Insights from the Fight Podcast

In this episode of the "Insights from the Fight" Podcast, Lieutenant Colonels Aaron Childers and Chad Corbin to discuss the 10th Mountain Division’s deployment to establish Joint Task Force (JTF) Southern Border. The guests discuss the complexities involved in setting the theater within the continental United States, navigating strict intelligence oversight constraints, and forging critical partnerships with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), interagency partners, and the Mexican military. This episode highlights the value of mastering foundational doctrinal processes, such as the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP), design, and establishing an operational framework to enable innovation in an austere, interagency environment.

Listeners will gain insights into the operationalization of intelligence at echelon, the real-world testing of emerging technologies like Counter-UAS, rapid adaptation, and synchronizing operations across a vast joint operations area. This dialogue serves as an essential resource for Army officers and NCOs seeking to understand the nuances of homeland defense operations, interagency coordination, and the continuous evolution of large-scale maneuver doctrine applied to complex, non-traditional threats.

This episode of the "Insights from the Fight" podcast features a discussion with key leaders from the 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, following their successful rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC). The team details their innovative approach to massing all brigade Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into a single, battalion-level specialty platoon, a decision that profoundly enhanced their sensor-to-shooter capabilities. They provide a detailed account of how they simplified their kill chain, managed a target-rich environment to prosecute a high volume of targets.

The conversation delves into the critical lessons learned from operating in a contested environment against a near-peer adversary. The guests discuss the immense challenges of processing vast amounts of sensor data, the limitations of analog communication systems, and the constant threat of enemy electronic warfare. Looking forward, they offer compelling recommendations for the wider Army, including the development of multi-functional UAS platoons with organic strike and EW capabilities, the urgent need for AI-enabled digital fire solutions, and crucial talent management considerations for selecting and training the next generation of UAS operators.

In this episode of the CALL Insight from the Fight Podcast, Chief Warrant Officer Two Nathan Shea—winner of the 2026 Army Best Drone Innovation Competition—shares his frontline experience and insights on the rapidly evolving role of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in modern Army operations. Drawing from his extensive background working with shadow UAS platforms, multinational training with Ukrainian forces, and innovative drone-on-drone defeat tactics, CW2 Shea highlights the critical shift in how Soldiers must adapt and modify UAS in dynamic threat environments. He provides valuable perspectives on the importance of innovation, realistic training with opposing UAS forces, and rapid adaptation to electronic warfare threats. This episode highlights the growing necessity for Army leaders to invest in talent management, integrated UAS and maneuver training, and networked collaboration to maintain tactical understanding of the common operations picture.

In this podcast, two Army Civilian Professionals from the Deployment Process Modernization Office, Stacey Lee and James Swenson, share their extensive experience preparing and executing military deployment operations. The discussion delves into practical advice and resources available to units to enhance their deployment readiness. The "Deployer's Toolbox" and the "Command Deployment Discipline Program (CDDP)" are highlighted as essential tools for commanders and unit movement officers (UMOs). These resources provide checklists, best practices, and a framework for preparing, exercising, and ultimately excelling at deployment operations. The conversation emphasizes a crucial mindset: commanders and units cannot view deployment as a logistical task owned solely by specialists. Instead, deployment ops must be treated as a core operational competency, integrated into daily battle rhythms and training exercises.

On this episode, Colonel Matthew P. Leclair, the Commander for the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) and the 196th Infantry Brigade, provided a comprehensive overview of lessons from the Army's newest combat training center. He emphasized JPMRC's primary functions are leadership development and the validation of new organizations and equipment within the Indo-Pacific region. Unlike traditional training centers, JPMRC is designed to be exportable, bringing realistic, multi-domain training to diverse environments such as the jungles of Hawaii and the arctic conditions of Alaska. This approach allows for training alongside regional allies and partners, directly supporting the U.S. Army Pacific's (USARPAC) Operation Pathways and enhancing interoperability.

Colonel Leclair detailed the complexities of planning and executing training across such wide and varied operating environments. He highlighted the importance of mastering fundamental warfighting skills regardless of the environment, including reconnaissance, security, and the effective use of fires.