Stan R. Mitchell's Blog, page 6

Hey guys, welcome to The View from the Front.

My name is Stan, and I'm thrilled you all have joined me.

As I said a couple of weeks ago, I am going to start doing some interviews with the podcast, and tonight I am delighted to offer my first one.

This interview is with Miles Spencer, and Miles Spencer and myself talk a lot about the Middle East.

We talk about everything from the Crusades to how the borderlines were drawn after World War I and World War II. We talk about oil. We talk about Lawrence of Arabia, the film.

We talk about T.E. Lawrence, who actually was the hero behind the film, as well as his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which is back from 1926.

And really, we just cover the 100-plus most recent years of the conflict that's been happening in the Middle East.

Also, what some of the possibilities for peace and a reset in the Middle East is, since we now have a couple of things happening, with the new Trump administration coming into office. So we've got a change of administrations in the United States.

We've also got Iran, who has really been hit back pretty hard by Israel, with Israel decapitating Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, and also almost appearing impervious in its ability to attack Iran's defense industries and the potential to attack again.

So there's kind of an interesting bit of timing happening in the Middle East. So I thought this was a perfect time to talk to someone who not only wrote a book about the Middle East, but Miles and his co-author literally walked 1,100 miles through the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria.

They know a lot about Israel and those countries, and he shares some of that insight in this interview that I'm about to share with you guys.

Now we do jump back and forth a bit on some topics you may not be totally familiar with, so I'll have some links in the episode notes about that film Lawrence of Arabia, as well as T.E. Lawrence, who did so much work for the British Army and for the Allies back in the earlier 1900s.

So I have links to those so you can find out just a bit more about them easily.

And with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy. You can hear it either on this page or on the stations below.

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British Government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population.

Lawrence of Arabia (film)

T. E. Lawrence

Book link for the reference book by Miles Spencer.

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

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

Want to talk to me directly?

Email me at the following address: [email protected]. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : )

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 

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

Subscribe now

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: 03:34. Russia is doomed. (Something to think about.)

Timestamp: 11:12. Did America and NATO provoke Russia into invading Ukraine? They did not. Here’s the inaccurate telling of that view that’s spreading on social media.

Timestamp: 18:39. And here’s the de-bunking of that viral (and false) video.

Timestamp: 36:48. What the election of Trump means for Ukraine?

Timestamp: 51:56. Let’s talk about God for a moment. 

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

No, the US didn’t “provoke” the war in Ukraine

I based what I shared regarding God this week on a sermon that was shared by Pastor Roc Collins. You can learn more about him and his book here:

As a reminder, I did launch a new podcast that focuses solely on faith. You can find it below.

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.

Finally, be a part of some community, if nothing else.

Before we end, I always like to end each week’s edition with this one:

Before we end, I always like to end each week’s edition with this one:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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.

Want to talk to me directly?

Email me at the following address: [email protected]. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : )

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 

Headline: up to 80 characters.

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

Subscribe now

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: 0:38. Lots of post-election thoughts with the selection of Trump as President.

Timestamp: 46:31. Have you heard that China has hacked our telecommunications system? And that they are likely spying on members of Congress and other intelligence folks in what is the biggest breach of national security in at least the past ten years?!

Timestamp: 1:05:40. Let’s talk about God for a moment. .

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

Bill Ackman’s tweet that I read.

My political post that I referenced.

Zelenskyy’s tweet to Trump.

China news:

Other source notes referenced:

China Paid Pro-CCP Agitators To Clash With Dissenters

Gangsters, Money and Murder: How Chinese Organized Crime Is Dominating America’s Illegal Marijuana Market

40 Officers of China’s National Police Charged in Transnational Repression Schemes Targeting U.S. Residents

Russia behind Litvinenko murder, rules European rights court

U.K. mother killed by nerve agent

Your Bible lesson for the week:

Let’s end the show with a quick Bible lesson.

As a reminder, I did launch a new podcast that focuses solely on faith. You can find it below.

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.

Finally, be a part of some community, if nothing else.

Before we end, I always like to end each week’s edition with this one:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

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

Subscribe now

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: 0:38. Small announcement regarding the show, as well as some encouragement for men.

Timestamp: 6:23. Israel hits back at Iran. What it means. How Iran might respond.

Timestamp: 16:04. Several news items regarding the war in Ukraine that you need to know.

Timestamp: 35:33. New ‘Great Game’ unfolds in Pacific as U.S. and China bie for backing.

Timestamp: 44:19. Three quick updates on Haiti, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

Timestamp: 47:40. Let’s cover a few verses from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you.

Timestamp: 55:20. A few words for those dealing with depression, PTSD, or harmful thoughts.

Timestamp: 1:01:32. Some final words of unity, as well as more info about me and my books. 

