The Jedburgh Podcast

The scoreboard may decide the winner, but it doesn’t tell the story of the game. The Stars and Stripes Classic pits America’s Green Berets against Navy SEALs, renewing Special Operations' greatest rivalries. But beyond the game, every operator on the field, and family member in the stands, represents an unwavering commitment to something greater than themselves.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with the President and CEO of the Green Beret Foundation Charlie Iacono, and Chief Warrant Officer Nick Lavery, to discuss why the Stars and Stripes Classic is much more than...

The title United States Marine is earned…never given. For over 250 years the Marine Corps has been front and center in the defense of America and our allies. But as technology and the battlefield have changed, the character and standard that define a Marine have never wavered.

From the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA, Fran Racioppi sat down with Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos A. Ruiz, the 20th senior enlisted leader of the United States Marine Corps, to discuss what it takes to serve in one of the wo...

For one day, the rivalry shifts from the battlefield to the lacrosse field. Green Berets. Navy SEALs. America's most elite special operations forces compete with the same intensity, discipline, and commitment to excellence that defines their military careers. But when the final whistle blows, the score becomes secondary to the brotherhood.

Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Army Head Coach Joe Alberici and Navy Head Coach Joe Amplo just hours before the teams took the field. While the rivalry between Army and Navy is one of...

The United States Military Academy at West Point is the foundation of the US Army. Along the cliffs, through the halls, and on the fields America’s best and brightest are trained to lead not just soldiers, but America. But behind the tradition and pageantry, West Point understands that athletics of any level create disciplined warriors prepared to lead in any situation. 

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Tom Theodorakis, Director of Athletics at West Point, to discuss how one of the most respected athletic programs in the country directly supports the mis...

Modern warfare is no longer defined by who has the biggest force, but by who can adapt the fastest. The battlefield is changing in real time through artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities, and the speed of information. But even in the most advanced operating environments, victory still comes down to disciplined leaders, trusted teams, and soldiers prepared to make decisions under pressure when everything is on the line.

The responsibility for America’s rapid response to any crisis belongs to the Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps.

From their head...

Some people don’t just pass through your life. They leave a mark that stays with you long after they’re gone. Not because of what they did in a single moment, but because of how they lived every day, how they showed up for people, and how they made others feel.

From the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Pam Patton and Tom Schneider to honor the life of Major Jeff Toczylowski, a Green Beret whose impact on the people around him is still felt nearly two decades late...

Green Berets are built over time. Special Operations Truth #3: SOF cannot be mass produced. America’s most elite warriors are developed through experience, through leadership, and through the responsibility of developing others. This is the job of the Special Forces Noncommissioned Officer.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Command Sergeant Major Rob Abernethy to dissect the evolution of the Green Beret NCO, and their officer counterparts, to show how that development shapes the effectiveness of Army Special Operations and national strategy.

CSM Abernethy served nearly four de...

The conditions service members live in directly affect Military readiness and national security. It’s the responsibility of Congress to authorize military funding to ensure the warfighter has what they need in combat and at home. Every decision impacts the strength of the force and their families.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Representative Mike Levin, who serves California’s 49th District and sits on the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs to discuss the policies and decisions shaping today’s military bases. From investments in infrastructure at Camp P...

There is a steady stream of headlines shaping how Veterans view the Department of Veterans Affairs. Disability benefits are being cut. The VA is being privatized. Programs are disappearing. That is the narrative. But is it the reality?

In a social media environment driven by clicks, likes, and engagement, information spreads fast, and too often no one stops to ask whether it is actually true. When it comes to healthcare, benefits, and the systems Veterans rely on, the facts matter.

In this episode, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins...

99% of all US businesses and almost 46% of American employees are, or work for, a small business. Although a small business is defined as having less than 500 employees, American small businesses are responsible for over 88% of net job growth. That means that America's economy, and the world's economy, rest on the backs of small businesses.  

The Small Business Administration plays a critical role in the success of small businesses; including those owned and operated by American Veterans. From business planning, strategy design, funding and specialty certification programs the SBA is one of the primary pillars cr...

Service is an honor and a burden carried by more than just those who don the Green Beret. Service is borne by the family that stands in the shadows every step of the way. Through training, deployments, uncertainty, the highest highs and the lowest lows, it’s the family that waits for their Green Beret to return. 

