The Jedburgh Podcast

Hostage diplomacy is an ugly game. For decades America’s adversaries have imprisoned US citizens in an effort to leverage diplomatic, economic or military advantage. These cases range from exaggerated charges, to disproportionate penalties, to outright lies. Each case is different. And each case affects both the lives of the incarcerated, their families and ultimately American power. 

Jose Pereira was held prisoner by the Venezuelan government for five years. He was the CEO of Citgo and after a Thanksgiving Day meeting in Caracas, he and five other Citgo executives were arrested and charged with bribery, corruption and other false charges. They became known as the Citgo 6.   

Jose joined Fran Racioppi to share the story of his captivity, his year long solitary detention in the Submarine, starvation, sickness, sham trials, and his time in a coma. Jose talks about his mental battles with depression and suicidal ideation.

Like all great leaders, Jose sought solutions using the buckets his food was delivered in as a clandestine courier service to exchange letters with his wife. These letters kept him alive, gave him hope and now serve as the foundation to his new book “From Hero To Villain: My True Story of the Citgo 6.” 

Special thanks to Hostage US for supporting the families of American hostages and those wrongfully detained, as well hostages and detainees when they return home.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Welcome Home
• 3:39 Summoned to Venezuela
• 7:51 Surviving the first 48 hours
• 16:05 Bargaining chips for oil
• 20:09 Smuggling letters in food
• 23:58 The toll on the family
• 28:07 Captive with Green Berets
• 30:24 Prisoner Swap
• 38:47 Hostage Diplomacy
• 41:34 The challenges of coming home
• 45:51 The role of Hostage US
• 49:19 The healing process
• 51:01 Daily Foundations to Success

QUOTES

• For us, Thanksgiving became kind of a nightmare.” 
• “Nobody was prepared because this was a sham situation.”
• “They target high profile people because they need to leverage you.”
• “I stayed 10 months in total confinement.”
• “In those containers I found that you could put a double bottom.”
• “Your family is a hostage even worse than you. They are a spiritual and mental hostage.” 
• “Bring the American back no matter the tool that you need to use.” 
• “You are literally caught in a time machine. You are literally in a cage for five years.”

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Watch, listen or read our conversation from Epigen Technology in Arlington, VA. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform 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 the guests and the host. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy.

Nobody’s coming to save you. It’s a simple phrase, but one that can mean the difference between success and failure. Elite performers know that when it’s time to take action, they need to be ready to execute with precision and without excuse. 

Scott Mann is a retired Special Forces Officer, the architect of Operation Pineapple Express, and a leader who knows how to get results against the odds. 

Scott first joined Fran Racioppi after the withdrawal from Afghanistan to share how he took a stand when few would. Now he’s showing us just how to apply an action first mindset to anything we set out to do. 

Our rainy Sunday morning conversation from the banks of New York City’s East River was the perfect backdrop to break down his new book; Nobody’s coming to save you: a Green Beret’s guide to getting big shit done. 

Scott defines the churn; the divisiveness, fear-laden complexity of the world that is in our face 24/7 across our devices. He shows us how that has put us all in a trance of distraction, disengagement, disconnection and distrust where transactional relationships focus on performing for each other instead of connecting. As a leader of action, Scott gives us the cure; which rightfully so will be MESSY. 

Jump In with Scott and Fran as they wake up New York City, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage of the 2024 election cycle and our national security series with today’s most prominent Special Forces leaders. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Welcome to New York City
• 2:07 Why is Nobody Is Coming To Save You?
• 4:05 The Four D’s
• 6:40 The loss of social connection
• 17:20 Get MESSY to get s**t done
• 18:35 Storytelling matters

QUOTES

• “We are in our own form of that unprecedented churn.” 
• “The average attention span of a human in the west is eight seconds.” 
• “We’ve atrophied the ability to tap into what’s below the waterline of our human nature.” 
• “Now it’s a verb. ‘I’m going to unfriend you.’” 
• “We’ve lost the ability to make human connection in a meaningful way..” 
• “We ignore storytelling at our peril. Everything has become bullet points.” 
• “It wasn’t the stories they told; it was the stories they asked to hear.” 
• “All of us are capable of strategic outcomes if we set our mind to it.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Everyone has a top button item this election cycle. For some it’s the economy. For others its national defense or healthcare. For Congressman Tony Gonzales it’s the US southern border and immigration. 

Representative Gonzales is responsible for Texas’s 23rd district, a district that contains over 800 miles of the US-Mexico border, and by many accounts, ground zero for the immigration policy battle. 

Representative Gonzales is also a retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer where he served over 20 years as a cryptologist. 

The Congressman and Host Fran Racioppi broke down the border debate from his Texas perspective, including the effects of current policy on both domestic and international security. With the election coming, we discussed the importance of battleground states and why Texas is important from the top of the ticket to the bottom.

Finally we covered leadership, how Veterans are making an impact through the halls of Congress, and why action is critical in a job in which you can do as much or as little as you want.  

Check out our conversation then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage of the 2024 election cycle. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Welcome to Capitol Hill
• 3:06 People are mad?
• 5:14 Solutions over problems
• 9:04 From the Navy to Congress
• 12:04 Is America ready for the next war?
• 15:00 America in 2023

QUOTES

• “I’m doing all the things I’m supposed to do, but somehow I’m in the back of this line.”
• “If Republicans are going to be successful we have to be talking about solutions, not just problems.” 
• “If you’re weak, or perceived as weak at home, that’s when your adversaries are going to take advantage.” 
• “If somebody comes over illegally, they immediately get their day in court.”
• “It isn’t my job to be the cheerleader of the organization. It’s my job to check the organization.” 
• “The best thing about being a member of Congress is that you can do as much or as little as you want.”
• “We will adapt. We will overcome. We will find a way to get to victory.”
• “Whatever your thing is, get involved.”

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

The United States Army Special Forces command teams are composed of a commissioned officer, a warrant officer and senior non-commissioned officer. A model has evolved over time and is tributed with being a key component to success on the battlefield of yesterday and today.

To break down just Army Special Forces balances strategy, experience and teamwork, Creator and Host Fran Racioppi sat down with Command Sergeant Major Dave Waldo and Command Chief Warrant Officer Felix Mosqueda; two of the three senior-most leaders of First Special Forces Command. 

From atop the Normandy Resistance Monument in Saint Marie Dumont, we broke down what it means to be a Green Beret and how the mission has evolved from the Jedburgh Teams of D-Day to today’s Operational Detachments. 

CSM Waldo and Chief Mosqueda shared their priorities and vision for Army Special Forces, how the regiment is adapting in the post Global War on Terror environment, the misconception of the Special Forces mission and how they are tackling the recruiting and manning challenges needed for the next battlefield; whether that be against a peer, near peer or terrorist adversary. 

Check out our conversation from the birthplace of modern Special Forces; then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage from the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. 

And don’t miss our first documentary, Unknown Heroes: Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh available now only on YouTube.

Highlights

0:00 Introduction

3:18 Welcome to the Normandy Resistance Monument

7:19 Commissioned Officers, NCOs and Warrant Officers

11:23 Preparing the Regiment 

13:57 Solving the recruiting challenge

16:56 Are changes coming to the structure of Special Forces?

18:56 Lessons from GWOT

24:14 Defining the next fight

26:02 Current SF culture

30:23 Vision for the Regiment

34:29 The New Uniforms

35:32 Foundations to success

40:13 Football predictions

 Quotes

• “They knew they had no choice. There was no can. There was no try. Hope was not a course action. It was only must.” 
• If it’s important to my boss, it’s important to me. If it’s cool to my boss, it’s fascinating to me.” 
• “Make no mistake about it. And to our adversaries who are listening to this. We are absolutely the top of the mountain.”  
• “Are we meeting the numbers? No.” 
• “Always do more with less. We’re able to do that because of our training pipeline.” 
• “We have to focus on all the missions because every part of the world is set up differently.” 
• “First contact should not be human contact. It should be some sort of tech or robotic.” 
• “Our adversaries are brilliant. They’re also lethal. But do they love each other the way that our folks do?”
• “If you build good command teams it never gets lonely at the top.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Army Special Operations Forces are led by LTG John Braga, Commander of United States Army Special Operations Command. General Braga and Creator and Host Fran Racioppi stormed the Utah Beach Communication Bunker responsible for the coordination of German defenses and later the facilitation of the largest amphibious assault in history. 

From this iconic setting, we unpacked the significance of World War II on international norms still in play today and challenged at a level not seen since the pre-war era. General Braga shared his vision for Army Special Operations, his focus on threat-informed decision-making, and how Special Operations has evolved; but more importantly where it needs to go and why it’s not there yet. 

He also explains how Special Operations are preparing for conflict with nation-states like China and Iran, while also ensuring terrorist organizations have no sanctuary across the globe. Finally, we talk about integration, and why Special Operations is a critical node in the cyber and space fight deep behind enemy lines. 

Check out our conversation from underneath Utah Beach. Head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage from the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. 

And don’t miss our first documentary, Unknown Heroes: Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh available now only on YouTube.  

Highlights

0:00 Introduction

3:25 Welcome to the Le Roosevelt Cafe Bunker on Utah Beach

8:14 Significance of Operation Jedburgh

10:15 Rangers on Omaha Beach

13:35 US Army Special Operations mission

19:10 Role of Psychological Operations

24:10 Winning Cognitive Warfare?

29:43 A change to the Special Forces teams?

32:10 Top priority on the next battlefield?

41:10 Combatting an enemy that doesn’t value life?

44:32 The USASOC culture

49:43 Destroying the enemy

55:28 USASOC’s future

1:00:05 Foundations to Success 

 Quotes

• “Here we have the Jedburghs, with small teams having complete outsized impacts.”
• “We challenge the force…to be strategically driven in everything you do.” 
• “We weren’t created for counter-terrorism.” 
•  “You need to be an information officer.”  
• “People are the weapon system of USASOC. That’s our greatest investment.”
• “Every STEM robotics club in high school in America needs to know we have a home for them in Army Special Operations. 
• “We have to modernize. We have to change. Or we'll be behind the adversary.”
• “The only way to win is a whole of nation and whole of society approach.” 
• “I want to be surrounded by people who want to push themself.” 
• “Everyone should be challenging the training calendar. What are you training for?”
• “We can’t be afraid of changing because we might get something wrong.”

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

There’s a difference between the elite and everyone else. Elite by definition means superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society. Elite is not good. It is not great. It certainly is not above average. To be elite means you’re among the best.

The Stars and Stripes Classic pitted America’s two most elite Special Operations Forces against each other on the lacrosse field. 

To talk about what it means to be elite, not just in sports but in anything you do, Fran Racioppi sat down with Paul Rabil. Paul is the co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League and undoubtedly one of the most elite lacrosse players to ever play the game. 

Paul is multiple time NCAA champion, a four year All American, he holds NCAA records for the most goals, assists and points. He is a multiple time Player of the Year and two time champion. He holds the most points in professional lacrosse. He is what every young lacrosse player ascribes to be. 

Paul is also an elite visionary and businessman. He developed the PLL out of the gaps he saw as a player. Now he’s changing professional sports and how athletes are treated by owners. 

Check out our conversation from the endzone of Gillette Stadium to learn how anyone can be elite if you're ready to put in the work and relentlessly execute. Head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the action from the Stars and Stripes Classic. 

Don’t forget to go to Green Beret Foundation to  join our 18 Series Match Challenge to support our team as the Snakeeaters took on the Frogmen. 

Highlights

0:00 Introduction

2:33 Stars and Stripes Classic

4:18 The level of play

5:57 Toughness & extra work

8:31 Earn it every day

12:49 Building an elite sports league

18:15 How does it feel?

