A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

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THE ARMY WAR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE – EN ESPAÑOL Mar 06, 2020

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A BETTER PEACE welcomes three native Spanish speakers as they take over the mics. Three students in the AY20 Resident class of the U.S. Army War College sat down to record our first ever all Spanish podcast. International Fellows Alfredo Pozzo and Fernando Prada joined fellow U.S. student Andres Paz to discuss their initial impressions of the Carlisle experience as they embarked on their academic journey that is the War College.

CHINA’S GRAND STRATEGY AND THE BRI Mar 03, 2020

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There has never been anything like it in recorded history where a country has put…a trillion dollars aside to help in jump starting all of these infrastructure projects around the country Much has been made of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Wary watcher's are quick to point out the spread of Chinese influence in many resource rich countries. Critics promptly highlight the missteps that China has made including snubbing local labor and ignoring cultural norms. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Sarwar Kashmeri as he joins our Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to examine how the BRI has succeeded and more importantly how China has learned from its failures and adapted its efforts. Sarwar Kashmeri is a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association and an Applied Research Fellow at the Peace & War Center at Norwich University. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: A Type-001A Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, moored at Dalian, China in 2019 prior to commissioning. Photo Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons User Tyg728

IT’S ONLY A PRE-WAR PERIOD IN HINDSIGHT Feb 28, 2020

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The Army prides itself on being able to learn, but it also has shown throughout history it also forgets pretty quick too. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Brian Linn and Conrad Crane to discuss the inter-war periods throughout U.S. history and what they've meant to the further development of the U.S. Army. WAR ROOM Senior Editor JP Clark joins them to look at how post-war versus pre-war mindsets have guided leadership over time. Brian Linn is a Professor of History and the Ralph R. Thomas Professor in Liberal Arts, at Texas A&M University. He specializes in military history and war and society in the 20th century. Con Crane is a military historian with the Army Heritage and Education Center. COL JP Clark is a student in the AY20 resident class at the U.S. Army War College and a WAR ROOM Senior Editor. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: American servicemen and women gather in front of “Rainbow Corner” Red Cross club in Paris to celebrate the conditional surrender of the Japanese on August 15, 1945. Photo Credit: U.S. Army Photo

LIBERATION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE LIBERATED (ON WRITING) Feb 25, 2020

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If you go into reading history with an open mind what you're looking for is to be surprised; you're looking for things that tell you something you didn't know. The liberation of an oppressed people is indeed a noble venture. But as the U.S. learned in Iraq, it's a complicated relationship between the liberated and their liberators. A BETTER PEACE welcomes William Hitchcock to discuss the lessons that were evident in France in the days following victory in Europe post WWII. Michael Neiberg interviewed Hitchcock at the new U.S. National World War II Museum in New Orleans, where they also discussed some tools of the trade for people who are looking to write history from a different vantage point. William Hitchcock (L) and Michael Neiberg (R) in front of the replica D-Day invasion map at the Higgins Hotel adjacent to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. William Hitchcock is the William W. Corcoran Professor of History at the University of Virginia and author of The Bitter Road to Freedom: The Human Cost of Allied Victory in World War II Europe, a Pulitzer Prize nominated book. Michael Neiberg is the Chair of War Studies at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: The Founders Plaza creates an impressive entryway to the National WWII Museum Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters building. Photo Credit: Courtesy of the National WWII Museum Other releases in the "On Writing" series: BEYOND VIETNAM: SUNK COSTS IN PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGY (RE-RELEASE)BEYOND VIETNAM: SUNK COSTS IN PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGYEXPLOITING THE VOID: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MODERN PROPAGANDA(ON WRITING)COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELS (RE-RELEASE)ON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECT (RE-RELEASE)FIGHTING TOGETHER: THE CANADIAN-AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP IN WORLD WAR II(ON WRITING)THE SCHOLAR AND THE STRATEGIST:SIR HEW STRACHAN(ON WRITING)COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELSON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECTUNDERSTANDING RUSSIAN CULTURE: JADE McGLYNN(ON WRITING)CHINA’S SHIFTING HISTORY: STEPHEN PLATT (ON WRITING)UNDERSTANDING CHINA THROUGH ITS RECRAFTED PAST: RANA MITTER (ON WRITING)WRITING ON A DEADLINE: SHASHANK JOSHI (ON WRITING)REAGAN AS THE PEACEMAKER: WILL INBODEN(ON WRITING)RUSSIAN IMPERIAL HISTORY-THEN AND NOW: ALEXANDER MIKABERIDZE(ON WRITING)TAKING COMMAND: TAMI DAVIS BIDDLE(ON WRITING)HOW TO WRITE THE HISTORY THAT HASN’T ENDED: IAN ONA JOHNSON(ON WRITING)AS TIME GOES BY: UNDERSTANDING FREE & VICHY FRANCE (ON WRITING)SHIFTING MENTAL GEARS: PHILIP CAPUTO (ON WRITING)GENERAL HISTORY: H.R. McMASTER (ON WRITING)WHEN A GENERAL WRITES FOR THE GENERALIST (ON WRITING)THE VALUE OF WRITTEN THOUGHT: STEPHEN VOGEL (ON WRITING)TWO AUTHORS UNDER THE SAME ROOF (ON WRITING)THE MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: ALEXANDRA RICHIE (ON WRITING)FACT AND FICTION: THE RECOUNTING OF WWII WITH JAMES HOLLAND (ON WRITING)THE U.S. ARMY IN THE 20TH CENTURY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN LINN (ON WRITING)PARIS 1919: A CONVERSATION WITH MARGARET MACMILLAN (ON WRITING)THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING BIOGRAPHIES (ON WRITING)FINDING “WOW” MOMENTS (AND OTHER WRITING TIPS FOR SENIOR LEADERS) (ON WRITING)THE ART OF WRITING HISTORY (ON WRITING)

