The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast: Recent Episodes
XVIII Airborne Corps
Welcome to the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, a look inside America’s most prestigious military unit. With a new episode every Tuesday, host Joe Buccino explores the past, the present, and the future of the 18th Airborne, with each episode fully explaining one complicated subject.
Through discussions with some of the most prominent American and British historians, veterans, and currently-serving Soldiers from the Corps, Joe examines the full spectrum of life and service in the 18th Airborne.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast used to be called The Doomsday Clock. In fact, we recorded and published the first 12 episodes under that title. We've since changed the name and the logo to reflect a broader focus of the show. Instead of only focusing on Cold War history, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast focuses on history, the future, and all aspects of the Corps.
Winston Churchill was talking about the 18th Airborne Corps podcast when he famously said: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
This is it, friends. The final episode. But not really the end of the podcast as you can always go back and listen to the old episodes at any time.
It's been a wild ride. Thanks for listening. Keep talking to each other.
Throughout our 20-year war in Afghanistan, so many me and women from that country risked themselves and their Families to support American service members and units. In the telling of that war, those Afghans must not be forgotten. Their sacrifices and the risks they took on our behalf are so real, the consequences for them so stark; the debt we owe to them is so steep.
One of those Afghans is a 25-year-old woman named Zamzama Safi. "ZZ", as she is affectionately known, had a trauma-filled childhood. Her father was an officer for the Afghan Army, making her a target of the Taliban as a child. As a teenager she was captured and held captive by the Taliban, only to later reunite with her Family. She later served as an interpreter for American forces herself.
At the end of the American presence in Afghanistan, ZZ was able to leave the country, making her way to Saint Louis, Missouri, with the help of a group of American military officers alongside whom she served.
This is ZZ's story. It's a story of courage and triumph. It's a story of trauma and tragedy. It's a story we all should hear as we seek to make sense of our experience in Afghanistan.
Hey, friends! How's your 2022 going? Hope the New Year has been good for you so far. We're sure it's going to be a great year. And, if not, you at least have this podcast to look forward to!
General Paul Funk, commander of the Fort Eustis, Virginia-based US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), joins the 18th Airborne Corps podcast for episode 105. Paul talks about recruiting, training, and retaining a force that represents the country at a time of dynamic national and international change.
American society is evolving, global threats are progressing, technological change is accelerating. The American Army, too, must change. TRADOC is leading the way here, implementing new methods of communicating with potential Soldiers across the Nation, evaluating American citizens for Army service, and then educating, leading, and preparing Soldiers for continued service and for a new, more complex kind of combat.
This is a good, thoughtful discussion with Paul Funk, one that offers wisdom and insight for every Army leader. There are few topics more important to the institution of the US Army than the future of the force.
Tim O'Brien, author of classic works of Vietnam War fiction such as "The Things They Carried," "If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home," and "Going After Cacciato," is an American literary giant. His writing helped define the Vietnam War for a generation of American readers, among them 18th Airborne Corps podcast host Joe Buccino, in the early 1990s.
Tim joins Joe for a long, riveting, personal conversation about his body of work, about his legacy, about growing up with an institutionalized alcoholic father, about starting a family very late in life. Tim and Joe also talk about the major motion picture based on "The Things They Carried" currently in development starring Tom Hardy and Pete Davidson (Joe vows never to watch it).
If Tim O'Brien's writing has made you feel the Vietnam War, this conversation will surprise and move you. If you've never heard of Tim O'Brien, well....this episode will open your eyes to a national treasure. Either way, you really owe it to yourself to listen to Episode 104 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.
The Vietnam War Memorial is a national landmark in Washington, DC that attracts millions of Americans every year. The reflective black granite wall engraved with more than 58,000 names is such a big part of our communal processing of that war. It's hard to imagine now, but during its inception the wall was a source of explosive controversy among Vietnam veterans.
This episode is the story of that wall. It's the story of Jan Scruggs, the wounded Vietnam veteran who fought for a national memorial to honor those Americans killed in that war. It's the story of Maya Lin, the Yale architecture student who designed the wall as a symbol that would not let the country off the hook for what it did to our Vietnam veterans. It's the story of the men who returned from Vietnam and organized a national movement to fund the memorial on the National Mall.
The story of the Vietnam War Memorial is a part of the story of the American experience in Vietnam. Like everything associated with that war, it was divisive within the United States, the subject of protests and outrage. It's now a source of comfort, of closure, of healing for so many Vietnam veterans and so many Families bereaved by that war. As Vietnam veteran, poet, and veterans' advocate John Musgrave said: "When I saw that wall, I knew it would save lives."
The wall, which displays no rank, no date of birth, no unit affiliation, and no hometown, bonds each of our Fallen in perpetuity.
This may be among the most important, insightful episodes we've ever produced, so we hope you'll listen and pass it on.
Oh, it's been a wild year, hasn't it friends? We climbed out of COVID. Went back into COVID. Closed out our longest war. Responded to crises within the US and abroad. Alwyn Cashe finally got the Medal of Honor. Now we're typing in these show notes. A bunch of other stuff happened.
So much, in fact, has happened over the past 12 months - including the launch of this podcast - that most people can barely keep it all straight. That's ok. Our host, Joe Buccino, and two friends, recap the entire year in less than 17 minutes.
It's episode 102 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast and it's a good one. The year in review. Many more ahead for all of us. So, farewell to 2021. Cheers to a new, promising year. Thanks for supporting our show and thanks for listening. We here at the 18th Airborne Corps podcast will raise a glass of something for you on New Year's Eve.
Hey folks! Here's our Christmas Spectacular! In episode 101, recorded at the 18th Airborne Corps podcast Holiday party, the podcast staff offers you, the loyal listener, some Christmas thoughts! All you need to know to prepare your Family for Christmas 2021 in less than 7-and-a-half minutes.
Have a great one, friends! If you need anything, reach out to us at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com!
100 Episodes! What a milestone for all of us. We've actually produced 100 episodes in less than a year.
This episode is a milestone in another regard: Episode 100 concludes our 7-episode miniseries commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. That's right. We wrap it up here.
Our Battle of the Bulge stuff began on Episode 94, if you're interested in going back through and listening to these. Just as the Allies did in the Ardennes in December of 1944, we cover an awful lot of ground in this series. In this concluding episode, host Joe Buccino summarizes one of the most important events in American military history and ties a neat little bow around the Battle of the Bulge.
Thanks for listening and Happy Holidays!!!
Episode 98 of the podcast continues the story of the Battle of the Bulge.
This miniseries, which began with Episode 94, recounts the biggest figures and biggest moments from one of the most momentous events in American military history. One such moment occurred the day after Christmas, 1944. Patton's 3rd Army - led by the 37th Tank Battalion - blasted into Bastogne, relieving the 101st Airborne Division and turning the tide of the fight.
That day and that moment gave birth to an American Legend: King Cobra, the first tank into Bastogne. King Cobra gave the Allies momentum that they never gave up.
This is the story of King Cobra and its moment of glory. It's also the story of leaders and the decisions that put that tank in Bastogne.
The drama in the Ardennes forest continues...
Our 7-episode series on the Battle of the Bulge continues here (this is the 6th episode in the series). At a few seconds over 12-and-half-minutes, it's a short, breezy listen.
In this episode, host Joe Buccino discusses the VT fuze, a new piece of technology that gave the Allies a marked advantage in the Ardennes. How the fuze was developed, how it was employed, and what it meant at a critical moment in this fight - all of this is explained in Episode 99.
We began the Battle of the Bulge episode with the release of Episode 94 on December 16th and we've released a new episode on this momentous WWII battle every day since. Tomorrow we close this thing out!
Happy Holidays, friends and thanks so much for listening to the show!!!
Episode 97 continues the Battle of the Bulge series of episodes that began with Episode 94: A Battle of the Bulge Primer. Every day beginning Thursday, December 16th, we're releasing a new episode commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Ardennes Counteroffensive.
This episode, episode 97, tells the greatest story from that fight. In fact, this may be the most inspirational story in the American World War II experience.
This is the true story of Roddie Edmonds, a Christian and an American Soldier who protected American Jews under his care while held captive in a German prison camp after his unit was captured during the early moments of the Battle of the Bulge.
This is a story that has inspired millions in Europe, Israel, and the United States. It is a story that earned Roddie many posthumous awards, decorations, and international recognitions, including Righteous Among Nations, a revered titled bestowed by the State of Israel on non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis for altruistic reasons.
Roddie's son Chris, who uncovered this story after his father's death, joins host Joe Buccino to describe his father's remarkable example of love and valor.
This is a podcast episode every American should hear.
Episode 96 continues our daily series of podcasts commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. The series, which began with Episode 94: A Battle of the Bulge Primer, tells the greatest stories from the Ardennes Counteroffensive at the end of WWII and finds meaning in that struggle for Army leaders today.
Matthew B. Ridgway, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, is an under-recognized figure of the Allied response to the surprise German attack. In short order, he pushed his forces out into the line, absorbed unfamiliar infantry and tank divisions, and began a push south to "erase the bulge." This episode details Ridgway's leadership during that critical moment and places the airborne commander within the context of his day.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. We traditionally release new episodes every Tuesday. However, we're releasing a new episode of this short series on the Battle of the Bulge every day.
Please subscribe to the 18th Airborne Corps podcast on Spotify, Stitcher, or Apple Podcasts. The show, hosted by Joe Buccino and recorded on Fort Bragg, offers insight into historic events or news of the day. Please leave a five-star rating and review, as these help others find the program.
Our podcast series commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Battle of Bulge, which began with Episode 94: A Battle of the Bugle Primer, continues. For this episode we're honored to have a national treasure join host Joe Buccino to talk about the Ardennes Counteroffensive.
Rick Atkinson is a literary giant, a recipient of multiple Pulitzer prizes, the author of the Liberation Trilogy, and America's foremost historian. He joins the show to talk about the real meaning of the Battle of the Bulge 77 years on. He also talks about his latest work, the 2019 book "The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777," the first volume in a trilogy about the American Revolutionary War.
We were honored to have Rick join the show. His is an interview rich with insights about the fighting in the Ardennes, the Allied leadership in WWII, and the enduring nature of warfare itself.
77 years ago in a remote Belgian forest, one of the most important fights of World War II roared. The Battle of the Bulge, a final major German offensive thrust on the Western Front, took place from December 16th 1944 to January 25th 1945.
The Battle of the Bulge was filled with violent engagements, dramatic moments, and big figures. The names (Patton, Montgomery, Ridgway, Gavin), the places (St. Vith, Bastogne, the Losheim Gap), the stories (Nuts!, Creighton Abrams' 37th Tank Battalion) have become part of American military lore.
This episode, Episode 94, begins a series of episodes describing what really happened in the Ardennes and why. We'll blow up some of the myths of that fight and provide context around the truths.
So, this is a primer. A short overview to set up the coming series. At under 12 minutes, we're efficient and tidy with this one. We hope you'll check it out and continue along with the series.
You've likely never heard of Tony Manganiello, the co-founder of Austin, Texas-based data science firm Striveworks, but he's a revolutionary figure in military innovation.
After graduating from West Point in 1977, Tony had a successful career as an Army officer. Upon retirement, he entered the financial trading industry where he helped digitized the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. He then went into the tech industry where he focused on data and AI. Over the past five years, through his contacts across the Department of Defense, he helped push America's Special Operations Forces units into data analytics.
Tony joined host Joe Buccino in the 18th Airborne Corps podcast studio on Fort Bragg, North Carolina for a discussion on the importance of military leaders embracing disruptive technology, the value of data as a strategic asset, and the future of military Artificial Intelligence.
This is a fascinating discussion, one that holds value for any military leader. Tony tells wild tales from his multiple careers as a change agent.
Tony’s lived many rich lives: he’s been
- A Soldier,
- A Wall Street financial analyst,
- A West Point math teacher,
- An advisor to several key figures in national defense,
- An industry titan, and
- A confidante to many senior Army leaders.
His voice is one of experience and wisdom and one that needs to be heard throughout the US military.
Military food insecurity - the inability of America's active duty service members to feed their Families - is a real problem, one that's been in the national news for the past month or so. So, we here at the 18th Airborne Corps podcast had a few questions about it:
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How big is this problem, really?
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What should we do about it?
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What is the military already doing?
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What resources are available to Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, and Guardians?
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What should leaders do for their troops in this regard?
To answer these questions, we spoke with our friend Scott Pence, an Army Soldier with a Family himself, an all-around awesome guy, and the commander of Fort Bragg. You may remember that we spoke with him way back in episode 57 about the renaming of Fort Bragg.
Hope you enjoy the episode. Let's make sure all our service members and their Families are cared for this holiday season.
Thanks so much for listening.
Remember the Tank War? No? Well, then you really should listen to this episode.
In the 1980s, Iran and Iraq, embroiled in a massive land war, engaged in a series of shoot-outs on the high seas. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, supported by the United States, believe it or not, started the whole thing. He began attacking Iranian shipping vessels in an attempt to weaken Iran's ability to fight on land. The US eventually became involved and, with the world watching, the whole thing became, well....it became really complicated.
American forces were involved in a series of exchanges at sea. An Iraqi jet fire two missiles into an American frigate, killing 37 Navy Sailors. An American ship hit a naval mine. Our Navy engaged in the largest American sea battle since WWII.
This is a WILD story, one in which Clausewitzian fog of war serves as a principle character. In 1988, an Iranian passenger plane was tragically shot out of the sky by an American guided missile cruiser, killing all 290 on board in a chaotic mistake. To this day, many in Iran believe this was a targeted shoot down ordered by the White House.
