Lessons Learned

Ep.27, River Hagg: Fighting ISIS in Syria as a volunteer frontline medic

Andrew Coville Episode 27

In 2016 Navy veteran turned television and film producer River Hagg left his job with the popular show Wicked Tuna to travel to Syria to document the bloody war between ISIS and the Kurdish militant group called the YPG. When he arrived he was informed that journalist were not allowed to enter the war zone and he was told that his only access would be through a 6 month contract to fight for the YPG. With only basic life saving skills learned from his time in the Navy, River and a small group of volunteers created the first ever front line medic unit to fight alongside the YPG. River documented his experience and it was later released as a two part documentary called “The volunteers” where he shows the world the bloody and disturbing reality of the war against ISIS. In this episode River shares his experiences, how they forever changed him, and how he learned to live with them. 

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