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Federal, State and local agencies regularly use exercises to prepare for natural disasters including pandemics. In 2019, many of these entities and private sector partners participated in the scenario Crimson Contagion, which was meant to test how the U.S. government would respond to a novel influenza pandemic spreading through the U.S. Sound familiar? On this episode of CNA Talks, Chris Emory, the Bureau Chief of Health Emergency Management within in the New Mexico Department of Health, and Cynthia Holmes who served as the coordinator for New Mexico’s Joint Information Center for the first 200 of the COVID response join CNA analysts Dawn Thomas and Eric Trabert. They discuss how lessons learned from Crimson Contagion shaped New Mexico’s response to COVID-19. Dawn Thomas is the co-director of CNA’s Center for Emergency Management Operations. Dawn has written, executed and evaluated more than 60 exercises, in the fields of health and medical operations, animal disease and public health. Eric Trabert is the Director of CNA’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience. He has evaluated the public health responses to more than a dozen emergencies, including the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic, and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Chris Emory is the Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Health Emergency Management within the New Mexico Department of Health. Cynthia Holmes is currently an instructor with NCBRT out of Louisiana State University. Before this position, she served as the training and exercise manager for the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. During this time, she served as the coordinator for the Joint Information Center for the first 200 days of the COVID Response.

How New Mexico Prepared for COVID-19

Rear Admiral Mike McDevitt (ret.) sits down with Kevin Pollpeter to discuss his book, “China as a Twenty-First Century Naval Power.” They cover topics including China’s military presence abroad, the dispute over the South China Sea, and how the U.S. can continue to support its allies in the region. Rear Adm. Michael McDevitt (retired) is a senior fellow at CNA. During his 34-year naval career, McDevitt held four at-sea commands, including command of an aircraft carrier battle group. He spent all of his operational time in the Pacific, including a two-year assignment in Sasebo, Japan. McDevitt was Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group Fellow at the Naval War College. Kevin Pollpeter is a research scientist in the CNA China Studies Program. He is an internationally recognized expert on China's space program and is widely published on Chinese national security issues, focusing on Chinese military modernization, China's defense industry, and Chinese views on information warfare.

Rebroadcast: China as a Twenty-First Century Naval Power

In part two of their discussion, CNA counterterrorism experts Alex Powell and Jon Schroden sit down with James Cunningham the lead author for two comprehensive lessons learned reports published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).  They discuss some positive takeaways from the development of the Afghan National Security Forces and what lessons the U.S. government can learn from Afghanistan. Timestamps by Topic 1:17: Were there effective approaches to developing the Afghan National Security Forces? 7:05: What lessons should the U.S. government learn from Afghanistan? 12:59: Will the U.S. government make any actionable change because of these lessons? Guest Biographies James Cunningham is the lead author and project lead for two comprehensive lessons learned reports published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction focused on reconstructing the ANDSF.  For over 16 years, James has worked Afghanistan-related issues as a member of the Intelligence community and providing independent oversight of U.S. reconstruction programming. Jonathan Schroden is the Director of CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program (CTCP), whose mission is to support US government efforts to better understand and counter state and non-state threats and challenges. Schroden has deployed or traveled to Afghanistan 13 times. Alex Powell is an expert on terrorist group tactics, counterterrorism, and special operations forces (SOF).  He has worked extensively on security issues in Afghanistan, traveling there numerous times to conduct assessments of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Additional Resources SIGAR Website: https://www.sigar.mil/ Divided Responsibility: Lessons from U.S. Security Sector Assistance Efforts in Afghanistan, June 2019 (https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-19-39-LL.pdf) Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan, September 2017 (https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-17-62-LL.pdf)

The Collapse of the Afghan Security Forces (Part 2)

