#182: Special Operations In The Pacific - Philippine's Joint Special Operations Command Commander Brigadier General Eliglen Villaflor

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1. 

   E187 · 13 Feb 2026 · 29 min

   #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 Commercial Officer, Ryan explains her work…

2. 

   E186 · 5 Feb 2026 · 51 min

   #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…

3. 

   E185 · 9 Jan 2026 · 23 min

   #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 with Chairman of the Green Beret Foundation retired Lieutenant General Ken Tovo and Chief…

4. 

   E184 · 30 Dec 2025 · 13 min

   #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 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 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…

5. 

   E183 · 17 Dec 2025 · 31 min

   #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 perspective on…

6. 

   E181 · 21 Nov 2025 · 40 min

   #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 modernization gave birth…

7. 

   E180 · 4 Nov 2025 · 27 min

   #180: America's Unknown War - MACV-SOG In Southeast Asia, Green Berets Doug Godshall & Jim Shorten

   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 be done again. Their work in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam forged the tactics, technology, and mindset that would become the DNA of modern Special Operations. But when they came home, many faced a…

8. 

   E179 · 24 Oct 2025 · 23 min

   #179: Bringing Home America's Green Berets - Project Recover X Green Beret Foundation

   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 never faded. Project Recover is dedicated to locating, identifying, and repatriating Americans missing in action. By combining historical research, advanced technology, and field expeditions across…

9. 

   E178 · 17 Oct 2025 · 54 min

   #178: Going Where Government Can’t - Grey Bull Rescue Founder Bryan Stern

   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 permission to act. He’s the founder of Grey Bull Rescue , a nonprofit that specializes in pulling people out of the worst situations on Earth including conflict zones, collapsed governments, and failed…

10. 

    E177 · 3 Oct 2025 · 59 min

    #177: Artificial Warfare - Accrete AI Government Founder & CEO Bill Wall

    The war for information, influence, and decision making is paramount on today’s battlefield. Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept of the future; it’s essential for America’s national security and military dominance. From SOF Week in Tampa, Florida, Fran Racioppi sat down with retired Green Beret and Co-founder of Accrete AI Government , Bill Wall , to talk about a fight most Americans never see. Bill is one of the leading voices redefining how we use AI and how our government is deploying it in the protection of America. Bill explains how Accrete’s Argus platform is actively being…