A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Chris Dougherty and Becca Wasser from The Gaming Lab at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). Chris and Becca join host Ken Gilliam in our special series the WARGAMING ROOM to discuss the efforts and contributions of CNAS to the gaming world. The three discuss how strategic gaming is used to shape the choices of leaders in government policy, industry and academia. It's one thing to know a thing to have read it in a book or to see it on a PowerPoint slide. It's another thing to actually go through the experience of living it in a game and experiencing it. Chris Dougherty is a Senior Fellow in the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. His research areas include defense strategy, strategic assessments, force planning, and wargaming. Becca Wasser is a fellow in the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. Her research areas include wargaming, force posture and management, and U.S. defense strategy. She is also an adjunct instructor at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she teaches an undergraduate course on wargaming. 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. Photo Description: The logo of The Gaming Lab at CNAS. The Gaming Lab at CNAS makes innovative unclassified games and exercises on a range of challenging national security issues. Experts at the Gaming Lab design and conduct these activities for leaders in government, policy, industry, and academia. Photo Credit: This is a copyrighted image used courtesy of the Center for a New American Security Other releases in the "Wargaming Room" series: WAR FIGHTING, WAR THINKINGSIMULATING DIPLOMATIC DISASTER (WARGAMING ROOM)BETTER STRATEGY? IT’S ALL IN THE GAME(WARGAMING ROOM)WARGAMING IN THE SEMINAR: A STUDENT’S VIEW (WARGAMING ROOM)NOT JUST WAR GAMES: SIMULATING CRISIS NEGOTIATIONS (WARGAMING ROOM)A LABORATORY FOR MILITARY PROFESSIONALS (WARGAMING ROOM)GAMES, PLAY, AND THE AFFECTIVE DOMAIN (WARGAMING ROOM)READINESS IS PRIORITY #1, BUT READY FOR WHAT? (WARGAMING ROOM)

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Adam Seipp to discuss the world of Cold War literature. Adam's previous article in our DUSTY SHELVES series reviewed Sir John Hackett's 1978 best seller, The Third World War: August 1985. Hackett, deemed both the heir to Pat Frank and Neville Shute and also the ancestor of Tom Clancy and so many others, is at the center of this episode. Adam is joined by DUSTY SHELVES editor, Tom Bruscino, and podcast editor Ron Granieri in the virtual studio. The three look at the allure of the dark topic of the Cold War apocalypse story and the growth of the military techno-thriller. The book may not be a literary classic, but it sold quite well thanks to a breathless ad campaign that included the blurb 'This book occupies a place under the Bible on President Carter's desk.' Prof. Adam Seipp Is Assistant Provost for Graduate and Professional Studies as well as Professor of History and Associate Department Head at Texas A & M University. His research focuses on war and social change in modern Germany, transatlantic relations, and the history of the Holocaust. His most recent books are Strangers in the Wild Place: Refugees, Americans, and a German Town, 1945-1952 (2013) and Modern Germany in Transatlantic Perspective (2017) co-edited with Michael Meng. Thomas Bruscino is an Associate Professor in the Department of Military, Strategy, Planning and Operations at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of the DUSTY SHELVES series. 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: General Sir John Winthrop Hackett GCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC (5 November 1910 – 9 September 1997) Photo Credit: Artist Unknown

A BETTER PEACE welcomes back Ken Gilliam for another installment of the WARGAMING ROOM. In this episode Ken sits down with Doug Winton, the chair of the Department of Military Strategy, Planning and Operations (DMSPO) at the U.S. Army War College. Ken and Doug discuss War College games like JOINT OVERMATCH and MDO 1943. They examine the history of the games and their incorporation into the DMSPO curriculum to include the benefits as well as the limitations based on the time constraints and faculty experience of the resident program. We're different than biologists or chemists or physicists because we don't have a laboratory where we can learn and develop new knowledge. Doug Winton is a colonel in the U.S. Army and the Chair of the Department of Military Strategy, Planning and Operations (DMSPO) and the Henry L. Stimson Chair of Military Studies at the U.S. Army War College. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. 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. Photo Description: MDO 1943 gameboard Photo Credit: COL Ken Gilliam

