Podcasts about staff gen

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Best podcasts about staff gen

Latest podcast episodes about staff gen

The Devil Doc Talk Show
Episode 19: Make A Positive Impact with Hunter Jones

The Devil Doc Talk Show

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 94:38


Joey “Devil Doc Talk” Martinez sits down with Lt Col (Ret.) Hunter K. Jones — U.S. Naval Academy graduate, former Air Force OSI federal agent, and Founder & CEO of Jones & Associates.Hunter's path runs from Navy football to some of OSI's hardest missions: felony crime, narcotics, executive protection, counterintelligence, counterespionage, and counterterrorism. He deployed twice as a Special Agent in Charge during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, served as Global Security Director and Personal Security Advisor to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper, commanded a 24-agent unit at Hill AFB, and later led plans, programs, and policy at U.S. Central Command.After the uniform he carried that standard into Booz Allen Hamilton, Boeing, Penn Medicine's cybersecurity SOC, and national-security business development. He still coaches high school football to teach life lessons and grow future leaders. He and his wife Tara are raising two sons in the same Berwyn, PA neighborhood where he grew up.Together they talk command under pressure, life after the badge, and why Service To Others Above Self still matters when the mission changes.Watch. Like. Share it with someone who served.The Devil Doc Talk Show — hosted by Joey “Devil Doc Talk” Martinez (U.S. Navy Corpsman combat veteran). Entertain & Empower. Produced by ADAX Entertainment (veteran-owned).ALL LINKS: https://linktr.ee/thedevildoctalkshow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedevildoctalkshow Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-devil-doc-talk-show/id810683741 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5RbFbsF6rUd7zX5J2UDf03 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devildoctalk/ X: https://x.com/DevilDocTalk Email: thedevildoctalkshow@gmail.comLIKE if this hit home. COMMENT: What did your next mission look like after service? SUBSCRIBE for more conversations that entertain and empower.#DevilDocTalkShow #HunterJones #OSI #AirForce #NavalAcademy #VeteranPodcast #Leadership #VeteranTransition #ServiceToOthers #ADAXEntertainment© 2026 The Devil Doc Talk Show / ADAX Entertainment. “Service To Others Above Self”

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Aug 24, 2026] Look Ahead w/ Byron Callan

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2026 34:23


On today's Look Ahead program, sponsored by HII, Byron Callan of the independent Washington research firm Capital Alpha Partners joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss factors that might change the outlook for US defense including the budget outlook; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's bond yield gambit; the Iran and Ukraine wars; breakdown of trade talks between Canada and the United States, and whether other nations will decide against what they deem to be bad deals; what a reduced Lyntris offering means for private equity; the US Army's decision to award a contract to Hanwha for its K9 self-propelled howitzer; acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Chris LaNeve's new strategy that included disbanding the drone unit and replacing it with an airborne infantry unit; and a look at the week ahead and in Washington and beyond.

Hangar Talk
Episode 260: GA pilot and USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach

Hangar Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2026 46:39


General aviation pilot and USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach talks about flying his Lancair, an F-22 Raptor, his duties overseeing more than 660,000 service personnel, and how to engage others in aviation. Plus, David and Alicia discuss new two-seat trainers, changes in FAA administration, digital clearance delivery, ForeFlight's new additions, and more. Join the world's largest aviation community at aopa.org/join

CNN Tonight
GOP Sen. Confronts Hegseth on Iran: “We Need Straight Answers"

CNN Tonight

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 47:35


The war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, according to US Defense Secretary Hegseth, but the bill is likely much higher, experts have told CNN. He and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine testified before Congress to seek additional funding for the war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Lead with Jake Tapper
Senate Grills Hegseth & Caine as U.S. Ramps Up Attacks on Iran

The Lead with Jake Tapper

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 49:56


A fiery hearing wraps up on Capitol Hill where lawmakers had tough questions for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine as they seek additional funding for the Iran war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Federal Newscast
Iran War operational costs climb over $37 billion

Federal Newscast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 6:09


The Iran War's operational costs have climbed to an estimated $37.5 billion as the conflict finishes its fifth month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators Tuesday. That figure is about $12 billion higher than the Pentagon comptroller gave lawmakers in April. The new estimate includes the cost of the war to date as well as expenses like meal pay that are anticipated through the end of the fiscal year, Hegseth said. Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine testified before Senate appropriators to push for an extra $67 billion they say would help pay for the war.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

EAA's The Green Dot - An Aviation Podcast
EAA's The Green Dot — U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach

EAA's The Green Dot - An Aviation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2026 34:31


This time on The Green Dot, hosts Hal and Sam are joined by U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach, EAA 1079683, to chat about his path in aviation and experiences as a fighter pilot, his priorities as the senior uniformed Air Force officer, and his passion for general aviation and excitement to […]

The Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Nation Podcast
Gen. John D. Lamontagne | Aerospace Nation

The Mitchell Institute’s Aerospace Nation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2026 55:43


Join us to learn more about current Air Force priorities with Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Lamontagne. As one of the service's top leaders, Gen. Lamontagne plays an instrumental role in organizing, training, and equipping Airmen across the force. His insights will be incredibly valuable give this year's historic defense investments and pressing global security requirements. This is a conversation you won't want to miss!

Green & Red: Podcasts for Scrappy Radicals
War Inside the Pentagon? The Military vs. Trump and Hegseth (G&R 487)

Green & Red: Podcasts for Scrappy Radicals

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2026 50:41


Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has initiated a major overhaul of the Pentagon leadership, firing over a dozen high-ranking military officials, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown Jr., and Adm. Lisa Franchetti. The moves, often executed without specific reasons, are part of a broader, controversial effort to remove officers deemed misaligned with the administration's priorities. Hegseth has also faced intense criticism for declaring that "no quarter" would be given to enemies in Iran, a statement interpreted as ordering troops to kill surrendering combatants, which is a war crime under international law.The actions have caused friction with leaders like Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and increasing skepticism of the administration's competency in waging wars.In our latest, we talk about the war inside the Pentagon between military leadership and Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.It's also the anniversary of the Vietnam Vets Against the War founding (April 15, 1967) and one of their most known mass actions, Dewey Canyon III (April 19-21, 1971) and discuss why military dissent is important.------------------------

Mark Simone
Hour 1: Savannah Guthrie is back!

Mark Simone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 38:03


Over the weekend, the U.S. military successfully rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran. Mark breaks down how the dramatic rescue operation unfolded. While the airman was hiding in the mountains of Iran, the IRGC offered a $60,000 reward for any Iranian who could locate the crew member. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, along with two other generals, in a significant shakeup at the Pentagon amid the ongoing war with Iran. Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY show anchor desk this morning for the first time since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on February 1. Mark takes your calls! Mark interviews NY Post columnist Michael Goodwin. The discussion turns to President Trump's recent social media posts directed at Iran, including a comment about Muslims, and whether the media holds Trump to the same standard it held President Biden. Michael argues that Trump's willingness to go after the press is a key reason why the double standard exists. Michael also weighs in on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he approaches his first 100 days in office, with the city's budget crisis front and center.

Mark Simone
FULL SHOW: The war is in jeopardy of escalation; Artemis 2.

Mark Simone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 75:53 Transcription Available


Over the weekend, the U.S. military successfully rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran. Mark breaks down how the dramatic rescue operation unfolded. While the airman was hiding in the mountains of Iran, the IRGC offered a $60,000 reward for any Iranian who could locate the crew member. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, along with two other generals, in a significant shakeup at the Pentagon amid the ongoing war with Iran. Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY show anchor desk this morning for the first time since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on February 1. Mark interviews NY Post columnist Michael Goodwin. The discussion turns to President Trump's recent social media posts directed at Iran, including a comment about Muslims, and whether the media holds Trump to the same standard it held President Biden. Michael argues that Trump's willingness to go after the press is a key reason why the double standard exists. Michael also weighs in on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he approaches his first 100 days in office, with the city's budget crisis front and center. President Trump is holding a press conference today on the state of the Iran war. A Tuesday deadline looms: Trump has threatened to strike Iranian energy plants and bridges if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is not reached. Iran has vowed to retaliate hard if the U.S. follows through on those strikes. SNL's Weekend Update sparked major backlash after host Michael Che made a joke widely interpreted as a reference to the assassination of President Trump, drawing outrage from across the political spectrum. Bruce Springsteen made headlines after delivering a sharply political speech at his Minneapolis concert, calling the Trump administration “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous.” Trump fired back on Truth Social, calling Springsteen a “total loser” and urging MAGA supporters to boycott his concerts. Meanwhile, NASA's Artemis II mission has been dealing with a recurring toilet malfunction aboard the Orion spacecraft, and a frozen vent line has prevented the crew from properly flushing urine overboard. However, the issue has been resolved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Simone
Hour 1: Savannah Guthrie is back!

Mark Simone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 38:33 Transcription Available


Over the weekend, the U.S. military successfully rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran. Mark breaks down how the dramatic rescue operation unfolded. While the airman was hiding in the mountains of Iran, the IRGC offered a $60,000 reward for any Iranian who could locate the crew member. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, along with two other generals, in a significant shakeup at the Pentagon amid the ongoing war with Iran. Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY show anchor desk this morning for the first time since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on February 1. Mark takes your calls! Mark interviews NY Post columnist Michael Goodwin. The discussion turns to President Trump's recent social media posts directed at Iran, including a comment about Muslims, and whether the media holds Trump to the same standard it held President Biden. Michael argues that Trump's willingness to go after the press is a key reason why the double standard exists. Michael also weighs in on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he approaches his first 100 days in office, with the city's budget crisis front and center.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Simone
Mark's 10am Monologue.

Mark Simone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 16:07 Transcription Available


Over the weekend, the U.S. military successfully rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran. Mark breaks down how the dramatic rescue operation unfolded. While the airman was hiding in the mountains of Iran, the IRGC offered a $60,000 reward for any Iranian who could locate the crew member. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, along with two other generals, in a significant shakeup at the Pentagon amid the ongoing war with Iran. Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY show anchor desk this morning for the first time since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on February 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Simone
FULL SHOW: The war is in jeopardy of escalation; Artemis 2.

Mark Simone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 74:55


Over the weekend, the U.S. military successfully rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran. Mark breaks down how the dramatic rescue operation unfolded. While the airman was hiding in the mountains of Iran, the IRGC offered a $60,000 reward for any Iranian who could locate the crew member. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, along with two other generals, in a significant shakeup at the Pentagon amid the ongoing war with Iran. Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY show anchor desk this morning for the first time since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on February 1. Mark interviews NY Post columnist Michael Goodwin. The discussion turns to President Trump's recent social media posts directed at Iran, including a comment about Muslims, and whether the media holds Trump to the same standard it held President Biden. Michael argues that Trump's willingness to go after the press is a key reason why the double standard exists. Michael also weighs in on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he approaches his first 100 days in office, with the city's budget crisis front and center. President Trump is holding a press conference today on the state of the Iran war. A Tuesday deadline looms: Trump has threatened to strike Iranian energy plants and bridges if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is not reached. Iran has vowed to retaliate hard if the U.S. follows through on those strikes. SNL's Weekend Update sparked major backlash after host Michael Che made a joke widely interpreted as a reference to the assassination of President Trump, drawing outrage from across the political spectrum. Bruce Springsteen made headlines after delivering a sharply political speech at his Minneapolis concert, calling the Trump administration “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous.” Trump fired back on Truth Social, calling Springsteen a “total loser” and urging MAGA supporters to boycott his concerts. Meanwhile, NASA's Artemis II mission has been dealing with a recurring toilet malfunction aboard the Orion spacecraft, and a frozen vent line has prevented the crew from properly flushing urine overboard. However, the issue has been resolved.

