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NCO Journal Podcasts

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 56 - Irregular and Hybrid Warfare

Sgt. Maj. Jacob Kirk joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss his article, "Irregular and Hybrid Warfare." As U.S. military power has grown, our adversaries have developed a blueprint to defeat that power. Listen as we take a deep dive into what types of training our NCOs should be providing to combat these strategies. Click here to read the article.

Published on June 26, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 55 - Future Weapons Technology of 2040

The NCO Journal Team discuss "Future Weapons Technology of 2040," an article written by Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher L. Hartzell on the necessary advances of Artificial Intelligence and Automation in weapons for the U.S. Army. Click here to read the article.

Published on June 26, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 54 - Enlisted Army Education: Legit or Just Another Euphemism?

Sgt. Maj. Phillip Fenrick joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss his ideas to change the current process to identify and select instructors in his recent article, "Enlisted Army Education: Legit or Just Another Euphemism?" Click here to read the article.

Published on June 26, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 53 — Transition Assistance Program Needs Assistance

1SG Soraya Bacchus joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss her ideas on reshaping the Army's current Transition Assistance Program. Click here to read the article.

Published on June 12, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 52 — Be Yourself

CSM Shawn Carns, the I Corps senior enlisted leader joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss the essential traits and abilities to be an effective and respected leader in his new article, "Be Yourself." Click here to read the article.

Published on June 9, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 51 — What is the Purpose of Use or Lose Leave?

SGM David Vowell joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss his new article, "What is the Purpose of Use or Lose Leave?" Click here to read the article.

Published on May 31, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 50 — The Importance of Empowering your Subordinates.

Sgt. Brandon Burnett and Master Sgt. James Carmichael join the NCOJ Podcast to discuss their philosophies on leadership based on Sgt. Burnett's article, "The Importance of Empowering your Subordinates." Click here to read the article.

Published on May 24, 2023.

NCO Journal Episode 49 - COVID-19 Resiliency at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.

SGM-A Instructors, Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Rich Adams and Ret. Sgt. Maj. Jesus Gonzalez, talk about how their Students overcame the COVID-19 pandemic, based on their article, "COVID-19 Resiliency at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy" with NCO Journal Staff. Click here to read the article.

Published on May 17, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 48 — Want to Avoid a FLIPL? Focus on Supply Discipline.

Col. Glenn A. Henke and special guest Sgt. Maj. Lawrence W. McKnight Jr. from the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command take a deep dive into Henke's article “Want to Avoid a FLIPL? Focus on Supply Discipline” with NCO Journal staff. Click here to read the article.

Published on May 1, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 47 — Creativity The Backbone of Initiative.

Dr. Richard McConnell and special guest Jacob Mong from CGSC take a deep dive into Creativity: The "Backbone" of Initiative with NCO Journal staff. Click here to read the article.

Published on April 19, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 46 - Drill Sergeant Misconduct.

CSM Robert Theus joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss Drill Sergeant Misconduct for his new article with special guest CSM Rickey Jackson, the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy Commandant to discuss issues and solutions. Click here to read the article.

Published on April 5, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 45 — Developing Strategically-Minded Enlisted Leaders.

Staff Sgt. Nicholas DiMichele joins the podcast to discuss his new article, "Developing Strategically-Minded Enlisted Leaders," with the NCO Journal team Mar. 22, 2023. Click here to read the article.

Published on March 22, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 44 - Choosing Hardship Today for an Easier Tomorrow.

In this podcast we discuss the article “Choosing Hardship Today for an Easier Tomorrow,” written by MSG Larry A. Milner Jr. The NCO Journal team is joined by Benjamin Smith, a lead strength and conditioning coach at the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, to discuss the physical effects of exercise and how they translate into resilience. Click here to read the article.

Published on March 8, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 43 — NCO's Role in MDO.

In this podcast, the NCO Journal team have a roundtable discussion about Multi-domain operations and what NCOs should be doing to prepare for the future fight. Click here to read the article.

Published on February 22, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 42 — Alcohol and the Army: A Toxic Relationship.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Arnold joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss alcohol’s adverse effects on unit readiness and discipline, and how leaders can curb alcohol glamorization in his new article, "Alcohol and the Army: A Toxic Relationship". Also joined by special guests, CSM Justin Shad and CSM Jason Porras as they tell their stories of coming to grips with alcoholism and getting help. Click here to read the article.

Published on February 13, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 41 — Episode 41 — Building Command Relationships through PME.

SGM Jason Abitua joins the NCO Journal team to discuss combining professional military education for officers and NCOs at all levels to enhance productivity in future command teams. Click here to read the article.

Published on January 23, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 40 — The Shop.

Staff Sgt. Brandon Cox and former team members join the NCO Journal podcast to talk about his recent article, "The Shop," an article focused on Army Team Building and lessons learned. Click here to read the article.

Published on January 11, 2023.

NCO Journal Podcast Episode 39 - Embracing the Future of a Multidomain Army.

Sgt. Maj. Charles Wilson joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss how the U.S. Army can prepare and succeed in multidomain operations. Click here to read the article.

Published on December 14, 2022.

Episode 38: The Filthy 13.

The NCO Journal team and special guest Roy Parker, a WWII expert and historian for the Army University Press films team talk about a famous demolitions squad from the 506th PIR during World War II, and how they relate to current mission command principles. Click here to read the article.

Published on December 5, 2022.

Episode 37: Project Athena: Coaching and the IDP.

Sgt. Maj. Craig A. Collins sits down with the NCO Journal Team to discuss Project Athena, coaching, and the Common Individual Development Plan. This type of coaching focuses on creating an IDP that helps Soldiers accomplish short- and long-term goals. Click here to read the article.

Published on November 16, 2022.

Episode 36: The C.U.R.E. for Distrust: Communication, Understanding, Respect, and Expertise.

Capt. Andrew Bibb maintains four elements are indispensable in "The C.U.R.E. for Distrust" - communication, understanding, respect, and expertise. When woven into an organization’s culture, they produce the kind of trust necessary for aggressive, adaptable, and lethal action on the battlefield. Listen to the conversation in the latest NCO Journal podcast. Click here to read the article.

Published on November 8, 2022.

Episode 35: Command Authority: A Guide for Senior Enlisted Leaders.

Master Sgt. Andre Coln and Command Sgt. Maj. Bill Woods join the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss command authority, and what junior and senior enlisted personnel need to know to be successful. Click here to read the article.

Published on October 26, 2022.

Episode 34: Mission Command at the Battle of 73 Easting.

In our newest podcast, Master Sgt. Dustin Denney, the NCO Journal staff, and a historian examine mission command principles, the elements of command and control, and the warfighting functions used at the Battle of 73 Easting as they relate to the NCO Corps. Click here to read the article.

Published on October 5, 2022.

Episode 33: Transition from Soldier to Leader.

Dr. Larry Golba joins the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss his recent article, "Transition from Soldier to Leader." Dr. Golba is a Research Psychologist for the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Click here to read the article.

Published on September 21, 2022.

Episode 32: Have We Forgotten The Rehearsal.

Col. Todd A. Schmidt and Command Sgt. Maj. Jason C. Porras join the NCO Journal Podcast to discuss the importance of Army rehearsals and how they effect the NCO Corps. Click here to read the article.

Published on September 7, 2022.

Episode 31: Love and Leadership.

The NCO Journal team holds a discussion on the interconnection between Army Leadership and "love," based on the recent article from Sgt. Maj. Anson C. Jordan, an assistant professor at the Sergeants Major Residence Course at Fort Bliss, Texas. Click here to read the article.

Published on August 24, 2022.

Episode 30: Surviving the March: Lessons Learned from 101st AD.

Army doctors stress that NCOs must prepare for the consequences of training in hot, humid environments and recommend best practices developed by the 101st AD to allow for continued combat training during the summer months. Click here to read the article.

Published on August 10, 2022.

Episode 29: Adapting to the Pandemic: CoI and the SGM-A.

Tune in to our newest Podcast episode, "Adapting to the Pandemic: Community of Inquiry and the SGM-A" featuring Sgt. Maj. Julio Cesar Armas, where we discuss his challenges and discoveries during the pandemic. Click here to read the article.

Published on July 27, 2022.

Episode 28: Build a Ladder of Discipline One Rung at a Time.

