A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

John Roderick is back in the studio w/ Ron Granieri for pt 2 of their discussion but the topic has moved on to #podcasting & the power of #conversations in our lives. Can we talk?

Each year, in the final week of instruction at the U.S. Army War College there is a four-day event that takes place known as the National Security Seminar (NSS). The resident seminars grow by six to seven members apiece as approximately 160 invited guests from many walks of life across the country join the students to engage in candid dialogue about national security issues, the U.S. military and the viewpoints of the citizenry of the nation. The new seminar members typically have no close association with the military and are invited via a nomination process. The four-day itinerary includes distinguished speakers covering topics of civil-military relations, globalization, foreign policy, international security issues and the role of the United States in the world. The guests are able to attend several social events where the conversation is less formal, and they close their week with a staff ride tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield. In 2022 one of those guests was John Roderick, a musician, singer, songwriter, podcaster and politician. He was in podcast editor Ron Granieri's seminar and he's in the studio today to share his experiences during his four days in Carlisle. This is part one of a two-part episode.

We'll wrap up back to school week at the U.S. Army War College with the re-release of a great discussion between Ed Kaplan, Mike Baim and former Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline E. Whitt, to highlight the contributions of the U.S. Army War College's Eisenhower Series College Program (ESCP). In a time when the nation sees increasing political divides and claims that the civil-military gap is ever widening, this program reaches out to reverse the trend. Ed and Mike explain how each academic year a joint cohort of military officers and national security professionals reach out to colleges and town halls across the nation to introduce War College students to audiences that may have little direct knowledge of the military. Their goal is to have reasoned and thoughtful discussions with the society they serve and protect. And for more than 50 years the Eisenhower Program has succeeded in closing that gap with both the rising and established generations in those communities. Ed Kaplan moved on to become the Dean of the School of Strategic Landpower, but the ESCP is still going strong under the leadership of Col Leon Perkowski in the Department of National Security and Strategy. If you're interested in participating in the program or if your institution is interested in potentially scheduling a speaking engagement with the ESCP, you can contact Col Perkowski at leon.perkowski@armywarcollege.edu

Yesterday began the first full week of instruction for the resident course at the U.S. Army War College. Introductions are done, orientation is over and another year of Boatyard Wars is in the books. Now students will begin to flex intellectual muscles that they may not have stretched for a few years. The editorial team thought we could help get things rolling with the strategic re-release of a few articles and podcast episodes that highlight the Carlisle Experience, the reasons War Colleges exist, useful tools for thinking, and additional programs available throughout the year. In this War Room Podcast, “Why War Colleges?” Andrew A. Hill interviews the 50th Commandant of the U.S. Army College, U.S. Army Major General Bill Rapp to discuss the history, roles, and responsibilities of war colleges to develop future strategic leaders, both military and civilian, and to develop ideas that address current and future needs of the defense enterprise. They explore why the Army’s performance during the Spanish-American War necessitated the Army War College’s founding, and how it has evolved in the century since.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes author and analyst Ali Wyne to the studio for a conversation about the intricacies of the concept of great power competition as a policy framework. He joins our new Editor-In-Chief, J.P Clark, for a fast-paced discussion of the ideas laid out in his new book "America's Great-Power Opportunity: Revitalizing U.S. Foreign Policy to Meet the Challenges of Strategic Competition." It's a fascinating conversation well timed to the actions of both Russia and China and the responses of U.S. leadership.

It's the tail end of the change of command season. Beloved (or not so beloved) commanders are moving on to new opportunities. New faces are taking over, watching, assessing, trying to get a feel for the team and the mission. WAR ROOM isn't a full fledged military organization (think military adjacent) but the time has come for our "change of command." Jacqueline Whitt, our outgoing Editor-In-Chief, is moving on to new and exciting opportunities with the U.S. Department of State and we're taking a moment to hear her final thoughts on her time with WAR ROOM. She's joined in the studio by her successor J.P Clark, a familiar face, longtime friend and former member of the editorial team. Podcast editor Ron Granieri moderates the conversation that renews the purpose of WAR ROOM, examines what the team has been able to accomplish over the last five years and what the future holds. Join us in saying farewell to Jackie and wishing her all the best in her future endeavors and welcoming J.P. as he shares his thoughts for moving forward without missing a beat. And take a read of Jackie's farewell letter we posted yesterday.

From 10-12 May 2022 the War College hosted the first annual Strategic Landpower Symposium. Bringing together students, scholars and practitioners the symposium displayed original research and presented solutions to senior leaders about how landpower can help achieve national objectives in the future. As part of symposium Army leadership asked the United States Army War College Strategic Landpower Integrated Research Project faculty to address the future role of strategic landpower. Taking up that challenge seven members of the USAWC class of 2022 participated in the integrated research project as part of their Masters in Strategic Studies degree research requirement and presented their results at the symposium to amplify their work. A BETTER PEACE has organized two podcast sessions with those students to discuss their projects, their relationship to the strategic landpower symposium and possible implications for the future of U.S. security policy. In the virtual studio for this second episode to discuss shaping the theater are Tim Clark, Curtis Perkins and Tim Sikorski. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss a variety of aspects pertaining to landpower to include the theater army's role in the information environment, sustainment modernization in multi-domain operations and logistics challenges in the INDOPACOM theater. The second annual Strategic Landpower Symposium is set for 9-11 May 2023 and there is a call for papers due by 15 January 2023. Registration can be accomplished online. The theme will be the "Role of Strategic Landpower in Future Joint and Combined Operations." 2023 Strategic Landpower Symposium Home Page - https://csl.armywarcollege.edu/landpower/default.aspx

From 10-12 May 2022 the War College hosted the first Annual Strategic Landpower Symposium. Bringing together students, scholars and practitioners the symposium displayed original research and presented solutions to senior leaders about how landpower can help achieve national objectives in the future. As part of symposium Army leadership asked the United States Army War College Strategic Landpower Integrated Research Project faculty to address the future role of strategic landpower. Taking up that challenge seven members of the USAWC class of 2022 participated in the integrated research project as part of their Masters in Strategic Studies degree research requirement and presented their results at the symposium to amplify their work. A BETTER PEACE has organized two podcast sessions with those students to discuss their projects, their relationship to the strategic landpower symposium and possible implications for the future of U.S. security policy. In the virtual studio for this first episode to discuss shaping the theater are Phil Baker, Gregory Foxx, Kirk Sanders and Carl Zeppengno. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss a variety of aspects pertaining to landpower to include, the National Guard State Partnership Program, special operations persistent forward presence, theater ISR operations and Marine Advance Based Operations alongside Army landpower doctrine. The second annual Strategic Landpower Symposium is set for 9-11 May 2023 and there is a call for papers due by 15 January 2023. Registration can be accomplished online. The theme will be the "Role of Strategic Landpower in Future Joint and Combined Operations." 2023 Strategic Landpower Symposium Home Page - https://csl.armywarcollege.edu/landpower/default.aspx

Looking after your family is a full time job. And all too often it's easy to lose yourself in that job and forget about your own wellbeing. In this episode Faith and Lynda discuss the importance of the often overlooked relationship between mind, body, spirit and the health and wellness of the military spouse. Joining in this story are Giovanna Reyes-Alexander and Payal Talwar. Giovanna is an Army spouse who holds multiple degrees in nutrition and dietetics and has shared her knowledge in these areas with people from across the globe. Payal Talwar is married to a Soldier in the Indian Military and brings her expertise in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Life and Performance coaching and training, and is a Law of Attraction trainer. Learn how to set an intention for the day when you first wake up, because body and mind are part of the same system and have to work in tandem.

If you're new to the military it can be a flurry of bizarre and foreign traditions and actions that make very little sense. Imagine if you're also new to the United States. Join Faith and Lynda for their conversation with Melanie Wilhite, German by birth and an Army spouse by marriage, she is a certified Army Family Team Building Master Trainer. They're joined by Rebecca Lockhart and she adds her perspective as a former Navy brat and current Army Spouse who embraces military life. Military customs, courtesies and traditions provide a welcome sense of belonging to all spouses regardless of rank or experience and comfort in knowing what to expect.