In this episode, CNA counterterrorism experts Alex Powell and Jon Schroden sit down with James Cunningham the lead author for two comprehensive lessons learned reports published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).  They discuss the collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in the face of the Taliban offensive, how the Taliban were able to take territory with so little resistance and problems with how the U.S. military trained the ANDSF. Guest Biographies James Cunningham is the lead author and project lead for two comprehensive lessons learned reports published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction focused on reconstructing the ANDSF.  For over 16 years, James has worked Afghanistan-related issues as a member of the Intelligence community and providing independent oversight of U.S. reconstruction programming. Jonathan Schroden is the Director of CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program (CTCP), whose mission is to support US government efforts to better understand and counter state and non-state threats and challenges. Schroden has deployed or traveled to Afghanistan 13 times. Alex Powell is an expert on terrorist group tactics, counterterrorism, and special operations forces (SOF).  He has worked extensively on security issues in Afghanistan, traveling there numerous times to conduct assessments of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Additional Resources SIGAR Website: https://www.sigar.mil/ Divided Responsibility: Lessons from U.S. Security Sector Assistance Efforts in Afghanistan, June 2019 (https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-19-39-LL.pdf) Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in Afghanistan, September 2017 (https://www.sigar.mil/pdf/lessonslearned/SIGAR-17-62-LL.pdf)  

The Collapse of the Afghan Security Forces (Part 1)

The collapse of the Afghan government to Taliban fighters has prompted the U.S. and its allies to evacuate their citizens from the country. However, China has bucked the trend by leaving its embassy in Kabul open and suggesting that it is interested in a cooperative relationship with the Taliban. CNA analyst, Brian Waidelich joins John Stimpson, to discuss how China has a history of playing both sides when it comes to Afghan and how they might leverage their existing relationship with the Taliban to further their interests in the region. CNA Report-Beyond Belt and Road: https://www.cna.org/research/OBOR Brian Waidelich is a Research Scientist in CNA’s Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Program. His research interests include Chinese foreign policy and security affairs, as well as strategic competition.

A Belt and Road Through Afghanistan?

Ariel Klein and Kaia Haney join John Stimpson to discuss their new framework for the four types of innovation, sustaining, breakthrough, disruptive and comprehensive.  They explain how the Navy and other organizations can use the framework to identify what types of innovation they want and how they can organize to achieve it.   Ariel Klein is a Senior Research Scientist with CNA’s Organizational Roles and Mission Operations Program. Kara Haney is a research intern at CNA. She is currently pursuing her master’s at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. CNA Report: How to Think about Innovation: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/How-to-Think-about-Innovation.pdf  

4 Types of Innovation

On this episode of CNA Talks, Jonathan Schroden and Carter Malkasian join Elizabeth Cutler to discuss the ongoing U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes. 

The U.S. Departs Afghanistan

On this episode of CNA Talks, we are covering the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Iran and China which was signed on March 27, 2021. CNA analysts Mike Connell and Jeffrey Becker discuss the provisions of this deal, what both sides hope to get out of it, and what it means for the United States. CNA Report: Beyond Belt and Road: https://www.cna.org/research/OBOR Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes. 

China and Iran's Pact

On this episode of CNA Talks, Jamie Biglow and Lars Hanson from CNA welcome Shawn Talmadge Deputy Secretary of public safety and homeland security for Virginia. Together the three of them discuss how states can protect their critical infrastructure in the age of cyber-attacks. Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes.

Resiliency in the Age of Cyber-Attacks

On this episode of CNA Talks, Ralph Espach welcomes Joseph Tulchin of the WWICS Group and Román Ortiz of the National Defense University. Together they discuss the current security situation in Latin America, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of China in the region. Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes.  

Crisis Como Siempre (Crisis as Always)

This time on our Polar Politics occasional series, Josh Tallis sits down with Dr. Cameron Carlson of Alaska Fairbanks University and Dr. Elizabeth Wishnick of Montclair State University. They discuss the idea of Arctic identities in The Arctic states, how they compare between different nations, and their impact on great power competition in the region. Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes.

Polar Politics: Arctic Identities and the Great Powers

In this episode of CNA Talks, Elizabeth Clelan, Anita Hattiangadi, Yancey Hrobowski and Amanda Kraus discuss what big data can and cannot tell us about demographic representation in the U.S. military. Population Representation in the Military Services Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes.  

What Can Big Data Tell Us About Representation in the Military?

Podcast Stings

On this episode of CNA Talks, Jonathan Schroden and Alex Powell discuss the plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. They cover the logistics of the withdrawal, how the Afghan Security Forces will operate without U.S. forces, and what this means for Afghanistan's future.  Go to www.cna.org/CNAtalks to learn more about the participants and listen to more CNA Talks episodes. 

September 11, 2021

CNA Talks covers the topics of today from foreign policy and defense to policing, education and more. Each episode features a discussion on current affairs led by our in-house experts. CNA is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to developing actionable solutions to complex problems of national importance.

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