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The battlefield is more than guns, aircraft, ships and vehicles. Sometimes the most important weapon is an adversary’s perception. 

Since inception, US Army Special Forces have been central to shaping human behavior and enemy perspective; still the most important factors in military decision making. 

The objective isn’t always to change what someone believes. Sometimes we only need to change what they do, where they go, or the decision they make long enough to create an advantage. That’s the battlefield of Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs. 

From the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum at Fort Bragg, I sat down with Colonel Steve Santucci, Colonel Jeff Uherka, and Colonel Bob Cusick to go inside two of the most misunderstood capabilities in Army Special Operations and examine how Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs are shaping today’s battlefield. 

For these units, the mission is about precision influence. Identify the decision maker. Understand how they think. Force a decision. Create time and space. Then give commanders an opportunity to exploit it. 

Artificial intelligence, large language models, cyber capabilities, drones, and the digital information environment are creating new ways to understand and influence an audience. But on a battlefield where communications can be degraded and the electromagnetic spectrum contested, some of the answers may come from the past. 

Information warfare is also being consolidated under Army Special Operations, and the Army is building a more unified approach to how it trains and employs information professionals across the force. 

On today’s battlefield, destroying the enemy may not always be the most powerful option. If we can influence what they see, shape what they understand, and change the decisions they make, we may never have to fire a shot.

Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

02:59 - Defining PSYOPs and Civil Affairs Missions

07:50 - Behavior vs. Mindset

10:57 - Delivery Mechanisms

13:25 - Language and Culture

17:25 - Recruitment

21:07 - Qualification Course Pipelines

27:18 - Decentralization to Special Forces Groups

31:31 - Consolidation of Army Information Operations

39:53 - Future Operating Capabilities

44:58 - Daily Habits

Quotes"

• “At the end of the day, it's about providing influence and deception’s word of commanders, to provide them time, space, and advantage on the battlefield.”
• “Can we change their mind just for a couple minutes, to divert, to deceive, to create opportunity for blue forces.”
• “Influence the influencers, and through an indigenous approach, they are able to change the minds of the population for our mutual objectives.”
• “We have to pull back on the history machine and relearn the things that we've forgotten about over the years.”
• “Technology can't replace the human to human eye to eye contact to influence a key leader.”
• “They don't want us to do anything other than offer ideas and solutions that they just hadn't considered.”
• “The Army wants more.”
• “He wants precision influence. He wants us to hit that decision maker.”
• “Sometimes what is old is new again.”
• “But at the end of the day, we all know we just we have to listen.”
• “I think as a foundation for a good soldier, which builds a team, which builds a company, a battalion, and a brigade.”
• “Leaders need time to think. Leaders need time to prepare for coaching. Leaders need time to understand what's going on around them, so they can issue clear, sound guidance.”
• “Leaders have to be present.”
• “It's a capability that can be employed across the force, and it's only better when it works in harmony.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

On September 11, 2001, America was attacked. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost. As night fell, the world waited as America planned their response. Within weeks, a small force of Green Berets, CIA Paramilitary Case Officers, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment flight crews and Army Rangers would launch one of the most extraordinary unconventional warfare campaigns in military history.

The first Special Forces units who touched down in Afghanistan would forever become known as the Horse Soldiers.

Twenty-five years later, their legacy stands at Ground Zero, where a lone Green Beret on horseback remains in permanent overwatch of the Twin Towers, their memory and the legacy of all those lost.

From the base of the Horse Soldier statue in New York City’s Liberty Park, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Lieutenant General John Mulholland, who commanded 5th Special Forces Group on September 11 and led America into Afghanistan. LTG Mulholland shares his firsthand account of the attacks, the mission into Afghanistan, and the extraordinary effort to bring America’s Response Monument to Ground Zero.

Also joining us is Dave Holland, Green Beret and founder of Longtab Brewing, whose personal connection to 9/11 and service in Afghanistan inspired Strength And Honor, an American Strong Ale honoring the Horse Soldiers and their legacy.

This is America’s response, a tribute to the men who achieved the impossible, and a promise that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. 

Strength and Honor! De Oppresso Liber!

Highlights:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 General Mulholland’s 9/11 Response

05:41 The First Infiltrations into Afghanistan

08:37 The Horse Soldiers’ Legacy

10:02 The Story Behind the Statue

14:13 Bringing the Monument to Ground Zero

18:40 The “Strength and Honor” Beer Tribute

22:05 Supporting the Green Beret Foundation

Quotes:

• "We're going to war in Afghanistan."
• “This will be an unconventional war."
• "Smoking a hole in the mountainside doesn't do me any good. We can't replace the hook. We can't replace you. We damn sure can't replace that A-team."
• "We are here. We are here with you. Get us up there where we can do some damage."
• "It took an entire team working together."
• "That needs to be on Ground Zero in permanent overwatch of the Twin Towers."
• “There was no other name that it could be other than Strength and Honor."

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge. 

A portion of all proceeds from Strength and Honor is donated to the Green Beret Foundation, supporting America’s Special Forces Operators and their families of all generations.

Speed of innovation will be the deciding factor on today’s battlefields. The technology soldiers need to survive and win cannot take years to field. For generations, one of the Army’s greatest challenges has been closing the distance between the soldier who identifies a need and the acquisition system responsible for delivering the solution.

At Fort Bragg, the XVIII Airborne Corps is attacking that problem head on.

Colonel Tom Monaghan, has a mission - build the Joint Innovation Outpost - putting soldiers, acquisition professionals, industry, funding, testing, and Army program offices together to accelerate the development of solutions. 

No red tape. No delays. No endless discussion about contract vehicles. Just lethality, survivability, and mobility.

Colonel Monaghan joins Fran Racioppi to discuss the theory behind the JIOP, Dragon’s Lair, artificial intelligence, and why some of the Army’s best innovations are coming directly from soldiers closest to the problem; including counter-drone and unmanned systems. 

For Monaghan, the leadership philosophy behind that mission is just as important as the technology: provide clarity, listen to the soldier, and solve problems. The JIOP is proving that acquisition does not always have to begin thousands of miles from the operational force. Sometimes the person with the answer is already standing on the drop zone, sitting inside the vehicle, or carrying the equipment that needs to change.

Innovate. Accelerate. Dominate. The Joint Innovation Outpost is building a model designed to ensure that when America's soldiers identify the battlefield need, the Army can move fast enough to solve it.

HIGHLIGHTS:

00:00 Introduction

1:58 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast

3:10 Building the Joint Innovation Outpost

5:52 Closing the Gap

8:10 Army Acquisition

12:11 Soldier-Driven Innovation

16:57 Prioritizing Battlefield Innovation

17:01 The Immediate Response Force

18:46 Dragon’s Lair and Accelerating New Ideas

19:22 Why Army Innovation Takes So Long

21:02 The Smartest Generation of Soldiers

23:28 Turning Soldier Ideas Into Battlefield Solutions

26:15 Artificial Intelligence and Human Decision-Making

27:28 Cost, Technology and Scalability

31:14 Innovate, Accelerate, Dominate

32:12 Measuring the JIOP’s Success

33:09 The Future of Army Innovation

34:25 Solving Problems

35:04 Three Things

Quotes

• “We concentrate on anything that improves soldier lethality, survivability, mobility.” 
• “We imagine a world where we close that time gap. We actually get rid of that valley of death.” 
• “The normal process that I just talked about, that should have taken three to five years.” 
• “There’s always a human in the loop.”
• “No piece of software is going to answer every question available.”
• “From an acquisition perspective, we always say cost, schedule, and performance. You never get all three.”
• “Solve problems. Support the soldier. Get them what they need.”
• “There’s nothing I can’t fix in five minutes with a phone call that you mess up. So just go out there and try.”
• “My superpower as a leader is to provide clarity.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The battlefield is changing faster than ever before. Drones can find you. Technology can expose you. America’s adversaries are adapting in weeks instead of years. For U.S. Army Special Forces, rapid evolution while maintaining the people, partnerships, and culture that have made Special Forces effective for generations is the key to success on today’s battlefield.

From the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum at Fort Bragg, Fran Racioppi sat down with the command team of 1st Special Forces Command: Brigadier General Joseph Wortham, Command Sergeant Major Lee Strong, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jerry Brown. Together, they lead the US Army’s Green Berets, Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, and the soldiers who enable them. Their mission - prepare, train and equip Army Special Operations Forces to win against an increasingly complex global threat.

We discuss whether the legendary 12-man ODA is still the right formation for the wars of 2030 and 2040, and why the future may not require changing its core, but building new capabilities around it. Robotics and unmanned systems are rapidly becoming part of that evolution, including the development of specialized technical expertise designed to keep pace with technology that can change in a matter of weeks.

But technology alone will never define Special Forces. We examine where Green Berets are supporting large-scale combat operations, how Special Forces can shape the deep fight for conventional commanders, and why Psychological Operations, Civil Affairs, and trusted partner forces become even more important against peer adversaries. The battlefield may look different from the one this generation fought throughout the Global War on Terror, but the requirement remains the same: create options, influence the fight, and give the joint force an advantage before the enemy ever knows we’re there.

The next generation of Army Special Operations will fight with tools its predecessors could never have imagined. But its greatest advantage will remain the same: exceptional people, trusted partners, and a culture built to take on the missions others cannot.

Highlights:

0:00 Introduction

2:23 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast

4:05 Importance of Partnerships

8:07 Command Priorities and Readiness

11:41 Evaluating the ODA Structure

20:02 Incorporating Robotics and Unmanned Systems

33:34 Special Forces in LSCO

47:28 Culture of the Regiment

Quotes:

• “We don’t like to do anything by ourselves. We do everything with a partner.”
• “Those partnerships have to be genuine, they have to be authentic.”
• “It starts by being a genuine, authentic, good partner, not transactional.”
• “Humans are more important than hardware.”
• “When you take really good people that are fit, intelligent, of high character, and you assign them a mission, it doesn’t really matter what their MOS is."
• “How much demand can we put on them before they reach the point of saturation?”
• “It’s the smallest package we can get all of the warfighting functions in.”
• “It cannot be an additional task or an additional hat for someone on the ODA to wear.”
• “Here’s my rifle, here’s my NODs, here’s my radio, and oh, and here’s my drone.”
• “We’re small, we’re light, we’re fast, we’re agile, but we’re lethal.”
• "What we don’t bring in mass, we bring in mass through partnerships.”
• “Although we cannot prepare holistically for what’s next, we can get a head start this."
• “In my opinion, our culture is the best it’s ever been.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Before ground forces can advance, the battlefield has to be shaped. Air defenses have to come down. Enemy weapons have to be destroyed. And the adversaries' will to combat America has to be lessened. This is the job of field artillery; a branch of the US Army where speed, distance, precision, and results determine who controls the battlefield before ground forces ever make contact.

From Fort Bragg, NC, the 18th Field Artillery Brigade leads the Army’s rapidly deployable artillery units. As the largest HIMARS brigade, its soldiers must be prepared to deploy anywhere in the world within 10 days of notification and deliver long-range precision fires in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps, its divisions, and Special Operations Forces.

Fran Racioppi sat down with the command team of Colonel Andy Hercik and Command Sergeant Major George Cabrera, to talk about what it takes to maintain readiness as the battlefield rapidly changes. After two decades of counterinsurgency, field artillery is now leading in large-scale combat operations where kilometers matter, ammunition and logistics can determine operational reach, and the ability to shoot, move, communicate, and survive has become unforgiving.

Drones have made the battlefield increasingly transparent. A cell phone can expose a position. A lingering electromagnetic signature can make a HIMARS crew a target. The answer isn't abandoning the fundamentals. It's executing them better, while using lessons from today's conflicts to change how soldiers train and how the Army develops the capabilities required for tomorrow.

We also discuss what true integration between conventional forces and Special Operations looks like, why the targeting process has to bring every capability together from the beginning, and the responsibility of NCOs and officers to build a formation that doesn't simply comply with standards, but understands why those standards keep soldiers alive and make them lethal.

When the call comes, there won't be time to prepare. 18th Field Artillery Brigade has to be ready.

Highlights

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:12 Mission of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade
• 04:16 NCO Leadership and Force Readiness
• 05:38 Subordinate Units and Capabilities
• 09:55 Refocusing on Core Field Artillery Basics
• 13:49 Passing Down Lessons Learned
• 14:40 Interoperability and Special Operations Forces Integration
• 22:31 What Separates the 18th FA Brigade
• 24:58 Joint Force Integration
• 26:15 Modernization, Innovation, and Ammunition Investment
• 30:15 Drone Warfare and Signature Management
• 36:02 Culture of Commitment and the Warrior Mindset
• 41:15 Driving Decision-Making and Warfighting Readiness

Quotes

• “We have to be ready to deploy, fight, and win within 10 days of notification.”
• “We are the Army’s largest HIMARS brigade with 54 HIMARS launchers.”
• “We’re going to first look to strip away adversary air defense and then kill what’s killing us.”
• “It’s much more effective to destroy a launcher than to try to intercept an incoming missile.”
• “Divisions are maneuvering in order to fire.”
• “We now have to be prepared to operate in a completely transparent battlefield.”
• “What we’re trying to do is avoid being at this point on the Earth where the enemy missile hits when it hits.”
• “Shoot, move, communicate, clean up our electromagnetic spectrum.”
• “Making sure soldiers understand the visibility of their signature.”
• “Be more survivable, which then lets us be more lethal, because we’re able to retain more combat power.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Every Green Beret, Civil Affairs soldier, and Psychological Operations soldier starts somewhere. Before they can operate in the world’s most complex environments, they have to prove they can think, adapt, lead, and perform when the standard is uncompromising. At the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, the mission is simple to say and extraordinarily difficult to execute: build the world’s best special operators, then continue making them better.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi travelled to the center of the universe, Fort Bragg, NC, to sit down with the command team responsible for that mission: Major General Jason Slider, Command Sergeant Major Jeff Bochey, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary Ostrander. Together, they lead the organization responsible for assessing, selecting, training, and educating the next generation of Army Special Operations Forces while ensuring today’s operators remain prepared for tomorrow’s fight.

The battlefield is changing rapidly. After more than two decades dominated by counterterrorism, SWCS is adapting its training for large-scale combat operations and peer adversaries capable of contesting American forces across every domain. That means integrating robotics and autonomous systems, preparing operators for the digital and information fight, and understanding how artificial intelligence can enhance the force without allowing technology to replace mastery of the fundamentals.

But modernization also raises a harder question: how much can we ask one operator to do? As new capabilities emerge, SWCS has to determine what belongs in the baseline skill set, what requires specialized expertise, and how to give operational units new capabilities without adding another burden. From the development of robotics expertise to the evolution of Psychological Operations and information warfare, the institution itself has to adapt as quickly as the battlefield.

We also examine the relationship between SWCS, 1st Special Forces Command, and USASOC, and why lessons from operational formations must move rapidly back into the schoolhouse. Training cannot prepare soldiers for the war we just fought. It has to produce leaders who can arrive at their teams on day one, contribute immediately, and adapt to a fight none of us can completely predict.

Technology will change. The enemy will change. The battlefield will change. The standard cannot. The responsibility of SWCS is to ensure that whoever earns the right to join Army Special Operations has the competence, character, discipline, and adaptability to carry its legacy into whatever fight comes next.