22:08 How to process the hard times

Quotes

• “Lacrosse is sloppy. That’s also the beauty of it.” 
• “Those that choose to be elite, it’s a lifestyle.” 
• “Earn the right to stay here and be here.” 
• “You just don’t really fake integrity. Someone will suss it out.” 
• “If you don’t go all in, you’ll never reach your potential.” 
• “Attempting to become a subject matter expert is so important in entrepreneurship.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League and Kraft Sports and Entertainment for hosting the Stars and Stripes Classic.

Toughness defines Special Operations and the sport of lacrosse. Toughness requires a person to deal with hardship, overcome difficult situations, persevere through mental and physical challenges. Toughness is one part natural, one part learned, and one part the result of consistency. To excel as a Green Beret, Navy SEAL or a lacrosse athlete, you better be tough. 

Joe Alberici and Ben Harrow are two tough men. Joe is the head coach of Men’s lacrosse at West Point, and Ben is a West Point lacrosse alumni, Green Beret and double leg amputee.

Coach and Ben joined Fran Racioppi to recap the Stars and Stripes Classic, what it meant for our Green Berets and Navy SEALs to face off on the lacrosse field, how to build teams based on being tough, and what it takes to win no matter the challenge; whether that’s on the playing field, the battlefield or the boardroom. 

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the action from the Stars and Stripes Classic. 

Don’t forget to go to Green Beret Foundation to  join our 18 Series Match Challenge to support our team as the Snakeeaters took on the Frogmen. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:05 Stars and Stripes is in the books
• 3:17 Break down the game for us
• 4:57 Ben Harrow is toughness
• 6:46 Why is toughness important?
• 10:39 West Point lax is a player
• 15:01 Put in the extra work
• 16:22 What did you tell the team after the game?

Quotes

• “Clock got a little short on us. Time ran out.”
• “Toughness is when you're 100%, 100% of the time.” 
• “Grateful for everything. Entitled to nothing.” 
• “If you can be an elite human being…you’ll probably be a pretty darn good Army lacrosse player.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League and the Kraft Group for hosting us the Stars and Stripes Classic.

The greatest entrepreneurial adventures take a lot of sleepless nights, a bias for action and a commitment to people. Starting a professional sports league is no different.  

As we gear up for the first ever Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi is joined by Mike Rabil, the co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League. Mike and his brother Paul, started the league with a vision to put the players at the center of the business model.

From better pay, to open marketing, to benefits and equity in the league, they’re redefining how professional sports embraces their athletes.

Mike shared the market opportunity he and Paul saw in lacrosse and how they relentlessly pursued investment and support. He explained how giving players equity, access to marketing content and a seat at the table have created a more inclusive league. And he showed us where the sport is headed with regional affiliation. 

They also previewed the Stars and Stripes Classic coming September 2 to Gillette Stadium where the bonds between lacrosse and Special Operations will face off for the very first time. 

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation with the business mind behind the PLL, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the action from the Stars and Stripes Classic. 

Don’t forget to go to Green Beret Foundation to  join our 18 Series Match Challenge to support our team as the Snakeeaters take on the Frogmen. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Welcome to Fairfield University
• 4:15 What was the vision for the PLL?
• 6:21 How do you start a pro sports league?
• 8:10 How does the open marketing concept help promote the game?
• 10:20 Why introduce regional affiliation?
• 12:07 Why keep the 2-point shot?
• 12:48 How do you recruit the best athletes to lacrosse?
• 15:46 The Stars and Stripes Classic?

Quotes

• “I slept on a lot of hotel floors. Cried, bled a lot.” 
• “People ask us who our competitors are. I say ‘all the other sports.’” 
• “We know we need to continue to pay the players more.” 
• “Each time these guys stop on the field they get five stock options.” 
• “The lacrosse community is really tied into Special Forces.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League for hosting us at Fairfield University and for sponsoring the Stars and Stripes Classic.

Performing at an elite level isn’t about doing special things. It’s about focusing on the basics and the fundamentals; then executing them with precision. A coach’s job is to harness the energy of the players and direct it towards a common goal. 

As we gear up for the first ever Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with the Head Coach of the California Redwoods and Army Reservist Nat St. Laurent.

Nat’s primary mission is to take a group of elite alpha lacrosse athletes all capable of big things and get them to focus on the little details; a skill he learned teaching soldiers to throw hand grenades as an instructor. He shares his Army lessons learned and how they made him a better coach.

Nat also provided his perspective on the growth of the Premier Lacrosse League, how regional affiliation has enhanced the fan base, and how everything the PLL does is all out; including the 2-point shot. 

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation with one of the PLL’s inaugural coaches, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the action from the Stars and Stripes Classic. 

Don’t forget to go to Green Beret Foundation to  join our 18 Series Match Challenge to support our team as the Snakeeaters take on the Frogmen. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:27 Welcome to Fairfield University
• 3:14 PLL regional affiliation
• 5:06 Growing the PLL fan base
• 6:47 What Army lessons do you use as a coach?
• 9:28 PLL player development
• 11:32 The 2-point shot
• 13:12 Staying focused in down times
• 14:54 Stars and Stripes Classic

Quotes

• “Whatever the PLL does it’s all out.” 
• “Being part of something bigger than yourself…it becomes an honor.” 
• “It is extremely important to do those little things right and to do it with a purpose that’s bigger than yourself. 
• “Our mindset every game is 1-0. We can’t do anything about the results from previous games.” 
• “They’re not going to be able to turn over their compete level.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League for hosting us at Fairfield University and for sponsoring the Stars and Stripes Classic.

The United States doesn’t play for second place. Not on the battlefield and certainly not on the lacrosse field. As we gear up for the first ever Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Head Coach of Team USA Seth Teirney. Seth is also the Director of Competition at the Premier Lacrosse League and the Head Coach of Hofstra University. 

He’s involved in every aspect and level of lacrosse from the pros down to youth. He’s a national champion as a coach and played in the National Lacrosse League as a player. 

Seth’s attitude about lacrosse is gold medal or bust. Fran and Seth covered why it takes “feeling the sport” to compete at the highest level as both an athlete and a coach. Seth shared the launch story of the PLL from a broken down bus in Israel and how the PLL honors the Indigenous legacy of lacrosse. 

Seth also gives his tips to parents raising athletes and explains what it means to coach the US National Team. Plus he makes his prediction for the battle of the year, as the Green Berets take on the Navy SEALs September 2 at Gillette Stadium.

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation with one of lacrosse’s greatest players and coaches, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all the action from the Stars and Stripes Classic. Head over to Green Beret Foundation and join our 18 Series Match Challenge to support our team as the Snakeeaters take on the Frogmen.  

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:27 Welcome to Fairfield University
• 3:30 Setting the lacrosse example
• 5:16 Growing the PLL
• 7:12 The origins of lacrosse
• 8:58 Lacrosse is about feeling
• 10:49 How have the players evolved?
• 12:48 Gold medal or bust
• 14:08 How coaches have changed
• 16:01 Is junior level competition healthy?
• 18:00 A tribute to Andy Towers
• 19:53 The PLL’s next phase
• 21:48 Recruiting the top athletes
• 22:46 Stars and Stripes Classic

Quotes

• “This whole thing started when a bus broke down in 2018 in Israel.”
• “This sport. Where it came from. It was not just playing. It was understanding.”
• “It’s not written down in a handbook. You’ve got to be able to feel the game.” 
• “It’s an all-in sport that is on fire right now.” 
• “There is no second place. We’re not playing for second place. It’s gold medal or bust.” 
• “When we get the Stars and Stripes Game going…that’s a forever day.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League for hosting us at Fairfield University and for sponsoring the Stars and Stripes Classic.