AUSA’s Army Matters Podcast

The Stories of the Pacific episodes bring together seven Soldiers whose experiences reflect the depth, diversity and purpose of the U.S. Army in the Indo-Pacific, where the Army operates in a complex and rapidly changing environment.  

Our co-hosts sat down at AUSA’s LANPAC event in Hawaii back in May to meet incredible leaders in the U.S. Army Pacific Command, from junior enlisted to more senior levels.  Their voices represent the Total Army and provide an authentic look at service in one of the most important regions in the world. 

In the first of two episodes, they speak with SFC Sarah Nelms, a PHD candidate who deployed four times as a member of the Army National Guard, COL Khalid Shabazz, a Muslim Chaplain whose life was transformed in the Army, and SSG Gage Smith, a top Army Recruiter excelling at connecting people with their calling. 

Guest: Part 1 with Soldiers from the U.S. Army Pacific Command

Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. 

Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. 

Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. 

Disclaimer:

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

The Army teaches Soldiers how to fight, lead and endure. But what happens when the mission ends, and the weight of service remains? 

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Major Jake Kelly, an Armor Officer, Army Strategist and author of The Spurs of Service, a collection of poetry inspired by military service, loss, leadership and healing. 

After losing a fellow Soldier to suicide, and losing two close friends in the Army as well, all in the same year, Kelly spent a long time carrying a grief that he struggled to explain, even to the people closest to him. Writing became a way to process these experiences; and that writing eventually led to a book that has resonated with Soldiers, veterans, spouses and military families alike. 

Drawing parallels between the lives of Soldiers and cowboys, The Spurs of Service explores sacrifice, duty, resilience, brotherhood and the emotional cost of a life spent serving others.

Guest:  MAJ Jake Kelly, U.S. Army Author, The Spurs of Service

Poetry Readings: CSM(R) Robert V. Abernethy, Senior Director, NCO & Soldier Programs, AUSA

Interested In Purchasing The Spurs of Service?

It can be found at Sawdust Publishing and Amazon. 

Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. 

Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. 

Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. 

Disclaimer:

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Stephen Siller had just completed a night shift with New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Squad 1. He was driving home to play golf with his brothers when he heard over his radio that America was under attack. 

He turned his truck around. 

When he reached the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it had been closed. So, Stephen strapped on nearly sixty pounds of firefighting gear and ran through the tunnel toward the Twin Towers. He was never seen alive again. 

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, to discuss his brother Stephen’s extraordinary sacrifice, the devastating days that followed, and how one family’s grief became the impetus for one of America’s largest organizations supporting military families, first responders, Gold Star families, and injured and homeless veterans. 

Guest:  Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO, Tunnel to Towers Foundation and AUSA’s 2026 Marshall Medal Recipient

What is Tunnels To Tower?

Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. 

Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. 

Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. 

Disclaimer:

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

Leadership shaped by...failure?  

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with COL Chaveso “Chevy” Cook, PhD, a career Army officer whose path has spanned tactical leadership, Psychological Operations, strategic communications, speechwriting for the Secretary of the Army, and serving on the West Point faculty—and on the Joint Staff. 

Growing up in a difficult neighborhood, Cook’s future changed because one woman—his adoptive mother—insisted that education would be his way forward. That conversation ultimately led him to West Point and began a career dedicated not only to leading Soldiers, but to developing leaders. 

Whether discussing psychological operations, teaching cadets, advising the nation’s senior military leaders, or founding Military Mentors, Cook returns to one consistent theme: great leadership begins with humility and grows through continuous learning.

Guest:  COL Chaveso "Chevy" Cook, PhDDivision Chief, Strategic Information Integration Division, The Joint Staff andCo-Founder, MilitaryMentors

Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. 

Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. 

Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. 

Disclaimer:

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.

In this episode of Army Matters, LTG (Ret.) Leslie Smith and SMA (Ret.) Dan Dailey sit down with Curtez Riggs, a retired First Sergeant, entrepreneur, and founder of the Military Influencer Conference. 

Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Riggs watched the economic foundation of his community disappear almost overnight as manufacturing jobs vanished. With few opportunities available, he chose the Army—not simply as a career, but as a chance to build a better future. Today, Riggs shares how his childhood and Army experiences led him to create one of the military community’s largest networks, connecting veterans, service members, entrepreneurs, creators, and industry leaders.  

Guest:  1SG Curtez Riggs, U.S. Army Retired Founder, Military Influencer Conference andVice President, Strategy &Engagement, Recurrent Military & Defense

What is the Military Conference?

The Military Influencer Conference (MIC) brings together military professionals, veterans, and industry leaders for networking and professional development. Click below to learn more.
MIC 2026 — Military Influencer Conference 

Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA’s Army Matters podcast!

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath. 

Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA’s educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. 

Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. 

Disclaimer:

AUSA’s Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.