Joint Planner for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine
from The Spear Hosted by Modern War Institute at West Point
In this episode, Colonel Tiffany Bilderback joins MWI's Charlie Faint to discuss a career defined by coalition building, strategic leadership, and service alongside partner forces from countries like Germany, Iraq, South Korea, and Ukraine. She also describes working in the special operations community and at the Pentagon, and providing military medical assistance to the COVID-19 national response. The bulk of the episode focuses on her time as the J5, or joint plans officer, for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine. Drawing on experiences advising Iraqi forces, supporting whole-of-government pandemic operations, commanding a multifunctional medical battalion, and helping develop Ukraine’s corps-level command structure during an active armed conflict, Tiffany reflects on the importance of humility, empathy, professional military education, and building trust with allies. She shares firsthand observations of Ukrainian resilience, explains why leader development remains essential even in the midst of combat, and offers practical leadership lessons on accountability, lifelong learning, and choosing opportunities that open more doors than they close. Chapters (00:00:02) - The Spear (00:00:31) - Colonel Tiffany Bratley on Her Love of History (00:01:54) - Branch in the Medical Service Corps (00:02:27) - Combat Medical Platoon Leader on Deployment (00:05:37) - Being the S9 in Afghanistan (00:08:02) - Post-Second Deployment Medical Service Officer (00:11:16) - Post-9/11 soldier experiences in Korea (00:15:11) - Post-Basic Training: Medical Plans in Afghanistan (00:20:09) - Post-Combat Experience: Leading the Army's Warfighter Plans (00:27:21) - Steve Bannon on Jared Kushner's Pizza comment (00:27:55) - Commanding the 61st Multifunctional Medical Battalion (00:31:17) - NATO's Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGYU) (00:33:50) - Assistance to the Ukrainian Corps in the Donbass (00:37:18) - What was your day to day life (00:39:27) - The Business Cycle: The J5 (00:40:21) - Serviceman in the Ukraine War (00:43:47) - Senior Advisor to the Ukrainian Army (00:46:04) - Looking back on my time in the Ukraine (00:48:53) - Pre-Command Course (00:51:18) - Colonels on Accountability and the Investigation Culture (00:56:01) - SGT Majors in the Course (00:57:46) - Colonel Tiffany Sullivan on Leading With Purpose (00:59:12) - The Spear
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What this episode covers
In this episode, Colonel Tiffany Bilderback joins MWI's Charlie Faint to discuss a career defined by coalition building, strategic leadership, and service alongside partner forces from countries like Germany, Iraq, South Korea, and Ukraine. She also describes working in the special operations community and at the Pentagon, and providing military medical assistance to the COVID-19 national response. The bulk of the episode focuses on her time as the J5, or joint plans officer, for Security Assistance Group–Ukraine. Drawing on experiences advising Iraqi forces, supporting whole-of-government pandemic operations, commanding a multifunctional medical battalion, and helping develop Ukraine’s corps-level command structure during an active armed conflict, Tiffany reflects on the importance of humility, empathy, professional military education, and building trust with allies. She shares firsthand observations of Ukrainian resilience, explains why leader development remains essential even in the midst of combat, and offers practical leadership lessons on accountability, lifelong learning, and choosing opportunities that open more doors than they close.
Chapters
- 0:02 The Spear
- 0:31 Colonel Tiffany Bratley on Her Love of History
- 1:54 Branch in the Medical Service Corps
- 2:27 Combat Medical Platoon Leader on Deployment
- 5:37 Being the S9 in Afghanistan
- 8:02 Post-Second Deployment Medical Service Officer
- 11:16 Post-9/11 soldier experiences in Korea
- 15:11 Post-Basic Training: Medical Plans in Afghanistan
- 20:09 Post-Combat Experience: Leading the Army's Warfighter Plans
- 27:21 Steve Bannon on Jared Kushner's Pizza comment
- 27:55 Commanding the 61st Multifunctional Medical Battalion
- 31:17 NATO's Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGYU)
- 33:50 Assistance to the Ukrainian Corps in the Donbass
- 37:18 What was your day to day life
- 39:27 The Business Cycle: The J5
- 40:21 Serviceman in the Ukraine War
- 43:47 Senior Advisor to the Ukrainian Army
- 46:04 Looking back on my time in the Ukraine
- 48:53 Pre-Command Course
- 51:18 Colonels on Accountability and the Investigation Culture
- 56:01 SGT Majors in the Course
- 57:46 Colonel Tiffany Sullivan on Leading With Purpose
- 59:12 The Spear
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