A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast (A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast)

Grand strategy is an elusive beast. Everybody wants some. We all agree it's important but nobody can agree exactly what it is. And everybody wants to teach about the topic. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Christopher McKnight Nichols and Andrew Preston to the virtual studio, who along with Doctor Elizabeth Borgwardt, have edited a fascinating new essay collection Rethinking American Grand Strategy from Oxford University Press. The two join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss the how the book came about, and their contributions to the grand strategy conversation.

Every year the U.S. Army seeks out 125,000 to 140,000 new recruits to maintain the desired end strength and capability of the force. In order to do that the Army Enterprise Marketing Office has to craft a message that appeals to a broad audience across the shrinking qualified U.S. population. All the while the Army has to compete with the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and now the Space Force also trying to attract the most qualified recruits from the U.S. citizenry. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Matt Lawrence and John Horning to the virtual studio to discuss the myths and challenges Army marketing has to contend with. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to look at what it takes to create a message campaign that entices high quality personnel and dispel the myth that the Army is "the bureaucratic meat grinder of the underprivileged."

A little over two years ago we sat down with the students and advisors of Integrated Research Project (IRP) #6. Their task was to examine leadership development requirements in the multi-domain operations environment in the year 2040. Due to a hardware malfunction we thought we had lost the recordings of these conversations, but just recently we were able to recover the files. Though the conversation has a couple of dated references, we thought the topic was definitely worth airing. A BETTER PEACE is happy to welcome Greg Hillebrand, Tim Monroe, and Chance Geray to the studio for the first of three episodes to discuss what the team found looking forward twenty years. In this first episode they look at some of the biggest changes in the environment that will affect leadership requirements of the future. They’ll lay the foundation for the changes necessary to ensure U.S. military leadership is prepared for the challenges of future warfare and peacekeeping.

In the last episode we introduced you to Integrated Research Project (IRP) #6. A little over two years ago we sat down with the students and advisors of the study to examine leadership development requirements in the multi-domain operations environment in the year 2040. Due to a hardware malfunction we thought we had lost the recordings of these conversations, but just recently we were able to recover the files. Though the conversation has a couple of dated references, we thought the topic was definitely worth airing. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Jason Schmidt, Rick O'Donnell and Greg Hillebrand to the studio for the second of three episodes to discuss what the team found looking forward twenty years. In this episode they look at how the military has traditionally developed leaders and current trends in that arena. They’ll lay the foundation for the changes necessary to ensure U.S. military leadership is prepared for the challenges of future warfare and peacekeeping.

A little over two years ago we sat down with the students and advisors of Integrated Research Project (IRP) #6. Their task was to examine leadership development requirements in the multi-domain operations environment in the year 2040. Due to a hardware malfunction we thought we had lost the recordings of these conversations, but just recently we were able to recover the files. Though the conversation has a couple of dated references, we thought the topic was still worth airing. A BETTER PEACE is happy to welcome Chance Geray, Tim Monroe and Jason Schmidt to the studio for the last of three episodes to discuss what the team found looking forward twenty years. In this final episode they tie together all of the research findings from the IRP. They look at current leadership development trends, the challenges of the future battle environment and what has to be done to ensure that the U.S. continues to have the most capable leaders for tomorrow. They’ll lay the foundation for the changes necessary to ensure U.S. military leadership is prepared for future warfare and peacekeeping.

What is readiness? The state of being fully prepared for something? But what is that something? And what does fully prepared mean or more importantly cost? The military has used readiness as a metric of success for years driving budgets and training and acquisition efforts across the force. A BETTER PEACE welcomes our own Tom Galvin to discuss the War College's latest look at readiness. He joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio to discuss what he has termed enterprise readiness. The topic spans ideas such as intellectual readiness, strategic agility, large scale warfare and the role of national readiness and nesting into the the country's strategic communications. The publications referenced in this episode can be found here in the Practitioner's Corner. - https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/publication.cfm?categoryID=30

Since its birth, the United States has benefited from the protection of two vast oceans to the east and west. The events of 9/11, of course, brought new attention to the defense of the homeland and recent cyber attacks redefined thoughts of secure borders. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Matt Cavanaugh, Franky Matisek and Bert Tussing to the virtual studio to discuss their part in the Homeland Defense Institute. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine how information is being used to divide and attack the civilian population. They look at examples of cyber attacks and the use of misinformation in Eastern Europe and discuss how Information as a part of DIME has come to the forefront in the cyber age.

The WAR ROOM Staff learned of the recent loss of one of the great thinkers in the world of strategic thought. Colonel (retired) Arthur F. Lykke was a faculty instructor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College in the late 80's and nearly 35 years ago he introduced the national security world to three little words - END, WAYS and MEANS. Art left us in the final weekend of November 2021 but we were fortunate enough to sit down and talk with him as he shared his thinking behind the now famous three-legged stool that every serious military thinker, statesperson and strategic leader has contemplated, critiqued, discussed or implemented in the course of their studies and duties. We offer this special re-release of part 1 of the 2-part podcast with him in honor of his contribution to strategy. Until we meet again Art, thank you. TRANSCRIPT: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/19-184-LYKKES-LITTLE-THREE-LEGGED-STOOL-PART-1-Transcript.pdf

The WAR ROOM Staff learned of the recent loss of one of the great thinkers in the world of strategic thought. Colonel (retired) Arthur F. Lykke was a faculty instructor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College in the late 80's and nearly 35 years ago he introduced the national security world to three little words - END, WAYS and MEANS. Art left us in the final weekend of November 2021 but we were fortunate enough to sit down and talk with him as he shared his thinking behind the now famous three-legged stool that every serious military thinker, statesperson and strategic leader has contemplated, critiqued, discussed or implemented in the course of their studies and duties. We offer this special re-release of part 2 of the 2-part podcast with him in honor of his contribution to strategy. Until we meet again Art, thank you. TRANSCRIPT: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/19-184-LYKKES-LITTLE-THREE-LEGGED-STOOL-PART-2-Transcript.pdf

Usually Michael Neiberg is the interviewer in our ON WRITING series. In this episode he sits down with podcast editor Ron Granieri as the interviewee. They're talking about his new book When France Fell: The Vichy Crisis and the Fate of the Anglo-American Alliance. The two examine the conflict between Free and Vichy France and the interaction with the Allies in the early days and throughout World War II. They discuss relationships rife with bad assumptions, mistrust, failed promises and difficult personalities which leads to a much better understanding of the United States' dealings with its oldest ally.

In 2019 we published our first holiday message. It was a reprint of the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill on Christmas Eve in 1941 as he stood beside President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the South Portico of the White House. Last year we published President Franklin D. Roosevelt's words from his 1942 Christmas Eve message. At the risk of returning to the well one too many times, this year it seemed all too appropriate, in the 80th anniversary year of the attack on Pearl Harbor, to highlight FDR’s message from Christmas Eve 1941. There are so many things that you can choose to be mad or scared about in the world today. There have been too many lines drawn, dividing even friends and families. In truth the only thing that will get us all through this adversity is just as FDR closed his speech 80 years ago, the “conviction of the dignity and brotherhood of man which Christmas Day signifies more than any other day or any other symbol.” The staff of WAR ROOM hopes, as we do each year, that you and your loved ones can find reason for cheer this season. We hope that you have good will towards your neighbors and pride in those who risk their lives daily both overseas and at home, defending our liberties, caring for the aged and ill among us, delivering packages, and keeping vital services open. This year we are presenting this holiday message both as an article as well as a podcast episode. You can listen to the original recording of the messages of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill below and on your favorite podcatcher.

As the situation on the Ukrainian/Russian border seems to worsen and families and nonessential staff prepare to evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, pundits are throwing around the concepts of U.S. credibility and reputation. Interestingly our Editor-in-Chief, Jacqueline Whitt, sat down in the virtual studio last week to discuss this very topic with podcast editor, Ron Granieri. Intuition might suggest that events like Vietnam, Iraq and last year's withdrawal from Afghanistan would seriously damage U.S. reputation on the world stage. Jackie and Ron discuss the reality of how the U.S. is viewed, how these events have created greater internal partisan divisions and how difficult crafting a strategic message is in the modern day world of hyper-connectivity.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In light of the current situation on the Ukraine/Russia border the WAR ROOM Editorial Team thought it was a good time to revisit an incredibly well informed discussion of NATO. We're re-releasing this enlightening discussion between Stanley Sloan and Ron Granieri. And while we're at it we'd be remiss if we didn't point to our NATO Archive where you can find another sixteen articles and episodes on different aspects of NATO. In discussing NATO and our European allies, burden sharing has been a hot topic for the last several years under the current administration. But the fact of the matter is that burden sharing has been an area of concern since the inception of NATO and throughout it's development. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Stanley Sloan to the studio to discuss the current state of NATO and a way ahead for the organization. Sloan, a subject matter expert on NATO and transatlantic relations, joins podcast host Ron Granieri to examine the history of U.S./NATO relations, the growth in membership and the current and future implications for all of its member nations as well as Russia.

Admit it. In your most self-aggrandizing dreams you're as charming as Sydney Bristow, as lethal as Jason Bourne, and as intuitive and intellectual as Jack Ryan. If Austin Powers was anywhere in that mix you might want to keep that to yourself. But you know that real life spies don't really live like that. Right - you know that? A BETTER PEACE welcomes author, analyst and educator Amy Zegart to the virtual studio to set the record straight on the realities of the intelligence world in the digital age and talk about her new book Spies, Lies and Algorithms. She joins our own Gen Lester to discuss what real intelligence work looks like, what the role of AI is in the future of information collection and analysis and what intelligence priorities should look like going forward.

Chinese leaders have struggled to develop coherent policies toward Eurasia for centuries. And the work of building a policy for the larger Central Asian region has serious implications for the building of the modern Chinese state. Beijing's efforts to reduce the influence of the Uyghur population of Xinjiang Province is a perfect example of the failing policies of the region. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Zenel Garcia to discuss his latest book China’s Western Frontier and Eurasia The Politics of State and Region-Building. Zenel joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio to examine how China has attempted to handle its western frontier through a series of state-building initiatives. Their conversation looks at how China's region-building project in Eurasia has been complicated by the collapse of the USSR, increasing globalization, and the party’s professed concerns about terrorism, separatism, and extremism.

WAR ROOM isn't a news outlet and we don't do up to the minute reporting. But when Dr. Joel Hillison came to us last week and wanted to discuss the ongoing situation on the Ukraine border we happily welcomed him back to the podcast. Joel joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the BETTER PEACE virtual studio to discuss what it takes to be truly effective deterring an adversary. It's often easier to declare your enemy irrational, maniacal. or power hungry than it is to try and understand their motivation or point of view. Joel tries to apply strategic empathy (and years of NATO experience and study) to place himself in the shoes of Russian leadership to better grasp what is driving their thought process and actions. The goal is to determine what is important, what is threatening, what consequences are too painful, and where is there room to negotiate? At the time of this episodes release tensions are still high with limited hostilities continuing along the border and avenues of communication still open. Joel and Ron's hope is that at the moment you listen to this episode the conversations are still ongoing, because the alternative is not good for anyone.

Sanctions. They're the talk of the town right now as the world watches Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Social media and the news networks are full of "experts" sharing their opinions on every aspect of sanctions associated with the current world situation. Should they have happened sooner? Did the West wait long enough? Are they too harsh? Should they be much tougher? Is there a clear criteria for Russia to comply with to have them removed? Will they ever completely go away? A BETTER PEACE welcomes Mark Duckenfield, former Department Chair of the Department of National Security and Strategy to discuss the topic. Mark holds a PhD in political science from Harvard University where he specialized in European political economy. He joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio to look at sanctions from a historical perspective. When have sanctions worked? When have they failed? What are the necessary conditions of economies, cultures and people that will enhance or stymie the effects of economic sanctions?

For many, Afghanistan and the lessons that should have been learned have been overshadowed recently by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. And as much as Ukraine deserves the attention of the world, national security professionals have a duty to learn as much as possible from the successes and failures of Afghanistan. To that end, A BETTER PEACE is extremely pleased to welcome Maj Gen Brian Mennes, the Deputy Commanding General, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He joins Tom Spahr in the virtual studio to discuss his experiences in Afghanistan during his multiple tours in the theater. Tom and the general served together on three separate tours in Afghanistan and their conversation focuses on the wins that they achieved along the way along with the losses and the eventual fall of the Afghan government in August 2021.

Casualties are a fact of military life. Whether the result of a training accident, peacekeeping operations or full scale combat, the military has made the commitment to guide families through the very difficult circumstances of a service member's death with the aid of Casualty Assistance Officers (CAO). Sadly through repetition the U.S. Army has created training and programs and processes that are world class. Unfortunately, when the odd circumstances surrounding the captivity of Bowe Bergdahl by the Haqqani network in Afghanistan and Pakistan occurred, it highlighted the deficiencies of the CAO program when addressing prisoners of non-state actors and violent extremist organizations (VEOs). This isn't the story of Bergdahl's ordeal. It's the experiences of Kevin Hickey the CAO for the Bergdahl family and he joins Ron Granieri in the studio to discuss his observations over five long years supporting them. He's researching and proposing improvements and changes to the traditional CAO program to make sure that the U.S. Army is prepared for situations like the Bergdahl's when it happens again one day.

CAUTION: This episode contains a first-person account of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attempted suicide. These are incredibly important topics that need to be discussed, but we want our listeners to be aware that the conversation can be very frank at times. If you or someone you know is in crisis, there are options available to help you cope. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Last week on March 29th the nation observed National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This week we'd like to share a conversation with Jan Scruggs, the man who conceived of and eventually built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. A combat veteran of the Vietnam War himself, Jan tells the incredible story of his motivations, obstructions, collaborations and finally success in creating a striking symbol of the conflict and its cost that is visited by over 3 million people each year. He joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio to discuss his experience in Vietnam and the post traumatic stress he suffered upon his return. Jan tells the story of his mission to recognize the sacrifices and losses of his generation and to help heal the people that are sent out to fight their nation's wars.

Conditional statements or as they're more commonly known, IF-THEN statements, are the foundation of almost all programming languages. They allow an automation that looks for a certain circumstance, and if that circumstance exists then an action happens. The action may be the end result or it may send the automation down a path searching for more circumstances, but it is the building block for decision making processes, cyber or otherwise. That's why it's so odd that when it comes to defining cyber warfare there doesn't seem to be a clear set of rules for decision making. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Patrick Walsh to look at defining the red line in cyberspace. What defines an act of warfare, versus crime, versus terrorism in cyberspace. Patrick joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the studio to share his years of experience prosecuting cybercrimes and how he feels laws can better inform decision making and responses to actions in the cyber realm.

Four years ago the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) underwent a name change in hopes of signifying a change in thinking in the region. The new name, United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), was in recognition of "the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific oceans as America focuses West." In studying the region it quickly becomes clear that India, and particularly Indian naval strategy must be examined to understand the dynamics of the situation. A BETTER PEACE welcomes back Patrick Bratton to share his studies of Kavalam Madhava Panikkar, an Indian scholar statesman and the author of among dozens of other works, India and the Indian Ocean: An Essay on the Influence of Sea Power on Indian History. Patrick joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the studio to look at the life and works of Panikkar and how India's first ambassador to China has lessons to offer to anyone interested in understanding INDOPACOM.

This week we are celebrating WAR ROOM's fifth birthday! We published our first article on 1 May 2017 and our first podcast episode a couple of weeks later on 17 May. Today we celebrate where we've been and where we're going with our 300th podcast episode! It's estimated that nearly 75% of all the podcasts started podfade, or slowly stop producing new episodes, often after only about 7 episodes. So you can understand why we're pretty proud to to publish our 300th episode and thrilled that you are still out there listening along. Jacqueline Whitt, our first podcast editor, now Editor-in-Chief, and Ron Granieri, our current podcast editor sit down in the virtual studio to discuss the start of it all. They talk about what it takes to produce an episode, what WAR ROOM hopes to contribute to the NATSEC conversation and where we're hoping to take the conversation. Thanks to all of our loyal listeners as well as all of our guests, and here's to the next 300 episodes. What do you want to hear us talk about? EDITOR'S CORRECTION: Ron mistakenly credits Buck as the voice of the opening credits. That voice is actually Professor Douglas "Muddy" Waters (CAPT, USN, Ret) from the Department of Command, Leadership and Management, and a friend of WAR ROOM. Buck just reads all of the legal disclaimers. BTW: Episode 75 is THREE PIONEERS OF AIRPOWER (GREAT STRATEGISTS) and Episode 123 is BEYOND TASK FORCE SMITH: ‘NATIONAL’ UNPREPAREDNESS FOR WAR IN KOREA

We do our best at WAR ROOM to publish a wide variety of articles and podcast episodes that we hope contribute to the national security discussion. Sometimes we publish something that might not seem dead center of the military or policy realm or it might appear, at best, adjacent to the strategic level of conversation we aim for. For example, last year our best read article was THE PCS PENALTY AND THE ARMY FAMILY. That's why when the Army War College AY22 Spouses Group came to us with an idea for a podcast we jumped at it. This limited run series will feature spouses who share their expertise and experiences in issues that effect every military family regardless of which branch of service they're in. This episode introduces the production team of Kim Miller, Melanie Wilhite and Joanie Zipperer. All three women are spouses of students in the AY22 Resident Course and they were just a few of the powerhouses behind the scenes making this effort happen. They discuss the thinking behind the project and why the WAR ROOM: MIL SPOUSE EDITION is something you or someone in your life should definitely listen to. Watch for episodes to be released as additional content each Friday for the next several months.

It's time for another installment of MIL SPOUSE EDITION and we thought before we get too deep into content perhaps you should meet the co-hosts of the series. Faith Bomar and Lynda Lind join podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio to lay out the roadmap for the series and explain how they ended up as the hosts of the program. With the goal of sharing information and expertise to the broadest possible audience, the two hosts will be talking to experts about topics that are important to military spouses and families. Future episodes will cover education (your children and your own), PCS-ing, volunteering, employment, military culture, customs and courtesies, and maybe most important - self-care. So come meet your guides through this endeavor as Faith and Lynda share conversations and experiences, and promise a few laughs along the way talking about "Their Mission, Our Story."

As if PCS season isn't stressful enough it can be overwhelming when you begin to navigate the requirements to register your children in their new schools. Join Faith and Lynda as they jump right into all things school related for your child as well as continuing education for yourself. They are joined by Michele Sumter. Michele is a military spouse who has served in military-connected schools as a principal at all levels. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of school systems and transitioning students with her military friends. The key to it all is it's never too early to start contacting schools to ensure your military child is set up for success. Download Takeaways - https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/22-055-OUR-EDUCATION-STORY-PT-1_SCHOOL-AND-PCS_Episode-Takeaways.pdf

Last episode the team dove into the daunting process of changing schools (again) and setting your children up for success. But what if you need just a little bit extra. Join Faith and Lynda as Danielle Foote helps them update their magical PCS binders (you know you have one) with tips and tools for our exceptional needs and special education kids. Danielle is a former military brat and current Army spouse. She has over ten years of special education teaching experience across numerous grade levels in five different states. In this episode you’ll hear that knowledge is power and that it’s good to speak up, advocate for your child, and to teach your child how to advocate for themselves.

Our military community is incredibly dependent on volunteerism. Without spouses and service members actively volunteering on and off installation, life for military families would be far more difficult and far less fulfilling. Join co-hosts Faith Bomar and Lynda Lind as they have a conversation with award winning USA Today and Amazon best selling author Eric Gardner and retired Navy Human Resources Officer and current Army spouse Heather Kline. Eric and Heather share a wealth of information about finding volunteer opportunities that can give you a sense of purpose, translate to work experience and support our service members, families and communities. Just bring YOU, we all have value to add.

Historically, every PCS meant a job change or flat out job lost for military spouses. But times have changed and a new environment means more opportunities for employment and fulfillment. Get linked in to this episode where Faith and Lynda talk employment with Heather Kline, a Talent Acquisition Contractor with Client Solution Architects and retired Navy Human Resource Officer. Then there’s Meredith Smith, an Air Force spouse currently working as the Deputy Director for Community Events and Programs on the military spouse team at Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). Learn how to navigate resource overload, address resume gaps, and don’t give those employers a reason to say no! TAKEAWAYS here - https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/22-053-OUR-VOLUNTEER-STORY-WHERE-CAN-YOU-HELP_Episode-Takeaways-1.pdf

If you're new to the military it can be a flurry of bizarre and foreign traditions and actions that make very little sense. Imagine if you're also new to the United States. Join Faith and Lynda for their conversation with Melanie Wilhite, German by birth and an Army spouse by marriage, she is a certified Army Family Team Building Master Trainer. They're joined by Rebecca Lockhart and she adds her perspective as a former Navy brat and current Army Spouse who embraces military life. Military customs, courtesies and traditions provide a welcome sense of belonging to all spouses regardless of rank or experience and comfort in knowing what to expect.

Looking after your family is a full time job. And all too often it's easy to lose yourself in that job and forget about your own wellbeing. In this episode Faith and Lynda discuss the importance of the often overlooked relationship between mind, body, spirit and the health and wellness of the military spouse. Joining in this story are Giovanna Reyes-Alexander and Payal Talwar. Giovanna is an Army spouse who holds multiple degrees in nutrition and dietetics and has shared her knowledge in these areas with people from across the globe. Payal Talwar is married to a Soldier in the Indian Military and brings her expertise in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Life and Performance coaching and training, and is a Law of Attraction trainer. Learn how to set an intention for the day when you first wake up, because body and mind are part of the same system and have to work in tandem.

Take an already stressful event like moving, add in a possible foreign country, throw in some training enroute or the only vacation time you'll see all year, sprinkle with some kids, maybe a few pets and do it all on the military's shifting timeline. And don't forget the end of a job for your spouse and maybe you as well and a host of new responsibilities, maybe a change of command waiting on the other end. Mix it all together and you and about 1/3 of the U.S. military are smack dab in the middle of Permanent Change of Station or PCS season. Listen in as Faith and Lynda discuss how to prepare yourself and your children for the big and little moments of a PCS. Joining the conversation from Pisa, Italy where her family is currently stationed, Wendy Way suggests that you “Book that move, don’t mess around.” Wendy is a military spouse, former Army Logistics Officer, and the CEO and co-founder of LOGSA Mil Moves. And adding her moving tips is military spouse Christine Carol “C.C.” Gallagher, a highly sought-after expert and developer of the Stressless PCS Kit. No matter how many moves you have made, you will learn something in this episode!

Wargames can be incredible teaching and learning tools when they are built and utilized properly. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors and require a skilled hand in their creation. A BETTER PEACE welcomes two such skilled developers, Chris Steinitz and Erin Sullivan to the studio to share their experiences as game developers and discuss how they started in the wargaming world. Chris and Erin join podcast editor Ron Granieri to talk about what makes a great wargame, what crucial information is necessary before even starting construction of a game and when you truly need a wargame versus tailored analysis.

In the modern age the United States rarely ever enters a conflict alone. Fighting alongside an ally or as part of a coalition magnifies capabilities and lethality and often more importantly brings legitimacy and access. But the coordination and communication necessary for successful multi-domain operations is intense. Add multiple different languages, disparate communication and networking systems and simple deconfliction can become a herculean task or result in a simple but drastic reduction of interaction and interoperability. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Aaron Dixon to the studio to explain how many of the network issues of coalition operations in the MDO can be resolved, without breaking the bank. Aaron joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss why the solution to the problem doesn't involve newer, better, faster technology, at least not in the immediate future. He argues for more disciplined, targeted training and refusing to ignore issues in the exercise environment. EDITOR'S CORRECTION: When introducing our guest Ron states that he commanded the 3rd Security Force Assistance BRIGADE. He actually commanded 3rd Squadron, 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB).

It's time again for the Eisenhower Series College Program (ESCP). Established over 50 years ago, the ESCP engages colleges, voluntary organizations, think tanks and other public forums across the nation to introduce War College students to audiences that might be less familiar with the military. Their goal is to have reasoned and thoughtful discussions with the society they serve and protect. In past years A BETTER PEACE has augmented the limited travel plans of the ESCP and though travel has increased again we're pleased to bring you the first of several discussions for the Academic Year '22 forum. Joining podcast editor Ron Granieri in the studio for this episode are Leila Green, Jason Groat, Mike Rossman and Amit Talwar. Interestingly enough not a one of them is in the U.S. Army and only one of them is a U.S. citizen, they represent, but of course don't speak for, the British Army, the Australian Army, USAID and the Indian Army, respectively. The four guests share their expertise and insights regarding the U.S. shift away from a focus on terrorism and violent extremism toward a renewed interest in great power competition. Much of their conversation with Ron centers on allies and friends and the balance of soft power versus hard.

Feedback is a bit of an art form. And there are as many different types of mentorship and coaching as there are soldiers in the Army. So how do you effectively train leaders as they come up through the ranks to provide effective, honest feedback and evaluations that are in the macro sense uniform and evenly applied across the force. Michael Shaw has looked at the problem and is the first to admit that he doesn't have all the answers, but he's got some great suggestions about resources that are already out there. There's no doubt the Army has mastered the bureaucratic process of evaluations but in this day and age can the service tolerate a system that isn't optimized to find, develop and advance talent wherever it's found - and not just in the top block.

Coup d'etats are sadly a fact of life on the African continent. Since 1950, of the 486 attempted coups in the world, 214 occurred in Africa with 106 of them being successful. Unfortunately countries on the African continent tend to have many of the conditions typically associated with coups. Whether it is poverty, terrorism and insurgencies, or a failure to understand basic human rights there are many factors working against peace. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Daniel Kuwali to the studio to discuss his research to understand and try to prevent coup d'etats in the future. Daniel is a Brigadier General in the Malawi Defense Force where he serves as Chief of Legal Services and Judge Advocate General. He joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine the organizations and changes that have to thrive in order to staunch the instability in the region and promote stable democracies.

What went wrong in Afghanistan? Did anything go right? We're definitely not going to thoroughly answer those questions in a thirty eight minute podcast episode, but any answer to those questions should feed the greater question - What can the United States in general and the Army in particular learn from the nation's experience in Afghanistan? A BETTER PEACE welcomes three members of the Eisenhower Series College Program (ESCP) to share their experiences while deployed to and in support of operations in Afghanistan. Matt Adamczyk, Rob Greiner and Kevin Payne join podcast editor Ron Granieri in the studio to discuss the issues they encountered in conjunction with Operation Enduring Freedom and the subsequent operations in Afghanistan.

From 10-12 May 2022 the War College hosted the first Annual Strategic Landpower Symposium. Bringing together students, scholars and practitioners the symposium displayed original research and presented solutions to senior leaders about how landpower can help achieve national objectives in the future. As part of symposium Army leadership asked the United States Army War College Strategic Landpower Integrated Research Project faculty to address the future role of strategic landpower. Taking up that challenge seven members of the USAWC class of 2022 participated in the integrated research project as part of their Masters in Strategic Studies degree research requirement and presented their results at the symposium to amplify their work. A BETTER PEACE has organized two podcast sessions with those students to discuss their projects, their relationship to the strategic landpower symposium and possible implications for the future of U.S. security policy. In the virtual studio for this first episode to discuss shaping the theater are Phil Baker, Gregory Foxx, Kirk Sanders and Carl Zeppengno. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss a variety of aspects pertaining to landpower to include, the National Guard State Partnership Program, special operations persistent forward presence, theater ISR operations and Marine Advance Based Operations alongside Army landpower doctrine. The second annual Strategic Landpower Symposium is set for 9-11 May 2023 and there is a call for papers due by 15 January 2023. Registration can be accomplished online. The theme will be the "Role of Strategic Landpower in Future Joint and Combined Operations." 2023 Strategic Landpower Symposium Home Page - https://csl.armywarcollege.edu/landpower/default.aspx

