The Debrief with Jon Becker

In this critical episode, Jon Becker examines the hidden epidemic of blast-induced brain injuries affecting tactical operators, breachers, and military personnel. Following groundbreaking New York Times reporting that led to congressional action, this five-year investigation reveals how repeated exposure to overpressure from breaching charges, flashbangs, and weapons fire causes microscopic brain...

In this special episode, Jon Becker turns the tables and becomes the guest on his own show to discuss his new book "Culture First: Nine Leadership Practices That Build Elite Teams." Drawing from four decades of working with top-tier law enforcement and military units worldwide, Becker explores why some organizations consistently produce elite teams while others struggle despite having th...

In this gripping episode, Jon Becker sits down with Greg Roy to dissect a complex hostage rescue operation that began as a planned home invasion at 2:30 AM. Roy walks through the tactical response when an ex-boyfriend took multiple family members hostage at gunpoint, including the challenging dynamics of operating with incomplete intelligence and the critical decision-making process for SWAT deplo...

DME-11 - HR with IEDs

Canine integration into SWAT operations has evolved significantly, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau leading the charge since the 1990s. In this episode, Jon sits down with John Montenegro and Steve Williams from LASD-SEB to examine their pioneering approach to K9/SWAT integration, where canines and operators function as a single team with complementa...

On June 14, 2020, Butte County Sheriff's SWAT team executed what seemed like a routine arrest warrant for an arson suspect on a remote mountain property. Using night vision for covert reconnaissance, the team discovered they had walked into an active attempted murder scene. The suspect was later identified as a serial killer responsible for three murders and two attempted murders.   Lieutenan...

DME010 - Arrest Warrant for Murder Suspect on Mountain Compound

Jon Becker sits down with author James Kerr to revisit his groundbreaking book "Legacy" and explore what makes the All Blacks the most successful sports team in history. With a win ratio approaching 80% over 125 years, this New Zealand rugby powerhouse offers invaluable lessons on building elite culture and sustained excellence. Kerr breaks down the actionable principles that create cham...

In this episode of The Debrief, host Jon Becker sits down with LAPD SWAT's Jonathan Pultz, a 27-year veteran and D-Platoon element leader, to examine one of law enforcement's most critical missions: hostage rescue. With D-Platoon conducting 120-150 high-risk operations annually, Pultz brings unparalleled operational experience to discuss LAPD SWAT's methodologies and approach to hos...

Guest: Dr. Nathalie Pattyn In this episode, Jon sits down with Dr. Nathalie Pattyn, whose unique background spans medicine, psychology, research, and military operations. Dr. Pattyn discusses her unconventional career path from aspiring astronaut to emergency physician to tactical performance researcher, including her work in extreme environments like Antarctica and space research. The conversatio...

John Boyd's OODA loop is widely referenced but fundamentally misunderstood. Mark McGrath reveals how the common circular diagram represents less than one percent of Boyd's work. The real framework centers on orientation—constantly updating mental models through destruction and creation. This conversation explores entropy, uncertainty, and incompleteness as foundations for adaptive decisi...

A three-month homicide investigation in Washington State led to a suspect barricaded in a vehicle inside a garage. What began as a routine containment evolved into a seven-hour standoff, which suddenly escalated when the freed domestic violence victim returned to the residence and was taken hostage. Joel Anderson and Bob Shaw detail the tactical challenges of coordinating Pierce County and Washing...

DME 09 - Barricade Erupts into Urgent HRT

DME 08

In September of 2021 a suspect involved in a carjacking and attempted homicide led police in a vehicle pursuit that ended in a car crash in Farmington Utah.  The suspect fled on foot across Interstate 15 into a residential neighborhood prompting patrol officers to establish a perimeter and begin a search with a K9 unit.  During the search a single gunshot was heard,  South Davis Metropolitan SWAT...

My guest today is Dr. Jenny Prohaska, a clinical psychologist who has spent her career on the front lines of trauma and high-stakes performance. Jenny trained in neuro -rehabilitation psychology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, working with patients and staff in trauma, ICU, and burn units, where she built her expertise in how the brain and body adapt to extreme stress. For more than a...

On October 12th, 2020, Bakersfield police responded to a hospital on a domestic violence call to a female who had been hit in the head with a hammer by her ex-husband. When patrol officers arrived at the suspect's house, the male suspect exited the home, screaming at police and threw an improvised explosive device at officers. Negotiations with the suspect began, who initially appeared to be...

My guest today is Patrick Van Horne.   Patrick is the co- author of Left Of Bang: How the Marine Corps combat hunter program can save your life.  He is also the co-founder of the CP journal where he supports clients in preventing, preparing for, and proactively responding to disasters, disruptions and acts of violence.  After starting his career is an infantry officer in the Marine Corps following...

On October 27, 2018 a lone gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA with the intent of killing anyone he could. Tree of Life was the home to three different congregations, Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Haddash, all of which were preparing for or having their normal shabbat services.  What followed was the deadliest attack on the Jewish Community in American history. 11 innoce...

On Friday May 17 2024 the Surprise Arizona Police department received a call that a suspect had broken into his ex-girlfriend’s home and taken her and their 7-month-old child hostage. The suspect told her that he planned to kill her and the baby and eventually killed her dog.  She eventually convinced the suspect to let her go outside and fled to local construction workers who called the Surprise...

On this episode of The Debrief we are going to be looking at Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Growth.  These are two topics that I am extremely passionate about because, as you might imagine, each incident we cover on The Debrief has had a profound effect on everyone involved.  Over the years that I have been working with teams and the years I have hosted this show I have seen people destr...

On the 15th of December 2014, a terrorist took over the Lindt Chocolate café in Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney, Australia, holding 18 customers and staff hostage, creating a siege that would last for over 16 hours.  Although numerous hostages escaped, by the time the event conclude,d 2 innocent people were dead, 4 others were injured.    For 10 years, this incident was suppressed under a gov...

On May 24, 2022, an active shooter took the lives of 19 children and two staff members and physically and mentally injured the survivors, their families, staff, teachers and the broader community in Uvalde, Texas. At the request of Uvalde's leadership, the U.S. Department of Justice established the Critical Incident Review (CIR) to conduct an independent, objective assessment of what happened...