Rephonic
Artwork for The Spear
Afghanistan
Taliban
Iraq
Marine Corps
Combat Leadership
Ieds
Special Forces
Iraq War
Operation Red Thunder
Afghan National Army
9/11
Ramadi
Decision-Making
UAS Operations
West Point
United States Army
Nuristan
Moral Courage
U.S. Special Forces
Leadership In Military Contexts

The Spear is a podcast from the Modern War Institute at West Point. It sets out to explore the combat experience, with each episode featuring a guest who tells a detailed and personal story, describing the events and exploring topics like decision-making under stress and what it feels like to be in combat.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes210Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Spear

Latest Episodes

During his service as a combat rescue officer in the US Air Force, Captain Sal Sferrazza and his team of Air Force pararescue jumpers were deployed to Afghanistan, where their mission set included casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, and reintegr... more

While serving as an infantry officer in the 75th Ranger Regiment, First Lieutenant Scott Filbert was deployed to Afghanistan to serve as the J1, or personnel officer, for a joint special operations task force. In this episode of The Spear, Scott desc... more

In 2005, Jeff Marshburn was a reconnaissance platoon leader in the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, in Mosul, Iraq. While leading his platoon during the battalion's first contact with the enemy, several of his troops were wounded in action. In ... more

In 2010 Kevin Mott's unit arrived in Afghanistan's Kunar province for a deployment that would see months of hard fighting. At one point, he was even wounded so badly—shot in the head, four fractured vertebrae, a broken leg, a torn labrum—that he was ... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Modern War Institute
Modern War InstituteModern War Institute at West Point
Irregular Warfare Podcast
Irregular Warfare PodcastIrregular Warfare Initiative
School of War
School of WarNebulous Media
Combat Story
Combat StoryRyan Fugit

Recent Guests

Unnamed Marine
Platoon commander with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, sharing his story from Iraq
3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
Episode: A Marine Platoon in Anbar Province
Dr. Kyleanne Hunter
Professor of Military and Strategic Studies and Director of the Strategy and Warfare Center at the US Air Force Academy, former Cobra pilot in the Marine Corps.
United States Air Force Academy
Episode: Escort Mission Over Anbar
Dave Berke
Former Marine Corps pilot and forward air controller
U.S. Marine Corps
Episode: Forward Air Controller in Ramadi
Chris Donahue
Lieutenant General and Commanding General of the 18th Airborne Corps
Episode: Last Soldier in Afghanistan
Colonel Kim Campbell
A 1997 graduate of the Air Force Academy with almost 18 years of experience flying the A-10.
US Air Force
Episode: The A-10 At War
Command Sergeant Major Alex Kupratty
Command Sergeant Major of the Fourth Infantry Division
Fourth Infantry Division
Episode: Leadership in the Ranger Regiment and 4ID
Major Brennan Deveraux
A major in the U.S. Army with over 15 years of service, primarily as an artillery officer and now a national security researcher at the U.S. Army War College.
U.S. Army
Episode: Combat in a Technological War
Mike Pietrucha
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel
Episode: No-Fly Zone
Bill Wyman
Retired US Army Colonel and civil affairs officer
US Army
Episode: Sadr City's Three-Block War

Host

Dr. Charles Feint
Host and expert in military leadership and operational strategy, often focusing on the intricacies of combat experiences.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 841 ratings
  • No enlisted stories?

    Overall, an excellent podcast. These are importantly stories that military and civilian would appreciate as part of U.S. history. Would be nice if there were ANY enlisted stories. Seems the podcast only talks to officers. Also, lots of repeated episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Rick from Temple U.
    United Statesa month ago
  • RW

    This is a fantastic library of first person narratives of modern war. It is an absolute must for the scholar of military science.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sir Garnet Wolseley
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Podcast length

    I think the podcast would be much better if if it was shorter like half hour 20 minutes.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    CDR chuck
    United States6 months ago
  • Authentic

    You can feel the authentic experience from the combat

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ErezLandau
    Israel10 months ago
  • Recycled Episodes

    Podcast routinely recycles old episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    CharlesEncharge
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Overall, many reviews highlight the valuable insights into military leadership and operational challenges faced during combat situations.
Listeners appreciate the authentic and personal storytelling of combat experiences.
Some criticisms arise around the frequency of recycled content and episode lengths, suggesting room for improvement in production.
There is a strong sentiment regarding the importance of preserving military stories and ensuring they do not get lost over time.

Top News Podcasts

The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
Candace
CandaceCandace Owens
The Tucker Carlson Show
The Tucker Carlson ShowTucker Carlson Network
Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaCrooked Media
Morning Wire
Morning WireThe Daily Wire
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The MeidasTouch PodcastMeidasTouch Network
The Ben Shapiro Show
The Ben Shapiro ShowThe Daily Wire

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Danger in Mosul
Q: What advice would you give for the cadets that are coming in today?
Understand that West Point is not the Army. West Point is the vehicle that gets you to the Army.
Danger in Mosul
Q: How do you restrain that urge as a leader, especially as a young leader?
I trusted my squad leaders and my NCOs and my soldiers, but my squad leaders were top notch and my platoon sergeant was the best.
The Battle of Barawala Kalay
Q: Can you describe what happened when your platoon first made contact?
Mott recalls their initial contact coming roughly 12 hours into the operation, escalating the firefight as they faced coordinated enemy attacks.
The Battle of Barawala Kalay
Q: What was the specific mission when you debriefed your platoon before Operation Strong Eagle III?
Mott detailed the plan to clear Barawala Kalay to disrupt insurgent networks and prepare for the incoming 25th Infantry Division.
The Battle of Barawala Kalay
Q: How challenging was the terrain in Kunar Province during your operations?
Mott explains the ruggedness of Kunar River Valley, surrounded by high mountains, which complicated troop movements and operations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Spear

What is The Spear about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content features detailed narratives of combat experiences from various military personnel, highlighting their personal stories and insights. Each episode focuses on unique and often intense situations faced by the guests, encompassing themes such as leadership, decision-making under pressure, and the psychological impacts of combat. Listeners can expect poignant accounts that offer a deeper understanding of military life and the realities faced by those in service, often recounting significant operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with broader historical contexts that shaped their experiences. The podcast is distinguished by its emphasis on storytelling, providing an authentic glimpse into the operational complexities and emotional... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Spear?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Spear. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Spear and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Spear get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Spear, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Spear?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Spear, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Spear have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Spear has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Spear?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Spear:

1. Modern War Institute
2. Irregular Warfare Podcast
3. War on the Rocks
4. School of War
5. Combat Story

How many episodes of The Spear are there?

The Spear launched 8 years ago and published 210 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Spear?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Spear?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Spear from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Spear?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Spear. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Spear?

Recent guests on The Spear include:

1. Unnamed Marine
2. Dr. Kyleanne Hunter
3. Dave Berke
4. Chris Donahue
5. Colonel Kim Campbell
6. Command Sergeant Major Alex Kupratty
7. Major Brennan Deveraux
8. Mike Pietrucha

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days