{"id":4254,"date":"2022-03-18T23:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T23:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/independentamericans.us\/161-ukraine-war-report-exclusive-matt-gallagher-the-american-veteran-and-author-went-to-ukraine-to-support-the-fight-why-did-he-go-what-did-he-see-what-do-ukraine-forces-need-now-whats\/"},"modified":"2022-03-18T23:22:52","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T23:22:52","slug":"161-ukraine-war-report-exclusive-matt-gallagher-the-american-veteran-and-author-went-to-ukraine-to-support-the-fight-why-did-he-go-what-did-he-see-what-do-ukraine-forces-need-now-whats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/161-ukraine-war-report-exclusive-matt-gallagher-the-american-veteran-and-author-went-to-ukraine-to-support-the-fight-why-did-he-go-what-did-he-see-what-do-ukraine-forces-need-now-whats\/","title":{"rendered":"161. UKRAINE WAR REPORT EXCLUSIVE: Matt Gallagher. The American Veteran and Author Went to Ukraine to Support the Fight. Why Did He Go? What Did He See? What Do Ukraine Forces Need Now? What\u2019s His Message for Biden? What Does He Tell His Kids?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=ANA4921317714\" width=\"100%\" height=\"210\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 100%;height: 210px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>An unknown number of American veterans have heard the call and boldly volunteered to join the fight in Ukraine. Matt Gallagher (<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MattGallagher0\">@MattGallagher0<\/a>) is one of them. Utilizing what he learned as a US Army Scout Platoon Leader in Iraq, Matt spent the last few weeks training Ukrainian civilians in how to fight and survive in Lviv. But Matt is not just any veteran. He is the internationally-recognized author of the novels<em> <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/mattgallagherwriter.com\/empire-city\/\"><em>Empire City<\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/mattgallagherwriter.com\/youngblood\/\"><em>Youngblood<\/em><\/a>, the class Iraq war memoir <a href=\"http:\/\/mattgallagherwriter.com\/kaboom\/\"><em>Kaboom<\/em><\/a><em>, <\/em>and a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. His work has appeared in<em> Esquire<\/em>,<em> ESPN<\/em>, <em>The New York Times<\/em>, <em>The Paris Review<\/em> and <em>Wired<\/em>. He\u2019s also co-editor of the short fiction collection<em> <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/mattgallagherwriter.com\/fire-and-forget\/\"><em>Fire &amp; Forget: Short Stories from the Long War<\/em><\/a>. He\u2019s a popular, funny and insightful voice\u2014including on Twitter\u2013on everything from politics and war to his beloved Cleveland Browns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Matt just left Ukraine, and joined our host, Paul Rieckhoff (<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PaulRieckhoff\">@PaulRieckhoff<\/a>) for an <strong>exclusive<\/strong> interview via Zoom from just across the border in Poland. Matt is an old friend of Paul\u2019s, a former <a href=\"https:\/\/iava.org\/\">Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) <\/a>colleague, and one of his favorite voices in the public square. This is Matt\u2019s first extended media interview after his harrowing experience and brief appearance on CNN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CNN\/status\/1503904083836641282\"><em>Anderson Cooper 360<\/em><\/a> with fellow American vets <a href=\"https:\/\/taskandpurpose.com\/news\/ukraine-american-veterans-help\/\">Adrian Bonenberger and Ben Busch<\/a>. He shares what it was like to train brave local students, lawyers and police officers from ages 16 to 60 to kill Russians\u2013using antiquated weapons and no body armor. Matt is part of the first wave of American veterans that have entered Ukraine and could have a profound impact on the way America and the world views the war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Why did he go? What did he see? Who were the people he was training to use AK-47\u2019s and kill enemy tanks? What do the Ukraine forces he trained need? What\u2019s Matt\u2019s message for Biden? And for you? History is unfolding all around us and Matt will be a voice to help us understand it. He\u2019ll also share ways that you can take action\u2013by supporting <a href=\"https:\/\/razomforukraine.org\/\">Razom\u2013a support non-profit<\/a> in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Matt was featured in <em>Vanity Fair <\/em>as one of the voices of a new generation of American war literature. In 2017, Senator Warren read Matt\u2019s <em>Boston Globe<\/em> op-ed \u201cTrump Rejects the Muslims Who Helped Us\u201d on the Senate Floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A graduate of Wake Forest and Columbia, Matt is a 2021-23 fellow with the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, based in Oklahoma. He lives with his wife and sons in Tulsa and works as a writing instructor for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nyuvetsworkshop.org\/\">NYU\u2019s <em>Words After War<\/em><\/a> program\u2013 devoted to bringing vets and civilians together to study conflict literature.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Every episode of <em>Independent Americans<\/em> hosted by Paul Rieckhoff is the truth beyond the headlines\u2013and light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It\u2019s content for the 42% of Americans that proudly call themselves independent. And delivers the <a href=\"https:\/\/righteous.us\/\">Righteous Media<\/a> 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and veterans issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, <a href=\"https:\/\/independentamericans.us\/\"><em>Independent Americans<\/em><\/a> will continue to be your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>-Get extra content, connect with guests, attend events, get merch discounts and support this show that speaks truth to power by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/independentamericans\/posts\"> joining us on Patreon<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/RaHitEMJamo\">&#8211; WATCH video of Paul and Matt\u2019s conversation here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_59650\"  width=\"750\" height=\"421\"  data-origwidth=\"750\" data-origheight=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RaHitEMJamo?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;modestbranding=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>-Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>-Find us on social media or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.independentamericans.us\">www.IndependentAmericans.us<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>-Check out other Righteous podcasts like <a href=\"https:\/\/thefirefighters.us\/\">The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/unclemontel.us\/\">Uncle Montel &#8211; The OG of Weed<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/bdorm.us\/\">B Dorm<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Independent Americans <\/em>is powered by <a href=\"https:\/\/righteous.us\/\">Righteous Media<\/a>. America\u2019s next great independent media company.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/megaphone.fm\/adchoices\">megaphone.fm\/adchoices<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An unknown number of American veterans have heard the call and boldly volunteered to join the fight in Ukraine. Matt Gallagher (@MattGallagher0) is one of them. Utilizing what he learned as a US Army Scout Platoon Leader in Iraq, Matt spent the last few weeks training Ukrainian civilians in how to fight and survive in&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/161-ukraine-war-report-exclusive-matt-gallagher-the-american-veteran-and-author-went-to-ukraine-to-support-the-fight-why-did-he-go-what-did-he-see-what-do-ukraine-forces-need-now-whats\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">161. UKRAINE WAR REPORT EXCLUSIVE: Matt Gallagher. The American Veteran and Author Went to Ukraine to Support the Fight. Why Did He Go? What Did He See? What Do Ukraine Forces Need Now? What\u2019s His Message for Biden? What Does He Tell His Kids?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-episodes","entry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",800,800,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",800,800,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",800,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",750,750,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",800,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",800,800,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/IA-promo-square-EP161.jpg",800,800,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":3,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/category\/episodes\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Episodes<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"An unknown number of American veterans have heard the call and boldly volunteered to join the fight in Ukraine. Matt Gallagher (@MattGallagher0) is one of them. Utilizing what he learned as a US Army Scout Platoon Leader in Iraq, Matt spent the last few weeks training Ukrainian civilians in how to fight and survive in&hellip;&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4254","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4254"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4254\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4256,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4254\/revisions\/4256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.righteous-media.com\/IndependentAmericans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}