Ep 215: Ryan McDermott on Invading Iraq in 2003
School of War - A podcast by Nebulous Media

Ryan McDermott, Army veteran of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and author of Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet, joins the show to talk about his combat experiences. ▪️ Times • 01:13 Introduction • 01:55 Seeking purpose • 04:11 West Point • 06:48 9/11 • 08:41 3rd Infantry Division • 10:12 Platoon tactics • 14:51 “Crossing tonight” • 18:08 Preparing for combat • 23:40 Tired • 29:37 Baghdad • 35:51 Thunder Runs Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack