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Episodes from The Jedburgh Podcast
#192: SSG Alex Viola Memorial Car Show - Gold Star Father Frank Viola
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...
#191: Last General Standing - Final Commander Of The Afghan National Army, General Haibatullah Alizai
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...
#190: Building The Unified Global Special Operations Alliance - CSM(R) Warren Soeldner
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...
#189: Building Army Warriors - Sergeant Major of the Army Mike Weimer & CSM (R) Rick Merritt
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...
#188: Veterans...Not Victims - Sheepdog The Movie Filmmaker Steven Grayhm
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...
#187: NATO Leading Innovation - DIANA Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Benitez
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...
#186: Communication Wins Wars - Former Chief Technology And Innovation Officer at USSOCOM & US Space Force Dr. Lisa Costa
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...
#185: Air To Ground Integration - Retired LTG Ken Tovo And Chief Warrant Officer Sean McCormick
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...
#184: Building Elite Warriors - Premier Lacrosse League CEO Mike Rabil (2nd Annual Stars & Stripes Classic)
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...
#183: Defending Eastern Europe - Romanian Special Operations Forces Commander Major General Claudiu Dobocan
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...
#182: Special Operations In The Pacific - Philippine's Joint Special Operations Command Commander Brigadier General Eliglen Villaflor
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...
#181: A Badge of Distinction - President John F. Kennedy's Impact On Green Berets - USASOC Historians Dr. Troy Sacquety & Dr. Jared Tracy
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...