We have no better guide on this compelling journey back to the Reagan days of foreign policy: David Crist, a senior historian for the Department of Defense and the author of a RIVETING book published in 2012 titled "The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict With Iran." David has been studying Iran for decades and he joins host Joe Buccino to describe the Tanker War in vivid detail.
This is a story that begins with Iran as an early Cold War American ally. It's a story of the Iranian Revolution and the subsequent hostage crisis.
It's a story with big moments: the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, the storming of an Iranian ship by Navy SEALS, the American shelling of an Iranian oil platform.
It's a story of big global figures: Ronald Reagan, Ayatollah Khomeini, Zbigniew Brezinski, Casper Wienberger, Oliver North.
It's also a story of American miscalculation and incompetence.
Finally, it's a story that involves the bizarre Iran-Contra scandal that almost brought down the Reagan presidency.
All these elements are manifest in this episode.
So, give us an hour and 5 minutes, because we break all this down in this fantastic episode.
Anyone looking to understand our relationship with Iran today must first understand how we came to the edge of a full-scale war with the Islamic Republic during the Tanker War. This is an episode rich with insight about the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and Tehran's motivations.
This past week, President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited a Fort Bragg, North Carolina hangar full of hundreds of Soldiers and Family members for a Thanksgiving dinner celebration (the White House actually called it "Friendsgiving"). Our host, Joe Buccino, alongside his friend Matt Visser, recorded this podcast episode from the event.
Here's that episode, released on Thanksgiving morning, for you and your Families.
We wish you all the safest, happiest, and healthiest Thanksgiving.
The great author ("The Perfect Storm," "War," "Tribe") and filmmaker ("Restrepo," "Korengal") came to Fort Bragg to speak with host Joe Buccino for episode 89 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast.
The conversation got real deep real quick. Sebastian talked about big topics: the meaning of life, the beginning and the end of the war in Afghanistan, the role of society in human evolution. He also spoke about his divorce, his new marriage, and becoming a Dad for the first time at age 55. And then he described a stunning, bizarre, life-changing experience he had last year that you'll have to hear from him in this episode. We just won't be able to do it any justice here.
Whether you or not you've read Sebastian's work, we'll say this: this is a hell of an episode.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official program of the US Department of Defense. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, we release new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. The podcast, hosted by Joe Buccino, covers insight from history, news of the day, and professional development and often features the Nation's top military leaders. SUBSCRIBE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes, or Stitcher to ensure you never miss an episode. PLEASE LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING and a review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps others find the show!
Gus Perna spent his entire adult life - 40 years - leading troops as an Army officer. A career logistician, he rose to the top of his field, commanding the organization responsible for all Army parts distribution and supply chain management.
Gus and his wife Susan had long planned to retire to Huntsville, Alabama in early 2020. As things happened, however, just as the Pernas were preparing to transition out of the Army, COVID-19 changed everything.
In the early, dark days of the pandemic, President Trump asked Gus to remain in uniform and manage the production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, the shot that would get us all out of lockdown. The Nation needed Gus Perna - the world needed his leadership - and he couldn't say no.
Operation Warp Speed, the program initiated by the Trump administration to accelerate the vaccine, the program that Gus oversaw, was among the most critical and most complicated efforts of the American government since the close of World War II. It was also among the largest in scale.
This discussion with Gus Perna actually followed from Episode 87. In that episode, historian Arthur Herman told a story about meeting General Perna during his time at OWS. Gus had read Arthur's book "Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II," about the American business leaders who helped build the World War II Army and gleamed lessons from the book as he organized the OWS team. There are many parallels between the situation described in the book and the effort Gus was leading. The general contacted Arthur and brought him out to the OWS headquarters to speak with the team of scientists, doctors, military officers, and governmental officials working on vaccine development and distribution. After the visit, Gus wrote Arthur a personalized letter describing how much the book and the visit meant to him. That letter, which Arthur described in Episode 87, is hung on the historian's wall.
So, we caught up with Gus, who retired earlier this year after completing his mission with Warp Speed, for this episode, Episode 88. He spoke from his Alabama home about what went right and what went wrong with the operation. He spoke about his thoughts on vaccine hesitancy and his feelings on the politicization of the vaccine. He spoke about his OWS team, about the pressure of leading the world through a pandemic in one of the most scrutinized operations in recent history. He also spoke about leadership, about a lifetime of military service, about the support Susan offered when he needed it most.
We should mention that during the discussion, Gus references Dr. Moncef Slaoui the researcher who worked alongside the general at OWS. General Perna and Dr. Slaoui were co-leads for the effort, with the general serving as the CEO.
This is a candid, raw discussion with a man who gave the country all he had. It's an episode that every American should listen to because Gus' is a voice and a story that every American should hear.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official program of the US Department of Defense. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, we release new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. The podcast, hosted by Joe Buccino, covers insight from history, news of the day, and professional development and often features the Nation's top military leaders. SUBSCRIBE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes, or Stitcher to ensure you never miss an episode. PLEASE LEAVE A 5-STAR RATING and a review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps others find the show!
As the United States military reorganizes for Large Scale Combat Operations against a high-tech adversary, the role of industry in developing cutting-edge capabilities increases in prominence. It's important at this moment to look book to a period of American history in which private industry modernized an antiquated Army.
The story of American mobilization for World War II is well told: leaders like FDR, Henry Stimson, and George Marshall assembled a massive military force to beat the German and Japanese empires. Missing from this telling of history is the role of American businessmen in building FDR's "arsenal of democracy" that propelled the Allies to victory.
Historian Arthur Herman, author of "Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II," the wonderful 2012 book on this subject, joins host Joe Buccino to describe how two extraordinary American businessmen—General Motors automobile magnate William “Big Bill” Knudsen and shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser—helped corral, cajole, and inspire the country to transform America's Army from a hollow shell into a global force in a few years. Indeed, these "dollar-a-year men" who accepted a $1 annual salary from the American government to led through the nation at a time of global war, laid the foundations for the country’s post-war rise as an economic and military superpower.
Episode 87 is a fascinating, eye-opening conversation about a critical, and critically overlooking, aspect of American history. The conversation between Arthur and Joe is rich with insight about the role of industry in American production for war.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the US military. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday on topics of importance to military leaders. The podcast, hosted by Joe Buccino, covers insight from history, news of the day, and professional development and often features the Nation's top military leaders. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Stitcher, or Spotify and please leave a five-star rating and review.
Hello there! We're wishing you a safe and prosperous Veterans Day.
We're releasing this episode, Episode 86: Armistice I The History of Veterans Day, on Thursday, November 11th, Veterans Day, 2021.
Veterans Day, a national holiday observed every year on November 11th, honors the accomplishments of American Veterans from all of our Nation’s wars.
Veterans Day is a celebration of the men and women who keep us free. But, it wasn’t always so. Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day, began as a commemoration of the end of World War I. After the Second World War, a veteran named Raymond Weeks fought to change November 11th to serve as a national celebration of veterans of all our wars.
On this episode, which clocks in at a tidy 21 minutes, Joe Buccino explains the history of Veterans Day in America and how it came to serve as a celebration of all American veterans.
We want to thank all of our Veterans and all of the Families who've supported them and continue to support them today.
Please listen to this episode and please SUBSCRIBE to the 18th Airborne Corps podcast on Spotify, Stitcher, or Apple Podcasts.
As far back as the Revolutionary War, Puerto Rican fighters have contributed to our Army and our national defense. From the Union Army during the Civil War to the development of Fort Bragg to the 65th Infantry Regiment "Borinqueneers" during the Korean War, Puerto Ricans have weaved a great legacy through American Army history.
On this episode of the podcast, Army Sergeant Carlos Cuebas, frequent contributor to the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, joins host Joe Buccino to discuss the legacy. Carlos and Joe are joined by Carlos' Dad, Carlos Senior, a retired Army officer and a walking encyclopedia of military history.
Little Carlos and Big Carlos walk through some of the greatest stories of the Puerto Rican American Soldiers and offer insights into the values, virtues, and culture of the Puerto Rican people.
On this episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, host Joe Buccino is joined by his friend and frequent collaborator Jeremiah Meaney. These two men bravely walk deep into the woods of Fort Bragg (they actually almost got hopelessly lost) in search of one of the rarest creatures on Earth: the Saint Francis Satyr butterfly (actually, a caterpillar that will transform into the butterfly).
There's one particular portion of the Fort Bragg training area that, by happenstance, manifests the perfect combination of manmade disturbances to allow this butterfly to exist and reproduce. In fact, this little bit of Fort Bragg is the only place the Saint Francis Satyr still exists.
Joe and Jeremiah are joined by three guests, to include WNYC Radiolab's Latif Nasser and Nick Haddad, author of the 2019 book "The Last Butterflies: A Scientist's Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature."
While this episode is lighthearted, it features big concepts, including man's role in the ecosystem and the US military's responsibility to wildlife.
This is a WILD episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast. LISTEN to the first five minutes and you'll be hooked.
CHECK IT OUT and SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.
In this episode of the podcast, bestselling author Ryan Holiday joins host Joe Buccino to talk about Stoicism and the virtue of courage.
Ryan is the author of "Trust Me, I'm Lying," "The Obstacle is the Way," "Ego is the Enemy," and other books about marketing, culture, and the human condition. His works have been translated into more than 30 languages and have made the New York Times Bestsellers list.
His most recent book, "Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave," released earlier this year, explores the essential elements of the foundational Stoic virtue of Courage and its application to military leadership. And, don't worry, if you don't remember Stoicism from your high school philosophy class, host Joe Buccino presents a brief primer during the introduction.
Every person on Earth grapples with fear. In fact, Ryan explains, the most repeated phrase in the Bible is “Be not afraid.” The Stoics believed it is natural to feel fear, but it cannot rule you. Courage, as Ryan describes, is the ability to rise above fear, to do what is right, what is needed, and what is true.
In this episode, Ryan explains why it's always remember that your time on Earth is short. He also offers advice on how to conquer fear and act with moral courage while leading Soldiers.
In addition to writing all these bestselling books, Ryan also runs DailyStoic.com, a website that offers practical advice on implementing Stoicism into daily life. Further, he runs the company Brass Check, which advises companies such as Google, TASER, and Complex, as well as multiplatinum musicians and some of the biggest authors in the world.
This is a great discussion, rich with insights for anyone serving in the military today.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US Department of Defense. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina with host Joe Buccino, the program features discussions with historians, Soldiers, and leaders, with insight on critical moments in history, life in the military, the latest Department of Defense initiatives, and current events.
We release new episodes every Tuesday morning, so please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify to ensure you don't miss an episode. Please also leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
Michael Grinston, the 16th Sergeant Major of the Army, came through Fort Bragg, North Carolina, home of the Airborne and Special Forces. SMA was on Bragg observing a study held on the post of the service’s current height and weight requirements. While here, he met with Sergeant Carlos Cuebas, a Soldier who works on the 18th Airborne Corps podcast to record this episode.
SMA spoke with Carlos about the changes in Army culture, the always controversial and ever-changing Army Combat Fitness Test, and the new ways the Army will evaluate height and weight. Grinston also reflected back on a career of service that's spanned almost 35 years.
Grinston was sworn in as the 16th Sergeant Major of the Army, basically the Army's senior enlisted man, on August 9, 2019. He's held every enlisted leadership position in artillery, ranging from cannon crewmember to command sergeant major.
As SMA Grinston is Army Chief of Staff McConville's personal adviser on matters affecting the enlisted force. He devotes the majority of his time traveling throughout the Army to observe training and interact with Soldiers and their Families (this trip to Bragg is an example).
He sits on a variety of councils and boards that make decisions affecting enlisted Soldiers and their Families and routinely invited to testify before Congress. Grinston is the public face of the U.S. Army's Noncommissioned Officer Corps, representing the NCO Corps to the American people in the media and through business and community engagements.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. We release new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday, so SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher so you don't miss anything! PLEASE leave a five-star rating and a review as this helps others find the show.
Last week Haley Britzky, the Army reporter for Task & Purpose, an online publication covering the US military, visited Fort Bragg, North Carolina to report on the Army Comprehensive Body Composition study taking place on base. While there, she stopped by the podcast studio for a discussion with host Joe Buccino.
In this episode, Haley describes Task & Purpose's mandate to speak to and for the American Soldier. She also talks about her (young) reporting career, some of her recent stories about Army initiatives, and how she keeps her finger on the pulse of Army culture.
The two also talk about Joe's love for Guns N' Roses, the value of keeping an eye on Army Twitter, and how Haley knows she written a valuable story. This is a great discussion for anyone interested in the intersection of Army leadership and journalism, and the role of the media in holding military leaders to account.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. We release new episodes every Tuesday on current events, history, and service member stories. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify to ensure you do not miss any episodes. Please leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps other find the program.
On episode 80 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, Fred Bible shares his wild story of making it as an Army Engineer Diver. Fred serves in one of the most competitive jobs in the Army and is an instructor at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center. Fred has served in numerous dive detachments. He has participated in many successful dive operations overseas to include in Oman and Kuwait, as well as five Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPA) operations. In this special on-location episode from Panama City Beach, Fred joins guest host Matt Visser to share his story. Fred talks about the process of becoming a diver and the engineering challenges one encounters on a dive operation. Fred also shares about what is expected for trainees to prepare themselves to be successful in their development to prepare for an assignment to a Dive Detachment. The18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. Remember to like and subscribe to the podcast and to leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts as that helps others find the show.
