Podcast appearances and mentions of kate gerbeau

The highest command in the world's most powerful military alliance has always been held by a top American officer, almost always with a British deputy.But as the Trump administration tells Europe the US will do less, and we've got to do much more for our own defence, should the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) become a European job?Kate Gerbeau talks to General Philip Breedlove, who was SACEUR from 2013-2016, about what the role involves, how much influence it wields, and how much difference the change could make.He also reveals how during Russia's first invasion of Ukraine (2014) he used his other role, as a US commander, to deliver action that had been resisted from within the alliance.

In the 1970's and 1980's the UK typically spent 4-5% of its national income on Defence, but what did that money buy and what did our Armed Forces spend their time doing?Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke talk to historian Ian J Sanders, host of the Cold War Conversations podcast, for a history lesson on how we deployed our military capability to protect Europe from a Russian led threat.Times may have changed a lot, countries like Poland and Estonia which were part of the enemy bloc back then are now staunch allies who we help defend, but some things stay the same.So Kate, Mike and Ian assess what lessons we should be taking right now from our victory in the Cold War. [You can see more about the work of British forces in the cold war in our series Real Cold War Spies: BRIXMIS - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeQQkbf45pQM7fhBI5Lv_DvSanxy-bfw0] [You can listen to Ian's podcast Cold War Conversations here - https://coldwarconversations.com/]

In this extended Frontline conversation, Kate Gerbeau speaks to the writer and Russia analyst Mark Galeotti about the war in Ukraine.The World in 10 is the Times' daily podcast dedicated to global security. Expert analysis of war, diplomatic relations and cyber security from The Times' foreign correspondents and military specialists. Watch moreRead more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the RAF opened fighter pilot roles to women Mandy Hickson was one of the first in line.The powers that be told her she was a test-case, and a key flying exam threatened to prove their prediction of failure correct.But a moment of inspired teamwork, cycling with her fellow student pilots, transformed her struggles into a pass with flying colours.Mandy tells Kate Gerbeau how that moment made her a pioneer for women in the RAF, and how it shaped her understanding of how teams really do work.

At the age of 23 Chip Chapman not only went to war for the first time, but also had to lead his platoon into the first fighting of the decisive battle in the Falklands war.When Argentinian forces lost at Goose Green they surrendered and the islands were liberated, but it had been a hard fight that could have gone either way.Chip tells Kate Gerbeau how Goose Green taught him the importance of discipline, cohesion, and always carrying a pistol throughout his 33 years in the Army.

Andrew Fox always knew he wanted more from his Army career. But poor eyesight kept him out of the Army air corps, and a bad luck injury ended any hope of Special Forces selection.He didn't give up though, and his moment came when he took on another of the Armed Forces toughest selections. P-Company to join the Parachute Regiment.Andrew talks to Kate Gerbeau about passing the selection and finally finding a regimental home where he belonged.

Neil Greenberg is a world leading expert, and practitioner, in military mental health.He signed up to the Royal Navy while still in medical school, then travelled the world on ships and submarines, not just attending to crew health but getting stuck into everything else required of an officer to keep a vessel operating successfully.But it could have been very different, had he not heard a radio interview by chance.Professor Greenberg tells Kate Gerbeau how the medic of a luxury liner inspired him to mix healthcare with adventure, all with the aim of making a difference.

Liz McConaghy joined the RAF on her 19th Birthday and flew on Chinooks for seventeen years.She helped save hundreds of lives on MERT rescue missions for dangerously-wounded troops, during her ten tours of Afghanistan.But saving others lives left a big impact on Liz's own, and months after leaving the RAF she attempted to end her life.Liz tells Kate Gerbeau why, the moment she woke up in hospital, she chose to live, how it made her into an author, designer and advocate working to inspire and help others through similar struggles.This podcast includes descriptions of battlefield injuries, and discussion of suicide. Visit bfbs.com/audiencesupport for details of organisations that can offer support and information.

Julian Thompson had already served thirty years in the Royal Marines when a phone call, in the dead of night, would come to define his career.It brought news of an imminent invasion, and orders to lead 3 Commando Brigade more than seven-thousand miles across the Atlantic, in just a matter of days, to liberate the Falkland Islands.He tells Kate Gerbeau how his first reaction to the call was horror at being so unprepared, but that chaos always reigns and victory goes to whoever sorts out the chaos quickest.

