In our second episode of Tailwinds Season 2, we visit with Dr. Fil Arenas about the perils of toxic leadership, and particularly, the role of toxic followers in this destructive organizational dynamic.

In the first episode of our second season of Tailwinds, we visit with SMSgt/Dr. Brandon Dinkins about his article "Optimizing Security Forces Operations: Employing Risk-Based Strategies," in our fall 2023 issue. Dr. Dinkins discusses an updated Security Forces framework to serve as a comprehensive security posture that will in turn alleviate personnel shortages and mitigate detrimental mental and physical health factors for Defenders.

In Episode 8, we visit with Alexander Farrow and Victor "Salsa" Lopez about their Summer 2023 Air & Space Operations Review article, "AI Readiness in a US Air Force Squadron." Bringing their academic-military-tech partnership experiences to bear, they discuss the importance of crafting a data strategy, managing data infrastructure, cultivating organization-wide talent, and redesigning organizational processes, all at the squadron level. They also discuss the broader reach of generative AI on the service as a whole, and the compelling opportunities for efficiency and integration this technology provides.

In our 7th episode of Tailwinds, we visit with Drs Adam Lowther and Mahbube Siddiki about the subject of drones in Putin’s war in Ukraine—technology used by both sides over the history of the conflict—and implications for future combat operations and strategic deterrence capabilities. The conversation is a follow-up to their Winter 2022 Air & Space Operations Review article, “Combat Drones in Ukraine.”

In Tailwinds Episode 6, we visit with Dr. Anessa Kimball about their article in the Winter 2022 issue of Air & Space Operations Review, “Canada’s ‘Open Door’ on 9/11,” which examines NORAD’s legacy as a binational institution from the perspective of the events of 9/11 as they played out in Canada that day. Professor Kimball also weighs in on NATO and on NORAD modernization, particularly in light of China’s recent incursion of North American air space in the form of a supposed weather balloon.

In Episode 4 of Season 2, we visit with Major Maria Patterson and Dr. Bradley Podliska about their spring 2024 War on the Rocks article concerning US Air Force officer promotion boards. The article, based on Major Patterson's research while a student at Air Command and Staff College, provides recommendations to improve this critical process.

In this episode, we visit with Chris James, the author of "The Cost of Space System Classification," in our special edition of Aether, featuring Space PME content, released in December 2023. He discusses how adapting regulations, leveraging commercial machine learning, and applying minimal financial resources, can help the USSF overcome acquisition challenges related to overclassification, barriers to entry, and antiquated classified systems and regulations.

Our second season of the Aether Podcast kicks off with Ben Staats discussing his article in our special December 2023 issue focused on spacepower in professional military education, "Space Weaponization: Reexamining the Historical Air Analogy to Space.

In the 10th and final episode of Season 1, we visit with Air Force Colonel and combat pilot Dave Blair about his article, "An Anthem of the Long War," in our fall issue dedicated to the topic of moral injury. In a poignant, but forthright discussion, Dave shares the effect killing has had on him, and the broader impact this requirement of military service has on women and men who choose to serve our nation, regardless of their proximity to the target, or even if they themselves were not the trigger puller. The topic is grim, but he leaves us with notes of hope as we prepare to support the next generation of military members who may have to kill on behalf of our country.

In Episode 9 of the Aether podcast, we visit with Dr. Ron Gurantz about his article, cowritten with Randy Carlson, "Clausewitz in Space: Friction in Space Strategy and Operations" from our Fall 2022 issue. The military must account for four sources of friction in space warfare and be prepared to contend with certain tradeoffs when mitigating these sources of friction.

In Episode 8 of the Æther podcast, we visit with Dr. Peter Layton, author of “Systemizing Supply Chain Warfare” in our Summer 2023 issue. Dr. Layton discusses twentieth-century airpower theories as they relate to contemporary supply chains, which he characterizes as restricted complexity systems. We talk about his proposal for supply chain warfare, including leveraging elements of a supply chain system against itself, additive manufacturing on the front line, wargaming, and the assistance of AI and machine learning.

In our 7th episode, we visit with Major Joshua Dryden about his Æther Spring 2023 article, “Iran, Israel, and the Struggle for the Skies over the Middle East.” Major Dryden discusses his research on the evolution of Israeli and Iranian airpower strategy and capability since the early 2000s, the Israeli concept of MABAM, or “campaign between wars,” and the efficacy of this strategy and of airpower writ large in the struggle for air dominance in the region.

In Episode 6 of the podcast, we visit with Dr. Kelly Atkinson about her article in our spring 2023 issue, "Mission Injury: The Force after Afghanistan." She discusses the notion of mission injury--related to but separate from moral injury--which engages feminist critical theory in considering servicemembers' mental and emotional well-being in the aftermath of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Interview with General Ron Fogleman, USAF, retired on John Andreas Olson's edited volume, Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula.

North Korean defector Lee Hyun-seung sits for an interview with Captain Shaquille James and Lt Col Sze Miller.

Dr. Jared McKinney interviews Michael Miklaucic, senior fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at National Defense University and editor of PRISM, the Journal of Complex Operations.

Captain Shaquille James and Lt Col Sze Miller interview the Mitchell Institute's Dan Rice on the topics of China and great-power competition.

Ambassador Dan Shields shares his insights on Brunei, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific writ large. Interviewers Dr. Jared McKinney and Lt Col Sze Miller moderate.

Dr. Bruce A. Elleman, professor of international history at the US Naval War College, presents his views on Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific related topics.

Major General Evan L. Pettus, commander, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), is interviewed by Dr. Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell and Lt Col Jorge Serafin, the respective editors of Air University Press' Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs and Journal of the Americas.

In this interview, Dr. Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell engages in a compelling conversation with COL Brandon Teague, the commander of the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB), US Army. As an expert in international security studies, COL Teague brings a unique perspective to the discussion, shedding light on the significant efforts of the 5th SFAB within the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. The conversation delves into the strategic initiatives undertaken by the 5th SFAB to enhance security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, providing valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by the brigade in this critical geopolitical theater. Listeners can anticipate a thought-provoking exploration of the 5th SFAB's role in preserving a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. This interview promises to be a riveting exchange of ideas, offering a nuanced perspective on the Indo-Pacific security landscape from a seasoned military leader.

Major General Evan L. Pettus, commander, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), is interviewed by Dr. Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell and Lt Col Jorge Serafin, the respective editors of Air University Press' Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs and Journal of the Americas.

Indo-Pacific Visions - Episode 11

Christopher Kolakowski, director, Wisconsin Veterans Museum, & reviewer/contributor, Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, interviews military historian Dr. John C. McManus on the topic of the continued relevance of the Pacific War on contemporary Indo-Pacific affairs.

Christopher Kolakowski, director, Wisconsin Veterans Museum, & reviewer/contributor, Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, interviews defense analyst Jose Antonio Custodio on the topic of the Philippines in the contemporary Indo-Pacific milieu. ,

Jonathan Berkshire Miller sits for an interview with the vodcast's Andrew Erskine, addressing the topic of Canada in the Indo-Pacific.