From the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Bianca Baldwin and Fran Wesseling, the spouse and mother of Major Darren Baldwin; a Green Beret who came home from combat, but was never the...

Cars aren’t just a mode of transportation. They’re a passion. An image. A lifestyle. For many families, they are the bond that brings together father and son. For Frank Viola, cars are the legacy of his son, Green Beret SSG Alex Viola.  

Alex graduated as a Green Beret in 2011 and then went on to get his Combat Dive Certification. In September 2013, his team deployed to Afghanistan as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. On November 17, 2013 Alex lost his life to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while on dismounted patrol.

A...

In August 2021, the world watched in disbelief as Afghanistan collapsed, leaving two decades of sacrifice, hope, and war in question. America’s longest war, forged in the aftermath of 9/11 and costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars, ended in chaos, confusion, and the swift return of the Taliban. But what truly happened in those final, frantic days? Who held the line until the line was irrevocably gone?

In this exclusive interview, host Fran Racioppi sat down with General Haibatullah Alizai, the final Chief of the Afghan National Army, now living in exile. General Al...

Unified Special Operations commands are critical for allied nations to maintain the advantage over our adversaries. A single command structure enables interoperability at every level, from communications and equipment to tactics and acquisition, ensuring partner forces can train together, fight together, and answer to a common mission.

From the Global Special Operations Foundation Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Command Sergeant Major Warren Soeldner, a 10th SFG legend who now lives and works in Greece supporting the Global SOF community. 

Warren brought home the central t...

What separates war fighting from a warrior? Is it skill? Is it experience? Or is it something deeper that only reveals itself when it matters most?

From the Pentagon, Fran Racioppi sat down with Sergeant Major of the Army Mike Weimer and retired Command Sergeant Major Rick Merritt to discuss what it truly means to build and sustain warriors in the United States Army.

CSM Merritt spent over three decades on active duty, including 25 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment, serving in every enlisted leadership position from rifleman to...

War stories are easy to tell. There’s action, adventure, and good vs evil. For most Veterans their service isn’t defined or explained by their war stories. For most Veterans the story that is far most difficult to write...and to live...is the story they have to write themselves.

In this episode, Fran Racioppi sat down with Steven Grayhm, writer and director of Sheepdog, a film dedicated to telling the most difficult story of our Veterans. The story of what happens to us, our families, our friends, and those around us when the...

The speed of innovation has long been the difference between military success and failure. Countries and militaries that rapidly develop, deploy and evolve technology thrive. Those who lag…flounder. America, NATO and the world order are being challenged…and innovated against…at a faster pace than ever before. 

From the Global SOF Symposium in Athens, Greece, I sat down with Ryan Benitez of NATO DIANA to talk about how innovation, technology, and rapid capability development are shaping the future of defense across the Alliance.

As the DIANA’s Chief Commercia...

Communication is the backbone of every military operation. How well our forces talk to each other across air, land, sea and space is what sets the American military apart from everyone else. Without communication leaders can’t lead, and militaries can’t win. 

From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Dr. Lisa Costa, a leading technologist, former Chief Information Officer for U.S. Special Operations Command, and the first Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for the U.S. Space Force, to discuss how innovation, cyber, and modernization are r...

Who’s more important? The operators on the ground or the aviators in the sky? It’s hard to seize the objective without boots on the ground; but if you can’t get to the objective in the first place, there’s no mission at all.

The reality is that operators need aviators and aviators need operators. Green Berets and the pilots of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment share bonds that transcend their MOS and their mobility platform. 

Live from the 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic, I sat down...

Lacrosse is a sport built on passion, precision, and community. It’s also a sport that defines service. Live from the Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Mike Rabil, co-founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League, to highlight the PLL’s partnership with the Green Beret Foundation and explore how the sport of lacrosse is intertwined with American Special Operators. 

A remarkable number of America’s Special Operators come from a lacrosse background. The sport builds toughness, discipline, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. The same qualities that define...

Romania is one of America’s key allies in the fight for Eastern Europe. Romanian Special Forces are critical to the success of that mission; and the partnership between United States Special Operations and our Romanian counterparts sits at the center of that strategy.

