When the Tet Offensive began on January 31, 1968, Bob Lauver had been in Vietnam for 15 months. He was a sergeant with G Battery, 65th Artillery Regiment and was in charge of a Quad 50 gun truck. The trucks were originally intended for air defense but found a new role in Vietnam in firebase support and as convoy escorts. In this episode of the Strategy Bridge Podcast, we follow Lauver through his experiences on the first day of the Battle of Hue for which he would be awarded a Silver Star. The Strategy Bridge is a non-profit organization focused on the development of people in strategy, national security, & military affairs. To learn more about the journal, podcast, and events visit the Strategy Bridge website.

In the presidential election of 1844, James Polk campaigned on a policy of territorial expansion. After becoming president he used diplomacy and military force to implement his policy. In this episode we talk with Dr. Amy Greenberg about the politics and strategy of the Mexican-American War. Greenberg is a professor of history at Penn State University and the author of the book A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico.

In the 1600s and 1700s, the Iroquois were a Native American confederacy that exercised great influence in northeastern North America in their relations with the French, Dutch, and English colonists and the surrounding native peoples. In this episode we talk to Dr. Timothy Shannon about how the Iroquois waged war and engaged in diplomacy to advance their interests. Shannon is a professor of American history and the chair of the history department at Gettysburg College. He is the author of Iroquois Diplomacy on the Early American Frontier. His most recent book is Indian Captive, Indian King: Peter Williamson in America and Britain.

As the U.S. Army transitioned to the All Volunteer Force in the 1970’s, it realized that it needed to provide a higher standard of living to its soldiers and their families to encourage recruitment and retention. The provision of these services was controversial as it challenged concepts of military identity and became part of a larger political discussion within the U.S. about social welfare services. In this episode of the Strategy Bridge podcast, we talk with Jennifer Mittelstadt about her book The Rise of the Military Welfare State. Mittelstadt is a professor of history at Rutgers University and this year is the Harold K. Johnson Chair of Military History at the U. S. Army War College.

In the months after Dwight Eisenhower was inaugurated president, he initiated what became known as Project Solarium. Three teams were established to research different options for dealing with the Soviet Union and to present their findings to the president and his foreign policy and national security advisors. In this episode of the Strategy Bridge podcast we talk with Richard Immerman about Project Solarium and what we can learn from it. Immerman is professor emeritus at Temple University, a specialist in the Cold War foreign policy and intelligence history, and co-author of Waging Peace: How Eisenhower Shaped an Enduring Cold War Strategy.  

The Strategy Bridge talks with Vanya Eftimova Bellinger about the influence of culture and politics on Carl von Clausewitz.  Vanya Eftimova Bellinger is the author of Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman Behind the Making of On War and is a professor of Clausewitz studies at the Army War College.  

The Strategy Bridge talks with Dr. Tami Davis Biddle about strategy education, strategic thinking, and the importance of being a lifelong learner.  Read Dr. Biddle's monograph Strategy and Grand Strategy: What Students and Practitioners Need to Know. Dr. Tami Davis Biddle is a professor of national security and strategy at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. 

Join The Strategy Bridge on January 22 for the premiere of a new podcast series on strategy, national security, and strategic history. Subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.