Claim OwnershipA Better Peace: The War Room Podcast
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Creative Thinking about National Security and Defense
436 Episodes
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Taiwan's "porcupine defense" aims to stop a #Chinese invasion. Jay Hsieh & Pete Roongsang say new policies need faster innovation & US aid synchronization in order to succeed.
The post TAIWAN’S PORCUPINE DEFENSE: THE RACE TO READINESS appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
Grant Golub explains how Henry Stimson transformed the WWII War Department into a political force, cementing the military's influence on U.S. foreign policy.
The post TRANSFORMING THE WAR DEPARTMENT: HENRY STIMSON appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
The final TRADOC cdr, GEN Gary Brito, joins JP Clark to discuss the U.S. Army's "continuous transformation" & the new T2COM.
The post TRANSFORMATION AND TRAINING: GENERAL GARY BRITO appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
Stephan Kieninger discusses his new book on former Dep Sec of State Strobe Talbott whose belief that both NATO expansion & engagement with Russia were achievable.
The post THE ETERNAL TASK: SECURING PEACE IN EUROPE appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
The "elastic mindset" & "effectual logic" focus on using available means to adapt, rather than an end-state approach based on specific threats like Russia & China.
The post MANEUVER WARFARE: INNOVATION AND THE ELASTIC MINDSET appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
The Battle of Mogadishu, known by many as “Black Hawk Down,” lasted roughly 18 hours and cost the
The post THE SOMALIA STORY: BEYOND BLACK HAWK DOWN appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
U.S. First Army partners with the Army Reserve and National Guard to help them prepare for their missions. Melissa Sayers, the director of First Army's operational data team, discusses the mission of an operational research systems analyst (ORSA) and the importance of creating a data-centric military. She joins host Tom Spahr in the virtual studio to explain how her team uses a cloud-based platform called Vantage to provide leaders with a "single pane of glass" view of friendly forces, including data on equipment, personnel, and finances. She emphasizes the importance of leadership empowerment and building trust to drive collaboration and cultural change within a large organization.
The post SEAMLESS SYSTEMS: OPERATIONAL DATA IN THE FIRST ARMY appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
Every August, a fresh new cohort of students arrives on Carlisle Barracks to attend the resident course at the U.S. Army War College. The goal is to educate and develop these senior military and civilian leaders to serve at the strategic level, enhancing national and global security. Maria Gregory shares her hard-won tips for success with host Liz Woodworth. Maria began the 2024-2025 academic year feeling apprehensive but by the end felt transformed (for the best!) Maria hopes the lessons she learned during the "Carlisle Experience" might help others to make the most of the opportunities available during their own studies.
And for all those students that have just arrived be sure to check out our special Back to School series for more incredibly useful information like you'll find here.
The post FROM APPREHENSIVE TO ACCOMPLISHED: A WAR COLLEGE STORY appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
Sapriya McLendon, a 2024 graduate of the U.S. Army War College, joins host Tom Spahr in the virtual studio to discuss her command of the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade (Theater) (MIB-T). The 513th MIB-T plays a critical role in providing the ground intelligence picture for CENTCOM, a task they've honed over two decades of continuous engagement in the Middle East. Their conversation delves into the unique aspects of the 513th MIB-T, including its data-centric organization and innovative use of data to enhance efficiency in both business operations and warfighting tasks.
The post AI-READY DEFENSE: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE IN CENTCOM appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
Frank Sobchak, a retired Special Forces colonel and author of "Training for Victory: U.S. Special Forces Advisory Operations from El Salvador to Afghanistan," joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss the complexities of security force assistance (SFA). Their conversation delves into the challenges of measuring success in advisory missions and avoiding deeper U.S. combat commitments. Frank's research, based on five case studies (El Salvador, the Philippines, Colombia, Iraq, and Afghanistan), identifies key variables influencing SFA success. He cites advisor language and cultural awareness, advisor-to-host nation ratio, consistency in advisor pairing, combat advising, and the ability to organize host nation units. He emphasized that while not all factors need to be perfectly aligned, a majority must be in place for a mission to succeed.
The post TRAINING FOR VICTORY: SPECIAL FORCES AND SECURITY FORCE ASSISTANCE appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
It's the time of the year when we feature some of the smart conversations that occur around the country through the Eisenhower Series College Program. This episode features Christiana Crawford, Jody Daigle, and Amanda Raney as they examine the complex relationship between the United States and China. They joined podcast editor Ron Granieri to share their different yet complementary perspectives. Christiana emphasized the military's goal is to build strength to preserve peace, Jody drew parallels to the Peloponnesian War by highlighting fear, honor, and interest as drivers of conflict, and Amanda discussed the inherent tension of competing with China while also collaborating with it in critical fields like medicine. The speakers agreed that this complex relationship, full of both cooperation and competition, must be carefully managed.
The post PARTNER AND COMPETITOR: MANAGING THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
It’s the time of the year when we feature some of the smart conversations that occur around the country through the Eisenhower Series College Program. This episode features Erik Sarson and Anna Scott as they examine the strength and importance of allies and partners. Erik is an Army Special Forces officer in the West Virginia National Guard, and he shared insights from his experience with the State Partnership Program. Anna is a British Army officer, and she speaks about the "special relationship" between the UK and the U.S., highlighting the significance of soft power and shared values. They join host Ron Granieri to highlight the positive reception from their audiences, noting a general understanding and curiosity about the future of alliances, even when addressing potential disagreements.
The post ALLIES AND INFLUENCE: CONVERSATIONS FROM THE EISENHOWER SERIES appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
How do cyber vulnerabilities impact modern warfare and statecraft? Craig Booth argues that the effectiveness of coercion, which relies on both the power to impose costs and the credibility of the threat, is weakened by vulnerabilities in digital and networked weapon systems. He joins host Darrell Driver to discuss how if an adversary believes they can hack, jam, or hijack U.S. capabilities, the ability to project power and influence their behavior diminishes. Booth notes that cyber risk is not merely a technical problem but a strategic vulnerability, and cyber resilience must be treated as a fundamental pillar of modern deterrence before it erodes national leverage.
The post THE EROSION OF COERCION: HOW CYBER RISKS IMPACT POWER PROJECTION appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
In the second half of their two-part episode, host Tom Spahr and Sean Shields discuss the Hurricane Helene relief efforts in western North Carolina. Shields details his experience leading the 20th Engineer Brigade and the critical importance of collaborating with other organizations like FEMA, the National Guard, and local officials. He notes this was a real-world application of his Army War College studies on defense support to civil authorities. The mission also marked the first use of the Maven system on an unclassified network, which provided a crucial, real-time common operating picture for all involved stakeholders.
The post AMERICANS HELPING AMERICANS: THE CASTLE BRIGADE’S BUSY YEAR<br><small>(PART II)</small> appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
In response to the Western Front-like stalemate seen in the Ukraine war, the U.S. Army is getting innovative. Sean Shields, commander of the 20th Engineer Brigade, joins host Tom Spahr to discuss his unit's "Sand Hills Project," an initiative born from observing the mobility challenges faced by Ukrainian forces. The project’s goal is to figure out how to breach modern, complex obstacle belts and restore maneuver to the battlefield, all while keeping soldiers out of harm's way. To achieve this, the project utilizes cheap, expendable, and scalable robotic ground and air vehicles to overwhelm and reduce enemy defenses. This is part one of a two-part series about the 20th Engineer Brigade.
The post INNOVATING FOR THE FUTURE FIGHT: THE CASTLE BRIGADE’S BUSY YEAR<br><small>(PART I)</small> appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
From late 2024 to early 2025, numerous unidentified drones were reported over U.S. cities and military bases. While some of these "mystery craft" were later attributed to FAA-authorized research and other purposes, their presence highlighted the potential threat and vulnerability of defense and infrastructure facilities. Paul Lushenko, chief strategist for the U.S. military's Joint Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO), joined host Tom Spahr to discuss these concerns. Lushenko also underscored the ongoing efforts to refine doctrine, training, and policy to effectively address the evolving challenge posed by unmanned aircraft systems.
The post VULNERABLE SKIES: DRONES AND NATIONAL SECURITY appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
In May 2025, the U.S. Army War College hosted its fourth annual Strategic Landpower Symposium. The event featured General Xavier Brunson, commander of United Nations Command, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, as the keynote speaker. In a discussion with host Tom Spahr, General Brunson shared insights into his demanding role and the critical strategic importance of the Korean Peninsula. He underscored the necessity of reviving the "emotion" that motivated international support for South Korea during the Korean War. General Brunson also emphasized the delicate balance between maintaining a "fight tonight" readiness and continuously modernizing forces to counter advancements in North Korean and Chinese military technology.
The post BRUNSON ON KOREA: READINESS & ALLIANCES appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
Despite the fact that so many of them make it look easy, the daily lives of senior U.S.
The post RESILIENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS: <br><small>EXAMINING ENDURANCE IN SENIOR MILITARY LEADERS</small> appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
In a previous episode, we highlighted the Annual Army War College Strategy Competition. This week, host Tom Galvin speaks with a team from the Carlisle Scholars Program that used the competition as the opportunity to experiment with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for strategy formulation. Josh Aldred, Claudio Blardone, Robby Haugh, and Adam Schultz share their expectations and what actually happened and take-aways. Ultimately, the results underscored AI's potential to improve strategic planning, while also highlighting the continued importance of human oversight and ongoing training.
The post AI IN STRATEGIC PLANNING: THE FUTURE OF STRATEGY? appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
One of the interesting things is there’s no agreement domestically among civilians and military or internationally about what
The post ENHANCING STRATEGIC THINKING THROUGH COMPETITION appeared first on War Room - U.S. Army War College.
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