Episode 24 - Dr. Ben Connable: Author of “Ground Combat”, Executive Director of Battle Research Group, and USMC Veteran
Dr. Ben Connable: Author of “Ground Combat”, Executive Director of Battle Research Group, and USMC Veteran
In this episode of Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker, I sit down with Ben Connable, PhD - the Executive Director of the nonprofit Battle Research Group and Adjunct Professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University. Ben is a Retired U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Officer, Middle East foreign area officer, and a former senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. His wealth of experiences and insights on modern warfare continues to shape military strategy.
In this episode, Ben shares:
His journey from dropping out of college to commissioning in the Marine Corps
Defense innovation insights from the M16 Rifle to Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Key takeaways from his book, “Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War”
How a lack of field research inspired his founding of the Battle Research Group
Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) technologies on the battlefield
Advice for the next generation of military and national security leaders on developing critical thinking skills
Plus, so much more!
If you’re engaged in defense, national security, or technology, don’t miss this insightful conversation.
About the Guest:
Dr. Ben Connable is a research leader, consultant, professor, and Executive Director of the Battle Research Group Foundation, Inc. He is an adjunct professor in the Georgetown University Security Studies Program, a part-time principal research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, and the senior research advisor to DT Institute, a peace and development nonprofit organization centered in Washington, D.C.
Ben consults, speaks, and writes independently and for individual sponsors of his work. Recent consulting work includes course design and instruction to international military and civilian officers on insurgency and counterinsurgency for the U.S. Government; confidential business intelligence analysis; and research leadership on the will to fight of the Russian land forces. He recently guest lectured at the National Defense University and Marine Corps War College.
Ben is a retired U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer and Middle East-North Africa Foreign Area Officer (FAO). Additionally, he is a former senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation and a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council. Ben is the author of “Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War” (Georgetown University Press, 2025).
Ben received his PhD in War Studies from King's College London in 2016. He has a BA in political science from the University of Colorado and an MA in national security affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Learn more about Ben's work at: www.battleresearchgroup.org
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