Five Questions for a General

Modern War Institute at West Point
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In each episode of this series from the Modern War Institute at West Point, a specially selected cadet host is given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with a senior military officer and ask carefully crafted questions about military experiences to the future of war.

  1. 2d ago

    Lieutenant General Yoshiki Adachi

    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, West Point Cadets Kehlani Stewart and Ryan Van Buskirk interview Lieutenant General Yoshiki Adachi, vice president of Japan’s National Defense Academy, about military education, leadership development, and the evolving security challenges of the Indo-Pacific region. Drawing on nearly four decades of military service and extensive experience working with the United States, General Adachi discusses his unconventional inspiration for joining the military, his visit to West Point for the Sandhurst Competition, and the similarities and differences between the National Defense Academy and the United States Military Academy. He explains how Japan’s joint military education system emphasizes intellectual development, physical fitness, character, self-discipline, and strategic thinking to prepare future officers for service across Japan’s Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces. Looking toward an increasingly complex security environment, General Adachi identifies strategic and critical thinking, technological literacy, ethical judgment, adaptability, and psychological resilience as essential qualities for the next generation of military leaders. He also highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cognitive warfare, and multinational cooperation, emphasizing the need for officers who can think beyond traditional military domains and make sound decisions amid uncertainty. Throughout the conversation, General Adachi reinforces the importance of developing well-rounded leaders through liberal arts education, military history, case studies, wargaming, and practical leadership experiences that prepare cadets to meet the challenges of an unpredictable future.

  2. Oct 15

    Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout

    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 Olivia Hanson sits down with Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout, commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada, to discuss leadership, professional military education, and lessons learned from his thirty-six-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces. General Godbout reflects on his unlikely journey from a small town in Quebec to senior military leadership, explaining how a career initially motivated by educational opportunity became a lifelong commitment to service. He discusses the similarities and differences between Canadian and American military academies, emphasizing the importance of joint education, bilingualism, and developing leaders of character. Drawing on his experience at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, he highlights the importance of preparation, disciplined decision-making, and maintaining composure under pressure. He also shares lessons from commanding Joint Task Force North in the Canadian Arctic, where he learned the value of listening, respecting Indigenous communities, building trust, and understanding the human and environmental dimensions of military operations. Turning to leadership development, General Godbout stresses that technical competence must be complemented by emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, and the courage to confront misconduct. He also discusses ongoing reforms at the Royal Military College, including the need to challenge outdated traditions and strengthen accountability. Throughout the conversation, General Godbout emphasizes humility, adaptability, and lifelong learning, encouraging young officers to embrace unexpected opportunities, nurture professional relationships, and recognize that mistakes are an essential part of becoming an effective leader.

  3. Oct 1

    Major General Jeffrey VanAntwerp

    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 Zach Olson hosts the command team of the 25th Infantry Division, Major General Jeffrey VanAntwerp and Command Sergeant Major Michael Eilers. Their conversation explores leadership, professional growth, and the ways in which their division is preparing soldiers for the changing character of warfare. The guests describe why they chose military service and the infantry, before reflecting on the importance of humility, focus, and lifelong learning as leaders assume greater responsibility. They emphasize that effective leadership begins with understanding an organization before trying to change it, providing clear purpose and priorities, trusting subordinates, and inspiring people to tackle difficult challenges through personal example rather than slogans or speeches. The discussion also examines how the 25th Infantry Division is learning from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, integrating new technologies and command-and-control systems, and adapting those lessons to the distinctive operational environment of the Indo-Pacific. The episode concludes with advice to young soldiers and officers to take risks, avoid self-selecting out of opportunities because of fear of failure, remain focused, and build credibility through performance, integrity, and strong relationships.

  4. Sep 17

    Brigadier General Matthew Ross

    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, Brigadier General Matthew Ross, commander of Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401, joins host Cadet Zack Pelosky in the West Point Class of 1974 Recording Studio to discuss the rapidly evolving threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems and the challenge of building effective counterdrone capabilities across the joint and interagency community. General Ross reflects on how the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks shaped his decision to become an infantry officer and influenced a career spent confronting adaptive threats, before explaining how JIATF 401 brings together the military services and federal agencies to address the growing drone threat. He emphasizes the need for layered defenses that go beyond simply defeating individual drones to targeting the networks, launch sites, and operators behind them; discusses the increasing role of directed-energy systems; and draws lessons from the military’s experience adapting to the threat of improvised explosive devices. Throughout the conversation, General Ross returns to themes of rapid experimentation, prudent risk, shared understanding, organizational culture, and the importance of teaching future leaders not simply what to think, but how to think in an era when technology is changing faster than military institutions can predict. Ultimately, he defines JIATF 401’s measure of success as rapidly delivering state-of-the-art counterdrone capabilities, along with the training, authorities, and infrastructure necessary for warfighters to employ them effectively at home and abroad.