The United States has identified drug trafficking, drug use, and drug manufacturing as important issues -- domestically and internationally. In recent years, the opioid crisis has been at the center of many U.S. government efforts. Overdoses due to synthetic drugs have been on the rise for the past decade with fentanyl and its derivatives squarely at the heart of the issue. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Heidi Munro to the virtual studio to discuss how this once legal prescription painkiller has become a national crisis leading to criminal activity, tragedy for families across the country and a point of contention in international relations. Heidi joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine this issue's impact on national security, the military's involvement in possible management of the issue and where the nation goes from here. The military treats illicit drugs and narcotic trade as a crime, so it's a transnational crime. So because of that they don't really have a way to act on it. Heidi Munro is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Idaho Army National Guard where she is currently serving as the state's joint medical planner for COVID-19. She is also the Administrative Officer for the Medical Detachment and full-time clinician for the Office of the State Surgeon. She is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College resident class of AY20. 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:Two milligrams of fentanyl, a lethal dose in most people Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Drug Enforcement Agency

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Pulitzer nominated journalist and author Stephen Vogel to the virtual studio to talk about his path to authorship and his love of history. Steve joins our own Michael Neiberg to discuss the differences between his role as a journalist versus his style as a narrative historical author and how that differs even further from academic historical accounts. They both lament the future lack of written first hand accounts as the world moves forward in this day and age of electronic communications and what that means for historical accounts of present day. I wish I could say I really knew what was going to happen. But the truth is, a friend of mine wanted to go to Oktoberfest and I said, "Oh well, I'll go with you. we'll go to Oktoberfest and I'm going to stick around and, you know, try my luck at freelancing." Steve Vogel is the author of Through The Perilous Fight, The Pentagon: A History and Betrayal in Berlin. He is a veteran journalist who has written extensively for The Washington Post about military affairs and the treatment of veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Michael Neiberg is the Chair of War Studies at the 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. Photo Description: 1988 photo of graffiti on the West side of the Berlin wall before its fall Photo Credit:Thomas Panter (Panterdesign) Other releases in the "On Writing" series: BEYOND VIETNAM: SUNK COSTS IN PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGYEXPLOITING THE VOID: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MODERN PROPAGANDA(ON WRITING)COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELS (RE-RELEASE)ON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECT (RE-RELEASE)FIGHTING TOGETHER: THE CANADIAN-AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP IN WORLD WAR II(ON WRITING)THE SCHOLAR AND THE STRATEGIST:SIR HEW STRACHAN(ON WRITING)COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELSON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECTUNDERSTANDING RUSSIAN CULTURE: JADE McGLYNN(ON WRITING)CHINA’S SHIFTING HISTORY: STEPHEN PLATT (ON WRITING)UNDERSTANDING CHINA THROUGH ITS RECRAFTED PAST: RANA MITTER (ON WRITING)WRITING ON A DEADLINE: SHASHANK JOSHI (ON WRITING)REAGAN AS THE PEACEMAKER: WILL INBODEN(ON WRITING)RUSSIAN IMPERIAL HISTORY-THEN AND NOW: ALEXANDER MIKABERIDZE(ON WRITING)TAKING COMMAND: TAMI DAVIS BIDDLE(ON WRITING)HOW TO WRITE THE HISTORY THAT HASN’T ENDED: IAN ONA JOHNSON(ON WRITING)AS TIME GOES BY: UNDERSTANDING FREE & VICHY FRANCE (ON WRITING)SHIFTING MENTAL GEARS: PHILIP CAPUTO (ON WRITING)GENERAL HISTORY: H.R. McMASTER (ON WRITING)WHEN A GENERAL WRITES FOR THE GENERALIST (ON WRITING)TWO AUTHORS UNDER THE SAME ROOF (ON WRITING)THE MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: ALEXANDRA RICHIE (ON WRITING)FACT AND FICTION: THE RECOUNTING OF WWII WITH JAMES HOLLAND (ON WRITING)THE U.S. ARMY IN THE 20TH CENTURY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN LINN (ON WRITING)LIBERATION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE LIBERATED (ON WRITING)PARIS 1919: A CONVERSATION WITH MARGARET MACMILLAN (ON WRITING)THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING BIOGRAPHIES (ON WRITING)FINDING “WOW” MOMENTS (AND OTHER WRITING TIPS FOR SENIOR LEADERS) (ON WRITING)THE ART OF WRITING HISTORY (ON WRITING)

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