Iraq, Afghanistan, ISIS, & Ukraine: One Fighter’s Journey Through Modern War | Ryan O'Leary | Ep. 409

Combat veteran Ryan O'Leary joins us to discuss his journey from the Army National Guard to fighting alongside Kurdish forces against ISIS in Iraq, working with Iranian Kurdish insurgent groups, and later experiencing the war in Ukraine firsthand. Ryan breaks down the realities of insurgency warfare, Kurdish resistance movements, and why modern conflicts are being transformed by drones, surveillance, and battlefield transparency.This episode also dives into the future of warfare, the limits of regime change, corruption inside war zones, and what Western militaries still fail to understand about modern combat.Today's Sponsors:GhostBed ⬇️https://www.ghostbed.com/houseFOR 10% off! Blue Chew ⬇️https://bluechew.com/Get 1 month free when you buy 2 of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL"Good Ranchers ⬇️https://www.goodranchers.com/Get $25 off your first order with the code "HOUSE"For ad free video and audio and access to live streams and Eyes On Geopolitics...JOIN OUR PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouseTo 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 guestsSubscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouseSupport the show here:⬇️https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse___________________________________________________PRE 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 new 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/theteamhouseSocial Media: ⬇️The Team House Instagram:https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_linkThe Team House Twitter:https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePodJack’s Instagram:https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_linkJack’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21Dave’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dave_parke?s=21Team House Discord: ⬇️https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6SubReddit: ⬇️https://www.reddit.com/r/TheTeamHouse/Jack Murphy's memoir "Murphy's Law" can be found here:⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/Murphys-Law-Journey-Investigative-Journalist/dp/1501191241The Team Room Reading Room (Amazon Affiliate links):⬇️ https://jackmurphywrites.com/the-team-room-reading-room/Intro music by https://www.youtube.com/user/RemixSample"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"00:00 — Start 01:25 — Growing up in Iowa and joining the Army National Guard03:25 — Iraq deployment: FOB security and disillusionment with the war04:20 — Afghanistan in RC Pactia: first firefights and combat patrols05:45 — Ambushed on day one and surviving RPG attacks08:50 — Why Afghanistan felt minor compared to later wars in Kurdistan and Ukraine09:35 — Going AWOL to fight ISIS with the Kurds in Iraq11:40 — Watching U.S. airstrikes outside Erbil as ISIS closed in13:20 — Joining the Peshmerga with almost no process or paperwork15:00 — Fighting across Iraq with Kurdish and Iranian Kurdish units16:20 — The Kurdish-Iraqi civil war around Kirkuk explained18:40 — Taking tank fire from Iraqi Abrams tanks during the fighting21:10 — Mortar teams, ATGMs, and chaos on the Kirkuk front24:00 — Kurdish independence, Kirkuk oil, and Iran’s role in the conflict27:00 — U.S. weapons ending up with Iranian-backed militias and PMUs29:00 — Meeting Iranian Kurdish fighters and deciding to work with them32:10 — Living in the Qandil Mountains with Kurdish insurgents34:20 — Kurdish separatism, Mahabad, and dreams of independence39:10 — Life with Iranian Kurds: morale, culture, and surviving in the mountains41:45 — Learning insurgency warfare from the inside43:20 — Why insurgencies are nearly impossible to defeat47:55 — Could Iranian Kurds actually help overthrow Tehran?53:20 — Why regime change in Iran was always unrealistic01:02:00 — Early Ukraine war experiences and how drones changed everything01:14:30 — FPV drones, trench warfare, and why modern combat is now transparent01:28:00 — What Western militaries still don’t understand about drone warfare01:40:30 — Surviving artillery, drone drops, and constant surveillance in Ukraine01:55:00 — Why infantry movement is becoming nearly