Holding the Line

What do you get when you take an incredibly large bureaucracy and combine it with a fast-paced environment and unrelenting technological change?  Join Ben Van Buskirk as we explore innovation within large organizations, what he learned during a one-year fellowship with a Silicon Valley tech company, and how we can all apply these lessons in our daily lives. A career naval officer, U.S. Navy Captain Ben van Buskirk held command of a naval aviation squadron and is now taking the helm at NavalX, the U.S. Navy's innovation lab charged with connecting experts and solutions to workforce needs and challenges. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Living through last week's power outages, water shutoff, gasoline shortages, and 'run' on grocery stores brings to mind just how important it is to ensure resiliency for our nation's critical infrastructure, especially when we can forecast when and how challenges can occur. But what happens when a cyber-attack comes from nowhere to wreck havoc? Will we be prepared? What are the cascading societal effects of such actions? A shortened episode, we'll resume with a full-length episode next week with Ben van Buskirk as we discuss career diversity and how broadening experiences across a wide variety of industries can turbocharge your innovative potential. As mentioned in this episode, here are links to my latest book (TOPGUN's Top 10), as well as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages. Drop a line!  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Few people have had the breadth of experience that Jim Stavridis brings to the table. A retired U.S. Navy 4-star admiral, Jim is an operating executive with the Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, and Chair of the Board of Counselors for McLarty Associates, an international consulting firm. He previously served as Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, is the author of numerous books, and serves as chief international diplomacy and national security analyst for NBC News in New York. His latest book, a novel authored with Elliot Ackerman, is titled 2034. Join us for a conversation about Jim's many lessons learned, what he views as key tools for finding success in life, and how he views opportunities in 2021 and beyond. You can reach me at my website, via Twitter @guysnodgrass, and can find my latest book, TOPGUN's Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit, at your favorite bookseller (like Amazon and Barnes and Noble). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join us for a conversation on innovation, cybersecurity, and the information economy with retired U.S. Army Major General John Ferrari. John is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think tank as well as the Chief Administration Officer for QOMPLX, a cybersecurity firm, both located in Washington, D.C. Feel free to contact me at guy@guysnodgrass.com with any comments or show recommendations. Additionally, if you haven't already done so, I highly encourage you to check out my latest book, TOPGUN's Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit. You can follow me on Twitter @guysnodgrass. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join for a conversation on artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomy, and what our national security future looks like with noted author and strategist Peter Singer. Peter is a senior fellow at New America and the author of several bestselling books like Wired For War, Burn-In, and Ghost Fleet. The Wall Street Journal described Peter as "the premier futurist in the national- security environment” and he was named by the Smithsonian as one of the nation’s 100 leading innovators. You can follow him on Twitter at @peterwsinger.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

This week's episode is a discussion of two important milestones in American history: the inauguration for the 46th President of the United States and the recent SolarWinds cyber attack. The inauguration and our response to it will define the next four years of political discourse in this country, but when we contemplate the long-term, few things are more critical to our "all-digital" national and economy than cybersecurity. Join retired U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Rogers, the recent National Security Agency director and U.S. Cyber Command commander, for a discussion about America's cyber vulnerabilities, the dangers this poses to our nation, and what we've learned from the recent SolarWinds attack. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

No, MacKenzie and I did not participate in yesterday's tragic events on Capitol Hill. Rather, we had a discussion just prior to the election that sounds incredibly prescient given what occurred in our nation's capitol. We dive into issues about the U.S. military and, most importantly with the incoming Biden administration, what is likely to occur with defense budgets and how that can affect national security during the next 3-4 years. Mackenzie Eaglen is a resident fellow at American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. Mackenzie works on defense strategy, defense budgets, and military readiness. She is also a regular guest lecturer at universities, a member of the board of advisers of the Alexander Hamilton Society, and a member of the steering committee of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security. My recent book, Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis, may be of particular interest to you given everything that has occurred in recent days. You can find it online at Amazon, B&N, or at your local bookseller. As always, please leave a 5-star review and positive comment -- these go a long way. Additionally, you can follow me on Twitter @guysnodgrass or online at www.guysnodgrass.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

President-elect Biden's nomination of retired U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin to serve as Secretary of Defense was contentious from the start. Civilian-military scholars decried his nomination as an erosion of civil-military norms, at risk of 'politicizing' the military, and diminishing civilian control of the military. But is this handwringing justified? Should a U.S. President have the latitude to bring in the people he or she desires into this position? Does a prohibition against military members serving as Secretary of Defense--created in very different times in 1947--still have merit today? Thanks to our longtime listeners for your patience as we took a break while I launched my second book, TOPGUN'S TOP 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit, now available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and local bookstores. It's not too late to grab a copy as a stocking stuffer. Send me an email if you'd like to offer direct feedback, have ideas for future episodes, or want to strike up a conversation. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join Holding the Line for a discussion on the U.S. Navy's decision to reverse course yet again on Captain Brett Crozier, the former commanding officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.  Admiral Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, decided on Friday to uphold the firing of Captain Crozier. Mark and I discuss his press conference and the report released by the U.S. Navy to elaborate on the reasons for his removal from command. Was the Navy's decision the right one? Tune in to find out. We also discuss Amb. John Bolton's memoir, The Room Where It Happened, and whether or not he should have written the book in the first place. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

What is innovation? How can organizations harness its transformational power to accelerate success? Why do innovators run a risk to their careers and what can leaders do to protect those who innovate? Join us as we speak with Ben Kohlmann, a serial entrepreneur, former U.S. Navy pilot, and current McKinsey consultant for a discuss about innovation. A member of the CNO's Rapid Innovation Cell and co-founder of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum, Ben has studied--and implemented--innovation across multiple disciplines. If you're an innovator, listen in to determine ways to thrive in an organization without being pushed to the side. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join hosts Guy Snodgrass and Mark Solomons as they discuss operationalizing AI--where the rubber meets the road with artificial intelligence--with Joe Larson. Joe was recently the deputy director for the Pentagon's Project MAVEN and has years of experience introducing AI to large, diverse organizations. Listen in to hear about the lessons ANY organization can benefit from when seeking to explore AI's advantages... and the potential pitfalls you'll want to avoid. At the end of the day, Mark is concerned about one thing: is AI coming for his job?  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join us as we discuss former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis's decision to release a scathing statement about President Trump's leadership. Was it the right move, an opportunistic grab for attention, or needlessly partisan? Does it help or hurt civil-military relationships? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join Joe Larson as we discuss the national security strategy behind the Department of Defense's pursuit of artificial intelligence. Joe is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Reserve lieutenant colonel who served as deputy director for Project MAVEN, an intelligence program using AI to rapidly categorize video imagery. Joe has years of experience with artificial intelligence and in this episode he walks us through the "why" behind many of today's AI-related issues. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join us for part 1 of a three-part series on artificial intelligence (AI). Steve Escaravage (Booz Allen Hamilton SVP for Analytics and Artificial Intelligence) joins us as our guide as we explore the brave new world of artificial intelligence. What IS artificial intelligence? What can it do? What are the common myths and perceptions? How should organizations avoid common pitfalls while seeking to implement AI-based solutions? Two AI references cited in this episode are Booz Allen's Primer on Artificial Intelligence (link) and Mike Kanaan's new book, T-Minus AI (link). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join hosts Guy Snodgrass and Mark Solomons as they discuss the Trump Administration's decision to relax Coronavirus restrictions to fire up the U.S. economy. What are the likely outcomes? How will America's competitors (China, in particular) seek to take advantage of the situation? To answer these questions, Guy and Mark explore the impacts of COVID-19 using the "DIME" construct, discussing America's diplomatic, information, military, and economic sources of strength. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join host Guy Snodgrass and co-host Mark Solomons as they catch up on the latest "news of note," including North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's return from the dead, the latest on the U.S. Navy and Captain Brett Crozier saga, concern over possible degradation of GPS, and the national security implications of the 2020 election. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work for part two of our discussion on the Third Offset Strategy. In this episode we discuss how the Third Offset Strategy is being affected by coronavirus, prevailing economic factors, and a forecasted decline in the defense budget. Deputy Secretary Work served as a U.S. Marine from 1974 until his retirement as a colonel in 2001. He then served at two different Washington, D.C.-based think tanks and as the Under Secretary of the Navy before re-entering government service in 2013 to serve as the 32nd Deputy Secretary of Defense. During his tenure he campaigned for a rapid advancement in U.S. military capabilities to sustain our military advantage against challenges from other competitors, such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Bob currently serves as CEO for Team Work, LLC and is co-Chair of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join former Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work as we discuss the Third Offset Strategy. But first, what's an "offset strategy" and why is it important to America's national security? If this is the third one, what defined the first two?  Deputy Secretary Work served as a U.S. Marine from 1974 until his retirement as a colonel in 2001. He then served at two different Washington, D.C.-based think tanks and as the Under Secretary of the Navy before re-entering government service in 2013 to serve as the 32nd Deputy Secretary of Defense. During his tenure he campaigned for a rapid advancement in U.S. military capabilities to sustain our military advantage against challenges from other competitors, such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Bob currently serves as CEO for Team Work, LLC and is co-Chair of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join retired Marine Colonel Andy Milburn as we discuss his concerns about the increasingly partisan nature of the U.S. military, the risks this poses for professionalism, and his career as a member of the special forces community. Col. Milburn enlisted as a private in the U.S. Marine Corps immediately following graduation from law school. A first-generation immigrant, Andy then commissioned as an officer and rose through the ranks before retiring as a colonel in 2019 from his job as the chief of staff for Special Operations in U.S. Central Command. Andy's first book is When the Tempest Gathers, which relays his experiences as the first Marine to lead a special forces combat task force as well as his journey from private to colonel. Also, check out his MilitaryTimes op-ed which serves as the foundation for our discussion. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support

Join Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Amy McGrath as we discuss the meaning of service, whether in uniform or in your local community. A 1997 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Amy served for 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a naval aviator. A Kentucky native, following retirement she and her family returned home where she won the 2018 Democratic primary for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite not winning against the Republican incumbent, her personal story and ability to galvanize support led Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to ask her to run against Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in the 2020 election.  Dedicated to putting country before party, Amy wants to put her "can do" attitude to work for all Kentuckians. You can learn more about Amy, her backstory, and her campaign at www.AmyMcGrath.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/htlpodcast/support