On 3 February 2025, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) hosted the former commander of U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, USMC, Retired, to discuss his book "The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century." Joined by Tom Spahr on stage they discussed his experience as a combatant commander and the challenges…

NEXT MONDAY 2/17 at 9PM EST we are recording EPISODE 500 as another CALL IN SHOW! Links to watch us record it live and ways to participate will be in a pinned post at fightinginthewarroom.com This week, we tried to do a “short one” since Patches is on vacation and Katey was just regaining her voice. However, there were a lot of listener e-mails and…

The complex and evolving relationship between the military and the media has spanned various periods in U.S. history. In a discussion with War Room editor-in-chief JP Clark, Thomas Crosbie, author of The Political Army: How the U.S. Military Learned to Manage the Media and Public Opinion, explores how the military has grappled with integrating medi…

This week, everyone shows up in the war room to delay the Quarter Quell yet another week. After Patches and Da7e both felt like January was wasted, Katey organizes a host wellness check-in. Then, Katey and Patches are both into Paradise, the new Hulu show that has a twist at the end of the pilot (they WILL talk about the twist, and they should). Fi…

Hold on tight, this episode is a whirlwind of data-infused targeting, intel, and logistics. Joe O'Callaghan joins host Tom Spahr in the virtual studio to discuss the Department of Defense's Maven Smart System. Maven was first developed to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to help speed intelligence analysis, but has since been a…

This week, David is back from Sundance but Matt Patches has a (lah-dee-dah) dinner he has to get to answer skips out. First, Da7e notices that they have more emails than normal and suggests they stop skipping and read them. Then, Katey curates a conversation with the guys about Academy Award nominations even though that’s what she’s been doing all …

This week, David has to fly off to Sundance, so we’re postponing whatever our 500th episode (numerically) would be to talk about pop culture in America in 2025. First, somehow Trump returned, so our hosts talk about what they have been ingesting media wise to cope with, ignore, or confront that reality. Then, Katey Rich has a quiz for Patches and D…

In an era where public trust in institutions has seen a sharp decline, the United States military has managed to maintain relatively high levels of public confidence. However, recent trends indicate a concerning decrease in this trust, raising questions about the future of civil-military relations. Ronald Krebs, a professor of political science at …

“It’s a bad podcast!” – David Ehrlich, FITWR 499 We’re sorry for delaying the beginning of 2025 by holding off on our Top Tens 2024 podcast. You know the format – Katey, David, Patches and Da7e take their time describing all the films on their four TOP TEN 2023 lists and number at a time (full lists below the timestamps). Take a listen, embed and/o…

It's time for another episode in our On Writing series. Host Michael Neiberg is joined in the studio by Tim Cook, the chief historian at the Canadian War Museum. Tim emphasizes the importance of making history accessible to the public, which involves finding compelling ways to tell stories and connect with readers. Their discussion covers Cook's la…

This week, everyone’s back in the War Room in 2025 but not quite ready for Top Ten Movies 2024 (that’s coming up next week!), instead they decompress about spending the holidays largely away from new movies, debate Sonic 3 Vs. Mufasa, revisit Black Doves, and felt okay about Squid Game 2. It’s a “special” because it’s long and has no format, right?…

The Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC), also known as international humanitarian law (IHL), is a set of rules that govern warfare and aim to minimize harm to civilians and non-combatants. Alexandra Meise joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to examine the development of LOAC, which stems from treaties like the Geneva Conventions, domestic laws of individual…

This week, everyone’s back in the War Room at the same time for the final episode of 2024. Since Nickel Boys is out on the coasts, Katey, David, and Da7e dive in with a review. Each host brings their favorite TV show from 2024, then Patches leads the conversation about the Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, in theaters now. Take a listen, embe…

Andrew Hill and Steve Gerras return to the studio with host Tom Spahr to further explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in national defense. This episode delves into the critical question of human oversight in lethal force decisions with AI assistance. Join the debate as they dissect the potential consequences of over-reliance on human in…

This week, all four co-hosts make it to the war room, but not at the same time. First, Katey, David, and Da7e break down how Awards Season is going and some hot takes on Golden Globe nominations and other award season gems. Then, David is out and Patches steps in as Da7e claims the Star Wars franchise has a problem connecting with younger kids that…

In September 2024, Andrew Hill and Steve Gerras authored a compelling three-part series that explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in national defense. They provocatively argued that the conventional wisdom is wrong: human intuition is not indispensable, even though we might all wish it were. Recognizing the significance of thi…

This week, David had to interview someone important for another thing, but Da7e, Patches and Katey convene for the Moana 2/Conclave episode nobody asked for! First, they dig into Conclave including some SPOILER discussion at the end of the episode. Then, they each describe their “Most Disappointing” movie of 2024 before all three talk about the dod…

With the invasion of Poland in 1939, Nazi Germany set the stage for conflict and strife that has repercussions to this day. Jadwiga Biskupska is an expert on Poland under Nazi occupation and she joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss the intricate relationship between Poland's historical memory and its contemporary identity. Their discussion …

Cultural property encompasses both tangible artifacts and intangible heritage that shapes societies. Historian Matthias Rogg is back in the studio, this time with Laurie Rush, an archaeologist and anthropologist working as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Drum, NY. Laurie, who has extensive experience supporting the Army in cultural proper…

Cultural property encompasses both tangible artifacts and intangible heritage that shapes societies. Historian Matthias Rogg and international law expert Lando Kirchmair delve into the critical issue of protecting cultural property during armed conflicts. They discuss the multifaceted threats to cultural property, including destruction, seizure, mi…

This week, everyone but Patches was able to catch Wicked: Part One (ironically as Patches is probably the biggest Wicked fan) and both David’s are on the Women Talking war path of “this movie looks horrible” but this time joined by Katey Rich! Also, David, Patches, and Katey talk about Jessie Eisenberg’s A Real Pain (and what he could possibly have…

Melvyn Leffler, a prominent historian of American foreign policy, is back in the studio for part two of his discussion with host Carrie Lee. Their conversation continues examining the decision-making process leading to the invasion of Iraq. Leffler's insights shed light on the internal dynamics of the Bush administration, highlighting the distrust …

This week, David is struck down with an illness, so it’s up to Katey, MAD PATCHES, and Da7e to enter the war room and talk Heretic where Hugh Grant shit talks religion, they check in with the FITWarriors in the Vulture Movie Fantasy League before diving into Ridley Scott’s newest…thing…Gladiator II! Take a listen, embed and/or download below; for m…

Melvyn Leffler, a prominent historian of American foreign policy, is in the studio offering a fresh perspective on the Iraq War. Leffler joins host Carrie Lee challenging some conventional wisdoms surrounding the war, arguing that the George W. Bush administration was not intent on invading Iraq from day one. He makes the case that there were genui…

This week, Patches is struck down by illness, but Katey was able to rally through strep and stress so David, Da7e, and Katey jump back into the safe space of the War Room to talk about Bluesky and re-orienting our phones to serve less doom. Then, Katey and David (who have seen Emilia Pérez, now on Netflix!) are saddened by the clip that went “viral…

Katey, Patches, David, and Da7e report from the War Room the Wednesday after Donald Trump won the popular vote and a second presidential term in the United States.Oleh Katey, Matt, Da7e and David

In November 1944, Japan launched thousands of balloons carrying incendiary bombs across the Pacific, aiming to set fire to American forests and divert resources from the war effort. While the campaign caused minimal damage and few casualties, it highlights the vulnerability of the U.S. homeland to attack. To discuss lessons from this historical eve…

This week, everyone is back in the War Room after Jizz Fest ’24 and there are movies to discuss. First, Da7e and David have seen Venom: The Last Dance, and – ya know – it is what it is, which is a movie with Venom in it. Then, Da7e needs to warn you off Here, which is using “A.I.” but can’t focus Robert Zemeckis. Then, all four hosts get into a spo…

There is a global trend of increased politicization of the military in eroding democracies, some of which are allies of the United States. Risa Brooks joins host Carrie Lee to shed light on the evolving dynamics between political leaders and the military in these countries. Brooks discusses the trend of political leaders using the military for thei…

Happy 40th birthday, David Ehrlich. We tried to make a podcast…Oleh Katey, Matt, Da7e and David

The American intelligence community (IC) is a complex network of 18 different agencies constantly vying for authority and resources. This competition, along with the ongoing effort to balance civilian and military organizations within the IC, is the focus of today's discussion. Dr. Jeff Rogg, a senior research fellow at the Global and National Secu…

This week, David is still absent, so Katey, Patches, and Da7e talk about superhero TV with Penguin on Max and Agatha All Along on Disney Plus, then Patches wonders if we have to endorse an American political candidate before Katey and Da7e break down the surprising and kind of beautiful(?) Pharrell documentary in Lego: Piece by Piece. Take a listen…

This week, David has to sit the week out, leaving Patches and Da7e to describe the new Salem’s Lot adaptation (streaming on Max) to Katey before Patches tells the other two hosts about the Ryan Murphy series Doctor Odyssey. Finally, Da7e and Katey both made a mistake and saw the second Joker in theaters. Take a listen, embed and/or download below; …