  5. Sep 3

    Brigadier General Rebecca Halstead

    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 with host Cadet Olivia Hanson, retired Brigadier General Rebecca Halstead reflects on a remarkable Army career that began when her mother encouraged her to apply to West Point as the academy was first opening its doors to women. A member of the Class of 1981, Halstead discusses the challenges of being among West Point’s earliest female graduates, the perseverance that carried her through those experiences, and the lessons she later applied while leading soldiers from the company level through service as a commanding general in Iraq. She shares her belief that leaders must first lead themselves, explains why demanding high standards should never mean demeaning people, and describes her enduring STEADFAST leadership philosophy, built around values including discipline, accountability, teamwork, faith, family, and friends. Halstead also speaks candidly about the role faith has played throughout her life and leadership, including a powerful experience counseling a soldier grieving the death of a friend in combat. She closes with advice for cadets and young officers: Never stop learning, remain grateful and humble, develop others without worrying about whether they surpass you, be true to yourself, and measure your progress against the person you were yesterday rather than against everyone around you.

  6. Aug 20

    Major General Douglas Crissman

    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, retired Major General Doug Crissman reflects on more than three decades of Army service and the leadership lessons that endured from West Point through combat, senior command, service alongside the British Army, and life after the uniform. In this conversation with host Cadet Orion van Buskirk, General Crissman argues that great leadership rests less on rank or authority than on authentic connection, competence, trust, and a willingness to keep learning. He discusses why mission command remains an aspirational goal that leaders must continually rebuild, why leader development should happen every day rather than during designated events, and how setbacks often provide more valuable lessons than successes. He also offers a candid look at retirement and purpose, describing his continuing work mentoring military and civilian leaders—and the grounding experience of simply being “Doug” while selling outdoor gear in his post-Army years. General Crissman's message for leaders at every stage is straightforward: focus on what matters, invest in people, learn continuously, and find the work and relationships that fill your tank.

  7. Aug 6

    Major General James Bartholomees

    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 Zach Olson speaks with Major General James Bartholomees, the commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, about the leadership philosophy that has guided him from the Ranger Regiment to division command. The conversation also covers the Army's ongoing process of transformation for future conflict, and the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific. Drawing on decades of experience, General Bartholomees explains why discipline, leader initiative, and strengthening soldiers through personal connection remain timeless leadership principles, even as the character of warfare rapidly evolves through developments like drones, electronic warfare, and artificial intelligence. The discussion concludes with an exploration of wide-ranging topics such as deterrence in the Pacific, the lessons of Ukraine, Operation Pathways, the importance of sustainment, and why tomorrow's leaders must combine mastery of fundamentals with curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning.

  8. Jul 23

    Major General Wolfe Davidson

    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. This episode features Major General Wolfe Davidson, commander of the US Air Force's training enterprise, in a wide-ranging discussion with Cadet Zach Olson about leadership, joint warfighting, innovation, and preparing the next generation of airmen for an increasingly contested battlefield. Drawing on more than three decades as a special tactics officer and senior leader—including assignments supporting US Space Command, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the chief of staff of the Air Force—Davidson explains why modern warfare demands leaders who understand all domains of conflict, embrace joint and coalition operations, and balance innovation with disciplined execution. He shares insights on transforming Air Force basic training for the first time since the Korean War, building trust and accountability within military organizations, the importance of broadening assignments and professional education, and why understanding the why behind the mission is essential for developing adaptive leaders capable of winning tomorrow's wars.

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In each episode of this series from the Modern War Institute at West Point, a specially selected cadet host is given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with a senior military officer and ask carefully crafted questions about military experiences to the future of war.

Information

  • Creator
    Modern War Institute at West Point
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Five Questions for a General

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