

A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast
A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast
This is the podcast of WAR ROOM, the official online journal of the U.S. Army War College. Join us for provocative discussions about U.S. national security and defense, featuring prominent national security and military professionals.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 20, 2026 • 35min
BEYOND STRANGELOVE: GETTING TO NUCLEAR NORMALCY
Nuclear ops are back in the wartime vernacular. Jeremiah Aeschleman joins host Tom Spahr to discuss why military ldrs must move past the "ENDEX mindset" & prepare the joint force for the reality of fighting & winning on a nuclear-armed battlefield.
https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/podcasts/nuclear-normalcy

Jan 6, 2026 • 30min
WARFIGHTING AND THE '1492 MOMENT' IN SPACE
David Zesinger joins Tom Spahr to discuss the "1492 moment" in space. From the moon's helium-3 resources to the contested nature of the domain, learn why space is the deciding factor in modern warfare.

Dec 23, 2025 • 41min
RELEVANCE AND TRUST: THE FUTURE OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
U.S. intelligence needs to adapt to maintain relevance & trust. LTG (Ret.) Bob Ashley joins Tom Spahr to break down how the IC must adapt to closing technological gaps & a changing world order

Dec 16, 2025 • 39min
FROM BUREAUCRACY TO BATTLEFIELD AGILITY: ARMY TRANSFORMATION
Army transformation is ON! Director Johnny Ives explains the shift to AI-centric warfighting & next-gen, cloud-centric C2 for lethality & agility.

Dec 9, 2025 • 40min
BEYOND VIETNAM: SUNK COSTS IN PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGY
How do "sunk costs" influence wartime decisions? JP Clark interviews Brian Groves on his book, "When Presidents Fight the Last War."

Dec 2, 2025 • 34min
BEYOND ADMIRING THE PROBLEM: JIATF 401'S JURISDICTIONAL JUMP
The conversation on defending against sUAS continues. Lushenko & Spahr discuss the new Joint Interagency Task Force 401 a whole-of-govt approach focusing on warfighter lethality.

Nov 25, 2025 • 46min
EXPLOITING THE VOID: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MODERN PROPAGANDA
Peter Pomerantsev, a Johns Hopkins University scholar and author specializing in propaganda, joins Michael Neiberg to explore the psychology of modern propaganda. They reveal how Sefton Delmer's covert WWII radio tactics subverted German morale. Pomerantsev connects these historical strategies to present-day Russian propaganda in Ukraine, emphasizing how propaganda thrives amid identity crises. The discussion also delves into social media's role today, the importance of cultural understanding, and techniques for countering conspiracy beliefs.

Sep 30, 2025 • 34min
TAIWAN'S PORCUPINE DEFENSE: THE RACE TO READINESS
Taiwan's "porcupine defense" aims to stop a #Chinese invasion. Jay Hsieh & Pete Roongsang say new policies need faster innovation & US aid synchronization in order to succeed.

Sep 23, 2025 • 50min
TRANSFORMING THE WAR DEPARTMENT: HENRY STIMSON
Grant Golub explains how Henry Stimson transformed the WWII War Department into a political force, cementing the military's influence on U.S. foreign policy.

Sep 16, 2025 • 33min
TRANSFORMATION AND TRAINING: GENERAL GARY BRITO
The final TRADOC cdr, GEN Gary Brito, joins JP Clark to discuss the U.S. Army's "continuous transformation" & the new T2COM.


