Episode 9 : Chinese Strategic Thinking with Phillip Colon

Episode 9 : Chinese Strategic Thinking with Phillip Colon

How do historical assumptions shape strategic decisions and what happens when we get them wrong? In this episode, Phillip Colon, a wargame analyst at Group W, part of Systems Planning and Analysis, joins the podcast to explain why understanding China requires more than analyzing current events. We explore how China’s pre-modern political traditions, the Century of Humiliation, and the Chinese Communist Party’s interpretation of history continue to shape Beijing’s strategic behavior today. Phillip discusses the enduring influence of Confucianism and Legalism, the operational lessons of the Opium Wars and China’s internal conflicts, and why historical memory remains central to issues like sovereignty, legitimacy, and competition below the threshold of armed conflict. For military professionals, strategists, and anyone seeking to better understand China as a long-term competitor, this episode is essential to understanding the context behind modern Chinese decision-making.

Episode 8 : Part 2 - Multi-Domain Operations - From Concept to Practice with Col Elizabeth Pham

In Part 2 of our conversation with Colonel Elizabeth Pham, we go deeper into how NATO’s Multi-Domain Operations course is transforming the way warfighters think, decide, and act in contested environments. Colonel Pham explains how the course moves beyond doctrine and PowerPoint to immerse students in AI-enabled planning, kill web design, cyber and space integration, and resilient command and control. We discuss how students use tools like Maven Smart System to build and test real-time operational concepts under pressure such as fighting through cyber attacks, electronic warfare, satellite denial, and information manipulation. This episode also explores the human side of innovation, why changing mindsets is harder than adopting technology, how leaders build intuition in complex adaptive systems, and why future conflicts will be decided by action and decision advantage rather than platform superiority. If Part 1 introduced the vision, Part 2 shows how that vision is being turned into practical warfighting capability across the Alliance.

Episode 7 : Part 1 - Multi-Domain Operations - From Concept to Practice with Col Elizabeth Pham

What does it actually take to fight and win in a world where every domain is contested, data moves at machine speed, and decisions matter more than platforms? In this first part of a two part episode, we sit down with Colonel Elizabeth Pham, Director of Joint Plans and Operations at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, to unpack how Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) is moving from concept to execution. Drawing on her experience from early U.S. Marine Corps experimentation with information warfare and “kill web” design to building NATO’s cutting-edge MDO course, Col Pham breaks down the real challenges of connecting sensors to shooters across cyber, space, maritime, land, and air, fast enough to matter in a fight. We explore the gap between doctrine and reality, why traditional planning processes fall short in contested environments, and how AI, data, and resilient networks are reshaping the modern battlespace. She also shares how her team partnered with the Naval Postgraduate School to build a course that doesn’t just teach theory, but forces warfighters to think, adapt, and fight under pressure. This conversation goes beyond buzzwords like “convergence” and “synchronization” to answer the hard question: how do you actually achieve decision advantage in real time? If you’re interested in the future of warfare, NATO transformation, or how leaders are preparing forces to operate in denied, disrupted, and degraded environments, then this episode is for you.

Episode 6 : Decision Forcing Cases with Kevin Johnston and Kathleen O'Brien

What happens when there’s no clear right answer? In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Johnston and Kathleen O’Brien from Fight Club International to explore the power of Decision Forcing Cases, a method designed to put people directly into moments of uncertainty, ambiguity, and pressure. Instead of teaching what to think, Decision Forcing Cases challenge participants to decide, often with incomplete information and no perfect solution. The result is a learning experience that goes beyond theory and forces a deeper understanding of judgment, leadership, and decision-making. We dig into what makes these cases different from traditional wargaming, why discomfort is essential to the process, and how discussion after the decision can reveal more than the decision itself. Throughout our discussion, Kevin and Kathleen share insights on designing compelling cases, common mistakes participants make, and how this approach applies far beyond the military. If you’re interested in how people think under pressure, and how to get better at it, this conversation is for you.

Episode 5 : 10 Ukrainians vs NATO: The Impetus for Adaptation with Bryan Daugherty

What happens when a small team of Ukrainian soldiers outperforms two NATO battalions in a major military exercise? In this episode, we sit down with defence expert Bryan Daugherty to unpack his provocative War on the Rocks article [https://warontherocks.com/2026/03/10-ukrainians-humbled-two-nato-battalions-when-will-nato-wake-up/] of NATO’s recent training with Ukrainian forces, and why it reveals the importance of training to failure to adapt and innovate. Bryan explains how Ukraine has developed a faster, more adaptive way of fighting, one built on rapid innovation, decentralized decision-making, and real-world combat feedback. During our discussion, we explore NATO's Exercise Hedgehog 2025, where expectations diverged from reality, and why that gap matters far beyond the training environment. The conversation also dives into the evolving NATO–Ukraine partnership, the challenges of integrating hard-earned battlefield lessons, and the risks of misinterpretation.