The Jedburgh Podcast

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 Corp s in Quantico, VA, Fran Racioppi sat down with Sergeant Major of the Marine Co...

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...

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...

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 decision...

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 T...

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 evo...

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...

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. Whe...

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 cri...

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 Bian...

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...

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...

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 Ath...

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 d...

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 telli...

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 NA...

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, fo...

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 transce...

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 Rabi l, 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...

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 , Comman...

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 mi...

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...

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...

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...

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 permis...