The Sosh Podcast

For this episode, MAJ Haz Yano interviews Javed Ali and Audrey Alexander to talk about the relevance of counterterrorism in the age of great power competition. What is the evolving security landscape in the 2022? Is counterterrorism outdated and irrelevant in today’s environment? Is the US adapting appropriately to meet the current emerging threats? What are some of the consequences of a US shift from Counterterrorism to great power competition? These questions, and more!   This episode was originally recorded in March of 2022, just a few weeks after the Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.   Referenced Article: Mullins, Sam. 2020. “Great Power Competition Versus Counterterrorism: A False Dichotomy.” Just Security. https://www.justsecurity.org/72811/great-power-competition-versus-counterterrorism-a-false-dichotomy/       Javed Ali an associate professor of practice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He has worked for more than 20 years in a variety of national security positions through the Defense Intelligence Agency, The Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. He has held joint and senior level positions at the National Intelligence Council, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the National Security Council under the Trump Administration.    Audrey Alexander is a researcher and instructor from the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point. She was a senior research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism prior to coming to West Point.   MAJ Hazumu Yano is an Instructor of American Politics in West Point’s Department of Social Sciences. His research interests focus on civil-military relations. He is the producer for the Sosh Podcast.      The Sosh Podcast is recorded, edited, and produced by faculty members of the Department of Social Sciences at the US Military Academy, West Point. However, the views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers, and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity. 

For this episode of the Sosh Podcast, MAJ Haz Yano interviews Professor Stephen Saideman from Carleton University to talk about the state of civil-military relations in Japan. They discuss Japan’s increasingly perilous security situation, whether Japan’s defense structure is well-suited to meet new emerging threats, and how the focus on Article 9 leads to a concerning lack of civilian oversight on the Self Defense Forces.    Please send any comments, questions, and suggestions to [email protected].      Prof. Stephen Saideman holds the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University’s Normal Paterson School of International Affairs and is the Director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network. He has written numerous books and articles on civil-military relations, nationalism, ethnic conflict, civil war, and alliance dynamics. He is currently working on a research project that looks at the role of legislatures in civil-military relations in democracies around the world. You can follow him on Twitter @smsaideman.    MAJ Hazumu Yano is an Instructor of American Politics in West Point’s Department of Social Sciences. He has prior experience working with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, having participated in joint exercises and served as an interpreter during engagements. His research interests focus on civil-military relations. He is also the producer for the Sosh Podcast.      The Sosh Podcast is recorded, edited, and produced by faculty members of the Department of Social Sciences at the US Military Academy, West Point. However, the views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers, and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity.

For this episode of the Sosh Podcast, MAJ Haz Yano and Dr. Scott Limbocker interview the Honorable John Tien, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. The hosts spoke with him about the history of the Department of Homeland Security, the challenges of managing a complex bureaucracy with a diverse mission set, and working in the interagency both as a member of the military, and now as a leader in the Department of Homeland Security.    Please send any comments, questions, and suggestions to [email protected].    The Honorable John Tien is the current Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, under the Biden Administration. He is a USMA grad from the Class of 1987 and the first Asian American to serve as First Captain. Deputy Secretary Tien completed a 24 year career in the Army, which included multiple combat tours, serving as a White House Fellow, instructing American Politics at West Point’s Department of Social Sciences, and being the US National Security Council Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan between 2009 and 2011. Upon retiring from the Army, Deputy Secretary Tien worked 10 years as a managing director for Citigroup before being appointed and confirmed as the Deputy Secretary of DHS in 2021.    Dr. Scott Limbocker is an Assistant Professor of American Politics in West Point’s Department of Social Sciences. His research focuses on the American executive branch and how the heterogeneity of employees within the federal government shapes the policy outcomes produced by agencies. Dr. Limbocker holds a PhD in political science from Vanderbilt University as well as two Master’s in political science.   MAJ Hazumu Yano is an Instructor of American Politics in West Point’s Department of Social Sciences. His research interests focus on civil-military relations. He is the producer for the Sosh Podcast.    The Sosh Podcast is recorded, edited, and produced by faculty members of the Department of Social Sciences at the US Military Academy, West Point. However, the views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers, and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity. 

On this episode, CPT Charlene Hoadwonic interviews Dr. Jason Lyall from Dartmouth College to talk about his book, Divided Armies. How does a state’s pre-war levels of equity and inclusion impact a military’s battlefield performance? Does diversity in a military matter? What implications are there for civil-military relations? They talk about these questions and more.   Dr. Jason Lyall is the James Wright Chair of Transnational Studies and associate professor of government at Dartmouth. His recently published book, Divided Armies, was awarded the 2021 Peter Katzenstein Book Prize, the 2020 Joseph Lepgold Prize, and was named a "Best of 2020" book by Foreign Affairs.   CPT Charlene Hoadwonic is an instructor of American Politics at the US Military Academy, West Point and is a fellow with the Sosh Research Lab. Her research interests include Defense human capital and talent management, Army human resources strategy, and cyber talent for national security.   Please send any comments, questions, and suggestions to [email protected].   The Sosh Podcast is recorded, edited, and produced by faculty members of the Department of Social Sciences at the US Military Academy, West Point. However, the views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers, and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity.  

For this edition of the Sosh Pod, Audrey Alexander moderates a discussion between Dr. Daniel Milton, Director of the USMA Combatting Terrorism Center (CTC), and Dr. Craig Whiteside, Associate Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College. The three scholars discuss the recent project by the CTC to deconstruct the insurgent and terrorist organization known as the Islamic State in Iraq in Syria.    For more information on the CTC’s report on Amir Muhamma Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, the current leader of the Islamic State, check out this link here: https://ctc.usma.edu/al-mawla-interrogation-reports/ .   Dr. Daniel Milton is the Director of Research at the Combating Terrorism Center and an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences   Dr. Craig Whiteside is an associate professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College as part of the resident program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He recently co-authored The ISIS Reader: Milestone Texts of Islamic State Movement.    Ms. Audrey Alexander is a researcher and instructor from the Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point. She was a senior research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism prior to coming to West Point.   Learn more about the Combatting Terrorism Center at their website, http://www.ctc.usma.edu   The views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers, and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity.

For this edition of the Sosh Podcast, MAJ Sam Wilkins and MAJ Kyle Atwell interview Doug Livermore from No One Left Behind (NOLB), a nonprofit dedicated to assisting wartime interpreters who have worked for the United States during the Global War on Terror. They talked about NOLB’s efforts in recent years to help these interpreters gain Special Immigrant Visas, the hurdles they’ve had to overcome, and the humanitarian crisis that has followed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.   This interview was recorded on August 24th, 2021, two days prior to the terrorist attack that struck Hamid Karzai International Airport and killed over 170 people, to include 13 US Service Members.    Doug Livermore is a board member of No One Left Behind (NOLB), the Director of Special Programs for the Department of the Navy, a Special Forces officer in the Maryland National Guard, and a fellow of West Point’s Modern War Institute. For more information on NOLB you can visit their website, https://nooneleft.org/.   MAJ Samuel Wilkins is an Instructor of International Affairs at the US Military Academy, West Point. His research interests include American foreign policy in Africa, limited military interventions, and the Cold War.   MAJ Kyle Atwell is an Instructor of International Affairs at the US Military Academy, West Point, and the founder and Co-Director of the Irregular Warfare Initiative where he also hosts the Irregular Warfare Podcast. His research interests include military strategy, irregular and partnered warfare, alliance dynamics, and military effectiveness.   The views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity.

