What do you owe the person who saved your life? During the Iraq War, interpreters walked into firefights side-by-side with American troops. As cultural advisors, these brave Iraqis did far more than translate. Their actions and expertise kept American soldiers alive.But after the war moved on, some interpreters were left behind with a bounty on their heads.While waiting on bureaucracy to follow through on the promise to get them out safely, many interpreters were targeted and hunted down by death squads.Some did not survive. When Colonel Steve Miska saw our allies abandoned, he decided unprecedented action was required. He believes a promise made should be a promise kept. Baghdad Underground Railroad is the true story of how American soldiers built an underground network spanning the globe to bring our allies to safety. Steve Miska is a retired Army Colonel, a former economics professor at West Point, and a former advisor to the White House. He’s also a longtime friend. We’ve collaborated on a few projects, including a free speech initiative at First Amendment Voice, so when he asked me to narrate the audiobook of Baghdad Underground Railroad, it was an easy yes... but I had no idea what I was about to get into.Narrating the story of Baghdad Underground Railroad has become one of the biggest honors of my life. The book just won Best Book for Military History at the American Book Fest, and we’re thrilled to announce the audiobook is live on Audible now (take a listen here).This Veterans Day, Steve joins me on the show to share what 25 years in uniform taught him about keeping your head in a crisis, building teams that actually trust each other, and what “no man left behind” looks like in the real world. In this episode, we explore:How to stay calm when disaster strikes (and simple ways to prep for emergency scenarios)An easy technique to stay curious instead of defensive when handling important conversationsThe true story of the Baghdad Underground Railroad (and behind-the-scenes creating the new audiobook)Why AI can never replace a great translatorAnd much more...Find Steve Miska and his work at:Book and audiobook: Baghdad Underground Railroad (Now on Audible, narrated by Abel James)Substack: https://wranglingandwriting.substack.com/First Amendment Voice: https://firstamendmentvoice.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-miskaX: @SteveMiskaInstagram: @wranglingandwritingPlease take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.