In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast, I sit down with retired U.S. Army Colonel Ron Gallimore — Cold War officer, parachutist, engineer commander, Iraq veteran, and the senior leader who oversaw my own deployment — for a candid, boots-on-the-ground conversation about duty, morality, leadership, war, and the Constitution.
We talk about:
• What the military oath actually requires
• Can soldiers refuse illegal orders — and how realistic is it?
• What 9/11 looked like inside Army command
• Why some leaders get away with bad decisions
• How the Venezuelan strike raises questions of war crimes and accountability
• Why civilians misunderstand the chain of command
• Why America’s military culture is mission-focused — and why that matters
• Whether someone who has never served should run the Department of Defense
From Korea liaison missions in Iraq to Fort Bragg’s airborne culture and the complexities of Iraq’s collapse, Gallimore takes us inside the moments most Americans never see — where ethics, survival, and loyalty collide.
Stay to the end — his response to whether non-military politicians should run the Pentagon is blunt, uncomfortable, and timely.
Let me know what you think:
Do you believe service members can disobey illegal orders?
Was the Venezuela operation a justified strike — or a war crime?
Should Pete Hegseth be Secretary of Defense?
Comment, rate, and share — the debate starts here.
— Darisse Smith
Journalist & Host, The Journalism of Everything Podcast
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