It’s time once again to feature some of the smart conversations that occur around the country through the Eisenhower Series College Program. For over 50 years, the Eisenhower Program has reached out to colleges and town halls across the nation to introduce War College students to audiences that are often unfamiliar with members of the U.S. military. This episode features Ajai Dabas, Wade Smith and Matthew Taylor discussing great power competition. They join podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss their professional experiences, primarily in the Indo-Pacific theater. Their insights highlight not only China’s actions and motivations in the region but, more importantly, the crucial importance of alliances as well. All three guests share their thoughts on strong partnerships in INDOPACOM as the primary tool to defeat unchecked Chinese aggression and expansion.
The problem is that the People’s Republic of China has achieved a level of military power that has allowed them to take things that don’t belong to them, knowing that their neighbors like Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, the Philippines do not have the power to deny them.
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Ajai Dabas is a brigadier general in the infantry of the Indian Army and has worked in special forces. His last position before attending the War College was as a brigade commander. He is an international fellow and member of the AY24 Resident Course at the U.S. Army War College and the Eisenhower Series College Program.
Wade Smith is an aircraft maintenance officer and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He has served in a wide variety of organizations, most recently as an action officer on the Air Staff at the Pentagon, where he focused on leadership development for the Air Force’s maintenance officer corps. In his civilian capacity, he serves as the Director of Operations for the Air Force and Space Force’s Personnel Exchange Program within Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Wade is a member of the AY24 Resident Course at the U.S. Army War College and the Eisenhower Series College Program.
Matthew Taylor is a lieutenant colonel and Air Force Special Operations pilot, primarily flying the MC-130J aircraft. He has spent 12 years of his 18-year career overseas, planning and executing special operations missions in hostile and politically-sensitive environments in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Most recently, Lt Col Taylor led the 1st Special Operations Squadron in Okinawa, Japan, an 80-person unit conducting missions throughout the Department of Defense’s largest and most diverse theater. He is a member of the AY24 Resident Course at the U.S. Army War College and the Eisenhower Series College Program.
Ron Granieri is Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo Description: On December 21, 2022, a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet flew within 20 feet of the nose of an RC-135 Rivet Joint, a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane with about 30 people on board. In response, the RC-135 had to take “evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision,” INDOPACOM said in a statement. The RC-135 was in international airspace over the South China Sea and was “lawfully conducting routine operations,” INDOPACOM said.
Photo Credit: DoD Photograph