PICTURE COMING SOON

PICTURE COMING SOON

Marshall Newman

Host

Blake Henke

Host

COMING SOON

 

 

        Blake Henke is a history major from the University of Virginia in 1990 with a minor in Environmental Science. His history thesis centered on his relatives who fought in the Civil War: six for the South and two for the North. He went on to get a Master’s of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University in 1996.

        He has pursued a career in Environmental Science since 1991, starting his own company in 1998 called North Star Science and Technology, LLC. North Star specializes in bio-telemetry technology for tracking wildlife, mainly birds and terrestrial mammals of all kinds, but also including freshwater and marine turtles. In addition to running North Star, Blake currently consults with Virginia Waters and Wetlands, and he performs field work for Cell Tower Osprey Management.

        Blake's passions are history and religious studies, and his hobbies include hiking, backpacking, whitewater rafting, boating, fishing, and historical and philosophical discussion. Mr. Henke has two exceptional sons, Wyatt and Brooks.
 

 

PICTURE COMING SOON

PICTURE COMING SOON

Mike Mendenhall

Host

Brooks Henke

Editor, Producer

        Mike Mendenhall holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University (1981) and an M.A. in International Affairs from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at The Johns Hopkins University (1983). His studies at both institutions focused on history and strategic studies.

        In 2024, Mike retired after a career of over 40 years at the Office of Naval Intelligence. His work there included merchant marine intelligence, naval strategy and doctrine, and wargaming and wargame scenario design. He spent over 30 years of his career on projective intelligence regarding future warfare issues, assessing possible scenarios for armed conflict and trends in future foreign military forces and capabilities.

        Mike enjoys history — particularly military history and natural history — and is interested in government, civics, and historical wargaming. He has been a Wikipedia content contributor since 2008. He grew up in Honolulu and has spent his adult life in the Washington, D.C., area, where he roots for the Washington Nationals, the Washington Commanders, and Georgetown Hoyas basketball.

        Brooks Henke has a degree from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington in English Literature (2020), the curriculum of which focused primarily on critical theory, cultural studies, and discussing philosophies. While he was in school, he formed a band with his friends, in which he played bass guitar, and learned how to record, edit, and produce audio.

        After graduating from UNCW, Brooks moved to Vail, Colorado and spent 5 years managing a large ski shop. During this time, he became an avid skier who also enjoyed climbing, camping, hiking, and biking in the summer. He moved back to his home state of Virginia in 2025 to pursue a growing passion for wine, and an ambition to make a name in the Virginia wine industry.

        Brooks enjoys intellectual discussions of culture, history, religion, and philosophy, in order to better understand not only his own perspective and opinions, but also that of others. He continues to enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities (although the skiing in Virginia may not be the same as in Vail) as well as audio production and playing musical instruments. Brooks’ work on the podcast may be behind the scenes, but he brings a unique voice and perspective to the table.