Chris' background is in trade and foreign policy, but joined the Army infantry for a profession. We talk about how he has seen foreign policy develop in the last 20 years across a civilian job on Capitol Hill and then throughout his time deployed in the Middle East. Chris talks about his stint as a speechwriter for a senior officer and the things he'd learned about how to communicate more effectively. And last, we dive into the Military Writers Guild, of whom Chris is the President, and why writing is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
You can reach out to Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisgingram
Resources:
Military Writers Guild Twitter: https://twitter.com/MilWritersGuild
Show Notes:
00:00 Episode Introduction
01:05 Capitol Hill and then the Army
02:20 What is foreign policy?
05:46 Major foreign policy changes over the last 20 years
13:42 Trade as a weapon
19:10 Why Join the infantry after a promising career in politics
22:18 How have economic views on Afghanistan changed after joining the Army
28:07 Joining the service later in life, pros and cons
32:17 Speech writing and effective communication
39:17 Best practices for speaking in a thoughtful and compelling way
43:00 Takeaways from Afghanistan
47:04 The power to change one regulation in the Army
51:40 The Military Writers Guild, what it is and what is offered
01:00:40 The future of the guild
01:05:13 Book recommendations
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The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.
The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.
Follow along:
• Episode & transcript: https://www.scuttlebuttpodcast.co/43-how-to-communicate-effectively-with-chris-ingram/
• Brock: https://www.brockbriggs.com/