A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

What do a hyper-competitive Monopoly player, an educational methodologist and a U.S. Army War College Faculty member have in common? Well for starters they're all the same person and that combination of skills and interests makes Megan Hennessey the perfect guest on this inaugural WARGAMING ROOM episode of A BETTER PEACE. Megan joins series editor Ken Gilliam in the virtual studio to discuss how wargames tick all the boxes the head of educational methodology looks for. Megan and Ken examine how wargaming gets at breaking down relationship barriers, replicating emotional responses in a safe setting and the ability to track learning in an experiential learning environment.   My strategy was to buy up all the railroads because it was sort of like passive income...but I guess I must have gotten pretty good at it because no one will play with me anymore. Megan J. Hennessey, Ph.D., is the Professor of Educational Methodology at the U.S. Army War College. Ken Gilliam is a colonel in the U.S. Army and Director of Strategic Wargaming at the Center for Strategic Leadership, U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site Photo Description: We don't know what this is. You'd have to ask its creator what they were trying to represent with this conglomeration of LEGO® bricks. That's the beauty of Serious Play®, participants are required to verbalize the physical constructions they make to represent ideas and concepts. Photo Credit: COL Ken Gilliam

Facial recognition technology promises to help law enforcement identify and track suspicious individuals ideally revealing bad actors before they can commit acts of violence or other crimes. The more promising facial recognition becomes as a technology however, the louder grow the voices concerned about the potential invasion of privacy that such mass collection could or would entail. "Only the guilty need worry" may be the comforting reply, but how does a free society protect itself while also protecting the privacy of its citizens? A BETTER PEACE welcomes Mandi Bohrer to examine facial recognition as it currently exists and where it may be going in the future. She joins podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio to discuss the pros and cons of this incredible tool and the measures necessary to ensure that the technology isn't misused. Well, first to clarify, I’m not going to advocate for the DOD using facial recognition at the corner of East and Main in whatever city. Mandi Bohrer is a Lieutenant Colonel and a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army. She is a graduate of the AY20 Resident class of the U.S. Army War College. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

It's a two-for-one on A BETTER PEACE this week. Kara Dixon-Vuic and Jason Vuic join Mike Neiberg in the studio for our ongoing ON WRITING series. Kara and Jason share their varied approaches to writing and discuss what literary collaboration looks like in their house. Two very different authors that write on different topics discuss their takes on research, their writing styles and reading each other's drafts. TRANSCIRPT: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/20-131-TWO-AUTHORS-UNDER-THE-SAME-ROOF-ON-WRITING-Transcript.pdf

It's an election year, and leaving all politics aside, the use of opinion polls is already in full swing by all parties involved. Polling performance in recent years has called the accuracy of polls into question. Was the sample size big enough? Did the questions lead to predictable answers? Who is actually willing to answer the polls, and how many are truthful? A BETTER PEACE welcomes Amanda Cronkhite to the studio to discuss the art and science of opinion polling. She joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine what polls can really tell us if done correctly. TRANSCRIPT: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/20-089-WOULD-YOU-BE-WILLING-TO-ANSWER-A-FEW-QUESTIONS-Transcript1.pdf

"Be All You Can Be", "Army of One", "Army Strong" these are just a few of the most recent slogans used by the U.S. Army Recruiting Command in the last 40 years. The first remained in place for over 20 years. The last was 12 years running. But if the Army is going to meet its recruiting and retention goals it's going to need new and innovative strategies to find and keep, motivated, talented and qualified individuals. David Eckley and Silas Martinez join A BETTER PEACE host Ron Granieri in the studio to discuss innovation in Recruiting Command. As a student in AY20, Eckley realized that during his time as a recruiting battalion commander, he had applied the very same innovation strategy he learned in class. He used that knowledge to outline a plan to ensure innovation doesn't stagnate. I noted that my experience in recruiting command aligned with the innovation implementation strategy that was discussed in in one of our classes. Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eckley is an Army intelligence officer who most recently served as a battalion commander in recruiting command. He holds a Masters degree in geographic and cartographic science from George Mason University and is a graduate of the AY20 Resident Class of the U.S. Army War College. Colonel Silas Martinez has served as Director of Leader Development at the U.S. Army War College since 2017. He holds a PhD in industrial organizational psychology from Wright State University and is a 2015 Army War College graduate. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: A collage of U.S. Army Recruiting posters throughout the years. Photo Credit: U.S. Army

