Major Geoff Ball shares lessons from Marine Corps infantry leadership, spanning combat deployments, company command, and professional military education. From crisis response missions in CENTCOM to service at Abbey Gate during the Afghanistan withdrawal, he reflects on moments that reshaped his understanding of responsibility and sacrifice. He discusses the habits that distinguish exceptional junior officers from merely competent ones. Major Ball also explains why ownership of professional growth is essential in a rapidly evolving operational environment. The conversation highlights his work developing future leaders and fostering professional discourse across the force.

Major General Robert Edmonson II (USA, Ret.) discusses how infantry foundations shaped his leadership of large-scale IT and cybersecurity enterprises. As Commanding General of U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, he led a 9,000-person global workforce and a $3.1 billion portfolio supporting DoD operations worldwide. He explains what it means to modernize systems that never shut down and to drive change inside complex bureaucracies. MG Edmonson underscores that cybersecurity is fundamentally a people business, grounded in culture, trust, and accountability. The episode closes with a clear directive for senior leaders: develop enterprise judgment, accept 360-degree accountability, and invest in people as the decisive advantage.

LTG (Ret) Mike Ferriter shares lessons from 35 years of Army service, from combat in Mogadishu and Iraq to commanding a global enterprise spanning 75 installations and 17 time zones. He explains how early platoon leadership shaped his approach to leading large, complex organizations through crisis and transformation. Ferriter discusses decision-making under pressure, capability prioritization for multi-domain operations, and why “winners leave clues.” He reflects on building and leading the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic while expanding national impact. The episode concludes with direct advice for veterans in transition and a call to renew a culture of service and responsibility.

General (Ret) Charles A. Flynn reflects on his evolution from a self-described reluctant cadet to Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific, leading operations across the Army’s largest theater. He explains why intellectual curiosity is indispensable for senior leaders navigating ambiguity and strategic competition. General Flynn offers a clear-eyed assessment of the Indo-Pacific, the pacing challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party, and why land power remains central to credible deterrence. He unpacks the concepts of lethality, strategic unpredictability, and alliance integration in preventing conflict. The conversation closes with candid insights on character, judgment under pressure, and building resilient organizations that endure beyond any single commander.

Lieutenant General H. Stacy Clardy III reflects on a career spanning infantry and reconnaissance command, combat in Iraq, and senior leadership across the Indo-Pacific. As Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force, he prepared 25,000 Marines and Sailors for competition and potential conflict with the People’s Republic of China. He discusses how combat experience shaped his warfighting ethos and approach to leadership. The conversation explores decision-making under pressure, the future of warfare, and the enduring relevance of ground combat.

General Gary Brito joins Tipping Spears for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, modernization, and institutional change. As a four-star Army leader, General Brito reflects on leading complex, mission-driven organizations responsible for developing and sustaining the force. We discuss how data, innovation, and emerging technologies are reshaping training, readiness, and talent management. He shares hard-earned lessons on driving change while maintaining trust, discipline, and organizational coherence. The conversation offers practical insights for senior leaders navigating scale, complexity, and strategic uncertainty.

In this episode of Tipping Spears, I sit down with Lieutenant General Karen Gibson, a senior Army intelligence leader with deep experience at the operational and strategic levels. We focus on how the intelligence enterprise has evolved alongside cyber operations, information warfare, and rapidly advancing technology. LTG Gibson discusses decision-making in contested, data-saturated environments and the leadership demands of modern intelligence organizations. She also shares insights on integrating cyber, intelligence, and operational perspectives to support combat outcomes.

Dr. Anthony Vinci joins Tipping Spears to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping espionage, modern warfare, and human judgment. We explore cognitive influence, China’s tech strategy, and lessons from his book, “The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America”, for the next generation of intelligence professionals.

In this episode of “Tipping Spears”, LTG (Ret.) Ed Cardon shares hard-earned leadership lessons from building and scaling Army Cyber Command during a period of rapid change and uncertainty. Drawing on decades of experience across cyber, modernization, and institutional transformation, he offers practical insights on leading through complexity, integrating emerging technologies like AI, and preparing organizations for future conflict.

In this episode of “Tipping Spears”, I sit down with LTG (Ret.) Milford H. “Beags” Beagle, Jr., a distinguished Army leader whose 35-year career took him from humble beginnings in South Carolina to commanding soldiers around the world and shaping the professional development of more than 1.5 million personnel. LTG Beagle shares a deeply personal leadership journey defined by resilience, purpose, and an unwavering belief in human potential.

Raleigh Smith Duttweiler, Chief Impact Officer at the National Military Family Association, joins Tipping Spears to discuss today’s top challenges facing military families, including financial stress, mental health, suicide prevention, childcare, healthcare access, and TRICARE. She shares insights on effective advocacy, evolving family needs, and how communities, schools, and employers can better support military families across the country.

This episode of Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker features an in-depth conversation with Nate Boaz, Marine Corps veteran, author of Running Toward Fire, and CEO of Prometheus Intelligence. Nate discusses his journey from combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to Harvard Business School and senior roles at McKinsey, Accenture, and Microsoft. He explains the development of Prometheus Intelligence and its voice-AI technology designed to elevate investigative interviewing across industries. The episode explores military leadership, veterans’ transition challenges, entrepreneurship, and the practical implications of artificial intelligence for organizations and the workforce. Nate offers actionable guidance for veterans, emerging leaders, and professionals navigating an AI-driven world. This interview provides insights into purpose, identity, innovation, and building impactful technology in a rapidly evolving national security landscape.

Dr. Jeffrey Rogg, Senior Research Fellow at USF’s Global and National Security Institute and author of “The Spy and the State: The History of American Intelligence”, joins “Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker” for a deep dive into the evolution of U.S. intelligence, emerging national-security challenges, and how technology is reshaping modern intelligence work. We discuss what sparked his career, key themes from his new book, common public misconceptions about intelligence, the threats that concern him most, and his advice for the next generation pursuing careers in intelligence and national security.

Writer and military spouse advocate Joanna Guldin-Noll joins Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker to talk about the digital frontlines of the military community. From the rise of Jo, My Gosh! to the challenges of disinformation, AI, and deepfakes, Joanna shares insights on media literacy, online connection, and the future of military family storytelling in the digital age.

Marine infantry officer LtCol Tom Schueman joins Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker to discuss moral injury, leadership, and the legacy of Afghanistan. From the battlefields of Sangin to the withdrawal from Kabul, Schueman shares powerful reflections on service, sacrifice, and purpose beyond the uniform. We talk about the founding of Patrol Base Abbate, veteran suicide prevention, and the enduring bonds between Marines and their Afghan interpreters.

J.D. Maddox joins Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker to unpack how technology, influence operations, and trust intersect in today’s national security landscape. A former CIA analytic manager, diplomat, and Special Operations soldier, J.D. shares insights from his leadership of AI-enabled influence campaigns at the State Department and his work advising the Department of Defense on information operations. He discusses how societal trust has eroded, why that matters for national resilience, and how emerging technologies can both defend and endanger democratic institutions. This episode explores the evolving nature of cognitive warfare and the urgent need to rebuild confidence in truth, leadership, and technology.

From combat zones to disaster response, LTG Jeff Buchanan has spent his life leading teams through chaos. In this conversation, he reflects on the moral dimensions of leadership, lessons from national crises, and why clarity of purpose matters most when the situation is murky. His stories blend humility and hard-earned wisdom—reminding us that great leadership begins with character, not rank.

Colonel David Acosta – Army Reserve Brigade Commander, Naval Postgraduate School Professor, and publisher of The Ghost Post – joins Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker to explore the evolution of Information Operations and the cognitive dimension of modern conflict. Drawing on decades of service from Bosnia and Iraq to the Pentagon, Dave shares lessons on influence, deception, and leadership in the information environment. He also reflects on the intersection of academia, military practice, and emerging technologies shaping how the U.S. approaches information warfare today.

Boyd Brown – Army veteran, defense executive, entrepreneur, and one of the U.S. Army’s first Information Operations (IO) officers – joins Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker to discuss the evolution of influence, innovation, and leadership on the modern battlefield. From early IO missions in the Balkans and Iraq to his work in government contracting and national security, Boyd reflects on lessons learned across four decades of service. He shares insights on emerging technologies like AI and drones, the future of IO in defense strategy, and how leaders can adapt to complex, fast-changing environments.

Dr. Andrew Whiskeyman, retired U.S. Army Colonel and national security scholar, joins Tipping Spears with Hannah Becker for a thought-provoking conversation on trust, technology, and the cognitive battlefield. Drawing on decades of military and academic experience, Andrew explores how artificial intelligence, disinformation, and fractured media ecosystems are reshaping both warfare and daily life. He discusses the dangers of over-reliance on technology, the erosion of societal trust, and the moral questions emerging at the intersection of human and machine decision-making. Together, we unpack why all warfare is ultimately cognitive—and why the ability to discern truth has become a national defense imperative. This episode offers a candid, deeply reflective look at how leaders can navigate complexity, preserve trust, and defend meaning in the digital age.