The Operational Arch

Latest episode

16 Sep 2026 · 48 min

Narrative War: The fourth grammar of war -- with Dr. Brian Steed

Hosts Major Carlen Vician and Major Evelyn Payne sit down with Brian Steed—historian, retired Army foreign area officer, and author of Narrative War: The Philosophy of Social Conflict—about how narrative shapes modern conflict and planning in the information domain. Steed explains four “grammars” of war (positional, maneuver, firepower, and narrative), tracing shifts from defeating army wings to armies, states, and attempts to paralyze systems, arguing narrative is dominant in 2025 while other philosophies still appear (e.g., positional warfare in Ukraine). He describes narrative as an…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

1. 

   S4 · E50 · 1 Jun 2026 · 50 min

   Seeing Over the Edge: Operational Planning and Intelligence with MG (R) Spider Marks

   In this episode, hosts Major DJ Taylor and Major Evelyn Payne sit down with Major General (Ret.) James "Spider" Marks — decorated Army intelligence officer, Georgetown University professor, and CNN military analyst — for a wide-ranging conversation on operational planning, intelligence, and leadership. General Marks draws on over 30 years of service, including his roles as Senior Intelligence Officer during the 1992 LA Riots and Operation Iraqi Freedom, to share hard-won lessons on anticipating threats, bridging the gap between tactical and strategic objectives, and navigating the complexity…

2. 

   S4 · E49 · 15 May 2026 · 44 min

   From Tactical to Operational: Building Army Leaders for the Future Fight — with COL Ethan Diven, Commandant of US Army CGSC

   Major Spencer Bates sits down with Colonel Ethan Diven, the US Army Command and General Staff College Commandant, and former Commander of Operations Group at the NationalTraining Center, to explore the evolving challenges facing the operational force. From multi-domain competition to professional military education reform, COL Diven draws on a career spanning NTC, Afghanistan, Operation Octave Quartz,and Operation Allies Refuge to deliver hard-won lessons on planning, leadership, and the responsibility of field-grade officers. Colonel Diven's key take-aways? 1. Ruthlessly protect your time…

3. 

   1 May 2026 · 45 min

   An Unshakable Bond: Insights into the US-ROK relationship and the threat posed by North Korea with Lt. Gen. (R) Chun In-bum

   In this episode of The Operational Arch , hosts Spencer Bates and DJ Taylor sit down with Lieutenant General Chun In-bum (Ret.), former commander of the Republic of Korea Special Warfare Forces and U.S. Army War College graduate, for a wide-ranging conversation on the enduring U.S.-ROK alliance. General Chun explores the deep historical, cultural, and security ties that bind the two nations — from Korea's democratic founding under American mentorship to the shared sacrifices of the Vietnam War. The discussion shifts to the operational challenges of the Korean Peninsula, including terrain,…

4. 

   S4 · E47 · 15 Apr 2026 · 47 min

   From Warhammer to War Plans: The IDEA Framework with Stephen Box

   In this episode of The Operational Arch, hosts Spencer Bates and DJ Taylor sit down with Steven Box, founder and CEO of Vanguard Tactics and a top-ranked competitive Warhammer coach, alongside SAMS professor Matt Yandura. The conversation explores how Box's "IDEA" framework — developed over years of competitive tabletop wargaming and coaching — maps surprisingly well to military decision-making: gathering the right information under time pressure, making rapid decisions, executing with composure, and assessing outcomes to adapt. The episode also digs into why SAMS invited an outside expert…

5. 

   S4 · E46 · 1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

   So You Think You Want to be a SAMS Graduate? Insights on applying to and being successful at AMSP with the leadership team

   In this episode of The Operational Arch , host Major DJ Taylor hands the mic over to three key SAMS leaders: Mr. Kirk Dorr (Deputy Director of the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS)), Dr. Bruce Stanley (Director of the Advanced Military Studies Program (AMSP)), and Colonel Paul Godson (Deputy Director of AMSP). Together, they pull back the curtain on the Advanced Military Studies Program, covering what it is, what it produces, and exactly how officers can go from being curious about the program to becoming a competitive applicant. They dispel myths about AMSP as merely a "planners'…

6. 

   S3 · E46 · 6 Feb 2026 · 33 min

   Mastering Mentorship: Insights from Colonel Retired Dwayne Wagner

   In this episode of the Operational Arch podcast, Major Joanna Van Engel interviews Colonel (Retired) Dwayne Wagner,a seasoned Army planner and educator. They delve into the critical topics of mentorship, coaching, and counseling within military leadership, emphasizing the importance of developing junior leaders for long-term success. COL Wagner discusses the shifting dynamics of mentorship post-9/11, the distinct roles of coaching and mentoring, and the symbiotic relationship between officers and NCOs. He also addresses the challenges leaders face in the modern era, influenced by social…

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