Podcasts about Civilian

Doug Ellin is best known as the creator of the hit HBO series Entourage, which ran from 2004 to 2011 and became one of the defining Hollywood satires of its era. Before and after Entourage, he worked as a writer, director, and producer on projects including Kissing a Fool and Entourage, while also building a successful second act as a podcaster and commentator through Victory the Podcast.IN THE NEWS: Female cop appears to blast civilian who surprised her during active shooting in Montreal, First Drag Queen Elected To U.S. School Board Arrested For Disturbing Child Sex Crimes, Englishman faces two years in prison for cleaning polluted river without permit (he's asked the government to take action for five years), Exclusive | Massive $27M LA hospice fraud revealed as medical scammer used dead patients to fund lavish lifestyle: fedsGET IT ON!FOR MORE WITH DOUG ELLIN:PODCAST: Victory The PodcastEntourage Retrospective W/Actors: Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Connelly & Kevin DillonFOR MORE WITH MIKE DAWSON:INSTAGRAM: @dawsangelesLIVE SHOWS: June 27 - Carson City, NV (2 Shows)July 9 - Las Vegas, NV (2 Shows)July 10 - Las Vegas, NV (2 Shows)July 11 - Las Vegas, NV (2 Shows)Thank you for supporting our sponsors:MarathonRewards.comBetOnlineoreillyauto.com/ADAMPluto.tvSimpliSafe.com/ADAMPodcastOneSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The boys break down the Montreal shooting on 06/22/2026, where a police officer and a civilian were killed. The main question is: did the police officer kill the civilian accidentally? Join the 99% App!! https://www.theantiheroapp.com/signinJoin us on Patreon!https://patreon.com/TheAntiheroBroadcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Check out out the sponsors of today's episode!! GhostBed (promo code "ANTIHERO" for 10% off!) https://www.ghostbed.com/pages/antiheroutm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=antihero Elevated Silence (promo code "ANTIHERO15" for 15% off!) https://elevatedsilence.com Venjenz (promo code "ANTIHERO" for 15% off!) https://venjenz.com/ Goon Tape (promo code antihero15 for 15% off!!) https://goontape.com/ Crave Creatine Gummies (promo code ANTIHERO15 for 15% off!!) trycrave.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're replaying a conversation with Michael Bailey, Deputy Director of Leadership Programs for the George W. Bush Institute. We talk about some of the initiatives of the Bush Institute, including the Veteran Leadership Program, the Democracy is a Verb initiative and the Bush Institute's efforts to celebrate America 250.Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestMichael Bailey serves as Deputy Director, Leadership Programs, for the George W. Bush Institute. In this role, he manages the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, which focuses on developing the leadership skills of veterans and those who serve them and their families. Bailey also supports alumni engagement efforts for the Institute's international leadership programs.Prior to joining the George W. Bush Institute, Bailey provided operations, media, and communications support to The American Choral Directors Association, a music organization dedicated to the excellence and advancement of choral music.Bailey is a native of Arlington, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice) from The University of Oklahoma, and he holds a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in finance and real estate from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business. He has a passion for running and enjoys racing in half and full marathons.Links Mentioned During the EpisodeGeorge W. Bush InstituteStand-To Veteran Leadership ProgramAmerica 250Democracy is a Verb initiative  PsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the Week is The PsychArmor course The Myths and Facts of Military Leaders. This course identifies four of the most popular myths about military leaders and how they don't align with the reality of working alongside Veterans and Service members. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/The-Myths-and-Facts-of-Military-Leaders Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on XPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Flags in Montreal are now flying at half mast, in honour of police officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane. The 34 year old was killed after a suspect started shooting in the neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges. A civilian, Michel Mizrahi, was also killed in the shooting. The suspect is also dead. A second police officer was also shot but is in stable condition. We speak with CBC's Gloria Henriquez in Montreal about what unfolded.

War Room UK PM Starmer Resigns, Female Cop Appears to Shoot Civilian in Montreal Amid Shootout With Armed Suspect… PLUS, Judge Blocks DOJ Subpoenas Aimed at Tim Walz & Israeli Officials Suggest Bombing Beirut Amid Trump Peace Deal Negotiations

This episode unpacks whether Ukraine has turned the tide against Russia on the battlefield and assesses the new security relationship between Ukraine and Europe.   Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR   Guest: Liana Fix, Senior Fellow for Europe, CFR   We Discuss: The state of the battlefield in Ukraine after four and a half years of war. How Ukraine's drone strategy has evolved from frontline attacks to strikes deep inside Russia. Why Russia has failed to achieve its goals on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Growing frustration among the Russian elite and what it signals about Putin's position. What U.S. intelligence sharing still provides Ukraine and why direct military aid has effectively ended. How European countries have filled the military support gap left by the United States. Whether European support for Ukraine is politically sustainable. What escalation options Putin has left.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Jack Watling, "Ukraine Turns the Tide," Foreign Affairs   Sauli Niinistö, "Safer Together: Strengthening Europe's Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness," European Commission   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/ukraine-turns-the-tide   Opinions expressed on The President's Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Samuel Ben-Ur explains that the IDF controls 64% of Gaza, but Hamas remains in control of the remaining civilian population through torture and executions. The group refuses to disarm, as their existence is predicated on destroying Israel. Despite the elimination of top leaders, the organization's decentralized structure allows survival. (14)1910 GAZA

DOWNLOAD THE DV RADIO APP ON ANDROID RIGHT NOW!!   The latest BARRACKS TALK podcast episode is waiting, press 'play' now!   In this week's episode of BARRACKS TALK from DV Radio: The DV Radio Crew survives a raw breakdown of firing incompetent contractors, critiquing budget Broadway lions, and announcing a new series launching with its debut episode being the story of Jody Plauché. DV Radio then analyzes mortar-themed side-hustles and the logistical nightmare of a home renovations and embracing the unrelenting habit of military-grade wake-up calls. This episode of BARRACKS TALK explores financial survival strategies for Veterans and the unique mindset required to navigate a failing civilian economy. #BARRACKSTALK #DVRadio #Veterans #MilitaryHumor #HomeRenovation #TacticalMugs #LionKing #BraodwatReview #GaryPlauche #TrueCrime #FinancialFreedom #VetLife #MilitaryCommunity #Podcast #GrittyHumor #Survival #SideHustle - LINKS MENTIONED Vinland Ferth:: https://vinlandferth.com/ - Grab Your DV Radio Merch! https://bit.ly/DVR-StreamLabs-Merch - Respawn Finance + Free Budgeting App https://respawnfinance.com/ - Star Spangled Brewing Co. [THE OFFICIAL BEER OF DV RADIO] https://www.starspangledbrewingco.com/ - Hard Of Hearing, Deaf, or Have Other Hearing Issues? READ THE TRANSCRIPT! https://dvradio.net/accessibility - Hope For 22 A Day [Pin-Ups For the 22 A Day] https://hopefor22aday.org/ - Liberty Risk Podcast [Brothers Like None Other] https://beacons.ai/libertyriskpodcast - INERT Mugs [OFFICIAL SPONSOR] www.inertmugs.com - Laugh It Off [The Comedy Wing of DV Radio] https://www.laughitoff.org/ - Want To Sponsor DV Radio? No pricing model beats DV Radio when it comes to sponsorship. https://bit.ly/SponsorDVRadio DV Radio on Rumble https://rumble.com/c/DVRadio DV Radio on twitch.tv https://www.twitch.tv/dvradio - [NOTE: Click these links!] ---------- DV Farm Septic System Fundraiser https://donorbox.org/dv-farm-septic-system ---------- Parental Control Apps https://bit.ly/ChildSafeInternet ---------- Backpacks For Life https://backpacksforlife.org/ ---------- Wah-Tie Woodturning https://wahtiewoodturning.com/ ---------- Backpacks For Life Fundraiser https://ko-fi.com/dvradio/goal?g=1 ---------- Edited by Munkee Bawlz Media https://www.munkeebawlzmedia.com/ ---------- Are you a Veteran Owned Business? Have unique, handmade items that we can buy and review on a show? Contact us, show us what you have, and we'll (at least Bo) will spend up to $50 per month and speak openly about your product(s)!! ---------- Find Out More About Betsy Ross At Her Website https://bit.ly/Fight-With-Betsy-Ross ---------- *Got an idea for BARRACKS TALK or any other show? Want to be a guest? Then please feel free to contact us by sending an email to info[at]dvradio.net or oink[at]dvradio.net.* ---------- **LINKS TO CHECK OUT** EVERYTHING DYSFUNCTIONAL VETERANS https://whereisdv.carrd.co  ---------- DV RADIO PARTNERS, SPONSORS, and AFFILIATES https://dvr-listen-support.carrd.co

Show Summary On today's episode, we're having a conversation with Army Veteran Ramon Salazar, Senior Manager of Learning and Experience Design for PsychArmor, as well as Executive Director for Warriors At Ease, an organization dedicated to empowering the military and veteran community with the tools and knowledge to harness the transformative power of yoga and meditation.Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestRamón Salazar is a US Army Veteran with a diverse background in education and wellness. Holding a Master's degree in Education and experience in instructional design, he currently serves as an instructor at the University of Arizona. As an E-RYT 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher that has completed at leased 500 hours of advanced yoga teacher training and logged a minimum of 2,00 hours of teaching experience), Ramón brings a deep understanding of yoga practice, skillfully tailoring his approach to the specific needs of the military community. He incorporates trauma-informed techniques and mindful movement to foster healing and resilience. Ramón also holds various certifications in other wellness areas. His commitment to education and holistic well-being reflects his belief in yoga's power to positively impact individuals and communities.Links Mentioned in this Episode Ramon on PsychArmorWarriors At Ease websitePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is PsychArmor's online course library, including many courses designed and led by Ramon. PsychArmor offers trusted, expert-led training for anyone who wants to better understand and support service members, Veterans, and their families. Whether you're a health care provider, educator, employer, caregiver, or simply someone who wants to make a difference — these courses are designed for you.You can find the resource here:https://learn.psycharmor.org/collections Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

  Donald Trump, taking orders from his handler Benjamin Netanyahu, just ordered the latest round of US strikes on Iran. Civilian water plants were hit. This is the “proportional response” to a supposed Iranian drone attack on a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz

//The Wire//2300Z June 10, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WAR REIGNITES IN IRAN AS MUTUAL TARGETING CONTINUES AROUND THE REGION. PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS ALLEGEDLY SECRET OPERATION IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. RIOTS AND UNREST REMAIN CONSTANT IN NORTHERN IRELAND.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Middle East: The war has continued to escalate as all sides remain engaged in active targeting operations throughout the region. After the reported shootdown of the American helicopter, the United States conducted 10-12x strikes throughout Iran in retaliation. Similarly, the Iranians attacked Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain again, striking airfields that are being used by American aircraft to conduct the war. This afternoon President Trump stated that American bombing will continue, and bombing sorties have already resumed with targets reportedly being struck once again throughout Iran.Northern Ireland: Unrest continued throughout Belfast throughout the night, with most of the more kinetic phases of the evening focusing around arson attacks on migrant housing projects throughout the city. Several dozen different sites and residential structures were burned down, and throughout the afternoon the riots have continued around the city.Analyst Comment: According to local reports, nobody was killed or stabbed during the night, so as of this morning at least, the "Chicago Way" has not been relied upon for conflict resolution throughout the city just yet. All things considered, the city has probably gotten off lightly so far considering the gravity and circumstances of the case that started all of this. However, as of this report, the second night of rioting has begun, and unrest looks to be in the forecast for the next few days.-HomeFront-Texas: Local dissent continues to grow in the wake of the Karmelo Anthony verdict, as Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison yesterday afternoon. So far only low-level unrest has been observed, however some BLM protests have remained persistent outside the Collin County courthouse, which have involved assaults and incidents between groups of protesters.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: This afternoon, President Trump revealed what is alleged to be a secret campaign to get more oil out of the Persian Gulf. This plan, the exact details of which remain very unclear, allegedly has resulted in hundreds of ships transiting the Strait, along with 100 million barrels of oil since the start of the operation. It's not immediately clear as to if this operation is still ongoing or not, but speculating a bit, this master plan appears to involve the US Navy attempting to conduct a grand shell game using a variety of electronic trickery, so as to sneak some vessels out of the Strait. Once in the Gulf of Oman, Ship-to-Ship transfers of oil are conducted, and the same ships run back through the Strait to pick up another load of oil. This has been suspected for some time as it's not exactly easy to hide a massive tanker vessel.In President Trump's social media post disclosing the operation, this "200 ship" claim needs more clarification because so far the numbers don't add up. This figure could be a total number of ships and not specifically oil tankers...small regional fishing boats are probably included in this figure. Even so, using his own numbers, the US has allegedly moved 100 million barrels of oil since May, during this secret operation. The average Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) carries about 2 million barrels of crude oil, so this would be equivalent to 50x trips...over a period of at least a month.Before the war, about 20 million barrels of oil transited the Strait every day. Since the war started, this flow has been effectively cut off. The Saudi's have helped supplement the situation with their East-West Petroline system which runs overland, with a capacity of 7 million bbl/d. Similarly, the Emirates have tried sneaking oil out through Omani terminals on the Gulf of Oman side of the Strait (which is why Iran has been striking Oman semi-regularly since the start of the war).Since deception has been disclosed and confirmed in this case, honesty is not a part of this equation. It is possible that this "secret" operation was more effective than at first glance. However, since it's unwise to tell the world about a secret military operation that is currently ongoing, it's also possible that it was less effective than stated, and thus has been concluded much like Project Freedom initially was. The latter option is the most likely based on the little information that we have, because the claim of 100 million barrels of secret oil only amounts to about five days worth of crude due to the US consuming about 21 million bbl/d in the summertime (from all sources, including domestic production). Credit must be granted where credit is due, and this alleged operation is at least an attempt for the White House to fix the energy crisis that it started, which is a step in the right direction. However in this case the grand question remains as to whether or not it was worth it. Civilian mariners putting their lives at risk while drone boats guide them through a minefield, for so little oil that the world did not even notice...might be a rather suboptimal arrangement on the strategic level.As a result, if this deception campaign was working to alleviate some pressure on the global oil crisis, nobody seems to have told the Department of Energy because the United States has continued to drain the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) at record rates. All total, the US has released around 172 million barrels from the SPR since the war began, most of which was sold for export as most US domestic refinement is heavily reliant on crude from the Middle East. If the US did indeed succeed in a total of 100 million barrels exiting the Strait...it did not just disappear, it had to go somewhere and somebody had to account for it over the past few months. Ships carrying oil don't just vanish into thin air, and there is undoubtedly a paper trail leading to the truth. Consequently, it's possible that the truth is being bent quite heavily and the numbers don't add up. Taking all of this at face value however, even with clever tricks, the Saudi's backup pipeline, US refinement booming, and draining our strategic reserves, basic arithmetic indicates that this is not enough to halt the energy crisis from getting more serious with each passing day.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

Hour 3 - We get the latest on the war in Iran with Fox News correspondent Eben Brown.

On Today's Show: 100% listener and reader supported. To Subscribe: https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/Full operational update. New fires in Colorado, Utah, California, and the Southwest.The Forest Service has reinstated early retirement incentives as part of the reorganization plan. Both VERA and VSIP options are being offered.High level operators from the Forest Service have started to accept positions in the United States Wildland Fire Service leadership. What are the long term effects if unification doesn't happen?Two civilian casualties after an engine responding to a wildfire collides with a civilian vehicle.Firefighters responding to an escaped slash pile burn in the Pacific Northwest were injured after the pile exploded.Plus more.THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

Show Summary On today's episode, we're having a conversation with Licensed Clinical Social Worker Amanda Noyes, the founder of Finding Freedom Therapy and member of the DFW First Responders Support Network. We talk about Trauma therapy and mental health networks for service members, veterans and first responders Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestAmanda Noyes is the founder of Finding Freedom Therapy. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker–Supervisor with over 25 years of experience, she has had the opportunity to work in numerous crisis situations where she witnessed firsthand the gravity of trauma and grief. It was in these situations that she realized there were not enough opportunities to heal from trauma and loss after the initial crisis. With this knowledge, she formed Finding Freedom Therapy, PLLC, in 2014 with the vision of providing specialized treatment to those who have endured (or are continuing to endure) horrific traumas and unspeakable losses.After earning her degree in psychology and international studies from Texas A&M University, Amanda pursued her Master of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Throughout her career, she has had the unique opportunity to gain notable hands-on experience, much of which was working in conjunction with the military, first responders, and frontline workers. She has worked alongside probation and parole officers in the field, with police officers on-scene, supported doctors and nurses in the ED and ICU departments of level-one trauma centers, counseled families of the recently deceased at the moment of loss, and worked next to the U.S. National Guard when assisting during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Harvey.Amanda's experience with veterans and military service members began early in her career with her graduate internship at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Hospital, and later continued with her work as lead trauma therapist for an inpatient military program, Freedom Care, where she worked with active-duty combat military and veterans suffering from PTSD. She is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET). Each and every step of her career has shaped and strengthened her ability to better assist clients through the most difficult times in their lives.Links Mentioned in this Episode Finding Freedom Therapy WebsiteDFW First Responders Support NetworkPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Trauma Informed Interactions with Veterans. This course defines trauma and how it presents itself and is specifically designed to help volunteers interact with Veterans dealing with trauma that affects their health and/or ability to function.You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/trauma-informed-interactions-with-veterans Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Håvard and Uliana.See the video of all this over at our YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/g5hvxDk-gkISupport us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/unmadeFMJoin the discussion of this episode on our subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/Unmade_Podcast/The wedding idea was floated in episode 172 (not 177 as started in the podcast) - https://www.unmade.fm/episodes/episode172Music by Alan StewartPlus Two Piece Feed performing Wind Beneath My Wings by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.

