Episode 93 - “Command Assessment"

Host Lieutenant Colonel Derek Thompson sits down with Colonel Ethan Diven,Commandant of the Command and General Staff College (CGSC), and Colonel (Retired) Rich Creed, Director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate.They tackle a fundamental question: How does Army doctrine make the critical journey from the page to the mind of a leader? The discussion explores the balance between training leaders to master current doctrine and educating them to think critically when the situation demands adaptatio

In this special episode, host Lieutenant Colonel Derek Thompson provides a comprehensive overview of the key Army doctrine updated in 2025. With the sheer volume of new information, this episode acts as a filter, sifting through the most critical changes to give listeners the highlights and explain why they matter to leaders. The review begins with foundational manuals like FM 1, The Army, and ADP and FM 3-0, Operations, before delving into the specifics of Air and Missile Defense, Army Special Operations, CBRN, Cyberspace, Engineer, and Military Police operations. This is a must listen for leaders seeking to understand the Army’s doctrinal shift towards defeating peer adversaries in a complex, multi-domain environment

Brigadier General W. Bochat, Commanding General of the 20th CBRNE Command, COL Scott Smith, Chief of Staff for 20th CBRNE Command, and Colonel (Retired) Rich Creed, Director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, join our host Lieutenant Colonel Derek Thompson to discuss how the Army is preparing for and countering Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear threats. The episode covers the importance of adapting doctrine, the necessity of realistic training for contaminated environments, and the cultural mindset required to prepare the force for the complexities of modern warfare.

Major General Brett Sylvia, former commanding general of 101st Airborne Division, and Colonel (Retired) Rich Creed, Director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, join our host Lieutenant Colonel Jessamyn Jempson on this episode to discuss how the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) transformed in contact between 2024 and 2025. We discuss how the division implemented mobility brigades, fielded C2 fix, deactivated its calvary squadrons and how it operationalized new formations, equipment and technology during division and JRTC exercises. We focus on the command climate that encouraged innovation and risk taking to restructure the division under an accelerated timeline.

Why is the Arctic gaining more and more national and military attention? Major General Joseph Hilbert, former commanding general of 11th Airborne Division (Arctic), and Colonel (Retired) Rich Creed, Director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, join our host Captain Ed Garibay to discuss the growing importance of the Arctic region and the release of ATP 3-90.96 Arctic and Exreme Cold Weather Operations. They discuss the strategic importance of the Arctic, challenges to arctic operations, the release of the new arctic manual, and the future of the Arctic.

Lieutenant General Matthew McFarlane, commanding general of America’s First Corps, and Mr. Rich Creed, Director of the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, join our host Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gregory to discuss the significance of the corps in large scale combat operations. They discuss the challenges and solutions to commanding large army organizations, interoperability with the Joint Force, and the future of corps level doctrine.

Major General Christopher Norrie and Division Command Sergeant Major Jonathan Reffeor (Third Infantry Division Command Team), join our host Major Avalon Dillon on today’s episode to discuss doctrine and transformation in contact. They discuss lessons learned and leveraging doctrine to enhance existing capability and technologies. They also discuss proactive organizational actions and empowering the Noncommissioned officer to achieve lethality in a transparent and unpredictable battlefield.

The Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate (CADD) recently published an update to FM 3-0, Operations. Three members of the writing team - Major Scott McMahan, Brian Goings, and Matt Farmer – discuss the key updates and feedback that led to the revision.

Lieutenant Colonel Nate Rice (host) brings three guests to talk about assessing Soldiers for Centralized Selection List positions and ADP 6-22, Army Leadership and the Profession- Mr. Bob O’Brien, Highly Qualified Expert Advisor to the Command Assessment Program- Colonel (COL) Andy Morgado, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Command Assessment Program, and Director of the Army University Press- LTC Mike Skuza, Alumni of the Command Assessment Program and Primary Select for Battalion Command They discuss the evolution of Command Selection, its ties to doctrine, and the benefits to both the Army and the assessed Soldiers

Colonel Bradely Louden (Director of the Force Modernization Proponent Center and Chief of the Army Information Operation Functional Area, the Army Deception Proponent, and Army Operations Security Proponent), joins our host Lieutenant Colonel Jessamyn Jempson on today’s episode focusing on military deception. They discuss how Army commanders and organizations can leverage this traditional military activity to achieve a tactical advantage on a progressively more transparent and lethal battlefield. They also discuss lessons learned from historical and current examples of deception.