Thanks for a wonderful Season 2! DODReads: What are you Reading? will be back in July 2021 with new content and new voices for Season 3! If you haven't already, please take the time to leave us a review. Now is the perfect time to give us feedback, contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 52, Brigid Calhoun interviews Deborah Lee James. From December 2013 through January 2017, Ms. James served as the 23rd Secretary of the United States Air Force with responsibility for 660,000 military and civilian personnel and a budget of nearly $140 billion. She was the second woman to ever lead a military service in the United States. Prior to this role, she served as President of Science Applications International Corporation’s (SAIC) Technical and Engineering sector. Ms. James is the author of the book Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success.

Ms. James discusses "going on the offense for mentorship," four steps to become a more ethical leader, and why "being a grandma is the best thing yet!"

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 51, Ryder Ashcraft is joined by Ambassador Nicholas Burns, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. They discuss the relationship between the Department of Defense and the Department of State, the challenges the United States faces from the Great Power Competition, and the importance of alliances in a changing threat environment.

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In Episode 50, Ryder Ashcraft interviews Dr. Nancy Sherman, a Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, where she specializes in ethics, the history of moral philosophy, moral psychology, military ethics, and emotions. They discuss Dr. Sherman's experience as the inaugural Distinguished Chair in Ethics at the United States Naval Academy and her work creating the ethics program and Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. They also discuss her new book, Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience, and how lessons from ancient texts from Marcus Aurelius and Seneca can influence the application of stoicism in military profession.

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 49, Ryder Ashcraft sits down with Major General Bruce Scott, United States Army (Ret.). MG Scott is the president and CEO of the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation, a scholarship program that sends active duty officers overseas for a cultural immersion tour. They discuss the benefits of earning a graduate degree abroad and the military's diplomatic mission.

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 48, Ryder Ashcraft interviews Admiral Mike Rogers, USN (Ret.), the former head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command. They discuss how a lifelong commitment to reading influenced his career, the future of U.S. cyber capabilities, and implications for collaboration between the government and private sector in the cyber domain.

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 47, Brigid Calhoun interviews Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of the New York Times bestsellers Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield and The Dressmaker of Khair Khana. Ashley’s War is currently being developed into a major motion picture at Universal Studios. Her most recent book, The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage and Justice, tells the story of Kurdish women who served as America’s ground force partners in the fight to defeat ISIS in Syria.

They discuss women’s role in combat, working “by, with, and through” allies, and how women can strike the balance between careers and motherhood. 

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 46, Eugene Yang interviews Mr. Brian Murphy of the Department of Homeland Security. They discuss his depth of experience in counterterrorism both abroad and domestic, the intersection of law enforcement and the Intelligence Community, and the importance of continued education throughout a career. Before being appointed to the Senior Executive Service of the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Murphy spent 20 years as a Special Agent in the FBI. 

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 45, Brigid Calhoun interviews Lieutenant General Tom Spoehr, USA (Ret.) director of the Center for National Defense at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. They discuss LTG Spoehr’s baptism by fire as a platoon leader in Grenada in 1983, his role in the 2011 U.S. troop drawdown in Iraq, and David L. Roll’s biography George Marshall: Defender of the Republic.

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.

In episode 44, Eugene Yang interviews General David Petraeus, United States Army (Retired). General Petraeus served at the highest levels of the military during crucial periods of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including as the commander of ISAF, Commander, US Forces - Afghanistan, US Central Command, and as Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq. After the military he served as the Director of the CIA, and is now a partner in the global investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. 

Interested in an interview with a particular leader? Have a question you'd like to hear answered? Contact us @DODReads or [email protected].

Finally, head to DODReads for more resources, free books, and interviews with military authors.

The views presented in this episode are those of the participants and do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or its components.