AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

Co-hosts Nzinga A. Curry, Director of AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare, and LTC Eugene Irby, AUSA's U.S. Army Fellow, interview guests from the Military Basketball Association (MBA) and Operation Song – two nonprofit organizations helping Veterans build resilience. From MBA, we are joined by MAJ Michael R. Meyers II, MBA Commissioner and Rear Detachment Commander, 4th Security Forces Assistance Brigade at Fort Carson, and COL Doug Harris, USA Ret., AUSA Pikes Peak Chapter President. The MBA provides volunteer basketball coaches and players and seeks to promote the military athlete with top teams from across the nation competing in an annual tournament held in April. From Operation Song, Bob Regan, Founder and Executive Director, describes how music allows Veterans and active duty military to share their stories through songwriting, helping them process seemingly random and chaotic events and emotions.
 
Resources mentioned:
 
MBA: https://www.facebook.com/militarybasketballassociation
Facebook: @militarybasketballassociation
 
Operation Song: http://www.operationsong.org/
Twitter: @operationsong
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

The 16th Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) Michael A. Grinston joins host SMA (Retired) Ken Preston, VP, NCO & Soldier Programs, AUSA, to discuss the new Expert Soldier Badge which came about as part of TRADOC’s NCO 2020 strategy. Developed to measure expertise in warrior tasks and drills, the badge defines Soldier proficiency in a quantifiable way and builds pride in the profession. The first badges were awarded to 11 Soldiers during AUSA’s 2019 Annual Meeting this October in Washington, D.C. They excelled in 30 warrior tasks including land navigation, a twelve-mile foot march and the Army Combat Fitness Test.
 
Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources:
16th SMA Web: https://www.army.mil/leaders/sma/
Twitter: @16thSMA
Instagram: @16th_sma
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Colonel Daniel Roper, U.S. Army retired, host of Thought Leaders, interviews Major General Dana J.H. Pittard, U.S. Army retired, and Master Sergeant Wes J. Bryant, U.S. Air Force retired, authors of Hunting the Caliphate: America’s War on ISIS and the Dawn of the Strike Cell. Called the definitive book on the war against ISIS, this is a vivid, first-person account from two vastly differing but converging perspectives. Pittard, who retired from the Army in 2015 after 34 years of service, served multiple combat tours in Iraq and the Middle East, and in 2014 led the initial U.S. response to stop the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq. Bryant retired from the Air Force in 2018 as a master sergeant. In 2014, he was the tactical lead for a contingent of special operations Joint Terminal Attack Controllers to first set foot in Iraq to stop ISIS.
Thought Leaders, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, brings in-depth conversations with authors of military books and senior leaders. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources mentioned:
 
Book Website: https://www.huntingthecaliphate.com/
Twitter: @DanaPittard @WesJBryant
Facebook: @HuntingtheCaliphateBook @danajhpittard915 @danapittard @wesjbryant
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Host Patty Barron, Director for AUSA’s Family Readiness, interviews Amy Bushatz, Executive Editor, Military.com. Amy is an active-duty Army spouse turned Army National Guard spouse, a fitness junky and a longtime fan of AUSA. She shares how being an Army spouse and caregiver contributed to her career as a reporter covering the military community. Her husband’s dangerous deployment to southern Afghanistan, where he experienced multiple IEDs, close mortar strikes and brain injury, changed everything about her outlook on life and the world. Their story is captured as part of a new documentary, “Sky Blossom - Growing up a Caregiver” produced by Richard Lui of MSNBC in collaboration with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and others. It will be released in Spring 2020.
 
Family Voices, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to connect Army families to speakers and issues that are important to their everyday lives. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources Mentioned:
Military.com: https://www.military.com/
Twitter: @AmyBushatz @MilitaryDotCom @RichardLui @DoleFoundation
Facebook: @AmyDBushatz @Militarydotcom @rlui @HiddenHeroesEDF
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Co-hosts Nzinga A. Curry, Director of AUSA’s Institute of Land Warfare, and LTC Eugene Irby, AUSA's U.S. Army Fellow, discuss Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) options and establishing good financial management practices with guests COL(R) Steven Galing, Relationship Manager at AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust (AWMT) and COL(R) Mark Troutman, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Strategic Education International. Listen for ways to improve your financial well-being related to retirement, home ownership, emergency fund, college savings and more. Naturally AUSA is proud to celebrate Veterans Day, as we honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. So, a special thank you to COL(R) Galing and COL(R) Troutman for their Army service. Hooah!
 
