Summary

Michael Vickers (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his remarkable career and memoir. He was formerly the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

His specialized training to wear a “Nuclear Backpack” (yes, literally!)
Overseeing a multibillion-dollar CIA covert action program against the Soviets
Planning the Osama Bin Laden raid
Retooling defense intelligence for the 21st century

Reflections

Finding a narrative that unites the various chapters of your life
Serving a country vs. serving a political party

And much, much more …

Episode Notes

Michael Vickers has been on a heck of a ride. He started out as a U.S. Army private with no degree and went on to oversee hundreds of thousands of people as the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence while holding a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins. Michael is the author of By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operation & Strategy.

Quotes of the Week

"That weapon was called the Special Atomic Demolition Munition [i.e., “Nuclear Backpack] ...it was a sporty, uh, you know, it seemed like a good idea when I was 23 years old. So, there you have it." – Michael Vickers.

Resources

SURFACE SKIM

SpyCasts

Beginner Resources

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, Homeschool History (2022) [2:25 min video]
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, Encyclopedia Britannica (2023) [3-minute read]
The Operation That Took Out Osama Bin Laden, Military.com (2023) [3-minute read]
The Plan to Get Osama, ABC News (2012) [6:44 min video]

DEEPER DIVE

Video

The End of a Superpower - The Collapse of the Soviet Union, DW Documentaries (2022)
Manhunt: The Search for Osma bin Laden, HBO (2013)
Afghanistan 1979, the War that Changed the World, Gulya Mirzoeva, Icarus Films (2015)
Red Star Over Khyber, PBS Frontline (1984)

Primary Sources

Commander, 500th MI Group, Subj: Guerilla Use of Stinger Missiles and Their Effect on Soviet Tactics in AF, circa 1987.
Memorandum of Conversation between Vice President Bush and Pakistani President Zia, December 8, 1982
Conversation between M.S. Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan on Afghanistan (Excerpt), December 8, 1982
Message to Soviet Ambassadors on the Invasion of Afghanistan, Attachment to CPSU Politburo Decree #177, December 27, 1979

Wildcard Resource

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"Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy" – with Michael Vickers 01:13:29 Share

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"Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy" – with Michael Vickers