Thank You For Your Service

Latest Episodes:

Phil Klay on America's Moral Contract With Its Servicemembers May 14, 2019

Show notes

After serving as a Marine Corps public affairs officer in Iraq, Phil Klay won the 2014 National Book Award for Redeployment, his collection of short stories about the war. Widely recognized as one of the best writers of his generation, Phil has also published essays on the military and society in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, TIME, and many other outlets. In this episode, Phil joins the podcast for a discussion of his previous writing, the moral contract between America and its soldiers, and his upcoming novel.

In the opening clip, Phil reads from his Brookings Essay “The citizen-soldier: Moral risk and the modern military,” available online at http://csweb.brookings.edu/content/research/essays/2016/the-citizen-soldier.html.

This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

David Raban, publisher

Special thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Jim Golby.

Admiral James Stavridis on NATO, Scholarship, and the Military Profession Apr 30, 2019

Show notes

Admiral (ret.) James Stavridis, PhD, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and former Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, was vetted as Hillary Clinton’s VP nominee and then interviewed by President-elect Donald Trump for a potential cabinet level position.

He joins the podcast to discuss the importance of NATO, the role of retired military officers in politics, relations between the U.S. military and the media, and how policymakers and voters should evaluate the success of their civilian-controlled military.

Also in this episode: the unique civil-military relations dynamics of international alliances, that Army PAO article about journalists, and why military officers should read and write.

This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

David Raban, publisher

Special thanks to Tracie Logan and Sarah Claudy

A Congress (Not?) At War Apr 16, 2019

Show notes

The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) allows the US military to be deployed against Al-Qaeda and any “associated forces.” Because of its broad nature, it has been used as a justification for military force across the globe, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Yemen and Niger. It was passed in 2001. Congress hasn’t renegotiated it since then.

How does Congress’s responsibility of oversight apply to the military? And how has the relationship between Congress and the military evolved since the AUMF was passed over 17 years ago?

Our guest, Dr. Charles A. Stevenson, is a former US Senate staffer with more than 20 years of experience in foreign affairs and defense policy. He is now a foreign policy professor at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Stevenson joins the podcast to discuss the importance of congressional oversight, the dynamics of the congressional-military relationship, and possibly the Space Force, with Thomas and Nick.

This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

David Raban, engineer and publisher

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

Special thanks to the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

Supporting the Tropes: Hollywood & Our Military Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Many Americans, especially those who don’t personally know a service member, learn much of what they know about the U.S. military through portrayals in film and television. While military movies often make for high-quality and high-revenue entertainment, they can also tend to traffic in stereotypes – stereotypes that can perpetuate the already-growing civil-military divide by hindering realistic and rich conversation between veterans and civilians. This lack of informed interaction can have serious policy implications.

In this episode, Nick Paraiso and Sarah Claudy, our creative consultant, discuss these issues with Chris Marvin, a former Army helicopter pilot and prominent communications strategist who works on veterans’ narratives in film and television. Chris is the founder of Got Your Six, a veterans’ non-profit working in the entertainment industry, and the principal of Marvin Strategies, an independent strategic communications firm.

This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Credits:

Nick Paraiso, host

Sarah Claudy, host

Thomas Krasnican, editor and producer

Haz Yano, engineer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

David Raban, publisher

Special thanks to Emma Moore and Yana Seo.

Senator Claire McCaskill on Congressional Oversight of the Military Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

Claire McCaskill, the former U.S. Senator from Missouri, joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion of her twelve years as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We talked about oversight of defense contracting, the military-industrial complex, sexual assault reform, military justice, and congressional debate over the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). Haliburton, the F-35, New Balance shoes, Kirsten Gillibrand, Saudi Arabia, ice cream flavors, and Boeing may or may not have been mentioned as well. This episode was taped at the Harris School of Public Policy while Senator McCaskill was serving as a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

Warning: The following episode contains explicit language. And as always, this podcast is absolutely not in any way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Note: Four active-duty military officers & Harris students were in the room when we recorded this episode, including Thomas & Nick. Senator McCaskill’s frequent “you’s” and “you all’s” during this interview were directed towards them.

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

Julian Lake, engineer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

Sarah Claudy, creative consultant

David Raban, publisher

Special thanks to Ellie Price, Cindy Hall, and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

General Stanley McChrystal on Military Leadership and Policymaking Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

General (ret.) Stanley McChrystal, former JSOC commander and commander of the U.S./NATO troops in Afghanistan, joins the podcast for a discussion of his career. General McChrystal reflects on his role serving at the Pentagon while the U.S. invasion of Iraq was planned, his often-tense relationship with the Obama administration, and his decision to speak out on the current president. Also in this episode: what future military leaders should learn from his firing, the military’s relationship with the press, and what civilian policy students should know about the military. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of civil-military cooperation in America.