Highlights:

0:00 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast

4:25 The Mission of SWCS

9:36 The Army Special Operations Center of Excellence

11:40 Staying Humble & Evolving the Force

16:45 Defining the Standard for Lethality

19:27 Preparing for Large-Scale Combat Operations

24:51 Collaboration Across Army Special Operations

29:21 Robotics & the Future of Warfare

36:12 Psychological Operations & Information Warfare

40:09 Recruiting the Next Generation of Special Operators

51:39 Warrant Officer Recruiting & Retention

52:29 Preparing Special Operators for Their Hardest Day

56:07 Technology Without Losing the Fundamentals

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

How do we define success on the battlefield? While many have labeled America's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan failures, that narrative ignores some of the most remarkable successes ever achieved by U.S. Army Special Forces.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Green Beret Colonel Frank Sobchak, professor at the U.S. Naval War College and author of Training for Victory, to discuss the principles behind one of Special Forces' most enduring missions: building partner forces capable of securing their own future. Drawing on decades of operational experience and extensive historical research, Frank explains why success is rarely determined by firepower alone, but by trust, relationships, and leaders willing to invest in others.

We explore why language, cultural understanding, consistency, and strategic empathy are far more than soft skills - they are combat multipliers that determine whether an advisory mission succeeds or fails. Frank breaks down why partnering alongside allied forces in combat remains the gold standard for developing capable militaries, how advisor continuity builds the trust required for honest conversations, and why empowering local leaders from the very beginning creates lasting success long after American forces have departed.

Our conversation also challenges the conventional narrative surrounding Iraq and Afghanistan by highlighting overlooked success stories like the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, an organization built through years of patient advising and partnership. Finally, we examine what Frank calls "Cold War 2.0" and how the changing character of warfare—from drones and artificial intelligence to digital surveillance—only reinforces the enduring importance of the human domain.

Highlights:

0:00 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast

3:54 The Importance of Language

9:13 Cultural Astuteness in Special Forces

13:26 Training Partner Forces

21:45 Host Nation Perspective

25:00 Advisor to Partner Ratios

30:38 The Importance of Combat Advising

33:22 Defining Combat Effectiveness

36:52 US Maintaining Global Order

41:41 Writing Training for Victory

Quotes:

“If you don’t speak the language, it really complicates things.”

“There were times when I felt like I’m at a disadvantage because I’m speaking through an interpreter.”

“You have to understand their perspective.”

“It is those personal connections and those relationships that really matter.”

“We fought 10 Iraq wars, one year at a time.”

“These are risks that commanders and leaders have to look for, identify, recognize, and take action.”

“Anytime you’re doing FID or security force assistance and you’re working with partners, it is two steps forward, one step back.”

“The host nation actually really did like when the same people came back because that gave them consistency.”

“I would put it at a company to an ODA.”

“Combat advising still is the gold standard.”

“Our profession is all about risk.”

“The character of war is changing, but the nature of war is immortal.”

“I firmly believe that the world is a far better place with America leading it.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Green Berets are trained to solve problems that don't come with instructions. Green Berets build trust where none exists. Green Berets lead small teams in uncertain environments. Green Berets adapt when the plan falls apart. Those same qualities that make exceptional Special Forces soldiers also make exceptional entrepreneurs. For Green Berets their next mission begins the day they leave the Regiment.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Retired U.S. Army Captain and Green Beret Ben Harrow during the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic to discuss transition from Special Forces to entrepreneurship and why so many members of the Regiment are uniquely equipped to build successful businesses after service.

Drawing from his experiences leading in combat, recovering from catastrophic injuries, and building businesses after military service, Ben explains how the qualities that define a Green Beret - adaptability, resilience, disciplined execution, and solving complex problems with limited resources are the very same traits required to succeed in business. We discuss the realities of building scalable organizations, developing repeatable systems, hiring the right people, and learning when to lead from the front and when to empower others to take ownership.

We also explore the changing landscape of the Special Forces Regiment as a new generation of leaders emerges without the combat experiences of the Global War on Terror. Ben shares why preserving the culture, brotherhood, and lessons learned from previous generations has never been more important, both inside the Regiment and long after service ends.

Finally, we discuss the importance of the Stars and Stripes Classic and why events like this help preserve the team room. The uniforms may come off, but the relationships, shared experiences, and commitment to one another remain. For Green Berets, that brotherhood becomes the foundation for new missions, new businesses, and new opportunities.

QUOTES

• “The leadership had never really experienced combat.”
• “That same sense of brotherhood that we felt playing college lacrosse, the only thing closest to that was being on an ODA.” 
• “Your country has asked you to do some pretty amazing things in your career. Now have you ever thought about running a company?” 
• “Part of the reason you’re selected is to be that adaptive thinker and say to any problem you come up to “I’ll figure it out.”
• “Never lead off with no.”
• “You have to bring people in that are willing to get after it.” 
• “I don’t want to lose to Navy.” 
• “It’s just background noise.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:23 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 4:49 The status of the Special Forces Regiment
• 10:04 Special Forces Entrepreneurism
• 20:35 Character Matters

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The scoreboard may decide the winner, but it doesn’t tell the story of the game. The Stars and Stripes Classic pits America’s Green Berets against Navy SEALs, renewing Special Operations' greatest rivalries. But beyond the game, every operator on the field, and family member in the stands, represents an unwavering commitment to something greater than themselves.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with the President and CEO of the Green Beret Foundation Charlie Iacono, and Chief Warrant Officer Nick Lavery, to discuss why the Stars and Stripes Classic is much more than just a game. It is an opportunity to strengthen the Special Operations community, honor the legacy of those who served before us, and introduce the next generation to the values that define Special Operations.

Charlie shares how the Green Beret Foundation continues to evolve beyond traditional support programs, placing families at the center of its mission and developing initiatives like Task Force Tatanka to deliver customized solutions for Green Berets, veterans, and their loved ones. Nick reflects on the mindset that carried him from catastrophic injury in Afghanistan back to an Operational Detachment Alpha, redefining resilience not as avoiding adversity, but as the willingness to confront it, adapt, and continue moving forward.

Our conversation explores the unique relationship between Green Berets and Navy SEALs - fierce competitors on the field, trusted teammates in combat. From military leadership and entrepreneurship to preserving the legacy of Special Operations, we discuss why sharing these stories remains critical to strengthening the community and inspiring the next generation.

The Stars and Stripes Classic is a reminder that while competition builds excellence, it is service, family, and the enduring bonds of the Special Operations community that define the legacy of the Green Berets and Navy SEALs long after the final whistle blows. Listen or watch this episode and don’t miss this year's game; August 2nd from the Ohio State Lacrosse Stadium in Columbus Ohio and being broadcast on ESPN. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:25 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 4:03 Preparing for the Game
• 5:10 Character on the Field
• 6:35 Green Berets vs Navy SEALs
• 10:05 Green Beret Families
• 14:56 Resiliency Matters
• 21:04 Task Force Tatanka

QUOTES

• “The culmination of teamwork has been fantastic.”
• “No plan survives first contact.”
• “We are more alike than we are different.”
• “We’re like the most stereotypical brotherly relationship that maybe exists.”
• “Families are the bedrock for our foundation.”
• “We’re not telling the story enough.”
• “Adversity is inevitable.”
• “Resiliency is defined as one’s capacity to deal with or bounce back from challenges.”
• “There’s no way this is how this ends.”
• “You have to be unapologetically confident in the decisions you make when you put together a team.”
• “We are continuously evolving that objective.”
• “The biggest challenge with opportunities is they’re continuously evolving.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The title United States Marine is earned…never given. For over 250 years the Marine Corps has been front and center in the defense of America and our allies. But as technology and the battlefield have changed, the character and standard that define a Marine have never wavered.

From the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA, Fran Racioppi sat down with Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos A. Ruiz, the 20th senior enlisted leader of the United States Marine Corps, to discuss what it takes to serve in one of the world's most respected fighting forces.

Drawing on decades of service, SMMC Ruiz explains why the Marine Corps' greatest weapon system has never been its aircraft, landing craft or tanks, but the individual Marine. We explore how the Corps develops leaders by instilling discipline, accountability, resilience, and a deep understanding of the history and traditions that connect today's Marines to generations who came before them.

Our conversation also examines how the Marine Corps is preparing for today’s battlefield from large-scale combat operations and force modernization to their role in littoral defense. 

The SMMC also shares his top priorities; improving quality of life for every Marine, investing in the physical and mental readiness of the Corps and preparing Marines for civilian life when the uniform comes off. From strengthening partnerships with industry, to building programs to train Marines in the trades, SMMC Ruiz remains as dedicated to the Marines whose service is ending as those who are getting off the bus. 

America has changed a lot in 250 years, but the unabashed mission of the United States Marine Corps to fight and win our nation’s wars has not.

A special thanks to the National Museum of the Marine Corps for hosting our conversation and reminding every American that for Marines “Uncommon Valor Is A Common Virtue.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:18 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 2:54 What It Means To Be A US Marine
• 7:04 Marine Corps Standard
• 10:04 Combat Readiness
• 15:41 Shifting from GWOT
• 20:00 Marine Corps Culture
• 26:24 Replacing the ASVAB
• 30:11 Recruiting Marines
• 34:38 Retaining Marines
• 38:02 Transitioning Marines
• 1:00:44 Barracks 2030
• 1:05:53 Daily Habits

QUOTES

• “What makes the Marines great is your brother or sister next to you will pick you up and you’ll keep moving forward.”
• “The promise is that we will make you better.”
• “You’ll get an 80% solution that you can pivot anywhere.”
• “What are we going to put in the Marines’ hands?”
• “They’re not pieces of furniture.”
• “Why not invest in the human in the beginning?”
• “The Marine Corps will decide.”
• “What kind of Marine are you building that is going to be talented and capable enough to arrive at the same moment that the technology is coming?”
• “You can’t sell the Marine Corps. It’s too big.”
• “Reinlisting Marines two years at a time is how we’re gaining retention.”
• “We can help transition Marines better.”
• “We’re good enough to keep what we want. We should be good enough to take care of the other ones as well.”
• “That’s how you grow. Doing hard things.”
• “We’re done trying to defend why the conditions are the way they are.”
• “You can’t have beautiful, fancy, state-of-the-art gear and a crappy place to sleep.”
• “If you can attempt to every day get to know somebody a little better, you can only move your platoon standard to higher levels because people trust you.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

For one day, the rivalry shifts from the battlefield to the lacrosse field. Green Berets. Navy SEALs. America's most elite special operations forces compete with the same intensity, discipline, and commitment to excellence that defines their military careers. But when the final whistle blows, the score becomes secondary to the brotherhood.

Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Army Head Coach Joe Alberici and Navy Head Coach Joe Amplo just hours before the teams took the field. While the rivalry between Army and Navy is one of the greatest traditions in sports, both coaches know the game has always represented something much bigger than winning. Every practice, every workout, and every lesson on the lacrosse field is preparing young men and women to lead under pressure, overcome adversity, and serve their country with honor.

Our conversation examines how service academy athletics develops leaders ready to fight and win our nation’s wars. Coach Alberici and Coach Amplo explain why competition, accountability, and resilience are not just traits of great athletes - they are the same qualities required to lead in combat.

As kickoff approaches, the focus shifts from strategy to mindset. Compete relentlessly. Trust your training. Focus on the next play. Because whether it's on the lacrosse field, on a Special Forces ODA or SEAL platoon, success is built on discipline, accountability, and teammates who refuse to let each other fail.

Army and Navy compete to make each other better because one day these young men and women will stand together in defense of America. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:02 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 2:39 Preparing for the Game
• 5:34 Playing at USMA & USN
• 14:01 Ownership & Accountability
• 17:03 Pregame Message

Quotes:

• “The excitement and desire to be a part of this again from the community was incredible.”
• “My number one job is to keep you from yourself.”
• “I have such a love, respect, and aberration for a young person just to be looking at these academies.”
• “Both of our institutions uncover the best version of the human being that’s inside.”
• “They have to be good humans who contribute to society because even their military service is going to end at some point.”
• “You’re always looking to mentor.”
• “Great leaders hold themselves to the higher standard as consistent as they possibly can.”
• “The best leaders hold each other and others to that standard consistently.” 
• “Each day we tell a young man we’re trying to build you a masterpiece.”
• “Before you hold others accountable, you got to hold yourself accountable.”
• “Go back to the basics.”
• “Let’s just make sure we’re getting onto the next play.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The United States Military Academy at West Point is the foundation of the US Army. Along the cliffs, through the halls, and on the fields America’s best and brightest are trained to lead not just soldiers, but America. But behind the tradition and pageantry, West Point understands that athletics of any level create disciplined warriors prepared to lead in any situation. 

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Tom Theodorakis, Director of Athletics at West Point, to discuss how one of the most respected athletic programs in the country directly supports the mission of the United States Military Academy and helps develop the next generation of Army leaders.

With more than 30 Division I programs and over 1,200 cadet-athletes, Tom explains what makes Army West Point different from every other program in college athletics. Cadet-athletes are not just balancing Division 1 sports and rigorous academics; they are simultaneously preparing to become officers in the United States Army where they will lead soldiers and shape national security strategy for decades to come.

We discuss the demanding reality of being a cadet-athlete, the recruiting process, and what it takes to attract elite competitors to an institution built around service before self.

Tom also addresses the realities behind funding Army athletics, correcting the misconception that the program is fully government funded, and explaining how external support and partnerships help sustain the mission of Army West Point Athletics.

Finally, we discuss the opportunities available to cadet-athletes after graduation, including pathways to world-class and professional athletics, and most importantly serving as officers in the United States Army.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:09 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 3:43 Athletic Director Responsibility
• 6:01 Recruiting Athletes to West Point
• 8:31 Competing at the D1 Level
• 11:14 Funding Athletics
• 12:06 NIL Impact
• 13:08 Defining Sustainability
• 14:04 West Point Cadet-Athlete Experience
• 18:18 West Point Pro Athletes
• 19:58 Coaching Cadet-Athletes
• 22:54 Creating Warriors
• 25:26 Defining Success
• 26:50 Cadet to Lieutenant

Quotes:

• “It’s very humbling and also a tremendous responsibility .”
• “We want to win. If we’re going to keep score we want to win.”
• “That atmosphere of winning is something that’s paramount.”
• “We need to continue to just recruit and put ourselves on the biggest stage possible.”
• “We want to make sure to create the best area, the best resources for our athletes to just grow.”
• “The idea is that when someone comes here, they say ‘they care about athletics.’”
• “We need to continue to be innovative.”
• “We sell not the transactional experience, but it’s the transformational experience.”
• “What are we doing now to make sure we’re in a good position in the future?”
• “This place is about challenging our athletes.”
• “Every cadet here is an athlete.”
• “The key word here is ‘path.’”
• “You have to fully embrace this place and love this institution.”
• “You got to win too. Results matter.”
• “These are all things athletics can teach you on the field.”
• “There’s so many things that we do here at West Point that now more than ever help us.”
• “That’s the best part of the job.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Modern warfare is no longer defined by who has the biggest force, but by who can adapt the fastest. The battlefield is changing in real time through artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities, and the speed of information. But even in the most advanced operating environments, victory still comes down to disciplined leaders, trusted teams, and soldiers prepared to make decisions under pressure when everything is on the line.

The responsibility for America’s rapid response to any crisis belongs to the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps.

From their headquarters at Fort Bragg, NC, Fran Racioppi sat down with Lieutenant General Greg Anderson, Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps, to discuss how he is preparing America’s Contingency Corps for combat in an increasingly dangerous world.

Leading more than 80,000 soldiers across the 3rd Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 101st Airborne Division, and other subordinate commands, LTG Anderson explains how the Corps balances readiness, speed, and innovation while maintaining the fundamentals that have always defined military success.

Our conversation explores the role of Noncommissioned Officer, the importance of mastering the basics, and why leadership development remains America’s greatest asymmetric advantage. We also discuss the integration of conventional and special operations forces, the concept of compound warfare, and the difference between interoperability and true integration on the battlefield.

LTG Anderson breaks down the Corps’ push toward innovation through initiatives like the Joint Innovation Outpost and experimental exercises that incorporate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven decision-making into operational planning. But even as technology changes warfare, he makes one thing clear; there must always be a human in the loop.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:17 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 4:01 The role of XVIII Airborne Corps
• 9:57 Empowering NCOs
• 14:58 Joint Innovation Outpost
• 19:00 Speeding the Acquisition Timeline
• 22:53 Keeping A Human in the Loop
• 25:41 Integration vs Interoperability
• 29:13 Guiding the Tactical Level Leader
• 32:48 Compound Warfare Today
• 37:22 Generational Warfighting Differences
• 42:00 The XVIII Airborne Corps Formation
• 45:04 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “What operational problems do they expect us to solve for them?”
• “If I’ve got a strong team…we’ll typically prevail.”
• “Certainly what I’ve learned of any value has come from non-commissioned officers that raised me up.”
• “The role of the non-commissioned officer is to become the technical tactical experts in the application of violence at the tactical level.”
• “What are we doing to get the NCO corps to that point where they are the Army?”
• “How do we use advanced computing to allow us to make decisions more informed and faster than our opponents?”
• “The advantage of war fighting is not replacing humans with machine decision making. It’s now creating superhumans that are enabled by it.”
• “Interoperability is our ability to work together in an efficient, effective manner.”
• “Compound Warfare is the blending of regular and irregular capabilities to create a host of dilemmas for your enemy.”
• “You’ll never be able to tell that tactical level leader when things are going to change and shift if you haven’t done the operational level rigor.”
• “My role as the general is not to solve the problem or be the hero that comes in, but to think and understand the problem we’re trying to solve.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Some people don’t just pass through your life. They leave a mark that stays with you long after they’re gone. Not because of what they did in a single moment, but because of how they lived every day, how they showed up for people, and how they made others feel.

From the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Pam Patton and Tom Schneider to honor the life of Major Jeff Toczylowski, a Green Beret whose impact on the people around him is still felt nearly two decades later. A letter Jeff left to his family and friends in the event of his death defines the character of a Green Beret; a warrior and a man who cared more about others than himself. Jeff’s last wish…take everyone to Vegas to celebrate his life.

Today, his legacy lives on through the annual memorial golf outing in his honor, now approaching its 20th year. What started as a way to cope with loss has become something much bigger. A reunion. A celebration. A community built around a single person who continues to be the common thread connecting hundreds of people who gather not to mourn, but to celebrate a life well lived.

Join the Green Beret Foundation and all of Toz’s family and friends this August 1st, at the Five Ponds Golf Course in Warminster, PA to celebrate his service and support all Green Berets past, present and future.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:48 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 2:27 Who was MAJ Jeff Toczylowski
• 5:47 The 20th Annual Memorial Golf Tournament
• 8:51 Vegas Time
• 13:19 Honoring Toz’s Legacy

QUOTES

• “He literally lived every day like it was his last…to the fullest.”
• “He impacted a lot of people.”
• “It really is like a reunion.”
• “The celebration of life is really why everybody comes back.”
• “It changed him forever.”
• “No matter what’s going on in life, be good to the people around you and live each day to the fullest because today could be it.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Green Berets are built over time. Special Operations Truth #3: SOF cannot be mass produced. America’s most elite warriors are developed through experience, through leadership, and through the responsibility of developing others. This is the job of the Special Forces Noncommissioned Officer.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Command Sergeant Major Rob Abernethy to dissect the evolution of the Green Beret NCO, and their officer counterparts, to show how that development shapes the effectiveness of Army Special Operations and national strategy.

CSM Abernethy served nearly four decades in the Army and across special operations from a junior 18E communications sergeant, to the Command Sergeant Major of US Army Special Operations Command and United States European Command. Rob breaks down the role of the NCO as the backbone of the Regiment, the importance of regional alignment in building partner forces, and where Special Forces fits into military strategy from the pre-9/11 period, through the Global War on Terror and into today’s Large Scale Combat Operations.

We also explore the rapid evolution of technology and the challenge of integrating new tools without losing the fundamentals of leadership and warfighting. From artificial intelligence to modern battlefield systems, Rob emphasizes that technology must support the force, not replace the mindset that defines it.

Finally, after retiring as one of the longest serving Green Berets in the Army, CSM Abernethy shares his perspective on transition after service and his current role continuing to develop soldiers through his work at AUSA.

This is a conversation about leadership, evolution, and the responsibility to prepare the next generation of Green Berets for the fight ahead.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:00 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 5:20 From junior to senior NCO on an ODA
• 15:31 Role of the Team Sergeant
• 18:52 The culture of a Special Forces team
• 25:02 Importance of Regional Alignment
• 32:08 Bridging the generation gap
• 43:14 American Military Technological Advantage
• 49:00 Biggest Threat to America
• 52:18 Remembering Service

QUOTES

• “The average age on the teams was much older.”
• “Nobody says, ‘Hey, I’m going to join the Army and my goal is to be a sucky soldier.’”
• “The Team Sergeant is one of the most critical parts of the team.”
• “Over time, what you do is build confidence with the team.”
• “The Officer’s success is really the Team’s success and the Team’s success is based on the Officer.”
• “Our confidence as a Team Sergeant needs to be projected through the team leader.”
• “You have to have a lot of confidence in the team you’re selecting.”
• “The administrative stuff makes a difference.”
• “The little things absolutely matter.”
• “The more astute you are to the environment in which you’re going to operate, the better you’re going to be.”
• “In the next 10 years, it’s going to be phenomenal what we actually bring to the battlefield because AI is going to make us that much better.”
• “The Department of War is crushing the acquisition process now.”
• “Our relationship with our NATO allies has been strong and needed, and still will be needed.”
• “One thing that stayed consistent was my desire to be good, to be an expert, and lead by example.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The conditions service members live in directly affect Military readiness and national security. It’s the responsibility of Congress to authorize military funding to ensure the warfighter has what they need in combat and at home. Every decision impacts the strength of the force and their families.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Representative Mike Levin, who serves California’s 49th District and sits on the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs to discuss the policies and decisions shaping today’s military bases. From investments in infrastructure at Camp Pendleton to broader oversight of Veterans Affairs, Congressman Levin outlines why improving living conditions, facilities, and support systems is essential to maintaining a ready and capable force.

Our conversation explores the responsibility of leadership to develop a culture where reporting substandard conditions is encouraged. We also discuss the broader role of Congress in overseeing military operations, and the importance of transparency, strategy, and accountability when American forces are deployed.

Congressman Levin shares his perspective on the war with Iran, his views on the need for checks and balances, and the growing divide that has made bipartisan governance more difficult. He emphasizes that strong institutions require leaders willing to put mission over politics and to ensure that the constitutional framework guiding military action is upheld.

This is a conversation about leadership, accountability, and the systems that support those who serve. It is about ensuring readiness not just on the battlefield, but across the entire force.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:53 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 3:19 California’s 49th District
• 6:34 Improving Military Housing
• 14:25 Status of the Iran War
• 19:37 Is Iran A Direct Threat To The US?
• 22:08 Iran’s State Sponsorship of Terrorism
• 25:20 Negotiating with Iran
• 28:41 Bridging the Gap

Quotes:

• “It is imperative that we treat our veterans and military families with absolute respect.”
• “We’ve got real issues with barracks.”
• “We’re not looking for the Ritz Carlton. We’re just looking for a decent place.”
• “The average member of the military needs a decent place where they can live.”
• “The challenge is the lack of clarity about what they’re being asked to do.” 
• “They didn’t brief us on what the plan was going to be.”
• “It’s a war that is unauthorized. It is a war without a clear exit plan.”
• “What damage have we done to our allies around the world? A lot.”
• “We know less today than we did before the war began.”
• “The question is whether or not the military has actually made it a worse problem or has it actually ameliorated the problem.”
• “The Iranians have been a horrible regime.”
• “I don’t think the President has enough people around him telling him what he needs to hear, not what he wants to hear.”
• “Use of military force should be last resort always.”
• “I am personally never going to see the other side as my enemy. I see them as my political opponent.”
• “Running the United States is not an easy challenge.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of guests and host Fran Racioppi. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

There is a steady stream of headlines shaping how Veterans view the Department of Veterans Affairs. Disability benefits are being cut. The VA is being privatized. Programs are disappearing. That is the narrative. But is it the reality?

In a social media environment driven by clicks, likes, and engagement, information spreads fast, and too often no one stops to ask whether it is actually true. When it comes to healthcare, benefits, and the systems Veterans rely on, the facts matter.

In this episode, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins joins Fran Racioppi to address those concerns directly and bring clarity to what is actually happening inside the VA. This is not a surface level conversation. It’s a direct response to the questions Veterans are asking right now.

We break down the proposed disability rating regulation enforcement that rocked the Veteran community, what it was intended to do, how it was misinterpreted, and why it was withdrawn within days. We discuss the rollout of the VA’s electronic health record modernization, what’s working, what still needs to improve, and how it will impact care moving forward.

Secretary Collins also addresses the reality of community care and the claims surrounding privatization, clarifying how the VA will always deliver and fund care for Veterans. We talk about workforce challenges, hiring, and the responsibility to ensure Veterans are receiving timely and effective support with a right-sized VA staffing level.

The conversation also focuses on one of the most critical issues facing the Veteran community: suicide prevention. With the majority of Veterans not currently engaged with the VA, the approach must evolve. Outreach must expand, accountability must increase, and programs must show measurable results.

Finally, we cover housing stability through VA home loan programs and the responsibility to ensure Veterans have real options to maintain their homes, but also understand they have a personal responsibility for the financial decisions they make.

This conversation is about clarity and accountability. Because at the end of the day, the mission is simple - deliver results for Veterans.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:31 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 3:31 Dispelling Disability Rating Misconceptions
• 10:43 Running A Wartime VA
• 16:24 Electronic Health Record Modernization
• 20:09 Is the VA Privatizing Healthcare?
• 27:51 VA Employee Moral
• 34:22 Cutting the VASP Program
• 39:06 Preventing Fraud
• 43:13 Veteran Suicide Prevention

Quotes

• “No one that already had a disability rating was ever going to lose anything.”
• “I take full responsibility.”
• “Nobody’s getting judged differently.”
• “We’re the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. We don’t act like it.”
• “There’s no plan for privatization.”
• “80% of all new doctors go through the VA in some form.”
• “Privatization is thrown around to scare employees and veterans.”
• “We’re never going to privatize. Definitely not under my watch. And there’s no mechanism to privatize.”
• “There are people invested in a broken system.”
• “I have to compete for doctors and nurses with every hospital in the country.”
• “Our problem was we had too many people in the wrong places.”
• “What are you doing that’s stupid?”
• “60% of death by suicide by Veterans have not had any contact with the VA.”
• “The VA many times was more concerned about itself than we were about actually finding metrics for the veteran.”
• “Capitol Hill has become more driven by the five minute YouTube clip.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

99% of all US businesses and almost 46% of American employees are, or work for, a small business. Although a small business is defined as having less than 500 employees, American small businesses are responsible for over 88% of net job growth. That means that America's economy, and the world's economy, rest on the backs of small businesses.  

The Small Business Administration plays a critical role in the success of small businesses; including those owned and operated by American Veterans. From business planning, strategy design, funding and specialty certification programs the SBA is one of the primary pillars creating and supporting economic impact.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Bill Briggs, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, to break down the SBA’s 3C’s and a D: Capital, Counseling, Contracting and Disaster. Deputy Administrator Briggs explained the real challenges business owners face, especially around cash flow, capital access, and navigating competitive marketplaces. He shared the history of the SBA and its grounding in the Small Business Act of 1953, when the post war period identified that small businesses are not only important to the global economy, but they are crucial to America’s national defense. 

200,000 service members transition each year from the military into the civilian sector. Some will start businesses as entrepreneurs. Others will enter the workforce. All will need counseling, support and a system designed to give Veterans access to opportunity and the chance to succeed post service. 

Finally,  we address how the SBA is improving accountability, cracking down on fraud, and ensuring programs are delivering real results for those they are designed to support.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:16 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 4:01 Small biz is big biz
• 4:57 SBA Team
• 8:13 Access to Capital
• 11:58 Counseling Resources
• 16:14 Access to Contracts
• 22:01 Disaster Loans
• 25:33 The Formation of the SBA
• 27:16 Made in America Loans
• 29:54 Working Families Tax Cut Bill
• 33:10 Stopping Fraud
• 35:51 Importance of Service
• 39:08 Boots to Business
• 52:02 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “We’re taking it to the next level in terms of right sizing, streamlining, and improving the overall performance of the agency because the mission is so important.”
• “Access to capital is one of the top three issues that are always facing small businesses.”
• “What we’re trying to do under this administrator and this President is trying to improve our systems to scale and deploy more capital effectively with our lending partners and investors.”
• “I always say to people you have to have that education before you walk in to try to get that loan.”
• “Your job is to compete to solve the mission, not to say ‘I’m a certification, I deserve something.’”
• “Having a competitive, innovative national small business ecosystem is not only part of our economic security but our national security.”
• “We’re trying to bring back American manufacturing .”
• “Our priorities are manufacturing, critical technology, and food production and technology.”
• “Our economic agenda is centered on fair trade, tax cuts, deregulation, and energy dominance.”
• “There’s something for everyone in the Working Families Tax Cut Bill.”
• “We have a zero tolerance policy for fraud.”
• “The day you start your business is not the day you get paid.”
• “We’re overhauling how we deliver our boots to business.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Service is an honor and a burden carried by more than just those who don the Green Beret. Service is borne by the family that stands in the shadows every step of the way. Through training, deployments, uncertainty, the highest highs and the lowest lows, it’s the family that waits for their Green Beret to return. 

From the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Bianca Baldwin and Fran Wesseling, the spouse and mother of Major Darren Baldwin; a Green Beret who came home from combat, but was never the same. 

Darren’s journey began at the United States Military Academy, where he played lacrosse and built the foundation of discipline, teamwork, and commitment that would carry him into Special Forces. 

During a deployment, Darren was forced to return home early due to what initially seemed like minor health issues. Further evaluation revealed lesions on his brain, marking the beginning of a long and uncertain fight. Diagnosed with Progressive Traumatic Brain Injury, Bianca and Fran answered a family’s hardest call to service. 

They shared with me the critical role a family plays in the success of a Green Beret, why strength is important, and how caregiving gives hope to the wounded and their loved ones. 

Darren passed away from his combat-related illness, and to honor his life, Bianca and Fran carry forward his legacy through the MAJ(R) Darren Baldwin Silver Star Families Support Fund and through the support of the Green Beret Foundation, ensuring that other families will never fight alone.

This episode is about the service of a family during, and after that of their Green Beret. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:51 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 3:38 Who was MAJ Darren Baldwin
• 10:14 Silver Star Families Fund
• 15:02 Progressive Traumatic Brain Injury
• 22:20 Resources Available

QUOTES

• “Both of my boys slept with a lacrosse stick.”
• “He had a dedication and grit that goes beyond most.”
• “Ultimately deeply grateful that his legacy and memory lives on.”
• “It was like trying to make a right of a wrong.”
• “That’s kind of how our story started and my story as a caregiver.”
• “I was always his wife but became his 24/7 caregiver.”
• “The vast majority of people, including the military, don’t even know what Silver Star families are.”
• “The fund provides all kinds of medical equipment and new technologies.”
• “It’s difficult and thankless work to be a caregiver.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Cars aren’t just a mode of transportation. They’re a passion. An image. A lifestyle. For many families, they are the bond that brings together father and son. For Frank Viola, cars are the legacy of his son, Green Beret SSG Alex Viola.  

Alex graduated as a Green Beret in 2011 and then went on to get his Combat Dive Certification. In September 2013, his team deployed to Afghanistan as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. On November 17, 2013 Alex lost his life to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while on dismounted patrol.

After the loss of their son, Frank and his family faced the unimaginable challenge of how to move forward. The answer came from something Alex loved deeply: cars. Alex was a true car guy, and restoring vehicles with his dad was one of the ways they spent time together.

What began as a simple idea to honor Alex’s memory turned into the SSG Alex Viola Memorial Car Show. The first event was held in freezing weather with modest expectations, but the community showed up, raising twenty thousand dollars that first year alone.

Today the event has grown into something far greater than anyone imagined. Nearly four hundred cars fill the lot each year, and the show has raised nearly seven hundred thousand dollars to support charitable causes, including the families of Green Berets through the Green Beret Foundation.

Host Fran Racioppi sits down with Frank Viola to share how this fundraiser is more than impressive horsepower and jaw-dropping donations. It’s a powerful story of resilience, community, and how one family's determination not only honors a fallen hero but has also remarkably reunited their own distant family members and created a new, unbreakable bond with Alex’s former Green Beret teammates.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:57 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 2:22 Who was SSG Alex Viola?
• 6:11 Why a Car Show?
• 10:05 How loss brought the family together
• 12:34 Alex’s Team
• 16:03 The 2025 Show
• 17:02 Working with the Foundations
• 18:36 Advice for Future Green Berets

Quotes

• “Alex was a father’s dream of a son.”
• “His whole thing was to be out there in the ditches with the guys.”
• “Alex was a car guy.”
• “In a million years, we never expected anything like it.”
• “We have a goal of reaching $1,000,000 in donations.”
• “There’s been some of my cousins that I’ve never met, but because of this, now we’re really close.”
• “They’re like our own kids.”
• “Losing Alex was probably the worst thing that could ever happen to any parent.”
• “It’s just been a win win all the way around.”
• “They know we’re always going to do the right thing.”
• “The whole theme of both organizations is supporting the families of fallen and wounded warriors’ families.”
• “I don’t think that anyone can just become a Green Beret. You have to be a special kind of person.”
• “It’s either you have it or you don’t.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

In August 2021, the world watched in disbelief as Afghanistan collapsed, leaving two decades of sacrifice, hope, and war in question. America’s longest war, forged in the aftermath of 9/11 and costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars, ended in chaos, confusion, and the swift return of the Taliban. But what truly happened in those final, frantic days? Who held the line until the line was irrevocably gone?

In this exclusive interview, host Fran Racioppi sat down with General Haibatullah Alizai, the final Chief of the Afghan National Army, now living in exile. General Alizai offers a raw, firsthand account of the challenges, the political decisions, and the human cost that led to the nation’s swift downfall. From the initial hope sparked by the post-9/11 intervention to the crushing weight of the Taliban's propaganda machine, he confronts the harsh realities faced by Afghan forces and the devastating decisions that altered the course of history.

Discover the candid perspective of a warrior who fought for a country that no longer exists. General Alizai speaks on loyalty, the pervasive impact of corruption, the strategic failures that enabled the Taliban's resurgence, and his powerful message to the American service members who served alongside him.

War provides Warriors perspective. Is it possible to reclaim what was lost? And was the 20-year commitment truly worth the cost? Dive into the complexity of war, the human reality behind America’s longest conflict, and the future of a nation still searching for stability in the shadow of the Taliban. This is the untold story of the Afghan Army's last stand.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:51 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 5:11 Afghanistan, 2001
• 19:23 America’s Goal In Afghanistan
• 28:51 Afghan Sentiment
• 30:00 Taliban Propaganda
• 36:39 Taliban Today
• 43:30 US Soldiers in Afghanistan
• 49:29 Can Afghanistan be reclaimed?
• 52:51 Leaving Family
• 59:20 Future of Afghanistan

Quotes:

• “You have to have a steel-made ass to be in the Army.”
• “Kunduz collapsed in September 2015 because coordination was poor.” 
• “We are not going to sit. We are going to solve the problem.”
• “In the last five days of collapse, I became the Chief of the entire Army.”
• “I believe the Americans came to Afghanistan to punish their enemies who coordinated the attack in New York.”
• “Who else has fought more than Afghans for freedom.”
• “They started with chopping heads.”
• “The poppies became popular during the first Taliban term.”
• “They all became strength points to the Taliban and weak points to us.” 
• “When we really understood what was going on, it was a bit too late.” 
• “The only thing the Taliban is still doing is brutality.”
• “Before the US came to Afghanistan, there was a civil war.”
• “Now we have thousands of warlords in Afghanistan.”
• “We lost thousands of people and all those lives were dedicated to support the humanity and democracy the right way."
• “Have we left something unfinished?”
• “We should find a way to finish the unfinished business.”
• “The Taliban has destroyed the Afghan history and honor.”
• “The Taliban are 10 times more vulnerable than 2001.”
• “Next is change. It has to happen.”
• “It will be a question that will bring hesitation.”
• “I believe we are just a whistle away from bringing the change in Afghanistan.”
• “What country in the world can do everything on their own?”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by Onebrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Unified Special Operations commands are critical for allied nations to maintain the advantage over our adversaries. A single command structure enables interoperability at every level, from communications and equipment to tactics and acquisition, ensuring partner forces can train together, fight together, and answer to a common mission.

From the Global Special Operations Foundation Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Command Sergeant Major Warren Soeldner, a 10th SFG legend who now lives and works in Greece supporting the Global SOF community. 

Warren brought home the central tenet of modern allied warfare explaining that Special Operations Forces across nations solve problems together, build trust, and operate as one.

He spoke about the importance of standing up capable national SOF commands, the evolving NATO environment and the realities of today’s threat landscape. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the long-term strategic pressure posed by China and Iran, Warren emphasized that modern conflict cannot be viewed through a single lens. War now spans diplomatic, informational, military, and economic domains, and Special Forces play a critical role in shaping outcomes long before conflict becomes visible.

This discussion returns to what Green Berets have always done best: building capability in partners, understanding history and culture, maintaining discipline and professionalism, and quietly shaping global security in ways few ever see.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:41 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 2:48 Building Relationships Across SOF Allies
• 5:38 Joint Unified Command
• 9:15 Defining “By, With, and Through”
• 12:38 Russia-Ukraine War Impact on NATO
• 15:08 NATO Interoperability Gaps
• 17:28 NATO’s Biggest Threat
• 23:14 Students of History
• 27:50 Special Forces in LSCO
• 32:38 US Army Generations
• 41:38 Defining the Green Beret

Quotes

• “The whole theme for the week has been strength and unity.”
• “The dollar or euro goes a lot further for them when it’s a unified command.” 
• “The threat isn’t waiting on 30 nations and their parliaments.”
• “It’s important that NATO know, fight, train together.”
• “When one country is using one standard and the rest of the countries are using another standard, resupply becomes a lot harder for that country.”
• “At the end of the day, we’re all out on the same battlefield and they’re seeing what we’re doing, we’re seeing what they’re doing.”
• “Russia is a huge threat right now. We may be getting to hyperfocused on that and forgetting other threats like China and Iran.”
• “We’ve lost that edge with the adversary. They have a long term plan. We don’t.”
• “It requires our Green Berets to be students of history.”
• “I came up in an era where we did two things: Unconventional Warfare and Foreign Internal Defense.”
• “First you had to learn the culture.”
• “When I look at Large Scale Combat Operations, do we need artillery anymore?”
• “In that isolation is where you finetune the skills that you need for that mission.”
• “There’s nothing special about being a Green Beret.”
• “I’ve always been a believer that the Green Beret is a symbol and it attracts greatness.”
• “At the end of the day, the Army’s job is to close with and kill the enemy.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

What separates war fighting from a warrior? Is it skill? Is it experience? Or is it something deeper that only reveals itself when it matters most?

From the Pentagon, Fran Racioppi sat down with Sergeant Major of the Army Mike Weimer and retired Command Sergeant Major Rick Merritt to discuss what it truly means to build and sustain warriors in the United States Army.

CSM Merritt spent over three decades on active duty, including 25 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment, serving in every enlisted leadership position from rifleman to Regimental Sergeant Major. He conducted over 1,500 combat operations under Joint Special Operations Command and served more than five years in combat task forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. His experience spans the full arc of modern warfare.

Together with the SMA, we unpack into the difference between technical proficiency and true warrior mindset, what commitment looks like when compliance disappears, and how leaders enforce standards without eroding trust. 

We explore whether resilience is built over time or revealed under pressure, and how purpose sustains Soldiers when motivation begins to fade.

As warfare becomes more technical and systems driven, the SMA is challenging the force to ensure technology enhances the warrior. Future conflict will demand innovation and the technological edge, but victory on the battlefield will still be decided by human judgment, character, and leadership.

This is a conversation about standards, commitment, mental toughness, and the responsibility of leaders to hold the line…not just to engage in the business of war fighting, but to forge warriors ready to close with and destroy our nation’s adversaries.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 4:40 Defining An Army Warrior
• 14:02 Compliance to Commitment
• 20:02 What Is The Army Culture?
• 27:18 Why A Warrior Mindset Matters
• 38:52 How to Lead the War fighting Profession

QUOTES

• “I see a warrior as the reason why we do it.”
• “Make a difference with your presence. Otherwise, why are you there?”
• “A warrior is a way of life.”
• “Technology is not going to make up for the foundation.”
• “A warrior is one that is dedicated, disciplined, willing to go the extra mile, will fight for those left and right, and never quit.”
• “The best recruiters we have are our service members, our veterans.”
• “How much is enough of these key attributes to take a risk on you and bring you in and start developing the rest of that?”
• “There’s just some things about human beings that are going to be done on an individual’s basic timeline in life.”
• “It’s not normal for this generation.”
• “Combat readiness is a way of life.”
• “Although I took the uniform off, my oath didn’t go away.”
• “The guys on my team know that they’re in the right spot with the right people, with the right culture.”
• “You’re consecrated into this culture that I got to find when I retire.” 
• “What makes that culture is character and character development.”
• “That probably makes the difference in the world is where our NCO core is compared to other countries.”
• “I’m a firm believer that the noncommissioned officer is the keeper of the culture.”
• “I think that was our biggest challenge in Vietnam.”
• “This profession, we hand you a machete and we say ‘Take that path.’”
• “Grit comes through hardship.”
• “At the end of the day, guys got to go on the ground.”
• “We’re struggling a little bit in that space.”
• “There’s no time limit on honorable service.”
• “What is better than being a company commander?”
• “Don’t be a pain in the ass. Be value added.”
• “This is a journey, not a destination.”
• “A legend is nothing but a man or woman who spent their life surrounding themselves with people better than them.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

War stories are easy to tell. There’s action, adventure, and good vs evil. For most Veterans their service isn’t defined or explained by their war stories. For most Veterans the story that is far most difficult to write...and to live...is the story they have to write themselves.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Steven Grayhm, writer and director of Sheepdog, a film dedicated to telling the most difficult story of our Veterans. The story of what happens to us, our families, our friends, and those around us when the war stories fade, reality sets in, and the hard work must actually begin. 

Steven explains his 14 year journey to make Sheepdog, the thousands of hours he spent with Veterans of all walks of life, his embedment at VA hospitals across the country, and the reality of independent filmmaking; a blue collar process rooted in grit before the red carpet, where every dollar is raised face to face and every decision carries weight. 

The film confronts veteran suicide honestly while reinforcing a simple truth. Ending your life does not end the pain. It ends the possibility of it ever getting better.

What drove Sheepdog was not an interest in war, but a responsibility to understand what happens after it. Steven and his team studied the realities of trauma, addiction, brain injury, generational differences between Vietnam and post 9/11 service members, and the long shadow that war can cast over identity and purpose. They went where the conversations were uncomfortable, where the answers were not clean, and where trust had to be earned. The result is a film that focuses not on combat, but on the war within. 

Veterans are not victims. Sheepdog recognizes that service members volunteered, took risk, and earned something that does not disappear when the uniform comes off. A Veteran’s perspective matters. Trauma exists, but it does not eliminate the responsibility of Veterans to continue their personal and professional growth post service. 

Sheepdog is a story about redefining purpose, about post traumatic growth, and about the courage required to take the first step forward when the path is unclear. It reflects the reality that transition is not a checklist, that no two experiences are the same, and that finding the right sense of mission after service is critical.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:42 Why make Sheepdog?
• 12:40 Addressing generational differences
• 16:38 The idea of perspective
• 21:34 Losing morality
• 29:52 Veteran Suicide
• 37:43 VA resources
• 1:03:40 Was it all for nothing?
• 1:08:34 Hope for Sheepdog

Quotes

• “The hardest thing I ever have done wasn’t to become a Green Beret, it was to not be a Green Beret.”
• “They train you so well to do that job that you never really understand what the result of that job actually looks like.”
• “Whatever happens on the other side of this, I’m going to leave it there.” 
• “One of the most challenging things in this journey of Sheepdog was getting it right.”
• “The warrior doesn’t get to choose the war they go into.”
• “It haunted me in my nightmares for years that crack in the sheep pen wall.”
• “The guys that I learned to be more worried about were the guys that smiled through the pain.”
• “I get very nervous when people wax poetically about suicide because it comes in all different forms.”
• “All the resources in the world can exist, but it doesn’t matter if you’re not willing to use them.”
• “Veterans are not victims.”
• “In the film you would see, no one feels sorry for themselves.”
• “I think we have to do better as a veteran to remove the victim mindset.”
• “If we could save a single life with this film, that would be the greatest Hollywood success story."

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The speed of innovation has long been the difference between military success and failure. Countries and militaries that rapidly develop, deploy and evolve technology thrive. Those who lag…flounder. America, NATO and the world order are being challenged…and innovated against…at a faster pace than ever before. 

From the Global SOF Symposium in Athens, Greece, I sat down with Ryan Benitez of NATO DIANA to talk about how innovation, technology, and rapid capability development are shaping the future of defense across the Alliance.

As the DIANA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ryan explains her work inside one of NATO’s most forward-leaning organizations. DIANA, the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, connects startups, researchers, and industry leaders to solve some of the most urgent challenges facing allied militaries. 

From emerging technologies to dual-use solutions, DIANA is helping NATO move faster, stay adaptable, and maintain an edge in an increasingly competitive global environment.

Ryan also shared how her experience in the Navy and Venture Capital informs her approach to modern innovation, why collaboration between nations and private industry is more critical than ever, and how DIANA is empowering new ideas that can redefine readiness, resilience, and operational effectiveness to not only keep pace, but move faster than our enemies.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:37 Welcome to GSOF Europe
• 3:06 Defining NATO DIANA
• 5:25 Companies Supporting NATO
• 9:23 Filling Technological Gaps
• 11:15 Time to Technology
• 13:44 NATO’s Leading Innovators
• 14:57 Compelling Countries To Invest
• 16:49 Is NATO behind Adversaries?
• 20:21 Defining Readiness
• 22:17 The Next Battlefield
• 24:40 NATO DIANA Future

Quotes:

• “We needed to access the emerging technologies that innovators were putting together.”
• “Does this technology align with a critical capability need that an operator and user has brought to the table?”
• “Team is everything.”
• “Interoperability has different scales.”
• “The flavor of the month is Counter-UAS.”
• “The Special Operations community has always been early adapters of streamlined acquisition and innovation.”
• “We’ve seen the Netherlands do a lot.”
• “We’re keeping a pulse on the market and the demand signal.”
• “How can we help you with your innovation base?”
• “We’re seeing a lot of lessons learned in Ukraine. The innovation cycle there is weeks.”
• “The word defense used to not be top of mind. It is now.”
• “We need to make sure we’re acting as a bridge to the emerging technology market.”
• “Cost is going to become an issue.”
• “War isn’t front and center every day like it is in Europe.”
• “You’re going to start seeing our ability to really rapidly spin up.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Communication is the backbone of every military operation. How well our forces talk to each other across air, land, sea and space is what sets the American military apart from everyone else. Without communication leaders can’t lead, and militaries can’t win. 

