Former Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot Amber Smith joins Joe Pags for a blunt, inside look at what nearly broke America’s military.

Smith worked inside the Pentagon and is the author of Unfit to Fight. In this conversation, she explains how ideological mandates replaced merit, how military standards were quietly lowered, and why leadership failures put national security at risk.

Joe and Amber discuss:

• How “woke” ideology spread inside the military

• Why recruitment and retention collapsed

• How standards were lowered instead of enforced

• Why unit cohesion and trust were damaged

• What must change to restore a true fighting force

This is a serious, eye-opening conversation about military readiness, leadership, and the future of America’s armed forces — from someone who was on the inside.