Commanding general in Iraq and Syria goes ‘Between Two T-Walls’ with Task & Purpose

Army Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell spent a year as the commanding general of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Between Two T-Walls
Army Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell spoke with Task & Purpose in June as he neared the end of his one-year stint as commanding general of Operation Inherent Resolve.

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On Wednesday, Aug. 14, Task & Purpose will publish the first edition of a new interview series with military leaders and newsmakers, ‘Between Two T-Walls.’ Our first episode is a wide-ranging, sit-down interview between Pentagon reporter Jeff Schogol and Army Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell, who we spoke to as he was finishing a one-year stint as the commanding general of Operation Inherent Resolve.

We modeled the show’s format on the deadpan celebrity interview show “Between Two Ferns,” hosted by Zach Galifianakis. And you probably have seen a ‘highlight reel’ of Jeff fearlessly questioning recalcitrant Pentagon spokespeople. But while ‘T-Walls’ will have its share of tongue-in-cheek downrange humor, it’s also a news interview between our expert journalists and the military leaders whose decisions can directly affect anyone in uniform. 

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The first episode with Gen. Vowell was filmed this summer at the end of Vowell’s year-long command of OIR (he left the post last week). As OIR commander, Vowell oversaw the US-led mission to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Troops under Vowell’s command have faced attacks on their bases while carrying out scores of raids and airstrikes on ISIS targets.

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In ‘Between Two T-Walls,’ Vowell discusses the motives and pressure of Iranian militia groups attacking U.S. forces in the region, whether the United States can deter Iran the same way it contained the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and the tactical lessons his command learned from a drone attack in January that killed three soldiers at a base in Jordan.

Schogol also asked Vowell what he would tell those who served in the Global War on Terrorism who wonder if their service was worth the sacrifice, a question that many veterans of the post 9/11 wars continue to struggle with.

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The full video will be released Wednesday. See it first by subscribing to our newsletter.

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