From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Dr. Lisa Costa, a leading technologist, former Chief Information Officer for U.S. Special Operations Command, and the first Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for the U.S. Space Force, to discuss how innovation, cyber, and modernization are reshaping Special Operations across all domains.

Dr. Costa brings decades of experience at the crossroads of defense, technology, and strategic innovation. From running one of the Department of Defense’s largest IT enterprises supporting elite global SOF operations to spearheading digital transformation efforts in the Space Force, she has helped architect the future of how our forces fight, communicate, and adapt.

She addressed the evolving threat landscape, including cyber attacks, space domain challenges and why staying ahead through technology, data, and innovation is no longer optional. She emphasized the importance of agility, integration, and forward-thinking capability as the bedrock of a modern force ready for tomorrow’s missions.

This discussion is about building advantage through technology, strengthening alliances across domains, and protecting America by ensuring the force evolves with the threat.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:36 Welcome to GSOF Europe
• 3:15 USSOCOM CIO & Space Force's CTIO
• 6:02 Communications Evolution
• 8:51 DoD Civilian Workforce
• 13:43 Special Operations LSCO
• 16:41 SOF Space Cyber Triad
• 19:24 The Space Battlefield
• 22:17 Lunar South Pole
• 24:35 War Today
• 26:18 Combatting misinformation
• 28:38 Defining AI
• 30:22 Human in the loop
• 31:33 Guardrailing AI Weaponization
• 34:06 Advancing Time to Technology
• 35:48 Citizen Based
• 37:06 Ground Level Innovation
• 40:46 Buying Commercial Resources
• 45:10 The Next Battlefield

Quotes

• “I might be the only person wearing both a SOCOM and Space Force pin.” 
• “Communications is absolutely critical.” 
• “It has gone from big bulky equipment to a binary signal.” 
• “Civilians are part of the force.” 
• “I look at SOF as the tool and capability to prevent us going to war.”
• “The best battle space is the one we never have to put a boot into.” 
• “There is not even a position, navigation, and timing capability on the lunar surface.” 
• “Is it the person who discovered it or the person who gets there first?”
• “We’re fighting for data.”
• “It’s not there because we’re using AI.”
• “I do not define AI as just Large Language Models.”
• “There are going to be mission specific incidents where AI is going to have to be trusted to make that decision.”
• “Don’t sign up for Chinese AI.”
• “Operation Spiderweb was one pilot to every drone. That is not scalable.”
• “It’s going to have to take everyone.”
• “It comes down to the operational planners that are doing that risk assessment.”
• “I believe that we will rely greatly on commercial assets.”
• “There are areas of space that we have not taken advantage of.”
• “I hope that the future of the battle space is much more cognitive.”
• “I always put the operator in charge of a project, not a PhD.”
• “Always prepare for the next unknown mission.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Who’s more important? The operators on the ground or the aviators in the sky? It’s hard to seize the objective without boots on the ground; but if you can’t get to the objective in the first place, there’s no mission at all.

The reality is that operators need aviators and aviators need operators. Green Berets and the pilots of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment share bonds that transcend their MOS and their mobility platform. 

Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, I sat down with Chairman of the Green Beret Foundation retired Lieutenant General Ken Tovo and Chief Warrant Officer Sean McCormick to talk about what it takes to build true interoperability between air and ground units, and why there is no such term as “more important.”

Chief McCormick served as a lead pilot in the 160th SOAR after a career in 75th Ranger Regiment; he also served as General Tovo’s pilot while the General was the USASOC Commander. Their partnership and friendship provides a rare perspective on the leadership, trust, and relentless commitment that define Special Operations. 

Together, they shared how those experiences shaped their understanding of teamwork, mission focus, and the ability to take on any challenge. They also share an unknown secret about GBF’s upcoming POW/MIA recovery missions with Project Recover.

The Stars and Stripes Classic is more than a lacrosse game. It’s a moment to honor the warriors who always step forward, the families who support them, and the community that preserves their legacy through the Green Beret and Navy SEAL Foundations. Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League for hosting another thrilling game. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 3:25 Service in the 160th SOAR
• 4:57 Defining Interoperability
• 6:15 Planning and Customer Centric in the 160th
• 10:54 Building a SOF team
• 14:08 Defining De Opresso Liber
• 16:00 Honoring MACV-SOG
• 18:30 Partnering with Project Recover

Quotes

• “It was a great honor, great experience, and a lot of good stories about that.”
• “Sometimes the most difficult and important part of a mission is actually just getting there.”
• “You are the RCO’s representative when you’re the LNO.”
• “We’re going to plan and rehearse as much as we possibly can before that mission takes place.”
• “You can’t be an expert if you do more than one thing.”
• “They’re problem solvers who figure out “What do I need to do to do what I signed up to accomplish.”
• “No matter what happens, you’re going to accomplish the mission.”
• “99% of the time, we’re working through a partner force to accomplish whatever our mission is.” 
• “Even in our own community, a lot of what MACV-SOG did is really not even part of the history because it’s been classified until recently.” 
• “58 Green Berets still are yet to be found in Vietnam from that era.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Lacrosse is a sport built on passion, precision, and community. It’s also a sport that defines service. Live from the Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Mike Rabil, co-founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League, to highlight the PLL’s partnership with the Green Beret Foundation and explore how the sport of lacrosse is intertwined with American Special Operators. 

A remarkable number of America’s Special Operators come from a lacrosse background. The sport builds toughness, discipline, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. The same qualities that define an elite operator and a key reason why so many lacrosse players serve in the military.

Mike shares his vision for building the PLL into the world’s only professional lacrosse organization. Now in its seventh season, the PLL is deeper, faster, and more competitive than ever, supported by partners who believe in the mission and the athletes who make it possible.

Together, the PLL and the Green Beret Foundation are proving that sport can be a force for impact. This partnership honors the athletes, the warriors, and the families who give so much, and it strengthens the connection between two communities built on grit, excellence, and service.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:21 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 2:50 PLL Progression
• 4:51 College to Pro
• 8:32 Leading up to the Second S&S Game
• 11:14 Lacrosse Discipline in Special Ops

Quotes

• “50% of our games have been decided by just one goal this year.”
• “Now the pressure’s on us to make it worthwhile.”
• “These are the best lacrosse players in the world but some of the best athletes.”
• “To incorporate endurance, strength, physicality, and the hand eye, those are things as a tier one operator you need.”
• “Practice is the payoff for the eventual game.”
• “The community is actually bigger than we think, the game means something to people and it's actually been misbranded.”
• “They’re people of character.”
• “I think athletics in general will teach you a certain level of discipline, resiliency, and adaptability that become critical to your ability to succeed.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Romania is one of America’s key allies in the fight for Eastern Europe. Romanian Special Forces are critical to the success of that mission; and the partnership between United States Special Operations and our Romanian counterparts sits at the center of that strategy.

From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Claudiu Dobocan, Commander of the Romanian Special Operations Forces, to discuss how Romanian Special Operations are combatting Russian aggression and holding the line in Europe.

General Dobocan shared his perspective on strengthening SOF partnerships, advancing interoperability, and building modern capabilities that allow allied forces to operate seamlessly together. He spoke about Romania’s place within NATO, the importance of trust and shared mission across borders, and the need for Special Operations units to remain agile and prepared for the full spectrum of emerging threats.

From combating hybrid threats to maintaining readiness alongside allied SOF elements, General Dobocan emphasized that success today depends on relationships, shared understanding, and the willingness to stand together in the face of uncertainty.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:26 Welcome to GSOF Europe 2025
• 3:21 Mission of Romanian Special Operations Forces
• 8:45 Evolution of technology in SOF
• 10:45 Eliminating Human-in-the-Loop?
• 13:35 Changes in military tactics
• 16:57 Romanian Special Forces Mission
• 18:44 Why Join the Romanian Army?
• 20:06 NATO Alliance Importance
• 25:24 Leading against a Global Threat

Quotes

• “We were created by cooperation between Romanian Ministry of Defense and US SOCEUR.” 
• “Interoperability, no one really talks about what that really means.” 
• “Words carrying value carry meaning.”
• “Industry defines the speed of technological development.”
• “The strategic game changer is generative AI.”
• “I’m scared of the moment when everything is passed to AI.”
• “I don’t think swarming is going to be the next way of doing battle.”
• “Our mission is to be a strategic level instrument that helps with reaction to crisis and building partnerships and capabilities in the region.”
• “10th Group and 20th Group came around and showed us what right looks like so I signed up.”
• “It’s a tool that kind of prevents conflict.”
• “NATO is the umbrella under which we share a lot of things that otherwise we cannot discuss about.”
• “When you talk about the good work NATO has done, you have to talk about the standards.”
• “We have to be deterrent on our part, but capable to move from military assistance type of missions into a very kinetic one.”

Special thanks to the Global Special Operations Foundation for hosting us in Athens. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

America is not the only nation in a fight for freedom, stability, and security. International threats are complex, the missions are critical, and the operators leading them must think globally while acting locally.

The Philippines is one of America’s longest strategic allies. From their geographical importance of World War II, to their front lines combating Chinese expansion in the Pacific, the military partnership between the United States and the Philippines is an important part of global stability. 

At the heart of this collaboration, is the Joint Special Operations Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A force that has been shaped by decades of counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and close partnership with America's Green Berets and Special Operations Forces.

From the Global Special Operations Foundation Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with the Commander of Joint Special Operations Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Brigadier General Eliglen Villaflor, to discuss the evolution of Special Operations in the Philippines, the lessons learned from years of conflict, and the country’s expanding role in regional and international security cooperation.

General Villaflor shared his perspective on leading through complexity, building true interoperability with partners like the United States, and preparing the next generation of Filipino Special Operators to face an ever-changing threat environment.

This episode is about partnership, professionalism, and the shared mission that connects Special Operations Forces around the world to defend freedom wherever it’s challenged.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:45 Welcome to GSOF Europe 2025
• 3:30 Mission of Philippines Joint Special Operations Command
• 5:28 JSOC Commander Challenges
• 8:21 Large Scale Combat Operations in the Philippines
• 11:48 Building relationships in SOF
• 15:54 Philippine Armed Forces Culture
• 18:22 Interoperability in the Philippines
• 19:33 Philippines’ biggest threat
• 23:31 Future of JSOC Philippines

Quotes

• “We’re a family.”
• “The Joint Special Operations Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines was formally activated just last May.”
• “I am the force employer.”
• “The challenges will outweigh the positive impact of having JSOC.”
• “The engagement with the U.S. counterpart has been more aggressive than before.” 
• “Our core mission is to work with other nations to achieve the combined goals of our nations.”
• “I’m very glad I was given the opportunity to train with foreign counterparts, especially the U.S.”
• “SOF are not only building trust, we are building family. We are family and we take care of each other.”
• “People mostly join the Armed Forces because of low economic status.”
• “I want to avail of the free education.”
• “We are always leader centered.”
• “We are now inculcating in our culture the word interoperability.”
• "Aggressive, illegal, dangerous, and coercive action of China is very visible in our country.”
• “It’s still all about the mindset, attitude, and discipline.”

Special thanks to the Global Special Operations Foundation for hosting us in Athens. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Few leaders have shaped the identity of America’s Special Forces more than President John F. Kennedy. In just three years as Commander in Chief, JFK redefined how the United States would fight, lead, and prepare for an uncertain world, one that demanded unconventional solutions and elite warriors ready to face any challenge.

As the Cold War escalated, President Kennedy saw the need for a new kind of Soldier, one trained to think, adapt, and win in conflicts fought not only on the battlefield, but through influence, innovation, and resilience. His vision for military modernization gave birth to the era of Unconventional Warfare and cemented the role of the Green Berets in America’s national defense strategy.

From his visit to Fort Bragg and the historic meeting with Brigadier General William Yarborough, to the moment he publicly endorsed the Green Beret as “a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, and a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom,” JFK’s leadership transformed Special Forces from a small experimental group into a cornerstone of American military power.

Today, that legacy continues, honored each year at the JFK Wreath Laying Ceremony, carried forward by generations of Green Berets who live by the same principles of courage, creativity, and service that JFK saw as vital to the nation’s defense.

From the USASOC History Office, Fran Racioppi sat down with two of the historians who’ve preserved and advanced this legacy; Dr. Troy Sacquety and Dr. Jared Tracy. Their work ensures JFK’s vision is never forgotten. We explored the strategic thinking behind Kennedy’s military modernization, the significance of the Green Beret endorsement, and why, decades later, the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School still bears his name. We also discussed the legacy-building moment of JFK’s recent induction as Distinguished Member of the Regiment and the enduring symbolism of the annual wreath laying at Arlington.

This episode is about vision, legacy, and the enduring bond between a President and the warriors he inspired - the Green Berets.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:58 Welcome to the USASOC Historians Office
• 2:57 JFK and Green Berets
• 5:34 USASOC Historian role & importance
• 10:57 JFK’s vision
• 18:11 USASOC capability in the 1960’s
• 21:05 JFK’s impact
• 28:24 DMOR induction
• 33:54 A world with JFK?

QUOTES

• “What really struck us was how great of a speech giver he was.” 
• “The most important thing we could do is preserve the history of our organization.” 
• “On any given day, I could be working on something that comes from 1774 to yesterday.” 
• “Kennedy viewed the Army Special Forces as the natural fit to be able to fill that role.” 
• “He’s very deliberate in wanting to make Special Forces a part of his program.” 
• “Can we do this as a nation every time there’s a need to contain the spread of communism?” 
• “During the Kennedy administration, the term Special Warfare was not very well defined at all.” 
• “Without the Korean War, you don’t have the ability to do Special Operations in Vietnam.”
• “It’s part of the identity of Special Forces.” 
• “Everyone assumes it was done. When we did the research and looked at it, we realized it hadn’t been.” 
• “It serves as a reminder for soldiers that are in the Regiment today.” 
• “What would history be like if Kennedy hadn’t been killed?”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast is an official program of the Green Beret Foundation.

There are few chapters in American military history as daring, secretive, and defining as MACV-SOG, the Military Assistance Command-Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group. A small band of elite Green Berets who operated deep behind enemy lines, often without acknowledgment, and always with extraordinary courage.

These men were tasked with missions that had never been done before and might never be done again. Their work in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam forged the tactics, technology, and mindset that would become the DNA of modern Special Operations.

But when they came home, many faced a different kind of battle. The Vietnam era brought with it a complex legacy, one of heroism and heartbreak, pride and pain. Some became business and political leaders; others struggled for decades to find peace. Yet through it all, the brotherhood forged in MACV-SOG never wavered.

Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, we sat down with Doug Godshall and Jim Shorten, two veterans of MACV-SOG, to honor their service, preserve their stories, and remind today’s Green Berets what courage, sacrifice, and innovation truly mean.

