The Team House

Bing West looks back on a lifetime of war and policy, from serving as a Force Recon Marine in Vietnam and writing The Village to working in the Reagan administration and covering Iraq and Afghanistan alongside U.S. troops. We also discuss why America keeps repeating the same strategic mistakes, the rise of autonomous warfare, the growing challenge from China, and whether today’s conflicts are converging into something much larger.
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Support the show here:⬇️
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___________________________________________________
ORDER JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" 
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/
Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured
__________________________________
Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/
——————————————————————
Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️
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Jack’s Twitter:
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Team House Discord: ⬇️
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"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 – Start
01:18 – Growing Up Around Marines & Joining the Corps
03:28 – Becoming a Marine Officer & Writing Small Unit Action in Vietnam
04:28 – Force Recon Deep Inside the DMZ
05:26 – Living and Fighting With a Combined Action Platoon
07:34 – Nearly 400 Days Inside a Vietnamese Village
09:52 – How the Combined Action Platoons Actually Worked
13:05 – Tet Offensive & Fighting at Night
16:00 – Seven Marines Killed in a Single Night
16:33 – Writing The Village During the Vietnam War
19:15 – The Tactical Lessons Bing Took From Vietnam
20:00 – Force Recon, Stealth & Operation Stingray
21:20 – Why Bing Blames Lyndon Johnson for the War’s Failure
23:16 – Could the U.S. Have Won the Vietnam War?
25:04 – “If You Go to War, You Have to Fight to Win”
26:53 – Why the War Could Have Been Won at the Squad Level
29:23 – Henry Kissinger & the End of South Vietnam
32:36 – Why America Keeps Repeating the Same Mistakes in War
34:48 – The “Jupiter Complex” of American Power
36:07 – H.R. McMaster, Vietnam & Repeating Old Mistakes
39:05 – America’s Debt Crisis & the Coming Defense Squeeze
42:04 – China, Defense Spending & the Future of Warfare
43:03 – AI, Autonomous Weapons & Killing Legacy Systems
47:14 – What the Fall of Rome Can Teach America
49:02 – AI CEOs, Power & the New “Jupiter Complex”
53:29 – Working for Ronald Reagan
54:44 – Reagan, Somalia & Confronting Soviet Influence
59:18 – The Final Years of the Cold War
1:00:42 – Central America, Oliver North & Reagan-Era Proxy Wars
1:02:40 – Iraq, Jim Mattis & the March to Baghdad
1:03:52 – Fallujah & the Decision to Halt the Marines
1:05:40 – Why You Can’t Fight a War Halfway
1:06:07 – The Fatal Problem of Enemy Safe Havens
1:07:28 – Pakistan, the Taliban & Why Afghanistan Couldn’t Be Won
1:14:32 – Afghanistan: “The Wrong War”
1:15:57 – Why Jim Gant Was the Exception, Not the Rule
1:19:34 – Cat 5 & the 2033 War
1:21:06 – China, Taiwan & America’s Coming Strategic Crisis
1:22:58 – Why the Pentagon Must Move Toward Autonomous Weapons
1:23:49 – Are Ukraine, Gaza & Iran the Prelude to World War III?
1:25:38 – Russia, China, Iran & North Korea Against the U.S.
1:27:34 – Should America Station Troops in Taiwan?
1:29:24 – Cat 5: The 2033 War
1:30:17 – Bing’s Next Projects
1:31:17 – The Last Platoon & Writing Afghanistan as Fiction
1:32:24 – Jack’s The Most Dangerous Man
1:34:14 – Closing Thoughts

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We break down Russia’s use of gig-economy recruits and online networks for espionage and violence, the growing damage to U.S. bases across the Middle East, and what Iran may be gaining strategically from the conflict. We also discuss the Houthis’ leverage over another maritime choke point, the messy legacy of U.S. proxy warfare in Syria, and how Saudi, Emirati, Omani, and other regional actors are hedging as American influence erodes.
Support the show on Patreon:⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
Jack's news outlet:⬇️
https://thehighside.substack.com/
Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️
Jon's Twitter:
https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Jon's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Jon's books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Check out Mick's new podcast here:⬇️
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/pub-and-porch-applied-stoicism/id1836955475
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1k3QPmkAMwnGJxMLDwUSSd?si=n6piIu8XRcag1Z0K43A3bQ
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCd0Hq6QFk8CoTu5j-VU0Ong 
Find Mick Mulroy here: 
Fogbow ⬇️
https://fogbow.com/
Lobo Institute ⬇️
https://www.loboinstitute.org/
Twitter ⬇️
https://x.com/mickmulroy?s=21&t=-Ze3F_Ix2vlJ18KFvORTCA
LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/
Whitefish security summit ⬇️
https://whitefishsecuritysummit.com
Find Marc P here:
https://x.com/Mpolymer
Find Andy Milburn here: 
Twitter ⬇️
https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8
LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023
Substack ⬇️
https://amilburn.substack.com/
Andy’s book ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations

00:00 – Start
01:05 – Russia’s New Gig-Economy Espionage Model
02:36 – Foreign Governments Hiring Proxies for Assassinations
03:18 – Russian Online Networks & Recruitment for Violence
05:00 – The KGB’s History of Using Terrorist Proxies
06:11 – Is Russia Directing Online Chaos?
07:24 – Chinese Influence, Ghost Guns & Suspicious Networks in the U.S.
09:20 – Accelerationism & Using Chaos as a Weapon
10:14 – Recruiting Vulnerable People Online
11:20 – How Intelligence Services Slowly Escalate Recruits
12:27 – Iran Recruiting Israelis Through Fake Relationships
14:03 – The Damage to U.S. Bases Across the Middle East
15:06 – Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Is Effectively Abandoned
15:59 – Losing America’s Foothold Inside the Strait of Hormuz
16:41 – Did the Pentagon Expect Its Gulf Bases to Get Hit?
18:34 – Why Deterrence Against Iran Failed
19:32 – Has Iran Strategically Defeated the U.S.?
20:50 – What Would It Actually Take to Defeat Iran?
21:21 – Iran’s Likely Endgame in the Strait of Hormuz
23:19 – Gulf States Are Beginning to Hedge Away From Washington
24:47 – Houthis Threaten a Second Maritime Choke Point
25:39 – Why the U.S. Is Now Talking Directly to the Houthis
27:23 – Houthis Say Saudi Shipping Is the Target
27:58 – The Mecca Agreement Is Already Being Tested
28:56 – Who Actually Struck Mecca?
30:08 – Saudi Arabia’s Secret Counter-Iran Programs
31:26 – The Gig Economy of Proxy Warfare
32:35 – Timber Sycamore & the Chaos of the Syrian War
34:45 – The Myth of the “Moderate Rebels”
36:30 – When the U.S. Bought Syrian Rebels Xboxes
37:05 – Trying to Get U.S. TOW Missiles Back From Warlords
37:43 – Did the TOW Missile Program Actually Work?
39:21 – Assad’s Intelligence Services & Fear as a Weapon
40:52 – Why the Houthis Aren’t Simply Iranian Proxies
42:11 – Who Was Operating the Captured Saudi Equipment?
43:32 – Saudi vs. Emirati Proxy Forces in Yemen
43:59 – Oman’s Role in the Yemen & Hormuz Crisis
45:50 – JSOC Operations in Eastern Yemen
46:32 – The Failed U.S. Strike in Yemen During the Soleimani Operation
47:24 – Could Yemen’s Rival Factions Be Turned Against Each Other?
47:30 – UAE Mercenaries & Covert Operations in Yemen
48:14 – The UAE’s Huge Paydays for Former U.S. Intelligence Personnel
48:45 – Foreign Officers Running Emirati Elite Units
49:00 – Training the UAE Presidential Guard
50:36 – Closing Thoughts
51:02 – American Insurgent & Final Plug
51:29 – End