Andy McNab faced the IRA in Northern Ireland, served on numerous SAS covert operations around the world, and was captured behind enemy lines in Iraq.But he tells Kate Gerbeau the real moment that made him was reading a Janet & John children's book at the age of 16.It unlocked the Army career which took him away from a life of teenage crime, and eventually led him to becoming a bestselling author of more than 50 books, all thanks to a Sergeant Major who he thought was “the world's oldest soldier”.

Rosie Stone was recording an audio diary at the moment she came under fire on a patrol in Southern Afghanistan.This was her first experience of a combat situation after more than eight years service in the Army.But it became a very different learning experience as she was given shelter and tea by local Afghan women while a gun battle raged behind their compound wall.Rosie shares her recording of that moment with Kate Gerbeau, and explains how that moment shaped her new life as an expert in human security and gender in conflict.

On the 16th of December 2008 HMS Endurance suffered a very sudden and catastrophic flood in the South Atlantic.Tom Sharpe was in temporary command of the Royal Navy ice breaker as her engine room filled in less than half an hour, and she lost power in turbulent seas.Tom tells Kate Gerbeau why he ignored advice from the UK to abandon ship, how he led his crew to save the ship from sinking, and how it gave him confidence to lead without being risk averse.

“Please don't look back, more dangerous times lie ahead which means you need to look forward… so that we are ready if war chooses us”. So says the head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker, in this special edition of Sitrep explaining what 2025 may bring.Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke tackle some of the biggest questions for our defence. Could fighting in Ukraine end, and might British troops be sent as peacekeepers or trainers? Would Russia make a military move against another European country? And will the Defence Review be a revolution or evolution for our Armed ForcesThe Chief of Defence Staff, the heads of the Royal Navy and RAF, and a team of top experts also share their assessments of what's most likely to lie ahead, right around the world.

In this extended Frontline conversation, Kate Gerbeau speaks to NATO's former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, about the war in Ukraine.The World in 10 is the Times' daily podcast dedicated to global security. Expert analysis of war, diplomatic relations and cyber security from The Times' foreign correspondents and military specialists. Watch more: www.youtube.com/@ListenToTimesRadio Read more: www.thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sitrep talks to the outgoing Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute, Dr. Karin von HippelRUSI has contributed to UK defence & security thinking for almost two centuries, and under Dr. von Hippel's leadership it's help the country face threats ranging from the Covid pandemic to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.Before leading RUSI she was a key figure at the US State Department, as Chief-of-Staff to General John Allen who led the global coalition against the Islamic State terror group.After 9 years at the helm of RUSI, Karin talks to Kate Gerbeau about the many challenges and surprises the world has brought in that time, and what lies ahead.

In this extended Frontline conversation, Kate Gerbeau speaks to the writer and Russia analyst Mark Galeotti about the war in Ukraine.The World in 10 is the Times' daily podcast dedicated to global security. Expert analysis of war, diplomatic relations and cyber security from The Times' foreign correspondents and military specialists. Watch more: www.youtube.com/@ListenToTimesRadio Read more: www.thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drones buzzing airbases and HMS Queen Elizabeth. Undersea cables cut. Mysterious parcel fires at air-freight depots. These have all been described as hybrid, grey-zone, or sub-threshold attacks against the UK and it's allies.But if they are all below the threshold of an act of war, where does that threshold lie?Sitrep explores the use of deniable attacks, from disruption and disinformation to assassination and bomb plots. How do we defend against them, deter enemies from even trying, and stand up to international bullying?Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke talk to grey-zone expert Elisabeth Braw, former military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram, and Tan Dhesi MP who chairs the Commons Defence Committee.

From testing whether we're ready for war to checking whether forces families get the support they need, the Commons Defence Committee plays a key role in overseeing our defence.Kate Gerbeau talks to the man chosen by his fellow MP's to chair the committee in this Parliament.Tan Dhesi has a background in maths, management science, and running his own construction business.So what does he bring to this important defence role, why did he want the job, and what does he hope to achieve for the UK's defence and it's service personnel?

More than a hundred years after the First World War, more than half a million soldiers are still missing, a third of whom are thought to be buried as ‘unknown'. Two years after the end of the Great War, The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was established at Westminster Abbey and has served as a focal point for the public's grief ever since.Former Tornado Navigator and bestselling author John Nichol talks to Kate Gerbeau about the history of the tomb and the painstaking efforts of finding, identifying and reburying the fallen, which he explores in his new book.They're joined by a veteran who served in the Army for 30 years, Colonel Lindsay MacDuff, who was involved in more than 200 repatriations from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army's world-renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is undertaking a radical process to modernise. It's conducting what it calls a ‘Critical Mass Trial' – huge efforts to ramp up the numbers of women in its platoons in response to a tragedy at the Academy. BFBS Forces News has been given rare and exclusive access to Sandhurst and has documented it in a new series produced by Rosie Laydon who talks to Sitrep. Something that's really getting people fired up in the military is the prospect of paying 20 per cent VAT on private school fees from January. Some personnel are even threatening to leave the Armed Forces if the Government pushes ahead, whereas others claim it will put new people off joining in the first place. Sitrep talks to the RAF Families Federation and retired Army Officer Hamish de Bretton-Gordon. And former Tornado Navigator and bestselling author John Nichol talks to Kate Gerbeau about the history of the tomb of the unknown warrior and the painstaking efforts of finding, identifying and reburying the fallen, which he explores in his new book.

It remains an iconic piece of news footage and now historian Ben MacIntyre, the man behind SAS Rogue Heroes, has been given permission to talk to the men who took part in the operation to end the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980.Some of them have never spoken openly about the mission until now and these personal accounts detail the build-up, planning and execution of Operation Nimrod.Ben MacIntyre talks to Kate Gerbeau about the myths, the legends and ultimately the truth about the most famous and most public SAS endeavour.

Major General Tim Hodgetts served 41 years as an Army doctor, rising to become Surgeon General.He's lived through gunfire and explosions while trying to save lives, from Germany via Northern Ireland, to Afghanistan. Throughout much of that time he also wrote poems as a way to help him process those experiences, but now he's published some of them in an anthology, “Frontlines and Lifelines”Major General Hodgetts talks to Kate Gerbeau about his poems, the events that inspired them, and his contributions to revolutionising military medicine.

The new head of the Army has warned the UK has three years to be ready to fight a war or deter conflict.General Sir Roly Walker's talked about an “increasingly volatile world” but he said war wasn't inevitable and the Army had "just enough time" to prepare itself.He says he wants to double the Army's fighting power in three years (and triple it by the end of the decade) and he's stressed the need to modernise quickly using technology like AI.Professor Mike Clarke and former army officer Ed Arnold, who's now at RUSI, join Kate Gerbeau and reporter Sian Grzeszczyk Melbourne to discuss the plans and the future shape of the battlefield.And in the latest of our series, we hear about the moment that made Andrew Fox after 8 years in the army… passing P Company to earn his maroon beret and become a Para.

Around one in twenty of the UK's MPs have military experience, but what do they bring to the job and does it help them make a difference?Sitrep talks to the new MP for Derbyshire North, Louise Jones, and Jonny Ball who hosts the Veterans in Politics podcast and has mentored several of the new intake to Parliament.India's Prime Minister claims to be neutral on the war in Ukraine, but he's been pictured hugging President Putin on a visit to Moscow. So what's Narendra Modi up to, and should we be worried?And Colonel Rosie Stone shares her “moment that made me” – conversations about motherhood, gardening and football while under fire, for the first time, in Afghanistan. She tells Kate Gerbeau how it led to her new career as an expert in gender and human security.

For more than half a century the C-130 Hercules was the backbone of the RAF.It's played a key role in daring special forces and counter terror mission, supported combat operations from the Falklands to Afghanistan, delivered disaster relief, and carried out evacuations in some of the most challenging of environments.Named after the mythological Greek hero with exceptional strength, Hercules was intended simply to be a cargo aircraft but its adaptability and versatility turned it into the swiss-army-knife of tactical airlift.Now the life story of the plane, also known affectionately as Fat Albert, is told by one of its former pilots in a new book simply titled ‘Hercules'. Scott Bateman tells Kate Gerbeau some of the many tales of service by Hercules and the people who flew on board.

