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.