A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

What a President or any other senior leader brings with him or her to office in inevitably a simplified view of how the world works. Is it critical that national leaders have an open mind? Or is it sometimes necessary? In this third episode in the WAR ROOM series on Intelligence, special guest Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency discusses the inconsistent role that intelligence often plays in strategic decision making. Preconceived notions and personal choices may lead to intelligence being joined at the hip of strategic decisionmakers or shut out of the room. What does that mean for the quality of the decisions and likely outcomes? The answers may surprise you. U.S. Army War College resident student Ms. Dawn Hicks moderates, and the Intelligence series editor Genevieve Lester provides the introduction.     Paul Pillar is a 28-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency and a senior fellow at Georgetown University. Dawn Hicks is a Department of Defense civilian and a student in the U.S. Army War College resident class of 2018. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Image Credit: Photo from U.S. National Archives (public domain). Composite by Tom Galvin. Posts in the "Intelligence" series: THE ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE TODAYPOLICY SUCCESS VS. INTEL FAILURE?IMPACT (OR NOT) OF INTEL ON STRATEGIC DECISION MAKINGSTRATEGIC ATTACKS AND THEIR FALLOUTNEEDLES IN HAYSTACKS: ANALYZING TODAY’S FLOOD OF INFORMATIONWHERE DOES INTELLIGENCE GO FROM HERE? AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES CLAPPERTHE DOD-CIA RELATIONSHIP: ARE WE MILITARIZING STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE?THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ODNI: AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES CLAPPERAFGHANISTAN: WHERE WAS THE INTEL?TRUE SPIES: STUDYING AND UNDERSTANDING MODERN ESPIONAGEEVERY CITIZEN A SENSOR? DEMOCRATIZING INTELLIGENCEGOOD DECISIONS START WITH GOOD CONSUMERSASPIRATIONAL, VAGUE, AND STRATEGIC: THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGYTHE AIR FORCE HAS SPIES?! RISE OF THE MAVERICKSSOLVING DATA PROBLEMS AT SUPERHUMAN SPEEDSASKING DATA THE RIGHT QUESTIONSTHE SPY AND THE STATE: THE PARADOX OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCEDATA-DRIVEN DEFENSE: THE MAVEN SMART SYSTEMINSIDE THE PRESIDENT’S DAILY BRIEFSIGNALS, CYBER AND STRATEGY: RETIRED GENERAL PAUL NAKASONEVULNERABLE SKIES: DRONES AND NATIONAL SECURITYAI-READY DEFENSE: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE IN CENTCOM

If they come out with an after-action review or lessons learned from Iraq and all it talks about is how officers executed the war, then you know the Army missed an opportunity. WAR ROOM welcomes Command Sergeant Major Christopher Martinez who retired from the U.S. Army after culminating his career as Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army War College. In this interview with WAR ROOM Editor-in-Chief Andrew A. Hill, CSM Martinez reflects on his thirty years of military service. How have the responsibilities of senior enlisted leaders has changed over time, and how can they uniquely contribute to strategic decision making?   Christopher Martinez is a retired command sergeant major from the U.S. Army whose most recent assignment was Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army War College. Andrew A. Hill is 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. Image: Collage depicts current or retired command sergeants major from the U.S. Army as of May 2018. Top row from left -- CSM Paul E. Biggs (CSM, Military District of Washington), CSM Christopher Martinez (U.S. Army War College until May 2018), CSM Rakimm Broadnax-Rogers (CSM, Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Leonard Wood), CSM John W. Troxell (Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff). Bottom row from left -- CSM Steven L. Payton (CSM, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea), Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey, CSM Charles Tobin (Senior Enlisted Advisor, Defense Logistics Agency until July 2017), and CSM Mulholland (Command Sergeant Major, 86th Training Division until February 2016) Image Credit: Tom Galvin Releases from 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

Failure is not just the result of one part of the equation. [Sometimes] you can give the right piece of intelligence and they won't act on it. What does it take to be a successful intelligence officer or civilian? Or perhaps, what negative traits indicate the likelihood of failure? In this second episode in the WAR ROOM series on Intelligence, special guest Dr. Rose McDermott of Brown University discusses the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that intelligence professionals need (or must avoid), along with a political culture where success is often miscredited to policy while intelligence is blame for any perceived failure. U.S. Army War College resident student Mr. Paul Mekkelson moderates, and the Intelligence series editor Genevieve Lester provides the introduction.     Rose McDermott is the David and Mariana Fisher University Professor of International Relations at Brown University and a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Paul Mekkelson is a Department of Defense civilian and a student in the U.S. Army War College resident class of 2018. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Image Credit: Photo of the Operations Deputy's Conference Room in the National Military Command Center located at the Pentagon (1984) by Robert D. Ward (public domain). Composite by Tom Galvin. Posts in the "Intelligence" series: THE ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE TODAYPOLICY SUCCESS VS. INTEL FAILURE?IMPACT (OR NOT) OF INTEL ON STRATEGIC DECISION MAKINGSTRATEGIC ATTACKS AND THEIR FALLOUTNEEDLES IN HAYSTACKS: ANALYZING TODAY’S FLOOD OF INFORMATIONWHERE DOES INTELLIGENCE GO FROM HERE? AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES CLAPPERTHE DOD-CIA RELATIONSHIP: ARE WE MILITARIZING STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE?THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ODNI: AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES CLAPPERAFGHANISTAN: WHERE WAS THE INTEL?TRUE SPIES: STUDYING AND UNDERSTANDING MODERN ESPIONAGEEVERY CITIZEN A SENSOR? DEMOCRATIZING INTELLIGENCEGOOD DECISIONS START WITH GOOD CONSUMERSASPIRATIONAL, VAGUE, AND STRATEGIC: THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGYTHE AIR FORCE HAS SPIES?! RISE OF THE MAVERICKSSOLVING DATA PROBLEMS AT SUPERHUMAN SPEEDSASKING DATA THE RIGHT QUESTIONSTHE SPY AND THE STATE: THE PARADOX OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCEDATA-DRIVEN DEFENSE: THE MAVEN SMART SYSTEMINSIDE THE PRESIDENT’S DAILY BRIEFSIGNALS, CYBER AND STRATEGY: RETIRED GENERAL PAUL NAKASONEVULNERABLE SKIES: DRONES AND NATIONAL SECURITYAI-READY DEFENSE: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE IN CENTCOM

People say, "Well, people break the rules of warfare all the time, so why should we have rules?" Is there an absolute moral and ethical framework that guides forces in war, or is it no more than the rules chosen by the powerful to justify their actions? What is the benefit of such frameworks in a world where adversaries appear free to act immorally? These and other questions are presented by special guest Dr. Pauline Shanks-Kaurin, professor of military ethics at Pacific Lutheran University and Andrew A. Hill, Chair of Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College.   Pauline Shanks-Kaurin is professor of military ethics at Pacific Lutheran University and the author of "Achilles Goes Asymmetric." Andrew A. Hill is the Chair for Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College and the 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 Department of Defense. Photo Credit: U.S. Army

For national security officials who are wading through floods of information, how do they find that nugget, ... that piece of information that fits with all the other pieces? What is the role of intelligence in a world where information is everywhere and the global security environment moves and evolves at breakneck speed? Answering this question is the purpose behind this exciting six-part podcast series on Intelligence. Dr. Genevieve Lester, the DeSerio Chair of Strategic Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College, is the host for the series and she leads off the series with a discussion of the purpose and present-day challenges facing the intelligence field. With her for this discussion is Jacqueline E. Whitt, Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the WAR ROOM podcast editor.     Genevieve Lester is the De Serio Chair of Strategic Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army, or the Department of Defense. Image Credit: Photo from the National Guard Command Center during response to Hurricane Irene (Department of Defense photo). Composite by Tom Galvin. Posts in the "Intelligence" series: THE ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE TODAYPOLICY SUCCESS VS. INTEL FAILURE?IMPACT (OR NOT) OF INTEL ON STRATEGIC DECISION MAKINGSTRATEGIC ATTACKS AND THEIR FALLOUTNEEDLES IN HAYSTACKS: ANALYZING TODAY’S FLOOD OF INFORMATIONWHERE DOES INTELLIGENCE GO FROM HERE? AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES CLAPPERTHE DOD-CIA RELATIONSHIP: ARE WE MILITARIZING STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE?THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ODNI: AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES CLAPPERAFGHANISTAN: WHERE WAS THE INTEL?TRUE SPIES: STUDYING AND UNDERSTANDING MODERN ESPIONAGEEVERY CITIZEN A SENSOR? DEMOCRATIZING INTELLIGENCEGOOD DECISIONS START WITH GOOD CONSUMERSASPIRATIONAL, VAGUE, AND STRATEGIC: THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGYTHE AIR FORCE HAS SPIES?! RISE OF THE MAVERICKSSOLVING DATA PROBLEMS AT SUPERHUMAN SPEEDSASKING DATA THE RIGHT QUESTIONSTHE SPY AND THE STATE: THE PARADOX OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCEDATA-DRIVEN DEFENSE: THE MAVEN SMART SYSTEMINSIDE THE PRESIDENT’S DAILY BRIEFSIGNALS, CYBER AND STRATEGY: RETIRED GENERAL PAUL NAKASONEVULNERABLE SKIES: DRONES AND NATIONAL SECURITYAI-READY DEFENSE: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE IN CENTCOM

A story ... breaks down more complicated theoretical concepts into something that is relatable. Among the challenges of educating senior national security professionals is that the dynamics and complexity of the strategic environment inhibits the creation of clean models or simple how-to guides. The context of each problem is different, as even the same type of problem will vary according to the relationships and histories of the actors and entities involved. So how can one teach career military officers, who have served mostly at unit level, think and make quality decisions and recommendations at the strategic level? One tool is the case method which is described in this presentation by Dr. Volker Franke from Kennessaw State University and Dr. Jacqueline E. Whitt, Professor of Strategy from the U.S. Army War College.     Volker C. Franke is Professor of Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and 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 Credit: U.S. Army photo by Charity Murtorff

Films can bring to life war's battles, leaders, examples of strategic decisions, and examples of less successful strategic decisions. As Mark Gagnon and Jacqueline E. Whitt show in this presentation, there are many ways that films can be used in professional military education. From learning about strategic decisions and their impacts to broadening the world views and perspectives, films help viewers visualize the dynamics and complexity of strategic environments better than other media. For example, the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Art Film Program provides a terrific forum for students and faculty to view a film and discuss both its context and lessons learned for today's military. Also on WAR ROOM is an article about the classic film Tunes of Glory, an example of such a film with important insights and lessons for today's leaders.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-043-Gagnon-Whitt-Film-and-Strategy-RLS-v3.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here.   Mark Gagnon is a colonel in the U.S. Army and Professor of German in the Department of Foreign Languages at the U.S. Military Academy. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. 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. Image: Still from All's Quiet on the Western Front, an anti-war film from 1930 that won the Academy Awards for Outstanding Production and Best Director (Lewis Milestone). Film is now in the public domain.

There's an old saying, "Command can be lonely." But it doesn't have to be. WAR ROOM welcomes Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army and Commander of the Australian Defense College to the studio to discuss matters of strategic leadership in conjunction with the U.S. Army War College's annual Strategy Conference. What separates successful strategic leaders from the less successful? WAR ROOM Podcast Editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates. Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army, is the Commander of the Australian Defence College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the WAR ROOM Podcast Editor. The views expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, Australian Army, or the Department of Defense. Photo Credit: Australian National Audit Agency Releases from 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 LEADERWHAT DO THE BRITS THINK OF AMERICAN OFFICERS?PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP — GEN. ROBIN RAND, U.S. AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMANDGROWING AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY

You assume professional competence at [the strategic] level, ... but the more senior you get in the armed forces or defense, the more you are looking for issues of character. WAR ROOM welcomes special guest Lieutenant-General Patrick Sanders CBE, DSO of the British Army, who addressed the 2018 resident class of the U.S. Army War College as part of the annual Kermit Roosevelt Exchange Lecture series. In this discussion, Lieutenant-General Sanders presents a British perspective on senior military leadership and success at the national strategic level. A fascinating discussion loaded with British history and perspectives on qualities of successful American officers. WAR ROOM Podcast Editor Jacqueline E. Whitt moderates.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-044-Sanders-Whitt-Senior-Leader-Perspectives_FIX.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here.   Lieutenant-General Patrick Sanders CBE, DSO serves as the Commander Field Army in the British Army and was the United Kingdom's lecturer for the 2018 edition of the Kermit Roosevelt Exchange program. Jacqueline E. Whitt is WAR ROOM's 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: Portrait of Kermit Roosevelt from the Library of Congress. Public domain. Image Credit: Tom Galvin Releases from 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

It is difficult to describe just the unbelievable amount of destruction that Syria has gone through... since 2011.   WAR ROOM welcomes Dean of the U.S. Air War College Christopher Hemmer to the studio to explain the historical and present-day contexts of the on-going civil war in Syria. With possibly over 500,000 killed and untold destruction, it is easily one of the bloodiest wars in recent times. What are the factors fueling the war? Why has it drawn so much international attention? What can be done to stop it? These and many other questions are addressed with the assistance of WAR ROOM podcast editor and Professor of Strategy Jacqueline E. Whitt.   https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/18-056-Hemmer-Whitt-Syria.mp3   You can also download a copy of the podcast here.   Christopher Hemmer is Dean of the U.S. Air War College and expert on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and 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, Air War College, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, or the Department of Defense. Photo: A veteran Syrian Democratic Forces soldier teaches a group of recruits about improvised explosive devices in Northern Syria on Oct. 10, 2017. Photo Credit: Staff Sergeant Richard Lutz/US Army