#164: By All Means Available - Former Undersecretary Of Defense For Intelligence Michael Vickers

The directive given to our Green Berets is to win by All Means Available. To do so, requires a combination of ingenuity, understanding the environment, a clear plan and precision execution. 

Mike Vickers built a career on winning America’s shadow wars by All Means Available. Mike started his career as both a non-commissioned and commissioned officer Green Beret before becoming a Paramilitary Operations Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike later served as the Undersecretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, as well as the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he served as the lead Intelligence official at the Pentagon. 

Secretary Vickers joined Fran Racioppi to chronicle his new book By All Means Available, Memoirs Of A Life in Intelligence, Special Operations and Strategy. He has been a part of almost every American known and unknown conflict for the past 50 years; including leading the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

We defined how America collects and uses intelligence in both national security and diplomacy. We discussed America’s will to win large conflicts, when we’ve gotten it right and why we get it wrong. And we went deep on the real enemy facing America today.

Mike sees the United States in a New Cold War that will challenge the nation like never before. He shares the reasons why America got here, and most importantly his Grand Strategy to rebuild a culture of winning global conflict to solidify America’s position as the dominant world power for decades to come. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 6:29 Definition and Significance of Intelligence
• 8:00 DoD intelligence use
• 10:59 Joining the Army
• 15:45 By all means necessary
• 21:12 Politics in War judgement
• 28:11 China & Russia
• 38:00 Defining American power
• 42:28 Nuclear Weapons in Iran & North Korea
• 46:06 Mobilization of American troops
• 48:48 Pakistan
• 49:38 Media on disunity
• 50:56 The arms race against China
• 54:20 Covert action
• 56:34 Denial of Service
• 59:48 Regional and Global Deterrence
• 1:03:07 Transforming out alliances
• 1:10:49 The Next Threat
• 1:14:03 SOF integration
• 1:18:15 America’s overconfidence
• 1:20:51 10 Principles
• 1:30:06 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “We are in dynamic times. We are in polarizing times.”
• “It’s not just military and economic intelligence, it’s economic, scientific, and technical intelligence that can make a big difference.”
• “It became the largest covert action program in CIA history.” 
• “Drive them out by all means available.”
• “How are we going to win?”
• “Ammunition is what really sustains operational tempo.”
• “When America goes to war, we’re going to bring everything and we are going to win.”
• “The more you put in it, the more you better win, and win quickly.”
• “America is arguably challenged right now, like never before.”
• “Once the sleeping giant wakes up, look out, they are going to lose.”
• “Strength is Power.”
• “There’s economic, military, intelligence, political strength, the power of your ideals, and so you try to aggregate that.”
• "We will win the new Cold War.”
• “When you think your biggest enemy is another American or group of Americans something’s wrong.”
• “Covert action is taking diplomacy operations, paramilitary operations, sabotage and others and just having it be done under title 50.”
• “Cyber is this unique weapon that it’s used for espionage. It’s a very powerful collection tool.”
• “You need survivable forward presence.”
• “I think the greatest threat is the combination of China and Russia and perhaps adding in Iran and North Korea.”

Watch, listen or read our conversation from the Association of the United States Army as Secretary Vickers shares his leadership lessons learned through covert action; and don’t miss the rest of our AUSA series.

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