Urban Warfare Project
John Spencer
As the world is increasingly urbanized, military forces must be prepared for cities to become battlefields. The Urban Warfare Project Podcast, from the Modern War Institute at West Point, features insightful discussions with scholars and practitioners as it sets out to explore the unique characteristics of urban warfare.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 3, 2020 • 36min
When War Goes Underground
This episode of the Urban Warfare Project podcast is unique, because it isn't strictly about urban warfare. In fact, the stories shared by retired Sgt. 1st Class William Rothrock actually occurred in rural areas in Afghanistan. But the subject matter is extremely relevant to military operations in cities. The stories involve cases when he and his fellow soldiers confronted subterranean environments, which exist in a variety of complex forms in cities around the world.
Mar 20, 2020 • 48min
Preparing the Military for the Complexity of Megacities
In this episode of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project podcast, John Spencer is joined by retired Col. Patrick Mahaney, the cofounder and director of the National Center for Urban Operations. During his thirty-two years in the Army, he held key leadership positions from the tactical to strategic levels, serving as director and senior military fellow for the chief of staff of the Army’s Strategic Studies Group and commander of the Asymmetric Warfare Group, a tactical Special Forces battalion, and a special operations task force.
Mar 6, 2020 • 1h 21min
The Battle of Sadr City, March–May 2008
In this episode of MWI’s Urban Warfare Project podcast, John Spencer is joined by retired Lt. Col. Rob MacMillan. He served as the battalion operations officer of 1-68 Armor during the 2008 battle of Sadr City. The conversation offers a detailed operational view of the battle—and of the unique challenges of urban warfare.
Feb 7, 2020 • 44min
Protecting Civilians in Urban Combat
In this episode of the Urban Warfare Project podcast, from the Modern War Institute at West Point, John Spencer is joined by Sahr Muhammedally from the Center for Civilians in Conflict, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to convince parties to armed conflicts to recognize the dignity and rights of civilians.
Jan 1, 2020 • 1h 3min
Army Doctrine and the Urban Battlefield
In this episode of the Urban Warfare Project podcast, from the Modern War Institute at West Point, John Spencer is joined by Col. Rich Creed, director of the Army’s Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate.
Dec 7, 2019 • 48min
Out of the Mountains, Revisited
In the first episode of the Urban Warfare Project podcast, from the Modern War Institute at West Point, John Spencer is joined by Dr. David Kilcullen, author of Out of the Mountains: The Coming Age of the Urban Guerrilla.
