In this episode of The Spear, MWI’s Capt. Jake Miraldi talks to Col. Jonathan Neumann. In 2010, Col. Neumann was the commander of 1/17 Infantry, a Stryker battalion deployed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The battalion’s mission included securing a stretch of highway north of Kandahar city. Along that road were a number of US outposts. Near the end of the deployment, the battalion received intelligence that Taliban forces were massing nearby, intending to try to overrun one of the American positions. Col. Neumann’s battalion was tasked with defeating the threat. He talks listeners through what would become a four-day battle against Taliban fighters.
The Spear is a platform to explore the essence of the combat experience. In each episode, a guest talks through a single incident—a firefight, a battle, a mission—that helps give a picture of what it’s like to be in combat. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Easy to follow for a civilian and a good illustration of what can be done, especially when civilians are not about!
The fear of the unknown heading into this deployment continued to build until 10 August 2009. It was that day I realized how lucky I was to to have the leadership I did. I found comfort and courage through those men. Reinforced by my conduct under fire. For about a week there after I was pretty confident in our objective in the arghandab. After 18 August ill be honest the fear was back but tolerable thanks to my NCOS in B-3. I'm very fortunate and proud to have gone to war with the battalion that I did. It's my opinion that a God of my understanding put the buffaloes in that AO. We lost way too many men yet I feel if it had been any other unit that number would have been higher.