podcasts
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The Mensa Brothers (-): We talk President Trump’s speech; F15 shootdown; Allies… what Allies?!?; & the nuances and limitations of a “Punitive Campaign”
Retired Marine Infantry Officer Major Tim Lynch and host Mike McNamara discuss the war in Iran. Today’s topics:
- President Trump’s speech to the nation — who was the primary audience for his message?
- The downing of a USAF F15E aircraft — what happens in an operation when an aircraft goes down for any reason?
- Allies? What allies? The US’s future relative to NATO
- The US is conducting a “punitive campaign” in Iran — wrecking Iran’s military and the military industry that supports it, with no intention of occupying any part of the nation. What are the nuances and limitations that go with such a campaign?
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO
The Mensa Brothers: Does “regime change” occur soon or later… What is an “Ally”… the role of ground troops and the task of opening the Strait of Hormuz
Two retired Marine Infantry Officers, Col Will Costantini, USMC (ret), and Maj Tim Lynch, USMC (ret), join Maj Mike McNamara, USMCR (ret), today on ALL MARINE RADIO.
With apologies for the technical issues in this broadcast…
TODAY’S TOPICS:
- Does regime change happen in the near term… or will that happen at a later date… after combat operations have been concluded?
- What is it to be an “ally” of the United States? AND… should the US rethink its alliances, given that Europe has largely disarmed itself… and further, even when they do go along to support an American military operation… they can’t actually contribute any significant capability… which stands in stark contrast to what Israel and Ukraine have done for the US.
- What would ground combat units do in the region?
- The task of opening the Strait of Hormuz — what do the layers of that look like?
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The Mensa Brothers (–): The Strait of Hormuz problem, the 11th MEU heads west & Gen McKenzie’s interview with USNI
Three ONE retired Marine Infantry Officer, Maj Tim Lynch, USMC (ret), the lone Mensa Brother to show up today… joins Maj Mike McNamara, USMCR (ret) today on ALL MARINE RADIO.
TODAY’S TOPICS:
- General observations on the past week’s events
- The Strait of Hormuz problem — how does it get resolved?
- The 11th MEU heads west
- Former CENTCOM Commanding General Frank McKenzie, USMC (ret), sat down with Bill Hamblet and Paul Giarra at USNI (US Naval Institute) and gave his thoughts on different aspects of what he’s seen in the Iran War… It is well worth your time to watch the interview. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uKDSi9r5bE
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Japan, oil, the Strait of Hormuz, and the nuclear protection of the United States: Col Grant Newsham, USMC (ret)
Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, paid a formal visit to the White House yesterday, which included a State Dinner. The timing of the event was deliberate, to reinforce US/Japan relations BEFORE President Trump was supposed to head to China. We’ll ask Col Grant Newsham, USMC (ret), to explain how, given the following, Japan won’t support the US’s request for mine sweeping ships to help clear the Strait of Hormuz:
- Japan gets 90% of its oil from the Middle East
- The US has guaranteed Japan that it will defend it with both nuclear and conventional forces if China attacks
Hmmmmmmmmmm… something isn’t adding up to me.
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THE MENSA BROTHERS: (1) Kharg Island; (2) Possible missions for Marines enroute, (3) Israel into Lebennon, and… (4) Do the Israelis have another card up their sleeve in Iran?
Four retired Marine Infantry Officers — Colonel Will Costantini, Colonel Jeff Kenney & Major Tim Lynch, and host Mike McNamara discuss the war in Iran. Today’s topics:
- Kharg Island — now that we’ve struck it… what do we do next?
- A Marine Expeditionary Unit is enroute to the North Arabian Sea — how will they be used?ALT
- The Israeli Defense Force is getting ready to go into Lebanon again… will they stay in that part of Lebanon for a while?
- Do the Israelis have another card up their sleeve in Iran?
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO… a diagram of the Shahed drone and a map showing its range is below.
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Grant Newsham: The IRGC Intelligence estimate on Oct 6, 2023; the Straits of Hormuz; why inflicting pain on Iran is important… and other stuff from the Iran War
Grant Newsham is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Security Policy. He is also a Research Fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, focusing on Asia/Pacific defense, political, and economic matters. Newsham is a retired U.S. Marine Colonel and was the first US Marine Liaison Officer to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. He also served as reserve head of intelligence for Marine Forces Pacific and was the U.S. Marine Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on two occasions.
He joined ALL MARINE RADIO today to talk about:
- The IRGC’s “intelligence estimate” on October 6, 2023 — wrong on every account
- The Straits of Hormuz
- Why inflicting pain on Iran is important
- Is ‘regime change” possible?
And more!
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The Mensa Brothers (-): That depends on what your definition of “Boots on the Ground” is…
“Once over lightly…” as they used to say in my barbershop. Here is what Mac, Tim Lynch & Will Costantini, all retired Marine Corps officers, are talking about today.
- A POLL QUESTION: Should the President of the United States ever say… “No boots on the ground…” or remove any option during a war?