For this edition of the Sosh Pod, CPT Tony Palocaren interviews Ali Wyne from the Eurasia Group’s Global Macro Project about the US-China Relationship – how the competition between the two nations has evolved over the past decade, the role that diplomacy and compartmentalization plays, and what the US can do to support Taiwan.    Ali Wyne is a senior analyst with Eurasia Group’s Global Macro practice and a nonresident fellow at USMA’s Modern War Institute. His focus areas include US-China relations and great power competition. Ali co-authored “Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States, and the World,” which was published in 2013. You can find him on Twitter @Ali_Wyne.    CPT Tony Palocaren is an instructor of International Affairs at the US Military Academy, West Point. His research interests include great power competition.    The views expressed on this podcast belong to those of the speakers, and should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity.  

For Episode 20 of the SOSH Podcast, we interview Retired ADM James Stavridis to talk about his recent book, 2034: A Novel of the Next World War. MAJ Tom Fox makes a return to the podcast to speak with ADM Stavridis about writing a fiction book as a military veteran, his thoughts on why there is no such thing as an end to history, and why a nonpartisan military is more important than ever.   Please email us at [email protected] with any comments, critiques, and questions. We are always looking to hear from our listeners, SOSH Faculty Alumni, and friends of the Department.   ADM (Ret.) James Stavridis is a retired US Navy Admiral who formerly served as the commander of US SOUTHCOM, US EUCOM, and was the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe. He served as the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and is the author of several bestselling books.    MAJ Tom Fox is an Aviation officer in the United States Army, and recently was an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the US Military Academy, West Point.   The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers. They should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any other government entity.

For Episode 19 of the SOSH Podcast, we interview the former Commander of III Corps, LTG (Ret.) Sean MacFarland. In a conversation with the SOSH Department’s MAJ Ryan Van Wie, LTG MacFarland reflected on his time as Brigade Commander of the “Ready First” Brigade during the 2006 Battle of Ramadi and how that experience differed from his time leading the Counter-ISIL campaign of 2015-2016 in Syria and Iraq. He also shares his views on the decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, why mechanized forces are essential for counterinsurgencies, and perhaps most controversially, why the US should get rid of its Airborne units.    Please email us at [email protected] with any comments, critiques, and questions. We are always looking to hear from our listeners, SOSH Faculty Alumni, and friends of the Department.    LTG (Ret.) Sean Macfarland is a non-resident Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He was the Commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in 2006 during the Battle of Ramadi, Iraq. In 2015, he commanded III Corps and assumed responsibility of all coalition forces under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.    MAJ Ryan Van Wie is an instructor of International Relations at the US Military Academy, West Point. His research interests include counterinsurgency strategy and civil conflict dynamics.       This episode was originally recorded on May 4th, 2021.   The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers. They should not be seen as reflective of the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any other government entity. 

For this episode of the Sosh Podcast, MAJ AJ Glubzinski interviews three (former) cadets from the Class of 2021 who completed senior thesis projects in American Politics. Their paper topics covered a broad range of topics, such as measuring the economic impacts of expanding the interstate highway system, analyzing the emergence of interstate compacts to combat COVID-19, and how Congress exercises its oversight powers over the military. If you are interested in receiving a copy of their papers or to learn more, please email us at [email protected] .   This episode was originally recorded on May 6th 2021, just a few weeks before the graduation of the Class of 2021.   Chris Weaver is a member of the USMA Class of 2021 and is originally from Selma, Alabama. His thesis is titled “Reversing the Radiator Springs Effect: The Developmental Impacts of Integrating Isolated Rural Communities into the Existing Interstate Highway Network.”   Pat Schlimm is a member of the USMA Class of 2021 and is originally from St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania. His thesis is titled “A Partisan Contagion? Interstate Compacts in Response to COVID-19.”   Ryan Johnson is a member of the USMA Class of 2021 and is originally from Tampa, Florida. His thesis is titled “Watchdogs or Wardogs? The Changing Patterns of Congressional Oversight in Military Affairs.”   MAJ AJ Glubzinski is an assistant professor of American Politics at the US Military Academy, West Point.   The views expressed on this podcast are those of the speakers, and should not be taken as the official positions of the US Military Academy, the United States Army, the Department of Defense, or any government entity.