Phoenix Cast

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle come back to the Every Marine an AI Rifleman idea and finally answer the fair criticism they got the first time around: cool, but how? Kyle lays out five moves he thinks the Marine Corps could pull off in a single month (words, tools, training, trainers, and leaders), starting with a scrappy, heavily versioned pub that actually defines what an agent is, and a prompt library bolted straight onto GenAI.mil. Rich pushes back on where ontology ends and proficiency standards begin, and the three of them get into what AI marksmanship levels would really look like, from the human machine team all the way up to humans running machines that run other machines. Kyle then adds a sixth move, giving all of it an institutional home at TECOM, because right now the best AI training in the Corps lives wherever it happens to get built. If you have ever been the one person in your unit everybody goes to for the AI answer, this one is for you.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:Agentic AI Commanders Course (MCIC pilot course video on DVIDS):https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1016695/agentic-ai-commanders-courseEvery Marine an AI Rifleman (the previous episode this one builds on):https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vRBJMgTBQNnp0uebmkzEuGenAI.mil platform launch announcement (DoW R&E):https://www.cto.mil/the-war-department-unleashes-ai-on-new-genai-mil-platform/Maven Smart System explainer (CSIS):https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-maven-smart-system-and-what-does-it-doWest Point library prompting guide (CLEAR and COSTAR frameworks):https://guides.library.westpoint.edu/GenAI/promptingCynefin framework (The Cynefin Co):https://thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741805/co-intelligence-by-ethan-mollick/Co-Existence: The Next Phase of AI by Ethan Mollick (out 20 Oct 2026):https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/813026/co-existence-by-ethan-mollick/One Useful Thing, Ethan Mollick’s newsletter:https://www.oneusefulthing.org/Commandant’s Professional Reading List:https://www.usmcu.edu/Home/CMC-Reading-List/Marine Corps Software Factory:https://www.information.marines.mil/Units/Marine-Corps-Software-Factory/

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle sit down with General Tim Haugh, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), the 19th Director of NSA and 4th Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of American cyber power. The general makes his case for keeping the dual hat, takes on the CSIS and FDD reports calling for an independent cyber service, and explains why Cyber Command 2.0, built on lessons from SOCOM’s post-9/11 maturation, gets the nation to better outcomes faster. The conversation moves from his proposal for a specialized court to accelerate industry takedowns of adversary infrastructure, to why agentic AI is about to create identity problems at a scale we’ve never seen, to whether a service with no enlisted personnel could ever actually work. Along the way, Haugh reflects on leading the two very different cultures of NSA and CYBERCOM, life after 34 years in uniform, and the advice he’d give his second lieutenant self. If you want to hear how one of the most consequential leaders in the cyber community thinks about the decisions shaping the force right now, this is the one.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:60 Minutes (Haugh on China / critical infrastructure, 12 Oct 2025):https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-hacking-us-critical-infrastructure-retired-general-tim-haugh-warns-60-minutes-transcript/USCYBERCOM 2024 Posture Statement:https://www.cybercom.mil/Media/News/Article/3739700/posture-statement-of-general-timothy-d-haugh-2024/DefenseScoop - "We want to be at mastery" (Feb 2025):https://defensescoop.com/2025/02/20/cybercom-wants-more-consistent-readiness-approach-across-services/DefenseScoop - CYBERCOM 2.0 House briefing (Feb 2025):https://defensescoop.com/2025/02/12/cybercom-2-0-model-house-lawmakers-receive-first-briefing/FDD - Implementing CYBERCOM 2.0 Should Not Postpone Establishing a Cyber Force (Apr 2026):https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/04/23/implementing-cybercom-2-0-should-not-postpone-establishing-a-cyber-force/Air & Space Forces - Former CYBERCOM commanders urge caution on a separate service (Dec 2025):https://www.airandspaceforces.com/former-cybercom-commanders-new-military-cyber-service/Yale Jackson School Blue Center Senior Fellow announcement:https://jackson.yale.edu/news/general-timothy-haugh-named-blue-center-senior-fellow/Ballistic Ventures Strategic Advisor announcement (Jul 2025):https://ballisticventures.com/former-nsa-director-and-commander-of-u-s-cyber-command-gen-timothy-d-haugh-joins-ballistic-ventures-as-strategic-advisor/CISA Joint Advisory AA24-038A - Volt Typhoon:https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa24-038aAir Force Biography:https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/1286007/timothy-d-haugh/

