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From combat missions in the F-22 Raptor to more than five months aboard the International Space Station, Lt. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers '11 has seen it all. SUMMARY In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Col. Ayers reflects on mentorship, teamwork and building the next generation of warriors and astronauts.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK     TOP 10 TAKEAWAYS 1. Leadership is fluid: sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. On Dragon and the ISS, command shifted between Anne McClain and Takuya Onishi. Everyone alternated between being commander and flight engineer, showing that strong teams normalize moving between leading and supporting roles. 2. Team care starts with self‑care. Vapor repeatedly links sleep, rest, hydration, and health to leadership performance. You can't be present for others if you're exhausted or burned out; taking care of yourself is a leadership duty, not a luxury. 3. People first, mission second (to enable mission success). Whether on deployment with 300 personnel or in space with 7, she focuses on taking care of the human—family issues, logistics, burnout, and emotions—trusting that performance and mission execution follow from that. 4. Trust is built long before the crisis. ISS emergency training with all seven crew, plus years of joint training in multiple countries, builds shared understanding and trust. When emergencies happen, the crew isn't figuring each other out for the first time. 5. Quiet, thoughtful leadership can be incredibly powerful. Takuya Onishi's style—observant, calm, speaks only when it matters, and brings thoughtful items for others—shows that you don't need to be loud to command respect. When he spoke, everyone listened. 6. Leadership means being fully present, especially on others' hard days. In both combat and space, you can't “hide” when someone's struggling. Being reachable, attentive, and emotionally available is a core leadership behavior, not a soft add‑on. 7. Normalize mistakes and share lessons learned. From F‑22 sorties to NASA operations, it's expected that you openly admit errors and pass on lessons so others don't repeat them. A culture where “experience is what you get right after you need it” only works if people share that experience. 8. Plan for “seasons” of intensity, not permanent balance. She frames life as seasons: some are sprints (deployments, intense training, big trips); others are for recovery. Wise leaders anticipate these cycles, push hard when needed, then deliberately create room to reset afterward. 9. Model the behavior you want your team to adopt. If the commander is always first in, last out, everyone else feels pressure to match that. By visibly protecting her own rest and home life, she gives permission for others to do the same and avoid burnout. 10. Lean on—and be—a support system. Her twin sister, long‑term friends, and professional peers form a lifelong support network she turns to when she fails, doubts herself, or hits something “insurmountable.” Great leaders both rely on and serve as those trusted people for others.     CHAPTERS 0:00:00 – Introduction & Vapor's Journey (Academy, F‑22, NASA) 0:00:38 – Launch Scrub, Second Attempt & What a Rocket Launch Feels Like 0:03:33 – First Moments in Space, Floating & Seeing Earth (Overview Effect) 0:06:11 – Leadership & Teamwork in Space: Roles, Trust, and Small-Crew Dynamics 0:10:19 – Multinational Crews & Leadership Lessons from Other Cultures 0:14:47 – No‑Notice F‑22 Deployment & Leading a Squadron in Combat 0:18:14 – Managing Burnout: Scheduling, Human Factors & “Crew‑10 Can Do Hard Things” 0:19:46 – Self‑Care as Team Care: Seasons of Life, Rest, and Being Present 0:26:02 – Family, Being an Aunt, and Balancing a Demanding Career 0:28:14 – Life After Space: Mentoring New Astronauts & Evolving as a Leader     ABOUT NICHOLE BIO U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Nichole "Vapor" Ayers is a trailblazing pilot, leader and astronaut whose journey began at the United States Air Force Academy, where she graduated in 2011 with a degree in mathematics. An accomplished F-22 Raptor pilot, Ayers is one of the few women ever to fly the world's most advanced stealth fighter — and she's one of even fewer to command them in formation for combat training missions. Col. Ayers earned her wings through years of training and operational excellence, logging over 200 flight hours in combat and playing a critical role in advancing tactical aviation. Her exceptional performance led to her selection in 2021 by NASA as a member of Astronaut Group 23, an elite class of 10 chosen from among 12,000 applicants. As a NASA astronaut candidate, Col. Ayers completed intensive training at Johnson Space Center, which included spacewalk preparation, robotics, survival training, systems operations and Russian language. Now qualified for spaceflight, she stands on the threshold of a new chapter that led her to the International Space Station. Throughout her career, Col. Ayers has exemplified the Academy's core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. Her journey from cadet to combat aviator to astronaut is a testament to resilience, determination and a passion for pushing boundaries.   LEARN MORE ABOUT NICHOLE NASA Astronaut Nichole Ayers   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Host: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Guest: Lt. Col. Nichole "Vapor" Ayers '11   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Vapor, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We are so thrilled you're here. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 0:11 Thank you. Thanks for having me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:12 Absolutely. So the cadets get to spend some time with you at NCLS. Here the Long Blue Line is going to get to hear from you. And you know, we can actually go through the list. You know, F-22 pilot, USAFA 2011 graduate, you've been in combat, you're a NASA pilot. The list is probably shorter what you haven't done. But, frankly, I'm just excited that you're here on Earth with us, because the last time we spoke, you called me from outer space. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 0:35 Yeah, that was a lot of fun. That was a lot of chat with you then too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:38 So let's just jump right in. So if we can just kind of catapult you, and let's do it in the way that they that NASA does, into space, maybe starting with the countdown, and then the Gs you take, what is that experience like? And maybe, what are some things you were thinking about in those moments? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 0:53 Oh, yeah. So, you know, we launched on March 14. First attempt was March 12, and we actually scrubbed the first launch. So we got all the way down to T minus 42 minutes right before we armed the launch escape system. So that's kind of a big milestone on the countdown. We were having issues with some hydraulics in the clamp that actually holds on to the rocket wall and then let's go. We weren't quite sure whether it was gonna let go, so they scrubbed the launch then, and it was a fascinating — you don't feel like you've got a ton of adrenaline going, but, you know, you feel kind of like you're in a sim. We do some really phenomenal training. And so when you're sitting on top of the rocket, it feels like you're in a simulator, except it's breathing and living, and the valves are moving, and you can hear the propellant being loaded and all of that. And so there's a very real portion to launch date. But then, coming down off of that adrenaline, we got a day off, thankfully. We could just kind of rest and relax and then go again. So everything went smoother the second try. Of course, you know, everybody's nerves are a little less, and everything was — it just felt calmer the whole way out. But, yeah, when that countdown hits zero, I like to say you're being slingshotted off the Earth. That's how it felt. You know, in that moment, you're going. There's over a million pounds of thrust, and it's going. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:10 I mean, that sounds like a lot. I can't really fathom in my mind what that feels like. Can you describe it? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 2:17 You know, so I talked about in an F-22 and an afterburner takeoff, which is the most thrust that we have basically in any airplane on Earth. You know, you get set back in your seat really far. And, if you think of an airliner takeoff, you kind of get set back in your seat a little bit. Multiply that by, like, 10 or 20, and then that happened for nine minutes straight on a rocket. You're just being forcefully set back in your seat for nine minutes straight and just thrown off of the Earth, and in nine minutes, you're in orbit. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:49 So when you had your practice, did you experience that level for that long as well? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 2:54 For the simulators? So they can't that. We can't necessarily simulate the Gs in the sim. So that's like the one part that, you know, we go through the whole launch, but you're sitting at one G the whole time, and throughout the launch, you know, the Gs build, then we back off the thrust and the Gs build again, and then you have an engine cut off. And I like to explain, like, if you could visualize, like an old cartoon, and everybody's in the car driving, and Dad slams on the brakes, and everybody hits the windshield. And then he slams on the gas again, and everybody goes back to their seats. Like, that's what it felt like when the engine cut off and, you know, main engine cuts off, and then within a few seconds, the second engine lights, and you're set back in your seat again. So I like to give that visual. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 3:33 That's really helpful, actually. Wow. OK, so you're there, you're in space. And I guess my first question would be, what's something that, in that moment, you're either thinking or you're just, are you still just orienting yourself? What is that like? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 3:45 Oh, man, you know, we're still in the seats for the first few moments in space, and we have to open the nose cone. There's some other things that are happening on the spacecraft, and getting ready for a burn, for a phasing burn, to get up to and catch up with the International Space Station. But, you know, then eventually you get to unbuckle and get out of your seat and floating for the first time. I got out of my seat and I'm floating there. It felt like, you know, Captain Marvel when she's, like, hanging out. Yeah, that's, that's how I felt. And, you know, I like to give the visual, because it's like, it's just nothing you've ever experienced in your life, you know. And then you look out the window and the view is something, it's indescribable. You know, I don't think we have the right words in the English language to describe what it feels like to look back at Earth from space. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:35 Was there a moment when you're looking out at Earth — did you kind of play back just different things in your life? Did you think about, you know, significance of things, or, like, scope of things, or even just the vantage point? Did it kind of just change things or were you just in awe at the moment? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 4:49 No, I think, you know, we talked about the overview effect, when astronauts specifically look back at Earth, and it hits everybody kind of differently. And for me, I think the biggest thing you know, when you look at a map of the states or a map of the world, you know, every country is a different color, or every state's a different color, and there are lines that describe the borders, right? And those don't exist in in space. Those don't exist like when you can't see different colored states, right? But you can see the Grand Canyon, and you can see the mountains, and you can see the Amazon, and you can see the desert in Africa. And you get to, you know, you get to learn the world geography by colors and terrain. And it's just a really good reminder that, you know, we're all humans, and we're all on this little fragile marble, just trying to take care of each other and trying to take care of Earth. And so I think that's what hit me the most, was just there are no borders, and we're all the same. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:44 Gosh, well, it's a unique and probably highly impressive team that you're with. I mean, we know the road to get to becoming a NASA astronaut is certainly one that is very difficult. Starts from many, many, in the 1000s, down to 10. And so, you know, when we think about leadership, and I've heard you share this before with others, you talk about teamwork and leadership, maybe explain a little bit what that's like in space when you're all so highly effective leaders. You know, what does that look like? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 6:12 That's a great question. You know, I think for us, it is a very fluid movement, right? You lead one day; you follow the next. And you know, I'll give you an example. So Anne McClain was the commander of SpaceX Crew-10 for NASA. So she was in charge of Crew-10 is our ride up to the space station, and our ride home, right? It's the capsule, the rocket and the capsule. And then we were on Expedition 73 aboard the International Space Station, where Takuya, who it was, Takuya Onishi, who was our mission specialist on Dragon, soon as we crossed into the hatch and he took command. He is now the commander of the Space Station, and Anne and I are flight engineers, and so it's a pretty fluid movement in terms of leading and following. But ultimately, you know, it's just about being a good team and taking care of each other. And I think that being a good leader is taking care of other people. And, you know, we talk about team care — self-care, and team care are like the huge parts that we actually train and learn about at NASA as we go through our training, because you're on this really small space in the vacuum of space for five-plus months at a time, and it's — there are only seven people up there and everybody's going to have a bad day. We're all humans, and you can't, there's no hiding.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:30 What's a bad day like in space?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 7:32 People make mistakes, right? We're all human. You might make a mistake on something, you might mess up a procedure. You hope that it's not something that causes a safety incident, right? The main goal for me, at least, was, I know I'm going to make mistakes. As long as I'm not unsafe, I'll be happy. And I think that a lot of us have that conscious decision-making process. But I think that we're also humans and have Earth lives, and your Earth life doesn't stop when you go to space. And so bad days could be something going on at home. Bad days could be something going on in space. Could be an interaction that you had with somebody on the ground that, you know, there's a lot of communication that happens between us on the ground. There are thousands of humans on the Earth that keep the Space Station running. So that day could be anything but it's tough to hide up there. Here, you can kind of like, duck and cover and maybe you just spend the day in an office. But it doesn't happen up there. We have to continue to work and continue to function. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:32 So you mentioned that there are seven of you in this tight space. Now, when you go up there, your crew, is it the same seven?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 8:38 For the majority of the time. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:42 OK, excellent. So one of the things we think about whenever we're leading or we're working with teams is trust, and obviously you have a great amount of trust with the crew that you're going up there with. But then you mentioned you went on to the ISS and you're working with others. What does that look like when it's someone maybe you haven't worked as closely with in a really important mission? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 9:03 So for the seven expedition members, we actually do train together for a little bit of it, not nearly as closely as, you know, the four of us training for Dragon mission. But because the most dynamic parts are launch and landing, we do a lot of training together, just as the four of us, but we train all over the world. So we go to Japan and Germany and Canada, and we go to, you know, Hawthorne, California, and we go to Russia, and we train with them, and we learn about the Russian segment, and we train with our fellow cosmonauts there. And we do emergency training specifically all together, because it takes all seven of us in an emergency doing the right thing and knowing everybody's roles. And so we train that together as well. And then anytime you're in the same country or same city together, then you get to spend the time outside of the training to get to know each other. And so you actually know your crew fairly well. But obviously, everybody's from a different nation. And we had Americans, we had a Japanese astronaut, we had Russians, so you learn everybody's culture, and it's actually, you know, to your point on being in that small — and not necessarily knowing everybody. There's also a cultural aspect; we get to know each other. We get to learn about other people's cultures and figure out how to communicate and live and work, even across the whole world. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:19 What was something that you learned from another culture of astronaut, maybe in the leadership realm, or just something that you took away, that's really something that surprised me, or like to emulate? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 10:30 I love Taku's leadership style. So Takuya Onishi — he's one of those more quiet humans, and he's super kind, but he is the most intelligent human I've ever met, and he is super-efficient with everything he does, and he pays attention to all of the little things. And so he only speaks up when he thinks something needs to be changed, or when he thinks that, like, we need to go in a different direction, otherwise, he's pretty happy to let you go, like, let you go as far as you want to go on something. And then when he thinks you're gonna run off a cliff, he pulls you back. So when he speaks, everybody listens. And I love that. I think some of that is cultural, obviously, him being from Japan, but I think it's also just his personal leadership style, but I learned a ton from him in terms of how to interact with people, how to let people be themselves, but also how to run a ship, and everybody knew exactly who was running the ship. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 11:22 Wow. And it shows that respect lens that you're just kind of talking about when he spoke. Everybody listens. Is that something that you feel you already had that kind of leadership style or is that something that you've kind of evolved in yourself? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 11:37 I like to think that that's the way that I lead. That's kind of how I try to be a leader. But we're not perfect, right? Nobody's perfect. And watching him, you know, taking notes from how he interacted with everybody, the things that he thought of, the things that he brought with him for us on station, you know, we get a very limited amount of stuff, personal things that we get to bring with us. And he brought things for the crew that were like, huge milestones for professional careers. You know, just the attention to detail on the human beings around him was pretty phenomenal. So it's one of the things I'm working on to be better at, because I like to think I'm good at it. But I saw the master work. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:18 I love that. And something you said about him, he always has attention to detail, and he saw the little things. He paid attention to the little things. I remember a past conversation we had. You had a little nugget from Col. Nick Hague, also USAFA — '98 I believe. And I think he said to you, something about, you know, “Nicole, don't forget that you're squishy,” or something like that. And so have you had more of those moments in there where they're like little nuggets or little moments that actually give you a big return or big lessons in your life? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 12:46 Oh, definitely, yeah, that one's a funny one, because the space station is metal. Everything is metal, and it's hard and so we still have weight, well, mass. We still have mass. We don't have weight, right, because we're in microgravity. But if you're cooking around a corner and you run into a handrail, it's gonna hurt, you know, if you imagine going 10 or 15 mph into something metal, it's gonna hurt — you're squishy. So that was a great lesson in slowing down and making sure you're watching your surroundings. But one of the things that Anne McClain says that cracks me up, but every time it happens, like, “Yep, this is definitely—," she says, “Experience is that thing you learn right after you need it.” And so we had a lot of those moments where you learn a lesson and you're like, “Ah, I wish I knew that five minutes ago.” And so that's something that applies everywhere. Experience is that thing you always needed right before that happened. But we also like to say Crew-10 can do hard things. That's another thing that was just kind of our motto, whether it's training — some of the training can be really physically demanding. It's really mentally demanding. And it's a lot of travel. When you get assigned to a mission, it's probably a year and a half to two years of training, and then you're gone for six months. So out of that two to two and a half years, you're not home for over a year. So you're all over the world, traveling to train and work. And like I said, we're all humans. We have Earth lives, we have homes, you get situations back home. And so navigating personal lives, navigating professional lives, navigating tough training. Crew-10 can do hard things. We like to say that. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:22 I like that. It also talks a bit about your grit. Crew-10 grit. So, talking about hard things, I'd like to take us to the time when you've been piloting the F-22 and you've seen combat. I heard you speaking a little bit before about a no-notice deployment. Let's visit that time in your life. What were you doing? What was your role, and what was something you experienced? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 14:47 Sure. So I was actually flying the day that we got notified. And, you know, just a standard training sortie — had landed, and some of the maintainers were like, “Hey, have you heard what's happening?” And I was like, “No, what's happening?” And then we had a big squadron meeting, and that's when we got notified, like, “Hey, we're deploying.” We were on the GRF, is what it was called at the time, Global Response Force, and I think some of that structure has changed since I left that squadron, but we knew that once we were on the GRF, there was a chance that we would get activated and get moved somewhere. Didn't necessarily expect it to be quite that quick. I think it was like the next week we got this deployment. So we got notified on a Thursday, I think, and then on Monday, I was taking off.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:31 Oh, really no notice.   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 15:33 Yeah, so, four days later, we were taking off, and then seven days later, we were flying missions from — we were stationed at Al Udeid Air Base, so we're flying out of Al Udeid within a week. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:45 How many with you?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 15:47 So when we deploy, we actually deploy with our maintenance squadrons, 300 people. Twenty to 30 of them are the pilots, and then the rest are the maintainers. And so it's the entire squadron. We morph into an expeditionary squadron. And so there are 300 people that head out. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:03 So I imagine, you know, on top of the fact that it was such a rapid movement, there's probably things that people had to obviously work through family. This needs to happen. But what were some things that you experienced in that deployment, or even in just that transition? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 16:21 Again, I go back to taking care of people. I was a flight commander at the time. We had two flight commanders, so I'm in charge of basically half the squadron, and we had a really wonderful commander who gave us the authority and the autonomy to leave the squadron. So, you know, it's about saying, like, “How are you guys doing at home?” Half our squadron didn't even have tan flight suits. You know, we're trying, we're working with logistics. We're trying to get everything ready. Like, does everybody have a go bag? Does everybody even know what a go bag is? Do you have the things you need? So working all of that. And then do you have the childcare figured out? Do you have the — how is all your family doing? Are you ready for this? And then we had to do a bunch of last-minute training before we left. And so it's a really busy time, but it was one of the first times where I felt like I had an influence on the people that were under me, that I had supervised. And so it was a really great experience to solve those problems, figure it out and help people get off the ground in four days successfully, and leaving something, some semblance of structure at home. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:24 So you said it was the first time where you kind of really felt that you had that impact. What would you say kind of maybe crystallized within yourself in learning that? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 17:36 I think it really solidified. I think I said, “I try to lead by taking care of people,” right? I truly believe if you take care of the human, they're going to do a really great job. You don't have to ask much of people at work and in their professional life, if their personal and the human side of them is taken care of and so that's kind of what I mean when I say that solidified it for me, like, make sure that the humans are good to go, and they'll go do anything you want to do. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:04 Wow. So while on that deployment, you're leading half of that squadron. What were some of the challenges maybe that you experienced, and how did you grow as a leader during that timeframe? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 18:14 Scheduling is definitely a tough one. So we flew daytime and nighttime. We basically had an F-22 airborne for almost 24 hours a day for the entire six months, six and a half months. We left and we were told it might be two- or three-month deployment, and then it turned into six months. And then we got delayed up coming home. And so then we stayed through Christmas. And those are the things that really are tough for people. But we have a limited number of jets that we took. We have a limited number of pilots; we have a limited number of maintainers and parts. And so I think for us, managing a schedule between me and the other flight commander, managing a schedule, managing quality of life for everybody, and make sure that we're not burning people out, or that they're not —we're flying eight-, nine-, 10-hour sorties, right? And that's exhausting. It's just you and that airplane with your wingman and a different airplane. And so you have to manage, again, that human factor. The human capital is probably the toughest thing to manage. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:15 Wow, and you talked about how the deployment kind of got extended. What were some things, because many of our listeners and our viewers are leaders, and at different levels of leadership and different times in their lives where they're doing that. When you were leading, and you had some of those subordinates, or those that were working with you that really experienced some troubles, through emotions, through some of that. How did you help navigate them through that when you were all in that as well? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 19:46 Right. You know, I think at NASA especially, we talk about self-care being a huge part of team care. And so making sure I do this in my regular life too, but, you know, making sure that you're getting enough rest, making sure that you're taking care of yourself and your personal life, so that you can truly be present for the other people that need you. And I think being present for others is one of the biggest things that you can do. You know, they may not need a ton of help, or they may not need the solution, but being there, being available and being present for people is really important. But you can't do that unless you're good to go yourself. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:18 Did you see that from someone? Did you learn that from someone you saw doing that? Or just, how did, I mean NASA's — you said, NASA, but did you see that at the Academy? Or where did you kind of gather that? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 20:28 You know, I think one of the things that hit me hard about showing up and being present was actually more professional. I kind of skated through the Academy on minimal sleep, and I was able to manage everything. But I wasn't flying a $143 million airplane. And so, in pilot training, we started to talk about crew rest and pilot rest. That's the first time that I had heard this concept of, “You need to go home and get rest so that you can be on your game.” Because flying airplanes, your decisions have real consequences, right? And you have to be present and available, and you have to be on your game to fly airplanes and do well in airplanes. And then the faster and the higher and the better the airplane gets, the more on your game you have to be. So I think it's something that has just kind of evolved in me. And then, as a leader, I realized, if you don't have any gas in the tank, you cannot help somebody else. And so for me, it's just kind of been, over the last decade and a half, of, wow, I need my sleep. I need to make sure I'm good to go. I need to make sure my human is good, so that way I can help other humans. And yeah, when your decisions have real consequences, it's important that you're present and you're ready to go. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:43 Have you seen some of the fact that you prioritize that for yourself, for you as your own human? Have you seen others kind of like see that, view that, and actually take that on as well themselves. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 21:53 Yeah, I think they do. And I think, as a leader, it's really important to set that example. The commander cannot be the first one in last one out. Like, you just can't do that, because everybody's going to stay until you leave. So setting the example, setting the example of having a good home-life balance as well. Like, home and work have to be balanced. Sleep has to be balanced. Again, self-care is the biggest part of team care, I think. And if you model that, people start to realize it's important. You know, the younger people that might burn themselves out trying to get somewhere, trying to get to the next step, or trying to impress somebody, or whatever the case may be, if they see you taking a step back and they see your success, maybe then they can start worrying about themselves too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:34 I think that's a great lesson, leading by example. For sure. There are probably moments that you experience both at the Academy, while flying the F-22 or as an astronaut, where you don't have the luxury of balance. How do you navigate that and how do you help others get to that space maybe quicker? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 22:53 I think of everything as a season in life. It might just be a busy season, and you might just have to put some time in but making sure that you are planning ahead and know that you're gonna be able to take some time and reset. And that could be anything, right? That could be personal life, professional life. That could be the four-week training trip that we've got is going to be rough, and its multiple time zones, and it's a ton of training, it's a ton of information. You just have to get through it. But then, that week, when we got home, I made sure my schedule was a little lighter. Whatever the balance is, I think of things in seasons. Crew-10 can do hard things, right? And that came from — you can get through this next training session, right? But we're gonna do a mask-to-suit transition, which is like in a fire, you've got a mask on. You have to get from that mask into your spacesuit. It's a significant physical event. And there's limited oxygen; there's limited ability to breathe in the suit when in that specific environment. And so how do you slow down, take the breaths you need to get in there to not then get to a point where you're panicking, right? Or that you're too exhausted or too hot or overdid, or whatever it is, right? So I think even just that, that is a season. We're going to do two hours of this. That's my season, and then we'll get out of the simulator, we'll take a break, right? And if it happened on orbit, it would be like, “We're going to get through this. We're going to solve the problem. We're going to manage the emergency, and then once things are set, we'll have a moment to breathe.” So that's kind of how I think of it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:21 Did seasons come something, a term that you kind of realized maybe at the Academy, you were a volleyball athlete at the Academy, and so volleyball has a season. But my question is, like, how did you come to that realization? Like, “Oh, I can get through this, and I put it in a bucket of time.” Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 24:35 You learn a lot of time management at the Academy, and when you're in the fall, you're really busy, spring season is less busy, and so you kind of learn early how to manage. Like, “OK, I've got to run. I gotta sprint,” right? “And then I can jog later, or I can walk later.” So, I think you learn that growing up in school, and you know, if you play sports or you do extracurricular activities or other things like that, or even just seasons in life at home, life ebbs and flows. I don't even know when I started saying it, but my sister and I started saying “seasons of life” to each other a long time ago. You know, she's got three kiddos, so she's been in all sorts of seasons. But, yeah, it's just, you know, I think I started to time block things, or block things off and just, and that's the only way you're going to get through life, is if you focus on what you need to do right now, be good at it, and then move to the next thing. You can have an idea of what's coming next, but you have to be present and do what you're doing there. Yes, so, yeah, seasons, time, blocks, whatever you want to call it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:39 I like that. Well, you brought up your sister, and so you're an auntie of three. Let's talk about your personal life and leadership, some experiences you've had navigating your schedule. You're on the road so much. How do you prioritize? I guess the things that are important to you when you have such a heavy schedule, yeah, being on the road and the people that are important to you, right? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 26:03 Man, I think that for me, my family has been a huge support system my whole life. My twin sister — built in best friend.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:13 And who is older? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 26:14 She is. She's got me by a minute. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:18 OK. Does she hold that over you?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 26:20 Yes, of course she does. We've just always supported each other 100% and everything. She's been my biggest cheerleader through all of my life, and I've been her biggest cheerleader through all of her life. And you know, my main goal in life is to be the coolest auntie, like the best auntie, and I would die happy. And they're a huge priority to me. I see them every couple two to three months — since my oldest has was born. So for the last 14 years, just made it a priority, even if it's like, leave late on a Friday night and then get home late Sunday night, I make the effort to go see them and to interact with them. And you know, to help foster them. You know they're growing up. And I love watching kids grow up and experience the world and see what can be done. Their dad's a Marine, their mom's this really successful real estate agent, their auntie' a pilot-slash-astronaut. You know, they've got, like, all these no family that's really not doing very much. Yeah, you know, they've got all these really great role models. And my goal is to just show them that it doesn't matter who you are, like they only ever know me as auntie. Like they know I'm an astronaut, and they love that. Their friends know that I'm an astronaut. Anti vapor, no, no, yeah. But, you know, like, they're always gonna get a big hug from auntie, like, that's, that's what's important to me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:36 Well, you mentioned, going into space, being an auntie. So, would you describe your time and space is, it's probably out of this world. I mean, that's, wow, that's terrible. That's terrible I said it that way. But I think you've mentioned it is kind of the best time in your life. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 27:52 Yeah. Best five months my life. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:56 Best five months of your life, and it's passed. Now, when we think about our evolution, whether personally, professionally, as leaders, etc., we have these ideas in our mind, like, this is the pinnacle. How do you navigate what's next after you've experienced that pinnacle? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 28:14 Yeah, that's a great question, and I think it's something that a lot of us struggle with when we come home. What's next? We get six months, some time to think and kind of get reintegrated. And you don't necessarily have to go back to work right away. I was able to spend a ton of time with my sister and her kiddos. Yeah, what's next. And I think for me, like the drive out to the launch pad, I was like, “Man, I've made it.” You know, the first time I looked out the window from Dragon, “I've made it.” First time we crossed the hatch, and I went and looked out the glass like, “Wow. The hard work paid off.” And I still feel like that to this day. I would have spent four more months in space if they had asked me to, and I would have turned around and launched right back then the day that we landed, and it was because of the crewmates that I spent it with and the fulfillment that I got from the mission. But I think you can find fulfillment in a lot of ways. And you know, my job, now that I've been back, I'm going to be working with the new class of astronauts and their training for spacewalk. So in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, our big pool, like, my job is to be their mentor as they go through the spacewalk training. And you know, like, I cannot wait. I'm so excited. I cannot wait to have an impact and try to help teach this next generation of spacewalkers, this next generation of astronauts, to be better than us. I find a lot of fulfillment in making the next generation better. So I think, however the fulfillment shows up for people, I think as long as you can find something, there you'll be happy. Going to space was great, but teaching and instructing and mentoring is also really fulfilling for me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:54 And that will be 10 of them? How many will that be? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 29:55 Ten.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:56 Ten. So then you'll have 13. You'll be auntie to 13. Oh, that's wonderful. What have you learned about yourself since then? You know, you've evolved as a leader through different situations, high threat, high risk. Safety is paramount. All of those different experiences. And now you're back on Earth and you're about to, you know, mentor. How have you evolved your leadership, and where would you say you're trying to go? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 30:23 Where am I trying to go? I think, for me, leadership is also about being vulnerable and being open and honest with people about failures or hardships and so, you know, like in the flying community, if you make a mistake, you're immediately like, “Hey, I messed this up. Here's how we fix it.” And that's something that we do at NASA as well, especially on a grand scale, right? Thousands of employees and everybody like, that's the only way that we get to space is by admitting when we've made mistakes, talking to each other about how we fix it and sharing those lessons learned. And so I think that especially when you get into the higher roles of leadership, it's important to go, “Hey, I messed up,” or, “Hey, I don't know the answer.” And being transparent with the people that you're working with. And if you don't know it, but you know where to go find it, like, “I'll get that answer for you,” instead of making up an answer, trying to figure out how to look like you're in charge, right? It's really important to me to also show that we don't know everything. We're human. We make mistakes, and it's OK to make mistakes, as long as you share it, and you share the lessons learned, and you make the next person better. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:32 Did you experience that personally? Did you have a moment in which you had to say, “Hey, I made a mistake,” and that's helped you realize that being vulnerable is really important or is that just something you've seen done really well? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 31:40 Oh, I've admitted a lot of mistakes. You know, I made a couple pretty big mistakes in the Raptor. Everybody's gonna make a big mistake at some point in their life. And, you know, I think that that was something that was modeled really well in the flying community early on. And it's something that's not tolerated if you're not willing to share your lessons learned. It's not tolerated in that community. That's a really good thing. I learned that in pilot training, right? If your buddy in your class makes the same mistake the next day that you made, you get in trouble because you didn't tell them how to how to prepare. And so it's fostered early on, especially in the flying community. I can't speak to any other community because I grew up there, but it's fostered early on, and so it's just something that comes naturally. I think eventually, because you just, you've seen it done so many times, and if you want other people to succeed, you're going to do it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:29 All right. Well, we have two questions left. The first one is, what's something you do every day to be a better leader? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 32:37 That's a good one. This is gonna sound silly, but I sleep. Like, I'll go back to the self-care thing, right? Like, I put a lot of attention into being healthy, being hydrated, sleeping well. Like, if you take care of your body, your mind is going to do way more for you. And so I think you can show up as a better leader if you show up, rested, hydrated, fed, worked out whatever you need to do to be the best human you can be. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 33:09 That's what I try to do. OK. I like that a lot, and I think that's a good indication for me that six hours is probably not enough. Naviere needs a little bit more. And it's truth, because you told me, though I'm gonna do that. The second one is, if you could go back in time, maybe what's something you would have told yourself — your younger self — or maybe, as our cadets are listening, that you've learned and what they can be doing now to be a better leader down the road. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 33:34 If you run into a hardship or you fail at something, or something feels insurmountable, or you don't feel like you're ready, good enough, or whatever the case may be, doubt starts to seep in, right? I would say, rely on the support system that you have. Rely on the people around you. Talk about it. Figure out, you know, “Hey, I failed this GR, like, man, this kind of sucks.” And you know, maybe you just need to hear me say it out loud, and maybe I just need to get it off my chest, or maybe I need help trying to figure out the solution for whatever the case may be. So, you know, I had a built-in team on the volleyball team. I had a built-in friends and teammates that I could lean on. Maybe that's your squadronmates or your classmates, or whoever it is, right? And I think finding the friends that you can rely on for the rest of your life. Professionally, I've got a friend here that I met in the F-22 community. We've been friends for almost a decade now, and he's still one of the first people that I call when something happens, like, “Oh, I messed this up today. Help.” So, you know, finding a support system. My sister's the other person that I call first off. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:38 She probably knows you're gonna call when you call. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 34:39 Yeah, we talk way too much. But, you know, having that support system around you and finding people that really bolster you and get you across that line and help you find the courage to take the next step, I think that's really important. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:54 I know I said there was only two, but as I've listened to you, I just think you're just you're just remarkable, and maybe what's something that you're proud about yourself as a leader. I would really love to hear that in your, you know— Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 35:05 I think the thing that makes me the most proud as a leader is when somebody succeeds and it's something that I helped them do. I've had somebody come back and say, “Thanks for saying that.” That pushed me out the edge, you know, like, I'm really into building the next generation and make them better than us. And so if I see somebody succeeding, that's good. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:27 Well, this has been incredible. Is there anything that we didn't cover that you would love to share with the Long Blue Line in our community? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 35:33 Oh, man, the community is great. I think I would just say thank you to the community. I've gotten so much love and support from Coloradans, but also the Long Blue Line and the Air Force in general. You know, I love the community that we have. It goes right back to what I just said, right, finding a community that supports you and pushes you to do better and be better. And this is that community. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:55 Well, Vapor, I promise I'm gonna get more sleep, and I just want to thank you for being such an incredible leader and guest here on Long Blue Leadership. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 36:03 Thanks for having me back. Absolutely.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:05 Thanks. You know, this conversation was really incredible with Vapor. I think some of the things that really stood out to me is just how incredible as a human she is. She brings humanity into leadership. She puts people first. She thinks about the team. She works hard. Don't forget to prioritize sleep. But I think really, some of the lessons that we can all take away can hit us all personally, because if you think about people first and taking care of them, and the fact that you have to take care of yourself too, you can go really far in leadership. So I really appreciate her today on Long Blue Leadership. And I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Until next time.   KEYWORDS Joel Neeb, Long Blue Leadership, Air Force Academy leadership, USAFA leadership, military leadership podcast, leadership development, leadership lessons, character-based leadership, leadership under pressure, leading with integrity, decision making in leadership, mentorship and leadership, values-based leadership, service before self, leadership mindset, leadership podcast interview, military leadership stories, leadership for professionals, leadership for entrepreneurs, how to be a better leader, leadership growth.       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation        