AI ON THE BATTLEFIELD? – IT’S ALREADY HERE Feb 20, 2020

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I worry that we're going to field many of these systems without really thinking through both the legality and morality of putting them into the field. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. Paul Springer Chair of the Department of Research at the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College. Paul joins our Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to examine the current state of autonomous warfare and the look ahead at where the technology may be going. Paul argues that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on the battlefield is a revolution in military affairs (RMA) that impacts both the nature and the character of warfare. This new norm will require a new structure of understanding and behavior that some aren't ready to adopt. When will we become comfortable enough with technology to eliminate the human in the loop and what will it mean for humanity? Dr. Paul Springer is the Chair of the Department of Research at the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwelll AFB, AL. He is the author or editor of 12 books in print including Outsourcing War to Machines: The Military Robotic Revolution and Military Robots and Drones: A Reference Handbook. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: A special ribbon cutting ceremony, signaling the completion of work on the first RQ-4 Global Hawk at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., was held on the base flight line June 29 2017. Robins AFB is the first and only installation to have a building-based Launch and Recovery Element, allowing the aircraft to take off and land from this location. This is also the first time a Global Hawk has flown into an Air Force air logistics complex. Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex maintenance professionals meticulously painted the aircraft to prevent corrosion. Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kelly Goonan Articles and Episodes related to this topic: WE NEED AN AI-BASED ENEMY ANALYSIS TOOL … NOW! ROLL OUT THE ROBOTS! MANAGING COMM NETWORKS AND ACCESS IN THE FUTURE INCORPORATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: LESSONS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS CHANGE AFTER INCORPORATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? THE IRON TRIANGLE: TECHNOLOGY, STRATEGY, ETHICS, AND THE FUTURE OF KILLING MACHINES A.I. & THE URGENCY OF FINISHING FIRST

HUMANITARIAN OPS: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND PITFALLS Feb 14, 2020

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To really have a successful mission you have to be willing to stay A BETTER PEACE welcomes Mary Elizabeth Walters to discuss to calculus of humanitarian operations involving the U.S. military. The decision to render aid or enter into humanitarian operations in another country isn't always an easy one. It may seem like a simple endeavor, help wherever and whoever you can, but what happens when helping ends up hurting in the long run? Mary Elizabeth and WAR ROOM Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt sit down in the studio to discuss the question "When should the United States execute humanitarian operations and what questions should be asked and answered before it begins?" Dr. Mary Elizabeth Walters is an Assistant Professor of history at Kansas State University. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: Water bundles align a C-17 Globemaster III prior to a humanitarian air drop, Aug. 8, 2014, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron aircrew, air dropped 40 bundles of water for Iraqi refugees during a humanitarian air drop over Iraq. Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Vernon Young Jr. Articles and Episodes related to this topic: WHY DOES THE MEDIA COVER STORIES IN SOME COUNTRIES ... BUT NOT OTHERS? THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PEACEKEEPING AND INCREASED SEX TRAFFICKING FIGHTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN WAR: CONTEXT MATTERS “ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE”

EUROPEAN STRATEGIC AUTONOMY: ON U.S. TERMS Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

The United States has been in favor of a more autonomous Europe ever since the end of WWII. But it’s possible that there have been a few mixed messages throughout the years. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Robert Gleckler and Joel Hillison to the studio to examine just what it is the U.S. means when it speaks of EU strategic autonomy, how that message has evolved and how the European governments have responded to the ongoing conversation. WAR ROOM Managing Editor Buck Haberichter joins the guests in their discussion.

OBSERVATIONS FROM NATO’S NORTHERN FRONT (LEADER PERSPECTIVES) Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Major General Torgeir Gråtrud, commander of the Norwegian Special Operations Command, to the studio to discuss his perspectives on strategic leadership. Major General Gråtrud was in Carlisle to attend his induction into the International Fellows Hall of Fame at the U.S. Army War College. He becomes the 70th International Fellow to receive the honor. During the podcast he addresses Norway’s participation in the Global SOF Network, the nature of cooperation and relations in the Nordic region and his advice to junior officers and NCOs. A BETTER PEACE podcast editor Ron Granieri moderates.

LOOKING TO THE PAST TO CHANGE THE FUTURE Feb 04, 2020

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Back in the 1930s, Air Force officers who were assigned instructor duty at the Air Corps Tactical School…would wear these little…pledge pins on their uniforms. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. John Terino, Chair of the Department of Airpower at the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College (ACSC.) John joins our Editor-In-Chief, Jacqueline Whitt to discuss professional military education (PME) in the Air Force. Stationed at Maxwell AFB, AL which is known as "the intellectual and leadership-development center of the U.S. Air Force," ACSC is one of the many educational institutions that comprise Air University (AU.) Their conversation covers initiatives and difficulties in manning, accreditation, curriculum and returning prestige to service as faculty and instructors in the greater professional development enterprise. 2020 is the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS,) the predecessor to modern PME in the Air Force and more specifically ACSC. John Terino is a professor of Comparative Military Strategy and the Chair of the Department of Airpower at the Air Command and Staff College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS) Class of 1933-1934. From September 1931 to June 1941, the ACTS provided professional military education to field grade officers and developed airpower doctrine. The War Department suspended classes in July 1941 and closed the school in October 1942 with the onset of World War II. Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo, Air University History Office Other releases in the "Anniversaries" series: SCRUTINY AND THE STRANGER: SECURITY IN THE WAKE OF 9/11UNMASKING THE BOOGEYMAN: THE BIN LADEN PAPERS (RE-RELEASE)SMUGGLING, SUPERMAX, AND THE SECOND WAVE: POST-9/11OUR 300th FREAKIN’ EPISODE!LOOKING TO THE PAST TO CHANGE THE FUTUREREMEMBERING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGEREFLECTIONS ON THE HUE CITY MASSACRETHE TET OFFENSIVE: 50 YEARS LATERON BEING A ‘DIFFERENT’ KIND OF COMMAND — AFRICOM AT 10 YEARS (PART 2)

LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD WAY: THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRITISH LIGHT INFANTRY Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

It's not that Dundas was opposed to the use of light infantry he thought it was, the pejorative term was, 'it's very American' A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. Huw Davies of King's College London. Huw joins WAR ROOM Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to trace the development of Great Britain's Light Infantry. It's easy to call yourself a learning organization, but to do so there must be a serious examination of history. Specifically, one must study their own organization's history examining the greatest failures in great detail and be willing to make changes. War stories over dinner, journal entries and some of the first organized staff rides led to the development of Rangers, the use of local forces and a dedicated light infantry that was confronted with a great deal of resistance. The conversation ties past development to modern day failures to actually learn from previous lessons. Dr. Huw J. Davies is a Reader in Early modern Military History, and has been a member of the Defence Studies Department at the School of Security Studies, King's College London since March 2005. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Credit: The Battle of Alexandria, 21 March 1801, Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740–1812) Public Domain

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