The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 17: Real Talk with Climb to Glory 7 Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

Mario Terenas is a straight shooter. The Senior Enlisted Soldier for Fort Drum, New York and the fabled 10th Mountain Division is known for his brash candor, his compassion for Soldiers, and his ability to communicate directly to all 18,000 troops under his care. His call sign is “Climb to Glory 7” and that’s also his Twitter and Instagram handle (@ClimbToGlory7).

He’s surprisingly social media-savvy for an old infantryman, but this is one leader who’s not on Twitter and Instagram for self-promotion. Mario is a Soldier’s Soldier; he builds teams ready to fight and his troops know he has their backs. He spoke with 18th Airborne Corps Podcast host Joe Buccino about how he got on social media and how he uses his account to pull information from across Fort Drum.

In a deeply personal conversation, Mario also spoke about his childhood in Mexico, his early days as a Soldier, and his rise to the top of the Army enlisted ranks. He offers advice on leadership, on finding and attacking extremism across the force, and on combatting sexual assault and sexual harassment. At the end of this podcast episode, you’ll know the heart of the man….and you just might become a Mario Terenas fan.

Recorded every week on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of America’s Contingency Corps, a legendary U.S. Army unit.

The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 16: The Letters of Corporal Johnson Mar 28, 2021

Show notes

In 1966, while fighting in the Vietnam War, Corporal Rob Johnson received a letter addressed “Dear G.I. in Vietnam.” This letter would lead to a decades-long friendship between an unlikely pairing of Americans.

Throughout the remainder of his tour in Vietnam, as well as his subsequent three tours, Rob sent a volume of letters to Joan Hunter. The letters sent by Rob, a black Soldier, to Joan Hunter, a middle-aged white woman in a coastal Massachusetts town, reveal much about that war, the men who waged it, the Nation bereaved by it, and race relations amidst the Civil Rights movement. Filled with fear, hope, range and love, his letters reveal the dark and tender wisdom of the Vietnam veteran.

This podcast episode, released specifically for National Vietnam War Veterans Day (Monday, March 29, 2021) stands as a tribute to all the Americans who fought in that war, all those who supported from the homeland, and all those who suffered in silence from PTSD in its wake.

This is perhaps the emotionally-charged story we’ve covered on this podcast. It’s one that every American should hear. We hope you will listen and pass this episode on to friends and loved ones.

In this episode we reference a recent New York Times article on this story, which can be found here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/us/joan-hunter-77-letters-vietnam-war.html?searchResultPosition=2.

We also reference the book “77 Letters,” by Susan P. Hunter, available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/77-Letters-Operation-Booster-Vietnam-ebook/dp/B08H8WG3SF

Episode 15: MacArthur vs. Truman with H.W. Brands Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

At the height of the Korean War, Harry Truman, the accidental POTUS who ascended to the White House after the death of FDR, engaged in a contest of wills with Douglas MacArthur, a titanic global figure with an enormous ego. Much of the country was stunned when Truman, considered a lightweight on the national stage, fired the recalcitrant general with the U.S. edging closer to nuclear war. MacArthur vs. Truman was a defining moment in the Korean War and a flashpoint for civil-military norms.

The standoff between Truman and MacArthur is not only a compelling bit of history, it’s also a story that offers much wisdom for the Nation today. This is a tale rich with critical lessons for today’s military leadership: lessons about civil-mil relations, the role of military advice, and the intersection of politics and war. No one is better suited to reveal that wisdom than Dr. H.W. Brands. Dr. Brands is one of the most prominent American historians working today and the author of the 2106 book “The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War.”

The author of more than 30 books, a Pulitzer finalist, a frequent presence on the History Channel, and the senior historian at the University of Texas at Austin, H.W. Brands brings a remarkable depth of research and a mastery of storytelling to this episode of the18th Airborne Corps podcast.