The Captain's Table is a podcast dedicated to talking with the Star Citizen Community about the development and news of Star Citizen. This week we talk about about The future of VR in Star Citizen and Squadron 42.--------------------------------------------SUPPORT THE PUB--------------------------------------------Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheAstroHistorianPaypal: https://streamelements.com/theastropublive/tipMembership: https://www.youtube.com/TheAstroPubLive/joinMerch: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/TheAstroPub/Star Citizen Referral Code: STAR-KG7S-NNP || https://robertsspaceindustries.com/enlist?referral=STAR-KG7S-NNPB --------------------------------------------CONNECT WITH THE PUB--------------------------------------------Twitch || https://www.twitch.tv/TheAstroPubGameplay Youtube || https://www.youtube.com/TheAstroPubLiveLore Youtube || https://www.youtube.com/TheAstroHIstorianCaptain's Table Youtube || @TheCaptainsTablePodcast Star Citizen Organization || https://discord.gg/2RTdvkfrnaDiscord || https://discord.gg/0iuqxYzXv07XK3Qo

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Douglas MacGregor to the show. Douglas is a retired U.S. Army Colonel and Decorated Combat Veteran. In this in-depth discussion, MacGregor provides a critical analysis of the current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly focusing on the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. MacGregor argues that the current military strategy against Iran is fundamentally flawed, with no clear purpose or achievable end state. He suggests that the United States and Israel are attempting to destabilize Iran, but this approach is unlikely to succeed. The colonel emphasizes that Iran’s primary goal is simply to survive, while the U.S. would need to completely conquer the nation – an impossible task given Iran’s size and resilience. The conversation delves into the broader economic implications of the conflict, particularly its impact on global oil markets and supply chains. MacGregor predicts significant economic disruption, with oil prices potentially exceeding $100 per barrel and widespread increases in commodity prices. He highlights the critical importance of resource sovereignty, emphasizing the need for nations to control their fuel, food, fertilizer, and defense supply chains. A key theme of the discussion is the potential acceleration of de-dollarization and the emergence of a new global financial system. MacGregor suggests that the United States and Israel are essentially “fighting against the future” by resisting these inevitable economic shifts. He points to the growing influence of BRICS nations and the increasing interest in alternative currency systems, potentially backed by gold or a basket of precious metals. MacGregor concludes with a stark warning about the destructive nature of current geopolitical strategies, arguing that these “pointless wars” are counterproductive and potentially catastrophic. He calls for more measured, strategic approaches to international relations and economic development, emphasizing the need for stability, long-term planning, and cooperation between governments and private sectors. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:00:56 – Middle East Assessment 00:01:32 – Strategic Goals Discussion 00:02:55 – Oil Dependency Impacts 00:04:52 – Global Economic Shutdown 00:07:28 – Logistics and Escalation 00:09:01 – Lack of Planning 00:11:32 – Israel’s Internal Problems 00:13:00 – Oil Markets Analysis 00:16:16 – Conflict Motivations Explored 00:20:05 – Emerging Alliances Support 00:26:27 – Reshoring Supply Chains 00:39:12 – Gold Currency Future 00:42:04 – Concluding Thoughts Guest Links: Website: https://douglasmacgregor.com X: https://x.com/DougAMacgregor YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@douglasmacgregorTV Articles: https://breakingdefense.com/author/doug-macgregor/ Substack: https://substack.com/@coloneldoug Douglas Macgregor is a decorated combat veteran, an author of five books, a PhD, and a defense and foreign policy consultant. Macgregor was commissioned in the Regular Army in 1976 after 1 year at VMI and 4 years at West Point. In 2004, Macgregor retired with the rank of Colonel. In 2020, the President appointed Macgregor to serve as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, a post he held until President Trump left office. He holds an MA in comparative politics and a PhD in international relations from the University of Virginia. Macgregor is widely known inside the U.S., Europe, Israel, Russia, China and Korea for both his leadership in the Battle of 73 Easting, the U.S. Army's largest tank battle since World War II, and for his ground breaking books on military transformation: Breaking the Phalanx (Praeger, 1997) and Transformation under Fire (Praeger, 2003). Macgregor's recommendations for change in Force Design and “integrated all arms-all effects” operations have profoundly influenced force development in Israel, Russia and China. In 2010, Macgregor traveled to Seoul, Korea to advise the ROK Ministry of Defense on force design. In 2019, Transformation under Fire was selected by Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, Chief of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), as the intellectual basis for IDF transformation. His fifth book, Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War from Naval Institute Press is available in Chinese, as well as, English and will soon appear in Hebrew. In 28 years of service Macgregor taught in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point, commanded the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, and served as the Director of the Joint Operations Center at SHAPE during the 1999 Kosovo Air Campaign for which he was awarded the Defense Superior Service medal. In January 2002, at Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's insistence the USCENTCOM Commander listened to Colonel Macgregor's concept for the offensive to seize Baghdad. The plan was largely adopted, but assumed no occupation of Iraq by U.S. Forces. Macgregor has also testified as an expert witness before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and appeared as a defense analyst on Fox News, CNN, BBC, Sky News and public radio. He is fluent in German.

Show SummaryOn this episode, we have a conversation Today we're having a conversation with Vietnam Era veteran and nurse Joanne Malear, who is the coordinator of the 11th Hour Squadron. They are an all-volunteer organization that believes in taking care of dying veterans like family. They can be there at a loved one's bedside during those final nights when family members are at home getting much-needed rest.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 GuestJoanne Melear is a former U.S. Navy nurse and the founder of the 11th Hour Squadron, a volunteer initiative dedicated to ensuring that veterans in hospice care are not alone at the end of life. Drawing on her military medical experience and deep commitment to lifelong service, she created the program to bring trained veteran volunteers to sit bedside, provide companionship, and honor fellow service members in their final hours.Links Mentioned During the Episode11th Hour Squadron Website PsychArmor Resource of the WeekThis week's PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course Caring for Veterans Through the End Of Life: Compassionate Communities. In this course, you will learn how you can provide compassionate care through the end-of-life for those who have served our country. You can find the resource here:  https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/caring-for-veterans-through-the-end-of-life-1 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  

The SOL Citizens celebrate there sixth year in the Star Citizen community! Featuring: AbdiYohan, Bando Calrissian, Black_Intellect, Captain_Jones, ccCreator, fastcart, GomanATL, Griff, JadeStarwatcher, Kalrati, Kelosal, Monarkie, SeriousFun Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/solcitizens

Lt Col Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. He tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew Soviet MiGs to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps. With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs - the Red Eagles - accepted all of the risks associated with operating these aircraft. Rob's vivid accounts of training engagements put the reader right in the cockpit as he describes what it was like to be there day in and day out at one of the most access-restricted airfields in the entire USAF, flying MiGs. In part two of our story, we join him for his first interview for the Red Eagles. Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠ Episode extras here ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode445 ⁠ Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal⁠ or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE  THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter/X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest: Wing Commander Barry “Patch” Nelson Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎29th of ‎December ‎2025 Released: 1st of March 2026 Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes 26 seconds Have you ever wondered what is involved when a new aircraft type is selected for service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force? In this episode of the Wings Over New Zealand Show, Dave Homewood speaks with Wing Commander Barry “Patch” Nelson on this very topic. Patch was in charge if the Royal New Zealand Air Force team who were responsible for the their part in the selection of the NHIndustries NH90 twin-engined medium utility helicopters, to replace the Bell UH-1H Iroquois fleet; and also the selection of the AgustaWestland A109 Light Utility Helicopters that replaced the Bell 47G Sioux fleet. There is an inordinate amount of work involved in selecting a new type, and a massive number of people from all sorts of government departments and community groups all have an input, as Patch explains. This is a fascinating look into the inner workings of a selection team, deep in the heart of Defence Headquarters in Wellington. The NH90 was selected to replace the Iroquois, and the contract to buy nine NH90-TTH variant helicopters was finalised in July-August 2006. The first and second examples of the fleet, NZ3301 and NZ3302, were delivered on the 6th of December 2011, and deliveries followed as they were built, through till 2014. The fleet became fully operational in 2015, and eight examples now form the backbone of No. 3 Squadron. And additional ninth NH90 is held as an Attrition Airframe. The A109LUH is a lightweight, twin-engined helicopter with a modern glass cockpit and a retractable wheeled undercarriage. The A109s were acquired under a NZ$139 million contract signed in May 2008 for the acquisition of the five A109s, plus an additional A109 airframe to be used as a source of spares, as well as a simulator and a spares and support package. The A109s began arriving at Ohakea in May 2011, and five of them are now are operated by the Helicopter Transitional Unit, No. 3 Squadron RNZAF, at Ohakea. Quick Links: • The Royal New Zealand Air Force • The NHIndustries NH90 helicopter • The AugustaWestland A109 helicopter • NHIndustries Site • Leonardo Helicopters (successor to AugustaWestland) site NH90 Helicopter's depart from Westport during EXERCISE SOUTHERN KATIPO 2017, which is a combined joint and interagency Field Training Exercise focused on developing, exercising and evaluating the New Zealand Defence Force’s ability to project forces anywhere in the South West Pacific and either operate independently or with coalition partners. (NZDF Official Photo) An NH90 and an A109 of the RNZAF together at Wings Over Wairarapa Airshow in 2023. (NZDF Official Photo) One of the RNZAF’s new AgustaWestland A109s, NZ3403, over northern Italy, circa 2010. Agusta-Westland Photo. One of the RNZAF’s new AgustaWestland A109s, NZ3403 over northern Italy, circa 2010. Agusta-Westland Photo. One of the RNZAF’s new AgustaWestland A109s, NZ3403 over northern Italy, circa 2010. Agusta-Westland Photo. The official handover of the first A109’s at the production and flight test facility in Vergiate, north of Milan, Ialy. The group from left to right: SQNLDR Chris Moody, FLTLT Wayne Thomas, WGCDR Patch Nelson, SQNLDR Adam Death, AugustWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini, F/S Dale Cox and W/O ‘Mario’ Marteletti. Below: NZDF Photos of NH90s in service. Copyright to NZDF Official. NH90 Images Supplied Ex Blackbird was held at Dip Flat Feb 2022. The ex is designed to expose the pilots and crew to flying in mountainous terrain. Exercise Winchester is 3 Squadron exercise which was held in Waiouru. The purpose of this EX was to qualify and re-qualify Air Force personnel in gunnery in helicopters, and uses the 109 and the NH90. The exercise also involved stationary targets for self-defense. Training in the NH90 flight simulator. Exercise Steel Talon is a helicopter crew training activity conducted by 3 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The aim of the exercise is to train NH90 helicopter crews in day and night tactical battlefield operations for conventional forces. Navy personnel assist with the clean up of debri on the streets of Auckland after the major flooding event as part of Operation Awhina. Mayor Wayne Brown took the opportunity to assist. 3SQN and 5 Aviation Regiment crews conduct 131 bty admin move taskings from RAAF Townsville to the Townsville training area. NZDF personnel from the Royal New Zealand Navy, NZ Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force take part in Exercise Talisman Sabre (TS23) across Australia. TS23 is a bilateral, biennial Australian hosted and USA supported combined exercise focused on the planning and conduct of a high end, mid-intensity warfighting scenario. The exercise is designed to improve combat readiness, exercise war-fighting skills and systems, whilst advancing combined staff and force interoperability. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and its international partners conduct a military assault against a ‘Becaran’ ‘highland militia’ stronghold on the Rainbow Ski-field near St Arnaud in the Tasman district during SK15. The assault was spear-headed by NZ infantry ‘fast-roped’ by Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) NH-90 helicopters to take the high ground sorrounding the ski-field, and by a combined Australian-New Zealand ANZAC Ready Reaction Force (RRF), utilising Australian Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, which cleared and secured the rebel base at the ski-field Ex Southern Katipo 2015 (SK15) is a combined, joint, international training field exercise focussed on developing, exercising and evaluating the NZDF's independent amphibious capabilities and ability to project forces anywhere in the South West Pacific. SK15 provides the opportunity to ensure continual preparedness to operate independently or with our coalition partners. The scenario involves a fictional South West Pacific country that has requested international intervention to restore law and order. The scenario allows for an emphasis on amphibious operations within the context of a larger stability and security operation. The following two photos are from Australian Government Defence An NH90 assisting with relief in Australian bushfires, 2019-2020. (ADF Official) RNZAF NH90s operating from a helicopter carrier in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. (ADF Official) The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

In this episode, we continue our captivating conversation with Canberra pilot Mike Fazakerley as he shares his experiences with 7 Squadron, flying from the Nimrod base in St. Morgan, Cornwall. Mike delves into the challenges of providing ground to air targets for military exercises, recounts thrilling anecdotes from his service, and offers insights into the unique characteristics of the English Electric Canberra compared to other aircraft. Join us for an engaging exploration of aviation history and the life of an RAF pilot!

Is Star Citizen in a better place than it was a few years ago, or are we still stuck in the “2 steps forward, 1 step back” cycle? In this episode of the roundtable Citizen Central podcast, I'm joined by Olli43, Morphologis, MrKraken, and Tom Beckhauser for a community roundtable on what's improving, what's regressing, and what's missing for the game to truly *click*.We dig into crafting and the “era of industry,” why crafting only matters if the economy and item sinks exist, the state of inventory and UI friction, Pyro's shortcomings, and whether Squadron 42 will bring in new players that the PU can actually keep.Today's Guests:Olli43YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Olli43Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/olli43MorphologisYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/morphologisTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/morphologisMrKrakenYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrKrakenTwitter: https://x.com/RealMrKrakenTom BeckhauserYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUpW5imB8Qi9cOjotpLfp-g Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tombeckhauserToC:00:00 Introductions05:15 Why Do You Play?21:40 Is Star Citizen Getting Better?29:00 Immersion and “Gameification”44:00 Are We Finally Moving Beyond Combat?54:00 Is Crafting A Big Deal?01:32:00 Squadron 42 in 2026Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvpiPXCO7OVJOlBIclW9tbpb2g29gur3ISupport This Podcast:Patreon Paypal Ko-FiFollow Space Tomato on social media:Website  Youtube  My Other YoutubeInstagram Twitter Facebook Discord

Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. In part one of a two-part episode, he reveals how he made it into this top-secret US operation that wouldn't feel out of place in 'Top Gun'. From a high school student with no aviation background, Rob discovered he had a natural aptitude for flying via the USAF Reserve Officer Training Corps. He then joined the USAF, progressing to an Aggressor Squadron where his unit replicated enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures. Rob shares anecdotes of training, close calls in the air, and the intense journey through pilot training. He provides a vivid account of training engagements that puts you right in the cockpit. ⁠Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠ Episode extras here ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode444 Go to https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE  THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter/X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes a book comes along that hits all the right notes at all the right times. The post WH40k Book Club Episode #166 – Vagabond Squadron by Robbie MacNiven appeared first on WH40K Book Club.

The SOL Citizens discuss whether backers are in love with their dream of Star Citizen or what the game will actually be. Featuring: Black_Intellect, fastcart fc & GriffinGamingRPG Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

Send a textIn one specific section of his book, Tomlinson details that to qualify for the Increment, a certain amount of time must be served with MI6: “...SAS and SBS personnel must have served for at least five years and have reached the rank of sergeant. They are security vetted by MI6 and given a short induction course into the function and objectives of the service. If they have not already learnt surveillance skills, they take a three-week course at the Fort. Back at their bases in Hereford and Poole, their already substantial military skills are fine-tuned. They learn how to use improvised explosives and sabotage techniques, as well as advanced VIP protection skills, study guerilla warfare organisation and practise advanced insertion techniques - for example, high-altitude parachuting from commercial aircraft or covert landings from submarines. Advanced civilian qualifications are acquired: several of the SBS Increment have commercial ship's skipper's tickets in their alias name, enabling them legally to hire, say, a fishing trawler.” Recruiters for E Squadron are also known to choose a wide variety of individuals to fill their vacancies, hiring from countries such as Fiji, Malta and Jamaica, as well as British citizens of India, Yemen and Nigeria, to name a few. Additionally, women are also regularly recruited in these positions, with hired individuals needing to be able to fit in anywhere, easily, with one source telling The Sun, “Women are often the best at this sort of work. If a group of blokes turns up, it always looks suspicious. We haven't had a female Bond in the films, but there are already lots in real life.” Welcome to Wars of the World....Support the show

