EP#260 | GUEST | The Costs of War: A Veteran’s Story with Josephine Guilbeau
📄 Episode Overview
In Episode #260 of Deep Shallow Dive, Ray Doustdar interviews former U.S. Army Captain and intelligence analyst Josephine Guilbeau. Over her 17-year career, Josephine served as a combat medic, intel officer, and cybersecurity specialist with postings at the NSA and DIA. But her exit from the military wasn’t just about paperwork—it was about conscience. Josephine opens up about her disillusionment with the war in Ukraine, her shift in worldview after witnessing the October 7 Gaza events, and the unseen trauma veterans face upon realizing what they’ve been used for.
🧠 Key Takeaways
• Josephine served in multiple U.S. military agencies including NSA and DIA, with deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and cyber defense.
• She left the military in 2023 after 17 years, citing moral objections to the U.S. proxy war strategy in Ukraine.
• Firsthand experience with Western media, intelligence briefings, and independent foreign outlets led her to question the official Gaza narrative.
• She believes October 7 and its aftermath revealed American complicity in the indiscriminate bombing of civilians.
• Josephine experienced PTSD and is now navigating the inadequate veteran care system, echoing her late father’s own tragic journey.
• Suicide, opioid overmedication, and trauma are endemic among U.S. veterans—yet policy reform remains stalled.
• She argues that healing must start with government acknowledgment that many wars were unjust and driven by profit, not patriotism.
• Guilbeau warns a grid-based cyberattack on U.S. infrastructure is a likely near-future threat, despite our cyber investments.
• She calls out government hypocrisy and fears a new War on Terror could be forming—with veterans being framed as potential threats.
⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps
• 00:00 – Intro + Ray welcomes former Captain Josephine Guilbeau
• 01:30 – Josephine’s background: medic to intelligence officer
• 03:24 – Why she left after 17 years: Ukraine was a breaking point
• 05:25 – Her experience at the NSA: red space, blue space, infrastructure
• 08:50 – October 7 changed everything: U.S. media vs global coverage
• 11:35 – Gaza genocide + personal reckoning with U.S. policy
• 14:00 – Veterans realizing they weren’t heroes—they were used
• 17:56 – The beginnings of PTSD + watching her father suffer
• 22:28 – VA’s failure: pills instead of healing, opioids over surgery
• 26:56 – Her own PTSD journey + fear of repeating her father’s path
• 30:51 – Painkiller crisis, Purdue Pharma, and addiction
• 33:03 – American public waking up to government lies + TikTok bans
• 35:00 – Shawn Ryan episode, East Coast drones + suicide email
• 36:56 – Final thoughts: speak up, protect veterans, end endless wars
🎯 Conclusion
This conversation isn’t about politics—it’s about humanity. From the weight of military service to the failure of veteran care, Josephine’s story reminds us that speaking out is often the most patriotic thing a soldier can do.
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🔑 Keywords
Josephine Guilbeau interview, veteran PTSD story, NSA cybersecurity, Ukraine proxy war objection, Gaza genocide whistleblower, Operation Enduring Freedom intel, U.S. veteran suicide crisis, Ray Doustdar podcast, Gaza October 7 reaction, cyberattack grid threat, Shawn Ryan drone episode, opioid crisis veterans, American war machine critique
🗂️ Categories
Veteran Testimonies, Foreign Policy Reckoning, Military Mental Health
🏷️ Tags
Josephine Guilbeau, PTSD, Ukraine War