In episode 79 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, the podcast staff goes through 10 months of emails from listeners. It's listener mail: we answer your questions about the show!
Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the US military.
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Today on the podcast: an Equal Opportunity Representative. This one is an interesting, thoughtful guy who has insight into how the program is changing and how leaders and Soldier can leverage their EO rep.
After a long, successful career as an airborne infantryman, Sergeant Major Rob Frame recently took a job as an Equal Opportunity Officer. He likes it!
Rob joins host Joe Buccino to talk about the EO program, about how the Army has changed over the last two decades, and how Army leaders must continue to evolve with American society.
Rob has much to say about Army culture, leadership, and the NCO corps. This episode is worth a listen for anyone serving today.
Remember to subscribe to the podcast and to leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts as that helps others find the show.
Gen Z has changed Army communication.
As far back as the formation of the first companies of American rifleman in 1775, effective communication has served as a critical component of Army leadership. Conveying orders, describing purpose and meaning, disseminating intent: all these are crucial to leading troops in war and peacetime.
Right now, Army leaders – and the Army more broadly – seek to convey meaning and insight, to describe legacy and implant culture to a group of Soldiers and future Soldiers raised on a vastly more complicated information environment. Today’s Soldier comes into the Army accustomed to absorbing a near-constant stream of information, stimulation, and feedback. It’s not all useful, but it is perpetual. The Army is adapting to Gen Z; broadly defined as Americans born between 1997 and 2012; the first American generation to grow up with a smartphone.
Jonathan Haidt, one of America’s most prominent social psychologists, makes a fortune (and quite a bit of fame) studying and describing the way in which Gen Zers receive and present information. You probably know Jonathan as the co-author, along with Greg Lukianoff, of the monster 2018 bestseller “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure” (a book that contributed to the aforementioned fortune). He teaches ethical leadership at New York University and uses research on moral psychology to help people understand each other. His life’s work is in helping American social institutions work better.
Jonathan joins host Joe Buccino to talk about how the Army should think about communicating in this non-stop information environment. As you’d imagine, this discussion is right in his wheelhouse.
Jonathan’s an interesting guy and he has some surprising takes here on the Army, on leadership, on COVID confusion and misinformation, and on understanding and promoting culture. His is a critical voice on these subjects and this is an episode worth every Army leader’s time.
Joe is also joined by two friends, both Army Soldiers, one before the Jonathan Haidt discussion and one after. The pre-Haidt Soldier is perhaps the country’s biggest Jonathan Haidt fan; he turned Joe on to the “Coddling of the American Mind.” The post-Haidt Soldier – NOT a Gen Zer – offers a view that contrasts with that of the great psychologist. So, a lot going on in this podcast episode. It’s worth 50 minutes of your time.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. We record on Fort Bragg, North Carolina and release a new episode every Tuesday.
Please subscribe to the 18th Airborne Corps podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify. Please also leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps others find the show.
Episode 76 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the second of two parts on the Battle of
Mogadishu. Normally we release new episodes every Tuesday, however, we’re releasing
these two on Sunday, October 3rd and Monday, October 4th - timed for the 28th
anniversary of the battle (October 3rd and 4th, 1993).
In this episode, we speak with John Collett, one of Rangers who fast roped into the Mogadishu arms market. John, then an Army Specialist, was an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon gunner. During the fighting he was wounded twice.
John was among 18 veterans of the battle awarded a Silver Star in a special ceremony on Fort Benning just a few days ago on Friday, October 1st of this year. John initially received a Bronze Star Medal with a “V” for Valor for his performance in the fight. The award was upgraded earlier this year.
In this episode John tells the full story, the real story of Black Hawk Down. He describes the fear, the anger, the adrenaline, the fighting, the camaraderie – all of it. He also talks about the subsequent post-traumatic stress and the emotional toll of the brutal combat.
This is a story that every American should hear. It’s a story that should remembered.
On this dark anniversary, we should also remember all 19 American Soldiers killed in that battle. Here are their names:
Delta Force Operators
- Master Sergeant Gary Ivan Gordon
- Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart
- Staff Sergeant Daniel Darrell Busch
- Sergeant First Class Earl Robert Fillmore, Junior
- Master Sergeant Timothy Lynn Martin
- Sergeant First Class Matthew Loren Rierson
3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
- Corporal James “Jamie” E. Smith
- Specialist James M. Cavaco
- Sergeant James Casey Joyce
- Corporal Richard “Alphabet” Kowalewski, Senior
- Sergeant Dominick Pilla
- Sergeant Lorenzo M. Ruiz
Pilots and Crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiments
- Staff Sergeant William “Wild Bill” David Cleveland, Senior
- Staff Sergeant Thomas “Tommie” J. Field
- Chief Warrant Officer 4 Raymond “Ironman” Alex Frank
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clifton “Elvis” P. Wolcott
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donovan “Bull” Lee Briley
10th Mountain Division Soldiers
- Sergeant Cornell Lemont Houston, Senior
- Private First Class Henry Martin, Jr.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts
On October 3rd 1993, Task Force Ranger set out on a snatch-and-grab mission to arrest two warlords in Mogadishu, Somalia during Operation Gothic Serpent, the American military attempt to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid during the Somali Civil War.
The daytime mission was to take no more than 90 minutes. Rangers would helicopter in and surround the building on all sides while a ground convoy would wait to carry out the prisoners. Little to no fighting was expected.
What followed was 17 hours of fighting, the most violent combat action American Soldiers had seen since Vietnam. 19 American Soldiers were killed, one, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Durant, was captured.
38 years ago, the Battle of Mogadishu shocked the consciousness of the American public. It was, initially, a story of military failure, a spectacular debacle, an international embarrassment.
In the years since, largely due to Mark Bowden’s 1999 book “Black Hawk Down” and the 2001 Ridley Scott-produced film adaptation of the same name, the story has become one of valor and courage. The book and film give voice to the roughly 160 men who fought in Mogadishu, to the Rangers, Delta operators, and 10th Mountain Division Soldiers cut-off and surrounded, to those who exposed themselves to grave risk trying to rescue downed American blackhawk crews.
This episode, episode 75 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, is part one of two on the Battle of Mogadishu. We’ve timed these two episodes, 75 and 76, for release on the 38th anniversary of the battle. This a story worth hearing today; it holds great meaning for Army leaders and national security officials.
In this first part, we speak with John Carroll, a historian at Texas A&M University who studies the American response to the Somali Civil War and the role of the Battle of Mogadishu on President Clinton’s subsequent foreign policy decision-making. John provides context around the battle, describing what happened and why and how the country responded. We also speak with Matt Eversmann, a retired Army First Sergeant who is immortalized not only in the Mark Bowden book but who is the main character in the film, played by Josh Hartnett.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US military. We traditionally release new episodes every Tuesday. For episodes 75 and 76 we’re releasing on Sunday and Monday in concert with the 38th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu.
Please subscribe to the 18th Airborne Corps podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify. Please also leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps others find the show.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast focuses on history, current events, and leadership and is recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Anne McClain is many things: a NASA astronaut, a global icon, an inspiration to many, a pro rugby player. She's also an active duty Army Soldier.
Anne joins host Joe Buccino for episode 74 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast. She tells her story and describes her journey from Spokane, Washington to West Point to the Army and to outer space. The life of an astronaut is, as you'd imagine, incredibly rewarding but it's not easy as life. Anne describes her training, her studies, and her close-knit team.
Anne also describes the responsibility she feels to all the women and girls who look up to her and see her as a role model.
This is a truly enlightening, inspirational episode, one with value for leaders, teachers, and parents all across our Nation.
Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the United States military. New episodes are released every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify so you won't miss an episode.
Please leave a 5-star rating and a review. This helps others find the program.
Episode 73 brings to a close our MASSIVE 11-day, 11-episode retrospective on Operation Market Garden. In this episode, host Joe Buccino is joined by occasional co-host Matt Visser. The two discuss the key takeaways for them from Market Garden and what they learned through the development and production of the series.
This Market Garden series began back on September 17th with episode 63. Through the 11 episodes we've examined the operation from the perspective of the American airborne units, the British airborne and ground forces, and the Polish airborne brigade. We've also discussed the strategic, tactical, and operational components of the operation.
Market Garden was a tragic failure for the Allied forces. Through the lens of history, it is such a rich, dramatic story, one with so much wisdom to offer military leaders today.
Episode 72 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast continues our series on Operation Market Garden: 11 episodes in 11 days.
This episode, the 10th and penultimate installment in the OMG series, features Dr. John Greenacre. John is a well-published military historian and author. He's also a Brit, which gives him a bit of a different perspective on some of the elements of this story we've been discussing, in particular the leadership of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.
John spent over twenty years in the British Army before completing his PhD at Leeds University. He is a part-time lecturer at the University of Suffolk and the author of the 2020 book "Churchill's Spearhead: The Development of Britain's Airborne Forces in World War II."
Our Market Garden miniseries began in Episode 63 and ends on Monday, September 27th with the release of Episode 73. If you haven't been following along, we recommend you go back through on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Our MASSIVE multi-episode Operation Market Garden series continues. We're moving along, pushing out a great deal of content and now only a few episodes remain.
Matt Visser, who works as a research assistant on the podcast, hosts this episode for traditional host Joe Buccino.
We actually had to add a few episodes to this miniseries on Market Garden. We originally were planning for a 9-day, 9-episode piece to run in concert with the 77th anniversary of the actual operation (September 17 to 25, 1944). However, to be fair to the full scope of this story, we've decided to go with 11 episodes over 11 days.
In this, episode 71, the 9th on Market Garden, we welcome Jennifer Grant, a postgraduate researcher specializing in the Polish Armed Forces at the Queen Mary University of London
Jennifer represents the Polish perspective in the allied operation. She describes the objectives and actions of the 1st Independent Airborne Brigade in Arnhem. She also describes the complicated legacy of Stanisław Sosabowski, the commander of that unit.
Jennifer Grant offers some real thoughtful insight; a fantastic overview of a complicated aspect of Market Garden. This story really cannot be told in full without an understanding of the Polish airborne.
Our Market Garden miniseries began in Episode 63 and ends on Monday, September 27th with the release of Episode 73. If you haven't been following along, we recommend you go back through on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and listen to all episodes in this series.
Our sweeping, multi-day analysis of Operation Market Garden continues.
Yesterday, episode 69, we spoke about the role and mission of the 82nd Airborne Division. Today, the 101st Airborne Division.
Dr. John O'Brien, director of the Don F. Pratt museum, the official museum of the 101st Airborne, on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, joins host Joe Buccino to talk about this milestone moment in the legacy of the Screaming Eagles.
Our 9-episode miniseries on Operation Market Garden continues. On episode 69 we'll talk about the role of the 82nd Airborne. We'll cover the 82nd's objectives, command structure, and actions throughout the operation.
In broad daylight on September 17th, 1944, the men of the 82nd Airborne Division jumped into the drop zones at Groesbeek, Overasselt and Grave in Nazi-occupied Holland. The jump was a success and the paratroopers quickly assembled and moved out.
The 82nd's primary targets were the bridges at Grave, Malden, Heumen, Hatert, and Honinghutje, with the ultimate goal of the Waal rail and road bridges at Nijmegen. The division speedily captured most of its objectives, but had to fight through stiff German resistance in some areas.
The All American Division saw wild momentum swings and heavy combat. Market Garden produced one of the most dramatic moments in the storied history of the 82nd Airborne: the Waal river crossing made famous by a stunning scene in the 1977 film "A Bridge Too Far."
This episode covers all the critical moments of the 82nd during this operation. General Jim Gavin, the beloved "lead from the front" commander of the 82nd, is not spared from criticism here.
Our Market Garden miniseries began in Episode 63 and ends on Saturday, September 25th with the release of Episode 70. If you haven't been following along, we recommend you go back through on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The 1977 epic blockbuster film "A Bridge Too Far," starring many of the top American actors of its day, brought Operation Market Garden into American popular culture. In fact, so much of what Americans understand about Market Garden and the way we think about that operation is rooted, at least in part, on the film.
As we continue our 9-episode, 9-day (September 17th to 25th) analysis of Operation Market Garden, we here at the 18th Airborne Corps podcast wanted to revisit that movie and explore its themes and characters. We also wanted to ask two pertinent questions: is A Bridge Too Far historically accurate? And, is it even a good movie?
There are few people better prepared to answer these questions than Dr. Russell Burgos, an Associate Professor at the National Defense University's Joint Special Operations Master of Arts program at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Russell studies the intersection of history and American pop culture, examining the impact of film on our national understanding of our military and historic battles. He and podcast host Joe Buccino discuss the film, why and how it was made, and how it's become manifest in the American psyche.
In terms of the quality of the movie: both host and guest agree that the film is too long (2 hour and 56 minutes), too slow, and introduces too many characters and themes to be enjoyable. It is, however, mostly accurate. There is value in the film as a representation of the planning, the airborne insertion, and the fighting at the bridges.
Dr. Russell Burgos joined the National Defense University in 2015 after more than 12 years as a professor at UCLA, the University of Southern California, Claremont McKenna College, and Pepperdine University.
In addition to extensive experience teaching core courses in American and international politics, globalization, Great Power competition, and political theory, Dr. Burgos has designed and taught seminar courses on U.S. national security, homeland security, globalization and international security, American foreign relations, the economics of globalization, the Iraq War, Middle East politics, and US foreign and military policy in the Persian Gulf.
