EPISODE 36
THE FORGOTTEN WAR: INSIDE UKRAINE
COMBAT MEDIC, BRANDON MITCHELL
Get ready for an unfiltered look into the brutal realities of war.
In this raw and powerful Off Script podcast episode, host Ty Temel welcomes back Brandon Mitchell - a medic who has seen more than his fair share of conflict while serving on the frontlines in Ukraine.
As the conflict has fallen out of our headlines, yet still rages on, this intense conversation discusses what has become of “The Forgotten War”.
Brandon pulls no punches as he recounts harrowing tales from the battlefield, dealing with the gruesome realities of decomposing bodies, and opens up about the personal toll the war has taken on his mental and physical health.
Beyond the gore, Brandon also shares surprising stories of hope, including the inspiring individuals who have selflessly served their country in its time of need. He also delves into how finding purpose through helping others ultimately saved him from his own demons.
If you want a truly unvarnished look at the human face of war, you don't want to miss this intimate and compelling discussion with a soldier forever changed by conflict. Listen now to gain a perspective you won't find anywhere else.
This episode covers:
Beyond the Headlines: Realities of War
Is there really a winner or a loser?
The effect of the Israel & Palestine conflict on Ukraine’s struggle
Is the news doing justice to the reality of war?
Reaction to the Putin interview with Tucker Carlson
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
“Everyone, the war vloggers, the mainstream media say “Yeah, Russia is weak. Russia is losing this. They're alcoholics. They're incompetent, corrupt. They're so weak.” They're not when they're shooting at you and your friends are dying”
19.05 - Brandon Mitchell
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“I went to Ukraine, third week of the war, ended up in an army medical battalion with no medical background, put me through training, started documenting it because we needed funding just to buy helmets. And a few youtubers backed me from the beginning. And it turned into about a million and a half quid” - 0:53 - Brandon Mitchell
“We're losing. We're losing slowly, slowly, but surely, everyday. We get little victories here and there. But we don't have the weapons. It's not getting better.” - 4:05 - Brandon Mitchell
“I see complacent Russians on the other side. And sometimes we hit them. And I watch them die. And I'm quite okay with that. I am, really. But then we don't hit them because we don't have enough ammunition. And it's not worth it. If magically tomorrow 100,000 artillery shells and mortar shells just appeared in Ukraine and all the right places, I think we could kill 30,000 of them in a week. I bet that sounds sick to you.” - 7:14 - Brandon Mitchell
“l’ll go back and I'll do everything I can. And I'll see the war through till the end. Somehow, till the end” - 36:14 - Brandon Mitchell
“12,000 children have been killed in Gaza. Children, bro. What's their crime?” - 39:28 - Ty Temel