Mark Simone
Mark's 10am Monologue.

Mark Simone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 16:07


Over the weekend, the U.S. military successfully rescued both crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran. Mark breaks down how the dramatic rescue operation unfolded. While the airman was hiding in the mountains of Iran, the IRGC offered a $60,000 reward for any Iranian who could locate the crew member. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, along with two other generals, in a significant shakeup at the Pentagon amid the ongoing war with Iran. Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY show anchor desk this morning for the first time since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, went missing from her Arizona home on February 1.

The MeidasTouch Podcast
MeidasTouch Full Podcast - 4/3/26

The MeidasTouch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 89:25


In this episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast, we break down a cascading series of crises rocking the Trump administration—from the sudden firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi after her disastrous tenure and Epstein files cover-up, to Republicans scrambling to block her testimony as the fallout intensifies. We also cover the stunning move by Pete Hegseth to force Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George into immediate retirement, raising serious questions about instability at the highest levels of military leadership. We dive into Trump's chaotic national address that rattled markets and sent oil prices surging, exposing a White House with no clear strategy in the escalating Iran conflict—punctuated by Trump ordering a strike on an Iranian bridge and Iran responding with fierce threats and blistering public rebukes. Finally, we unpack a brutal day for Trump at the Supreme Court during oral arguments over birthright citizenship, where his administration's legal position appeared to crumble under scrutiny. Ben, Brett, and Jordy break it all down. Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Deals from our sponsors!  Smalls: Head to https://Smalls.com/meidas and use promo code MEIDAS at checkout for 60% off your first order PLUS free shipping! Quince: Go to https://Quince.com/meidas for free shipping and 365-day returns Mosh: Head to https://MoshLife.com/MEIDASTOUCH for this EXCLUSIVE OFFER Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/2ukx7bii #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Daily Beans
Bye Bye Bondi (feat. John Fugelsang)

The Daily Beans

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 46:11


Friday, April 3rd, 2026 Today, Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi with eyes on Lee Zeldin as her replacement; the Senate sends their partial government funding package back to the House to give them a second chance to pass it; veterans are losing their homes after Trump killed a VA home loan program; DOJ Office of Legal Counsel has written a memo saying presidents don't have to turn their records over to the government; Trump's address to the nation tanked stocks and sent oil prices higher by failing to give any clear answers about his war in Iran; Austria becomes the latest country to refuse US access to airspace; Hegseth has fired the Biden appointed Army Chief of Staff two years before his term was set to end; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. The Daily beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Harry Dunn is running for CongressHarry Dunn for Maryland Guest: John FugelsangTell Me Everything|John Fugelsang, The John Fugelsang Podcast, John Fugelsang|Substack, @johnfugelsang|Bluesky, @JohnFugelsang|TwitterSeparation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang The Latest Breakdown:J6 Lawsuits Against Trump Move Forward! StoriesTrump fires Pam Bondi, a loyalist and ally, as attorney general | The Guardian Wall Street ends mixed as worries linger before Good Friday break | Reuters Trump's VA killed a home loan program. Vets are now losing their homes because of it | NPR Hegseth ousts Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George | CBS News House Republicans kvetch anew about DHS funding plan | POLITICOGood Trouble There is a general strike being planned for May 1st. Start preparing for that. Do what you can to make sure you do not have to shop, work, or go to school that day.  Corporations need to feel the negative impact, not you. →2026 Primary Election Calendar: All the Dates Ahead of Midterms →Public Comment Period Open: White House Ballroom Proposal →Standwithminnesota.com →Tell Congress Ice out Now | Indivisible →Defund ICE | 5Calls →Congress: Divest From ICE and CBP | ACLU →ICE List  →iceout.org →2026 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From! | Erin in the Morning Good NewsLovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books   →Share your Good News & Good Trouble - The Daily Beans →Beans Talk audio -beans-talk.simplecast.com Subscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - MSW Media - YouTube Our Donation Links The Daily beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Pathways to Citizenship link to MATCH Allison's Donationhttps://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_86ff5236-dd26-11ec-b5ee-066e3d38bc77&WidgetId=6388736 Join Dana and The Daily Beans with a MATCHED Donation http://onecau.se/_ekes71 More Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate

O'Connor & Company
Pam Bondi Out as AG, Army Chief Retires, Gun Ban on Bases Lifted

O'Connor & Company

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 34:45


In the 5 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Alex Swoyer discussed: Pam Bondi Out as AG: Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving her position, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, amid reports that he was frustrated with her handling of some of his key priorities. Army Chief Retires: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement, sources familiar with the decision told CBS News. Gun Ban on Bases Lifted: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that he was lifting a ban on service members’ ability to carry personal firearms on U.S. military bases. Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Friday, April 3, 2026 / 5 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Williams
Connell McShane: Could the war in Iran be a strategic loss for the US?

John Williams

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026


Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the latest on a US fighter jet reportedly being shot down in Iran, his thoughts on President Trump’s speech on the length of the war in Iran, and Pete Hegseth firing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [Apr 03, '26 Washington Roundtable]

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 65:16


On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, and former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian discuss President Trump's stance that the US-Israel war on Iran would continue another two to three weeks irrespective of a peace deal with Iran and will leave it other nations to restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz; statements by the president and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that America would reconsider its membership in NATO after alliance members declined to participate in a Hormuz mission until after the shooting stops; views of Trump's Wednesday address from Europe and the Indo-Pacific that sent energy prices soaring and markets falling; Britain convenes 40 nations to discuss “joint action” to reopen the strait that included Canada, France, Germany, India, and the United Arab Emirates; Trump sacked Pam Bondi as attorney general as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George; lawmakers grapple to fund the Department of Homeland Security and map Reconciliation 2.0 as they also await the administration's $1.5 trillion 2027 budget and Iran war supplemental requests; European allies continue to call on Washington to support Ukraine as the key to stability in the Indo-Pacific as Washington works to reset relations with Moscow; and Japanese combat troops will return to the Philippines for the first time since World War II as part of the annual Balitakan exercise involving the so-called “Squad” nations — Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States.

WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast
Connell McShane: Could the war in Iran be a strategic loss for the US?

WGN - The John Williams Full Show Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026


Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the latest on a US fighter jet reportedly being shot down in Iran, his thoughts on President Trump’s speech on the length of the war in Iran, and Pete Hegseth firing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.

WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast
Connell McShane: Could the war in Iran be a strategic loss for the US?

WGN - The John Williams Uncut Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026


Connell McShane, anchor of ‘NewsNation Live with Connell McShane,’ joins John Williams to talk about the latest on a US fighter jet reportedly being shot down in Iran, his thoughts on President Trump’s speech on the length of the war in Iran, and Pete Hegseth firing Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.

The Charlie James Show Podcast
Pete Hegseth asked Gen Randy George, the army chief of staff to step down

The Charlie James Show Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 7:40


In an extraordinary move, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and retire immediately, effective April 2, 2026. While the Pentagon officially stated the change was simply for a "leadership change," sources indicate that Hegseth is seeking a successor more aligned with his and President Trump's specific vision for the military. This ouster is particularly significant as it occurs during a period of heightened military conflict in the Middle East. Gen. Christopher LaNeve has been named to serve as the acting Army chief in the interim.

I - On Defense Podcast
More A-10 Warplanes Head to Middle East + US Destroys Key Iranian Highway Bridge + UK Hosts Coalition Meeting to Open Strait of Hormuz + Report: US FY27 Defense Budget Breaks $1 Trillion

I - On Defense Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 38:51


For review:1. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement, sources familiar with the decision told CBS News. 2. The U.S. military is poised to double its A-10 presence in the Middle East, as the  close air support plane plays a key role in combating Iranian boats and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran.3. US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Israel and the United States were close to completing their key objectives in the war against the Iranian regime and that the conflict would soon be over, without providing an exact timeline.4. A US military option to seize some 450 kilograms of highly enriched uranium would reportedly require flying in excavation equipment and building a runway for cargo planes to fly off with the radioactive material.US President Donald Trump was presented with the plan by his military over the past week, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.5.  Israel came under attack from Iran, Yemen's Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah on Thursday, as Tehran and its proxies increased their assaults amid the Passover holiday.6. An overnight Israeli Navy strike in Beirut killed the commander of Hezbollah's Southern Front.The strike in the Lebanese capital killed Hajj Yusuf Ismail Hashem, who took over the Southern Front from Ali Karaki in September 2024, after the latter was killed alongside Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli strike.7. A senior Houthi official warned that the Iran-backed terror group in Yemen could move to shutter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if any Gulf countries join the US and Israeli strikes against Iran.The strait, a key shipping chokepoint and narrow passageway that controls sea traffic toward the Suez Canal, is located at the southern mouth of the Red Sea, between Houthi-controlled Yemen and Djibouti.8. About 40 countries discussed joint action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran holding “the global economy hostage,” Britain said Thursday, after US President Donald Trump said securing the waterway was for others to resolve.British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Iran's “recklessness” in blockading the Persian Gulf waterway was “hitting our global economic security” as she chaired the virtual meeting, which included France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and India, but not the US.9. The Trump administration plans to propose a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027, broken into a $1.15 trillion base budget request and an additional $350 billion from a forthcoming reconciliation bill, according to a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget.It will mark the first time the base budget defense spending has hit the $1 trillion mark.

Third Opinion Podcast
Power and Persistence: Why Iran Isn't Backing Down

Third Opinion Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2026 58:01


Show recorded March 24, 2026: The hosts examine the successes and setbacks of U.S. involvement in Iran. TBN Israel's Yair Pinto and Mati Soshani analyze the administration's on-again, off-again approach, alongside a briefing clip from Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine detailing efforts to identify and target Iranian military assets across land, sea and air. The episode also features EWTN's Catherine Hadro in conversation with former Iranian prisoner and NYU professor Kian Tajhakhsh, who cautions that Iran's ruling regime is unlikely to relinquish power anytime soon. Thank you for listening, sharing, and subscribing to The Third Opinion Podcast.

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
General Jim Mattis and Ryan Holiday on the war in Iran and Stoicism in the military

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2026 36:46


Former Four Star Marine General Jim Mattis and best selling author and popular podcaster Ryan Holiday join Margaret Hoover to talk about the war in Iran, the Trump administration's “murky” endgame, and the role of Stoic philosophy in military leadership.This interview was recorded as part of the Hoover Institution's “Ideas That Made U.S.” series at Stanford University.Mattis– who led the Pentagon for two years in President Trump's first term–discusses what he learned about Iran in his four decades of military service and why he doubts the regime will collapse due to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.Holiday, a communications expert and host of the Daily Stoic podcast, comments on the administration's efforts to build public support for the war, and he recalls his own 2021 interview with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine–who shares Mattis' interest in Stoicism.Mattis explains why he believes America's alliances are vital, questions the Trump administration's easing of sanctions on Russia, and discusses what an eventual end to the war could look like.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Pritzker Military Foundation, Cliff and Laurel Asness, Katharine J. Rayner, Charles R. Schwab, Lindsay and George Billingsley, The Meadowlark Foundation, Jared Stone, and Al and Kathy Hubbard.

I - On Defense Podcast
President Trump on Iran Strikes: The Big One is Coming Soon + IDF: 600 Iranian Targets Destroyed + IDF Marks Hezbollah Chief "Target for Elimination" + France Ready to Defend Jordan & Gulf Nations Against Iran Attacks

I - On Defense Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2026 40:38


Operation Epic Fury & Roaring Lion update for review:1. US CJCS: “Our military objectives are clear,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters. “Our mission is to protect and defend ourselves, and together with our regional partners, prevent Iran from the ability to project power outside of its borders and be ready for follow on actions as appropriate.”2. Three US F-15 fighter jets crashed over Kuwait on Monday after they were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a so-called friendly fire incident, the American military confirmed.3. On Monday, President Trump laid out more specific goals for the operation — targeting Iran's ballistic missiles, nuclear program, navy, and support for proxy groups — and said that the largest wave of strikes was still to come. He declined to rule out using ground troops and said that the campaign could last about four weeks.“We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn't even happened. The big one is coming soon,” President Trump told CNN.4. Israel said Monday that the head of Hezbollah's intelligence arm was killed in an overnight strike and Beirut said it would ban the terror group's military activities, hours after the Iran-backed organization fired rockets and drones at Israel, leading to major retaliatory strikes overnight and throughout Monday.5. Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco shut its Ras Tanura refinery after a drone strike caused a blaze, an industry source said on Monday, after Tehran launched strikes across the region in response to the US-Israeli attack on Iran.A source familiar with the incident told AFP the blaze had already been extinguished.6. An attack using at least two drones on the US embassy in Riyadh sparked a small fire, a Saudi defense ministry spokesman says in a statement, as Iran presses on with its campaign of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.“The US Embassy in Riyadh was attacked by two drones, according to initial assessments. 7. Britain's Royal Air Force base  in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike overnight, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot authorities and the UK's Ministry of Defense said early Monday.8. France is “ready” to defend Gulf countries and Jordan against Iran if necessary, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Monday.His remarks came as key European ally Germany also spoke of readiness to defend its interests against Iranian assaults.

THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST
Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership

THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2026 53:48


Purpose, trust and laughter matter.  SUMMARY Dr. Heather Wilson '82, former secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and Gen. Dave Goldfein '83, former chief of staff of the Air Force, highlight the human side of leadership — honoring family, listening actively and using humility and humor to build strong teams. Their book, Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, challenges leaders to serve first and lead with character.   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE Leadership Is a Gift and a Burden – Leaders are entrusted with the well-being and development of others, but that privilege entails tough, sometimes lonely, responsibilities. Servant Leadership – True leadership is about enabling and supporting those you lead, not seeking personal advancement or recognition. Influence and Teamwork – Lasting change comes from pairing authority with influence and working collaboratively; no leader succeeds alone. Embrace Failure and Own Mistakes – Effective leaders accept institutional and personal failures and use them as learning and teaching moments. Family Matters – Great leaders recognize the significance of family (their own and their team's) and demonstrate respect and flexibility for personal commitments. Be Data-Driven and Strategic – Borrow frameworks that suit the mission, be clear about goals, and regularly follow up to ensure progress. Listening Is Active – Truly listening, then responding openly and honestly—even when you can't “fix” everything—builds trust and respect. Humility and Curiosity – Never stop learning or questioning; continual self-improvement is a hallmark of strong leaders. Celebrate and Share Credit – Spread praise to those working behind the scenes; leadership is not about personal glory, but lifting others. Resilience and Leading by Example – “Getting back up” after setbacks inspires teams; how a leader recovers can motivate others to do the same.   CHAPTERS 0:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 0:00:21 - Guest Backgrounds and Family Legacies 0:02:57 - Inspiration for Writing the Book 0:05:00 - Defining Servant Leadership 0:07:46 - Role Models and Personal Examples   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 Guests: Dr. Heather Wilson '82, former Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. (Ret.) Dave Goldfein '83  Naviere Walkewicz 0:09 Welcome to Focus on Leadership, our accelerated leadership series. I'm your host, Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. I'm honored to welcome two exceptional leaders whose careers and friendship have helped shape the modern Air Force, while inspiring thousands to serve with purpose and courage. Our guests today are Dr. Heather Wilson, USAFA Class of '82, the 24th secretary of the Air Force, now president at the University of Texas El Paso. And Gen. Dave Goldfein, Class of '83, the 21st chief of staff of the Air Force. Both are United States Air Force Academy distinguished graduates. Together, they've written Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, a powerful reflection on resilience, humility and the courage to lead to adversity. And our conversation today will dive deeply into the lessons they learned at the highest levels of command and in public service, and what it means to serve others first. Thank you for being here. Gen. Dave Goldfein 1:08 Thank you for having us. Naviere Walkewicz 1:09 Absolutely. This is truly an honor. And I mentioned that I read this incredible book, and I'm so excited for us to jump into it, but before we do, I think it's really important for people to know you more than the secretary and the chief. I mean chief, so Gen. Goldfein, you came from an Air Force family. Your dad was a colonel, and ma'am, your grandpa was a civil aviator, but you really didn't have any other military ties. Dr. Heather Wilson 1:29 Well, my grandfather was one of the first pilots in the RAF in World War I, then came to America, and in World War II, flew for his new country in the Civil Air Patrol. My dad enlisted by that a high school and was a crew chief between the end of the Second World War and the start of Korea, and then he went back home and became a commercial aviator and a mechanic. Naviere Walkewicz 1:52 I love that. So your lines run deep. So maybe you can share more and let our listeners get to know you more personally. What would you like to share in this introduction of Gen. Goldfein and Dr. Wilson? Gen. Dave Goldfein 2:02 Well, I'll just tell you that if you know much about Air Force culture you know we all get call signs, right. Nicknames, right? I got a new one the day I retired, and you get to use it. It's JD, which stands for “Just Dave.” Naviere Walkewicz 2:17 Just Dave! Yes, sir. JD. I will do my best for that to roll off my tongue. Yes, sir. Gen. Dave Goldfein 2:25 And I will just say congratulations to you for your two sons who are currently at the Academy. How cool is that? Naviere Walkewicz 2:31 Thank you. We come from a Long Blue Line family. My dad was a grad, my uncle, my brother and sister, my two boys. So if I get my third son, he'll be class of 2037, so, we'll see. We've got some time. Gen. Dave Goldfein 2:41 We have grandchildren. Matter of fact, our book is dedicated to grandchildren and they don't know it yet, but at least on my side, they're Class of 2040 and 2043 at the Air Force Academy. Naviere Walkewicz 2:52 OK, so my youngest will be cadre for them. Excellent. Excellent. Dr. Heather Wilson 2:57 And my oldest granddaughter is 4, so I think we'll wait a little bit and see what she wants to do. Naviere Walkewicz 3:04 Yes, ma'am. All right. Well, let's jump in. You just mentioned that you wrote the book primarily for your film book. Is that correct? Gen. Dave Goldfein 3:09 Yes. Naviere Walkewicz 3:10 How did you decide to do this now together? Because you both have incredible stories. Dr. Heather Wilson 3:14 Well, two years ago, we were actually up in Montana with Barbara and Craig Barrett, who —  Barbara succeeded me as secretary of the Air Force. And our families, all six of us are quite close, and we were up there, and Dave was telling stories, and I said, “You know, you need to write some of these down.” And we talked about it a little bit, and he had tried to work with another co-author at one time and it just didn't work out really well. And I said, “Well, what if we do it together, and we focus it on young airmen, on lessons learned in leadership. And the other truth is, we were so tired of reading leadership books by Navy SEALs, you know, and so can we do something together? It turned out to be actually more work than I thought it would be for either of us, but it was also more fun.   Naviere Walkewicz 3:59 How long did it take you from start to finish? Dr. Heather Wilson 4:02 Two years. Naviere Walkewicz 4:03 Two years? Excellent. And are you — where it's landed? Are you just so proud? Is it what you envisioned when you started? Gen. Dave Goldfein 4:10 You know, I am, but I will also say that it's just come out, so the initial response has been fantastic, but I'm really eager to see what the longer term response looks like, right? Did it resonate with our intended tenant audience? Right? Did the young captains that we had a chance to spend time with at SOS at Maxwell last week, right? They lined up forever to get a copy. But the real question is, did the stories resonate? Right? Do they actually give them some tools that they can use in their tool bag? Same thing with the cadets that we were privileged to spend time with the day. You know, they energized us. I mean, because we're looking at the we're looking at the future of the leadership of this country. And if, if these lessons in servant leadership can fill their tool bag a little bit, then we'll have hit the mark. Naviere Walkewicz 5:07 Yes, sir, yes. Ma'am. Well, let's jump right in then. And you talked about servant leadership. How would you describe it? Each of you, in your own words, Dr. Heather Wilson 5:15 To me, one of the things, important things about servant leadership is it's from the bottom. As a leader, your job is to enable the people who are doing the work. So in some ways, you know, people think that the pyramid goes like this, that it's the pyramid with the point at the top, and in servant leadership, it really is the other way around. And as a leader, one of the most important questions I ask my direct reports — I have for years — is: What do you need from me that you're not getting? And I can't print money in the basement, but what do you need from me that you're not getting? How, as a leader, can I better enable you to accomplish your piece of the mission. And I think a good servant leader is constantly thinking about, how do I — what can I do to make it easier for the people who are doing the job to get the mission done? Gen. Dave Goldfein 6:08 And I'd offer that the journey to becoming an inspirational servant leader is the journey of a lifetime. I'm not sure that any of us actually ever arrive. I'm not the leader that I want to be, but I'm working on it. And I think if we ever get to a point where we feel like we got it all figured out right, that we know exactly what this whole leadership gig is, that may be a good time to think about retiring, because what that translates to is perhaps at that point, we're not listening, we're not learning, we're not growing, we're not curious — all the things that are so important. The first chapter in the book is titled, Am I worthy? And it's a mirror-check question that we both came to both individually and together as secretary and chief. It's a mere check that you look at and say, “All right, on this lifelong journey to become an inspirational servant leader, am I worthy of the trust and confidence of the parents who have shared their sons and daughters with the United States Air Force and expecting us to lead with character and courage and confidence? Am I worthy of the gift that followers give to leaders? Am I earning that gift and re-earning it every single day by how I act, how I treat others?” You know, that's the essence of servant leadership that we try to bring forward in the book. Naviere Walkewicz 7:38 Right? Can you recall when you first saw someone exhibiting servant leadership in your life? Dr. Heather Wilson 7:46 Good question. It's a question of role models. Maj. William S. Reeder was my first air officer commanding here. And while I think I can probably think of some leaders in my community, you know, people who were school principals or those kind of things, I think Maj. Reeder terrified me because they didn't want to disappoint him. And he had — he was an Army officer who had been shot down as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He still had some lingering issues. Now, I think he had broken his leg or his back or something, and so you could tell that he still carried with him the impact of that, but he had very high expectations of us and we didn't want to disappoint him. And I think he was a pretty good role model. Gen. Dave Goldfein 8:47 You know, one of the things we say at the very end of the book is that we both married up. We both married incredible leaders, servant leaders in their own right. So in my case, I married my high school sweetheart, and we've now been together almost 43 years, coming up on 43. And when you talk about servant leadership, you know, very often we don't give military spouses enough credit for the enormous courage that they have when they deal with the separations, the long hours, very often not talked about enough, the loneliness that comes with being married to someone who's in the military. And so I just give a shout out to every military spouse that's out there and family to thank them for that very special kind of courage that equates to servant leadership on their part. Naviere Walkewicz 9:47 Excellent. Those are both really great examples, and I think, as our listeners are engaging with this, they're going to start to think about those people in their lives as well, through your descriptions. Early in the book, you make this statement: “Leadership is a gift and a burden.” Might you both expand on that?   Dr. Heather Wilson 10:03 So it's a gift in that it's a gift that's given to you by those whom you are privileged to lead, and it's not just an institution that, you know, it's not just the regents of the University of Texas who have said, “Yes, you're going to be the president of the University of Texas at El Paso.” It is those who follow me who have given me gift of their loyalty and their service and their time. It's a burden, because some days are hard days, and you have to make hard calls based on values to advance the mission and, as chief and service secretary, there are no easy decisions that come walking into that part of the Pentagon. The easy decisions are all made before it gets to the service secretary and chief and so. So there is that responsibility of trying to do well difficult things. And I think sometimes those are lonely decisions. Gen. Dave Goldfein 11:09 And I think as a leader of any organization, part of what can be the burden is if you care deeply about the institution, then you carry the burden of any failures of that institution, both individuals who fall short, or the institution itself. And we face some of those, and we talk about that in the book. One of our chapters is on Sutherland Springs and owning failure. There was no dodge in that. And there was, quite frankly, there was an opportunity for us to actually showcase and teach others how to take ownership when the institution falls short and fails, right? And you know, one of the interesting elements of the relationship between a secretary and a chief is that if you go back and look at the law and read the job description of the chief of staff of the Air Force, it basically says, “Run the air staff and do what the secretary tells you.” I'm not making that up. Because most of the decision authority of the institution resides in the civilian control, the military civilian secretary. So almost all authority and decision authority resides with the secretary. What the chief position brings is 30 years in the institution that very often can bring credibility and influence. And what we determined early in our tenure was that if we were going to move the ball, if we were going to actually move the service in a positive direction, neither of us could do it alone. We had to do it together. We had to use this combination of authority and influence to be able to move the institution forward. And so that was a — and we talked a lot about that, you know, in the book, and it sort of runs throughout our stories. You know, that that trust matters. Naviere Walkewicz 12:59 Absolutely. We're going to visit that towards the end of our conversation, because there's a particular time before you both — before you became the chief and before you became the service secretary, when you met up together. And I want to visit that a little bit. But before we do, Gen. Goldfein — JD — you shared a story in the book, and obviously we want everyone to read it, so I'm not going to go tell the whole story, but you know where you took off one more time than you landed, and you had to, you know, you were hit, you had to evade and then you had to be rescued. There was a particular statement you made to identify yourself. And many of our Long Blue Line members will know this: fast, neat, average, friendly, good, good. In that moment of watching the sun start to rise while you're waiting to be retrieved, how did that come to your mind? Of all the things you could be thinking of to identify yourself? Gen. Dave Goldfein 13:53 Well, you know, it's interesting. So, you know, for those who've never, you know, had gone through a high-speed ejection, people asked me, what was like? I said, “Well, I used to be 6-foot-3. This is all that's left, right?” And you know, my job once I was on the ground was, quite frankly, not to goof it up. To let the rescue team do what the rescue team needed to do, and to play my part, which was to put them at the least amount of risk and be able to get out before the sun came up. And at the very end of the rescue when the helicopters — where I was actually vectoring them towards my location. And I had a compass in my hand, and I had my eyes closed, and I was just listening to the chopper noise and then vectoring them based on noise. And then eventually we got them to come and land, you know, right in front of me. Well, they always teach you, and they taught me here at the Academy during SERE training, which I think has been retitled, but it was SERE when we went through it, survival training. Now, I believe they teach you, “Hey, listen, you need to be nonthreatening, because the rescue team needs to know that you're not — this is not an ambush, that you are actually who you say you are. Don't hold up a weapon, be submissive and authenticate yourself. Well, to authenticate myself required me to actually try my flashlight. And I could see the enemy just over the horizon. And as soon as the helicopter landed, the enemy knew exactly where we were, and they came and running, and they came shooting, and they were raking the tree line with bullets. And so, you know, what I needed to do was to figure out a way to do an authentication. And I just, what came to mind was that training all those years ago, right here at the Academy, and I just said, “I could use a fast, neat, average rescue,” and friendly, good, good was on the way. Naviere Walkewicz 15:53 Wow, I just got chill bumps. Dr. Wilson, have you ever had to use that same kind of term, or, you know, reaching out to a grad in your time frequently? Dr. Heather Wilson 16:04 Yes, ma'am. And, you know, even in the last week, funny — I had an issue that I had to, I won't go into the details, but where there was an issue that might affect the reputation, not only of the university, but of one of our major industry partners, and it wasn't caused by either of us, but there was kind of a, kind of a middle person that was known to us that may not have been entirely acting with integrity. And I just looked up the company. The CEO is an Academy grad. So I picked up the phone and I called the office and we had a conversation. And I said, “Hey, I'd like to have a conversation with you, grad to grad.” And I said, “There are some issues here that I don't need to go into the details, but where I think you and I need to be a little careful about our reputations and what matters is my relationship as the university with you and your company and what your company needs in terms of talent. But wanted to let you know something that happened and what we're doing about it, but I wanted to make sure that you and I are clear.” And it was foundation of values that we act with integrity and we don't tolerate people who won't. Naviere Walkewicz 17:30 Yes, ma'am, I love that. The Long Blue Line runs deep that way, and that's a great example. JD, you spoke about, in the book, after the rescue — by the way, the picture in there of that entire crew was amazing. I love that picture. But you talked about getting back up in the air as soon as possible, without any pomp and circumstance. “Just get me back in the air and into the action.” I'd like to visit two things. One, you debriefed with the — on the check ride, the debrief on the check ride and why that was important. And then also you spoke about the dilemma of being dad and squad comm. Can you talk about that as well? Gen. Dave Goldfein 18:06 Yeah, the check ride. So when I was in Desert Storm, an incredible squadron commander named Billy Diehl, and one of the things that he told us after he led all the missions in the first 30 days or so, he said, “Look, there will be a lot of medals, you know, from this war.” He goes, “But I'm going to do something for you that happened for me in Vietnam. I'm going to fly on your wing, and I'm going to give you a check ride, and you're going to have a documented check ride of a combat mission that you led in your flying record. I'm doing that for you.” OK, so fast forward 10 years, now I'm the squadron commander, and I basically followed his lead. Said, “Hey, I want…” So that night, when I was shot down, I was actually flying on the wing of one of my captains, “Jammer” Kavlick, giving him a check ride. And so, of course, the rescue turns out — I'm sitting here, so it turned out great. And so I called Jammer into a room, and I said, “Hey, man, we never did the check ride.” I said, “You know, you flew a formation right over the top of a surface enemy missile that took out your wingman. That's not a great start.” And he just sort of… “Yes, sir, I know.” I said, “And then you led an all-night rescue that returned him to his family. That's pretty good recovery.” And so it's been a joke between us ever since. But in his personal — his flying record, he has a form that says, “I'm exceptionally, exceptionally qualified.” So I got back and I thought about this when I was on the ground collecting rocks for my daughters, you know, as souvenirs from Serbia. I got back, and I looked at my wing commander, and I said, “Hey, sir, I know you probably had a chance to think about this, but I'm not your young captain that just got shot down. I'm the squadron commander, and I've got to get my squadron back on the horse, and the only way to do that is for me to get back in the air. So if it's OK with you, I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna get crew rest and I'm going to fly tonight.” And he looked at me, and he looked at my wife, Dawn, who was there, and he goes, “If it's OK with her, it's OK with me.” Great. Dawn, just a champion, she said, “I understand it. That's what you got to do.” Because we were flying combat missions with our families at home, which is, was not in the squadron commander handbook, right? Pretty unique. What I found, though, was that my oldest daughter was struggling a little bit with it, and so now you've got this, you know, OK, I owe it to my squad to get right back up in the air and lead that night. And I owe it to my daughter to make sure that she's OK. And so I chose to take one night, make sure that she and my youngest daughter, Diana, were both, you know, in a good place, that they knew that everything's going to be OK. And then I got back up the next night. And in some ways, I didn't talk about it with anybody in the media for a year, because my dad was a Vietnam vet, I'd met so many of his friends, and I'd met so many folks who had actually gotten shot down one and two and three times over Vietnam, in Laos, right? You know what they did after they got rescued? They got back up. They just went back up in the air, right? No fanfare, no book tours, no, you know, nothing, right? It was just get back to work. So for me, it was a way of very quietly honoring the Vietnam generation, to basically do what they did and get back in the air quietly. And so that was what it was all about. Naviere Walkewicz 21:25 Dr. Wilson, how about for you? Because I know — I remember reading in the book you had a — there was something you said where, if your children called, no matter what they could always get through. So how have you balanced family? Dr. Heather Wilson 21:36 Work and life. And so, when I was elected to the Congress, my son was 4 years old. My daughter was 18 months. First of all, I married well, just like Dave. But I also think my obligations to my family don't end at the front porch, and I want to make a better world for them. But I also knew that I was a better member of Congress because I had a family, and that in some ways, each gave richness and dimension to the other. We figured out how to make it work as a family. I mean, both my children have been to a White House Christmas ball and the State of the Union, but we always had a rule that you can call no matter what. And I remember there were some times that it confounded people and, like, there was one time when President Bush — W. Bush, 43 — was coming to New Mexico for the first time, and he was going to do some events in Albuquerque. And they called and they said, “Well, if the congresswoman wants to fly in with him from Texas, you know, she can get off the airplane in her district with the president. And the answer was, “That's the first day of school, and I always take my kids to school the first day, so I'll just meet him here.” And the staff was stunned by that, like, she turns down a ride on Air Force One to arrive in her district with the president of the United States to take her kids to school. Yes, George Bush understood it completely. And likewise, when the vice president came, and it was, you know, that the one thing leading up to another tough election — I never had an easy election — and the one thing I said to my staff all the way through October, leading — “There's one night I need off, and that's Halloween, because we're going trick or treating.” And wouldn't you know the vice president is flying into New Mexico on Halloween for some event in New Mexico, and we told them, “I will meet them at the stairs when they arrive in Albuquerque. I'll have my family with them, but I won't be going to the event because we're going trick or treating.” And in my house, I have this great picture of the vice president of the United States and his wife and my kids in costume meeting. So most senior people understood that my family was important to me and everybody's family, you know — most people work to put food on the table, and if, as a leader, you recognize that and you give them grace when they need it, you will also have wonderful people who will work for you sometimes when the pay is better somewhere else because you respect that their families matter to them and making room for that love is important. Naviere Walkewicz 24:36 May I ask a follow on to that? Because I think that what you said was really important. You had a leader that understood. What about some of our listeners that maybe have leaders that don't value the same things or family in the way that is important. How do they navigate that? Dr. Heather Wilson 24:52 Sometimes you look towards the next assignment, or you find a place where your values are the same. And if we have leaders out there who are not being cognizant of the importance of family — I mean, we may recruit airmen but we retain families, and if we are not paying attention to that, then we will lose exceptional people. So that means that sometimes, you know, I give a lot of flexibility to people who are very high performers and work with me. And I also know that if I call them at 10 o'clock at night, they're going to answer the phone, and that's OK. I understand what it's like to — I remember, you know, I was in New Mexico, I was a member of Congress, somebody was calling about an issue in the budget, and my daughter, who was probably 4 at the time, had an ear infection, and it was just miserable. And so I'm trying to get soup into her, and this guy is calling me, and she's got — and it was one of the few times I said — and it was the chairman of a committee — I said, “Can I just call you back? I've got a kid with an ear infection…” And he had five kids. He said, “Oh, absolutely, you call me back.” So you just be honest with people about the importance of family. Why are we in the service? We're here to protect our families and everybody else's family. And that's OK.   Naviere Walkewicz 26:23 Yes, thank you for sharing that. Anything to add to that, JD? No? OK. Well, Dr. Wilson, I'd like to go into the book where you talk about your chapter on collecting tools, which is a wonderful chapter, and you talk about Malcolm Baldridge. I had to look him up — I'll be honest — to understand, as a businessman, his career and his legacy. But maybe share in particular why he has helped you. Or maybe you've leveraged his process in the way that you kind of think through and systematically approach things. Dr. Heather Wilson 26:49 Yeah, there was a movement in the, it would have been in the early '90s, on the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards. It came out of the Department of Commerce, but then it spread to many of the states and it was one of the better models I thought for how to run organizations strategically. And I learned about it when I was a small businessperson in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And I thought it was interesting. But the thing that I liked about it was it scaled. It was a little bit like broccoli, you know, it looks the same at the little flora as it does at the whole head, right? And so it kind of became a model for how I could use those tools about being data driven, strategically focused, process oriented that I could use in reforming a large and not very well functioning child welfare department when I became a cabinet secretary for children, youth and families, which was not on my how-to-run-my-career card. That was not in the plan, but again, it was a set of tools that I'd learned in one place that I brought with me and thought might work in another. Naviere Walkewicz 28:02 Excellent. And do you follow a similar approach, JD, in how you approach a big problem? Gen. Dave Goldfein 28:07 I think we're all lifelong students of different models and different frameworks that work. And there's not a one-size-fits-all for every organization. And the best leaders, I think, are able to tailor their approach based on what the mission — who the people are, what they're trying to accomplish. I had a chance to be a an aide de camp to a three-star, Mike Ryan, early in my career, and he went on to be chief of staff of the Air Force. And one of the frameworks that he taught me was he said, “If you really want to get anything done,” he said, “you've got to do three things.” He said, “First of all, you got to put a single person in charge.” He said, “Committees and groups solve very little. Someone's got to drive to work feeling like they've got the authority, the responsibility, the resources and everything they need to accomplish what it is that you want to accomplish. So get a single person in charge. Most important decision you will make as a leader, put the right person in charge. Second, that person owes you a plan in English. Not 15 PowerPoint slides, right, but something that clearly articulates in one to two pages, max, exactly what we're trying to accomplish. And the third is, you've got to have a way to follow up.” He said, “Because life gets in the way of any perfect plan. And what will happen is,” he goes, “I will tell you how many times,” he said, “that I would circle back with my team, you know, a couple months later and say, ‘How's it going?' And they would all look at each other and say, “Well, I thought you were in charge,” right? And then after that, once they figure out who was in charge, they said, “Well, we were working this plan, but we got, you know, we had to go left versus right, because we had this crisis, this alligator started circling the canoe, and therefore we had to, you know, take care of that,” right? He says, “As a leader, those are the three elements of any success. Put someone in charge. Build a plan that's understandable and readable, and always follow up. And I've used that as a framework, you know, throughout different organizations, even all the way as chief to find — to make sure that we had the right things. Dr. Heather Wilson 30:21 Even this morning, somebody came by who reminded us of a story that probably should have been in the book, where we had — it was a cyber vulnerability that was related to a particular piece of software widely deployed, and the CIO was having trouble getting the MAJCOMMS to kind of take it seriously. And they were saying, “Well, you know, we think maybe in 30, 60, 90 days, six months, we'll have it all done,” or whatever. So I said, “OK, let all the four-stars know. I want to be updated every 36 hours on how many of them, they still have, still have not updated.” I mean, this is a major cyber vulnerability that we knew was — could be exploited and wasn't some little thing. It was amazing; it got done faster. Naviere Walkewicz 31:11 No 90 days later. Oh, my goodness. Well, that was excellent and actually, I saw that in action in the story, in the book, after the attack on the Pentagon, and when you stood up and took charge, kind of the relief efforts, because many people were coming in that wanted to help, and they just needed someone to lead how that could happen. So you were putting into practice. Yes, sir. I'd like to get into where you talk about living your purpose, and that's a chapter in there. But you know, Gen. Goldfein, we have to get into this. You left the Academy as a cadet, and I think that's something that not many people are familiar with. You ride across the country on a bike with a guitar on your back for part of the time — and you sent it to Dawn after a little while — Mini-Bear in your shirt, to find your purpose. Was there a moment during the six months that you that hit you like lightning and you knew that this was your purpose, or was it a gradual meeting of those different Americans you kind of came across? Gen. Dave Goldfein 32:04 Definitely gradual. You know, it was something that just built up over time. I used to joke — we both knew Chairman John McCain and always had great respect for him. And I remember one time in his office, I said, “Chairman, I got to share with you that I lived in constant fear during every hearing that you were going to hold up a piece of paper on camera and say, ‘General, I got your transcript from the Air Force Academy. You got to be kidding me, right?' And he laughed, and he said, Trust me, if you looked at my transcript in Annapolis,” he goes, “I'm the last guy that would have ever asked that question.” But you know, the we made a mutual decision here, sometimes just things all come together. I'd written a paper on finding my purpose about the same time that there was a professor from Annapolis that was visiting and talking about a sabbatical program that Annapolis had started. And so they started talking about it, and then this paper made it and I got called in. They said, “Hey, we're thinking about starting this program, you know, called Stop Out, designed to stop people from getting out. We read your paper. What would you do if you could take a year off?” And I said, “Wow, you know, if I could do it, I'll tell you. I would start by going to Philmont Scout Ranch, you know, and be a backcountry Ranger,” because my passion was for the outdoors, and do that. “And then I would go join my musical hero, Harry Chapin.” Oh, by the way, he came to the United States Air Force Academy in the early '60s. Right? Left here, built a band and wrote the hit song Taxi. “So I would go join him as a roadie and just sort of see whether music and the outdoors, which my passions are, what, you know, what it's all about for me.” Well, we lost contact with the Chapin connection. So I ended up on this bicycle riding around the country. And so many families took me in, and so many towns that I rode into, you know, I found that if I just went to the library and said, “Hey, tell me a little bit about the history of this town,” the librarian would call, like, the last, you know, three or four of the seniors the town, they'd all rush over to tell me the story of, you know, this particular little town, right? And then someone would also say, “Hey, where are you staying tonight?” “I'm staying in my tent.” They said, “Oh, come stay with me.” So gradually, over time, I got to know America, and came to the conclusion when I had to make the decision to come back or not, that this country is really worth defending, that these people are hard-working, you know, that want to make the world better for their kids and their grandkids, and they deserve a United States Air Force, the best air force on the planet, to defend them. So, you know, when I came back my last two years, and I always love sharing this with cadets, because some of them are fighting it, some of them have embraced it. And all I tell them is, “Hey, I've done both. And all I can tell you is, the sooner you embrace it and find your purpose, this place is a lot more fun.” Naviere Walkewicz 35:13 Truth in that, yes, yes, well. And, Dr. Wilson, how did you know you were living your purpose? Dr. Heather Wilson 35:19 Well, I've had a lot of different chapters to my life. Yes, and we can intellectualize it on why we, you know, why I made a certain decision at a certain time, but there were doors that opened that I never even knew were there. But at each time and at each junction, there was a moment where somehow I just knew. And at South Dakota Mines is a good example. You know, I lost a race to the United States Senate. I actually had some interns — I benefited from a lousy job market, and I had fantastic interns, and we were helping them through the loss. You know, they're young. They were passionate. They, as Churchill said, “The blessing and the curse of representative government is one in the same. The people get what they choose.” And so I was helping them through that, and one of them said, “Well, Dr. Wilson, you're really great with students. You should be a college president somewhere. Texas Tech needs a president. You should apply there,” because that's where this kid was going to school. And I said, “Well, but I don't think they're looking for me.” But it did cause me to start thinking about it and I had come close. I had been asked about a college presidency once before, and I started looking at it and talking to headhunters and so forth. And initially, South Dakota Mines didn't seem like a great fit, because I'm a Bachelor of Science degree here, but my Ph.D. is in a nonscientific discipline, and it's all engineers and scientists. But as I went through the process, it just felt more and more right. And on the day of the final interviews, that evening, it was snowing in South Dakota, there was a concert in the old gym. I mean, this is an engineering school, and they had a faculty member there who had been there for 40 years, who taught choral music, and the students stood up, and they started singing their warm up, which starts out with just one voice, and eventually gets to a 16-part harmony and it's in Latin, and it's music is a gift from God, and they go through it once, and then this 40th anniversary concert, about 50 people from the audience stand up and start singing. It's like a flash mob, almost These were all alumni who came back. Forty years of alumni to be there for that concert for him. And they all went up on stage and sang together in this just stunning, beautiful concert by a bunch of engineers. And I thought, “There's something special going on here that's worth being part of,” and there are times when you just know. And the same with becoming cabinet secretary for children, youth and families — that was not in the plan and there's just a moment where I knew that was what I should do now. How I should use my gifts now? And you hope that you're right in making those decisions.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:43 Well, probably aligning with JD's point in the book of following your gut. Some of that's probably attached to you finding your purpose. Excellent. I'd like to visit the time Dr. Wilson, when you were helping President Bush with the State of the Union address, and in particular, you had grueling days, a lot of hours prepping, and when it was time for it to be delivered, you weren't there. You went home to your apartment in the dark. You were listening on the radio, and there was a moment when the Congress applauded and you felt proud, but something that you said really stuck with me. And he said, I really enjoy being the low-key staff member who gets stuff done. Can you talk more about that? Because I think sometimes we don't, you know, the unsung heroes are sometimes the ones that are really getting so many things done, but nobody knows. Dr. Heather Wilson 39:31 So, I'm something of an introvert and I've acquired extrovert characteristics in order to survive professionally. But when it comes to where I get my batteries recharged, I'm quite an introvert, and I really loved — and the same in international negotiations, being often the liaison, the back channel, and I did that in the conventional forces in Europe negotiations for the American ambassador. And in some ways, I think it might have been — in the case of the conventional forces in Europe negotiations, I was on the American delegation here. I was in Vienna. I ended up there because, for a bunch of weird reasons, then they asked me if I would go there for three months TDY. It's like, “Oh, three months TDY in Vienna, Austria. Sign me up.” But I became a very junior member on the delegation, but I was the office of the secretary of defense's representative, and walked into this palace where they were negotiating between what was then the 16 NATO nations and the seven Warsaw Pact countries. And the American ambassador turned to me, and he said during this several times, “I want you to sit behind me and to my right, and several times I'm going to turn and talk to you, and I just want you to lean in and answer.” I mean, he wasn't asking anything substantive, and I just, “Yes, sir.” But what he was doing was credentialing me in front of the other countries around that table. Now, I was very young, there were only two women in the room. The other one was from Iceland, and what he was doing was putting me in a position to be able to negotiate the back channel with several of our allies and with — this was six months or so now, maybe a year before the fall of the Berlin Wall. So things were changing in Eastern Europe, and so I really have always enjoyed just that quietly getting things done, building consensus, finding the common ground, figuring out a problem. Actually have several coffee mugs that just say GSD, and the other side does say, Get Stuff Done. And I like that, and I like people who do that. And I think those quiet — we probably don't say thank you enough to the quiet, hardworking people that just figure out how to get stuff done. Naviere Walkewicz 41:59 Well, I like how he credentialed you and actually brought that kind of credibility in that way as a leader. JD, how have you done that as a leader? Champion, some of those quiet, behind the scenes, unsung heroes. Gen. Dave Goldfein 42:11 I'm not sure where the quote comes from, but it's something to the effect of, “It's amazing what you can get done if you don't care who gets the credit.” There's so much truth to that. You know, in the in the sharing of success, right? As servant leaders, one of the things that I think both of us spend a lot of time on is to make sure that credit is shared with all the folks who, behind the scenes, you know, are doing the hard, hard work to make things happen, and very often, you know, we're the recipients of the thank yous, right? And the gratefulness of an organization or for somebody who's benefited from our work, but when you're at the very senior leaders, you know what you do is you lay out the vision, you create the environment to achieve that vision. But the hard, hard work is done by so many others around you. Today, in the audience when we were there at Polaris Hall, was Col. Dave Herndon. So Col. Dave Herndon, when he was Maj. Dave Herndon, was my aide de camp, and I can tell you that there are so many successes that his fingers are on that he got zero credit for, because he was quietly behind the scenes, making things happen, and that's just the nature of servant leadership, is making sure that when things go well, you share it, and when things go badly, you own it. Naviere Walkewicz 43:47 And you do share a really remarkable story in there about accountability. And so we won't spend so much time talking about that, but I do want to go to the point where you talk about listening, and you say, listening is not passive; it's active and transformative. As servant leaders, have you ever uncovered challenges that your team has experienced that you didn't have the ability to fix and you know, what action did you take in those instances? Dr. Heather Wilson 44:09 You mean this morning? All the time. And sometimes — and then people will give you grace, if you're honest about that. You don't make wild promises about what you can do, but then you sit and listen and work through and see all right, what is within the realm of the possible here. What can we get done? Or who can we bring to the table to help with a set of problems? But, there's no… You don't get a — when I was president of South Dakota Mines, one of the people who worked with me, actually gave me, from the toy store, a magic wand. But it doesn't work. But I keep it in my office, in case, you know… So there's no magic wands, but being out there listening to understand, not just listening to refute, right? And then seeing whether there are things that can be done, even if there's some things you just don't have the answers for, right? Gen. Dave Goldfein 45:11 The other thing I would offer is that as senior leadership and as a senior leadership team, you rarely actually completely solve anything. What you do is improve things and move the ball. You take the hand you're dealt, right, and you find creative solutions. You create the environment, lay out the vision and then make sure you follow up, move the ball, and if you get at the end of your tenure, it's time for you to move on, and you've got the ball moved 20, 30, yards down the field. That's actually not bad, because most of the things we were taking on together, right, were big, hard challenges that we needed to move the ball on, right? I If you said, “Hey, did you completely revitalize the squadrons across the United States Air Force?” I will tell you, absolutely not. Did we get the ball about 20, 30 yards down the field? And I hope so. I think we did. Did we take the overhaul that we did of officer development to be able to ensure that we were producing the senior leaders that the nation needs, not just the United States Air Force needs? I will tell you that we didn't solve it completely, but we moved the ball down the field, and we did it in a way that was able to stick. You know, very often you plant seeds as a leader, and you never know whether those seeds are going to, you know, these seeds are ideas, right? And you never know whether the seeds are going to hit fertile soil or rocks. And I would often tell, you know, young leaders too. I said, you know, in your last few months that you're privileged to be in the position of leadership, you've got two bottles on your hip. You're walking around with — one of them's got fertilizer and one of them's got Roundup. And your job in that final few months is to take a look at the seeds that you planted and truly determine whether they hit fertile soil and they've grown roots, and if they've grown roots, you pull out the fertilizer, and the fertilizer you're putting on it is to make it part of the institution not associated with you, right? You want somebody some years from now say, “Hey, how do we ever do that whole squadron thing?” The right answer is, “I have no idea, but look at how much better we are.” That's the right answer, right? That's the fertilizer you put on it. But it's just equally important to take a look at the ideas that, just for whatever reason, sometimes beyond your control — they just didn't stick right. Get out the Roundup. Because what you don't want to do is to pass on to your successor something that didn't work for you, because it probably ain't going to work for her. Dr. Heather Wilson 47:46 That's right, which is one of the rules of leadership is take the garbage out with you when you go. Naviere Walkewicz 47:51 I like that. I like that a lot. Well, we are — just a little bit of time left. I want to end this kind of together on a story that you shared in the book about laughter being one of the tools you share. And after we share this together, I would like to ask you, I know we talked about mirror checks, but what are some things that you guys are doing every day to be better as well, to continue learning. But to get to the laughter piece, you mentioned that laughter is an underappreciated tool and for leaders, something that you both share. I want to talk about the time when you got together for dinner before you began working as chief and service secretary, and I think you may have sung an AF pro song. We're not going to ask you to sing that today, unless you'd like to JD? But let's talk about laughter.   Gen. Dave Goldfein 48:31 The dean would throw me out. Naviere Walkewicz 48:33 OK, OK, we won't have you sing that today. But how have you found laughter — when you talk about — when the questions and the problems come up to you?   Dr. Heather Wilson 48:40 So I'm going to start this because I think Dave Goldfein has mastered this leadership skill of how to use humor, and self-deprecating humor, better than almost any leader I've ever met. And it's disarming, which is a great technique, because he's actually wicked smart. But it's also people walk in the room knowing if you're going to a town hall meeting or you're going to be around the table, at least sometime in that meeting, we're going to laugh. And it creates a warmth and people drop their guard a little bit. You get to the business a little bit earlier. You get beyond the standard PowerPoint slides, and people just get down to work. And it just — people relax. And I think Dave is very, very good at it. Now, my husband would tell you that I was raised in the home for the humor impaired, and I have been in therapy with him for almost 35 years.   Naviere Walkewicz 49:37 So have you improved? Dr. Heather Wilson 49:39 He thinks I've made some progress.   Naviere Walkewicz 49:41 You've moved the ball.   Dr. Heather Wilson 49:44 Yes. Made some progress. I still don't — I used to start out with saying the punch line and then explain why it was funny. Naviere Walkewicz 49:52 I'm in your camp a little bit. I try. My husband says, “Leave the humor to me.” Dr. Heather Wilson 49:54 Yeah, exactly. You understand. Gen. Dave Goldfein 49:58 I used to joke that I am a member of the Class of 1981['82 and '83]. I am the John Belushi of the United States Air Force Academy, a patron saint of late bloomers. But you know, honestly, Heather doesn't give herself enough credit for building an environment where, you know, folks can actually do their very best work. That's one of the things that we do, right? Because we have — the tools that we have available to be able to get things done very often, are the people that are we're privileged to lead and making sure that they are part of an organization where they feel valued, where we're squinting with our ears. We're actually listening to them. Where they're making a contribution, right? Where they believe that what they're being able to do as part of the institution or the organization is so much more than they could ever do on their own. That's what leadership is all about. Dr. Heather Wilson 51:05 You know, we try to — I think both of us see the humor in everyday life, and when people know that I have a desk plate that I got in South Dakota, and it doesn't say “President.” It doesn't say “Dr. Wilson.” It says, “You're kidding me, right?” Because once a week, more frequently as secretary and chief, but certainly frequently as a college president, somebody is going to walk in and say, “Chief, there's something you need to know.” And if they know they're going to get blasted out of the water or yelled at, people are going to be less likely to come in and tell you, right, what you need to know. But if you're at least willing to laugh at the absurdity of the — somebody thought that was a good idea, you know. My gosh, let's call the lawyers or whatever. But you know, you've just got to laugh, and if you laugh, people will know that you just put things in perspective and then deal with the problem. Naviere Walkewicz  52:06 Well, it connects us as humans. Yeah. Well, during my conversation today with Dr. Heather Wilson and Gen. Dave Goldfein — JD — two lessons really stood out to me. Leadership is not about avoiding the fall, but about how high you bounce back and how your recovery can inspire those you lead. It's also about service, showing up, doing the hard work and putting others before yourself with humility, integrity and working together. Dr. Wilson, Gen. Goldfein, thank you for showing us how courage, compassion and connection — they're not soft skills. They're actually the edge of hard leadership. And when you do that and you lead with service, you get back up after every fall. You encourage others to follow and do the same. Thank you for joining us for this powerful conversation. You can find Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, wherever books are sold. And learn more at getbackupeadership.com. If today's episode inspired you, please share it with someone who can really benefit in their own leadership journey. As always, keep learning. Keep getting back up. Keep trying. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. This has been Focus On Leadership. Until next time. Producer This edition of Focus on Leadership, the accelerated leadership series, was recorded on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.   KEYWORDS Leadership, servant leadership, resilience, humility, integrity, influence, teamwork, family, trust, listening, learning, purpose, growth, accountability, service, courage, compassion, balance, values, inspiration.     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation  

The Daily Scoop Podcast
The US is ‘slipping' on cybersecurity

The Daily Scoop Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 5:16


The Trump administration should reverse cyber personnel and budget cuts, strengthen the Office of the National Cyber Director and expand federal workforce initiatives, the successor organization to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommended in a report published Wednesday. The annual implementation report from CSC 2.0 is the first of five iterations to actually determine that the nation has gone backward on enacting the agenda of the landmark bipartisan commission, whose suggestions led to the creation of major new federal organizations and policies, including the national cyber director's office. In grading the degree to which its 2020 report had been enacted — whether they're “implemented,” “nearing implementation,” “on track,” “progress limited” or facing “significant barriers” — the percentages dropped in every category, after years of rising or staying steady. President Donald Trump nominated Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve on Monday to serve as the next vice chief of staff of the Army and recommended his appointment to the grade of general. An official hearing date has not been made public, but if confirmed by the Senate, LaNeve will replace Gen. James Mingus, the long-time innovator who was sworn in as the Army's No. 2 general officer and principal deputy to Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in January 2024 under the Biden administration. The announcement follows an unusual gathering of hundreds of top U.S. military officials at Marine Corps Base Quantico last month, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that he had already removed several high-ranking service members and suggested that more people would be pushed out if they did not conform to his vision for a “less woke” military that's “fit not fat.” There's not a fixed term or limit to the position of vice chief of staff, and former officials' tenures in the capacity vary. A Pentagon spokesperson did not immediately answer questions from DefenseScoop about the timing for or reasoning behind this nomination, but confirmed LaNeve was selected by the president to serve in the post. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

spotify donald trump washington office joe biden army chief soundcloud senate cybersecurity pentagon lt slipping csc staff gen randy george national cyber director cyberspace solarium commission
Our Two Cents Podcast
229 - College Admissions

Our Two Cents Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2025 65:17


Join Kyle Jones and Kat Clowes of March Consulting as they dive into the often overwhelming and misunderstood world of college admissions. In this candid conversation, Kat shares her personal story of graduating high school early, navigating college transfers, and realizing just how many students — even high-achieving ones — are unprepared for the reality of applying to competitive schools.   They talk through the ideal timeline that every college-bound student should follow, including why it's critical to start planning as early as 7th or 8th grade if top-tier schools are the goal. Kat explains how starting early opens more opportunities for scholarships, more strategic course planning, and less stress during senior year.   The conversation also covers the surprising affordability of some private and Ivy League schools compared to in-state options, the common pitfalls of the transfer process, and the wide gap between what school counselors can offer and what families actually need. With insider insight into what colleges really look for, beyond just grades and test scores, this episode is packed with actionable advice for parents and students navigating the path to higher education.  Listeners can mention this Our Two Cents episode and receive a free 30-minute consultation with March Consulting!   Kat Clowes is the CEO and Founder of March Consulting, a college and career firm that helps students with the college application and career search process, and the CEO of Higher Scores Test Prep, providing affordable, online test prep to students. In 2025 alone, her students earned over $10 million dollars in scholarships and were accepted to over 200 schools across the country. She's a Certified Educational Planner and earned an MBA from Mount Saint Mary's University with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship, a BA in communications from Santa Clara University, and a post-graduate certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from University of California, Irvine. She is the co-author of Managing Generation Z, helping employers welcome a new generation into the workforce, which was recently added to the Leadership Library of Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. of the USAF. She is also the author of Put College to Work, a book created to help her students maximize their time in college in a way that will prepare them for a successful career. Her favorite part of her job, however, is watching clients discover that they have something to offer the world and find the means of communicating it. She has been featured in US News and World Report, HerCampus, and other publications.   Learn more about March Consulting:   Website Phone number: (661) 747-4514  Facebook  Instagram YouTube LinkedIn  

The Daily Scoop Podcast
The Army wants to manufacture 10,000 drones per month by 2026

The Daily Scoop Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 5:39


Starting next year, the Army will be able to domestically mass-produce upwards of 10,000 small unmanned aerial systems each month, according to the service. Army Materiel Command is leading a new pilot program dubbed “SkyFoundry” that will allow the service to rapidly develop, test and produce small drones using innovative manufacturing methods. Officials are currently identifying multiple facilities where the platforms will be designed and produced. The department expects it can manufacture at least 10,000 UAS per month once the first site is up and running, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus said Tuesday. He said during a fireside chat at the annual AUSA conference: “We'll be at 10,000 a month by this time next year, if not more.” The effort comes as the Pentagon looks to ramp up production of small drones across the services following Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” directive, issued in July. The memo requires low-cost, attritable drones to be fielded to every Army squad by the end of 2026 and calls on the military to partner closely with domestic industry to scale up manufacturing. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., sent a letter Tuesday to acting CISA Director Madhu Gottumukkala raising concerns about staffing levels and the direction of the nation's primary cybersecurity agency, writing that the “Trump Administration has undertaken multiple efforts to decimate CISA's workforce, undermining our nation's cybersecurity.” Swalwell, the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, called out the agency for its reported shift of cybersecurity personnel to the Department of Homeland Security's deportation efforts, on top of the approximately 760 people that have been let go from the agency since January. Swallwell wrote: “Amid reports that the Department of Homeland Security is now forcibly transferring CISA's cybersecurity employees to other DHS components, it has become apparent that the Department's exclusive focus on its mass deportation campaign is coming at the expense of our national security,” calling it “further evidence of the Administration's failure to prioritize cybersecurity” how CISA is engaging in Reductions in Force that could threaten its capacity to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats. In the letter, he demanded that DHS cease all efforts to cut CISA's workforce, reinstate employees who were transferred or dismissed, and provide details on the impacts of the agency's workforce reductions. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

I - On Defense Podcast
Multiple Countries Recognize Palestinian State at UNGA Summit + Saudi Arabia & Pakistan Joint Defense Accord + Chinese Aircraft Carrier Fujian 18 Launches Warplanes Using Advanced Catapult System + More

I - On Defense Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 24:11


For review:1. Multiple Countries Recognize Palestinian State at UNGA Summit.2. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that Hamas must have “no role” in governing Gaza in the future and called on the militant group to hand over its weapons.3. Hamas has drafted a letter to US President Donald Trump requesting that he guarantee a 60-day truce in Gaza in exchange for releasing half of the remaining 48 hostages, Fox News reported Monday, 4. France is advancing an initiative aimed at establishing an “International Stabilization Mission” that would replace the IDF in Gaza and work to disarm Hamas after the war ends, according to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Times of Israel.5. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, visiting New York for the UN General Assembly, voiced hope Monday for a security deal that eases tensions with Israel but he played down the prospect of recognition.6. Saudi Arabia & Pakistan Joint Defense Accord.7. Chinese Aircraft Carrier Fujian18 Launches Warplanes Using Advanced Catapult System. Visuals, published the Chinese military, showed J-15T, J-35 fighters and KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft being launched from the Fujian's electromagnetic catapults.8. The USAF F-47 advanced jet is expected to have its initial flight in 2028, Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday.The Air Force plans to buy at least 185 F-47s, which would match or exceed the size of the F-22 fleet.

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast
Getting The Hook

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 24:17


Aviation Week's Brian Everstine, Robert Wall and Steve Trimble discuss U.S. naval aviation ahead of the annual Tailhook gathering and the surprise announcement that U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Allvin will be retiring. 

hook air force chief staff gen aviation week allvin tailhook robert wall
Duane's World
Assessing Intelligence and The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week

Duane's World

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 63:45


The media are trying their best to sell the country on a low-confidence preliminary intelligence assessment of Operation Midnight Hammer leaked by none other than the dossier queen herself, Natasha Bertrand. SecDef Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. 'Razin' Caine correct the record. Watch this episode here.

NTD News Today
Hegseth Responds to Early Intel Briefing on Iran Nuclear Strike; Five DOD Nominees Testify Before Senate

NTD News Today

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2025 58:06


Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine provided details of the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during a press conference early on Thursday. The press conference was called in response to media reports questioning the effectiveness of the strikes.Five Department of Defense nominees answered questions from senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee during a confirmation hearing on June 25. Among the nominees is Hung Cao, a former candidate for the U.S. Senate from Virginia and a retired Navy captain. Cao was tapped by President Donald Trump to be the next undersecretary of the Navy on Feb. 27.

And We Know
6.23.25: INFORMATION “FOG of” WARFARE, Enough is Enough, MOAB incoming, Full court press is on, Pray!

And We Know

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2025 71:39


Dr. Shockley Pure Home Essentials: https://corehealthadvantage.com/awk  ———— TriTails BEEF: Ribeye Special: http://trybeef.com/andweknow ——— Protect your investments with And We Know http://andweknow.com/gold Or call 720-605-3900, Tell them “LT” sent you. ————————————————————— *Our AWK Website: https://www.andweknow.com/ *Our 24/7 NEWS SITE: https://thepatriotlight.com/ ————————— This Is What I Voted For!!!!!! https://x.com/ForgiatoBlow47/status/1936844048968364290 He shut down USAID. He shut down the green new steal. https://x.com/CaptKylePatriot/status/1936939591614795872 VK's giving us more confirmations on incoming MOAB! https://x.com/7thDean/status/1937013542601003383 My president doesn't send pallets of cash to Iran. https://x.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1936956162064195673 “MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!” https://x.com/RealAF_Patriot/status/1936851858993090726 President Trump is merely cleaning up the mess that started with the worst president in American history, Barack Hussein Obama. https://x.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1936921851508518935 Who is the Chairman of the Join Chief of Staff - Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine? https://x.com/realjoshuareid/status/1936955816210247847v This beautiful young lady recounts what it was like to go to school in Iran in the first grade https://x.com/TheEXECUTlONER_/status/1936775126613192880 ————————— *DONATIONS SITE: https://bit.ly/2Lgdrh5 *Mail your gift to: And We Know 30650 Rancho California Rd STE D406-123 (or D406-126) Temecula, CA 92591 ➜ AWK Shirts and gifts: https://shop.andweknow.com/ ➜ Audio Bible https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/1John.3.16 Connect with us in the following ways:

The Daily Punch
What we learned at the Pentagon

The Daily Punch

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 10:59


This week, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will appear before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees with a new mission — the Army Transformation Initiative. Anna and Jake preview what to expect. Plus, the Senate's about to dive into a brutal reconciliation fight, with GOP factions pulling in opposite directions. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [May 20, '25] Army Sec Dan Driscoll & Chief of Staff Gen Randy George

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 43:37


On today's Land Warfare Series program, sponsored American Rheinmetall, Dan Driscoll, the 26th secretary of the United States Army and Gen Randy George, the service's 41st chief of staff, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how the Army is redirecting 8 percent of its budget each year for the coming five years to new priorities, how many more cuts in existing programs will be needed to achieve Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's goals, the need for greater efficiency and to stop buying systems that are no longer needed, learning the right lessons from the Ukraine war, understanding the nature of possible conflict in the Indo-Pacific, how to speed acquisition of key systems like the MV-75 tiltrotor as well as land and weapon systems, role of heritage and new defense economy firms in more quickly addressing Army needs, why shrinking the force is a bad idea, the impact of staffing the Golden Dome air and missile defense network, and more.

War on the Rocks
The Army's Upcoming Transformation, with Secretary Driscoll and Gen. George

War on the Rocks

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 36:17


Ryan popped across the Potomac to the Pentagon to speak with Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George about the ambitious Army Transformation Initiative. Following a directive from the secretary of defense, the initiative aims to streamline the Army's force structure, cut wasteful spending, and rapidly modernize its capabilities. 

Trend Lines
Hegseth's Patriarchal Vision Will Make the U.S. Military Less Effective

Trend Lines

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 9:19


In a major and unprecedented shakeup to the U.S. military's leadership, U.S. President Donald Trump removed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Brown in late February, while announcing his intention to replace Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the head of the U.S. Navy. The personnel changes have been framed as part of an effort to eradicate "woke ideology" from the U.S. military. It is not a coincidence, then, that Brown is Black and Franchetti is the first woman ever to command a U.S. military service branch. But the Trump administration's attack on efforts to address historical injustices for minorities and women - known as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives - goes beyond purging people of color and high-ranking women officers from the chain of command. As part of this agenda, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has also proposed a radical departure from the U.S. military's approach over the past decade. Though a slow-moving institution that is far from progressive, the Defense Department has undertaken a series of reforms to be more representative of the country it serves. That has included things like adopting a plan to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, updating its harassment policies and protecting its employees from discrimination. Since taking over as defense secretary in late January, Hegseth has articulated his commitment to "restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence." Along those lines, he announced the creation of a Restoring America's Fighting Force Task Force charged with "overseeing the Department's efforts to abolish DEI offices and any vestiges of such offices that subvert meritocracy, perpetuate unconstitutional discrimination, and promote radical ideologies related to systemic racism and gender fluidity." This task force and other envisaged reforms are all aimed at eradicating "wokeness" from the U.S. military and Defense Department. This agenda reflects Hegseth's retrograde and patriarchal vision of the U.S. military. But his justifications for all of these measures are often invented or based on false premises. These misrepresentations are aimed at portraying the U.S. military as hamstrung by politically correct overreach. In both his public comments and his highly critical book about the U.S. military, Hegseth has castigated "woke" generals and policies that, he argues, undermine the military's effectiveness. For example, during his Senate confirmation hearings in January, Hegseth cited personal interviews conducted while writing his book to assert that commanders are expected to "meet quotas" in order to increase the number of women in the ranks. That practice, he added, was one of many "direct, indirect, overt and subtle" ways that the U.S. military has changed its standards to accommodate women recruits. Hegseth had previously asserted that women should not be present in ground combat operations, stating in November, "It hasn't made us more effective. Hasn't made us more lethal. Has made fighting more complicated." Hegseth's statements make it seem as if women have been coddled by the military in order to goose their numbers, to the detriment of readiness. Hegseth's remarks play well to Trump's base, but they aren't just for public consumption. They have real implications for the well-being of U.S. servicewomen, as well as for women in countries where the U.S. military is active. On both counts, however, he is demonstrably wrong. As Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand pointed out during his confirmation hearing, there are no quotas for women in the infantry. That is a politically expedient lie for Hegseth and his allies. With regard to standards, for instance, retired Army Lt. Col. Ellen Haring told NPR, "Not only have standards not been lowered, but when they first decided that … they were going to open combat jobs to women, the services were given three years to actually set standards because up until that point in time, standards had...

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [Washington Roundtable Feb 28, '25]

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 60:42


On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former Pentagon Europe chief Jim Townsend now with the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss GOP lawmakers move toward a budget resolution and reconciliation measure as defense hawks work to boost Pentagon spending; prospects fora full-year continuing resolution; the race to redirect 8 percent from DoD spending a year for five years to the administration's new priorities; President Trump's firings of the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, the former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Vice Chief of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife and the three military service judge advocates general; Elon Musk and his team continue to terrorize federal workers; Washington sides with Beijing, Pyongyang and Minsk by voting against a UN measure blaming Russia for the war against Ukraine as Washington extorts gas, oil and rare earths concessions from Kyiv without extending security guarantees; the suggestion that a neutral Ukraine will ensure peace; Trump's bizarre Gaza video as the first phase of hostage and prisoner exchanges end between Israel and Hamas.

Defense & Aerospace Report
DEFAERO Strategy Series [Feb 12, 25] Dr. Richard Andres on Reforming Jointness

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 40:51


On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Richard Andres, a professor at the national defense university and the former adviser to the secretary of the Air Force and commander of US Cyber Command, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the report for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies he cowrote with former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Buzz Mosley, USAF Ret., and Mitchell's Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, USAF Ret.; why jointness has prioritized today's readiness over strategic planning and the need to return more authority to the military services to accelerate innovation and program execution.

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Technology Report [Oct 28, 24] US Army's CTO Dr. Alexander Miller

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2024 43:37


On this innovation conversation to highlight key topics in the countdown to the Apex technology and innovation conference next year in Washington, sponsored by Clarion Defence, Dr. Alexander Miller, the US Army's chief technology officer and senior adviser for science and technology for Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the changes needed to better take advantage of rapidly changing innovation cycles, the future technologies that will have the biggest impact on warfighting, fielding what the Army needs more rapidly and in large quantities, how to the Army can benefit from commercial innovation and better harness car and industrial product makers to satisfy military needs at speed and scale, a more nuanced Ukraine lessons that are applicable beyond the context of the current conflict, whether the big problems posed by Chinese and Russian militaries have been framed to better guide innovation efforts to solve specific challenges, role of allied and partner S&T as well as industrial capabilities to equip US forces, and more. To learn more about the Apex conference, sponsorship and attendance opportunities please visit apexdefense.org

The Glenn Beck Program
Proof That Trump's the WORST 'Fascist' Ever | Guests: Avi Yemini & Rep. Scott Perry | 10/25/24

The Glenn Beck Program

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 128:10


Would Donald Trump push to end the income tax in his second term? Kamala Harris and the Democrats are looking desperate as they return to yelling that Trump is a “Nazi fascist.” But Glenn explains why Trump is the worst “fascist” that he's ever seen. Why are young men leaning to the Right and young women to the Left? Glenn has a theory. Glenn reviews an insane debate between Ben Shapiro and leftists who clearly don't know what abortion really is. Rebel News reporter Avi Yemini joins to reveal what he's finding as he travels America asking voters about who they're supporting. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) exposes how much influence Iran has over the Biden-Harris administration. He also comments on the recent claims made by former Trump White House Chief of Staff Gen. John F. Kelly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast [Oct 24, 24] Season 2 E40: Optimized Prime

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2024 41:13


In February, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Allvin gave us the details on the service's re-optimization plans in an exclusive interview. This week, the Chief released a letter to the entire service detailing progress toward that goal. Vago and J.J. review where the service is and how much lies ahead. Plus the week's headlines in airpower. All powered by GE!

Defense & Aerospace Report
Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Oct 08, 24] Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George

Defense & Aerospace Report

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 47:14


On this Land Warfare episode, sponsored by American Rheinmetall, Gen. Randy George, the US Army's 41st chief of staff, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the biggest lessons from Russia's war on Ukraine; the problems that Russia, China and other adversaries are posing that must be solved; whether different armies are needed to fight in Europe and Asia, and what's common between them; preparing the force intellectually, operationally, doctrinally and culturally for the highly kinetic nature of a possible future fight; how to move faster to field needed capabilities at scale; modernizing on a flat budget; his “Transforming in Contact” initiative and how much of the Army has to change to transform the force; the changing nature of advantage and building a culture that can adapt rapidly to maintain advantage despite changing threats; what the Army needs from industry; tradeoffs that can be made among the military services to better coordinate roles, missions and capabilities; recruiting and training the right personnel; and a look ahead to the Association of the United States Army's annual conference and tradeshow Oct. 14-16, 2024.

Podcast UFO
AudioBlog: UFOs After Project Blue Book

Podcast UFO

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2024 7:04


On December 17, 1969, a news release from the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) announced the termination of Project Blue Book. According to the document, Secretary of the Air Force Robert C. Seamans Jr. stated in a memo to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John D. Ryan that “the continuation of Project Blue Book cannot be justified either on the ground of national security or in the interest of science.” An early indication that this was coming was Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a scientific consultant for Project Blue Book for the entirety of its existence and Projects Sign and Grudge before it, finding out that there was nothing for him in the budget for the upcoming year. Of course, not everyone agreed with the Air Force's decision and people continued seeing UFOs, but they no longer had an official organization prepared to take reports. Read more →Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/podcast-ufo--5922140/support.

Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael
US Officials Throw Military Vets Under the Bus to Excuse Israel's Conduct in Gaza + US's $320 Million Gaza Pier Boondoggle w/ Kelley Vlahos + Iraq War Combat Veteran James R. Webb

Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2024 91:17


On this edition of Parallax Views, are major US officials like National Security Spokesman John Kirby, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and Sen. Ted Cruz throwing US military veterans under the bus in an attempt to excuse Israel's conduct in Gaza? This became a question for some after John Kirby said "We did it to" in Iraq and Afghanistan in response to a question about Israel's conduct in Gaza. In the first segment of the show, The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's Kelley Vlahos returns to the program to discuss her piece in The American Conservative entitled "‘We Did It Too': The Ugliest Excuse for Israel ". Kelley interviewed military veterans like Ret. Col. Douglas MacGregor and Ret. Lt. Col. Daniel Davis to get an idea of what men who served in the armed forces may be thinking of the statements being made by Kirby, Milley, and others about Israeli military conduct and comparing it to US military adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. We'll also discuss the $320 million dollar boondogle that was the Gaza pier project and how that's ended on a rather sour note. In the second segment of the program, James R. Webb, son of Sen. Jim Webb and a former combat veteran in the Iraq War and Marine service infantryman from 2005-2010, returns to offer his own commentary on Kirby's comments, the Gaza war, reports of Israeli soldier's taking lewd pictures of themselves posing with stolen Palestinian Gazan women's underwear, the nature of atrocities and how they happen in warfare, lack of discpline as a driving factor in atrocities, the slogan that "Israel is the most moral military in the world" above and beyond the US military, Benjamin Netanyahu's lack of strategy in the current war, how atrocities and mass civilian casualties can create future security threats/terrorist threats, the IDF, Jim's experiences in Ramadi, a rather funny anecdote about Jim's father's reaction to the Rambo movie sequels, misperceptions about American military veterans, Fallujah and use of excessive force/brutality in war, and much, much more!

Rich Zeoli
Remembering D-Day, Saving AM Radio, & Are Aliens Real?

Rich Zeoli

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 184:41


The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (06/06/2023): 3:05pm- According to a report from Katelynn Richardson of The Daily Caller, “[a] federal judge sided Tuesday with families who sued over Florida's ban on gender transition procedures for minors, declaring that ‘gender identity is real.' A group of families, backed by several LGBT activist groups, sued Florida in March shortly after the rule restricting minors from accessing surgical sex change procedures, puberty blockers and hormone therapy took effect. Northern District of Florida Judge Robert L. Hinkle, a Clinton appointee, granted a preliminary injunction against the law to prohibit it from being enforced against the plaintiffs, and proceeded to make the claim that ‘great weight of medical authority supports these treatments.'” You can read Richardson's full article here: https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/06/judge-gender-identity-florida-injunction/ 3:30pm- While speaking with the press, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby refused to answer questions about a Washington Post report that stated the United States had intelligence detailing a Ukrainian plot to attack the Nord Stream pipeline three months before it was ultimately attacked. 3:40pm- Aaron Maté—journalist at RealClearInvestigation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his latest article, “Russiagate Prober Durham Neglected DNC Hack Claim, Despite Evidence It Too Was a Democrat Sham.” Maté writes: “Special Counsel John Durham's final report faults the FBI for opening the Trump-Russia collusion investigation on baseless grounds and relying on Hillary Clinton-funded material to pursue it, all while ignoring a warning that Clinton was plotting to frame Trump as a Russian asset. Yet Durham does not address the Clinton campaign's equally central tie to Russiagate's other foundational allegation: that Russia interfered in the 2016 election by hacking Democratic party servers and releasing the material through Wikileaks to help elect Trump.” You can read Maté's full article here: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/06/06/what_durham_skipped_903673.html 4:05pm- Jed Rubenfeld—Professor at Yale Law School & First Amendment expert—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his latest editorial in The Wall Street Journal, “The Big Tech Censorship Machine is Running in 2024.” Professor Rubenfeld writes, “Meta slapped 180-day suspensions last week on the Instagram accounts of people working for Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign—before a single message had been posted from those accounts. This came shortly after LinkedIn shut down Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's account, apparently for expressing disfavored opinions on China and climate change. This censorship should worry anyone who cares about democracy in America. It isn't only antidemocratic; it's a thumb on the scale that could easily tip a tightly contested election.” You can read Professor Rubenfeld's full article here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-censorship-machine-is-running-in-2024-ramaswamy-rfk-jr-election-campaign-linkedin-meta-twitter-462f8aae?mod=opinion_lead_pos5 4:25pm- While appearing on Fox News with Sean Hannity, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) predicted that the Department of Justice will indict former President Donald Trump—citing Attorney General Merrick Garland's strong dislike for Trump. 4:35pm- On Monday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer viewed, and was briefed on, a subpoenaed document that allegedly shows members of the Biden family benefited financially from relationships with overseas companies in exchange for foreign influence while Joe Biden was serving as Vice President of the United States. Speaking with the press, Comer pledged to hold Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress for not surrendering the document. Will Wray be held accountable for not complying with the subpoena? Why isn't the mainstream media expressing any interest in this story? You can read more here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-oversight-lawmakers-briefed-by-fbi-on-biden-document-alleging-criminal-bribery-scheme 4:50pm- Ford, Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen, and BMW are among the auto manufacturers that have eliminated AM radio from their electric vehicles—but a group of bipartisan lawmakers, including Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Ted Cruz (R-Tx), want to prevent the removal arguing public safety is at risk. 5:05pm- In a recent piece, The New York Post Editorial Board wrote about how questions surrounding the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines have led to Americans losing confidence in all vaccines. You can read the editorial here: https://nypost.com/2023/06/04/covid-vax-disinfo-has-weakened-americans-confidence-in-all-vaccines/ 5:30pm- During an interview with NewsNation, whistleblower David Grusch—who served as a member of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)—claimed the United States government has the remains of flying space crafts of “non-human origin.” Are aliens real??? What about Sasquatch? 5:40pm- While speaking with CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said accusations that the military has embraced “woke” ideology are “grossly over exaggerated.” Today is the 79th Anniversary of D-Day—June 6th, 1944, when “more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France.” You can read more here: https://www.army.mil/d-day/

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis
House Passes Debt Deal, Defense Secretary Scraps Air Force Drag Show, the Viable GOP Candidates, Christopher Wray Update, the 1619 Debacle, & More

Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 40:59


Hey BillOReilly.com Premium and Concierge Members, welcome to the No Spin News for Thursday, June 1, 2023. Stand Up for Your Country.   Tonight's rundown:  Talking Points Memo: Bill analyzes the recently passed debt deal and what it means going forward Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley scrap a planned Air Force drag show in Nevada Bill gives you the viable GOP presidential candidates in the field An update on the situation involving FBI Director Christopher Wray and the House Oversight Committee ABC airs the 1619 Project's take on racism and American history This Day in History: Marilyn Monroe is born Final Thought: Lifeguard shortage   In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "God and Country" Join 'Team Normal!' Order your gear at BillOReilly.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices