Hi everyone! Thank you for being here.
Each week, I cover hot spots and critical threats that might affect our country, as well as keep you informed about our military. I end each show by sharing some scripture from the Bible (without being too pushy), and then talk about PTSD and depression (since life is hard and the veteran suicide rate is FAR too high).
My hope is you end each show better informed, less worried, and more optimistic (about both our country and your life).
Also, huge shout out to those of you whose paid subscriptions make it possible for me to devote time and resources to researching and compiling the news each week.
If you’d like to support the show:
You can subscribe with Substack: https://stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe
You can also now sign up at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stanrmitchell
Or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell): https://account.venmo.com/u/authorstanrmitchell
And there’s even a PayPal link you can use: https://paypal.me/StanRMitchell.
Finally, I’m still trying to grow the show. Please rate and review on SPOTIFY, APPLE, or wherever you listen.
You can listen here, or you can find the podcast on your favorite channel below by searching for The View from the Front:
Timestamps:
Timestamp: 0:36. Some feedback from the last show, as well as a small announcement.
Timestamp: 5:56. Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, in an airstrike. I share the words of several leaders on the impact this will have in the Middle East.
Timestamp: 19:48. Iran responds to the strike; the attack did little damage, but Israel promises to respond. What does that mean? What will that look like? Several responses shared.
Timestamp: 38:03. Trump changes his mind and meets with Zelenskyy; why that’s good news, and why a peace deal is hardly likely anytime soon.
Timestamp: 55:01. Let’s cover some scripture from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you.
Timestamp: 58:37. A few words for those dealing with depression, PTSD, or harmful thoughts.
Timestamp: 1:04:47. Some final words of unity, as well as more info about me and my books.
Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.
One quick personal note before getting to the news…
I may have launched another podcast, for those who are interested. 🤣
Middle East news:
Gift link from The Washington Post, if you want to learn about Nasrallah or get a quick overview of the tensions and religious conflict inside Beirut. It gives a quick highlight on the past 30 years.
Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader and force in Middle East, is killed
Hasan Nasrallah, a Shiite cleric who oversaw the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah for decades and became one of the most powerful and divisive leaders in the Middle East, revered by his followers as a savior and condemned by his foes as a terrorist, died Sept. 27 in Beirut. He was 64.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that Mr. Nasrallah “was eliminated” alongside other Hezbollah commanders as it struck what it called the group’s “central headquarters” in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah confirmed the death but didn’t detail the cause. The massive airstrike leveled several residential buildings and sent plumes of smoke over neighborhoods in the city’s south.
Mr. Nasrallah, who transformed his Iranian-backed Shiite Islamist guerrilla movement into the single most capable paramilitary organization in the Middle East, dedicated his life to confronting Israel and the United States. “He is the shrewdest leader in the Arab world, and the most dangerous,” Daniel Ayalon, then serving as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, told The Washington Post in 2006.
Opinion piece by David Ignatius: Hasan Nasrallah chose his own fate
Hasan Nasrallah wanted to live and die as a fighter, and he got his wish Friday, when Israeli bombs pulverized his underground lair in Beirut. Hezbollah will surely seek to avenge Nasrallah’s death, but he was the rare leader who was close to irreplaceable.
I met Nasrallah in October 2003 in a fortified bunker in the southern suburbs of Beirut, not far from where he died. For a man who ordered the deaths of so many Israelis and Lebanese, he was surprisingly soft-spoken. He was a charmer, not a shouter; his legitimacy came from his clerical study in Najaf, Iraq, and his riveting sermons, televised during Muharram and other religious holidays.
In a Lebanon where political leaders usually live the soft life, even as they plunder the people, Nasrallah was different. He told me proudly that his own son Hadi had died fighting Israel in 1997. “We didn’t send our children to London or Paris to university but to fight alongside other Lebanese,” he said.
Thread I shared.
U.S. Assets in Mediterranean Again Helped Defend Israel Against Iranian Missiles
Iran attacked Israel earlier today with a barrage of approximately 200 ballistic missiles. While most of those missiles were destroyed before reaching their target, some did impact and cause minimal damage, said the Pentagon press secretary during a briefing today.
"We condemn these reckless attacks by Iran, and we call on Iran to halt any further attacks, including from its proxy forces," said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. "During the attack, the U.S. military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to help defend Israel."
Today's attack was nearly twice the scope of a similar attack April 13 and 14, said Ryder. And like in April, the U.S. again assisted in defending Israel.
Two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the USS Cole and USS Bulkeley, both deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean, fired a dozen interceptors at incoming Iranian ballistic missiles as part of defending Israel. At this time, Ryder said, it is unknown if those interceptors took down any of the missiles.
Ryder also said initial assessments are that all the missiles fired were actually launched from Iran, not from proxy states, and Iran did indeed plan to cause a significant amount of harm in Israel.
Hezbollah’s downfall exposes Iran’s weakness and reshapes the Middle East
Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last Friday didn’t just deal a crushing blow to the once-fearsome Lebanese militia. It also exposed Iran’s vulnerabilities and marked a pivotal shift in the region’s balance of power.
The death of Nasrallah caps several weeks of successful Israeli strikes against Hezbollah’s military capabilities and chain of command that have left the group weaker than it has been in almost two decades.
Israel is now pressing its advantage with a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon – the natural conclusion of the sabotage, bombing, and assassination campaign of the 10 days prior. The end goal of the operation remains the same: to clear the area south of the Litani River of Hezbollah fighters, weapons depots, and infrastructure in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to safely return the 60,000 displaced Israelis to their homes in the north. The IDF has indicated the targeted offensive is expected to stay close to the border and end within weeks, as opposed to a more protracted occupation of extensive Lebanese territory (best-laid plans, though …).
Hezbollah would normally be expected to respond to such an escalation with heavy missile and rocket strikes on Israeli military installations, civilian infrastructure, and densely populated urban areas. That hasn’t happened. At the very least, Hezbollah could be counted on to defend its strongholds. Yet Israel’s ground offensive has met virtually no resistance thus far.
…
It’s become even harder to imagine Iran, its patron, reacting sharply to Israel’s escalations and risking a regional war that could draw the United States into the fight.
For starters, the Islamic Republic lacks good options to effectively retaliate against the Jewish state without inviting devastation to its homeland. That is especially true now that Hezbollah, previously the leading edge of Iran’s efforts to deter Israel, is reeling from Nasrallah’s death. Apart from its impressive array of ballistic missiles, most of Iran’s military is built upon Cold War-era hardware. It is no match for Israel’s overwhelmingly superior technological, intelligence, and military capabilities, let alone its nuclear weapons. A direct conventional conflict with Israel would not go Tehran’s way – and that’s before you bring the US military into the equation.
U.S. news:
Your reminder for the week, in case you duck the scripture in the next part: Be a part of community, if nothing else.
Your scripture for the week:
Let’s end the show with some scripture, because I know that life is hard and sometimes, you just need to hear something that will lift you up.
I always like to share some verses from the Bible, or quotes that touch on the Bible/Jesus, because my Christian faith has become such a source of strength and wisdom and calm for me during the past couple of years, since losing my Mom and now worrying an awful lot about my Dad and his serious memory problems.
I’m betting you have something really challenging going on in your life, as well. (And if you don’t, I can guarantee it’s coming. That’s how life goes.) So, I hope by sharing some of these, it might encourage you to get into the Bible yourself. Because I think it’ll change your life, if you let it.
As a final scripture reminder, do not grow weary in doing good. Even if you’re just helping one hungry kid or donating one school backpack, that might not solve world hunger or fix everything in our country (or your neighborhood), but you are doing good.
So, don’t feel overwhelmed by the size of the world’s problems.
The final thing that I want to do is something I do in every show.
I want to talk to you just for a moment about depression, PTSD, and even suicide for just a moment.
I do this because veterans are at 57% higher risk of suicide than their peers of the same age group of folks who haven’t served.
But this section isn’t just for veterans. I know we can all get in really low spots in our lives so I just want to remind people that it’s a season.
It’s a valley. So when you’re in that thick, deep, tough situation that just seems like you can’t see over it, just remember it. It’s just a season. It’s just a valley, like I said.
Now, if you are having serious issues, you can call 988 and select 1 and you can talk to a crisis-line responder anytime day or night.
And you can do this whether you’re a civilian or a veteran, but I do know that this is hard to do and I know most of you who are struggling probably won’t do so.
As such, I have to be a little mean here because the fact is is when we’ve had a drill instructor or a tough coach in the past who pushed us, you experienced that you can go further than when it’s just you.
So I’m gonna be mean for a moment and I have to remind you guys that you cannot give up. You can’t give in to those really terrible thoughts you’re having.
I don’t want you to lose this fight. I don’t want you to make your parents or your family have to plan your funeral.
I don’t want them to feel guilty that they didn’t check on you for that. That they couldn’t reach you.
I want you to know that you can hold on for another day, and I think if you do, I think the next day is gonna be a little easier.
Now again, if you’re in a fight that you worry you may lose, please call someone. Call a friend or a family member.
This is really easy to do and I beg of you to do so. We have all lost friends that we wish had reached out to us, so again reach out to one of them. Just be honest. Say that you’re struggling right now and can’t catch a break.
But again, you can also call 988. Select 1.
As I said, whatever you do, please do not quit. You’re just in a valley and this world needs you. Probably, if we’re honest, your parents need you, as well. Because seriously, who’s going take care of your parents in 30 years? Or in 10 years? Or whatever age you are?
And I’m serious about this. I just helped take care of my Mom before she passed.
I help take care of my Dad, who’s dealing with some pretty serious memory issues.
So I just wanna ask you who’s gonna do it? Are you just gonna let the system take care of them? How horrible is that?!
So the broader point is you cannot quit and you need to think beyond the season that you’re in and realize that there’s something you’re meant to do -- you just can’t see it. Because like I said earlier, in this immediate fog and pain, you can’t see the end result, but I believe that there’s a mission for you to do.
I believe that God has a mission for you to do. Maybe it’s coach a little league team. Maybe it’s to help others with PTSD. Maybe you’re supposed to run for office.
Whatever it is, I believe there’s some calling for you and you haven’t found it.
But I want to encourage you to get involved.
Stop isolating yourself. Visit a veterans group, such as the VFW. Something like that.
Maybe visit a church near you. Maybe visit some family you’ve lost touch with. Maybe call or text that friend you’ve grown apart with.
Reach out to the long-lost friend from high school. Or the one from the military you haven’t talked with in years. I’ll bet they’re dying to talk to you.
But again if you’re struggling, I beg of you to call 988, select 1.
Also, and this is my personal suggestion if you’re not absolutely opposed to it, I would suggest that you start moving closer to God.
Start reading the Bible, if you never have. I really do think that will help. You can read some of Psalms or Proverbs, and then you can start with the New Testament in the Book of John.
I think you’ll find the Bible will start drawing you in and I think it’ll start changing your life. If you don’t have a Bible, you can download the Bible app on your phone or you can look it up online there. There are dozens of sights with it on there.
But again, the broader point is I just want to encourage you not to give up. There’s a plan for you. I really hope that you won’t give up and that you’ll reach out to God or maybe check out the Bible as I’ve mentioned so many times.
If that’s not your thing, or if you’re not ready for that step, I hope you try to surround yourself with some more community or some more friends.
I know a lot of the websites say to not guilt someone who’s thinking about suicide. That such a thing is cruel, but I sadly think that suicide is the easy way out.
It’s a short-term solution to what you think is a complicated problem that you can’t solve.
And trust me. I’m not stupid. I know life is hard. I know going on whether it’s in life or a marathon or a really long rucksack run or forced march in the military, I know to keep going is often more painful. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s also the right answer.
Not only will you get tougher and stronger and have more endurance, but if you fall out of that race, someone’s got to carry your gear. Someone’s got to care for you. Or maybe your team arrives at the mission objective with fewer people, which is gonna lead to more strain and danger and probably higher casualties to those around you.
And unfortunately, that same thing happens if you decide to pull the plug and check out in regular life. Somebody’s going to have to carry your load. Somebody’s going to have to care for your family or for your parents. Someone’s going to have to plan your funeral. Someone is going to have to deal with all the things that you left hanging out there.
So, I know it sounds like I’m trying to guilt you, and I’m really not trying to, but I just want you to think about these things when you are in the lowest point in your life. That really dark place. Please think of others.
You’re a good person. And I just think you’re stronger than what you think you are right now.
And as such, I just encourage you to keep fighting. Please keep taking that next step.
Before we end, I always like to end each week’s edition 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.
Here are those links again if you’d like to support the show:
You can subscribe with Substack: https://stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe
You can also now sign up at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stanrmitchell
Or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell): https://account.venmo.com/u/authorstanrmitchell
And there’s even a PayPal link you can use: https://paypal.me/StanRMitchell.
Finally, I’m still trying to grow the show. Please rate and leave comments on SPOTIFY, APPLE, or wherever you listen.
Also, all posts are free, so feel free to share. (And in that line of thinking, it seems like all the social media sites I’m on throttle down my posts when they have a link to Substack, so if you could forward this to a person or two that might be interested, and ask them to consider signing up for free, it’d sure help me a lot!)
That’s it for this edition.
Love my moderate, optimistic view of politics and want to know more about how I see things?
Go here:
Dealing with PTSD? Emotionally or mentally at rock bottom? Here’s the link to my faith newsletter: Be like Ozzie; go near your master. (The power of prayer. Part 1.)
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.
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.
Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
P.S. Don’t forget that I've also written twelve fast, exciting books.
Finally, I also write a faith blog about God and the Bible. (As a child, I was wounded badly by the church and left it to study other religions, before returning to the faith of my roots.)
#mil #podcast #military #ukraine #china #russia #RussiaUkraineWar #motivation #inspiration #Bible #usmc #army #navy #airforce #politics #defensenews #OSINT #theviewfromthefront
The Middle East teeters on edge; Trump meets with Zelenskyy