Episodes

  • Candid Cameras

    Candid Cameras
    Dec 16 2024
    During the Iraq War in 2003, U.S. Special Operations Forces rescued Pfc. Jessica Lynch from a hospital in Baghdad. It was the first successful rescue of an American prisoner of war since World War II, and the first-ever rescue of a woman. In this episode, you’ll learn how a DIA team hid a camera in a gym bag to record video of the hospital’s interior, which was used for the rescue mission. You’ll also hear from former NBC News correspondent Kerry Sanders, whose camera crew was embedded with a Marine unit during the war and had exclusive access to stories, including knowledge of when the rescue attempt for Lynch would take place.
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    31 mins
  • The Fentanyl Fight

    The Fentanyl Fight
    Nov 19 2024
    Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. On this episode, you’ll hear a DIA counter narcotics officer discuss the agency’s efforts to combat the most devastating drug epidemic in U.S. history. We also spoke with Mariana Van Zeller, an investigative reporter who went deep inside the fentanyl pipeline to Mexico’s cartel country to see how it’s produced and trafficked into the United States. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    30 mins
  • Best of Season 4

    Best of Season 4
    Aug 23 2024
    This episode of DIA Connections features highlights from Season Four. Catch up on this season's best moments with an American pilot who landed his plane safely after a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter jet, a cosmochemistry professor who led NASA’s mission to an asteroid, a DIA analyst turned screenwriter, the speechwriter behind President Reagan’s challenge to “tear down this wall,” and the author of “The Monuments Men,” a book about the greatest treasure hunt in history. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    31 mins
  • Lasers, Asteroids, and The Jetsons

    Lasers, Asteroids, and The Jetsons
    Jul 11 2024
    Wouldn’t it be unbelievable if a spaceship could land on an asteroid, collect rocks that could reveal the secrets of life’s origins, and then return to Earth? Well, believe it, because it already happened! On this episode, a conversation with Dante Lauretta, leader of NASA’s expedition to the most dangerous rock in our solar system. You’ll also hear from the chief of DIA’s Space and Counterspace office about securing the nation’s vital interests in space -- both today and tomorrow. Finally, we go back to the future with The Jetsons, the classic cartoon that was a century ahead of its time. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    39 mins
  • Glossophobia

    Glossophobia
    Apr 12 2024
    Does public speaking cause you to quiver in fear? You're not alone - but it's not a good trait to have when briefing policymakers! On this episode, we’ll get tips on how to speak in public from DIAloguers, a group that helps DIA officers overcome their glossophobia. You’ll also hear how a great speech from a skilled speaker can echo through history. Peter Robinson, President Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter, joins us to discuss the amazing backstory of the "Tear Down This Wall" speech - four words that defined a presidency and changed the world. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    32 mins
  • The Write Stuff

    The Write Stuff
    Feb 20 2024
    Who said writing intelligence reports for policymakers is boring? Not us--and certainly not former DIA intelligence analyst turned Hollywood screenwriter Mitchell LaFortune. On this episode of DIA Connections, LaFortune talks about his creative approach to intelligence writing. Learn how it helped him when he left DIA for LA to write the screenplay for the action thriller Kandahar, a movie based on his experiences in Afghanistan. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    30 mins
  • Show & Tell: Iranian UAVs in Ukraine

    Show & Tell: Iranian UAVs in Ukraine
    Dec 19 2023
    How did a soccer match and a children’s magazine inspire a team of analysts to create an unclassified report proving Iranian military support to Russia in Ukraine? Find out on this episode of DIA Connections. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    26 mins
  • The China Incident

    The China Incident
    Oct 27 2023
    In 2001, an American spy plane collided with a Chinese jet fighter, killing the Chinese pilot and forcing the American aircraft to land at Hainan Island, where Chinese authorities took the crew of 24 into custody for 11 days. On this episode of DIA Connections, you'll hear pilot Shane Osborn tell the riveting story of saving them from almost certain death and how the diplomatic efforts of the U.S. ambassador to China and a DIA attaché helped negotiate their freedom. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed as an endorsement by the DIA or the U.S. government of any particular company, product or service.
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    35 mins