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We break down the Houthis’ advances toward the Bab al-Mandab, the growing pressure on Saudi oil exports, and new reporting that Houthi forces used Claude to help develop and test ballistic missiles. We also discuss the Haaretz report alleging Netanyahu was warned before October 7, the proposed Trump development in Tbilisi and its Russia ties, and signs that Ukraine may be regaining the initiative around Lyman.
Support the show on Patreon:⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
Jack's news outlet:⬇️
https://thehighside.substack.com/
Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️
Jon's Twitter:
https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Jon's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Jon's books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett
Check out Mick's new podcast here:⬇️
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/pub-and-porch-applied-stoicism/id1836955475
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1k3QPmkAMwnGJxMLDwUSSd?si=n6piIu8XRcag1Z0K43A3bQ
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@UCd0Hq6QFk8CoTu5j-VU0Ong 
Find Mick Mulroy here: 
Fogbow ⬇️
https://fogbow.com/
Lobo Institute ⬇️
https://www.loboinstitute.org/
Twitter ⬇️
https://x.com/mickmulroy?s=21&t=-Ze3F_Ix2vlJ18KFvORTCA
LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/
Whitefish security summit ⬇️
https://whitefishsecuritysummit.com
Find Marc P here:
https://x.com/Mpolymer
Find Andy Milburn here: 
Twitter ⬇️
https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8
LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023
Substack ⬇️
https://amilburn.substack.com/
Andy’s book ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations
00:00 – Start
05:34 – Houthis Advance Toward the Bab al-Mandab
07:02 – Why the U.S. Isn’t Backing Saudi Arabia the Same Way
09:02 – Hormuz, Oil Exports & Saudi Arabia’s Growing Problems
10:15 – How the Anti-Houthi Coalition Fell Apart
12:30 – Why the Houthis See an Opening Right Now
14:29 – The Houthis Are More Capable Than People Think
17:09 – From 30,000 Fighters to 300,000+
18:23 – What Control of the Bab al-Mandab Gives the Houthis
19:41 – Who Could Actually Reopen the Strait?
22:35 – Saudi Arabia’s Oil Bypasses Are Being Squeezed
24:16 – Is This a Coordinated Iranian Campaign?
27:11 – Why Airstrikes Alone Won’t Solve the Houthi Problem
30:25 – Are Gulf States Turning Toward Iran Instead of Washington?
31:55 – MBS Asks Trump for U.S. Strikes on the Houthis
35:16 – Is Yemen Heading Toward Permanent Partition?
36:00 – Houthis Used Claude to Develop Ballistic Missiles
38:26 – China’s Role in Arming the Houthis
40:09 – AI Inside the Houthi Missile Development Loop
42:35 – Can AI Make Weapons Proliferation Impossible to Stop?
45:54 – Using AI to Evade Export Controls & Sanctions
46:50 – Haaretz Bombshell: Was Netanyahu Warned Before Oct. 7?
49:02 – Israeli Intelligence Failures Before the Hamas Attack
52:06 – Why This Story Is Exploding Before Israel’s Election
54:51 – Trump Tower Tbilisi & Georgia’s Russia Problem
56:46 – Is There Any Economic Case for the Project?
59:08 – Why Trump’s Georgia Deal Is Politically Explosive
1:00:13 – Ukraine Regains the Initiative Around Lyman
1:02:05 – Closing Thoughts
1:02:35 – Andy’s New Book & Hannibal Directive Chapter
1:03:56 – Best War Movies Next?

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Ambassador Matthew Klimow recounts his path from West Point and a 30-year Army career to the highest levels of U.S. national security, including his firsthand experience inside the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. We also discuss the chaos of that day, the early War on Terror, working for Vice President Dick Cheney, and his later diplomatic career as U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan.
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For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON! 
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To help support the show and for all bonus content including:
-live shows and asking guest questions 
-ad free audio and video
-early access to shows
-Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests
Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
___________________________________________________
GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" 
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/
Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured
Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/
Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️
https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse
Social Media: ⬇️
The Team House Instagram:
https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link
The Team House Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod
Jack’s Instagram:
https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link
Jack’s Twitter:
 https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21
Team House Discord: ⬇️
https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6
"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"

00:00 – Start
00:57 – Growing Up in Upstate New York & His Father’s WWII Service
04:31 – West Point in the Turbulent 1970s
05:36 – Serving in Cold War Germany
10:00 – The Old Guard, Reagan’s Inauguration & Washington
12:20 – The Career Decision That Changed Everything
15:06 – Traveling With the Secretary of State & the Balkan Wars
16:55 – Madeleine Albright & the NATO-Russia Brigade Disaster
23:02 – Working With General Richard Myers on the Joint Staff
23:50 – Commanding at Fort Bragg & Returning to Washington
30:39 – Inside the Pentagon Before 9/11
33:32 – Watching the World Trade Center Burn From His Pentagon Office
35:00 – NORAD Calls the Pentagon’s Red Phone
36:27 – The White House Emergency Conference Begins
38:46 – “The Building Moved”: The Pentagon Is Hit
40:23 – General Myers Returns to the Burning Pentagon
42:28 – Could U.S. Fighters Shoot Down a Hijacked Airliner?
43:42 – The Chaos Between NORAD, the FAA & Secret Service
48:47 – Watching the South Tower Collapse From the Command Center
50:49 – Rumsfeld Returns & the Pentagon’s Command Crisis
52:33 – Cheney Is Rushed Into the White House Bunker
54:42 – President Bush: “Find Out Who Did This”
55:36 – Running Out of Oxygen Inside the Pentagon
58:30 – Rumsfeld Refuses to Evacuate
59:38 – “What Haven’t We Thought of Yet?” & Raising DEFCON
1:02:02 – Walking the Flight 77 Crash Site
1:03:15 – Soldiers Try to Reenter the Burning Pentagon
1:04:39 – Continuity of Government & Raven Rock
1:07:05 – The Human Toll of the Pentagon Attack
1:10:20 – General Shelton Returns to Washington
1:13:40 – “We’re Going to War”
1:19:38 – Going Home After 9/11 & Returning the Next Morning
1:22:38 – Planning the Afghanistan War & Discovering Turkmenistan
1:24:43 – Helping the Kabul Evacuation 20 Years Later
1:26:44 – Anthrax, the DC Snipers & Fear After 9/11
1:33:25 – Afghanistan, Iraq & the First Year of the War on Terror
1:35:04 – Working for Vice President Dick Cheney
1:36:47 – A Credible Terror Plot Against the New York Subway
1:38:32 – The Threat of Terrorists Shooting Down Airliners
1:40:34 – What 9/11 Exposed About Government Bureaucracy
1:42:59 – Retiring From the Army & Joining the State Department
1:46:20 – How You Actually Become a U.S. Ambassador
1:49:29 – Becoming Ambassador to Turkmenistan
1:51:30 – Turkmenistan, Russia & “Positive Neutrality”
1:55:17 – Natural Gas, Europe & Reducing Dependence on Russia
1:58:15 – How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Changed Central Asia
2:00:00 – Diplomacy, Political Prisoners & the Carrot and Stick
2:01:22 – Fighting for Women’s Rights in Turkmenistan
2:05:59 – Turkmenistan’s Future, China & the Caspian
2:07:39 – What It’s Actually Like to Visit Turkmenistan
2:10:25 – The Case for American Soft Power
2:12:42 – Retirement & Trying to Be More Like His Father
2:17:59 – Final Thoughts