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla on several topics, including his first connection with RIMS and his attendance at RISKWORLD on a scholarship. Manny is the first RIMS president of Hispanic descent. This is a historic moment. Manny remarks on the support for diversity he has experienced in RIMS since joining.   Manny's background spans corporate risk leadership, military service, and teaching. Manny speaks of his teaching practices and how he links the academic side to real situations and strategies the students will face. Manny shares anecdotes from his military service. Justin and Manny discuss the objectives of the RIMS Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 18th and 19th, and Manny invites all members to register and participate.   Manny continues the interview with reflections on the RIMS-CRMP, other certifications and designations, and how investing in developing yourself will make you stand out as a risk practitioner. Justin and Manny discuss the nature of polycrisis. Manny asks you to participate and become involved in your RIMS chapter and educational events.   Listen for career advice for both new risk practitioners and seasoned risk professionals.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We are delighted to be joined by RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla. We're going to learn about his plans for the presidency and his unique career in risk and pre-risk. But first… [:47] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Virtual Workshop will be led by Joe Mayo on February 17th and 18th. On March 10th, we have a RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with John Button, a recent RIMScast guest. [1:04] On March 4th and 5th, we have a virtual workshop, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" with Joe Milan. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge! RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:21] Webinars. On March 6th, RIMS presents "Hard Hats & High Stakes: Women Leaders Shaping Construction Risk Management". We'll be joined by a Chief Risk Officer, an underwriter, and a broker. [1:36] They will explore their career paths, risk and safety philosophies, and lend some insight as to why this is the time for the next generation of leaders to rise. [1:47] On March 12th, Global Risk Consultants returns with "Don't Waste the Soft Market: Where to Reinvest Insurance Savings Before the Window Closes". Register for these and other webinars by visiting RIMS.org/webinars and the link in this episode's show notes. [2:07] The RIMS 2025 Compensation Survey is now available through the link in this episode's show notes. The survey incorporates data from 867 U.S. and 201 Canadian Risk Professionals. Download it today and see how you measure up to your peers. [2:25] RIMScast has its first spinoff, RIMScast Canada! It is a video podcast hosted by RIMS Canada Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni, with Justin as co-host. Check it out at RIMS.org/canada. This is a monthly series, and we are stoked to share it with you! [2:50] On with the Show! I am so pleased to present our guest today! He has been a big supporter of RIMScast for years! I'm thrilled that he is our 70th President here at RIMS. I'm talking about Manuel "Manny" Padilla. [3:05] Manny was RIMS 2025 Vice President. He's been a positive force on the Board. He is also the Vice President for Risk Management & Insurance for MacAndrews & Forbes, Inc. He is a RIMS-CRMP holder. He truly loves risk management! He will be a fantastic RIMS President! [3:26] We're going to talk about his career pre-risk-management and bring us up to the present, what his experience with RIMS has been like, and his perspective on what it takes to achieve success in the profession today. Let's get to it! [3:40] Interview! RIMS 2026 President Manny Padilla, welcome to RIMScast! [4:02] Manny says everyone's energy is up there, and he's looking forward to having a very positive 2026. [4:16] Manny says that being Vice President involved a lot of learning. He says that the RIMS board participation is very much a training program. You learn to see how the organization responds. In the Executive Board, you start to see how RIMS is run. [4:34] Manny says, as you move forward from Secretary to President, you pick up a lot of training. It's a good training program. [5:00] Manny says that on the Board, there's a lot of excitement and a lot to do. There's a lot of information to impart to our professional society. We're very active and motivated to get that information out there. [5:15] Manny is the 70th president of RIMS. In 1992, Manny attended RISKWORLD in New Orleans through the Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program. The information was on a board at the College of Insurance. He applied for it and was sponsored to attend. [6:30] In the College of Insurance, Manny was sponsored by an insurance company as an assistant junior underwriter, in the days when computers were just meant to write letters and fill out policy forms. He knew just one side of the business. [6:55] Going to RISKWORLD got Manny out of New York for a week. When he learned what risk management was, his eyes opened, and he said, this is what fits best for me. It was looking at risk strategically and doing things to protect the company's assets. That resonated with him. [7:48] When underwriters and brokers answer the phone, often it's with Hello, this is (Company). How can I help you? Manny says that when he answers the phone, it's with Hello, this is (Company), this is Manuel Padilla. I hope you're having a great day! How can I help you? [8:04] That approach made a difference. From the very first, Manny found that this is a relationship business. It's very direct. You know who you're doing business with. People have an open mind and are willing to listen and hear you out. [8:41] Manny has relationships over the years through RISKWORLD; some have become primary vendors. He notes that there has been a lot of change in the last decade, and since COVID, there's a whole new group of professionals. Some are going to RISKWORLD for the first time. [9:20] Manny says, as our technology develops, and as we become more crucial to the companies we manage and represent, he sees it on the floor at RISKWORLD. As risk professionals, you need to step out from behind the table and go into the industry. [9:52] The industry is welcoming and will provide you with a significant number of opportunities. [10:17] Manny Padilla is the first RIMS President of Hispanic descent. He finds that personally meaningful, but says that RIMS has always extended a hand to all. He felt that when he first stepped onto the conference floor. He has met some unique people and friends through RIMS. [11:02] Manny says it's great to get the recognition, but it's secondary. RIMS is a good environment. If you're looking at a career change or looking to expand your horizons, this is the organization that you team up with for development. [11:42] The bigger picture and strategy are built into risk management. Risk managers do better when they raise their hand and say, "This doesn't smell right." They tend to be strategic, forward-thinking, and practical when executing their jobs. Manny speaks up at Board meetings. [12:30] Seeing the big picture comes with a responsibility. Not being able to operate a significant portion of your business or have your product on the shelves sends your customers to your competitor. [13:39] Manny gives a shoutout to all veterans in RIMS and shares some thoughts from his military experience. He was in the Navy 24 hours after he graduated from high school. He has been to every country except those that are sanctioned. He was in the Navy from 1982 to 1988. [14:50] He says it was a wonderful time. The Berlin Wall came down while he was in the military. [15:03] Manny was an Assistant Master-at-Arms for Fighter Squadron 124 in San Diego. The movie Top Gun was filmed on the base at Miramar Naval Air Station. Manny met Tom Cruise and the rest of the crew briefly during the filming. [15:57] Some of the Squadron 124 instructors were in the movie as background in the club scene. The Top Gun character was based on a real pilot, who later went into state government. [17:01] Manny is an adjunct at the Greenberg School of Risk Management. He has some latitude in how he teaches. What he teaches is centered on a set of accepted books and information. There's the technology the students need to know, and the practice that he teaches them. [17:42] Manny links the definitions, structures, and policy designs to real-world situations and his experience on how those situations were handled. A lot of it has to do with the customization of products and policies to address typical risk exposures. [18:01] It goes to the risk management process, RIMS-CRMP issues, and ARM-type approaches. Every policy and program is custom, based on the risk appetite and risk tolerance of the insured company and what they've decided to do. [18:25] Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [18:44] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open. Marketplace and hospitality badges will be available starting March 3rd. Links are in the show notes. Check RIMS.org for more information. [19:02] The Spencer Educational Foundation will also have a presence at RISKWORLD. Spencer's CEO, Megan Miller, recently joined us on RIMScast. February 23rd 2026, will mark the 7th Annual Spencer Day. [19:19] We believe in celebrating this industry's diverse and talented future and would love for everyone to join us in this virtual celebration. Visit SpencerEd.org and help us reach our fundraising goal of $7,500 to support an additional scholarship that will be awarded this Spring. [19:37] We're hoping you will make a $47 donation today, in honor of Spencer's 47th year of operation. A link to Spencer Day is in this episode's show notes. [19:48] You can visit SpencerEd.org. There is also a link to Megan's appearance on RIMScast in this episode's show notes. [19:57] Let's Return to Our Interview with RIMS 2026 President, Manny Padilla! [20:07] Manny says there is much overlap between ISO and COSO. He doesn't do one versus the other; he does both. Both have shared technologies and wording. You need to understand each because you can be in different jurisdictions with audits that may be biased toward one. [21:12] Manny explores the meanings of investing in yourself. For early-career professionals, it's building your technical depth and professional credibility. It means understanding policies, claims dynamics, the financial impact on you, and how the industry comes into play. [21:56] For seasoned professionals, the investment is fluency in strategic issues. It's understanding enterprise risk, governance, capital strategy, and how emerging risks are changing, through technology, geopolitics, climate, and litigation, and how they interact. [22:30] It also means investing time in mentoring and developing future leaders. It expands your ability to manage your duties, brings new ideas into the industry, and is important for your brand. [22:48] It's your career. If your company won't pay for you to go to RISKWORLD, remember it's your future and your brand. Invest in your brand. You're the person who carries it forth into the future. You need to see where the movers and shakers are heading. You will learn from them. [24:27] The RIMS Legislative Summit is on March 18th and 19th. Manny says it's a little challenging and overwhelming to think of going into the government to speak with Congressmen, Senators, and other legislative folks. [25:01] It helps you develop new skills. Manny learned how to approach and discuss sensitive topics with regulatory bodies and meet with other people who are focused on that area. [25:17] Manny says, when you sit across the table to discuss the Federal flood program, the terrorism program, the pandemic risk insurance program, and the qualified risk manager description, and you move it through various channels, it's mind-boggling and most rewarding. [25:41] While you're a risk insurance person, you're not there to represent your company. You're there to represent RIMS and the risk profession. [26:05] Manny has a 20-plus-year relationship with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. They have a legislative group there, and Manny will generally step into the office and say hello and figure out how things are going and how policy gets through. [26:27] At the RIMS Legislative Summit, you're there to pitch a very specific set of topics. They are very willing to listen to the topics. In some cases, they are the policy experts on those topics. What they are looking for is a variety of different approaches from actual professionals. [26:52] They refine their development of policy based on these meetings. Manny says it is very helpful to participate, and you're all invited. [27:05] Manny says the pitch is specific to a specific person, such as the Senator involved in Federal flood insurance. Manny explains how you can team up with other legislators to come on board with your pitch. [28:15] Manny says he likes pairing with a risk professional to meet legislators. He says, in some cases, we have affiliations with some insurance carriers, brokerages, and vendors. He likes going with them, as well. In some cases, they have a robust system in place. [28:32] Manny says it's good to see the professionals at the table and how they do it. But as professional risk managers, we don't do too badly. We add a lot of value, and the legislators do appreciate that. [28:54] Justin shares his experience of going with Mark Prysock, RIMS GC, Robert Cartwright, RIMS President at the time, and Gary Raymond of FedEx at the time. Justin shadowed them and watched how they worked. [29:31] RIMS has legislative priorities. Major priorities are the Federal Flood Program and the Terrorism Risk Act. Manny says that what tends to happen is that every year they get extended for a short period until Congress comes together to argue about something else. [29:55] It's always under a threat of not being renewed, but then it gets extended again. Manny says it's a key issue that keeps coming up. Manny says to look at the Legislative Affairs page at RIMS.org/advocacy for the list of priorities. [30:21] The first day of the RIMS Legislative Summit is for sitting down and talking about the specifics of each of the items. Then we bring in some experts in each particular area to talk about what is on the floor to be able to get through Congress to final agreements. [30:47] Justin announces that Mark Prysock will be on RIMScast next week to do a deeper dive on the RIMS Legislative Summit. [31:13] Quick Break! The RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management is RIMS' live virtual program, led by James Lam. Great News! A brand new cohort has been announced. Registration closes on April 6th. [31:34] Beginning on April 14th, bi-weekly workshops will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time through June 23rd. Register now! A link is also in this episode's show notes. [31:46] Save the dates, March 18th and 19th, 2026, for the RIMS Legislative Summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C. Join us for two days of Congressional Meetings, networking, and advocating on behalf of the risk management community. [32:03] Book your hotel room at the Sofitel Washington, D.C. in Lafayette Square by February 16th after you register for the event, and you will receive a special RIMS rate of $359 per night. [32:18] Let's Conclude Our Interview with RIMS 2026 President, Manny Padilla. [32:30] Manny has several certifications after his name. The first is RIMS-CRMP. Justin first interviewed Manny after the RIMS-CRMP. In that interview, Manny said the RIMS-CRMP helps risk professionals stand out by signaling a commitment to continuous learning. [33:25] Manny looks at designations and certification as how you stack up with your peers and how corporations look at you, compared to others. Certifications prove your higher knowledge. [33:54] RIMS recently released the Compensation Survey. If you start looking at the differences in pay, pay for persons who have no designation vs. those who have any designation, vs. those who have the RIMS-CRMP certification, you will see the difference in the six figures. [34:44] Manny would rather have a nice designation and a job that pays six figures more than a job for a person with no designation. You also have to demonstrate love for the industry and prove that you're keeping up. [35:12] A good portion of Manny's designations are based on his major in risk management and insurance. However, the technology, words, and approach have changed during his career. A risk manager became a strategic risk manager, then an enterprise risk manager. What comes next? [35:50] Manny states that we should be certified and have these designations so that we understand the world we are living in. [36:08] Manny says we are facing a convergence of risks, or a polycrisis. We have geopolitical instability, accelerated technology adoption, climate expectations, and an increasingly complex litigation environment. The financial world depends on what the government says at any time. [36:39] Manny asserts that these risks don't exist independently anymore. Manny deals with catastrophes every day. He's trying to stay one step ahead of the calamities. We need to start acknowledging the strategic nature of risks and the ability to address them simultaneously.  [37:09] We also need to keep in mind that we live in an environment where digital access to information, data, and real financial information comes very quickly. [37:23] Twenty years ago, you could have major catastrophes in countries around the world, and if you weren't directly impacted by it, you didn't pay attention to it. It would take weeks to get basic information on them. Today, information comes to us at a mind-boggling velocity. [37:59] Justin and Manny discuss last year's L.A. wildfires and how the people are still reeling from them. [38:44] Manny, it's been such a pleasure to see you, and I'm very much looking forward to what you're going to bring to the presidency this year. Are there any parting words regarding what people can expect at RISKWORLD, or anything you are working on? [39:10] Manny says, I would basically say many thanks to all of you who are listening here. It's an honor to have been selected as the 2026 RIMS President. I ask that each of you participate with RIMS at our many professional events and learning opportunities. [39:27] We are seeking out leaders and participants for our chapters, the many committees we support, and at our legislative events. Don't be shy. Engage. Invest in yourself. And see you all at RISKWORLD! [39:44] Special thanks again to RIMS 2026 President, Manny Padilla, for rejoining us here on RIMScast! It is always a pleasure to see him. I've got links to Manny's prior RIMScast episode as well as the press release announcing his presidency. [40:00] Manny will be at the RIMS Legislative Summit on March 18th and 19th in Washington, D.C. That's two days of advocating for the best interests of the risk profession. You must be a member to attend. [40:15] Book your hotel room by February 16th to register and reserve your hotel room at the special RIMS rate of $359 per night at the Sofitel Washington D.C. Register at RIMS.org/advocacy. [40:30] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [40:58] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [41:17] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [41:34] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [41:51] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [42:05] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [42:17] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for exhibitors, members, and non-members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! Spencer Educational Foundation | Spencer Day — Feb. 23, 2026 RIMS Legislative Summit — March 18‒19, 2026 on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. | Register now! 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Last time we spoke about the battle of Nanchang. After securing Hainan and targeting Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway corridors, Japan's 11th Army, backed by armor, air power, and riverine operations, sought a rapid, surgical seizure of Nanchang to sever eastern Chinese logistics and coerce Chongqing. China, reorganizing under Chiang Kai-shek, concentrated over 200,000 troops across 52 divisions in the Ninth and Third War Zones, with Xue Yue commanding the 9th War Zone in defense of Wuhan-Nanchang corridors. The fighting began with German-style, combined-arms river operations along the Xiushui and Gan rivers, including feints, river crossings, and heavy artillery, sometimes using poison gas. From March 20–23, Japanese forces established a beachhead and advanced into Fengxin, Shengmi, and later Nanchang, despite stiff Chinese resistance and bridges being destroyed. Chiang's strategic shift toward attrition pushed for broader offensives to disrupt railways and rear areas, though Chinese plans for a counteroffensive repeatedly stalled due to logistics and coordination issues. By early May, Japanese forces encircled and captured Nanchang, albeit at heavy cost, with Chinese casualties surpassing 43,000 dead and Japanese losses over 2,200 dead.    #187 The Battle of Suixian–Zaoyang-Shatow 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. Having seized Wuhan in a brutal offensive the previous year, the Japanese sought not just to hold their ground but to solidify their grip on this vital hub. Wuhan, a bustling metropolis at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han Rivers, had become a linchpin in their strategy, a base from which they could project power across central China. Yet, the city was far from secure, Chinese troops in northern Hubei and southern Henan, perched above the mighty Yangtze, posed an unrelenting threat. To relieve the mounting pressure on their newfound stronghold, the Japanese high command orchestrated a bold offensive against the towns of Suixian and Zaoyang. They aimed to annihilate the main force of the Chinese 5th War Zone, a move that would crush the Nationalist resistance in the region and secure their flanks. This theater of war, freshly designated as the 5th War Zone after the grueling Battle of Wuhan, encompassed a vast expanse west of Shashi in the upper Yangtze basin. It stretched across northern Hubei, southern Henan, and the rugged Dabie Mountains in eastern Anhui, forming a strategic bulwark that guarded the eastern approaches to Sichuan, the very heartland of the Nationalist government's central institutions. Historian Rana Mitter in Forgotten Ally described this zone as "a gateway of immense importance, a natural fortress that could either serve as a launchpad for offensives against Japanese-held territories or a defensive redoubt protecting the rear areas of Sichuan and Shaanxi". The terrain itself was a defender's dream and an attacker's nightmare: to the east rose the imposing Dabie Mountains, their peaks cloaked in mist and folklore; the Tongbai Mountains sliced across the north like a jagged spine; the Jing Mountains guarded the west; the Yangtze River snaked southward, its waters a formidable barrier; the Dahong Mountains dominated the center, offering hidden valleys for ambushes; and the Han River (also known as the Xiang River) carved a north-south path through it all. Two critical transport arteries—the Hanyi Road linking Hankou to Yichang in Hubei, and the Xianghua Road connecting Xiangyang to Huayuan near Hankou—crisscrossed this landscape, integrating the war zone into a web of mobility. From here, Chinese forces could menace the vital Pinghan Railway, that iron lifeline running from Beiping (modern Beijing) to Hankou, while also threatening the Wuhan region itself. In retreat, it provided a sanctuary to shield the Nationalist heartlands. As military strategist Sun Tzu might have appreciated, this area had long been a magnet for generals, its contours shaping the fates of empires since ancient times. Despite the 5th War Zone's intricate troop deployments, marked by units of varying combat prowess and a glaring shortage of heavy weapons, the Chinese forces made masterful use of the terrain to harass their invaders. Drawing from accounts in Li Zongren's memoirs, he noted how these defenders, often outgunned but never outmaneuvered, turned hills into fortresses and rivers into moats. In early April 1939, as spring rains turned paths to mud, Chinese troops ramped up their disruptions along the southern stretches of the Pinghan Railway, striking from both eastern and western flanks with guerrilla precision. What truly rattled the Japanese garrison in Wuhan was the arrival of reinforcements: six full divisions redeployed to Zaoyang, bolstering the Chinese capacity to launch flanking assaults that could unravel Japanese supply lines. Alarmed by this buildup, the Japanese 11th Army, ensconced in the Wuhan area under the command of General Yasuji Okamura, a figure whose tactical acumen would later earn him notoriety in the Pacific War, devised a daring plan. They intended to plunge deep into the 5th War Zone, smashing the core of the Chinese forces and rendering them impotent, thereby neutralizing the northwestern threat to Wuhan once and for all. From April onward, the Japanese mobilized with meticulous preparation, amassing troops equipped with formidable artillery, rumbling tanks, and squadrons of aircraft that darkened the skies. Historians estimate they committed roughly three and a half divisions to this endeavor, as detailed in Edward J. Drea's In the Service of the Emperor: Essays on the Imperial Japanese Army. Employing a classic pincer movement, a