From 10-12 May 2022 the War College hosted the first annual Strategic Landpower Symposium. Bringing together students, scholars and practitioners the symposium displayed original research and presented solutions to senior leaders about how landpower can help achieve national objectives in the future. As part of symposium Army leadership asked the United States Army War College Strategic Landpower Integrated Research Project faculty to address the future role of strategic landpower. Taking up that challenge seven members of the USAWC class of 2022 participated in the integrated research project as part of their Masters in Strategic Studies degree research requirement and presented their results at the symposium to amplify their work. A BETTER PEACE has organized two podcast sessions with those students to discuss their projects, their relationship to the strategic landpower symposium and possible implications for the future of U.S. security policy. In the virtual studio for this second episode to discuss shaping the theater are Tim Clark, Curtis Perkins and Tim Sikorski. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss a variety of aspects pertaining to landpower to include the theater army's role in the information environment, sustainment modernization in multi-domain operations and logistics challenges in the INDOPACOM theater. The second annual Strategic Landpower Symposium is set for 9-11 May 2023 and there is a call for papers due by 15 January 2023. Registration can be accomplished online. The theme will be the "Role of Strategic Landpower in Future Joint and Combined Operations." 2023 Strategic Landpower Symposium Home Page - https://csl.armywarcollege.edu/landpower/default.aspx

It's the tail end of the change of command season. Beloved (or not so beloved) commanders are moving on to new opportunities. New faces are taking over, watching, assessing, trying to get a feel for the team and the mission. WAR ROOM isn't a full fledged military organization (think military adjacent) but the time has come for our "change of command." Jacqueline Whitt, our outgoing Editor-In-Chief, is moving on to new and exciting opportunities with the U.S. Department of State and we're taking a moment to hear her final thoughts on her time with WAR ROOM. She's joined in the studio by her successor J.P Clark, a familiar face, longtime friend and former member of the editorial team. Podcast editor Ron Granieri moderates the conversation that renews the purpose of WAR ROOM, examines what the team has been able to accomplish over the last five years and what the future holds. Join us in saying farewell to Jackie and wishing her all the best in her future endeavors and welcoming J.P. as he shares his thoughts for moving forward without missing a beat. And take a read of Jackie's farewell letter we posted yesterday.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes author and analyst Ali Wyne to the studio for a conversation about the intricacies of the concept of great power competition as a policy framework. He joins our new Editor-In-Chief, J.P Clark, for a fast-paced discussion of the ideas laid out in his new book "America's Great-Power Opportunity: Revitalizing U.S. Foreign Policy to Meet the Challenges of Strategic Competition." It's a fascinating conversation well timed to the actions of both Russia and China and the responses of U.S. leadership.

Yesterday began the first full week of instruction for the resident course at the U.S. Army War College. Introductions are done, orientation is over and another year of Boatyard Wars is in the books. Now students will begin to flex intellectual muscles that they may not have stretched for a few years. The editorial team thought we could help get things rolling with the strategic re-release of a few articles and podcast episodes that highlight the Carlisle Experience, the reasons War Colleges exist, useful tools for thinking, and additional programs available throughout the year. In this War Room Podcast, “Why War Colleges?” Andrew A. Hill interviews the 50th Commandant of the U.S. Army College, U.S. Army Major General Bill Rapp to discuss the history, roles, and responsibilities of war colleges to develop future strategic leaders, both military and civilian, and to develop ideas that address current and future needs of the defense enterprise. They explore why the Army’s performance during the Spanish-American War necessitated the Army War College’s founding, and how it has evolved in the century since.

We'll wrap up back to school week at the U.S. Army War College with the re-release of a great discussion between Ed Kaplan, Mike Baim and former Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt, to highlight the contributions of the U.S. Army War College's Eisenhower Series College Program (ESCP). In a time when the nation sees increasing political divides and claims that the civil-military gap is ever widening, this program reaches out to reverse the trend. Ed and Mike explain how each academic year a joint cohort of military officers and national security professionals reach out to colleges and town halls across the nation to introduce War College students to audiences that may have little direct knowledge of the military. Their goal is to have reasoned and thoughtful discussions with the society they serve and protect. And for more than 50 years the Eisenhower Program has succeeded in closing that gap with both the rising and established generations in those communities. Ed Kaplan moved on to become the Dean of the School of Strategic Landpower, but the ESCP is still going strong under the leadership of Col Leon Perkowski in the Department of National Security and Strategy. If you're interested in participating in the program or if your institution is interested in potentially scheduling a speaking engagement with the ESCP, you can contact Col Perkowski at leon.perkowski@armywarcollege.edu

Each year, in the final week of instruction at the U.S. Army War College there is a four-day event that takes place known as the National Security Seminar (NSS). The resident seminars grow by six to seven members apiece as approximately 160 invited guests from many walks of life across the country join the students to engage in candid dialogue about national security issues, the U.S. military and the viewpoints of the citizenry of the nation. The new seminar members typically have no close association with the military and are invited via a nomination process. The four-day itinerary includes distinguished speakers covering topics of civil-military relations, globalization, foreign policy, international security issues and the role of the United States in the world. The guests are able to attend several social events where the conversation is less formal, and they close their week with a staff ride tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield. In 2022 one of those guests was John Roderick, a musician, singer, songwriter, podcaster and politician. He was in podcast editor Ron Granieri's seminar and he's in the studio today to share his experiences during his four days in Carlisle. This is part one of a two-part episode.

John Roderick is back in the studio w/ Ron Granieri for pt 2 of their discussion but the topic has moved on to #podcasting & the power of #conversations in our lives. Can we talk?

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Ian Ona Johnson to the studio to discuss his new book Faustian Bargain: The Soviet-German Partnership and the Origins of the Second World War. Ian joins our own Michael Neiberg to not only discuss his writing, editing and publication process but their conversation ventures into the usefulness of history. Written before the hostilities in Ukraine began, the alliances of the interwar period that the book examines offer great insights into the behavior of Russia and a number of the nations affected by the war. Their conversation even turns to the latest debate amongst historians regarding presentism or the tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts.

It has been recognized since antiquity that victory in war often goes to those who best organize "the sinews of war" (money, equipment, and supplies). Yet at the U.S. Army War College the Defense Management course that teaches these topics has often been maligned. For a time, a heavy focus on acronym-heavy process caused many students to roll their eyes and ask, "Why do I have to learn this? I'm not a force manager, or budgeteer, or program manager etc." Tom Galvin and Doug Waters are in the studio to explain how the course is evolving to better demonstrate why everybody needs a little Defense Management in their lives. In one of the final components of the core curriculum, War College students get a healthy dose of the other strategic triad -- force structure, readiness, and modernization. Galvin and Waters join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss how this course is changing and why everybody needs to just eat their academic spinach because the students are going to "speak defense management" in their coming assignments.

The U.S. military is struggling to recruit and it's not just quality, it's quantity as well. The all volunteer force is at risk. Falling recruiting rates can be compensated for by higher retention rates for a time, but eventually the lack of new talent will be felt across the force. Allison Abbe is in the studio to discuss a recent article in which she points out policies that have created the insular military communities that may be raising retention but harming recruiting. Allison joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to explain her thoughts on the three policies that might be doing more harm than good, and how they could be changed for the better.

Getting faculty governance right in higher education can be a difficult endeavor. There are multiple models that can be employed, personalities always play a role and leadership has to agree on the value that the faculty's experience contributes. Getting it right in the world of professional military education (PME) adds a whole new twist. Nicholas J. Rowland and Matthew Woessner are back in the studio with podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss shared governance in PME. Their conversation builds on their previously published work Shared Governance for Intellectual Overmatch as they still strive to provide the best form of governance to create the finest strategic leaders in the world.

Since President Eisenhower first named and warned against the military-industrial complex in his farewell speech, the relationship between "the military and the market" has been the subject of heightened scrutiny from Congress, the press, and scholars. A new book by that name provides new and surprising perspectives by taking the long view of two centuries of the economic dimensions of the military from entrepreneurs and new technologies to consumer products and sex workers. A BETTER PEACE welcomes editors and contributors Kara Dixon Vuic, Jennifer Mittelstadt and Mark R. Wilson as they discuss they discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the military-industrial complex and beyond with podcast editor Ron Granieri. Find the book here: https://www.pennpress.org/9781512823233/the-military-and-the-market/

Successful military organizations are always assessing and adapting; this includes methods of command and control. The joint task forces with constituent air, land, and maritime components currently used by the U.S. military have demonstrated benefits, but are all too often ad hoc structures that take too long to stand up and fight as a cohesive team. Tom Bruscino and Lou Yuengert are in the studio to talk about their recently released manuscript, The Future of the Joint Warfighting Headquarters: An Alternative Approach to the Joint Task Force, which they wrote with fellow authors Eric Bissonette, Kelvin Mote, Matthew Powell, Marc Sanborn and James Watts. Tom and Lou argue that now is the time to create standing, numbered, and regionally aligned joint warfighting headquarters— American Expeditionary Forces (AEFs)—around a command council and a staff organized into Joint centers and cells. They join host Darrell Driver to share the thought process behind the organizational structure and why the U.S. military must become a superior and sustainable joint force sooner than its adversaries.

Dating back to 1987 and the Goldwater-Nichols Act, the National Security Strategy (NSS) has become perhaps the most powerful single document to communicate the Executive branch's vision to Congress, the American people, the many departments of the U.S federal government, as well as foreign friends and foes. When President Biden took office in January 2021, his administration produced an interim NSS that many nicknamed the "skinny NSS" and released it March of that year. On 12 October 2022, the Biden-Harris administration released an updated NSS. We've got Carrie A. Lee and J.P. Clark in the studio to examine the contents of the new document and talk about what has changed, what is emphasized and what the new NSS communicates to the world. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to highlight the themes and messages in the new product that is now twice as large as the original interim NSS.

