Midrats

Guest is film-maker Scott Kesterson;former soldier, Emmy award-winning filmmaker, and now military contractor working for CJ-SOTF.

His next fill is, Bards of War (www.bardsofwarfilm.com) this fall. Most of the footage is from Scott's time in Afghanistan where he spent 2 1/2 of the last 4 years there.

There is an echo that regular listeners to Midrats are very familiar with; the critical importance of an understanding of history in the profession of arms.

More than almost any other field, there is nothing new under the sun. The tools may change, but the play of power, economics, intellect, and drive which makes the difference in war and therefor human history remain the same.

A professional must reach back to Sun Tsu and Alexander the Great ... but he must also look closer.

To discuss for the full hour will be returning guest  LCDR Benjamin "BJ" Armstrong. He recently returned from deployment as the Officer-In-Charge of an MH-60S Armed Helo Detachment which conducted operations with the BATAAN ARG and 22D MEU in support of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR in the 6th Fleet AOR and maritime security/counter-piracy operations in the 5th Fleet AOR.

When BJ isn't off playingh helicopter pilot, he is an occasional naval historian. His research extends over the subjects of naval history and irregular warfare. He is the author of numerous articles including "The Most Daring Act of the Age: Principles for Naval Irregular Warfare" in The Naval War College Review, and "Nothing Like a Good Maritime Raid" in USNI's Proceedings.

His article "Immediate Redress: The USS Potomac and the Pirates of Quallah Batoo" is forthcoming in the May issue of Small Wars & Insurgencies.

You have heard the phrase, "Well, I've seen this movie before."

After over a decade of disjointed conflict that is still yet to play out, what have we learned, what do we still need to learn, and what do we need to forget?

Has the global threat that brought about the attacks of 11 SEP 01 been reduced, have they grown, or have they morphed in to something different?

To meet the challenge ahead, are we preparing our forces best intellectually, structurally, and materially?

Do we have the command climate and culture to encourage innovative and bright leaders to shape our approach to the unexpected challenges that we will face?

Our guest for the full hour will be Lieutenant General Paul K. Van Riper, USMC (Ret.). He served his nation with over 41 years of commissioned and enlisted service from the Dominican Republic crisis, to Vietnam, to DESERT STORM and more through retirement in 1997.

He continues to serve his nation in both the government and private sector with a depth of experience that yes, he's "seen a lot of movies before."

The last decade has brought two aspects of the law and its interaction with the U.S. military in to sharp focus: first "Lawfare" in the application of force overseas, and second the proper constitutional role of the U.S. military internal to the United States and towards its civilian population.

What has changed, where do we stand today, and where are are we headed?

Our guest will be Charles J. Dunlap, Jr., Major General, USAF (Ret.), the Executive Director, Center on Law, Ethics and National Security and a Visiting Professor of the Practice at Duke University School of Law.

Where is the line between truth, optimism, spin, happy-talk, and lies?

Those of us who have served in Afghanistan and those serving now all have our stories.  Our guest this Sunday has a few as well.

"Over the course of 12 months, I covered more than 9,000 miles and talked, traveled and patrolled with troops in Kandahar, Kunar, Ghazni, Khost, Paktika, Kunduz, Balkh, Nangarhar and other provinces.

What I saw bore no resemblance to rosy official statements by U.S. military leaders about conditions on the ground.

...

When it comes to deciding what matters are worth plunging our nation into war and which are not, our senior leaders owe it to the nation and to the uniformed members to be candid — graphically, if necessary — in telling them what’s at stake and how expensive potential success is likely to be. U.S. citizens and their elected representatives can decide if the risk to blood and treasure is worth it.

Likewise when having to decide whether to continue a war, alter its aims or to close off a campaign that cannot be won at an acceptable price, our senior leaders have an obligation to tell Congress and American people the unvarnished truth and let the people decide what course of action to choose. That is the very essence of civilian control of the military. The American people deserve better than what they’ve gotten from their senior uniformed leaders over the last number of years. Simply telling the truth would be a good start. "

Using his article in Armed Forces Journal; Truth, Lies, and Afghanistan as a starting point - our guest for the full hour will be Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, US Army.

We do this a couple of times a year - yes my friends it is a Midrats Free For All.

Is there a topic we have not covered that you want Sal from "CDR Salamander" or EagleOne from "Eaglespeak" to address? Better yet - do you have a question you want them to answer?

Well, now is your chance. We'll cover the topics of the week on our own - but for a change; you can jump the line.

Call in or hop in the chat room this Sunday from 5-6pm EST, you never know what topic will come up.

The large standing Army and active duty military we have known in our lifetime may seem the norm - but it isn't.

Is there a way to maintain a strong military capability - available and scaleable if needed - without the structure we have become accustomed to?

Is there a better way to balance our Reserve and National Guard forces that is better in line with our economic, national security, and yes - Constitutional requirements?

This Sunday, 19 FEB from 5-6pm EST, join us with our guest, General Ron Fogleman, USAF (Ret) for the full hour. Using his recent article in Defense News, Going Back to the Future: Militia Model Could Cut U.S. Expenditures as a starting point, we will discuss these ideas and more as we look for a way to maintain strength and options as the budget crunch starts.

The problem with piracy is not going anywhere. Each year in places like Somalia it is becoming part of the local economy. In areas near poorly governed areas, it threatens the free flow of goods at market prices through the world's sea lines of communication.

Is it an economic problem, a global security problem, a political problem, or a mixture of that and more?

What is the impact of international aid, military action, and the paying of ransom? What are the best solutions, and what is working and what is not working to slow the impact of piracy?

Join Sal from "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne from "Eagle Speak" for the full hour to discuss these issues and more with their guest, Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.), former Commander of the anti-piracy CTF-151 off the horn of Africa.

I can think of no better show for Superbowl Sunday than Episode 36.

Our guests will be Eddie LaBaron and Lanier Phillips. Though known as four-time Pro-Bowler, quarterback for the Washington Redskins in the 1950s, Tom Landry's first quarterback in Dallas, and Don Meredith's mentor; he was also a USMC lieutenant in the Korean Conflict; decorated with the Purple Heart and awarded the Bronze Star. Our second guest will be a trailblazer for all Sailors. In October of 1941, at the age of eighteen, Lanier joined the Navy. He was a survivor of the February of 1942 sinking of the USS Truxton. He was not just any Sailor though, he later took a step with confidence like he did during the shipwreck that put him in an raft - he asked to be treated as an equal and was the first black Navy sailor to become a sonar technician.

In the last year, our listenership has roughly doubled.  As a result, many have missed some of our more interesting shows.

This week, as your hosts take care of some things in the other part of our lives, let's revisit Halloween of 2010.

When you mention the possibility of an Electro Magnetic Pulse attack (EMP) - people have a reaction of, "What?" - either that or they get all fidgety or roll their eyes. Is the EMP threat trick or treat?

We will discuss the issue with guests Jason Sigger, defense policy analyst, opinion writer and blogg'r for the first half of the hour. For the second half of the hour, James Carafano, Ph.D., Deputy Director, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Director, Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.