How to Catch the Biggest Fish – and Reel in the Business

Sergeant Major (Ret) Burnie Haney got hooked on fishing as a young boy when he caught a five-pound largemouth bass and his father carried it around the campfire like a trophy. After a thirty-eight-year Army career Haney decided to turn his passion into a full-time business, starting New York Fishing Adventures. Host Sergeant Major of the Army (Ret) Dan Dailey sits down by Lake Ontario with Haney to talk to him about his Army career, how to get help with startups from local groups and – yes – get some fishing tips. 

• Guest: SGM (Ret) Burnie Haney, Owner, New York Fishing Adventures

• Host: SMA (Ret) Daniel Dailey

Resources:

New York Fishing Adventures
Web: https://burniehaney.com/

AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs
Web: https://www.ausa.org/programs/nco-and-soldiers
Twitter (Dailey): @15thSMA

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

Rocket Launchers, Roadblocks and Other Tales of an Army Life

With over 30 years in uniform, Colonel (retired) R.D. Hooker Jr. served in various overseas postings (Grenada, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and more), taught at West Point, and served in the White House. Host Joe Craig sits down with Hooker, who just released his seventh book, The Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of America at War, to discuss his career, the times he refused orders, and how to make a great first impression - by burning down a watchtower…

• Guest: R.D. Hooker, Jr., author of Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of American at War
• Host: Joe Craig

Resources: 

Casemate Publishers:

Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of American at War

Credits

Opening Dramatization:

Narrator:  CSM(Ret.)Troy Welch

Script: Anthony Del Col

Sound Design: Andy Bosnak

Book:

Hooker, Richard D. The Good Captain: A Personal Memoir of America at War. Philadelphia, PA: Casemate Publishers, 2022.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

How United Through Reading Keeps Families Connected

Reading as a family is proven to aid children in developing key language and literary skills. But what happens when a family member is away on leave for extended periods of time? Thirty-three years ago, a military spouse created United Through Reading to create a system that would help bring families together through books. Host Holly Dailey talks to United Through Reading’s Molly Haskin to talk about the program, how they have adapted to the latest phone technology, and whether it’s possible to develop mind powers like Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

• Guest: Molly Haskin, Director of Army, Air Force, and Space Force Programs for United Through Reading

• Host: Holly Dailey

Resources: 

Morale, Welfare, Recreation (MWR) Library 

Website: https://unitedthroughreading.org/read-beyond-the-beaten-path-this-summer/

Reading App Challenge June 15 – August 31

Website: https://unitedthroughreading.org/join-our-2022-summer-reading-app-challenge/

Mobile Van and Joining Forces
Website: https://unitedthroughreading.org/mobile-story-station-for-military-families-rolls-into-union-station/

Audio Clip Credits:

Reading for the Record with UTR - SMA Dan Dailey, US Army. YouTube. YouTube, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oebaBTMvL_Y.

What the Army Can Learn from Formula One

When people think of Formula One racing, they imagine fast cars, exotic locales, and millions of fans. When former Acting Secretary of the Army John Whitley thinks of F1, he sees the future for the Army and other organizations. Host Colonel (retired) Dan Roper sits down with Whitley to talk about racecar driving, digital twins, and how someone who originally enrolled in agricultural studies worked his way towards overseeing a $700 billion military budget. 

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

• Guest: John Whitley, former Acting Secretary of the Army; Researcher and Advisor, Institute for Defense Analyses

• Host: COL (Ret) Dan Roper

How Visits to his Grandfather’s Garden Inspired This General to Serve and Lead

Cadet Command is perhaps the most important initiative of the U.S. Army, overseeing more than 30,000 ROTC cadets that could become the next generation of officers and this country’s leaders. Host Colonel (retired) Scott Halstead sits down with his old friend, Major General Johnny Davis, to find out more about the program and the General’s role in overseeing it. The two discuss the role of mentorship, what today’s cadets have on their minds and – perhaps most importantly – the right way to drink coffee.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

• Guest: MG Johnny K. Davis, Commanding General, U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, Kentucky

• Host: COL (Ret) Scott Halstead

Resources:

U.S. Army Cadet Command

Web: https://www.cadetcommand.army.mil/

How is Aaron Hale Cooking without Looking?