There are multiple facets to the civil-military relationship. How the military interacts with the civil society, or other governmental agencies or the relationship between the military and the civilian authorities charged with the control and direction of the military are all very different. Alice Hunt Friend is in the virtual studio to discuss her specific area of expertise - the elite levels of leadership, the folks participating in the highest levels of the government. She joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine some of the misunderstandings that exist and what has to be done to correct them. Their conversation centers on the role of politics in the civ-mil relationship, and the mis-characterization of political versus partisan. And while we're on the topic, the U.S. Army War College is pleased to announce the creation of its new Civil-Military Relations Center(CMRC). The center was created to sponsor and promote the development of a healthy, sustainable relationship between the American military, society, and political leaders through education, research, and outreach. Go check out the website and see the publications, podcasts, events and conferences designed to develop leaders, advance knowledge and connect professionals. https://cmrc.armywarcollege.edu/

Every year the amount of sheer talent, knowledge and experience that comes through the little town of Carlisle, PA is astounding. There is the student body at the Army War College and the nation's leaders that present as part of the curriculum, the number of academic powerhouses associated with Dickinson College and Penn State Dickinson Law, and the speaker program at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. Added to that list is the J. Sherwood McGinnis, Jr. War, Peace and Justice Project (WPJP) which began its Fall/Winter presentation schedule in October this year. A BETTER PEACE was fortunate enough to sit down with two of the program's main presenters, General Sir Rupert Smith and LTG (Ret.) Jim Dubik, Ph.D., to discuss the project's main theme: "Why has it been so difficult to achieve peace and justice as a result of our conflicts?" The two soldier-authors shared their thoughts and experiences with podcast editor Ron Granieri in a captivating conversation. Be sure to check out the project's website at https://www.warpeacejustice.org/ for future events. And visit the Cumberland County Historical Society where the project was hosted the next time you're in Carlisle.

In October 2022 we published an episode examining the newly released National Security Strategy (NSS) and comparing it to its interim predecessor. Once the NSS is published there are a number of other strategic documents that are published that nest within the overarching guidance of the NSS. In this episode podcast editor Ron Granieri sits down with War College professors Bob Bradford and Tom Spahr to discuss the unclassified version of the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS). The capstone strategic guidance document for the Department of Defense (DoD), the NDS details priorities, identifies allies and adversaries, and spells out in grand macro terms the direction forward for the entire DoD. The analysis centers around the utility and the messaging of the document as well as the complimentary Missile Defense Review that was released along with the NDS. The three talk about plenty of familiar concepts like building partner capability and capacity, integrated deterrence and developing resilience that make for a great conversation.

As part of our ongoing collaboration between A BETTER PEACE and the Army War College Civil-Military Relations Center, Celestino Perez joins podcast editor Ron Granieri for a wide-ranging discussion of civil-military relations. Tino notes that words like politics and partisan can have many different meanings. He argues that conversations and debates on the proper role and rules for military engagement with society would be more fruitful, if participants recognize these potential differences. Acknowledging these subtle differences is the first step toward better dialogue and understanding of this complex issue.

The U.S. Army War College provides an outstanding strategic-level education to the military and civilian leaders of the DoD and other federal agencies. Each year, roughly 380 U.S. and international students attend the year-long resident course at Carlisle Barracks, PA. But what many people don’t realize is that at any given time there are nearly twice that many students enrolled in the distance education program receiving a similar quality education as those in the resident course and ultimately the same degree. Today we have COL Heather Smigowski, Chair of the Department of Distance Education, in the studio to describe the creation of the program and the changes it has undergone to become the present-day effort. Created in 1967 the distance program has evolved over the last five decades into a two-year program that is delivered both synchronously and asynchronously, online and for two weeks each year in-person in Carlisle. All of this is accomplished by board-selected students who navigate the courseware from their present duty (or deployed) location while performing their “day job,” often while serving in command positions. It’s a great conversation with podcast editor, Ron Granieri that looks at how the U.S. Army provides educational opportunities to the force around the world. Created in 1967 the distance program has evolved over the last five decades into a two-year program that is delivered both synchronously and asynchronously, online and for two weeks each year in-person in Carlisle. All of this is accomplished by board selected students who navigate the courseware from their present duty (or deployed) location while performing their “day job”, often in command positions. It’s a great conversation with podcast editor, Ron Granieri that looks at how the U.S. Army provides educational opportunities to the force around the world.

The war in Ukraine has been a fascinating study of the democratization of intelligence. That's a phrase coined by David Gioe in a recent article he wrote with Ken Stolworthy. David and Ken join host Gen Lester in the studio to discuss what has changed in the intelligence realm that makes information so readily available and effective for the Ukrainian forces. David notes that the gap between what the professional intelligence community knows and what the average citizen armed with an Internet connection can know has dramatically narrowed as the conflict drags on. The commercialization of intelligence has been growing for years, but now the enormous amount of open source information, collated and analyzed by both amateurs and professionals alike has led to operationalization by the military in ways never seen before.

Any conversation has two very basic players, the sender and the receiver. The intelligence conversation, at its most basic level, has the producer and the consumer. There are volumes written, schools, courses, and entire career fields and specialties dedicated to producing better intel, but how does one learn to be a better intelligence consumer? A BETTER PEACE welcomes LTG (R) Karen Gibson to shed some light on what commanders need to know to, not only be a better consumer, but to mentor and train intelligence professionals and staffers. She joins host Gen Lester, to share her experiences from over three decades in the intelligence community during which time she led intelligence-operations fusion centers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, East Africa, and in the United States.

Readers will recall that for this year’s Thanksgiving message, we turned the page back to 1968 for the proclamation issued that year by President Lyndon Johnson. Even in a time plagued by war, unrest, and division, Johnson reminded the nation to not overlook all that was good. Inspired by the recent success of the Artemis 1 mission to lunar orbit, we will continue the theme of 1968 for our annual holiday message. That year ended with the historic Apollo 8 mission, the first manned mission to orbit the Moon. During their return to Earth, astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and William Anders broadcast a televised greeting from space that was the most watched television program to that time. As the first humans to ever leave low Earth orbit and thus to be able to look back at our world in its entirety, they had a truly unprecedented vantage from which to bring good tidings to all. Though the words come from a specific religious text and tradition which these men shared, when placed in the context of that epic journey and the unsettled time at home, the underlying message seems to transcend any specific set of beliefs and speak to a perhaps common sense of awe and wonder when faced with the vastness of space and the universe. In that spirit, we share the Apollo 8 message in its written form and as a podcast with the original recording available on the podcatcher of your choice. And so to close the year, we here at War Room wish that you and yours may find a brief distraction from your troubles and a sense of hope and wonder like those of the Apollo 8 astronauts for what is still to come. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! We’ll see you in 2023.

In 1997, the U.S. Army War College produced the first edition of How the Army Runs (HTAR), a reference handbook that documented and explained the processes and organization of the U.S. Army. Published every two years, the document has evolved along with the organization it seeks to capture in writing. As the editor of the last five editions of HTAR, Lou Yuengert was once asked by a former War College commandant, "Have you ever thought about writing a book about how the Army should run?" A Better Peace welcomes Lou to the studio to kick off a new series to examine whether the organization and operation of the Army is really the best way to conduct business in the joint world. He sits down with War Room Senior Editor Tom Galvin to consider what works and what doesn't and why. The two have an excellent conversation setting the stage for future episodes that hope to not just critique, but to offer innovative suggestions and even praise those elements that work well.

It's time for another episode of On Writing. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Tami Biddle to the studio to discuss her newest history project, Taking Command: The United States at War 1941-1945. Tami sits down with host Michael Neiberg for a conversation about capturing this very large and complicated topic. Tami shares her processes for organization, content selection, and how she has gone about creating and contributing something new on a topic that has been so thoroughly discussed. Their conversation provides a glimpse inside the historian's mind in the opening stages of a new, and very ambitious, project.

Tom Galvin is back in the studio for another episode of "How Should the Army Run?" He's joined today by Doug "Muddy" Waters to talk about how the Army (and the rest of DoD) gets its funding. In this stage-setting episode Tom and Muddy discuss Congressional processes like appropriations and authorizations, continuing resolutions, the "color of money", and you'll hear familiar terms like POM, OCO, O&M and RDT&E. It's a great primer on how the basics of the budget process work and a great starting point to inform change.

For more than one hundred years there were three recognized domains in military conflict: land, maritime and air. In the two last decades after significant debate, the cyber and space domains were officially defined by western allies. Rob Farley is in the studio with podcast editor Ron Granieri to explain why the United States and its allies need to consider adding the finance domain to the multi-domain discussion. Not to be confused with the economic lever of power in DIME, Rob makes the argument that the finance domain involves the technologies of finance and money that countries use to either maximize their own resource base or interfere in other states' abilities to maximize their resources. As with all discussions at the War College, he begins with Thucydides and moves forward in time examining the British pound, the U.S. dollar, the gold standard and looking forward at cryptocurrency and digital currency.

Historical Mindedness is a form of reasoning that deals with historical material and present-day problems and it is woven throughout the U.S. Army War College curriculum. It doesn't predict the future or provide all the answers to modern international situations, but it does arm strategic thinkers with the right questions to ask of the dilemmas they face. Alexander Mikaberidze is in the studio today to look at how historical mindedness can inform our understanding of Russia's war in Ukraine. He joins Michael Neiberg to discuss his newest book "Kutuzov: A Life in War and Peace" for this episode in our On Writing series. Alexander argues that the current conflict has its roots in the 18th century and the behaviors of the House of Romanov. He notes that the Russian and Soviet governments have cast historical figures such as Field Marshal Mikhail Golenischev-Kutuzov in different ways, both positively and negatively, to suit their own purposes.

