AFIO Podcast

Mike Mears, former CIA Chief of HR, on his book Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation. Discover how great leaders draw out the best of human nature. That our Stone Age brains are hardwired for survival and programmed to fear the unknown, yet the work world demands constant innovation. The enemy of better leadership is uncertainty deeply buried in the minds of your workforce. Mears urges greater understanding of human nature. Work with it rather than push against it. He draws on neuroscience and psychology -- plus compelling stories from his Agency career -- to provide practical leadership advice, including: Science-backed explanations of how our brains think and how our primitive brains are colliding with the demands of the modern workplace; New feedback, change management, and delegation tools to build an environment of certainty rather than of fear; Fresh insights to overcome innate change resistance in yourself and others; and Time-saving ideas to empower yourself while empowering your employees. These steps engender loyalty, trust, and great performance from a team. You learn to identify the limitations and strengths of the human mind and create a dynamic and innovative workplace.   Interview of Thursday, 20 March 2025. Interviewed by: AFIO President, James Hughes. 

Joseph Finder, author and Russian Studies expert discusses his novel, "The Oligarch's Daughter." It is a breakneck thriller that marries the dynastic opulence of Succession with the tense and disorienting spycraft of The Americans. Interview of Tuesday, 13 March 2025. Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes. 

Nicholas Reynolds PhD discussing his 2022 book "Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence" with AFIO President, James Hughes.  Interview of Tuesday, 4 March 2025. Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes.

Douglas Waller, Historian, Author, and Foreign Correspondent, discusses his new book "The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank Wisner" with AFIO President, James Hughes. Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in 1950s Washington, though few knew it. Reporting directly to senior U.S. officials--his work largely hidden from Congress and the public--Wisner masterminded some of the CIA's most controversial operations in the early years of the Cold War, commanding thousands of clandestine agents around the world. Interview of Monday, 31 March 2025. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

Leon Carroll Jr, co-author (with Mark Harmon) on "Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor" A U.S. naval counterintelligence officer working to safeguard Pearl Harbor; a Japanese spy ordered to Hawaii to gather information on the American fleet. On December 7, 1941, their hidden stories are exposed by a morning of bloodshed that would change the world forever. Scrutinizing long-buried historical documents, NCIS star Mark Harmon and co-author Leon Carroll, a former NCIS Special Agent, have brought forth a true-life NCIS story of deception, discovery, and danger. Interview of Thursday, 6 February 2025. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President 

Author, Joby Warrick discusses his 2020 book "RED LINE on The Unraveling of Syria and America's Race to Destroy the Most Dangerous Arsenal in the World" with AFIO President, James Hughes.  Interview of Monday, 27 January 2025. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President 

James M. Scott, co-author with Jack Carr, of "Targeted: Beirut: The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Story of the War on Terror." A behind-the-scenes account of a mission and a fight that changed America. It was the event that ushered in the War on Terror. And it shows the pitfalls of American hubris, overreach, and irresponsible military intervention. Paints the entire picture of mind-boggling events before, during, and after the Beirut Bombing, from ancient history to present day. The authors tell the story through voices of Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers who endured the two-year “peacekeeping” operation. We also experience the tragedy through the president, generals, and policymakers back in Washington. Another sad chapter in the Middle East's centuries old internecine struggle among its inhabitants and the price America pays for problematic policies despite history and seemingly dismissed lessons owing as much to hubris and breathtaking naivete. Interview of Thursday, 12 December 2024. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

Michael "Mickey" Bergman, the CEO of Global Reach and the Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He is also the author (with Ellis Henican) of "In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad." Bergman is responsible for the negotiations that brought many high-profile prisoners home, including Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, and Trevor Reed. In the Shadows details his never-before-told stories inside the secret negotiations to free Americans from some of the world's most repressive countries, including North Korea, Russia, Hamas, and more. Interview of Thursday, 26 November 2024. Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer. 

Author, Jesse Fink talks with AFIO President, James Hughes about his new book, "The Eagle in the Mirror: The Greatest Spy Story Never Told" on Charles Howard "Dick" Ellis, MI6's Top Agent in America During World War II. In search of war hero, master spy, and alleged traitor Charles Howard "Dick" Ellis. Interview of Tuesday, 1 Oct 2024. Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.

Patrick K. O'Donnell, military historian and author, on his new book "The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America's Special Operations" released 7 May 2024.  Interview of Tuesday, 3 September 2024. Host: James Hughes. 

Joseph Keogh PhD, former CIA Science & Technology Executive and Disguise Expert, discusses his new book "Creating Mission Impact: Essential Tradecraft for Innovators at CIA and Beyond" co-authored with Joe Ball and Greg Moore.  Interviewed: Thursday, 24 October 2024. Host: James Hughes. Interviewer: Christopher J. Parker.

Author Barry Werth discusses his book, Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War with AFIO President, Jim Hughes. They discuss the remarkable true story of the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, John Downey, Jr., a CIA officer captured in China during the Korean War and imprisoned for twenty-one years. The interview runs 28 minutes with several Q&As. Interview of Thursday, 1 Aug 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes.

Barry Broman, author, producer, photographer, former Marine, CIA Clandestine Service Officer, Station Chief, and Diplomat discusses his career with AFIO President, James Hughes. Broman details his experience as a Marine fighting in Vietnam, joining the CIA, serving as Chief of Station, and supervising an international paramilitary project in support of the Cambodian resistance to Vietnamese invaders. Tune in today to listen to Barry Broman and James Hughes discuss the fascinating people he met, places he has been, and his visits to little-known and rarely seen places like the Naga Hills on the India-Burma border.  Interviewed on: Thursday, 11 July 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.

MG Charles Cleveland, US Army (Ret) and former Director of Operations and Military Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, discusses his long and fascinating career in the intelligence community with former senior officer of NGA and ODNI, Jennifer Daniel.  Interview: Monday, 1 July 2024. Host: James Hughes. Interviewer: Jennifer Daniel. 

Lillian Wang, TV & Film Writer, Lawyer, Former CIA Clandestine Service Officer, discusses her impressive career trajectory with AFIO President Jim Hughes. After immigrating to the U.S. at a young age, she mastered the language and customs and excelled in school.  Lillian joined the CIA and trained as a Clandestine Services officer, serving many years here and abroad, resigning for family reasons and obtaining a law degree. She then shifted to a career in TV and Movies as a writer and subject matter expert on CIA, the IC, espionage, and spying to bring accuracy to productions for which she has been hired. She gives career advice, explains some of her CIA training, and describes her satisfaction with working in the agency.  Interview: Thursday, 20 June 2024. Hosted by AFIO President Jim Hughes. 

Author, former NSA, and CIA officer Alma Katsu discusses her upcoming book series The Spy Who Vanished - a realistic look at where intelligence agencies are in the 21st century.  Interview: Monday, 17 June 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes. 

RADM Peg Klein speaks with AFIO board member Everette Jordan about her exceptional career at the NSA, the US Cyber Command, and the US Navy.  Interview: Tuesday, 28 May 2024. Hosted by AFIO President James Hughes, Interviewed by Everette Jordan.

 Dr Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs discuss their new book: Covert City: The Cold War and the Making of Miami (PublicAffairs Books, Apr 2024) with AFIO President James Hughes. The history of how the entire city of Miami was constructed in the image of the US-Cuba rivalry. From the Bay of Pigs invasion to the death of Fidel Castro. They discuss secret operations, corruption, crime, and a city teeming with spies and why Miami was as crucial to winning the Cold War as Washington, D.C., or Moscow. Interview: Monday, 20 May 2024. Hosted by James Hughes, AFIO President. 

OSINT Defense Intelligence Senior Leader Dennis Eger and Director of Army OSINT Office Shawn Nilius discuss the Army Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Strategy. The Army defines OSINT as a foundational intelligence discipline that plays a central role in the support of operations. Interviewed by Jennifer Daniel, former senior officer of NGA and ODNI, and hosted by AFIO President James Hughes.  Interview of Monday, 29 Apr 2024 

Former US Air Force Intelligence Officer and senior aerospace executive Brian J. Morra discusses his semi-fiction book "The Righteous Arrows" with AFIO President James Hughes. The book highlights the stubbornly persistent rivalry between the US and Russia in a story of international espionage and war.  Interview: Monday, 15 Apr 2024. Interviewed by James Hughes 

Former CIA Chief of Disguise, Jonna Mendez, discusses her latest book, "In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked" with Linda Millis, former CIA, NSA, and ODNI. A courageous story of being a female spy at the height of the Cold War. She began her CIA career as a "contract wife" performing secretarial duties for the Agency. Yet Mendez had a talent for espionage and soon took on more significant roles at the Agency. She parlayed her interest in photography into an operational role overseas. She lived undercover and served tours of duty all over the globe, rising first to become an international spy and ultimately to Chief of Disguise at CIA's Office of Technical Service.  Interview: Wednesday, 27 March 2024. Interviewed by Linda Millis and Hosted by AFIO President James Hughes. 

Author and historian Alexander Rose discusses his latest book "The Lion And The Fox: Two Rival Spies and the Secret Plot to Build a Confederate Navy." In 1861, soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, two secret agents — one a Confederate, the other his Union rival — were dispatched to neutral Britain, each entrusted with a vital mission. This is the untold tale of two implacable foes and their twilight struggle for the highest stakes involving the lucrative Cotton trade. Interview: Tuesday, 13 February 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer and Former NSA Associate Deputy Director of Operations.

James Roth, author and former CIA Officer, on The Dead Drop: Espionage is a Dangerous Game for Amateurs, explores themes of duplicity and betrayal. The novel captures the human tension of real-world espionage with a memorable cast of characters. Former CIA Officer James Lawler wrote of the book: "...a riveting tale of spies, youthful idealism, and adult betrayal, which accelerates to a thrilling climax worthy of a major motion picture." Interview on Friday, 9 February 2024. Host and Interviewer is AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer and Former NSA Associate Deputy Director of Operations. The interview runs 22 minutes and includes several Q&As.

In this episode, James Stejskal, Author, Military Historian, Conflict Archaeologist, former CIA, and Special Forces, discusses his book "Dead Hand" on what happens after Russia has won the war in Ukraine and is eyeing the Baltics. As the world stands on the precipice of war, a legendary CIA Officer rushes to meet a spy deep in the Kremlin, on an operation where failure could mean nuclear Armageddon. Recorded 12 December 2023. Interviewer and host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer and Former NSA Associate Deputy Director of Operations.

In this episode, Ronald Drabkin, author of Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor, discusses the story of the WWI hero who became a fixture of high society in Golden Age Hollywood while acting as a double agent for the Japanese Empire as it prepared to attack Pearl Harbor. Recorded 01 Feb 2024. Host and Interviewer: James Hughes, AFIO President and former senior CIA Operations Officer.   

In this new episode, Jennifer Ewbank discusses her position as the Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation and her responsibility for accelerating the development and integration of digital and cyber capabilities across all of CIA's mission areas as well as building the digital acumen of the CIA workforce through training and education. Ms Ewbank retired from her CIA post shortly after this interview. Recorded 3 Jan 2024. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: Paul Hollingsworth PhD, former senior CIA Executive in Analysis and Operations and AFIO Board member.

In this episode, BBC National Security Correspondent Gordon Corera discusses his book "Operation Columba - The Secret Pigeon Service: The Untold Story of World War II Resistance in Europe." The book reveals the fascinating, untold story of how British intelligence secretly used homing pigeons as part of a clandestine espionage operation to gather information, communicate, and coordinate with members of the Resistance to defeat the Nazis in occupied Europe during World War II. Recorded 1 Dec 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this new episode, award-winning journalist and New York Times-bestselling author Liza Mundy discusses her newest book "The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA."  Recorded 10 Nov 2023. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: Linda Millis, former Senior CIA, NSA, and ODNI Executive, current Assistant Professor at Marymount University and AFIO Board member.

In this episode, former senior CIA operations officer and Naval Commander Chip Beck discusses his book "Final Days of Heroes: How a CIA Agent and his Cambodian Allies Fought, Defied, and Resisted the Khmer Rouge." Recorded 19 Oct 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Brian Morra - Former US Air Force Intelligence Officer and senior aerospace executive - discusses his book "The Able Archers," which is a work of fiction based on the 1983 Soviet nuclear war crisis wherein Soviet leaders were convinced that the U.S. was preparing to launch a surprise nuclear attack on the USSR under the cover of a NATO exercise titled “Able Archer.” Recorded 17 Oct 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Stuart A. Reid - Executive Editor of Foreign Affairs - discusses his new book "The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination." Recorded 2 Oct 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Dr. John A. Gentry - former Senior CIA Analyst and current Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University - discusses his recent book "Strategic Warning Intelligence: History, Challenges, and Prospects." Dr. Gentry explains the 'paradox of warning' and what needs to done in the U.S. to revive and re-establish a healthy warning system. Recorded 28 Sept 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

*AFIO Special Edition episodes offer intelligence expertise and assessments of breaking news* In this inaugural AFIO Special Edition episode, former CIA Division Chief and National Intelligence Manager for ODNI Norman Roule discusses the aerial system attack at a military base in Jordan near the Syrian border last week that killed 3 service members. Recorded 31 Jan 2024. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Michael V. Hayden, General USAF (Ret), Former Director of NSA and CIA, and first Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI), discusses the biggest challenges he faced in the senior positions he held in the U.S. Intelligence Community. He also offers advice to those considering careers in intelligence. Recorded 31 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, prize winning author and journalist Jimmy Burns discusses his latest book "A Faithful Spy: The Life and Times of an MI6 and MI5 Officer" which unveils the exceptional intelligence career of Walter Bell. Recorded 14 Nov 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, David Bickford - former UK Under Secretary of State and MI5 & MI6 Legal Director - discusses his spy thriller "Katya," which takes inspiration from his career in Britain's premier intelligence agencies. Bickford also provides advice to those considering a career in the intelligence services. Recorded 20 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In the second of a 2-part series for AFIO Now, award-winning journalist/author, James Bamford discusses his latest book, "Spyfail: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America's Counterintelligence."  Bamford describes foreign operations against the U.S. and our allies and gives an overview of the expansion of Chinese listening posts in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Cuba. Recorded 19 July 2023. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: John Quattrocki, AFIO Treasurer and former Senior FBI Officer. 

In the second of a two-part series, former CIA Operations Officer and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers discusses his new memoir, "By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy." Recorded 29 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, former CIA Operations Officer, lawyer, and novelist I.S. Berry discusses her latest novel, "The Peacock and the Sparrow", a spy thriller that takes place against the backdrop of the Arab Spring. Recorded 5 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this special episode, CIA Museum Director and Curator Robert Byer gives a sneak peek at the newly renovated and expanded CIA Museum. Byer reveals some of the new artifacts and describes a few of the unusual collections. This special tour also Includes a first look (by many) of the remarkable model used to brief President Biden on the al-Zawahiri mission. Recorded 12 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In the first of a two-part series, former CIA Operations Officer and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers discusses his new memoir, "By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy." Recorded 9 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, historian and author Matthew Black discusses his book "Operation Underworld: How the Mafia and U.S. Government Teamed Up to Win World War II." Black reveals the full story of how American Mafia boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano was recruited by U.S. Naval Intelligence in 1942 to aid the Allied war effort in the U.S. invasion of Sicily - which was a turning point in WWII. Recorded 2 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Richard Lawless - a former CIA operations officer - discusses his book "Hunting Nukes" which chronicles Lawless's half-century quest to seek out and expose undeclared nuclear weapons activities by countries of the highest concern to the US government. In particular. Lawless reveals the successful takedown of the South Korean strategic weapons program in the mid-1970s. He describes in detail the CIA's operation that detected, penetrated, defined, and eventually blocked that country's covert effort. Lawless also recounts his duties during the 2002-2008 talks with the rogue North Korean regime—the so-called “Six Party Talks." Recorded 1 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode,  LTG Michael Groen - the former Commander of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center - delves into the meaning, uses, adoption problems, and ethics of AI in the military and beyond. Recorded 4 May 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Brittany Butler - a former intelligence officer - discusses her first novel, "The Syndicate Spy."  Based on her experiences as a CIA targeting officer, the thriller tells the tale of two female spies as they race to uncover terrorist conspiracies and ultimately change the course of war. Recorded 2 May 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In his third episode, senior National Security Reporter for The Washington Post Shane Harris discusses the recent shocking events in Ukraine - from the Wagner Group's march towards Moscow, to missing Russian generals,  to Putin's renewed threats to use tactical nuclear weapons. Recorded 7 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In the first of a 2-part series for AFIO Now, award-winning journalist/author, James Bamford discusses his latest book, "Spyfail: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America's Counterintelligence."  Bamford describes the expanding capability of foreign countries to conduct large-scale espionage within the US and how the FBI and other agencies are struggling to prevent it. Recorded 14 Apr 2023. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: John Quattrocki, AFIO Treasurer and former Senior FBI Officer. 

In this episode, Alma Katsu, a former intelligence officer and award winning author, discusses her newest novel Red Widow. The second book in this spy thriller series is set in a post-Putin Russia which has been financially devastated by its loss in the war with Ukraine. Alma also discusses her career experiences at NSA and CIA, gives pointers to women considering careers in the Intelligence Community, and reflects on the path that led to her success as a fiction writer. Recorded 29 March 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this final installment of a three-part series, acclaimed intelligence historian and author Nigel West discusses his book, "Hitler's Trojan Horse: The Fall of The Abwehr." Recorded 19 Jan 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Naval professor and author Erik Dahl discusses his latest book, "The COVID-19 Intelligence Failure: Why Warning Was Not Enough" which explores the roles that both traditional intelligence services, medical intelligence, and surveillance systems play in providing advance warning against public health threats ― and how these systems must be improved for the future. Recorded 2 March 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this second installment of a three-part series, acclaimed intelligence historian and author Nigel West discusses his book, "Hitler's Nest of Vipers: The Rise of The Abwehr." Recorded 19 Jan 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.