In December 2011, American E.O.D. tech Aaron Hale was immediately blinded by an explosion in Afghanistan. But rather than feel sorry for himself, he decided to make the rest of his life an adventure. Host Sergeant Major of the Army (retired) Dan Dailey sits down with Aaron as part of his series about entrepreneurship to talk about whitewater kayaking, how he overcome an even bigger disability, and how he re-discovered joy – and a successful business start-up – in making fudge with his wife Kayla.   

• Guest: Aaron Hale, Co-Founder, E.O.D. Fudge and former Army Staff Sergeant
• Host: SMA (Ret) Daniel Dailey

Resources: 

E.O.D. Fudge 
Web: https://eodfudge.com/  

AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs 
Web: https://www.ausa.org/programs/nco-and-soldiers 
Twitter (Dailey): @15thSMA  

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

General Patton’s Rise to Glory

General George S. Patton is one of the most famous American military leaders of all-time, with an outsized personality and even-bigger reputation. But what really drove his World War II successful campaigns? Host Joe Craig sits down with Stephen L. Moore, the author of the just-released book Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory to discuss the man, the conditions he faced in North Africa in the early days of the war, and how he motivated his men to fight and find victory.

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

• Guest: Stephen Moore, author of Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory

• Host: Joe Craig

Resources: 

Penguin Random House:

Patton’s Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton’s Rise to Glory

Credits

Opening Dramatization:

Narrator: Gina Cavallaro

Script: Anthony Del Col

Sound Design: Andy Bosnak

Book:

Moore, Stephen L. Patton's Payback: The Battle of El Guettar and General Patton's Rise to Glory. New York, NY: Caliber, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2022.

Pursuing Meaning and Purpose

Let’s face it: Life is stressful. Life in the military perhaps even more so. Add a worldwide pandemic and it has become even more overwhelming. On this episode host Holly Dailey (along with co-hosts Maria McConville and Alexandra Grinston) talk to Chaplain (MG) Thomas Solhjem and COL Samuel Preston about the Army’s holistic health and fitness program, how Covid shines a spotlight on problems that already exist, and get some practical tips on what to do when life feels unmanageable. 

• Guests: 
  • Chaplain (Major General) Thomas L. Solhjem, U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains
  • Colonel Samuel L. Preston, Chief, Behavioral Health Division Health Care Delivery, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army
• Hosts: 
  • Holly Dailey, AUSA’s Director of Family Readiness 
  • Maria McConville, Spouse of the Chief of Staff of the Army
  • Alexandra Grinston, Spouse of the Sergeant Major of the Army

Resources: 

Army Chaplain Corps
Website: https://www.army.mil/chaplaincorps

Chaplain – Army Recruiting
Website: www.goarmy.com/chaplain

Social Media Handles:

YouTube: @US Army Chaplain Corps
Facebook: @ArmyChaplainCorps
Instagram: @ArmyChaplainCorps
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-chaplain-corps/

Chaplin Podcast:
Community Conversations Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1610608825

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

For a Strong Culture, Build Rivers not Lakes

It seems obvious but is so often overlooked: Trust is perhaps the most important element of any organization’s culture. Host Colonel (retired) Scott Halstead sat down with Colonel Brian Ducote and Command Sergeant Major Mark Eckstrom of the fabled 1^st Brigade Combat Team, 10^th Mountain Division just prior to their departure to Iraq and Syria to discuss how to create a strong culture, how the analogy of building a river is what leaders should aim for, and... what it would take to coax Scott to come out of retirement to join their mission.

• Guests from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army:
  • COL Brian Ducote, Commander
  • CSM Mark Eckstrom, Command Sergeant Major
• Host: COL (Ret) Scott Halstead

Resources:

1^st Brigade Combat Team, 10^th Mountain Division
U.S. Army Fort Drum
Web: https://home.army.mil/drum/index.php/units-tenants/1st-BCT

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

How an NCO From Idaho Became NATO’s Soldier of the Year

It’s a question every NCO asks themselves at some point: What can I actually do to make a difference? Sgt. 1^st Class Aaron M. Welch, stationed in Valencia, Spain, answered that question and his subsequent efforts have led to him being named NATO’s Soldier of the Year. Command Sergeant Major (Ret) Troy Welch interviews Aaron about his work in helping to set up Spain’s first sniper school, sharing his experiences at conferences, and how Aaron’s view of NATO has changed during his time in Spain. (And yes, Aaron is Troy’s nephew, so expect many “proud uncle” moments.)

• Guest: SFC Aaron M. Welch, 2021 NATO Force Structure Top Soldier of the Year
• Host: CSM (Ret) Troy Welch

Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.