Admiral Harry Harris

From Five Questions for a General by Modern War Institute at West Point

February 5, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

Cadet Nathan Unks interviews Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr. about leadership, national security, and the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

Welcome back to Five Questions for a General, a production of the Modern War Institute at West Point. This series features specially selected cadet hosts who are given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with senior military officers and ask carefully crafted questions about everything from leadership to their unique experiences while serving, to their expectations about the future of war. In this episode, Cadet Nathan Unks sits down with retired Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., former Commander of US Pacific Command and former US Ambassador to South Korea, for a conversation focused on national security, leadership, and perseverance. Admiral Harris reflects on his personal journey—from growing up in the American South as the son of a Navy chief petty officer and a Japanese war survivor, to finding opportunity through Navy JROTC and the Naval Academy—and shares candid lessons on resilience, failure, risk management, and teamwork. The discussion also explores the evolving strategic challenges of the Indo-Pacific, with Admiral Harris identifying China as the most significant long-term threat to global security and emphasizing the importance of alliances…

People in this episode

Guest: Admiral Harry B Harris Jr

Topics covered

national security
leadership
perseverance
Indo-Pacific strategy
China threat
alliances
diplomacy
industrial base

Keywords

resilience
failure
risk management
teamwork
institutional cultures
diverse teams

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Navy JROTC, Naval Academy

Places: US, South Korea, the American South, the Indo-, China, America