Thank You For Your Service

Admiral (ret.) James Stavridis, PhD, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and former Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, was vetted as Hillary Clinton’s VP nominee and then interviewed by President-elect Donald Trump for a potential cabinet level position. He joins the podcast to discuss the importance of NATO, the role of retired military officers in politics, relations between the U.S. military and the media, and how policymakers and voters should evaluate the success of their civilian-controlled military. Also in this episode: the unique civil-military relations dynamics of international alliances, that Army PAO article about journalists, and why military officers should read and write.This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerDavid Raban, publisherSpecial thanks to Tracie Logan and Sarah Claudy

The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) allows the US military to be deployed against Al-Qaeda and any “associated forces.” Because of its broad nature, it has been used as a justification for military force across the globe, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Yemen and Niger. It was passed in 2001. Congress hasn’t renegotiated it since then.How does Congress’s responsibility of oversight apply to the military? And how has the relationship between Congress and the military evolved since the AUMF was passed over 17 years ago?Our guest, Dr. Charles A. Stevenson, is a former US Senate staffer with more than 20 years of experience in foreign affairs and defense policy. He is now a foreign policy professor at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Stevenson joins the podcast to discuss the importance of congressional oversight, the dynamics of the congressional-military relationship, and possibly the Space Force, with Thomas and Nick.This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerDavid Raban, engineer and publisherAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerSpecial thanks to the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

Many Americans, especially those who don’t personally know a service member, learn much of what they know about the U.S. military through portrayals in film and television. While military movies often make for high-quality and high-revenue entertainment, they can also tend to traffic in stereotypes – stereotypes that can perpetuate the already-growing civil-military divide by hindering realistic and rich conversation between veterans and civilians. This lack of informed interaction can have serious policy implications.In this episode, Nick Paraiso and Sarah Claudy, our creative consultant, discuss these issues with Chris Marvin, a former Army helicopter pilot and prominent communications strategist who works on veterans’ narratives in film and television. Chris is the founder of Got Your Six, a veterans’ non-profit working in the entertainment industry, and the principal of Marvin Strategies, an independent strategic communications firm.This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.Credits:Nick Paraiso, hostSarah Claudy, hostThomas Krasnican, editor and producerHaz Yano, engineerAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerDavid Raban, publisherSpecial thanks to Emma Moore and Yana Seo.

Claire McCaskill, the former U.S. Senator from Missouri, joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion of her twelve years as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. We talked about oversight of defense contracting, the military-industrial complex, sexual assault reform, military justice, and congressional debate over the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). Haliburton, the F-35, New Balance shoes, Kirsten Gillibrand, Saudi Arabia, ice cream flavors, and Boeing may or may not have been mentioned as well. This episode was taped at the Harris School of Public Policy while Senator McCaskill was serving as a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.Warning: The following episode contains explicit language. And as always, this podcast is absolutely not in any way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity. Note: Four active-duty military officers & Harris students were in the room when we recorded this episode, including Thomas & Nick. Senator McCaskill’s frequent “you’s” and “you all’s” during this interview were directed towards them.Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerJulian Lake, engineerAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerSarah Claudy, creative consultantDavid Raban, publisherSpecial thanks to Ellie Price, Cindy Hall, and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

General (ret.) Stanley McChrystal, former JSOC commander and commander of the U.S./NATO troops in Afghanistan, joins the podcast for a discussion of his career. General McChrystal reflects on his role serving at the Pentagon while the U.S. invasion of Iraq was planned, his often-tense relationship with the Obama administration, and his decision to speak out on the current president. Also in this episode: what future military leaders should learn from his firing, the military’s relationship with the press, and what civilian policy students should know about the military. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of civil-military cooperation in America.This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.Further reading/listening:Obama’s Wars, Bob WoodwardDuty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Robert GatesMy Share of the Task, Stanley McChrystalEpisode 302, The Axe Files with David AxelrodCredits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAlec MacMillen, engineerAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerSarah Claudy, creative consultantDavid Raban, publisherSpecial thanks to Jess Blankshain, Jim Golby, Morgan Wade, and David Axelrod.

The phrase “politicization of the military” is used often by the scholars and guests we’ve talked to on this podcast – but what exactly does it mean? If it’s a bad thing, then why? What kinds of actions qualify as “politicized,” and how can civilian officials and military leaders avoid inappropriately politicizing the armed forces? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the topic of military politicization and why it’s such an important element of our national security policymaking. Articles referenced:https://twitter.com/krasnican_/status/1088545635878473728https://www.csis.org/analysis/military-politicization https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2019/01/admiral-slammed-shutdown-can-he-do/154389/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/12/21/even-with-mattis-resigning-trump-is-still-damaging-the-militarys-credibility-as-nonpartisan/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/trumps-attacks-mcchrystal-and-mattis-will-do-lasting-damage/579256/https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/trump-civil-military-relations-tensions/Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerSarah Claudy, creative consultantDavid Raban, publisher

