The Jedburgh Podcast

For decades the Middle East has been America’s top national security challenge. From terrorism, to war, to regional instability, it takes more than a military effort to find solutions. As America navigates one of the most volatile times in history, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired General Joseph Votel , one of America’s most influential leaders and scholars in Middle East policy.  General...

The responsibility for recruiting, training and retaining US Army soldiers sits on the shoulders of the Sergeant Major of the Army; a job in which there is no training course and where experience is the defining factor.  To break down what the Sergeant Major of the Army does, the current state of the Army, and where the Army is headed, Fran Racioppi traveled deep into the center of the Pentag...

Lethality, audacity and creativity. That’s the culture of the Special Forces Regiment and the values each Special Operator is expected to live by. They’re also the foundation of what it takes to be the premier partnered irregular warfare force in the arsenal of the United States Military.  Our nation’s Green Berets, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations soldiers are led by Major General...

Special Forces Warrant Officers are subject matter experts in unconventional warfare, operations and intelligence fusion, and planning and execution. They also advise commanders on all aspects of special operations and are responsible for the integration of emerging technologies.  To explore the unique role of the Special Forces Warrant Officer, Fran Racioppi asked the Command Chief Warrant O...

The 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion included many reenactment jumps, but none as visually captivating as the one in Mont St. Michel. A jump that featured multiple sorties of C-47s and some of America’s most important leaders donning the battle uniform of our airborne predecessors.  Included in this stick was Florida Congressman and fellow Green Beret Mike Waltz . After a quick exit and...

Stress is the great equalizer in leadership. When you're cold, you're wet, you're tired, your company’s losing money, you have no revenue, you’re pinned down by enemy fire, or you're down by five with two minutes left, great organizations need leaders who stand up, take charge, make decisions and act.  America’s Green Berets are the best in the world at leading under stress. To unpack just ho...

One hundred men will test today. But only three win the Green Beret. Developing America’s Green Berets takes a vision for the future, knowledge of the past, and an understanding of the present.  The John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School is the home of both training Green Berets and developing the policy and doctrine our Special Forces operate by. To share the mission of SWCS, Fran...

Social Media doesn’t tell the real story. It might look like we’re crushing it online, but the reality is that it’s held together by toothpicks and dental floss. For the final episode of the 2023 Army Navy Game Tailgate Series, Fran Racioppi welcomed back Travis Wilson ; fellow Green Beret, entrepreneur, and Green Beret Foundation’s Director of Mission & Program Delivery.  Travis and Fran...

America’s military must return our service members back to society ready to lead. Special operators are given the best tools in the military to do their jobs. They’re also completely immersed into the special forces lifestyle with almost no distractions. Yet when they leave service, they’re often left to themselves to find the right tools and to figure out what training they need to be successful...

“The mission. The men. Me.” The “3 M’s” of leadership taught to officers in Vietnam and still applicable to building great leaders in any industry. As leaders we put people first, but sometimes the mission must happen regardless of the people. For the second episode of our 2023 Army Navy Game tailgate party, we warmed up with a little Cold Zero Whiskey and a conversation with two former Green Bere...

There’s a dangerous difference between a Quiet Professional and Silent Professional . We’re conditioned as Green Berets to put the mission first and get the job done. That’s why Army Special Forces are the tip of the spear in both wartime and peace.  For our first tailgate interview, and to kick off The Jedburgh Podcast’s new home as an official program of the Green Beret Foundation , Fran Ra...

Could you make the decision to remove your own leg. What if you’d already lost the other and taking the second meant starting over? For the final episode of the 2023 NYC Veterans Day Parade, Fran Racioppi and Psychotherapist Drew Newkirk were joined by Dan Nevins and Lana Duffy ; two Army soldiers who were faced with one of life’s toughest decisions.  Dan nearly lost his life in an IED explos...

