A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

25 YEARS LATER: RANGERS ON OBJECTIVE RHINO

Retired General Joseph Votel joins host Tom Spahr to revisit Objective Rhino—the high-stakes October 2001 mission that put the first overt U.S. boots on the ground in Afg

RIVALRIES, READINESS, AND REALIGNMENT: GOLDWATER-NICHOLS 40 YEARS LATER

Forty years ago, the Goldwater-Nichols Act reshaped how the U.S. military operates. Passed in 1986 following coordination breakdowns in operations like Vietnam and the Ir

BIASES AND BLINDSPOTS: THE ART OF MILITARY DECEPTION

Shaping an opponent’s expectations can change an entire operation’s course. Tom Spahr sits down with naval flight officer and strategist Mike "Quatto" Posey to break down

BEYOND DRONES: WHY TECHNOLOGY CANNOT REPLACE MASS

Headlines typically highlight how high-tech drones are transforming combat, but the raw reality of protracted warfare still comes down to people. Gil Barndollar, a senio

SCRUTINY AND THE STRANGER: SECURITY IN THE WAKE OF 9/11

Marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, host Jadwiga Biskupska sat down with deRaismes Combes to explore how that tragic morning permanently reshaped American secur

RE-RELEASE: BEYOND VIETNAM: SUNK COSTS IN PRESIDENTIAL STRATEGY

This week in the studio, editor-in-chief JP Clark sits down with Bryan Groves to discuss his new book, "When Presidents Fight the Last War: The Oval Office, Sunk Costs, a

RE-RELEASE: UNMASKING THE BOOGEYMAN: THE BIN LADEN PAPERS

Twelve years ago last week, on May 2, 2011, the U.S. military conducted a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan that killed Usama bin Laden. Once the mission was accomplished, the

SMUGGLING, SUPERMAX, AND THE SECOND WAVE: POST-9/11

How does an unremarkable and non-ideological businessman end up trying to bring nuclear weapons into the United States for a notorious terrorist organization? Former war

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE SEMINAR AND THE BATTLEFIELD

Colonel Oleksandr, a Ukrainian Army officer with 30 years of service, spent the 2026 academic year as an International Fellow at the U.S. Army War College. Joining host J

MODERNIZING THE DIA WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Rapid innovation challenges any large government organization, but for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) embracing artificial intelligence is essential to maintaining

RESTORING THE OFFENSE IN CONTEMPORARY COMBAT

Is maneuver warfare truly dead in modern combat? Tom Galvin sits down with Carlisle Scholars Kevin Krupski, Michael Moore, and Erick Buckner to examine the conventional w

OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE AND ARTIFICIAL ILLUSIONS

Open-source intelligence is rapidly becoming a dominant force in national security, accounting for a significant portion of intelligence activities in western law enforce

DEFAULT TO SHARE: DECLASSIFYING SPACE-BASED CAPABILITIES

Hiding military tools too well can weaken deterrence. Aaron Brown, Justin Bierens and Gerald Bowman join host Tom Galvin to discuss why the military must adopt a "share u

BRINGING WWII TO LIFE THROUGH STORYTELLING

Why does WWII still captivate our imagination? Host Darrell Driver and military historian Doug Douds discuss how the conflict shapes modern geopolitics, unpacking pivotal

THE MISSING TIER: RESHAPING MILITARY MAINTENANCE

On today’s high-tech battlefield, "safe" rear areas no longer exist. Combat units are bogged down dragging broken gear because the military lacks a middle tier for comple

STRESS TESTING TRANSFORMATION: WAR COLLEGE STUDENTS AT WORK

What happens when you unleash senior military students to fix bureaucracy? Guests Jared Britz and Josh Eggar join host Bob Bradford to discuss how Army War College studen

CAN AI PASS THE U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM?

Can AI pass military exams? Kevin Boyce & John Nagl join host Tom Spahr to discuss testing ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude & Grok on Army War College comps. All passed, but limit

NAVAL POWER & POLICY: RED STAR OVER THE PACIFIC

How has China transformed into a dominant naval power, and what strategic choices must the U.S. make to protect its interests in the Pacific? Toshi Yoshihara and James Ho

AT THE SPEED OF RELEVANCE: REFORMING PROCUREMENT

How can the military adopt tech at the speed of relevance? Host Tom Galvin talks with Carlisle Scholars John Williams, Jeremy Jackson & Antonio Ilario on bridging the gap

BEYOND THE SELECTIVE SERVICE MYTHS

Is a return to a military draft even viable? William Taylor and Katherine Kuzminski join JP Clark to bridge the gap between myth and reality regarding the all-volunteer f