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

Middle East news: Israel hits Iran

Satellite images show damage at Iran military sites after Israel attack

Israel took out primary Iranian air defenses, left it ‘essentially naked’ – report

Ukraine news:

Putin Admits Economic 'Difficulties' as Interest Rates Skyrocket

China news: New ‘Great Game’ Unfolds in Pacific as U.S., China Vie for Backing

Bloomberg — Island nations scattered across the Pacific Ocean are at the center of an intensifying competition between China and the US for maritime routes, deep-water ports and other strategic assets in what the Lowy Institute calls a new “Great Game.”

The countries’ proximity to key shipping lanes and the communication cables that criss-cross the Pacific floor, together with fisheries and seabed minerals, also encourage the rivalry, Lowy said in a report on Wednesday. But it’s the region’s maritime location between Asia, North America and Australia that is set to keep it at the forefront of major powers’ defense strategies.

“The Pacific’s geopolitical landscape is increasingly crowded, with multiple powers vying for influence,” report authors Mihai Sora, Jessica Collins and Meg Keen said. “China is expanding its reach through diplomatic relations, infrastructure projects, and development finance, while traditional partners such as Australia and the US strive to maintain their influence.”

That’s a significant turnaround for island leaders who used to complain that western nations didn’t pay enough attention to the region. Lowy warns the new strategic focus is set to challenge good governance and transparency, given opportunities for local political actors to advance narrow interests over what best serves the people of the Pacific.

Afghanistan news: As Taliban starts restricting men, too, some regret not speaking up sooner

Besides imposing severe rules on women, new laws require men to grow fist-length beards and bar them from imitating non-Muslims in appearance or behavior.

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 reminder, I did launch a new podcast that focuses solely on faith. You can find it below.

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:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

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

Subscribe now

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: 0:38. Israel takes out the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar.

Timestamp: 5:27. Israel could strike Iran this week. How big will that strike be? I lay out my expectations.

Timestamp: 8:41. US bombers hit Houthis; send message to Iran. 

Timestamp: 13:38. All the latest news happening in Ukraine. 

Timestamp: 29:15. A motivating speech on why the defense of Ukraine matters.

Timestamp: 45:38. The latest on those North Korean troops that have deployed to Russia.

Timestamp: 48:25. Let’s cover a few verses from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you.

Timestamp: 58:03. A few words for those dealing with depression, PTSD, or harmful thoughts.

Timestamp: 1:04:14. Some final words of unity, as well as more info about me and my books.

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

Middle East news: Ukraine news:

Moldovans, Very Narrowly, Choose to Look Toward Europe, Not Russia

Kremlin sowing chaos with bomb threats and bribery to thwart Moldova's vote to join EU, authorities say

Lloyd Austin warns against isolationism and insists Ukraine absolutely can win war against Russia

US and G7 allies moving forward with $50 billion loan

Sweden Sends Ukraine Entire Stock of 300 APCs

Eyes Only by Wes O'DonnellUkraine is Now Teaching the US Army How to Win Modern WarsUkraine has come a long way since 1991. The 30-year transformation from a Soviet fighting force to today — training US troops — has been nothing short of incredible…Read morea month ago · 13 likes · 4 comments · Wes O'Donnell

Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

Austin Confirms North Korea Has Sent Troops to Russia

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.

@thegospelmessenger_PART 29 |Cliffe Knechtle| Prayer will save you #godislove #cliffe #cliffeknechtle #amen #christisking #heisrisen #lordjesus #jesuslovesyou [image error]Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser @platt_davidComforter. Counselor. Helper. As a follower of Jesus, you are always (quite literally) in the best company you could ever be because the Holy Spirit is inside you. Christian, never forget that you are never alone.[image error]Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

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.

And as I said in the podcast, I did launch a new podcast that focuses solely on faith. You can find it below.

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:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

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

Subscribe now

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: 1:38. United States deploys missile battery and 100 troops to Israel

Timestamp: 6:13. Are we in World War III already? George Will says we are. 

Timestamp: 17:13. Is a negotiated peace even a reality for Ukraine?

Timestamp: 30:47. China rattles its sword again. What they did, what their goals are, etc.

Timestamp: 42:41. Let’s cover a few verses from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you.

Timestamp: 58:38. A few words for those dealing with depression, PTSD, or harmful thoughts.

Timestamp: 1:04:49. Some final words of unity, as well as more info about me and my books.

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

U.S. news:

Opinion: World War III is already under way. Not that Harris or Trump has noticed. (Gift link.)

China news:

China won't renounce use of force over Taiwan; Xi visits frontline island

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:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

Hi everyone! Thank you for being here.

I’m out of town this week, but wanted to record something for you all while I’m away.

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

Subscribe now

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:

Reminder:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

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

Subscribe now

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:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

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

Subscribe now

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.

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: 2:11. We do a terrible job reaching out to older folks around us, and now more than 16 million elderly Americans are living alone. Please reach out to those older folks who are around you. Be a light and blessing to them!

