AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Curtez Riggs, a retired First Sergeant, entrepreneur, and founder of the Military Influencer Conference. 

Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Riggs watched the economic foundation of his community disappear almost overnight as manufacturing jobs vanished. With few opportunities available, he chose the Army—not simply as ...

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Curtez Riggs, a retired First Sergeant, entrepreneur, and founder of the Military Influencer Conference. 

Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Riggs watched the economic foundation of his community disappear almost overnight as manufacturing jobs vanished. With few opportunities available, he chose the Army—not simply as ...

Not every Soldier grows up planning to serve. 

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith sits down with Cadet Orion Van Buskirk, a junior—otherwise known as a “Cow”—at the United States Military Academy at West Point, to explore what it means to discover service along the way. 

Raised in Eugene, Oregon, with no military background, Van Buskirk initially saw West Point as an opportuni...

For many veterans, the end of military service raises a difficult question: Who am I now? 

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with retired Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson. After eight deployments to Afghanistan and surviving a life-changing blast from an improvised explosive device, Hendrickson retired, and then later returned overseas as a contractor. But, f...

Running the Army Ten-Miler is a Washington, D.C. tradition bringing together the military and civilians, including wounded warriors and wheelchair athletes, since 1985. It is a proud example of how the Army promotes wellness throughout the community—long after the final runner crosses the finish line. 

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Maya Johnson, Depu...

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 ...