A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

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

The J in JPME stands for joint. In order to qualify for joint accreditation each senior service college and the National Defense University are mandated by CJCS instruction to include a proportional number of students and faculty from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Each year hundreds of senior officers attend the college of another service and they find themselves confronted with a whole new world of traditions, culture, acronyms and terms. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Henry Wicks, a member of the Navy element and graduate of the AY20 Resident class at the U.S. Army War College. Henry joins podcast editor Ron Granieri as they discuss what it's like to be a representative of the U.S. Navy and naval warfare to the School of Strategic Landpower. Henry explains the differences he expected to find in Carlisle along with the vast number of things that are very much the same regardless of uniform or service component. So, it's actually been kind of nice to be at Carlisle because for the first time in many years I actually have a chance to see mountains, don't tend to be a lot of mountains right next to the ocean where the Navy has submarine bases. Henry Wicks is a Commander and Submarine Officer in the U.S. Navy. He is a graduate of the AY20 Resident Class of the U.S. Army War College and has entered the prospective commanding officer pipeline to be the Commanding Officer (Gold Crew) of the U.S.S. Maryland (SSBN-738). 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: The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maryland (SSBN 738) transits the Saint Marys River. Maryland returned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay following routine operations. KINGS BAY, Ga. (Aug. 1, 2012) Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Kimber/Released

In the last decade the U.S. Army reserve component has moved from a strategic to an operational reserve. This has driven a clear requirement for greater reserve integration amongst the active component. To accomplish this the Army and the Joint force have expanded the use of multi component units (MCUs) to improve efficiency and readiness across the active and reserve components of the DoD. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Darren Buss and Rick Giarusso to discuss the employment of MCUs in support of the the Army and Joint missions in keeping with the Total Force Policy. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to explain the challenges and successes of marrying up the different components in support of real world missions. Transcript: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/20-043-MULTI-COMPONENT-UNITS-MAXIMIZING-THE-TOTAL-FORCE-Transcript.pdf

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Alexandra Richie, internationally acclaimed and award-winning writer and historian, and one of the world's foremost experts on World War II in Europe. Richie joined Michael Neiberg to discuss her studies and books on both German history as viewed from Berlin, and the Warsaw Uprising. Their conversation covered how she first started writing and how her study of classical music years earlier aided her mindset and method of writing. The interview took place at the new U.S. National World War II Museum in New Orleans. TRANSCRIPT: https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/19-198-THE-MORE-BEAUTIFUL-QUESTION-ALEXANDRA-RICHIE-ON-WRITING-Transcript.pdf

Playboy magazine first hit newsstands in December 1953, so it was quite well established by the time the United States joined the conflict in Vietnam. Derided by a portion of the population as disgraceful smut, the common retort from the men who perused the sordid pages was "I just read it for the articles." A BETTER PEACE welcomes Amber Batura to the studio as she discusses Playboy's place amongst soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines during the Vietnam conflict. She joins our Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to explore how the articles and interviews the magazine presented truly were a lifeline to home, relaying the thoughts and concerns of the citizenry these military members represented. With subjects like Stanley Kubrick, Martin Luther King Jr., Nabokov, Ayn Rand, Muhammad Ali and Ralph Nader it's hard to deny that Playboy captured some of the most popular voices of the time. And perhaps there were other features that attracted the attention of young men in a far off land. But mostly they read it for the articles. I was in a small village outside of Hanoi when we ran across a Playboy store...and so I decided I have to know why this is here and why is it still here. Why is it branding the war basically?   Amber Batura is an Instructor at Texas Tech University. She researches gender, sexuality and popular culture's influence on soldiers in the US military. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. 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 soldier spends his off time reading the Jul '69 edition of Playboy magazine. Location unknown. Photo Credit:Photographer and subject unknown. Believed public domain. Please contact warroomeditors@gmail.com for credit or removal

When you talk about the millennial generation a lot of them want some kind of fulfillment out of the work that they're doing and not feel like they're just gonna be a cog in the machine. In September of 2019 we introduced you to the Eisenhower Series College Program. Members of the Eisenhower Program began the year on the road visiting colleges and universities, interacting with audiences often unfamiliar with members of the U.S. Military. Unfortunately the DOD's Travel Policy, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, has curtailed the Spring schedule for the program. It is our hope at WAR ROOM to bring you a glimpse of what some of those presentations might have looked like via A BETTER PEACE: The WAR ROOM Podcast. The first three episodes discussed diversity and inclusivity in the military and social media's impact on national security and technology's role on the battlefield. In this fourth and final episode of the series A BETTER PEACE editor Ron Granieri is joined by three members of the U.S. Army War College AY20 resident course Aaron Sadusky, Eric Swenson and Melissa Wardlaw. The four of them discuss the relationship between higher education in the United States and the military. Their conversation ranges from compulsory national service, to the impact of current education standards on the military recruiting pool and the all volunteer force, to a free 13th and 14th grade. Aaron Sadusky is a Lieutenant Colonel and a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army. Eric Swenson is a Colonel and an Engineer in the U.S. Army. Melissa Wardlaw is a Lieutenant Colonel and a Medical Operations officer in the U.S. Army. All three of them are graduates of the AY20 resident class at 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: AmeriCorps is potentially one of the national service options spoken of in this episode. It is a network of national service programs, made up of three primary programs that each take a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. Members commit their time to address critical community needs like increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting poverty, sustaining national parks, preparing for disasters, and more. Photo Credit: Photographer unknown Also of possible interest The Martial Citizen "Inspired to Serve" Final Report "Inspired to Serve" Executive Summary Other releases in the "Eisenhower Series": PARTNER AND COMPETITOR: MANAGING THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIPALLIES AND INFLUENCE: CONVERSATIONS FROM THE EISENHOWER SERIESTHE REAL FOREVER WAR: THE WAR ON DRUGS(EISENHOWER SERIES)GREAT POWER COMPETITION: ALLIANCES IN INDOPACOM (EISENHOWER SERIES)PRESERVING DOMESTIC SECURITY (EISENHOWER SERIES)OBSERVATIONS FROM NATO’S NORTHERN FRONT REVISITED (EISENHOWER SERIES)THE EISENHOWER SERIES COLLEGE PROGRAM: 50 YEARS OF OUTREACH(BACK TO SCHOOL)TO WHAT END? INTERESTS AND VALUES IN AFGHANISTAN(EISENHOWER SERIES)RECONSIDERING GREAT POWER COMPETITION(EISENHOWER SERIES)STRATEGY FROM THE INSIDE OUT(EISENHOWER SERIES)SERVICE TO THE NATION: CLOSING THE CIVIL-MILITARY DIVIDE(EISENHOWER SERIES)NEW WEAPONS FOR NEW DOMAINS?(EISENHOWER SERIES)SOCIAL MEDIA: GOOD MEDICINE OR A BAD PILL (EISENHOWER SERIES)THE EISENHOWER SERIES COLLEGE PROGRAM: 50 YEARS OF OUTREACH