AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

History often remembers the invasion: the beaches, the Soldiers, and the first waves crashing ashore on D-Day. But in the days before Allied forces reached Normandy, another battle was unfolding behind closed doors. A battle of judgment, uncertainty, and leadership under immense pressure.  

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith sits down with filmmaker Anthony Maras, director, co-writer, editor, and pro...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith sits down with SGM (Ret.) Mark Reilly, founder of The Washington Tattoo, a large-scale musical production designed to be a unifying voice at the intersection of music, history, and national identity. What began as a vision to create world-class performances has grown into a platform that supports servicemembers, veterans, first responders, and their families&md...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with LTG (Ret.) Patricia Horoho to reflect on her experience responding firsthand to the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11 and the leadership that emerged in those first critical moments. 

2026 marks 25 years since the attack, and her heroism will be remembered during the National Memorial Day Concert hel...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with LTC Armand Balboni, a U.S. Army officer whose career spans military service, biomedical science, law, academia and executive leadership in the private sector. 

Balboni’s journey did not begin with certainty. Told early on that he was not college material; he enlisted in the Coast Guard after high school—an experience th...

In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with BG Maurice “Moe” Barnett, Commanding General of U.S. Army Cadet Command. From growing up in Gary, Indiana, to leading the Army’s largest commissioning source, BG Barnett reflects on the mentors, missteps, and moments that shaped his 31-year journey. 

He speaks candidly about nearly leaving the Army after his...

Sgt. (Ret.) Rick Yarosh travels the country with Sweethearts & Heroes, speaking primarily to students about hope, empathy, resilience, and the idea that none of us succeed alone. He now describes the tragedy that brought him this wisdom as “the best thing that ever happened” to him. 

In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Sgt. R...

Heroism is often remembered in a single moment, but for those who live it, the story does not end when the shooting stops. Leadership, responsibility, and accountability start long before, and continue long after the battle is over.

In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Battle of ...

When it comes to readiness, the careers of Army spouses are sometimes overlooked, but the balance required to maintain economic stability and quality of life within the family is often tested through frequent moves, disrupted careers and hard choices made quietly in the background. 

In this episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Elizabeth O’Brien and Josh Fugate to ...

The military does many things with precision and honor, but for families left behind, the hardest journey often begins after the ceremony ends. Grief does not follow a timeline, and loss does not end with the rifle volley as the final notes of “Taps” play.

In this deeply personal episode of Army Matters, hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with two nationally recognized advocates for militar...

The character of war is changing, but its human stakes are not. Speed, software, autonomy, and long-range systems now shape the battlefield, yet every decision still carries life-or-death consequences for Soldiers on the ground. LTG (Ret.) Neil Thurgood’s background has prepared him to help guide thinking on the Army's adaptation without losing the values that define it. How can technology actually serve those who fight?

In t...

Officers and Soldiers of all ranks perform daily physical tasks that rival—if not surpass—those of some of the world’s top athletes, thanks to the Army’s world-class training and health programs. And who does the Army like to partner with to strengthen and innovate its own training methods? Professional sports teams and their staffs, often creating world-class programs in parallel. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C....

With its proximity to China, Russia, and—obviously—North Korea, the United States Forces Korea command is growing in importance by the minute. Leading this force—as well as the United Nations Command and the Combined Forces Command—is highly-regarded GEN Xavier T. Brunson, who brings not only his 35 years of Army experience to the table, but also a vast family history in leadership. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C...

In 2014, a military spouse and a priest—both avid bakers—wanted to create a fun, welcoming place that could help out transitioning veterans. They started Dog Tag Bakery, a Washington café that not only serves coffee and treats but also hosts a business incubator program. Over the last decade, the organization has assisted almost four hundred veterans and military spouses in their startup companies, creating employment&m...

On Christmas Eve, 1944, Elizabeth Vincken and her twelve-year-old son, Fritz, sat down for a quiet Christmas Eve dinner, hopeful for a respite in the midst of deadly battles in the northern Belgian forest. Knocks on their door quickly turned their evening into a series of dramatic moments and standoffs, but Elizabeth’s bravery and compassion led to one of the most heart-filled – and unheard – stories of World War ...

As they helped Afghanistan refugees during the sudden withdrawal of American troops from the country in 2021, social entrepreneur Alex McLeod and her husband, MAJ Jay Long, realized they wanted to create a better system for these new immigrants to fund their small businesses. They created Parlay Protocol, an AI-aided, veteran-built financial platform that makes it easier for banks to approve small business loans. It’s just on...

In 2013, a mother and her son decided to collect some used PCs and Macs and donate them to military veterans so they could learn valuable digital skills. Tech For Troops was born! In the more-than-twelve years since then, under the direction of President Mark Casper, the organization has ballooned in size and has helped thousands of veterans gain necessary skills for the digital world. Hosts LTG (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith and SMA (Ret....

As LTC Mike Erwin retired from active duty in 2010, he discovered a large number of fellow veterans who were longing for a community. And so, eager to provide a solution, he created Team Red, White & Blue (TeamRWB) to fill that void. Over the last fifteen years, this organization has put together over fifteen thousand events—everything from fun runs to chess meets—and has connected over a quarter-million veterans. H...

For decades, Soldiers in the Army Ranger School were only men, most of them in their 20s. But in 2015, then-MAJ Lisa Jaster set out to change that, and became one of the first three women, and the first female Reserve officer, ever to graduate Ranger School. For her, it was one of many accomplishments in a distinguished life of service, ranging from her time at West Point to her award-winning fitness career and her stint as an auth...

In April 2003, CPL J.R. Martinez’s Humvee ran over a roadside bomb in Iraq, and he was trapped in the burning vehicle for over five minutes. When he got out, he had burns on 34 percent of his body. Three years in the hospital and thirty-four surgeries later, he was better physically, but his most important accomplishment during that time was finding hope. That allowed him to forge ahead with an incredible life. He became a su...