Show Summary On today's episode, we're having a conversation with Marine Veteran Luke Urick, the Executive Director of the Montana Vet Program, an organization that takes Veterans into the Montana wilderness to rediscover strength, purpose, and camaraderie through therapeutic adventure and conservation. Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestLUKE URICKLuke Urick is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and the Founder and Executive Director of the Montana Vet Program, where he has led transformative outdoor-based experiences for Veterans for the past nine years. Serving from 2003 to 2012 as a Scout Sniper, Mountain Leader, and Survival Instructor, Luke deployed in support of combat operations and earned numerous honors, including the Navy Commendation Medal with “V” for valor and the Purple Heart. His military service shaped a lifelong commitment to resilience, leadership, and helping others navigate adversity.After transitioning from the military, Luke earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Organizational Management, combining his understanding of human behavior with strong leadership expertise. Through the Montana Vet Program, he guides Veterans into the wilderness to rediscover purpose, strength, and camaraderie through shared challenge and therapeutic adventure. His work reflects a deep belief in the healing power of connection, nature, and service.Links Mentioned in this Episode Montana Vet Program WebsiteMVP TripsPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Slowing Down and One Pointed Attention. In this course, Dr. Jill Borman discusses the tools that make mantram repetition more effective and useful: slowing down and one-pointed attention.You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/slowing-down-and-one-pointed-attention Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

The debut of a new MacVoices' series, Foreshadowing Tech,  examines how science fiction has influenced real-world technology using 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: The Year We Made Contact as the first case study. Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, and Marty Jencius discuss the depictions of various technologies, and how they measure up to the current state of things, including space travel, tablets, biometrics, HAL, AI, cryosleep, movie aesthetics, and the lasting cultural impact of both films.  Show Notes: Chapters: [0:00] Introducing Foreshadowing Tech and the science fiction premise[2:58] Why 2001 and 2010 are paired for the first discussion[4:24] First experiences watching 2001 and its lasting impact[9:01] Kubrick, Clarke, pacing, silence, and storytelling choices[15:00] Scientific accuracy, Saturn versus Jupiter, and cinematic changes[18:29] Early examples of technology predictions in 2001[20:35] Voiceprint identification, biometrics, and authentication[24:00] Zero-gravity toilets and real-world spaceflight comparisons[26:14] Tablets, flat displays, and consumer technology foreshadowing[29:35] Civilian space travel, deep space missions, and artificial gravity[33:54] HAL, AI, LLMs, sentience, and machine decision-making[40:00] AI relationships, hallucinations, mission conflict, and trust[45:00] Electric vehicles and everyday future tech in 2010[47:30] Visual aesthetics, spacecraft design, and film-era differences[50:00] Politics, cooperation, and international tension in 2010[53:18] How 2001 shaped later science fiction filmmaking[55:33] Monoliths, evolution, alien contact, and social implications[59:58] Cryosleep, life extension, and changing personal timelines[63:01] Star Child, afterlife ideas, and philosophical reactions[68:14] Future episodes, audience feedback, and closing thoughts[70:00] Panelist projects and final credits Guests: Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon. Support:      Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon     http://patreon.com/macvoices      Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect:      Web:     http://macvoices.com      Twitter:     http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner     http://www.twitter.com/macvoices      Mastodon:     https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner      Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner      MacVoices Page on Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/      MacVoices Group on Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice      LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/      Instagram:     https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe:      Audio in iTunes     Video in iTunes      Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher:      Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss      Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

The debut of a new MacVoices' series, Foreshadowing Tech, examines how science fiction has influenced real-world technology using 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: The Year We Made Contact as the first case study. Chuck Joiner, Jeff Gamet, and Marty Jencius discuss the depictions of various technologies, and how they measure up to the current state of things, including space travel, tablets, biometrics, HAL, AI, cryosleep, movie aesthetics, and the lasting cultural impact of both films.  Show Notes: Chapters: [0:00] Introducing Foreshadowing Tech and the science fiction premise [2:58] Why 2001 and 2010 are paired for the first discussion [4:24] First experiences watching 2001 and its lasting impact [9:01] Kubrick, Clarke, pacing, silence, and storytelling choices [15:00] Scientific accuracy, Saturn versus Jupiter, and cinematic changes [18:29] Early examples of technology predictions in 2001 [20:35] Voiceprint identification, biometrics, and authentication [24:00] Zero-gravity toilets and real-world spaceflight comparisons [26:14] Tablets, flat displays, and consumer technology foreshadowing [29:35] Civilian space travel, deep space missions, and artificial gravity [33:54] HAL, AI, LLMs, sentience, and machine decision-making [40:00] AI relationships, hallucinations, mission conflict, and trust [45:00] Electric vehicles and everyday future tech in 2010 [47:30] Visual aesthetics, spacecraft design, and film-era differences [50:00] Politics, cooperation, and international tension in 2010 [53:18] How 2001 shaped later science fiction filmmaking [55:33] Monoliths, evolution, alien contact, and social implications [59:58] Cryosleep, life extension, and changing personal timelines [63:01] Star Child, afterlife ideas, and philosophical reactions [68:14] Future episodes, audience feedback, and closing thoughts [70:00] Panelist projects and final credits Guests: Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. Marty Jencius, Ph.D.,is a counselor educator and technology pioneer who has spent 30 years bringing emerging tech into his field — from founding one of the first professional listservs (CESNET-L) to podcasting, virtual reality, and now AI and AR. He is the founder of ThePodTalk.net, where he produces Vision ProFiles, The Old Mac Gang, A.I. Productivity Workflow, The Tech Savvy Professor, 15 Minute Bytes, The Neo Notebook, and Fade to Chat: Golden Age Cinema. He is also a regular panelist on MacVoices Live!, In Touch with iOS, and The Mac Show. Find him on Bluesky and Mastodon. Support:      Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon      http://patreon.com/macvoices      Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect:      Web:      http://macvoices.com      Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner      http://www.twitter.com/macvoices      Mastodon:      https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner      Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner      MacVoices Page on Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/      MacVoices Group on Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice      LinkedIn:      https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/      Instagram:      https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe:      Audio in iTunes      Video in iTunes      Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher:      Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss      Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss

(5) Bob Zimmerman reflects on the Cold War context of 1968, a year defined by Vietnam, riots, and political assassinations. Zimmerman disputes the idea that NASA had a "military culture," describing it instead as a civilian organization using World War II-style management to achieve great things. However, he critiques the program's top-down government structure as a "dead end" that mirrored Soviet centralization. Zimmerman argues this approach ultimately caused the program to lose political support once the Cold War "stunt" was achieved, rather than fostering a sustainable free-market space industry that could have continued lunar exploration.

