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.

Veterans are once again dominating Congress. The start of the 119th Congress has 100 Veterans across both sides of the aisle. Veterans by and large focus on teamwork and getting results. 

To kick off the excitement behind the new Congress, Fran Racioppi spent a few snowy days on Capitol Hill with the members of the For Country Caucus; a bi-partisan group of House of Representative members who have each served across America’s military. 

Representative Don Davis is an Air Force Academy graduate, a two term Congressman representing North Carolina’s 1st District, and the Vice Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. 

With the strength of American military power front and center, Fran asked Congressman Davis to explain just what the next battlefield may be, how ready the American military is to combat both terrorist organizations and near-peer nation states, as well as the role of Special Operations in the next conflict. 

They also broke down the efforts of DOGE, Elon Musk and the application of the age old military sayings “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” and “speed and violence of action” gets things done. 

Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Davis’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
• 2:05 Welcome to Capitol Hill
• 4:02 Veterans leading Congress
• 8:37 Expectations of Veterans in the Cabinet
• 10:51 Joining the Air Force
• 15:04 Joining State Politics before Federal Politics
• 21:37 Military Readiness
• 24:07 The Next Conflict
• 28:28 Defining the battlefield
• 30:43 The Terror Threat
• 33:28 Investing in Special Operations
• 36:01  Trump Administration actions

QUOTES

• “When the orders came down we didn’t ask, ‘are these Democratic orders or Republican orders.’ We executed the mission.”
• “The fundamental basis of that oath is to protect the constitution.” 
• “What I think was most important going back to eastern North Carolina was an opportunity to really shape future leaders.”
• “There’s these potholes people are craving to be filled.”
• “When there is a mission…are we capable?”
• “We have to make sure the innocent civilians are kept safe.”
• “Clearly there’s a willingness to target us.”
• “Don’t bet against America.”
• “At the end of the day try to make life better in communities.”

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 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.