AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

Headhunter is a story of the War on Terror from the perspective of the U.S. Army’s first airborne reconnaissance squadron. Author Peter Svoboda joins us today to discuss how the 400 paratroopers of the 5-73 CAV, a new unit in the 82nd Airborne Division, were hand-selected by the Army. They pursued various terrorist factions including Al Qaeda, and were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for launching the Turki Bowl campaign from November 2006 to January 2007 against insurgent groups in Diyala Province, Iraq. Based on dozens of interviews conducted by the author, the narrative describes the danger of combat, the loss of comrades and the struggles of returning from a deployment. The voice of the families left behind are also included, describing the challenges they faced, including the ultimate challenge--grappling with the death of a loved one. 
Guest: Peter Svoboda, author of Headhunter: 5-73 CAV and Their Fight for Iraq’s Diyala River Valley
Host: Joe Craig, Director, AUSA’s Book Program
 Resources:
Headhunter: 5-73 CAV and Their Fight for Iraq’s Diyala River Valley by Peter C. SvobodaWeb: https://www.casematepublishers.com/headhunter.htmlFacebook/Twitter: @CasematePub
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

Learn how military families are embracing the spirit of volunteerism from AUSA’s 2020 Volunteer Family of the Year – The Raines Family. Mrs. Brittany Raines, joins us today as she shares how her entire family has embraced the spirit of giving, being selected as AUSA’s 2020 Volunteer Family of the Year, and ways to give back. Learn about how military families have contributed to over 1 million acts of kindness through devoting their efforts to Giving Tuesday Military. Mrs. Raines reminds us to hunt the good and embrace everything that is in front of us.
Guest:
Mrs. Brittany Raines, Recipient of AUSA’s 2020 Volunteer Family of the Year
Host:
 Thea Green, AUSA’s Program Manager of Family Readiness
 
Resources:
 
Giving Tuesday
Web: https://www.givingtuesdaymilitary.com/
 
Operation Home Front
Web: https://operationhomefront.org/
 
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

Catch up with former Army Real Talk co-hosts as we discuss the Army training budget and Talent Management Task Force assessment programs. LTC Eugene Irby and MAJ Bradley Cooper, join us today as they provide insight on their new responsibilities and reflect on their favorite episodes. LTC Irby shares how he is assisting with the management of the Army’s enterprise training budget of 30 billion dollars to ensure efficient training for our soldiers and the success of the Total Army. MAJ Cooper provides an update on the Army Talent Management Task Force implementation of the updated assignment process and evaluation programs for officers, warrant officers, and noncommissioned officers. Together they share about the Battalion Commander Assessment Program and how this effort supports the Army’s number one priority, People.
Guests:LTC Eugene Irby, Budget Officer,G-3/5/7, U.S. Army
MAJ Bradley Cooper, Army Talent Management Task Force, U.S. Army
Hosts:Nzinga Curry, AUSA’s Director of Education & Programs
LTC Brittany Lloyd, AUSA's U.S. Army Fellow
 
Resources:
Army Talent Managementhttps://talent.army.mil/ 
 
AUSA Writing Programhttps://www.ausa.org/ausa-writing-program
 
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

Meet AUSA’s U.S. Army Fellow: LTC Brittany (Woods) Lloyd. The military police officer will talk about why she joined the Army, her assignments and experiences as a woman in the Army, and the Army Fellows Program. 
Guest: LTC Brittany Lloyd, AUSA’s U.S. Army Fellow
Host: CSM (Ret) Troy Welch, AUSA’s Director for NCO and Soldier Programs
Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs.
 
Resources:
AUSA’s NCO & Soldier ProgramsWeb: https://www.ausa.org/programs/nco-and-soldiersTwitter (Dailey): @15thSMA
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

Team Ignite is creatively linking science and concepts to change the Army’s approach to modernization.  Dr. Jean Vettel and COL Stephanie Ahern of Army Futures Command describe how Team Ignite is “cultivating a culture of connection” between soldiers, scientists, and other technology experts to modernize the force.  Using 2035 as a focal point, Team Ignite is integrating expertise from technical, conceptual, threat and operational domains to imagine “what could be” and catalyzing action to develop the future Army.
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
Guests:  
COL Stephanie Ahern, Director of Concepts, Futures and Concepts Center (FCC), U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC)
Dr. Jean Vettel, Chief Scientist, Futures and Concepts Center (FCC), U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)
Host: COL(Ret) Dan Roper, AUSA’s Director of National Security Studies
 
Resources:
AFC Futures and Concepts CenterWeb: https://fcc.army.mil/Facebook/Twitter: @AdaptingTheArmy
Army Futures CommandWeb: https://www.army.mil/futuresFacebook/Twitter: @ArmyFuturesLinkedIn: @Army Futures Command

What issues face humanitarian efforts in future warfare? U.S. Army strategist LTC Jim Cahill joins us today to discuss how humanitarian and military efforts interact and what we need to know to understand the big picture. His recommendations for ways that the defense community should consider their relationship with the organizations that provide humanitarian aid were recently published as an AUSA Landpower Essay.
Guest: LTC Jim Cahill, U.S. Army strategist and Ph.D. candidate, George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government
Guest Host: Ellen Toner, Editorial Manager, AUSA’s Education and Programs Directorate
 
Resources:
Humanitarian Assistance and Future War (AUSA Landpower Essay 20-3, March 2020)
By LTC Jim Cahill, U.S. Army
Web: https://www.ausa.org/publications/humanitarian-assistance-and-future-war
 
AUSA Education & Programs Directorate
Web: https://www.ausa.org/education
 
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

The U.S. Army is taking a 21st century approach to enlisted talent management. Today’s guests from the Army’s Talent Management Task Force describe how the new system maximizes the potential of everyone in the force, not just the top 5%. They discuss the near-term First Sergeant Talent Alignment Assessment, differences between Officer and NCO assessments, the importance of blind panels and anonymized data and more.
 
Guests:Major Jed Hudson, Enlisted Talent Management Initiative Lead
Sergeant Major Robert Haynie, Enlisted Talent Management Initiative Leads
Host:Sergeant Major of the Army (Retired) Daniel A. Dailey, AUSA’s Vice President for NCO and Soldier Programs
 
Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs.
 
Resources:
 
U.S. Army Talent Management
Web: https://talent.army.mil/
Facebook/Twitter: @USArmy
LinkedIn: @US Army
 
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.

How does military spouse unemployment become a problem for military readiness? Rosemary Williams, specialist executive, at Deloitte Consulting LLP’S Government & Public Services, joins us today as we discuss the nexus between military spouse employment and military readiness. Learn about the obtainable solutions the Department of Defense and local labor markets can implement to increase military spouse employment opportunities and keep the military strong.
 
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Guest:Rosemary Williams, Specialist Executive, Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Government & Public Services
Host:Patty Barron, AUSA’s Director of Family Readiness
Resources:
 
Deloitte
Web: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/industries/government-public-services.html
Twitter: @Deloitte
Facebook: @DeloitteUS
LinkedIn: @Deloitte
 
Military Spouse Unemployment Report:
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/public-sector/military-spouse-unemployment.html                                                                                                                
 
Military Spouse Employment Partnership:
https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil/msep/
 
MySECO Website:
https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/

How are Guardsmen fulfilling mission requirements for cyber operations? COL Henry of the Maryland Army National Guard joins us today to speak about her experience as a Commander with Task Force 291 and the 110th Information Operations Battalion. She touches on how the National Guard interacts with the Regular Army and also how her civilian job with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory supports her Army work.
 
Guest:
COL Kristine Henry, Commander, Task Force 291, Maryland Army National Guard
Hosts:
Nzinga Curry, AUSA’s Director of Education & Programs
LTC Brittany Lloyd, AUSA Army Fellow
 
Resources:
 
Maryland National GuardWeb: https://military.maryland.gov/Facebook: @MDGuardTwitter: @MDNG
 
Army National GuardWeb: https://www.nationalguard.com/Facebook/Twitter: @NationalGuard
 
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryWeb: https://www.jhuapl.edu/Facebook/Twitter: @JHUAPL

What is the Army’s NCO Strategy, why was it developed and how will it look in action? Today we welcome the Command Sergeant Major for the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), to give us his take. CSM Daniel Hendrex addresses what the end state looks like for being a fit, well-trained and disciplined NCO, and discusses how the pandemic has affected training.
Guest: Command Sergeant Major Daniel T. Hendrex, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
Host: Sergeant Major of the Army (Retired) Daniel A. Dailey, AUSA’s Vice President for NCO and Soldier Programs
Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs.
 
Resources:
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)
Web: https://www.tradoc.army.mil/
Facebook: @USArmyTRADOC
Twitter: @TRADOC
LinkedIn: @US Army TRADOC
 
AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs
Web: https://www.ausa.org/programs/nco-and-soldiers
Twitter (Dailey): @15thSMA
 
Institute for Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development (INCOPD)
Web: About INCOPD
 
United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
Web: About USASMA
 
NCO Leadership Center of Excellence
Web: https://www.ncoworldwide.army.mil/
Facebook: @NCOLCoE
Twitter: @NCOL_CoE
LinkedIn: @The NCO Leadership Center of Excellence