This episode is about the origins of Special Forces as we know them today, the unbreakable bonds formed in war, and the duty we all share to ensure that the lessons of MACV-SOG live on in every generation of those who don the Green Beret.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 3:06 Defining MACV-SOG
• 5:54 Who were the partner forces?
• 7:20 MACV-SOG Losses
• 11:27 Why Become A Green Beret?
• 14:42 Life Post-Vietnam
• 19:35 Leadership Lessons from MACV-SOG
• 22:54 Honoring MACV-SOG Veterans

QUOTES

• “We had no identification that we were United States soldiers.”
• “MACV-SOG had the highest casualty rate of any US Army unit since the Civil War.”
• “We were very dedicated to the Montangards.”
• “We wouldn’t be alive but for our indigenous partners.”
• “Teams went out and didn’t come back. They were overrun upon landing.”
• “The Vietnamese War was highlighted by a lot of enemy infiltration into our ranks.”
• “Our generation wasn’t supportive.”
• “I’m one of those guys that likes to continue learning.”
• “You can never train up enough.”
• “You can be whatever you want to be if you put your mind to it.”
• “I think the modern GWOT soldier has a lot of history to look back on and they're going to be better soldiers."
• “If you really want to run the mission, get all the training you can possibly get.”
• “We’re glad that you’re honoring us, but you’re honoring you and the rest of the Regiment as well.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

America maintains a promise to its citizens…we will never leave you behind. The realities of war and conflict challenge that foundational truth and today, regrettably, thousands of American service members remain missing in action; their stories untold, their families still waiting for answers. For most the reality that their loved one has passed has set in; but the promise to bring them home has never faded.

Project Recover is dedicated to locating, identifying, and repatriating Americans missing in action. By combining historical research, advanced technology, and field expeditions across land and sea, they maintain America’s promise to bring closure to families and honor the legacy of those who gave everything for those they will never meet.

To expand the reach of this mission, Project Recover and the Green Beret Foundation have formed a groundbreaking partnership committed to finding Special Forces soldiers still missing in action, reuniting them with their families and ensuring that the sacrifices of America’s Green Berets are never forgotten.

Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Derek Abbey, PhD, President and CEO of Project Recover, and Charlie Iacono, President and CEO of the Green Beret Foundation, to announce this partnership and share how it’s changing what remembrance and recovery mean for the Special Forces community.

This episode is about honoring America’s promise and supporting the families of our missing Green Berets, wherever their final resting place may lie.

QUOTES

• “There’s no expiration on that promise.”
• “58+ Green Berets MIA’s in Vietnam and now less than 1,600 who are still missing, that’s a pretty significant number.”
• “We’re still working on cases related to World War II.”
• “This gets to the core essence of what Green Berets do.” 
• “The work just doesn’t end in Vietnam. I think this is just the starting point.” 
• “We always work with a sense of urgency and acknowledge time is not our friend in any of these cases.”
• “Green Berets are such incredible communicators, particularly with the populations they have worked with.”
• “When somebody goes missing, they hold on to hope.”
• “The vast majority of the American public have really no understanding that people are missing.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:44 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 3:26 GBF x Project Recover
• 6:45 MIA Recovery Process
• 9:47 Partnership Timeline
• 14:27 Bringing Closure to Families

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

Americans are valuable commodities. America’s adversaries know it and too often, when given the opportunity, our enemies kidnap, arrest and hold hostage Americans in an effort to get what they want. 

The United States Government maintains robust diplomatic and military programs to bring Americans home; but the process is often slow and bureaucratic. Bryan Stern isn’t waiting around for permission to act. He’s the founder of Grey Bull Rescue, a nonprofit that specializes in pulling people out of the worst situations on Earth including conflict zones, collapsed governments, and failed evacuations where no one else is coming. Since its founding, Grey Bull has led over 700 missions in more than 70 countries, rescuing thousands of Americans and allies left behind.

From SOF Week 2025 Fran Racioppi sat down with Bryan to talk about what it means to lead through chaos. They broke down the rescue of 117 Americans from Afghanistan in 2021, how Grey Bull makes life-and-death decisions with limited information, and why Bryan believes the phrase “No American Left Behind” isn’t negotiable; for the government or its citizens.

We also discussed the future of rescue operations. As global instability increases and our enemies get smarter, the need for fast, precise, off-grid capability is only going up. Grey Bull is filling a gap where the government can't move fast enough and showing what’s possible when the mission comes first.

This episode is about courage, clarity, and acting when no one else can. Because leadership under pressure means getting the job done, no matter how impossible it looks.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:57 Welcome to SOF Week 2025
• 3:58 The Mission of Grey Bull Rescue
• 8:03 How do you choose who to rescue?
• 11:48 Government Entities Relationships
• 15:56 Founding Grey Bull Rescue
• 25:03 Making Bad Deals
• 32:45 Finding The Next Battlefield
• 47:21 Overcoming Fears of Taking Action

Quotes

• “Our mission is to rescue Americans and allies from denied areas, war zones, and natural disasters wherever the government is not.”
• “I answer to two people and two people only: God and the families of the people we’re trying to rescue.”
• "Bureaucracy doesn’t bleed. People do.” 
• “I deploy knowing that the first idea I have I know will fail.”
• “I’m not trying to be in the way. I’m trying to help.”
• “I live every day like it’s September 12th.”
• “As an American, we move heaven and earth to get your back.”
• “We have never successfully negotiated with anyone.”
• “Right now, everyone should be deployed.”
• “We got the tools. We just have to think about the problems the right way.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Our SOF Week 2025 Series is made possible in part by Accrete.ai; solving business’s most complex challenges today through the technology of tomorrow.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The opinions presented on The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does the Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

The war for information, influence, and decision making is paramount on today’s battlefield. Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of the future; it’s essential for America’s national security and military dominance. 

From SOF Week in Tampa, Florida, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Green Beret and Co-founder of Accrete AI Government, Bill Wall, to talk about a fight most Americans never see.

Bill is one of the leading voices redefining how we use AI and how our government is deploying it in the protection of America. Bill explains how Accrete’s Argus platform is actively being used to identify foreign ownership and control in U.S. defense supply chains, and how more broadly AI is helping analysts detect narrative warfare and influence campaigns before they spread.

He shared how dual-use technology is shifting the battlefield, why algorithmic warfare is already here, and how Accrete is giving government agencies the tools to scale human insight without losing control. They also talked about the dangers of siloed innovation, the gap between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon, and what leadership looks like when you’re building tech that needs to work at speed and at scale.

This episode is about changing how we think about war, technology, and leadership; and what it’s going to take to stay ahead in the next fight.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Welcome to SOF Week
• 3:45 Artificial Intelligence Defined
• 6:53 AI in War Fighting
• 9:07 Machine Learning
• 10:51 Drawing the Line with AI
• 14:48 Defining the Next Battlefield
• 18:27 Combatting False Narratives & Misinformation
• 22:03 Public Private Partnerships
• 24:29 Accrete in the Corporate World
• 29:11 Regulating AI
• 31:05 Why Army
• 32:55 Innovation changing SOF
• 37:20 Transition from SOF
• 51:50 Accrete AI’s future

Quotes

• “Artificial intelligence is just using computers and data to think and reason the same way a human would, but just at a much larger scale and speed.” 
• “Anywhere there’s a decisional situation and they’re overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to sort through, artificial intelligence should be there.”
• “Machine learning allows an algorithm or a program to continually absorb new data and learn from that data.” 
• “Artificial intelligence empowers a human.”
• “We’re not engaging in the narrative battle. We don’t even know what’s being said.”
• “We don’t necessarily need the National Intelligence Community to tell us where our enemies are, they’re broadcasting it.”
• “Is artificial intelligence a general category of something that should have a governmental review on it or not?”
• “If you want to know where the next salifist, jihadist, preacher who’s going to lead an uprising in North Africa is, he’s on Youtube.”
• “In our community, there’s this ethos of being prepared for change and being able to take advantage of change as it happens.”
• “You are what you do. That’s how you identify your self worth and who you are.”
• “Something that guys have to think about is what their personal risk profile is.”
• “If you’re a checklist driven person that needs to be told what to do to understand your job, then entrepreneurialism is not for you.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Our SOF Week 2025 Series is made possible in part by Accrete.ai; solving business’s most complex challenges today through the technology of tomorrow.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is the second largest government agency. The Secretary of the VA has an operational responsibility to support our Veterans and a moral obligation to ensure that those who defend and protect American interests are returned from service as contributing members of society. 

To explore what it takes to transform one of America’s biggest bureaucracies, Fran Racioppi sat down with the Secretary of the VA, Doug Collins. As a former US and Georgia Congressman, and a Chaplain having served in both the Air Force and Navy, Secretary Collins knows what a Veteran needs and how to navigate Washington to get it done. 

The Secretary and Fran broke down the pillars of VA support: including the VA Health Care System, the Disability and Pension process, education support programs like the GI Bill and Vocational Rehab, the importance of Veteran-Owned Businesses, and the no down payment VA mortgages. 

Most importantly the Secretary shared his vision to stop Veteran suicide and why despite spending billions to reduce it over the years, we must forge a path that actually works. 

Fran has personally leveraged almost every single pillar of support the VA has to offer. And although it hasn’t always been perfect, Secretary Collins explains why the VA leads industry in many domains and how under his leadership the VA will be held to a defined standard of excellence. 

This episode is about bridging the gap between military service and civilian life, the responsibility the VA has in supporting our nation’s most important asset, and why Veterans are critical to American strength. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:48 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 7:06 Leading the VA
• 11:09 VA Healthcare
• 15:12 Reducing wait times
• 18:20 Partnering with institutions
• 20:20 Addressing Veteran suicide
• 29:45 Disability Benefit Claims Process
• 39:17 Education Benefits
• 43:10 VA Home Loans
• 43:57 VA Reduction in size
• 49:41 Is Veteran Capitalized?

Quotes

• “Everybody’s going to have a problem. I’m committed to fixing those problems.” 
• “We’re the largest physical department in the government.”
• “Defense and VA are fraternal twins.”
• “60% of every time the phone rings at a Congressman’s office it’s about a VA issue.”
• “The VA’s not gonna be a whipping post for anybody anymore.”
• “There’s some things that the VA does better than private healthcare.”
• “No other hospital system in the world judges wait time. They judge on quality and how they get it.”
• “We’re the largest trainer of doctors in the country.”
• “The shorter the service time, the higher the risk for suicide.”
• “Are we getting them out of the DoD system in a way that we can help them?” 
• “I don’t want a day to go by that a Veteran that needs help doesn’t feel like they have it.”
• “If you’ve just transitioned out, DON’T QUIT.”
• “The standard is we’re going to be excellent.”
• “I learn every day here and if you quit learning, you’re really in trouble.”
• “If you’ve been to one VA, you’ve been to them all. That’s the biggest lie that’s ever been out there.”
• “Is the word Veteran capitalized?”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The opinions presented on The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does the Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

Standards set the foundation for any professional organization. The baseline for professionalism in the US Army is Army Regulation 670-1; Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia. This regulation dictates the standard for every Soldier, regardless of rank or position. AR 670-1 has long been a hot topic of discussion among Soldiers and leaders at every level; and too often left open to interpretation. Until now…

At the direction of senior Army leadership, Army Directive 670-1 has been released to clarify these standards and provide shared understanding between Soldiers and leaders to know what ‘right’ looks like.

To explain the changes and how they will affect every member of the Army, Fran Racioppi sat down with Sergeant Major of the Army Mike Weimer, SGM Laurin Nabors and SGM Alex Kupratty. The SMA shares the “why” behind personal grooming standards and the importance of doing the little things that develop a culture of commitment from compliance. SGM Kupratty breaks down the definition of professional soldier from the experienced warriors of 75th Ranger Regiment to the new Privates of 4th Infantry Division. SGM Nabors provides the details on what’s changing, when and how the new standards are expected to be enforced. She also shares her journey from an Army Reserve heavy equipment operator to the halls of the Pentagon. 

This episode is about redefining what it means to serve in the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen and why development of a war fighting culture starts with how a Soldier presents themself each and every day.

Highlights

• 0:00 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
• 3:26 Army Directive vs Regulation in 670-1
• 5:30 Why Now
• 8:49 Closing Gaps
• 12:55 Changes to 670-1
• 21:08 Why Standards Matter
• 28:25 Analyzing Data
• 29:42 Beards
• 34:30 Preparing soldiers
• 38:10 Active Guard Reserve
• 44:30 Joining the Ranger Battalion
• 49:42 The Grace Period
• 50:33 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “Part of the problem is our process is too slow.”
• “The first thing I had to figure out is are they educated?”
• “Do they understand the standards as they are written?”
• “Once you are emplaced in a leadership position, that’s where the commitment piece has to be rock solid.”
• "If you can’t do the simple things I’m asking you to do, how are you going to do the hard things in combat?”
• “We had to come in and really define “What is military appearance?”
• “It’s a direct reflection of your willingness to be compliant to a standard in your leaders.”
• “The why reinforces one uniformity.”
• “We’re part of something bigger than all of us."
• “Really understanding the generational differences that exist is arguably the most challenging thing that I found as a senior leader in the Army.”
• “I don’t think anybody knows what large scale combat will look like.”
• “The camaraderie that exists in that formation is unlike anything I’ve seen before.”
• “Leadership’s not about 'What did I do here today?' It’s 'What did I do for everyone else here to be successful?'"
• “You’re only as good as the time you put in.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Supporting the Special Forces Regiment isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle. For over 15 years Green Beret Foundation has placed empowering Green Berets of every generation at the forefront. Creating opportunities from the unique needs of our Special Operators is the mission.  

Charlie Iacono is the President and CEO of Green Beret Foundation; a role to which he brought seemingly endless new opportunities for our Green Berets. From SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, FL, Fran Racioppi sat down with Charlie to discuss his priorities for the year, how the organization has grown over 44% and what it means to lead in the tasks you excel at. 

At the top of Charlie’s list is preparing for victory in this year’s 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic; the newest Labor Day tradition pitting America’s Green Berets against their Navy SEAL rivals on the lacrosse field. Hosted by the PLL, this year’s game is set to be even more physical, faster and sharper as the teams take the field in Philadelphia. 

Charlie and Fran also discussed how Task Force Tatonka is balancing mental, physical and spiritual health, why inducting President John F. Kennedy was a pivotal moment in Special Forces history, the growth of the Warrior Sportsmen program and new partnerships that are lighting the course for the remainder of the year.

This episode is about giving back, creating opportunities for Green Berets to thrive, and laying a good stick on your rivals. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to SOF Week
• 5:38 The 2nd Annual Stars & Stripes Classic
• 12:08 Inducting JFK into the Special Forces Regiment
• 16:55 Task Force Tatanka
• 25:51 Warriors Sportsmen Program
• 32:57 New GBF partners
• 36:48 Looking forward

Quotes

“We really live that first SOF truth, people are more important than hardware.”

“In year two, the interest level of playing is through the roof.”

“We are looking to help the Special Forces Regiment and the NSW Community to recruit the best athletes.”  

“If we can win one recruit at a time, we’ll be totally fine.”

“Everything in that evening that we experienced had a connection to the 35th President of the United States of America.”

“If you run from the issues, they’ll eventually catch up with you.”

“I look at needs as well as opportunities.”

“My goal for this foundation is to be the preeminent leader in the things we can do exceptionally well.”

“A big problem that we have is we just don’t get outside enough.”

“It’s the camaraderie that’s built in those quiet moments.”

“We need the support of the American people and industry to ensure that our mission can continuously be fueled.”

“We really have to get ready for that next conflict.”

“We don’t want anybody to buckle under pressure.”

“The American people’s resolve to win has always been there since day one.”

Our SOF Week 2025 Series is made possible in part by Accrete.ai; solving business’s most complex challenges today through the technology of tomorrow.

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

For over three decades, retired Colonel Stu Bradin served on the front lines of some of America’s most critical Special Operations missions from Central America and the Balkans to Northern Africa and Afghanistan. He led Special Forces teams under fire, built NATO’s Special Operations Headquarters from the ground up, and ran multi-national, interagency fusion cells in the heart of combat zones.

But in 2014, Stu Bradin saw a different kind of threat emerging: disconnected allies, stovepiped intelligence, and fragmented Special Operations communities. He knew the next fight against cyberattacks, transnational crime, and terrorist networks would require something we didn’t yet have: a global SOF network. That’s why he created the Global Special Operations Forces Foundation (GSOF); the first nonprofit dedicated to uniting Special Operations military, government, and commercial partners across the world.

Fran Racioppi sat down with Stu during this year’s SOF Week to talk about why he founded GSOF, what it takes to bring together over 60 nations and 85 industry partners, and how his experiences building NATO SOF HQ and leading interagency teams shaped the Foundation’s mission. They explored what elite leadership really looks like at the global level, the danger of operating in silos, and why SOF must evolve its mindset as rapidly as its technology.

Stu also broke down how GSOF accelerates innovation, helps SOF units and partners connect in real time, and creates space for public-private collaboration that can meet the speed and complexity of modern threats to answer the hardest question of today; what must Special Operations become to win the next fight?

This episode is about global leadership, unity of effort, and how one Green Beret’s post-military mission is helping shape the future of Special Operations across the world.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:02 Welcome to SOF Week
• 3:17 Significance of Global SOF Foundation
• 7:38 Prioritizing Small Businesses
• 11:02 Defining the Next Battlefield
• 19:00 NATO SOF
• 23:05 American’s Propensity to Serve
• 27:33 Winning the Next Fight
• 30:55 Getting Equipment to Warfighters
• 35:35 What it means to be a Green Beret

Quotes

• “What makes us different is we’re international and we’re joint and nobody else is that way.”
• “Part of what you have to do as a SOF commander in the joint environment is unite your tribes.”
• “The innovation comes from small businesses.”
• “Most small businesses fail because of catastrophic success not catastrophic failure.”
• “If you’re wrapped in metal, you have zero probability of survival.”
• “You can’t just assume that your enemy is ignorant because they’re not.”
• “I wouldn’t want to be on the modern battlefield.”
• “Our deterrent is having the best partners we can.”
• “We back into wars, we don’t run to them.”
• “They’re going to be our future whether we like it or not, so we’ve got to make sure that they are armed to do the right thing.”
• “I think we need to give the NCO corps a lot more latitude.”
• “If people know you can get to them quickly, they have to calculate for that.”
• “At the end of the day, most of the stuff we’re fielding right now is not going to survive first contact.” 
• “Ultimately, you have a less trained force.” 
• “SOF, cyber, intel, information and economics. That’s how you’re going to win the competition fight.”
• “I just think this is the Special Ops time.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Our SOF Week 2025 Series is made possible in part by Accrete.ai; solving business’s most complex challenges today through technology of tomorrow.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Memorial Day isn’t about a long weekend and BBQs. It’s about honoring those who gave their lives in defense of America…and it’s about supporting the families they left behind. Across US Army Special Operations Command remembering the legacy and impact of the fallen is a daily duty. 

This Memorial Day, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Gil Ferguson and Dalia Munoz to share the story of the day that changed, and intertwined, their lives forever. The day SFC Pedro Munoz, Dalia’s dad, was killed in action. General Ferguson was the officer charged with informing her and her family of his death. Delivering a message no one wants to receive and no one wants to give. Dalia, her mother and her grandmother have never been the same.

In this emotional tribute, Dalia and General Ferguson recount that grief-stricken January morning; the planning and preparation behind the casualty affairs process; and the shock, disbelief and sadness that suddenly overcomes a family. 

Regulation says the casualty officer and the family shall never meet again; which was the case until General Ferguson became the USASOC Chief of Staff, a role that put him in charge of the Protocol office, the office in which Dalia worked. Confronted with the biggest leadership challenge of his career, General Ferguson had to decide if, and how, to tell Dalia about their encounter years earlier. 

This episode is about service. It’s about leadership when it matters most. And it’s about what it means to live a life shaped by loss, and still find purpose on the other side. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s one to never forget.

Special thanks to General Ferguson and Dalia for their openness and willingness to share the rare bond they hold. Thanks to the USASOC Historian’s office for hosting us. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:02 Welcome to USASOC
• 4:01 The Importance of Memorial Day
• 7:26 January 1st, 2005
• 11:31 Constructing a plan
• 28:25 SFC Pedro Munoz
• 32:30 Navigating Grief
• 35:45 Dealing with loss of a Green Beret
• 40:45 Reconnecting
• 52:31 Gold Star Families
• 56:25 Remaining a part of the Regiment
• 59:59 Resources for Mental Health
• 1:02:50 Memorial Day Message

Quotes

• “Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to stop, honor the fallen and take a moment to remember.”
• “It takes a deliberate effort to remember folks once there’s no one else in the formation who personally knew them.”
• “The Army does such a good job of preparing people for what they tell you is going to be a task for which it is impossible to actually really prepare.”
• “You don’t want somebody who’s an early riser waking up and turning on the news and finding out there’s a casualty, and then the next thing you know there’s people calling around and speculation.”
• “That’s the system. You deliver the message as the notification officer and then get off the X.”
• “Doesn’t matter how much you prepare, you’re not prepared.”
• “Everything you think you’ve known is completely shattered.”
• “You kind of only get one shot at things that you’re doing and so you have to do them well.” 
• “The leadership has to be able to understand how to give the formation the room and the space to grieve, but also how to channel that grief into the next step, which is the requirement to potentially go out the door the next day.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

Green Berets are America’s best problem solvers. There’s no challenge too great and no solution that cannot be found. This mentality exists in service and beyond. 

Ben Harrow solved complex challenges as a West Point Lacrosse star, leading soldiers in Iraq, and as he joined Special Forces to be a Green Beret in the Army. Today he’s the President of PAM Jets solving aviation’s largest logistical problems. But the biggest challenge Ben ever faced was when he stepped on a land mine. 

Ben is a double amputee who nearly lost his life in Afghanistan. From the sidelines of the 2024 Stars and Stripes Classic, the first ever lacrosse battle between Green Berets and Navy SEALs, Ben joined Fran Racioppi to share his story. After months of surgery and being told he would never walk again, he took his recovery into his own hands. 

Ben explains the meticulous research he conducted, the doctors he challenged and the method he developed to ensure he would walk and move on with life. He explains his resiliency mindset, how he applied it to becoming a Green Beret, solving his recovery challenge and how it drives him in entrepreneurship today.

Most importantly, Ben shows us that there’s nothing special about being Special Forces, you just have to want it more than anyone else. 

Watch, listen or read our conversation from Gillette Stadium and don’t forget to check out the rest of our series from the inaugural Stars and Stripes Classic as we gear up for the round two on September 1, 2025.

Highlights

• 00:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to Gillette Stadium
• 2:42 We Met In Iraq
• 7:40 Joining Special Forces
• 9:25 What Separates a Green Beret
• 12:27 Stepping on a Landmine
• 17:23 The Rehabilitation Process
• 21:05 Learning how to walk again
• 27:55 The Most Challenging Part
• 29:34 SF Guys Building a Business
• 38:30 What’s Next

Quotes

• “As an athlete and competitive person, I’ve always wanted to be on the best teams.”
• “That special mindshift puts that special in front of forces.”
• “Special Operations in combat, if there was a board game, we’re like chess masters and everyone else is checkers masters.”
• “My first thought when I stepped on that bomb was I got hit by a car.”
• “Part of the reason I think I was able to get out and start the process of figuring out how to walk again was I took myself off the pain meds so quick.” 
• “I got injured as a 215 lb tactical athlete to waking up in the hospital bed weighing only like 130.”
• “The most challenging part was learning to have patience.”
• “As an entrepreneur, you try everything.”
• “That’s the biggest thing as an entrepreneur, being able to solve ambiguous problems.”
• “It’s better to execute an 80% plan at 100% than waiting to create a 100% plan and executing at 80%.”
• “My guidance to my team is consistently we don’t do everything, but we can do anything.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

America maintains a promise to its citizens. A promise to never leave them behind and stop at nothing to return them to American soil. Over 200 Americans are wrongfully detained or taken hostage each year across the globe. The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs is responsible for bringing them home. 

Ambassador Roger Carstens served as the SPEHA from 2020-2025. A West Point Graduate, Green Beret, Army Ranger, and seasoned security leader, Roger and his team brought home close to 70 Americans during his tenure; including high profile cases such as WNBA star Brittney Griner and Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gerskovich. 

Roger joined Fran Racioppi from the McCain Institute in Washington, DC for a conversation on the role of the SPEHA, why countries take Americans for leverage, and just how America negotiates with terrorists. 

We explore the effects of wrongful detention and hostage taking on America’s national power, how families are turned completely upside down, and why only a Warrior Diplomat has the character required to make deals with America’s adversaries.

Roger and Fran also share the mission of Hostage US; a non-profit instrumental in supporting hostages and wrongful detainees - and their families - through captivity, return and reintegration.

Watch, listen or read our conversation. Special thanks to the McCain Institute for hosting us and sharing their mission to defend and enhance human rights across the globe. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to the McCain Institute
• 5:23 What is the SPEHA?
• 8:53 Terrorists vs nation states
• 12:59 Deciding which cases
• 21:38 Negotiating with terrorists
• 24:38 Drawing the line
• 27:14 No negotiation approach
• 34:20 Family impact
• 41:00 Why Serve In The Army
• 50:05 Challenges In Transition
• 57:32 Hostage US Impact
• 1:00:47 Future of hostage security

Quotes

• “A hostage is someone held by a terrorist group. A wrongful detainee is someone held by a nation state.” 
• “Every case is different. There is no cookie cutter approach.”
• “It doesn’t matter if it’s a nation state or terrorist group, if they take you, you’re held hostage.”
• “You can never hand a bag of money to a terrorist group and say ‘we want our citizen back.’”
• “The United States does not negotiate with terrorists and yet I have.”
• “No one comes back when you call for their unconditional release.”
• “If we did not negotiate with Russia, they would just take Americans and you would see them stay 14, 15, 16 years there or they’d die in prison.”
• “We have to create new tools to be used to compel these countries to not take our citizens.”
• “If you want to stop evil. If you want to crush the next Adolf Hitler. Dial 1-800-USARMY.”
• “Every Green Beret will leave the service one day.”
• “If there’s not that higher mission where you’re allowed to serve and you don’t have that camaraderie, you’re going to have a hard time.”
• “If you have a mission you have to approach your next few steps differently than those who just want to be a thing or to have a job.” 
• “The hardest negotiation I ever did was with the US Government.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret.

Since 2002, graduates of the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification Course have been awarded the Yarborough Knife; an elite symbol of distinction, identity, and mission. 

Named after LTG William P. Yarborough, who was instrumental in solidifying President John F. Kennedy’s support of Special Forces, the blade was forged to mark the moment a soldier became a Green Beret. Each knife was engraved with a serial number, connecting it to the operator who earned it. 

But in 2015, that tradition ended. Budget cuts discontinued the official presentation, and for nearly a decade, new Green Berets have crossed the stage without a blade in hand; without that powerful, tangible connection to the generations who came before.

Now, Chris Stroup and the Green Beret Foundation are bringing it back. A former Army Special Operations soldier, Chris, like so many who serve in the elite ranks, battled loss of identity and purpose when he transitioned to civilian life. On came a new mission. He founded Stroup Knives; an American-made, family-run company dedicated to building rugged, high-quality blades for hard use.

I sat down with Chris at his shop in Fayetteville, North Carolina to learn just how he started Stroup Knives, why every part of the process is done in-house, and how his military values of precision, discipline, and purpose now shape every product he makes. 

We spoke about his commitment to quality over quantity, employing veterans, and his newest creation: the Green Beret Dagger; a modern descendant of the Yarborough, designed to once again be fielded as a symbol of elite service and brotherhood.

This is about more than a knife. It’s about restoring a tradition, honoring sacrifice, and forging identity through craftsmanship. Watch, listen, or read our conversation from the floor of a veteran-owned shop where steel meets legacy and where a mark of distinction is being brought back.

Head over to greenberetfoundation.org today to get yours. Proceeds support our Green Berets and their families.

Highlights

• 00:00 Introduction
• 03:54 The Green Beret Dagger
• 08:23 Why Enter Special Operations?
• 10:56 How to start a knife company
• 14:28 Family involvement in the business
• 17:02 How hard is entrepreneurship?
• 20:47 Knife skews and design
• 21:22 Maintaining quality
• 23:15 Competitive advantage
• 24:27 Green Beret Dagger
• 25:40 What's next?

Quotes

• “I get to make knives for the most elite." 
• “Let’s go find something hard. So I joined the Army.”
• “That’s what I was looking for, working with the best there is.”
• “If I’m telling my kids they have to do the best that they can, I have to.”
• “Transition was hard in a lot of ways that I never expected it to be.”
• “I think that’s really what we’re trying to build here, is just a place to build a community.”
• “This is fun, making something cool, and I could do it with my family.”
• “We can teach you how to make a knife. I can’t teach you how to be a good human and fit into our team.”
• “You are well suited as a Special Operator to run a business.”
• “Learning in the military, it’s just everything is a problem. We’re just professional problem solvers. It’s kind of what being an entrepreneur is.”
• “Everybody wants the best knife possible to come out of here.”
• “Just because you graduated the course doesn’t mean that you’re going to be a great Green Beret.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is America’s most lethal and versatile projection of combat power. When our Special Operations Forces require precision insertion, extraction and fire support, the pilots of the 160th deliver. Born from the need to develop an aviation regiment capable of anything, anywhere, anytime, the 160th SOAR is the only Special Operations Unit to have been deployed continuously since inception.

To discuss the critical role of the 160th SOAR, their command team of COL Steve Smith and CW5 Pete Sullivan invited Fran Racioppi for a ride on an MH-47 Chinook and demonstration of the AH-64 Little Birds in action. 

From the tail ramp, we discussed the mission of the 160th, their interoperability supporting Green Berets, Navy SEALs and Army Rangers; and the various aircraft in their arsenal. 

We also explored the recruiting, assessment and selection process for pilots, crew and maintainers; the culture of an organization that has a no fail mission; and how technology is changing aviation as they prepare to combat both near peer adversaries and terrorist organizations.   

Watch, listen or read our conversation from the workhorse heavy lift aircraft responsible for the delivery of personnel and equipment in the harshest environments. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:20 Mission of 160th SOAR
• 4:23 Creating the 160th SOAR
• 6:42 Interoperability of the 160th
• 9:55 Assessment & Selection Process
• 19:50 Support from Non-SOF
• 21:50 Importance of Cross-training
• 26:00 Preparing for the Next fight
• 29:30 The role on unmanned aircraft
• 31:18 Defining a “Nightstalker”
• 34:38 Why join Army Aviation?
• 39:35 Night Stalkers Don’t Quit

Quotes

• “Our mission is to provide precision rotary wing support and ISR support to our SOF operators.”
• “A plan is only something to deviate from.”
• “The backbone of any great organization and what makes DoD so successful is our non-rated crew members, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted team.”
• “Your importance has nothing to do with your proximity to the target.”
• “The standard is a standard. Regardless of what your job is, if you can’t meet the standard, you won’t be employed in the Regiment.”
• “You can’t do precision if you do anything else.”
• “We can’t always look at one adversary because something else might happen that we have to react to fairly quickly.”
• “If we can increase our range, survivability, and lethality, we have a major advantage for any adversary.”
• “Manned and unmanned teaming is the future.”
• “Don’t let a speedbump become a roadblock.”
• “Not everything is going to go right the first time, but you can’t make the same mistake three times and expect to be successful.”
• “Our people are critical problem solvers.”
• “I’ve had the highest of highs and lowest of lows in the regiment, but because of the people I’m around, they’ve made it the best of the situation that it could be.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The Special Forces Groups are where America’s Green Berets get to work. 5th Special Forces Group has been involved in every conflict, known and unknown,  across the Middle East since its inception. Doing hard things isn’t considered an ask; it’s the standard. 

To dig into the mission of The Legion, Fran Racioppi traveled to Fort Campbell, KY to sit down with the command team, COL Gabe Szody and CSM Travis Esterby, to define what Combat Power means to Special Forces and how the Army’s Warfighting Functions are applied across Special Forces detachments.

They explained why Green Beret’s regional affiliation is critical to expertise, how detachments are simultaneously preparing to combat peer adversaries and terrorist organizations, and how America is tying in cyber and space at the most tactical level. 

COL Szody and CSM Esterby also share their perspective on recruiting, how technology is changing the Special Forces teams, and how they are enforcing standards at every level. 

Watch, listen or read our chilly spring morning conversation from Gabriel Field as we honor 5th SFG’s sacrifice and contributions to America’s national security.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:22 Welcome to Gabriel Field
• 5:01 Mission of 5th Special Forces Group
• 7:01 5th Special Forces Group’s Top Priorities
• 9:45 Regional Alignment
• 11:04 By, with, and through
• 14:10 Crisis in the Middle East
• 15:49 5th Group’s impact in Afghanistan
• 17:50 Defining LSCO
• 22:01 SOF’s role in LSCO
• 25:32 SOF-Space-Cyber Triad
• 27:30 LSCO decision making
• 30:17 Terrorist attack
• 32:28 Defining Standards and Fundamentals
• 36:36 Reinforcing the Team Sergeant
• 38:04 Why the Army
• 45:13 Special Forces Recruiting Challenges
• 50:57 Integrating New Technology
• 57:36 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “25 Medal of Honor recipients. More Medal of Honor recipients than any other O-6 headquarters. Some divisions don’t have as many.” 
• “5th Group’s job is to go forward and win our nation’s battles, whatever that may be.” 
• “The top priority is to ensure that whatever battalion is going out the door is trained and ready to execute their mission.” 
• “One of the things we can’t assume risk on is not being good at lethality.”
• “By, with, and through, that’s where you gain your rapport.”
• ”I don’t think there’s a crystal ball available that could tell you what direction the Middle East is going.”
• “I’m just proud to be here. I’m proud to be part of this organization and to have the history that we have.”
• “If the big one kicks off, we will be what the nation needs us to be”
• “It’s our access and placement forward the line of troops that’s unique.”
• “In LSCO, you got to be thinking at least 96 hours out.”
• “I would rather train for my worst day than anything else.”
• “You’re going to be held accountable and you’re going to deploy. Those are my two guarantees.”
• “You have to have leaders willing to learn.”
• “I made the smartest decision of my life when I was probably the biggest idiot, and that was to join the Army.”
• “We are getting the right people. The people that want to serve, that want to be challenged. They’re doing it for all the right reasons.”
• “Our secret sauce here at 5th Group is our people. That’s really our superpower.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The Army physical training test has long been a measure of a soldier’s fitness for duty and for combat. For decades it’s been used as the benchmark upon which all other physical fitness has been evaluated. And for decades it has been hotly debated, modified and enhanced to best represent the current mission of the US Army. 

SGM Chris Mullinax has been charged with developing the Army Fitness Test; the newest version of the PT test that now replaces the Army Combat Fitness Test and its predecessor, the Army Physical Fitness Test. 

From the Pentagon’s US Army Broadcasting Studio, and with a cameo from Sergeant Major of the Army Mike Weimer, Fran Racioppi sat down with SGM Mullinax to breakdown the changes in the test, why combat MOS’s are being held to different sex-neutral standards, and how the grading scale is designed to enhance and enforce a standard that ensures warfighting is at the forefront of every soldier’s fitness. 

As a career 75th Ranger Regiment leader, SGM Mullinax also shares why America’s national security is reliant on Rangers, and why Ranger School remains the premier leadership standard in the military. 

Watch, listen or read our conversation as SMA Weimer updates us on the Army’s Blue Book and how enforcing the fitness standard is increasing Army readiness. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:36 Welcome to the Pentagon
• 2:52 Why change the PT test?
• 4:52 SMA Weimer drops in
• 5:33 Distributing the Blue Book
• 6:33 Upholding Army standards
• 10:44 Implementing a Warfighting Culture
• 14:53 AFT now five exercises
• 19:14 Combat vs Supporting MOSs
• 20:43 AFT Evaluation Metrics
• 21:56 Gender-neutral standard in Combat MOSs
• 22:41 Fitness is America’s Advantage
• 26:14 Ranger Regiment Standards
• 29:23 Leadership Through Ranger School
• 32:28 Is the Army Ready?
• 33:43 Preparing the Army for combat
• 35:50 Culture of Will
• 37:56 Daily Habits

Quotes:

• “Changing the PT test is not a new idea. We’re always assessing our physical standards.”
• “I don’t like to start from the minimum standard. That to me is not a place you start any conversation, especially warfighters.”
• “You should be trying to exceed any standard.”
• “You can’t put competition on a pedestal.”
• “Right now we’re crushing retention. Soldiers want to continue to serve.” 
• “This is a hard life. This is not easy. You chose the path that needs a machete.”
• “We exist to fight and win. We are not a jobs program.” 
• "Your ability to recover in between them is the true test of your fitness.”
• “When we have physically fit leadership, it inspires our ranks.” 
• “Our ability to fight and win our wars relies heavily on our fitness.”
• “As I look at my time in the Ranger Regiment..clear set of standards.” 
• “Things have evolved, but the standard is still the same.”
• “The most important part about Ranger School is you learn a lot about yourself.”
• “We’re in a space right now where we’re transforming as an institution.”
• “PT might not be the most important thing we do today, but it's the most important thing we do every day.”
• “We have to be ready. That’s just the bottom line.”
• “Service is hard. It wouldn’t be service if it wasn’t hard.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The biggest threat to America today is too often the one we think about the least. Nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare has been around for decades and the effects of an NBC attack on the homeland or American interests abroad is a very real scenario. 

Retired Lt. Gen Leslie Smith spent a career in the Army as a Chemical Officer. He served as the Chief of the Chemical Branch and Commandant of the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School. He was the first Chemical officer to serve as the Commanding General of the United States Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and the first Chemical officer to serve as the Army's Inspector General. He is now the Vice President for Leadership and Education at the Association of United States Army.

With reports looming about Russian willingness to use NBC weapons in Ukraine, and Iran’s constant desire to acquire them and put them into the hands of terrorist proxies, Fran Racioppi sat down with Lt. Gen. Smith to discuss the real threat America faces. 

We broke down the history of America’s Chemical weapons programs, their use in various stages of conflicts, the implementation of international prohibitions, how the US Army prepares for NBC threats, and what we learned about their modern day use through the COVID pandemic. 

Lt. Gen. Smith also shared insight into the important role the Inspector General plays in maintaining standards and accountability within the Army, as well as the role AUSA is playing in supporting soldiers both active duty and post-service. 

Watch, listen or read our conversation from the Association of the United States Army HQ and don’t miss the rest of our AUSA series.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 4:00 Importance of chemical warfare
• 7:30 The likelihood of chemical warfare
• 8:22 Anthrax on 9/11
• 11:45 Will anyone use NBC weapons
• 14:07 The lessons of COVID-19
• 16:18 Joining the Army
• 19:55 America’s projection of power
• 22:22 The role of the Army Inspector General
• 27:36 Do Army Standards Matter
• 31:11 Have we lost the mission?
• 33:18 Maintaining the Army
• 36:50 The role of AUSA
• 39:26 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “The Germans used it, and the Americans were not ready to go.”
• “That’s what CBRN stands for: Could Be Right Now.”
• “At the higher levels, it’s all about building coalitions of people.”
• “We don’t know what’s next, we just have to be prepared to deal with the situation.”
• “The leader has to be at the decisive point.” 
• “When you have boots on the ground, it sends a signal.”
• “ A leader’s presence only matters when you are present.”
• “What leaders do is talk about what needs to happen in organizations.”
• “We have to make sure that the soldiers trust us, the nation trusts us, Congress trusts us, our leaders trust us and the things that we do.”
• “Inspector generals are training multiple generations of leaders.”
• “Every leader is responsible for enforcing the standard.”
• “Climate beats strategy.”
• “Everyone is looking for their sense of purpose.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The directive given to our Green Berets is to win by All Means Available. To do so, requires a combination of ingenuity, understanding the environment, a clear plan and precision execution. 

Mike Vickers built a career on winning America’s shadow wars by All Means Available. Mike started his career as both a non-commissioned and commissioned officer Green Beret before becoming a Paramilitary Operations Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike later served as the Undersecretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, as well as the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he served as the lead Intelligence official at the Pentagon. 

Secretary Vickers joined Fran Racioppi to chronicle his new book By All Means Available, Memoirs Of A Life in Intelligence, Special Operations and Strategy. He has been a part of almost every American known and unknown conflict for the past 50 years; including leading the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

We defined how America collects and uses intelligence in both national security and diplomacy. We discussed America’s will to win large conflicts, when we’ve gotten it right and why we get it wrong. And we went deep on the real enemy facing America today.

Mike sees the United States in a New Cold War that will challenge the nation like never before. He shares the reasons why America got here, and most importantly his Grand Strategy to rebuild a culture of winning global conflict to solidify America’s position as the dominant world power for decades to come. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 6:29 Definition and Significance of Intelligence
• 8:00 DoD intelligence use
• 10:59 Joining the Army
• 15:45 By all means necessary
• 21:12 Politics in War judgement
• 28:11 China & Russia
• 38:00 Defining American power
• 42:28 Nuclear Weapons in Iran & North Korea
• 46:06 Mobilization of American troops
• 48:48 Pakistan
• 49:38 Media on disunity
• 50:56 The arms race against China
• 54:20 Covert action
• 56:34 Denial of Service
• 59:48 Regional and Global Deterrence
• 1:03:07 Transforming out alliances
• 1:10:49 The Next Threat
• 1:14:03 SOF integration
• 1:18:15 America’s overconfidence
• 1:20:51 10 Principles
• 1:30:06 Daily Habits

Quotes

• “We are in dynamic times. We are in polarizing times.”
• “It’s not just military and economic intelligence, it’s economic, scientific, and technical intelligence that can make a big difference.”
• “It became the largest covert action program in CIA history.” 
• “Drive them out by all means available.”
• “How are we going to win?”
• “Ammunition is what really sustains operational tempo.”
• “When America goes to war, we’re going to bring everything and we are going to win.”
• “The more you put in it, the more you better win, and win quickly.”
• “America is arguably challenged right now, like never before.”
• “Once the sleeping giant wakes up, look out, they are going to lose.”
• “Strength is Power.”
• “There’s economic, military, intelligence, political strength, the power of your ideals, and so you try to aggregate that.”
• "We will win the new Cold War.”
• “When you think your biggest enemy is another American or group of Americans something’s wrong.”
• “Covert action is taking diplomacy operations, paramilitary operations, sabotage and others and just having it be done under title 50.”
• “Cyber is this unique weapon that it’s used for espionage. It’s a very powerful collection tool.”
• “You need survivable forward presence.”
• “I think the greatest threat is the combination of China and Russia and perhaps adding in Iran and North Korea.”

Watch, listen or read our conversation from the Association of the United States Army as Secretary Vickers shares his leadership lessons learned through covert action; and don’t miss the rest of our AUSA series.

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media.

Green Berets solve complex challenges in service because they’re informed. Yet when they transition out, the civilian world often leaves them looking for answers. The Green Beret Foundation stands ready to ensure our nation's most elite soldiers continue to succeed post service. 

From the sidelines of the Stars and Stripes Classic, the first ever lacrosse battle between Green Berets and Navy SEALs, and the brain child of Green Beret Foundation, Fran Racioppi kicked off the game with Chairman of the Board retired Lt. Gen. Ken Tovo and Board Member and Green Beret Chris Robinette. 

With penalty markers flying, we talk about the future of Green Beret Foundation support and how the reduction in conflict is creating opportunities to focus on transition support, job preparation and job placement. We also explain GBF’s position as the only VA accredited disability processing team in the Special Forces non-profit sector. Making informed decisions matters in service and beyond.

Watch, listen or read our conversation from Gillette Stadium and don’t forget to check out the rest of our series from the Stars and Stripes Classic and the full game highlights. If you haven’t signed up for next year, stay tuned for more information. 

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:30 Welcome to Gillette Stadium
• 2:35 Launching the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 5:31 Supporting VA disability claims
• 9:03 GBF transition support
• 11:42 GBF’s acquisition strategy
• 13:12 GBF’s vision

QUOTES

• “We approached this as an opportunity to help the military connect to society.”
• “Society needs to know their military.”
• “Every Green Beret is going to leave the force at some point.”
• “We’re taking care of Vietnam veterans who didn’t get their appropriate VA benefit 30, 40 years ago.”
• “For many corporations, the skills piece is less important than the heart and commitment to mission. Whatever the mission is.”
• “Green Beret’s understand commitment to purpose and working hard.”
• “We’re trying to create a broad, holistic support capability for the regiment.”
• “It’s not a matter of if, but when the next major conflict arises.”

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

Congress holds the power of the purse. The United States Government is the largest business in the world, but to conduct business - and national security - Congress has to approve the funds and the money. 

Representative Jake Ellzey is now a 3-term Congressman representing Texas’s 6th District. He’s a Naval Academy graduate, a helicopter and fighter pilot, and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, where his decisions determine what the government funds and what it doesn’t. He’s also the co-chair of the bipartisan military Veterans alliance, the For Country Caucus. 

With the American government changing at lightning pace, Fran Racioppi asked the Congressman how the Appropriations Committee is prioritizing funding, what that means for national defense, rooting out fraud, waste and abuse; and if there’s ever a way for America to balance the budget and stop overspending. 

Representative Ellzey also shares why we need to clearly define America’s next battlefield, funding military readiness and innovation to combat both nation-state adversaries and terror groups, and the critical role he sees our Special Operations Forces playing in the grey war the United States is now in. Plus he shares his leadership lessons from the cockpit and the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan to the halls of Congress.

Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Ellzey’s office. Don’t miss our full coverage from Capitol Hill. Special thanks to For Country Caucus for setting up this series. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 6:20 Veterans in Congress
• 9:12 Why the Navy?
• 10:50 The Appropriations Committee
• 14:45 Funding Executive Orders
• 17:24 DOGE’s impact
• 22:41 Funding Military Readiness
• 25:35 Role of SOF in the next conflict
• 27:20 The sentiment of America
• 31:50 Shout out to Green Berets
• 34:08 Defining the Battlefield
• 38:18 Why Was There An Open Border Policy
• 39:44 Can America Balance The Budget?
• 40:42 Is America Ready?
• 42:41 Military Lessons Taken To Congress

Key Quotes:

• “There’s a thing about veterans: it really doesn’t matter which era, what your uniform, or how well you know somebody who’s a veteran…Nobody else gets into that world.”
• “With SEALS, Green Berets, most pilots; tell me I can’t do something, and then watch.”
• “CR’s are bad. Year-long CRs are terrible. Specifically for defense.” 
• “Once we know what the priorities of the President are, we’re not going to put something on the floor that ultimately he’s not going to sign.”
• “It’s broken. So let’s break it. Let’s break the whole thing.”
• “There’s not enough money to do everything we need to do to be completely ready.” 
• “It’s absolutely essential that our adversaries know that we’ve got the best in the world.”
• “The sentiment of Americans is we’re strong again, we’re not to be trifled with, if you attack us, we’re going to hammer you.”
• “I’m a huge fan of Green Berets.”
• “I see weapons of mass destruction as the compounds that are making Fentanyl.” 
• “Never pass up the opportunity to shut up.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.