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The Spear

Written by: Modern War Institute at West Point
  • Summary

  • The Spear is a podcast from the Modern War Institute at West Point. It sets out to explore the combat experience, with each episode featuring a guest who tells a detailed and personal story, describing the events and exploring topics like decision-making under stress and what it feels like to be in combat.
    © 2019
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Episodes
  • Rescue in an Afghan Valley
    May 23 2024

    In 2009, Sgt. 1st Class Sean Ambriz was on his first deployment in Afghanistan. When a platoon became pinned down by enemy fire, he was among the soldiers sent to help. The highest ranking soldier on site asked for volunteers to work their way up the mountainside to treat and evacutate the platoon's casualties. It turned into an hours-long fight to get to them, and continued as they worked their way back down the mountain with the casualties. He shares the story in this episode.

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    55 mins
  • A Black Hawk in a Firefight
    May 8 2024

    In this episode, Joe Roland joins to share a story from 2004. A UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, his aircraft and another were supporting an Army Special Forces team in search of a group of enemy combatants in Afghanistan. As soon as his helicopter landed to drop off a US soldier and two Afghans to take up an overwatch position, enemy fighters were identified approaching the position. Roland made a quick decision—to hover his aircraft between the enemy fighters and the friendly position. He shares the story of that decision and the fighting that quickly followed in this episode.

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    52 mins
  • Kiowas in Action
    Apr 25 2024

    Just six weeks out of flight school, Jordan Terry was in Afghanistan. On one of his first days flying, he took off on a flight that was supposed to be straightforward—he and three other pilots left their base in two OH-58D Kiowa helicopters, intending to help get him oriented to the rugged, mountainous area the unit was responsible for. On their way back, they they flew around a bend in a valley and came upon an Afghan unit under fire from Taliban fighters. The mission quickly changed, and an hours-long fight ensued, with the two helicopters repeatedly engaging the enemy from the air, refueling and rearming, and returning to the fight.

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    54 mins

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