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by Modern War Institute at West Point
The Spear is a podcast from the Modern War Institute at West Point. It sets out to explore the combat experience, with each episode featuring a guest who tells a detailed and personal story, describing the events and exploring topics like decision-making under stress and what it feels like to be in combat.
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- 4 days ago53 min
Reflections on Being First In
Editor's Note: In conjuction with the pending publication of the latest edition of the Modern War Journal, Relections on Security Force Assistance and the Afghan War, we are re-releasing this episode, which was first published on September 14, 2022. In 2001, Scott Neil was already an experienced Green Beret assigned to 5th Special Forces Group and preparing to deploy again to the Middle East. The events of 9/11 changed the nature of that deployment and directly impacted Scott. Within weeks, he became part of the legendary Horse Soldiers who led some of the opening operations in America’s war in Afghanistan. While theirs is a well-known story, Scott’s career did not stop there. The following years saw him deploy multiple times in support of the Global War on Terrorism. In this episode of The Spear, he reflects on twenty-five years of service, the battles that shaped him, and his evolving role as a leader, mentor, and soldier. From occupying a foxhole in Panama as a young private to being wounded for a third time in Iraq to serving as the senior enlisted advisor to an interagency task for with US Special Operations Command, Scott’s career was consistently one of transition and growth. Chapters - Intro and Combat Montage - Meet Scott Neal and Early Army Career - Panama Invasion Experience - Post-Panama: Germany, Fort Carson, Gulf War - Trying Out for Special Forces - Special Forces Qualification Course - Robin Sage and Language School - First ODA Assignment at Fort Campbell - Kuwait Rotations and Iris Gold Exercises - Missions in Kenya and Pakistan - September 11th and Deployment Alert - Planning the Afghanistan Invasion - Return Home and Iraq Invasion Prep - Fall of Baghdad and Post-Invasion Chaos - Mapping Foreign Fighter Networks in Africa - Return to Iraq Amid Civil War - Role as Troop Sergeant Major on Raids - Managing Battlefield Chaos and Communications - When Missions Go Wrong - Post-Mission Recovery and Operational Rhythm - Family, Isolation, and Coping with War - Early PTSD Awareness and Hidden Injuries - Third IED Hit and Deciding to Step Back - Transition to SOCOM Headquarters - The Decision to Step Down from Combat Role - Leadership Role in Interagency Task Force - Retirement and Life After the Army - Reflecting on Legacy and Mentorship - Closing and Outro
- 2 weeks ago1h 9m
Foreign Area Officer in Iraq and Southeast Asia
In this episode, Dr. Charlie Faint sits down with retired Lieutenant Colonel Andre Rivier, a former infantry officer and foreign area officer, to discuss a military career that took him from combat operations in Iraq to diplomatic assignments across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. An immigrant who enlisted in the US Army at seventeen before attending West Point, Andre reflects on his early experiences leading soldiers in Kosovo during the September 11 attacks, commanding an infantry company in Iraq, and discovering the importance of understanding the cultural, political, and social dynamics of military operations. He then describes his transition into the Army's FAO community, sharing insights from his assignments as a military attaché and security cooperation officer in Fiji, Laos, and other Pacific nations. Drawing on lessons from his military service, Andre argues that successful leaders must be comfortable operating in ambiguity, willing to challenge their assumptions, and capable of understanding the world through perspectives other than their own. Chapters - Introduction and Origin Story - Joining the Army and Path to West Point - Family Reaction and Early Career - First Deployment to Kosovo and Handpicked Platoon - Selecting Soldiers and Leadership Qualities - Pre-9/11 Balkans Mission and Combat Status - Experiencing 9/11 Overseas - Global Reaction to 9/11 and Local Goodwill - Language, Culture, and Communication Abroad - Language Learning and DLPT Experiences - Path to Becoming a Foreign Area Officer - Understanding Iraq's Social Dynamics - Command Experience and Deployment Cycles - Deciding to Become a FAO - Explaining Branches vs Functional Areas - Language Training in Iraq with Soldiers - FAO Application Process - DLI Training and Learning Thai - Foreign Staff College in Thailand - Family Life and Immersion Overseas - Graduate School at Yale - Yale Classmates and Cross-Cultural Bonds - Karaoke and Cultural Icebreakers - Recommending Yale and Other Programs - JMAS and Attache Training - Favorite Grad School Courses - Learning Indonesian and Field Experience - Best Job: Southwest Pacific Attache - Assignment to Laos - Final Assignment and Afghanistan Deployment - Career Reflections and Key FAO Skills - Advice for Aspiring FAOs - Visiting West Point with His Daughter - Closing Thoughts on Cultural Awareness - Life After the Army: Defense Consulting - Family, Moves, and Closing Remarks
- Oct 8, 20261h 22m
SAG-U Commander's Action Group
In this episode, Colonel Mike Rosol joins MWI's Charlie Faint to reflect on a career spanning armored warfare, multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, teaching and scholarship at West Point, interagency work, and his recent service leading the commander’s action group for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG-U). Mike describes SAG-U’s role in coordinating US and allied support to Ukraine and examines lessons emerging from the Russia-Ukraine war, including Ukraine’s rapid expansion of its military, the transformative role of uncrewed systems, the increasingly compressed relationship between reconnaissance and strike, and the extraordinary speed of technological adaptation on the battlefield. Mike also highlights Ukraine’s willingness to innovate and openly debate how it fights—and warns against the temptation to dismiss the ongoing war's lessons simply because the participants or circumstances differ from those the US military expects to face. Chapters - Introduction and Guest Welcome - Choosing West Point and the Army - West Point Academics and Branch Selection - First Assignment and 9/11 - OIF2 Deployment: Green Zone Checkpoints - Pre-Deployment Training and Innovative Leadership - Learning from Company Commanders and NCOs - Lessons on Leadership, Competence, and Character - Joining the 82nd Airborne and Culture Shift - Standing Up a New Cavalry Unit - Second and Third Iraq Deployments: Route Security - Returning to West Point to Teach - Origins of 'SOSH' and Value of Military Education - Commander's Action Group in Afghanistan - The Lincoln Brigade and Legacy of Social Sciences - Joint Task Force North and Interagency Lessons - Returning to West Point Faculty - Security Assistance Group Ukraine Overview - CAG Role Supporting General Buzzard - Capturing Lessons Learned from the War - Institutional and Technological Lessons from Ukraine - Drone Point System and Data Sharing Strategy - Recon-Strike Complex and Future Warfare Challenges - Casualties and the War's Uncertain Future - Ukrainian Military Culture and Adaptability - Advice for Young Leaders: Intellectual Curiosity - Intellectual Courage and Historic Army Debates - Closing Thoughts and Farewell
- Sep 24, 20261h 7m
ISAF Planner in Afghanistan
In this episode with host Dr. Charlie Faint, retired Colonel Pat Howell reflects on a career that took him from the 82nd Airborne Division and conventional engineer units to the 75th Ranger Regiment, strategic planning in Afghanistan, Joint Special Operations Command, and ultimately leadership of the Modern War Institute at West Point. Pat describes how strong noncommissioned officers and demanding organizations shaped his approach to leadership, particularly the need to balance leading by personal example with stepping back to supervise the larger mission. He discusses his intellectual development at West Point and beyond before recounting his experience as a lead planner for the International Security Assistance Force under General Stanley McChrystal and reflectiong on his later service with Joint Special Operations Command and as director of MWI. Throughout the conversation, he returns to several enduring lessons for military professionals: accomplish the mission while taking care of soldiers, remain intellectually curious, learn to evaluate facts and assumptions rigorously, and develop critical-thinking skills that remain useful regardless of how warfare changes. Chapters - Introduction and Guest Welcome - Family Background and Choosing West Point - Cadet Life, Academics, and Athletics - Commissioning and Early Assignment Setbacks - Serving with the 82nd Airborne Division - Move to Germany and Mechanized Unit Culture - Leadership Lessons: Leading by Example vs Supervising - Adapting to Heavy Unit Culture and the Cot Story - AMFL Mission and Multinational Training in Germany - Teaching at West Point's Department of Social Sciences - Becoming Course Director for International Relations - CGSC and Learning from Iraq War Veterans - Joining the 75th Ranger Regiment as Engineer - Deployments and Lessons on Mission Importance - School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) - Understanding Campaign Planning vs Tactics - Deploying to ISAF Under General McChrystal - The 40,000 Troop Request Planning Effort - Other Major ISAF Planning Projects - Congressional Testimony and Rapid Staff Work - Marines Under McChrystal: Command Relations Explained - Reflections on General McChrystal's Leadership - Battalion Command at Fort Leonard Wood - Second Tour: JSOC Engineer Role - The ASP3 Fellowship and PhD Pursuit - Strategic Planning Roles After ASP3 - Becoming Director of the Modern War Institute - Returning to West Point: Reflections on Change - Career Takeaways and the PhD Story - Advice for Aspiring Military Professionals - Closing Remarks and Podcast Outro
- Sep 10, 20261h 23m
Night Stalkers Don’t Quit: An Interview With the Command Team of the 160th SOAR
In this episode of The Spear, host Charlie Faint sits down with the command team of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Colonel Sean Karrels and Command Sergeant Major Julio Santos, for a conversation about the people, leadership, and culture behind the Night Stalkers. Drawing on decades of experience in Army aviation and special operations, the two discuss their paths into the regiment, what the 160th looks for in its soldiers and leaders, and why teamwork, disciplined initiative, accountability, and mastery of the fundamentals remain central to its success. They explore how the regiment practices mission command, learns from failure, maintains demanding standards, and balances technological innovation with the tactical skills required to operate in the world’s most challenging environments. Looking toward future conflicts, they also discuss artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, contested operating environments, and why the regiment’s greatest advantage remains its people. Throughout the conversation, Sean and Julio return to a defining idea of the culture in the 160th: Night Stalkers don't quit. Chapters - Introduction and Branch Week at West Point - Colonel Karls' Origin Story and Path to Aviation - Career in the 160th and Command Progression - Sergeant Major Santos' Career Path - History and Formation of the 160th SOAR - Regiment Culture, Purpose, and Family Support - Selection Process and What the Regiment Looks For - Competition Culture Within the Regiment - Quality and Diversity of Applicants - Support Roles and Staff Professionalism - Perspective Shift from Operator to Commander - Mission Command in Practice - Underwriting Risk and Learning from Failure - Culture of Accountability and AARs - Balancing Intent and Disciplined Initiative - Importance of Doctrine and Knowing the Box - Early Memories of Karls and Santos Together - AI, Automation, and Future of Aviation Skills - Primacy, Training Scars, and Building Fundamentals - Preparing Night Stalkers for Future Conflicts - Enlisted Selection and Standards - Preserving and Evolving Night Stalker Culture - Closing Reflections and Advice to Younger Selves - Closing Remarks and Sign-off
- Aug 27, 20261h 32m
Psychological Operations in Combat and on the Joint Staff
In this episode, Colonel Chaveso “Chevy” Cook sits down with MWI's Charlie Faint to recount a career that took him from a South Carolina JROTC classroom to West Point and then on to combat deployments, the psychological operations career field, academia, and ultimately the Joint Staff, where he advised senior national security leaders on nonkinetic effects. Chevy reflects on how early mentors, wartime service, and unconventional assignments taught him to see military problems from increasingly broader perspectives, describing his philosophy that luck is really the combination of preparation and opportunity. He discusses the distinctive role of psychological operations, where influence and communication can accomplish national-level missions without relying on lethal force, as well as his work integrating capabilities such as cyber, space, deception, and information operations to provide strategic options for national leaders. The conversation also explores his commitment to education, professional writing, character development, and mentorship, including his belief that leaders must be capable communicators and continually level up as their responsibilities grow. Chevy closes by encouraging young leaders to understand who they authentically are without allowing their present identity to limit who they can become, emphasizing a career-long theme of preparation, intellectual growth, service, and investment in others. Chapters - The Story of the Profession of Arms - Marine Recruitment at West Point - West Point Cadets: Preparing to Deploy - Chevy on His Path to Psyop - Advanced Special Operations Officer Training - Having a Navy Chief as a Lieutenant in the Army - How to Become a PSYOP Officer - On the Defense Language Aptitude Battery - Post-Pipeline Career Opportunities - Bradley Fellow at West Point - Tac Officer at West Point Explained - Honorary Instructor at West Point - Training at West Point with Andy Farina - Non-Kinetic Effects on the Joint Staff - Former Joint Staff Chief Chevy on His Last Week on the Job - Mama J Prepared Me for That - Chevy On Writing - The Dubik Fellowship and the Harding Fellowship - The Role of Mentorship in the Military - Colonel Pat Sullivan on Young Leaders - The Spear
- Aug 13, 20261h 26m
Explosive Ordnance Technician in Training and Combat
