In this episode, I sit down with Josh Bates, a retired United States Marine Corps officer whose career spanned infantry, counterintelligence, and human intelligence operations. Josh served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as additional operational assignments across the Indo-Pacific.

Josh is a graduate of:

• University of San Diego (BA, Political Science)

• Marine Corps University (MA, Military Studies)

• Hawai‘i Pacific University (MA, Diplomacy and Military Studies)

He currently lives in Kailua, Hawai‘i, and The Baghdad Shuffle—a gripping, morally complex thriller—is his debut novel.

We talk about war, identity, truth, and how lived experience shapes fiction that doesn’t flinch from reality.

🎧 Listen on:

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or visit 👉 www.drkatherinehayes.com

📚 Connect with the Author:

Instagram: @hardboiled_alive

Book: The Baghdad Shuffle

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Website: www.drkatherinehayes.com

Podcast: Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem Laced with Morality

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Josh Bates—War, Intelligence, and Moral Reckoning