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Rating

★★★★★

4.9

from

393 reviews

Description

In 2011, veteran and journalist Elliott Woods embedded with the twelve Marines of Third Squad in one of the most violent parts of Afghanistan at the height of the war against the Taliban. Only eleven of the twelve would make it home. A decade later—with America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan looming—Elliott goes on a cross-country road trip to track down the Third Squad survivors, to talk about the war and coming home, and to ask: What was it all for? And where do we go from here? Third Squad is a 12-part documentary podcast hosted by Woods and produced by Airloom Media. New episodes every Thursday starting October 21, 2021.

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Check latest episodes from Third Squad podcast

The End of the Road

2022/02/09

Asheville, NC: Teresa Bradley still lives in the house where she grew up and where she raised her twin sons, Michael and Timothy Dutcher. In the final visit of the journey, Teresa and Tim tell the story of Michael’s life and how his death continues to haunt their family. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Think This is Hell

2022/01/13

Ventnor City, NJ: Jeffrey Lopez grew up steps away from the Atlantic Ocean with a house full of brothers who loved to fight. His mother, Rosibel, escaped war-torn El Salvador in hopes of raising her family in peace—and her son’s deployment to Sangin was a nightmare come true. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sandcastles in the Tide

2022/01/06

Deer River, NY: As a teenager, Taylor Moody had a mohawk and cared more about punk shows than school. He tells Elliott about his tough adjustment to the disciplined life of a Marine and his quest to find a place for himself back home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chasing The War

2021/12/16

Greensburg, PA: As squad leader, Jeric Fry’s biggest responsibility was to keep his Marines alive. He could never have known that he’d save the life of one of his Marines years after the squad came home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bad Paper

2021/12/09

Lexington, KY: In Sangin, Scott McEtchin told Elliott that he joined the Marines to get his life together after a bout of teenage trouble. But trouble wasn’t far behind when McEtchin got back from Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Make Peace or Die

2021/12/02

Palmer, AK: Elliott takes a detour from the road trip to fly to Alaska, home to David Richvalsky, Third Squad’s machine gunner. During an ATV trip to a glacier, Richvalsky describes the gaps in his memory caused by concussions from IED blasts—which he says may actually help him avoid dwelling on the worst moments of his deployment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Third Squad on Here & Now

2021/11/26

Elliott Woods discusses the making of Third Squad with Scott Tong on WBUR’s Here & Now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Husband, Father, Killer

2021/11/18

Spearfish, SD: As Third Squad’s radio operator, John Bohlinger had the grim task of calling in medevac helicopters for his wounded friends. He also had awesome firepower at his fingertips. With his wife Hannah by his side, Bohlinger tells Elliott about the difficult transition from a trained killer back to a husband and father. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nothing to Lose

2021/11/11

Rapid City, SD: Brian Shearer was a gung-ho 17 year-old when he joined the Marines, with nothing to lose but the PlayStation he willed to his brother. In Sangin he was a designated marksman whose job was to kill with long-range precision. A father of two boys now, he learns from his own dad what it was like to send a child off to war. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Soldier’s Heart

2021/11/04

The Woodlands, TX: The Marines offered Manny Mendoza a ticket out of the small Texas border town where he grew up. In Sangin, he felt a crushing burden of responsibility for his fellow Marines, who he loved like brothers. At his home in the Houston suburbs, Mendoza tells Elliott about the debt he owes to the dead. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Guilt

2021/10/28

The Woodlands, TX: Third Squad’s corpsman, Matthew Foreit, was responsible for treating injured Marines on the battlefield in Sangin. A decade later, Foreit tells Elliott he’s still grappling with the feeling that he could’ve done more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keep Pushin’

2021/10/21

Sangin, Afghanistan, 2011: Michael Dutcher and the rest of Third Squad lived in a sweltering mudbrick compound called Patrol Base Fires, surrounded by lush farmland, irrigation canals, and a minefield of IEDs. In Elliott’s original audio from Sangin, the Third Squad Marines describe life in Sangin during the Afghanistan “surge” and the horrific events of June 2011, when half the PB Fires Marines got wounded or killed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Podcast reviews

Read Third Squad podcast reviews

4.9 out of 5

393 reviews

★★★★★

Redpoint Rescue 2022/06/20

Exceptionally well done

I knocked out this whole series in two days! I’ve known and worked with one of the guys profiled for years and feel like Elliott did a great job of ca...

★★★★★

schnellke 2022/04/23

Humbling, Frustrating, Extremely Emotional

I never had a tour in Afghanistan but I had three in Iraq. I had several very good friends command in both. I also lost very good friends in both Th...

★★★★★

Westonphippen 2022/04/15

Masterful

Elliot Woods has made a fantastic podcast that anyone will enjoy, learn from, and feel devastated by.

★★★★★

Mike the birdnerd 2022/04/14

Stunning!!

Incredible journalism, I could not stop listening to this podcast! Raw and real, an eye opening (and sometimes tear-inducing) examination of the true ...

★★★★★

Mossberg590sp 2022/04/08

Heavy

Hands down the best podcast on capturing the minds of our servicemen and women in this case marines. It’s so raw and real and this is the reason aside...

★★★★★

coffeemom13 2022/03/06

Heartbreaking, raw, eloquent

I cannot saw enough about this podcast. Absolutely amazing storytelling, the music, the background story, the updates- beautiful. It was raw, emotiona...

★★★★★

Sleeping 99 2022/03/03

Great podcast- encourage everyone to listen

This podcast has answered so many of my personal inquiries. What happened to the members of these squads? What did they think they were getting involv...

★★★★★

SSanti0718 2022/02/26

Incredible

The tears, anger, and love portrayed in this podcast will leave me connected to them forever. Beautifully done. An incredible reminder to be thankful ...

★★★★★

eagerkd 2022/02/24

Worth listening….

Emotive and powerful series.

★★★★★

rrove922378 2022/02/22

A must listen

A must listen for every American.

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