Born of an idea first uttered in October 1960 at an impromptu speech by then Senator John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps was officially established on 1 March 1961. In its first year Peace Corps volunteers served in just 5 countries. Six short years later 14,500 volunteers had served in 55 countries around the world. To date more than 240,000 volunteers have served in 142 host countries. Due to COVID-19, all of those volunteers have been recalled to the United States. But that doesn't stop former volunteers from singing the praises of the program and its great works. A BETTER PEACE welcomes four volunteers of the Peace Corps organization "To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans" the third goal of the organization. Brad Arsenault, Steven Saum, Maricarmen Smith-Martinez, and Joby Taylor all join our podcast editor Ron Granieri in the studio to discuss their Peace Corps experiences. It is their hope to inspire the next generation to selfless service so that once the pandemic is managed, the Peace Corps can continue its mission "To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women" and "To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served." TRANSCRIPT: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/20-099-TOWARDS-A-BETTER-UNDERSTANDING-OF-OTHER-PEOPLES-Transcript.pdf

Imagine taking a graduate level program in a foreign country in a different language from your native tongue. Now imaging stepping it up and enrolling in the one class that does it completely differently from all the rest, and prides itself on significantly challenging its students to think and behave in a manner that forces them outside their comfort zone daily. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Khaled Al Khalifa, a Bahraini Army officer that did just that during his academic year in Carlisle. Khaled joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss his experience as an International Fellow in the AY20 Resident class at the U.S. Army War College who elected to join the prestigious Carlisle Scholars Program. When we go through committees and we go through student centered instruction...instruction that is led by students themselves we are practicing strategy, we are practicing the practical side of what we are being taught Developing Strategists: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Interwar Army War College Khaled Al Khalifa is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Bahrain Defence Force, a participant of the Carlisle Scholar Program and a graduate of the AY20 Resident course of the U.S. Army War College. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: (Top) The 1928 class of the U.S. Army War College, in which (L) Dwight D. Eisenhower was a student (Bottom) The International Fellows of the AY20 Resident class of the U.S. Army War College, in which (R) Khaled Al Khalifa was a student. Photo Credit: All photos U.S. Army

The citizen soldiers of the Army's National Guard component often lead different lives from their active duty counterparts. Geographically tied to their state units, they often live out their entire career in their home states spared of the constant moves the rest of the military endures. Guard units in years past have been overlooked for equipment modernization and training. But the wars that the United States has been involved in since 2001 have changed a great deal of those historic missteps. What once was a strategic reserve has now found itself with a much larger operational role. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Mike Flaherty and Pete Helzer, two graduates of the AY20 Resident Class of the Army War College, and guardsmen form Ohio and Oregon respectively. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss their experiences throughout their careers and during their time in Carlisle. Mike and Pete share what they learned during their academic year and what they hope their active duty counterparts may have learned about the National Guard. This was our first podcast episode conducted remotely during the pandemic as you'll hear noted in the intro. We greatly appreciate Mike and Pete's patience as we worked through the process to utilize this capability. I know folks who are self-employed, own their own companies and well, they certainly have the flexibility to deal with themself as their employer, their business suffers, and in many cases, that can be unrecoverable. Pete Helzer is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Oregon Army National Guard. Mike Flaherty is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ohio Army National Guard. Both of them are graduates of the AY20 Resident Class of the U.S. War College.  Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: (Top Left) Roughly 400 troops with the Winder-based 1st Battalion of the 121st Infantry Regiment advised and assisted Afghan security forces in 2019. (Top Right) Maj. Brent R. Taylor, 39, who was killed during an insider attack in Kabul on 3 Nov 18, was the mayor of North Ogden, a husband, and a father to seven young children. He epitomized the citizen soldier as a Utah National Guardsmen. (Bottom Right) Maj. Timothy A. Doherty of the 148th Medical Company, Georgia Army National Guard, helps a man up from a school building near downtown New Orleans after being stranded by the flood waters that ravished the city. The Army National Guard was mobilized to take part in Joint Task Force Katrina, a humanitarian assistance operation in an effort led by the Department of Defense in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Bottom Left) The First Muster by Don Troiani for the state of Massachusetts, 1637. First Muster, Spring 1637, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The birth of the United States National Guard Photo Credit:(Top Left) U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Casey Nelsen (Top Right) Unknown (Bottom Right) U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate First Class (AW) Brien Aho, Fleet Combat Camera, Atlantic (Bottom Left) Don Troiani

If anyone still doubts how integral the Internet is to daily life then shut off your modem or put your phone in airplane mode in the midst of the current pandemic social distancing exercise. Now try and pay a bill, study for a course, contact friends or family, stream a movie -- you get the idea. But that's just the beginning of cyber's reach into your world. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Joe Atkinson and Richard D'Angelo to the studio to discuss their experiences in the cyber arena as a Marine JAG officer and an Army Signals Officer. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine just how much society takes for granted and worse how little the average individual understands about cyberspace and the threats that lurk behind every bit and byte. I don't know if everybody truly appreciates how interconnected everything is and relies on cyberspace... and I don't know if we truly appreciate how vulnerable we can be to malignant actors Joseph Atkinson is a Lieutenant Colonel and a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a graduate of the AY20 Resident Class of the U.S. Army War College. Richard D'Angelo is a Lieutenant Colonel and a Signal Officer in the U.S. Army.He is a graduate of the AY20 Resident Class of the U.S. Army War College. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Credit: Image by kalhh from Pixabay

Organizational culture, on its face, is a relatively easy concept to understand; who "we" are as an organization is defined by the underlying beliefs, assumptions, and values - spoken and unspoken - held by the members, leadership and the organization as a whole. Truly understanding and identifying those beliefs, assumptions and values can be incredibly difficult. And when members hold or are exposed to conflicting ideas within that organization it can lead to morale, discipline and behavior issues that can tear a unit apart if not addressed. A BETTER PEACE welcomes the leadership of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) (1SFC(A)) MG John Brennan, BG Steve Marks and COL Ed Croot to the studio to discuss Croot's recent study accomplished during his War College Fellowship in AY20. The Commanding General, Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff join podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine the current identity crisis that 1SFC(A) is undergoing and way ahead as explained in Ed's work. We have to have a common vision of who we are and what we are for. That goes from the recruiting piece all the way through onboarding once they are in their unit of action, all the way through to retirement really. There is an Identity Crisis in Special Forces: Who are the Green Berets Supposed to Be? by COL Edward C. Croot, U.S. Army Special Forces MG John Brennan is the Commanding General of 1st Special Forces Command. He has served in the Special Operations community since completing the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1995 and is a graduate of NC State University, the Air Command and Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College Fellows Program at UNC Chapel Hill. BG Steve Marks is the Deputy Commanding General of 1st Special Forces Command. The majority of his 28 years of service have been within Special Operations units, and he is a graduate of the University of Missouri, the Army’s Command and General Staff College, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the U.S. Naval War College. COL Ed Croot is the command’s Chief of Staff. He is a Green Beret with 25 years of service in the Army, and he recently completed the Counterterrorism and Public Policy Fellowship at Duke University where he conducted research on the current culture and identity of the U.S. Army Special Forces. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: (Foreground) 1SFC(A) Logo. (Background) Soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School stand in formation after donning their green berets for the first time during a Regimental First Formation at Fort Bragg, North Carolina July 9, 2020. The ceremony marked the completion of the Special Forces Qualification Course where Soldiers earned the honor of wearing the green beret, the official headgear of Special Forces. Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by K. Kassens