At the end of 2018, the dramatic resignation of James Mattis from his post as U.S. Secretary of Defense sparked new concerns about the Trump administration’s conduct of foreign policy and its relationship with the military. Kevin Weng, a PhD candidate and lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Committee on International Relations, joins the podcast to discuss the civil-military implications of the Mattis resignation and the ongoing debate over policy towards Syria.Apologies for the poor recording quality in this episode -- we experienced some technical difficulties. Won't happen again!This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.Articles referenced:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-withdrawal-obama.htmlhttp://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/andrew-sullivan-establishment-will-never-say-no-to-a-war.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/01/06/trump-actually-followed-one-civil-military-norm-with-his-announcement-on-syria/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/legacy-james-mattis/578815/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/24/opinion/mattis-trump-civil-military-relations.htmlCredits:Podcast Production Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAishwarya Kumar, producerMary Martha Maclay, producerSarah Claudy, creative consultantDavid Raban, publisher

In these episodes, Thomas Krasnican and Sarah Claudy (from the Pearson Institute) interview Dr. Ron Krebs, a professor at the University of Minnesota, and Robert Ralston, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, about their research recently published in Foreign Policy Magazine.Part Two addresses the potential implications of the American ‘ritualistic hero worship’ of the military, and how the rhetoric and narratives associated with this practice shape national security policy through their impact on people in governmental positions. Is civilian oversight even a ‘good’ thing? By what standards? Part Two further addresses what civilians can do to stay informed in order to uphold the American democracy. Link to their original article: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/03/americans-blind-faith-in-the-military-is-dangerous-civilian-oversight-deference-mcraven-trump/Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostSarah Claudy, hostHaz Yano, producerNick Paraiso, producerAlec MacMillen, engineer and producerSarah Claudy, creative consultantAishwarya Kumar, production supportMary Martha Maclay, production supportNote: This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

In these episodes, Thomas Krasnican and Sarah Claudy (from the Pearson Institute) interview Dr. Ron Krebs, a professor at the University of Minnesota, and Robert Ralston, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, about their research recently published in Foreign Policy Magazine.Part One covers different theories of that seek to answer the fundamental question of civil-military relations in a democracy: “who guards the guardians?”Part One also covers Dr. Krebs and Mr. Ralston’s research regarding public perceptions of the military—to what extent the general populace thinks that the civilian-controlled government should defer to military leadership with regard to national security issues—and some of the surprising insights their data revealed. Link to their original article: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/03/americans-blind-faith-in-the-military-is-dangerous-civilian-oversight-deference-mcraven-trump/Credits: Thomas Krasnican, hostSarah Claudy, hostHaz Yano, producerNick Paraiso, producerAlec MacMillen, engineer and producerAishwarya Kumar, production supportMary Martha Maclay, production supportNote: This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Admiral (ret.) Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents Bush and Obama, joins the podcast for a discussion of his experiences serving at the highest levels of civilian and military leadership. Admiral Mullen reflects on his role in repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (the military’s controversial ban on openly gay and lesbian service-members), his public outreach as Chairman, and his opinions of the men and women with whom he served. This podcast is in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAlec MacMillen, engineer and producerSarah Claudy, creative consultantAishwarya Kumar, production supportMary Martha Maclay, production supportNotes:- The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to the President, and the highest ranking officer in the U.S. armed forces. However, he/she doesn’t have operational command of troops.- A “flag officer” is any general or admiral in the armed forces. There are four levels of flag officer, each corresponding with a star that is worn on the officer’s rank insignia. - The “CNO” is the Chief of Naval Operations. The CNO is the administrative head of the U.S. Navy, but like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, does not have operational command authority.

Dr. Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and co-editor of a book with current Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, joins the podcast for a discussion of current issues in civil-military relations. Dr. Schake shares the story of her own career path as a policymaker and analyst, and delves into topics like American views of the armed forces, politicization of the military, and defense budgeting.Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAlec MacMillen, engineer and producerSarah Claudy, creative consultant and cover art designerAishwarya Kumar, production supportAnita Joshi, production supportDavid Raban, production supportSpecial thanks:To those who serve. Happy Veteran's Day.Note: This podcast in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.

Welcome to "Thank You For Your Service," a new UC3P Original Series.Our hosts Thomas Krasnican and Nick Paraiso, first-year MPPs at the Harris School of Public Policy and active-duty naval officers, preview the show.In this introduction, Thomas and Nick give an overview of the "civil-military gap" and what it might mean for society. They also discuss ways citizens can support military members and veterans beyond a simple "thank you for your service."Credits:Thomas Krasnican, hostNick Paraiso, hostHaz Yano, engineer and producerAlec MacMillen, engineer and producerSarah Claudy, creative consultant and cover art designerMichelle Tran, production supportAnita Joshi, production supportDavid Raban, production supportSpecial thanks:To those who serve. Happy Veteran's Day.Note: This podcast in no way intended to reflect the official positions of the Department of Defense or any other military entity.