From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Claudiu Dobocan, Commander of the Romanian Special Operations Forces, to discuss how Romanian Special Operations are combatting Russian aggression and holding the line in Europe.

General Dobocan shared his pe...

America is not the only nation in a fight for freedom, stability, and security. International threats are complex, the missions are critical, and the operators leading them must think globally while acting locally.

The Philippines is one of America’s longest strategic allies. From their geographical importance of World War II, to their front lines combating Chinese expansion in the Pacific, the military partnership between the United States and the Philippines is an important part of global stability. 

At the heart of this collaboration, is the Joint Special Operations Com...

Few leaders have shaped the identity of America’s Special Forces more than President John F. Kennedy. In just three years as Commander in Chief, JFK redefined how the United States would fight, lead, and prepare for an uncertain world, one that demanded unconventional solutions and elite warriors ready to face any challenge.

As the Cold War escalated, President Kennedy saw the need for a new kind of Soldier, one trained to think, adapt, and win in conflicts fought not only on the battlefield, but through influence, innovation, and resilience. His vision for military mo...

There are few chapters in American military history as daring, secretive, and defining as MACV-SOG, the Military Assistance Command-Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group. A small band of elite Green Berets who operated deep behind enemy lines, often without acknowledgment, and always with extraordinary courage.

These men were tasked with missions that had never been done before and might never be done again. Their work in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam forged the tactics, technology, and mindset that would become the DNA of modern Special Operations.

But when they came home...

America maintains a promise to its citizens…we will never leave you behind. The realities of war and conflict challenge that foundational truth and today, regrettably, thousands of American service members remain missing in action; their stories untold, their families still waiting for answers. For most the reality that their loved one has passed has set in; but the promise to bring them home has never faded.

Project Recover is dedicated to locating, identifying, and repatriating Americans missing in action. By combining historical research, advanced technology, and field expeditions across land and sea, they ma...

Americans are valuable commodities. America’s adversaries know it and too often, when given the opportunity, our enemies kidnap, arrest and hold hostage Americans in an effort to get what they want. 

The United States Government maintains robust diplomatic and military programs to bring Americans home; but the process is often slow and bureaucratic. Bryan Stern isn’t waiting around for permission to act. He’s the founder of Grey Bull Rescue, a nonprofit that specializes in pulling people out of the worst situations on Earth including conflict zones, collapsed governments, and failed evacuations where n...

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...

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 wha...

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 wh...

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 wh...

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 netw...

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 off...

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 amp...

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 W...

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 de...

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 Ch...

The Special Forces Groups are where America’s Green Berets get to work. 5th Special Forces Group has been involved in every conflict, known and unknown,  across the Middle East since its inception. Doing hard things isn’t considered an ask; it’s the standard. 

To dig into the mission of The Legion, Fran Racioppi traveled to Fort Campbell, KY to sit down with the command team, COL Gabe Szody and CSM Travis Esterby, to define what Combat Power means to Special Forces and how the Army’s Warfighting Functions are applied across Special Forces det...

The Army physical training test has long been a measure of a soldier’s fitness for duty and for combat. For decades it’s been used as the benchmark upon which all other physical fitness has been evaluated. And for decades it has been hotly debated, modified and enhanced to best represent the current mission of the US Army. 

SGM Chris Mullinax has been charged with developing the Army Fitness Test; the newest version of the PT test that now replaces the Army Combat Fitness Test and its predecessor, the Army Physical Fitness Test. 

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The biggest threat to America today is too often the one we think about the least. Nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare has been around for decades and the effects of an NBC attack on the homeland or American interests abroad is a very real scenario. 

Retired Lt. Gen Leslie Smith spent a career in the Army as a Chemical Officer. He served as the Chief of the Chemical Branch and Commandant of the United States Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School. He was the first Chemical officer to serve as the Commanding General o...

The directive given to our Green Berets is to win by All Means Available. To do so, requires a combination of ingenuity, understanding the environment, a clear plan and precision execution. 

Mike Vickers built a career on winning America’s shadow wars by All Means Available. Mike started his career as both a non-commissioned and commissioned officer Green Beret before becoming a Paramilitary Operations Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike later served as the Undersecretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, as well as the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, whe...