NatSecGirlSquad Podcast

Join Maggie Feldman-Piltch as she talks to Audra Lindsey of Mighty Networks - the company helping us build Herd Mentality: the new private, closed, members only interactive ecosystem for the #NatSecGirlSquad community. The discussion will center around what Mighty Networks is, how a ‘mighty network’ gets created, and what we can expect from Herd Mentality. Recorded November 11, 2020.

How do reputations form in international politics? What influence do these reputations have on the conduct of international affairs? In Reputation for Resolve, Danielle L. Lupton takes a new approach to answering these enduring and hotly debated questions by shifting the focus away from the reputations of countries and instead examining the reputations of individual leaders.  Join #NatSecGirlSquad's Maggie Feldman-Piltch in her discussion with Danielle Lupton about leadership, reputations, and international politics.UPDATE: Initial release of this episode contained a faulty file.

Founded in 2008, the Program for Emerging Leaders (PEL) shapes and supports the next generation of leaders from across the U.S. government to meet the challenges of countering weapons of mass destruction. PEL aims to foster a community of rising U.S. government leaders with the knowledge and skill-set to respond to the dangers of WMD. The three-year program brings together early- to mid-career national security professionals, selected on a competitive basis from across the U.S. government, to develop and enhance awareness of the variety of WMD threats—including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons—and the full range of means, processes, and organizations for addressing them.We welcome applications from eligible candidates who live within or beyond the National Capital Region (NCR), including candidates stationed overseas. Candidates must be early- to mid-career (approximately 5-15 years of government service), civilian U.S. government employees (GS-11-13 or equivalent), or commissioned military officers (O-3 and O-4) with responsibilities related to national security. All applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold an active SECRET clearance, and have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.Join Ms. Amanda Moodie, Policy Fellow and PEL Director, Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction (CSWMD) as she answers questions and shares information about the program. Recorded November 5, 2020.

Join authors Nora Bensahel and David Barno to discuss their book, Adaptation Under Fire., a critical look into how and why the US military needs to become more adaptable.The book argues that militaries facing unknown future conflicts must nevertheless make choices about the type of doctrine that their units will use, the weapons and equipment they will purchase, and the kind of leaders they will select and develop to guide the force to victory. Yet after a war begins, many of these choices will prove flawed in the unpredictable crucible of the battlefield. For a U.S. military facing diverse global threats, its ability to adapt quickly and effectively to those unforeseen circumstances may spell the difference between victory and defeat. With #NatSecGirlSquad founder Maggie Feldman-Piltch. Recorded October 29, 2020.

The Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota is a community committed to changing the world--both locally and globally. The Humphrey School ranks among the country’s top 10 professional public policy and planning schools, widely recognized for its success in advancing the common good through a comprehensive, world-class program. The School offers six distinctive master’s degrees, a doctoral degree, and six certificate programs that match students’ passion with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to solve real-world challenges. Join Diplomat in Residence, Dr. Mary T. Curtin, to learn about why you should consider the Humphrey School to prepare you to lead change. Recorded October 27, 2020.

Interested in pursuing graduate study? Join Payton Tanner, Director of Admissions, along with current SSP students to learn more about the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. Recorded October 28, 2020.

Join representatives from American University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Johns Hopkins University to learn more about graduate programs in International Affairs, including requirements, resources, and best practices. This virtual event will include a panel discussion with admission representatives from each program, followed by a Q&A session.Representatives from the following graduate international affairs programs will be available:American University - School of International Service (SIS)Johns Hopkins University – The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)George Washington University – Elliott School of International AffairsGeorgetown University – Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

Just as the government is concerned with protecting their employees, assets, and infrastructure, corporate entities worry about these same issues. But many seeking security careers do not know these opportunities exist!Join Melissa McDonough, a senior manager of intelligence and security at a large private firm and an intelligence career coach at Georgetown University, to learn more about careers in intelligence and security in the private sphere and how find them.

Shannon Huffman Polson is the founder of The Grit Institute, a foundation which focuses on ways its member can develop their own GRIT, through offering keynotes, writing, and training. She was one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters, serving on three continents and leading two flight platoons and a line company.In her new book, The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, Polson writes about her own experience of combat and career that of other decorated female leaders, including Heather Penney, one of the first female F-16 pilots, who was put on a suicide mission for 9/11; General Ann Dunwoody, the first female four-star general in the Army; and Amy McGrath, the first female Marine to fly the F/A-18 in combat and a 2020 candidate for the US Senate.In this Anti-Viral Session with #NatSecGirlSquad, Maggie Feldman-Piltch will interview Polson about her new book and hear her take on competent diversity in national security and defense.Recorded on: October 5th, 2020. 

An “ask-me-anything” style session with Unicorn Strategies founder and #NatSecGirlSquad CEO Maggie Feldman-Piltch.Career advice, building a personal brand, sending networking emails, a definitive ranking of cheese - ask anything!This is a great opportunity to ask questions about #NSGSCon 2020 before member tickets go on sale!

Everything you need to know about federal employment administrivia can be found in this one doc. Learn the terms and implications of your most important personnel doc. Applying for gov jobs? Learn the lingo you need to understand vacancy announcements. Recorded September 28, 2020. Hosted by FedUpward.

This session will focus on the CNAS Next Generation Nation Security Leaders Fellowship. Director Kate Koett will give a program overview, including application requirements and what the program looks like in today's virtual world, before taking questions from the audience.

Dr. Kori Schake is the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Prior to her time at AEI, Dr. Schake distinguished herself in the US Federal Government, working at the US State Department, the US Department of Defense, and the National Security Council at the White House. She has written five books, exploring American hegemony among other topics, and is a frequent contributor to the top publications of the day, including: The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs.In this conversation, #NatSecGirlSquad’s own Maggie Feldman-Pitch talks to Dr. Schake about what it means to think and act strategically from a policy and planning perspective. Included is a discussion about the spectrum of relationship to knowledge, from people who want to create ideas to the people who want to implement those ideas.

DID YOU KNOW …Oracle has been supporting the national security mission for over 40 years?Oracle Cloud empowers autonomous services and real-time decision making?Oracle is bringing cloud services to Secret and Top Secret networks?The answers to all this and more on the recorded session from Oracle.Explore how cloud solutions power mission success with autonomous decision-making, machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI).Learn about Oracle’s deep commitment to our nation’s security and discover the National Security Group (NSG) team dedicated to the mission.Hear from NSG employees who will share their experiences and perspectives on working at Oracle.

How to maintain your sanity as a professional, spouse, and mother during a highly tumultuous period in the nation's history. Perspectives given on motherhood during children's infancy, preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school. Hosted by Colonel Candice Frost on September 7, 2020.

This is an opportunity for Cindy to teach a few important lessons learned, and perhaps a trick or two to those of us in NATSECGIRLSQUAD and the STEADYSTATE who are working on political campaigns in this important season running up to 3 November.

TechCongress will be holding an informational session regarding 2021 Congressional Innovation Fellowship. The Zoom call lasts approximately 60 minutes with questions answered by the TechCongress team, alumni, and current fellows. We are especially focusing our outreach to those in the national security tech space, veterans, transitioning military, and military spouses. Applications for our 2021 class are open through August 27, 2020!

If you are considering graduate school, now or in the near future, in an effort to advance your professional skill set and build or sustain your career in times of uncertainty, join Jennifer Forney (Assistant Dean of Graduate Enrollment at American University) to learn more about the metrics important in determining a program right for you and the viable funding options.

While the Intelligence Cycle can still be useful for some standing issues and fixed targets, many intelligence questions today demand a more dynamic methodology and mindset. We'll discuss Activity Based Intelligence as one methodology/mindset shift that breaks the Intelligence Cycle and focuses the analyst on discovery and understanding. Hosted by Lauren Zabierek.

US-Mexico Relations. Farsi Conversation Hour. AR/VR to Build Force Readiness. Acquisition Reform. Pilates. How to Get a Job on the Hill. LinkedIn 101. Managing People and Projects. Pandemic Job Hunting.  We want it all!A demo on scheduling, sharing, and more. Sign up to teach here.

Come learn about how the intelligence cycle works! The intelligence cycle provides the basis for common intelligence terminology, tactics, techniques, and procedures, and it provides the framework for how intelligence operations are conducted.

Katheryn Basso, owner of KADRI Clothing and former Marine, is bringing #NatSecGirlSquad this challenge: how do we equip tactical women?After recording an episode of the innovator >< operator podcast, Katheryn and Julie Willis, founder of DEFIANT Communication and podcast host, decided they needed to bring this challenge to the #NatSecGirlSquad community. Join them for a discussion on the current state of women's tactical gear - including apparel and body armor - and help shape how we equip women in tactical occupations.

Since the start of the Trump era, the United States and the Western world has finally begun to wake up to the threat of online warfare and the attacks from Russia. The question no one seems to be able to answer is: what can the West do about it?Central and Eastern European states, however, have been aware of the threat for years. Nina Jankowicz has advised these governments on the front lines of the information war. The lessons she learnt from that fight, and from her attempts to get governments to act, make for essential reading.How to Lose the Information War takes the reader on a journey through five Western governments' responses to Russian information warfare tactics - all of which have failed. She journeys into the campaigns the Russian operatives run, and shows how we can better understand the motivations behind these attacks and how to beat them. Above all, this book shows what is at stake: the future of civil discourse and democracy, and the value of truth itself.

Remember that BuzzFeed article about PowerPoint parties, the fun get-togethers where everyone shares a short presentation? That's how my friends and I have been staying sane in the time of COVID-19, and I'd like to share my latest with NSGS!Join me for a short, funny (yet informative) briefing on how Beijing's panda diplomacy. Is Bei Bei caught in the international trade war? Are cubs used as symbols of cooperation or tokens in exchange for lucrative natural resource and technology transfers? Come to find out! Hosted by Charlotte Gorman.

Emily Tamkin, US editor at the New Statesman and author of the Influence of Soros, talks about her new book and the process of pitching and writing a non-fiction book for the first time.

Considering graduate school? Stop by to connect with current and former grad students from a wide variety of programs (US Masters, European Masters, PHDs). We'll help uncover the key to selecting schools, applying, and figuring out the best fit for you.Whether you're deciding to go to grad school, between specific programs, or just want a good #NSGS chat, let us help. Hosted by Rachael Steer.

An introduction to the types and functions of military aircraft, with an emphasis toward modern US military aircraft from all branches. The attendee can expect to be informed about what each type of aircraft does, how it fits into the larger picture, and basic ways to identify them. Hosted by Jack McCain.

This session focuses on the elements of effective intelligence briefing: first impressions, strategy, organization, audience, setting, delivery, graphics, and metrics of success. It's intended audience is broad - analysts of all types in government and the private sector who seek to enhance their briefing skills to better serve their clients.

A sneak peek at Peter W. Singer’s newest book, ‘Burn In.’

John Orloff is the screenwriter of Band of Brothers and Masters of the Air

This week’s guest was Katie Tobin, the Director of Lateral Innovation at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). We asked her about her background, how she got into the IC, and how it all works.

Join #NatSecGirlSquad founder Maggie Feldman-Piltch for a brand new quarantine-fueled series, ‘Competent Diversity Saves the Day!’ A cross between a class, a webinar, and hype session, ‘CDSD’ will explore the power of competent diversity in national security and defense with real, tangible examples. Submit questions ahead of time, or during the session!This week we will be talking with MG Tammy Smith, Military Assistant to ASA(M&RA). ASA (M&RA) will lead the human capital enterprise for America's all-volunteer Army: Relevant and ready, agile, adaptive and organized for the 21st century.

This week’s guest was Dr. Nora Bensahel, Visiting Professor at SAIS, Columnist at War on the Rocks, and Steering Committee Member at LCWINS. We talked about finding your voice as an academic and a policy advisor, the difference between writing as an academic vs. as a practitioner, and the future of the force.

Join Ben Wittes and Maggie Feldman-Piltch for an important discussion on cheese, opera, and the big wide world of national security.

A candid presentation and conversation on how combatting violence and crime is at the core of our national security, and requires much more than community policing. Former FBI Agent and Senior Leader Rob Saale discusses how his experience fighting gang violence and terrorism shaped his understanding of what is really required to build peace at home and abroad. In particular, Rob outlines why arrests alone do not lead to secure and stable communities and how fully funded and impactful community services are absolutely necessary for security.Rob Saale is the founder and CEO of Star Consulting and Investigations LLC, an international security firm in Alexandria, VA with a broad reach that includes experienced professional resources spanning five continents. Rob has been called upon to consult with companies, law firms, and individuals regarding risk mitigation for organizations and individuals operating in, traveling to and living in high risk areas abroad.Before establishing the Star Consulting and Investigations, Rob had a distinguished federal law enforcement career as an FBI Special Agent and executive leader. Most recently Rob served as the Director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a U.S. Government Interagency organization directly responsible to the President of the United States for coordinating recovery efforts for U.S. hostages held abroad. Rob also served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of one of the FBI’s top 13 US-based field offices where he successfully led numerous federal investigations resulting in hundreds of arrests, indictments, and convictions of violent and white-collar criminals, terror suspects, and fugitives from justice. As a field Agent, Rob was highly regarded receiving numerous awards for investigative excellence. Rob also served as an FBI SWAT commander, SWAT Team member, and was one of the original members of the FBI Director’s Protective Detail. 

This talk explores the need for creativity in the national security space. There is no innovation without creation, yet we tend to focus on the skills needed for adoption and acquisition more than the skills needed to develop new solutions to tough problems. Look at the subject of creativity and use short examples from Russia, China, Iran, and ISIS to show how our adversaries effectively use creativity to advance their agendas. Hosted by Dan Manning.

The state of diversity in national security is inextricably linked to the state of diversity in security studies. In this presentation, Maria Rost Rublee discusses the broad contours of diversity and inclusion in the academic field of security studies -- gender, race, and intellectual orientation -- based on ongoing research from the International Studies Association. Rublee is also interested in participant experiences in universities, as well as how university experiences shaped our ideas about security. Hosted by Maria Rost Rublee

Rebecca Bill Chavez and Jim Townsend were Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense in the Obama Administration and are poised ready to give a quick thumbnail brief on what's hot in their regions and answer any questions about Latin America, Europe or anything in-between (including life in OSD Policy).

Vera Bergengruen, Ali Rogin, and Maggie Feldman-Piltch discuss what is currently happening in Venezuela. Recorded May 12, 2020.

Chimene Keitner, professor of international law at UC Hastings Law in San Francisco and former Counselor on International Law at the State Department, will give an overview of foreign sovereign immunity and the legal and diplomatic issues raised by lawsuits against China for COVID-19. She'll also describe how various media outlets approached her for commentary and invite brainstorming on bringing #NatSec expertise to a broader audience.

Ali Wyne discusses US-China Relations and COVID-19 and takes questions from attendees. Recorded April 22, 2020.

Lindy Kyzer (senior editor of ClearanceJobs.com) gives an overview on the SF-86 and answers questions. 

"US Defense Policy to Deter or Defeat What?"Panel discussion between Grace Kim (Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments), Michael Kofman (Center for Naval Analyses), and Cheryl Rofer (formerly Los Alamos National Laboratory).Moderated by Mike Fitzsimmons (Institute for Defense Analyses).

Megan Ammirati on the basics of Mandarin. 

Bernadette K gives a session on All-Source collection strategies and how to get from Point A to Point B. 

Jenny Oberholtzer gives a 101 of the nuclear field.

Dr. Emma Ashford (Research Fellow at the Cato Institute) lectures on Energy and US Foreign Policy.

Jenny Oberholtzer gives a broad overview of different kinds of chemical weapons, how they've been used in the past and some thoughts about what is going on in the world today. 

What is an op-ed? How is the form best used? When is a piece actually an op-ed versus when does someone simply call it an op-ed?Ben Wittes, Senior Fellow at Brookings, Editor in Chief of Lawfare Blog and #NatSecGirlSquad Board Member covers it all in this 2 hour session.

Have you dreamed of being your own boss? Have a passion you'd like to monetize outside of your 9-5? Learn the legal and practical considerations of starting your own business. Some questions that will be answered are:- What type of entity should I choose?- What do I do to make my business "official?"- What should I name my business?- What should I keep in mind when running a business while working a full-time job?- Do I need a website?Hosted by Victoria Clark.

In this session, Lauren Zabierek discusses 5 lessons she's learned as a woman in national security from over 17 years in the field.