Episodes

Listen to why the Arctic is becoming increasingly important from one who has been there. Keywords: Arctic, strategic competition, United Kingdom, Russia, China, Svalbard  Introduction Welcome to Conversations on Strategy, the companion podcast to the US Army War College Strategic Competition Center. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests, and are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army, the US Army War College, or any other agency of the US gove...

In this episode, members of the US Army War College interview Sir Hew Strachan, British military historian. Stephanie Crider Welcome to Conversations on Strategy, the companion podcast to the US Army War College Strategic Competition Center. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army, the US Army War College, or any other agency of the US government. Hew Strachan I could have said a few words about arms...

In this episode of Conversations on Strategy, retired Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen Jr. and historian Dr. Katelyn K. Tietzen-Wisdom discuss Caslen’s 2025 book, The Impossible Mission: The Office of Security Cooperation and the US Forces Drawdown in Iraq. The conversation explores the strategic challenges of the 2011 US drawdown in Iraq. The discussion highlights the complexities of war termination, highlighting the need to learn from the gap between policy expectations and on-the-ground re...

In this episode, Antulio J. Echevarria II discusses how NATO might better leverage risk to strengthen the alliance’s extended deterrence. Can NATO increase the risks and costs of war for an adversary without unduly raising the alliance’s own? Can the alliance strengthen the credibility of NATO’s extended deterrence through a proxy strategy of “waging war without going to war”? Keywords: risk-benefit models, cost-benefit models, military risk, political risk, Russian deterrence, risk aversion, s...

In this episode of Conversations on Strategy, Major Brennan Deveraux interviews select authors of The Weaponization of Artificial Intelligence: The Next Stage of Terrorism and Warfare, a book written in partnership with NATO Centre of Excellence – Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT). The authors discuss their respective chapters, which include topics such as how terrorists use large language models, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a weapon, and the future of AI use in terrorism and co...

In this episode of Conversations on Strategy, Mr. Patrick N. Kelleher and Brigadier General Ronnie D. Anderson Jr. discuss the importance of logistics and readiness. They recommend senior leaders shift their perspective on these topics to keep up with changes in the strategic environment and evolutions in technology. Kelleher and Anderson also discuss the role of resilience for modern logistics and new innovations and their effects on the force. Keywords: logistics, readiness, strategic environ...

In this episode, Major Brennan Deveraux interviews Dr. C. Anthony Pfaff, Colonel Michael Shekleton, and Colonel Clayton T. Manning on the recently published Strategic Questions Research List (SQRL). They discuss the contents of the SQRL, how it differs from previous years’ compendiums to the Annual Estimate of the Strategic Security Environment, and how it can be used by students during their research. Keywords: Strategic Questions Research List (SQRL), research, academics, research questions, ...

Commander of the Canadian Army Lieutenant General Michael C. Wright discusses the Canadian Army, modernization, Ukraine, technology, and more. Listen in for insights about the Canadian Army, its mission, its future, and how America’s neighbor to the north partners with the United States. Keywords: Canada, Arctic, Canadian Army, technology, modernization Stephanie Crider (Host) You are listening to Conversations on Strategy. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the gue...

Transcript This podcast was recorded on January 28, 2025, and updated on February 11, 2025. In this episode, Dr. R. Evan Ellis discusses the Panama Canal, including its history and significance to the United States, China’s involvement in the region, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Panama in February 2025. Keywords: Panama Canal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, China, trade, President Jimmy Carter Stephanie Crider (Host) You’re listening to Conversations on Strategy. The views...

Dr. James D. Scudieri and Colonel Jon Klug analyze Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson Jr.’s extensive operational reports and his role as Theater Army commander under Admiral Nimitz. The discussion highlights Richardson’s advocacy for Joint operational planning and the importance of interservice cooperation. They explore his unique command challenges, including a notable civil-military incident, and reflect on how his strategic insights offer valuable lessons for today’s military leaders. T...

This episode’s topic is A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force, with Dr. John A. Nagl and Colonel Katie Crombe. They discuss the project’s origins and its goal to extract key lessons from the Russia-Ukraine War for US military strategy. Nagl outlines the collaborative research behind the publication, while Crombe highlights strategic lessons related to US military preparedness. The conversation covers the impact of technology and the necessity of multidomain operations, emph...

LTG Ben Hodges (US Army, retired) America and the International Order In this episode, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges (US Army, retired) discusses America’s role in the international order. The podcast covers the Russia-Ukraine War and what it means for NATO, maintaining stability in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, strategic competition between China and the United States in the Indo-Pacific, the economic and technological competition between the United States and China, South America and immig...

This episode delves into the concept of strategic culture and how it influences international relations, military strategy, and deterrence, particularly between the United States, China, and Russia. Dr. Scobell and Dr. Kuznar share insights from their extensive research and highlight the nuances of strategic culture in peacetime, crisis, and conflict scenarios. Keywords: culture China, Taiwan, strategy, strategic culture E-mail usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.parameters@army.mil to give feedback on th...

In this episode, Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths, Colonel Todd Schmidt, and Major Brennan Deveraux from the Harding Project and Army University Press discuss the how-to edition of Military Review, including the initiative’s goal to enhance professional military writing by providing essential guidelines and resources for Army units. Griffiths highlights the need for writing support, while Schmidt recounts the collaboration’s origins at a West Point conference. Deveraux shares insights as a g...

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In this episode, Dr. Darrin L. Frye, associate professor of science and technology and innovative futures at the Joint Special Operations University, discusses the profound implications of nanotechnology in modern warfare. He explores the concept of the “resolution revolution,” examining how emerging technologies shift battlefields from traditional domains to the microscopic realms of biology, where threats can operate invisibly at a cellular level. Frye explores the potential of nanoweapons to ...

In this episode, COL Thomas Spahr and Zach Kallenborn discuss technology and warfare and what practitioners and leaders can learn from America’s past wars and the Russia-Ukraine War. Keywords: Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, AI, drones E-mail usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.parameters@army.mil to give feedback on this podcast or the genesis article. Download the transcript: https://media.defense.gov/2024/Sep/17/2003545729/-1/-1/0/20240917_SPAHR-KALLENBORN_TRANSCRIPT.PDF

If leaders of terrorist organizations can recruit, indoctrinate, plan, and operate using AR with little drop-off in effectiveness while staying safely in hiding, the challenges faced by national security and law-enforcement organizations will increase exponentially. Keywords: animaia, augmented realty, AR, virtual reality, terrorism E-mail usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.parameters@army.mil to give feedback on this podcast or the genesis chapter.

This episode explores the intersection of food insecurity and precision agriculture in the United States with author Michael W. Parrott, an expert in Special Operations Forces counterintelligence. Drawing from his experience in combat zones and research, Parrott discusses the vulnerabilities of the agricultural industry and the potential nexus with violent extremist organizations globally. He delves into the evolving tactics of these groups, the role of precision agriculture in modern farming, a...

Dr. Sarah Lohmann discusses the use of AI in terrorism, emphasizing its potential for both good and malicious intent. She highlights terrorists’ utilization of AI tools for recruitment and accessing sensitive data, posing cybersecurity risks. Lohmann also touches on AI regulation efforts, disparities between regions, and the importance of innovation and transparency in AI governance. Global cooperation is crucial in mitigating security risks in the digital age. Keywords: artificial intelligence...

Colonel Eric Hartunian and Lieutenant Colonel Paul Milas, co-editors with Susan Sims of Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: An American Perspective, discuss their newly published collaborative study from the US Army War College Press. The publication focuses on how terrorists may exploit emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, augmented reality, biotechnology, and nanotechnology from an American and Western Hemisphere perspective over the next 5–10 years. They...

Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths and Sergeant First Class Leyton Summerlin of the Harding Project discuss military discourse and why it matters, the impact of professional writing, tips for aspiring writers, and more. Named after Major General Edwin Forrest Harding, the Harding project focuses on US Army professional publications with the intent to renew and revive them. Keywords: Harding Project, professional discourse, US Army journals, writing, publishing E-mail usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx....

Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Griffiths and Sergeant First Class Leyton Summerlin of the Harding Project discuss military discourse and why it matters, the impact of professional writing, tips for aspiring writers, and more. Named after Major General Edwin Forrest Harding, the Harding project focuses on US Army professional publications with the intent to renew and revive them. Keywords: Harding Project, professional discourse, US Army journals, writing, publishing E-mail usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx....

Contesting Paul Scharre’s influential vision of “centaur warfighting” and the idea that autonomous weapon systems will replace human warfighters, this podcast proposes that the manned-unmanned teams of the future are more likely to be minotaurs, teams of humans under the control, supervision, or command of artificial intelligence. It examines the likely composition of the future force and prompts a necessary conversation about the ethical issues raised by minotaur warfighting. The guests also ex...