Simplifying Acquisition and the Role of Nontraditional Firms

Gen. (ret.) CQ Brown, Jr. may have been removed from his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but he isn't finished serving. He joined Ryan at War on the Rocks HQ to talk about how America can realize the true promise of its faltering defense industrial enterprise (the focus of a recent article he authored). Brown argues the playbook already exists. What is missing is concerted action. He also opens up about his abrupt dismissal and how he sees his duty to the nation in the years ahead. You can read his article here: https://warontherocks.com/2025/11/racing-against-time-realizing-a-true-defense-industrial-enterprise/