Right now in America, there’s a war being fought. A war on women. And right now, we’re losing. And losing sucks. So maybe the Democrats could learn a thing or two from the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians that are fighting — and winning — against overwhelming odds. And maybe we could all learn something from them. Something important. Something we all need to be reminded of. The value of freedom. The value of democracy. And of the horrible price of tyranny when that freedom is taken away. As we pass the grim milestone of one million dead from COVID here at home we mourn. As we lose more of our rights, we mourn. And despite the mourning, we will continue to fight. This is a time for fighters. This is a time for vigilance.And as the first rumors of a Russian troop build up swirled this winter, writer and Army veteran Adrian Bonenberger (@AdrianBonenber1) knew this was also a time for action. After experiencing the killing of his translator by the Taliban during the fall of Afghanistan, and with his wife and fellow journalist, Iryna Somolko’s (@Iryna_Solomko) family squarely in the crosshairs in Kyiv, he knew that there was no cavalry coming to the rescue. So together with Matt Gallagher (@MattGallagher) and Ben Bush they formed a plan and went in to help evacuate her parents and to train and organize the local civilians so they could protect themselves.They join your host, Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) for a hard look at the realities of war. Some of them are things you want to look away from. But there are also moments of inspiration and beauty and even hope that can spring out of even the worst conflicts. We heard from Matt Gallagher in Episode 161 back in March as they’d just left Ukraine crossing the border into Poland before returning home. And now, with their parents safe and out of harm's way, they're back home to tell their story and share what it’s really like to be in a war zone in the 21st century.Every episode of Independent Americans is independent light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It’s content for the 42% of Americans that call themselves independent. And delivers the Righteous Media 5 Is: independence, integrity, information, inspiration and impact. Always with a unique focus on national security, foreign affairs and military and vets issues. This is another pod to help you stay vigilant. Because vigilance is the price of democracy. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics and inspiration. Support the people of Ukraine and refugees of the conflict:Razom for Ukraine — https://razomforukraine.org/ Ukrainian Freedom Fund — https://ukrfreedomfund.org/ IRIS CT (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services) — https://irisct.org/ -Get extra content, connect with guests, events, merch discounts and support this show that speaks truth to power by joining us on Patreon. -WATCH video of Paul, Iryna & Adrian’s conversation.-Check #LookForTheHelpers on Twitter. And share yours. -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.-Hear other Righteous pods like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm. Independent Americans is powered by Righteous Media. America’s next great independent media company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices