Mission: Readiness Podcast

This week on the podcast, General Gross interviews Dr. Aly Goodman, M.D., M.P.H. She is a board-certified pediatrician, medical epidemiologist in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Commander Goodman discusses the CDC's recent study that shows childhood o...

General Gross speaks with retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling about his distinguished service, including as the first commander of the United States Army Center for Initial Military Training from 2009 to 2011. Hertling shares his firsthand account of how Basic Training needed to be overhauled to properly train new recruits impacted by a societal shift toward poor nutrition and inact...

On this week’s episode of the podcast, General Gross chats with Marlene Schwartz, Ph. D, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at UConn. Dr. Schwartz talks about the Center’s research work on nutrition and early childhood development, how child nutrition has changed in recent years, and her work on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Food Bank.

This week on the podcast, Admiral Besal interviews Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08). Congresswoman Schrier is the first pediatrician to serve in Congress. They discuss the importance of establishing healthy habits early in childrens' lives and legislation the Congresswoman supports to address childhood hunger and malnutrition. They also talk about how federal nutrition programs such as...

General Gross chats with Jimmy Buckner, Founder of the Knoxville, Tennessee – based Scarecrow Foundation. Buckner discusses his organization's XHunger initiative, which mobilizes young people to volunteer and generate resources for local food pantries. Buckner talks about his addressing hunger on the local level, and his organization's plans to grow the XHunger model nationwide.

Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-TX) joins the podcast to talk about preparing the next generation for success. Gonzales speaks with guest host Rear Admiral (Ret.) Bob Besal, USN, about lessons from his upbringing, his distinguished service in the U.S. Navy, and the role child nutrition plays in securing America's future.

Ed Gerhardt, a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General and school administrator, stops by the podcast to talk about the importance of adapting and modernizing child nutrition programs. General Gerhardt also talks about his past nutrition advocacy in Kansas, and his work as President of the Kansas Museum of the National Guard.

Dr. Parke Wilde of the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy joins the podcast to give an overview of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Dr. Wilde speaks with Mission: Readiness National Director Ben Goodman about the history of the program, how it works, new changes, and the impact that it has on children.

This week, Jake and Megan talk with Dr. Christina Hecht and Ken Hecht of the Nutrition Policy Institute. They discuss the important work they are doing to improve nutrition programs and promote drinking water, and share their thoughts on how to advocate for these issues effectively. Nutrition Policy Institute: npi.ucanr.edu/ Drinking Water Alliance: www.drinkingwateralliance.org/ Letter to 2020 Di...

On the podcast this week, General Gross speaks with Rear Admiral (Ret.) Robert Kamensky, U.S. Navy. They discuss Admiral Kamensky's role as Chief Strategy Officer of Feeding San Diego, how Feeding San Diego has assisted families during COVID-19, and what it's like to live on a submarine. Feeding San Diego: feedingsandiego.org/ Summer Meals Report Release: bit.ly/3ASRhFS

On this week's episode,  New York Times best selling author and food journalist Mark Bittman joins the podcast to discuss his new book, " Animal, Vegetable, Junk ." Bittman's new book examines the history of the human appetite and how farming and economics impact food consumption. General Gross talks with Mark about his long career covering the food industry, what he found while res...

This week on the podcast, Megan talks to Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN, of the National WIC Association (NWA). Darlena discusses the NWA's advocacy priorities and the importance of increasing program flexibility and access. She also shares an update on NWA's upcoming efforts, including plans to celebrate National Breastfeeding Month in August.

As part of a new policy "deep dive" series on the Mission: Readiness Podcast, active members and retired U.S. Navy Admirals Bob Besal and Casey Coane talk about the history of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and why it's so important for the future of America's strength and security.

Best of the Mission: Readiness Podcast – Chef José Andrés Rebroadcast of General Gross's conversation with the chef and humanitarian This week, a rebroadcast of General Gross's conversation last summer with celebrity chef and respected humanitarian, Chef José Andrés. General Gross spoke with Chef Andrés about lessons from his service in the Spanish Navy, leadership lessons from his work with...

On this episode of the Mission: Readiness podcast, General Allen and General Gross discuss artificial intelligence (AI), how it works, and the role of AI nationally and globally. They also discuss General Allen's recently released book co-authored with Darrell West,  Turning Point: Policymaking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence .

Stephanie Slingerland, Senior Director of Philanthropy and Social Impact at the Kellogg Company, visits the Mission: Readiness podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on Kellogg's philanthropic work to address hunger. Stephanie also talks with Mission: Readiness National Director Ben Goodman about the importance of adapting and modernizing federal nutrition programs, and the important role that scho...

Donna Cryer, President of the Global Liver Institute, sits down with Ben Goodman for a discussion about liver health. Cryer speaks about the alarming global rise in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), severe liver inflammation and damage caused by buildup of fat in the liver. Donna explains the connection between obesity and NASH, and what the disturbing increase of the condition among children m...

General Gross talks to new Mission: Readiness member and President of the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA), Rear Admiral (Ret.) Sinclair Harris, U.S. Navy. They discuss Admiral Harris' personal rules for success and NNOA's work to promote diversity and inclusion among the senior officer corps. Visit the following for more information: nnoa.org/ https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/caree...

Ben talks to Dr. Shelley Kimball, Research Director for the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN). They discuss the critically important work that MFAN is doing to support military families. Dr. Kimball also shares information about a new MFAN research report detailing how food insecurity impacts military families.

Mission: Readiness shares a recent conversation from the Mainely Matters Podcast, hosted by Brigadier General (Ret.) Rob Carmichael. General Carmichael interviews former Maine Adjutant General Bill Libby and Mission: Readiness National Director (and Maine native) Ben Goodman about the unique challenges rural families face in accessing early care and education.

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Michael Moss drops by the podcast to talk about his new book "Hooked." Moss' new book is a follow-up to his 2013 bestseller, "Salt Sugar Fat," detailing how the food industry formulates processed food to be more appealing and attractive to consumers. Moss speaks with General Gross about our biological response to certain ingredients, and why chi...

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) CEO Lisa Gable sits down with Mission: Readiness National Director Ben Goodman to speak about the disturbing rise in food allergies and why trends could impact military readiness. Later, General Gross speaks with the former Adjutants General of Arkansas and Michigan, Major General (Ret.) Bill Wofford, USA and Major General (Ret.) Tom Cutler, USAF, about...

On the latest episode of the podcast, retired U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Manson Brown speaks with Mission: Readiness Membership Director Jake Ferreira about his distinguished career in public service. Just in time for National Bike to School Day, Admiral Brown also discusses his love for cycling and  bike ride (https://www.strongnation.org/articles/716-the-journey-is-the-destination) ...

In this episode, Megan talks with Council for a Strong America Illinois State Director Tim Carpenter and Colorado State Director Michael Cooke to learn about the critical work they are doing in their states. Michael and Tim discuss why they enjoy the work they do, provide updates on recent legislative activity, and share what they've been up to during quarantine. To learn more, visit below. ...

General Gross talks with longtime Mission: Readiness Colorado member General (Ret.) Gene Renuart, U.S. Air Force. They discuss General Renuart's impressive military career, his advice for leaders, and his advocacy work with Mission: Readiness on early childhood education and nutrition issues.