A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

HISTORY IS NOT A BOX OF FACTS, IT IS A STATE OF MIND History teaches us ____________." Many listeners have probably heard that opening a few times, usually followed by a claim that is apparently profound and timely, but also probably poorly supported and problematic. Why does this construction persist, then? Is it because of an innate human quest for simple answers to intractable problems? Or is it because leaders believe that history repeats itself? Is it because we misunderstand how historical thinking should shape contemporary decisions? Misconceptions about the purpose, processes, and even the meaning of the word history abound. The roles and approaches of historians are similarly misunderstood. So what is history and what does it teach us -- or not? U.S. Army War College faculty members Con Crane, Jacqueline E. Whitt, and Andrew A. Hill discuss and critique this very question and what it means to be historically-minded. For one to learn from history, one may have to re-learn what history really is.   Con Crane is a military historian with the Army Heritage and Education Center. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. Andrew A. Hill is Chair of Strategic Leadership 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: U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps perform during the 2017 Military Appreciation Weekend at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Ismael Ortega

Every major thread in the world's wisdom has some aspect of contemplative practice in it How can senior leaders cope with the overwhelming amount of information and constant high demand for complex decision making and action? A recognized barrier is a natural limitation of a leader's ability to focus on the situation at hand. Instead, the mind wanders. The possible negative effects of distraction are many--from misinterpreting current events to sending non-verbal cues such as disinterest and lack of empathy--and can have a significant impact on senior leader performance. One technique for improving one's abilities in this area is mindfulness training, presented in this podcast by renowned expert Dr. Amishi Jha of the University of Miami. WAR ROOM Social Media editor Buck Haberichter moderates.   Amishi Jha is Associate Professor of Psychology from the University of Miami, Florida. Buck Haberichter is the WAR ROOM Social Media Editor. 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: David Cassalato, via Pexels.com

We definitely want leaders that know how to win A BETTER PEACE welcomes Admiral John Richardson, the 31st Chief of Naval Operations, to present his perspectives on strategic leadership. Admiral Richardson's talk focuses on the qualities necessary to lead in an environment of growing great power competition -- integrity, toughness, accountability, and initiative. How should leader develop these qualities, and what are the roles of military institutions to foster them? WAR ROOM Podcast Editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Admiral John Richardson is the 31st Chief of Naval Operations. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. 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: The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57), right, provides a warm welcome to the French tall ship replica the Hermione in the vicinity of the Battle of Virginia Capes off the East Coast of the United States. The original Hermione brought French General Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1780 to inform General Washington of France's alliance and impending support of the American Revolutionary War. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Sandberg Other Releases in the Leader Perspectives series: A CONVERSATION WITH THE HONORABLE MELISSA DALTON OF DEFENSE POLICYCAMPAIGNING IN THE PACIFIC: A CONVERSATION WITH GEN FLYNNA TRANSATLANTIC PERSPECTIVE ON NATO (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)OBSERVATIONS FROM NATO’S NORTHERN FRONT (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)ALLIES ARE MORE THAN FRIENDS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)THE CHALLENGES OF KEEPING SPACE SECURE (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)TENSIONS AND PARADOXES FACING SENIOR LEADERS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEADING AND WINNING IN GREAT POWER COMPETITION (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE CLASSICS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)WHAT IT TAKES FOR COLONELS TO BE SUCCESSFUL (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)BALANCING BETWEEN CIVILIAN LIFE AND SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL GUARD“WHAT GOT YOU HERE WON’T GET YOU THERE” — AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES FOR LEADERSWHEN THE MILITARY IS NOT IN CHARGE: DEFENSE SUPPORT TO CIVIL AUTHORITIESWHAT DOES ‘SUCCESS’ MEAN AS A STRATEGIC LEADER?STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND CHANGING THE US ARMY IN EUROPETHE CHALLENGES OF SENIOR LEADER COMMUNICATIONTHE SENIOR NCO AS A STRATEGIC LEADERSTRATEGIC LEADERSHIP FROM AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVEWHAT DO THE BRITS THINK OF AMERICAN OFFICERS?PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP — GEN. ROBIN RAND, U.S. AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMANDGROWING AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY

The Europeans should not be happy about [the US withdrawal] ... even if it is a good thing for the U.S. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (also known as INF) has garnered significant attention in the latter half of 2018 as President Trump announced that the US would withdraw from it. But before then, the INF was rather obscure and not well known. Thus, A BETTER PEACE explores the history of the INF and the controversies and implications of withdrawing from it in a two-part podcast series. In the second release, we welcome Rob Farley, a U.S. Army War College Visiting Professor from the University of Kentucky who is an expert in nuclear matters. He explains the rationale on both sides of the controversy -- why to stay in the treaty and why to withdraw, and how withdrawal could impact other powers such as China and Europe. U.S. Army War College Professor of Strategy Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.   Rob Farley is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Kentucky and Visiting Professor at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: Three single-stage Pershing II missiles prepared for launch at McGregor Range, 1987 Photo Credit: Frank Trevino/Department of Defense/American Forces Information Service, Defense Visual Information Center, public domain

The INF was a successful treaty, in that it was fully implemented. ... [and it was] intended not to be easy to pull out The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (also known as INF) has garnered significant attention in the latter half of 2018 as President Trump announced that the US would withdraw from it. But before then, the INF was rather obscure and not well known. Thus, A BETTER PEACE explores the history of the INF and the controversies and implications of withdrawing from it in a two-part podcast series. This release is the first, in which we welcome Grace Stettenbauer, a former State Department Foreign Service Officer and former instructor at the Army War College. She had experience with the verification and monitoring processes involved in the INF in the early days of the treaty. In her conversation with U.S. Army War College Professor of Strategy Jacqueline E. Whitt, she explains what the INF was about and what was desirable and undesirable about it.   Grace Stettenbauer is a former foreign service officer and former faculty member of the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room of the White House, 1987. Photo Credit: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, public domain

How do you explain how well-intentioned, patriotic, bright people make poor judgments that lead to so much suffering? Historian and U.S. Naval Academy Professor Brian VanDeMark joins the podcast to discuss his acclaimed new book, Road to Disaster: A New History of America's Descent into Vietnam.  How do advances in cognitive psychology help explain how intelligent, well-intentioned leaders led America into the tragedy of Vietnam? What lessons does this hold for our own era? In this podcast, Brian VanDeMark talks about his book, discussing how factors such as incomplete information, unchallenged assumptions, lack of creative thinking, and short-sightedness led to a compounding of errors by the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. WAR ROOM Editor-in-Chief Andrew Hill moderates.   Brian VanDeMark is Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy. Andrew A. Hill is WAR ROOM Editor-in-Chief. 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 the Department of Defense. Photo: Secretary of State Dean Rusk, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara at a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Photo Credit: Yochi Yokamoto, Executive Office of the President of the U.S., public domain

Napoleon stands out in history for being an individual who understood the interplay between war and politics WAR ROOM welcomes Lieutenant General Christopher Cavoli, Commander of U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, to discuss his perspectives on strategic leadership. In this interview, he uses the examples of prominent historical figures to describe the qualities of strong strategic leaders, and the importance of reading classic texts as a way of better understanding today's national security issues. He shows the importance of taking the time to read and reflect, and not give military history a rushed, cursory look. WAR ROOM Podcast Editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.   Christopher Cavoli is a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army and Commander, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. 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: U.S. Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and Polish soldiers pose for a photo at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania, Sept. 3, 2018. U.S. Army leaders of 2-5 Cav, 1st ABCT, 1st CD met with Polish soldiers to discuss future joint training opportunities in support of Atlantic Resolve, an enduring training exercise between NATO and U.S. forces Photo Credit: U.S. Army National Guard photo by SPC Hannah Tarkelly, 382nd Public Affairs Detachment, 1st ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division Other Releases in the Leader Perspectives series: A CONVERSATION WITH THE HONORABLE MELISSA DALTON OF DEFENSE POLICYCAMPAIGNING IN THE PACIFIC: A CONVERSATION WITH GEN FLYNNA TRANSATLANTIC PERSPECTIVE ON NATO (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)OBSERVATIONS FROM NATO’S NORTHERN FRONT (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)ALLIES ARE MORE THAN FRIENDS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)THE CHALLENGES OF KEEPING SPACE SECURE (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)TENSIONS AND PARADOXES FACING SENIOR LEADERS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEADING AND WINNING IN GREAT POWER COMPETITION (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE CLASSICS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)WHAT IT TAKES FOR COLONELS TO BE SUCCESSFUL (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)BALANCING BETWEEN CIVILIAN LIFE AND SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL GUARD“WHAT GOT YOU HERE WON’T GET YOU THERE” — AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES FOR LEADERSWHEN THE MILITARY IS NOT IN CHARGE: DEFENSE SUPPORT TO CIVIL AUTHORITIESWHAT DOES ‘SUCCESS’ MEAN AS A STRATEGIC LEADER?STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND CHANGING THE US ARMY IN EUROPETHE CHALLENGES OF SENIOR LEADER COMMUNICATIONTHE SENIOR NCO AS A STRATEGIC LEADERSTRATEGIC LEADERSHIP FROM AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVEWHAT DO THE BRITS THINK OF AMERICAN OFFICERS?PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP — GEN. ROBIN RAND, U.S. AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMANDGROWING AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY

The promise of much of this outsourcing was to reduce cost. ... but the total costs [of all contracts] have gone up. So contracts are not cheaper The joint force has long depended on the private sector to provide necessary goods and services to support and sustain the warfight. This has been true since the days of the American Revolution, but reliance on contracted support has steadily increased over time. Business interests, emergence of dual-use technologies and commodities (e.g., tents), and political pressures have shaped this relationship. Has the promise been realized of cost savings due to contracting under conditions of private sector competition? Or, has the dependence on the private sector caused overall costs to increase? Addressing these and other questions are Dr. Jennifer Mittelstadt of Rutgers University and former U.S. Army War College faculty member, and Dr. Jacqueline E. Whitt, Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College.     Jen Mittelstadt is Professor of Political and Military History at Rutgers University and former Harold K. Johnson Chair of Military History at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo: Scene from the 2014 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting. U.S. Army photo.

At its best, integrating women or any new group of people makes you re-evaluate where the Army is as a whole The current discourse on the inclusion of women in combat roles follows a long history of questions surrounding the roles and restrictions afforded to women in the military. Positive change often came about out of necessity, as the demands of war exceeded available manpower, leading to opportunities for women to make significant and lasting contributions to the force. But positive change was subject to systemization as the defense enterprise had to answer questions of 'how' integration would take place. As this podcast shows, the devil is in the mundane details such as figuring out how to outfit, equip, train, house, and care for the well-being of female Soldiers. These efforts were neither simple nor easy as shown by guest Dr. Miranda Summers-Lowe of the Smithsonian Institution and WAR ROOM Podcast Editor Jacqueline E. Whitt.   Miranda Summers-Lowe is Modern Military Curator for Armed Forces History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. 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: PFC Janice Hayes, U.S. Army, participates in a field exercise in April 1974. Photo Credit: U.S. Army Women's Museum

A day in the Army where you don't learn something new is a day wasted WAR ROOM welcomes Lieutenant General Wayne Eyre of the Canadian Armed Forces to the studio to discuss his perspectives on strategic leadership. He focuses most of his comments toward colonels entering the strategic level and the need for them to show self-awareness, develop their character, be lifelong learners, and lead teams. An excellent presentation for mid-grade officers to learn what it takes to make it as a senior leader. WAR ROOM podcast editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.     Wayne Eyre is a lieutenant general in the Canadian Armed Forces and 2012 graduate of the U.S. Army War College. He currently serves as the Deputy Commander, United Nations Command, Republic of Korea. Jacqueline E. Whitt is the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. 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, Department of Defense, or the Canadian Armed Forces. Photo: Scene from a video celebrating Canada Day 2016. Photo Credit: Canadian Armed Forces.