Best Modern War Institute At West Point Podcasts (2024)

1
Combat in a Technological War 58:54

3d ago58:54

58:54

In 2016, Brennan Deveraux was deployed to a small base in Baghdad called Union III. An artillery officer, Brennan worked in a small group known as a strike cell, where he was the theater-level rocket artillery liaison for Operation Inherent Resolve. Over the course of the deployment, he fired more than five hundred HIMARS rockets in support of Iraq…

1
Afghanistan Three Years Later: Alliances and Rivalries 55:54

7d ago55:54

55:54

Episode 113 examines the challenges presented by the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) in Afghanistan within the context of the three-year anniversary of U.S. withdrawal from the region. Our guests share their extensive backgrounds, research, and practical experience related to the emergence of ISK in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They define the current op…

1
The Modern Commander 35:56

7d ago35:56

35:56

Would Patton be an effective battlefield commander today? Do the characteristics of successful commanders generally remain constant over time? Or do they evolve alongside—and in response to—the changing character of warfare? And if they do change, what traits will commanders need on the battlefields of today and tomorrow? Dr. Anthony King, the auth…

51
A Helicopter and an IED 47:55

17d ago47:55

47:55

As a lieutenant, Maj. Jesse Lansford was deployed to Afghanistan. A Kiowa helicopter pilot assigned as an aviation platoon leader, he rarely found himself on foot outside the wire. But on one day his helicopter had to land. He spent a brief time on the ground, but it was enough for him to encounter an IED. He joins this episode of The Spear to tell…

1
Israeli-Iranian Rivalry and the Middle Eastern Security Landscape 34:37

21d ago34:37

34:37

For weeks, after an Israeli strike that killed a senior Hezbollah commander and the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, tensions between Israel and Iran have spiked. So far, Iran has yet to follow through on its threats to retaliate against Israel. But these heightened tensions, like the period earlier this year when Israel killed senior officers …

1
SOF in Competition - Special Project 51:41

21d ago51:41

51:41

Episode 112 is the launch podcast for the SOF in Competition Special Project. The Irregular Warfare Initiative proudly announces the SOF in Competition Project. The intent is to coalesce the community of SOF policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to understand the role of SOF in addressing contemporary and future national security challenges…

1
Sniper Fire in Baghdad 1:09:45

30d ago1:09:45

1:09:45

In the fall of 2006, Rory McGovern was a company fire support officer assigned to a combined arms team operating in the area around Abu Ghraib, Iraq. The day after Christmas, he was on a security patrol in support of a local sheikh’s Hajj send-off party when a shot rang out. McGovern had been hit. He shares the story of that encounter with the snip…

1
Do we need a Cyber Force? Part 2: Arguments Against a Seventh Service 50:52

1M ago50:52

50:52

Episode 111 examines the arguments against a United States Cyber Force. This episode is a two part series of Project Cyber that looks at the arguments for and against a Cyber Force. Our guests share their backgrounds and the history of the U.S. Cyber Command. They express their skepticism towards forming a new cyber force, advocating instead for co…

1
F-16s Over Ukraine 55:30

1M ago55:30

55:30

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian government began asking its international supporters to provide it with combat aircraft. By 2023, a number of NATO members had agreed to provide training on the US-made F-16 to Ukrainian pilots, and last summer it was announced that a number of F-16s would be provided to Ukraine. No…

1
Urban Strongpoints 1:04:33

2M ago1:04:33

1:04:33

A strongpoint is a heavily fortified battle position tied to a natural or reinforcing obstacle. It is used to create an anchor for the defense or to deny the enemy decisive or key terrain. Throughout the history of urban warfare, buildings turned into strongpoints have played an outsized role. Multiweek battles have even been fought over single bui…

1
One Day in Panjwai District 49:01

2M ago49:01

49:01

Lt. Col. Brian Kitching joins this episode of The Spear to share a story from a 2012 deployment in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar Province. Two months into the deployment, the company he commanded was taking part in a large, seven-day clearing operation. They made contact with enemy fighters on both of the first two days, but on the third day of t…

1
Why Military Cohesion Matters 50:02

2M ago50:02

50:02

The term "cohesion" features prominently in discussions of military effectiveness, especially at the small-unit level. We all know intuitively what it means, but understanding how to develop and nurture it in practice is a challenge. That's even more true as technological advances continue to make constant connectivity with the outside world easier…

1
Illicit Financing of Violence in Sudan 44:09

2M ago44:09

44:09

Episode 110 examines Illicit financing of violence in Sudan and Africa. Our guests begin by outlining definitions for licit and illicit networks in the context sponsoring proxies in and violence in Sudan. From there, they delve into how state actors use illicit networks to achieve objectives in competition. Finally, our guests offer insights to the…

1
No-Fly Zone 50:59

2M ago50:59

50:59

In 1998, retired US Air Force Colonel Mike "Starbaby" Pietrucha was an electronic warfare officer flying in an F-15E Strike Eagle, enforcing the northern no-fly zone over Iraq in the 1990s. In this episode, he brings listeners into the cockpit as he describes one particular mission during that deployment, when his aircraft was targeted by a radar g…

1
Competition and Conflict in Cyberspace 1:08:39

2M ago1:08:39

1:08:39

How does cyberspace differ from the other warfighting domains—land, sea, air, and space? What challenges do those differences pose? Does cyber require unique approaches to talent manage to ensure the US military can recruit, promote, and retain the talent it needs? What resources are needed to effectively compete in cyberspace, and are those differ…

1
Do we need a Cyber Force? Part 1: Arguments for a Seventh Service 43:37

2M ago43:37

43:37

Episode 109 examines a recent report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on the arguments for a United States Cyber Force. This episode is a two part series of Project Cyber that looks at the arguments for and against a Cyber Force. Our guests delve into their long-standing experiences with U.S. Cyber Command and detail the current chall…

1
Sadr City's Three-Block War 29:48

3M ago29:48

29:48

For Bill “Fenway” Wyman, Sadr City in 2004 was a strange mix of combat and humanitarian missions. Fenway, then an Army major, was servince as a a civil affairs team leader, advising the commander of the 2-5 Cavalry on how to win local trust, support humanitarian operations, and spur economic development. In this episode, he recounts a pair of event…

1
US Alliances Politics in the Indo-Pacific 1:00:18

3M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Optimists argue that alliances are a source of strength for American foreign policy, lending significant advantage over competitors like China. Skeptics argue that the United States overpays and overextends itself in its alliances, and should instead take on fewer commitments and encourage its allies to bear more of the burden. But what are the adv…

1
Drones are Here to Stay: The Proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Systems Across the Spectrum of War 1:00:00

3M ago1:00:00

1:00:00

Episode 108 examines the use of unmanned aerial systems across the spectrum of conflict. This episode is part of IWI’s special project, Project Air and Space Power. Our guests explore the use of the full range of UAS technology by both state and nonstate actors. They unpack the democratization of air power through the proliferation of small unmanne…

1
Clausewitz and the War in Ukraine 46:26

3M ago46:26

46:26

The Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz is held in high regard among US military scholars. But it can be challenging at times to apply his ideas—with necessary nuance—to real-world security challenges. In this episode, Dr. Donald Stoker, a professor at the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School and the author of Clausewitz: His …

1
Five Days in Paktia 58:43

3M ago58:43

58:43

In this episode of The Spear, MWI's John Amble is joined by Maj. Jacob Absalon. He shares a story from his first deployment in 2009, as a lieutenant and platoon leader in eastern Afghanistan Paktia province. Toward the end of a five-day operation, after meeting with a local key leader, the platoon and a partnered Afghan National Army force came und…

1
The Harding Project and Army Professional Writing 39:21

3M ago39:21

39:21

Last September, the Harding Project launched with the objective of renewing professional writing in the US Army. A priority of General Randy George, the Army chief of staff, the project is built on the premise that professional discourse will produce a more ready force, one prepared to meet the challenges it will confront as the character of warfar…

1
Paramilitaries Abroad: China’s Use of Nontraditional Security Forces 54:15

3M ago54:15

54:15

Episode 107 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines how China uses its paramilitary and internal security forces to project power abroad and build global influence. Our guests begin by dissecting the Chinese security apparatus: contrasting the People’s Liberation Army with the CCP’s internal police forces and paramilitaries. They then explore how…

1
Defending Against Drones 54:44

3M ago54:44

54:44

No unit in the US Army has more experience defending against drone attacks than 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. During a recent deployment to the Middle East, spread out across eight bases in Iraq and Syria, the brigade was targeted more than one hundred times by drones known as one-way attack unmanned aircraft systems. The brigade…

1
Public Opinion and the Use of Force 55:39

3M ago55:39

55:39

Every four years, Americans choose a new commander-in-chief. US presidents have significant authority to use force, manage a global network of alliances and partnerships, as well as direct American grand strategy. How do voters decide who they want to be commander-in-chief? To explore that question, Dr. Alexandra Chinchilla is joined on this episod…

1
Apaches in Action 34:41

3M ago34:41

34:41

This episode features a conversation with Captain Lindsay Heisler. An aviation officer and Apache pilot, in December 2015 she was part of a mission in Afghanistan supporting a ground force. Just as Chinook helicopters arrived to pick up that force, they came under fire from 360 degrees around them. The two Apaches overhead, including Captain Heisle…

1
Drones, Automation, and how ARSOF is Adapting 51:00

4M ago51:00

51:00

Episode 106 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast examines how drones, robotics, and automation are changing the battlefield in Ukraine and how ARSOF has adapted. Our guests begin by outlining the significance of robotics and autonomous systems on the Ukrainian battlefield. From there, they delve into how US Special Operations formations are learning fr…

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Modern War Institute At West Point Podcasts

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