Marine Pulse

A weekly podcast featuring analysis of issues critical to Marines with experts currently serving in and retired from the U.S. Marine Corps.

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Commanders as Negotiators: Lessons from Helmand, Afghanistan

Marine Pulse
Gary Sampson and Mike Baskin
May 7, 2026

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Episode Notes:

Gary sits down with Dr. Mike Baskin to explore what Marine battalion commanders in Helmand learned about leading in wars that demand more than firepower. Drawing on interviews with over 40 commanders, Mike unpacks a deceptively simple but powerful idea: in these kinds of fights, commanders are negotiating constantly, even when they think they're just commanding.

Image: Kowshon Ye via DVIDS