How We Lost Afghanistan & Failed Veterans | Lt Col Eric Hommel Speaks Out
You can’t fix what you refuse to face.
What if the biggest failures in war weren’t on the battlefield… but in leadership?
On this episode of The MisFitNation Show, host Rich LaMonica welcomes Eric W. Hommel—a prior-enlisted U.S. Navy Cold War submariner, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and author of the powerful memoir:
📚 The Losing Game: How to Lose a War and Fail Veterans
Eric brings one of the most unique military careers you’ll hear anywhere.
He served:
⚓ In the U.S. Navy aboard a fast-attack submarine during the Cold War
✈️ As a U.S. Air Force officer
🪖 Under U.S. Army command in Iraq and Afghanistan
🏛️ Ten years attached to the Pentagon
🇺🇸 Three years traveling with Congressional Representatives as a military legislative liaison
🌍 As commander of a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Province
Now Eric is speaking candidly about what went wrong in Afghanistan—and why leaders often fail to take responsibility.
This episode dives into:
🔥 Why misguided leadership can lose wars
🔥 How careerism destroys mission focus
🔥 The hidden realities of modern warfare
🔥 Why veterans need meaning, not just treatment
🔥 Innovative PTSD healing through immersive prolonged exposure
🔥 Accountability, humility, and truth in leadership
This is not surface-level commentary.
It is a firsthand perspective from someone who lived it.
🎙️ In This Episode
Eric’s unusual path from Navy to Air Force officer
Serving in Iraq and Afghanistan under Army command
What really happened in Afghanistan
Leadership failures at senior levels
Winning hearts and minds vs political timelines
Why veterans need context to heal
The future of veteran support and accountability
🔗 Learn More About Eric Hommel
🌐 Lion Six Press
https://www.lionsixpress.com/
📄 Source Notes / Additional Background
🔥 Follow The MisFitNation
🎥 YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@The_MisFitNation
🔥 Join The Forge Leadership Community
https://tinyurl.com/4p7kx64z
💬 CALL TO ACTION
Leadership matters.
Truth matters.
Accountability matters.
👉 What lesson should America learn from Afghanistan?
Drop your thoughts below.
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