America's Frontlines Podcast 23 September 2026
In this episode of America’s Frontlines: Colonel Denny and Matt tackle a difficult question: Should Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries if those strikes are weakening Moscow’s war effort—but also contributing to higher diesel prices around the world? They examine President Trump’s request that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stop targeting Russian diesel infrastructure, Ukraine’s argument that the refineries help finance and sustain Russia’s war effort, and the difficult balance between battlefield strategy and the economic consequences felt by farmers, truckers, businesses, and families far from the front lines. Colonel Denny and Matt also examine an increasingly dangerous global security environment—from mounting U.S. military and economic pressure on Iran and continuing threats to critical Middle East energy routes, to renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine and the emergence of a new generation of lower-cost, increasingly autonomous combat drones. Together, these developments demonstrate how quickly warfare is changing—and how military power, economic pressure, energy security, and emerging technology are becoming increasingly interconnected. As always, Colonel Denny delivers another round of his classic one-liners, bringing some much-needed humor to the conversation and hopefully putting a few smiles back on our faces. Our featured guest is Matt Crouch from Heritage Action. Matt joins Colonel Denny to explain the organization’s mission, the issues it is working on, and the different ways citizens can become involved in the public-policy process and make their voices heard. Of course, we continue our regular journey through military history, revisiting significant events that occurred around this date and remembering the courage, sacrifice, victories, mistakes, and hard-earned lessons that helped shape who we are—and remind us of what generations of Americans have served to protect. Retired Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Roland Ashby returns with another installment of “Warrant Wisdom,” bringing more of his experience, insight, and seasoned perspective to the program. And she’s back! Diane Raver of the Garden State Film Festival returns from a well-deserved summer vacation to join Colonel Denny for our Movie of the Month. Diane and the Colonel take a look at this month’s selection, what makes the story worth watching, and some of the lessons viewers might take away from it. From the battlefield-versus-pocketbook dilemma in Ukraine and a rapidly changing global security environment to citizen involvement, military history, Warrant Wisdom, and the return of Movie of the Month, this episode covers a lot of ground while continuing the America’s Frontlines mission of keeping listeners informed, engaged, and connected to those who serve.