shutdown Cuts Risks

Thread link to share on European aid.

Motivation and wisdom:

Final three, and then we’re done:

And then I always like to end with this one:

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

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

Welcome to The View from the Front podcast, a show about military and defense news, designed for serious people who love their country more than they love their political party. It’s a show for moderates, who are tired of their news being from the left or the right, or being over-the-top and scary. I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are, and I am the very opposite of most news organizations, who often write articles that are too alarming.

My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17 to serve four years in the infantry, I exited military service, earned a degree, and spent ten-plus years in the news business; initially as a reporter, but then going 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 it’s true I’m still writing, 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. 

If you were to ask anyone who lived in Oak Ridge during the nine years that I owned that weekly newspaper, they would tell you that I sought to downplay controversy, I worked hard to understate headlines, and I did my absolute best to never create panic, which is a terrible way to sell newspapers (but a responsible way for a media outlet to act).

I plan to do these same things with my podcast. I love the news, and we need the news, but we need to have news that’s less over-the-top. News that folks don’t dread to hear, because it’s too scary. And news that isn’t so blown-out-of-proportion and fear-based, that it was clearly written to be shared and scare the devil out of people. The news shouldn’t be a game intended to grab eyeballs and monetize dollars.

It is an absolute fact that our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t have informed voters, and since we’re talking about the news and informed voters, let me say this: I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions are the most important decisions that we face as a country. 

They lead to greater consequences on the world stage, and they can lead to tragic deaths. Either because we shouldn’t have intervened somewhere. Or perhaps because we should have. 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.

Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, such as when we did in the Vietnam War, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think much can be gained from discussing these issues, and creating a community where we intelligently discuss the troubles confronting us, and where we work to come closer together and respect each other’s views with more patience and kindness. 

A house divided cannot stand, and I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us. I will not remain silent while politicians seeking their own personal gain try to throw gas on a dangerous fire, doing their best to tear apart this country so that they can advance to a higher office. I will also not remain silent when we have media organizations doing great harm to our country by scaring people or creating panic. 

We face great challenges as a country, but America has stood together for more than 240 years, and it’s only together that we can pass on a better future for our kids. So, let’s get a little better informed. And let’s work to get a little more united as a people. 

Thank you for being patient and allowing me to share that monologue. I think it’s important people hear what I’m about before they listen for too long. And I think it’s also important my regular listeners hear this message enough that it sinks in. That it affects what they believe. That it affects how they act. 

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 beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

Thanks again for your patience on this intro. I know it’s not the sort of fast-paced, really hip, Twitter-friendly, Tik-tok cool intro that fits most podcasts that go viral, but maybe we’ve got a few too many podcasts that are like that. Maybe we need to go back to something deeper. To something firmer and more solid. To something we can build a foundation from. And that’s what I’m offering. 

And with, let’s get started. 

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write-ups, as well.

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:

Ukraine's success in Kherson, Kharkiv encouraging -Pentagon chief

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv and Kherson have recaptured more than 270 square miles of territory in the south and in the east, where they advanced up to 31 miles into Russian lines and have retaken more than 20 villages.

President Vladimir V. Putin on Wednesday argues that the West had failed in its “economic, financial and technological aggression” against Russia 

“We have not lost anything and will not lose anything,” Mr. Putin said at an economic conference in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok.

Showing no sign of stopping the invasion, now in its seventh month, an ever-defiant Mr. Putin said that Moscow had raised its international stature and rid itself of “harmful” elements inside the country. He also reasserted his interpretation of the war in Ukraine as the culmination of his effort to subvert an unjust world order led by the United States.

U.S. dials up shipments of radar-hunting missiles for Ukraine

The Biden administration is sending the Ukrainian military more radar-hunting missiles, U.S. officials said Thursday, a move intended to bolster its aerial-attack capabilities against invading Russian forces.

…

The weapons, known as high-speed, antiradiation missiles, or HARMs, are part of a $675 million arms package that President Biden has newly approved for transfer to the government in Kyiv. The military aid also includes additional rounds for rocket artillery systems that Ukraine has used against Russian positions hundreds of times, remote-detonated antitank mines and 105mm howitzer cannons and rounds for them.

“Ukraine is fighting for its life,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he announced the latest weapons transfer at a meeting of several countries supporting Ukraine’s war effort. “It’s fighting for its sovereign territory, and its democracy and its freedom. But the stakes reach far beyond the front lines. They affect us all.”

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

As far as your first question, yes, we do have indications that Russia has approached North Korea to request ammunition.  I'm not able to provide any more detail than that at this point in time, but it does demonstrate and is indicative of the situation that Russia finds itself in terms of its logistics and sustainment capabilities as it relates to Ukraine.  Certainly, as has been said, we assess that things are not going well on that front for Russia, so the fact that they're reaching out to North Korea is a sign that they're having some challenges on the sustainment front.  Thank you.