It's time for another episode about the U.S. Army War College's Distance Education program. COL Heather Smigowski, Chair of the Department of Distance Education, is back in the studio to offer a few suggestions to new students who just received their welcome letter to the class of academic year '25 (AY25). Heather joins podcast host Ron Granieri to describe the challenges the members of AY25 will face during their academic journey over the next two years. Whether it's the shock of going back to school, the inevitable surges of reading assignments, or the potential disruptions to "normal" life and family vacations, the next two years will require dedication and concentration. Heather offers tips and techniques for time management and effective study, and also highlights the many resources available to every student in the program.

A crucial turning point in the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Saratoga boosted the morale of the Continental Army; influenced the opinions of the French, Spanish and Dutch; and closed the door to possible invasions from the Canadian front. Kevin Weddle is in the studio to discuss the strategic lessons of this important battle as he has outlined them in his book The Compleat Victory. He joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine the interplay of strategic leadership, politics, personal ambition, and battlefield strategies. Their conversation visits familiar names like Washington and Howe, Gates and Burgoyne, Arnold and Morgan. It's a great discussion for those already familiar with Saratoga's importance but equally interesting to those who would like to learn more.

In this War Room Podcast, Jamaican Defense Force Colonel Jaimie Ogilvie discusses with U.S. Army War College faculty member Dr. Paul Kan the challenges of foreign fighters operating within the Caribbean, the “third border” of the U.S. as named by former President G. W. Bush. By foreign fighters, Colonel Ogilvie refers to the David Malet's definition from his book Foreign Fighters: Transnational Identity in Civic Conflicts, "a non-citizen of a state experiencing civil conflict or arrives from another state to join a civil insurgency." This definition differs from more common usage which treats foreign fighters as a type of terrorist. They explore the broad range of reasons why individuals become foreign fighters; the impact of foreign fighters on the economically fragile states in the Caribbean, particularly on tourism; and the potential expansion of violent extremist organizations into the region. They also discuss why the U.S. should be concerned about the presence and activities of foreign fighters so close to its homeland, and that the U.S. should assist its Caribbean partners as many lack the resources to deal with the problem themselves. Colonel Ogilvie is Jamaican’s first officer to attend the U.S. Army War College, and the podcast is based on his strategy research project in satisfaction of resident program requirements.  Each year, the U.S. Army War College resident class includes over 75 international officers from 70 different partner nations all over the globe.

The defense acquisition system has been the subject of much controversy and criticism. From the “Sisyphus Paradox” to more recent studies on defense acquisition reform, critics have complained about the process of acquisition being too slow and cumbersome. But far less attention has been given to the strategy of acquisition. How should defense leaders make investment choices that address shorter-term needs while preserving long-term opportunities? Mark Kappelmann and Andrew Hill provide analysis and offer ideas and recommendations in this War Room Podcast. Watch Colonel Mark Kappelmann in a panel discussion on military innovation at the Center for New American Security.

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the “One Belt, One Road” strategy as a national effort ostensibly to improve the economic integration and regional security of the Eurasian landmass. Also known as the “Belt and Road Initiative,” the strategy emphasizes development projects within underdeveloped east European and Asian nations. However, critics question both the motivations of the Chinese and the potentially low returns on investment. So why are the Chinese pursuing this? Join the podcast as Rakesh Kapoor and Paul Kan explore this question.

Don Snider reflects on his experiences in the drafting of the 1988 National Security Strategy (NSS) and what purpose that document serves. With Matt Scalia interviewing, Don describes the political context within which the NSS was written and the five audiences that the NSS must serve. He also discusses the challenges facing new Administrations in building political consensus and forging strategies that reflect the preferred agenda of the President.

In this War Room Podcast, “Why War Colleges?” Andrew A. Hill interviews the 50th Commandant of the U.S. Army College, U.S. Army Major General Bill Rapp to discuss the history, roles, and responsibilities of war colleges to develop future strategic leaders, both military and civilian, and to develop ideas that address current and future needs of the defense enterprise. They explore why the Army’s performance during the Spanish-American War necessitated the Army War College’s founding, and how it has evolved in the century since.

In this War Room podcast, “Time as a Dimension of Strategy,” Joe Brooks and Doug Douds take a critical look at concepts that may too often be taken for granted in strategy – time and space. Drawing from philosophy, political science, and culture, the podcasters discuss a range of perspective on how time and space have defined and measured throughout history. How do our understandings of time shape our strategy? And how do we develop strategies that shape an environment occupied by those whose perspectives on time differ?

This podcast is the first episode of a War Room special series featuring some of history’s greatest strategists. Featured is Carl von Clausewitz, famed for his book On War (Vom Kriege) which is a staple of professional military education in the U.S. and many partner nations. This is remarkable given that the original text of On War is an unfinished manuscript published posthumously by his wife Marie. Clausewitz scholar Vanya Eftimova Bellinger and War Room podcast editor Jacqueline Whitt explore the book’s major theses and implications they present for modern scholars and practitioners of strategy.

In “Sun Tzu and the Art of War,” Paul Kan explains the impacts of Sun Tzu’s famed treatise on war. Although little is known about Sun Tzu, The Art of War has been applied to many contemporary contexts from sports to relationships. Military educators often align this book with unconventional war in contrast to the supposed conventional war teachings of Carl von Clausewitz. The podcasts explore the impacts of the book and compare it to those of other Chinese philosophies of the time.

In this third episode of War Room’s special series on Great Strategists, Larry Goodson presents the writings of Kautilya, who is lesser known to military audiences that Clausewitz or Sun Tzu. As counsel to a young emporer in 4th century BCE India, Kautilya developed and published the earliest known works explaining the international relations philosophy known today as realism. ‘Conquer or be conquered’ and ‘the friend of my enemy is my enemy’ are among the teachings originating from the Arthashastra, a collection of 14 books that covered matters of both military and civilian governance.

In this War Room podcast, War Room Editor-in-Chief Andrew Hill sits down with Professor of Behavioral Sciences Steve Gerras to discuss critical thinking, a key skill that senior leaders should develop. Gerras argues that it is, indeed, possible to improve one’s ability to think with training and practice—even while recognizing that doing so can be counterintuitive, unappreciated, and difficult. Gerras and Hill discuss the problems of confirmation bias, fake news, and clarified concern, and how we can learn to combat these problems by seeking out disconfirming information, using Wikipedia and the Internet to our advantage, and thinking more deeply about problem design and construction.

In this fourth episode of War Room’s special series on Great Strategists, Patrick Bratton explores Alfred Thayer Mahan's The Influence of Seapower upon History and its relevance to the 21st century. Writing at the turn of the 20th century, Mahan was explicitly thinking about the role of sea power for the United States as it emerged onto the world stage, and his ideas, though very influential at the time, have fallen somewhat out of favor in more recent thinking about sea power. Mahan's emphasis on big fleets and decisive battles have led some to dismiss Mahan as hopelessly out of date, but Mahan was also writing about broader political questions about the maritime domain. And in the 21st century, rising powers, particularly in Asia, are reading Mahan quite seriously, so it remains a text worth reading and exploring seriously. War Room podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.

In this War Room podcast, Ambassador Alexander M. Laskaris, current civilian deputy to the commander, reflects on the uniqueness of the command and growing importance of interagency cooperation, a hallmark of AFRICOM’s first decade.  Along with reflections on strategic leadership, Ambassador Laskaris discusses the challenges of AFRICOM’s identity between being a 'hard power' warfighting command and a 'soft power' organization focused on preventing war and building security capacity. War Room associate editor Ryan McCannell hosts.

Josh Kennedy and Buck Haberichter the popular but wrong perception that special operations forces are capable of resolving all national security dilemmas without the need for conventional forces. The elite selection process, specialized training, and long history of success are what make special operations forces ‘special.’ But, as the podcasters explain, they are neither superhuman nor endowed with magical powers. Yet they are often treated that way, viewed as a simple and cheap solution to the thorny problems of the world. Listen in as the podcasters discuss the effects this misperception has on strategic decisionmaking, resourcing, and civil-military relations. Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.

War Room welcomes special guest Martin Lacourt, the senior armed forces delegate to the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) regional delegation to the US and Canada. In addition to discussing the role the ICRC plays in monitoring conflict and protecting human rights and dignity during war, M. Lacourt also discusses the relationship that the ICRC has had with the U.S. military, a relationship that has grown since the turn of the 21st Century. He discusses the urgency of keeping the laws of warfare current and relevant in today’s dynamic and increasingly dangerous world, and offers advice for strategic leaders on how to properly engage with international actors. War Room associate editor Ryan McCannell moderates.

Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgway assumed command of Eighth U.S. Army after it had been driven south in the early phases of the Korean War. Faced with a broken and dispirited force, Ridgway had to turn the situation around quickly. His memorandum of January 1951, “Why We Are Here,” was a message to the troops about what was at stake, and embodied his belief in the cause and faith in the fighting spirit of the force. In six months, a rejuvenated Eighth U.S. Army had driven the Chinese north of the 38th parallel. It is one of the great stories of U.S. military history. This inaugural episode of the Dusty Shelves series, Army historian Con Crane and War Room podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt present the memorandum and the story of Lieutenant General Ridgway. The memorandum, displayed and transcribed below, comes from the collection of Ridgway’s papers available at the Army Heritage and Education Center.

