The CI-Press Podcast

In this episode, hosts Dave Turner and Jeremy Clark sit down with CW5(R) Mike Maroney, a counterintelligence (CI) professional whose career spans five decades. Mike reflects on his journey from the Cold War era through post-9/11 operations, sharing firsthand experiences from Germany, Afghanistan, and the Gulf, along with his pivotal role in shaping CI training, doctrine, and professional standards.

The conversation explores operational milestones such as recruiting sources inside Afghanistan, the impact of the Maroney Report on compromised operations, building Defensive Source Operations training, advising senior leaders, and the enduring principles of tradecraft, mentorship, and professional character that define effective CI professionals.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in counterintelligence, leadership, and the lessons that only decades of service can provide.

IXN’s 2025 wrap-up examines why this year came to be known as “the year of counterintelligence,” amid growing recognition that traditional, case-by-case approaches are no longer sufficient on their own. The conversation explores the rising prominence of insider threats, persistent fragmentation across counterintelligence (CI) authorities, and the implications of legislative efforts for both government and industry.

Featuring Ryan Rambo, Jeremy Clark, Scott Sparks, Joe Sheridan, and Dave Turner, the episode unpacks enduring structural challenges facing the CI enterprise, including the absence of a clearly designated CI owner, inconsistent standards across agencies, and gaps between policy intent and operational execution. The discussion also highlights emerging tools such as behavior analytics, the need for scalable training and workforce pipelines, and practical, near-term steps organizations can take to strengthen CI posture across the public and private sectors.

CI Press Podcast — Gwinn Series (Part 3 | Final)

In the final episode of the Gwinn series, Mike and Leslie Gwinn come together to finish the story.  This time side by side.

After hearing their individual perspectives in Parts 1 and 2, this conversation brings those narratives together, complete with good-natured debate, laughter, and differing recollections of the same moments. They poke fun at each other’s memories, compare notes on pivotal decisions, and reflect on how time, distance, and experience reshaped their understanding of events they once lived separately.

Beyond the humor, Mike and Leslie speak candidly about the role of faith during the most challenging periods of their journey - when careers were uncertain, futures unclear, and resilience was tested at both the professional and personal level. They share insights on trust, perseverance, forgiveness, and what it means to rebuild, not just a career, but a life together.

This final episode ties together the human and professional dimensions of counterintelligence introduced throughout the series, offering a rare look at how CI careers impact marriages, families, and identity over time.

As a trilogy, the Gwinn series was intentionally different for CI Press. It’s a reminder that behind every mission, deployment, and clearance decision are people navigating sacrifice, purpose, and commitment often in ways never captured in official histories.

Sometimes the most valuable lessons in counterintelligence aren’t found in doctrine or case studies, but in the lived experiences of those who carried the mission home with them.

CI Press Podcast — Gwinn Series (Part 2)

Following yesterday’s episode from Leslie Gwinn’s perspective, Part 2 of the CI Press Gwinn series turns to the other side of the story.

In this episode, Mike Gwinn shares his journey through military intelligence and counterintelligence covering early career development, deployments to Kosovo and Iraq, a significant career setback that led to discharge, and his determined return to service through the National Guard and U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

Where Part 1 explored the family impact of the counterintelligence life, Part Two examines the professional pressures behind it: leadership under stress, identity after failure, resilience in the face of career disruption, and the long road of rebuilding trust and purpose.

Mike also reflects on how counterintelligence work evolved over two decades, and what those changes meant for those doing the job on the ground both in uniform and beyond it.

Together, Parts 1 and 2 set the stage for the final episode, where Leslie and Mike come together to compare perspectives, lessons learned, and the realities of navigating a CI career as a team.

CI Press Podcast — Special 3-Part Series (Part 1)

This episode marks the beginning of a special three-part CI Press series - one that steps slightly outside our usual analytic lane to tell a story that’s just as central to the counterintelligence profession.

In Part 1, Leslie Gwinn shares her personal CI journey at Fort Huachuca and Korea to life as the spouse of an Army counterintelligence agent. She offers a candid look at the realities behind the mission - training pipelines, deployments, constant transitions, and the quiet sacrifices made far from briefing rooms and secure facilities.

Leslie’s story isn’t about tradecraft or threat actors. It’s about the human dimension of counterintelligence: family decisions, resilience, missed moments, and the hard choices that shape both careers and marriages in this line of work.

This episode is intentionally different. As we head into Christmas, we wanted to pause and reflect on the people who stand beside CI professionals - the partners and families whose support makes the mission possible, even when the cost is high.

Part 2 will feature Mike Gwinn’s perspective, followed by Part 3, where Leslie and Mike come together to compare notes, experiences, and lessons learned from both sides of the CI life.

Sometimes the most important stories aren’t classified, but they are rarely told.

Hosts Dave Turner and Jeremy Clark sit down with Nick Eftimiadis, a former CIA, DSS, and DIA intelligence professional and current Penn State professor, for an in-depth conversation on the strategic depth and persistence of Chinese intelligence operations. Drawing on decades of operational and academic experience, Eftimiadis breaks down how the Chinese Communist Party leverages espionage, influence operations, and talent acquisition to advance long-term national objectives.

The episode explores the growing counterintelligence risks within U.S. academia and industry, the vulnerabilities surrounding emerging and critical technologies, and why the United States needs a cohesive, whole-of-government counterintelligence strategy to compete effectively. The discussion also examines China’s use of the Belt and Road Initiative as a tool of geopolitical influence, escalating cross-strait tensions with Taiwan, and the implications for U.S. national security.

Listeners will gain practical, actionable insights tailored for counterintelligence, security, and insider-threat professionals, including how to shift from reactive defenses to proactive and offensive CI postures in an era of strategic competition.

In this episode, Ryan Rambo and Jeremy Clark sit down with Mike Parrott to discuss his 24-plus year military career and transition into counterintelligence. Mike shares firsthand experiences from multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he helped build, lead, and mature counterintelligence teams operating in complex and high-threat environments.

The conversation explores real-world approaches to identifying and mitigating insider threats, developing proactive CI operations, and translating operational lessons into effective training programs. Mike also discusses his work creating counterintelligence education for special operations forces and academic audiences, emphasizing the value of sound tradecraft, adaptability, and interagency collaboration.

Throughout the episode, Mike offers practical insights on career management, leadership, and professional development, along with lessons learned from decades of operational and instructional experience. This episode provides valuable perspective for intelligence professionals, SOF operators, and anyone interested in the evolving role of counterintelligence in modern conflict.

Hosts Joe Sheridan and Jeremy Clark sit down with Kirstin Purcell of Handshake & Heels to help transitioning service members and veterans navigate resume rewrites, LinkedIn optimization, and smart networking. Kirstin breaks down how to transform lengthy military CVs into focused two-page resumes, leverage keywords and AI effectively, and ensure your online presence aligns with your applications while safeguarding sensitive information.

Key takeaways include:

Join hosts Dave A. Turner and Jeremy J. Clark as they sit down with recently retired LTC(R) R. Lee Dale to explore his 26-year Army career and his transition into academic employee relations. Lee traces his evolution from cavalry officer to specialized counterintelligence (CI) professional with assignments across Army, NATO, DIA, and SOUTHCOM, offering candid reflections on leading CI teams and advising senior leaders.

The conversation delivers practical insights on translating CI for commanders, strengthening interagency and allied partnerships, and updating theater-level plans for an era of great-power competition. Lee also weighs in on national CI reform, the need for consistent tradecraft, and the importance of clear and precise risk communication.

Finally, Lee highlights how CI competencies carry into the private and academic sectors, spanning HR, compliance, insider risk, IT, and security. He also shares advice for early-career practitioners on cultivating curiosity, collaborating across disciplines, and safeguarding their credibility.