In discussion with host Joe Buccino, Dr. Brands describes the global security conditions that set the Korean War in motion. He explains the motives of the two men at the heart of this story. He dispels some myths about Truman and reveals some hard truths about MacArthur.

Anyone involved in leadership or decision-making around national security will gain insight from this discussion. Anyone interested in the Korean War will learn from H.W. Brands. It’s certainly worth the 35 minutes.

Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with a new episode released every Tuesday morning, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army. The program is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, YouTube, and PodBean. We encourage you to tell others about the program and to leave a review and a five-star rating for the program on Apple Podcast as doing so will help others find the show.

The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 14: Ken Burns and the Vietnam War Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

There is no single truth in war. This is the central philosophy of Ken Burns’ sweeping 18-hour documentary “The Vietnam War.” The film asks a lot of its audience; aside from the time commitment, this is an emotionally draining 10-part series. In return, so much wisdom is gained from the series. The film studies the epic tragedy of Vietnam from all perspectives: the American foot soldier, American draft dodgers and protestors, the Pentagon and White House, the international reporter, the Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese regular, and the Southern Vietnamese peasant.

The legendary filmmaker joins the 18th Airborne Corps Podcasts' host Joe Buccino to discuss the bold storytelling choices used in the film and what he learned about war and America in the decade-long process that went into making it. Ken discusses his own experience with the Vietnam War growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Ken has made indelible documentaries about American life, bringing us closer to our history through subjects like jazz, baseball, the Civil War, the Roosevelt family, and World War II. The Vietnam War, perhaps more than these other films, speaks to what it means to be an American citizen and what American history means for us.

This conversation with Ken touches deep. It covers a range of big topics: the increasing divisive nature of American politics, the importance of a shared humanity, and the notion of truth itself. Whether or not you’ve seen the Vietnam War (if you haven’t, you really should), you will find value in this 30-minute episode.

18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 13: The COVID Vaccine Information War Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

The US Army finds itself amidst an information war about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. In episode 13 of our podcast, we explore all sides of this complicated issue and offer scientific data about the vaccine.

This is the first episode under our new title. This podcast, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, used to be called the Doomsday Clock podcast. To expand the focus of the show beyond Cold War history, we’ve changed the name.

The vaccination of the force against coronavirus is a primary mission for the Department of Defense right now. However, many Soldiers are refusing, or at least putting off the vaccine, which is optional. Commanders are scrambling to debunk Internet rumors and provide troops with scientific data about the vaccine.

Dr. Y. Sammy Choi, Chief of the Research Department at the Fort Bragg hospital, was involved in the clinical trials for the Pfizer vaccine for Operation Warp Speed. He’s been intimately involved in the research and development of the Pfizer vaccine. He helps us knock down myths and rumors on the vaccine.

In addition, we talk to Soldiers who started out as anti-vaxxers and have since come around and voluntarily vaccinated. They describe their concerns and the reasons they changed their minds.

This is a critical episode at a critical time in the fight against COVID-19. We hope you will listen and tell others about episode 13 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.

The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 12: The General Who Broke the Glass Ceiling Mar 04, 2021

Show notes

"For me, it wasn't about my legacy, it was about building a bench of women leaders." Ann Dunwoody is an Army legend. The first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division, the first woman General Officer on Fort Bragg, the first woman across all of the United States military to wear four stars. She spoke with us for an inspiring episode during Women's History Month. She has much to say about the plague of sexual assault within the ranks, about Fort Hood, about leadership, and about women in combat roles. Ann started in the Women's Army Corps at a time of segregation and ended as one of the most important military officers in the Nation. Her journey holds great wisdom our Army today. We hope you will all take the 25 minutes to listen to this episode.