Show Summary On today's episode, we're having a conversation with Bill Birnie, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major, CEO of Frontwave Credit Union, and member of the PsychArmor Board of Directors. We have a great conversation about serving those who served, promoting financial stability, and brining his expertise in the financial sector to the board of PsychArmor. Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestBill Birnie's lifelong dedication to serving the military community, coupled with his extensive leadership and financial expertise, makes him an outstanding candidate for our PsychArmor Board. A 25-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Bill retired in 1997 as a Sergeant Major, having served in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm and Operation United Shield. His military career also included assignments as a Marine guard and detachment commander at U.S. Embassies worldwide, where he cultivated a deep understanding of service, leadership, and teamwork.Transitioning from military service, Bill brought his strategic mindset to the credit union industry, where he has built a remarkable 26-year career. Currently, as President and CEO of Frontwave Credit Union, he leads a $1.4 billion institution dedicated to empowering military families and veterans. Bill's leadership, understanding of financial systems, combined with his ability to create sustainable growth, aligns with our strategic needs, and will support our long-term vision.   Bill has served on Boards that address the unique needs of military families and veterans, including as Chairman of the Defense Credit Union Council and Vice Chair of the Armed Forces Financial Network. His experience as a Western Credit Union Management School graduate and 15 years as a faculty member further underscores his ability to mentor and guide organizations toward financial and operational excellence. In his spare time, Bill enjoys golf, traveling and attending theater or concerts with family and friends.  With his unparalleled military and leadership experience, Bill Birnie brings the expertise and insight to strengthen PsychArmor's mission, ensuring it continues to create meaningful impact for the military and veteran community. Links Mentioned in this Episode Frontwave Credit Union WebsiteFrontwave Credit Union Military ResourcesPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the Preparing Your Finances for Transition.In this course, service members, Veterans and their families will learn about some major financial considerations associated with transition, as well as five useful tips for preparing their finances. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Preparing-Your-Finances-for-Transition Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Sarah and Annabel try to decide which all-time-great non-English season of the Traitors to watch next. With your help, they have narrowed it down to The Traitors Hungary (Az Arulok) Season 3, and The Traitors Denmark Civilian (Forraeder Ukendt grund) Season 2. Having watched the first episode of each, they weigh them up against the key criteria. Reach out to vote on what we watch next! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 2A Tuesday segment, Mark Walters breaks down the San Diego mosque shooting involving two teenage suspects allegedly armed with stolen firearms taken from one of their mothers after a reported suicidal episode. He says police were already searching for the suspects when the attack occurred and notes they had a suicide note and anti-Islamic writings on their weapons, framing the incident as premeditated. Walters highlights an unconfirmed account from an officer at the scene suggesting that an armed civilian may have used a recovered security guard's weapon to intervene and potentially stop further casualties, arguing that such details are often minimized or ignored in broader media coverage. He uses the discussion to criticize California's gun laws and political leadership, claiming they fail to prevent violent acts while restricting lawful gun ownership. Walters then pivots to broader Second Amendment issues, including federal prosecution cases and ongoing legal challenges, emphasizing what he sees as a growing national legal fight over gun rights and enforcement. Hashtags: #MarkWalters #SecondAmendment #SanDiegoShooting #GunRights #ArmedDefense #2ATuesday #SelfDefense #GunPolicy

Show SummaryOn today's episode, talking with comedian Brad Bonar, founder of One Degree of Separation, an organization that uses stand-up comedy to spark honest conversations about depression and suicide prevention. We discuss his lived experience, breaking the silence with comedy, and turning their live shows into official training for service members, Veterans and their familiesProvide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestBrad Bonar Jr. is the founder and creative force behind 1° of Separation. A seasoned stand-up comedian and magician by trade, Brad has spent nearly 30 years making people laugh around the world. He built a successful entertainment career headlining clubs and corporate shows, including a popular Dry Bar Comedy special that has garnered over 13 million online views. His comedy draws on everyday life and family, and is known for its clean yet keenly observant humor. But beneath the laughter, Brad quietly fought his own battles with depression since childhood.A turning point came a few years ago when Brad discovered an old keepsake: “I found a suicide note that I wrote in the 6th grade,” he recalls. “At first I kinda laughed about it, but then it became very sobering.“ Realizing that he had been struggling in silence for decades, and seeing so many others still doing the same, Brad felt compelled to act. He channeled his talents and insider knowledge of comedy into a deeply personal mission: “I've spent the past 25 years traveling the world making people laugh. Now I'm using my talents for something more personal. It's time to cast a spotlight that removes the stigma of mental illness.” With that, 1 Degree of Separation was born in 2019 as a project to fight depression with comedy.Brad immersed himself in learning about mental health, interviewing doctors and therapists to shape a show that was both funny and responsible in its messaging. He crafted the Five Questions after hours of writing and self-reflection one night. And he recruited fellow comedians (including his wife, Victoria, and others) willing to share their stories on stage. As a performer, Brad has a disarming, warm presence. Audiences often don't expect a comedian to talk about subjects like suicidal ideation, but Brad does so with authenticity and even hope. He frequently opens up about his own experiences – from that sixth-grade note, to a more recent mental health crisis that landed him in a 5150 psychiatric hold, to how “comedy saved me” when he learned to talk about his pain rather than hide it.Today, Brad Bonar Jr. serves as CEO of 1° of Separation, Inc., leading the nonprofit's growth while still touring as one of its headline speakers. Under his leadership, 1° of Separation has gained national attention for its innovative approach (featured on media from local news to podcasts and even military press.) Brad's ability to wear two hats – entertainer and mental health advocate – makes him a unique voice in suicide prevention. He often says, “Laughter changes your brain” and indeed, he's now leveraging laughter to change lives. Brad and his wife Victoria are based in Northern California, but travel constantly for training. When not on the road, he continues to perform traditional comedy and magic shows and is at work on a book about his journey and the intersection of comedy and mental health. In recognition of his efforts, Brad was invited to present at the Department of Defense/VA Suicide Prevention Conference in 2023, where 1° of Separation received a standing ovation from 2,500 professionals. Brad's personal mantra: “Comedy is universal… and if we can laugh at this, we can talk about it," encapsulates the spirit he brings to the cause. He proves that a comedian can change the world, one punchline and one life at a time.Links Mentioned in this Episode 1° of Separation websitePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Supporting a Veteran in Crisis. This course is designed for businesses to educate them on the differences between their Veteran and civilian employees and ways to support them. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/supporting-a-veteran-in-crisis Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Last time we spoke about the New Fourth Army Incident. Across the Second Sino-Japanese War, the CCP entered after the setbacks of the 1930s, seeking to become a national leader in resistance while remaining cautious toward the Nationalist government. The 1936 Xi'an Incident reshaped politics, and by August 1937 KMT–CCP agreements defined a working arrangement: the CCP acknowledged KMT leadership and integrated its forces, while still pursuing political space and autonomy. As the war progressed, the CCP focused on defining its relationship with the KMT and keeping operational independence during cooperation. Mao Zedong managed this alliance by promoting a united front against Japan, yet protecting CCP revolutionary goals and internal control. The establishment of the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army marked this military reorganization. Throughout, the CCP feared that KMT collaboration with Japan could enable a peace settlement that would undermine communist legitimacy and restrict the party's future authority thereafter.   #202 The One Hundred Regiment Offensive Phase One Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Simultaneously with the friction between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Japanese were also working to take control of—and extract value from—most of the territory they had nominally conquered. Treating these two processes separately—"friction" on the one hand and "consolidation" on the other—does violence to the real difficulty of the CCP's dilemma: the Party often had to confront both problems at the same time. At certain moments, the CCP was effectively forced to wage a two-front struggle. Even so, if the worst of the KMT–CCP friction had already eased by 1941, the most serious and painful challenges posed by Japanese consolidation were still ahead. To recover anything close to reality, the two timelines have to be read together and placed on top of one another. The Japanese understood that consolidation could not be postponed, because much of the land behind the furthest reaches of their army was still only weakly under their actual control. In some places, order could be restored by relatively direct methods: rebuilding local administration and policy authority; repairing transportation and communications; enrolling Chinese personnel—usually, as it turned out, people of dubious reliability—as police or militia under puppet regimes; registering the local population; and requiring identity cards. In true old-style Chinese fashion, collective security practices were used widely. One form was the familiar bao-jia system, in one variant or another. Another was the so-called "railway-cherishing village": a village would be assigned a nearby stretch of track, and if residents failed to "cherish" it, they were held collectively responsible. Yet early Japanese weakness in northern China is vividly illustrated by an incident in the summer of 1938. Three young foreigners—vacationing from teaching in Peiping (Beijing)—were curious about events and about what people were doing. They loaded their bicycles on a southbound train, got off at Baoding, and rode west until they ran into Eighth Route Army detachments. In the early period of the war, commanders generally wanted to rely on more mobile forms of warfare. Mao, however, insisted on a strategy of de-escalation and dispersion: breaking the 8RA and New Fourth Army into small units as nuclei for combat, recruitment, political work, and base-area construction. Under this approach, few engagements could be truly dramatic in scale, and most were constrained by the need to survive. Each skirmish had to be carefully planned. The CCP would use local intelligence and the element of surprise so that a detachment could strike and withdraw before its limited ammunition ran out or before enemy reinforcements arrived. Small Japanese patrols and puppet units could be ambushed not only to seize weapons and other material, but also to inflict casualties. Active collaborators, or Japanese-sponsored administrative personnel, could be assassinated. Above all, Communist action aimed to disrupt transportation: mining roads; cutting down telegraph poles, stealing wire, and cutting rail lines; sabotaging rolling stock; and, at times, carrying off steel rails so that primitive arsenals could be supplied. Attempting derailments was also part of the effort. Destroying a bridge or a locomotive counted as a major achievement. Both the Communists and the Japanese understood that these tactics did not decisively shift the overall strategic balance. Still, they worked at other levels. For the Japanese, the result was a constant series of small wounds—painful, bleeding, and potentially infectious. Few areas in the countryside felt truly safe. Japanese field commanders documented growing frustration as they tried to eliminate resistance, restore administration, collect taxes, and prepare for more systematic and effective economic exploitation of conquered territory. Guerrilla warfare against the Japanese cannot be judged only in conventional battle terms—numbers of engagements, casualties, or territory occupied. It had to be evaluated politically and psychologically as well, exactly as Mao repeatedly emphasized. Since the CCP's wartime legitimacy depended on its patriotic claims, enough fighting had to be carried out to maintain credibility. Moreover, military success mattered for mobilizing the "basic masses," persuading wavering people to keep an open mind, and neutralizing opposition. As the logic put it, it was not that people always chose the side that was winning, but that few would ever join a side they believed was losing. One experienced cadre described the effect this way: Among the guerrilla units… there is a saying that "victory decides everything." No matter how hard it has been to recruit troops, supply the army, raise the masses' anti-Japanese fervor or win over the masses' sympathy, after a victory in battle the masses fall all over themselves to send us flour, steamed bread, meat, and vegetables. The masses' pessimistic and defeatist psychology is broken down, and many new guerrilla soldiers swarm in. But once the Japanese began to demand a heavy price for every engagement—whether the Communists won or not—this attitude began to change. In North and Central China, the Japanese earliest pacification sweeps created comparatively little trouble for the CCP. At first, the Japanese made few distinctions among Chinese forces. They simply tried to mop up or disperse them without regard to character. Over time, however, they realized that these sweeps actually made it easier for the CCP to expand. By the second half of 1939, Japanese methods became more discriminating. Chinese non-Communist forces would step aside while the Japanese hunted specifically for the 8RA, the N4A, and their local affiliates. The Japanese also made more direct appeals to non-Communist forces. According to Japanese army statistics, during the eighteen months from mid-1939 to late 1940, around 70,000 men from more or less regular Nationalist units in North China alone went over to the Japanese. The Japanese also reached informal "understandings" with several regional commanders whose forces together might have totaled as many as 300,000 men. This, of course, corresponded to what the CCP denounced as "crooked-line patriotism"—the "crooked-line" collaboration that preserved certain units so they could be used in future anti-Communist operations. When pacification efforts were intensified from late 1939 and throughout 1940, differences also appeared in the strategies Japanese armies used in North versus Central China. In North China, the approach relied heavily on military means, with political tactics limited largely to recruiting collaborators. In Central China, Japanese authorities did not hesitate to use military force, but they also attempted to supplement it with more comprehensive political and economic solutions by setting up tightly controlled "model peace zones." Although both approaches ultimately failed, they created enormous difficulties for Chinese Communists—until, in 1943, the Japanese were forced to ease off because the Pacific War against the United States became too burdensome. Careful reading of detailed intra-party documents suggests that repression also demobilized peasant support and terrorized populations into apathy, grudging acquiescence, or even active collaboration with the Japanese. In a locality already reduced from consolidated base status to guerrilla status, capacity and will were often too weak to administer complex reforms in systematic fashion. In other words, passive survival—defensive survival—was at least as important as what lay behind the heroic public images the Party projected. Systematic pacification in North China in late 1939 and 1940 radiated outward. It moved from areas held more or less firmly by the Japanese and their puppets into guerrilla and contested zones. The ultimate objective was to crush resistance or render it ineffective. The method was first to sweep the area clear of anti-Japanese elements, and then to establish a chain of interconnected strongpoints that could quickly reinforce one another. After that, puppet government would be expanded so it could take increasing responsibility for civil administration and "pacification maintenance," while Japanese forces repeated the initial steps further outward into contested territory. Violence was used selectively against individuals, groups, or villages accused of acts of resistance. This selective violence aimed to deter active participation in CCP-led programs, deprive Communist forces of a population willing to shelter them, and persuade informers to come forward. That was, at least, the theory of the strategy. In practice, the basic framework of the strategy depended on the main transport lines. Railways and roads—if properly fortified and protected—could separate resistance forces from one another and deny them one of their most effective weapons: mobility. These "cage" tactics (chiyu-lung, "jiu-lung") made it possible to enlarge pacified areas by "nibbling" outward, "as a silkworm feeds on mulberry leaves" (ts'an-shih). At the same time, the approach aimed to exploit North China's economy more effectively. To this end, the Japanese worked to improve and extend both railway and road networks. When the war began, in Shanxi the Cheng-Tai (Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan) and Tong-Pu (Datong–Tongguan) lines were metre-gauge, incompatible with the standard-gauge lines elsewhere in China—part of Yan Xishan's design to prevent deeper penetration into his province. By the end of 1939, the Japanese used forced labor to convert both lines to standard gauge. One benefit was the easier transportation of high-quality anthracite coal from the Qingxing mines (on the Cheng-Tai line) to industrial users in North China and Manchukuo. Of the newly constructed roads and railway lines, the most important was the Te-Shih line—from Dezhou in northeastern Shandong to Shijiazhuang. Construction began in June 1940 and finished in November, connecting the Tianjin–Pukou, Beiping–Hankou, and Cheng-Tai lines. This made it easier to move troops and transport raw cotton. Once the Te–Shih link was completed, the Japanese had direct connections between the point of their furthest advance at the elbow of the Yellow River and all major cities of North China, and beyond to Manchukuo. Communist sources began to speak of a "transportation war," noting with concern the moats and ditches, the blockhouses, and the frequent patrols protecting the lines. Both militarily and economically, these measures weighed heavily on forces led by the Communists in North China and on the populations under their control—especially the plains of central and eastern Hebei. One indicator of effectiveness was the rapid decline in "acts of sabotage" against North China railways in 1939 and the first half of 1940. A cadre in Jin-Cha-Ji reported in mid-1940: "The enemy has adopted a blockhouse policy, like that of the Jiangxi Soviet. They are spread like a constellation. In central Hebei alone, there are about 500, separated by one to three miles." Normal trading patterns were disrupted as Japanese or puppet occupiers took over administrative and commercial centers, and peasants found themselves caught between regulations imposed by the Communists on one side and those enforced by the other side. Finally, landlords, moneylenders, loafers, bandits—everyone who felt damaged by the new order inside base areas—could use pacification programs to try to recover influence or simply take revenge. Some became informers. After 8RA and local units were driven away, they could kill remaining cadres or activists and settle scores with the peasants who had supported them. Until the "first anti-Communist upsurge" was defeated, local elites and other disaffected elements might also seek support from Nationalists. It was even possible for an armed band to operate for several months inside consolidated regions of the CCP base, killing cadres as it went. Peng Dehuai later recalled this period in a way that underscored how pressure translated into wavering and collapse. Under the enemy's brutal pressure, in some districts the masses even hesitated or capitulated. From March to July 1940, large areas of the North China base were reduced to guerrilla regions. Before the "Cage-bursting battle",, they controlled only two county seats: Pingxun in the Taihang mountains and Pien-kuan in northwest Shanxi. Masses who previously had one set of obligations now had two—one toward the anti-Japanese regime and one toward the puppet regime. The situation in North China had not yet become a full crisis, but it was certainly serious. Action was needed to regain initiative. On 22 July 1940, Zhu De, Commander-in-Chief of the Eighth Route Army, Peng Dehuai Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Zuo Quan Deputy Chief of Staff jointly issued the Preliminary Battle Order, laying out the strategic goals for the coming operation. The order stated: "To respond to the enemy's 'prison cage policy,' obstruct its advance toward Xi'an, create favorable conditions in the North China theater, and strike at the national resistance initiative, we have decided to take advantage of the concealment provided by tall summer millet and the rainy season to carry out a large-scale sabotage operation on the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan railway (Zheng–Tai Line)." It required the participation of at least 22 regiments from the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, the 129th Division, and the 120th Division. The main objective was to "completely destroy key points along the Zheng–Tai Line" and to "cut the railway for a prolonged period." On 8 August, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army issued the Operational Battle Order, further clarifying how forces would be deployed. The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region was assigned to attack the eastern section of the Zheng–Tai Railway (from Niangzi Pass to Shijiazhuang). The 129th Division was assigned the western section (from Niangzi Pass to Yuci). The 120th Division was tasked with targeting the northern segment of the Tongpu Railway and the Fen–Li Highway. The order also required all troops to begin combat operations on 20 August, and emphasized that "the success of the campaign should be assessed primarily by the extent of damage inflicted on the Zheng–Tai Line." The operation was prepared under strict secrecy. Various elements of the Eighth Route Army conducted thorough preparations before the campaign. Reconnaissance teams, hidden and protected with the help of local villagers, penetrated deep into areas near the Shijiazhuang–Taiyuan railway to carefully map Japanese strongholds, enemy troop dispositions, and local terrain. At the same time, both military and civilian communities mobilized to stockpile grain, ammunition, and tools needed for railway sabotage; blacksmiths were organized to manufacture crowbars, pickaxes, and other essential equipment. Specialized military training covered demolition methods and techniques for dismantling railways, including tactics such as heating and bending steel rails. Civilian mobilization played a crucial role: militia and support teams took on tasks such as transport, medical aid, and coordination with military units. In Central Shanxi alone, more than 10,000 militia members were mobilized. The Eighth Route Army headquarters repeatedly stressed the need for operational confidentiality, stating: "Before the battle begins, the plan must remain strictly classified; until preparations are completed, the campaign objective may be disclosed only to brigade-level commanders." With the cover of dense summer millet, troops secretly assembled within their designated operational areas. Before the battle, the Japanese North China Area Army estimated the strength of the communist regular forces at about 88,000 men in December 1939. Two years later, they revised the estimate to 140,000. On the eve of the battle, communist forces had grown to between 200,000 and 400,000 men, organized in 105 regiments. By 1940, the growth had become so significant that Zhu De ordered a coordinated offensive by most of the communist regular units—46 regiments from the 115th Division, 47 from the 129th, and 22 from the 120th—against Japanese-held cities and the railway lines that connected them. According to the Communist Party's official statement, the battle began on 20 August.  On August 20, 1940, the rain didn't stop the campaign—it changed the battlefield. It slowed movement, blurred distance, and turned rivers and muddy roads into obstacles that could just as easily trap your own men as your enemy's. Along the districts bordering the Zhengtai Railway, the Eighth Route Army still moved, slipping through valleys and river crossings, bypassing Japanese posts, and positioning forces on both sides of the line as night settled in. By dark, the plan became a coordinated strike meant to hit the enemy before they could properly react. Across the entire Zhengtai Railway, attacks went out with timing designed to disorient Japanese defenders—so that their "first realization" arrived only after the railway itself was already being attacked and the window to respond effectively had slipped away.   A key portion of that strike fell to the right column of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, centered on the 5th and 19th Regiments, with the mission of sabotaging the Niangziguan to Luanliu section. At 20:00 on August 20, part of the 5th Regiment infiltrated Niangziguan Village for the first time, overwhelmed the puppet troops stationed there, and seized the village by dawn. After that opening cut, the main force moved in to cover the engineers, destroy enemy fortifications, and blow up the Guandong Railway Bridge. When the sabotage was done, they withdrew from Niangziguan on their own initiative, leaving the enemy to deal with the destruction rather than being pulled into a long, grinding engagement.   That same night, at Mohe Beach along the Zhengtai line, another action unfolded. The 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment attacked the station and was immediately met with a counterattack by Japanese forces. By dawn on August 21, the company withdrew—an adjustment, not defeat—and then attacked again the same night after crossing the Mian River. This time the enemy retreated into barracks to resist more stubbornly, with nearly 1,000 Japanese troops holding Mohe Beach. Heavy rain had swollen the river and made foot crossing nearly impossible, but the attackers seized the village west of the station and held it. On August 22 afternoon, more than 400 Japanese troops counterattacked; the main force of the 5th Regiment hit from the north bank of the Mian River in a fire assault, killing more than 50 before withdrawing the 1st Company out of the fighting. The 19th Regiment, meanwhile, took Jucheng and Irrang stations, tightening the pressure on the railway corridor.   On August 23, 1940, the 5th Regiment recaptured Niangziguan and blew up the stone bridge east of the village, destroying the railway segment between Chengjialongdi and Mohetan. That night the 19th Regiment stormed Yirang Station and blew up the water tower and the railway, ensuring the disruption would not be temporary. From August 24 to 27, bridges near Yanhui—stone and wooden—were destroyed again and again. Under that continuous pressure, beginning on August 25, Japanese transportation along the Niangziguan to Luanliu section of the Zhengtai Road was cut off completely. Strongholds were left to fight more or less alone, unable to coordinate or move supplies the way they normally would.   While the right column worked the railway, other forces hit the system from different angles. The Central Column of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region—comprised of the 2nd, 3rd, and 16th Regiments—took responsibility for sabotaging the Zhengtai Road segment from Niangziguan to Weishui and for striking the Jingxing Coal Mine area. On the night of August 20, the 3rd Regiment launched coordinated attacks on the Gangtou old mine and the Dongwangshe new mine of Jingxing, and with miners assisting, the 1st Battalion quickly stormed the new mine and annihilated part of the enemy garrison. The rest withdrew into bunkers, resisting as best they could. By the afternoon of the next day, the entire enemy force had been wiped out. Afterward, major buildings in the mining area were destroyed and most materials were removed so that the mine could not resume production for more than six months. The 3rd Regiment also captured Jiazhuang, reinforcing the idea that sabotage here meant disabling not just lines of movement, but also the flow of resources.   Elsewhere, Japanese positions were disrupted in smaller, targeted strikes that still added up. After the Japanese stronghold at Nanzheng destroyed the railway between Nanzheng and Weishui, the 2nd Regiment took the eastern end fortress of the Faluling Railway Bridge, covered the engineers as they blew up a section of the bridge, and briefly occupied Caizhuang. The 2nd Battalion of the 16th Regiment attacked Beiyu on the night of August 20, annihilating most defenders, and on August 21 it covered the engineers to destroy the Beiyu Stone Bridge. Other units struck Didu and annihilated most defenders in Nanyu. By August 24, the Central Column had learned that more than 1,000 Japanese troops were stationed in Jingxing County, with additional reinforcements moving toward Nanyu and Didu. Their response was practical: detachments were assigned to watch and harass along the railway while the main force gathered in mobile positions—waiting for the next opening rather than charging blindly into concentrated strength.   Meanwhile, the left column of the Jin-Cha-Ji effort—from the 2nd Regiment of the Jizhong Garrison Brigade, the Military Region Special Service Regiment, and the Pingjinghuo Detachment—focused on sabotage from Weishui to Shijiazhuang. On the night of August 20, the Pingjinghuo Detachment attacked Yanfeng and blew up the railway. The Special Service Regiment moved with massed efforts as they destroyed power lines and highways from Yanfeng to Weizhou. On the night of August 22, the Special Service Regiment attacked Shang'an Station. On August 23, the 2nd Regiment stormed Touquan Station, captured two fortresses, then withdrew from the railway line; from August 25 to 27, they destroyed the highway connecting Pingshan, Huolu, Weishui, and Yanfeng.   While the main blow was falling along the Zhengtai Railway, the 129th Division was assigned raids on the western section. That area included the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 4 headquarters, a coal mine base at Yangquan, and support from Independent Mixed Brigade No. 9 from Yuci. These raids weren't only about destruction—they were meant to disorient, to create confusion over where the main pressure truly was. After the general offensive began at 20:00 on August 20, five companies of the 16th Regiment attacked Lujiazhuang Station and captured bunkers. Two guerrilla-operating companies in Yuci worked with engineers to destroy bridges between Lujiazhuang and Duanting. The 38th Regiment surprised Shanghu and Heshangzu stations, while the 25th Regiment captured Mashou Station and pushed Japanese troops toward Shouyang. The division's right-wing sabotage unit—28th and 30th Regiments of the newly formed 10th Brigade—took on sabotage on the Yangquan–Shouyang section, splitting routes on the night of August 20 to attack stations like Langyu, Zhangjing, Qinquan, and then striking additional positions with the 30th Regiment. Across that window, stations and strongholds such as Sangzhang, Yanzigou, Langyu, and Qinquan were taken, iron bridges were destroyed, and additional stations including Potou, Xinzhuang, Saiyu, Tielugou, Xiaozhuang, and Zhangzhuang were seized or disrupted.   As the western sabotage deepened, Japanese response hardened—but the ability to coordinate weakened. With the Zhengtai line sabotaged, the western section came under the 129th Division's control except for a few places such as Shouyang. Fierce assaults forced Japanese forces to lose contact with each other within days. Strongholds were attacked, besieged, and then annihilated as communication and coordination broke down. The 129th Division mobilized local people to destroy railway facilities, stations, and installations using demolition, burning, and flooding, moving materials so the railway and related infrastructure were effectively erased rather than merely damaged.   To cover these operations, the division occupied Shinaoshan with the 14th Regiment of the general reserve. Starting the morning of August 21, Japanese forces concentrated in Yangquan and attacked Shinaoshan daily. Enemy strength reportedly rose from more than 200 to more than 600, supported by bombing and strafing and the release of poison. The 14th Regiment held out until August 25, repelling repeated attacks, and by August 26 additional pressure came again as reinforcements increased. After six days and nights—and the annihilation of more than 400 enemy soldiers—the 14th Regiment withdrew from the main peak of Shinaoshan, continuing to contain the Japanese with smaller detachments while the main force shifted to another mission.   The first phase of sabotage had succeeded, but the campaign did not allow complacency. The Japanese strengthened their presence along the railway and launched frequent counterattacks, and Japanese divisions in southern Shanxi—including the 36th, 37th, and 41st—prepared to reinforce from the north. On August 26, the Eighth Route Army Headquarters issued instructions for a second phase: continue breaking through the road, concentrate superior forces, and annihilate Japanese units smaller than a battalion that were attacking or reinforcing. In line with that guidance, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region ordered the Jin-You Column to keep breaking through the road on August 27 for one or two days, while the 129th Division alternated daily in breaking through. Under sustained pressure, the western section of the Zhengtai Road was basically destroyed; transportation was effectively cut off except for a few towns such as Shouyang and Yangquan.   On September 2, orders were issued to conclude the Zhengtai Campaign starting from the 3rd and shift forces according to the second-step plan. As the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region launched the Mengbei Campaign, the 129th Division shifted toward attacking invading Japanese forces, while other tasks—such as attacking the He-Liao Highway and recovering cities of He and Liao—were left for later. Beginning September 2, the Military Region deployed the 2nd, 5th, 16th, and 19th Regiments toward areas north of Meng County and Shouyang to recapture enemy strongholds. With the railway sabotaged, the Japanese main force north of Meng County shifted south to reinforce, weakening garrisons and spreading panic among the strongholds. As fierce offensives intensified, garrison troops began to waver. By the afternoon of September 5, Japanese troops at Xiashe, supported by troops from Shangshe, retreated to Shangshe and fled toward Meng County overnight. That night, the 19th Regiment arrived near Shangshe and, together with the Special Service Battalion of the 2nd Military Sub-district, pursued. The 1st Battalion of the 19th Regiment advanced into Shenquan and Putian to cut off the retreat route. By 9:00 AM on September 6 the enemy was surrounded in Xingdao Village, and after five hours of intense fighting most forces were annihilated. Survivors fled east to Luolizhang Mountain, only to be surrounded again by the 19th, 5th, and 16th Regiments. By the night of September 9, most Japanese forces had been wiped out, though more than 40 men broke through in dense fog and escaped into Meng County.   The siege continued through bitter episodes involving attacks and withdrawals under poison, with both sides paying heavily for every moment of progress. Eventually, on September 11, Japanese troops in Xiyan escaped back to Meng County, helped by more than 200 Japanese already present there. Meanwhile, the Japanese attempted to counter the pressure: on September 4 they sent more than 2,000 troops to reinforce Meng County and began a counterattack. On September 10, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region ordered the 19th and 5th Regiments to remain east and north of Meng County to coordinate with the 129th and 120th Divisions, while the rest prepared for new missions.   As fighting intensified around Zhengtai and Meng County, a parallel pressure campaign unfolded. To contain Eighth Route Army sabotage along Zhengtai, the Japanese assembled battalions from Independent Mixed 4th and 9th Brigades to strike the 129th Division. In response, the 120th Division began large-scale sabotage against the Tongpu Railway and major highways in northwestern Shanxi starting 20:00 on August 20. They captured enemy strongholds along rail and road lines, striking major bases such as Kangjiahui on the Xinjing Highway, where more than 50 Japanese and puppet troops were stationed, and also attacking other areas like Shishen, Lizhen, and Jingle. Ambushes were set to annihilate reinforcements arriving from different directions, and at 00:30 on August 21 the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Regiment attacked Kangjiahui and annihilated the defenders by dawn. Reinforcements arriving in cars were destroyed, and subsequent actions continued to expand the disruption.   Over more than 180 battles in northwestern Shanxi, the 120th Division annihilated more than 800 Japanese and puppet troops and captured or destroyed stations and strongholds including Kangjiahui, Yangfangkou, Pingshe, and Longquan. By disrupting the Tongpu Railway and transportation along the Xinjing, Taifen, and Fenli highways, they tied down Japanese forces and made it harder to reinforce Zhengtai. In practical terms, this meant the first phase of the Hundred Regiments Offensive—lasting about three weeks—ended on September 10 with major railway lines and motor roads attacked repeatedly. Roadbeds, bridges, switching yards, and installations were hit heavily; at the Qingxing coal mines, facilities were destroyed and production was halted for nearly a year.   By the end of that first phase, the campaign's logic had become clearer: once the Japanese leaned more heavily on a "cage-and-strongpoint" defense system, the same transport network that had supported their defense became less secure. When rail and road were repeatedly disrupted, strongpoints became more vulnerable—especially if Japanese units pulled out nearby detachments to respond to sabotage. So the campaign shifted from breaking transportation to attacking blockhouses and other strongpoints in contested areas, aiming to force Japanese forces back into well-defended garrisons and leave the countryside again contested by Communist forces. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. From 20 August 1940, under secrecy and rain, units of the 8th Route Army infiltrated stations, captured villages, destroyed bridges, power lines, roads, mines, and stations across multiple columns. By early September the Zhengtai and related Tongpu transport routes were repeatedly severed, forcing Japanese troops to fight isolated strongpoints and hindering reinforcement. 

Join Snaxton & Goose for another episode of Snax Pax! Today they discuss buying their own thermite grenades, discuss The Leftovers, and read your messages!

In Pacific Waves today: Dalton Tagelagi re-elected Niue Prime Minister; Civilian casualties mount amid ongoing conflict in West Papua; Pacific business wrap with RNZ Pacific reporter Kaya Selby; Vanuatu United FC and Fiji's Bula FC to meet in semifinal playoff. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

BACK WITH A FULLY LOADED EPISODE!

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're replaying a conversation with conversation with playwright and producer Elizabeth Coplan, founder of the Greif Dialogues, a nonprofit theatrical movement that facilitates conversations about dying, death, and grief. We talk about her own connection to service and discuss how Grief Dialogues has developed a specific immersive experience of remembrance and reflection ahead of Memorial DayProvide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestElizabeth Coplan is a veteran of marketing and public relations with over four decades of experience. She began her professional journey as an aspiring actor in New York City in 1972 before pivoting to publishing, eventually becoming the managing editor of Chief Executive Magazine. After relocating to California, she climbed the ranks at Collins Foods International, ultimately serving as Director of Corporate Communications.In Seattle, Elizabeth became a trailblazer in professional services marketing, notably serving as the first Northwest marketing director for Touché Ross (now Deloitte). She later became Director of Client Service and Development at Davis Wright Tremaine, where she helped grow the firm from three to ten offices and pioneered strategic sponsorships in the legal sector. After six years, she launched her own consulting firm, advising major clients including Merrill Lynch and the University of Washington School of Law.Her service on nonprofit boards includes the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and the Intiman Theatre, where she chaired strategic planning. In 2013, after a series of personal losses, Elizabeth began writing to process her grief. This led to the creation of Grief Dialogues, a groundbreaking play and nonprofit initiative that fosters dialogue about death and grief through theatre.Her award-winning works include Hospice: A Love Story, Untold, The Choice, and Honoring Choices, the latter adapted into a film that premiered in Los Angeles and earned multiple festival awards. She also directed and produced Juntos Nos Ayudamos, a film addressing suicide in a Hispanic family, and co-hosts the podcast Out of Grief Comes Art.Elizabeth's writing appears in professional grief therapy publications, and her full-length play 'Til Death premiered Off-Broadway in 2023 with an acclaimed cast. She is currently working on The Book Club, a new play exploring the lives of senior women.Links Mentioned in this Episode Grief Dialogues WebsiteMy Guardian Angel MoviePsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's resource of the week is the PsychArmor course, Good Grief. Grief is not only experienced with death, it can also occur with job loss or severe changes to physical well-being. The purpose of this course is to recognize loss and identify what is learned as a result of that loss. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/good-grief Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

In Episode 2 of Beyond the Thank You, host Michael Parker sits down with Tyron Thompson, a former Army logistics professional who has navigated the transition from active service to contractor—and now to a GS civilian role.This conversation goes beyond job titles and into the reality of transition. Tyron shares what it's like operating in different environments, the challenges of redefining purpose, and the lessons learned while moving from military structure to civilian responsibility.This is a candid look at what happens after the uniform—and how the mission continues in a different form.

The Hoover Institution Center for Revitalizing American Institutions webinar series features speakers who are developing innovative ideas, conducting groundbreaking research, and taking important actions to improve trust and efficacy in American institutions. Speaker expertise and topics span governmental institutions, civic organizations and practice, and the role of public opinion and culture in shaping our democracy. The webinar series builds awareness about how we can individually and collectively revitalize American institutions to ensure our country's democracy delivers on its promise. The Hoover Institution's Center for Revitalizing American Institutions held an engaging conversation on Understanding the Civilian-Military Relationship in American Democracy with General Christopher G. Cavoli, US Army (Ret.), General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., USMC (Ret.), and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster on May 6, 2026, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. PT. This webinar explores the evolving relationship between civilian leadership and the military in the United States—a cornerstone of democratic governance. Drawing on historical context, recent case studies, and expert analysis, the discussion examines how mutual trust, accountability, and respect for constitutional norms sustain healthy civil-military dynamics. Participants gain insight into current challenges, including political polarization, public perceptions of the armed forces, and the appropriate role of military voices in national security and domestic affairs. The session aims to deepen understanding of how civil-military balance reinforces both national security and democratic resilience.

Ian Buruma examines the failure of strategic bombing to break civilian morale, which instead fostered solidarity. He recounts his father's letters from a Berlin labor barracks, describing the harsh conditions of malnutrition and vermin. He also highlights diaries showing how individuals navigated the criminal regime. (5/16)1940 MOLOTOV AND HITLER BERLIN.

Send us Fan MailPeaches is back for the May 6 Daily Drop—and yeah… this one's stacked.The U.S. is pulling 5,000 troops out of Germany, the Marines are flooding units with kamikaze drones, and the Pentagon just signed AI deals with OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and SpaceX because apparently the robot wars are no longer “future tense.” Meanwhile, the A-10 refuses to die—this time helping rescue a civilian boater in Florida—while the Air Force doubles down on electronic warfare, missile defense, and finally gets the T-7 trainer moving.Oh—and Space Force casually adds another $4 BILLION to surveillance satellites while two U.S. service members are missing during an African exercise.Peaches keeps it blunt: alliances are shifting, warfare is evolving, and if you still think drones and AI are “coming someday”… you're already behind.Bottom line: adapt now… or get left behind.⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 Daily Drop—Let's Get After It 01:00 Tasty Gains & Prep Programs 03:00 5,000 Troops Leaving Germany 05:00 Europe's Fuel Problem Is Real 07:00 Drones & 3D Printers in the Jungle 09:00 Tomahawks Fired in the Philippines 11:00 New Drone Warfare Unit in Germany 13:00 82nd Airborne Goes AI 15:00 Strait of Hormuz Escalation 17:00 USS Higgins Loses Power 19:00 AI Mine Warfare Begins 21:00 Marines Replace Recon Training 23:00 3,500 FPV Drones Hit the Fleet 25:00 Pennsylvania OTS Is LIVE 27:00 Afghanistan Units Finally Honored 29:00 A-10 Saves a Civilian 31:00 Arctic Warfare Gets Real 33:00 $500M for Aircraft Defense 35:00 T-7 Finally Moves Forward 37:00 Compass Call Fleet Expands 39:00 Space Force Gets Billions More 41:00 Danger Pay Could DOUBLE 43:00 Two U.S. Troops Missing 45:00 Final Thought—The Future Is Already Here

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're having a conversation with Verenice Castillo, founder of the Military Spouse Advocacy Network, an organization dedicated to supporting military spouses through mentorship, leadership development, and community-building. Drawing from her own experience as an immigrant and longtime military spouse, Verenice has built MSAN into a global network focused on reducing isolation and empowering spouses to find purpose and connection.Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestsVerenice Castillo is the Founder and CEO of the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN), a nonprofit organization she launched to address the persistent challenges of isolation, lack of community, and limited professional opportunities faced by military spouses. Originally from Mexico, Castillo immigrated to the United States as a teenager and later became a military spouse, an experience that shaped her commitment to advocacy and peer support.Over more than a decade, she has grown MSAN into a nationally recognized organization providing mentorship, leadership training, and mental wellness resources to military spouses worldwide. Castillo has led initiatives such as the Leadership Institute for Military Spouses, in collaboration with institutions like Harvard University and University of Notre Dame, equipping hundreds of spouses each year with skills in leadership, crisis response, and ethical decision-making. Her work has positioned her as a leading voice in military spouse advocacy, particularly around issues of community connection, career development, and mental health.Links Mentioned During the EpisodeMSAN WebsiteLeadership Institute for Military SpousesPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Networking for Military Spouses. This course will help you define what networking means, demonstrate ways to incorporate social media into your networking task, and list tips for better networking results.You can find the resource here:https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Networking-for-Military-Spouses Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on XPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we're having a conversation with Dr. Carla Stumpf Patton from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a leading voice in supporting those impacted by military loss. We talk about TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a national nonprofit organization providing compassionate care and comprehensive resources to all those grieving a death in the military or veteran community. Provide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who've served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor StoriesAbout Today's GuestsDr. Carla Stumpf Patton, Ed.D., LMHC, NCC, FT, CCTP, an expert in grief, trauma, and suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, oversees TAPS' services for suicide-loss survivors. Carla consults with civilian providers and military leaders to provide effective outreach and clinical care to military personnel, veterans, and military families. She is certified as an ASIST trainer in suicide first aid and is qualified to conduct Psychological Autopsy Investigations through the American Association of Suicidology. Carla holds an Ed. D. in counseling psychology, an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling and school guidance counseling, and a B.S. in psychology. Carla is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Certified Fellow Thanatologist, a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Florida Qualified Supervisor, and a counseling educator. She is the surviving spouse of Sergeant Richard Stumpf, U.S. Marine Corps, who died by suicide in 1994. She is now married to a retired U.S. Marine, who was also a suicide-loss survivor, and they share five children.Links Mentioned During the EpisodeTragedy Assistance Program for Survivors WebsiteTAPS Postvention ModelPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the week is the PsychArmor course Treating Grief in the Veteran Population. This course discusses how the TAPS' Suicide Postvention Model helped suicide loss survivor and Marine Corps Veteran Dana O'Brien address his grief.You can find the resource here:https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/Treating-Grief-in-the-Veteran-Population Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on XPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

Andrew Fox joins Live From The Table to talk about personal courage, Gaza, Hamas casualty numbers, Israel's military strategy, Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and what modern war actually looks like. Andrew Fox is a former British Army officer (three tours in Afghanistan), now a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank. Fox has been to the frontlines in Gaza, Lebanon and Ukraine. He wrote the first papers worldwide exposing the Hamas fatality figures manipulation in Gaza and showing how Israel actually fought on the ground in Gaza from a tactical perspective. mrandrewfox.substack.com https://x.com/mr_andrew_fox 0:00 Intro 1:00 Serving in Afghanistan 4:00 Looking back on the war 7:30 Hamas casualty numbers in Gaza 10:00 Why Andrew looked into the numbers 12:00 Hamas figures, IDF figures, and media coverage 15:30 Civilian casualties and Hamas's strategy 18:15 Child fighters and Hamas 19:25 Why Andrew speaks up for Israel and Jews 22:00 Problems inside the IDF 28:40 Iran and the wider war 31:50 Why stopping Iran's nuclear program matters 37:30 Strait of Hormuz 42:00 What kind of Iran deal would make sense? 47:20 Why this is different from the JCPOA 54:00 Gaza casualty ratios and urban war 57:00 Was the Gaza war worth it? 1:02:00 Why Israel went into Gaza first 1:04:30 Final thoughts

PREVIEW FOR LATER: Ahmad Sharawi details Iranian attacks in the Gulf targeting energy and civilian infrastructure, particularly in the UAE. Gulf states are rapidly bolstering defenses using Ukrainian air defense systems and knowledge. Despite these efforts, Iran is expected to maintain its strategy of targeting critical infrastructure in future conflict phases.1909 ARABIA