In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news! This includes:
Timestamp: 2:28. A bit of a intro/preamble to all the objects being shot down in the United States.
Timestamp: 5:08. Why the U.S. is shooting these objects down now?
Timestamp: 6:21. Could it be UFOs? What’s my take on that?
Timestamp: 8:53. Will the Biden Administration be honest about this with the public?
Timestamp: 11:49. Internet provider Starlink, which is closely associated with Elon Musk, admits blocking Ukrainian troops from using satellite technology in some instances. What is happening there?
Timestamp: 16:24. Ukraine has begun training its troops on German Leopard tanks in Poland. Hear my take on that and what it could mean for the war.
Timestamp: 21:32. A new report has come out that lays out the specifics of Russia's vast program to take Ukraine's children from their families or legal guardians, relocate them across borders, and "re-educate" them to be pro-Russia. I’ll share just a couple of snippets from that.
Timestamp: 23:36. In other Ukraine news, a Washington Post story details the barbarity and inhumanity of Russian tactics in the southern part of th country in a recently recaptured city. The title of the story, “Ukraine liberated Kherson city. Now, Russia is destroying it.,” mostly captures what’s happening. But I remind listeners of Russia said prior to exiting the city about wanting to spare it, and show yet again that you cannot take the Russians at their word.
Timestamp: 26:46. I predicted that Ukrainians might modify their defenses against loitering munitions several months ago, after an accidental camouflage net and some tree branches saved the lives of several Ukrainians. Turns out, I was right about that, so I’ll give you a quick update on defenses against loitering munitions/kamikaze drones.
Timestamp: 31:07. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, has declared that Russia has "lost" the war in Ukraine. I cover this statement and attempt to explain.
Timestamp: 33:30. Moving away from Russia to the growing tension with China, I cover what Japan said on Tuesday, when it stated that it “strongly” suspects three Chinese spy balloons entered its airspace between 2019 and 2021. It also provided an ominous warning to its long-term foe, who it fought with in the 1940s.
Timestamp: 35:40. Staying on the subject of China, I shared that the United States has renewed its commitment in a sharply-worded warning that it'll defend the Philippines after China uses a military-grade laser to briefly blind sailors in the South China Sea.
Timestamp: 40:07. On this same topic, the US Military gained access to 4 more Philippine bases in a pre-emptive move to better counter China.
Timestamp: 41:33. At the same time that base announcement was happening, the US also announced a new base on the island of Guam, which could eventually house 5,000 troops to counter China.
Timestamp: 43:24. Finally, I briefly bring up during the most-recent tension between China and the U.S., when we shot down a Chinese balloon last week, the US-China hotline went unanswered. ‘It just rang.’
Timestamp: 44:54. Moving to the Middle East, I’ll provide a quick update on the uprising in Iran. The short take? It appears to be mostly over.
Timestamp: 47:03. Finally, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom.
Timestamp: 57:23. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast.
Hey guys,
Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.
For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.
Every week, I primarily do three things:
Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)
Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)
And I always make sure at the end of the episode to share plenty of motivation and wisdom, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.
Again, you should listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.
And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.
Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).
Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.
And what follows are some of the news reports/source notes that I quote from in the podcast, as well as the motivation and wisdom links I read.
Selected source notes for the podcast.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news! This includes:
Timestamp: 2:28. A bit of a intro/preamble to all the objects being shot down in the United States.
Timestamp: 5:08. Why the U.S. is shooting these objects down now?
US defends decision to shoot down 3 unidentified objects
From the story:
The White House defended the shootdowns of three unidentified objects in as many days even as it acknowledged that officials had no indication the objects were intended for surveillance in the same manner as the high-altitude Chinese balloon that traversed American airspace earlier this month.
The three objects, including one shot down Sunday over Lake Huron, were unmanned and traveling at such a low altitude as to pose a risk to civilian commercial air traffic, said White House national security spokesman John Kirby. And though the Biden administration does not yet have evidence that they were equipped for spying purposes, officials have not ruled that out either, he said.
Timestamp: 6:21. Could it be UFOs? What’s my take on that?
Timestamp: 8:53. Will the Biden Administration be honest about this with the public?
Ukraine news:
Timestamp: 11:49. Internet provider Starlink, which is closely associated with Elon Musk, admits blocking Ukrainian troops from using satellite technology in some instances. What is happening there?
SpaceX admits blocking Ukrainian troops from using satellite technology
From the story:
The president of SpaceX revealed the company has taken active steps to prevent Ukrainian forces from using the critical Starlink satellite technology with Ukrainian drones that are a key component of their fight against Russia.
“There are things that we can do to limit their ability to do that,” Gwynne Shotwell told reporters on Wednesday, referencing reports on Starlink and drone use. “There are things that we can do, and have done.”
Starlink was never meant to be used militarily in the way that it has, Shotwell argued, saying the company didn’t foresee how profoundly – and creatively – Ukrainian forces would rely on the technology.
Timestamp: 16:24. Ukraine has begun training its troops on German Leopard tanks in Poland. Hear my take on that and what it could mean for the war.
Timestamp: 21:32. A new report has come out that lays out the specifics of Russia's vast program to take Ukraine's children from their families or legal guardians, relocate them across borders, and "re-educate" them to be pro-Russia. I’ll share just a couple of snippets from that.
From the link above:
This latest report, prepared by program partner Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, is available in its entirety on the Conflict Observatory’s website . It identifies 43 facilities to which the Russian government has relocated Ukraine’s children—for some, thousands of miles away from their homes. The report provides evidence of the Russian government’s systematic efforts to sever communication between the taken children and their relatives at home in Ukraine, prevent the children’s return to Ukraine, and “re-educate” them to become pro-Russia. It also describes the taking of children from Ukraine and placing them for adoption by families in Russia.
Timestamp: 23:36. In other Ukraine news, a Washington Post story details the barbarity and inhumanity of Russian tactics in the southern part of th country in a recently recaptured city. The title of the story, “Ukraine liberated Kherson city. Now, Russia is destroying it.,” mostly captures what’s happening. But I remind listeners of Russia said prior to exiting the city about wanting to spare it, and show yet again that you cannot take the Russians at their word.
From the story:
Residents who survived nine months of Russian occupation say that now that their city is back under Ukrainian control, they face a painful reality: If Russia can no longer have the city, it seems hellbent on destroying it.
Timestamp: 26:46. I predicted that Ukrainians might modify their defenses against loitering munitions several months ago, after an accidental camouflage net and some tree branches saved the lives of several Ukrainians. Turns out, I was right about that, so I’ll give you a quick update on defenses against loitering munitions/kamikaze drones.
Timestamp: 31:07. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, has declared that Russia has "lost" the war in Ukraine. I cover this statement and attempt to explain.
Video of the comments:
China news:
Timestamp: 33:30. Moving away from Russia to the growing tension with China, I cover what Japan said on Tuesday, when it stated that it “strongly” suspects three Chinese spy balloons entered its airspace between 2019 and 2021. It also provided an ominous warning to its long-term foe, who it fought with in the 1940s.
Timestamp: 35:40. Staying on the subject of China, I shared that the United States has renewed its commitment in a sharply-worded warning that it'll defend the Philippines after China uses a military-grade laser to briefly blind sailors in the South China Sea.
Timestamp: 40:07. On this same topic, the US Military gained access to 4 more Philippine bases in a pre-emptive move to better counter China.
US Military Gets Access to 4 More Philippine Bases
The United States and the Philippines announced a deal Thursday to give US troops access to another four bases in the Southeast Asian nation, as the longtime allies seek to counter China's military rise.
The agreement to expand cooperation in "strategic areas of the country" was made during a visit by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
It comes as the countries seek to repair ties that were fractured in recent years. Previous Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte favoured China over his country's former colonial master, but the new administration of Ferdinand Marcos has been keen to reverse that.
Timestamp: 41:33. At the same time that base announcement was happening, the US also announced a new base on the island of Guam, which could eventually house 5,000 troops to counter China.
Timestamp: 43:24. Finally, I briefly bring up during the most-recent tension between China and the U.S., when we shot down a Chinese balloon last week, the US-China hotline went unanswered. ‘It just rang.’
Iran news:
Timestamp: 44:54. Moving to the Middle East, I’ll provide a quick update on the uprising in Iran. The short take? It appears to be mostly over.
Motivation and Wisdom:
Timestamp: 47:03. Finally, we’ll cover plenty of motivation and wisdom.
You know, just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. And we all know that opportunities don't happen, you create them.
So, I want to make sure I do my best to feed you mentally. As you’ve probably heard, people often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily.” That was said by the great Zig Ziglar, and I’ve found it to be true for sure.
Without further delay, let’s just begin.
And, I always like to end with this one:
And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.
If you can, consider at some point becoming a paid subscriber.
The View from the Front is a reader-supported publication. The best way to support this work and make it sustainable is with a paid subscription. But at the same time, free ones are appreciated, too!
As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.
So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.
Please don’t name-call the other side. They are mothers and fathers and folks not much different than you.🇺🇸🇺🇸
Also, 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.
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
Timestamp: 57:23. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast.
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.
Episode 2-16-23