The Unredacted Podcast

Angry and scared, the American public demands the Intelligence Community be reformed. While the creation of an independent orchestrator of national intelligence had been discussed for years, there was widespread resistance; even after the deaths of nearly 3,000 people on 9/11. Nevertheless, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act establishing the Office of the Director...

Every generation has a touchstone historical tragedy. For some it was the Kennedy assassination. For others it is the Challenger disaster. If you were born before 2001, you probably have been asked. “Where were you on 9/11?” It was a singular event which reshaped a nation and thrust America into the twenty-year Global War on Terrorism. This episode reminds us of the events of that day and introduc...

The Unredacted Podcast is proud to present a special series, “From Tragedy to Transformation: Intelligence Reform After 9/11”. A small group of Intelligence Community professionals, never having known one another and some never having worked in government, joined in common cause to reform intelligence in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. We interviewed over 20 people who were a part of that movement....

National security expert Trish Martinelli reveals why defense innovation isn't management theory—it's a combat skill. On this special SOF Week episode, Lindy Kyzer and Brian Drake sit down with the founder of The Difference LLC to explore her learnings from many years in Army leadership, DoD strategy, and why serious practitioners in the defense community approach innovation like a combat problem....

This week, Lindy Kyzer and Brian Drake are remotely recording The Unredacted Podcast in beautiful Tampa for SOF Week . Lindy and Brian talk about what the Department of War’s largest annual conference offers, provide some color commentary on the “unique” marketing techniques they witnessed, and what attendees can expect from the numerous technical demonstrations from the defense industry. In that...

What is the "gray zone" and who is trying to understand it? Lindy Kyzer and Brian Drake give it a shot and they also get some help from national security expert and former Intelligence Officer Timothy "Tito" Torres . Brian interviews Tito on his personal and political exploration of U.S. foreign policy and how it intersects with the America First policy of the Trump Administration. Tito tells us a...

Intelligence operations at the airport? Brian Drake and guest host Tyrome Smith explore what the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) Intelligence Directorate actually does—and why it matters for U.S. national defense. Brian interviews the former Director of Intelligence for the TSA, Mary Quinn . Mary shares what this quiet, unseen intelligence operation does for the TSA and protect the...

What does the President actually need to know? This week Lindy Kyzer and Brian Drake explore this topic, catch-up after their respective Spring Breaks and discuss developments in the Iran conflict, specifically the cognitive warfare environment. They also exchange ideas about what constitutes a secret and how you maintain trust in critical conversations. The high-wire test of those skills is no be...

In this episode of The Unredacted Podcast, we delve into the critical role of journalism in the domain of US national defense and intelligence. Hosts Lindy Kyzer and Brian Drake explore the challenges faced by government communicators in balancing transparency with secrecy, especially in today’s complex new media landscape. Lindy shares her experiences as a Public Affairs Officer amid shifting pub...

This week on The Unredacted Podcast, Brian and Lindy wax poetic about mentors and the leadership lessons they have learned. They explore what leadership means when you are responsible for the security of the nation. And who better to school us about what to expect when you're in the "big chair" than Stacey Dixon, the former Principal Deputy Director for National Intelligence. On this episode, Stac...

In this episode of The Unredacted Podcast, Lindy and Brian explore the definition of the "warfighter" and examine the complex interplay between civilian policies and US national defense priorities. Featuring Jesse Levin , the Executive Director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum , the discussion delves into privately funded, innovative business models and methods to advance international security...

In this episode, Lindy and Brian test the limits of free speech in national security. What is the way forward when America's constitutional protections threaten to undermine the fabric of its democracy? Given that neither Brian nor Lindy are experts, they interview someone who is; Jane Kirtley . Professor Kirtley is the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the Hubbard School of Journalism an...

In this episode, Lindy and Brian try their hand at making Federal procurement and innovation policy "un-boring." They probe the question of whether the Department of Defense/War is making the right moves to inspire innovation and competition while delivering capabilities to the field. Unredacted was lucky to snag one of the most preeminent thinkers on Defense Innovation, Tyrome "Ty" Smith , to wei...

In this episode, Brian interviews Lindy about her new book Trust Me . Lindy shares some rare insights into how the security process actually works and what the future holds for current and aspiring clearance holders. Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com The Unredacted Podcas...

This week Lindy and Brian celebrate the New Year with tips to deceive your loved ones based on the miracles of time zones. They also interview Dave Buckley , the former IG of the Central Intelligence Agency . In this episode, Dave educates us on what an IG does and does not do, the challenges of inspecting an organization with people who are trained to lie for a living, and why its important to pr...

In their first ever podcast crossover, we interview Megan Jaffer for The Unredacted Podcast . Megan and her partner in crime, Cadie Hopkins , started the Iron Butterfly Podcast in 2020. It has since become a juggernaut of content creation for the U.S. Intelligence Community. Brian and Lindy also discuss equity issues in National Defense and Intelligence and the importance of creating space for con...

In the aftermath of the attack on West Virginia National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, Brian and Lindy talk about the fallout and policy implications for Afghan resettlement. More specifically, they explore what changes to the Special Immigrant Visa program mean for our Afghan and Iraqi allies. We also have the pleasure of speaking with Andy Sullivan and Mariah Smith about their...

This week we interview Anthony Vinci . Anthony has been a Case Officer, a Venture Capitalist, Artificial Intelligence Evangelist, and a Geospatial Intelligence Leader. Now he assumes the mantle of author. He just published a new book: The Fourth Intelligence Revolution . On this episode, Lindy and Brian share how his ideas connect with our daily lives even in the far flung corners of Venezuela and...

This week on The Unredacted Podcast, we talk about the most popular rock concert you will never attend: Spookstock. In the spirit of Spookstock, Brian interviews Sandy Wirtz. Sandy is the mother of, retired Navy SEAL and Defense Intelligence Agency employee, Scotty Wirtz. Scotty was taken from us in 2019 while serving DIA in Syria. He was also the inspiration for creating the Defense Intelligence...

Our introductory episode discusses how Lindy and Brian think about national security, what content they will cover in the upcoming episodes, and the types of people they will interview. Have a question or an episode idea, please reach out to us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom