#159: America Is Vulnerable - Representative August Pfluger (TX-11)

Threats to America are at an all time high. Our national security and law enforcement professionals have warned us. Our military leaders are preparing for anything and everything.  Representative August Pfluger is the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. He is now a 3-term Congressman representing Texas’s 11th District. He is also an Air Force Academy graduate and an F-22 fighter pilot with over 300 combat hours. As a member of the bi-partisan military Veterans alliance, the For Country Caucus, one of his biggest efforts is to build coalitions across the aisle. With Homeland Security, terror threats and nation-state brinksmanship front and center, Fran Racioppi sat down with the Congressman to ask him what exactly the biggest threats to America are. They dug into the theory of an imminent terror attack, what the battlefield with China really looks like, and why preventing denial of service attacks and the cyber-security risks against America’s critical infrastructure should be at the top of the priority list.They also discussed the future of SOF on an undefined battlefield, how the reduction of fraud, waste and abuse will open up funds for discretionary spending, and why disagreement should be encouraged; but when the decision is made, everyone needs to get in line and execute. Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Pfluger’s office. Don’t miss our full coverage from Capitol Hill. Special thanks to For Country Caucus for setting up this series. HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Introduction02:55 Veterans in Congress02:35 Terror Threat To America04:45 Cyber Threats10:01 Future role of Special Operations11:47 Lessons from Service in CongressQUOTES“There’s a level of trust when you know that somebody else has served.”“It starts with just transparency. We live in a dangerous world. It’s not just a terrorism threat.”“These non-nation state actors and even nation state sponsored cyber activities lie in that grey zone.”  “That’s where we’re really vulnerable is some of the smaller communities, some of the smaller banks, some of the smaller entities that provide these services. Denial of services. That’s what we’re worried about.” “Every dollar of improper payment that is going somewhere else is a dollar we’re not spending on security.”“SOF plays a huge role in deterrence. That to me is worth its weight in gold.” Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are brought to you by University of Health and Performance and are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and host Fran Racioppi. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

The job of America’s elected leaders is to get things done. The democratic process isn’t always pretty and almost never leaves everyone happy; but the effectiveness of our government and America’s stature as the world’s dominant superpower rest on Congress’s ability to find common ground on the issues. Representative Jason Crow served in the United States Army 75th Ranger Regiment. He is now the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations.In his 4th term representing Colorado’s 6th district he’s looking to return power to the hands of Congress and has found himself at the center of many of America’s most controversial and important Congressional matters; an area he has learned to navigate through his previous leadership of the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan alliance of military veterans serving in the House of Representatives. Congressman Crow joined Fran Racioppi to share just how he balances the most polarizing issues facing both sides of the aisle; including the investigation into the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the impeachment of President Donald Trump and the inquiry into the pre-election assassination attempts. We discussed the impact of budget and personnel cuts to Special Operations and why it’s more important now than ever to invest in our SOF capability to prevent the next major conflict. We also covered border security, the use of active duty military in the enforcement of the border and how countering the cartels and the drug trade aren’t a new mission for Special Operations.Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Crow’s office. Don’t miss our full coverage from Capitol Hill. Special thanks to For Country Caucus for setting up this series. The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health and Performance, developing the next generation of fitness entrepreneurs from our Veterans. The Jedburgh Podcast is an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Introduction02:07 Jumping into D-Day03:00 Rangers Lead The Way04:35 Colorado 6th District06:05 Veterans lead the 119th Congress11:28 Role of SOF moving forward 13:10 Cutting SOF funding16:30 Defending critical infrastructure18:40 The Immigration Challenge23:35 Special Forces on the border25:45 Working across the aisleQUOTES“If everyone digs in and takes an all or nothing mentality…everybody gets nothing.”“Congress has given away its authority for decades.” “The CT threat is not gone.” “We are building systems now…that will be completely ineffective on the battlefield of the future.” “You build political will by leading. That’s in part our job.” “If someone is committing violent crime in our community, they have no place in our community.” “There has to be a pathway to citizenship for folks who are living peacefully in our community.” Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

