SummaryGeneral Frank McKenzie (Biography, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his new book, The Melting Point. General McKenzie was the 14th commander of the United States Central Command. What You’ll LearnIntelligence Combatant commands and their purpose Leading CENTCOM, Central Command The role of intelligence in military leadership  The US withdrawal from Afghanistan Reflections Learning from the lessons of history  The importance and impact of leadership  And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“What that leads you to is really, intelligence. It paints that picture and it describes the operational environment within which you can operate. So here's the risk. If you're an aggressive commander … There's a temptation to lean on intelligence to tell you what you want to hear, shape the information … In the back of your mind, you need to recognize, you can't go into it with what I would call confirmation bias.” – General Frank McKenzie.Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*  The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century, Kenneth F. McKenzie (Naval Institute Press, 2024)*SpyCasts* CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024) David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023) Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023) Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023) *Beginner Resources* CENTCOM, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2024) [Encyclopedia entry] Why the Middle East is so important to the US, BBC World Service, YouTube (2024) [10 min. video] Combatant Commands, U.S. Department of Defense (n.d.) [Brief overviews of the 11 Unified Combatant Commands] DEEPER DIVEPrimary Sources  Retirement Ceremony Honors CENTCOM Commander (2022) U.S. Central Command Statement on the Realignment of the State of Israel (2021) Memorandum Re: January 2020 Airstrike in Iraq Against Qassem Soleimani (2020) Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan (2020) Remarks by President Trump on the Death of ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (2019)  Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986) *Wildcard Resource* Letter from Abraham Lincoln to Ulysses S. Grant (1863) In this famous letter, Lincoln congratulates Major General Grant on his leadership during the Siege of Vicksburg, a critical success for the Union army. Perhaps not often done by a president, Lincoln here admits his strategy was wrong, and praises the intellect and military prowess of Grant.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SummaryAn expert panel of world leaders gathered at the International Spy Museum to discuss the importance of NATO today and in the future. Panelists included former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, among others. What You’ll LearnIntelligence Threats facing Baltic countries, including Russia The importance of NATO support for Ukraine Maintaining stability during political turmoil NATO’s growth and where it still needs to evolve in the 21st century Reflections The power of global partnerships  The impact of honest leadership  And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“In the old days, NATO was kind of a place where everybody did their talking points and then left. But for the first time in a very long time, NATO is more than just a forum. It is a security alliance that is very important to protecting world peace.” – Leon Panetta.Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* Zelensky, Ukraine & Intelligence with Simon Shuster (2024) CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024) Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023) NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence & Security with David Cattler (2022) *Beginner Resources* Why are the Baltic states strategically important for NATO? A. Sytas, Reuters (2023) [Short article] Ukraine conflict: Simple visual guide to the Russian invasion, BBC (2022) [Short article] The Formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact | History, YouTube (2017) [3 min. video] DEEPER DIVEPrimary Sources  Statement by the North Atlantic Council on recent Russian hybrid activities (2024) Joint letter to DoD for Urgent Ukraine Aid (2024) Address by the President to Ukrainians at the end of the first day of Russia's attacks (2022)  Statement by the North Atlantic Council on the situation at the Poland-Belarus border (2021) Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Estonia (2003) Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of the Republic of Latvia (2003) Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of the Republic of Lithuania (2003) The North Atlantic Treaty (1949) *Wildcard Resource* Our international panelists in this week’s episode hail from the beautiful countries of Latvia, Estonia, and Croatia. To learn more about the history and culture of these countries, take virtual tours of their national museums or libraries here:  Hrvatski povijesni muzej, Croatian History Museum Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka, National Library of Latvia Eesti Rahva Muuseum, Estonian National Museum  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SummaryCamille Stewart Gloster (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss her career in cyber. Camille was the first Deputy National Cyber Director for Technology & Ecosystem for the White House. What You’ll LearnIntelligence The intersections between technology and law The origins of the cyber threat The importance of cyber education Building a diverse cyber workforce Reflections Challenging narratives and norms Strategic education And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“Another part of the problem is having a conversation where people understand that they do a lot of this work every day. Honing those skills and being intentional about them and then applying them to a career means a transition from a hobby to something more concrete. And that narrative piece of making cybersecurity not seem so overwhelming is a big part of the work as well.” – Camille Stewart Gloster. Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* Indian Intelligence & Cyber – A Conversation with Sameer Patil, ORF Mumbai (2023) Espionage and the Metaverse with Cathy Hackl (2023) The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 1 of 2) (2022) The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 2 of 2) (2022) Trafficking Data: The Digital Struggle with China with Aynne Kokas (2022) *Beginner Resources* What is Cybersecurity? CISA (2021) [Short article] What is Cyber? Marketing Business Network, YouTube (2019) [2 min. video] Why Is Cybersecurity Important? CompTIA (n.d.) [Short article] DEEPER DIVEPrimary Sources  2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States (2024) National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy: Initial Stages of Implementation (2024) Executive Order on Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern (2024) National Cybersecurity Strategy (2023) National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan (2023) National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy (2023) CHIPS Act (2022) Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity (2021) *Wildcard Resource*Test your cybersecurity awareness with this #BeCyberSmart crossword from the Center for Development of Security Excellence.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SummaryMichael Collins joins Andrew to discuss the National Intelligence Council. Michael is the NIC’s current acting chair. What You’ll LearnIntelligence The role of the National Intelligence Council National Intelligence Officers and their work around the world The products of the NIC, including the Annual Threat Assessment The importance of Intelligence Diplomacy and objective analysis  Reflections The power of collaboration Staying grounded and optimistic And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“In the analytic product, the first paragraph says: Here's the bad thing. Second paragraph says: This is what the bad thing means for the United States. Third paragraph is: What can be done to stop the bad thing, or more importantly, to identify an opportunity. I have to be optimistic. If I weren't, I wouldn't be in this job.” – Michael Collins.Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* Telling Americans About China (and Intelligence) with Sara Castro (2024) CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024) The Past 75 Years with Historian of the CIA Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones (2022) The National Intelligence University with its President Scott Cameron (2022) *Beginner Resources* America’s Intelligence Community, Explained, Washington Post, YouTube (2014) [2 min. video] What is Intelligence Analysis and Why is It So Important? National American University (n.d.) [Short article] Members of the IC, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (n.d.) [List of agencies] DEEPER DIVEPrimary Sources  2024 Annual Threat Assessment (2024)  IC OSINT Strategy 2024-2026 (2024)  2023 National Intelligence Strategy (2023) Updated Assessment of Anomalous Health Incidents (2023) Global Trends 2040 (2021) National Intelligence Estimates on Climate Change (2021) *Wildcard Resource* This week’s guest shares a name with another intelligence professional: Michael Collins (1890-1922), a prominent leader of Irish independence.  You may remember this Michael Collins from his involvement in the 1916 Easter Rising, but did you know he was also the Director of Intelligence for the Irish Republican Army? Check out some of “The Squad’s” spy gadgets and artifacts here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Barlow, from Top Gear, discusses the iconic James Bond vehicles, covering the 'Bond car' phenomenon, Ian Fleming's car passion, different Bond car nationalities, and the personality of cars. He reflects on pop culture's influence and the charm of classic cars in movies.

SummaryLaura Hicken (LinkedIn) and Lauren vonBechmann (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the collection of the International Spy Museum. SPY’s collection consists of 10,000 espionage-related artifacts. What You’ll LearnIntelligence The ins and outs of getting into the museum field Why Museums? SPYs largest, smallest, and coolest artifacts The challenges of being a “spy” museum Reflections Following your passions A dedication to lifelong learning and teaching  And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“It's that ability to give accessibility to our audiences so that they can see like parts of history – So it's not only to preserve it, but it's so that people can see it as well. That's what we want to provide – A place for people to see the unseen.” – Lauren vonBechmann.Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* The James Bond Collector with Mike VanBlaricum (2024)  The Most Famous Art Detective in the World with ex-FBI Legend Robert Wittman (2023) Secrets Revealed – Curators Alexis and Andrew on SPY’s Pop-Up Exhibit (2023) SPY@20 – “The Spy of the Century” – Curators Alexis and Andrew on Kim Philby (2022) *Beginner Resources* A look at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., FOX 5 Washington DC, YouTube (2023) [5 min. video] About the Collection, International Spy Museum (n.d.) [Short article] Collections Management, American Alliance of Museums (n.d.) [Short article]  DEEPER DIVEArtifacts James Bond's Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Watch (2021) Primo’s Bionic Eye (2021) Clock with Concealed Receiver (1970s)  Disguise Kit (1960s) Berlin Tunnel Segment (1954-1956) Four Rotor Enigma Machine (1943-1944) Sleeping Beauty Submersible (1943) George Washington Spy Letters (1777) *Wildcard Resource* Here’s something many don’t know about the International Spy Museum:  On the side of our building, built in 2019, is a secret message written in binary code. Can You Crack the Code?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SummaryDennis Eger (LinkedIn) and Shawn Nilius (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss open-source intelligence. Combined, the two have over six decades of service to the U.S. Army. What You’ll LearnIntelligence What is Open-Source Intelligence  How the US Army utilizes and collects OSINT  OSINT across the Intelligence Community How OSINT has impacted the War in Ukraine Reflections The power of information and how you use it Cyber ethics And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“If [civilians are] taking a video and posting it, they become in the cycle … The amount of things that people do on the internet that leaves their data or their information out there – Their data becomes big part of the intelligence cycle and they probably don't even know that they're doing it.” – Dennis Eger. Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023) Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023) Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023) Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023) *Beginner Resources* A Brief History of the US Army, R. Guina, The Military Wallet (2024) [Short article] What is Open-Source Intelligence? OSINT Dojo, YouTube (2023) [7 min. video] A Brief History of Open Source Intelligence, C. Colquhoun, Bellingcat (2016) [Short article] DEEPER DIVEBooks OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023)  Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023) Open Source Intelligence Methods and Tools: A Practical Guide to Online Intelligence, N. A. Hassan & R. Hijazi (Apress, 2018)  Primary Sources  The IC OSINT Strategy (2024)  Invasion of Ukraine on Google Maps (2022) Ethical Frameworks in Open-Source Intelligence (2022)  Open-Source Intelligence, Department of the Army (2012)  Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004)  *Wildcard Resource* While OSINT may seem like the new kid on the intelligence block, its foundations have actually been around perhaps longer than any other -INT. During the Civil War, the Bureau of Military Information collected open-source information from Southern newspapers to track the Confederate army. Check out this letter from Abraham Lincoln citing intelligence gathered on the location of Southern troops.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SummaryAndrew Hodges (Website, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the life and work of Alan Turing. Andrew is an emeritus senior research fellow of mathematics at the University of Oxford. What You’ll LearnIntelligence Turing’s early foundations for artificial intelligence  Interwar cryptanalysis Bletchley Park, Hut 8, and British Naval Intelligence The mechanics of the Bombe machine Reflections Legacy changing alongside social history The weight and pressure of genius  And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“Everything that you do with the digital, everything that we're doing now through these computers, flows from his perceptions. And that in turn came through his practical experience during the Second World War on breaking the enemy codes.” – Andrew Hodges .Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* The Real Ian Fleming with Nicholas Shakespeare (2024)  ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: “The D-Day Deception” – with National WWII Museum Curator Corey Graff (2023)  Hitler’s Trojan Horse – Nazi Intelligence with Nigel West (2023) How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023) *Beginner Resources* Alan Turing, B.J. Copeland, Britannica (2024) [Short biography] How Did the Enigma Machine Work? Science Museum Group, YouTube (2019) [2 min. video] How Alan Turing Cracked the Enigma Code, Imperial War Museum (n.d.) [Short article] DEEPER DIVEBooks The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park, J. D. Turing (Arcturus, 2020) Turing’s Vision: The Birth of Computer Science, C. Bernhardt (MIT Press, 2017) Alan Turing: The Enigma, A. Hodges (Burnett Books/Hutchinson, 1983) Primary Sources  Alan Turing Obituary and Tributes (1954)  Can digital computers think? (1951) Computing Machinery and Intelligence (1950) Proposed electronic calculator (1946) Turing’s Treatise on the Enigma (1939-1942) On Computable Numbers (1936) *Wildcard Resource* Alan Turing’s School Report Card Didn’t do very well in high school? Neither did Alan Turing. Amongst hopeful comments about his promising skills in mathematics, teachers noted Turing’s carelessness and severe lack of neatness in his work.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SummarySimon Shuster (X, Website) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine. Simon is a senior correspondent at TIME. What You’ll LearnIntelligence Zelenskyy’s career pre-Presidency Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion Ukrainian public opinion of Zelenskyy Zelenskyy’s relationship with Ukrainian intelligence  Reflections Contagious courage  Leadership styles, techniques, and unique skills And much, much more …Quotes of the Week“In researching [Zelenskyy’s] transformations as a person from comedian to politician to wartime leader, I also thought a lot about what qualities have remained consistent in him. And one of them for sure is this kind of, “go get ‘em” confidence … He just has this abiding confidence in his own ability to think on his feet, to not lose his balance, to just go into a new and unfamiliar space or a set of challenges and wing it, so to say.” – Simon Schuster Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*  The Showman : Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky, Simon Shuster (William Morrow, 2024)*SpyCasts* David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023)  Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East vs. West with Calder Walton (2023) Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023) Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023) *Beginner Resources* What to know about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I. Pereira & P. Reevell, ABC News (2022) [Short article] A Brief History of Modern Ukraine, BBC, YouTube (2022) [3 min. video] Ukraine conflict: Simple visual guide to the Russian invasion, BBC (2022) [Short article] DEEPER DIVEBooks Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence, Y. Trofimov (Penguin Press, 2024)  Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, D. Petraeus & A. Roberts (Harper, 2023)  The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, S. Plokhy (Basic Books, 2021) Primary Sources  All Intelligence Agencies of Our Partners are Informed of the Current Threats and Prospects – Address by the President (2024) Freedom must always prevail when challenged – speech by the President of Ukraine at the National Defense University of the United States (2023) Address by the President: Ukrainians are a symbol of invincibility (2022) Address by the President to Ukrainians at the end of the first day of Russia's attacks (2022)  Constitution of Ukraine (1996) Act of Declaration of the Independence of Ukraine (1991) Act of Proclamation of Ukrainian Statehood (1941) Ukrainian Proclamation of Independence (1917) *Wildcard Resource* As Simon mentioned in this episode, President Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian version of one of Erin’s favorite shows, Dancing With The Stars, in 2006.  Watch some of his winning dances with partner Olena Shoptenko here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices