The Jedburgh Podcast

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. Highlights0:00 Introduction6:20 Veterans in Congress9:12 Why the Navy?10:50 The Appropriations Committee14:45 Funding Executive Orders17:24 DOGE’s impact22:41 Funding Military Readiness25:35 Role of SOF in the next conflict27:20 The sentiment of America31:50 Shout out to Green Berets34:08 Defining the Battlefield38:18 Why Was There An Open Border Policy39:44 Can America Balance The Budget?40:42 Is America Ready?42:41 Military Lessons Taken To CongressKey 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. HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction2:05 Welcome to Capitol Hill4:02 Veterans leading Congress8:37 Expectations of Veterans in the Cabinet10:51 Joining the Air Force15:04 Joining State Politics before Federal Politics21:37 Military Readiness24:07 The Next Conflict28:28 Defining the battlefield30:43 The Terror Threat33:28 Investing in Special Operations36:01  Trump Administration actionsQUOTES“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.

Readiness is the ability to close with and destroy any enemy, anywhere, anytime. The role of the Sergeant Major of the Army is to ensure readiness. Command Sergeant Major Dan Dailey was the 15th Sergeant Major of the Army and the youngest Soldier to ever hold the position. Today, he is the Vice President of Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier Programs at the Association of the United States Army.SMA Dailey joined Creator and Host Fran Racioppi to define what it really means for the United States Army to be “ready” to fight and win our nation’s wars. To do so, they went deep on each of the components of readiness, including: Manning and the impacts of the recruiting crisis the Army has endured over the past several years. Training and the importance of the Combat Training Centers and our combined exercises across the components and with our allies.Equipping for the next fight and why the current procurement processes must change if America expects to remain ahead in the innovation race.Leader Development including why softening the messaging of warfighting hurts mission focus and how the Army is closing the experience gap as the Global War on Terror generation of Soldiers retire. They also cover the important mission of the Association of the United States Army and how as the largest organization supporting our Soldiers their work only continues to grow. Watch, listen or read our conversation from the AUSA headquarters 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. 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.QUOTES“Individual readiness is when a soldier themself feels capable to accomplish their mission.”“If you had one hour before your soldiers went to combat what would you train on.” “The high percentage of people who serve today come from families who have served in the past….that funnel is getting smaller and smaller.” “We have lost the value of service to our nation…is it actually a way to achieve the American dream?”"If we send everybody to college, who’s going to do those jobs?” “I think there’s a lot of young Americans out there who are fully capable to fight and win, they’re just not inspired.” “If you create a standard that nobody in America can achieve, it’s not a standard.” “This nation’s going to have an Army. America, not the Army, is going to decide how we do that.”  “The only more expensive thing than fighting a war is losing one.”“Our first mission as the United States Military is to deter. Then to defeat.” “Most people look at war as armed conflict between two entities. War is a conflict of wills.”HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction4:44 Becoming SMA5:57 Readiness Defined9:55 How does the Army train at each echelon?11:49 Why become a Soldier?13:21 Can the Army bring the American Dream?19:53 Everyone can’t go to college22:11 Is recruiting college athletes the answer?25:14 Is there a reduction in standards?30:22 Changing the Army’s message34:13 Are we close to a draft?36:05 Technology & Force Modernization42:22 Is China ahead of America?48:17 Training for every threat52:48 Interoperability with Allies55:17 Loss of combat experience1:01:32 Next Generation Is Ready1:05:20 Leading AUSA1:11:01 Daily HabitsThe 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,

Threats to America are at an all time high. Our national security and law enforcement professionals have warned us. Our military leaders are preparing for anything and everything.  Representative August Pfluger is the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. He is now a 3-term Congressman representing Texas’s 11th District. He is also an Air Force Academy graduate and an F-22 fighter pilot with over 300 combat hours. As a member of the bi-partisan military Veterans alliance, the For Country Caucus, one of his biggest efforts is to build coalitions across the aisle. With Homeland Security, terror threats and nation-state brinksmanship front and center, Fran Racioppi sat down with the Congressman to ask him what exactly the biggest threats to America are. They dug into the theory of an imminent terror attack, what the battlefield with China really looks like, and why preventing denial of service attacks and the cyber-security risks against America’s critical infrastructure should be at the top of the priority list.They also discussed the future of SOF on an undefined battlefield, how the reduction of fraud, waste and abuse will open up funds for discretionary spending, and why disagreement should be encouraged; but when the decision is made, everyone needs to get in line and execute. Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Pfluger’s office. Don’t miss our full coverage from Capitol Hill. Special thanks to For Country Caucus for setting up this series. HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Introduction02:55 Veterans in Congress02:35 Terror Threat To America04:45 Cyber Threats10:01 Future role of Special Operations11:47 Lessons from Service in CongressQUOTES“There’s a level of trust when you know that somebody else has served.”“It starts with just transparency. We live in a dangerous world. It’s not just a terrorism threat.”“These non-nation state actors and even nation state sponsored cyber activities lie in that grey zone.”  “That’s where we’re really vulnerable is some of the smaller communities, some of the smaller banks, some of the smaller entities that provide these services. Denial of services. That’s what we’re worried about.” “Every dollar of improper payment that is going somewhere else is a dollar we’re not spending on security.”“SOF plays a huge role in deterrence. That to me is worth its weight in gold.” 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 brought to you by University of Health and Performance and 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 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.

