Patriots for Hire? The Privateers of 1776

EP. 507: Navy Manpower and the Future of the Force with the Hon. Ben Kohlmann, ASN M&RA

Host Bill Hamblets talks with the Honorable Ben Kohlmann, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, about the future of the fleet.

Patriots for Hire? The Privateers of 1776

During the American Revolution, privateers prowled the Atlantic in search of British prizes—serving the Patriot cause while generating enormous profits for their investors. This episode explores the story of the privateer Oliver Cromwell, Captain Joseph Lee, and the high-risk business of Revolutionary War privateering. Was it a fight for independence, a business opportunity, or both?

Naval History Podcast: Requiem for a Flyer

Host Emily Abdow talks with five-term congressman and award-winning author Robert Mrazek about the life and writings of Bill Evans, the youngest pilot of the ill-fated Torpedo Squadron 8 at the Battle of Midway.

EP. 506: The Stoic Anchor: Resilience, Readiness, and the Future of Naval Leadership

A new voluntary program at the U.S. Naval Academy is using Stoic philosophy to help midshipmen build resilience, moral clarity, and inner discipline during Plebe Summer. In this episode, we discuss how ancient ideas from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and Vice Admiral James Stockdale are being applied to modern military leadership—and why spiritual readiness may need to evolve for an increasingly diverse and less religious force.

Naval History podcast: Midway's Unsung Hero: The Long Fight to Honor Codebreaker Joe Rochefort

Host Emily Abdow talks to author Ed Offley about his article on the quest to award the unsung codebreaking hero of the Battle of Midway, Commander Joe Rochefort, the Distinguished Service Medal.