Stan R. Mitchell: The view from the front podcast for 8-23-22.

What’s going on, guys?! Hope everyone is doing well!

What follows are the source notes for this podcast. (I’ll talk about the show below.)

So, if you just happen to be stopping by on the internet, or you’ve arrived here from the Apple Podcast, you’ll find the source notes here on my substack.

On the other hand, if you’re on Apple Podcast or one of the other podcast apps, you’ll need to click the “episode website” button at the bottom to reach those notes. Otherwise, not all of them will show up, as tweets don’t appear in the text-only summary of the podcast apps.

And I apologize that I don’t have time to type up well-written, full episodes as I used to do. I’m still working a full-time job and squeezing in my research and recording the episodes as best I can. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to do full write ups, as well.

With that out of the way, welcome to the View from the Front!! 

A podcast about military matters happening around the world, followed by some motivation at the end! Because who doesn’t need all the motivation they can get?! At least once or twice a week!

Every Tuesday and Friday, I discuss military and defense news, as well as some history, motivation, and wisdom. (And I do all of this from a moderate perspective.) 

I am your host, and my name is Stan R. Mitchell. I’m a prior infantry Marine, who dropped the sword and picked up the pen. After spending ten years as a journalist, I became an author and have written eleven books to date!

Source notes:

Ukraine:

How much grain is being shipped from Ukraine?

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We've been debating what the attack on the air base was for the past two podcast editions. (Long-range missiles or saboteurs, as The Washington Post claimed.)

This seems to be a VERY strong case for loitering ammunition, explained below.

Great thread.

Oliver Alexander @OAlexanderDK

🧵Looking at @Maxar satellite imagery from Saki air base again, I noticed one thing that seems inconsistent with the theory of a ballistic missile attack on the base. I therefore still believe that the attack was possibly performed using shorter range loitering munitions. 1/

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Video of General McCaffrey saying that Russia is facing “a growing desperation” that the Ukrainians are fighting a deep battle using HIMARs, special operations, and partisan operations.

“I think the Russians are in trouble,” he said.

Barry R McCaffrey @mccaffreyr3

Russia showing signs of severe strain from growing military losses and economic isolation. Putin is out of ideas. His military operationally in a box. Things are going to get worse for him rapidly.

Dmitri @wartranslated

❗️ Russian ex-MP Ilya Ponomaryov in his interview to Ukrainian channel "Utro Fevralya" said Darya Dugina was killed by Russian partisans from the National Republican Army. He says both Dugin and his daughter were targets. Full video in two tweets:

Clint Watts @selectedwisdom

Significant assassination inside Russia, seems Dugin was meant to be target, but this article leaves out significant data, more than 1 scenario for who killed Dugin “Daughter of prominent Putin supporter killed in Moscow car bomb attack | Financial Times”

ft.comSubscribe to read | Financial TimesNews, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

Michael McFaul @McFaul

If you are so sure that Putin is wildly popular and would crush all opponents in a free and fair election, then why is @navalny in jail? Why has Navalny never been allowed to compete against Putin in a free and fair election?

Mark Hertling @MarkHertling

This excellent article by @IAPonomarenko reinforces what I've been saying... 1. A "large scale counteroffensive" would be tough, but many smaller scale deliberate attacks by UA is doable. 2. Kherson is a large oblast...the size of our state of Maryland. 3. It will happen.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko

“As part of a counter-offensive operation, Ukraine would likely seek to block the occupied city, cut the Russian garrison off from supplies and reinforcements, and hold the blockade until Russia surrenders.” https://t.co/fa8nQs6zv5

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III @SecDef

We just announced another Ukraine 🇺🇦 security assistance package. It includes a mix of capabilities — some new, some the Ukrainians have been using very effectively. As Russia’s unprovoked invasion enters its sixth month, our commitment to Ukraine remains unwavering.

The War Zone @thewarzonewire

U.S. Says Russia's Prized Kerch Bridge Is A Fair Target For Ukrainian Forces

thedrive.comU.S. Says Russia’s Prized Kerch Bridge Is A Fair Target For Ukrainian ForcesThe $3.5B bridge Russia built to connect with Crimea is a major strategic and economic asset that Moscow seems very concerned with protecting.

Defense of Ukraine @DefenceU

Kerch bridge… we are watching you!

Recruiting news:

Military.com @Militarydotcom

The Navy's Offering Up to $115,000 to Join or Come Back

bit.lyThe Navy’s Offering Up to $115,000 to Join or Come BackThe Navy is offering potential recruits a new, eye-watering figure in exchange for joining its ranks: $115,000 in possible bonuses and loan repayment.

Military.com @Militarydotcom

Marines Reporting 'Tremendous Success' Convincing Troops to Stay in the Service

bit.lyMarines Reporting ‘Tremendous Success’ Convincing Troops to Stay in the ServiceThe Marine Corps is celebrating the “tremendous success” of the Commandant’s Retention Program -- one of the branch’s latest efforts to not only retain Marines but transform the force into an older, more elite organization.

Defense One @DefenseOne

IN COMMENTARY: The Army is projecting a 28,000-soldier shortfall next year, which leaders say they only recently identified, although the service began missing recruiting targets in 2018.

buff.lyFixing Army Recruiting: Take Care of the Soldiers and their FamiliesRather than read the Army’s recent call-to-arms memo, service leaders should focus on the recent Military Family Support Survey.

US Air Force grounds Osprey fleet after dangerous clutch

Defense One @DefenseOne

The Marine Corps will keep operating their Osprey tiltrotor aircraft despite Air Force Special Operations Command’s decision to ground all their Ospreys because of safety concerns with the aircraft’s clutch | @caitlinmkenney

buff.lyMarine Ospreys Still Flying, Despite AFSOC Stand DownMarine Corps says it has known about the hard clutch issue for 12 years, and is trained on how to respond to the failure.

Bonus material:

Foreign Policy @ForeignPolicy

Iran’s expansion in the region through militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen has rattled some Arab nations so greatly that they have begun to see Israel, a historic enemy with superior military capabilities, as a potential defense ally.

buff.lyCould There Ever Be a Middle East NATO?Biden’s trip to the region showed that while many Arab nations want to collaborate with Israel, they don’t want to do it in public.

Military.com @Militarydotcom

A Marine Who Learned Boxing in the Corps Delivered One of Muhammad Ali's Five Losses - and a Broken Jaw

bit.lyA Marine Who Learned Boxing in the Corps Delivered One of Muhammad Ali’s Five Losses - and a Broken JawIn a career that included sharing a ring with George Foreman and being named one of Ring Magazine’s 25 Greatest Heavyweights, Ken Norton’s most memorable moment came when he delivered Muhammad Ali’s second loss ever in 1973.

U.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstitute

CNO: Missile Attack on Russian Warship Moskva Moved Navy to Speed Up Laser Defense for Ships - USNI News news.usni.org/2022/07/26/cno…

Motivation and wisdom:

Daily Dose of Philosophy @PhilosophyDose_

"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do." - Carl Jung

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_

You're meant to be something great. Don't settle for anything less.

Daily Dose of Philosophy @PhilosophyDose_

“The best fighter is never angry.” - Lao Tzu

billionaire_Secrets @bilionaire_sec

Small wins are still wins. Celebrate them all.

MarkDivine @MarkDivine

A quote to meditate on for the upcoming week... “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

Daily Dose of Philosophy @PhilosophyDose_

"The first and best victory is to conquer self" - Plato

billionaire_Secrets @bilionaire_sec

Never stop being a good person because of bad people.

Motivational Quotes @motivation_qot

"You don't become what you want, you become what you believe"

Motivational Quotes @motivation_qot

Intelligent people aren’t offended by the truth.

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_

Your actions today will determine where you will be tomorrow.

Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchell

I am still just blown away and chewing on this quote from below, even like 12 hours later (or whatever it’s been). Definitely sharing it in Tuesday’s podcast. 1/3 #Motivation #inspiration #theviewfromthefront

Anthony Spadaro @aaspadaro

@StanRMitchell Continue to validate your credentials.

Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchell

And I keep thinking of how we ALL know people who were something great in the past — the all-star athlete, the decorated vet, the academic genius — and we see them let themselves go or settle below their potential. 2/3

Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchell

And they’re super defensive about it. “But I did this back then,” they almost scream. Don’t be that way. Be the one who did THAT back then and now is doing THIS right now! Make people STILL talk about your accomplishments!! At least that’s how I take that quote. 👊💪 3/3

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_

"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."

And with that, thanks for joining us this week on The View from the Front.

Make sure to visit our website, stanrmitchell.substack.com, again, that’s stanrmitchell.substack.com. From there, you can subscribe to the show by email or in iTunes, Stitcher, or your other favorite channel, so you’ll never miss a show.

While you’re at it, if you found value in this show, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes – or if you’d simply tell a friend about the show, that would help us out too. And if you really want to really show us some love, throw a few bucks in the hat by subscribing. That will get you the Tuesday edition without the one-day delay, and it’ll also help us grow and improve the show. And if you dig military matters as much as me, make sure you check out my books. You can find all 11 of them on Amazon.

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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.