Great leaders exist in every industry. When we think about great leaders we often remember the things they did. But what’s more important is the impact they had on individuals, teams, organizations and society. For the second episode of our 2023 NYC Veterans Day Parade Series, Fran Racioppi and Psychotherapist Drew Newkirk welcomed two Green Berets from very different wars creating impact across g...

Veterans Day is about more than honoring service; it’s about preparing leaders to serve in the military and beyond. For the 104th running of the New York City Veterans Day parade from atop the red carpet Host Fran Racioppi is joined by special guest co-host Drew Newkirk to navigate conversations through the motorcycles, the sirens, the marching bands and the floats. They kick off the parade with t...

America's Vietnam Veterans didn't come home to parades. They didn't come home to standing ovations. They didn't come home to a welcoming public that embraced what they did overseas. When many of our Vietnam veterans came home, they got spit on. They were told that their uniform was a disgrace, they weren't integrated into society, and many people shunned them. 58,281 of our Vietnam veterans never...

The security challenges we face today are more complex, less predictable and faster evolving than at any point in recent history. When Fran Racioppi isn’t hosting the Jedburgh Podcast he runs FRsix , his security company. From this year’s industry trade show, Global Security Exchange, Fran sat down with International SOS , the global leader in health and security services, to dig deep on today's b...

The biggest challenge America’s Special Operations Veterans face is not becoming a Special Operator. Their biggest challenge is no longer being a Special Operator. This transition, despite its challenges, is also a Veteran’s biggest opportunity.  Data says that 48% of Veterans believe transition was more difficult than they expected, 62% say transition took more time than expected, and 76% sa...

A lot can happen in one CrossFit season. Hosts Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff went from CrossFit rookies to Level 1 Trainer Certificate holders and CrossFit Games media. Jenn Ryan went from withdrawing at Wodapalooza to the CrossFit Games podium standing tall as the Women’s Masters Bronze Medalist.  For the final episode of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games and the 2023 CrossFit season Fran, Jes...

Default Aggressive: a leader’s mindset to take deliberate and decisive action. As leaders we face challenges both known and unknown, with real consequences from our action or our inaction. We won’t always get it perfectly right, but doing nothing is almost always wrong.  It’s the final day from the US Army Fitness Truck at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games where Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff ar...

No one cares about achieving your goals more than you; and no one can do the work for you to get there. You have to own that. It doesn’t matter what industry or what dream you wake up with every morning, you better be the first one in and the last to leave if you want to earn victory.  Power Monkey Fitness Co-Owner and Former USA Gymnastics Team Member Dave Durante believes the key the podium...

The mortar landed at his feet, shredding his leg and torso. Despite immediate medical care, he died twice on the helicopter during medical evacuation. He spent a week in a coma. He was told he would never walk again.  This was 12 years ago in Basra, Iraq. In August, he competed in his second CrossFit Games finals.  Meet Spencer Whiteley , the British Army Veteran who walked into a CrossF...

Six days. Hundreds of events. Thousands of volunteers. One mission. Crown the Fittest on Earth. CrossFit Games is a production like none other in fitness, requiring a coordinated effort down to the minute and leadership with an unwavering commitment to winning.  CrossFit’s Sport Operations team is charged with making the games happen. They’re also responsible for programming the individual wo...

How much do you really know about the supplements you put in your body? Where do they come from? What do they actually do? What are they supposed to do? How much time have you spent understanding what will really enhance your performance?   Jeff Byers spent a career in the NFL with access to the best performance coaching and products in the world; but something was missing from the marke...

Are you ready to take it to the limit to win? Do you even truly know where the limit is? Have you been there, tested it,  and fought through the pain, only to make sure you could go there again. But the next time you’ll have the confidence to go there and even further? Our limit isn’t a sustainable pace, but it is a place we need to be comfortable working in.  Endurance Coach Chris Hinsh...

Joining a gym is often the most important decision and commitment we make on our fitness journey. Which gym we choose can make or break our attitude and our results. But what makes a great gym? What keeps us there and brings us back day after day? What are the keys to retention for both the gym goer and the gym owner?  Wodify is the leading customer retention platform in the fitness industry....