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original airdate 4/15/22
Erick Miyares recounts his path from the Marine Corps and 7th Special Forces Group into a highly secretive Army special mission unit, conducting intelligence and advanced force operations across Afghanistan, Iraq, and other sensitive environments. He also opens up about being shot in Colombia, hunting high-level targets in Ramadi, singleton missions, hostage rescue work, and the psychological toll of spending two decades operating in the shadows.

Support the show & get ad free episodes here:
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00:00 – Start
02:38 – Erick’s Cuban-American Upbringing in Miami
04:18 – Joining the Marine Corps
06:13 – Airborne, Pathfinder & Becoming a Scout Sniper
07:20 – Leaving the Marines for Army Intelligence
10:12 – Becoming a SIGINT / Electronic Warfare Operator
12:42 – Getting Assigned to 7th Special Forces Group
14:32 – Life on a Special Operations Team Alpha
18:37 – Mission on the Ecuador-Colombia Border
23:13 – Ambushed by Guerrillas
27:04 – Getting Shot in His First Firefight
34:31 – Discovering the Secretive JSOC Intelligence World
35:19 – Getting Hog-Tied by Rangers During a JSOC Exercise
41:22 – Selection for a Special Mission Unit
44:06 – What Makes the Right Kind of Operator?
47:18 – Living With Ambiguity & Controlling Aggression
51:04 – The History & Mission of the Unit
58:44 – Straddling Special Operations and Intelligence
1:04:28 – 9/11 Changes Everything
1:06:01 – Early Global War on Terror Missions
1:09:10 – Afghanistan & Advanced Force Operations
1:11:20 – What AFO Operators Actually Do
1:19:33 – Hunting a High-Level Target in Ramadi
1:23:23 – Going Up Against State-Level Tradecraft
1:26:01 – Infiltrating a Cordon-and-Sweep Operation
1:28:03 – Finding the HVT and Leaving Him in Place
1:29:31 – RPG Attack & Hours of Fighting in Ramadi
1:34:44 – Building the Final Target Package
1:35:48 – Rangers Raid the Target & Seize Everything
1:39:02 – Sitting Face-to-Face With the Man He Hunted
1:41:24 – Espionage Inside a War Zone
1:41:40 – The American Hostage Rescue Mission
1:46:07 – The Psychological Toll of Constantly Switching Missions
1:49:31 – Compartmentalization, Secrets & Family Life
1:53:38 – Activating an Emergency Destruction Plan
1:57:23 – Destroy the Gear and Escape
2:03:03 – The Fear of Being Captured on a Singleton Mission
2:07:41 – When the Entire City Went Dark
2:09:40 – Treating PTSD With a Stellate Ganglion Block
2:15:05 – Helping Special Operations Veterans Get Treatment
2:18:47 – Leaving the Clandestine World Behind
2:20:25 – Opening Pandora’s Box After 20 Years
2:22:49 – Suicide, PTSD & Finally Asking for Help
2:24:24 – Becoming Erick Again After the Military
2:27:10 – What Special Operations Does to Families
2:30:26 – The Nightmare of Forgetting Who You Really Are
2:36:11 – Why Army “Spies” Struggle to Tell Their Stories
2:38:20 – Classified Trauma & Getting Help From the VA
2:42:00 – Why Secret Careers Are So Hard to Translate to Civilian Life
2:47:27 – Is This Line of Work Better for Single Men?
2:51:19 – Politics vs. Operating in a War Zone
2:55:25 – Cuban-Americans in Special Operations
2:57:03 – Why These Stories Need to Be Told
3:01:34 – Where to Find Erick & Closing Thoughts

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