Listen to our latest Podcast Episode “Build a Ladder of Discipline One Rung at a Time” featuring Sgt. Maj. Dennis Cronin where we discuss his five-step ladder of discipline. Click here to read the article.

Published on July 18, 2022.

Episode 27: Don’t ST*U

Maj. L. Burton Brender joins with the NCO Journal Team to discuss his recent article, “Don't ST*U,” written as a response to the wildly popular article published by the NCO Journal titled, “The Understated Art of Knowing When to ST*U.” Featuring special guest, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Arnold. Click here to read the article.

Published on June 29, 2022.

Episode 26: PTSD and the Student Veteran

Sgt. Maj. David C. Cox joins the NCO Journal team to discuss his recent article, “PTSD and the Student Veteran: Is Distance Learning the Answer?” Click here to read the article.

Published on June 15, 2022.

Episode 25: The Understated Art of Knowing When to ST*U

Sgt. Maj. Robert Nelson and Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Arnold join the NCO Journal Podcast to talk about their popular new article, “The Understated Art of Knowing When to ST*U.” Click here to read the article.

Published on June 2, 2022.

Episode 24: We Were Ghosts: A Vietnam Story

Mr. Travis Maruska, an associate professor of writing and media studies at the Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA, discusses his new article “We Were Ghosts: A Vietnam Story,” with the NCO Journal team on May. 18, 2022. This is a story about the harrowing tales and real experiences of a Special Forces Veteran during the Vietnam War. Click here to read the article.

Published on May 18, 2022.

Episode 23: Operation Barbarossa

Master Sgt. Phillip Fenrick joins the NCO Journal to discuss his recently published article, "Operation Barbarossa: A Lesson in Hubris and Strategy." Click here to read the article.

Published on May 4, 2022.

Episode 22: Mission Command in Ia Drang Valley

"The war in Vietnam challenged Army commanders for over a decade, and the Battle of Ia Drang Valley provides a critical case study to understand the relationship between mission command, mission success, and force preservation," argues Master Sgt. Jason E. Crawford as he joins the NCO Journal for a podcast to discuss his new article, "Mission Command in the Ia Drang Valley." Click here to read the article.

Published on April 20, 2022.

Episode 21: The Role of the Sending Unit in Talent Management

Sgt. Maj. Roger Rendon, Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Jones, and Lt. Col. Joel Gleason join the NCO Journal to discuss their recently published article, "The Role of the Sending Unit in Talent Management." Click here to read the article.

Published on April 6, 2022.

Episode 20: The Competitive Advantage

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bonnie Rushing argues that “by changing and increasing the NCO Corps’ scope of responsibility and tapping into enlisted talent, the U.S. efficiently advances national defense and gains a competitive advantage against any adversary,” in her NCO Journal Podcast: “The Competitive Advantage.” Click here to read the article.

Published on March 23, 2022.

Episode 19: Fixing the System

Sgt. Maj. Robert Nelson and Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Arnold join us to discuss their recently authored NCO Journal article, titled "Fixing the System: How Leaders can Prevent Complex Problems." Topics discussed include employing Carnegie's "six principles of improvement" to identify root causes of problems at the systemic level to build a better team and prevent Army leaders from attributing negative character traits to individual Soldiers, rather than the system or circumstances that led to the mistake. Click here to read the article.

Published on March 9, 2022.

Episode 18: Battle of Mogadishu: The Mission Command Perspective

Retired Sgt. Maj. James Perdue, who was present during the Battle of Mogadishu, and special guest Dr. Randy Masten, Army University Press Films team chief, join us to discuss a recent NCO Journal article Perdue co-wrote with Brazil Sgt. Maj. Clayton Dos Santos, titled “Battle of Mogadishu: The Mission Command Perspective.” Click here to read the article.

Published on March 2, 2022.

Episode 17: Serving with ADHD

We talk with our own SSG Jarred Woods, senior editor with the NCO Journal, about his article "Serving with ADHD" where he aims to dispel misconceptions and offer insights for NCOs who lead easily distracted Soldiers and their professional development. Click here to read the article.

Published on February 9, 2022.

Episode 16: Building a Culture of Growth

Sgt. Maj. Billy J. Atkinson, retired Sgt. Maj. David L. Stewart, and Sgt. Maj. Victor Velasco join us to discuss their recent NCO Journal article "Building a Culture of Growth. Topics discussed include developing Soldiers, building trust within an unit/organization, and emotional intelligence. Click here to read the article.

Published on February 2, 2022.

Episode 15: The Information Domain and Social Media

Sgt. Maj. Alexander Aguilastratt, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command liaison to Headquarters, Department of the Army, joins us to discuss his article series, "The Information Domain and Social Media." Topics discussed include adversarial use of social media to spread disinformation/misinformation and how to safely navigate and operate within the information domain. Click here to read the article.

Published on January 26, 2022.

Episode 14: Project Athena in Action

Sgt. Maj. Craig Collins, sergeant major for the Department of Curriculum Development at the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence, joins us to discuss his recent article "Project Athena in Action." Among the topics discussed are what Project Athena is, and how it can develop more self-aware leaders. Click here to read the article.

Published on January 12, 2022.

Episode 13: Army NCO Strategy

During this episode of the NCO Journal podcast, we welcome U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Brad J. Lopes, the NCO professional development directorate analyst at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, to discuss the new NCO Strategy. Click here to read the article.

Episode 12: Plagiarism Defined

During this episode of the NCO Journal podcast, we welcome Don Wright, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Army University Press to discuss plagiarism; to include different types, how to avoid it, and its ethical implications.

Episode 11: “Army doctrine and the NCO” & “Mission Command & Small Unit Leadership”

During this episode of the NCO Journal podcast, U.S. Army Mission Command Center of Excellence SGM Christopher Prosser talks about the significance of understanding Army doctrine for effective leadership & “Mission Command and Small Unit Leadership.” Click here to read the article.

Episode 10: Importance of Writing

During this episode of the NCO Journal podcast, we welcome Army University Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa Duncan to speak with us about the importance of writing. Command Sgt. Maj. Duncan goes in depth about career advancements when honing writing skills and quotes a couple of notable philosophers in history. Click here to read the article.

Episode 9: USASMA Accreditation

During this episode of the NCO Journal podcast, we welcome three of the 105 graduates of the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence and U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy who became the first recipients of the newly offered Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Workforce Development degree, June 21, 2019. This unique degree program is awarded by the U.S. Command and General Staff College to qualified graduates. #USASMA Commandant Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Sellers and Mr. Bill Backscheider join the discussion providing background and insight into this historic event. Click here to read the article.

Episode 8: Secretary of the Army Media Round Table

In this episode, the NCO Journal participates in a media round table discussion with the Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper. Among the topics discussed were talent management, Army Family initiatives, and modernization. The event took place at the Pentagon, April 24, 2019. Click here to read the article.

Episode 7: Army Congressional Fellowship Program

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast, we continue the discussion about the Army Congressional Fellowship Program (ACFP) with Sgt. Maj. Travis Votaw from the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. Votaw, authored "The NCO as Congressional Fellow" for the NCO Journal in January. Click here to read the article.

Episode 6: Army Combat Fitness Test

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast, we discuss the implementation of the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) with Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Mitchell from the Center for Initial Military Training. The ACFT is scheduled to become the new fitness test of record in October 2020. Click here to read the article.

Episode 5: Master Leader Course

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast, recent Master Leader Course (MLC) graduate, Sgt. 1st Class Thomas (TJ) Trent, discusses his experience while attending the course. He also provides advice on how to succeed. Click here to read the article.

Episode 4: U.S. Army Africa

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast, we speak with Command Sgt. Maj. Jeremiah E. Inman U.S. Army Africa senior enlisted leader about enhancing military educational programs in Africa based on each nation’s wants, resource sustainability, and noncommissioned officer developmental needs as they pertain to the region. Click here to read the article.

Episode 3: Civilian Education

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast we speak with Mr. Tom Kelly, Education Services Officer, Fort Leavenworth, KS, about civilian education. Some of the topics included in this podcast are how to select the right school for you, paying for college and CLEP tests. Click here to read the article.

Episode 2: Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast we speak with Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Mitchell from the Center for Initial Military Training about the changes occurring at both Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training.

Episode 1: Modernization

In this episode of the NCO Journal Podcast we speak with Undersecretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey about Army modernization.