Iraq, Afghanistan, ISIS, & Ukraine: One Fighter’s Journey Through Modern War | Ryan O'Leary | Ep. 409

Combat veteran Ryan O'Leary joins us to discuss his journey from the Army National Guard to fighting alongside Kurdish forces against ISIS in Iraq, working with Iranian Kurdish insurgent groups, and later experiencing the war in Ukraine firsthand. Ryan breaks down the realities of insurgency warfare, Kurdish resistance movements, and why modern conflicts are being transformed by drones, surveillance, and battlefield transparency.
This episode also dives into the future of warfare, the limits of regime change, corruption inside war zones, and what Western militaries still fail to understand about modern combat.

Today's Sponsors:
GhostBed ⬇️
https://www.ghostbed.com/house
FOR 10% off!

Blue Chew ⬇️
https://bluechew.com/
Get 1 month free when you buy 2 of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL"

Good Ranchers ⬇️
https://www.goodranchers.com/
Get $25 off your first order with the code "HOUSE"

For ad free video and audio and access to live streams and Eyes On Geopolitics...JOIN OUR PATREON!
https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse
To help support the show and for all bonus content including:
-live shows and asking guest questions
-ad free audio and video
-early access to shows
-Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests
Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
Support the show here:⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
___________________________________________________
PRE ORDER JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/
Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured
__________________________________
Jack Murphy's new book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/
——————————————————————
Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️
https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse
Social Media: ⬇️
The Team House Instagram:
https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link
The Team House Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod
Jack’s Instagram:
https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link
Jack’s Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21
Dave’s Twitter:
https://twitter.com/dave_parke?s=21
Team House Discord: ⬇️
https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6
SubReddit: ⬇️
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheTeamHouse/
Jack Murphy's memoir "Murphy's Law" can be found here:⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/Murphys-Law-Journey-Investigative-Journalist/dp/1501191241
The Team Room Reading Room (Amazon Affiliate links):⬇️
https://jackmurphywrites.com/the-team-room-reading-room/
Intro music by https://www.youtube.com/user/RemixSample
"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"

00:00 — Start
01:25 — Growing up in Iowa and joining the Army National Guard
03:25 — Iraq deployment: FOB security and disillusionment with the war
04:20 — Afghanistan in RC Pactia: first firefights and combat patrols
05:45 — Ambushed on day one and surviving RPG attacks
08:50 — Why Afghanistan felt minor compared to later wars in Kurdistan and Ukraine
09:35 — Going AWOL to fight ISIS with the Kurds in Iraq
11:40 — Watching U.S. airstrikes outside Erbil as ISIS closed in
13:20 — Joining the Peshmerga with almost no process or paperwork
15:00 — Fighting across Iraq with Kurdish and Iranian Kurdish units
16:20 — The Kurdish-Iraqi civil war around Kirkuk explained
18:40 — Taking tank fire from Iraqi Abrams tanks during the fighting
21:10 — Mortar teams, ATGMs, and chaos on the Kirkuk front
24:00 — Kurdish independence, Kirkuk oil, and Iran’s role in the conflict
27:00 — U.S. weapons ending up with Iranian-backed militias and PMUs
29:00 — Meeting Iranian Kurdish fighters and deciding to work with them
32:10 — Living in the Qandil Mountains with Kurdish insurgents
34:20 — Kurdish separatism, Mahabad, and dreams of independence
39:10 — Life with Iranian Kurds: morale, culture, and surviving in the mountains
41:45 — Learning insurgency warfare from the inside
43:20 — Why insurgencies are nearly impossible to defeat
47:55 — Could Iranian Kurds actually help overthrow Tehran?
53:20 — Why regime change in Iran was always unrealistic
01:02:00 — Early Ukraine war experiences and how drones changed everything
01:14:30 — FPV drones, trench warfare, and why modern combat is now transparent
01:28:00 — What Western militaries still don’t understand about drone warfare
01:40:30 — Surviving artillery, drone drops, and constant surveillance in Ukraine
01:55:00 — Why infantry movement is becoming nearly impossible on the modern battlefield
02:07:00 — Foreign fighters in Ukraine: motivations, strengths, and problems
02:18:00 — Corruption, logistics, and the reality behind the Ukrainian war effort
02:31:00 — Lessons from Iraq, Kurdistan, and Ukraine for future U.S. wars
02:42:30 — China, Taiwan, and how drones could reshape the Pacific battlefield
02:54:00 — Why small units and adaptability matter more than ever
03:05:00 — The psychological toll of nonstop drone surveillance and attrition warfare
03:15:30 — Final thoughts on the future of warfare and where conflict is heading

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(631)

The Coast Guard Unit That Hunted Drug Traffickers | Giuseppe Weller

Giuseppe Weller recounts the little-known story of the Coast Guard’s Drug Interdiction Assist Team, which worked alongside the DEA in South America conducting riverine missions, training local forces,...

15 Elo 1h 27min

How Bad Intelligence Helped Sell the Iraq War | Luis Rueda (throwback episode)

original air date - 01/19/24Former CIA officer Luis Rueda reflects on a career that took him from fleeing Castro’s Cuba to covert operations in Central America, Grenada, the drug war, Iraq, and eventu...

13 Elo 1h 56min

Iran War Update & Is Cuba Really Next? | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS

This episode breaks down the latest developments in the Iran conflict, including the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. munitions shortages, covert action, and growing unrest inside Iran. The group also discusses...

10 Elo 54min

From Special Forces to an Outlaw Motorcycle Club | Kenny Robertson

Kenny Robertson reflects on his career from the Marine Corps and 101st Airborne to 5th Special Forces Group, including deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, and Ukraine. He also discusses ...

8 Elo 2h 49min

RANGER, RRC (JSOC), OMEGA Team Operator | Mike Edwards (throwback episode)

original airdate: 10/20/23Mike Edwards recounts his journey from the conventional Army to the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC), sharing stories from combat in Iraq,...

6 Elo 2h 24min

Trump's Bluff Went Nowhere (Iran War Update) | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS

As reports of a much larger U.S. military campaign against Iran emerged, the Trump administration abruptly paused the strikes and shifted back toward diplomacy. We break down whether the threat of esc...

3 Elo 55min

Inside the SAS w/ SAS Operator Jay Morton

Jay Morton discusses his career in the British Parachute Regiment and the Special Air Service (SAS), including deployments to Afghanistan, the challenges of SAS selection, and the realities of life in...

1 Elo 1h 49min

Can the U.S. Win a War in the Pacific Against China? | EYES ON GEOPOLITICS

We sit down with former U.S. Navy submariner and defense analyst Thomas Shugart to examine the rapidly shifting military balance between the United States and China, from Taiwan invasion planning and ...

30 Heinä 55min