U.S. Civil-Military Relations Topic of ‘The General and the Ambassador’

In episode 79 of the podcast “The General and the Ambassador: A Conversation,” host Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah McCarthy is joined by Admiral James Foggo and Ambassador Philip Kosnett. McCarthy’s guests discuss their collaboration to launch the book Boots and Suits, edited by Kosnett with a preface by Foggo. Foggo and Kosnett also share their personal observations of U.S. civil-military relations in the field and explain how they led U.S. diplomatic and military engagement in Kosovo.

Admiral Foggo has served in multiple major commands, including as Commander, Naval Forces Europe/Africa. He is also an Olmsted Scholar and Moreau Scholar, earning a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University and a Diplome d’Etudes Approfondies in Defense and Strategic Studies from the University of Strasbourg, France. Foggo is also a Director of the Naval Historical Foundation, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is currently an active member of the Marine Corps University Editorial Board in Quantico, VA.

Ambassador Kosnett represented the United States in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, focusing on international security and post-conflict governance and development. Kosnett’s senior positions included Ambassador to Kosovo and Charge d’Affaires (acting ambassador) in Turkey and Iceland. He also served in intelligence, policy, and crisis management positions in Washington, D.C. Kosnett’s most recent publication is the book Boots and Suits: Historical Cases and Contemporary Lessons in Military Diplomacy (edited for Marine Corps University Press, 2023).

Podcast producer and host Ambassador (retired) Deborah McCarthy currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the CGSC Foundation and was the 2018 DACOR Visiting Professor of Diplomacy for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. The DACOR Visiting Professor of Diplomacy Program is conducted in partnership with the Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired, Inc. (DACOR) organization located in Washington D.C., and the Command and General Staff College Foundation. Several times a year retired senior officials, usually Ambassadors with extensive diplomatic experience, visit Fort Leavenworth to interact with U.S. Army Command and General Staff College students and faculty, and provide a Department of State and Chief of Mission perspective to the curriculum. During their visit the DACOR Visiting Professors of Diplomacy also interact with area universities and civic organizations discussing policy, regional, and political expertise, as well as speaking about careers in the Foreign Service.

“The General and the Ambassador: A Conversation” podcast promotes interagency cooperation and is produced by the American Academy of Diplomacy.

To learn more and listen to the podcast, please follow the link below.
Boots and Suits: U.S. Dip-Mil Collaboration in Kosovo, The General and the Ambassador


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