Dr. Burgos has written articles and book chapters on national security policy, US Middle East policy, strategy and policy in the Persian Gulf, the effects of Special Operations Forces on regional and global stability, the teaching of international politics, and academic techniques and best practices for Professional Military Education students.
He is a former Signal and Psychological Operations officer, an active wargamer, presents frequently at professional conferences, has appeared on radio, television, and podcasts and before community and service organizations in the U.S. and abroad to offer expert commentary on U.S. national security policy and strategy, and has served as a military technology and military history consultant for television and film productions.
Our 9-day, 9-episode analysis of Operation Market Garden continues!
We're on Day 5, September 21, 2021. Thus far, we've spent an awful lot of time criticized British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, the architect of Market Garden. Here we bring on a Brit, retired General James Learmont, to give a defense of Monty.
James' father is the Patron of the Glider Pilot Regiment, the British airborne forces responsible for crewing the military gliders. James has deeply felt, deeply considered opinions on Monty which deserve consideration. He describes the reverence a generation of British officers had for Montgomery and places him within the broader context of his time and WWII. Our 9-episode look at Operation Market Garden runs from September 17th to 25th, to coincide with the 77th anniversary of the operation. After that, we're back to normal 18th Airborne Corps podcast business.
Episode 66 continues our series on Operation Market Garden: 9-episodes with a new episode released each day for 9 days in concert with the 77th anniversary of the operation (September 17th to 25th).
In episode 66, we speak with WW2 film-maker, historian, and author Paul Woodadge about the cancelled airborne insertions leading into Market Garden. Paul explains how these unrealized plans put pressure on the Allied leadership to move forward with the massive jump into Nijmegen on September 17, 1944. He also explains how Operation Comet, the final cancelled drop, morphed into the Market portion of Market Garden.
There are few people on the planet more prepared to speak on this subject than Paul Woodadge. The historian professor and battlefield tour guide lives the European Theater of World War II. Check out his website and his YouTube channel for more WWII content.
Operation Market Garden was big, bold, and aggressive. So, too, is our 9-day (17 to 25 September 2021), 9-episode Operation Market Garden retrospective. Hopefully, these podcasts will turn out better than Market Garden.
Day 3: Episode 65 continues the daily series of episodes.
Here Dr. John Bonin returns. He's the American historian and all-around affable fellow from Episode 64. This time around he and host Joe Buccino talk about what went wrong, specifically the command structure of the 1st Allied Airborne Army that put an inexperienced paratrooper (Brit Frederick Browning, commander of the British 1st Corps) in charge of a massive airborne insertion. They also talk about the decision to insert in day vs. under the cover of darkness. Finally, Dr. Bonin goes all in on British Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery. Oh boy, does Dr. Bonin let Monty have it.
Hot take: Operation Market Garden, the massive, ambitious Allied failure in the Netherlands in September 1944 was a good idea. That's the argument Dr. John Bonin, American historian with the US Army War College, makes in episode 64.
We're at the 77th anniversary of Operation Market Garden (17 to 25 September, 1944) and this episode is the 2nd in a 9-part series about Operation Market Garden that will run across 9 days (17 to 25 September 2021) in commemoration.
John Bonin is a Professor of Concepts and Doctrine at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Previously, he was the Scholar in Residence for the Army Heritage Center Foundation.
Prior to his retirement from the Army in June 2002 as a colonel, his assignments included deputy commander of the 194th Armored Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Director of Army Planning and General George C. Marshall Chair for Military Studies of the U.S. Army War College, where he served for seven years after graduating in 1995. Commissioned in the Infantry from the U.S. Military Academy in 1972, he obtained a Master’s degree in military history from Duke University. In 2006, he earned a PhD in history from Temple University.
September 17, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Market Garden, a massive offensive intended to end WWII by Christmas. The nine-day operation ended on September 25th in failure.
77 years later, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, the official podcast of the US Department of Defense, releases a nine-episode series based on Market Garden.
Nine days. Nine episodes. September 17 - 25. Almost as bold and ambitious as the operation itself...let's just hope this podcast is a little more successful.
Market Garden is a big story. Episodes 63 to 71 will unwind that story.
Over these nine episodes, you'll hear multiple elements on this grand tragedy: the American airborne, the British airborne, the British ground forces, the Dutch resistance, the German defenses, the Polish paratroopers. We'll have many guests, many historians, and many perspectives.
In this first in our Market Garden series, host Joe Buccino describes the strategic overview of the operation and the broad outlines of the plan. This episode sets the scene for the next eight.
Please subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify. Please live a 5-star rating and a review and please tell others about the program.
A cowboy is made in eight seconds. That's how long you have to last on a bull for it to count as a successful "ride." Anything less than that is a failure. Eight seconds, as the host of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast found out, is a lot harder than it sounds.
In episode 62 of the official podcast of the US Army, we'll meet a group of American Soldiers who are also professional and semi-professional bull riders.
Bull riding is an adrenaline rush. It initiates a sense of terror, power, and, once complete, relief. That's because it is INCREDIBLY dangerous....the bulls have no interest in your risk assessment. In fact, a professional bull rider is much more likely to be seriously injured than an NFL player.
Moises Silva, an Army Specialist stationed on Fort Bragg, has been riding bulls his entire life. He's been injured more than 20 times, cracked his skull, and spent a month in a coma. He's also gotten really good at hanging on and riding up to that eight seconds.
Casey Jones, another Army specialist, is one of the few woman Army bull riders. She absolutely loves everything about the sport: the training, working with the animals, the teamwork.
Both Moises and Casey join the podcast, both in the Fort Bragg studio and then at a rodeo in Hope Mills, North Carolina, for this episode.
One thing should be clear by the end of this episode: the host of this podcast will do ANYTHING to promote the 18th Airborne Corps podcast...to include risk serious injury at the hands of a 2,000-pound bull.
Find out how Moises and Casey engendered a sense of community with a small group of Fort Bragg Soldiers through this odd pastime. Find out what they got involved with bull riding, what they get out of it, and what they hope to achieve in the sport. Find out if our host can last two seconds on a bull.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is an official Department of Defense program. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a new episode is released every Tuesday.
Please subscribe to the 18th Airborne Corps podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-18th-airborne-corps-podcast/id1547996961), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/15BMwodlZc84yiPK0AYSHq), or Stitcher (https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-doomsday-clock).
You won't miss any of the interesting guests or cool stories if you subscribe. We also ask you to leave a 5-star rating and a review, as these will help others find the program.
Major General Milford Beagle, known around the Army as "Beags," leads with authenticity, humility, and compassion. He's the kind of leader who reveals his vulnerability to his troops and communicate with them on their level.
A native of Enoree, South Carolina, Beags commissioned in the Army after graduating from South Carolina State University in 1990 as an infantry officer. He's since had a long and distinguished career as an infantryman with stops at the Old Guard, Korea, the 10th Mountain Division on Fort Drum, and the Pentagon. In 2018 that career brought him home: he took command of the Fort Jackson, South Carolina-based US Army Training Center.
This past July, he returned to Fort Drum to command the 10th Mountain Division. As the 31st "Climb To Glory 6," he upholds a legacy that dates back to the formation of a ski-based unit for World War II.
Beags joined the 18th Airborne Corps podcast to talk about his priorities with the 10th Mountain Division, his leadership philosophy, and his Family. This is a thoughtful discussion for anyone interested in Army leadership.
Last year, September 11th, 2019, the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, Lieutenant General Erik Kurilla, commander of the Fort Bragg-based XVIII Airborne Corps, delivered a message to the community and the Army. It was a speech about the lessons we've learned - and perhaps forgotten - from our National response to that tragedy.
Audio from that speech was posted online the next day. Tens of thousands have heard the speech since. Many people across the country have requested a copy of that speech (we are not releasing the speech in written form).
Today, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we're releasing that speech, titled "What We've Learned," in audio form for the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.
This is the official podcast of the US Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. We ask that you please subscribe to the program on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean, or Spotify. Please tell others about the program and please leave a five-star rating and review, as these help others find the show.
On Wednesday, September 8th, SEAC Ramón Colón-López, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley visited the Joint Force on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. They spoke with service members who recently returned from the evacuation mission on Afghanistan about 9/11, Afghanistan, and leadership.
Sergeant Jillian Hix, public affairs sergeant for 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, had the opportunity to interview the SEAC and Chairman for the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast. The interview caps a whirlwind month for Sergeant Hix, who returned from Afghanistan two days prior to the interview. She describes her incredible journey on episode 59 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.
SEAC Colón-López and Chairman Milley have a great message to the force on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and the end of the war in Afghanistan.
Bing West has always loved American Grunts.
Ever since he led a platoon of Marines in Vietnam, he's had an affinity for the man (and now woman) on the ground at the leading edge of America's wars. That's why he wrote the 1972 book "The Village," about 17 months in the lives of a squad of Marines fighting in Binh Nghia, Vietnam. He wrote for the Marine Corps as well, publishing the service's official counterinsurgency manual.
Throughout our post-9/11 wars, he continued to champion the Grunt.
From 2003 through 2008, he made 16 extended trips to Iraq, going on patrols and writing three books and numerous articles about the war. His 2005 book "No True Glory," is the definitive frontline account of the Battle for Fallujah. His 2008 book "The Strongest Tribe," will hold up for generations as a comprehensive history of the American war in Iraq.
From 2007 through 2011, he made numerous trips to Afghanistan, each time living and traveling with ground units. His 2011 book "The Wrong War," is a definitive account of American missteps and successes in Afghanistan.
Bing was in Afghanistan on September 8, 2009 when Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer singlehandedly evacuated or provided cover for dozens of US service members in Kunar during the Battle of Ganjgal. Hearing the story, Bing investigated and wrote about Dakota's account. He pushed the Marine Corps, the Department of Defense, Congress, and the White House for Dakota to receive the Medal of Honor and he did, in a White House ceremony on September 15, 2011.
Aside from his writing, he's had an influential career as a counterinsurgency analyst, first for the Rand Corporation and later as an assistant to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Bing's good friend.
Meanwhile, he's continued to write, both fiction and non-fiction, telling the stories of the American Marine and Soldier in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On Episode 58 of the podcast, Bing joins his old friend Joe Buccino, host of the podcast, to talk about caring leadership, the end of the war of Afghanistan, the Army's focus on Large Scale Combat Operations, and why Army leaders should stop tweeting.
It's a great talk, a rich discussion with lessons and wisdom for all military leaders.
Please subscribe to the 18th Airborne Corps podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-18th-airborne-corps-podcast/id1547996961), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/15BMwodlZc84yiPK0AYSHq), or Stitcher (https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-doomsday-clock). You won't miss any of the interesting guests or cool stories if you subscribe. We also ask you to leave a 5-star rating and a review, as these will help others find the program.
Fort Bragg is set to change its name.
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, passed by Congress last year, mandates the renaming of US military bases named after Confederate Soldiers. As a result, these 10 military bases will have a new name in the coming years:
- Camp Beauregard, Louisiana;
- Fort Benning, Georgia;
- Fort Gordon, Georgia;
- Fort Hood, Texas;
- Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia;
- Fort Lee, Virginia;
- Fort Pickett, Virginia;
- Fort Polk, Louisiana;
- Fort Rucker, Alabama; and
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where this podcast is recorded.
For this episode, Episode 57, Colonel Scott Pence, garrison commander for Fort Bragg, joins host Joe Buccino to explain the process by which a new name will be selected. He also describes how he is soliciting feedback from veterans who've served on Fort Bragg as well as the surrounding community.
Colonel Pence is working closely with the Renaming Commission, an 8-member panel selected by Congress to oversee the process of renaming these 10 bases. In so doing, he seeks feedback from you, the listener. All the information you need about the base renaming to inform that feedback is available on this podcast episode.
We're releasing this episode on Tuesday, September 7th. In the days and weeks to come, we'll provide more information on the official 18th Airborne Corps Facebook page (@ftbragg18abn) regarding how you can submit a name for consideration to replace "Fort Bragg."
You can also propose a name for any of the 10 selected bases through the official site of the Renaming Commission: https://www.thenamingcommission.gov/.
Thanks for listening. Please pass this podcast episode on to anyone interested in this process.
The release date of this episode, August 31st, marks the end of America's longest war. Paul Rieckhoff, one of the most prominent national voices for the American war veteran, joins the podcast to explains what the end of the American war in Afghanistan means and how our veterans are processing the events of the past two weeks.
Paul is an American writer, social entrepreneur, activist and veteran of the Iraq war. Over the past 15 years, he has emerged as one of the most important and dynamic advocates for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Paul lived in Manhattan on September 11th, 2001, and responded immediately to the World Trade Center to serve in his capacity as New York National Guardsman. He loves the American service member and the American veteran, and fights hard on their behalf.
Paul rose to prominence in 2004 when he founded Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), a highly-regarded, non-partisan powerhouse advocacy organization. Through IAVA, he helped push through the 9/11 GI Bill, reform the Department of Veterans Affairs, and build national programs to fight veteran suicide.
Paul is many things - strategist, high school football coach, MSNBC commentator - but he's primarily a straight-shooter. He has a lot to say about the culmination of the war in Afghanistan and he lays it flat for 18th Airborne Corps podcast host Joe Buccino.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US Army's XVIII Airborne Corps (though I guess that's obvious). The podcast is recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. With guests, stories from history, news of the day, and discussions with Soldiers, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast has become the most prominent audio program across all of the US Department of Defense. We release a new episode every Tuesday.
An attack on the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Thursday, August 26th killed 13 American service members. In the coming days, weeks, and months, those men and women may become enmeshed in the broader story of the American war in Afghanistan. Today we remember them. Today we tell their stories.
This episode, Episode 55: 13 American Stories, is a shorter piece, running at 11-minutes in length. We hope you'll listen and pass it on to others around the country.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is an official Department of Defense program. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a new episode is released every Tuesday. We're releasing this episode Sunday, August 29th, one day after the US government identified the 13 fallen heroes.
Joe Byerly is an Army officer, a Dad, and a husband. In the free time he doesn't really have, he runs "From The Green Notebook," a blog for Army leaders that's read and discussed around the force.
Last month, Joe entered the 18th Airborne Corps podcast studio on Fort Bragg to speak with the other Joe: Joe Buccino, the podcast host. The two Army officers spoke about life, leadership, and professional development. Byerly explained how and why he started FTGN, how it gained so much recognition, how he manages his time to run the site and all ancillary projects, and where he's going next with the program.
From The Green Notebook (https://fromthegreennotebook.com/) contains insight and wisdom from Byerly and senior leaders across the Army. It's widely recognized as one of the top military sites for sharing ideas and lessons learned. It's grown significantly over the past four years and Byerly and his team now host public events and have a book of leadership lessons in the works.
All leaders across the military can gleam insight from this episode. There are professional development book recommendations, advice on work-life balance (something your loyal host is notoriously bad at), and lessons on military leadership. Listen on the commute, on your run, while gardening, or while practicing those leg tucks. It's worth your 45 minutes.
Before the Chernobyl explosion, the Three Mile Island accident, or the Fukushima disaster, the American northwest had a nuclear reactor meltdown that few remember today.
On a freezing winter night in 1961, three American service members died in Idaho Falls when the Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One (SL-1, colloquially) exploded, releasing dangerous levels of radiation into the local community. This is the story of SL-1, its gruesome explosion, the stunning response that followed, and the lessons learned thereafter.
This is, we assure you, a WILD story. We ask that you listen only to the first 90 seconds and you'll be hooked into this episode.
The SL-1 reactor was developed in the late 1950s to power radar systems intended to provide the United States with early warning against a Soviet bomber attack on the homeland. It's story is part of the American Cold War story. It's a story that needs to be told. We tell here, on episode 53 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.
On episode 52 host Joe Buccino and guest Sergeant Major Alex Licea offer their thoughts on the recent news out of Afghanistan. This is a special Monday release. We'll go back to our traditional Tuesday release for episode 52 on August 24th. Please look out for one another, reach out to your teammates, and check on those you care about. This also might be a good time to reach out to that long last battle buddy you deployed with many years ago and lost contact with. Make that phone call or send that Facebook message...we're certain he or she will appreciate it. We certainly appreciate you.
Jasper Jeffers, the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division, is an interesting guy. He's an infantryman, an Army General, a visionary futurist, and a tech head. He's also a huge sci-fi nerd. His love for science fiction feeds his thinking about leadership, the future of land power, and the integration of disruptive technology into the force.
In 2019, Jasper's science fiction short story, "AN41," won the Army's Mad Science Fiction Writing contest. The piece, available here https://mwi.usma.edu/an41-2/, is an enthralling read about a future in which the United States, armed with autonomous weapons systems and digitally-enhanced Soldiers, is involved in persistent conflict with a similarly-armed force. "AN41" offers a glimpse into Jasper's view of the global security structure of the next 20 years.
Jasper joins host Joe Buccino to talk about "AN41," his sci-fi obsession, and what AI means for modern war. He also describes how he's working to develop a culture of innovation on Fort Stewart, Georgia. Episode 51 is a fascinating discussion about dynamic leadership, Army innovation, and the embrace of change.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. Every week host Joe Buccino records a new episode on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Every episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Stitcher, and Spotfiy. Please leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts, as this helps others find the podcast.
Episode 50 features an inspiring discussion with Gary Vaynerchuk, aka "Gary Vee." If you've never heard of Gary Vee, well....your Soldiers certainly have.
Gary is a self-made millionaire, a social media mogul, and a marketing trend-setter. He has 9 million followers on Instagram, 8 million on TikTok and millions more on YouTube and Twitter.
He's the chairman of VaynerX, a media and communications holding company, and the CEO of VaynerMedia, a full-service advertising agency servicing Fortune 100 clients across the company’s 4 locations.
Gary's story is a truly American story. His family immigrated from the Soviet Union when he was a young boy. After identifying “the Internet” as a land-grab opportunity, Gary transitioned his father’s local liquor store into one of the first wine e-commerce platforms resulting in growing the family business from three million dollars to 60 million dollars in sales during a 5-year period.
Host Joe Buccino is joined by Gary Vee superfan Sergeant Carlos Cuebas. Carlos, in fact, recommended we reach out to Gary, and we're glad we did. Gary offers advice on Army recruiting, incorporating new technology into Army operations, and communicating with Gen Z. He also offers his truth about life, leadership, balance, and the purpose of ambition. It's a WILD discussion that offers something for everyone.
If you know Gary Vee, you know he's raw and real. This episode, therefore, does contain adult language, so consider that if you've got children around while you're listening at the house or car.
If you're new to the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, PLEASE subscribe! Give us a five-star rating and review, as this helps others find the show.
On the night of August 4th, 1964, the crews of two American destroyers reported a gunfight at sea off the coast of North Vietnam. The report, two days after an initial exchange of fire between an American ship and North Vietnamese patrol boats, set the United States on a tragic course from which it could not divert: a commitment to a conventional war in Vietnam.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident is among the most consequential events in post-World War II American history. However, it remains mired in controversy, hung up in confusing sonar hits and blurred memories. On Episode 49 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, host Joe Buccino tells the full, final story of the Gulf of Tonkin, of what really happened that night. He also describes how the events of August 4th, 1964 led so quickly to a war resolution.
We spent 19 months researching this podcast; it is the final word on the Gulf of Tonkin incident. This episode features three of the Nation’s top historians: Erik Villard, Edwin Moise, and John Prados, as well as Chad James, a US Navy Radarman 3rd Class at sea that night.
Dr. Erik Villard is the Digital Military Historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Fort McNair, DC. He’s also an Army historian of the Vietnam War and one of the world's leading experts on the 1968 Tet Offensive.
Dr. Edwin E. Moise is a professor of history at Clemson University. Like Dr. Villard, he specializes in the Vietnam War. He is the author of the definitive account of the Tonkin Gulf Crisis: “Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War,” originally published in 1996, with a revised edition in 2019.
Dr. John Prados heads the National Archive’s Intelligence Documentation Project and its Vietnam Project. He is among our Nation’s highest profile historians of the Vietnam War and American intelligence. Dr. Prados has authored many books on the CIA, national security, and the Vietnam War, most notably “Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War,” published in 2009.
At an hour and a half, this is a longer episode, but it’s worth the time. It’s a fascinating story, one that is critical to our understanding of the Vietnam War.
But this is not simply an effort in uncovering history: the Gulf of Tonkin has so much wisdom to offer us today. We reveal that wisdom in the final section in which we describe the lessons from August 1964 and how they apply to the current national security structure.
This is a story of strategic miscalculation, of political pressure leading to catastrophic military decisions, of misunderstood intentions. It’s also, at heart, the story of the fog of war and its cost.
We timed this release for the 57th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. It's never been more relevant.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina with a new episode released every Tuesday, the podcast tells one complete story about an important national security subject every week.
October 4th, 1957: The Soviet launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial Earth satellite, surprised many Americans. The mysterious Soviet Union, our adversaries in the growing Cold War, had beat us to space. Overnight, concerns developed throughout the US that the Soviet Union could also overtake the United States in futuristic technology.
The Sputnick launch, combined with a National Intelligence Estimate report later that year predicting the Soviets could soon outpace the United States in Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, gave rise to a concern that the Soviet Union was already ahead of us in missile technology. This concern, colloquially known as the "missile gap," drove national security decision making, military technology procurement, and some measure of American politics during the end of the Eisenhower presidency and the early moments of the Kennedy administration.
But it was all a lie. A lie that American leaders bought. You see, the Missile Gap never existed.
The Soviet military apparatus was, in fact, barely functioning. The Missile Gap was a myth developed through Soviet bluff and laughably ineffective American intelligence collection methods. In fact, it's one of America's most shockingly erroneous strategic miscalculations.
On Episode 48 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast host Joe Buccino and guest host Pete Nguyen lay bare the politics, confusion, and American incompetence at the heart of The Missile Gap. They also explain what it should mean for the way we think about JFK's legacy. To steal Tennessee Senator Howard Baker's question about another American president during the Watergate hearings: What did Kennedy know and when did he know it? Our hosts answer that question. Finally, Joe and Pete describe insight leaders can gleam from The Missile Gap today.
This is an episode rife with insights into our past. Candidly, it's frightening how wrong the systems of American national security were on this issue. Also frightening: the lengths to which one Massachusetts senator went to use this misunderstanding to win the presidency.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is, well, the official podcast of the US Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. But, you should have figured that out from the title. It is hosted by Joe Buccino, a Soldier in the Corps, and recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. We release a new episode every Tuesday.
Please leave a 5-star rating and a review for the show on Apple Podcasts. Doing so helps others find the show. Toward that end, please tell other people about the show.
Ok, ok, we promise…this is our LAST episode about COVID.
If you heard episode 46, you got insight from three medical experts on the vaccine and the Delta variant. In this episode, we speak with four Soldiers about their personal decision regarding vaccination. Each Soldier speaks individually with host Joe Buccino about the reasons that went into his or her decision. One of the Soldiers has, to this point, refused vaccination.
We spoke privately (off-mic) with more than 40 Soldiers across the Army and we are certain these four discussions represent a broader set of views on the issues across the force.
These discussions are important, and these are Soldiers that should be heard: It’s critical that Army leaders to understand the set of factors at work here.
So, in the interest in giving voice to the concerns out in our formation about the COVID vaccine, we give this episode to four Soldiers who agreed to go on-air with us.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps….but, I guess you figured that out based on the title.
We release a new episode every Tuesday (on rare occasions, such as this one, we'll release one on Thursday as well).
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a five-star rating and a review, as that helps others find the show.
Well, we didn’t want to do another episode on COVID-19, but….with the Delta variant, the rise in cases across parts of the country, and all the misinformation floating around social media….we kinda had to.
For Episode 46, host Joe Buccino brings back Dr. Sammy Choi, the Chief of Research at Fort Bragg’s Womack Army Medical Center, and Army Lieutenant Colonel Owen Price, Fort Bragg Force Health Protection Officer. You may remember Owen and Sammy from Episode 13, our first foray into COVID. These two are joined by Army Lieutenant Colonel Teresa Pearce, a Preventive Medicine Physician and the Director of Fort Bragg Public Health.
Joe leads our experts in an illuminating discussion that will answer any remaining questions:
- How concerned should we be about the delta variant?
- Am I safe if I’m unvaccinated but already contracted COVID-19?
- Will we go back into a shutdown?
- Are we going to receive a booster shot?
- Is Johnson & Johnson safe?
- Have any Soldiers experienced concerning side effects of the COVID vaccines?
- Which is the best, most effective, safest vaccine?
- What are the risks of myocarditis associated with the vaccine?
This episode comes at a critical moment for the Army. Over the past six months, the Army has clawed its way out of a terrible position with COVID. Most bases have lifted restrictions, children are back in school, and facilities are reopened. With the Delta variant, however, which we know to be twice as transmissible as the strain that caused the winter surge, we’re in danger of losing all that we’ve gained.
Most concerning, the Army now has a number of COVID cases among fully-vaccinated Soldiers. Further, the Delta variant appears to generate much higher viral loads, and unvaccinated individuals may be twice as likely to be hospitalized.
Please listen to Episode 46 and pass this around to anyone who remains unvaccinated or is concerned about the virus.
About Episode 46’s guests:
- Choi is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine; he completed a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Fort Bliss, Texas.
- Owen Price is an Army Lieutenant Colonel and a graduate of Oklahoma State with a degree in Entomology; He is an Army Environmental Science and Engineer
- Teresa Pearce is, like Owen, an Army Lieutenant Colonel. He is a Preventive Medicine Physician with a Masters of Public Health.
General J. P. McGee called into the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast studio on Fort Bragg, North Carolina from his office in the headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division on Fort Campbell, Kentucky. During his discussion with host Joe Buccino, General McGee reflected on his first four months commanding one of our Nation's most prestigious military units.
For the first time in years, the entire 101st Airborne Division is on Fort Campbell, with no scheduled deployment. This is a critical moment for the Screaming Eagles: with the threat of large scale combat looming and a changing Army landscape, it's time to reflect and change. General McGee explains that he's using the opportunity to develop a culture of trained, disciplined, fit, cohesive units ready to win the future fight.
General McGee also discussed his recent role as director of the Army's Talent Management Task Force. In that position, he transformed the way the service evaluates battalion and brigade commanders through a new assessment program. He offers insights into the Army's focus on revolutionizing the way it selects and develops leaders.
General McGee also offers some recommended reading for Army leaders, discusses the people and events that shaped him as a leader, and explains why the 101st Airborne is the Nation's premier warfighting force.
Episode 45 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is an important one for any Soldier currently serving in the 101st Airborne Division. The episode also offers insight for all Army leaders, as well as anyone interested in the Army's new talent management program.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
Please tell others about the program and leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple podcasts.
Ash Carter, the 25th American Secretary of Defense, joins 18th Airborne Corps Podcast host Joe Buccino from his office at the Harvard Kennedy School where he is the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Ash, who served as President Obama's final SecDef from 2015 to 2017, gives his view of the world from his Harvard perch. Joe and Ash discuss the global security environment today. The Secretary walks our host around the world, offering insight into Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, the Indo-Pacific, and lands in the United States.
Ash was among our Nation's most consequential public servants. Under his service at the top of the Pentagon, ISIL was defeated in Mosul, the Department of Defense opened combat roles to women and the United States entered the Iran nuclear deal. In this half hour discussion, Ash reflects on his legacy and remarks on the US military today. Finally, the two discuss some of Ash's predecessors at the Pentagon and why serving as US Secretary of Defense in the best job in the world.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. We ask you to tell others about the program and to please leave a five-star rating and a review on Apple podcasts.
Today, helicopter assault offers American ground forces an advantage on the battlefield. In any part of the world in which warfare is waged, air assault is a pivotal capability for our Army. So it has for more than 50 years. The air mobile concept is not simply a legacy, it's critical to overcoming the tyranny of terrain and distance. But, in the mid-1950s, the idea was revolutionary, rejected by bureaucratic Army officers and outdated thinkers.
Episode 43 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast reveals how a group of inspired strategists fought through interservice rivalry, plowed through bureaucracy and politics, and changed the way the Army thinks about maneuvering ground troops. This is the story of the development of the air mobile concept and how that concept is manifest in our Army today.
Sometime co-host and friend of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast Matt Visser joins host Joe Buccino from location on Fort Campbell, where much of the Army's air assault capability resides. Matt augments the history lesson with wisdom from some of the veterans who helped pioneer Army air assault.
Anyone interested in revolutionizing the way the Army thinks, trains, or prepares for combat will find insight in Episode 43 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.
18th Airborne Corps podcast host Joe Buccino generally spends a lot of time talking about the Cold War, a subject with which he's fascinated. Nixon, LBJ, Kennedy. The Cuban Missile Crisis. Chernobyl.
He generally talks about these things from the American perspective. The way the American military and government reacted to these events. The American public's view of the world from these moments.
Not on this episode.
Serhii Plokhy, an American historian born in Nizhnii Novgorod, Russia who grew up in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, joins the show by phone from his Burlington, Massachusetts home. Serhii, one of the most prolific historians in the U.S. on the Cold War, tells story after story about the Cold War.
Serhii discusses the WWII origins of the Cold War, the role of the Chernobyl disaster in the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the events leading up to the end of the Cold War. He describes these things from the perspective of the Soviet leadership and the Soviet commoner. His is a fascinating purview on critical world events.
Serhii Plokhy is the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard and the director of the university's Ukrainian Research Institute. He's the author of literally dozens of books on the Cold War. He and Joe discuss, in particular his 2014 book The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union, which received the Lionel Gelber Prize for the best book on international relations, 2018's Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy, which was awarded the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction, and the 2019 Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front: American Airmen Behind Soviet Lines and the Collapse of the Grand Alliance, about how the American-Soviet alliance began to fray toward the end of WWII.
This is an episode rich with insights on the Soviet Union and the Cold War.
Anthony Gregerson is an interesting guy. The Command Sergeant Major of an airborne battalion on Fort Bragg is a YouTube skateboarder (he performs all his own stunts and edits all his videos), an aging Paratrooper, and a deep thinker. He entered the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast studio to chat with host Joe Buccino about leading through the end of COVID, life after the Army, and a dark moment for him and his troops.
This discussion with Sergeant Major Gregerson has something to offer leaders throughout the Army. His conclusions and experiences may surprise you.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday.
Episode 40 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is a somber episode focused on a very heavy subject. Dr. Eren Watkins, a supervisory epidemiologist and Division Chief of the Behavioral Health at the U.S. Army Public Health Center, joins host Joe Buccino to discuss her work in studying soldier suicide.
This is a deeply important episode, and Dr. Watkins’ is a voice that should be heard by leaders throughout our Army. She’s been studying soldier suicide for years and, in this candid discussion, offers indicators, trends, and causes of soldier suicide. She also describes what leaders can do to build positive organizational environments, reduce the factors for suicide, and seek out signs of trouble.
Soldiers are resilient. There are actions leaders can take to build up soldier resilience and to drive down risk factors. Dr. Watkins offers these insights in a thought-provoking conversation.
Dr. Watkins has a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, a Master's in Public Health in Epidemiology from Eastern Virginia Medical School, a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a concentration in Human Biology from Temple University, and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She began her service at the U.S. Army Public Health Center in January 2011 where she leads a multidisciplinary team of public health professionals that monitor behavioral and social health trends among Army units. Dr. Watkins has published a number of studies on Soldier suicide in scientific journals.
This is a critically important and urgent episode of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast. There is a great deal of wisdom in this discussion with one of the Nation’s leading experts on soldier suicide.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
Col. Eric Kreitz spent a two-decade Army career silently suffering from depression and alcoholism. To the world he was thriving, successfully commanding a battalion on Fort Bragg and raising a family. Internally, he was plummeting deeper and deeper into darkness, unwilling to face his demons. A suicide attempt and subsequent hospitalization forced him out of command and into recovery. He's been on that glide path ever since. Eric joined host Joe Buccino in the podcast studio to tell his story with courage and candor. It's an important story, one that every Soldier and leader should hear. There is a great deal of value in this episode for all of us. We all want anyone who is suffering right now to get help. Military One Source (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/) is a 24/7 resource for all Soldiers and a trained specialist is always available at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800-273-8255). This is a dark story, but it's an inspirational story, one filled with courage, love, and hope. One thing is clear: Eric's leadership never gave up on him, kept him in the Army, invested in his family, and put him on the road to recovery. There is so much to be learned from their example.
On January 20, 1973, Richard Nixon was riding high. Sworn into office for his second term of the U.S. presidency, he’d just won a massive landslide victory, capturing 49 states and more than 60 percent of the popular vote. His stunning diplomatic move to reopen relations with China, combined with his efforts to negotiate an end to the war he inherited in Vietnam, made him an enormously consequential president. He was popular, brilliant, and seemingly headed for an FDR-like legacy.
20 months later, Nixon resigned in disgrace, his presidency shattered by his conspiracy to cover up the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex during the 1972 election. Nixon, a complicated man overcome by the urges of insecurity and ego was brought low by his own design: a secret and ubiquitous taping system that recorded an enormous volume of White House conversations served as the smoking gun that forced his resignation.
Journalist Michael Dobbs just published a stunning new book into the drama inside the White House as the Nixon presidency collapsed under the weight of scandal. In “King Richard, Nixon and Watergate: An American Tragedy,” Dobbs plumbs the psyche of our 37th president for fresh insight into his undoing. The book is a triumph: cinematic and scintillating, it pulls the curtain on the fight for survival within Nixon’s staff. By using the tapes as a primary source material, Dobbs locks the reader in a shrinking room with Nixon and his aides, the walls closing in as reporters tie the president to the break-in.
Michael joins host Joe Buccino for one of the most vivid episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast to date. Anyone interested in conspiracy, the American presidency, or the workings of the White House will find insight in this episode. Also discussed are the ties between the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up and the catastrophically unpopular Vietnam War.
Watergate was a critical moment in American history, one that has shaped the way Americans think about the federal government ever since. The build-up to the Iraq War, the January 6, 2020 insurrection, and the public response to COVID-19, all have their origin in Watergate.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
Episode 37 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast features Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. Donahue talks to host Joe Buccino about his priorities for the All American Division, his leadership philosophy, his focus on warfighting, and why the 82nd Airborne Division is “flat, fast, accurate, and lethal.”
Donahue also gets personal, talking about his upbringing, how he earned the nickname “Flatliner” as a captain, and how he developed his leadership style.
Donahue is one of our nation’s premier warfighters. He’s spent most of his career leading Special Operations Forces units. In fact, his service as the 82nd Airborne Division commander is his first assignment in the 82nd.
The discussion with Donahue touches on all the issues facing our Army today: readiness, culture, innovation, soldier suicide, and sexual assault. Every Army leader can find value in this episode.
June is LGBT Pride Month in the United States to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. Across our Army, units and individual Soldiers are celebrating their Pride.
In this conversation about representation, guest host Matt Visser fills in for Joe Buccino, to navigate how placing People First involves creating an organizational culture that welcomes authenticity and the contributions of LGBTQ+ service members.
LGBTQ+ identities within the United States military have had complicated experiences. Episode 36 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast mines those experiences for wisdom and truth in a discussion with five openly gay Soldiers.
Within this episode, Captain Nell Robinson, a reserve judge advocate at the United States Army Reserve Command, engages candidly about her experience while serving under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell as an enlisted soldier, and the contributing factors that led her to take an eighteen-year break in service before returning to an Army that welcomes her wife.
Wes (last name withheld) is an enlisted combat medic who is awaiting training at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS). Since joining the Army in 2018, he’s deployed with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to Kuwait and Jordan. Throughout the conversation, Wes proves a testament and beneficiary of many positive advancements that our organization has made to welcome queer identities equitably while sharing his unique personal perspective of someone who has always been able to serve openly.
Trevor Barton is a military police officer preparing to assume command of the 21st Military Police Company (Airborne) on Fort Bragg. His experience, as a detachment commander deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, as an operations officer at multiple echelons, and as an aide-de-camp to then-Brigadier, and now Major-General Donna Martin, has informed his genuine leadership philosophy which incorporates his conviction that a leader should strive to be surrounded by individuals who don’t see every situation the same, and should pull from the diverse backgrounds and perspectives available from the Army’s greatest asset, its Soldiers”.
Nick is a first lieutenant who is in the process of becoming a civil affairs officer. He is also awaiting training with the USAJFKSWCS. After he was commissioned in 2017, he was assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, stationed at Vilseck Germany, where he served within the Regimental Support Squadron as a platoon leader, troop executive officer, and assistant operations officer – plans.
Staff Sergeant Chris Kresback serves as a forward observer with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Chris has deployed to Afghanistan and as part of the Immediate Response Force who mobilized within the 18-hour sequence to Kuwait in 2020.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology.
Episode 35: Ike vs Ridgway At the dawn of the Cold War, two titanic figures fought for the heart and soul of American foreign policy. That story is revealed here in stunning new detail. Episode 35 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcasts discovers a philosophical argument at the heart of the early American Cold War national security policy. In the mid-1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower clashed with his Army Chief of Staff, Matthew B. Ridgway, over the meaning of the atomic bomb and its implications for the world. The resulting argument speaks to the purpose of a standing Army, the value of seizing and holding terrain, and the enduring nature of war. This is a story with great meaning for us today. Host Joe Buccino and co-host Jeremiah Meaney mine the battle between these two great WWII generals for application for today's global security environment.
On this Memorial Day 2021 we’re releasing a special episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast. This is a shorter episode, 10-minutes long, focused on the ideas behind Memorial Day.
Episode 34 features no guests, but rather a central theme: the awful price a select few pay for democratic self-rule. We hope you will listen and share this thoughtful episode.
We normally release new episodes of the podcast every Tuesday and Thursday and will continue to do so. However, we’re releasing this episode on Monday, May 31, to coincide with Memorial Day.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. Every episode covers a full, single concept. Please subscribe to the program on whichever platform you get your podcasts.
Yale history professor John Lewis Gaddis is considered the Dean of Cold War Historians. He’s best known for his 2018 book “On Grand Strategy,” which the Wall Street Journal argued “should be read by every American leader or would-be leader.” He’s also written the definitive biography on George F. Kennan, the architect of the American Cold War strategy.
Dr. Gaddis joined the 18th Airborne Corps podcast to talk about the philosophical underpinnings of the Cold War, the vision behind the Iron curtain, and why Ronald Reagan is an underrated president. He also defines and described grand strategy and who army leaders should think about and develop it.
This is an important podcast episode for any leader working in national security. Dr. Gaddis offers a lot of wisdom about geopolitics, about the world outside our borders, and about the ideas that shape national security strategy.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology.
Fifty-one years ago this month, the war in Vietnam came home to the United States. On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen fired sixty-seven rounds over thirteen seconds on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. Thirteen bodies fell to the ground; four of them died. At that moment, a largely complacent anti-war movement was electrified. The students had been protesting America's movement of ground troops into neighboring Cambodia during the Vietnam War. President Richard Nixon had hoped to settle the war by turning the fight over to America’s allies in South Vietnam and cutting a deal with the enemies in Hanoi. But as the feckless South Vietnamese regime crumbled, and the protest movement gathered steam, Nixon was forced to delay negotiations. The Kent State shooting remains one of the most misunderstood moments in that war. In subsequent years, Kent State, much like the Tet Offensive, the My Lai massacre, and the release of the Pentagon Papers, became a cultural event unto itself. Like these moments, the Kent State shooting has become the subject of mythology and misunderstanding, its meaning shifting over time. On this riveting episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, host Joe Buccino, alongside guest host Pete Nguyen, dives deep into the truth and myth of Kent State. This is an episode for anyone interested in the Vietnam War, in the antiwar movement, or in this pivotal moment in recent American history.
Military planners referred to the 3,000-foot tall highland in the rugged, jungle-shrouded A Sầu Valley as “Hill 937.” North Vietnamese Army fighters called it “The Mountain of the Crouching Beast.” American Soldiers would come to call it Hamburger Hill. For 10 days, from 10 to 20 May, 1969, the cursed piece of rock would torture, confound, and aggrieve a group of American Soldiers from the 187th Infantry Regiment, “Rakassans.”
It was a meat-grinder of a fight, waged by a group of lightly armed GIs against fresh, trained North Vietnamese regulars, against almost impossible terrain, against brutal weather. At the end of the ten-day battle, which saw some of the hardest fighting of the war in the decades since, that fight has come to serve as a metaphor for the Vietnam War itself: a maddening fool’s errand in which Soldiers were sacrificed for a political ploy with no strategic value.
We’re releasing this episode 52 years to the day that the Battle for Hamburger Hill ended. This is a longer episode, more than an hour and a half, and in it we describe the point of Hamburger Hill, the American strategy behind the fight for it, and the way that fight played it. In this episode, you’ll hear from some of the men who fought there, some of whom never truly left Hill 937. You’ll also hear from Dr. Erik Villard, a historian who’s studied the battle, the terrain, and the North Vietnamese defenders. This is truly an enlightening, gutting, and inspiring program, one that honors the Rakassans who fought and died there.
General Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, might be the Army’s busiest Soldier at the moment. He commands all Army troops on two continents and is leading one of the service’s largest Europe-based military exercises in decades. Despite all that, he took time to call into Fort Bragg from his Wiesbaden, Germany headquarters.
General Cavoli and host Joe Buccino talk about that enormous exercise, Defender 21, the future of V Corps, which was reactivated last year on Fort Knox, Kentucky but will command forces in Europe, and the consolidation of U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Army Africa. Chris also describes his Cold War childhood Würzburg, West Germany and his long, distinguished career.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology.
Episode 29 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast tells the wildest story many have never fully hears. A series of otherwise unrelated events culminated to make 1983 the most dangerous year the world has ever known, with the United States and the Soviet Union even closer to war than during the much more well-known events of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. A sequence of accidents (to include the tragic shoot-down of a Korean airliner by the Soviet Union) and misunderstandings (i.e. the Soviet belief that a NATO command post exercise was a massing for a strike onto the Soviet Union), put both Soviet and American nuclear forces on high alert.
Host Joe Buccino is joined by the Washington Post’s Nate Jones, who worked with the US government to declassify many of the documents related to this period. Nate unspools this bizarre, terrifying story with details many have never heard before.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
For the past 76 years, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, a Chicago-based non-profit of the world's leading scientific researchers, has been thinking deeply about existential threats to mankind. In 1947, the group established the Doomsday Clock, a metaphor for threats to humanity from unchecked scientific and technical advances. Maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists ever since, the Doomsday Clock serves as a symbol for the likelihood of man-made catastrophe. On Episode 28, Dr. Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, talks about the new threats the world faces on the back end of COVID-19. Dr. Bronson has dedicated her life to understanding global risk and here she describes the possibility of a new pandemic, the increased threat of climate change, and the possibility of nuclear warfare. This is an enlightening if not exactly reassuring episode. It's one to which every national security leader should pay heed. We live in a world of emerging threats, and understanding how to process the risk imposed by those threats is critical to strategic decision-making. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has reset the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock 24 times since its debut in 1947, most recently in 2020 when we moved it from two minutes to midnight to 100 seconds to midnight. Dr. Bronson explains why the clock remains at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it's ever been to midnight.
Dr. Rachel Bronson oversees the publishing programs, management of the Doomsday Clock, and a growing set of activities around nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. Before joining the Bulletin, Bronson served as the vice president of studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She also taught “Global Energy” as an adjunct professor at the Kellogg School of Management. Her writings have appeared in publications such as Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, and The Chicago Tribune. She has appeared as a commentator on numerous radio and television outlets, including National Public Radio, CNN, al Jazeera, the Yomiuri Shimbun, “PBS NewsHour,” “The Charlie Rose Show,” and “The Daily Show.” Bronson has served as a consultant to NBC News and testified before the congressional Task Force on Anti-Terrorism and Proliferation Financing, Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, and the 9/11 Commission.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
In Episode 27 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, we allow Army Lieutenant Colonel Ken Nguyen to tell his harrowing, inspiring story.
Ken was born in Saigon in 1975 just before the capital of South Vietnam fell to the communist north, ending the Vietnam War. His father, a Lieutenant Colonel (“trung tá”) with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), was captured, tortured, and forced into hard labor and political indoctrination. After his father’s release, the family was granted asylum in the United States as political refugees. While Ken’s father, who felt abandoned by the American military that encouraged him to fight the north, died too soon to see his son join the U.S. military, Ken has always served in his father’s honor.
Ken tells his family’s incredible story on the XVIII Airborne Corps podcast. This is a wrenching story of staggering hardship and incredible odds. It is a story that was difficult for him to tell, but one that must be heard. We strongly encourage all to listen to and pass on this episode.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
Between 1951 and 1967, William Westmoreland was among our nation’s most respected airborne leaders. He commanded the legendary Rakkasans, the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment, during the Korean War, leading the regiment until it was pulled offline and returned to Japan. As commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the early Cold War, he increased the Screaming Eagles’ airborne proficiency and restored the division’s WWII pride and discipline. He commanded the XVIII Airborne Corps in 1963, focusing the Corps headquarters on the rapid response mission it holds today. He was then sent to Vietnam where he served as the deputy commander and then the commander of all forces in the Vietnam War.
The January 1968 Tet Offensive changed Westy’s fate. The stunning North Vietnamese attacks on major southern cities introducing widespread criticism of his leadership. That criticism broadened after the war, with news reports of his focus on body counts and allegations that he deceived the American public about the success of American operations during the war.
The most lasting criticism came from Army officer H.R. McMaster and military historian Lewis Sorley, both of whom published books condemning Westmoreland’s command style, intelligence, and integrity. His reputation has never recovered.
On this episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, we look to give Westy a fair hearing and perhaps at least partly restore his reputation. Historian Dr. Gregory Daddis, retired Army Colonel and history professor at San Diego State University, is leading the nation in research on Westmoreland's actions in leading an incredibly complex and still misunderstood fight in Vietnam. Gregory’s 2014 book, “Westmoreland’s War: Reassessing American Strategy in Vietnam” offers new scholarship on the general’s decision making, actions, and advice to President Lyndon Johnson. It turns out, this is a subject and a man that deserves more consideration.
After the 1975 fall of Saigon, Westmoreland was an easy villain, a scapegoat for a nation coming to grips with a disastrous, humiliating failure of a war. McMaster and Sorley pounced on the narrative that William Westmoreland misunderstood the North Vietnamese and the social dynamics of the South. The truth of his actions is a subject worth exploring and there is no one more prepared to lead through that exploration than Gregory Daddis.
Gregory A. Daddis is originally from the Garden State of New Jersey and holds a bachelor of science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a master’s degree from Villanova University, and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduating from West Point, he served for 26 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel. He is a veteran of both Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, and his military awards include the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medals. His final assignment in the army was as the Chief of the American History Division in the Department of History at the United States Military Academy.
Gregroy Daddis specializes in Cold War history with an emphasis on Vietnam. He has authored five books and participated in a number of initiatives to help educate the larger public on historical matters. He worked as an official advisor for the 2017 Ken Burns documentary, The Vietnam War, and has led multiple tours to Vietnam for educational purposes. As part of his military deployments, he served as the command historian to the U.S. Multi-National Corps-Iraq (MNC-I) in Baghdad, Iraq. Daddis also has been a panelist for grant reviews with the National Endowment for the Humanities, performed as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for The Journal of Military History, and volunteered as a regional coordinator for the Society for Military History. He has published several op-ed pieces commenting on current military affairs, to include writings in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and National Interest magazine.
The XVIII Airborne Corps headquarters releases new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
For almost 40 years, John Wayne Troxell was a Soldier’s Soldier. A warfighter and an old-school NCO revered by the troops, he rose through the ranks, leading and advising in the most strategic positions in the U.S. military. The culmination of a remarkable career was his assignment as the third-ever Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC), the senior NCO in all of the U.S. military, a position he held during the Obama and Trump administrations.
SEAC Troxell was the “e-tool Sergeant Major,” brandishing a shovel to publicly threaten ISIS. He was the SEAC who visited military bases all over the country and spoke with every service member he passed by. SEAC Troxell retired at the end of 2019, but remains active on social media and involved in veterans issues.
While Troxell was a beloved figure by many, his time in the Pentagon was not without controversy. His aggressive, confrontational approach made enemies and his style wasn’t for everyone.
Troxell visited Fort Bragg and stopped by the 18th Airborne Corps studio for a discussion in which nothing was off the table. Candid as ever, Troxell addresses his legacy, the highs and lows of a long career, and what he is focused on now. He talks about how he bounced back from adversity after his suspension as SEAC, and about how he advised some of the most important figures in the world.
This is an interesting discussion for anyone focused on leadership, resilience, and work-life balance. SEAC Troxell does not disappoint, does not hold back, and offers life lessons for all of us.
We release new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
At the end of last week's episode with Dan Carlin, Dan recommended 18th Airborne Corps podcast host Joe Buccino invite Sir Max Hastings onto the show to talk about Vietnam. Joe did. Episode 24 was born. Over the past five decades, Sir Max Hastings, legendary journalist and military historian, has written more than two dozen books, reported from some of the most violent places on earth, and researched some of the most important moments in world history. Despite all he's seen and done, he keeps coming back to the event that shaped his career: the Vietnam War. Hastings began reporting on the war from both the White House and the combat zones at age 24 in January 1968. Over the next seven years he made one trip after another to various battle fronts for the BBC, observing every critical moment in that war, to include the collapse of the South Vietnamese regime in 1975. He's since revisited that war in his writings many times, most notably in an exhaustive, almost 900-page history "Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945 - 1975," released in 2018. A thread running through that book is that reporters on the ground, including the author, misunderstood the nature and context of the war and misread the American strategy. Sir Max visits host Joe Buccino for episode 24 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast for an introspective discussion about what Hastings and his cohorts got wrong during the war and what we now know and understand. This episode dives deep into the philosophy of the northern communist movement, the desire of the southern farmers, and why William Westmoreland deserves more credit than most accounts allow. If you are interested in a true understanding of Vietnam, the complexity of grand strategy, or the nature of war itself, this discussion is worth your time. We release new episodes of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. The show offers insight and wisdom for Army leaders from history, current events, or future technology. If you have a suggestion for the show, please reach out at 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
Dan Carlin, social commentator, history buff, and master storyteller joins host Joe Buccino for a fascinating journey through the Cold War. Dan, of course, is the host of his own wildly popular podcasts, “Hardcore History,” and “Common Sense,” as well as the author of the 2019 book “The End is Always Near” about the end of past civilizations. His distinct voice and mastery of historical events is well-known to his legion of fans.
Here, he waxes about the philosophical underpinning of the 1950s nuclear arms race, the real meaning of the Cuban Missile Crisis, how Cold War policies led the United States into Vietnam, and about what it all means for national security leaders today.
In this discussion, Dan mines the past 70 years to draw wisdom for today’s Army leaders in a way only he can. He analyzes the critical decisions made at the critical moments, allowing the listener an understanding of what happened and why and what could have been. He also provides plenty of insight for national security decision-makers about the future.
The 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the US Army. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
For episode 22, we got out of Fort Bragg and into the American Midwest. Matt Visser, guest hosting this podcast for the second time, went to the Second City, Chicago, where 101st Airborne Division troops have been vaccinating civilians against COVID-19 since March. Matt is a public affairs officer with the XVIII Airborne Corps and works on the show.
For this episode, Matt spoke with Chicago residents receiving the vaccine, FEMA administrators working with our troops, and 18th Airborne Corps Soldiers administering the vaccines.
To date, we’ve administered more than 206,000 vaccines to American citizens in Chicago. This podcast features stories of some who are so grateful to our troops for their support in a trying time for all of us.
One bit of news here: beginning this week, we are now releasing new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. We have a ton of material to get out, THOUSANDS of new fans downloading this show, and many important and interesting people who want to be on the show. To meet all those demands, we’re pushing out two episodes every week. So, that means a new episode Thursday, April 22nd!
Tell your friends about the 18th Airborne Corps podcast!
Episode 21 is the final of our three-part series on extremism in the Army. After speaking with soldiers for part 1 and the senior civilian in the Army for part 2, today we’ve got two experts on the show: Brian Carr, an Army lawyer, and Rob Payne, an FBI Special Agent and Colonel in the Army Reserves.
This episode’s first guest, Brian Carr is an Army lieutenant colonel from Denton, Texas who commissioned into the Army as an aviator in 2003. Six years later he became an Army lawyer through the Funded Legal Education Program. Today he serves as the Chief of Administrative and Civil Law for the XVIII Airborne Corps.
Our second guest, Rob Payne, a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI since 2008, has investigated and studied soldier radicalization for years. In fact, last year as a resident student at the U.S. Army War College, he completed a strategy research project titled “Radicalization within the Ranks: Countering Military Extremism.” Before the FBI, Robert was commissioned into the Army as an active duty Medical Service Corps Officer in 1999. He transitioned to the Army Reserves in 2003. A DEA Special Agent from 2004 to 2008, he began serving in FBI domestic counterterror missions in 2008. Rob was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s 18th Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program highlights news items, current events, new initiatives, and the history of the 18th Airborne Corps. If you have a question for the show’s host, please send a note to 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
Episode 20 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast continues a 3-part series on extremism in the Army. In part 2, host Joe Buccino speaks with the Honorable John Whitley, Secretary of the U.S. Army.
As the senior official responsible for the Army, Secretary Whitley is aggressively addressing the problem of radicalism, racism, and nationalism within the force. In this episode he defines extremism, describes the size and scope of the problem, and identifies the next steps for the Army.
