A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

Ever wonder what goes into the President's Daily Brief (PDB)? It's not your average morning news. Stephanie Sellers, a former PDB briefer, is currently the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Representative to the U.S. Army War College and the General Walter Bedell Smith Chair of National Intelligence Studies. She joins host Ron Granieri to share her experiences, and describes the job as trying to keep up with “17 different soap operas at once.” This crucial intelligence update is delivered to the president and other senior government leaders, shaping their understanding of critical issues. Sellers, who previously worked on missile systems for the Navy, joined the CIA after 9/11 out of a desire to continue to serve her country and to use and grow her technical and leadership skills in new and exciting assignments. Her journey to becoming a PDB briefer was fueled by a desire for challenge and the opportunity to work at "the nexus of intelligence and policy."

Retired Rear Admiral Paul Becker, a former intelligence officer with decades of experience, discusses the pivotal role of intelligence in U.S. Homeland Security. He highlights the unique challenges of applying intelligence domestically, emphasizing the importance of legal and ethical considerations. Becker also addresses the critical need for interagency coordination, information sharing, and public trust. Additionally, he warns of the growing cyber threats from China to critical infrastructure, urging for proactive strategies to shield against these dangers.

The successful adoption of new technology in the military depends on the organization's culture, the technology's applicability and ease of incorporation into existing systems and processes, and, perhaps most importantly, the leadership guiding the transformation. Dan Gregorio and Andy Knight join host Tom Spahr to discuss the I Corps’s adoption of the Maven Smart System to enhance mission command. Gregorio and Knight discuss the practical technical and leadership actions necessary to introduce a major new capability to the headquarters in just six weeks. Maven Smart System provides a unified interface for data sharing and enables commanders to visualize, act, and direct operations in real-time. Overall, the case is a good example of transformation in contact to significantly enhance lethality.

In 2017, the U.S. Army established Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) to organize, train, equip, and advise foreign security forces. Tom Spahr spoke with two former SFAB commanders, Dustin Blair and Jon Post, to discuss the development of these brigades, their role in great power competition, and their potential use in future large-scale combat operations. Blair and Post emphasized the importance of SFABs in building relationships with partner nations and enhancing interoperability. They also stressed the need for continued investment to ensure the SFABs' long-term success.

On 3 February 2025, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) hosted the former commander of U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, USMC, Retired, to discuss his book "The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century." Joined by Tom Spahr on stage they discussed his experience as a combatant commander and the challenges of leadership in wartime. Their conversation emphasized the importance of history and its influence on senior leader decision-making. The presentation examined the drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian Quds Force commander, the raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the challenges faced during the evacuation from Kabul.

The complex and evolving relationship between the military and the media has spanned various periods in U.S. history. In a discussion with War Room editor-in-chief JP Clark, Thomas Crosbie, author of The Political Army: How the U.S. Military Learned to Manage the Media and Public Opinion, explores how the military has grappled with integrating media considerations into its operations. Crosbie examines how figures like George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, and Matthew Ridgway navigated media relations, highlighting the challenges of balancing transparency and control. Their conversation delves into the impact of the Vietnam War on military-media relations, when attempts to manage the media often backfired.

Joe O'Callaghan, former Chief of Fires in the XVIII Airborne Corps and a key architect of the Maven Smart System, dives into the transformative power of AI in military operations. He explains how the Maven Smart System enhances intelligence analysis, targeting, and logistics. The conversation highlights the collaboration between military leaders and the commercial sector, the challenges of data integrity, and the evolution of military culture towards data-driven decision-making. O'Callaghan also discusses the role of innovative leadership in embracing these technological advancements.

It's time for another episode in our On Writing series. Host Michael Neiberg is joined in the studio by Tim Cook, the chief historian at the Canadian War Museum. Tim emphasizes the importance of making history accessible to the public, which involves finding compelling ways to tell stories and connect with readers. Their discussion covers Cook's latest book, "The Good Allies," which explores the relationship between Canada and the United States during World War II. Cook highlights the challenges of writing a book that is both chronological and thematic, and the importance of situating historical events within their specific time period. He explains that while there is an abundance of literature on World War II, he seeks to find unique angles and approaches to the topic.

The Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC), also known as international humanitarian law (IHL), is a set of rules that govern warfare and aim to minimize harm to civilians and non-combatants. Alexandra Meise joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine the development of LOAC, which stems from treaties like the Geneva Conventions, domestic laws of individual states, and the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court. Their conversation delves into war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression. Alexandra emphasizes the importance of LOAC in providing a framework for accountability in the chaos of war, even if enforcement can be challenging. She stresses that despite its limitations, LOAC serves as a reminder that even in conflict, there must be rules to protect human life and dignity.

Andrew Hill and Steve Gerras return to the studio with host Tom Spahr to further explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in national defense. This episode delves into the critical question of human oversight in lethal force decisions with AI assistance. Join the debate as they dissect the potential consequences of over-reliance on human intuition and the bottlenecks human intervention can create in the process. They emphasize the need for transparency and open dialogue about AI's role in warfare. Steve and Andrew urge listeners to confront their own assumptions and engage in this crucial conversation. It's a great wrap-up to the topic and companion to their compelling three-part article.