The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 11: Elvis's Army Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Episode 11: Elvis's Army

In 1958, 23-year-old Elvis Presley, rock star and actor, was among the Nation's most prominent celebrities. That year he was also drafted into an American Army in turmoil. In an era that threatened Soviet-American thermonuclear annihilation, the Pentagon and White House primarily placed the Nation's defense, and its resources, in strategic bombing. Coming out of the ugly, unpopular Korean War, the Army was a faded relic of an antiquated way of conflict. By contrast, the Air Force, with its ability to target Soviet nuclear sites from offshore without putting troops on the ground, was the future. Drafting Elvis, then, represented a marketing opportunity for the U.S. Army: if the rebellious King of Rock and Roll could make Army greens look cool, perhaps the land-based service could get a foothold within American youth culture.

On Episode 11, historian Brian McAllister Linn, author of the 2016 book "Elvis's Army: Cold War and the Atomic Battlefield," joins the Doomsday Clock podcast to talk about how the Army set about transforming Elvis from a rebellious teen idol into a clean-cut GI and, by extension, transforming the service itself for atomic warfare. Over the course of the discussion, Brian and host Joe Buccino talk about the Army's attempt at rebranding in the late 1950s and early 1960s and how that effort ultimately failed.

This is a particularly timely discussion for our Army today: in the wake of the Fort Hood Independent Review and amidst concerns about white nationalism in the ranks, the Army once again finds itself at an inflection point. There are some critical lessons that leaders today can gleam from the Army Elvis joined. We share those lessons on Episode 11 of the Doomsday Clock Podcast.

The Doomsday Clock is the official podcast of the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. Stationed on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the XVIII Airborne houses 92,000 Soldiers across 14 military installations: 40% of the operational Army. With a new episode every Tuesday, the podcast mines American Cold War history for insight and wisdom for leaders today.

The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 10_ Putting People First Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Episode 10: Putting People First "People First." You hear it all the time across the Army now. The Chief of Staff of the Army says it in every speech. But what does it really mean to put People First? What changes will People First mean to the force? Is this just an empty slogan or does People First have some teeth? We took these questions to the right guy: Colonel Jason Davis, the head of the Army's People First Task Force. Amidst a troubled time for our Army, Colonel Davis spoke with Doomsday Clock podcast guest host Matt Visser about changes ahead for the force, the impending redesign of the Army's Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention program, and a recent initiative from the 18th Airborne Corps. While the Doomsday Clock podcast traditionally focuses on historic events, this episode focuses on a historic change yet to manifest.

The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, Episode 9: Fred Kaplan on the Bomb, Kennedy, and the End of the World Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

Episode 9: Fred Kaplan on the Bomb, Kennedy, and the End of the World. Author Fred Kaplan (Slate, "The Bomb," "Wizards of Armageddon") is a national treasure, one of our foremost writers on American security policy. Fred is a perfect guest for the Doomsday Clock. After all, he's been writing about the Cold War arms race and the threat of nuclear armageddon since 1983. He joins us to talk about the American obsession with nuclear weapons, presidents in crises, how the Cuban Missile Crisis led to the American buildup in Vietnam, and why Ronald Reagan is an underrated president. This was a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion, one of the best we've had on the show. Over the course of 90 minutes Fred and host Joe Buccino cover 75 years of American power.

The Doomsday Clock Podcast, Episode 8 - A Celebration of Black Soldiers Feb 19, 2021

Show notes

Episode 8: A Celebration of Black Soldiers In honor of Black History Month we're releasing this special episode of the podcast commemorating the remarkable service of black Soldiers throughout Army history. Our guest, Colonel (retired) Charles D. Allen from the US Army War College, talks to us about President Truman's executive order integrating the military in 1948. Charles also talks about the largely unknown black heroes who inspire him. A 1978 graduate of West Point, Charles Allen serves as the Professor of Leadership and Cultural Studies at the Army War College. He is a widely published writer with bylines in the Washington Post, the Military Times, Army Times, and many scholarly journals. This is a short episode and it's worth your time. If you want to read more about this subject, we recommend you read Charles' recent piece in the Military Times. You can find it here: https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2021/01/28/maj-gen-charles-c-rogers-talent-through-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/.

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