What War Teaches Us—If We Survive It

People think retired Army Major John Spencer lost part of his ear in combat. He didn’t; he lost it in a fight behind a bar that cost him his spot in the Army Rangers. Spencer went on to serve repeatedly in combat and become one of the country’s leading experts on urban warfare. He joins Aaron MacLean to discuss his origin story and other anecdotes from his new book, Twenty Times I Almost Died, as well as why he thinks the U.S. “is clearly winning” the war in Iran.

3:30 War With Iran

9:43 Battle of Hormuz

10:42 Wartime Stockpiles

12:32 The Stakes of Failure

15:34 Losing His Ear

23:34 Losing the Rangers

25:51 Resilience

28:58 Invading Iraq

33:59 Common Sense in Combat

39:08 The IED Trap

44:25 Battle of Marjah