War Stories with Preston and Sayre

225: Fighting the Global War on Terror with the Bastogne Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined with Michael Franks. Michael joined the Army in 2005 on an 18X contract inbound to Special Forces. Injury changed his course where...

224: David Bellavia - Remember the Ramrods

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined today with David Bellavia. Famed for his legendary valor and determination, Bellavia is the Iraq War's sole living Medal of Honor r...

223: Chuck Holton - Reporting events on the ground in Ukraine

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined with Chuck Holton to discuss Ukraine. Chuck is a former Army Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment having served in Panama for Oper...

222: Diving into the Civil War with James Cosgrove of Project Past

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined with James Cosgrove. James is the curator of Project Past which explores American battlefields, museums, and little-known historic...

221: Sharing insights from the war in Ukraine with Ian Richardson

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we are again joined with Ian Richardson to discuss Ukraine. Ian is a Captain in the Army Reserve and formerly served as a Logistics Officer in ...

220: Why Ukraine Matters with John Spencer

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined again today with John Spencer to talk Ukraine. Spencer is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combat veteran, and international...

219: A LRRP Ranger in Vietnam helping to improve the VA for his fellow veterans - Artie Guerrero

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined with Artie Guerrero. Artie served in Vietnam so his younger brother didn't have to and was one of fourteen to be hand-selected int...

218: Exploring World War 2 Battlefields with JD Huitt of The History Underground

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

JD Huitt of the YouTube channel The History Underground joins us today. JD is a historian who has spent much of his personal time travelling to and do...

217: Taking on veteran suicide with retired Navy SEAL Dave Berkenfield

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined today with Dave Berkenfield. Dave retired after spending 25 years in special operations having served as a Navy SEAL beginning in the 90...

216: Life as a US Army drill sergeant with SFC Corey Jones

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined in this episode today with Corey Jones. Corey is a Drill Sergeant at Ft. Benning, Georgia where he turns Army recruits into infantrymen ...

215: So much goes into training our military

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preston just completed his 2 weeks of Army Reserve Annual Training at Ft. McCoy, WI where he helped facilitate a reserve brigade's readiness training ...

214: Nick Laidlaw of Battles and Beers

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined by Nick Laidlaw. Nick is a former Marine Infantryman, who from that experience, now has a passion to share the extremes of the human exp...

213: Mike Dowling - A US Marine, Author, Producer and Veteran Advocate

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Dowling is an Emmy nominated producer, author, and veteran advocate based in Los Angeles. Mike enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 and was in bo...

212: Can the US Military Defeat an Insurgency?

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Something that bothers me when I think about the last 20 years of war is that we, the United States, don’t have a solution to modern insurgency.  I...

211: US Army Airborne School and Religious Affairs with Austin Knight

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined in this episode by Austin Knight. Austin serves in the active-duty Army as a Religious Affairs NCO where he’s currently assigned to th...

210: Taliban, al Qaeda and Afghanistan before 2001 with Steve Coll

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are joined by Steve Coll. Coll is a New Yorker staff writer and reports on issues of politics, intelligence, and national security...

209: Conversations About War with Phil Klay, Marine Veteran and Award Winning Author

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are joined by Phil Klay. Phil Clay is a GWOT veteran of the Iraq war, having served as a Marine Corps officer from 2005-2009. Phil...

208: Media Coverage of the War in Ukraine

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Little shorter bit here where Preston and Sayre get into an article discussing media coverage of the war in Ukraine. FAIR.org article: https://fair.or...

207: On the ground in Ukraine with Justin Roberts

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by Justin Roberts. Justin is a documentarian and former Army chaplain who served in Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne ...

206: Night Helicopter Raids in Vietnam with Bob Walker

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by Bob Walker. Bob was an infantry officer during the Vietnam War with an incredible story and experience. Bob served a...

205: Counterterrorism & The War in Iraq with Retired CIA Officer Jim Horacek

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined with Jim Horacek. Jim is a former CIA counterterrorism manager and analyst. Initially joining the CIA as a Soviet-focused pol...

204: The Evacuation of Saigon with Col.(retired) Anthony Wood

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined today by retired Marine Colonel Anthony (Tony) Wood. In 1975, as a captain, Col. Wood was one of two military officers (the other a...

203: Life At CIA In The Aftermath of the 9/11 Attacks With Retired Intelligence Officer Mike Croissant

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are joined by Mike Croissant. Mike is a retired CIA officer with more than 20 years of experience in counter-terrorism and security...

202: Hell Frozen Over - Battle of Chosin Reservoir with Hampton Sides

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are joined today with Hampton Sides. Sides is the author of our favorite book on the Korean War: On Desperate Ground which tells the story of ...

201: Weapons of Mass Destruction (CBRN) with Jeff Brodeur

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are joined with Jeff Brodeur. Jeff retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel and served as the Assistant Commandant for the Chemical-Biological...

200: Vietnam War From The Sea with Doug Mater

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we are joined with Doug Mater.  From 1971-1973, Doug served on two Westpac cruises to South East Asia (Vietnam) as a naval ammo beare...

Memorial Day Re-Release: Remembering Todd Weaver

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I'm joined by Jacob Ivey, Bryson Shipman and Kyle Snook to talk about their friend, Todd Weaver.  Jacob, Kyle, Bryson and Todd w...

Memorial Day Re-Release: Maria Goodavage "Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca"

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Sayre and I are joined by former USA Today journalist Maria Goodavage to talk about service dogs and a Marine dog named Lucca. Maria ...

Memorial Day Re-Release: Remembering Dimitri Del Castillo

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Preston Stewart and Sayre Payne are joined by a group of Dimitri Del Castillo's classmates, Army rugby teammates and friends.  Jo...

199: On The Ground at Guadalcanal with Dave Holland

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Preston and Sayre are joined with Dave Holland. Dave is a former U.S. Marine who has lived and worked for nearly 3 years on site at Guadalcanal...

198: Personal Accounts of War with Author Doug Stanton

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preston and Sayre are joined today with Doug Stanton. Doug is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, lecturer, screenwriter. His books include T...

500k Downloads! Giveaway and Listener Q&A

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If we had set goals for the podcast when we first started, this most certainly would have been one: 500k downloads!  Thank you all so much for yo...

197: Modern Day Urban Combat with John Spencer

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preston and Sayre are joined today with John Spencer–one of the world’s leading scholars and experts in the field of urban warfare. He has st...

196: LCI's in WWII with Author Zach Morris

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Preston and Sayre are joined by Zach S. Morris. Zach is currently the editor in chief of LST Scuttlebutt, the quarterly magazine newsletter of t...

195: Marine, World Class Boxer, Special Forces Medic & Secret Service Officer - Henry Hooper

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preston and Sayre are today joined with Henry Hooper. Henry is one of those guys who has lived a thousand different lives. Henry served in the Marines...

194: Sebastian Junger on Freedom, perspectives from combat, and Vets Town Hall

18 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sebastian Junger joins Preston and Sayre today on the podcast.  Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of THE PERFECT STORM...

193: From Peleliu to Okinawa with the U.S. Marines - Henry Sledge

11 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preston and Sayre are joined today with Henry Sledge. Henry is the son of esteemed WWII Marine and author, Eugene “E.B.” Sledge, who wrote the sem...

192: Sicily to D-Day - Lessons Learned by the 82nd Airborne Division in WWII with Ben Meredith

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Preston and Sayre are joined by Ben Meredith. Ben has a doctorate of education from Pepperdine University and from 1983-1994, served as an activ...

191: Ukraine's Military From Soviet Roots To A NATO Model with MG(Retired) John Harrel

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Preston and Sayre were fortunate to be joined by Major General (Retired) John Harrel to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.  MG Harrel spe...

190: The OSS in WWII - Behind Enemy Lines with Erik Brun

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Sayre and Preston are joined by Erik Brun.  Erik is a military historian and veteran himself with a family history of service. Erik served...

189: EXTRA - Update on the War in Ukraine with Cold War Historian Ian Richardson

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and Preston are joined today by Ian Richardson.  We talk about predictions leading up to the invasion, how this looks compared to past Russ...

188: Australia in WWII - Pacific Theater with Ross Manuel

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Sayre and Preston are joined by Ross Manuel.  Ross provides much insight into the relationship between the smaller, younger Australian mil...

187: Leigh Freeman—Infantry point man with the 101st Airborne Division during Vietnam (1970)

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Sayre and Preston are joined by Leigh Freeman.  Leigh served with C/2-506th IN, part of the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division duri...

186: Autumn Hendrickson - A Small Town In A Big War, the Stories of Reading, MA in WWII

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Sayre and Preston are joined by Autumn Hendrickson.  Autumn is from a small town in Massachusetts called Reading and is currently writing a...

185: Norman Bendiksen - Special Forces Medic In The Vietnam War

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Sayre and Preston are joined by Norm Bendiksen.  Norm describes growing up as a young man in Texas in the 1950s, later to drop out of colle...

184: The IED War - Constant Innovation On The Battlefield With Army Sapper Preston Steele

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Sayre and Preston are joined by Preston Steele.  Preston, a former US Army Engineer Officer, graduated from Sapper and Ranger school before...

183: Did He Find The First IED Of The War? From Iraq to Afghanistan, Four Combat Deployments With US Army Infantryman Morgan Sullivan

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Sayre and Preston are joined by Morgan Sullivan.  Morgan and Sayre crossed paths in the Infantry Officer Basic Course when they were both b...

182: The History of Ukraine/Russia Tensions And What It Means Today with Military Historian Ian Richardson

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Sayre and Preston are joined by Ian Richardson to talk about ongoing tensions in Ukraine.  Ian is a wealth of knowledge on the Cold War and...

181: If It Flies....It Dies - Air Defense Artillery and Afghanistan Challenges with Ethan Long (Habitual Linecrosser)

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and Preston are joined today by Ethan Long, commonly known online as Habitual Linecrosser.  Ethan is an active duty Air Defense Artilleryma...

180: From Guarding The Southern Border To Firing Rockets In The Middle East with Johnny Britton, Texas Army National Guard

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and Preston are joined today by Johnny Britton.  Johnny is currently a field artillery officer in the Texas Army National Guard where he's ...

178: Bob Hurt - Ft. Riley and Camp Hale During the Korean War

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and I are joined today by my grandfather, Bob Hurt.  Bob grew up in Illinois and attended the U of I before being drafted into the Army dur...

178: The Christmas Truce of 1914 (originally published 12/21/2020)

25 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Just a few months into the First World War, something beautiful happened.  Amidst the chaos, death and destruction, soldiers from opposing sides ...

177: Remembering Dimitri Del Castillo, USMA 2009

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today Preston Stewart and Sayre Payne are joined by a group of Dimitri Del Castillo's classmates, Army rugby teammates and friends.  John Wagner,...

176: Listener Q&A - Did Afghanistan Change The Way We View Modern Conflicts?

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode has Sayre and I diving into a handful of questions we received via Instagram, TikTok, or through the Discord server.   Send any ques...

175: Joshua Mooi - US Marine during Operation Steel Curtain

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre Payne and Preston Stewart are joined today by Joshu Mooi.  Josh joined the Marines after high school and before long found himself in one o...

174: Maria Goodavage "Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca"

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and I are joined today by former USA Today journalist Maria Goodavage to talk about service dogs and a Marine dog named Lucca.   Maria is c...

173: Listener Q&A - Viet Cong Weapons, Equipment Left In Afghanistan, Air Assault School & Combat Rotations

04 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode has Sayre and I diving into a handful of questions we received via Instagram, TikTok, or through the Discord server.  Quite a few...

172: MG (Ret) John Raaen Part II - First Hand Accounts From a Ranger at Normandy, Brest, and the Battle of the Bulge

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and I are honored to be joined again by MG (Ret) John Raaen.  MG Raaen graduated from West Point in the January class of 1943 as an enginee...

171: Peter Cozzens "Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation"

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and Preston are joined today by author Peter Cozzens to talk about his most recent book, "Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Def...

170: MG (Ret) John Raaen - From West Point to Omaha Beach with the Rangers

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sayre and I are honored to be joined by MG (Ret) John Raaen.  MG Raaen graduated from West Point in the January class of 1943 as an engineer. &nb...

169: Only Time Will Tell - Generation Kill 7

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're back today to discuss episode seven of Generation Kill (The Bomb in the Garden).  This wraps up our discussion of this series on the invasi...

168: Baghdad to Kandahar - Army veteran Garth Landis

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What better way to kick off Veteran's Day than to catch up with an old buddy.  Garth Landis was in basic training on 9/11, finding out from his d...

167: Ron Hudnell and the WWII Rangers

06 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined today by Ron Hudnell, who after graduating from West Point in 1969 completed Ranger School and went through Special Forces training befor...

166: The Mission & The Men - Generation Kill Episode 6

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Talking through episode six (Stay Frosty) of Generation Kill, Sayre and I get into the conversation around the men versus the mission.  Col Joe D...

165: JD Huitt of The History Underground

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joined today by JD Huitt, the man behind The History Underground YouTube channel.  I've been a fan of JD's work for a long time and it was an abs...

164: Just Get It Done - Generation Kill Episode 5

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the fifth episode of Generation Kill (Burning Dog).  We talk about the civilian casualties in any conflict, especially this p...

163: Almost Home, But So Far To Go: Finishing Up In Afghanistan

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Wagner joined us a few weeks ago to talk about the issue of getting interpreters out of Afghanistan.  Some of his personal stories in that e...

162: Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Generation Kill Episode 4

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the fourth episode of Generation Kill (Combat Jack).  We get into the always complex dynamic of gathering feedback in a leade...

161: Remembering Todd Weaver

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, I'm joined by Jacob Ivey, Bryson Shipman and Kyle Snook to talk about their friend, Todd Weaver.  Jacob, Kyle, Bryson and Tod...

160: Fire Support Base Ripcord - Vietnam Veteran Bob Leibecke

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Was fortunate to be able to chat with Vietnam veteran Bob Leibecke to hear about his experiences leading up to and in the Vietnam War.  Bob gradu...

159: War is Nasty - Generation Kill Episode 3

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the third episode of Generation Kill (Screwby).  We talk about how the fog of war is everywhere and even avoiding friendly fi...

158: A Scout in Afghanistan - Conversation with Gabriel Taylor

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're joined today by Gabriel Taylor who served as a scout in the US Army from 2017-2020 including a deployment to eastern Afghanistan.  We get i...

157: From Fallujah to TikTok - A Marine's Story That's Just Getting Started

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joined today by Terry Kim, a Marine combat veteran who is creating some really cool military tribute videos on TikTok.  We get into his backgroun...

156: A Deadly Fight in a Confusing War - Hamburger Hill

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm joined by Leon Schwartz to talk broadly about the Vietnam War and more specifically the Battle of Hamburger Hill.  Leon helps provide s...

Into the Fight: Generation Kill Episode 2

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the second episode of Generation Kill (The Cradle of Civilization).  We talk about the challenges of walking the line between...

Excited For War - Generation Kill Episode 1

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the first episode of Generation Kill (Get Some).  We talk about how unique this invasion was as the Marines faced a relativel...

Simple Living at an Afghan Strong Point

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Wagner joined us a few weeks ago to talk about the issue of getting interpreters out of Afghanistan.  Some of his personal stories in that e...

