Shows
MCA Scuttlebutt#226: Impacts of Military Action in Venezuela with Ben ConnableHey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. If you’re like me, the news cycle churns at a dizzying pace, and events come and go off the radar like submarines in The Hunt for Red October. To that, the situation in Venezuela is still very fluid and fraught with hazards. Carrier groups remain in the Caribbean, and there are clearly forces still operating in the Pacific near Central and South America. To help us digest all that has transpired in Venezuela and understand the implications, Ben Connable was kind enough to come down and help us conclude our discussion of Ope...
2026-01-2251 minMCA Scuttlebutt#226: Impacts of Military Action in Venezuela with Ben ConnableHey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in. If you’re like me, the news cycle churns at a dizzying pace, and events come and go off the radar like submarines in The Hunt for Red October. To that, the situation in Venezuela is still very fluid and fraught with hazards. Carrier groups remain in the Caribbean, and there are clearly forces still operating in the Pacific near Central and South America. To help us digest all that has transpired in Venezuela and understand the implications, Ben Connable was kind enough to come down and help us conclude our discussion of Ope...
2026-01-2251 min
Earlylands in ConversationEarlylands in Conversation - Ep. 20 - Historian & Strategist Ben Connable on the Realities of Modern Ground Combat2026 has started with a proverbial bang, with the hard realities of military force brought squarely into the headlines with the US operation to seize Nicholas Maduro. And, of course, the grinding war of attrition continues in Ukraine as do conflicts in countries as varied as Sudan and Myanmar. While so much of the media coverage of these wars focuses on the role of technology and the apparent video game-like quality of the contemporary battlefield, our guest today argues that the reality of modern war remains very similar to what was experienced by infantryman throughout the conflicts of the 20th...
2026-01-1337 minMCA Scuttlebutt#219: War Against the Cartels with Ben ConnableHey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we welcome Ben Connable back to the show. Ben recently co-authored (with Colin P. Clarke) an issue brief for The Soufan Center titled, “War Against the Cartels,” and we are fortunate that he was willing to go low-brow and come on the show to discuss it. As a former Marine intelligence officer who served during the Long War, he is a true subject-matter expert and has personal experience in the perils of engaging in conflicts thought to be easy wins. Ben talks us through his thre...
2025-11-131h 05MCA Scuttlebutt#219: War Against the Cartels with Ben ConnableHey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in and your continued support. This week, we welcome Ben Connable back to the show. Ben recently co-authored (with Colin P. Clarke) an issue brief for The Soufan Center titled, “War Against the Cartels,” and we are fortunate that he was willing to go low-brow and come on the show to discuss it. As a former Marine intelligence officer who served during the Long War, he is a true subject-matter expert and has personal experience in the perils of engaging in conflicts thought to be easy wins. Ben talks us through his thre...
2025-11-131h 05
War & Conflict with Preston StewartUnited Nations Slams US - Calls Caribbean Strikes IllegalAll indications are that these strikes and the military campaign are set to continueInterview with Ben Connable and Colin Clarke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTut5ts77usThe United Nations has accused the US of committing war crimes during our ongoing campaign in the Caribbean calling on those involved to be investigated and prosecuted. Meanwhile, the strikes continued overnight amidst reporting that President Trump may have approved hitting targets inside of Venezuela.https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/un-human-rights-chief-u-s-strikes-on-alleged-drug-boats-unacceptablehttps://www.cnn.com/2025/10/31/politics/pentagon-strikes-pacific-drug-traffickinghttps://www.foxnews.com/politics...
2025-11-0216 min
War & Conflict with Preston StewartAmerica's Next War is About to BeginThis could quickly turn into our next forever warToday we're discussing the military-led operations in the Caribbean that are focused on cartels and the Maduro regime. We're joined by Colin Clarke and Ben Connable to discuss what we need to keep in mind as this spirals towards a new war, other options available to policymakers and what to watch for in the coming days. Be sure to check out the source article published by the Soufan Center at the link below.https://thesoufancenter.org/research/war-against-the-cartels-prospects-and-perils-for-the-trump-administrations-military-led-campaign/https://x.com/ColinPClarkehttps://www...
2025-10-3134 min
Georgetown University Press PodcastBen Connable, "Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War" (Georgetown UP, 2025)Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War (Georgetown UP, 2025) reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges the overly subjective and often inaccurate American approach to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to replace overly subjective analyses with an evidence-based approach to examining war. From analyzing a set of over 400 global ground combat cases, Connable shows there has been a modest and evolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. This evidence of gradual change repudiates the popular but often hyperbolic ar...
2025-08-2339 minGeorgetown University Press PodcastBen Connable, "Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War" (Georgetown UP, 2025)Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War (Georgetown UP, 2025) reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges the overly subjective and often inaccurate American approach to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to replace overly subjective analyses with an evidence-based approach to examining war. From analyzing a set of over 400 global ground combat cases, Connable shows there has been a modest and evolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. This evidence of gradual change repudiates the popular but often hyperbolic ar...
2025-08-2339 min
New Books in TechnologyBen Connable, "Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War" (Georgetown UP, 2025)Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War (Georgetown UP, 2025) reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges the overly subjective and often inaccurate American approach to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to replace overly subjective analyses with an evidence-based approach to examining war. From analyzing a set of over 400 global ground combat cases, Connable shows there has been a modest and evolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. This evidence of gradual change repudiates the popular but often hyperbolic ar...
2025-08-2339 min
New Books in Science, Technology, and SocietyBen Connable, "Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War" (Georgetown UP, 2025)Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War (Georgetown UP, 2025) reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges the overly subjective and often inaccurate American approach to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to replace overly subjective analyses with an evidence-based approach to examining war. From analyzing a set of over 400 global ground combat cases, Connable shows there has been a modest and evolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. This evidence of gradual change repudiates the popular but often hyperbolic ar...
2025-08-2339 min
New Books in Military HistoryBen Connable, "Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War" (Georgetown UP, 2025)Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War (Georgetown UP, 2025) reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges the overly subjective and often inaccurate American approach to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to replace overly subjective analyses with an evidence-based approach to examining war. From analyzing a set of over 400 global ground combat cases, Connable shows there has been a modest and evolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. This evidence of gradual change repudiates the popular but often hyperbolic ar...
2025-08-2339 min
New Books in National SecurityBen Connable, "Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War" (Georgetown UP, 2025)Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War (Georgetown UP, 2025) reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges the overly subjective and often inaccurate American approach to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to replace overly subjective analyses with an evidence-based approach to examining war. From analyzing a set of over 400 global ground combat cases, Connable shows there has been a modest and evolutionary shift in the characteristics of ground combat from World War II through the early 2020s. This evidence of gradual change repudiates the popular but often hyperbolic ar...
2025-08-2339 min
Facing Coming Storms: Talking International DefenceUnderstanding Modern Combat with Battle Research GroupBen Connable, a former US Marine and leader of the Battle Research Group, discusses the realities of ground combat and their implications for future warfare. We explore the importance of studying battles like Ukraine’s Irpin River clash to understand tactics, human will, and war’s evolving nature, drawing on his team’s fieldwork in Iraq and Ukraine to fill gaps in modern military history often lost to digital records or overshadowed by high-tech solutions.We discuss how shrinking militaries and reliance on technology impact risk and decision-making, emphasising the need to preserve primary sources to prepare for fu...
2025-07-2852 min
Revolution in Military AffairsGround Combat with Ben Connable Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-06-0944 minMCA Scuttlebutt#196: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War with Dr. Ben ConnableHey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in an your continued support. This week, we welcome adjunct professor at Georgetown University, executive director for Battle Research Group, and author of the book Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War, Dr. Ben Connable, to the show. Ben is a retired Marine intelligence and Middle East Foreign Area Officer, was formerly a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, and a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council. Ben talks to us about his experiences in uniform and as a foreign area officer, the impetus behind the writing of his...
2025-06-051h 06MCA Scuttlebutt#196: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War with Dr. Ben ConnableHey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for tuning in an your continued support. This week, we welcome adjunct professor at Georgetown University, executive director for Battle Research Group, and author of the book Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War, Dr. Ben Connable, to the show. Ben is a retired Marine intelligence and Middle East Foreign Area Officer, was formerly a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, and a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council. Ben talks to us about his experiences in uniform and as a foreign area officer, the impetus behind the writing of his...
2025-06-051h 06
Embark On A Game-Changing Full Audiobook On Your Commute.Ground Combat by Ben ConnablePlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/223587to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Ground Combat
Author: Ben Connable
Narrator: Tim Fannon
Format: mp3
Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
Release date: 05-13-25
Ratings: Not rated yet
Genres: National & International Security
Publisher's Summary:
Ground Combat reveals the gritty details of land warfare at the tactical level and challenges today's overly subjective and often inaccurate approaches to characterizing war. Ben Connable's motivation for writing the book is to offer an evidence-based approach to examining the future of war.
2025-05-131h 09
Underground StrategyCombat Morale and the Will to Fight with Tom ThorpeWhat makes soldiers fight—and what makes them stop? Historian, tour guide, and podcaster Tom Thorpe joins Underground Strategy to break down combat morale, motivation, and the will to fight.We discuss the psychology of combat, small-unit cohesion, leadership, and how motivation shifts across different wars and cultures. From the trenches of World War I to modern warfare, we explore how morale shapes battlefield outcomes—and why it sometimes leads to collapse.Tom also shares insights from his research on the London Regiment, upcoming books, and what history can teach us about the realities of moti...
2025-03-0236 minRevolution in Military AffairsFear and Loathing in Ukraine (and Russia)Ben Connable, "Russians Do Break: Historical and Cultural Context for a Prospective Ukrainian Victory," War on the Rocks. Link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-10-1445 min
Controversy & Clarity#8--James Sladden and Ben ConnableIn this episode, we discuss:
*The timeline of major events of the Battle for the Irpin
*Three occasions where the Russians nearly won the battle
*The role of Ukrainian volunteers and civilians
*The role of small unit leaders
*The artillery fight
*The challenges of researching and writing operational military history
*James and Ben’s research approach
*The lack of government support in the US and UK fo...
2024-10-111h 38
Combat Morale PodcastS2E12 – The RAND will to fight studies – Dr Ben ConnableDr Ben Connable talks about his work on the RAND Will to Fight series of policy papers. Ben is a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, the director of research at DT Institute, and adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University. The Will to Fight will to fight and describes its importance to the outcomes of wars. It gives the U.S. and allied militaries a way to better integrate will to fight into doctrine, planning, training, education, intelligence analysis, and military adviser assessments. It provides…
2023-08-3129 minCombat Morale PodcastS2E12 – The RAND will to fight studies – Dr Ben ConnableDr Ben Connable talks about his work on the RAND Will to Fight series of policy papers. Ben is a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, the director of research at DT Institute, and adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University. The Will to Fight will to fight and describes its importance to the outcomes of wars. It gives the U.S. and allied militaries a way to better integrate will to fight into doctrine, planning, training, education, intelligence analysis, and military adviser assessments. It provides…
2023-08-3129 min
Controversy & Clarity#11--Ben ConnableIn this episode, we discuss the following:
-Ben’s forthcoming book on modern ground combat
-The lack of definitions of the terms “character of war” and “nature of war”
-The “debate” on FD 2030
-The supposed massive changes touted in modern warfare, like drones
-Ben's research methods and case sample set
-Coding cases
-The problem with how the US military records modern cases of military operations
-The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale...
2023-05-191h 31
A Better Peace: The War Room PodcastASSESSMENTS: MEASURING ARMIES (AFGHANISTAN LESSONS)The first episode of our three-part series on Afghanistan lessons discussed building armies. This episode focuses exclusively on assessing them. In the studio for this second episode are LTG (R) Eric Wesley, who brings experience from both the National Security Council Staff and the International Security Assistance Force, and Dr. Ben Connable, author of a RAND monograph entitled, Embracing the Fog of War: Assessment and Metrics in Counterinsurgency, They join guest host and U.S. Army War College Fellow LTC Ranjini Danaraj for a serious discussion about the assessment of military forces in Afghanistan. The conversation covers assessment shortfalls, optimism...
2023-05-1240 min
BACK STORY WITH DANA LEWISUKRAINE - WAR IN EUROPESend us Fan MailOn this Back Story long time campaigner for sanctions against Russia Bill Browder who says sanctions will isolate Russia, but we are in for heart break in Ukraine.We talk to Dr. Ben Connable, a retired Marine Corps intelligence officer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, professor of security studies at Georgetown University. And author of an article for RealClearDefense, “Troop-to-Task: A Russian Invasion of Ukraine.” What would it actually take for Putin to invade and occupy Ukraine and what are the risks for Russia? And Ian Bond, f...
2022-02-2746 min
RealClear Defense presents Hot WashThe Will to Fight in Ukraine with Ben ConnableOn the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash”, in light of what appears to be a full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the largest conventional conflict in Europe since WWII, we’ve asked Ben Connable to return to update us on his views of this rapidly evolving situation, and to discuss his recent commentary on RealClearDefense “Will the Ukrainians Fight?”RealClearDefense editor David Craig speaks with Dr. Ben Connable, a retired Marine Corps intelligence officer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, and adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University.Read Ben Connable's article "Will the Ukra...
2022-02-2525 minRealClear Defense presents Hot WashTroop-to-Task Analysis of a Russian Invasion of Ukraine with Ben ConnableOn the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash”, host John Sorensen and RealClearDefense contributor John Waters speak with Dr. Ben Connable, a retired Marine Corps intelligence officer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University. And author of an article for RealClearDefense, “Troop-to-Task: A Russian Invasion of Ukraine.” What would it actually take for Putin to invade and occupy Ukraine and what are the risks for Russia?Read Ben Connable's article“Troop-to-Task: A Russian Invasion of Ukraine”Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash"Subscribe to the Morning Reco...
2022-02-1729 min
The Cognitive Crucible#75 Todd Manyx on the MCIOCThe Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Col. Todd Manyx discusses the Marine Corps Information Operations Center (MCIOC), influence, and battlespace awareness. Our wide ranging conversation covers the origin story of the MCIOC, its components, talent considerations, and current and emerging partnerships with other Department of Defense and international organizations. Resources: Related Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes #13 Russell on...
2021-12-2139 min
Chatter#173 - Dr Martin Libicki On Information Warfare, Espionage, And Cyber SovereigntyMartin Libicki (PhD, U.C. Berkeley 1978) holds the Keyser Chair of cybersecurity studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. In addition to teaching, he carries out research in cyberwar and the general impact of information technology on domestic and national security. He is the author of a 2016 textbook on cyberwar, Cyberspace in Peace and War, as well as two others commercially published books, Conquest in Cyberspace: National Security and Information Warfare, and Information Technology Standards: Quest for the Common Byte). He is also the author of numerous RAND monographs, notably Defender’s Dilemma, Brandishing Cyberattack Capabilities, Crisis and Escalation in Cy...
2021-08-041h 08
Babel: Translating the Middle EastRussia in the Middle East: Part FourIn part four, Jon Alterman looks at U.S.-Russian cooperation and competition in the Middle East. He follows how U.S. policy in the Middle East has shaped Russian policy in the region, and how the U.S.-Russian relationship in the Middle East has evolved over the past three decades. During the episode, Jon talks with Anna Borschevskaya, senior fellow at the Washington Institute; Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Artic and director of the Europe Program at CSIS; Phil Gordon, senior fellow in U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Rel...
2020-09-2222 min