The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing eight new podcast episodes in November, including a special edition featuring paratroopers who participated in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

First up in the “Army Matters” series is a conversation with the winners of the 2021 Best Warrior Competition. Sgt. Justin Earnhart, the Soldier of the Year, and NCO of the Year Staff Sgt. Adam Krauland will share their stories and talk about their experience competing for the coveted titles.

The episode is available Nov. 1.

Next up is Sgt. Maj. Jeff Cereghino, senior Army fellow at the Department of Veterans Affairs, who will discuss three VA programs for veterans and their families. Solid Start aims to help newly separated service members better understand what benefits and resources are available to them.

Benefits Delivery at Discharge allows service members to apply for their disability benefits before separation, and Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses is a program that matches veterans who want to develop high-tech skills with a leading training provider.

The episode is available Nov. 8.

A special edition scheduled for Nov. 10 will provide updates from the Defense Health Agency, including flu vaccines, the latest on COVID-19 efforts and information on open season, when Tricare beneficiaries can enroll in or change their health care plans.

Next is a podcast on how reading can help Army families stay connected. The episode will feature Sally Ann Zoll, CEO of United Through Reading, which connects military families who are separated because of deployments, training or assignments by providing the bonding experience of sharing story time.

The podcast is available Nov. 15.

A second special edition, available Nov. 17, will feature paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who participated in the evacuation earlier this year of American citizens, allies and Afghan partners from Kabul, Afghanistan. 

The next episode, scheduled for Nov. 22, will feature author Bob Sutton, who wrote Nazis on the Potomac: The Top-Secret Intelligence Operation that Helped Win World War II. 

In his book, Sutton, who recently retired as chief historian of the National Park Service, provides the first full account of the crucial work done at Fort Hunt, Virginia, during World War II, where the highest-level German prisoners were interrogated, and captured documents analyzed.

Now a green open space enjoyed by residents, Fort Hunt, about 15 miles south of Washington, D.C., was the site of one of the top clandestine operations during World War II, according to a description of the book.

On Nov. 24, a special holiday edition of the podcast will feature Maria McConville, spouse of Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, and Alexandra Grinston, spouse of Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston.

Finally, on Nov. 29, another special episode will focus on the new Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army and feature subject-matter expert Col. Rebecca Eggers. Also known as IPPS-A, the system is the Army’s top human resources modernization effort, and it will allow the Army to better manage soldiers’ talents and careers. It also will provide soldiers with more pay accuracy and timeliness, according to the Army.

Full details on the podcasts are available at https://www.ausa.org/podcast. Listeners also can subscribe to “Army Matters” for updates.