War Room welcomes our distinguished guest, Brigadier General Emmaneul Kotia, Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Ghana. BG Kotia stopped by while visiting War Colleges in the U.S. to discuss opportunities for further collaboration in peace operations and training. In this podcast, BG Kotia explains the roles and offerings from the KAIPTC and addresses the complexity of peace operations in Africa, such as the high number of disparate factions usually involved in conflicts and the challenge of brokering peace agreements so the peacekeepers can operate under clear guidance and rules of engagements. Brian Foster from the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute moderates.

The Arctic may be a very cold region, but in matters of national security today it is a hot topic. War Room welcomes guest podcaster Dr. Dawn Berry, a renowned expert in the Arctic region. She presents the geographic perimeter of U.S. security interests from the late 19th to early 20th century, which includes far-flung and diverse locations such as Greenland and the Virgin Islands. Presently, both get a lot of attention due to their historical strategic importance, such as Greenland's special minerals and Virgin Islands' proximity. How important is this region to U.S. interests today? War Room podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.

In this podcast, military historian Len Fullenkamp reflects on the importance of immersing oneself in the minds of strategic leaders facing dynamic and complex situations. One tool is the staff ride, an opportunity to walk a battlefield and understand the strategic perspective of the leaders prosecuting a campaign. What was the decision made then and what can it teach us about strategic decisions now?

War Room welcomes Dr. Rob Farley, author of Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force, to discuss and critique the National Security Act of 1947 which included the establishment of an independent Air Force. Was it wise to separate the Air Force from the Army and pursue an unrealized promise of airpower solving national security problems on its own? Is the interservice rivalry that followed more destructive than helpful – and did the Goldwater-Nichols Act do enough to mitigate it? What can one learn from the establishment of an independent air force when considering new or emerging domains such as space or cyber? These and other questions are debated under the moderation of Dr. Mark Duckenfield, Chair of the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College.

The 2017 release of a television series on Vietnam War from director Ken Burns has renewed interest and controversy surrounding the purpose of the war and its effects. In this podcast, military historian, retired U.S. Army War College professor, and Vietnam veteran Len Fullenkamp presents his perspective on why the U.S. became involved. He also discusses the social and political change that happened at the same time, and how institutions such as education and political structures changed as a result. What does the Vietnam experience teach us about matters of national security policy today? What should military leaders learn from Vietnam so they may better render best military advice to their civilian overseers?

[PRESIDENT TRUMAN] WAS INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK AT AMERICA'S POSITION IN THE WORLD. In 1950, competition between the U.S. and its Allies and the Soviet Union was growing in intensity. Concerned over debt and seeming fragility of post-World War II peace, President Truman felt was time to re-examine “our objectives in peace and war and the effect of these objectives on our strategic plans.” The resulting document, National Security Council Report no. 68, would become the foundation of national security policy through the Cold War. Dr. Tami Davis Biddle examines the policy and the individuals responsible for its preparation, particularly Paul Nitze and George Kennan. She also discusses NSC 68 as an example of grand strategy and why it is so difficult to craft such a powerful and broad national security policy today. War Room podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/17-105-Biddle-Whitt-NSC-68-RLS.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here.   Tami Davis Biddle is Professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy and the U.S. Army War College and War Room's podcast editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Image composed by Tom Galvin. Eagle photo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cover of NSC 68 from the Truman Presidential Archives. Posts in the "Dusty Shelves" series: BOOK LOVERS NEED APPLY: A DUSTY SHELVES PODCASTHOW A HOMING PIGEON SAVED THE LOST BATTALION OF WORLD WAR I (DUSTY SHELVES)COOK’S ‘MIDNIGHT DRAWINGS’ AND THEIR HAUNTING VIEWS OF WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)BUILDING THE CONTINENTAL ARMY: VON STEUBEN’S “BLUE BOOK” (DUSTY SHELVES)RECEIPT: BOMB, ATOMIC, 1 EACH (DUSTY SHELVES)NSC-68: THE POLICY DOCUMENT THAT SHAPED THE COLD WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)RIDGWAY’S MEMO: “WHY WE ARE HERE” (DUSTY SHELVES)  

[9/11] was a mixture of the intensity of doing my job with the surreal. Strategic intelligence plays a vital role in the national security policy arena, but it is not well-understood because of its secret nature and the tendency for both policymakers and the public to pay attention to it generally only after a crisis has occurred. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 signaled a major shift in the way strategic intelligence functions within the U.S. This podcast presents an insider’s view of this evolution. War Room welcomes special guest Michael Morell, former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010-2013, culminating a thirty-three year career in the agency. This included being with President George W. Bush during 9/11 and witnessing the deliberations of key strategic decisions that followed. Dr. Genevieve Lester, the War College’s De Serio Chair of Strategic Intelligence, moderates.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/17-110-Morell-Lester-War-on-Terror-RLS.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here.     Michael Morell is former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2010-2013. Genevieve Lester is the De Serio Chair of Strategic Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Photo Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

This is a hand receipt unlike any other. … Imagine instead of signing for an office key or a computer, … you’ve just taken responsibility for the first atomic weapon. Military historian Con Crane tells the story behind an unusual hand receipt, showing the transfer of responsibility of the components of the ‘Little Boy’ atomic weapon to Thomas Ferrell, Deputy Director of the Manhattan Project. Mr. Ferrell kept the receipt in his wallet for the rest of his life, and it eventually came into possession of the Army Heritage and Education Center. A fascinating story of bureaucracy at work! War Room podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/17-102-Crane-Whitt-Atomic-Bomb-Hand-Receipt-RLS.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here. Below is a graphic of the hand-receipt.   Con Crane is a military historian with the Army Heritage and Education Center and associated editor of War Room. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Photo: Photograph of a mock-up of the Little Boy nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945.  Photo Credit: U.S. National Archives. Posts in the "Dusty Shelves" series: BOOK LOVERS NEED APPLY: A DUSTY SHELVES PODCASTHOW A HOMING PIGEON SAVED THE LOST BATTALION OF WORLD WAR I (DUSTY SHELVES)COOK’S ‘MIDNIGHT DRAWINGS’ AND THEIR HAUNTING VIEWS OF WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)BUILDING THE CONTINENTAL ARMY: VON STEUBEN’S “BLUE BOOK” (DUSTY SHELVES)RECEIPT: BOMB, ATOMIC, 1 EACH (DUSTY SHELVES)NSC-68: THE POLICY DOCUMENT THAT SHAPED THE COLD WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)RIDGWAY’S MEMO: “WHY WE ARE HERE” (DUSTY SHELVES)

[Operation Christmas Drop] says a great thing about the ability to train and operate in the real world environment. ... The humanitarian mission has always been a part of the military. Sometimes great traditions happen by accident or circumstance. Spur of the moment actions by an aircrew in 1952 have grown to become an annual multinational humanitarian assistance event. Operation Christmas Drop is a airdrop mission conducted each December to deliver supplies to citizens of remote Pacific Islands. In this podcast, U.S. Air Force officer Buck Haberichter tells the history and significance of the mission, along with his own personal experiences. War Room podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Buck Haberichter is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a faculty instructor at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is a professor of strategy at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, or the Department of Defense. Photo Description: A C-130 Hercules from Yokota Air Base, Japan, drops a low-cost, low-altitude bundle over the Federated States of Micronesia during Operation Christmas Drop Dec.13, 2015. Operation Christmas Drop is the Department of Defense`s longest running humanitarian mission covering 56 remote islands in Micronesia. Photo Credit:  U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Melissa K. Mekpongsatorn

Washington [will] realize early on that he is playing a losing hand and has to change how he plays that hand. This inaugural episode of the Great Captains series focuses on George Washington from his early career aspirations as a colonel in the British (!) Army to leadership of the American Revolution. Throughout, Washington's ability to learn from previous failure, understanding of British weaknesses, concern for his troops helped him overcome the uncertainty about the revolution's success. Len Fullenkamp and Andrew A. Hill discuss this compelling but lesser known side of General George Washington. WAR ROOM podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt introduces the episode with a backgrounder on the Great Captains series.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-001-Fullenkamp-Hill-GC-Washington.mp3   You may also download the podcast here.   Len Fullenkamp is a military historian and retired Professor of National Security Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Andrew A. Hill is editor-in-chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this production are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Image: George Washington on horseback in snow at Valley Forge. By Percy Moran, 1911. Posts in the "Great Captains" series: KNOWING WHEN A WAR IS UNWINNABLE — GENERAL FREDERICK C. WEYAND (GREAT CAPTAINS)AN UNBEATEN ROMAN GENERAL: SCIPIO AFRICANUS (GREAT CAPTAINS)KNOW THY ENEMY: OSAMA BIN LADEN & RISE OF THE NON-STATE ACTOR (GREAT CAPTAINS)GEORGE C. MARSHALL & LEADING THE NATIONAL WAR EFFORT (GREAT CAPTAINS)THE PARTNERSHIP OF ROBERT E. LEE AND STONEWALL JACKSON (GREAT CAPTAINS)HANNIBAL AND THE MARCH THROUGH THE ALPS (GREAT CAPTAINS)WILLIAM T. SHERMAN: THE FIRST ‘MODERN’ GENERAL (GREAT CAPTAINS)GEORGE WASHINGTON: THE LESSONS OF FAILURE (GREAT CAPTAINS)

This [National Security Strategy] sort of fits the mold, in that it is strong on ends, aspirations, and vision, but vague on ways. In this podcast, four members of the U.S. Army War College engage in dialogue about the Trump Administration's National Security Strategy (NSS), released in December 2017. Beyond focusing on the content of the strategy itself, they look at it through a historical lens. What is new and what is unchanged from previous strategies may be surprising.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-011-NSS-roundtable-Final.mp3   You can also download the podcast here.   Mark Duckenfield is Chair of the Department of National Security Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. Richard Lacquement is Dean of the School of Strategic Landpower at the U.S. Army War College. Michelle Ryan is a colonel in the U.S. Army and Director of the National Security Policy Program at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and WAR ROOM's Podcast Editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, and Department of Defense. Photo Credit:  The White House.  

