AMERICANS HELPING AMERICANS: THE CASTLE BRIGADE'S BUSY YEAR (PART II)

In the second half of their two-part episode, host Tom Spahr and Sean Shields discuss the Hurricane Helene relief efforts in western North Carolina. Shields details his experience leading the 20th Engineer Brigade and the critical importance of collaborating with other organizations like FEMA, the National Guard, and local officials. He notes this was a real-world application of his Army War College studies on defense support to civil authorities. The mission also marked the first use of the Maven system on an unclassified network, which provided a crucial, real-time common operating picture for all involved stakeholders.