two-flank encirclement coupled with a central breakthrough, they aimed for a swift, decisive strike to obliterate the main Chinese force in the narrow Suixian-Zaoyang corridor, squeezed between the Tongbai and Dahong Mountains. The offensive erupted in full fury on May 1, 1939, as Japanese columns surged forward like a tidal wave, their engines roaring and banners fluttering in the dust-choked air. General Li Zongren, the commander of the 5th War Zone, a man whose leadership had already shone in earlier campaigns like the defense of Tai'erzhuang in 1938, issued urgent orders to cease offensive actions against the Japanese and pivot to a defensive stance. Based on intelligence about the enemy's dispositions, Li orchestrated a comprehensive campaign structure, assigning precise defensive roles and battle plans to each unit. This was no haphazard scramble; it was a symphony of strategy, as Li himself recounted in his memoirs, emphasizing the need to exploit the terrain's natural advantages. While various Chinese war zones executed the "April Offensive" from late April to mid-May, actively harrying and containing Japanese forces, the 5th War Zone focused its energies on the southern segment of the Pinghan Railway, assaulting it from both sides in a bid to disrupt logistics. The main force of the 31st Army Group, under the command of Tang Enbo, a general known for his aggressive tactics and later criticized for corruption, shifted from elsewhere in Hubei to Zaoyang, fortifying the zone and posing a dire threat to the Japanese flanks and rear areas. To counter this peril and safeguard transportation along the Wuhan-Pinghan Railway, the Japanese, led by the formidable Okamura, unleashed their assault from the line stretching through Xinyang, Yingshan, and Zhongxiang. Mobilizing the 3rd, 13th, and 16th Divisions alongside the 2nd and 4th Cavalry Brigades, they charged toward the Suixian-Zaoyang region in western Hubei, intent on eradicating the Chinese main force and alleviating the siege-like pressure on Wuhan. In a masterful reorganization, Li Zongren divided his forces into two army groups, the left and right, plus a dedicated river defense army. His strategy was a blend of attrition and opportunism: harnessing the Tongbai and Dahong Mountains, clinging to key towns like lifelines, and grinding down the Japanese through prolonged warfare while biding time for a counterstroke. This approach echoed the Fabian tactics of ancient Rome, wearing the enemy thin before delivering the coup de grâce. The storm broke at dawn on May 1, when the main contingents of the Japanese 16th and 13th Divisions, bolstered by the 4th Cavalry Brigade from their bases in Zhongxiang and Jingshan, hurled themselves against the Chinese 37th and 180th Divisions of the Right Army Group. Supported by droning aircraft that strafed from above and tanks that churned the earth below, the Japanese advanced with mechanical precision. By May 4, they had shattered the defensive lines flanking Changshoudian, then surged along the east bank of the Xiang River toward Zaoyang in a massive offensive. Fierce combat raged through May 5, as described in Japanese war diaries compiled in Senshi Sōsho (the official Japanese war history series), where soldiers recounted the relentless Chinese resistance amid the smoke and clamor. The Japanese finally breached the defenses, turning their fury on the 122nd Division of the 41st Army. In a heroic stand, the 180th Division clung to Changshoudian, providing cover for the main force's retreat along the east-west Huangqi'an line. The 37th Division fell back to the Yaojiahe line, while elements of the 38th Division repositioned into Liushuigou. On May 6, the Japanese seized Changshoudian, punched through Huangqi'an, and drove northward, unleashing a devastating assault on the 122nd Division's positions near Wenjiamiao. Undeterred, Chinese defenders executed daring flanking maneuvers in the Fenglehe, Yaojiahe, Liushuihe, Shuanghe, and Zhangjiaji areas, turning the landscape into a labyrinth of ambushes. May 7 saw the Japanese pressing on, capturing Zhangjiaji and Shuanghe. By May 8, they assaulted Maozifan and Xinji, where ferocious battles erupted, soldiers clashing in hand-to-hand combat amid the ruins. By May 10, the Japanese had overrun Huyang Town and Xinye, advancing toward Tanghe and the northeastern fringes of Zaoyang. Yet, the Tanghe River front witnessed partial Chinese recoveries: remnants of the Right Army Group, alongside troops from east of the Xianghe, reclaimed Xinye. The 122nd and 180th Divisions withdrew north of Tanghe and Fancheng, while the 37th, 38th, and 132nd Divisions steadfastly held the east bank of the Xianghe River. Concurrently, the main force of the Japanese 3rd Division launched from Yingshan against the 84th and 13th Armies of the 11th Group Army in the Suixian sector. After a whirlwind of combat, the Chinese 84th Army retreated to the Taerwan position. On May 2, the 3rd Division targeted the Gaocheng position of the 13th Army within the 31st Group Army; the ensuing clashes in Taerwan and Gaocheng were a maelstrom of fire, with the Taerwan position exchanging hands multiple times like a deadly game of tug-of-war. By May 4, in a grim escalation, Japanese forces deployed poison gas, a violation of international norms that drew condemnation and is documented in Allied reports from the era, inflicting horrific casualties and compelling the Chinese to relinquish Gaocheng, which fell into enemy hands. On May 5, backed by aerial bombardments, tank charges, and artillery barrages, the Japanese renewed their onslaught along the Gaocheng River and the Lishan-Jiangjiahe line. By May 6, the beleaguered Chinese were forced back to the Tianhekou and Gaocheng line. Suixian succumbed on May 7. On May 8, the Japanese shattered the second line of the 84th Army, capturing Zaoyang and advancing on the Jiangtoudian position of the 85th Army. To evade encirclement, the defenders mounted a valiant resistance before withdrawing from Jiangtoudian; the 84th Army relocated to the Tanghe and Baihe areas, while the 39th Army embedded itself in the Dahongshan for guerrilla operations—a tactic that would bleed the Japanese through hit-and-run warfare, as noted in guerrilla warfare studies by Mao Zedong himself. By May 10, the bulk of the 31st Army Group maneuvered toward Tanghe, reaching north of Biyang by May 15. From Xinyang, Japanese forces struck at Tongbai on May 8; by May 10, elements from Zaoyang advanced to Zhangdian Town and Shangtun Town. In response, the 68th Army of the 1st War Zone dispatched the 143rd Division to defend Queshan and Minggang, and the 119th Division to hold Tongbai. After staunchly blocking the Japanese, they withdrew on May 11 to positions northwest and southwest of Tongbai, shielding the retreat of 5th War Zone units. The Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade drove toward Tanghe, seizing Tanghe County on May 12. But the tide was turning. In a brilliant reversal, the Fifth War Zone commanded the 31st Army Group, in concert with the 2nd Army Group from the 1st War Zone, to advance from southwestern Henan. Their mission: encircle the bulk of Japanese forces on the Xiangdong Plain and deliver a crushing blow. The main force of the 33rd Army Group targeted Zaoyang, while other units pinned down Japanese rear guards in Zhongxiang. The Chinese counteroffensive erupted with swift successes, Tanghe County was recaptured on May 14, and Tongbai liberated on May 16, shattering the Japanese encirclement scheme. On May 19, after four grueling days of combat, Chinese forces mauled the retreating Japanese, reclaiming Zaoyang and leaving the fields strewn with enemy dead. The 39th Army of the Left Army Group dispersed into the mountains for guerrilla warfare, a shadowy campaign of sabotage and surprise. Forces of the Right Army Group east of the river, along with river defense units, conducted relentless raids on Japanese rears and supply lines over multiple days, sowing chaos before withdrawing to the west bank of the Xiang River on May 21. On May 22, they pressed toward Suixian, recapturing it on May 23. The Japanese, battered and depleted, retreated to their original garrisons in Zhongxiang and Yingshan, restoring the pre-war lines as the battle drew to a close. Throughout this clash, the Chinese held a marked superiority in manpower and coordination, though their deployments lacked full flexibility, briefly placing them on the defensive. After protracted, blood-soaked fighting, they restored the original equilibrium. Despite grievous losses, the Chinese thwarted the Japanese encirclement and exacted a heavy toll, reports from the time, corroborated by Japanese records in Senshi Sōsho, indicate over 13,000 Japanese killed or wounded, with more than 5,000 corpses abandoned on the battlefield. This fulfilled the strategic goal of containing and eroding Japanese strength. Chinese casualties surpassed 25,000, a testament to the ferocity of the struggle. The 5th War Zone seized the initiative in advances and retreats, deftly shifting to outer lines and maintaining positional advantages. As Japanese forces withdrew, Chinese pursuers harried and obstructed them, yielding substantial victories. The Battle of Suizao spanned less than three weeks. The Japanese main force pierced defenses on the east bank of the Han River, advancing to encircle one flank as planned. However, the other two formations met fierce opposition near Suixian and northward, stalling their progress. Adapting to the battlefield's ebb and flow, the Fifth War Zone transformed its tactics: the main force escaped encirclement, maneuvered to outer lines for offensives, and exploited terrain to hammer the Japanese. The pivotal order to flip from defense to offense doomed the encirclement; with the counterattack triumphant, the Japanese declined to hold and retreated. The Chinese pursued with unyielding vigor. By May 24, they had reclaimed Zaoyang, Tongbai, and other locales. Save for Suixian County, the Japanese had fallen back to pre-war positions, reinstating the regional status quo. Thus, the battle concluded, a chapter of resilience etched into the chronicles of China's defiance. In the sweltering heat of southern China, where the humid air clung to every breath like a persistent fog, the Japanese General Staff basked in what they called a triumphant offensive and defensive campaign in Guangdong. But victory, as history so often teaches, is a double-edged sword. By early 1939, the strain was palpable. Their secret supply line snaking from the British colony of Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland was under constant disruption, raids by shadowy guerrilla bands, opportunistic smugglers, and the sheer unpredictability of wartime logistics turning what should have been a lifeline into a leaky sieve. Blockading the entire coastline? A pipe dream, given the vast, jagged shores of Guangdong, dotted with hidden coves and fishing villages that had evaded imperial edicts for centuries. Yet, the General Staff's priorities were unyielding, laser-focused on strangling the Nationalist capital of Chongqing through a relentless blockade. This meant the 21st Army, that workhorse of the Japanese invasion force, had to stay in the fight—no rest for the weary. Drawing from historical records like the Senshi Sōsho (War History Series) compiled by Japan's National Institute for Defense Studies, we know that after the 21st Army reported severing what they dubbed the "secret transport line" at Xinhui, a gritty, hard-fought skirmish that left the local landscape scarred with craters and abandoned supply crates, the General Staff circled back to the idea of a full coastal blockade. It was a classic case of military opportunism: staff officers, poring over maps in dimly lit war rooms in Tokyo, suddenly "discovered" Shantou as a major port. Not just any port, mind you, but a bustling hub tied to the heartstrings of Guangdong's overseas Chinese communities. Shantou and nearby Chao'an weren't mere dots on a map; they were the ancestral hometowns of countless Chaoshan people who had ventured abroad to Southeast Asia, sending back remittances that flowed like lifeblood into the region. Historical economic studies, such as those in The Overseas Chinese in the People's Republic of China by Stephen Fitzgerald, highlight how these funds from the Chaoshan diaspora, often funneled through family networks in places like Singapore and Thailand, were substantial, indirectly fueling China's war effort by sustaining local economies and even purchasing arms on the black market. The Chao-Shao Highway, that dusty artery running near Shantou, was pinpointed as a critical vein connecting Hong Kong's ports to the mainland's interior. So, in early June 1939, the die was cast: Army Order No. 310 thundered from headquarters, commanding the 21st Army to seize Shantou. The Chief of the General Staff himself provided the strategic blueprint, a personal touch that underscored the operation's gravity. The Army Department christened the Chaoshan push "Operation Hua," a nod perhaps to the flowery illusions of easy conquest, while instructing the Navy Department to tag along for the ride. In naval parlance, it became "Operation J," a cryptic label that masked the sheer scale unfolding. Under the Headquarters' watchful eye, what started as a modest blockade morphed into a massive amphibious assault, conjured seemingly out of thin air like a magician's trick, but one with deadly props. The 5th Fleet's orders mobilized an impressive lineup: the 9th Squadron for heavy hitting, the 5th Mine Boat Squadron to clear watery hazards, the 12th and 21st Sweeper Squadrons sweeping for mines like diligent janitors of the sea, the 45th Destroyer Squadron adding destroyer muscle, and air power from the 3rd Combined Air Group (boasting 24 land-based attack aircraft and 9 reconnaissance planes that could spot a fishing boat from miles away). Then there was the Chiyoda Air Group with its 9 reconnaissance aircraft, the Guangdong Air Group contributing a quirky airship and one more recon plane, the 9th Special Landing Squadron from Sasebo trained for beach assaults, and a flotilla of special ships for logistics. On the ground, the 21st Army threw in the 132nd Brigade from the 104th Division, beefed up with the 76th Infantry Battalion, two mountain artillery battalions for lobbing shells over rugged terrain, two engineer battalions to bridge rivers and clear paths, a light armored vehicle platoon rumbling with mechanized menace, and a river-crossing supplies company to keep the troops fed and armed. All under the command of Brigade Commander Juro Goto, a stern officer whose tactical acumen was forged in earlier Manchurian campaigns. The convoy's size demanded rehearsals; the 132nd Brigade trained for boat transfers at Magong in the Penghu Islands, practicing the precarious dance of loading men and gear onto rocking vessels under simulated fire. Secrecy shrouded the whole affair, many officers and soldiers, boarding ships in the dead of night, whispered among themselves that they were finally heading home to Japan, a cruel ruse to maintain operational security. For extra punch, the 21st Army tacked on the 31st Air Squadron for air support, their planes droning like angry hornets ready to sting. This overkill didn't sit well with everyone. Lieutenant General Ando Rikichi, the pragmatic commander overseeing Japanese forces in the region, must have fumed in his Guangzhou headquarters. His intelligence staff, drawing from intercepted radio chatter and local spies as noted in postwar analyses like The Japanese Army in World War II by Gordon L. Rottman, reported that the Chongqing forces in Chaozhou were laughably thin: just the 9th Independent Brigade, a couple of security regiments, and ragtag "self-defense groups" of armed civilians. Why unleash such a sledgehammer on a fly? The mobilization's magnitude even forced a reshuffling of defenses around Guangzhou, pulling resources from the 12th Army's front lines and overburdening the already stretched 18th Division. It was bureaucratic overreach at its finest, a testament to the Imperial Staff's penchant for grand gestures over tactical efficiency. Meanwhile, on the Nationalist side, the winds of war carried whispers of impending doom. The National Revolutionary Army's war histories, such as those compiled in the Zhongguo Kangri Zhanzheng Shi (History of China's War of Resistance Against Japan), note that Chiang Kai-shek's Military Commission had snagged intelligence as early as February 1939 about Japan's plans for a large-scale invasion of Shantou. The efficiency of the Military Command's Second Bureau and the Military Intelligence Bureau was nothing short of astonishing, networks of agents, double agents, and radio intercepts piercing the veil of Japanese secrecy. Even as the convoy slipped out of Penghu, a detailed report outlining operational orders landed on Commander Zhang Fakui's desk, the ink still fresh. Zhang, a battle-hardened strategist whose career spanned the Northern Expedition and beyond , had four months to prepare for what would be dubbed the decisive battle of Chaoshan. Yet, in a move that baffled some contemporaries, he chose not to fortify and defend it tooth and nail. After the Fourth War Zone submitted its opinions, likely heated debates in smoke-filled command posts, Chiang Kai-shek greenlit the plan. By March, the Military Commission issued its strategic policy: when the enemy hit Chaoshan, a sliver of regular troops would team up with civilian armed forces for mobile and guerrilla warfare, grinding down the invaders like sandpaper on steel. The orders specified guerrilla zones in Chaozhou, Jiaxing, and Huizhou, unifying local militias under a banner of "extensive guerrilla warfare" to coordinate with regular army maneuvers, gradually eroding the Japanese thrust. In essence, the 4th War Zone wasn't tasked with holding Chao'an and Shantou at all costs; instead, they'd strike hard during the landing, then let guerrillas harry the occupiers post-capture. It was a doctrine of attrition in a "confined battlefield," honing skills through maneuver and ambush. Remarkably, the fall of these cities was preordained by the Military Commission three months before the Japanese even issued their orders, a strategic feint that echoed ancient Sun Tzu tactics of yielding ground to preserve strength. To execute this, the 4th War Zone birthed the Chao-Jia-Hui Guerrilla Command after meticulous preparation, with General Zou Hong, head of Guangdong's Security Bureau and a no-nonsense administrator known for his anti-smuggling campaigns, taking the helm. In just three months, Zhang Fakui scraped together the Independent 9th Brigade, the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Guangdong Provincial Security Regiments, and the Security Training Regiment. Even with the 9th Army Group lurking nearby, he handed the reins of the Chao-Shan operation to the 12th Army Group's planners. Their March guidelines sketched three lines of resistance from the coast to the mountains, a staged withdrawal that allowed frontline defenders to melt away like ghosts. This blueprint mirrored Chiang Kai-shek's post-Wuhan reassessment, where the loss of that key city in 1938 prompted a shift to protracted warfare. A Xinhua News Agency columnist later summed it up scathingly: "The Chongqing government, having lost its will to resist, colludes with the Japanese and seeks to eliminate the Communists, adopting a policy of passive resistance." This narrative, propagated by Communist sources, dogged Chiang and the National Revolutionary Army for decades, painting them as defeatists even as they bled the Japanese dry through attrition. February 1939 saw Commander Zhang kicking off a reorganization of the 12th Army Group, transforming it from a patchwork force into something resembling a modern army. He could have hunkered down, assigning troops to a desperate defense of Chaoshan, but that would have handed the initiative to the overcautious Japanese General Staff, whose activism often bordered on paranoia. Zhang, with the wisdom of a seasoned general who had navigated the treacherous politics of pre-war China, weighed the scales carefully. His vision? Forge the 12th Army Group into a nimble field army, not squander tens of thousands on a secondary port. Japan's naval and air dominance—evident in the devastation of Shanghai in 1937, meant Guangdong's forces could be pulverized in Shantou just as easily. Losing Chaozhou and Shantou? Acceptable, if it preserved core strength for the long haul. Post-Xinhui, Zhang doubled down on resistance, channeling efforts into live-fire exercises for the 12th Army, turning green recruits into battle-ready soldiers amid the Guangdong hills. The war's trajectory after 1939 would vindicate him: his forces became pivotal in later counteroffensives, proving that a living army trumped dead cities. Opting out of a static defense, Zhang pivoted to guerrilla warfare to bleed the Japanese while clutching strategic initiative. He ordered local governments to whip up coastal guerrilla forces from Chao'an to Huizhou—melding militias, national guards, police, and private armed groups into official folds. These weren't elite shock troops, but in wartime's chaos, they controlled locales effectively, disrupting supply lines and gathering intel. For surprises, he unleashed two mobile units: the 9th Independent Brigade and the 20th Independent Brigade. Formed fresh after the War of Resistance erupted, these brigades shone for their efficiency within the cumbersome Guangdong Army structure. Division-level units were too bulky for spotty communications, so Yu Hanmou's command birthed these independent outfits, staffed with crack officers. The 9th, packing direct-fire artillery for punch, and the 20th, dubbed semi-mechanized for its truck-borne speed, prowled the Chaoshan–Huizhou coast from 1939. Zhang retained their three-regiment setup, naming Hua Zhenzhong and Zhang Shou as commanders, granting them autonomy to command in the field like roving wolves. As the 9th Independent Brigade shifted to Shantou, its 627th Regiment was still reorganizing in Heyuan, a logistical hiccup amid the scramble. Hua Zhenzhong, a commander noted for his tactical flexibility in regional annals, deployed the 625th Regiment and 5th Security Regiment along the coast, with the 626th as reserve in Chao'an. Though the Fourth War Zone had written off Chaoshan, Zhang yearned to showcase Guangdong grit before the pullback. Dawn broke on June 21, 1939, at 4:30 a.m., with Japanese reconnaissance planes slicing through the fog over Shantou, Anbu, and Nanbeigang, ghostly silhouettes against the gray sky. By 5:30, the mist lifted, revealing a nightmare armada: over 40 destroyers and 70–80 landing craft churning toward the coast on multiple vectors, their hulls cutting the waves like knives. The 626th Regiment's 3rd Battalion at Donghushan met the first wave with a hail of fire from six light machine guns, repelling the initial boats in a frenzy of splashes and shouts. But the brigade's long-range guns couldn't stem the tide; Hua focused on key chokepoints, aiming to bloody the invaders rather than obliterate them. By morning, the 3rd Battalion of the 625th Regiment charged into Shantou City, joined by the local police corps digging in amid urban sprawl. Combat raged at Xinjin Port and the airport's fringes, where Nationalist troops traded shots with advancing Japanese under the absent shadow of a Chinese navy. Japanese naval guns, massed offshore, pounded the outskirts like thunder gods in fury. By 2:00 a.m. on the 22nd, Shantou crumpled as defenders' ammo ran dry, the city falling in a haze of smoke and echoes. Before the loss, Hua had positioned the 1st Battalion of the 5th Security Regiment at Anbu, guarding the road to Chao'an. Local lore, preserved in oral histories collected by the Chaozhou Historical Society, recalls Battalion Commander Du Ruo leading from the front, rifle in hand, but Japanese barrages, bolstered by superior firepower—forced a retreat. Post-capture, Tokyo's forces paused to consolidate, unleashing massacres on fleeing civilians in the outskirts. A flotilla of civilian boats, intercepted at sea, became a grim training ground for bayonet drills, a barbarity echoed in survivor testimonies compiled in The Rape of Nanking and Beyond extensions to Guangdong atrocities. With Shantou gone, Hua pivoted to flank defense, orchestrating night raids on Japanese positions around Anbu and Meixi. On June 24th, Major Du Ruo spearheaded an assault into Anbu but fell gravely wounded amid the chaos. Later, the 2nd Battalion of the 626th overran spots near Meixi. A Japanese sea-flanking maneuver targeted Anbu, but Nationalists held at Liulong, sparking nocturnal clashes, grenade volleys, bayonet charges, and hand-to-hand brawls that drained both sides like a slow bleed. June 26th saw the 132nd Brigade lumber toward Chao'an. Hua weighed options: all-out assault or guerrilla fade? He chose to dig in on the outskirts, reserving two companies of the 625th and a special ops battalion in the city. The 27th brought a day-long Japanese onslaught, culminating in Chao'an's fall after fierce rear-guard actions by the 9th Independent Brigade. Evacuations preceded the collapse, with Japanese propaganda banners fluttering falsely, claiming Nationalists had abandoned defense. Yet Hua's call preserved his brigade for future fights; the Japanese claimed an empty prize. 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. The Japanese operations had yet again plugged up supply leaks into Nationalist China. The fall of Suixian, Zaoyang and Shantou were heavy losses for the Chinese war effort. However the Chinese were also able to exact heavy casualties on the invaders and thwarted their encirclement attempts. China was still in the fight for her life.

