In November 2006, Arnhem Company of the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment deployed to Basra, Iraq. What followed was seven months of relentless fighting against an insurgency armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs.

Carl Gardner was Company Sergeant Major of Arnhem Company during one of the British Army's most challenging tours of the Iraq War.

Carl reflects on the ferocity of the fighting, the bonds forged between soldiers, the loss of close friends, and the psychological toll of a war that was becoming increasingly unpopular at home.

We also discuss how his experiences changed his understanding of the conflict, and why the stories of the men who fought in Basra deserve to be remembered.

An honest, no-holds-barred conversation about combat, leadership, loss, and the human cost of war.

Carl's book, Arnhem in Basra, is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iraq-Operation-Telic-Arnhem-Basra/dp/1036198626

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Scott White's journey began in Edinburgh, where at 25 he stepped into the unforgiving world of private security.

He trained alongside former special forces instructors, mastering close protection, weapons handling and specialist driving tactics. For six years he worked throughout Europe and the UK before becoming a Private Military Contractor at 31.

Scott deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, operating in environments where ambushes, roadside bombs and militia attacks were part of daily life. Some of his brothers made it home. Others did not — and far too many returned in body but never in mind.

The Silent War is his candid account of those years and the painful process of survival that followed. Today, his story also carries a message about PTSD, recovery and the lives behind the familiar headlines.

You can find links to Scott's book and more here: https://scott-white.co.uk/

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John Feal is a native New Yorker and US Army veteran who worked as a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero until a disabling injury five days into the cleanup. He lobbied Congress to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which he fought to defend and expand in 2015 and 2019 with the help of dozens of his fellow 9/11 responders, post-9/11 illness survivors, and comedian Jon Stewart. He has since gone on to pass 19 pieces of legislation and is working on number 20.

John is a Pat Tilman Foundation honoree, a recipient of the New York State Liberty Award and the New York State Medal of Honor for Civilians, the founder and chairman of the 9/11 Responders Remembered Park, and a kidney donor.

Connect with John and get the book: https://www.iwillfollowyouanywhere.com/

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