The Wild West of Iraq: A Bank Robbery in Baghdad | Josh Bates | Ep. 403

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.
Grab "Baghdad Shuffle" here:⬇️
https://a.co/d/045PaH2P
Today's Sponsors:
Mando ⬇️
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with MANDO and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code [TEAMHOUSE] at https://shopmando.com/
/>GhostBed⬇️
https://www.ghostbed.com/house
FOR 10% off!
Blue Chew ⬇️
https://bluechew.com/
Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL"
Mars Men⬇️
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://mengotomars.com/
/>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For ad free video and audio and access to live streams and Eyes On Geopolitics...JOIN OUR PATREON!
https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse
To help support the show and for all bonus content including:
-live shows and asking guest questions
-ad free audio and video
-early access to shows
-Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests
Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
Support the show here:⬇️
https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse
___________________________________________________
PRE ORDER JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/
Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured
__________________________________
Jack Murphy's new book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/
——————————————————————
Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️
https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse
Social Media: ⬇️
The Team House Instagram:
https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link
The Team House Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod
Jack’s Instagram:
https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link
Jack’s Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21
/>Dave’s Twitter:
https://twitter.com/dave_parke?s=21
Team House Discord: ⬇️
https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6
SubReddit: ⬇️
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheTeamHouse/
Jack Murphy's memoir "Murphy's Law" can be found here:⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/Murphys-Law-Journey-Investigative-Journalist/dp/1501191241
/>The Team Room Reading Room (Amazon Affiliate links):⬇️
https://jackmurphywrites.com/the-team-room-reading-room/
/>Intro music by https://www.youtube.com/user/RemixSample
/>"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00Start
01:10Growing Up in Hawaii & Marine Family Background
05:189/11 and Entering the Marine Corps
07:27First Combat: Seizing Iraq’s Oil Infrastructure
10:55Fighting Through Southern Iraq
15:07Entering Baghdad & Urban Warfare
18:50Looting, Crime, and Collapse of Order
23:08Policing Baghdad & Early Occupation Chaos
27:15Najaf, Elections Fallout & Rising Insurgency
34:15The Wild West Phase of Early Iraq War
45:50Platoon Leadership & Combat Culture
1:05:30Transitioning Roles & Leaving the Platoon
1:20:45Intelligence, Counterintel & Career Shift
1:35:30Writing The Baghdad Shuffle
1:50:15Lessons from Iraq & How the War Changed
2:05:00Final Reflections & Closing

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.