Answering the Call: Conversations with Practitioners

Join De Shannon as he interviews Amb. John Hennessey-Niland about his career from the end of the Cold War to the rise of China, with stops in Paris, Taiwan, Palau and more!! Listen as he describes his many careers--Ambassador to Palau, Deputy Chief of Mission in Ireland and Australia, NCAA Division III soccer champion, and FIFA-registered coach. This season finale is one you don't want to miss!!

Intrigued by the world of geospatial intelligence? Join us as we sit down with Elizabeth Sherman, a leading expert in the field and a Visiting Professor of the Practice at Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service. With a career spanning over two decades at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Elizabeth offers a firsthand look into the captivating world of GEO...

In this episode of the Ready Room, we are honored to host Ms. Gina Bennett, a seasoned CIA counterterrorism specialist with 34 years of experience in the Intelligence Community (IC). Ms. Bennett discusses her remarkable career, offering insights into her experience crafting early classified papers on al Qaeda and navigating the IC's transformation post-September 11th. Join us as we explore the dyn...

Hear the story of the former Director of the CIA Museum for 20 years and speaker at the 2024 Women in Intelligence Conference, Mrs. Toni Hiley. Mrs. Hiley joins the podcast to talk about her background from her education at the University of Maryland, training at the Smithsonian Institute, and insights gained in her extensive career in the Agency. 

From Police Officer to Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Houston Division, listen to the story of the Louisiana native's career in Law enforcement and his continued service to protect his country. Daniel Comeaux has served across the country for the DEA and started his career in the Oakland office in California. Since then, Mr. Comeaux has had stints in D.C, and Mississ...

Meet a man who after a long career in the United States Air Force (USAF), continues to serve our country in the Intelligence Community (IC).    Mr. Mike Youngson has served in multiple directorates within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and primarily works with the Directorate of Operations and is very active in recruiting future DIA officers. Mr. Youngson discusses his career in the Air For...

Meet a woman who served in the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for nearly 15 years.  Command Sergeant Major (ret.) Heather Wells has lived a fascinating career centered around intelligence: from serving as an all-source analyst in the 94th Combat Engineer Battalion and 2nd Battalion 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, to aiding U.S. Special Operations missions via several key positions, she...

Hear from the Chief of Logistics and Sustainment Operations Plans (J43) at NORAD and USNORTHCOM. The Chinese balloon scandal has vaulted NORAD into the center of national security conversations. COL Steve Erickson joins The Ready Room and describes what it’s like to be in the building during such a high-tempo operation. Hear COL Erickson talk about how the nature of logistics is changing as the U....

Hear one man's incredible journey from escaping Cambodia's killing fields, to serving in the upper echelons of the U.S. government.  Ambassador Sichan Siv joins The Ready Room to tell his fascinating story. A self-described “bookworm, armchair traveler, and political spectator” during his youth in Cambodia, Sichan Siv's world was turned on its head in 1975 when Pol Pot's reign of terror began. Cap...

National Defense from the cockpit to the corporate boardroom. Captain(R) Ray Ivie joins the Ready Room to discuss his college years at Texas A&M, his impressive service in the U.S. Navy as an aviator, and his extensive private sector career providing cybersecurity expertise to the DOD, Intelligence, and Homeland Defense communities. We hear Captain Ivie's thoughts on the Chinese spy balloon, h...

Former Congressman Will Hurd joins the Ready Room to discuss his time as Texas A&M Student Body President, his fast-paced career as a CIA clandestine officer, and his three terms in Congress serving Texas's 23rd District. We also hear Congressman Hurd's thoughts on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S.'s "new Cold War" with China, and cybersecurity.  Recorded on November 3, 2022.