DODReads: What are you reading?

In episode 34, Eugene Yang interviews Rear Admiral Carl Lahti, USN, Commandant of Naval District Washington. They discuss Naval District Washington's recent webseries "Listen, Learn, and Lead," the importance of diversity for the future force, and the positive impact of good mentors in the profession of arms.

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 33, Eugene Yang interviews MG John Ferrari, USA (Ret.) who is currently a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the Chief Administrative Officer of QOMPLX, a data analytics and cybersecurity firm. They discuss the importance of indirect leadership, the future of acquisitions and user engagement for DoD projects, and the importance of intellectual curiosity for leaders and analysts.

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 32, Jacqueline Parker interviews Shannon Huffman Polson - author, speaker, founder of The Grit Institute and former Army Apache Helicopter pilot. They discuss learning from failure, the importance of mentorship, and why sharing stories is so important. Check out Shannon's books and leadership institute here.

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 31, Eugene Yang interviews MG Patrick Donahoe, Commanding General of the US Army Maneuver Center of Excellence. They discuss the future of the conventional force, maneuver in the information environment, and how to utilize Twitter as a professional development platform as military leaders.

Follow MG Donahoe on Twitter @PatDonahoeArmy

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 30, Eugene Yang sits down with Captain Bill Hamblet, USN (Ret.) to discuss military authorship, the importance of fiction for creative thinking, and the challenges of gray zone warfare. Bill Hamblet is the Director of Periodicals and Editor-in-Chief of Proceedings, the flagship publication of the US Naval Institute.

Be sure to check here for the essay winners of the CIMSEC and US Naval Institute Short Story Fiction Contest in December! Also check out the Commandant of the Marine Corps' article on the role of Marines in the decisive undersea fight.

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 29, Eugene Yang sits down with Dr. Aaron O'Connell, USMCR to discuss how to appropriately use history to inform the future, the next era of U.S.-China relations, and how the Marine Corps has marketed itself through the ages.  

Dr. O'Connell is a colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and the Director of Research at the Clements Center. He teaches courses in military history, U.S. foreign policy, U.S. military culture, and the U.S.’s role in the world since 1898. Previously, he served as Director for Defense Policy & Strategy on the National Security Council at the White House. 

Dr. O’Connell is the author of Underdogs: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps and editor of Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan.

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 28, Eugene Yang sits down with Colonel John Tien, USA (Ret.) to discuss the recent large organizational shifts in the military post-Cold War and post-9/11, the importance of diversity for developing agile thinking, and how to optimize broadening tours when away from the conventional operating forces.

John Tien is currently a Managing Director at Citigroup. He served for over 24 years on active duty including 3 combat deployments to Iraq. He was a senior national security advisor to both President Obama and President Bush as part of the National Security Council staff, and a White House Fellow during the Clinton Administration. John is a 1987 graduate of West Point and was the first Asian-American First Captain. He received his Master's Degree from Oxford University where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar and was a National Security Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. He is the co-head of the Citi Salutes program, and is a board member for multiple foundations and nonprofits. He recently co-founded DiversityPop, a mobile app designed to grow the individual leadership quotient of any person through their own diversity discoveries.

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 27, Eugene Yang sits down with Brigadier General Kim Field, USA (Ret.) to discuss the role of the military in interagency endeavors, the importance of education and critical thinking for leadership, and how to ask good questions to solve future complex scenarios.

Kim Field is currently a Professor of Practice at the Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service: https://bush.tamu.edu/faculty/kfield/

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 26, Eugene Yang sits down with Lieutenant General John Wissler, USMC (Ret.) to discuss leadership development for junior officers, the importance of cross-cultural understanding, and the practice of individual reflection to sharpen personal leadership competencies and moral courage.

LtGen Wissler is the Distinguished Chair of Leadership at the United States Naval Academy Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. Visit his site at:

https://www.jpw-solutions.com/ or connect with him on LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-wissler-4877a22b/

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 25, Eugene Yang sits down with Dr. John Nagl, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (Ret.), to discuss how organizations react to new challenges, from the current pandemic to counterinsurgency. Dr. Nagl reflects on his start in professional military writing and the importance of education for America's next generation of leaders.

Dr. Nagl is currently the ninth Head of School at The Haverford School in Pennsylvania. You can follow him on Twitter @drjohnnagl.

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.