Podcasts about task purpose

“Do you think this Eric Frankenstein is into crypto?” “This Frankenstein probably invented crypto” “Frank-coin?” National security journalist Nicholas Slayton joins me to talk about James Gunn's DC animated series for HBO, Creature Commandoes. We've got gothic horror, geopolitics and an impressive soundtrack. This episode opens with a spoiler-free conversation on whether the show is worth your time before diving in for a conversation about those who the law does not protect, disability metaphors and more. Nicholas Slayton is a Los Angeles-based journalist covering the "panic beat" --- inequality, war, climate change and protests. He's currently a Contributing Editor at Task & Purpose and has bylines in the New Republic, American Prospect and Motherboard. Follow Nicholas on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/nslayton.bsky.social Subscribe to his newsletter; Let's Do The Panic Again Follow ME on bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/levin.bsky.social  

In this episode of The Crux True Survival Stories, hosts Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen delve into the astonishing survival story of Captain Brian Udell, an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot who ejected from his aircraft at an unprecedented supersonic speed of 780 miles per hour. The episode explores the extreme physical and engineering challenges of such an ejection, the incredible technology behind ejection seats, and the mental fortitude required for survival. Despite enduring severe injuries and incredible odds, Udell survived and returned to flying, showcasing unparalleled resilience. This episode also covers his later life challenges, including an aortic dissection and the eventual grounding by the FAA, emphasizing the extraordinary risks fighter pilots take. 00:00 Introduction to an Unbelievable Survival Story 01:34 The Mindset of a Fighter Pilot 03:52 The Fateful Night: Captain Udell's Mission 07:02 The Ejection: A Supersonic Gamble 11:06 The Aftermath: Surviving Against All Odds 14:28 The Science of Ejection Seats 17:11 Historical Context: Understanding G-Forces 19:17 The Unbelievable John Strapp 19:58 Udell's Struggle in the Ocean 20:36 The Fight for Survival 23:24 Rescue and Recovery 26:23 The Aftermath and Rehabilitation 29:18 A Second Brush with Death 31:21 Grounded but Not Defeated 35:23 Ejection Seat Safety Concerns 36:59 Final Thoughts and Farewell Email us! thecruxsurvival@gmail.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecruxpodcast/ Get schooled by Julie in outdoor wilderness medicine! https://www.headwatersfieldmedicine.com/ References and Further Reading "Fighter Pilot Mentality: Breaking Down the Military Mindset." NCESC. www.ncesc.com/what-is-fighter-pilot-mentality/ "Life and Training of an F-35 Pilot." Task & Purpose. taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/air-force-f35-pilot-life/ "Fighter Jet Pilot Training: From Civilian to Combat Ready." Sky Combat Ace. www.skycombatace.com/fighter-jet-pilot-training "How Air Race Pilots Handle Extreme G-Forces." Red Bull. www.redbull.com/us-en/air-race-pilots-surviving-g-force "Pulling Gs: The Effects of G-Forces on the Human Body." Go Flight Medicine. www.goflightmedicine.com/post/pulling-gs-the-effects-of-g-forces-on-the-human-body "Top Gun Trauma: The Effects of Ejecting from a Fighter Jet on the Spine." University of Notre Dame. sites.nd.edu/biomechanics-in-the-wild/2021/04/06/top-gun-trauma-the-effects-of-ejecting-from-a-fighter-jet-on-the-spine/ "Why Fighter Jet Ejections Can Be Deadly for Pilots." Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/why-fighter-jet-ejections-are-deadly-for-pilots-2022-10 "Breaking Point: What's the Strongest G-Force Humans Can Tolerate?" Medical Daily. www.medicaldaily.com/breaking-point-whats-strongest-g-force-humans-can-tolerate-369246 "Clipped Wings." Phoenix Magazine. www.phoenixmag.com/2019/01/01/clipped-wings/ "In the Saddle: Ejection Seat History." The Ejection Site. www.ejectionsite.com/insaddle/insaddle.htm "The Man Behind High-Speed Safety Standards." National Air and Space Museum. airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/man-behind-high-speed-safety-standards "Spinal Injury Pattern Associated with Ejection Seats." PubMed. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24261059/

