Lieutenant General Tony Hale, the Army G-2, joins Joe for a conversation on military intelligence, judgment, and decision-making in modern war. Drawing on nearly four decades of service, Hale reflects on the evolution of the intelligence profession—from red pens and acetate maps to AI-enabled platforms—and why human judgment still matters most.
Hale shares his path into military intelligence, challenges common misconceptions about the field, and explains why intelligence is foundational to maneuver, lethality, and command. From battalion S2 shops to JSOC, Afghanistan, and the Army’s highest intelligence roles, he offers a clear view of how intelligence professionals shape outcomes across every echelon.
They discuss the responsibility of “putting your rank on the table,” developing junior analysts, and creating environments where ideas matter more than hierarchy. The conversation also explores self-development, operating amid disinformation, balancing OSINT with historical context, and how AI can enhance—but never replace— disciplined thinking.
In this episode, LTG Hale and Joe explore:
- Why “lethality starts with intelligence”
- The role of intelligence in enabling decision dominance
- Making analytical calls under uncertainty
- Developing confident, capable intelligence professionals
- The limits of AI and the enduring value of human judgment
- Preparing for future conflict while mastering the fundamentals
Whether you’re an intelligence professional, commander, or leader navigating uncertainty, this conversation is a reminder that seeing clearly—and thinking well—remains the decisive advantage.
Meet LTG Hale
Lieutenant General Anthony R. “Tony” Hale became the US Army’s 48th Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G-2 in January 2024. He is the Senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army for all aspects of Intelligence, Counterintelligence and Security, and responsible for the training, equipping, policy and oversight of an Army Intelligence and Security Enterprise of more than 60,000 Soldiers and civilians. Before this assignment, he was the Commanding General and Commandant of the United States Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca.
A career intelligence officer, Lieutenant General Hale served in numerous command, staff, and operational assignments. His command assignments include Commander, 704th Military Intelligence Brigade, United States Army Intelligence and Security Command, Fort Meade, Maryland; and 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Liberty, North Carolina. He also served as the Director of Intelligence, J-2, of United States Special Operations Command; Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Resolute Support, United States Forces – Afghanistan; Director of Intelligence, J-2, of Joint Special Operations Command; and Aide-de-Camp to the 36th Chief of Staff of the Army. Other key intelligence assignments include service in Germany, Korea, Maryland, and Georgia.
His operational deployments include Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia), Operation Joint Guardian (Kosovo), Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (Afghanistan), and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Lieutenant General Hale earned his commission in the Military Intelligence Corps through North Carolina State University in 1990, where he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He holds a Master’s Degree “with Distinction” in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College. Lieutenant General Hale is married to the former Stacey Renee Tayloe of Ahoskie, North Carolina.
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