If you have not yet listened to part 1 of this series, please listen to Episode 19 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast, which features Soldiers who recently completed the extremism stand-down training.
We’re releasing this 3-part series over the course of three days, Tuesday through Thursday, April 13 through 15, with a new episode released each morning. For part 3, Episode 21, we’ll speak with an Army lawyer who explains the regulations governing political protest in the Army as well as an FBI agent who’s investigated violent radical groups in the Army for years.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army’s 18th Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program highlights news items, current events, new initiatives, and the history of the 18th Airborne Corps. If you have a question for the show’s host, please send a note to 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
Since the revelation that dozens of military veterans were part of the violent mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, the problem of extremism in the Army has been the subject of concern across the country. It’s also been the source of considerable news interest. It’s also the driver of a 60-day stand-down across all services directed by the Secretary of Defense. As that stand-down period, and the associated mandatory training has just culminated, it’s time to take stock of what we’ve learned about the scope and source of this problem as well as its solution.
Episode 19 of the 18th Airborne Corps Podcast begins a 3-part series focusing on the issue of radicalism within the Army. We’re releasing this series over the course of three days, Tuesday through Thursday, April 13 through 15, with a new episode published each morning.
In Episode 19, this episode, part 1 of the series, host Joe Buccino talks to Soldiers who completed the mandatory extremism stand-down training. The men and women offer their thoughts on what they learned, how big they believe the problem of extremism in the ranks to be, and what they believe should be done about it.
Episode 20, part 2 of 3, out April 14, will feature the Acting Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John Whitley. Mr. Whitley is the senior civilian in charge of the U.S. Army and he’ll give his thoughts on this problem.
Finally, Episode 21, part 3, out April 15, will feature an Army lawyer who describes the surprisingly opaque regulations governing participation in political groups by American Soldiers, as well as Rob Payne, an FBI agent who has been investigating this problem for years.
The 18th Airborne Corps Podcast is the official podcast of the US Army’s 18th Airborne Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program highlights news items, current events, new initiatives, and the history of the 18th Airborne Corps. If you have a question for the show’s host, please send a note to 18CorpsHistorian@gmail.com.
General James McConville, the top General in the Army, sat down with Joe Buccino, host of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, to discuss his priorities for the force. The 40th Chief of Staff of the Army explained why “People First” is a fundamental warfighting principle and not just an empty Army slogan.
The Army boss also described his focus on innovation and modernization and how the service is working to defeat racism, extremism in the ranks. The General also gave his view on Army programs to eliminate sexual assault and sexual harassment. Episode 18 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast offers an important perspective on Army priorities for all leaders.
Featuring news of the day, history, and discussions of the important national security issues, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of America’s Contingency Corps. Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the program releases new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, YouTube, PodBean and SoundCloud every Tuesday at 5AM Eastern.
Mario Terenas is a straight shooter. The Senior Enlisted Soldier for Fort Drum, New York and the fabled 10th Mountain Division is known for his brash candor, his compassion for Soldiers, and his ability to communicate directly to all 18,000 troops under his care. His call sign is “Climb to Glory 7” and that’s also his Twitter and Instagram handle (@ClimbToGlory7).
He’s surprisingly social media-savvy for an old infantryman, but this is one leader who’s not on Twitter and Instagram for self-promotion. Mario is a Soldier’s Soldier; he builds teams ready to fight and his troops know he has their backs. He spoke with 18th Airborne Corps Podcast host Joe Buccino about how he got on social media and how he uses his account to pull information from across Fort Drum.
In a deeply personal conversation, Mario also spoke about his childhood in Mexico, his early days as a Soldier, and his rise to the top of the Army enlisted ranks. He offers advice on leadership, on finding and attacking extremism across the force, and on combatting sexual assault and sexual harassment. At the end of this podcast episode, you’ll know the heart of the man….and you just might become a Mario Terenas fan.
Recorded every week on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of America’s Contingency Corps, a legendary U.S. Army unit.
In 1966, while fighting in the Vietnam War, Corporal Rob Johnson received a letter addressed “Dear G.I. in Vietnam.” This letter would lead to a decades-long friendship between an unlikely pairing of Americans.
Throughout the remainder of his tour in Vietnam, as well as his subsequent three tours, Rob sent a volume of letters to Joan Hunter. The letters sent by Rob, a black Soldier, to Joan Hunter, a middle-aged white woman in a coastal Massachusetts town, reveal much about that war, the men who waged it, the Nation bereaved by it, and race relations amidst the Civil Rights movement. Filled with fear, hope, range and love, his letters reveal the dark and tender wisdom of the Vietnam veteran.
This podcast episode, released specifically for National Vietnam War Veterans Day (Monday, March 29, 2021) stands as a tribute to all the Americans who fought in that war, all those who supported from the homeland, and all those who suffered in silence from PTSD in its wake.
This is perhaps the emotionally-charged story we’ve covered on this podcast. It’s one that every American should hear. We hope you will listen and pass this episode on to friends and loved ones.
In this episode we reference a recent New York Times article on this story, which can be found here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/us/joan-hunter-77-letters-vietnam-war.html?searchResultPosition=2.
We also reference the book “77 Letters,” by Susan P. Hunter, available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/77-Letters-Operation-Booster-Vietnam-ebook/dp/B08H8WG3SF
At the height of the Korean War, Harry Truman, the accidental POTUS who ascended to the White House after the death of FDR, engaged in a contest of wills with Douglas MacArthur, a titanic global figure with an enormous ego. Much of the country was stunned when Truman, considered a lightweight on the national stage, fired the recalcitrant general with the U.S. edging closer to nuclear war. MacArthur vs. Truman was a defining moment in the Korean War and a flashpoint for civil-military norms.
The standoff between Truman and MacArthur is not only a compelling bit of history, it’s also a story that offers much wisdom for the Nation today. This is a tale rich with critical lessons for today’s military leadership: lessons about civil-mil relations, the role of military advice, and the intersection of politics and war. No one is better suited to reveal that wisdom than Dr. H.W. Brands. Dr. Brands is one of the most prominent American historians working today and the author of the 2106 book “The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War.”
The author of more than 30 books, a Pulitzer finalist, a frequent presence on the History Channel, and the senior historian at the University of Texas at Austin, H.W. Brands brings a remarkable depth of research and a mastery of storytelling to this episode of the18th Airborne Corps podcast.
In discussion with host Joe Buccino, Dr. Brands describes the global security conditions that set the Korean War in motion. He explains the motives of the two men at the heart of this story. He dispels some myths about Truman and reveals some hard truths about MacArthur.
Anyone involved in leadership or decision-making around national security will gain insight from this discussion. Anyone interested in the Korean War will learn from H.W. Brands. It’s certainly worth the 35 minutes.
Recorded on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with a new episode released every Tuesday morning, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast is the official podcast of the U.S. Army. The program is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, YouTube, and PodBean. We encourage you to tell others about the program and to leave a review and a five-star rating for the program on Apple Podcast as doing so will help others find the show.
There is no single truth in war. This is the central philosophy of Ken Burns’ sweeping 18-hour documentary “The Vietnam War.” The film asks a lot of its audience; aside from the time commitment, this is an emotionally draining 10-part series. In return, so much wisdom is gained from the series. The film studies the epic tragedy of Vietnam from all perspectives: the American foot soldier, American draft dodgers and protestors, the Pentagon and White House, the international reporter, the Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese regular, and the Southern Vietnamese peasant.
The legendary filmmaker joins the 18th Airborne Corps Podcasts' host Joe Buccino to discuss the bold storytelling choices used in the film and what he learned about war and America in the decade-long process that went into making it. Ken discusses his own experience with the Vietnam War growing up in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Ken has made indelible documentaries about American life, bringing us closer to our history through subjects like jazz, baseball, the Civil War, the Roosevelt family, and World War II. The Vietnam War, perhaps more than these other films, speaks to what it means to be an American citizen and what American history means for us.
This conversation with Ken touches deep. It covers a range of big topics: the increasing divisive nature of American politics, the importance of a shared humanity, and the notion of truth itself. Whether or not you’ve seen the Vietnam War (if you haven’t, you really should), you will find value in this 30-minute episode.
The US Army finds itself amidst an information war about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. In episode 13 of our podcast, we explore all sides of this complicated issue and offer scientific data about the vaccine.
This is the first episode under our new title. This podcast, the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, used to be called the Doomsday Clock podcast. To expand the focus of the show beyond Cold War history, we’ve changed the name.
The vaccination of the force against coronavirus is a primary mission for the Department of Defense right now. However, many Soldiers are refusing, or at least putting off the vaccine, which is optional. Commanders are scrambling to debunk Internet rumors and provide troops with scientific data about the vaccine.
Dr. Y. Sammy Choi, Chief of the Research Department at the Fort Bragg hospital, was involved in the clinical trials for the Pfizer vaccine for Operation Warp Speed. He’s been intimately involved in the research and development of the Pfizer vaccine. He helps us knock down myths and rumors on the vaccine.
In addition, we talk to Soldiers who started out as anti-vaxxers and have since come around and voluntarily vaccinated. They describe their concerns and the reasons they changed their minds.
This is a critical episode at a critical time in the fight against COVID-19. We hope you will listen and tell others about episode 13 of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast.
"For me, it wasn't about my legacy, it was about building a bench of women leaders." Ann Dunwoody is an Army legend. The first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division, the first woman General Officer on Fort Bragg, the first woman across all of the United States military to wear four stars. She spoke with us for an inspiring episode during Women's History Month. She has much to say about the plague of sexual assault within the ranks, about Fort Hood, about leadership, and about women in combat roles. Ann started in the Women's Army Corps at a time of segregation and ended as one of the most important military officers in the Nation. Her journey holds great wisdom our Army today. We hope you will all take the 25 minutes to listen to this episode.
Episode 11: Elvis's Army
In 1958, 23-year-old Elvis Presley, rock star and actor, was among the Nation's most prominent celebrities. That year he was also drafted into an American Army in turmoil. In an era that threatened Soviet-American thermonuclear annihilation, the Pentagon and White House primarily placed the Nation's defense, and its resources, in strategic bombing. Coming out of the ugly, unpopular Korean War, the Army was a faded relic of an antiquated way of conflict. By contrast, the Air Force, with its ability to target Soviet nuclear sites from offshore without putting troops on the ground, was the future. Drafting Elvis, then, represented a marketing opportunity for the U.S. Army: if the rebellious King of Rock and Roll could make Army greens look cool, perhaps the land-based service could get a foothold within American youth culture.
On Episode 11, historian Brian McAllister Linn, author of the 2016 book "Elvis's Army: Cold War and the Atomic Battlefield," joins the Doomsday Clock podcast to talk about how the Army set about transforming Elvis from a rebellious teen idol into a clean-cut GI and, by extension, transforming the service itself for atomic warfare. Over the course of the discussion, Brian and host Joe Buccino talk about the Army's attempt at rebranding in the late 1950s and early 1960s and how that effort ultimately failed.
This is a particularly timely discussion for our Army today: in the wake of the Fort Hood Independent Review and amidst concerns about white nationalism in the ranks, the Army once again finds itself at an inflection point. There are some critical lessons that leaders today can gleam from the Army Elvis joined. We share those lessons on Episode 11 of the Doomsday Clock Podcast.
The Doomsday Clock is the official podcast of the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps. Stationed on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the XVIII Airborne houses 92,000 Soldiers across 14 military installations: 40% of the operational Army. With a new episode every Tuesday, the podcast mines American Cold War history for insight and wisdom for leaders today.
Episode 10: Putting People First "People First." You hear it all the time across the Army now. The Chief of Staff of the Army says it in every speech. But what does it really mean to put People First? What changes will People First mean to the force? Is this just an empty slogan or does People First have some teeth? We took these questions to the right guy: Colonel Jason Davis, the head of the Army's People First Task Force. Amidst a troubled time for our Army, Colonel Davis spoke with Doomsday Clock podcast guest host Matt Visser about changes ahead for the force, the impending redesign of the Army's Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention program, and a recent initiative from the 18th Airborne Corps. While the Doomsday Clock podcast traditionally focuses on historic events, this episode focuses on a historic change yet to manifest.
Episode 9: Fred Kaplan on the Bomb, Kennedy, and the End of the World. Author Fred Kaplan (Slate, "The Bomb," "Wizards of Armageddon") is a national treasure, one of our foremost writers on American security policy. Fred is a perfect guest for the Doomsday Clock. After all, he's been writing about the Cold War arms race and the threat of nuclear armageddon since 1983. He joins us to talk about the American obsession with nuclear weapons, presidents in crises, how the Cuban Missile Crisis led to the American buildup in Vietnam, and why Ronald Reagan is an underrated president. This was a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion, one of the best we've had on the show. Over the course of 90 minutes Fred and host Joe Buccino cover 75 years of American power.
Episode 8: A Celebration of Black Soldiers In honor of Black History Month we're releasing this special episode of the podcast commemorating the remarkable service of black Soldiers throughout Army history. Our guest, Colonel (retired) Charles D. Allen from the US Army War College, talks to us about President Truman's executive order integrating the military in 1948. Charles also talks about the largely unknown black heroes who inspire him. A 1978 graduate of West Point, Charles Allen serves as the Professor of Leadership and Cultural Studies at the Army War College. He is a widely published writer with bylines in the Washington Post, the Military Times, Army Times, and many scholarly journals. This is a short episode and it's worth your time. If you want to read more about this subject, we recommend you read Charles' recent piece in the Military Times. You can find it here: https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2021/01/28/maj-gen-charles-c-rogers-talent-through-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/.