Forged in Combat: American and Australian Troops at the Battle of Hamel

12 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joined today by Ross Manuel to talk about the Battle of Hamel, a unique fight in WWI where U.S. Soldiers fell under Australian command as innovative c...

Getting Them Out: Coordinating Evacuations From Afghanistan

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chatting today with Sayre Payne.  Sayre has been working hard over the last few months to coordinate flights out of Afghanistan for many interpre...

Good Times & Bad - Zhari District, Afghanistan

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Wagner joined us a few weeks ago to talk about the issue of getting interpreters out of Afghanistan.  Some of his personal stories in that e...

Welcome to Afghanistan: First Days In Country

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Wagner joined us a few weeks ago to talk about the issue of getting interpreters out of Afghanistan.  Some of his personal stories in that e...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Episode 10 (Points)

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the tenth episode of Band of Brothers (Points).  We talk about the interesting aspect of going from intense combat to peace i...

What Happened? First thoughts on the fall of Afghanistan

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Conor McNamara, John Wagner and I chat about the fall of Afghanistan.  We recorded this on the evening of August 16th, 2021 going off the informa...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Why We Fight (Episode 9)

15 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the ninth episode of Band of Brothers (Why We Fight).  We've entered the point in the series where the combat dies down in fa...

From West Point to Kandahar: Preparing For War

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Wagner joined us a few weeks ago to talk about the issue of getting interpreters out of Afghanistan.  Some of his personal stories in that e...

Band of Brothers Discussion: The Last Patrol (Episode 8)

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the eighth episode of Band of Brothers (The Last Patrol).  We get into the challenge of someone coming back into a tight-knit...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Breaking Point (Episode 7)

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the seventh episode of Band of Brothers (The Breaking Point).  This episode is leadership heavy, providing both stellar and poor ...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Bastogne (Episode 6)

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the sixth episode of Band of Brothers (Bastogne).  Talk about a slugfest in the cold, hard to imagine the misery these warrio...

A Life or Death Issue: Helping Interpreters To Exit Afghanistan. Personal Stories From Volunteers

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pulling in a few old friends today to talk about a topic that's been a major news item recently; getting former interpreters out of Afghanistan. &nbsp...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Crossroads (Episode 5)

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the third episode of Band of Brothers (Crossroads).  This episode revolves around a fight that could have well wiped out much of ...

Cold War - The End?

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is part four of a series on the Cold War, diving into topics around the world to help tell this story of this complicated time in history.  Ian ...

Cold War - Around The World (1962-1979)

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is part three in our series on the Cold War and joined again  by Ian Richardson.  Today's episode looks around the world during a time the US i...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Replacements (Episode 4)

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the fourth episode of Band of Brothers (Replacements).  This episode really focuses on a few days worth of fighting in and around...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Carentan (Episode 3)

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we talk about the third episode of Band of Brothers (Carentan).  This episode really focuses on a few days worth of fighting in and around ...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Day of Days (Episode 2)

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Diving into episode two of Band of Brothers (Day of Days) Sayre and I again focus on a few key points in an episode that is largely combat focused. &n...

Band of Brothers Discussion: Curahee (Episode 1)

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Diving into episode one of Band of Brothers (Curahee).  Sayre and I get into a few key points, listed below, as well as how the series impacted u...

The Cold War: Turning hot (1949-1963)

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joined today by Ian Richardson to talk about the Cold War.  We talk about the first time the Cold War goes hot in Korea, overall US plans in the ...

The Cold War: The Early Years

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joined today by Ian Richardson to talk about the Cold War.  We hit on a few topics from the time US forces fought Russians after WWI all the way ...

Afghanistan troop withdrawal

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of questions recently around President Biden's decision to withdraw all remaining US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.  That's...

Live Q&A 4/12/2021

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This was a live Q&A on TikTok where I took questions in the chat.  We hit on a wide range of topics with a few WWII 'what-ifs', dazzle camo i...