In this episode, Dr. Whitman Cobb and Col. Hollon are joined by Col. Brendon “Herb” Herbeck and Lt. Col. Rob Gharrity, SAASS alumni currently serving at U.S. Space Command. Herb and Rob reflect on their experiences at SAASS and how the program shaped their professional development. The discussion explores how the school’s emphasis on critical thinking, writing, and strategic analysis continues to inform their work in joint and space-focused planning roles. The alumni describe how key readings, thesis research, and interactions with faculty remain relevant years after graduation. The episode also examines contemporary challenges in space strategy, including alliance integration, disclosure of capabilities, and the evolving relationship between the Space Force and U.S. Space Command.

If you have questions, comments, or episode recommendations, please email us at bookstobattles@au.af.edu”

Books Mentioned

Everett C. Dolman, Astropolitik: Classical Geopolitics in Space (Routledge, 2002).

Mark Bowden, Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2017)

H. R. McMaster, Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam (Harper Perennial, 1998.)

Helen V. Milner and Dustin Tingley, Sailing the Water’s Edge: The Domestic Politics of American Foreign Policy (Princeton University Press, 2016).

Yuen Foong Khong, Analogies at War: Korea, Munich, Dien Bien Phu, and the Vietnam Decisions of 1965. (Princeton University Press, 1992).

“The opinions expressed here are those of the hosts or the guests and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Department of the Air Force, the Depart of Defense, or the United States Government.”