This week on the ‘What's Your Pineapple Express?' series, Scott had the honor of sitting down and speaking with an incredible leader – Jason Howk. Jason leads a non-profit organization called Global Friends of Afghanistan and has continued doing amazing work while keeping Afghanistan at the forefront. Join us this week as Jason shares his many years of experience in Afghanistan, gives us insight into some very important information, and shares what we need to learn from the abandonment of Afghanistan. Some of the things he reveals about what happened with this abandonment and more importantly, what's happening right under our noses in this growing safe haven will blow you away. Own Every Room - https://rooftopleadership.com/owneveryroom/ Nobody is Coming to Save You - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/scott-mann/nobody-is-coming-to-save-you/9781546008286/?lens=center-street Scottmann.com  Join Rooftop Nation! Website: https://www.rooftopleadership.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottMannAuthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmannauthor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rooftop-leadership Twitter: https://twitter.com/RooftopLeader Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYOQ7CDJ6uSaGvmfxYC_skQ  Select Afghanistan experiences and published works SummaryJason Criss Howk spent 23 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantry and Sapper Paratrooper, and also as a South Asia Foreign Area Officer (Soldier-Diplomat).  His work in Afghanistan began in 2002 and has continued until the present day as he leads the Global Friends of Afghanistan educational non-profit organization that monitors and leads discussions on Afghan issues. Jason has worked on Afghanistan portfolios at the tactical, operational, strategic, national policy and international policy levels. He has taken part in a variety of missions to include military, diplomatic, intelligence, academic, and humanitarian efforts. During his Afghanistan work Jason worked daily with dozens of generals, ambassadors, and political appointees with Afghan portfolios. Due to his assignments and knowledge of the topic, Jason is one of the few Americans that has been privy to the discussions of all 4 presidential administrations as they planned their Afghanistan policy. Jason studied both Arabic and Dari at the Defense Language Institute, is a professor at the USAF Special Operations School, and is a Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies. He holds a Master's Degree in South Asia and Middle East Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, is a CGSC graduate, and was a term-member of the Council on Foreign Relations from 2010-2015. Jason is an award-winning author who has written 4 books in English and has published over 225 works since 2008 in over 40 outlets. As a professor, lecturer, and columnist he focuses on Afghanistan, Islam, terrorism, and various National Security topics. For his work on Afghanistan Major Howk earned the Legion of Merit award for his years of exceptionally meritorious service as a Soldier-Statesman, and two Bronze Star Medals. He also earned the Afghanistan Governmental Success medal from the President of Afghanistan. Afghanistan ExperiencesSep 2002-Sep 2003       Sep-Nov 2003: Operations officer Coalition Task Force 82. Engineer Operations Officer on MG Vines General Staff at Bagram Airfield. Focus on engineer support to daily counter-terrorism operations across the country. His key effort was the completion of the FOB Salerno Airfield and Heliport in Khost province. Tactical and Operational level experiences in various Eastern Provinces.Nov 2002-Sep 2003: Aide De Camp to MG Karl Eikenberry as he took over as Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation-Afghanistan at the U.S. Embassy Kabul and also as the U.S. Security Coordinator. They worked daily with Afghan cabinet members across all parts of the government for the first year of the interim government and got to know all of them intimately. MG Eikenberry was tasked with implementing the international Security Sector Reform program in Afghanistan, and as Chief OMC-A creating the Afghan National Army and MOD from scratch. Their typical daily interactions included the leaders of UNAMA, NATO-Nation Embassies, ISAF, the 3-star US Forces Commander, CENTCOM, OSD, the Joint Staff, the Intelligence Community, regional ambassadors, the Special Forces leaders training the ANA, and the US Ambassador. For the majority of the year Jason was the sole note-taker in over 4,000 hours of meetings and the drafter of reports to State, OSD, and CENTCOM.2004-July 2007During an assignment in TRADOC Jason began to create and teach courses in the Army and at civilian institutions about Afghan and Islamic culture. He helped the Engineer School develop their Cultural, Counter-insurgency, and Counter-IED training for 2LTs deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq. During company command the Army selected Jason for the highly competitive Foreign Area Officer (FAO) program after completing a fellowship in Oman where he studied their insurgencies and how they rebuilt their nation after those conflicts. He continued to study Afghanistan and stayed in touch with his former boss LTG Karl Eikenberry who was the Combined Forces commander in Afghanistan.2007-2009 FAO TrainingIn FAO training he obtained a Master's Degree in South Asia and Middle East Security Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008. At NPS Jason focused on Afghanistan and the Oman counter-insurgency campaigns. He published a thesis on Oman's COIN and CT lessons which was distributed to his former bosses LTG Eikenberry, LTG McChrystal, and GEN Petraeus. He also wrote a directed study on the creation of the Afghan Military and the US Security Sector Reform efforts that was published as a monograph by the US Army War College in 2009 with a foreword by GEN McChrystal. That study was completed after many interviews with LTG Karl Eikenberry who was then assigned to NATO, just prior to his selection as Ambassador to Afghanistan.From 2008-2009 Jason attended Arabic language training at DLI until the day LTG McChrystal was nominated by President Obama to command ISAF. He was immediately ordered to the Pentagon to prepare LTG McChrystal for senate confirmation and to assist him when he took command in Kabul.2009-2010 As ADC to LTG McChrystal, Jason helped prepare him for his assignment and attended all meetings with Legislative and Executive branch leaders in Washington. Within hours of the Senate confirmation, they flew to Brussels to meet with NATO leaders and then onwards to Kabul Afghanistan. In Kabul Jason helped GEN McChrystal form trusting relationships with the same Afghan leaders Jason worked closely with when they first formed the government in 2002.For the next 2 months Jason traveled with GEN McChrystal to over half the provinces to listen to NATO and Afghan forces, and Afghan leaders to better understand the war.  Jason assisted COMISAF during the strategic review of the U.S. and NATO Afghanistan policy, often quietly liaising between GEN McChrystal and Ambassador Eikenberry, his new and old bosses.After the strategic review was sent to CENTCOM Jason was selected to initiate and design the NATO interagency team focused on reintegration — i.e., how former insurgents could rejoin society. GEN McChrystal loaned Jason to support the incoming Reintegration Advisor who had worked on a similar mission in Iraq and would carry out sensitive diplomatic missions.As the Military Assistant and Political Advisor to retired British Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb. They worked with the Afghan government as they developed their peace and reintegration policy with foreign governments, diplomats, and international organizations. This also helped launch the US/NATO peace process and made Jason one of the insiders on Afghan peace talks for over a decade.2010-2014After a year in Dari (Afghan Farsi) language training at DLI, and graduation from the Army Command and General Staff College, Jason was assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Afghanistan and Pakistan Task Force. In that role, he led two of the highest-level interagency teams of Afghanistan and Pakistan experts in providing products and briefings for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and OSD leadership, and the White House.  Also in that role, his teams helped prepare four different Generals to assume senior commands in Afghanistan. One of his team's key efforts was monitoring and helping U.S. leaders prepare for diplomatic negotiations with the Taliban.2015-2021After retiring in 2015, Jason continued his focus on Afghanistan and Islam as a professor at numerous institutes and continued to advise the U.S. and Afghan governments, and international bodies.From 2016 to 2017, he served as an advisor on the Presidential Transition Team's National Security cell focused on the Afghan peace process and foreign relations with Islamic nations. He contributed ideas to both the 2017 National Security Strategy and 2018 National Strategy for Counterterrorism.From 2017 onwards he served as an advisor on conflict resolution to the U.S. government, NATO member states, parts of the U.N., the Afghan President's NSC staff, and the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces leadership.Jason was invited to give presentations at the 2019 and 2020 Central and South Asia Military Intelligence conferences at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). His topics included the future of the ANDSF, and the Unconventional Warfare efforts of Pakistan against Afghan and NATO forces.Jason led a USIP project team to assess post-conflict security in Afghanistan that culminated in a an invitation from the Afghan President and UN Chief in Kabul to give a presentation to over 70 nations at the 2020 U.N. Donor Conference on Afghanistan in Geneva.A second USIP project allowed his team to remain involved in the peace process until August 2021 as part of a U.S. Institute of Peace project authorized to conduct Track-2 diplomacy while talking to the Afghan government, various parts of Afghan society, and Taliban supporters.From 2019-2021 during both USIP projects his team took part in the USIP-led discussions that contributed to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Study Group Report. “A Pathway for Peace in Afghanistan” was published in February 2021.August 2021 OnwardsAfter the collapse of the Afghan republic while Jason was virtually assisting the evacuation of at-risk Afghans from Kabul, he and his colleagues formed the Global Friends of Afghanistan non-profit (GFA) to speak and write about Afghanistan and ensure the topic of Afghanistan was not removed from the daily news, and to help Afghans raise their voices to the outside world. On 1 September 2022 GFA held their inaugural annual conference with Georgetown University to discuss the evacuation and resettlement of Afghans, and the humanitarian crisis and security collapse in Afghanistan. Writing ExperienceSummaryJason has written 5 books, was on the editing team of the FAO Association International Affairs Journal, and was the senior editor for A Voice for Two Nations blog. He has published over 225 articles, essays, and news reports in over 40 outlets. He is a mentor to writers and a member of the Military Writers Guild, where he edits and co-authors with new writers. Most recently he has begun publishing U.S. veterans and Afghan book authors at Tamarisk Press a niche publishing assistance non-profit. His work has been published in the following outlets: CNN, Fast Company, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, ClearanceJobs News, Military Times, The Cipher Brief, US Institute of Peace, The Global Observatory, Small Wars Journal, Divergent Options, From The Green Notebook, The Bridge, The Forge, The Foreign Service Journal, The FAOA Journal, Observer, Task&Purpose, Business Insider, Real Clear Defense and Politics, SOFX The Special Operations Forces Network, US Army War College, Naval Postgraduate School, O-Dark-Thirty, and in various Afghan newspapers like Reporterly, and Hasht e Subh. He also discusses Afghanistan, Terrorism, and Islam on CNN, Afghan International Persian, TRT World, and Voice of America, and appears on other news and radio outlets.Select Publications Books2012, Lions in the Path of Stability and Security: Oman's Response to Pressing Issues in the Middle East. My 2008 NPS thesis was published in Oman in Arabic.2017, The Quran: A Chronological Modern English Interpretation. Gold Medal Winner at the National Indie Excellence Awards2021, Leaders Always Go a Little Further: ...Unless They Trip. Foreword by LtGen Sir Graeme Lamb.2021, Ali's American Dream: An Iraqi Refugee's Story of Survival and Triumph. Foreword by SIV recipient Nasirullah Safi formerly of Afghanistan.2022, U.S. War Options in Afghanistan: Choose Your Own Path. Foreword by Afghan Colonel A. Rahman Rahmani, a would-be terrorist who was deradicalized and later flew special operations combat missions against the Taliban-Haqqani network and aided evacuation of Afghans Pilots in 2021. 2020-2022, Lead Editor of the Foreign Area Officer Association book, Culture Shock: Leadership Lessons from the Military's Diplomatic Corps. Foreword by LTG (Ret) Charles Hooper. Publishing advisor and book formatting for 4 books. 2021: Brand Elverston's Proclivity and Nasirullah Safi's Get the Terp Up Here!2022: Brand Elverston's Instruments of Ignorance and Nasirullah Safi's Indispensable: Tale of a Military Interpreter Various Studies (contributor and author/co-author)2009, US Strategy Review of US and NATO Afghanistan Policy, ISAF2009, A Case Study in Security Sector Reform: Learning from Security Sector Reform/Building in Afghanistan (October 2002-September 2003), US Army War College press2010 Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan2021, “No Going Backward”: Afghanistan's Post–Peace Accord Security Sector, USIP2022, Afghan Women: “I Don't Feel Safe.” A Global Friends of Afghanistan survey report, GFA Select recent articles and columnsAug 2022, Afghanistan Has Become a Terrorist Paradise, The National InterestAug 2022, How Can We Help Afghanistan? Ask the Afghans, The National InterestMar 2022, Information Operations: How is Ukraine Different Than Afghanistan? ClearanceJobs NewsMar 2022, Lessons Learned from the Last 20 Years: 9 Flaws in the American Way of War, ClearanceJobsDec 2021, U.S. Foreign Affairs Influence and the Afghanistan Fallout for the U.S., ClearanceJobs NewsOct 2021, Why Afghan Peace Talks Got Derailed, ClearanceJobs NewsSep 2021, ‘You Are Fighting in the Wrong Country.' How We Failed Afghan Policy Miserably, The Pilot19 Aug 2021, Taliban Takeover in Kabul: Pakistani Invasion Complete in Afghanistan, ClearanceJobs9 Aug 2021, Where is the Taliban with the Doha Peace Process? ClearanceJobs NewsMay 2021, Terrorists Kill Around 90 Afghan Students: The World Shrugs, ClearanceJobs NewsApr 2021, Afghanistan Needs a Weaker President: Decentralizing power can be key to long-term peace, Foreign Policy, with Shabnam NasimiFeb 2021, Taliban Keep Showing True Colors with Mockery of the Doha Peace Process, ClearanceJobsJan 2021, Path to Peace in Afghanistan for the Biden Administration, ClearanceJobs NewsDec 2020, Time to Make the Taliban Diplomatically Uncomfortable, ClearanceJobs NewsFeb 2019, America, don't abandon Afghanistan…Again, CNN, with Abdul Rahman Rahmani