The SOL Citizens discuss this week's news in Star Citizen and the Star Citizen community! Featuring: fastcart & GriffinGamingRPG Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

The SOL Citizens discuss why backers keep coming back to Star Citizen for more pleasure and pain! Featuring: fastcart fc & GriffinGamingRPG Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

Anti-Rafale Gang Active Again | India to Have 200 Rafales in 50 Squadron IAF | Sanjay Dixit Decodes

Major Matt Neri returns for Part 2 to discuss the Outcast 903 accident, lessons learned, recovery, and leadership as CO of 103 SAR Squadron. He also shares how Mattfrom103 became an unexpected platform for education, transparency, and trust in the SAR community. 

The SOL Citizens grade the development of Star Citizen and Cloud Imperium Games from the past to the present! Featuring: fastcart fc & GriffinGamingRPG Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

Ron & Dave chat with Jack and Steve Niezgoda from the 13th Squadron about squadron life, RC aviation, and building passion that lasts.

Send us a message or question! Welcome back and a happy new year ! 

Major Matt Neri joins Bryan Morrison for Part 1 of a two-part interview exploring his career in Search and Rescue. Matt shares his early aviation influences, flight training experiences, and first operational tours on the CH-149 Cormorant. From earning his wings to coordinating SAR missions at JRCC Halifax, this episode offers an inside look at the realities of rescue flying and what it takes to lead the busiest SAR squadron in Canada. 

Tony: -Tony's Top 10 (no particular order)- Borderlands 4 Arc Raiders Indiana Jones Resident Evil 4 Remake Ultimate Gaming Station Completed (RTX 5090, 9800X3D, 240hz QD OLED monitor) Steam OS on Ally X Linux Full Size Gaming (Learning Experience) Switch 2 (impressive hardware, aside from the screen) Ghost of Yotei Audeze Maxwell (again) -Squadron 42 light at the end of the tunnel: https://www.ign.com/articles/star-citizen-dev-says-squadron-42-is-now-fully-playable-is-over-40-hours-in-length-and-is-still-on-track-for-2026-release-date -You should already dislike Lucky Palmer why did it take this?(can be saved if we run out of time)- https://www.notebookcheck.net/ModRetro-announces-version-of-Chromatic-retro-handheld-made-from-materials-used-in-military-drones.1189835.0.html Jarron: -No more back to back releases of Call of Duty: https://www.theverge.com/news/841290/activision-call-of-duty-modern-warefare-black-ops-back-to-back -GOG is being purchased: https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/co-founder-of-cd-projekt-micha%C5%82-kicinski-has-acquired-gog-the-companys-game-storefront-174853415.html?src=rss -Jarron's Top Hardware 5090 Laptop Switch 2 QD-OLED Monitor -Jarron's Top Games Doom: Dark Ages Doom: Eternal Indiana Jones God of War: Ragnarok Absolum Gravity Circuit Sonic Superstars Sonic Racing: Crossworlds -Jarron's Festivus List - Airing of Grievances Hollow Knight Metroid Prime 4 DK Bananza Owen: -Star Citizen hits 928m. Game still in alpha https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/star-citizen-to-become-the-first-1-billion-game-while-still-in-alpha-driven-by-ships-costing-thousands-3298262/ -Silksong: Sea of Sorrows DLC teaser trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDFEeeLy6ws&t=7s -Owen's List: SilkSong Unraveled 2 Grounded 2 Minecraft Dungeons Halo Infinite Diablo IV Elden Ring Ultima Online: Renaissance Lando: -Top 5 games Lando didn't play 1. Blue prince 2. Hades 2 3. Split Fiction 4. Ball X Pit 5. Indiana Jones 6. Hogwarts Legacy Uncle Sqinky: Rainbow 6 Siege hacked - https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/ubisoft-is-rolling-back-rainbow-six-siege-servers-after-being-forced-to-shut-them-down/ar-AA1TaWZd?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=695190c8d11d434ea13e3e6aeac8d278&ei=36

RAF Liberator bombing operations in India, Burma, and Thailand remain one of the least explored air campaigns of the Second World War. Flying long-range missions from Bengal, RAF crews attacked Japanese targets across Southeast Asia, including the infamous Thailand-Burma Railway, under demanding and often dangerous conditions. In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I am talking to historian Matt Poole, author of Far East RAF Liberators: Roy Andrews and 215 Squadron. Together, we explore this campaign through the experiences of Roy Andrews, a Royal Australian Air Force wireless operator and air gunner who flew with RAF 215 Squadron on B-24 Liberator bombers during the final months of the war. Between October 1944 and April 1945, Roy Andrews flew bombing, strafing, and air-sea rescue missions over Burma and Thailand. By viewing the wider RAF air war through the lens of one airman, this episode examines long-range Liberator operations, low-level attacks, and daily life on a forward airfield in India, offering a personal perspective on an often overlooked chapter of the Second World War.   patreon.com/ww2podcast  

Welcome to today's Dragonlance Hangout! This is a casual series where we discuss all things Dragonlance, from characters, to modules, to game editions in a relaxed conversation with the live audience. Today I am discussing the forthcoming DLSaga Anthology and my process of writing! https://youtube.com/live/eEVnGgwPaGc Show Notes Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Hangout! It is Kirinor, Frostkolt the 31st, and my name is Adam. Today I am discussing the forthcoming DLSaga Anthology and my process of writing! I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members, and Patreon patrons and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron. You can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. Discussion DLSaga Contributors https://dlsaga.com/contributors/ 4,000–7,500 words preferred Stories must be unpublished and original DLSaga acquires First Publication Rights All rights revert to the author after publication Accepted authors receive: Full author credit A complimentary copy of the anthology (print and/or digital) Notifications sent by March 1, 2026 Writing tips Start Small (Short Is a Feature, Not a Limitation) A short story isn't a novel in miniature. Focus on: One main character One core problem or moment One change by the end If you can summarize your story in one sentence, you're on the right track. Give Your Character a Want Every scene should revolve around what the character wants right now: To escape To prove themselves To protect someone To uncover the truth Conflict comes from something standing in the way of that want. Show Change, Not Just Events By the end of the story, something should be different: The character has learned something The world has changed A belief is broken or reinforced Even quiet stories need an emotional shift. Let the Setting Do Story Work Your setting should actively affect the plot: Magic behaves differently at night A city is built on forbidden ground The forest remembers those who enter If the story could happen anywhere, the setting isn't pulling its weight. Use Specific Details Strong stories come from concrete details, not vague descriptions: “A chipped blue mug” beats “a cup” “The smell of wet leather” beats “a bad smell” One or two sharp details per scene is enough. End With Meaning, Not Fireworks Fantasy endings don't need giant battles. Strong endings often include: A sacrifice A quiet victory A revealed truth A cost paid The best endings feel inevitable in hindsight. Don't Aim for Perfect—Aim for Finished Your first draft is allowed to be messy. Finishing stories teaches you more than endlessly polishing the opening paragraph. A great habit: write to the end, then revise. Revise With Purpose When revising, ask: Does every scene matter? Can I cut anything without harming the story? Is the ending earned? Short stories often improve most by cutting, not adding. Simple Fantasy Short Story Formula (Beginner-Friendly) A character wants something Magic complicates it The character must choose The world or character changes That's it. Everything else is flavor. Story Ideas A mercenary company discovers their employer is a Dragon Highlord—and must choose between gold and conscience. An apprentice of the Tower of High Sorcery fails their Test—not catastrophically, but quietly—and must live with what was taken instead. A disgraced Knight of Solamnia hides his past while protecting a caravan—until his old order comes calling. A plainsfolk storyteller realizes their oral history will die with them unless they entrust it to an outsider. An artifact from before the Cataclysm resurfaces, but using it may doom the fragile balance of the new world. A widow casts her knight-husband's armor into a river sacred to Habbakuk—and something answers. Log Line A Knight of the Divine Hammer struggles with leaving his secret wife to chase down the Cult of Chemosh. Era The Age of Might, ~39 PC after the Kingpriests declaration of Manifest Virtue Characters Kingpriest Beldinas Pilofiro Formed the holy knighthood to defend the Holy Empire from wickedness Cathan MarSevrin Cathan Twice-Born Received a vision of a burning hammer falling toward Istar first Knight of the Divine Hammer Tavarre of Luciel first Grand Marshal, answered to the Kingpriest and no other. Darian Volkar Main character, former orphan, in love with Amara Kesh Knight of the Divine Hammer Amara Kesh Darian's secret wife, former orphan Cassian Morvek Darian's battle buddy Loyal, direct, dirty minded Tiber Kaelos Darian's Icodio, or Knight Banneret. The leader of his Ina, or Squadron. The Bone-Seer Arkhavel High Priest of Chemosh Hierophant Caldris Ossian Local Cult Leader of Chemosh Organizations Order of the Divine Hammer The smallest military unit was the Ina, or squadron, which consisted of ten knights, twenty Scatas, and three clerics or war-priests. An Istaran company (Cosa) consisted of four Inas and pursued roaming hobgoblin and ogre bands.  The Imperial squadron (Meniba) quelled civil unrest in minor lands and consisted of 300 Scatas plus a contingent of knights and clerics. Istaran Birafas, or regiments, saw use in the Lost Battles and were each comprised of five Menibas the mighty Istaran division (Droma) was made up of six Birafas but was only deployed once during the Hammer's existence. The first officer position within the Hammer is that of Knight Banneret (Icodio), who commands a dozen knights and can commandeer thirty Scatas for crucial missions. Above the Knight Banneret is the Knight Commander, or Icilmo. A Knight Commander leads six Knights Banneret and associated troops, and he can requisition two hundred additional Scatas. Knights Commander also instruct squires and younger knights in the use of arms; they are known as Preceptors when serving in this capacity. A Knight Marshal (Frebo) leads four Knights Commander and associated troops and is usually given authority over a particular city. Above the Knight Marshal is the Senior Marshal, or Frecico, who is responsible for the defense of a particular province within the Holy Empire. The Grand Marshal (Freburmo), also known as the Lord Marshal, heads the Order of the Divine Hammer and can be discerned by his crimson surcoat, in contrast to the white surcoats of other knights. Knights of Solamnia Kingpriest of Istar Cult of Chemosh Locations Lordcity of Istar Midrath Mountains Vsule, Southeast side of the Midrath Mnts Zathraas, darian and Amaras' home Story Arc Act 1 We learn about Darian and the Knights of the Divine Hammer. In addition to his secret wife Amara. Darian is searching for Hierophant Caldris Ossian, a cult of Chemosh cell leader in the town of Vsule.  Act 2 Discovery of Ossian leads the Order to the Midrath mountains and a n ancient temple there. Darian is tormented by his inability to be with his wife, the fact that he is living a lie, and the terror the Order of the Divine Hammer is spreading across the Holy Empire. Act 3 Darians squad finds the temple and confronts the high priest The Bone-Seer Arkhavel. Outro And that is all the time we have to hangout today. What do you think of a DLSaga Anthology? Will you be contributing a story? And finally, what is your favorite anthology? Feel free to email me at info@dlsaga.com or comment below.  I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy, Producer Patron Azrael, and Developer Patron Chris Androu! This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).

Guest: Flight Lieutenant Wilfrid Leopold “Buck” Pound NZ427559 – 21 October 1922 to 27 January 2021 Hosts: Dave Homewood Recorded: 29th of June 2013 Released: 31st of December 2025 Duration:  53 minutes 23 seconds In this Wings Over New Zealand Show episode Dave Homewood interviews WWII RNZAF bomber pilot ‘Buck’ Pound. He spent a short time in the Army in Tauranga after WWII broke out, before getting into the RNZAF. His initial training was at Rotorua, and he began flying training at Ashburton on de Havilland Tiger Moths. Next he progressed onto flying Airspeed Oxfords at Wigram. Upon passing out with his flying badge, Buck was posted to England where he flew more Oxfords, and then onto Vickers Wellingtons at No. 11 Operational Training Unit at Westcott. He and his crew, and his best mate Robbie who was another pilot with his own crew, volunteered to got to Italy. They joined No. 104 Squadron at Foggia, flying Wellingtons in the night bombing role. He talks about some of the experiences he had including a terrifying night when the Wellington was struck by lightning and they lost all their instruments. Following the tour in Italy, Buck was sent to by converted onto Mosquitoes. And he ended up flying Mosquitoes from Malta in a specialist target marking role. After the war Buck got into banking and finance. Buck was a member of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association. He passed away on the 27th of January 2021. Quick Links: • The New Zealand Bomber Command Association • The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Facebook Page Photos from Wilfred ‘Buck’ Pound’s collection, via The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Archive. The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud

fWotD Episode 3161: William Anderson (RAAF officer) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 30 December 2025, is William Anderson (RAAF officer).Air Vice-Marshal William Hopton Anderson (30 December 1891 – 30 December 1975) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Belgian Croix de guerre for his combat service with No. 3 Squadron on the Western Front in 1917. The following year he took command of No. 7 (Training) Squadron and, later, No. 3 Squadron. Anderson led the Australian Air Corps during its brief existence in 1920–21, before joining the fledgling RAAF. The service's third most-senior officer, he primarily held posts on the Australian Air Board in the inter-war years. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934, and promoted to air commodore in 1938.At the outbreak of World War II, Anderson was Air Member for Supply. In 1940 he acted as Chief of the Air Staff between the resignation of Air Vice-Marshal Stanley Goble in January and the arrival of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett, RAF, the next month. He led the newly formed Central and Eastern Area Commands between December 1940 and July 1943, returning to the Air Board as Air Member for Organisation and Equipment from September 1941 to May 1942. Anderson was founding commandant of the RAAF Staff School from July to November 1943, after which he was appointed Air Member for Personnel. He again served as Staff School commandant from October 1944 until his retirement in April 1946. Known to his colleagues as "Andy" or "Mucker", Anderson died on his birthday in 1975.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:14 UTC on Tuesday, 30 December 2025.For the full current version of the article, see William Anderson (RAAF officer) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Salli.

The SOL Citizens wrap up 2025 sharing their thoughts and holiday wishes for Star Citizen and more! Featuring: Captain_Jones, fastcart fc, GomabATL, GriffinGamingRPG, JadeStarwatcher, Kalrati & SeriousFun Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

Duncan, Eddie and Lee return with another episode of Shoot and Scoot, the Flames of War, Checkpoint Charlie and Team Yankee wargaming podcast. This episode we talk about how Eddie and Lee got on at the TTR flames of war tornie, answer some of our patron's many questions and have our Christmas pub quiz.

A painter wished the aviator in cabin 8 a Merry Christmas, but when he turned back seconds later, the man with the scarred neck had vanished — and naval records confirm no one matching his description ever served aboard the HMS Glory.#12NightmaresOfXmas “THE LAST WISH OF JIM CURRAN” and 5 More Ghostly Holiday Stories! #WeirdDarknessEpisode 5 of 12 in the “Twelve Nightmares of Christmas” series!In this episode: “The Aircraft Carrier ‘Glory'”, “Number 149 Squadron”, “Back Already?”, “Told You So”, “Dear Theodosia”, “Last Wishes”SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.https://weirddarkness.com/AircraftCarrierGhost#WeirdDarkness #HauntedShip #GhostPilot #TrueScaryStories #NavalGhost #ScottishGhostStory #ChristmasGhost #ParanormalEncounter #MilitaryGhost #UnsolvedMystery

Im Jahr 2026 soll endlich Squadron 42 durchstarten, die Singleplayer-Kampagne von Star Citizen! Im Talk diskutieren wir darüber, ob das realistisch ist, und schauen uns an, was sich in Star Citizen zuletzt getan hat - auch im Vergleich zu anderen Weltraumspielen wie No Man's Sky.

