A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

One of the priorities of U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Randy George is war fighting, particularly the charge to refocus and prioritize efforts that build lethality and cohesive teams. This follows previous guidance from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to focus on war fighting, ideally through wargames, and from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to increase the classroom attention devoted to China, the Department of Defense's pacing challenge. Zenel Garcia and Tom Spahr join podcast host Ron Granieri to discuss how the Army War College has adapted its curriculum to incorporate all that guidance and to better prepare graduates. The class of 2024 is the first to experience the newly designed China Integrated Course, which combines discussions of Chinese history, politics and strategy with a practical war-fighting exercise to cap off the core curriculum.

An exorbitant privilege. That is what French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing called the U.S. dollar's role as the global international reserve currency. That role brings many advantages but is it sustainable and worth any costs? What would it take for an alternative to emerge? The raising of the debt ceiling, the rise of China as a financial power and recent troubled economic times in the United States have many questioning the future of the U.S. dollar. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Rob Farley and Mark Duckenfield to discuss the realities of the power and place of the U.S. economy in the international market. They join podcast host Ron Granieri for a conversation about world finance. Their goal is to explain why debt is actually necessary, why the Chinese renminbi won't likely become the new reserve currency and how much gold could fit in Bliss Hall here at the War College.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was established on April 25, 2013 to stabilize the country after the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. In June 2023, a new government that had come to power in a coup withdrew the mandate, forcing the mission and all of its staff to depart the country by the end of the year. Joe Ruzicka served as the Senior Advisor to the Commanding General, as well as the Senior U.S. Military Observer to MINUSMA, during that turbulent time. He is in the studio with guest hosts Jonny Drake and TJ Moffatt to discuss his experiences in Mali and why the mission ended. It's the second of a two-part episode that examines the pros and cons of how the UN mission in Mali was conducted.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was established on April 25, 2013 to stabilize the country after the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. In June 2023, a new government that had come to power in a coup withdrew the mandate, forcing the mission and all of its staff to depart the country by the end of the year. Joe Ruzicka served as the Senior Advisor to the Commanding General, as well as the Senior U.S. Military Observer to MINUSMA, during that turbulent time. He is in the studio with guest hosts Jonny Drake and TJ Moffatt to discuss his experiences in Mali and why the mission ended. It's the first of a two-part episode that examines the pros and cons of how the UN mission in Mali was conducted.

The United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) was created in October 1948, just 13 months after the recognition of the Air Force as a separate branch with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. Cloaked in secrecy, it arose out of a need for air-minded intelligence that just wasn’t being provided by the Army or the Navy. Our good friend and fellow podcaster Philip Shackelford is in the studio to discuss his new book Rise of the Mavericks: The U.S. Air Force Security Service and the Cold War, which takes a foundational look at the creation and development of the Security Service that is the forerunner of modern-day intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as communications and cyber intelligence and security. Phil joins podcast host Ron Granieri to examine his personal connection to the USAFSS, the roadblocks he encountered researching the topic, and his transition into the podcasting world as the creator and host of The Modern Scholar Podcast.

Born in the midst of the Cold War, James Bond was often considered the consummate Cold Warrior. But within the 14 original novels, 9 short stories, 40 continuation novels, 10 Young Bond novels and 25 movies to date, the fictional reflection of the struggles between the West and the Soviet Union was far more complex than reality. Martin Brown and Ron Granieri are guests in the studio to discuss their new book, The Bondian Cold War: The Transnational Legacy of a Cultural Icon. Martin and Ron, along with their fellow editor, Muriel Blaive, who wasn't able to attend this gathering, have written and gathered a volume of essays that examine the Bondiverse. They join host Gen Lester to discuss the impact 007 has had on the entertainment world, the culture war, and the very real worlds of espionage and diplomacy.

What happens when you get three experienced soldiers together to discuss something they've worked on for much of their careers? Well, the first thing that happens is that they "go secure" and start speaking in acronyms. More importantly, you get an enthusiastic conversation about transforming the Army to support soldiers now and well into the future. LTG Ross Coffman is in the virtual studio with hosts Lou Yuengert and Bob Bradford, and as the Deputy Commanding General of Futures Command, he's got a front-row seat to some of the Army's biggest innovation efforts across the force.

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 (DDE), is back in the studio, and this time she’s brought along two joint military and one civilian graduate of the DDE program. Ken Hills, Donna Jenkins and Mark Nibert join Heather and podcast host Ron Granieri for a conversation about their time in the program. The discussion focuses on how to prepare for the two-year program, what surprised each of them about the curriculum, some tips and tricks for success, and where they've seen payoffs since graduation. No surprise, the recurring themes are that time management, discipline, and sacrifice are necessary to take full advantage of the tremendous opportunities distance education offers. And just in case the Army's DDE program doesn't work for you, Ken was contractually obligated as the Vice Commandant of the Global College of Professional Military Education to mention the distance education opportunities the Air Force offers at https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/GCPME/.

It's time for another episode of On Writing with Michael Neiberg. For this conversation, Michael is joined by Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good War: How World War II is Shaping a New Nationalism. Their discussion took place in the heart of London on a warm June afternoon at the British Academy, complete with all the background noises of the bustling city. Rana explains how China is shaping the modern narrative and memory through the reinvention of its role in World War II. An often overlooked theater, the Chinese government has taken liberties with its complicated response to the Japanese invasion and rewritten it as a fierce resistance and heroic battle against fascism.

Editor-in-Chief JP Clark had the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with Major General David Hill, the 53rd Commandant of the U.S. Army War College. Their discussion begins with the best-known activity at Carlisle, the education of strategic-minded, joint-qualified warfighters from across the Department of Defense, U.S. Government, and international fellows. But the commandant also comments on the many other activities conducted by Army War College, including executive education for general officers and sergeants major, extensive research in all aspects of national security, and world-class wargaming. There is even the preservation of one of the best collections of artifacts and documents relating to the history of the U.S. Army.