Army Real Talk, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to help AUSA and the Army better connect with the younger generation. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources Mentioned
Thrift Savings Plan: www.tsp.gov
Military Compensation: www.militarypay.defense.gov
AAFMAA: https://www.aafmaa.com/
Find a Certified Financial Planner (CFP): www.letsmakeaplan.org
West Financial Services: www.westfinancial.com
Financial Disclaimer:
Any opinions shared by either Colonel Galing or Colonel Troutman are theirs, alone, and do not constitute the official position of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army or the Association of the U.S. Army.
This podcast is not intended to serve as a basis for providing individual personal financial advice.  If you are seeking individual personal financial advice, please utilize the numerous military options such as, but not limited to, military one source, your local office of Army Community Services, and many Chaplain Offices provide financial management advice as well. Of course, another option is to seek out individual financial advice from a personal financial management expert.  
 Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

The 16th Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) Michael A. Grinston joins host SMA (Retired) Ken Preston, VP, NCO & Soldier Programs, AUSA, giving us insight into his personality, leadership style and people-first goals for his time as the Army’s top NCO. They cover the Army Combat Fitness Test, building squad pride, measuring Soldier lethality, improving nutrition at DFAC and making sure Soldiers and their families have a great place to live. Plan for hands-on leadership; this family-man even ran the Army Ten-Miler with his wife this October.
 
Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources:
16th SMA Web: https://www.army.mil/leaders/sma/
Army Combat Fitness Test: https://www.army.mil/acft/
Twitter: @16thSMA
Instagram: @16th_sma
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Host Joe Craig, Director of AUSA’s Book Program, speaks with author James M. Fenelon about his book Four Hours of Fury: The Untold Story of World War II’s Largest Airborne Invasion and the Final Push into Nazi Germany. It follows the 17th Airborne Division as they prepare for Operation Varsity, a campaign that would rival Normandy in scale and become one of the most successful and important of the war. It is a captivating, action-packed tale of heroism and triumph spotlighting one of World War II’s most under-chronicled and dangerous operations. Fenelon, a paratrooper-turned-historian, served in the military for over a decade, is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and has been published in Britain’s FlyPast magazine. His knowledge of military history also makes him a sought after technical advisor for video games, screenplays, and documentary creation.
 
Thought Leaders, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, brings in-depth conversations with authors of military books and senior leaders. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources:
Web: https://www.jamesfenelon.com/
Twitter: @jamesfenelon
Facebook: @jamesmfenelon
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Guest host Thea Green, Program Manager for AUSA’s Family Readiness, welcomes Debbie Nichols, Founder & CEO of the Military Childrens Collaborative Group (MCCG). Debbie shares how she became involved with the military children’s community via her own daughter’s deployment, and how she established MCCG as a support system for children impacted by deployment. One of MCCG’s recent projects is the launch of the MilTeenChat app, designed to help military teens gain coping skills, socially connect with other military teens, offer peer-to-peer support, and empower them with information they can share with those unfamiliar with a military lifestyle.
 
Family Voices, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to connect Army families to speakers and issues that are important to their everyday lives. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
 
Resources Mentioned for Military Childrens Collaborative Group:
Website: https://militarychildrenscollaborativegroup.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/military-childrens-collaborative-group/
Facebook: @MilitaryChildrensCollaborativeGroup
 
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Host Nzinga A. Curry, Director of the Institute of Land Warfare at AUSA, along with co-host LTC Eugene Irby, AUSA's U.S. Army Fellow, revisit the topic of Talent Management as a follow-up to Army Matters' 23 September interview with MG JP McGee on the topic. A group of Army Talent Management Task Force (ATMTF) experts, LTC Lucas Hightower, LTC Cayton Johnson, MAJ Greg Lockhart and MAJ Maria Hough, provide a deep dive into talent management initiatives, including assessments like the GRE, brevet and merit-based promotions, the Battalion Commanders Assessment Pilot (BCAP), and the new Army Talent Management Process (ATAP).
Talent Management Part 1 with MG JP McGee, Director, ATMTF: https://podcast.ausa.org/e/thought-leaders-talent-management-part-1/
Army Real Talk, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, aims to help AUSA and the Army better connect with the younger generation. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.
Resources MentionedArmy Talent Management: https://talent.army.mil/
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/

Co-hosts Sergeant Major of the Army (Retired) Ken Preston and Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Troy Welch, both of AUSA’s NCO & Soldier Programs, discuss how aspiring leaders can become effective mentors. They cover defining your mentorship style, sharing information and being open to learning from others who have the hands-on experience needed – no matter their age or rank. Practical advice on developing a mentor/mentee relationship, career planning, and work/home life balance round out the conversation.
Soldier Today, a segment of AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast, focuses on what is important to Soldiers and NCOs. Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 
SMA(R) Preston Book Recommendation: Hero of Bataan: The Story of General Jonathan M. Wainright by Duane Schultz
Check out our other AUSA podcast, Membership Matters: http://memberpodcast.ausa.org/