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Welcome to the Citizens to Soldiers Podcast. From the steppes of Ukraine to the strait of Taiwan, the world is in the midst of a global clash between democracy and authoritarianism. But is the free world ready for the fight? Join our hosts, three US veterans, and guests as we explore topics from geopolitics, foreign policy, and defense to small-unit training and community preparedness. We hope these conversations will help individuals and societies prepare for the challenges of a dangerous new age. To support C2SI's mission, please visit our website and donate https://citizens-soldiers.org/.
17 Episodes
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Infantry may be the "queen of battle"... but artillery is the king! Earlier this year, we spoke with retired US Army Colonel Jeffrey Buck about his career in Field Artillery and what training is like for soldiers in this branch, from the schoolhouse to the two-way range, and how gunners are adapting for the battlefields of the future.
Earlier this year, we chatted with Julian Werner, an infantry officer in the German Bundeswehr's EGB (Specialized Army Forces), a SOF unit comparable to the US Army Rangers. In addition, he's a research fellow at the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies at the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich. An exemplar of the "warrior-scholar" archetype, Julian spoke with us about everything from shoothouses to strategic-level defense policy issues in an uncertain age for the transatlantic alliance. Julian's profile at CISS
We're back with another slate of episodes!Last fall, C2SI sat down with retired US Army infantry NCO and former Ranger Instructor (and Adrian's 1SG in the 173rd Airborne Brigade back in the day) Randy Collins. In this episode, we talk with Randy about what Ranger School is like from the RI's point of view, training up an infantry company for deployment to Afghanistan, and more.
Right now, C2SI is closely following the latest developments regarding US policy in Ukraine, but for this episode, we're going back for some historical perspective. Back in November, we sat down for a great discussion with Dr. Alex Burns of the Franciscan University of Steubenville to talk about military training, force generation, and warfare in the 18th century -- the "kabinettskriege" period. You can follow Dr. Burns at kabinettskriege.bsky.social and read more of his work at https://kabinettskriege.blogspot.com/. His new book, "Infantry in Battle 1733-1783", is available here. If you support Ukraine, the best thing you can do is DONATE TO HELP THE ZSU. There are many charities you can support, here are some of the larger Ukrainian ones:https://u24.gov.ua/https://savelife.in.ua/en/https://prytulafoundation.org/en
For the past few years the military has experienced difficulties recruiting and retaining enough troops to meet its authorized size. While that is changing, the crew sat down last fall to talk with reporter and Army veteran Steve Beynon, who has covered the issue very closely for Military.com. The information is a little out of date, but listeners will still be able to understand the contours of the basic issues.
We're back! C2SI returns for 2025 with a new episode. Recorded last fall but relevant to the the latest headlines, we sat down for a discussion with professional wargaming umpire Jan Heinemann to talk about the history and uses of wargaming, from Prussians preparing for war to modern think tanks preparing to resist an authoritarian takeover of America. Jan is a member of the International Kriegsspiel Society and can be found on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/letsplayhistory.bsky.social.
The fall of the Assad regime on December 8 is a turning point for Syria -- but what comes next? C2SI's own Ethan Wilson spent much of the last decade working in the international aid response to Syria, and last week, he sat down with C2SI's Dan Blakeley to discuss the history of the Syrian conflict and what the future might look like.
Prevailing in the information domain is crucial to victory in modern conflict. Public Affairs is one of the US Army branches dedicated to doing so. In September, C2SI spoke with US Army V Corps Public Affairs Officer (PAO) COL Ellis Gales, Jr. to understand the role of Public Affairs and the training that goes into producing this special type of Soldier.
V Corps Public Affairs Office: https://www.vcorps.army.mil/Newsroom/Public-Affairs-Office/
We usually focus on military training and readiness, but in this episode, we take a look at a separate but related topic: response and resilience in the face of natural disaster. In October, C2SI's President, Dan Blakeley, volunteered to assist with relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which caused severe damage and loss of life in his home state of North Carolina in late September. We recently sat down to talk with him about his experiences and observations during his two trips to the western NC to assist with recovery efforts.
Usually, C2SI focuses on modern military training and readiness. Sometimes, though, we like to get a historical perspective. We recently sat down with Patrick Wyman, host of the Tides of History podcast and author of The Verge, to chat about how armies were raised and trained (or not!) at the dawn of modern military professionalism in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and how studying this period can help us understand our own tumultuous time.
Tides of History -- available on Wondery and Spotify
Patrick's substack
The Verge
Follow Patrick on Twitter: @Patrick_Wyman
We're back! Stay tuned -- we have a ton of content coming in the next few weeks.
Kate Kuzminski is Deputy Director of Studies and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She is an expert on recruitment and military personnel issues, and the coauthor of the recent CNAS report, "Back to the Drafting Board", which explored how the Selective Service system would work (or not) if the US needed to call a draft for a major armed conflict -- an all-too-real possibility in this dangerous age. On 14 September, C2SI sat down with her to talk about this important issue -- one that could directly impact every American household.
Kate's page at CNAS
CNAS report: Back to the Drafting Board (June 2024)
Today, the US faces the highest risk of major international armed conflict with a near-peer competitor since the height of the Cold War. Are our military manpower systems ready? Back in June, the C2SI team sat down to discuss the topic of recruitment, force generation, and readiness in the face of the threat of major armed conflict between the US and its allies and the Axis of Authoritarianism.
Bret Devereaux is an assistant teaching professor of history at North Carolina State University and studies the intersection of ancient Mediterranean economies and militaries. He is also the author of the popular blog “A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry”, which focuses on how ancient and medieval history are reflected in modern popular culture. On 27 July, he joined Dan, Ethan, and Adrian to talk about military training in the ancient world. Tune in to learn about this fascinating subject from a leading expert, and find out what modern militaries can learn from how they did things in the distant past.
Learn more about C2SI: citizens-soldiers.org
On 6 August, Ukraine launched an offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, near Sumy Oblast, Ukraine – and they are still gaining ground. There has already been plenty of coverage of the events of the battle as well as analysis of the intent behind the daring incursion, but C2SI discusses another angle: what does it take to prepare units for such an operation?
Nolan Peterson is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and an expert on the Ukraine war. He’s a US Air Force veteran and former special operations pilot, journalist, writer, and researcher who has been published in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox, BBC, Coffee or Die, and others. He’s reported from conflicts in Syria, India, Iraq, Afghanistan, and most of all, Ukraine, where he’s lived and worked since 2014. On 27 July, he spoke with C2SI from Ukraine about his observations of the situation there, especially the drone war and the implications for the US.
As the conflict in Ukraine shows, small drones are transforming land warfare. Is the US and its allies ready for this new era? In this episode, Dan, Adrian, and Ethan draw on open-source research to discuss the role of drones in Ukraine, and how such weapons might shape the battlefield of tomorrow—recorded on 3 May 2024.
Meet the founders of Citizens to Soldiers International, Dan Blakeley, Ethan Wilson, and Adrian Bonenberger, as they share their story. Learn what inspired them to create a veteran-led 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to defend global democracy from authoritarian aggression by helping people around the world secure their freedom.
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