Q:  Just a quick follow then.  You talked about they're in a process getting these weapons.  Does that mean they have, like, sent the money over?  They're waiting for the shipment?  Have they not sent money over?  What part of the process are they in?

GEN. RYDER:  Yeah, so the information we have is that they have approached North Korea, but beyond that, I don't have any further details to provide.

Q: And just to follow up, why declassify this information now? Is it because you received it now, or because the process of declassification took awhile? I guess why now?

GEN. RYDER: So what I would say, Idris, is that as this campaign has unfolded, we've tried to make an effort to ensure that the public and the international community understand the situation that Russia finds itself as they, again, continue to wage their campaign in Ukraine. This information is relevant to the fight in the sense that, again, it's indicative of the situation that Russia finds itself in and shows the fact that they are trying to reach out to international actors like Iran and North Korea that don't have the best record when it comes to international stability.

Q:  Just to follow up on that, we heard from Colin Kahl a couple of weeks ago that there were no new assessments that China was going to invade Taiwan any sooner than we've previously thought.  Is that now that a couple of weeks have passed since these exercises happened and we've seen China, you know, continuing to violate Taiwan's airspace, is there any new assessments going on about the prospect of this happening in the next five, 10 years?

RYDER:  Yes, I'm not aware of any new assessments.

Sea drones captured by Iran:

Q:  Hey, yes, Liz Friden with Fox News. Thanks for taking my question.

As far as the Iranian capturing the sea drones last week, there were two different incidents in the Middle East. Does the U.S. make anything of this happening suddenly, as the Iran negotiations are ongoing with the nuclear deal?

And is this part of a greater trend?

GEN. RYDER:  Yeah, thanks for the question, Liz.

So we do not see the two as connected.  Again, as you're aware, in the case of the saildrones, we did recover the drones and it's just another example of Iranian activity in this region that is unprofessional and problematic.

And so certainly we'll continue to keep an eye on that front, but again, to answer your question, we do not see those two as connected.

Q:  Oh, okay, sorry.  Look, going back to the Saildrones, can you say on what basis these were recovered, what demands did you -- did the U.S. Navy make to the Iranians, and was there a threat leveled, was there a kinetic force considered?

And stepping back more broadly, can you say how many of these have you deployed in the Gulf and are they only there or is the Navy using them in such a large number elsewhere in the world?

RYDER:  Sure.  To answer your first question -- so as I understand it, the Iranian Navy held these Saildrones on their deck of their ship overnight and returned them the next morning.  In terms of how long they've been operating in the vicinity or in this area, these drones are operated as part of 5th Fleet's Task Force 59.

They've been operating in the region since the beginning of the year, so January of 2022.  And they are a way that we are able to provide information to NAVCENT quickly, as far as safely transiting the area, providing information in terms of potential issues or threats in the area, but bottom line is that, again, there was no situation in which forces were, as you put it, hostile.  They took them and then the two U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers that were operating in the vicinity responded, moved into the area, but then shortly after, like I said, overnight, the Iranians released them.  Thank you.

Watch Iran try (and fail) to kidnap an American drone boat at sea

NY Times: ‘Playing With Fire’: U.N. Team Calls for No-Fire Zone at Ukraine Nuclear Plant

On Tuesday, the inspectors reported having found Russian military equipment parked inside buildings, as well as damage to buildings housing fresh nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. Plant operators, they said, were being denied access to some parts of the facility, including the cooling ponds. And even the on-site emergency center has been compromised, and is now being used by Russian military personnel, the inspectors said.

For Europeans alarmed at the prospect of a Chernobyl-like nuclear disaster in the heart of the continent, the visit by the inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the report that resulted made it only clearer that there is little the world is able — or willing — to do. Not only is the agency powerless to stop the fighting around the plant, the shelling persisted even while they were there, at one point forcing inspectors to take cover.

Bonus material:

Iran thought it had impunity until Albania reacted- analysis

Motivation and wisdom:

Final three, and then we’re done:

And then I always like to end with this one:

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

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

Welcome to The View from the Front podcast, a show about military and defense news, designed for serious people who love their country more than they love their political party. It’s a show for moderates, who are tired of their news being from the left or the right, or being over-the-top and scary. I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are, and I am the very opposite of most news organizations, who often write articles that are too alarming.

My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17 to serve four years in the infantry, I exited military service, earned a degree, and spent ten-plus years in the news business; initially as a reporter, but then going 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 it’s true I’m still writing, 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. 

If you were to ask anyone who lived in Oak Ridge during the nine years that I owned that weekly newspaper, they would tell you that I sought to downplay controversy, I worked hard to understate headlines, and I did my absolute best to never create panic, which is a terrible way to sell newspapers (but a responsible way for a media outlet to act).

I plan to do these same things with my podcast. I love the news, and we need the news, but we need to have news that’s less over-the-top. News that folks don’t dread to hear, because it’s too scary. And news that isn’t so blown-out-of-proportion and fear-based, that it was clearly written to be shared and scare the devil out of people. The news shouldn’t be a game intended to grab eyeballs and monetize dollars.

It is an absolute fact that our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t have informed voters, and since we’re talking about the news and informed voters, let me say this: I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions are the most important decisions that we face as a country. 

They lead to greater consequences on the world stage, and they can lead to tragic deaths. Either because we shouldn’t have intervened somewhere. Or perhaps because we should have. 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.

Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, such as when we did in the Vietnam War, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think much can be gained from discussing these issues, and creating a community where we intelligently discuss the troubles confronting us, and where we work to come closer together and respect each other’s views with more patience and kindness. 

A house divided cannot stand, and I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us. I will not remain silent while politicians seeking their own personal gain try to throw gas on a dangerous fire, doing their best to tear apart this country so that they can advance to a higher office. I will also not remain silent when we have media organizations doing great harm to our country by scaring people or creating panic. 

We face great challenges as a country, but America has stood together for more than 240 years, and it’s only together that we can pass on a better future for our kids. So, let’s get a little better informed. And let’s work to get a little more united as a people. 

Thank you for being patient and allowing me to share that monologue. I think it’s important people hear what I’m about before they listen for too long. And I think it’s also important my regular listeners hear this message enough that it sinks in. That it affects what they believe. That it affects how they act. 

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 beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

Thanks again for your patience on this intro. I know it’s not the sort of fast-paced, really hip, Twitter-friendly, Tik-tok cool intro that fits most podcasts that go viral, but maybe we’ve got a few too many podcasts that are like that. Maybe we need to go back to something deeper. To something firmer and more solid. To something we can build a foundation from. And that’s what I’m offering. 

And with, let’s get started. 

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write-ups, as well.

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:

Ukraine making progress in the south toward Kherson, and also (improbably) in the east in the Donbas region.

* “The Ukrainian counteroffensive is making verifiable progress in the south and the east,” according to the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank. ISW analysts said “Ukrainian forces are advancing along several axes” to the west of the Kherson region and “have secured territory” in Donetsk, one of two eastern regions that make up the Donbas area. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday after a meeting of Ukraine’s defense, military and intelligence chiefs that “Ukrainian flags are returning to the places where they should be by right.”

China:

* A long-awaited UN report condemns China’s actions in Xinjiang

From the column:

So what changes in our policy would accrue to the benefit of Taiwan’s security? First, we certainly should mobilise and expedite more arms deliveries to Taiwan. Congress can authorise Taiwan, long a buyer of American weapons, to receive military assistance grants to increase its purchasing power. Specifically, we should authorise the large sale of weapons such as Javelins, Stingers, sea mines and portable Harpoon missiles that are difficult for the People’s Liberation Army to target.

Second, Congress can grant the president new authority to mete out crushing sanctions against Chinese decision-makers should they move against Taiwan.

Third, through assistance programs, we should double down on our investments overseas to counter Chinese influence campaigns designed to undermine Taiwan’s democracy or coerce allies like Lithuania from working with Taiwan. We should deepen our trade ties with Taiwan to help lessen its dependence on China and more fully integrate its supply chains with ours. Educational and military exchanges should be ramped up to increase people-to-people ties and to continue building capacity and professionalism in Taiwan’s armed forces—while further reinforcing our shared values of civilian control of these forces and respect for human rights.

Fourth, we should push for Taiwan’s representation in international bodies and multilateral institutions, countering China’s attempts to isolate the island diplomatically.

China has changed its approach to Taiwan and American policy must evolve as a result. But in an environment where the stakes are high and risks of miscalculation even higher, we have to make changes carefully and thoughtfully—serving both American values and American security interests, making democratic Taiwan safer and avoiding a catastrophic war with China.

Military news:

Bonus material:

(Hat tip on this lead goes to Aida, https://twitter.com/aida74432322.)

Motivation and wisdom:

Final three, and then we’re done:

And then I always like to end with this one:

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

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.

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!

Welcome to The View from the Front podcast, a show about military and defense news, designed for serious people who love their country more than they love their political party. It’s a show for moderates, who are tired of their news being from the left or the right, or being over-the-top and scary. I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are, and I am the very opposite of most news organizations, who often write articles that are too alarming.