This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Further reading/listening:

Obama’s Wars, Bob Woodward

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Robert Gates

My Share of the Task, Stanley McChrystal

Episode 302, The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

Alec MacMillen, engineer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

Sarah Claudy, creative consultant

David Raban, publisher

Special thanks to Jess Blankshain, Jim Golby, Morgan Wade, and David Axelrod.

How To Politicize A Military Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

The phrase “politicization of the military” is used often by the scholars and guests we’ve talked to on this podcast – but what exactly does it mean? If it’s a bad thing, then why? What kinds of actions qualify as “politicized,” and how can civilian officials and military leaders avoid inappropriately politicizing the armed forces? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the topic of military politicization and why it’s such an important element of our national security policymaking.

Articles referenced:

https://twitter.com/krasnican_/status/1088545635878473728

https://www.csis.org/analysis/military-politicization

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2019/01/admiral-slammed-shutdown-can-he-do/154389/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/12/21/even-with-mattis-resigning-trump-is-still-damaging-the-militarys-credibility-as-nonpartisan/

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/trumps-attacks-mcchrystal-and-mattis-will-do-lasting-damage/579256/

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/trump-civil-military-relations-tensions/

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

Sarah Claudy, creative consultant

David Raban, publisher

Defense Secretary, Departed Feb 03, 2019

Show notes

At the end of 2018, the dramatic resignation of James Mattis from his post as U.S. Secretary of Defense sparked new concerns about the Trump administration’s conduct of foreign policy and its relationship with the military. Kevin Weng, a PhD candidate and lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Committee on International Relations, joins the podcast to discuss the civil-military implications of the Mattis resignation and the ongoing debate over policy towards Syria.

Apologies for the poor recording quality in this episode -- we experienced some technical difficulties. Won't happen again!

This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Articles referenced:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-withdrawal-obama.html

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/andrew-sullivan-establishment-will-never-say-no-to-a-war.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/01/06/trump-actually-followed-one-civil-military-norm-with-his-announcement-on-syria/

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/legacy-james-mattis/578815/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/24/opinion/mattis-trump-civil-military-relations.html

Credits:

Podcast Production Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Nick Paraiso, host

Haz Yano, engineer and producer

Aishwarya Kumar, producer

Mary Martha Maclay, producer

Sarah Claudy, creative consultant

David Raban, publisher

The Dangers of Deference, Part Two Dec 23, 2018

Show notes

In these episodes, Thomas Krasnican and Sarah Claudy (from the Pearson Institute) interview Dr. Ron Krebs, a professor at the University of Minnesota, and Robert Ralston, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, about their research recently published in Foreign Policy Magazine.

Part Two addresses the potential implications of the American ‘ritualistic hero worship’ of the military, and how the rhetoric and narratives associated with this practice shape national security policy through their impact on people in governmental positions. Is civilian oversight even a ‘good’ thing? By what standards? Part Two further addresses what civilians can do to stay informed in order to uphold the American democracy. Link to their original article:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/03/americans-blind-faith-in-the-military-is-dangerous-civilian-oversight-deference-mcraven-trump/

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Sarah Claudy, host

Haz Yano, producer

Nick Paraiso, producer

Alec MacMillen, engineer and producer

Sarah Claudy, creative consultant

Aishwarya Kumar, production support

Mary Martha Maclay, production support

Note: This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

The Dangers of Deference, Part One Dec 23, 2018

Show notes

Part One covers different theories of that seek to answer the fundamental question of civil-military relations in a democracy: “who guards the guardians?”

Part One also covers Dr. Krebs and Mr. Ralston’s research regarding public perceptions of the military—to what extent the general populace thinks that the civilian-controlled government should defer to military leadership with regard to national security issues—and some of the surprising insights their data revealed. Link to their original article:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/03/americans-blind-faith-in-the-military-is-dangerous-civilian-oversight-deference-mcraven-trump/

Credits:

Thomas Krasnican, host

Sarah Claudy, host

Haz Yano, producer

Nick Paraiso, producer

Alec MacMillen, engineer and producer

Aishwarya Kumar, production support

Mary Martha Maclay, production support

Note: This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.