Leadership & The United States Pacific Command with Ret. Lieutenant General Anthony Crutchfield

Summary

Lieutenant General Anthony Crutchfield (Ret.) (LinkedIn, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his time as the Deputy Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command. PACOM covers 52% of the globe. 

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

• The role of intelligence in military operations
• Ethical dilemmas in command decisions
• Reflections on the impact of mentorship and outreach 
• The importance of remaining aware in today's pervasive world

Reflections

• The challenges of leadership
• Hard work, determination, and resilience

And much, much more …

Episode Notes

This week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined by Lieutenant General Anthony Crutchfield (Ret.) to discuss his time as the Deputy Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command. PACOM's jurisdiction covers a startling 52% of the globe, ranging geographically from India to the United States' westernmost coast. 

In this week’s episode, General Crutchfield discusses his distinguished career in the US Army, including his experience rising in the ranks from ROTC to 3-star general. Informed by his career and personal experiences serving across the globe, Andrew and General Crutchfield explore the highs and lows of modern leadership. Tune in to learn more. 

And… 

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, General Crutchfield shares a hometown with another Pacific leader – General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur, a military brat, was born in the Little Rock Arsenal in 1880. He grew up to serve as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in the Pacific Theater during World War II. 

Quotes of the Week

“I worked hard at everything I did. If somebody asked me to do a job, I didn’t say, ‘That’s not my job,’ I didn’t complain. There were places that I was sent that I didn’t want to go, but I went – And I didn’t complain about it … I did the best that I could and it was recognized.” – Anthony Crutchfield.

Resources 

SURFACE SKIM

*SpyCasts*

• Leading United States Central Command with General Frank McKenzie (2024)
• CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024)
• David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023)
• Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)

*Beginner Resources*

• China and Taiwan: A really simple guide, BBC (2024) [Brief article]
• About USINDOPACOM, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (n.d.) [Brief article]
• Combatant Commands, U.S. Department of Defense (n.d.) [Brief overviews of the 11 Unified Combatant Commands]

DEEPER DIVE

Books

• The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century, K. F. McKenzie (Naval Institute Press, 2024)
• Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, D. Petraeus & A. Roberts (Harper, 2023) 
• Strategy in Crisis: The Pacific War, J. T. Kuehn (Naval Institute Press, 2023) 
• Fire on the Water: China, America, and the Future of the Pacific, R. J. Haddick (Naval Institute Press, 2014)

Articles

• Two Years Later, What Has the Indo-Pacific Strategy Achieved? C. Freeman et. al., United States Institute of Peace (2024)
• The State—and Fate—of America's Indo-Pacific Alliances, D. Grossman, RAND (2024)
• Conquering the Ethical Temptations of Command: Lessons from the Field Grades, C. Longenecker & J. W. Shufelt, National Defense University (2021)
• Challenges to U.S. Interests in the Indo-Pacific, Interview with R. Cliff, National Bureau of Asian Research (2020)
• A brief history of America in the Pacific, The Economist (2017) 

Video

• Midway: The Battle That Changed WWII, YouTube (2023) 

Primary Sources 

• U.S. Defense Infrastructure in the IndoPacific: Background and Issues for Congress (2023)
• Pacific Partnership Strategy (2022)
• Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States (2022)

*Wildcard Resource*

• PACOM is, by far, the largest geographical combatant command. The smallest, on the other hand, is the U.S. Central Command. Listen to our interview with General Frank McKenzie, 14^th commander of CENTCOM, here!