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John and Kyle are joined by special guest LtGen Jerry Carter, the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Information. They discuss the evolution of the DCI role, the cultural and organizational challenges of building a cohesive information warfare community, the urgency of adapting faster in cyberspace and AI, and why winning future conflicts requires rethinking how the Marine Corps fights, learns, and innovates in a persistent state of competition.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:Books mentioned:-The Kill Chain - https://a.co/d/iWefKB4-Next War: Reimaginging How We Fight - https://a.co/d/8l0dDqz-Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War - https://a.co/d/faqu9uZ

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle are joined by special guest Capt Chris Clark - the Marine Corps Artificial Intelligence Lead in the Marine Corps Deputy CLinks:-(USMC Fellowships) https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4315247/fy26-artificial-intelligence-fellowship-programs/-https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/4325857/update-to-maradmin-46025-fy26-artificial-intelligence-fellowship-programs/ -(Private Sector Solutions) https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-s-eagleeye-puts-mommandant for Information Service Data Office to discuss Marine Corps AI. Have a listen, and let us know what you think!We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!ission-command-and-ai-directly-into-the-warfighter-s-helmet/ -(Inference at the Edge) https://research.ibm.com/blog/northpole-ibm-ai-chip Kurzgesagt video on AI Slop AI Slop Is Destroying The Internet

In this episode of the Phoenix Cast, hosts John and Kyle are joined by special guests Josh Stiefel and LTG (ret) Edward Cardon, the architects of CSIS’ Cyber Force project. We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:CSIS announcement: https://youtu.be/f-u_P9yp6AI?si=ykRebsVoEtFC3BkPCSIS 16 Sept panel: https://www.csis.org/events/launch-commission-us-cyber-force-generationMcCrary Institute: Cyber Force, ROI, and the Case for Reform with Ed Cardon & Josh Stiefel

Continuing the conversation from Episode 122 with Col Matt Schroer, The Phoenix Cast hosts John, Rich, and Kyle sit down with Glenn Berdela and John Henderson—Commanding Officers of 2d Network Battalion and 8th Communications Battalion—to explore where communications formations are headed next.We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle are joined by special guest LtCol Brian Kerg - Commanding Officer of Comm Squadron 38 to discuss the basics of a Communications Squadron, and an upcoming competition that MWCS-38 will be having - Thunderstruck. Have a listen, and let us know what you think!We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:ThunderStruck Announcement on LinkedIn: https://rb.gy/19d6y2ThunderStruck Announcement from ‘Do You Even Comm, Bro?’ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMVcy-msnoM/?hl=enMWCS-38 Homepage: https://www.3rdmaw.marines.mil/Units/MACG-38/MWCS-38/Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-20: Aviation Operations https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/MCWP%203-20%20Formerly%20MCWP%203-2.pdf?ver=2017-10-11-094942-787MWCS-38 at Project Convergence Capstone 5: https://defensescoop.com/2025/04/14/marines-accomplish-two-communications-firsts-at-armys-project-convergence/MWCS-38 Developing the Comm-Sensor Integration Team: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/492346/project-convergence-capstone-5-returns-california-expands-indo-pacific-aorMarine Corps Aviation Learning Management System (MCALMS): https://mcalms.usmc.mil/Maneuver Chess: Integrating Think and Fight Drills into Military Training: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/november/maneuver-chess-integrating-think-and-fight-drills-militaryInternal MWCS-38 Super Squad Competition review on LinkedIn : https://shorturl.at/6c9Gi

In this episode of Phoenix Cast, hosts John, Rich, and Kyle discuss AI 2027. Have a listen, and let us know what you think!We'd love to hear your thoughts! Tweet us at our new handle, @ThePhoenixCast, and don't forget to join our LinkedIn Group to connect with fellow Phoenix Casters. If you enjoyed the episode, help us out by leaving one of those coveted 5-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!Links:https://ai-2027.com/https://www.perplexity.ai/page/new-research-shows-openai-s-la-l4Sns0ZRR6K7266VFz6HuAhttps://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Alignment_Problem_Machine_Learning_a/Lh_WDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcoverhttps://www.nist.gov/caisihttps://fedscoop.com/trump-administration-rebrands-ai-safety-institute-aisi-caisi/https://www.amazon.com/Alignment-Problem-Machine-Learning-Values/dp/0393635821https://www.amazon.com/Life-3-0-Being-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1101946598 https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Wave-Technology-Twenty-first-Centurys/dp/0593593952 https://www.amazon.com/Human-Machine-Team-Artificial-Intelligence-Revolutionize/dp/B0948LGS3Khttps://www.csis.org/podcasts/ai-policy-podcast