Serving in Special Forces isn’t supposed to be easy. In fact, becoming a Green Beret is rewarding because it’s supposed to be hard. If it was easy, anyone could do it; but not everyone can, or should, be considered elite. Retired Sergeant Major John McPhee is one of America’s most distinguished and experienced Special Operators. For decades he led America’s most lethal units in the Army’s elite Delta Force. The self proclaimed Sheriff of Baghdad, John tells it like it is and leaves nothing up to interpretation.The Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Health and Performance outside of Bentonville, Arkansas. UHP is dedicated to building the world’s most elite fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs out of our Veterans. To kick off our partnership, John and Host Fran Racioppi climbed into the back of an armored Humvee to reminisce about the impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, what America did right, what we did wrong, and why the counter-terrorism battle is far from over. John also shares his thoughts on the Army today, how to fix recruiting, the Israeli pager war, and why we must never forget that a Special Operator’s job is to close with and destroy the enemy.Watch, listen or read our conversation from a vehicle many of us spent too much time in. Don’t miss our full Veterans Day coverage from UHP. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:50 Welcome to UHP2:39 Rangers to Green Beret4:00 Special Forces in the 90s5:57 How 9/11 changed Special Forces10:16 Legacy of Afghanistan13:12 Sheriff of Baghdad15:35 Disbanding the Iraqi government18:20 The difference in Syria19:42 Israel-Iran Pager War25:30 Army Recruiting Challenges27:05 Is the Army woke?29:55 Next generation of NCOs32:35 The PTSD debate37:18 Wear yourself out everydayQUOTESWe had no bullets. No money to go train. The Army didn’t have a budget. The 90s Special Forces sucked.”“This is where nations go to die. What did we think was going to happen?”“You can’t do that. You can’t just get rid of the whole army like that.”“We had enough money to buy where Saddam was without ever firing a shot.”“Syria can never be tamed and it will always be a problem for us.”“War is only a failure of politicians and politics.”“We didn’t have an Army before WWII. We fielded 6 million men quick. When America gets pissed off, you’re done.”“The Army needs to do two things only. Kill the bad guys and break their shit.” “I would tell anybody to try to be the smartest guy in the room because generally the smartest guy in the room is going to be the best Commando.”“I personally don’t believe in PTSD. You get stuck in the same chapter of your book.”“Every human being should be taking an hour to two hours a day on themselves.”The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

Retired Lt. Gen. E. John Deedrick served as the final commander of the Combined Security Transition Command –Afghanistan (CSTC-A). He also held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff for Security Assistance (DCOS SA) at the Headquarters of Resolute Support; the NATO mission in Afghanistan. He was the United States Military Representative to NATO and commanded 1st Special Forces Command. The Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Health and Performance outside of Bentonville, Arkansas. To kick off our combined investment in the development of our Special Operators post service, Fran Racioppi sat down with Lt. Gen. Deedrick to discuss his take on the Army today, where it came from and where it’s going. As one of the last senior leaders in Afghanistan he gave his honest assessment of the withdrawal, the impact leaving has had on our allies and Special Forces Operators, and what the void left has done for the Taliban and American national security. They also discuss the importance of our allies, why NATO works, the Russian-North Korean Alliance in Ukraine, and counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism in the Grey Zone through integrated deterrence.Finally, they talk about the effect of politics on our military and why our leaders all want the same goal, but have different paths to get there. Watch, listen or read our conversation from the UHP. Don’t miss our full Veterans Day coverage from UHP. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction2:23 Welcome to University of Health and Performance5:02 Why did we leave Afghanistan8:02 Did we abandon our Afghan partners11:04 Withdrawal Effect13:24 The Taliban and Al-Qaeda15:22 Enabling Iran16:59 NATO’s importance22:30 NATO vs Russia28:38 The Ukraine conflict today32:30 North Korea’s involvement34:12 What makes a Green Beret different?38:24 Changes to the ODA41:14 Is China the next fight?45:51 Politicizing the military48:02 US forces deployed across America49:38 Lt. Gen. Deedrick’s Sergeant51:53 Daily HabitsQUOTES04:10 “It was a pretty low cost to keep an eye on Al-Qaeda. And also off chutes that are as dangerous.”13:23 “I hope we aren’t paying them not to attack us”17:49 “Nobody freelances at NATO. NATO is an expression of the sovereign will of their capitals.”26:30 “Don’t start a shooting war with Russia. I mean the two nuclear powers”29:10 “When you are so reliant on other nations for your supply chains, you put yourself at risk.”31:09 “You’ve got to go to North Korea to get weapons and soldiers. That’s just sad.”45:20 “The most difficult fight would be China, so I think you have to use that as your pacing item and optimize your fight for that.”45:52 “Lethality on the battlefield is critical.”50:23 “What I would love to see is less personality and more policy.”52:53 “It is a really bad idea to use the active duty US Military in a domestic capability.”The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

Transition back to civilian life is the biggest challenge our service men and women will face in their military careers. America invests millions in training our warfighters to be the most competent in the world. That investment shouldn’t end when the uniform comes off. The Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Health and Performance outside of Bentonville, Arkansas. Matt Hesse is the Founder and CEO of University of Health and Performance. This Veterans Day, Fran Racioppi sat down with Matt to share his vision to build a world-class development program to train our Veterans as certified personal trainers. In addition to the hard skills required to build health and fitness in others, UHP is also teaching the business skills needed to become successful entrepreneurs.Matt explains the process, the details behind each course, why UHP has chosen Arkansas to call home, how he’s building an ecosystem to support all aspects of Veteran transition, and how UHP is leading the way in showing private industry just how valuable our Veterans will be for the next generation of America. Watch, listen or read our conversation from the UHP gym. Don’t miss our full Veterans Day coverage from UHP. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast, the Green Beret Foundation and UHP on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:43 Welcome to the University of Health and Performance3:25 Creating UHP4:37 Why Health and Performance matters 7:46 UHP Programs12:04 Field of Dreams17:46 Preparing veterans for business29:30 Lack of a military transition process34:40 Future of UHPQUOTES“There’s nothing greater than serving democracy. Veterans created this country.” “The health and performance of your life or your company need to be in balance.”“You can take the four pieces of the blueprint: how to think intellectually, how to train physically, how to feel emotionally, and how to lead from a values perspective to build a strategy to get after whatever that purpose is.”“A lot of us carry a lot of shit around that we have not let out yet and a big part of this place is helping people do that.”“I believe that great visionary leaders are unencumbered by their own “I can’t do its.”“Failure is not possible if you don’t quit.”“Anybody can be an entrepreneur. I truly believe that.”“My personal huge goal right now is to give veterans the opportunity to get out and catch up with their peers as fast as possible.”“Most Veterans are highly competent, highly skilled, great leaders, who just want to do awesome purposeful work.” “The DOD’s responsibility is to build a lethal fighting force. Period. End of story.” “2025 we are going to launch Veterans Future Festival. It is going to be the largest veterans day event in the country, anywhere."The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

Targeted violence, domestic terrorism and international terrorism are changing. In the past, America has been the victim of large scale coordinated attacks. Today, acts of mass violence are as simple as cars, fireworks and household items. On April 15, 2013 two terrorists blew up homemade bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three innocent people were killed. Hundreds were injured. Boston Police Chief Daniel Linskey immediately found himself in charge of a mass casualty event and a multijurisdictional manhunt through the streets of Boston. Chief Linskey joined Fran Racioppi to share how he overcame fear, panic and the realization that in an instant the entire city was looking to him for guidance and direction. He shares how preparation and training between law enforcement and first responders in the years leading up to the attack was critical in their response. And he explains why in emergency response, there’s no place for egos or credit, just action and results. Join our conversation from the shores of Plymouth Harbor. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch Chief Linskey talk about Team Maureen, an organization he founded to honor his late cousin focused on preventing cancer in our Veterans. HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction3:32 Becoming a US Marine8:47 Joining Boston Police15:05 Public Perception of Law Enforcement Today25:12 Are we prosecuting enough crime?31:07 Immigration policy effect on policing35:47 You’re It at the Boston Marathon49:05 The bombing1:00:20 Standing guard over the victims1:19:37 The Manhunt1:35:29 Boston Strong1:39:04 Mental Health Mechanisms1:43:00 Biggest Lesson1:45:44 Thank youQUOTES“If you leave a place the same way you found it, you’re not leading.”"If you want to learn leadership, lead.”“Cops hate change. The other thing cops hate is the way things are.” “If you think there’s a problem with policing and leadership…ok…join and see what you can do from the inside.”“I would like to see any politician who is making policy on law enforcement to make them have to do a two week basic in-service class in law enforcement.”“If people think there’s no accountability for assaulting a police officer…they’re gonna do it.” “You can’t just say you’re training. You can’t just pretend you’re training. You can’t just say bang bang you’re dead.”“Leadership is putting your team to the task.”“He essentially said “Tag, you’re it boss. And I didn’t want to be it.”“Along with the devastation was a wave of shame and guilt that washed over me.”“I froze. I’m a United States Marine. I’m a cop. I’m the chief. I froze. I want to go home. I want to go home with my kids.” “In crisis there are 5,000 things you got to do, but you need to focus on the five most important right now.”“If you tell the troops what you want them to do and why they should do it, they’ll do it.”The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of Green Beret Foundation, supporting US Army Special Forces of all generations.

The United States Army invaded Europe in 1944 and has never left. America’s forward projection of its military was instrumental in the stabilization of Europe and the establishment of the world order that has existed since the end of World War II. A critical piece of American power is US Army Europe-Africa; a command responsible for over 37,000 soldiers, 104 countries, 10 units and 9 garrisons. Over 70,000 US military personnel operate across Europe and Africa in either permanent positions or deployed in support of national security objectives. To explain why US Army Europe-Africa is so important, Fran Racioppi sat down with Command Sergeant Major Jeremiah Inman, the command’s senior enlisted advisor. Sergeant Major Inman breaks down the command’s mission to deter aggression and provide stability in some of the world’s most complicated and dynamic regions. He explains the magnitude of the command’s responsibilities; and also shares his biggest leadership lessons learned from his time in Ranger Regiment and how they prepared him to lead no matter the challenge. Join our conversation from the bunkers of Pointe Du Hoc in Normandy, France. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform for all our D-Day Coverage including our first documentary Unknown Heroes: Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh.HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:42 Welcome to Pointe Du Hoc3:20 The mission of US Army Europe-Africa4:10 Guidance to the force4:40 Joint exercises5:00 The differences between Europe and Africa6:22 Supporting Ukraine7:23 Developing young NCOs8:49 USAREUR-AF Lines of Effort12:02 The Next Fight12:52 The role of the Combat Training Centers14:23 Special Operations & conventional force integration14:47 Sergeant Major’s lessons learned16:30 Daily Habits for successQUOTES“Our vision is to get up, show up and be ready to assist our partners. Continue to train and maintain that combat readiness in the event we do have to get into something.”“If we can continue to train and work with our allies and partners now, when we do have to fight, we’ll already have those sets and reps and be a much more lethal force.”“The young NCOs now are so much smarter than I’ll ever be.”“We’re only empowered if our officers empower us.”“We just got to be ready for anything. You don’t know what that next fight is.”“Colonel Ralph Puckett’s like ‘I didn’t go to ranger school to be better than the next guy, I went to ranger school to be better than myself.’”“When you show up, show up. Be present. Get after it. 100% and then some.”“Physical training, marksmanship, battle drills, medical training. Then we added developing leaders of character. I think that’s kind of how I’ve been my entire career, is after those five aspects.”The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are official programs of the Green Beret Foundation.

The health of our military service members and our Veterans is always a top line issue. Many suffer from illness and injury as a result of their service; and most are believed to be at higher risk for chronic sickness. Some of which is fortunately preventable. Cancer is a top concern for much of the military community. To dig into the increased risk cancer poses to our Veterans, Fran Racioppi sat down with Team Maureen; an organization focused on bringing attention and prevention of HPV and HPV-related cancers to our Veterans. Daniel Linskey, Kelly Welch and Dr. Emily Penick lead Team Maureen and founded the organization after the loss of their family and friend Maureen Russo. Worldwide, a woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes. It is the second-most frequent cancer in the world. The military community is twice as likely to develop HPV, yet immunization rates among our servicemembers are 50% of the civilian community. 90% of HPV-related cancers are preventable through immunization.We broke down the facts of HPV, why it’s rising exponentially in our military, how it’s affecting both our women and men service-members, and what every single person, military and civilian, can do to prevent one of the deadliest, and preventable, cancers in society today.Check out our conversation over-looking Plymouth Harbor and with Cardinals in the air. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch this conversation and our follow-up with Danny as he shares how he led the Boston Police Department during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction1:50 Welcome to the South Shore4:44 What is Cervical Cancer?8:09 How do you get Cervical Cancer?9:49 What is the effect on men?11:38 Screening for HPV12:55 Oral Health importance14:23 Low vaccination rates17:40 Why are military at risk?19:58 Vaccination process24:57 Who was Maureen?29:17 How are you educating people?33:20 How do you get involved?QUOTES“Making sure that people know about the importance of prevention of HPV and early detection for cervical cancer is our mission.”“Nobody should die of cervical cancer. It’s completely preventable.” “Why not be at the forefront of HPV prevention?” “This is something that can help your kids not get cancer.” “Active duty military and Veterans are 2x as likely as civilians to develop cancers associated with HPV.” “We should be able to get to that point where no one loses a loved one to cervical cancer.”“You think you’re a badass. Cancer doesn’t care if you’re a badass.” The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of Green Beret Foundation, supporting US Army Special Forces of all generations.

Voting is a foundation of democracy and key to American power, but also a process that can be ugly and divisive. In what many believe to be the most politically charged election period in modern history, Fran Racioppi took a few minutes to sit down with Congressman Rich McCormick, Representative for Georgia’s 7th district. Representative McCormick shared his Elementary Issues of A, B, C, D, E:  the American dream, the border, crime, debt, education and energy; why it’s dangerous to develop a culture of government giving, balancing compassion with security along our borders, and not hiding from the fact that America has real adversaries who seek to do us harm. As a Marine Corps and Navy Veteran, emergency room doctor and former American Gladiator, the Congressman knows the importance of earning success and leading through adversity; character traits he has taken from his military service to the halls of Congress.Join our conversation from Congressman McCormick’s Office. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, then head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform for all our election coverage.Stand for something, or stand to the side. HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Welcome to Capitol Hill5:45 Georgia as a swing state10:20 The Elementary Issues13:40 Government Giving17:12 A divided America22:46 The Open Border Argument 25:20 Balancing compassion with security30:03 The near-peer fight32:28 Accepting America has adversaries40:10 The role of SOF in the next fight44:26 Why Congress needs more Veterans51:55 Daily Foundations For Success QUOTES“People don’t realize how diverse the south is. Especially Georgia. And the opinions are just as diverse.”“If you don’t have a good economy nobody thrives.” “You’re never given value by what you’re given. You’re given value by what you earn.” “When one party dominates we have more peace. Not necessarily more prosperity; but more peace.” “If you end up isolated, you will end up at war.” “It’s important not to think that we can huddle up in our country and think that nothing bad is gonna happen anywhere else.” “We need to realize that we are less influential than China in about half of the  western hemisphere. That’s scary.” “If you want to be amongst greatness, look for adversity.” Special thanks to the For Country Caucus for coordinating this interview. The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator and host Fran Racioppi. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy; nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

Charlie Iacono is the President and CEO of Green Beret Foundation. Almost two years into his tenure, Charlie is pushing the foundation, and its staff, to become the premier charitable organization supporting America’s most important asset; our US Army Green Berets.Charlie joined joined Fran Racioppi from what may be his biggest brain child yet; the Stars and Stripes Classic. An epic battle between Green Berets and Navy SEALS from the home of greatness and the GOAT, Gillette Stadium.In his first long-form interview since taking charge, he shared his vision for the foundation, where it’s come from, the impact it’s made on Green Berets of every generation and how 2025 is set to become the most important year in its history as it increases investment in programs supporting the careers and health of transitioning operators. Leading non-profit organizations is hard. Leading one that lives up to the standard of the Green Beret is even harder. So Charlie explains what’s important to him, how he’s transforming the staff, why service is the foundation of the job, and how building relationships is critical to making an impact. Check out our conversation from the New England Patriots Bubble prior to the Stars and Stripes Classic. Although our snake eating bearded bastards fell to the squids, the intensity of the game looked more like a classic from the 80’s. Plus, there’s always next year. Follow us on social media, read the full episode on our website, and head over to our YouTube channel or your favorite podcast platform to catch all our coverage from the Stars and Stripes Classic. HIGHLIGHTS0:00 Introduction2:06 Welcome to the Stars and Stripes Classic3:55 GBF progress 8:11 Creating the Jedburgh Media Channel11:49 Next Ridgeline 2.020:20 GBF Scholarships24:21 Processing VA Disability Claims30:58 Warrior Sportsmen Salmon Fishing37:42 Goals for 2025QUOTES“There’s just so much cross pollination between the two sports. Between football and lacrosse. And then lacrosse and the SOF world.“I’m a big believer that there are no days off.”“We need to do it for the next conflict. We need to be ready to pick up that phone when that phone rings.”“The team wins as a team. The team loses as a team. The team struggles as a team. The team succeeds and excels as a team.”“They need to be coached up on it. What does your next job look like? What do you want your next to look like?” “The biggest piece to Next Ridgeline 2.0 program is it focuses on the promotion of strength of mind, body and spirit.” “It’s critically important that we as Green Berets talk about who we are, why we’re different, and why it matters..”“Anybody who serves should not have to pay a dime out of their own personal money to further themselves.” The 2025 goal is to “continue to make this organization into something that the entire regiment, all generations, as well as their families are proud of.”Special thanks to the Premier Lacrosse League, the New England Patriots, and all our sponsors who supported the game. 2025 is here and Green Beret Foundation continues to lead from the front no matter the challenge.