We sit down with Josh Bates to discuss his experience as a Marine infantry officer during the invasion of Iraq, from the initial push north to the chaos of Baghdad after the regime collapsed. He breaks down the realities of urban combat, leadership under pressure, and the breakdown of order that fueled the early insurgency. We also discuss how those experiences shaped his career and led to writing The Baghdad Shuffle.<br />Grab "Baghdad Shuffle" here:⬇️<br />https://a.co/d/045PaH2P<br />Today's Sponsors:<br />Mando ⬇️<br />Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with MANDO and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [TEAMHOUSE] at https://shopmando.com/<br />GhostBed⬇️<br />https://www.ghostbed.com/house<br />FOR 10% off! <br />Blue Chew ⬇️<br />https://bluechew.com/<br />Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL"<br />Mars Men⬇️<br />For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://mengotomars.com/<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />For ad free video and audio and access to live streams and Eyes On Geopolitics...JOIN OUR PATREON! <br />https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse<br />To help support the show and for all bonus content including:<br />-live shows and asking guest questions <br />-ad free audio and video<br />-early access to shows<br />-Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests<br />Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️<br />https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse<br />Support the show here:⬇️<br />https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse<br />___________________________________________________<br />PRE ORDER JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" <br />⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️<br />https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/<br />Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️<br />https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured<br />__________________________________<br />Jack Murphy's new book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️<br />https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/<br />——————————————————————<br />Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️<br />https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse<br />Social Media: ⬇️<br />The Team House Instagram:<br />https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link<br />The Team House Twitter:<br />https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod<br />Jack’s Instagram:<br />https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link<br />Jack’s Twitter:<br /> https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21<br />Dave’s Twitter: <br />https://twitter.com/dave_parke?s=21<br />Team House Discord: ⬇️<br />https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6<br />SubReddit: ⬇️<br />https://www.reddit.com/r/TheTeamHouse/<br />Jack Murphy's memoir "Murphy's Law" can be found here:⬇️<br /> https://www.amazon.com/Murphys-Law-Journey-Investigative-Journalist/dp/1501191241<br />The Team Room Reading Room (Amazon Affiliate links):⬇️<br /> https://jackmurphywrites.com/the-team-room-reading-room/<br />Intro music by https://www.youtube.com/user/RemixSample<br />"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"<br />00:00 Start<br />01:10 Growing Up in Hawaii &amp; Marine Family Background<br />05:18 9/11 and Entering the Marine Corps<br />07:27 First Combat: Seizing Iraq’s Oil Infrastructure<br />10:55 Fighting Through Southern Iraq<br />15:07 Entering Baghdad &amp; Urban Warfare<br />18:50 Looting, Crime, and Collapse of Order<br />23:08 Policing Baghdad &amp; Early Occupation Chaos<br />27:15 Najaf, Elections Fallout &amp; Rising Insurgency<br />34:15 The Wild West Phase of Early Iraq War<br />45:50 Platoon Leadership &amp; Combat Culture<br />1:05:30 Transitioning Roles &amp; Leaving the Platoon<br />1:20:45 Intelligence, Counterintel &amp; Career Shift<br />1:35:30 Writing The Baghdad Shuffle<br />1:50:15 Lessons from Iraq &amp; How the War Changed<br />2:05:00 Final Reflections &amp; Closing<br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support</a>.