A suicide bomber took the life of Senior Chief Petty Officer & Cryptologist, Shannon Kent (U.S. Navy), on her 5th overseas deployment in 2019. Now, her husband and father of two, Green Beret Joe Kent (11 deployments), tells her story with Marty Skovlund, Jr., Army Ranger & Editor of Task & Purpose. Shannon Kent was an incredible linguist, patriot, and mother. This story is inspiring and uplifting notwithstanding the tragic circumstances of Shannon's death in Syria on an intel mission. Joe and Marty talk to host Jim Fausone.

This week, we chat with Diego Aceituno from Task & Purpose! He talks to us about his very unique background in both science AND serving in the United States Coast Guard, PLUS so much other stuff! Join us at: www.JoinCCA.org Visit us at: www.CCACalifornia.org

Navy veteran Jenna Carlton, known on social media as The Millennial Veteran, talks about her time in the Navy, transition to a government job, and an opinion piece written for Task & Purpose on the recruiting crisis.  Carlton contends younger vets will not help on the recruiting issue until their transition, mental and physical health issues are addressed by DOD and VA.  She talks to host Jim Fausone about life and military service.

The US Army wants to re-enlist soldiers who were discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines as the service grapples with increasing recruitment challenges. According to a report by Task & Purpose, around 1,900 anti-vaccine soldiers were sent letters with instructions on how to rejoin the force. Since the vaccine mandate was lifted in January 2023, only 43 out of 8,000 discharged soldiers have returned to service. In the army, only 19 soldiers have rejoined. Well, how about that? I guess going woke isn't building the ‘greatest fighting force on earth' now, is it? It surely ain't. On this episode of the NTEB Prophecy News Podcast, back in the ‘dark days' of 2021, the Pentagon decided to forcibly inject its military with the untested and unproven COVID-19 mRNA gene editing shot, and the results were decidedly not spectacular. Not only did the shot not stop soldiers from getting sick, and not stop sick soldiers from spreading it, it also caused many thousands of soldiers who rightly refused it to be discharged altogether. As it turned out, when people saw that military service came with forced injections, recruitment numbers went into the basement. In fact, the Army missed its goal by a whopping 25%. So what's the plan? Beg the soldiers they discharged to come back, give them a huge bonus for reenlisting, and hope it sparks new recruits to sign up. If it were me, I would not come back without a written apology from the Pentagon, admitting guilting and taking the blame for their horrendous actions. Today we look at how a ‘woke' military is the kiss-of-death for any nation who expects to win their next war. All this with breaking news headlines of what's happening right now around the globe!

Carey spoke with Marty Skovlund, Jr., a former Army Ranger, a journalist, and filmmaker. He founded both Havok Journal and Coffee or Die Magazine, and he is now the Editor-in-Chief at Task & Purpose.   They talked about mastering the art of transition.   You can follow Marty and Task & Purpose on Instagram where you can also follow Veteran Made for daily updates.  

To be a leader, you must commit to innovation and thought leadership. As emergency management leaders progress and lead throughout their careers, they often learn about leadership in professional development courses and on-the-job experiences. Emergency Managers learn about management based on their requirements to oversee the completion of essential workplace projects. However, we do not send emergency managers to training on how to be better followers.LinksWeb: https://titanhst.com/LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3KgRvv6Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titanhst/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TitanHSTFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TitanHST/Youtube: https://bit.ly/3mePJyG

Stuart Scheller served in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer for seventeen years. His five deployments included combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he was a Lieutenant Colonel, Scheller served as a battalion commander at the Marine Corps School of Infantry (SOI). In the summer of 2021, U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan. The withdrawal was poorly planned and hastily executed. The Taliban took over the entire country and surrounded Kabul airport. As Marines scrambled to secure the airport, a suicide attack caused the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers. Frustrated by these events, Stuart Scheller felt compelled to speak out. He made a public video that criticized military leadership. Shortly after releasing the video, he was fired from his job as a battalion commander. He then publicly resigned from the Marine Corps and continued to be critical of both the military and Marine Corps leadership. As a result, he was placed in the brig and court-martialed before leaving the Marine Corps in December 2021. The public nature of his call for accountability stirred a lot of controversy.   In the interview, we discuss his call for accountability as well as the following: What motivated Stuart Scheller to join the Marine Corps How he became disillusioned with the overall strategy in Afghanistan  Moral courage and when it's time to speak up What was going through his head as he prepared to make his first public call for accountability How the actions of General John K. Singlaub in the 1970s influenced his criticism of General McKenzie Stuart Scheller's contrarian views to include his thoughts on General Mattis The movie Black Hawk Dawn, the publication Task & Purpose, and books by Malcolm Gladwell Scheller's current political causes to include his support for Senate candidate Don Bolduc in New Hampshire Check out the videos: Stuart Scheller's first video, second video (from the bus), and third video  Stuart Scheller's website: https://authenticamericans.com/  Follow him on Twitter: @stuartscheller and Facebook Check out his book: Crisis of Command: How We Lost Trust and Confidence in America's Generals and Politicians Check out my recent article on accountability at The American Mind. Also, my book review of Angelo Codevilla's book, America's Rise and Fall among Nations. HELP SPREAD THE WORD! If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth. Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com   To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: tim@professionalmilitaryeducation.com 

This week, Francis speaks with Task & Purpose reporter Haley Britzky (@halbritz) about the recent Army public-relations disaster, in which a Major General defended women soldiers from Tucker Carlson and was… punished for doing so… by the Army. Sounds great!   For this week's bonus, Tom and Shocks review the 2011 Irish buddy cop film THE GUARD, featuring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. It's a fun little movie that is also the most successful independent Irish movie ever. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/33rd-county-part-73773097   *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week on the ‘What's Your Pineapple Express?' series, Scott had the honor of sitting down and speaking with an incredible leader – Jason Howk. Jason leads a non-profit organization called Global Friends of Afghanistan and has continued doing amazing work while keeping Afghanistan at the forefront. Join us this week as Jason shares his many years of experience in Afghanistan, gives us insight into some very important information, and shares what we need to learn from the abandonment of Afghanistan. Some of the things he reveals about what happened with this abandonment and more importantly, what's happening right under our noses in this growing safe haven will blow you away. Join Rooftop Nation!Website: https://www.rooftopleadership.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RooftopLeadershipInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rooftop_leadershipLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rooftop-leadershipTwitter: https://twitter.com/RooftopLeaderYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYOQ7CDJ6uSaGvmfxYC_skQ Select Afghanistan experiences and published works SummaryJason Criss Howk spent 23 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantry and Sapper Paratrooper, and also as a South Asia Foreign Area Officer (Soldier-Diplomat).  His work in Afghanistan began in 2002 and has continued until the present day as he leads the Global Friends of Afghanistan educational non-profit organization that monitors and leads discussions on Afghan issues. Jason has worked on Afghanistan portfolios at the tactical, operational, strategic, national policy and international policy levels. He has taken part in a variety of missions to include military, diplomatic, intelligence, academic, and humanitarian efforts. During his Afghanistan work Jason worked daily with dozens of generals, ambassadors, and political appointees with Afghan portfolios. Due to his assignments and knowledge of the topic, Jason is one of the few Americans that has been privy to the discussions of all 4 presidential administrations as they planned their Afghanistan policy. Jason studied both Arabic and Dari at the Defense Language Institute, is a professor at the USAF Special Operations School, and is a Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies. He holds a Master's Degree in South Asia and Middle East Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, is a CGSC graduate, and was a term-member of the Council on Foreign Relations from 2010-2015. Jason is an award-winning author who has written 4 books in English and has published over 225 works since 2008 in over 40 outlets. As a professor, lecturer, and columnist he focuses on Afghanistan, Islam, terrorism, and various National Security topics. For his work on Afghanistan Major Howk earned the Legion of Merit award for his years of exceptionally meritorious service as a Soldier-Statesman, and two Bronze Star Medals. He also earned the Afghanistan Governmental Success medal from the President of Afghanistan. Afghanistan ExperiencesSep 2002-Sep 2003       Sep-Nov 2003: Operations officer Coalition Task Force 82. Engineer Operations Officer on MG Vines General Staff at Bagram Airfield. Focus on engineer support to daily counter-terrorism operations across the country. His key effort was the completion of the FOB Salerno Airfield and Heliport in Khost province. Tactical and Operational level experiences in various Eastern Provinces.Nov 2002-Sep 2003: Aide De Camp to MG Karl Eikenberry as he took over as Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation-Afghanistan at the U.S. Embassy Kabul and also as the U.S. Security Coordinator. They worked daily with Afghan cabinet members across all parts of the government for the first year of the interim government and got to know all of them intimately. MG Eikenberry was tasked with implementing the international Security Sector Reform program in Afghanistan, and as Chief OMC-A creating the Afghan National Army and MOD from scratch. Their typical daily interactions included the leaders of UNAMA, NATO-Nation Embassies, ISAF, the 3-star US Forces Commander, CENTCOM, OSD, the Joint Staff, the Intelligence Community, regional ambassadors, the Special Forces leaders training the ANA, and the US Ambassador. For the majority of the year Jason was the sole note-taker in over 4,000 hours of meetings and the drafter of reports to State, OSD, and CENTCOM.2004-July 2007During an assignment in TRADOC Jason began to create and teach courses in the Army and at civilian institutions about Afghan and Islamic culture. He helped the Engineer School develop their Cultural, Counter-insurgency, and Counter-IED training for 2LTs deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq. During company command the Army selected Jason for the highly competitive Foreign Area Officer (FAO) program after completing a fellowship in Oman where he studied their insurgencies and how they rebuilt their nation after those conflicts. He continued to study Afghanistan and stayed in touch with his former boss LTG Karl Eikenberry who was the Combined Forces commander in Afghanistan.2007-2009 FAO TrainingIn FAO training he obtained a Master's Degree in South Asia and Middle East Security Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008. At NPS Jason focused on Afghanistan and the Oman counter-insurgency campaigns. He published a thesis on Oman's COIN and CT lessons which was distributed to his former bosses LTG Eikenberry, LTG McChrystal, and GEN Petraeus. He also wrote a directed study on the creation of the Afghan Military and the US Security Sector Reform efforts that was published as a monograph by the US Army War College in 2009 with a foreword by GEN McChrystal. That study was completed after many interviews with LTG Karl Eikenberry who was then assigned to NATO, just prior to his selection as Ambassador to Afghanistan.From 2008-2009 Jason attended Arabic language training at DLI until the day LTG McChrystal was nominated by President Obama to command ISAF. He was immediately ordered to the Pentagon to prepare LTG McChrystal for senate confirmation and to assist him when he took command in Kabul.2009-2010 As ADC to LTG McChrystal, Jason helped prepare him for his assignment and attended all meetings with Legislative and Executive branch leaders in Washington. Within hours of the Senate confirmation, they flew to Brussels to meet with NATO leaders and then onwards to Kabul Afghanistan. In Kabul Jason helped GEN McChrystal form trusting relationships with the same Afghan leaders Jason worked closely with when they first formed the government in 2002.For the next 2 months Jason traveled with GEN McChrystal to over half the provinces to listen to NATO and Afghan forces, and Afghan leaders to better understand the war.  Jason assisted COMISAF during the strategic review of the U.S. and NATO Afghanistan policy, often quietly liaising between GEN McChrystal and Ambassador Eikenberry, his new and old bosses.After the strategic review was sent to CENTCOM Jason was selected to initiate and design the NATO interagency team focused on reintegration — i.e., how former insurgents could rejoin society. GEN McChrystal loaned Jason to support the incoming Reintegration Advisor who had worked on a similar mission in Iraq and would carry out sensitive diplomatic missions.As the Military Assistant and Political Advisor to retired British Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb. They worked with the Afghan government as they developed their peace and reintegration policy with foreign governments, diplomats, and international organizations. This also helped launch the US/NATO peace process and made Jason one of the insiders on Afghan peace talks for over a decade.2010-2014After a year in Dari (Afghan Farsi) language training at DLI, and graduation from the Army Command and General Staff College, Jason was assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Afghanistan and Pakistan Task Force. In that role, he led two of the highest-level interagency teams of Afghanistan and Pakistan experts in providing products and briefings for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and OSD leadership, and the White House.  Also in that role, his teams helped prepare four different Generals to assume senior commands in Afghanistan. One of his team's key efforts was monitoring and helping U.S. leaders prepare for diplomatic negotiations with the Taliban.2015-2021After retiring in 2015, Jason continued his focus on Afghanistan and Islam as a professor at numerous institutes and continued to advise the U.S. and Afghan governments, and international bodies.From 2016 to 2017, he served as an advisor on the Presidential Transition Team's National Security cell focused on the Afghan peace process and foreign relations with Islamic nations. He contributed ideas to both the 2017 National Security Strategy and 2018 National Strategy for Counterterrorism.From 2017 onwards he served as an advisor on conflict resolution to the U.S. government, NATO member states, parts of the U.N., the Afghan President's NSC staff, and the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces leadership.Jason was invited to give presentations at the 2019 and 2020 Central and South Asia Military Intelligence conferences at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). His topics included the future of the ANDSF, and the Unconventional Warfare efforts of Pakistan against Afghan and NATO forces.Jason led a USIP project team to assess post-conflict security in Afghanistan that culminated in a an invitation from the Afghan President and UN Chief in Kabul to give a presentation to over 70 nations at the 2020 U.N. Donor Conference on Afghanistan in Geneva.A second USIP project allowed his team to remain involved in the peace process until August 2021 as part of a U.S. Institute of Peace project authorized to conduct Track-2 diplomacy while talking to the Afghan government, various parts of Afghan society, and Taliban supporters.From 2019-2021 during both USIP projects his team took part in the USIP-led discussions that contributed to the congressionally-mandated Afghanistan Study Group Report. “A Pathway for Peace in Afghanistan” was published in February 2021.August 2021 OnwardsAfter the collapse of the Afghan republic while Jason was virtually assisting the evacuation of at-risk Afghans from Kabul, he and his colleagues formed the Global Friends of Afghanistan non-profit (GFA) to speak and write about Afghanistan and ensure the topic of Afghanistan was not removed from the daily news, and to help Afghans raise their voices to the outside world. On 1 September 2022 GFA held their inaugural annual conference with Georgetown University to discuss the evacuation and resettlement of Afghans, and the humanitarian crisis and security collapse in Afghanistan. Writing ExperienceSummaryJason has written 5 books, was on the editing team of the FAO Association International Affairs Journal, and was the senior editor for A Voice for Two Nations blog. He has published over 225 articles, essays, and news reports in over 40 outlets. He is a mentor to writers and a member of the Military Writers Guild, where he edits and co-authors with new writers. Most recently he has begun publishing U.S. veterans and Afghan book authors at Tamarisk Press a niche publishing assistance non-profit. His work has been published in the following outlets: CNN, Fast Company, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, ClearanceJobs News, Military Times, The Cipher Brief, US Institute of Peace, The Global Observatory, Small Wars Journal, Divergent Options, From The Green Notebook, The Bridge, The Forge, The Foreign Service Journal, The FAOA Journal, Observer, Task&Purpose, Business Insider, Real Clear Defense and Politics, SOFX The Special Operations Forces Network, US Army War College, Naval Postgraduate School, O-Dark-Thirty, and in various Afghan newspapers like Reporterly, and Hasht e Subh. He also discusses Afghanistan, Terrorism, and Islam on CNN, Afghan International Persian, TRT World, and Voice of America, and appears on other news and radio outlets.Select Publications Books2012, Lions in the Path of Stability and Security: Oman's Response to Pressing Issues in the Middle East. My 2008 NPS thesis was published in Oman in Arabic.2017, The Quran: A Chronological Modern English Interpretation. Gold Medal Winner at the National Indie Excellence Awards2021, Leaders Always Go a Little Further: ...Unless They Trip. Foreword by LtGen Sir Graeme Lamb.2021, Ali's American Dream: An Iraqi Refugee's Story of Survival and Triumph. Foreword by SIV recipient Nasirullah Safi formerly of Afghanistan.2022, U.S. War Options in Afghanistan: Choose Your Own Path. Foreword by Afghan Colonel A. Rahman Rahmani, a would-be terrorist who was deradicalized and later flew special operations combat missions against the Taliban-Haqqani network and aided evacuation of Afghans Pilots in 2021. 2020-2022, Lead Editor of the Foreign Area Officer Association book, Culture Shock: Leadership Lessons from the Military's Diplomatic Corps. Foreword by LTG (Ret) Charles Hooper. Publishing advisor and book formatting for 4 books. 2021: Brand Elverston's Proclivity and Nasirullah Safi's Get the Terp Up Here!2022: Brand Elverston's Instruments of Ignorance and Nasirullah Safi's Indispensable: Tale of a Military Interpreter Various Studies (contributor and author/co-author)2009, US Strategy Review of US and NATO Afghanistan Policy, ISAF2009, A Case Study in Security Sector Reform: Learning from Security Sector Reform/Building in Afghanistan (October 2002-September 2003), US Army War College press2010 Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Programme, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan2021, “No Going Backward”: Afghanistan's Post–Peace Accord Security Sector, USIP2022, Afghan Women: “I Don't Feel Safe.” A Global Friends of Afghanistan survey report, GFA Select recent articles and columnsAug 2022, Afghanistan Has Become a Terrorist Paradise, The National InterestAug 2022, How Can We Help Afghanistan? Ask the Afghans, The National InterestMar 2022, Information Operations: How is Ukraine Different Than Afghanistan? ClearanceJobs NewsMar 2022, Lessons Learned from the Last 20 Years: 9 Flaws in the American Way of War, ClearanceJobsDec 2021, U.S. Foreign Affairs Influence and the Afghanistan Fallout for the U.S., ClearanceJobs NewsOct 2021, Why Afghan Peace Talks Got Derailed, ClearanceJobs NewsSep 2021, ‘You Are Fighting in the Wrong Country.' How We Failed Afghan Policy Miserably, The Pilot19 Aug 2021, Taliban Takeover in Kabul: Pakistani Invasion Complete in Afghanistan, ClearanceJobs9 Aug 2021, Where is the Taliban with the Doha Peace Process? ClearanceJobs NewsMay 2021, Terrorists Kill Around 90 Afghan Students: The World Shrugs, ClearanceJobs NewsApr 2021, Afghanistan Needs a Weaker President: Decentralizing power can be key to long-term peace, Foreign Policy, with Shabnam NasimiFeb 2021, Taliban Keep Showing True Colors with Mockery of the Doha Peace Process, ClearanceJobsJan 2021, Path to Peace in Afghanistan for the Biden Administration, ClearanceJobs NewsDec 2020, Time to Make the Taliban Diplomatically Uncomfortable, ClearanceJobs NewsFeb 2019, America, don't abandon Afghanistan…Again, CNN, with Abdul Rahman Rahmani

Former Navy officer, Thibaut Delloue, has seen firsthand the problems that have plagued the US surface Navy for years. His book, The Wardroom, begins as a memoir. However, it turns into a straightforward assessment of issues that have led to several high-profile accidents, which included the collisions of the USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald. Both warships crashed in 2017 and resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors.  We discuss Thibaut's experience as a surface warfare officer (SWO) to include his training and lack thereof. Thibaut served on the destroyer USS Carney. His experience included tracking Russian submarines and battling ISIS in Libya. Topics of discussion also include:  An overview of the surface Navy and the areas of operations known as “fleets” How a Navy officer becomes a SWO Why the current training and readiness pipeline is insufficient The inability of the surface Navy to be ready for future wars unless changes are made The leadership and command climate within the surface Navy that prioritizes bureaucracy over real leadership The recent spate of high-profile accidents and the many causes that led to them The difference between the US surface Navy and other Navies including the Chinese Navy Thibaut has written about the military for publications like Task & Purpose, the US Naval Institute, War on the Rocks, and The War Horse. He now works in education in Nashville, Tennessee.  Check out his website to see more of his writings and background: https://thibautdelloue.com/ His book can be found on Amazon.    HELP SPREAD THE WORD! If you like the interview and want to hear others, subscribe in iTunes, Spotify, or Audible. Support the show with written reviews, share on social media, and through word of mouth.    I recently started a Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/pmecomplete Please consider showing your support for the show by becoming a patron.    To request additional shows or guests, e-mail me: tim@professionalmilitaryeducation.com  Check out the website: www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com  

Welcome back LoLheads! Are we finally talking about Desmond? You know it! JP and Adam are joined by the wonderful Nicholas Slayton to talk about geometry, Superman, and getting wine drunk! We also chat about why Jin rules (natch), who likes who, and who "like" likes who! And once you're done with that, check out Nicholas' James Bond show, The Other Fellas, at the YouTube link below. AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT, check out some of Nicholas' articles at Task & Purpose! We should all get off our phones and go camping with the boys more, but then we'd miss out on all this dope content. Damned if you do, and damned if you don't, it's CATCH-22 on Lost on Lost! The Other Fellas - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0VLNcugcvjTzDVNhu7YKg Task & Purpose - https://taskandpurpose.com/  

Last week Haley Britzky, the Army reporter for Task & Purpose, an online publication covering the US military, visited Fort Bragg, North Carolina to report on the Army Comprehensive Body Composition study taking place on base. While there, she stopped by the podcast studio for a discussion with host Joe Buccino. In this episode, Haley describes Task & Purpose's mandate to speak to and for the American Soldier. She also talks about her (young) reporting career, some of her recent stories about Army initiatives, and how she keeps her finger on the pulse of Army culture. The two also talk about Joe's love for Guns N' Roses, the value of keeping an eye on Army Twitter, and how Haley knows she written a valuable story. This is a great discussion for anyone interested in the intersection of Army leadership and journalism, and the role of the media in holding military leaders to account. The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. We release new episodes every Tuesday on current events, history, and service member stories. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify to ensure you do not miss any episodes. Please leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps other find the program.

A former general officer in the U.S. Army, Dana Pittard earned the Hero Award for Suicide Prevention from the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation in 2017. The following year, Dana Pittard became one of Savoy Magazine's Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America for his leadership in the defense industry as vice president at Allison Defense. Alongside leading Allison Defense into five straight years of increasing revenue and growth since joining the company in 2015, Dana Pittard took an executive financial management course at the Wharton School of Business and a corporate executive leadership course at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Previously, he attended Harvard University as a senior fellow for a year. He earned a master's degree from the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), and a bachelor's from the United States Military Academy. He has recently held interviews across national major news networks and is a regular contributor on CNN, Fox News, PBS, CBS, ABC and NPR on race relations, diversity and inclusion, military issues, Middle East policy, ISIS, and veteran's issues. Pittard has been published and interviewed in the Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy Magazine, Military Times, Task & Purpose, Politico, Insider, and many other news outlets. Dana Pittard has also become known for his writing on military subjects. He coauthored a highly acclaimed book titled “Hunting the Caliphate - America's War on ISIS” in 2019. He was a contributing author to the book, “By Their Deeds Alone - America's Combat Commanders on the Art of War.” He also wrote articles such as “The Armor Task Force in Mountainous Terrain,””13th Century Mongol Operational Art,” and “Genghis Khan & 13th Century Airland Battle.”

Guest: Retired U.S. Army Maj. General Gregg Martin   A retired Army general shares his story of what it was like to experience bouts of mania and depression while on active duty — symptoms that would eventually lead to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. He shares details about how the mental health condition affected his career and what he's doing now to ensure others don't encounter the same barriers to getting help or feeling the stigma as he did.   “Bipolar — I never wanted it, but it wanted me. And it's never going to leave. It's always a part of me, and it's my job to be vigilant and keep it at bay because if you let your guard down, it can come roaring back and take you down again.”   Learn more about: Gen. Martin's work to “stop the stigma” His story in Task & Purpose, Military Times & Florida Today David Woods Bartley's Ted Talk Disruptive Storytelling with Military Changemakers is a bi-weekly podcast presented by Partners in PROMISE, a nonprofit dedicated to Protecting the Rights Of Military children In Special Education (P.R.O.M.I.S.E.). This season of the podcast is sponsored by the Modern Military Association of America with music by Stephen McDonough.   Want to tell your Disruptive Story? Connect with Partners in PROMISE: info@partnersinpromise.org    Or follow us: Facebook - @partnersinPROMISE Instagram - @partnersinpromise Twitter - @PartnersinPROM1 thepromiseact.org

The Scuttlebutt welcomes veteran, educator, and writer, Ben Abel to the program to talk about his recent op-ed in Task & Purpose, ‘You either went to war or you didn't' — How deployments divide the vet community. Ben and Shaun talk about his service, his family's extensive military history, the military/civilian divide, and the language divide that exists in the veteran community between those who saw combat and those who didn't. For more information as to why veterans who didn't see combat may feel guilty or cheated, check out this Military.com article. And as always, please like, share, subscribe, and ring the bell on YouTube. Ben's article Jim LaPorta's article

In 1959, Marine pilot William Rankin parachuted from a malfunctioning jet into a violent thunderstorm. The ordeal that followed is almost unique in human experience. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Rankin's harrowing adventure, which has been called "the most prolonged and fantastic parachute descent in history." We'll also hear your thoughts on pronunciation and puzzle over mice and rice. Intro: How do mirrors "know" to reverse writing? Artist Alex Queral carves portraits from telephone books. Sources for our feature on William Rankin: William H. Rankin, The Man Who Rode the Thunder, 1960. Andras Sóbester, Stratospheric Flight: Aeronautics at the Limit, 2011. Stefan Bechtel and Tim Samaras, Tornado Hunter: Getting Inside the Most Violent Storms on Earth, 2009. Gavin Pretor-Pinney, The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds, 2007. Christopher C. Burt, Extreme Weather: A Guide & Record Book, 2007. Robert Jackson, Baling Out: Amazing Dramas of Military Flying, 2006. David Fisher and William Garvey, eds., Wild Blue: Stories of Survival From Air and Space, 2000. Missy Allen and Michel Peissel, Dangerous Natural Phenomena, 1993. Sally Lee, Predicting Violent Storms, 1989. James Clark, "The Incredible Story of the Marine Who Rode Lightning," Task & Purpose, June 17, 2016. Burkhard Bilger, "Falling: Our Far-Flung Correspondents," New Yorker 83:23 (Aug. 13, 2007), 58. "The Nightmare Fall," Time, Aug. 17, 1959. Paul Simons, "Weather Eye," Times, Aug. 8, 2016. Paul Simons, "US Airman Survived a Thunder Tumble," Times, April 22, 2006. Paul Simons, "Weatherwatch," Guardian, Aug. 30, 2001. Brendan McWillams, "Jumping Into the Eye of a Thunderstorm," Irish Times, June 22, 2001. Harry Kursh, "Thunderstorm!" South Bend [Ind.] Tribune, May 26, 1963. "Marine Flier Bails Out, But It Takes Him 40 Minutes to Land," Indianapolis Star, Aug. 8, 1959. "Tossed by Elements Half-Hour," [Davenport, Iowa] Quad-City Times, Aug. 8, 1959. "Bails Out 9 Miles Up ... Into a Storm," Des Moines [Iowa] Tribune, Aug. 7, 1959. Listener mail: "Rhoticity in English," Wikipedia (accessed Aug. 7, 2021). "Mechelen," Wikipedia (accessed Aug. 7, 2021). Marieke Martin, "Where Did You Say You Were? The Perils of Place Name Pronunciation," BBC Blogs, Sept. 4, 2013. "History of Melbourne," Wikipedia (accessed Aug. 8, 2021). "Melbourne," Wikipedia (accessed Aug. 8, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jon-Richard. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

Pulling out three key elements of Leaders Intent from NWCG discussed in PPP81.

This week, The Scuttlebutt gets a jumpstart on PTSD Awareness Month. Co-host and Army veteran, Ryan Ahl, takes the reins in a special episode of The Scuttlebutt where we attempt to demystify PTSD by asking important questions and providing some answers on available research, symptoms, and types of treatment available. There's plenty of information available online but recent articles in Task & Purpose, USNews.com, and PTSD.VA.gov, are excellent resources for those looking to learn more about this very important topic.  For our audio listeners: head to veteransbreakfastclub.org/scuttlebutt to watch the video version of this week's episode and read more. And a big thank you to D&D Metal Recycling and Auto Salvage for sponsoring the Scuttlebutt! https://danddautosalvage.com/

Presented by ArborTech Tools! Visit ArborTechTools.com/Zero and use promo code "Zero" for 25% off the best woodcarving tools you can get. ROUND 1: A Sergeant Major in 2/7 is getting roasted like a green weenie over the hot coals of NCO rage this week & there’s viral memes to prove it. Why? Apparently he went Grinch mode and threatened to take the Marine’s holiday leave away. ROUND 2: In the wake of Vanessa Guillén’s murder, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy announced that 14 leaders at Fort Hood were being fired or suspended, and an independent review has revlealed an environment where women were in “survival mode”. We speak with Haley Britzkey of Task & Purpose who’s been covering the story. ROUND 3: Shhhhh, keep it down, round 3 is about the quietest place in the United States and the how the Navy is ruining that WITH THEIR LOUD ASS PLANES ROUND 4: Cons is sitting down with former Naval Academy and NFL player Napoleon McCallum to talk about a game that is happening this weekend or something. Who knows ROUND 5: Kyle took to ZBT Twitter to ask you to “Tell us you’re in the military without telling us you’re in the military”... Some great responses to close out the week. If you don't know the song at the end of the episode you're too young to be in the military.

Do you need to take a break? Stand by for another Froglogic Podcast where host, David 'Rut' Rutherford brings levity to difficult times. In this weeks hilarious episode, Rut welcomes actor, writer, comedian, and Marine, Jack Mandaville to this weeks show. Jack launched his post military life as a writer for Veteran blogs like Task & Purpose and Duffleblog. His slapstick humor and outrageous wit has elevated the comedic power of Veteran companies like Ranger Up, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Vet TV, and Black Ops Grooming. Please join Jack and Rut as they talk comedy on every level. Check Jack's out perpetual displays of classic nouveau comedy on his social media page @jackmandaville. Giddy up. Award-winning Podcast Host, David Rutherford reignites his Froglogic Podcast by answering life's greatest questions. Listen to this former Navy SEAL Medic, CIA Contractor, best-selling author, and World Series Champion motivational performance coach, give his unique and profound insight about the human condition. www.teamfroglogic.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/froglogic-podcast/support

THE SNAKE IS BACK!!   There is a video that Bloomberg made after Sunday where he says “Only Cops should have Guns” so will he disarm his Bodyguards”no they were Cops prior to working for me so they could have guns!”Phony azzhole”!   Law that saved lives at White Settlement shooting doesn’t sit will with the Head Mommy Shannon W. her and her ILK LOBBIED AGAINGST the law,…does she Google her own Press clips? ACCORDING to Task & Purpose and Military.com, Marine MP’S May now Carry personal Concealed weapons on base as long as they meet the requirements of section 962B of the LEOSA Law! One Gunnery Sgt who is part of the Individual Personal Weapons Project is cleared to carry His own S&W M&P Gen 2 Compact. MagLULA suing Amazon over counterfeit products!(Pete from TFB)   According to Kentucky Rep Tom Massie” the 2a Sanctuary movement in KY is strong!he says Sheriffs may go to jail to try and protect the 2A   Alabama State Rep to prepare Bill for Use of Force in Churches “we want the same law as Texas!”   In VA everything firearms and accessories are flying off the shelves!   Nevada Universal Background check law took effect Midnight January 1   Florida Gun Bills would turn state into unfriendly place for Gun owners…   Ill(the state not his health) Man stops car jacking with sidearm!   Industry news   RUGER STRIKES AGAIN!! meet the Ruger 57, a 20 Rd capacity 5.7X28 caliber pistol for half the $$ of an FN…   COLT RELEASES THE FIRST PYTHON SINCE 1995!! MSRP $1199 for a 4-1/4” Stainless and $1499 for a 6” Stainless no word on Blued models yet. redesigned with12 less in herbal parts while externals are the same! Colt only destroyed the machines that did i intervals! If its as good as the KING Cobra Target you may see me selling g Newspapers on the corner to save up for a new Python! i already have a wed Am appt with a COLT REP!   PSA now selling M&P 15-22 mags for $20!     Federal Force X2 shotgun Ammo, Buckshot that splits in half!!!   Brownells sale 1000 Rds of 45ACP 230 Gr Ball for $260   Gun  shops see uptic in sales to House of worship personnel, see largest sales in 9MM 1911’s, Glocks, and Ruger 9MM handguns.   Snap Safe leaves you no excuse for not having a Gunsafe!   What is the Best way to Carry ON Body? Off Body?   Emails from Danny R, Jim “hot Rod” L, Mike D From VA, Ronnie D, and Laurie A, Efraim K    

