AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

For decades, Soldiers in the Army Ranger School were only men, most of them in their 20s. But in 2015, then-MAJ Lisa Jaster set out to change that, and became one of the first three women, and the first female Reserve officer, ever to graduate Ranger School. For her, it was one of many accomplishments in a distinguished life of service, ranging from her time at West Point to her award-winning fitness career and her stint as an auth...

In April 2003, CPL J.R. Martinez’s Humvee ran over a roadside bomb in Iraq, and he was trapped in the burning vehicle for over five minutes. When he got out, he had burns on 34 percent of his body. Three years in the hospital and thirty-four surgeries later, he was better physically, but his most important accomplishment during that time was finding hope. That allowed him to forge ahead with an incredible life. He became a successf...

In August 2024, LTG Brian Eifler stepped into the role of Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel of the Army. Drawing on 33 years of experience leading Soldiers, he has quickly launched initiatives to dramatically improve the lives of our fighting force. Join hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey as they sit down with LTG Eifler to unpack the key lessons of his storied Army career, the critical focus areas of Sold...

When he originally enlisted in the Army, now-CPT Michael Villahermosa not only didn’t even consider becoming an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Soldier—he didn’t even know what it was. But he quickly realized he had the right skills to succeed at it, and has become a leading EOD commander, instructor, and now social media influencer (under the name “EOD Happy Captain”). Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey s...

In 1975, at the age of two years old, Captain France Hoang and his family fled the violence surrounding their home in Vietnam. Years later, he decided to serve his adopted country by attending West Point—against the wishes of his parents—but that decision has led to two impactful commissions as a Special Forces officer, a hugely successful law career and now a life as an entrepreneur and practitioner of Artificial Intelligence in t...

During their Army careers, Captain Kim Liszka and Captain Dakota Olson-Harris experienced both the highs and lows of service. But it was their relationships with fellow female Soldiers that provided some of their greatest memories and inspired them to create Dog Tag Diaries, a podcast series that provides a forum for females serving to share their stories and advice for the next generation. Captain Liszka served in the Army as a co...

One of the hardest—if not the hardest—parts of an Army marriage are the deployments, during which a soldier and their family are separated not only physically, but oftentimes emotionally. LTC Brad Cooper and his wife, Heather, have gone through this many times (including a recent two-plus-year command tour in Korea) and in the process have created a set of rules that has allowed their marriage to stay strong. Host SMA (Ret.) Dan Da...

For decades now, Army Soldiers and officers of all levels have been issued hardcover green notebooks to record notes and ideas. While serving, LTC (Ret.) Joe Byerly started to research not only the history of these notebooks but—more importantly—the extremely valuable lessons contained within. His writings inspired him to create the education platform and podcast series From the Green Notebook, on which he speaks to top Army leader...

In 2020, the Army implemented the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program, which emphasizes five factors—physical, nutritional, mental, spiritual and sleep. It has been billed as “the largest investment in Soldier readiness” in Army history. BG Deydre Teyhen and SGT (Ret.) Spencer Posey are leading researchers on H2F and have overseen the implementation of numerous programs across the Army’s ranks. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smit...

For the past 250 years (Happy Birthday, Army!), one thing that's united soldiers is mess hall food, and feeding our Army is about to get the celebrity treatment. Chef Robert Irvine has been brought on as a consultant in conjunction with LTG Chris Mohan, Deputy Commanding General and Acting Commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. Together, they’re implementing bold new systems to provide viable, healthy and cost-efficient optio...

In 1968, Colonel Otis D. Evans landed in Vietnam and immediately started piloting 20-hour flights as a member of the Medical Service Corps helicopter DUSTOFF crew. It took him a while to win the respect of his fellow pilots, but one heroic mission captured their attention, and during his time in Vietnam he saved the lives of countless Soldiers. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with COL (Ret.) Evan...

Three years ago, Virginia Army National Guard SFC Tyler Butterworth filmed a video replicating a scene from Parks and Recreation that included Army ration packs and locations. The video went viral, and now Butterworth is a social media superstar with millions of followers who uses his content to show the funny side of Army life and aid recruiting. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with SFC Butterwo...

In early 2021, as Dr. Kate Rubins was floating above Earth in the International Space Station, she decided she wanted to give back to the country that had given so much to her. She immediately commissioned for the Army Reserves, and today is both prepping for NASA’s upcoming moon missions while also doing microbiological research and training for the Army. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with MAJ...

For the past 100-plus years, V Corps has been helping to reinforce U.S. commitments in Europe. Today, under the command of LTG Charles Costanza, the corps is doing some of its most important work with partners stationed near the Russo-Ukrainian War. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with LTG Costanza to discuss his latest observations about the battle and how he was able to continue serving while r...

Seventeen-year-old Linda Singh was homeless and working at a pretzel stand in a suburban Baltimore mall when she met a National Guard recruiter. That conversation led to a 38-year Army career, culminating in her role as the first female and African American Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with MG (Ret.) Singh to discuss how she overcame a number of...

On August 8th, 2012, as CPT Florent Groberg was escorting coalition and Afghan personnel to a compound in Asadabad, Afghanistan, he spotted a man approaching who was wearing a suicide vest. Acting quickly, Groberg managed to push the attacker away from the group, but the vest still exploded, killing four people and seriously injuring Groberg. More would have perished, though, if it hadn’t been for the Captain’s actions, which led t...

After a highly decorated 20-year Army career, LTC (Ret.) J.C. Glick found himself in the midst of a hugely difficult transition, first from his deployments, and then to civilian life. Things got so desperate that he made four attempts to take his own life, but eventually he found the help he needed. He is now a published author and a consultant to managers and athletes, and he currently serves as the CEO of The COMMIT Foundation, w...

COL Julia Coxen grew up with a natural understanding of the importance of service to her country. Her experience in ROTC led to a successful Army career in Special Operations, a PhD centered on using data to combat sex trafficking, and her current role inspiring the next generation of systems engineers at West Point. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with COL Coxen to discuss how data and system de...