My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17 to serve four years in the infantry, I exited military service, earned a degree, and spent ten-plus years in the news business; initially as a reporter, but then going 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 it’s true I’m still writing, 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. 

If you were to ask anyone who lived in Oak Ridge during the nine years that I owned that weekly newspaper, they would tell you that I sought to downplay controversy, I worked hard to understate headlines, and I did my absolute best to never create panic, which is a terrible way to sell newspapers (but a responsible way for a media outlet to act).

I plan to do these same things with my podcast. I love the news, and we need the news, but we need to have news that’s less over-the-top. News that folks don’t dread to hear, because it’s too scary. And news that isn’t so blown-out-of-proportion and fear-based, that it was clearly written to be shared and scare the devil out of people. The news shouldn’t be a game intended to grab eyeballs and monetize dollars.

It is an absolute fact that our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t have informed voters, and since we’re talking about the news and informed voters, let me say this: I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions are the most important decisions that we face as a country. 

They lead to greater consequences on the world stage, and they can lead to tragic deaths. Either because we shouldn’t have intervened somewhere. Or perhaps because we should have. 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.

Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, such as when we did in the Vietnam War, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think much can be gained from discussing these issues, and creating a community where we intelligently discuss the troubles confronting us, and where we work to come closer together and respect each other’s views with more patience and kindness. 

A house divided cannot stand, and I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us. I will not remain silent while politicians seeking their own personal gain try to throw gas on a dangerous fire, doing their best to tear apart this country so that they can advance to a higher office. I will also not remain silent when we have media organizations doing great harm to our country by scaring people or creating panic. 

We face great challenges as a country, but America has stood together for more than 240 years, and it’s only together that we can pass on a better future for our kids. So, let’s get a little better informed. And let’s work to get a little more united as a people. 

Thank you for being patient and allowing me to share that monologue. I think it’s important people hear what I’m about before they listen for too long. And I think it’s also important my regular listeners hear this message enough that it sinks in. That it affects what they believe. That it affects how they act. 

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 beliefs that got us to this point. And they’re also the beliefs that will get us to a brighter future. 

Thanks again for your patience on this intro. I know it’s not the sort of fast-paced, really hip, Twitter-friendly, Tik-tok cool intro that fits most podcasts that go viral, but maybe we’ve got a few too many podcasts that are like that. Maybe we need to go back to something deeper. To something firmer and more solid. To something we can build a foundation from. And that’s what I’m offering. 

And with, let’s get started. 

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write-ups, as well.

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:

From the story, which quoted Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency:

The goal of his multiday inspection was to set up a permanent monitoring mission at the plant and assess the safety situation there. It is unclear how extensive his team’s access will be after his departure.

The nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, is controlled by Russian forces but operated by Ukrainian engineers. Over the past few months, it has experienced a frightening array of artillery barrages, uncontrolled fires and power outages with a skeleton crew of workers sometimes held at gunpoint.

…

Grossi had been negotiating a visit to the plant since March, when Russian forces first seized the facility. A proposal to enter through Russian-occupied Crimea was rejected by Ukraine, which viewed that itinerary as an affront to its sovereignty.

From the story:

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told CNN that “the United States has routine military-to-military dialogue at multiple levels with Ukraine. We will not comment on the specifics of those engagements. Generally speaking, we provide the Ukrainians with information to help them better understand the threats they face and defend their country against Russian aggression. Ultimately, the Ukrainians are making the final decisions for their operations.”

From the column:

The Russian military is disoriented because of the pounding they’ve received, U.S. officials believe. Analysts estimate that Russia has lost thousands of officers, including hundreds of colonels and dozens of generals. The relentless attacks have forced Russian commanders to keep moving headquarters posts, adding to their command and logistical problems.

Ukraine’s other big advantage in this new phase of the war is the “partisan” campaign behind the lines against the Russian occupiers. U.S. military commanders warned their Russian counterparts to expect this brutal irregular warfare, based on the U.S. experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. Russian officials didn’t listen, and now they’re facing attacks they don’t see coming and can’t root out, despite all their firepower. Every Ukrainian with a cellphone is an artillery spotter or intelligence collector.

From the story:

The chairman of Russian oil and gas giant Lukoil — which spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine — has died after falling out of a hospital window, state news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS reported Thursday.

Ravil Maganov died at the Central Clinical Hospital west of Moscow, according to the reports, which cite the hospital and law enforcement sources.

"The incident occurred around 07:00 am Moscow time in the Central Clinical Hospital ... The man fell out of the sixth-floor window and died as a result of his injuries," a source told TASS.

Lukoil confirmed Maganov’s death in a statement published on its website, saying only that the executive died "following a severe illness" and making no mention of a fall.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks Provides Virtual Keynote Remarks to the DARPA Forward Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE KATHLEEN HICKS:

As you've probably gathered over the last day and a half, in the Department of Defense, there's no shortage of big challenges that we're thinking about every day. We face a pacing challenge in the People's Republic of China, which is today the most consequential strategic competitor to the United States on the global stage. We face in Russia an acute threat to the international system, as illustrated by its ongoing, brutal war of choice against Ukraine. We face persistent regional threats, like those emanating from North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist organizations. And we face threats that transcend national and regional borders, including pandemics like COVID-19 and climate change.

…

To be clear, the United States faces these many challenges with many strategic advantages, and you're one of them. All over America, we have an incredibly vibrant innovation ecosystem that is the envy of the world. DARPA's part of it and so are all of you.

Because of this innovation ecosystem, which also draws strength from our partnerships with like-minded friends and allies around the world, we're able to figure out some really wicked problems, like how to resupply and reinforce Army and Marine Corps units spread out on islands across half a hemisphere with capabilities like distributed additive manufacturing and proliferated low signature delivery systems so they can operate and be sustained no matter what an enemy does or how contested the logistics environment gets, or how we integrate sensors and fuse data across every domain while leveraging cutting edge decision support tools to enable high tempo operations, a Joint All-Domain Command and Control approach that will make us even better than we already are at joint operations and combat integration.

…

DR. HICKS: First of all, AUKUS is right at the top of that, and for those who may not be aware, AUKUS is the U.S., Australia and Great Britain coming together in an intentional way to focus on how we can achieve mutual advantage by sharing on the research and development, and ultimately, production side on technology. There are a couple of different aspects of that. The -- the -- the one big -- pillar one, it's called -- one big area is undersea warfare capability and making sure we can mutually strengthen our undersea capabilities. Again, that's an area of advantage for the United States and its Western allies. So making sure we can keep that as an enduring advantage will require us to continue staying at the cutting edge of that technology.

…

But we don't stop there. We have many other bilateral, trilateral, and even in the case of Asia, a quad approach where we're constantly working with others on the operational challenges they face. I'll say again, some of our Asia-Pacific partners are focused more than anything on climate change. So sometimes it's something like that where their defense communities are very focused on the existential risk, if they're island nations, for instance. And sometimes it's all the way up at the higher end of potential warfare, making sure that they can protect themselves against anything from hypersonic missile systems to nuclear capabilities that could be put forward, and everything in between. We need allies and partners where they are on the things they want to work on together. There's a lot of opportunity in that. And we also, by taking that approach, by focusing on ensuring stability in the region rather than trying to increase tensions, we become the partner of choice for many in the region. That protects us economically and it protects us in our security realm.

Motivation and wisdom:

Final three, and then we’re done:

And then I always like to end with this one:

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

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

Hi friends! Welcome to The View from the Front podcast, a show about military and defense news, designed for people who are serious about their love for this country, and who love their country more than they love their political party. It’s a show for moderates, who are sick of their news being from the left or the right, or being over-the-top and scary. I am the very opposite of most click-bait news, and I fully understand how frustrated most Americans feel at how divided we are. I feel the same way.

My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17 to serve four years in the infantry, I exited military service, earned a degree, and spent ten years as a journalist and newspaper publisher, learning about how our government truly works. After nine years of owning a weekly newspaper, I went on to become an author and have written eleven books to date, and now I’m here, 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.

It is an absolute fact that our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t have informed voters, and I’m convinced that foreign-policy decisions are the most important decisions that we face as a country.

It’s crucial that we get our foreign-policy decisions right, and that we avoid our isolationist tendencies as a country. It’s also crucial that when we get them wrong, such as when we did in the Vietnam War, then the faster we can course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think much can be gained from discussing these issues, and creating a community where we intelligently discuss the troubles confronting us, and where we work to come closer together and respect each other’s views with more patience and kindness.

A house divided cannot stand, and I strongly believe that more unites us than divides us. I will not remain silent while politicians seeking their own personal gain try to throw gas on a dangerous fire, doing their best to tear apart this country so that they can advance to a higher office. Our country has stood together for more than 240 years and it’s only together that we can pass on a better future for our kids.

With that small opening out of the way, let’s get to today’s edition.

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write-ups, as well.

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:

* International inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are expected to visit the nuclear power plant in Ukraine where fighting is happening; occupied by Russians, but being operated by Ukrainian workers. CNN: IAEA to visit Zaporizhia nuclear plant 'in next few days,' as Ukraine officials hand out iodine pills

From the story above:

A senior Chinese official told the UN on Friday that just one incident might cause a serious nuclear accident “with irreversible consequences for the ecosystem and public health of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries”.

Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative at the UN, pointedly called on all parties involved “to exercise maximum restraint strictly abide by international law and minimise the risk of accidents”, adding: ”We must not allow the tragedies of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents to be repeated.”

From the story above:

When Putin launched his all-out invasion of Ukraine in February, the Crimea-based fleet was at the center of the action, launching Kalibr cruise missiles at military and civilian targets deep into the country, blocking access to the country’s ports, and threatening an amphibious landing on Odesa.

Since those early days, however, Kyiv has seized the initiative as missile strikes and mysterious explosions have wreaked havoc on the Russian fleet, sinking several vessels — including its flagship cruiser the Moskva — and devastating its Crimea-based air wing in a dramatic attack this month.

…

Not only is the cruiser Moskva sitting at the bottom of the Black Sea, but days of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on the Russian-occupied Snake Island in May and June damaged or destroyed several smaller landing and transport ships the Russians had docked on the strategic island 22 miles off Ukraine’s southwest coast. The strikes also took out several modern air defense and radar systems, essentially ending Russia’s dominance of the sea and air and returning a key piece of land to Kyiv’s control.

From the story:

After a few weeks in the field, the decoys drew at least 10 Kalibr cruise missiles, an initial success that led Ukraine to expand the production of the replicas for broader use, said the senior Ukrainian official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

The use of rocket system decoys, which has not been reported previously, is one of many asymmetrical tactics Ukraine’s armed forces have adopted to fight back against a bigger and better-equipped invading enemy. In recent weeks, Kyiv’s operatives have blown up rail and electricity lines in occupied Russian territory, detonated explosives inside Russian arms depots and assassinated suspected collaborators.

…

U.S. defense officials say Russia’s stockpile of precision-guided missiles has been running low, and U.S. export controls on microchips are making it “a lot harder” for Russia to replenish those munitions, Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, said earlier this month.

* Eric K., who served 22 yrs in the Army, pointed out the following story to me.

China:

Tech news:

Web link: AFSOC to finally mount a laser weapon on an AC-130 gunship

Motivation and wisdom:

From the story:

TID states that the project will also serve as a "proof of concept" to further study "solar over canal design." The agency cites a 2021 University of California, Merced study, which showed that covering all of the approximately 4,000 miles of public water delivery system infrastructure in the state with solar panels could save an estimated 63 billion gns of water annually, as well as  result in significant energy and cost savings. 

"According to the study, the 13 gigawatts of solar power the panels would generate each year would equal about one-sixth of the state's current installed capacity," TID wrote on its website. 

And then I always like to end with this one:

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

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

Hello everybody, this is Stan R. Mitchell and you’re listening to The View from the Front podcast, a show about military matters happening around the world, followed by some motivation at the end of each episode! Because who doesn’t need all the motivation they can get?! At least once or twice a week!

Every Tuesday and Friday, I discuss military and defense news, as well as some history, motivation, and wisdom. (And I do all of this from a moderate perspective.)

I am your host, and I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17 to serve four years in the infantry, I exited military service, earned a degree, and spent ten years as a journalist, learning about our government and how it works.

I went on to become an author and have written eleven books to date, and now I’m here, 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. 

Thanks so much for joining us today! I really enjoy talking about military matters and motivation, and I truly am honored that you’re here.

I will also say our democracy doesn’t work if we don’t have informed voters, and that I think foreign-policy decisions are the most important decisions that we face as a country.

They lead to greater consequences: more deaths, higher spending, etc. Foreign policy decisions can be tragic and heartbreaking, and it’s important that we get them right. And when we get them wrong, such as we did in Vietnam, then the faster we course correct, the faster we can reduce how many lives we lose. 

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think much can be gained from discussing this, and creating a community where we all talk about these issues twice a week and do our best to make the correct decisions.

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write-ups, as well.

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:

Link to thread by retired General Mick Ryan.

China:

From the story (hat tip to David Mitchell):

Taiwan’s geography leaves it vulnerable to a blockade. Its population, industry and ports are concentrated on its western flank, closest to China.

China could impose a blockade, by sending ships and submarines to prevent vessels from entering or leaving Taiwan’s ports. It could use warplanes and missiles to dominate the skies.

Syria:

Questions are good.

Afghanistan:

And if you missed the previous podcast, where I talk about the Afghanistan withdrawal and you can actually hear the emotion in my voice, see below (or go to this link):

Bonus material:

The US military is still missing 6 nuclear weapons that were lost decades ago

Motivation and wisdom:

And then I always like to end with this one:

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

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 or in iTunes, Stitcher, or your other favorite channel, so you’ll never miss a show.

While you’re at it, if you found value in this show, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes – or if you’d simply tell a friend about the show, that would help us out too. And if you really want to really show us some love, throw a few bucks in the hat by subscribing. That will get you the Tuesday edition without the one-day delay, and it’ll also help us grow and improve the show. And if you dig military matters as much as me, make sure you check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

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.

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

What’s going on, guys?! Hope everyone is doing well!

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. (I’ll talk about the show below.)

So, if you just happen to be stopping by on the internet, or you’ve arrived here from the Apple Podcast, you’ll find the source notes here on my substack.

On the other hand, if you’re on Apple Podcast or one of the other podcast apps, you’ll need to click the “episode website” button at the bottom to reach those notes. Otherwise, not all of them will show up, as tweets don’t appear in the text-only summary of the podcast apps.

And I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write ups, as well.

With that out of the way, welcome to the View from the Front!! 

A podcast about military matters happening around the world, followed by some motivation at the end! Because who doesn’t need all the motivation they can get?! At least once or twice a week!

Every Tuesday and Friday, I discuss military and defense news, as well as some history, motivation, and wisdom. (And I do all of this from a moderate perspective.) 

I am your host, and my name is Stan R. Mitchell. I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After spending ten years as a journalist, I became an author and have written eleven books to date!

Source notes:

Ukraine:

How much grain is being shipped from Ukraine?

We've been debating what the attack on the air base was for the past two podcast editions. (Long-range missiles or saboteurs, as The Washington Post claimed.)

This seems to be a VERY strong case for loitering ammunition, explained below.

Great thread.

Video of General McCaffrey saying that Russia is facing “a growing desperation” that the Ukrainians are fighting a deep battle using HIMARs, special operations, and partisan operations.

“I think the Russians are in trouble,” he said.

Recruiting news:

US Air Force grounds Osprey fleet after dangerous clutch

Bonus material:

Motivation and wisdom:

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

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 or in iTunes, Stitcher, or your other favorite channel, so you’ll never miss a show.

While you’re at it, if you found value in this show, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes – or if you’d simply tell a friend about the show, that would help us out too. And if you really want to really show us some love, throw a few bucks in the hat by subscribing. That will get you the Tuesday edition without the one-day delay, and it’ll also help us grow and improve the show. And if you dig military matters as much as me, make sure you check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

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.

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

What’s going on, guys?! Hope everyone is doing well!

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. (I’ll talk about the show below.)

So, if you just happen to be stopping by on the internet, or you’ve arrived here from the Apple Podcast, you’ll find the source notes here on my substack.

On the other hand, if you’re on Apple Podcast or one of the other podcast apps, you’ll need to click the “episode website” button at the bottom to reach those notes. Otherwise, not all of them will show up, as tweets don’t appear in the text-only summary of the podcast apps.

And I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write ups, as well.

With that out of the way, welcome to the View from the Front!! 

A podcast about military matters happening around the world, followed by some motivation at the end! Because who doesn’t need all the motivation they can get?! At least once or twice a week!

Every Tuesday and Friday, I discuss military and defense news, as well as some history, motivation, and wisdom. (And I do all of this from a moderate perspective.) 

I am your host, and my name is Stan R. Mitchell. I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After spending ten years as a journalist, I became an author and have written eleven books to date!

Source notes:

Ukraine:

CNN: Russian vehicles seen inside turbine hall at Ukraine nuclear

The one-year anniversary of our Afghan withdrawal notes:

A U.S. Marine, a curious Afghan boy, an unfathomable moment

The Marine Corps:

Motivation and inspiration:

The world's smallest sea turtle nests in Louisiana for the first time in 75 years

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

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 or in iTunes, Stitcher, or your other favorite channel, so you’ll never miss a show.

While you’re at it, if you found value in this show, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes – or if you’d simply tell a friend about the show, that would help us out too. And if you really want to be a rock star, throw a few bucks in the hat by subscribing. That will get you the Tuesday edition without the one-day delay, and it’ll also help us grow and improve the show. And if you dig military matters as much as me, make sure you check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

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.

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

What’s going on, guys?! Hope everyone is doing well!

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. (I’ll talk about the show below.)

So, if you just happen to be stopping by on the internet, or you’ve arrived here from the Apple Podcast, you’ll find the source notes here on my substack.

On the other hand, if you’re on Apple Podcast or one of the other podcast apps, you’ll need to click the “episode website” button at the bottom to reach those notes. Otherwise, not all of them will show up, as tweets don’t appear in the text-only summary of the podcast apps.

And I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write ups, as well.

About me: I am a prior infantry Marine, who earned the rank of Sergeant and a Combat Action Ribbon in 1997, and I love doing this podcast twice a week.

For those who don’t know, every Tuesday and Friday, I discuss military and defense news, as well as some history, motivation, and wisdom. (And I do all of this from a moderate perspective.) 

Tuesday posts will be available to everyone, but they’ll be delayed by one day unless you’re a paid subscriber.

That way, it will encourage folks to support what we’re doing here if they can, but also doesn’t really penalize you if you can’t make that $5 a month payment. At most, you’re waiting an additional day for the content.

So, if you believe in what we’re doing, and you want to be a part of this community, I’d be honored if you signed up. Either as a free or paid subscriber.

So, that’s what I’m trying to do here. I don’t claim to know the answers, but I think we can ask the questions, seeks the answers, and make a difference.

And this concept is why I do all of this from a moderate perspective. I believe with we have to pull this country together. We have to stop hating those on the other side of the aisle and we have to stop rewarding the loudest (and most angry) voices on either side.

We need compromise, respect for the other side, and a more serious dignity and weight to our politics.

So, please, join what we’re trying to do. Sign up for free at a minimum. And chip in a few bucks if you can.

Source notes:

What’s up with the Crimea water crisis? (EXPLAINER)

Why a regiment of Belarusian dissidents is fighting for Ukraine from The Economist

Tech News:

Motivation and inspiration:

That’s it for this edition.

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

Let’s all work together to unite this country. We have to stop hating those on the other side of the aisle and we have to stop rewarding the loudest (and most angry) voices on either side.

We need to bring back more decency to our politics. We need compromise, respect for the other side, and a more serious gravity to the matters before our country.

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

And, please, if you haven’t already, sign up for free episodes at a minimum. We’d be proud to have you join us here.

And if you love what you’re we’re doing, throw a couple of bucks in the hat by subscribing below.

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.

And also, if you have two seconds, drop a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. I think we only have a few ratings, so a little love there might help us grow the show a little better.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best.

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!

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

What’s going on, guys?! Happy Friday!

Hope everyone is doing well!

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. (I’ll talk about the show below.)

So, if you just happen to be stopping by on the internet, or you’ve arrived here from the Apple Podcast, you’ll find the source notes here on my substack.

On the other hand, if you’re on Apple Podcast or one of the other podcast apps, you’ll need to click the “episode website” button at the bottom to reach those notes. Otherwise, not all of them will show up, as tweets don’t appear in the text-only summary of the podcast apps.

About me: I am a prior infantry Marine, who earned the rank of Sergeant and a Combat Action Ribbon in 1997, and I love doing this podcast twice a week.

For those who don’t know, every Tuesday and Friday, I discuss military and defense news, as well as some history, motivation, and wisdom. (And I do all of this from a moderate perspective.) 

Tuesday posts will be available to everyone, but they’ll be delayed by one day unless you’re a paid subscriber.

That way, it will encourage folks to support what we’re doing here if they can, but also doesn’t really penalize you if you can’t make that $5 a month payment. At most, you’re waiting an additional day for the content.

So, if you believe in what we’re doing, and you want to be a part of this community, I’d be honored if you signed up. Either as a free or paid subscriber.

So, that’s what I’m trying to do here. I don’t claim to know the answers, but I think we can ask the questions, seeks the answers, and make a difference.

And this concept is why I do all of this from a moderate perspective. I believe with we have to pull this country together. We have to stop hating those on the other side of the aisle and we have to stop rewarding the loudest (and most angry) voices on either side.

We need compromise, respect for the other side, and a more serious dignity and weight to our politics.

So, please, join what we’re trying to do. Sign up for free at a minimum. And chip in a few bucks if you can.

Source notes

Russia:

David Ignatius on Morning Joe, 8/12: 98 percent of Ukrainians believe they’re going to win the war. And that’s up from 96 in the previous poll.

Economist story quoted from: Ukraine’s allies gather in Copenhagen

I discussed several weeks ago in my podcast that Somalia was going to start heating up, and sure enough, here beith some proof of that.

Motivation and inspiration:

That’s it for this edition.

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

Let’s all work together to unite this country. We have to stop hating those on the other side of the aisle and we have to stop rewarding the loudest (and most angry) voices on either side.

We need to bring back more decency to our politics. We need compromise, respect for the other side, and a more serious gravity to the matters before our country.

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

And, please, if you haven’t already, sign up for free episodes at a minimum. We’d be proud to have you join us here.

And if you love what you’re we’re doing, throw a couple of bucks in the hat by subscribing below.

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.

And also, if you have two seconds, drop a rating or review on Apple Podcasts. I think we only have a few ratings, so a little love there might help us grow the show a little better.

Thanks again, everyone! You guys are the best.

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!

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