Representative Jason Crow, a former member of the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment and current Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, shares insights on navigating Congressional challenges. He discusses the complexities of bipartisan cooperation on pressing issues like the Afghanistan withdrawal and border security. Crow emphasizes the necessity of investing in Special Operations Forces and the role of military veterans in shaping legislation while advocating for clear communication and understanding across party lines.

Serving in Special Forces isn’t supposed to be easy. In fact, becoming a Green Beret is rewarding because it’s supposed to be hard. If it was easy, anyone could do it; but not everyone can, or should, be considered elite. Retired Sergeant Major John McPhee is one of America’s most distinguished and experienced Special Operators. For decades he led America’s most lethal units in the Army’s elite Delta Force. The self proclaimed Sheriff of Baghdad, John tells it like it is and leaves nothing up to interpretation.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. UHP is dedicated to building the world’s most elite fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs out of our Veterans. To kick off our partnership, John and Host Fran Racioppi climbed into the back of an armored Humvee to reminisce about the impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, what America did right, what we did wrong, and why the counter-terrorism battle is far from over. John also shares his thoughts on the Army today, how to fix recruiting, the Israeli pager war, and why we must never forget that a Special Operator’s job is to close with and destroy the enemy.Watch, listen or read our conversation from a vehicle many of us spent too much time in. Don’t miss our full Veterans Day coverage from UHP. 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.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:50 Welcome to UHP2:39 Rangers to Green Beret4:00 Special Forces in the 90s5:57 How 9/11 changed Special Forces10:16 Legacy of Afghanistan13:12 Sheriff of Baghdad15:35 Disbanding the Iraqi government18:20 The difference in Syria19:42 Israel-Iran Pager War25:30 Army Recruiting Challenges27:05 Is the Army woke?29:55 Next generation of NCOs32:35 The PTSD debate37:18 Wear yourself out everydayQUOTESWe had no bullets. No money to go train. The Army didn’t have a budget. The 90s Special Forces sucked.”“This is where nations go to die. What did we think was going to happen?”“You can’t do that. You can’t just get rid of the whole army like that.”“We had enough money to buy where Saddam was without ever firing a shot.”“Syria can never be tamed and it will always be a problem for us.”“War is only a failure of politicians and politics.”“We didn’t have an Army before WWII. We fielded 6 million men quick. When America gets pissed off, you’re done.”“The Army needs to do two things only. Kill the bad guys and break their shit.” “I would tell anybody to try to be the smartest guy in the room because generally the smartest guy in the room is going to be the best Commando.”“I personally don’t believe in PTSD. You get stuck in the same chapter of your book.”“Every human being should be taking an hour to two hours a day on themselves.”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.

Retired Lt. Gen. E. John Deedrick served as the final commander of the Combined Security Transition Command –Afghanistan (CSTC-A). He also held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Security Assistance (DCOS SA) at the Headquarters of Resolute Support; the NATO mission in Afghanistan. He was the United States Military Representative to NATO and commanded 1st Special Forces Command. 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. To kick off our combined investment in the development of our Special Operators post service, Fran Racioppi sat down with Lt. Gen. Deedrick to discuss his take on the Army today, where it came from and where it’s going. As one of the last senior leaders in Afghanistan he gave his honest assessment of the withdrawal, the impact leaving has had on our allies and Special Forces Operators, and what the void left has done for the Taliban and American national security. They also discuss the importance of our allies, why NATO works, the Russian-North Korean Alliance in Ukraine, and counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism in the Grey Zone through integrated deterrence.Finally, they talk about the effect of politics on our military and why our leaders all want the same goal, but have different paths to get there. Watch, listen or read our conversation from the UHP. Don’t miss our full Veterans Day coverage from UHP. 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.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction2:23 Welcome to University of Health and Performance5:02 Why did we leave Afghanistan8:02 Did we abandon our Afghan partners11:04 Withdrawal Effect13:24 The Taliban and Al-Qaeda15:22 Enabling Iran16:59 NATO’s importance22:30 NATO vs Russia28:38 The Ukraine conflict today32:30 North Korea’s involvement34:12 What makes a Green Beret different?38:24 Changes to the ODA41:14 Is China the next fight?45:51 Politicizing the military48:02 US forces deployed across America49:38 Lt. Gen. Deedrick’s Sergeant51:53 Daily HabitsQUOTES04:10 “It was a pretty low cost to keep an eye on Al-Qaeda. And also off chutes that are as dangerous.”13:23 “I hope we aren’t paying them not to attack us”17:49 “Nobody freelances at NATO. NATO is an expression of the sovereign will of their capitals.”26:30 “Don’t start a shooting war with Russia. I mean the two nuclear powers”29:10 “When you are so reliant on other nations for your supply chains, you put yourself at risk.”31:09 “You’ve got to go to North Korea to get weapons and soldiers. That’s just sad.”45:20 “The most difficult fight would be China, so I think you have to use that as your pacing item and optimize your fight for that.”45:52 “Lethality on the battlefield is critical.”50:23 “What I would love to see is less personality and more policy.”52:53 “It is a really bad idea to use the active duty US Military in a domestic capability.”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.