Timestamp: 6:54. The United States is preparing for a potentially very dangerous mission in the Middle East. I discuss. 

Timestamp: 16:27. Former President Donald Trump made some controversial comments regarding Ukraine that I need to do a fact check on for the record (same as I was critical of President Biden for his botched withdrawal of Afghanistan).

Timestamp: 28:27. UK foreign minister David Lammy EVISCERATES Putin and his UN ambassador at the United Nations.

Timestamp: 33:19. The leader of NATO makes the case for why the West should continue to give Ukraine more weapons.

Timestamp: 34:59. What Professor Timothy Snyder thinks it will take for Russia to see peace.

Timestamp: 41:24. An update on the ammunition dump that Ukraine hit last week; plus details on a second ammo dump just hit.

Timestamp: 44:47. The Kursk Offensive has thrown Russia's Ukraine war strategy into chaos. 

Timestamp: 51:02. Let’s cover some scripture from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you and ground you. I truly do desire to help lift you up.

Timestamp: 54:18. A few words for those who are dealing with depression, PTSD, or thoughts of suicide.

Timestamp: 1:00:29. Some final words of unity, as well as more information about me and my books.

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

U.S. news:

Israel launches ‘extensive’ strikes on Hezbollah; Lebanon says hundreds killed, more than 1,600 injured

Israel calls up reservists, telling troops to prepare for Lebanon incursion

US troops deployed to Cyprus as fears of wider Middle East war intensify

Ukraine news:

A brief recap of the actual facts of the Russian invasion.

Update on Ukraine’s attack last week on the ammunition dump:

A second ammunition dump has been struck.

Ukrainian Drones Just Blew Up 2,000 Tons Of Ammo in Southern Russia

And a great reminder of a detail that apparently many in the Biden Administration want to ignore.

The Kursk Offensive has thrown Russia's Ukraine war strategy into chaos

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.

'Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”' — Matthew 11:28-30

'Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. ' — Psalms 51:10-12

'Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. ' — Hebrews 10:23-25

'Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” ' — Hebrews 13:5-6

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:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

Subscribe now

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!)

The View from the Front. By Stan R. Mitchell. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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 

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

Subscribe now

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.

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Timestamps:

Timestamp: 1:42. The election season is heating up already, but here are just a few things to remember so that you can keep your own temperature down, as well as do your small part to help unite (and heal) this country.

Timestamp: 8:27. The United States has stalled its decision regarding Ukraine using American long-range weapons in their war against Russia against targets deep inside Russia.

Timestamp: 17:12. Ukrainian drones carried out a massive attack against a crucial ammunition depot deep inside Russia.

Timestamp: 24:37. Why Russia seems so powerless to stop these Ukrainian drone attacks. The answer isn’t as simple as you might think.

Timestamp: 33:31. Some keen overall analysis in regards to the larger, higher situation happening in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Timestamp: 42:44. A promised anti-air weapons system that Italy promised in June has STILL not arrived in Ukraine yet. It’s expected by late September.

Timestamp: 45:39. President Zelenskyy speaks out and says that the promised military aid to equip 14 new brigades was not enough for even four. That, and many more shocking details, in a short interview that he did with CNN. 

Timestamp: 54:09. Turkey's Erdogan says Russia must return Crimea to Ukraine; plus Ukraine gets back a hundred prisoners and Russia commits another war crime against a captured soldier.

Timestamp: 58:27. Turkey's Erdogan says Russia must return Crimea to Ukraine; plus Ukraine gets back a hundred prisoners and Russia commits another war crime against a captured soldier.

Timestamp: 1:00:28. Two German ships passed through the Taiwan straight. China wasn’t happy about this.

Timestamp: 1:04:30. Let’s cover some scripture from the Bible, which I hope will encourage you and ground you. I truly do desire to help lift you up.

Timestamp: 1:12:18. A few words for those who are dealing with depression, PTSD, or thoughts of suicide.

Timestamp: 1:18:29. Some final words of unity, as well as more information about me and my books.

Selected source notes for podcast and transcript above.

Timestamp: 1:42. The election season is heating up already, but I discuss in the podcast just a few things to remember so that you can keep your own temperature down, as well as do your small part to help unite (and heal) this country.

Ukraine news:US wants more clarity from Ukraine on possible use of long-range missilesUkraine missile request under discussionPutin warns NATO risks 'war' with Russia over Ukraine with long-range missile discussion China 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:

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."2:15 AM ∙ Aug 21, 20221,398Likes354Retweets

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

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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:

Political thoughts from a Southern GentlemanI’m a prior Marine and Republican, who's now a moderate. I write Lincoln-like political thoughts, full of kindness and hope. I truly believe most Americans are good and we need compromise, unity, and love. Not mockery or extremes.By Stan R. Mitchell

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.)

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