AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

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. 

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 ForcesWebsite: 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.

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

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/

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 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.