Dr. Charlie Faint sits down with EOD officer Michael Villahermosa in this episode for a wide-ranging conversation about combat, leadership, professional growth, and service. Villahermosa traces his path from an unsuccessful attempt at Special Forces selection to becoming an explosive ordnance disposal technician, deploying to Afghanistan during the surge, and eventually earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal for Valor after taking charge of a ground element under fire and helping prevent fellow soldiers from walking into an ambush. Drawing on experiences as both an enlisted NCO and commissioned officer, he emphasizes calm leadership under pressure, competence, humility, accountability, mutual trust, and the importance of officers empowering their NCOs rather than micromanaging them. The discussion also explores his transition from NCO to officer through Green to Gold, his EOD Happy Captain social-media presence, the value of professional writing and the Harding Project, and his current work mentoring ROTC cadets. Throughout the episode, Villahermosa returns to a simple leadership philosophy: learn from mistakes, listen to experienced NCOs, remain humble, communicate calmly, and strive to become the kind of leader you needed when you were younger. Chapters - Enter the Spear - "There's Some Nepotism In Sports" - EOD School: A Hard Job - Private Ready to Deploy: What Kind of Things Are Running Through Your - Captain McMahon Killed in Action - NCOs on the Afghanistan War - First Mission as an EOD Tech - Support Relationships with the Maneuver Force - In the Elevator With a Leader - EOD Happy Captain - Build cohesive teams through mutual trust - EOD National Guard EOD - Don't Make Abuses - EOD Operations in Afghanistan - BSMV Soldier on Disarming an ambush - Silver Star Recipient on His Story - Being That Calm Voice in the Storm - The Bronze Star Certificate Signed By Major General Bill Rapp - Green to Gold: One Soldier's Journey - The importance of leadership in the army - EOD Happy Captain: Social Media and Military Issues - Veteran Suicide - Read More: Who Are You Writing For? - How to Solve a Problem by Yourself - George Kirkpatrick on the Harding Project - Lt. Gen. Michael Jones on Leading the 5th Brigade R - West Point Service Academy Cadet - The Lotter Institute Lecture - The Spear
- Jul 30, 202659 min
Joint Planner for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine
In this episode, Colonel Tiffany Bilderback joins MWI's Charlie Faint to discuss a career defined by coalition building, strategic leadership, and service alongside partner forces from countries like Germany, Iraq, South Korea, and Ukraine. She also describes working in the special operations community and at the Pentagon, and providing military medical assistance to the COVID-19 national response. The bulk of the episode focuses on her time as the J5, or joint plans officer, for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine. Drawing on experiences advising Iraqi forces, supporting whole-of-government pandemic operations, commanding a multifunctional medical battalion, and helping develop Ukraine’s corps-level command structure during an active armed conflict, Tiffany reflects on the importance of humility, empathy, professional military education, and building trust with allies. She shares firsthand observations of Ukrainian resilience, explains why leader development remains essential even in the midst of combat, and offers practical leadership lessons on accountability, lifelong learning, and choosing opportunities that open more doors than they close. Chapters - The Spear - Colonel Tiffany Bratley on Her Love of History - Branch in the Medical Service Corps - Combat Medical Platoon Leader on Deployment - Being the S9 in Afghanistan - Post-Second Deployment Medical Service Officer - Post-9/11 soldier experiences in Korea - Post-Basic Training: Medical Plans in Afghanistan - Post-Combat Experience: Leading the Army's Warfighter Plans - Steve Bannon on Jared Kushner's Pizza comment - Commanding the 61st Multifunctional Medical Battalion - NATO's Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGYU) - Assistance to the Ukrainian Corps in the Donbass - What was your day to day life - The Business Cycle: The J5 - Serviceman in the Ukraine War - Senior Advisor to the Ukrainian Army - Looking back on my time in the Ukraine - Pre-Command Course - Colonels on Accountability and the Investigation Culture - SGT Majors in the Course - Colonel Tiffany Sullivan on Leading With Purpose - The Spear
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About The Spear
The Spear is a podcast from the Modern War Institute at West Point. It sets out to explore the combat experience, with each episode featuring a guest who tells a detailed and personal story, describing the events and exploring topics like decision-making under stress and what it feels like to be in combat.
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