I tell people today that history makes you smarter, but your heritage makes you prouder. The U.S. Army War College routinely hosts senior military and civilian leaders who come to meet and work with faculty and students on matters of national security, strategic leadership, and professional military education. WAR ROOM is pleased to welcome Gen Robin Rand, U.S. Air Force, Commander of the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command who graciously accepted our invitation to come to the studio and provide his perspectives on strategic leadership. WAR ROOM Social Media Editor Buck Haberichter moderates. https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-005-Rand-Haberichter-Senior-Leader-Perspectives.mp3 You can also download a copy of the podcast here. General Robin Rand, U.S. Air Force, is commander of the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command and Commander, Air Forces Strategic - Air, U.S. Strategic Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Buck Haberichter is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and is WAR ROOM's Social Media Editor. Photo Credit:  Senior Airman Hailey R. Staker, U.S. Air Force Releases from the Leader Perspectives series: A CONVERSATION WITH THE HONORABLE MELISSA DALTON OF DEFENSE POLICYCAMPAIGNING IN THE PACIFIC: A CONVERSATION WITH GEN FLYNNA TRANSATLANTIC PERSPECTIVE ON NATO (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)OBSERVATIONS FROM NATO’S NORTHERN FRONT (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)ALLIES ARE MORE THAN FRIENDS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)THE CHALLENGES OF KEEPING SPACE SECURE (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)TENSIONS AND PARADOXES FACING SENIOR LEADERS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEADING AND WINNING IN GREAT POWER COMPETITION (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE CLASSICS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)WHAT IT TAKES FOR COLONELS TO BE SUCCESSFUL (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)BALANCING BETWEEN CIVILIAN LIFE AND SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL GUARD“WHAT GOT YOU HERE WON’T GET YOU THERE” — AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES FOR LEADERSWHEN THE MILITARY IS NOT IN CHARGE: DEFENSE SUPPORT TO CIVIL AUTHORITIESWHAT DOES ‘SUCCESS’ MEAN AS A STRATEGIC LEADER?STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND CHANGING THE US ARMY IN EUROPETHE CHALLENGES OF SENIOR LEADER COMMUNICATIONTHE SENIOR NCO AS A STRATEGIC LEADERSTRATEGIC LEADERSHIP FROM AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVEWHAT DO THE BRITS THINK OF AMERICAN OFFICERS?PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP — GEN. ROBIN RAND, U.S. AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMANDGROWING AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY

[VON STEUBEN] WAS THE RIGHT MAN AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND THE RIGHT TIME. In the next installment of in our Dusty Shelves series, "Building the Continental Army: Von Steuben's 'Blue Book'," Jack Giblin and Jacqueline E. Whitt tell the story behind the Continental Army's first training manual. Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was a Prussian Army officer who volunteered to come to the American colonies and serve as inspector general for the Continental Army. His book, entitled Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States would become the standard U.S. Army drill manual through 1812.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-003-Giblin-Whitt-DS-vonSteuben-Blue-Book-Final.mp3   You may also download a copy of the podcast here. Click here to access a full PDF version of the Blue Book (warning: 26MB!). Or, click here to access the Blue Book at the U.S. Library of Congress, which allows access to individual pages.   Jack Giblin is the Chief of Visitor and Education Services at the Army Heritage and Education Center. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and WAR ROOM podcast editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Image: Portrait extracted from "Major General Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus, Baron von Steuben," by Ralph Earl 1786 (public domain) via the U.S. National Park Service. Inside cover of the Blue Book from the U.S. Army website. Composite assembled by Tom Galvin.   Posts in the "Dusty Shelves" series: BOOK LOVERS NEED APPLY: A DUSTY SHELVES PODCASTHOW A HOMING PIGEON SAVED THE LOST BATTALION OF WORLD WAR I (DUSTY SHELVES)COOK’S ‘MIDNIGHT DRAWINGS’ AND THEIR HAUNTING VIEWS OF WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)BUILDING THE CONTINENTAL ARMY: VON STEUBEN’S “BLUE BOOK” (DUSTY SHELVES)RECEIPT: BOMB, ATOMIC, 1 EACH (DUSTY SHELVES)NSC-68: THE POLICY DOCUMENT THAT SHAPED THE COLD WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)RIDGWAY’S MEMO: “WHY WE ARE HERE” (DUSTY SHELVES)  

Iraqis came up to [COL Rick Schwartz] and said, 'Thanks for getting rid of Saddam. What do we do now?' Rick had no answer. That coalition forces were ill-prepared and ill-equipped to secure the peace after capturing Baghdad is well understood. How has the joint community evolved its doctrine and postured itself better to address the demands of post-conflict environments? WAR ROOM welcomes Bill Flavin and Scott Braderman from the U.S. Army War College's Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute to present on-going discussions at joint and interagency levels.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-002-Securing-Victory-FIXED.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here.   Bill Flavin is Assistant Director at the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI) at the U.S. Army War College. Scott Braderman is PKSOI's chief of research. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: US soldiers deploy in a street during clashes with Iraqis in the northern city of Mosul 13 June 2003. Photo Credit: Ramzi Haidar/AFP/Getty Images

What becomes the dominant narrative? [The Vietnam War has] been examined principally through American eyes. The Tet Offensive was an important event during the U.S. war in Vietnam. After three years of direct involvement by U.S. combat troops, the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were convinced that the relationship between the U.S. and South Vietnam was fragile, and that military action could drive a wedge between them. This could bring about an uprising by the South Vietnamese people against their own government and severely weaken the ARVN, the South's military. Despite being arguably a military victory for the U.S. and its South Vietnamese ally, the Offensive was ultimately a strategic defeat. WAR ROOM welcomes U.S. Army War College Professor of Security Studies Dr. Frank Jones to discuss why this is so and what it means for the U.S. fifty years later.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-018-Jones-Whitt-Tet-50th-Anniversary.mp3   You can download a copy of the podcast here.   Frank Jones is Professor of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and WAR ROOM's podcast editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: Leathernecks of the 3d Bn., Fourth Marine Regiment salute fallen Marines during Memorial Services held at Khe Sanh. The unit of the 3d Marine Division was joined by soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam during the Memorial Services. Photo Credit:  SSgt Fred Lowe III, U.S. Marine Corps, accessed via DoDLive.mil Posts in the "Anniversaries" series: ON BEING A ‘DIFFERENT’ KIND OF COMMAND — AFRICOM AT 10 YEARS (PART 2)THE TET OFFENSIVE: 50 YEARS LATERREFLECTIONS ON THE HUE CITY MASSACREREMEMBERING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGELOOKING TO THE PAST TO CHANGE THE FUTUREOUR 300th FREAKIN’ EPISODE!

[COOK SAID,] 'These faces. I didn't get to know all their names. They joined my platoon, and many of them were dead by morning.' For forty-six years after the Korean War, veteran John A. Cook would be haunted by the memories of fighting and of his fellow soldiers being killed or wounded. What is now recognized as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD had no name at the time, and veterans like Cook had nowhere to turn to get help. Instead, as the horrific images of war would waken him at night, he began drawing those images on paper as a way of dealing with his inner pain. The resulting collection of his "Midnight Drawings" are now in the possession of the Army Heritage and Education Center, and the subject of this podcast. Jim McNally, AHEC's Curator of Art, tells this powerful, moving story with Jacqueline E. Whitt, War Room podcast editor.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-004-McNally-Whitt-DS-Cook-artwork.mp3   You can also download the podcast here. Click here to access the Army Heritage and Education Center page on the Cook "Midnight Drawing" collection. Below is the drawing referenced in the podcast, titled "Mattson - Head and Back Wounds."   Jim McNally is Curator of Art at the Army Heritage and Education Center. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the WAR ROOM podcast editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Image: Close-up of "Mattson - Head and Back Wounds" by John A. Cook. Posts in the "Dusty Shelves" series: BOOK LOVERS NEED APPLY: A DUSTY SHELVES PODCASTHOW A HOMING PIGEON SAVED THE LOST BATTALION OF WORLD WAR I (DUSTY SHELVES)COOK’S ‘MIDNIGHT DRAWINGS’ AND THEIR HAUNTING VIEWS OF WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)BUILDING THE CONTINENTAL ARMY: VON STEUBEN’S “BLUE BOOK” (DUSTY SHELVES)RECEIPT: BOMB, ATOMIC, 1 EACH (DUSTY SHELVES)NSC-68: THE POLICY DOCUMENT THAT SHAPED THE COLD WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)RIDGWAY’S MEMO: “WHY WE ARE HERE” (DUSTY SHELVES)

I would urge your listeners ... Don't fall under this illusion that there are easy military answers to difficult geo-political questions. WAR ROOM welcomes Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Boot is a critic of the Trump Administration, and during this podcast he challenges the President's approach to national decision making. He expresses concerns that the Administration's approach is ill-suited to today's challenges. He also directs some of his concerns toward military officials, especially on the potential of the U.S. to become too enamored with military solutions. Could the U.S. find itself again embroiled in unconventional fights where tactical successes are undermined by strategic setbacks? WAR ROOM podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-024-Max-Boot-NDS.mp3   You can also download the podcast here.   Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the WAR ROOM podcast editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and his senior national security staff attend a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House in October 2017.  Photo Credit: Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images