The Naval Institute is a private, not-for-profit educational institution whose mission is to provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security. Every week on the Proceedings Podcast, the Naval Institute's Director of Outreach, Ward Carroll, and the Editor-in-Chief of Proceedings, Bill Hamblet, talk about what's happening in the Sea Services, latest news from USNI News, stories in Proceedings and Naval History magazines, and interview Naval Institute authors. Deputy Editor Bill Bray joins the cast from time to time as well.
Host Bill Hamblet interviews John Cordle about the Navy's new shaving policy and its potential impact on sailors affected by pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). They discuss the medical condition, readiness, retention, leadership, and whether changes to grooming standards could unintentionally affect recruiting, careers, and the fleet's overall effectiveness.
Host Bill Hamblet sits down with Captain Robert Niewoehner, U.S. Navy (Retired), and Jefferson D. Grubb, head of the Operations Research Division at the Naval Safety Command, to examine lessons from recent F-35 mishaps, the evolution of naval aviation safety, and how institutional learning can help build a safer, stronger fleet.
Host Bill Hamblet talks with the Honorable Ben Kohlmann, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, about the future of the fleet.
During the American Revolution, privateers prowled the Atlantic in search of British prizes—serving the Patriot cause while generating enormous profits for their investors. This episode explores the story of the privateer Oliver Cromwell, Captain Joseph Lee, and the high-risk business of Revolutionary War privateering. Was it a fight for independence, a business opportunity, or both?
Host Emily Abdow talks with five-term congressman and award-winning author Robert Mrazek about the life and writings of Bill Evans, the youngest pilot of the ill-fated Torpedo Squadron 8 at the Battle of Midway.
A new voluntary program at the U.S. Naval Academy is using Stoic philosophy to help midshipmen build resilience, moral clarity, and inner discipline during Plebe Summer. In this episode, we discuss how ancient ideas from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and Vice Admiral James Stockdale are being applied to modern military leadership—and why spiritual readiness may need to evolve for an increasingly diverse and less religious force.
Host Emily Abdow talks to author Ed Offley about his article on the quest to award the unsung codebreaking hero of the Battle of Midway, Commander Joe Rochefort, the Distinguished Service Medal.
For generations, "A Message to Garcia" has been used to celebrate initiative and getting the job done. But Captain Jonathan Corbin, U.S. Marine Corps, argues that “figure it out” leadership can go too far. This episode explores why true decentralized command requires clear intent, useful context, and a culture where smart questions are encouraged—not punished.
Host Emily Abdow talks to Dr. Howard Fuller about his search for the wreckage of the Royal Navy ironclad HMS Captain and the historical circumstances that led to her capsizing in 1870.
In this episode, Lieutenant Mary Racicot, U.S. Navy, joins the Proceedings Podcast to discuss why joint wargames may be training commanders to misunderstand cyber operations. Too often, exercises either leave cyber out entirely or treat cyber effects as instant, reliable tools that can be “sprinkled on” a plan.
Host Bill Hamblet talks with Joshua Tallis, a research program director at the Center for Naval Analyses, about his article in the latest issue of Proceedings.
The Mobile Riverine Force became one of the most unique—and highly decorated—joint Army-Navy fighting forces of the Vietnam War, conducting operations deep in the Mekong Delta. Hear from Jeff and Shannon Arballo, the husband-and-wife team behind The Mobile Riverine Force documentary, on the latest podcast.
Bill Hamblet talks with “What’s Going On With Shipping?” host Sal Mercogliano about the Strait of Hormuz, global shipping impacts, and commercial shipbuilding.
Host Bill Hamblet joins Captain Garrett Miller, Commodore of Surface Development Group One, and Brian Clark, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute, to discuss how the U.S. Navy is rapidly integrating unmanned surface vessels and autonomous systems into the fleet.
At the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the Hornet air group flew the wrong way, and a falsified after-action report by Captain Marc Mitscher helped to cover up the mistake. Host Emily Abdow talks with author Ronald Russell about his article, “Mitscher at Midway,” the cover story in the June issue of Naval History.
Host Emily Abdow talks with author Andrew Blackley about his latest book with Naval Institute Press, Wielding the Trident: Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and American’s Victory in the Pacific.
