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The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, says it may take decades for nuclear attack submarines to deploy for the country of Australia. The subs are part of an agreement the US, Australian, and British governments announced September 15th. Admiral Harry Harris (US Navy ret.) is former commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command. He’s former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Admiral Harris explains what the agreement means for US interests in the Pacific, for the participants, for other allies, and for potential adversaries like China.

Photo: Then-Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, departs the Skjold-class coastal corvette HNoMS Steil. Harris visited the vessel at Haakonsvern Naval Base as part of a four-day visit to Norway to strengthen maritime partnerships with Norwegian counterparts.

Task force 1-194 is working the evacuation of State Department and military personnel from Afghanistan this week. That unit is a National Guard unit from Minnesota. It’s on-site at Karzai International airport in Kabul, at the heart of the action. General Craig McKinley (USAF ret.) is former Chief of the National Guard Bureau and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On this episode, he explains the Guard's role in Afghanistan, Iraq, other overseas operations, and deployments here at home.

Photo: Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, right, and Army Capt. Shannon Dean Holiday, commander for Multi-National Task Force East, Thunder Bravo battery, walk the streets of downtown Pristina, Kosovo, during a presence patrol with the Missouri Army National Guard. The Guard Soldiers patrol one of the more populated areas of the American NATO peacekeeping missions in Kosovo.

The collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover of the country have dominated headlines around the world this week. General Joseph Votel (USA ret.) is President and CEO of Business Executives for National Security. He’s former commander of U-S Central Command and Special Operations Command. He reviews how we got here, what we learned, and what we should do next to make sure we don't make the same mistakes in the future.

Photo: U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley (left) hosts the retirement ceremony for the outgoing commander of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, Tampa, Florida, March 28, 2019. Votel retired after 39 years of military service. Attendees at the event included U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

A new Chinese space station could be the first of a number of competitors for the International Space Station the U-S collaborates on, with Russia, Japan, Canada, and the European Union. Private companies are looking at building in space too. General Lester Lyles (USAF ret.) is former Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He's now the chair of the NASA Advisory Council. In this episode, Gen. Lyles takes you across the landscape of the "space enterprise": military, civilian, and commercial space. He also details how the U.S. space enterprise interacts with allies, partners, and adversaries.

Photo: Washington D.C., United States, 09.11.2009. Courtesy Photo NASA  
Visit by General Lester L Lyles to Glenn Research Center - General Lester L Lyles is greeted by NASA Center Director Donald J Campbell.

China is getting even more aggressive in its expansion in the Pacific. One huge factor in countering China may be one of the US’s best allies today, and one of China’s rivals for thousands of years. Admiral Jonathan Greenert (USN ret.) is former Chief of Naval Operations. On this episode, he details what is changing in the way Japan is positioning and preparing itself, and how that country doing so.

Photo: SAN DIEGO (Aug. 17, 2015) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert addresses Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during an all-hands call. Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, conducted a hull-swap with aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Nelson/Released)

The pandemic’s resurgence is causing some jurisdictions to extend or reinstate mandates on masks, social distancing, and other measures. Those jurisdictions are rethinking the way they’re responding to the disaster the pandemic has become. Admiral Thad Allen (USCG ret.) is former Commandant of the Coast Guard. He led the response to Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. On this episode, he details the missing tool for more effective disaster response; who should build and own that tool; and how to implement it whether the disaster is natural or manmade.

Photo: President George W. Bush smiles as he talks with Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, on stage at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington D.C., during a Change of Command Ceremony Thursday, May 25, 2006. White House photo by Eric Draper