Brandi Vincent: Behind-the-byline of one the Pentagon’s top tech reporters

What’s it like covering the Pentagon at a moment when artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and even unexplained phenomena are shaping the national security conversation? In this episode of CTRL + ALT + DEFENSE, DefenseScoop Senior Reporter Brandi Vincent joins the podcast to talk about her path into defense journalism and what it takes to cover technology and transformation across the Defense Department in 2026. She shares the storylines defining her reporting, what she’s watching as the Pentagon accelerates its adoption of AI, and why the work of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office — better known as AARO — continues to command attention. Brandi also offers a look ahead at the defense technology developments she’ll be tracking through the rest of 2026, plus a few personal highlights along the way.

Also in this episode: Damon Harvey, Senior Manager of Data Services at Workday, discusses how shifting to an agile, data-driven, and skills-based workforce model can help defense organizations strengthen readiness, improve decision-making and better align talent with mission needs. This segment was sponsored by Workday.