A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

The United States has sought a more autonomous Europe ever since the end of WWII. But it's possible that there have been a few mixed messages throughout the years. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Robert Gleckler and Joel Hillison to the studio to examine just what it is the U.S. means when it speaks of EU autonomy and how the European governments have responded to the ongoing situation. WAR ROOM Managing Editor Buck Haberichter joins the guests in their conversation.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Major General Torgeir Gråtrud, commander of the Norwegian Special Forces Command, to the studio to discuss his perspectives on strategic leadership. Major General Gråtrud was in Carlisle to attend his induction into the International Fellows Hall of Fame at the U.S. Army War College. He becomes the 70th International Fellow to receive the honor. During the podcast he addresses Norway's participation in the Global SOF Network, the nature of cooperation and relations in the Nordic region and his advice to junior officers and NCOs. A BETTER PEACE podcast editor Ron Granieri moderates.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. John Terino, Chair of the Department of Airpower at the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College (ACSC.) John joins our Editor-In-Chief, Jacqueline Whitt to discuss professional military education (PME) in the Air Force. Stationed at Maxwell AFB, AL which is known as "the intellectual and leadership-development center of the U.S. Air Force," ACSC is one of the many educational institutions that comprise Air University (AU.) Their conversation covers initiatives and difficulties in manning, accreditation, curriculum and returning prestige to service as faculty and instructors in the greater professional development enterprise. 2020 is the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS,) the predecessor to modern PME in the Air Force and more specifically ACSC.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. Huw Davies of King's College London. Huw joins WAR ROOM Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to trace the development of Great Britain's Light Infantry. It's easy to call yourself a learning organization, but to do so there must be a serious examination of history. Specifically, one must study their own organization's history examining the greatest failures in great detail and be willing to make changes. War stories over dinner, journal entries and some of the first organized staff rides led to the development of Rangers, the use of local forces and a dedicated light infantry that was confronted with a great deal of resistance. The conversation ties past development to modern day failures to actually learn from previous lessons.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes back U.S. Army Colonel (retired) Arthur F. Lykke for the second and final part of his interview. Having explained the birthplace of the three-legged-stool model in part one, Art goes on to share his thoughts on why his model has endured and his experiences in the classrooms of the Army War College and the potential of the students that attend it. Art once again joins the Chair of the Department of National Security and Strategy, Mark Duckenfield, and our own Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt.

A BETTER PEACE is thrilled to welcome U.S. Army Colonel (retired) Arthur F. Lykke. His name might not be on the tip of your tongue, but a dream and his little "4-page opus" (as he refers to it), was the birthplace of the three-legged-stool model that informs discussions of strategy in classrooms, board rooms, congressional offices, and even the White House. Thinking about "Ends, Ways and Means" as three legs of a stool was Art's way of conceptualizing military strategy nearly forty years ago. And it's still an important starting point for contemporary discussions. Art joins the Chair of the Department of National Security and Strategy, Mark Duckenfield, and our own Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to discuss how it all started in part one of our two part interview.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Brad Arsenault, Alexious Butler and Leigh Caraher to the studio to explain the great works of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID.) The three join Podcast Editor Ron Granieri to discuss how USAID measures success, works with other government agencies and their level of inclusion in U.S. international affairs.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes David Hogan, Director of Histories at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. In our first ever phone interview David joins our own Podcast Editor Ron Granieri to discuss the Battle of the Bulge and its 75th anniversary. Referred to as “the greatest American battle of the war” by Winston Churchill, the six week long Ardennes Offensive occurred from 6 December 1944 to 25 January 1945 and was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front. Dense forests and frigid winter conditions contributed to it being the costliest battle fought by the Americans in WWII. By the time it was over, the path to V-E day was in sight.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Paul T. Mikolashek and Gregory Cantwell to the studio to discuss the modern theater army. The two join Managing Editor Buck Haberichter to examine the importance of the  Army component in stage setting operations in any given theater. As the former Commander of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (C/CFLCC) during Operation Enduring Freedom, Mikolashek brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. And Cantwell's role as the director of the CFLCC course makes him uniquely qualified to discuss modern Army doctrine on the subject.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes award winning and internationally renowned author Margaret MacMillan. Perhaps best known for her study and writings of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, she joins our own Mike Neiberg to discuss her journey as an academic and an author.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. Paul Williams from the Elliot School of International Affairs at the George Washinton University. Williams, an academic expert and consultant in the politics and effectiveness of peace operations, joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM.)

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Megan Hennessey and Brandy Jenner to continue the conversation about diversity in professional military education. They join Ron Granieri in the studio to discuss the Army War College's approach to diversity, both amongst the students and the faculty as well.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Paul Springer to the studio to discuss the influence of the West Point class of 1829. Springer joins our Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to examine the unique experiences of this cohort, and how it influenced, not only their development as leaders, but several generations of officers to follow through the U. S. Civil War. Many of these men impact the country not only through their military service, but also as captains of industry and through civil service as well.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Gail Fisher and Joel Hillison into the studio to examine the DoDs approach towards gaining the competitive advantage over adversaries across the spectrum of competition.

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Pulitzer Prize winning author Frederik Logevall to discuss his newest project, a two volume biography of John F. Kennedy. Logevall joins Mike Neiberg in the studio as they discuss the complexity of writing a biography. They relate thoughts behind organizing, research efforts, prioritization of themes and interests and just how much information can be covered in a mere 500,000 words.