- How do you define the term “boots on the ground” that has come to be a synonym for “nation-building”?
- A possible IRGC perspective: Given our history in that region… we’ve wrecked their stuff before… we’ve fought their proxies before… and we always begin with great fanfare… and they survive it… Then, their proxies begin to make us pay… and great victories devolve into not-so-great departures and questionable long-term results. THE IRGC KNOW THIS HISTORY… THEY KNOW AMERICA HAS A GLASS JAW. Thoughts?
- If regime change were to happen in Iran, how would it happen? What has to take place for that to occur?
- The use of cluster munitions over cities… interesting. I recall that when the United States used them during the Gulf War against Iraqi dismounted soldiers, the American media alleged that it was a “war crime”… hmmmmmmm. Now, Iran uses them against civilians, carried to cities on ballistic missiles, and nobody says a word. Thoughts?
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IRAN 101: Ethnic Groups in Iran, by location, population and history with Maj Tim Lynch, USMC (ret)
As we consider how the war in Iran will be concluded, we hear a lot about the “ethnic groups of Iran,” but few people understand where these groups are located inside of Iran, or how large they are, or what their history with the Iranian Government is. Major Tim Lynch, USMC (ret), will solve that knowledge problem for us today.
We’ll also discuss the latest news from the war.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF MAC & TIM TO WATCH THE FACEBOOK VIDEO
The maps Tim refers to during the podcast are below.
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The Mensa Brothers: Initial thoughts four days into a war
Four retired Marine Infantry Officers — Colonel Will Costantini, Colonel Jeff Kenney & Major Tim Lynch, and the host Mike McNamara discuss their initial thoughts on:
- Overall, what they’ve seen
- Something that got each of their attention
- QUESTION: Can the United States refrain from “nation-building”?
- Thoughts on the payback aspect of this for the Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut.
Always interesting.
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THOUGHTS ON THE IRAN WAR: Col Grant Newsham, USMC (ret)
Grant Newsham joins Mac to discuss:
- His overall thoughts on what he’s seen after five days of operations.
- Is this war necessary and justifiable?
- Do you think the United States can restrain itself from the quagmire of “nation-building”?
- How does this affect the situation in the Pacific relative to China?
- If the war in Iran is concluded moderately in favor of the United States, thus leaving the US Navy with one great threat (China)… what does that do to the calculus of the Pacific and the Davidson Window?
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THE DECISION: The Role of Leaders on the Battlefield
My interest in decision-making is rooted in watching my Father, who was a professional baseball manager, make dedisions in baseball games. It was a daily thing I did as a kid as I tried to understand what my Dad did during a baseball game… how he tried to engineer in-game matchups to his team’s favor that would help them win. That bias was in my head as I watched Marine Corps lieutenants that we trained in Quantico struggle to be decision-makers in a very unique world that nothing really prepared them for. This class was an attempt to prepare them for that world… and I’ve always enjoyed the subject… decision-making in real time… in a dynamic environment… where the leader only has a fraction of the information required… yet has to make a decision NOW! And then has to make subsequent decisions to turn the event into a Win. Fascinating stuff to me.
I concieved of, and then began teaching this class, in Quantico, Virginia at The Infantry Officer’s Course in the summer of 1990 if memory serves me correctly. The class sought to remedy a gap in the instruction of infantry lieutenants… and that was that they received absolutely zero instruction on the unique world they were entering as decision makers… a world that was nothing like anything they’d done in their lives.
It was a hit from the first time I taught it. I recently presented the class at the Virginia Military Institute at the request of their Superintendent, LtGen David J. Furness, USMC (ret). When I arrived home, I recreated the class on video and thought I’d share it.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO
The class seeks to give any student embarking on a career as a military leader a basic understanding of:
- Decision-making in the very unique world they’ve entered
- The role TIme plays in decision-making… that all decision-making takes place IN-TIME
- The role of the Combat Orders Process in communicating a decision
- Our duty as leaders, to make decisions and issue orders in a timely manner so that the people risking their lives to execute these orders have the time to disseminate the order, back brief the order and then rehearse so that their execution is as deliberate as it can be
CLASS OUTLINE:
- INTRODUCTION: Col Antony Zinni, USMC —- “Making the wrong decision is never the problem… the worst thing that can happen IS HAPPENING… you’re making NO DECISION.”
- PART 1: The Leader Who Saved the Union at Gettysburg
- PART 2: The Leader’s Mandate… Decision-Making IN-TIME
- PART 3: The Decision-Making Environment
- PART 4: The Process… From Start to Finish
- PART 5: Decision-Making Techinques
- PART 6: The Leader as a Synthesizer IN-TIME
- PART 7: EXECUTION… Doing It
- PART 8: The AAR/Critique (Mac’s Way)
- PART 9: Final Thoughts
Click HERE to dowload the PDF of the class.
I hope you enjoy the discussion and the subject as much as I do.
THE “HOW TO LEAD” SERIES — EPISODE 3: 1stSgt Jason McKinley, USMC (ret)
The “How To Lead” Series is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea is simple: bring outstanding leaders to the podcast and ask them how they DID IT. Ask them about what worked. Ask them if they think that leadership is soooooooo different today. Today’s featured leader is 1stSgt Jason McKinley, USMC (ret). Much like J.C. Knight from last week’s episode, Jason is an outstanding leader with a unique story. One of the things I enjoy about this interview is talking about “What do I do if I’m not a natural leader?”
The image I use for this series is of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 to surprise Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton, which he won decisively. The wife of a friend of mine, Carrie Costantini, whose husband Will was on my podcast last week, posted it on Facebook years ago before she passed away… That meme is below. It symbolizes what leaders do for me… they do difficult things regularly, and then they do the impossible.
You can watch the YouTube video of this interview by clicking HERE
Washington conceived the operation and led his force that night, and his leadership during the difficult winter at Valley Forge was still ahead of him. In the weeks ahead, you’ll continue hear from leaders whom I’ve crossed paths with who’ve impressed me with (1) their leadership abilities and (2) their ability to articulate to you their ideas about leadership… so standby, it’s gonna be a good time, we’ll all learn a lot, and a promise that these episodes will generate a lot of reflection. And finally, the focus of this series is from the squad to the battalion/squadron… where the rubber meets the road.
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THE “HOW TO LEAD” SERIES — EPISODE 2: Gunner JC Knight, USMC (ret)
The “How To Lead” Series is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea is simple: bring outstanding leaders to the podcast and ask them how they DID IT. Ask them about what worked. Ask them if they think that leadership is soooooooo different today. Today’s featured leader is Gunner JC Knight, USMC (ret). He’s an outstanding leader with a unique story and the first enlisted leader to appear in this series of interviews… he also has a YouTube channel; you can find it HERE. In this interview, you’ll hear JC discuss “what right looks like,” so get ready.
The image I use for this series is of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 to surprise Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton, which he won decisively. The wife of a friend of mine, Carrie Costantini, whose husband Will was on my podcast last week, posted it on Facebook years ago before she passed away… That meme is below. It symbolizes what leaders do for me… they do difficult things regularly, and then they do the impossible.
You can watch the YouTube video of this interview by clicking HERE
Washington conceived the operation and led his force that night, and his leadership during the difficult winter at Valley Forge was still ahead of him. In the weeks ahead, you’ll continue hear from leaders whom I’ve crossed paths with who’ve impressed me with (1) their leadership abilities and (2) their ability to articulate to you their ideas about leadership… so standby, it’s gonna be a good time, we’ll all learn a lot, and a promise that these episodes will generate a lot of reflection. And finally, the focus of this series is from the squad to the battalion/squadron… where the rubber meets the road.
Mac
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THE “HOW TO LEAD” SERIES — EPISODE 1: MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret)
The “How To Lead” Series is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea is simple: bring on outstanding leaders to the podcast and ask them how they DID IT. Ask them about what worked. Ask them if they think that leadership is soooooooo different today.
The image I use for this series is of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 to surprise Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton, which he won decisively. The wife of a friend of mine, Carrie Costantini, whose husband Will was on my podcast last week, posted it on Facebook years ago before she passed away… That meme is below. It symbolizes what leaders do for me… they do difficult things on a regular basis, and then they do the impossible.
You can watch the YouTube video HERE
Washington conceived the operation and led his force that night, and his leadership during the difficult winter at Valley Forge was still ahead of him. With that kind of leader in mind… the first person I wanted to have on is a good friend of mine, both in and out of uniform, MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret). Dale’s career speaks for itself, and he did a lot of great things… but the one thing that separates him from everybody is that he participated in a contingency operation or combat at every rank he held in the Marine Corps, from 2ndLt to MajGen… so, that is where we begin… with THAT guy.
In the weeks ahead, you’ll hear from leaders whom I’ve crossed paths with who’ve impressed me with (1) their leadership abilities and (2) their ability to articulate to you their ideas about leadership… so standby, it’s gonna be a good time, we’ll all learn a lot, and a promise that these episodes will generate a lot of reflection. And finally, the focus of this series is from the squad to the battalion/squadron… where the rubber meets the road.
Mac
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The Dealmaker-in-Chief heads to Asia… with Grant Newsham
As President Trump, fresh off his Middle East breakthrough, heads towards a meeting with China’s President Xi… a meeting that will have huge implications for both the US and the Chinese economies… We’ll talk to our expert, Grant Newsham, and get his perspective.
Grant has been ALL MARINE RADIO’s Pacific expert for a long time, and he is that because he tells the truth. We’ll talk about a variety of subjects (as we usually do), but the fascinating part of President Trump’s trip is how both President Trump and President Xi each need to make some sort of trade deal… because they both have needs that only the other nation can remedy. Grant makes us smart about China, the Philippines, Japan, and Korea, to mention a few of the things we cover.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE
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