In this episode of the Modern War Institute Podcast, John Amble is joined by Dave Stephenson, the director of the Joint Staff’s Office of Irregular Warfare and Competition. The conversation dives deeply into the role of irregular warfare in the current and future global operation environments. But Dave also helps listeners to understand irregular warfare with an important degree of nuance and context. How does it fit into the notion of great-power competition? Why is a joint approach to irregular warfare, which brings together the perspectives and accounts for the capabilities of all US armed services, especially important? These are just a few of the questions the discussion covers.

Listen to the full conversation below, and be sure to subscribe to the MWI Podcast wherever you get your podcasts—Apple PodcastsStitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app.

Also, for listeners particularly interested in irregular warfare, we have an entire podcast series devoted to the topic. It’s called the Irregular Warfare Podcast, and it’s a collaborative effort between MWI and Princeton University’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. It is hosted by a great team who bring together fascinating guests for rich and insightful discussions, and you can find it by visiting the MWI website or on any podcast app.

Image credit: Sgt. Wes Conroy, US Army