(NewsNation) — Cody Heard was honorably discharged from the Army in 2018, but when he saw the Russian invasion of Ukraine and heard that he could help, he decided to sign up and head to Eastern Europe, leaving his wife and family behind.

NewsNation has been keeping up with Heard since the beginning, and Tuesday morning he spoke with anchor Adrienne Bankert about the troubles along the way and what it’s been like since he arrived. He said there were difficulties with booking his flight, and that originally he was booked through to Germany. He got that corrected, and then described being questioned by “federal agents” who asked him if he knew what he was doing, what the situation was like in Ukraine, etc.

The agents also asked if he was traveling with any weapons, which he’s not. However, his bag carrying his protective gear didn’t end up on the plane that took him to Poland so now he’s there either waiting for United Airlines to locate his bag or get personal protective equipment from another source.

Heard said he’d spoken with some of the foreign fighters coming out of Ukraine and had heard some disturbing stories. “They’re not getting treated well at all. They’re being armed with AK-47s with 7-10 rounds. Some are getting a handgun and then some are not getting any weapons at all.”

Despite the stories, and despite what Heard described as being “begged” by a man from Finland who’d just come out of Ukraine not to go in, he’s sticking to his plan. He’s alone, but hopes to join up with some other foreign fighters to go across the border.

Asked if he was sticking to his original plan of just training Ukrainian fighters but staying out of the fighting himself, Heard replied, “I fear that it may come to that point. … The situation is escalating quickly and very aggressively.”

Heard said he’d shared the news of his possible entry into combat with his wife, and said while she was nervous she understands why he’s doing this and supports his decision.