AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

The Warrior Games are built around competition, but, for many participants, the medals are only part of the story.  In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with two Warrior Games competitors—CW3 Cody Edgerton of Team Army and SSG (Ret.) Andrew May of Team SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command)—to discuss adaptive sports, recovery, military ident...

The Stories of the Pacific episodes bring together seven Soldiers whose experiences reflect the depth, diversity and purpose of the U.S. Army in the Indo-Pacific, where the Army operates in a complex and rapidly changing environment.   Our co-hosts sat down at AUSA’s LANPAC event in Hawaii back in May to meet incredible leaders in the U.S. Army Pacific Command, from junior enlisted to more senior...

The Army teaches Soldiers how to fight, lead and endure. But what happens when the mission ends, and the weight of service remains?  In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Major Jake Kelly, an Armor Officer, Army Strategist and author of The Spurs of Service, a collection of poetry inspired by military service, loss, leadership and healing....

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Stephen Siller had just completed a night shift with New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Squad 1. He was driving home to play golf with his brothers when he heard over his radio that America was under attack.  He turned his truck around.  When he reached the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it had been closed. So, Stephen strapped on nearly sixty pounds of firefighti...

Leadership shaped by...failure?   In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with COL Chaveso “Chevy” Cook, PhD, a career Army officer whose path has spanned tactical leadership, Psychological Operations, strategic communications, speechwriting for the Secretary of the Army, and serving on the West Point faculty—and on the Joint Staff.  Growing up i...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Curtez Riggs, a retired First Sergeant, entrepreneur, and founder of the Military Influencer Conference.  Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Riggs watched the economic foundation of his community disappear almost overnight as manufacturing jobs vanished. With few opportunities available, he chose the Army—...

Not every Soldier grows up planning to serve.  In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith sits down with Cadet Orion Van Buskirk, a junior—otherwise known as a “Cow”—at the United States Military Academy at West Point, to explore what it means to discover service along the way.  Raised in Eugene, Oregon, with no military background, Van Buskirk initially saw West Point as an opportun...

For many veterans, the end of military service raises a difficult question: Who am I now?  In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with retired Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson. After eight deployments to Afghanistan and surviving a life-changing blast from an improvised explosive device, Hendrickson retired, and then later returned overseas as a con...

Running the Army Ten-Miler is a Washington, D.C. tradition bringing together the military and civilians, including wounded warriors and wheelchair athletes, since 1985. It is a proud example of how the Army promotes wellness throughout the community—long after the final runner crosses the finish line.  In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with...

History often remembers the invasion: the beaches, the Soldiers, and the first waves crashing ashore on D-Day. But in the days before Allied forces reached Normandy, another battle was unfolding behind closed doors. A battle of judgment, uncertainty, and leadership under immense pressure.   In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith sits down with filmmaker Anthony Maras, director, c...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith sits down with SGM (Ret.) Mark Reilly, founder of The Washington Tattoo, a large-scale musical production designed to be a unifying voice at the intersection of music, history, and national identity. What began as a vision to create world-class performances has grown into a platform that supports servicemembers, veterans, first responders, a...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with LTG (Ret.) Patricia Horoho to reflect on her experience responding firsthand to the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11 and the leadership that emerged in those first critical moments.  2026 marks 25 years since the attack, and her heroism will be remembered during the National Memorial Day Concert held on...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with LTC Armand Balboni, a U.S. Army officer whose career spans military service, biomedical science, law, academia and executive leadership in the private sector.  Balboni’s journey did not begin with certainty. Told early on that he was not college material; he enlisted in the Coast Guard after high schoo...

In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with BG Maurice “Moe” Barnett, Commanding General of U.S. Army Cadet Command. From growing up in Gary, Indiana, to leading the Army’s largest commissioning source, BG Barnett reflects on the mentors, missteps, and moments that shaped his 31-year journey.  He speaks candidly about nearly leaving the Ar...

Sgt. (Ret.) Rick Yarosh travels the country with Sweethearts & Heroes, speaking primarily to students about hope, empathy, resilience, and the idea that none of us succeed alone. He now describes the tragedy that brought him this wisdom as “the best thing that ever happened” to him.  In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Sgt. Ric...

Heroism is often remembered in a single moment, but for those who live it, the story does not end when the shooting stops. Leadership, responsibility, and accountability start long before, and continue long after the battle is over. In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor recipient fo...

When it comes to readiness, the careers of Army spouses are sometimes overlooked, but the balance required to maintain economic stability and quality of life within the family is often tested through frequent moves, disrupted careers and hard choices made quietly in the background.  In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Elizabeth O’B...

The military does many things with precision and honor, but for families left behind, the hardest journey often begins after the ceremony ends. Grief does not follow a timeline, and loss does not end with the rifle volley as the final notes of “Taps” play. In this deeply personal episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with two nationally recognize...

The character of war is changing, but its human stakes are not. Speed, software, autonomy, and long-range systems now shape the battlefield, yet every decision still carries life-or-death consequences for Soldiers on the ground. LTG (Ret.) Neil Thurgood’s background has prepared him to help guide thinking on the Army's adaptation without losing the values that define it. How can technology actuall...

Officers and Soldiers of all ranks perform daily physical tasks that rival—if not surpass—those of some of the world’s top athletes, thanks to the Army’s world-class training and health programs. And who does the Army like to partner with to strengthen and innovate its own training methods? Professional sports teams and their staffs, often creating world-class programs in parallel. Hosts LTG (Ret....

With its proximity to China, Russia, and—obviously—North Korea, the United States Forces Korea command is growing in importance by the minute. Leading this force—as well as the United Nations Command and the Combined Forces Command—is highly-regarded GEN Xavier T. Brunson, who brings not only his 35 years of Army experience to the table, but also a vast family history in leadership. Hosts LTG (Ret...

In 2014, a military spouse and a priest—both avid bakers—wanted to create a fun, welcoming place that could help out transitioning veterans. They started Dog Tag Bakery, a Washington café that not only serves coffee and treats but also hosts a business incubator program. Over the last decade, the organization has assisted almost four hundred veterans and military spouses in their startup companies...

On Christmas Eve, 1944, Elizabeth Vincken and her twelve-year-old son, Fritz, sat down for a quiet Christmas Eve dinner, hopeful for a respite in the midst of deadly battles in the northern Belgian forest. Knocks on their door quickly turned their evening into a series of dramatic moments and standoffs, but Elizabeth’s bravery and compassion led to one of the most heart-filled – and unheard – stor...

As they helped Afghanistan refugees during the sudden withdrawal of American troops from the country in 2021, social entrepreneur Alex McLeod and her husband, MAJ Jay Long, realized they wanted to create a better system for these new immigrants to fund their small businesses. They created Parlay Protocol, an AI-aided, veteran-built financial platform that makes it easier for banks to approve small...

In 2013, a mother and her son decided to collect some used PCs and Macs and donate them to military veterans so they could learn valuable digital skills. Tech For Troops was born! In the more-than-twelve years since then, under the direction of President Mark Casper, the organization has ballooned in size and has helped thousands of veterans gain necessary skills for the digital world. Hosts LTG (...