MCA Scuttlebutt

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we will be doing a deep dive into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking with authors about some of the books on the list. Today, we welcome Ian Brown back to the show. Ian has been on a few times, participating in our World of Wargaming series and is one of the most prolific advocates for the benefits of wargaming and robust military education. He is also the author of A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare and Snowmobiles and Grand Ideas: John Boyd’s Vision for Thriving in Chaos. Ian talks to us about A New Conception of War, the genesis of the project, and what it means to him to have his book on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List three years running. And more than anything, why A New Conception of War deserves to be on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List.  Enjoy!  linkedin.com/in/ian-brown-41b2bb94  x.com/ian_tb03  <p>The post #237: Literary Lethality with Ian Brown first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us at the scuttlebutt. This week, the team comes together to form Voltron to recognize this month as the 110th anniversary of the Marine Corps Gazette being in continuous publication. It’s no small feat for any publication to continuously be in circulation for this long, especially in this digital age where literary works, particularly those in pulp, are in decline. But the significance of the Gazette goes beyond the dates. Nancy, William, and I talk about some of the significance, in particular the Gazette’s role in institutionalizing maneuver warfare.    This is a wonderful milestone and it’s awesome that the Marine Corps Association continues to provide a forum for the presentation of ideas and professional discourse. Congratulations to the Gazette staff, past and present.  Enjoy!  <p>The post #236: Celebrating the Gazette’s 110th Anniversary first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and your continued support. This week, we welcome Josh Cannon to the scuttlebutt. Josh is a veteran Marine of OIF and the Director of Research for the Frederick Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also the author of Fatal Second Helen: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad, a book that overlays his experience in combat with the themes of the Iliad. This was a fascinating discussion about what it is that the narrative of the Iliad did for the ancient Greeks, and how it applies to us today, especially those who wear the uniform. We joke about the action heroes of the 80s and 90s and how fun those movies were, but how those stories are infamous for being shallow and for having one-dimensional characters. Josh helps us understand that this tradition is actually prevalent throughout history, with the Iliad in particular (a text written around the 8th century BC) as not only one of the oldest surviving literary works, but possibly the first recorded action story, as it is so similar to the action genre of the Schwarzenegger and Stallone films.     Also, we want to recognize that March is the 110th anniversary of the Marine Corps Gazette being in continuous publication. A wonderful milestone and congratulations to the Gazette staff, past and present.    Enjoy!  veteransiliad.com  <p>The post #235: A Modern Veteran’s Iliad with Josh Cannon first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we bring another installment of our new series, Literary Lethality, to the scuttlebutt. In this series, we will be doing a deep dive into the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, exploring various titles and talking to different authors about some of the books on the list. Today, Michael Jerome Plunkett was kind enough come on and talk to us about Karl Marlantes’ novel, Matterhorn. Matterhorn is on the CPRL as part of the Leadership category, and Michael, as the creator of the PBA Abbate Book Club and host of the LitWar podcast, discusses the aspects of this novel that speak to leadership and decision making, some good and some bad, in life-or-death situations. We also discuss the origins of the novel, which actually started as a memoir written in the 70s, who the intended audience is, what Marlantes is trying to communicate with the book, and some of the takeaways for today’s service members. And more than anything, why Matterhorn deserves to be on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List. Enjoy! mca-marines.org/commandants-professional-reading-list-leadership/?pg=2 michaeljeromeplunkett.com Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War <p>The post #234: Literary Lethality – Matterhorn with Michael Jerome Plunkett first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Editor-in-Chief of Leatherneck and Gazette magazines, Col Chris Woodbridge, to the scuttlebutt to talk about the US’s military operation in Iran. We recorded this episode on day 10 of the war, knowing that by the time you listen, things may have changed dramatically. But we didn’t want to release an episode early in the conflict, given that much of the information, including the actual strategic objectives, was still not publicly known. Now that the campaign is in its second week, we figured we would jump into the fray. Col Woodbridge talks to us about the history of US-Iranian relations and the US’s previous involvement in Iran to give us a better idea of how we got here and what the stated objectives of the conflict are. We also touch on what may be next. Hope is not a course of action, but hopefully you take something away from this that helps shape your impressions of what is going on and at least make some sense of the ever-churning new cycle.   