Daniel Squadron and Melissa Walker are an unexpected duo. Formerly a New York State Senator, Daniel Squadron represented New York’s 25th and 26th districts for almost ten years. After leaving public office, Squadron co-founded a civic engagement initiative called The States Project - of which he is currently President. Melissa Walker was formerly a magazine editor and journalist published in countless magazines such as Seventeen, Glamour, Teen Vogue, The NY Observer, and New York Magazine. Walker has also authored 10 young adult novels. After a fateful meeting at a holiday party, the two began working together on The State’s Project’s Giving Circles program, co-founded by Walker. The Giving Circles has engaged more than 35,000 donors and raised tens of millions of dollars since its formation in 2018 and works within the States Project to shift the balance of power in state legislatures - ultimately leading to greater political change nationwide.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SOL Citizens discuss the patch noted for the upcoming engineering mechanics coming in Star Citizen! Featuring: GriffinGamingRPG & SeriousFun Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

Back on this day in 1945, an aircraft squadron disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.  KTAR Timeline is brought to you by Beatitudes Campus. 

The SOL Citizens are joined by special guests DaPoets & Kemi65 as the review the Intergalactic Expo 2955 and the latest vehicle additions to the Star Citizen universe! Featuring: Captain_Jones & GriffinGamingRPG Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

What a great time to be a Star Wars fan and collector! SH Figuarts coming out with probably the most anticipated figures to date! We have our Star Wars Black Series and Vintage Collection updates and what to expect this Black Friday... Black Series Most Wanted Launches Dec 1st and Cube Squadron is the Kickstarter talk of the town!!!! Micro Galaxy Squadron environments? Come on!!! PLUS So much more on this episode of the TOYCHEST! Episode 45 Sarlacc Digest Podcast Discord: https://discord.gg/FQWEEra77C If you are interested in being a Patreon we will be indebted to you... https://www.patreon.com/sarlaccdigestpodcast Grab Merchandise Here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/sarlacc-digest-store For all your action figure stand needs and more: http://www.toschestationemporium.com use promo code for 10% off!: sarlaccdigestpodcast Formerly Tosche Station Emporium Youtube: Moocher's 3D Printing Lab: https://www.youtube.com/@Moochers3dprintinglab Check out Tommy at: https://www.youtube.com/@BlitzTransmissions Black Series Most wanted: https://www.instagram.com/blackseriesmostwanted/ Check out Alex at: https://www.youtube.com/@ShadoweKnowsNetwork Cube Squadron: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPquG4GDQTK/ Intro Music By: Michael Patsos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patsosm Contact us at: sarlaccdigestpodcast@gmail.com #starwarsfans #starwarsnews #starwarspodcast #sarlaccdigestpodcast

This week we talk about U.N. Squadron for the SNES as well as all the latest Retro Gaming News. --To get your very own ad free RSS feed to use in the podcatcher of your choice and early access to all extra monthly content: www.patreon.com/nerdcaveretro –Leave us a voice message at voicecast.app/ncr–Email us at nerdcaveretro@gmail.com--www.nerdcaveretro.com --Check out our merch: www.ncrmerch.com –Follow us on all social media platforms: @nerdcaveretro, @Derek_Diamond @JayFunktastic--Use our code "NCR" at checkout at www.brezcoffeeco.com for 10% off your order! -- To watch the archived videos or join in Live every Monday at 6 pm central: www.youtube.com/@jayfunktastic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The SOL Citizens are joined by special guest Raptor Spriitus as they discuss Update 4.4. for Star Citizen! Featuring: fastcart fc & GriffinGamingRPG Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

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Guests: Reg Mitchell – No. 488 (NZ) SquadronKeith Boles DFC – No. 109 Squadron PFFHarold “Bunny” Burrows – No. 487 (NZ) Squadron, and No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, and Martial “Sonny” Gaspard – No. 75 Squadron RNZAF Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: 2nd of March 2013 Released: 25th of November 2025 Duration:  1 hour  19 minutes 23 seconds To mark the 85th Anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Mosquito, which took place on the 25th of November 1940, Dave Homewood has pulled an old but never before heard interview from his archive he recorded in 2013 with four Kiwi Mossie veterans. They are pilots Reg Mitchell and Keith Boles DFC, and navigator-wireless operators Harold “Bunny” Burrows and Martial “Sonny” Gaspard. The recording was made at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland, and the guys share memories and tell stories from their days flying one of the greatest aeroplanes of all time. As well as war stories, Keith and Bunny also talk about ferrying Mosquitoes to New Zealand after the war. You will also hear Peter Wheeler ask a question too, as he sat in on the interview. Sadly these four wonderful gentlemen have all since passed away. Quick Links: • The de Havilland Mosquito on Wikipedia • The Museum of Transport and Technology Above, from left to right: Keith Boles, ‘Bunny’ Burrows, Reg Mitchell and Sonny Gaspard in front of the MOTAT Mosquito. Dave Homewood photo. Above Left: Sonny, Reg and Bunny. Above Right: Sonny and Bunny. In the background is the late Peter Wheeler of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, who sat in on the interview. Dave Homewood photos. Above: Bunny Burrows receiving his brevet in 1942. NZBCA Collection. Above: No. 487 (NZ) Squadron crews. Bunny Burrows on the right and his pilot F/O Kassler on the left.NZBCA Collection. Above: No. 109 Squadron Kiwis at Little Staughton , Keith Boles is front left. NZBCA Collection. Above: Keith Boles’ special 100th birthday gift , a Mosquito made from recycled Mosquito timber. Peter Wheeler Photo. Above: No. 488 (NZ) Squadron night fighter aircrews at readiness. Reg Mitchell photo. Reg Mitchell collection. Above: Above: Reg Mitchell at RNZAF Station Woodbourne, 1941. Reg Mitchell collection. Above: Reg Mitchell, left, with his navigator. Reg Mitchell collection. Above: No. 1 Navigators course. RNZAF Station Wigram. L-R: Back; Leans, Martial “Sonny” Gaspard, Stevens, Lafferty. Front; Collins, Campbell, Williams, Miller. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo. Above: Left to Right – No. 75 Squadron aircrew Bob Scott, Bill Annand, Nelson Bright, Colin Hanson, Dave Cohu and Sonny Gaspard, preparing to sink the stricken vessel Lutterworth (not the Shuttleworth, as Sonny remembered). Dave Cohu collection. Above: No. 75 Squadron RNZAF Mossie crews, left to right: Colin Hanson, ‘Joe’ Mace, Ernest Gartrell (75 CO), Cyril Waters, Owen Staple, Ted Arundel, ‘Mac’ McBean, Noel Fraser, Sonny Gaspard, Tony Williams, Rod Dahlberg, Mitch Mitchell, Gordon Shearer. RNZAF Official Photo. Music: The tune is the 633 Squadron theme by Ron Goodwin.Thanks to: The late Peter Wheeler of the NZBCA, and MOTAT.

Colonel (Ret) Rob “Trip” Raymond sits down with Flash McVay for one of the most wide ranging fighter pilot interviews ever captured on The Afterburn Podcast. Trip is known across the fighter community for his combat time in the F-16, his leadership as a weapons officer and commander, and, of course, his role in the legendary fighter pilot band Dos Gringos.Become an owner in Winglore Spirits. Invest and join the Squadron here: Winglore Spirits Netcapital: https://netcapital.com/companies/winglorespirits Pick up a bottle of Winglore Whiskey: Supply Winglore Spirits: https://winglorespirits.com/supply Use promo code AFTERBURN2025 for 10 percent off your whiskey order

This week the SOL Citizens are joined by special guest Pappadopolis as the cover the production, release and impact of various popular "space" games over the past 15 years. Featuring: GriffinGamingRPG & SeriousFun Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe97JZDK7J2L3H3FUQ3AB4g/join Merchandise: Design by Humans: https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/SOLCitizens/ Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/solcitizens/merch SOL CITIZENS are supporters and backers covering the development of Cloud Imperium Games upcoming games "STAR CITIZEN" and "SQUADRON 42". Patreon: patreon/solcitizens BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/solcitizens.bsky.social Twitch: twitch.tv/solcitizens Twitter: twitter.com/solcitizens

#306rd for 16nd of October, 2025 or 3311! (33-Oh-Leven, not Oh-Eleven, OH-Leven)http://loosescrewsed.comJoin us on discord! And check out the merch store! PROMO CODEShttps://discord.gg/3Vfap47ReaSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LooseScrewsEDSquad Update:  (Updated by Bloom 10/16)BGS is apparently fixed - We had a bunch of conflicts going back to 8/31 that have since begun and completedOnly time and testing will tell what is and isn't fixed.13 systems over 75% influence - so even if things are fixed…Wars in Synuefe and Col 285 sectors along with Yen TiVictory in Musca Dark Region UE-W a3-0 - thank you Uraniborg and Edward SkeeleWe Just expanded out of MaikoroWe're in 319 systems controlling 79PowerPlay Update: - (updated by Obl1v1ous) Cycle 50: I will interpret CMDR KurgerFive's analysis so you won't have to. Kaine wrestled seventh place away from Antal on the FDev board,For the fifth week in a row our frat boy Rui, has delivered the strongest performance which even out distanced the fancy footwork of Princess Podiatry.  At this pace Yong-Rui will move to second on Nicey/KrugerFive charts. And what of the FDev charts? Well this reporter believes FDev treats Rui like an SEC referee treats Auburn football. Down in tenth place it looks like Torval is about to win the Torval Delaine staring contest.  And at the bottom of the pile, the only growth Emperor Arissa has seen is that mole on her face while Patreus dropped another three exploited systems. Kruger 5's Power Rankings - https://k5elite.com/ Niceygy's Power Points - https://elite.niceygy.net/powerpointsFind out more in the LSN-powerplay-hub forum channel.Galnet Update: https://community.elitedangerous.com/Type-11 Prospector Declared a TriumphStrategic Order Placed with Brewer Corporation - CG with stickers for all, and 1 size 5 non-Euclidican cargo rack for the 75%ers.Dev News: Type 11 Prospecter Update 2Introduced new functionality to prevent 'claim sniping'. When the primary port is completed in a newly colonised system, an exclusive lock on making claims FROM that system's colonisation contact will be enforced for a short periodThe System Architect may exclusively make claims from the system for 30 minutesAfter this 30 minutes expires, anyone within the System Architect's Squadron may make a claim for the next 23.5 hoursThis will function even if the System Architect is in their own solo SquadronAfter a total of 24 hours, the exclusive claim rights lift and any player may make a claim from the newly constructed systemNote that if the System Architect is not in a squadron, then only the 30 minute lockout applies.The claim panel via the colonisation contact has been updated to display when a lockout is in effect, and details the remaining duration COMPANION APIFacility construction effort requirements info has been included in the /market endpointBUG FIXESFixed the main cause of the faction simulation (BGS) becoming stuck in some situations. This should resolve most instances of conflicts/expansion/influence etc. not functioning as intended. Fixed instances of a physics issue that could cause ships to explodeFixed multiple issues with transferring cargo from your ship to fleet carrier inventoryFixed instances when transferring cargo to fleet carrier inventory, the transfer can sometimes silently fail with items "lost" on both the carrier and ship until a relog (Issue ID: 78801)Fixed instances of transferring all cargo at once from ship to fleet carrier inventory to failDiscussion: Community Corner:Elite Dangerous and Odyssey are on sale on Steam again ($5.99 & $8.99 respectively) until Oct-21.More holo-skins on sale for T-11 (why no yellow?)

Armed with outdated biplanes made of fabric and wood, teenage Soviet girls flew 30,000 bombing raids in complete darkness, becoming so feared that German soldiers wouldn't even light cigarettes at night.Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateTake the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/surveyIN THIS EPISODE: During World War II, a squadron of crop duster-style planes flown by Soviet female pilots were used as bombers to terrorize Nazi troops. They were so terrifying to the enemy they earned the nickname “Night Witches.” (The Night Witches) *** The jackalope is a mythical animal – so why do so many people claim to have seen it, even in modern times? (Horned Hares) *** There are places all over the world even today where, during a wedding ceremony, you might hear the reverend say the words, “Do you take this corpse to be your lawfully wedded husband?” (Beyond the Grave Nuptials) *** An old grudge between a detective and a reporter led to one of the strangest—and most damning—fake news stories of all-time. A story that nearly ruined Lizzie Borden. (The Lizzy Borden Newspaper Hoax) *** In 1948, sightings of mysterious green lights in the skies of Los Alamos, New Mexico and the Sandia atomic-weapons laboratories and other sensitive military installations had the U.S. Government extremely worried. That means they the green balls of fire weren't from America – so what were they? (UFO's and Green Fireballs)ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:01:10.087 = Show Open00:03:11.728 = The Night Witches00:13:58.669 = The Lizzie Borden Newspaper Hoax00:26:26.839 = UFOs And Green Fireballs00:36:08.840 = Horned Hares00:42:14.836 = Beyond The Grave Nuptials00:50:57.068 = Show Close SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Lizzy Borden Newspaper Hoax” by Dean Jobb for Crime Reads: https://tinyurl.com/yd9fvzes“Horned Hares” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/ycarwu4d“The Night Witches” from Bugged Space: https://tinyurl.com/ybthkflf“Beyond the Grave Nuptials” by Lisa A. Flowers for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/y7bevukf“UFO's and Green Fireballs” by Darryn King for History: https://tinyurl.com/y9eht7bk=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 10, 2020NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/NightWitches#NightWitches #SovietFemalePilots #588thNightBomberRegiment #WomenInWW2 #MarinaRaskova #WorldWar2Women #FemaleBomberPilots #SovietAirForces #PolikarpovPo2 #WomenPilotsWW2 #SovietWomenWarriors #WW2History #FemaleMilitaryAviators #46thGuardsRegiment #TamanGuards #SovietUnionWW2 #WomenInCombat #FemaleWarHeroes #WW2Bombers #SovietPilots #NaziGermany #EasternFrontWW2 #WomensHistory #MilitaryAviationHistory #WW2Aircraft #SovietHeroes #FemaleSquadron #WW2BombingRaids #RussianWomenPilots #CombatAviation #WorldWarIIStories #ForgottenHeroesWW2 #WomenWarriorsHistory #SovietMilitaryWomen #AerialWarfareWW2 #NightBombingTactics #FemaleFighterPilots #MilitaryHistory #UntoldWW2Stories #HeroesOfSovietUnion #WomensMilitaryService #AviationHistory #WW2EasternFront #WomenBreakingBarriers #FemaleVeteransWW2 #WarHeroines #HistoryMatters

John is joined by Adam Pritzker and Daniel Squadron, co-founders of a pair of increasingly influential Democratic groups trying to cure what ails their party by looking WAY beyond Washington, D.C.—to the nation's state legislatures. Pritzker and Squadron explain the genesis of the States Project, which they formed eight years ago and is already the largest Democratic donor to state legislative races (to the tune of $130 million in 2022 and 2024), and the just-launched States Forum, which is focused on germinating, cross-pollinating, and exporting state-level Democratic policy innovations to the national level; the degree to which the party's brand is a drag on down ballot candidates; and why the party would do well to look to its deep bench of governors for its presidential nominee in 2028. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices