The Association of the U.S. Army is releasing two new podcasts in February as part of its recently relaunched “Army Matters” series. 

First up is a podcast featuring Maj. Gen. (Chaplain) Thomas Solhjem, the Army chief of chaplains, and Daryl Davis, a musician, author, actor and race relations expert. During the podcast, Solhjem and Davis will talk about the importance of personal readiness and how it ties into the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness system, which seeks to help soldiers take care of their health, fitness and well-being while preventing injury and disease. 

Davis, a Black man who has befriended Ku Klux Klan members and convinced many of them to leave the group, has addressed the Army’s chaplain corps on racism and extremism, and how those things can damage spiritual and mental readiness. 

The episode is available Feb. 1. 

Next up is an interview with retired Col. Kenny Mintz, who retired from the Army in 2021 and in 2022 walked across America to raise money for three charities. 

From April to October, Mintz walked to defeat pancreatic cancer and to honor his mother, who died in 2020 after a five-year battle with the disease. He also walked to support programs that create opportunities for veterans to stay connected and scholarships for children of fallen service members. 

The episode is available Feb. 15. 

First launched in February 2019, AUSA’s podcast underwent some major changes last year, with a new show design, increased storytelling chops and a focus on leadership lessons across the Total Army. The new version of “Army Matters” was officially introduced Oct. 10. 

Additionally, the series has moved from weekly releases to every other Wednesday and will feature inspirational leadership stories, current issues for NCOs, military families’ journeys and in-depth discussions on the Army’s past and future. 

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