Defence Procurement minister James Cartlidge tells Sitrep the history of armed forces having “kit that let them down” keeps him awake at night. But he has a plan to fix the problems.He tells Kate Gerbeau about the changes aimed at delivering equipment on time, and on budget, while Professor Michael Clarke assesses whether it will give troops what they need, when they need it.We also look up close at one of those big procurement projects, as Sitrep's David Sivills-McCann visits the under-construction Type 26 frigate HMS Cardiff.Israel has sacked two officers over the air-strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, which it calls a ‘grave accident'. Sitrep explains the process of ‘deconfliction' that should have prevented it from happening.

Every single country in the world allows women to serve in at least some military roles, but only one has a woman at the very top of its Armed Forces.Jamaica's Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman, was appointed in 2022 and is only the second woman in history to hold such a role (Slovenia appointed a female chief of defence for two years in 2018).Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman talks to Kate Gerbeau about her rise through the ranks across three decades, how male military leaders around the world react to her, and how the UK can learn from her approach to changing culture.She also shares memories of her officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth (cold apparently), and the value she places on the Jamaica Defence Force's close ties with the UK.

Under the sea, in charge of a multi-million pound boat, and the safety of your crew, there is a lot that can go very wrong.Ryan Ramsay has lived it all, then trained his successors both in how to avoid those disasters, and to cope if they do strike.In his new book ‘A View From Below' he shares the inside story how submarine captains are trained, the impossible scenarios they're faced with in a real sub, and stories of simulated emergency suddenly becoming the real thing.He tells Kate Gerbeau why he turned those experiences into life-lessons that we can all use, what he learned from his most perilous moment in command of HMS Turbulent, and whether any of it helps him on the football pitch while refereeing.

Under the sea, in charge of a multi-million pound boat, and the safety of your crew, there is a lot that can go very wrong.Ryan Ramsay has lived it all, then trained his successors both in how to avoid those disasters, and to cope if they do strike.In his new book ‘A View From Below' he shares the inside story how submarine captains are trained, the impossible scenarios they're faced with in a real sub, and stories of simulated emergency suddenly becoming the real thing.He tells Kate Gerbeau why he turned those experiences into life-lessons that we can all use, what he learned from his most perilous moment in command of HMS Turbulent, and whether any of it helps him on the football pitch while refereeing.

Could more British troops be sent to Eastern Europe, or as peacekeepers in the Middle East? Will Donald Trump return to the White House, and would it guarantee defeat for Ukraine? And where in the world might the next war break out?Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke take on the big questions about what's in store for our defence and security in 2024.They hear from the UK's top military officers, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, General Sir Patrick Sanders, Admiral Sir Ben Key and Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, who tell us what they'll be working on in 2024.And some of Sitrep's expert guests from the last year share their thoughts to help explain what might happen in the next 12 months.

Could more British troops be sent to Eastern Europe, or as peacekeepers in the Middle East? Will Donald Trump return to the White House, and would it guarantee defeat for Ukraine? And where in the world might the next war break out?Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke take on the big questions about what's in store for our defence and security in 2024.They hear from the UK's top military officers, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, General Sir Patrick Sanders, Admiral Sir Ben Key and Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, who tell us what they'll be working on in 2024.And some of Sitrep's expert guests from the last year share their thoughts to help explain what might happen in the next 12 months.

Cyber-warfare was is no longer simply science-fiction, it is now a military fact that hits hard. Military communications, power systems and nuclear processing plants have all been taken offline in recent years by purely digital attacks. The UK's capability for this domain sits in the National Cyber Force, created three years ago as part of Strategic Command, bringing together military and intelligence teams for both defensive and offensive cyber operations. Kate Gerbeau talks to Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, the Deputy Commander of Stratcom, about the cyber threats the UK faces and how the force is tackling them.

Cyber-warfare was is no longer simply science-fiction, it is now a military fact that hits hard. Military communications, power systems and nuclear processing plants have all been taken offline in recent years by purely digital attacks. The UK's capability for this domain sits in the National Cyber Force, created three years ago as part of Strategic Command, bringing together military and intelligence teams for both defensive and offensive cyber operations. Kate Gerbeau talks to Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, the Deputy Commander of Stratcom, about the cyber threats the UK faces and how the force is tackling them.

Every single country in the UN is signed up to the same laws of war, but Israel's military campaign in Gaza is reminding us interpretations of those laws often differ.In this extra Sitrep podcast Kate Gerbeau talks to Rev. Nicholas Mercer, who was the British Army's top legal adviser in Iraq 20 years ago.He explains the key principles that govern the legality of military action, how he applied them in the midst of battle, and how the Israel Gaza war mirrors many of the difficult decisions he faced in Basra.

Every single country in the UN is signed up to the same laws of war, but Israel's military campaign in Gaza is reminding us interpretations of those laws often differ.In this extra Sitrep podcast Kate Gerbeau talks to Rev. Nicholas Mercer, who was the British Army's top legal adviser in Iraq 20 years ago.He explains the key principles that govern the legality of military action, how he applied them in the midst of battle, and how the Israel Gaza war mirrors many of the difficult decisions he faced in Basra.

Japan is one of the world's third biggest economic power, but until now its military power has come nowhere close to matching that.That's changing though, with a 5-year defence-spending spree to include new counter-strike capabilities which will enable Japan to fire on enemy land for the first time since World War Two.Kate Gerbeau talks to the author of ‘Japan as a Global Military Power', Dr Chris Hughes, about how capable Japan's forces already are, what the extra spending will add, and why Britain is key to Tokyo's plan for greater military might.

Japan is one of the world's third biggest economic power, but until now its military power has come nowhere close to matching that.That's changing though, with a 5-year defence-spending spree to include new counter-strike capabilities which will enable Japan to fire on enemy land for the first time since World War Two.Kate Gerbeau talks to the author of ‘Japan as a Global Military Power', Dr Chris Hughes, about how capable Japan's forces already are, what the extra spending will add, and why Britain is key to Tokyo's plan for greater military might.

General David Petraeus commanded multinational forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote America's handbook on counter-insurgency, and went on to lead the CIA.Now he wants to help those who follow him learn the lessons of the wars he fought, and many others since World War Two.General Petraeus and acclaimed military historian Andrew Roberts tell Kate Gerbeau how the outbreak of war in Ukraine spurred them to combine their disciplines for a fresh look at how we got here, and why.In their book ‘Conflict – The evolution of warfare from 1945 to Ukraine' General Petraeus shares personal accounts from Iraq and Afghanistan, and we learn lessons including how a tactic deployed with devastating effect by Israel's enemies failed spectacularly for Russia.

General David Petraeus commanded multinational forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote America's handbook on counter-insurgency, and went on to lead the CIA.Now he wants to help those who follow him learn the lessons of the wars he fought, and many others since World War Two.General Petraeus and acclaimed military historian Andrew Roberts tell Kate Gerbeau how the outbreak of war in Ukraine spurred them to combine their disciplines for a fresh look at how we got here, and why.In their book ‘Conflict – The evolution of warfare from 1945 to Ukraine' General Petraeus shares personal accounts from Iraq and Afghanistan, and we learn lessons including how a tactic deployed with devastating effect by Israel's enemies failed spectacularly for Russia.

When Shaun Pinner left the Royal Anglian Regiment, after 9 years as a soldier, he had no intention of ever returning to military life.Two decades later he was fighting in Ukraine as one of the country's marines, besieged in the city of Mariupol as it was battered and starved by Russian forces.When he was captured Shaun was beaten, tortured and eventually sentenced to death by firing squad. Yet he is now a free man, and living in Ukraine.He tells Kate Gerbeau the incredible story of how he ended up there (via waste management and volunteering in Syria), why he was never a ‘war tourist', and the surreal moment when he met his unlikely saviour on a luxury jet.

When Shaun Pinner left the Royal Anglian Regiment, after 9 years as a soldier, he had no intention of ever returning to military life.Two decades later he was fighting in Ukraine as one of the country's marines, besieged in the city of Mariupol as it was battered and starved by Russian forces.When he was captured Shaun was beaten, tortured and eventually sentenced to death by firing squad. Yet he is now a free man, and living in Ukraine.He tells Kate Gerbeau the incredible story of how he ended up there (via waste management and volunteering in Syria), why he was never a ‘war tourist', and the surreal moment when he met his unlikely saviour on a luxury jet.

