Combat Stories From ‘the Meat Grinder’ That Must Be Told (with Will Yeske)

Change Agents with Andy Stumpf

IRONCLAD

Society & Culture

4.9 • 648 Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2024

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today’s guest is United States Army veteran and author of the book Damn the Valley: 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2/508 PIR, 82nd Airborne in the Arghandab River Valley Afghanistan, Will Yeske/ The book presents stories from soldiers fighting in the Arghandab River Valley — which they called “the meat grinder” — during the deployment of 2 Fury to Afghanistan in 2009–2010. The deployment had a 52% casualty rate. Learn more at https://damnthevalleybook.com/Change Agents is an IRONCLAD original. SPONSORS: Change Agents is presented by Montana Knife Company. Use CODE "CHANGEAGENTS10" for 10% off your first order at ⁠https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/⁠ Four Branches Bourbon Please check their story out at fourbranches.com and pick up a bottle of their fine bourbon today. Use the code “IRONCLAD10” to get 10% off. MTNTOUGH Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mtntough.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ and enter code CHANGEAGENTS to receive 40% OFF - a savings of about $100 your MTNTOUGH+ annual subscription. NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION Visit shop.navysealfoundation.org to grab your gear now. Show your respect by wearing your support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	That one went, I mean, we came around, we started pounding the wood line with the Mark 19.
0:04.6	They had a P-CAM, you know, that was their support by fire out there.
0:09.7	We started hitting that wood line.
0:11.9	The rest of the guys dismounted from the vehicles and we used the vehicles as our support
0:17.4	by fire in an L-shaped type an ambush.
0:20.4	They came around and swept through the field and cleared everybody that was left.
0:25.5	I think it was a 14, 14-man element that was against.
0:29.2	We had a few bodies, you know, I mean, we threw three in the back.
0:34.1	There was a few other pieces around and whatnot afterwards.
0:37.4	But, you know, to get to the end of that and you hear, all right, like everything quietes down afterwards. And maybe, maybe that's like a 10 minute, 10 minute firefight. I mean, we just swept right through. It was pretty much picture perfect. And afterwards, though, I'm like, I'm waiting. All right, who's hit? Who's been hit? Because that's normally what's going to happen.
0:55.6	Who do we got to get out of here, or medevac?
0:58.4	None of our guys.
0:59.8	Nobody, it was just, it went picture perfect right through.
1:04.8	Battlesrol one, you know, your bread and butter.
1:09.5	How can I help?
1:10.6	How can I be useful in ending needless suffering? Do not be afraid of work that has no end.
1:19.6	We have to organize a social movement.
1:23.6	We have an opportunity to lead by example versus just talking, hot air.
1:30.3	I think the more people in this fight, the more we grow, eventually it could change.
1:35.3	The people are the ones that can make the change.
1:41.3	Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to change agents, an Ironclad original, proudly presented by Montana Knife Company.
1:48.0	Today's episode is with Will Yeski, and it centers around his book, Damn the Valley, which is about his Afghanistan deployment in late 2009 and 2010, in which members of 2nd Battalion 508
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