The Burn Bag Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Burn Bag & Girl Security: Why Climate Security Should be at the Forefront of Security Risk Assessments with Erin Sikorsky Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Burn Bag's collaboration with Girl Security, a workforce mentorship program designed to help young women pursue careers in National Security. This series focuses on how we can reframe our thinking on National Security — what is pertinent to national security in the 21st century? Who, or what, is missing from the national security discussion? Join us as we explore topics within each episode alongside experts in the realm of national security, hosted by Andrea Ochoa and Girl Security Fellows.

Our understanding of climate security has been limited, at most, to our understanding of climate change and its impacts. Climate security risks have only recently been easing into mainstream national security dialogue, with the most recent National Security Strategy (NSS) elevating the issue’s position among other security risks. But what does climate security look like?

Join Andrea Ochoa and Amulya Panakam in a discussion with Erin Sikorsky as they break down climate security essentials and what our country should be mindful of looking ahead to future security strategy. Learn more about the domestic and international implications of climate security threats and what a more secure future entails.

Autonomy, AI, and Defense: Challenges for the Department of Defense in Leveraging Autonomous Systems and Software Solutions with Colin Carroll, the Head of Applied Intuition's Government Relations Apr 09, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre chats with Colin Carroll, the Head of Applied Intuition's Government Relations team, and a vocal expert on leveraging autonomous systems in defense. We break down Colin's perspectives on how the Defense Department has leveraged autonomous systems in the past and present, and Colin outlines what he sees as the biggest blockers for rapid and efficient development in and out of the Department. Colin discusses his early career experience at the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and Project Maven, his thoughts on whether autonomy development is siloed across the branches of the Armed Forces, and if autonomy, artificial intelligence, and machine learning tools are shaping operations/strategy in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific. Colin provides his commentary on how the Defense Department can better leverage the private sector, and also plugs Applied Intuition's upcoming event, Nexus 23.

The Burn Bag & Girl Security: Michèle Flournoy and Sue Gordon on Refocusing Defense Amidst Ever-Changing National Security Priorities Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

Burn Bag Podcast co-host Andrea and Girl Security Fellows Amanda Hart and Emilie Reitinger join Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy and Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Susan Gordon in a discussion on Refocusing Defense. We talk more in depth about the changing nature of national security priorities in the 21st century, and segue into stakeholder engagement within the national security apparatus.

Ultimately, how can we rethink our national security approach while maintaining a strong defense? Join us as we delve into these issues and more as both Michèle and Susan bring their wealth of knowledge to the table.

The Burn Bag & Girl Security: The Power of Mentorship and Workforce Development within the Space and Reframing the National Security Discussion with Lauren Buitta and Gina Bennett Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

For our introductory episode, we are joined by Lauren Buitta and Gina Bennett, CEO and Strategic Advisor of Girl Security, respectively. We will go more in depth into the work Girl Security is doing to make the national security field more inclusive, as well as how we can rethink national security to understand the true scope of national security threats. We will introduce our series, and talk a little bit more about Gina’s Hunter-Gatherer National Security as well. We look forward to having you listen as we speak with more guests throughout the series!

Risky Business: Due Diligence – Private Investigations of Public Importance with Dan Nardello of Nardello & Co. Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Risky Business, a limited series in partnership with Trenchcoat Advisors, a risk advisory firm. In an unpredictable, complex, and chaotic world, the business risks are ever-present. To help navigate the challenges ahead, this series delves into the intersection of business and national security — from influence operations and sabotage to hostage diplomacy and investment security, we’re bringing exclusive conversations with leading experts to better understand and anticipate risk!
For episode 6 of Risky Business, The Burn Bag's A'ndre Gonawela and Trenchcoat's Bill Priestap are joined by Dan Nardello, Founder of Nardello and Co. (a private investigations firm), who discusses the intersections of his firm's work, business, and national security. Dan talks about how he factors national security issues into his work, and how he leverages the information and intelligence collected through investigations in addressing these issues when they collide. Dan provides an overview of how the global investigative field has changed over the last two decades, in addition to commenting on how his business works in enabling risk mitigation. We also get Dan's take on what the biggest threats are to business leaders, and what has genuinely surprised him about the field in recent years.

1983: A Nuclear Near Miss -- The Most Dangerous Year in History and how the U.S. and Soviets almost got into a Nuclear War with Brian J. Morra, former Air Force Intelligence Officer Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Are we living in the most dangerous year in history? Or was that 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis? According to former Air Force Intelligence Officer Brian J. Morra, the answer is neither -- rather, it was 1983. Brian makes this case, outlining how the United States and the Soviet Union narrowly avoided nuclear catastrophe, after months of tensions, tough rhetoric, and a tragic shoot-down of a Korean civilian airliner. Burn Bag host A'ndre chats with Brian about these events, dramatized in his new book, The Able Archers, based on Brian's own experiences working on intelligence issues during this time period. Brian shares why the Soviets believed that the United States was willing to launch a first strike under the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, whose tough rhetoric against the Kremlin led to heightened paranoia in the mind of dying Soviet Leader Yuri Andropov. This paranoia came to a head in September, when a lone Soviet officer prevented a nuclear war scare after a series of false alarms, and in November, when a NATO exercise caused the Soviets to bolster their nuclear posturing in fears that the United States was actually about to launch a first strike. Many of these events came to light decades after 1983, but Brian shares these stories and more in this fascinating episode.
You can purchase Brian's book,The Able Archers,here.

Risky Business: Private Sector Intelligence -- Earning the Trust of Governments, Research Institutions, and Fortune 500s with Greg and Eric Levesque from Strider Technologies Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Risky Business, a limited series in partnership with Trenchcoat Advisors, a risk advisory firm. In an unpredictable, complex, and chaotic world, the business risks are ever-present. To help navigate the challenges ahead, this series delves into the intersection of business and national security — from influence operations and sabotage to hostage diplomacy and investment security, we’re bringing exclusive conversations with leading experts to better understand and anticipate risk!
In episode 5 of Risky Business, The Burn Bag's A'ndre Gonawela and Trenchcoat's Bill Priest chat with the co-founders of private intelligence firm Strider Technologies, Greg and Eric Levesque, on open source intelligence and the private sector intelligence community. Greg and Eric talk about what information their company gathers on behalf of clients, how they define 'open source intelligence', and how they analyze their data. We get their view on what the private sector intelligence community is and what it can be, as companies and other organizations continue to desire information that has traditionally been collected and assessed by governments. Greg and Eric discuss how Strider fills some of these needs, how their work is both similar and dissimilar from what the government's intelligence community does, and what national security issues their clients are most concerned about. They also discuss their partnerships with some government entities, and how they view future trends.

Bringing Americans Home: The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Hostage Policy with Cynthia Loertscher of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

This week, David and Anna talk with Cynthia Loertscher of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to advocating for all Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. The interview surveys recent developments in U.S. policy before diving into how government agencies can support hostages and their loved ones before and after their return home. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on the state of hostage affairs, family advocacy, and ways to bring more Americans home.

Trump's Last Secretary: Former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller on January 6th, Troop Drawdowns, The Defense Department, Donald Trump, and More Feb 24, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre speaks with Chris Miller, former Acting Secretary of Defense during the last 73 days of the Trump Administration, on a range of topics pertaining to his controversial, short, and significant tenure. We discuss Chris's service in Special Forces, which includes time spent in the early days of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, and how that service shaped his worldview. We also highlight some of Chris's work at the National Security Council on counterterrorism, including the efforts against ISIS and the operation that killed ISIS Leader Baghdadi. Chris discusses his view on the ending of the Afghanistan War, and A'ndre probes Chris on whether the end-result would've been the same under a second Trump Administration as it was under the Biden Administration. A'ndre presses Chris on his (and the DoD's) response to the January 6th attacks, whether Chris believes it was an insurrection, and his views on the culpability of President Trump. Chris does outline how he became Acting Secretary, and why his 'neo-isolationist' ideology aligns with President Trump's America First ideology -- and how that factored into the decision to draw down troops in Somalia, and Chris's own belief that the DoD budget needs to be halved.
Chris Miller's book, Soldier Secretary, is out now.

Risky Business: The Business of Peace – Peacebuilding, Human Rights, and National Security with David L. Phillips Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Risky Business, a limited series in partnership with Trenchcoat Advisors, a risk advisory firm. In an unpredictable, complex, and chaotic world, the business risks are ever-present. To help navigate the challenges ahead, this series delves into the intersection of business and national security — from influence operations and sabotage to hostage diplomacy and investment security, we’re bringing exclusive conversations with leading experts to better understand and anticipate risk!
This week, The Burn Bag's A'ndre Gonawela and Trenchcoat's Holden Triplett chat with David L. Phillips, Director of Columbia University's Program on Peace-building and Rights and a former Senior Advisor to the U.S. State Department and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on the intersection of business and peace-building. We discuss why the commercial world needs to be engaged in the work that goes on in peace-building and conflict zones, and how David's own work on peace-building has differed between his time inside and outside government. David provides his view on how much economics intersected with his work, and what he means when he defines economic security. We also go into why businesses need to care about the human rights situations in other countries, and David's prognosis on what this intersection will look like in the future.

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