One CA Podcast

Michael Schwille, Major in the U.S. Army Reserve, discusses his growth in Civil Affairs, experiences in Iraq and Djibouti, and how civilian work with the RAND Corporation relates to CA.

Find Major Schwille on LinkedIn.

Check out the Civil Affairs Association online for a Call for Papers and upcoming events.

In Episode 005 of the One CA Podcast, host John McElligot speaks with Gönül Tol, founding director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies.

Tol offers a sharp, field-informed analysis of Turkey’s foreign policy priorities—from its military posture in Syria to its evolving relationships with the U.S., Russia, and NATO. The conversation also explores Turkey’s shifting secular identity and the strategic implications of its domestic and regional realignments.

---

Transcript on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/geopolitics-turkeys-foreign-policy-one-ca-podcast-uljle?

---

For more information, think tanks and academic institutions that specialize in this topic include the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies #MEICenterforTurkishStudies, directed by the guest, which is a primary source for this type of analysis. Other institutions like the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University #GWIME, the National Defense University #NDU, and the Atlantic Council #AtlanticCouncil regularly publish research on international security and regional dynamics. Furthermore, professional groups focused on international relations and political science, such as the Council on Foreign Relations #CFR, publish on the geopolitical shifts discussed in the article.

#TurkishForeignPolicy #Turkey #MiddleEast #Syria #Geopolitics #NATO #USForeignPolicy #Russia #KurdishIssue #GunalTol #StrategicAnalysis #InternationalRelations #SecurityCooperation #PoliticalScience #GWPSS #MiddleEastInstitute #NationalDefenseUniversity #IR

Gonul Tol, founding director of the Middle East Institute's Center for Turkish Studies, discusses Turkey and Turkish relations in the region.

🎙️ 1CA Podcast Episode Featuring Dr. Roberto J. Carmack

Host: John McElligot
Guest: Dr. Roberto J. Carmack, Specialist, 450th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne

In this episode of the One CA Podcast, Dr. Roberto J. Carmack—historian and specialist with the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)—joins host John McElligot to explore Kazakhstan’s transformation during World War II.

Drawing from extensive archival research in Moscow and Almaty, Carmack reveals how Soviet mobilization reshaped ethnic hierarchies, integrated deported populations, and redefined identity across Central Asia. With fluency in Russian, Kazakh, and Spanish, Carmack bridges academic insight and operational relevance, offering a compelling lens into the human domain of civil affairs and the enduring impact of Soviet wartime policy.

---

Transcript: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mobilizing-identity-kazakhstan-wwii-dr-roberto-carmack-qoaqe/

---

 🎯Closing Thought:
As Russia recalibrates its influence strategy through demographic shifts, cyber warfare, and territorial consolidation, how should U.S. foreign policy evolve to balance deterrence, legitimacy, and regional stability across Eurasia’s contested zones?

 ---

🧠 Hashtag & GroupList

Transatlantic Dialogue Center(#TransatlanticDialogueCenter), NATO Parliamentary Assembly (#NATOPA), KSEInstitute (#KSEInstitute), RAND Corporation (#RANDCorporation), Center forStrategic and International Studies (#CSIS), Carnegie Endowment for InternationalPeace (#CarnegieEndowment), Wilson Center (#WilsonCenter).

#Russia, #Ukraine, #Crimea, #Kazakhstan, #NATO, #HybridWarfare, #ForeignPolicy,#Geopolitics, #TransatlanticSecurity, #CyberDefense, #EasternEurope,#StrategicDeterrence, #InformationOperations, #MilitaryStrategy,#EthnicPolitics, #MultilingualMilitary, #USArmy

Roberto Carmack received his PhD in Central Asian and Russian history. He is a Specialist at the 450th Civil Affairs Batallion (Airborne), U.S. Army Reserve. Roberto discusses Russian actions and the way ahead in the region.

Sponsored by the Civil Affairs Association. Produced and edited by John McElligott.

Sergeant Acosta’s journey isn’t just a personal account—it’s a living blueprint for how civil affairs doctrine adapts under pressure.

From CAQC classrooms to conflict zones, his story reveals the mindset, rigor, and operational clarity required to navigate today’s complex humanitarian terrain.

This episode offers a modular case study for instructors, planners, and future operators seeking to bridge doctrine with lived experience.

This is the third episode of the One CA Podcast. Host John McElligott sits down with now-retired First Sergeant Sean Acosta to trace his path from combat medic deployments in Afghanistan and Haiti to shaping today’s civil affairs doctrine as an instructor at the Special Warfare Center and School.

Transcript: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/critical-thinking-conflict-zones-sergeant-acostas-guide-x6mbe/

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3-sean-acosta-instructor-usajfkswcs/id1371006736?i=1000410373944

❤️ iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-one-ca-podcast-31081128/episode/3-sean-acosta-instructor-usajfkswcs-41474299/

#OneCAPodcast #CivilAffairs #SpecialOperations #CriticalThinking #ConflictResolution #HumanTerrain #VeteranLeadership #DoctrineToPractice #Mentorship #MilitaryInnovation #SWCS #GlobalResponseForce #CAQC

Sean Acosta, Sergeant First Class, USA, is an Instructor at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS). He discusses lessons learned from deployments and how his current role at the CA "schoolhouse" is helping to create the next generation of CA Soldiers.

Sponsored by the Civil Affairs Association. Hosted and edited by John McElligott.

In this episode of the One CA Podcast, host John McElligott hosts (now) Major General Valerie Jackson, who shares her journey from communications officer to strategic leader in the Marine Corps Reserve. Through candid reflections and operational insights, she explores the evolving role of Force Design 2030, the power of joint and interagency collaboration, and the critical importance of mentorship and civil-military integration. From combat communications to Reserve innovation, Jackson offers a masterclass in adaptive leadership and institutional agility—underscoring how strategic signals shape operations, but the future of the force.Welcome to the One CA Podcast. Please welcome Valerie

---

Transcript: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/strategic-signals-major-general-valerie-jackson-force-design-jenke/?

#CivilAffairs #MilitaryStrategy #ForceDesign2030 #JointOperations #InteragencyCollaboration #StrategicLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #MentorshipMatters #InnovationInDefense #ResilienceInAction #AgileForce #OneCAPodcast #DefensePodcasts #VeteranVoices #MilitaryMedia #PodcastTranscript #MarineCorpsReserve #ReserveInnovation #TotalForceIntegration #DualServiceIdentity

Valerie Jackson, Colonel, USMC, is Commander of the 4th Civil Affairs Group, US Marine Corps. She discusses her journey in Civil Affairs and how the Marine Corps differs from the Army approach to Civil Affairs. She closes with some helpful tips for junior Marines.

Hosted and edited by John McElligott.

This is the debut episode of the One CA Podcast.

Host John McElligott speaks with Dr. Jonathan May, a leading researcher in natural language processing at USC’s Information Sciences Institute.

Together, they explore how AI-driven language tools can support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions—especially in low-resource, multilingual environments.

Drawing from the DARPA Lorelei program, Dr. May shares insights on rapid system development, the role of native informants, and the real-world challenges of deploying translation tools in the field.

The conversation bridges civil affairs strategy with cutting-edge computational linguistics, offering a glimpse into the future of multilingual crisis response.

One CA is sponsored by the Civil Affairs Association.

---

Transcript: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/episode-1-from-earthquakes-algorithms-dr-jonathan-may-ai-vvqwe/?

#AIforGood #CivilAffairs #DisasterRelief #MachineTranslation #DARPA #LoreleiProject #NaturalLanguageProcessing #HumanitarianTech #USCISI #1CAPodcast #LowResourceLanguages #MilitaryInnovation #LanguageTechnology