Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey talks about global security, Russian aggression and more as the special guest on this week’s American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey is the special guest on this week’s episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast, co-hosted by Ashley Gutermuth and Stacy Pearsall.
McCaffrey, a four-star general, retired in 1996. During his 32 years of service, he was awarded two Silver Stars, two Distinguished Service Crosses and three Purple Hearts for injuries he sustained during the Vietnam War. He now serves as a terrorism analyst and military expert, often appearing on national broadcast news programs.
“It’s a troubled world,” he said. “If you just read the front page about Ukraine being invaded by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s criminal enterprise or Israelis fighting for their very survival, very existence, the mass tragedies in Central America and northern South America where millions of people trying to stay alive while fleeing economic collapse and injustice, it’s easy to see this as a calamity.”
Still, McCaffrey said, this could be the safest time period in American history. He cited the strong National Guard and Reserve components, what he called a strong economy and a vibrant agricultural system.
“Things are better than they may seem, the problem is political division and anger,” he said. “I think we are in pretty good shape, to be blunt.”
The general admits he often is the first one in a group to get scared and start worrying about a situation. That said, what is worrying him the most now?
“The biggest single concern I have right now is the lack of consensus, civility and pragmatism in national political leadership,” he said. “It is outrageous. And I don’t mean one party.”
McCaffrey also hit on important topics such as where the Russian aggression could lead next; the deterioration of history and government being taught in high schools; the amount of disinformation and extremism in the world today; and more.
Additionally, Gutermuth and Pearsall also:
• Shoot down another mistruth in “Troll Patrol,” which deals with the falsehood that service only matters during wartime.
• Discuss why roller coasters were invented.
• Talk about the military history of Ray-Bans.
• Reveal the Holocaust survivor and trained sniper who said, “A lesson taught with humor is a lesson retained.”
Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 210 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima