AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

When Frank Dolberry was a teenager thinking of joining the Army, an acquaintance dismissed the notion, thinking it was an unrealistic dream for someone like him.  Major Frank Dolberry sits down with host Colonel (Ret.) Dan Roper to discuss how this motivated him to succeed, other inspirations he found along the way including the tremendous legacy of service in his family, and how he thinks the Army could improve its recruiting outcomes. 
 
Guest:  MAJ Frank Dolberry, AUSA Army Fellow
  
Host: COL (Ret) Dan Roper
 
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

When people are at their lowest point, sometimes something as simple as a note or small gift can make a world of difference. Major General (Ret.) James Johnson, the head of Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends gift packages to service members overseas, speaks with host Holly Dailey and co-host Maria McConville about the power of gratitude. And then social scientist Dr. Alaina Hansom joins to discuss research that proves the benefits of showing gratitude.
 
(In the spirit of this show… THANK YOU for listening to this episode!)
 
  
Hosts:
Holly Dailey, AUSA’s Director of Family Readiness
Maria McConville, Spouse of the Chief of Staff of the Army
 
Guests: 
MG (Ret.) James Johnson, President and CEO, Operation Gratitude
Alaina Hansom, PhD, Social Fitness Scientist, (HFJ) Human Performance Resources by CHAMP (HPRC), Uniformed Services University
 
Opening Credits:
 
Narrators: Kevin Irwin, Carrie Varouhakis, LaSherryn Duncan
Script: Anthony Del Col
Sound Design: Andy Bosnak
 
Resources:
 
Operation GratitudeWebsite: https://www.operationgratitude.com/
 
Human Performance Resources by CHAMP (HPRC)
Website: https://www.hprc-online.org/
 
Human Performance Resources by CHAMP (HPRC) – #GotMySix Campaign
Website: https://www.hprc-online.org/total-force-fitness/gotmysix
 

Military intelligence leaders generally work behind the scenes and are trained to shun the spotlight, but they play vital leadership roles in every single part of the Army. Major General Michelle Schmidt talks with host Colonel (Ret.) Scott Halstead about her 30-year career, including being at the Pentagon on 9/11 to saying goodbye to friends in the final days of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan in 2021, and whether the book Fast After 50 should be considered fictional…  
Guest: MG Michelle A. Schmidt, Director, Force Development, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, U.S. Army
Host: COL (Ret) Scott Halstead
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

When military people hear about the U.S. Army Pacific area, they think about the ocean and the inevitable Navy presence there. But the region contains sixty percent of the world’s population and land patrol is the key to the region’s stability. Host Sergeant Major of the Army (retired) Dan Dailey sits down with General Charles Flynn, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Pacific, to talk about the region’s importance, training opportunities there for young officers, and some of the leaders that have inspired him over the years. 
Guest: GEN Charles Flynn, Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific
Host: SMA(R) Dan Dailey
Resources:
U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC)Web: https://www.army.mil/usarpacAUSA’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.
 

Whether it’s during a snowstorm, pouring rain or a heat wave, a devoted group of volunteers show up for every single Army funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, there to represent the Chief of Staff and the entire Army family. Cindy Risch, the current Senior Spouse of the U.S. Army JAG Corps, is one of those ladies and speaks to host Holly Dailey about how powerful her experience as an Arlington Lady has been, the highs and lows of being a military spouse and how some people just really love their cookies.
Guest: Cindy Risch, Senior Spouse of the U.S. Army JAG Corps
Host: Holly Dailey
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

Most people believe it’s not a question of if China will invade Taiwan, but “when”. So can this be prevented? Host Joe Craig sits down with Elbridge Colby to discuss his 2021 book The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, as well as how a possible war might play out, how the Chinese forces could be neutralized before that happens, and what allies could surprisingly play the biggest roles.
 
 
·       Guest: Elbridge Colby, author of Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict
 
·       Host: Joe Craig 
  
Resources: 
 
Yale University Press: 
Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict
 
 
Credits
 
Opening Dramatization:
 
Narrator: Carrie Varouhakis
Script: Anthony Del Col
Sound Design: Andy Bosnak
 
Book:
Colby, Elbridge A. Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2022.
 
 
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

There have been countless analyses of the Ukrainian-Russian War since it began earlier this year. The most effective of these have been from experts who have witnessed the conflict firsthand.  Colonel (Ret.) Dan Roper speaks with Dr. Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute about what he’s observed from the battlefields of Ukraine, explains the four stages of the war thus far, and describes how Ukraine could not only survive but defeat the Russians.
 
 
·         Guest: Dr. Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow, Land Warfare – Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
 
·         Host: COL (Ret.) Dan Roper 
 
    
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org. 

In October 2001, then-Captain Jim Wanovich parachuted into Afghanistan to begin the American invasion of the country. Twenty years later, in August 2021 Jim’s son, First Lieutenant Andrew Wanovich deployed to Afghanistan to assist with the evacuation of the country. Host Colonel (Ret.) Scott Halstead sits down with the Wanovich family – Jim, his wife Kim and Andrew – to discuss what these operations were like, how Kim felt watching both her husband and son go into these dangerous missions, and the best place to learn how to drive stick shift.
Guests:
COL (Ret.) Jim Wanovich
Kim Wanovich
1LT Andrew Wanovich
Host: COL (Ret) Scott Halstead
Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at podcast@ausa.org.

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 AdventuresWeb: https://burniehaney.com/
 
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.

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.