John Nichol's life was saved by explosives attached to his seat. In 1991 he ejected from a burning RAF Tornado jet, along with pilot John Peters, saving their lives but also leading to their capture by Iraqi forces. In a new book, ‘Eject! Eject!', John Nichol charts the history of the ejection seat and shares the stories of how it has both saved and changed thousands of people's lives. He tells Kate Gerbeau what it's like to be thrown out of plane at 600 miles per hour, how a terrifying 30-second manual process now happens automatically in the blink of an eye, and why ejecting is just the start of the story

John Nichol's life was saved by explosives attached to his seat. In 1991 he ejected from a burning RAF Tornado jet, along with pilot John Peters, saving their lives but also leading to their capture by Iraqi forces. In a new book, ‘Eject! Eject!', John Nichol charts the history of the ejection seat and shares the stories of how it has both saved and changed thousands of people's lives. He tells Kate Gerbeau what it's like to be thrown out of plane at 600 miles per hour, how a terrifying 30-second manual process now happens automatically in the blink of an eye, and why ejecting is just the start of the story

Sitrep gets the inside stories from some of the UK's biggest military decisions of recent years, as we examine the art and politics of command.Former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lord Richards, explains how he once told David Cameron ‘a term in the cadet force doesn't qualify you to do my job', but still had a good working relationship with the PM.And former Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, reveals how at the start of Operation Shader he had to personally authorise air-strikes, including decisions on which weapons would be used.Kate Gerbeau also talk to Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman about his book “Command” which analyses the politics of war, and Professor Michael Clarke explains how those lessons apply to military operations happening right now.

Sitrep gets the inside stories from some of the UK's biggest military decisions of recent years, as we examine the art and politics of command.Former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lord Richards, explains how he once told David Cameron ‘a term in the cadet force doesn't qualify you to do my job', but still had a good working relationship with the PM.And former Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, reveals how at the start of Operation Shader he had to personally authorise air-strikes, including decisions on which weapons would be used.Kate Gerbeau also talk to Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman about his book “Command” which analyses the politics of war, and Professor Michael Clarke explains how those lessons apply to military operations happening right now.

Chris Hunter is a decorated high-threat bomb disposal operator. He had been in Iraq, on operation Telic, for just four days when he was shot in an ambush. Two decades later he lives in the country that nearly claimed his life and works for a charity clearing explosives left by the Islamic State terror group.He tells Kate Gerbeau how he now has friends who may have tried to kill him years ago, what life is like in Iraq 20 years after the invasion, and what motivates him to stay for as long as he can.

Chris Hunter is a decorated high-threat bomb disposal operator. He had been in Iraq, on operation Telic, for just four days when he was shot in an ambush. Two decades later he lives in the country that nearly claimed his life and works for a charity clearing explosives left by the Islamic State terror group.He tells Kate Gerbeau how he now has friends who may have tried to kill him years ago, what life is like in Iraq 20 years after the invasion, and what motivates him to stay for as long as he can.

Scotty Mills had an incredible 32 year career in the Royal Marines, but it only happened because he wanted to get out of the rain one day.He led a daring mission in the opening moments of the Iraq war, has helped England football and Rugby players reach international glory, and marched on the world stage at London 2012.Scotty tells Kate Gerbeau how he learned a Royal Marines mindset for success, and about becoming a writer to share those lessons with the rest of us.

Scotty Mills had an incredible 32 year career in the Royal Marines, but it only happened because he wanted to get out of the rain one day.He led a daring mission in the opening moments of the Iraq war, has helped England football and Rugby players reach international glory, and marched on the world stage at London 2012.Scotty tells Kate Gerbeau how he learned a Royal Marines mindset for success, and about becoming a writer to share those lessons with the rest of us.

The histories of World War Two were largely written by men, because they were almost exclusively the ones who experienced it at the front lines.But a handful of remarkable women defied official bans, and went to the battlefields as war reporters.In this extra edition of BFBS Sitrep we hear at length from Judith Mackrell=about her new book ‘Going With The Boys' =, which tells the stories of six of these women war reporters.From risking execution to abandoning lunch with Ernest Hemingway to get the scoops, Judith tells Kate Gerbeau how their reporting records a different perspective on the war, how attempts to block actually helped them, and what they have in common with women who serve at the front lines today.