We usually focus on military training and readiness, but in this episode, we take a look at a separate but related topic: response and resilience in the face of natural disaster. In October, C2SI's President, Dan Blakeley, volunteered to assist with relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which caused severe damage and loss of life in his home state of North Carolina in late September. We recently sat down to talk with him about his experiences and observations during his two trips to the western NC to assist with recovery efforts.

Usually, C2SI focuses on modern military training and readiness. Sometimes, though, we like to get a historical perspective. We recently sat down with Patrick Wyman, host of the Tides of History podcast and author of The Verge, to chat about how armies were raised and trained (or not!) at the dawn of modern military professionalism in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and how studying this period can help us understand our own tumultuous time.

Tides of History -- available on Wondery and Spotify

Patrick's substack

The Verge

Follow Patrick on Twitter: @Patrick_Wyman

We're back! Stay tuned -- we have a ton of content coming in the next few weeks.

Kate Kuzminski is Deputy Director of Studies and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She is an expert on recruitment and military personnel issues, and the coauthor of the recent CNAS report, "Back to the Drafting Board", which explored how the Selective Service system would work (or not) if the US needed to call a draft for a major armed conflict -- an all-too-real possibility in this dangerous age. On 14 September, C2SI sat down with her to talk about this important issue -- one that could directly impact every American household.

Kate's page at CNAS

CNAS report: Back to the Drafting Board (June 2024)