Topic: Dutch Marines

Efforts to secure a travel waiver involved contacts with the Royal Dutch Marines in Mali and Iraq, as well as the Department of Homeland Security at the US embassy in the Netherlands. Officials ultimately refused to sign off on an exception to avoid violating European Union law regarding passport expiration and 90-day tourist visas.

A first-hand account of training the Iraqi Security Forces in 2003-2004 describes the process as a "farce." Despite media portrayals of a professional force, the troops reportedly struggled with basic commands like "about face." This historical context challenges current claims that accelerating the training of Iraqi forces will be effective against ISIS.

Adam Curry shares an anecdote from his 2003 visit to Camp Smitty in Iraq with Dutch Marines. He describes witnessing the training of the Iraqi National Guard, comparing their comical inability to perform basic drills to the British sitcom "Dad's Army."

Executive Producer Paul Couture launched a successful fundraising campaign featuring No Agenda challenge coins, surpassing sales targets within 33 hours. One host explains the history of challenge coins, recounting a personal experience receiving one while embedded with the Dutch Marines in Iraq. The rules of "coin checks" in military and veteran circles are detailed, where failing to produce a coin results in buying a round of drinks.

An Australian soldier's letter provides a candid look at life in Afghanistan, describing the massive infrastructure of military bases and criticizing the performance of Dutch Marines. The account claims the Dutch military accidentally killed 80 civilians and that the Taliban specifically target them due to perceived weakness.

A story from a ten-day trip to Iraq involves Dutch Marines taking visitors to a desert practice range equipped with AK-47s, Tech-9s, and hand grenades. The narrative highlights the difficulty of hitting targets in full-auto mode compared to single-shot mode. The conversation transitions to the culture of high-end gun clubs in England and the physical toll of shooting heavy-caliber weapons.