A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

Retired General Joseph Votel joins host Tom Spahr to revisit Objective Rhino—the high-stakes October 2001 mission that put the first overt U.S. boots on the ground in Afghanistan. General Votel, who commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment during the airborne assault, reflects on the realities of plunging into the unknown shortly after September 11. He explains how what began as a rapid airfield seizure quickly evolved into a broader campaign of desert raids, forcing elite light infantry to overcome demanding mobility and logistical hurdles. Beyond the battlefield, General Votel shares vital leadership lessons. He discusses why tactical success must align with realistic strategic goals and honest conversations about risk. He also highlights the importance of fostering strong, curious partnerships with intelligence teams, urging future leaders to listen to ground-level experts, adapt as situations evolve, and stay grounded in the fundamentals of sound leadership. Tune in to explore these enduring lessons in military command and strategy. RANGERS, RISKS, AND REALITY: OBJECTIVE RHINO

Forty years ago, the Goldwater-Nichols Act reshaped how the U.S. military operates. Passed in 1986 following coordination breakdowns in operations like Vietnam and the Iranian hostage rescue, the law forced the branches to overcome fierce rivalries and operate as a joint team. Host Ron Granieri sits down with Bob Bradford and Levi Rains to examine whether those reforms worked, where friction remains, and where defense reform goes next. Together, they break down the tension between the services—responsible for training and equipping forces—and regional combatant commanders who employ those troops in real-world missions. The discussion explores how the law clarified the chain of command, mandated joint officer education, and balanced readiness against immediate crises. Looking ahead, Bradford and Rains consider what future reorganization should tackle, from synchronizing military strategy across other government departments to joint force design. RIVALRIES, READINESS, AND REALIGNMENT: GOLDWATER-NICHOLS 40 YEARS LATER

Michael “Quatto” Posey, a U.S. Navy commander and military deception expert, explores how battles are shaped before combat begins. He revisits WWII’s fictional armies, Ukraine’s surprise at Kursk, and deception on today’s transparent battlefield. The conversation also examines confirmation bias, operational secrecy, decoys, critical thinking, and MacArthur’s use of imagery and influence.

Gil Barndollar, a Marine veteran, Army National Guard officer, and military manpower scholar, examines why drones cannot replace people in prolonged war. He explores Ukraine’s recruitment strain, Russia’s mobilization, the human cost of frontline duty, and NATO’s readiness gaps. The conversation also tackles aging populations, political resistance to sacrifice, and the need to build public legitimacy before conflict begins.

Marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, host Jadwiga Biskupska sat down with deRaismes Combes to explore how that tragic morning permanently reshaped American security, culture, and everyday life. Drawing from her forthcoming book, "Becoming the Stranger: American Identity and Security in the Shadow of 9/11", Combes unpacks thousands of public records, media reports, and pop-culture touchstones to examine how our shared national story took root. Rather than viewing the post-9/11 era as inevitable, she highlights the human choices that elevated counterterrorism into an open-ended state of war. From the routine hassles of airport screening to the expansion of covert drone strikes, daily routines quietly transformed as the lingering perception of threat shifted toward the unknown stranger next door. Together, Combes and Biskupska tackle the central question of whether these sprawling policies have truly made us safer, or if enduring anxiety continues to sideline critical debate. For both those who remember the day vividly and the rising generation that only knows its aftermath, this discussion offers a vital, reflective look at risk, strategic empathy, and the hidden costs of national security. Go to the website Clickable Link Text

This week in the studio, editor-in-chief JP Clark sits down with Bryan Groves to discuss his new book, "When Presidents Fight the Last War: The Oval Office, Sunk Costs, and Wartime Decision-Making Since Vietnam." Groves, a U.S. Army strategist and accomplished academic, focuses on the difficult mid-conflict course-correction decisions made by presidents. His research uses an interdisciplinary approach to analyze how the enormous "sunk costs" of war—lives, time, and treasure—tempt presidents to escalate or "double down" on a conflict rather than cut their losses. Groves's analysis of five cases—including the Iraq surge and the Desert Storm endgame—reveals a major historical pivot: while pre-9/11 decisions were often guided by the fear of repeating the Vietnam "quagmire," post-9/11 decisions were also driven by the powerful lesson of preventing another domestic catastrophe. Go to the website Clickable Link Text

Twelve years ago last week, on May 2, 2011, the U.S. military conducted a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan that killed Usama bin Laden. Once the mission was accomplished, the SEAL team conducted sensitive site exploitation and gathered up and returned with all of the materials and equipment they discovered in the compound. Nelly Lahoud and her team sorted through some 97,000 files and 6,000 pages of declassified documents, all in Arabic, to discover the truth about bin Laden and the al-Qaeda network. She's in the studio to discuss her book, "The Bin Laden Papers: How the Abbottabad Raid Revealed the Truth about Al-Qaeda, Its Leader and His Family" with host John Nagl. The information gleaned from this incredible undertaking paints a picture of a man and a network that, after the 9/11 attack, were confined, restrained and not very successful. Go to the website Clickable Link Text

How does an unremarkable and non-ideological businessman end up trying to bring nuclear weapons into the United States for a notorious terrorist organization? Former war crimes prosecutor Michael Lebowitz joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to explore this chilling reality in his new book, "Second Wave: Inside Al Qaeda's Post-9/11 Attack Plan and America's Secret Effort to Stop It." He dives into the true story of Saifullah Paracha and his son Uzair, two businessmen with New York ties who became entangled in Al-Qaeda's post-9/11 attack plans. Lebowitz reveals how Al-Qaeda sought Saifullah’s expertise in international shipping and smuggling to help execute a massive "second wave" of attacks on the United States. The narrative also uncovers the intense, behind-the-scenes turf wars between the FBI, CIA, and the military over the Parachas. Clashing approaches to interrogation, intelligence gathering, and legal jurisdiction created messy outcomes, left the father and son in legal limbo for decades while they were detained at Guantanamo Bay or in the United States. This insider's look at America's counterterrorism response offers vital lessons on past successes and failures on combatting terrorist organizations. Go to the website Clickable Link Text

Colonel Oleksandr, a Ukrainian Army officer with 30 years of service, spent the 2026 academic year as an International Fellow at the U.S. Army War College. Joining host Jadwiga Biskupska, he offers a real-time perspective on fighting a massive adversary. Oleks explains how Ukraine relies on human innovation, revealing that older, simpler weapons often bypass advanced electronic warfare better than modern technology. Beyond studying American strategic frameworks, he brought the stark reality of the Russian invasion to his seminar peers, emphasizing the critical need for international alliances, economic strength, and understanding adversary culture. As he returns to the front lines, his insights provide enduring lessons on resilience and the human element in modern combat. Go to the website Clickable Link Text

Major General Robert Kinney, a senior military intelligence officer and DIA Chief AI Officer, explains how AI accelerates decision-making and manages battlefield data. He discusses integrating LLMs and RAG for analysts, an AI foreign disclosure tool that slashed timelines, cultural hurdles to adoption, training the workforce, and risks of overtrusting models.