Airman Pulse

A weekly podcast featuring analysis of issues critical to Airmen with experts currently serving in and retired from the U.S. Air Force.

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Leading Through a Changing Air Force: Part 2

Airman Pulse
Mark Mitchum and Patrick McSpadden
July 21, 2026

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Episode Notes:

n part two, Patrick continues his conversation with Mark Mitchum about connecting every piece of the Air Force into a coherent whole, from a fighter squadron to a server rack in a Pacific basement. Mitchum makes the case that budgets and warfare alike come down to managing people, and that empathy and soft skills are what actually win. Patrick and Mark also weigh how AI is changing the force and what leaders risk by ignoring it.

Image: Cody Friend via DVIDS