Delivering Mail Through Hell: The Pony Express of Afghanistan

Joining me are Edward “Hammer” Ford and Alan “Chase” Chiasson, authors of Postcards Through Hell. Ed is a retired United States Marine who served in the infantry and Force Reconnaissance before continuing his career as a security contractor, with experience spanning the Gulf War, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Chase served in the United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and later worked overseas providing high-risk medical support for protective security details, convoy operations, and force-protection missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Together, they became part of a group known as the Pony Express—private security contractors tasked with moving U.S. mail and other critical supplies across Afghanistan. And when I say delivering the mail, forget the mail truck driving through your neighborhood. These guys were moving across some of the most dangerous roads in the world, facing IEDs, ambushes, the Taliban, criminal groups, and all of the unpredictability that came with operating outside the wire. But tonight I don't want to only talk about gun trucks, firefights, and IEDs. I want to talk about Afghanistan itself. The people they met. The friendships they formed. The ridiculous things that made them laugh. The families waiting thousands of miles away. Why they kept going back. What those years took from them—and maybe even what Afghanistan gave them in return. Because Postcards Through Hell isn't only a story about surviving a war zone. It's also a story about brotherhood, sacrifice, purpose, and a group of men trying to bring a little piece of home to people serving very far away from it. Postcards Through Hell #PostcardsThroughHell #Afghanistan #MilitaryVeterans #WarStories #VeteranStories #MilitaryContractors #Brotherhood #MilitaryPodcast #DonutShopPodcast The Show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.donutshoppodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @donutshoppod Twitter: @donutshoppod Justin @jyjellyfish77 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/justinyarborough⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Partner links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blackout Coffee Co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "DSP10" The Energy Drink ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theenergydrink.com?sca_ref=8546304.WMMWdBAK9asgo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use Code DSP for 10% off They are a huge supporter of First Responders InkMD Tattoo Skincare ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.inkmd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code DSP15 for 15% off your purchases on the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices