{"podcast":{"title":"The Crucible - The JRTC Experience Podcast","slug":"the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857","podcast_index_feed_id":6038857,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/thecrucible-thejrtcexperience/feed.xml","website_url":"https://thecrucible-thejrtcexperience.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/15407330/Picture9_jtst62.jpg","author":"JRTC CALL Cell","episode_count":100,"summary":"The Joint Readiness Training Center is the premier crucible training experience. We prepare units to fight and win in the most complex environments against world-class opposing forces. We are America’s leadership laboratory. This podcast isn’t an academic review of historical vignettes or political-science analysis of current events. This is a podcast about warfighting and the skillsets necessary for America’s Army to fight and win on the modern battlefield.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T14:19:18.364750+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857"},"episode":{"title":"166 S03 Ep 13 – Building Hard-to-Kill Platoons and Squads w/JRTC Senior NCO Experts","slug":"166-s03-ep-13-building-hard-to-kill-platoons-and-squads-w-jrtc-senior-nco-experts","published_at":"2026-06-27T00:02:44+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857/166-s03-ep-13-building-hard-to-kill-platoons-and-squads-w-jrtc-senior-nco-experts","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857","url":"https://thecrucible-thejrtcexperience.podbean.com/e/166-s03-ep-13-%e2%80%93-building-hard-to-kill-platoons-and-squads-wjrtc-senior-nco-experts/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/e3yn5p76zqs2srcg/166_The_Crucible_-_Infantry_PLT_and_SQD_Trends9vfen.mp3","summary":"The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted by the outgoing Senior Enlisted Advisor and Command Sergeant Major for the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, CSM Oracio Pena, Jr on behalf of the Commanding General and Commander of Ops Group (COG). CSM Pena will become the CSM for G-3 at Transformation and Training Command (T2COM). Today’s guests are four seasoned senior NCOs within one of our infantry task forces. CSM Bryan Jaragoske outgoing, acting Command Sergeant Major of Operations Group (formerly BC2 CSM). CSM Lucas Young is the TF CSM for Task Force 2 (IN BN) and CSM Edwards Cumming is the TF CSM with Task Force 3 (IN BN). And last but not least is CSM James Miller, the Command Sergeant Major of 1-509th IN (ABN) (OPFOR), known as Geronimo. This episode examines the long-term trends, strengths, and shortcomings of infantry platoons and squads observed across multiple JRTC rotations. Senior leaders discuss how the character of warfare is changing and how small units are adapting to increasingly complex operational environments shaped by drones, electronic warfare, contested communications, and peer threats. While today’s Soldiers have become increasingly proficient at integrating emerging technologies such as small unmanned aircraft systems, digital mission command tools, and other modern battlefield capabilities, the discussion emphasizes that technology alone cannot compensate for weak fundamentals. Leaders highlight recurring observations including declining fieldcraft, overreliance on digital navigation, poor security during halts and patrol bases, inconsistent priorities of work, and a tendency to neglect foundational infantry skills in favor…","meta_description":"The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixty-sixth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.’ Hosted…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3703,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857/episodes/166-s03-ep-13-building-hard-to-kill-platoons-and-squads-w-jrtc-senior-nco-experts/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-crucible-the-jrtc-experience-podcast-6038857/166-s03-ep-13-building-hard-to-kill-platoons-and-squads-w-jrtc-senior-nco-experts.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}