This Oklahoma Dad Just Volunteered to Join Ukraine’s Fight

On the one-page form to volunteer for the Ukrainian military in its fight against the Russian invasion, James McCall of rural northeastern Oklahoma wrote that he is 31 and served in the U.S. Army for eight years

In the section inquiring about “military/combat” experience, he reported that he had deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 as a personal security detachment specialist and combat driver for a brigadier general.

He signed the bottom of the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Foreign Legion Interview Questionnaire, confirming that he would serve “on a voluntary basis” and “was advised to be fully self-equipped with uniform, personal protection (helmet, body armor, optics, night vision goggles, medical kit, etc.).”

He further confirmed “that I am not allowed to travel and arrive in Ukraine with personal weapons and ammunition, and must have a valid passport for traveling abroad.”

He then scanned the document and emailed it on Monday to DEFENDERS.UKR@gmail.com.

“Further instruction will be provided after the form review and in-person interview,” the form instructed.

McCall told The Daily Beast that he had served in the Army with a Ukrainian immigrant who had enlisted as a step towards securing U.S. citizenship.

“She was part of my unit,” he said. “A real good individual, great soldier, just a great person.”

But she was not the reason why the married father of four kids aged 2 to 11 is now one of the American vets volunteering for the Ukrainian response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“Would I still go if I didn't know her or know any Ukrainians? Absolutely,” he said. “That's an attack on democracy,” he said. “It's an attack on freedom, not just for the people of Ukraine, but worldwide. And I feel like it's my duty as a free man and as a free American to help in any way possible.”

He was not speaking as some fantasizing would-be Rambo.

“Not necessarily fight, but help,” he told The Daily Beast. “I have no problems fighting. I will fight, you know, if that's what it comes down to, but ultimately I just want to help the people of Ukraine however possible.”

He will prepare for war in Ukraine as he continues his life as a self-described entrepreneur and ”jack of all trades” and “stay-at-home dad.”

“While I wait, I'll continue train up and stay in shape here,” he reported. “Like, running, push-ups, sit-ups—until the time comes to go.”

And he is getting his gear together.

“Body armor, knee pads, elbow pads, helmet night, vision compass, binoculars,” he said. “You know, just basic stuff.”

The desire to serve has been in him since 9/11.

“I was 11 years old, fifth grade,” he recalled. “I remember being in school and them wheeling in the television and telling us we were under attack. And, I remember the teacher and the principal trying to get a hold of everybody to send everybody home in case it got worse. Within 72 hours of that day, I knew I was gonna be joining the armed forces.”

“I always joked around as a kid, ‘Oh, I'm gonna join the army whenever I get older,’” he remembered. “Well, from that day forward I wasn't joking around no more. I meant business and when I turned 17 years old, I went and enlisted.”

He was in the Army Reserves when he volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan in 2011. Brig. Gen. Kelly Thomas afterwards wrote a letter for Mcall’s file.

“SPC McCall was responsible for my team’s movement through Afghanistan by ground and air,” Thomas’ letter says. “For ground movements, I trusted only SPC McCall to drive our team through the complex and dangerous Afghan urban street system. A combat proven soldier, SPC MCCall demonstrated expertise with multiple weapon systems, combat driving, and personal security detachment operations.”

Kelly added, “His integrity and loyalty are beyond reproach.”

McCall has a copy of the letter he can present at the interview that is supposed to be the next step in joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.

He is unsure when that might be and he has had no luck repeatedly calling the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C., or the consulates in Chicago and San Diego. The few times he did not just get a busy signal, the phone just rang and rang and rang.

“I’m just gonna assume it's because everybody’s trying to get a hold of them,” McCall said. “The worst case scenario if I haven't gotten in touch with anybody for the Territorial Defense Force or anything, I think I'm gonna make my way from Oklahoma to D.C. and try to make contact at the actual embassy itself. In person, boots on the ground there in D.C. and see what kind information can be gathered from there.”

But he is hesitant to spend money he might need for the self-deployment to Ukraine.

“That takes funds out of me actually going over to do what needs to be done,” he noted.

He said he hopes to get some information on Wednesday from a well-connected retired Marine master gunnery sergeant who is among a group of fellow vets also seeking to volunteer in Ukraine.

“Two of us Army, three of them Marines, one of them Navy,” he said. “We're all different branches, but we've all served with one another in some shape, way or form, whether it be overseas or military operations here, stateside. We’ve all been talking amongst ourselves. We’re linking up.”

He hopes they will be able to head out together. He would prefer not to follow other American vets who are speaking online of just flyihg to Poland and heading to the Ukrainian border.

“Right now, for me, the most difficult part is making contact with the right people and doing this the right way,” he said. “I don't want to go all half-cocked cowboy. We got to do this, right.”

He is mindful of the danger involved.

“I want to live,” he said. “I don't have a death wish and I don't want to fight anybody if I don't have to, but I will defend myself and I'll defend innocent people.”

He reported that his wife, Krystin, backs his decision “100 percent.” He said she also believes that the situation in Ukraine is a ”nightmare” and that the Russians “need to be stopped.”

“She doesn’t want to see me go, but she thinks it's the right thing to do and she supports me and my decision to go just because I want to go to help,” he said.

The Daily Beast was also unable to get through to the Ukrainian Embassy and there was no reply to emails regarding the Foreign Legion and the number of volunteers. McCall is holding off on one bit of preparation until he knows he is departing rural Oklahoma for Ukraine.

“An international phone plan,” he said.