The Jedburgh Podcast

Airborne operations were an essential component of the Allied invasion. And since D-Day, the US Army has stood ready to drop airborne forces anywhere in the world at any time. 

The US Army Golden Knights are America’s most proficient parachutists. Led at the time of this recording by Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel Andy Moffit and Command Sergeant Major Adam Breeding, the Golden Knights set the example for airborne insertion onto any drop zone.

LTC Moffit and CSM Breeding joined Fran Racioppi from atop the Normandy Resistance Monument in Saint Marie Dumont to discuss just what it means to be Airborne, both in 1944 and today. They shared what it takes to join the Golden Knights, how they maintain standards and why they are always competing for the perfect jump; especially when the eyes of the world are watching. 

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

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media and make sure to tune into 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
• 2:12 Welcome to Normandy
• 5:03 Golden Knights’ mission
• 7:00 Why become a Golden Knight
• 9:05 What is a Golden Knight?
• 12:56 Building A Great Team
• 15:31 Maintaining a High Operational Tempo
• 17:14 Best part of being a Golden Knight
• 18:04 The meaning of Normandy
• 22:20 Future of the Golden Knights
• 27:29 Daily Foundations of Success

QUOTES

• “Our mission is to connect America’s people to her Army.”
• “I really had to check my ego at the door.” 
• “Culture is king. Culture is everything.”
• “It really comes down to how teachable are you.”
• “It’s that healthy level of fear though. That’s what keeps them focused.” 
• “We jump from thousands of feet. A good portion of the team is afraid of heights.” 

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator 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.

National security isn’t led solely by government entities and the military. Public-private sector partnerships often drive many of our national security decisions. 

To dig into the importance of the private sector in defense of America, Fran Racioppi sat down with Dave Komendat; a 36-year Veteran of Boeing; one of the world’s largest defense contractors and a critical component of America’s economy. 

Dave retired after serving as The Boeing Company’s Chief Security Officer, where he ensured the safety and security of over 170,000 employees and $77 Billion in annual revenue. 

Dave and Fran discussed how private companies partner with the US government, how security has evolved since 9/11, and how to build a culture of security in our companies and as a nation. They also break down the magnitude of Boeing, its impact on the aviation and defense industries, and the future of aviation security across a multitude of threats. 

Dave is also the Chairman of Hostage US, a non-profit supporting the families of American hostages and those wrongfully detained, as well as hostages and detainees when they return home. They take a few minutes to unpack hostage diplomacy and how America’s adversaries are using unlawful detention as a tool to compete with American power abroad. 

Watch, listen or read our entire National Security series. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Watch the full video version from Epigen Technology in Arlington, VA 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 our guests and creator 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.

Highlights:

0:00 Introduction

2:16 We’re in a grey war

5:52 The Chief Security Officer

7:33 Assessing risk

15:12 Public-Private Security Partnership

20:24 Starting as an intern

24:13 Building a successful team

33:05 Leading in a massive organization

37:15 Embracing a security culture

39:50 The relationship between safety and security

46:36 Duty of care

50:45 The rise of insider threats

55:22 Boeing on 9/11

59:15 Airplane cyber-security

1:04:23 Next generation of security leadership

1:10:34 Hostage US

1:20:00 Daily Foundations of Success

Quotes

• “I think we’re in a grey war.” 
• “The Chief Security Officer at most corporations is a thinker. They’re a strategist. They’re a risk manager.”
• “You can’t go into a CEO everyday and the sky is falling. You lose your credibility.” 
• “Different leaders have different risk tolerances.” 
• “Be empathetic with people doing jobs that don’t get a lot of fanfare.”
• “The longer I was in a leadership role, the more I valued when people told me ‘that wasn’t very good.” 
• “We ran security like a business. We tried to demystify what we did.” 
• “I didn’t want to be viewed as a necessary evil. I wanted to be viewed as a necessity.”
• “The worst thing you can do is deliver a product that’s already been compromised to the warfighter.” 
• “If you only call people when you need something, you don’t have a relationship.”

On Veterans Day we celebrate our military from every service  and every generation. Freedom requires people of character to stand up for America…no matter the challenge. 

This Veterans Day, the Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Health and Performance outside of Bentonville, Arkansas. 

Dedicated to providing our transitioning service members with the skills needed to build careers in health and fitness, and as entrepreneurs, UHP is leading the way in showing private industry just how valuable our Veterans will be for the next generation of America. 

While at UHP, Fran Racioppi spent some time with Senator John Boozman, an Arkansas native and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations. Senator Boozman is the son of an Air Force Master Sergeant and has made national security a top priority of his service.

The Senator and Fran discussed his initiatives to improve quality of life for service members and their families, why building world class facilities is critical to recruiting, and how national security is the foundation of a strong economy. They also shared why all leaders need to bring the country together to get things done for the American people.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:50 Welcome to the University of Health and Performance
• 2:37 Veterans Day in Arkansas
• 4:52 Modernization of military infrastructure
• 6:46 Investing for the next fight 
• 8:13 Senate priorities post election
• 11:53 Bringing America together

QUOTES

• “We talk about Veterans. It always is a family affair. The whole family signs up.” 
• “We’ve got Canada and Mexico as our neighbors. We fight a little bit. It’s like family. You scrabble, but your friends. We like each other.”
• “I do think our country’s divided. We need to bring it together.” 
• “In the Senate the reality is in order to get something passed it has to be somewhat bipartisan.” 
• “The harder you work to help your teammate, the better off you are.”

Watch, listen or read all our Veterans Day coverage from UHP. The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of 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.

On Veterans Day we celebrate our military from every service  and every generation. Freedom requires people of character to stand up for America…no matter the challenge. 

This Veterans Day, the Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Health and Performance outside of Bentonville, Arkansas. 

Dedicated to providing our transitioning service members with the skills needed to build careers in health and fitness, and as entrepreneurs, UHP is leading the way in showing private industry just how valuable our Veterans will be for the next generation of America. 

While at UHP, Fran Racioppi had the chance to sit down with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the youngest Governor in America and one of only 13 female Governors across the country. Governor Sanders is a staunch advocate for up-skilling transitioning Veterans and is working hard to ensure Arkansas has the resources and job opportunities to bring Veterans to the state. 

The Governor and Fran discussed her Veterans initiatives, her outlook now that the 2024 election is decided, and how it is incumbent upon all leaders to bring the country together to get things done for the American people.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:46 Welcome to the University of Health and Performance
• 2:12 Veterans Day in Arkansas
• 3:08 Arkansas is upskilling Veterans
• 4:22 Women Governors are changing America 
• 5:23 America post-election
• 6:36 Can America come together?
• 
  

QUOTES

• “Creating an atmosphere that allows us to keep Veterans right here in Arkansas is a great thing.” 
• “We want this to be the best place for Veterans to call home.” 
• “Having women in leadership I think is absolutely critical to the long term success of our county.” 
• “We have to focus on things everybody can agree on and things that  lift our country up.” 
• “Remember where the enemies are; and it’s not within our own country.” 

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Watch, listen or read all our Veterans Day coverage. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform and watch us 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 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.

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.”

Special thanks to the For Country Caucus for coordinating this interview.

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 opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator 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.

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.

Supporting our veterans is a commitment that transcends politics—it’s a matter of national honor. In this episode, host Fran Racioppi sits down with Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a 24-year Army Reserve veteran and representative for Iowa's First Congressional District.

Together, they explore critical issues facing veterans today, including the readiness of the VA to handle the influx of post-9/11 service members, mental health challenges, and the impact of the PACT Act. Congresswoman Miller-Meeks shares her unique perspective on veteran care, the importance of accountability within the VA, and the role Congress plays in ensuring our veterans receive the care and support they deserve. Check out our conversation then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage from the halls of Congress.  

Highlights

0:00 Welcome to Congress

1:40 Veterans top issues in Congress

3:03 Increasing oversight of the VA

4:23 GWOT Veterans influx into the VA

5:50 Expectations of the 2024 election cycle

 Quotes

• “13 new Gold Star Families that did not have to lose their children.”
• “Do we want the VA to do voter registration or do we want them to focus on caring for Veterans?”
• “We also added the PACT Act. Any disorder is presumed to be related to your service.”
• “Irrespective of who’s at the top of the ticket, you have to make the case for yourself.”

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator 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.

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.