Welcome back to Five Questions for a General, a production of the Modern War Institute at West Point. This series features specially selected cadet hosts who are given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with senior military officers and ask carefully crafted questions about everything from leadership to their unique experiences while serving, to their expectations about the future of war.
In this episode, Brigadier General Sarah Dudley sits down with Cadet Zach Olson to reflect on an unexpected path into the Army that became a 27-year career shaped by leadership, adaptability, and a passion for people. She discusses her role leading US Army Recruiting Command, emphasizing that recruiting is not a numbers game but a deliberate effort to identify and develop the right talent for the Army of 2040. Drawing on experiences from managing millions in cash during early combat operations to navigating coalition dynamics and emerging technologies like digital assets, she highlights the importance of clarity, ownership, and removing organizational friction. General Dudley underscores that the Army’s enduring value lies in its ability to build leaders, arguing that its relevance to the next generation depends on communicating that mission in a rapidly evolving technological and social landscape.