Enjoy!  <p>The post #233: Observation Post – Iran Conflict first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This is an episode that we wanted to do when we first thought up the idea of hosting a podcast, but never really thought we would actually get to do it. This week, it is an honor to welcome the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen Eric Smith, and the 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMaj Carlos Ruiz to the scuttlebutt. The Commandant and Sergeant Major talk to us about prioritizing the amphibious ready group and MEUs, their thoughts on what a MEU should like look and the demand signal from the combatant commanders for this capability, how important the quality of life improvement initiatives are to them, their focus on suicide prevention, and the impact seven years of force design has had on the Marine Corps’ role in the Joint Force.  Also, a huge shout-out to Maj Nick Cline and GySgt Jordan Gilbert for their hard work in making this happen.   Enjoy!  <p>The post #232: A Conversation with the Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us and for your continued support. This week, we welcome Mike LeBlanc to the scuttlebutt. Mike is a veteran Marine ground intelligence officer who is now the co-founder of Foundation, a company that specializes in robotics. He is also the author of the book, What If Anger is the Answer?, due out in June of this year, that touches on the transformational aspects of anger and aggression. Mike talks to us about his journey as Marine ground intel bubba, how he navigated transitioning out of the Marine Corps, and how the lessons and attributes he learned in the Corps have helped him succeed in a world that, on its surface, has nothing to do with the Marine Corps, especially Marine operators. Mike insists that the leadership training he learned in the Marine Corps, especially the way Marines cultivate an aggressive attitude, has made him successful. Mike is all about helping Marines, so please feel free to reach out to him. His email is below.   Enjoy!  [email protected]  mikejleblanc.com  <p>The post #231: What If Anger is the Answer with Mike LeBlanc first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us at the scuttlebutt. This week, we welcome retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Adam Walker back to the show. Adam is on deck to talk with us about the Marine Corps’ new E-8 Redesignation pilot program, which gives master sergeants and first sergeants a one-time option to “lat move” between the E-8 designations. Adam helps us understand the career progression for senior enlisted Marines, namely what happens when a gunnery sergeant is promoted, the differences between a first sergeant and master sergeant, how the Marine Corps views its E-8s differently from the other Services, and the significance of this policy change. Talking with Adam is always a lot of fun and super informative. This is a unique opportunity to see behind the curtain on how Marines are promoted and how this program addresses two of the primary things Marines are opposed to: how things are and change.   You can also catch more of Adam’s wit and insight in his recurring segment, Lessons from the Smoke Pit, in Leatherneck magazine. Shameless plug, but it’s definitely worth checking out. Enjoy!  <p>The post #230: Thoughts on the E-8 Redesignation Board Pilot Program with MGySgt Adam Walker (Ret) first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we bring you another installment of Semper Cinema in reviewing the documentary, The Last 600 Meters, detailing the battles of Fallujah and Najaf during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Released last year, The Last 600 Meters chronicles the two deadliest battles of the Iraq War, Najaf in the south against the Shi’a Madhi Militia and Fallujah in the west against Sunni insurgents. Both battles occurred in 2004 and the interviews for this documentary were recorded in 2007. Due to internal issues at PBS, many of which have been revealed to be political, it was shelved until last year. We mention this dynamic in our review, but mainly focus on the specifics of the film, such as the narrative style and cinematic art, and how well the filmmakers used these tools to tell the story. Another controversy surrounding the release of the film is its use of graphic combat footage, including the deaths of US service members, so we also dive into the ethics of depicting graphic imagery and the moral decisions that go into it when trying to be authentic in illustrating the savagery of war.   Enjoy!  <p>The post #229: Semper Cinema – The Last 600 Meters first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. In Dec of 2025, the Commandant’s office released Gen Smith’s update to the Commandant’s Professional Reading List. In our pursuit of enabling professional development and self-study, throughout 2026, we will be doing a series of deep dives into the CPRL and some of Gen Smith’s selections through “Amazon reviews,” sometimes with the help of some of friends of the show and distinguished authors. This week, the editor-in-chief of Leatherneck and Marine Corps Gazette magazines, Col Chris Woodbridge, helps us introduce the series by providing background and history on the Commandant’s Professional Reading List, what it is, and the Commandant’s office’s intent in publishing this list of books. I always thought the CPRL was a staple of the Marine Corps since Gen Lejeune first made intellectual development a focus of combat readiness, so it was really interesting to hear about how the CRPL came to be and how it has evolved.   Enjoy!  mca-marines.org/commandants-professional-reading-list  marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4351724/update-to-the-commandants-professional-reading-list-for-fiscal-year-26  <p>The post #228: Introduction to our Commandant’s Professional Reading List Series first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and for your continued support. This week we welcome Peter Cook to the scuttlebutt. Peter is a former Marine turned high school economics teacher and author of the book, Bootleg Heroes. Released last year, the fictional narrative of Bootleg Heroes is inspired and informed by his time serving as a Marine embassy security guard in Ecuador, Spain, and Haiti. Peter talks to us about his experiences in the Marine Corps, how it informs the way he teaches, and how it served as the impetus behind the book. He puts a strong emphasis on literacy, the power of literature, and his passion for education is infectious. Peter dedicates his life to making a difference, and it was great to share insome of that with him.   Enjoy!  peterdanielcook.com  <p>The post #227: Bootleg Heroes and the Power of Literacy with Peter Cook first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. If you’re like me, the news cycle churns at a dizzying pace, and events come and go off the radar like submarines in The Hunt for Red October. To that, the situation in Venezuela is still very fluid and fraught with hazards. Carrier groups remain in the Caribbean, and there are clearly forces still operating in the Pacific near Central and South America. To help us digest all that has transpired in Venezuela and understand the implications, Ben Connable was kind enough to come down and help us conclude our discussion of Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro. Ben was recently on in Episode 219 to talk us through the cautionary tale of military intervention in Venezuela, so it only made sense to have him come and give us his thoughts on the raid and to speculate what’s next. We also talk through how operational and tactical success doesn’t guarantee strategic victory, and what a foreign policy that embraces spheres of influence means to the global community. We made this caveat during our conversation, but it is important to continue to emphasize that none of us are experts on Venezuela, and so we discuss our ideas and theories based on the open-source, unclassified information available at the time, which oftentimes leads to speculation.   Enjoy!  benconnable.com  battleresearchgroup.org  <p>The post #226: Impacts of Military Action in Venezuela with Ben Connable first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we continue our discussion of Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro, with the editor-in-chief of the Gazette and Leatherneck Magazine, Col Chris Woodbridge. Whereas last week we dove into the implications of Absolute Resolve for Taiwan and great-power competition in the first island chain, this week we zero in on, what we know, of the Venezuelan military operation. Col Woodbridge discusses the history of Marine Corps operations in Latin and South America, what it means for a military operation to be legal, what may lay ahead for US-Venezuelan relations, and finally what the implications operations like this and those in Iran and Nigeria have on the Marine Corps’ Force Design. We made this caveat during our conversation, but it is important to continue to emphasize that at the time of this recording, the situation was still very fluid, and so we discuss our ideas and theories based on the open-source, unclassified information available at the time.   Enjoy!   <p>The post #225: US military action in Venezuela with Col Chris Woodbridge first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Welcome to 2026 and thank you for listening and your continued support. We hope you all had fun holidays and a safe New Year’s Eve celebration. This week, we kick off 2026 with another Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker. Earlier this week, the US executed Operation Absolute Resolve, the military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro. Mike is here to talk to us about the implications this operation has on cross-Strait relations. Being that China just finished its military demonstration/exercise in the Taiwan Strait, named Justice Mission 2025, at the end of last month, what does the unilateral US action in South America signal to our allies and adversaries? Mike also discusses his efforts in establishing the Taiwan Security Monitor, a student-driven initiative using a range of satellite imagery, mapping, and data visualization tools. He has also recently published the book, America’s Taiwan Dilemma: Allies’ Reactions and the Stakes for US Reputation, which offers a rigorous open-source analysis of how America’s key allies—Japan, South Korea, and Australia—would respond to US intervention or inaction in a Taiwan conflict. It goes without saying that he has been a busy guy so we’re really happy that he was able to make some time for us to talk about the ripple effects of recent events.   Enjoy!  tsm.schar.gmu.edu  cambriapress.com/pub.cfm?bid=1182  <p>The post #224: Strait Talk with Dr. Michael Hunzeker first appeared on Marine Corps Association.</p>