Transition back to civilian life is the biggest challenge our service men and women will face in their military careers. America invests millions in training our warfighters to be the most competent in the world. That investment shouldn’t end when the uniform comes off. 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. Matt Hesse is the Founder and CEO of University of Health and Performance. This Veterans Day, Fran Racioppi sat down with Matt to share his vision to build a world-class development program to train our Veterans as certified personal trainers. In addition to the hard skills required to build health and fitness in others, UHP is also teaching the business skills needed to become successful entrepreneurs.Matt explains the process, the details behind each course, why UHP has chosen Arkansas to call home, how he’s building an ecosystem to support all aspects of Veteran transition, and how UHP is leading the way in showing private industry just how valuable our Veterans will be for the next generation of America. Watch, listen or read our conversation from the UHP gym. Don’t miss our full Veterans Day coverage from UHP. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast, the Green Beret Foundation and UHP 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.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:43 Welcome to the University of Health and Performance3:25 Creating UHP4:37 Why Health and Performance matters 7:46 UHP Programs12:04 Field of Dreams17:46 Preparing veterans for business29:30 Lack of a military transition process34:40 Future of UHPQUOTES“There’s nothing greater than serving democracy. Veterans created this country.” “The health and performance of your life or your company need to be in balance.”“You can take the four pieces of the blueprint: how to think intellectually, how to train physically, how to feel emotionally, and how to lead from a values perspective to build a strategy to get after whatever that purpose is.”“A lot of us carry a lot of shit around that we have not let out yet and a big part of this place is helping people do that.”“I believe that great visionary leaders are unencumbered by their own “I can’t do its.”“Failure is not possible if you don’t quit.”“Anybody can be an entrepreneur. I truly believe that.”“My personal huge goal right now is to give veterans the opportunity to get out and catch up with their peers as fast as possible.”“Most Veterans are highly competent, highly skilled, great leaders, who just want to do awesome purposeful work.” “The DOD’s responsibility is to build a lethal fighting force. Period. End of story.” “2025 we are going to launch Veterans Future Festival. It is going to be the largest veterans day event in the country, anywhere."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.

Daniel Linskey, former Boston Police Chief with 28 years in law enforcement and a Marine veteran, shares gripping insights from his leadership during the Boston Marathon bombing. He discusses the evolution of targeted violence and the necessity of meticulous training for first responders. Linskey reflects on the urgency of decision-making amidst chaos and the importance of teamwork over ego. Additionally, he reveals the emotional toll on first responders and emphasizes the need for community resilience and support in the wake of tragedy.

The United States Army invaded Europe in 1944 and has never left. America’s forward projection of its military was instrumental in the stabilization of Europe and the establishment of the world order that has existed since the end of World War II. A critical piece of American power is US Army Europe-Africa; a command responsible for over 37,000 soldiers, 104 countries, 10 units and 9 garrisons. Over 70,000 US military personnel operate across Europe and Africa in either permanent positions or deployed in support of national security objectives. To explain why US Army Europe-Africa is so important, Fran Racioppi sat down with Command Sergeant Major Jeremiah Inman, the command’s senior enlisted advisor. Sergeant Major Inman breaks down the command’s mission to deter aggression and provide stability in some of the world’s most complicated and dynamic regions. He explains the magnitude of the command’s responsibilities; and also shares his biggest leadership lessons learned from his time in Ranger Regiment and how they prepared him to lead no matter the challenge. Join our conversation from the bunkers of Pointe Du Hoc in Normandy, France. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform for all our D-Day Coverage including our first documentary Unknown Heroes: Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:42 Welcome to Pointe Du Hoc3:20 The mission of US Army Europe-Africa4:10 Guidance to the force4:40 Joint exercises5:00 The differences between Europe and Africa6:22 Supporting Ukraine7:23 Developing young NCOs8:49 USAREUR-AF Lines of Effort12:02 The Next Fight12:52 The role of the Combat Training Centers14:23 Special Operations & conventional force integration14:47 Sergeant Major’s lessons learned16:30 Daily Habits for successQUOTES“Our vision is to get up, show up and be ready to assist our partners. Continue to train and maintain that combat readiness in the event we do have to get into something.”“If we can continue to train and work with our allies and partners now, when we do have to fight, we’ll already have those sets and reps and be a much more lethal force.”“The young NCOs now are so much smarter than I’ll ever be.”“We’re only empowered if our officers empower us.”“We just got to be ready for anything. You don’t know what that next fight is.”“Colonel Ralph Puckett’s like ‘I didn’t go to ranger school to be better than the next guy, I went to ranger school to be better than myself.’”“When you show up, show up. Be present. Get after it. 100% and then some.”“Physical training, marksmanship, battle drills, medical training. Then we added developing leaders of character. I think that’s kind of how I’ve been my entire career, is after those five aspects.”The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are official programs of the Green Beret Foundation.