One CA Podcast

Today we welcome Patrick Alley, co-founder of Global Witness. 

Patrick Alley and his team at Global Witness are credited with countering multiple autocrats and kleptocrats worldwide.

The most notable is collapsing the Khmer Rouge by exposing the illegal timber trade that was bankrolling the rebels.

They created the Blood Diamond campaign to counter the De Beers diamond cartel and multiple rebel groups in Africa that used the conflict ...

In this episode of the One CA Podcast, we welcome Michael Duffin, former senior policy advisor in the Bureau for Counterterrorism.

With a career focused on identifying and mitigating violent extremism, Michael shares his experiences working in the complex human terrain globally.

From policy rooms to field operations, his insights shed light on how Civil Affairs professionals operate in the “last three feet” of U.S. foreign relation...

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a product of the Civil Affairs Association.

In today’s episode, Building Iran’s Democratic Future with Zolal Habibi, we speak with a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Habibi discusses the organized opposition to the Islamic Republic, the NCRI’s 10‑point plan for transition, and how Iranians are working to enact real change. This conversation explores what a democratic alternative c...

256: Iran’s Democratic Future with Zolal Habibi

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a product of the Civil Affairs Association.

In today’s episode, Building Iran’s Democratic Future with Zolal Habibi, we speak with a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. Habibi discusses the organized opposition to the Islamic Republic, the NCRI’s 10‑point plan for transition, and how Iranians are working to enact real change. This conver...

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a production of the Civil Affairs Association. This show brings together current and former military professionals, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to share their experiences working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.

In this episode, host Daniel Zaya-Joseph sits down with 1st Sergeant Timothy Feldhaus of the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion, 351st KCOM. Fresh from his d...

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a product of the Civil Affairs Association.

As we take a brief pause this December to recharge and reflect, we’re revisiting some of our most impactful episodes—conversations that highlight the “last three feet” of U.S. foreign relations through the voices of military professionals, diplomats, development officers, and field agents.

This month’s rerun features a standout discussion from our archives, s...

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a product of the Civil Affairs Association.

As we take a brief pause this December to recharge, we’re revisiting some of our most impactful episodes, conversations that highlight the “last three feet” of U.S. foreign relations through the voices of military professionals, diplomats, development officers, and field agents.

This month’s rerun features a standout discussion from our archives, selected for...

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a product of the Civil Affairs Association.

As we take a brief pause this December to recharge, we’re revisiting some of our most impactful episodes; conversations that highlight the “last three feet” of U.S. foreign relations through the voices of military professionals, diplomats, development officers, and field agents.

This month’s rerun features a standout discussion from this years episodes, selec...

Welcome to the One CA Podcast, a product of the Civil Affairs Association.

As we take a brief pause this December, we’re revisiting some of this year's most impactful episodes, conversations that highlight the “last three feet” of U.S. foreign relations through the voices of military professionals, diplomats, development officers, and field agents.

This month’s rerun features a standout discussion from our archives, selected for...

Investigative journalist Sam Cooper returns to the One CA Podcast to expose how Iran weaponizes criminality to advance foreign policy goals.

From Hezbollah’s business affairs unit to fentanyl super-labs in Canada, Cooper traces the global footprint of Iranian-linked networks—intertwined with Chinese triads, Mexican cartels, and diaspora businessmen operating across North America.

In this gripping episode, we explore:

• ​How undergr...

In this episode of One CA Podcast, LTC Brian Hancock sits down with Sergeant First Class Chase Penner—Information Operations planner at USAREUR-AF and former PSYOP Team Sergeant—to explore the art and science of military deception.

From ambiguity techniques to tactical deception, SFC Penner's decision-making is from Moldova. With a background in strategic communication, Penner offers a rare look into the cognitive domain of mod...

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin joins host Jack Gaines to unpack the gritty realities of legislative diplomacy—from Benghazi testimony to budget battles.

Rubin shares hard-won lessons on navigating Congress, shaping foreign policy, and building political will inside the State Department. This episode explores how political space becomes policy—and why human capital may be the missing link in America’s foreign ...

In this episode of the One CA Podcast, host Danny Josephspeaks with Major Jared Goff, a Civil Affairs officer whose civilian background in emergency management brings a rare planning perspective to military operations.

From managing displaced people during a crisis tointegrating civilian frameworks into doctrinal planning, Major Goff shares what it means to be a “unicorn in the AO”—a planner who bridges institutional divides and re...

🎙️ In this episode, One CA Podcast welcomes Max Lesser from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) to unpack the evolving landscape of Iranian online influence. From sock puppet accounts and Telegram coordination to decentralized psyops and hybrid cyber operations, Max offers a sobering look at how Tehran weaponizes digital platforms to shape global narratives, target dissidents, and crowdsource aggression.

We explore FDD’...

Host: LTC Brian Hancock
Guests: COL Delmayca “Didi” Kramer & LTC Liz Martinez
Duration: ~45 minutes
Produced by: Civil Affairs Association
Rated Top 10 Foreign Policy Podcast by Feedspot
https://podcast.feedspot.com/foreign_policy_podcasts

In this episode, LTC Brian Hancock sits down with COL Delmayca Kramer and LTC Liz Martinez to explore the evolving landscape of promotion boards and the innovative Talent Management Board initiativ...

In this episode of the One CA Podcast, host Danny Joseph sits down with Natacha Ciezki, a foreign affairs consultant and Civil Affairs officer, to explore the critical role of cultural understanding in African engagements.

Drawing from her extensive experience across Sub-Saharan Africa, Natacha shares insights on how local context, historical nuance, and relationship-building shape effective foreign policy and civil affairs operati...

What does it take to break into foreign policy—and thrive in the “last three feet” of U.S. diplomacy? In this episode, we sit down with Vasu Vaitla, a Georgetown adjunct-associate professor whose career spans the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, NGO Initiatives of Change, and the U.S. Air Force.

Vasu shares practical advice for students and professionals seeking careers in foreign affairs, whether through government, NG...

In this episode of the One CA Podcast, host Danny Joseph sits down with Navy EOD Commander Brad Penely to explore the evolving face of warfare—from mine countermeasures in the Strait of Hormuz to cruise missile defense in the Red Sea and joint ops in South America.

Brad shares firsthand insights from Syria, Iran, and beyond, while unpacking the future of small-unit operations, drone warfare, and the power of disruptive thinking.

But...

🎧 Welcome to the Once CA Podcast.

In this episode, host Assad Raza welcomes Jim Hake, founder of Spirit of America, a nonprofit that directly supports overseas U.S. Military, Diplomatic, and Development efforts.

Hake shares how his organization bridges critical gaps in foreign assistance—delivering rapid, locally tailored support that helps advance U.S. foreign policy goals in complex environments.

From frontline partnerships in Ukr...