Minimalism is intentionally living with only the things you really need. Minimalists maintain that there are benefits to minimalist living, like reduced anxiety, lower expenses, increased productivity, and living a more fulfilling life. But not all minimalists go so far as to reduce their possessions to live out of a van ... for years ... intentionally. My guest today is author David Soto Jr. and he is (or maybe was) one of these van life minimalists.  David is a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant who didn't realize until reaching his forties that he was a writer. He has contributed to The Good Men Project, Task & Purpose, and Your Tango. His debut novella, "Los Chocolates de Esperanza Diamanté," has changed the course of his writing career, sparking a series of follow up books based on the characters he created.  In a future episode we will discuss his literary pursuits, but today we focus on David's extraordinary life to get a better glimpse into the world of minimalism. Is it really as great as some claim it to be? How do van life minimalists, for example, deal with boredom and the potential demons that will inevitably haunt you as you spend hours and hours a day in silence with your own thoughts? How does one become a minimalist? And what kind of person becomes one? David and spoke to us back in July, and today we share that conversation. Join us as we explore van life minimalism. This episode was produced by Julián Esteban Torres López. Please follow The Nasiona on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for regular updates: @TheNasiona https://thenasiona.com/

Sergeant First Class Michael “Rod” Rodriguez is a retired Special Forces Green Beret with nine deployments, from his first in Somalia with 10th Mountain Division to his last in Afghanistan with 7th Special Forces Group.  His last assignment was as a Sniper Instructor at Fort Bragg (Range 37) where he was medically retired after 21 years of continuous service for numerous injuries he received while in service to our great nation. Rod joins Task & Purpose to discuss the current issues facing the Special Forces Community. From the the murder of a Green Beret in Mali, to drug smuggling, and a second murder in Iraq; It's time to begin asking what is going wrong culturally and how we can address it.

On this edition of ZBT the whole crew puts former Congressman Duncan Hunter in the blender for disrespecting the troops. Zach Iscol joins the show to discuss his service and what its like running Task & Purpose. Cons gives a history lesson, we open up some doggie bags, and more.

Zach Iscol, Grid North  Brand Building Through Consistency & Caring  Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Zach Iscol, Founder of Grid North - which is comprised of Hirepurpose, Task & Purpose, & Millitary One Click.  Zach, a combat decorated Marine Officer served as the first officer in charge of Recruiting, Screening, Assessment, and Selection (RSAS) for the US Marine Corps Forces - Special Operations Command. With this in mind, I was especially keen to learn how his military experiences have influenced how he thinks about and acts upon the art / science of building brand and product.  For the full episode on the Branded Podcast you can click here.  Here's what I learned:  Who are you with? When we share experiences that transcend everyday mundane activities or have a shared sense of service, it connects and bonds you and the community that you are trying to build.  Consistency Creates Community: In the military, you are asked to take a bullet for someone else, this is an immense amount of responsibility. Core to that responsibility is the ability to show up day in and day out. In todays social media landscape, brands can reach you any where you are, but in order to create real community, it takes consistency, day in and day out.  A brand is a promise that you make and a promise that you keep Purpose to Product Through Line: In the military you are given a task and a reason for that task. Similarly, in business the through-line between a tactic, feature or a product should be directly apparent.  False divisions: The power of diverse conversation, when you listen, and amazing thing happens - common motivations emerge, even through folks might have differing labels.  Brands don't have to be polarizing: The middle ground be better, listening and facilitating conversation is better than creating divisiveness.  Consistency and Caring: You have to care and you have to back up the promises you are making.  Networks & Non Zero Sum Games: The win win win, evolving from the mind that wants to compete for resources, partnering that creates more value for customers and clients.  For all of these insights and many more, check out the full episode on The Branded Podcast.

This week's warrior is Army veteran Adam Linehan. Adam Linehan is a senior staff writer for Task & Purpose. Between 2006-2012, he served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army, and is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to joining Task & Purpose, Adam was a staff editor at Maxim. Adam joins us to talk about being a post-military veteran, his transition, writing at Task & Purpose, the veteran space, what it means to be a warrior, what challenges he faces, and what ultimately inspires him. "It's about believing in something bigger than yourself," Adam said. Be sure to follow Adam and the team on Twitter and let us know what you think of the interview. @adam_linehan @TimLawson21 @LockNLoadJava @LawsonEntertain

Lauren, Weirick, and Nate examine military regulations, race, and double standards following a controversy over a photo taken by 16 black female cadets from West Point. Also, Lauren interviews John Lee Dumas about how veterans make natural entrepreneurs. And Weirick reads more comments from Task & Purpose readers.

Task & Purpose Radio talks Donald Trump and how he favors with the military and veterans community. Weirick is out this week after he was injured falling off a horse (no, really, that happened), so Task & Purpose’s Editor-in-Chief Brian Adam Jones joins the podcast.

The crew discusses the increase in troop numbers in Iraq and Syria and why the White House keeps denying, or at least refusing to say outright, that we have boots on the ground in combat. Nate and Weirick take Task & Purpose’s quiz, “Quiz: Which Of These 7 Infantry Guys Are You?” Lauren interviews the podcast’s producer Army vet Karl Morand. And Weirick reads comments from our loyal fan base.

Sam Pressler is the founder and executive director of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), and a 2015 Echoing Green Global Fellow. Under Sam’s leadership, ASAP launched the only stand-up comedy class for veterans in the United States, and the largest writing group for veterans in Virginia. Sam graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from the College of William & Mary (’15), where he was a Ewell Award recipient, McGlennon Scholar, and TEDx Innovative Thinker. His efforts with ASAP have been covered by CNN, ABC News, BBC, Washington Post, NPR, the Military Times, Stars & Stripes, Soldiers Magazine, and Task & Purpose, among others. http://veteranpodcast.com/045

This week on Task & Purpose Radio, Lauren Katzenberg interviews former Army Spc. Cody Full, who was members of the same three-man fire team before Bergdahl disappeared. Lauren, Nate Bethea, and James Weirick discuss a new report released by the Government Accountability Office on hazing in the military. Weirick reads some real messages that Task & Purpose has received to its Facebook page

On episode 1 of Task & Purpose radio, host Lauren Katzenberg gives you a rundown the latest news from the Bowe Bergdahl case with co-hosts James Weirick, a former judge advocate in the Marine Corps, and Nate Bethea, who was an officer in Bergdahl’s battalion in Afghanistan. Weirick and Nate weigh in on Bergdahl’s motivations for launching the DUSTWUN in June 2009 when he walked off base in Paktika province, Afghanistan. We also discuss how the team behind the viral podcast Serial decided to focus on Bergdahl for season two and its implications for the case. Finally, what does it mean when the only person with access to Bergdahl is Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal?