What a Hell of a Way to Dad

10 years ago, an American soldier walked off an outpost in southeastern Afghanistan. It didn't make the news in the US to a great degree, but 5 years after that, it precipitated a right-wing freakout and an entire season of the podcast Serial. In this episode, Nate speaks with Jon Thurman, a veteran of 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, who was there on the search for Bergdahl. They of course know each other because Nate was there, too. They cover their memories of the search itself, the media freak-out in 2014, moving on from the trauma of combat, and why a lot of people are really, really angry about it. Jon isn't on Twitter or FB, but you can follow him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jonthurman/ This week's Patreon bonus features Francis discussing anarcho-communist agriculture with Navy veteran and sheep farmer Andrea Chandler (@neolithicsheep). You can get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/28025962 You may have noticed that the first issue of our zine has debuted, and you can get it in print by signing up at the $10 monthly Patreon tier. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

That dastardly Vladimir Putin, the bane of our existence, is constantly deploying active measures to make Eric Garland tweet too much. Or is he? As Trashfuture cohost and longtime resident of Russia, Milo Edwards (@milo_edwards), has experienced, sometimes Russia is too insane for even Putin himself. In this episode, Milo and Nate discuss everything from terrible Russian supermarkets to the slightly risky concept of Georgia joining NATO. Hope you enjoy! This week's Patreon bonus features Nate and Francis reviewing the 1990 live-action Gundam movie "Robot Jox." It's not good, but it sure is something. Get the review here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/27802998 You may have noticed that the first issue of our zine has debuted, and you can get it in print by signing up at the $10 monthly Patreon tier. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

We've all seen chest candy. Whether it's a private rocking an airborne badge or some terrifying spec-ops E-8 with every spaceship-commander skill badge in existence, at some point we've all encountered the Army (and it's basically just the Army) penchant for giving people skill badges for just about everything. Well, there's chest candy to come: apparently we'll soon get to experience the Expert Soldier Badge, which you get for Doing Soldier Skills Well. But, what is this badge? And why is the Army like this? https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/06/14/mo-badges-mo-problems-expert-soldier-badge-officially-announced/?fbclid=IwAR0JArb7p_p_Rka7tOW5WUNIiyXdem1wpv0Risujjq_RZTbDsmpZ-wkqHKI Additionally, we've also received word that US Forces Korea has decided to rescind the infamous 1 am - 5 am curfew! How long will that last? The magic green bottle of soju says… not long…. https://www.stripes.com/news/it-s-official-us-military-lifts-curfew-for-90-days-in-test-for-troops-in-s-korea-1.586279?fbclid=IwAR35C-fqsKIT4XroLF5S0oKA8QhD3M0q-8VXaPBvVSDAPGhg7p0L--gXYgA This week's bonus episode is the second in a series, in which Cynthia and Francis discuss the time-travel novel LONG DIVISION by Kiese Laymon. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/27691340 You may have noticed that the first issue of our zine has debuted, and you can get it in print by signing up at the $10 monthly Patreon tier. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Okay, seriously, what the hell--apparently Reince Priebus (former Trump Chief of Staff) has joined the Navy as an O-1… at age 47. We're confused, but hey, there's time enough to give him a red belly. Read that story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/former-trump-chief-of-staff-reince-priebus-joins-the-navy/2019/06/10/20174f2a-8bbf-11e9-8f69-a2795fca3343_story.html?utm_term=.0d8e5712f012 We also discuss the story of the Naval War College's Commandant, a Navy Rear Admiral with a penchant for day-drinking margaritas. Is this fraud, waste, and abuse? Or is it just this guy being a badass? You decide: https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/06/07/a-navy-admiral-under-investigation-for-free-hugs-twister-games-and-a-margarita-machine-in-his-office/ Did you know that, on average, troops' hearts are in worse shape than those of civilians? Must be all those 36-oz Monsters: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/u-s-soldiers-have-worse-heart-health-than-civilians Also, apparently Mitch McConnell wants to ban the sale of tobacco to troops under 21. Weird flex for a haunted turtle from Dimension X, but okay: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/05/20/younger-troops-would-be-barred-from-buying-tobacco-products-under-new-plan/ This week's Patreon bonus features Francis talking Star Trek with Riley Dosh (@Ms_Riley_Guprz). Why is Seven of Nine doctrinally transgender? Why are the Ferengi never going to get on board with socialism? Why do Klingons' heads keep changing? Find out here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/27510911 Also remember that our first zine issue will be forthcoming soon. Sign up on the Patreon at the $10 tier to get a paper copy. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate and Francis discuss two recent news stories that are painfully dumb but also, surprisingly, relevant to the military. First, we examine the story of Trump's lackeys trying to forcibly relocate the USS John S. McCain because of Trump's strong dislike of the guy the boat was named after. We also discuss Duncan Hunter's recent conversation in which he admitted to shelling civilians in Fallujah during his tenure as a Marine artillery officer. This was supposed to be a defense of confirmed murderbot and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, but it just instigated a collective jaw dropping. Score one for the vaper king himself! Here's a CNN roundup about the USS McCain thing: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/31/politics/navy-uss-mccain/index.html And here's a Splinter article about U.S. Rep. Duncan "Gaming" Hunter: https://splinternews.com/rep-duncan-hunter-admits-he-probably-killed-hundreds-o-1835190228 This week's Patreon bonus features Nate and Francis reviewing the 1985 action film RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II and asking the important question: is it fascist? Get it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/27334434 Also remember that our first zine issue will be forthcoming soon. Sign up on the Patreon at the $10 tier to get a paper copy. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate is in-studio with Hussein Kesvani (@HKesvani), the author of the recently-published book "Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims." Hussein is also a cohost of the Trashfuture podcast and a man who can enrage everyone's Facebook uncles with a simple tweet. They discuss how Hussein met his Islamophobic troll in person, how he managed the pressures of growing up as an other in suburban Britain, and how they've both watched the same weird jihadi dancehall video from 2004. You can buy Hussein's book here: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/follow-me-akhi/ This week's bonus features Francis and Brock Wilbur discussing the 2006 cult hit Psychonauts, why they love it, why it's insane, and why it features a very emotionally intelligent army man. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/27100093 Also remember that our first zine issue will be forthcoming soon. Sign up on the Patreon at the $10 tier to get a paper copy. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Donald Trump, America's big, wet President, recently pardoned a war criminal named Mike Behenna. Recently, he indicated that he wants to pardon even more war criminals -- all of them white dudes who murdered people in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode, Nate and Francis break down why this is pathetic and why your Once An Eagle ass cosplay about being The Leader Who Will Stop Bad Things means nothing when your chain of command actively encourages war crimes. It's bad, folks! This week's bonus is a Q&A session in which we answer your questions. Get it on the Patreon here at the $3 tier: https://www.patreon.com/posts/26909813 Also remember that our first zine issue will be forthcoming soon. Sign up on the Patreon at the $10 tier to get a paper copy. We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Our friend Joe Kassabian (@jkass99), THE HOOLIGANS OF KANDAHAR and host of the Lions Led by Donkeys podcast, has a new book coming out called CITIZEN OF EARTH. You can buy it here, and you should: https://kyanitepublishing.com/product/citizen-of-earth/ In this episode, Joe and Francis discuss the new book, bad Army training, laser tanks, insane future weapons, and why the higher your rank the in the military, the less a grip on reality you have re: what soldiers can do. It's a fun conversation because Joe is a good dude, and if you've got a few bucks to spare you can support Lions Led by Donkeys here: https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys This week's bonus features Francis' continued episode-by-episode review of the HBO series Generation Kill. It sure seems like things are getting messed up in Iraq c. 2003, almost as if it doesn't bode well for the future. You can get that here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/26822079 We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Francis is out doing dad things, and Nate is covering down with a weird one out of left field. This week, Nate and special guest Riley Quinn (@raaleh) of Trashfuture Podcast discuss a looming horror in the distance: Donald Trump fans' weird crossover with the Warhammer 40k universe. Riley explains what 'grimdark' is, why the fash seem to love slapping Trump's head on the Emperor of All Mankind, and why gatekeeping fan subcultures can get weaponized very easily. The article from The Mary Sue that Nate mentions is available here: https://www.themarysue.com/warhammer-40k-fandom-fascism/ This week's bonus features Francis and Cynthia discussing the 1979 time-travel novel KINDRED by Octavia Butler. Did you know that changing history isn't as easy as just smiting Baby Hitler? Does it seem outlandish to learn that time-travel while Black is something of a challenge? Hear about this and much more on the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/26567050 We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw We have a new t-shirt out this week — get some anarchist agriculture in your life! Buy it here: https://teespring.com/new-anarchist-agricultural#pid=387&cid=101810&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

In this episode, Francis speaks with Army public affairs veteran Fred Wellman (@fpwellman) about a recent article by an Army PAO that basically blames the media for not being patriotic enough. As fellow flacks, they discuss why this is a garbage take and why everyone should demand more truth from the military. Here is the dumb article that sucks: https://mwi.usma.edu/takes-two-tango-journalists-role-healthy-military-media-relationship/ In addition, we have an interview with all-round veteran badass Amber Mathwig (@tooterbelle) about her recent arrest at UNC, why the police are extremely comfortable with white supremacists on UNC's campus, and why it's good to demilitarize the veteran space. If you want more info on what went down with her arrest, read it here: https://twitter.com/Tooterbelle/status/1121366212443877377 This week's bonus features a discussion with Bryan Quinby (@MurderBryan) of Street Fight Radio (@streetfightwcrs) on the topic of the recent Ben Affleck military thriller TRIPLE FRONTIER, a movie about divorced dad energy. Get that on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/26398953 We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw Are you tired of your veteran-themed coffee company shirts being too subtle? Well, we have a solution to your problems: https://teespring.com/dickgun-coffee-company#pid=387&cid=101869&sid=front We also have a Soviet-inspired socialist gym rat shirt, for the Swoletariat: https://teespring.com/swoletariat#pid=755&cid=103339&sid=front You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedesertsFollow Francis here: @ArmyStrang