The Debrief with Jon Becker

06/06/2024

Jon's guest today is Brittany Loney the founder and CEO of Elite Cognition. Brittany has almost 20 years of experience training high performing operators from communities as diverse as Elite Warriors, Professional and Olympic athletes, high-level coaches, and corporate executives. She also has over 14 years of experience training Special Operations Forces (SOF) and was the first cognitive performance coach embedded within a United States Special Operations Command (USASOC) Tactical Human Optimization and Rapid Rehabilitation and Reconditioning (THOR3) Program.
Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, peer reviewed academic journals, textbooks, SUCCESS Magazine, SOCOM’s SOFcast, and various other programs. In addition, Brittany has been a panel member or guest speaker at Global SOF Week, Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA), SOCOM’s Wellness Week, Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Learning Professional’s Consortiums, Women in SOF Symposiums, and countless other professional conferences.
Brittany has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Learning Systems from The Florida State University, an M.A. in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Sport Psychology from California State University, Fresno, an M.S. in Exercise Science from Florida State University, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University where she was also a NCAA Division 1 basketball player. She lives her profession, spending much of her time working out, ultra-running, hiking, paddle boarding, and researching neuroscience, performance, and cognition.
I was first introduced to Brittany by some of our nation’s best tactical operators. Her work with US SOF units is unique in its approach to improving operator performance through physical, cognitive, and emotional training. I am extremely excited to have her on the debrief, because the broad scope and clear structure of her work will lay a foundation for several episodes to come on improving operator performance. I hope you enjoy my chat with Brittan Loney.



https://loom.ly/WlIKKvY

08/05/2024

There may be no US tactical and rescue unit more well known than the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit or ESU. Featuring a mission set that ranges from high angle ropes work to water rescue, from high-risk search warrants to hostage rescue, and from CBRN response to counter terrorism, ESU has sometimes been described as 911 for NYPD.
My guest today is Joe Bucchignano. During his ESU tenure Joe's assignments included patrol is ESU Truck 3 and Truck 1, being an adjunct tactics and medical instructor at ESU's Specialized Training School, and he finished his career as a full-time member of the ESU Apprehension Tactical Team. Joe also served with NY Task Force 1, a joint police and fire Urban Search and Rescue team which is part of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue response system.

This episode gives us an inside view of one of the world’s premier units. Including how they train, how they operate, how they manage their ridiculously diverse skill set, and the lessons learned by an ESU veteran.

25/04/2024

The evolution of special tactics in the United States is a complicated story whose roots lie in the violent social and political environment of the late 1960s. Highly unusual and televised events like the Texas tower sniper in 1966 and the Munich Massacre in 1972 created the need to develop special units to respond to events that were beyond the capabilities of patrol officers. While Southern California often receives all the credit for the development of special tactics, because of the efforts of LAPD D-Platoon and LASD SEB, it is important to understand that the west coast was not the only region trying to develop special tactics teams. In fact, by the early 1980's there were numerous regions who were all following parallel paths of development albeit in different stages. In these regions, tactical associations began to form that were focused on sharing information and training among agencies. One of these early associations was the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) which was formed in 1984 and this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary. This seemed a perfect time to do an episode on the evolution and history of SWAT in Texas as well as the history and impact of TTPOA.

Jon's guests today are three influential figures in TTPOA: Lt. Dan Colasanto, Paul Ford, and Sandy Wall.

YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gKHRnA2q

15/04/2024

Jon's latest article for is out today. It is based on the interview with Dr. Dan Dworkis and discusses embracing failure as a tool for getting better. Be sure to check it out here: https://loom.ly/KqVOUd8

What is your failure ritual? How do you learn from the times that you did not have enough?

Here's how an ER doctor grapples with loss, failure and persistence — and how you can do the same.

10/04/2024

The guest today is Lionel D. Lio is a retired team leader who spent 15 years with the Belgian National Police - Directorate of Special Units or DSU also known as Group Diane. I am excited to have Lio on The Debrief because his former unit is a fantastic team who are constantly on the front lines for European counter terrorism operations, like the one we will discuss today. The operation we will be debriefing is a proactive warrant service against a Jihadist terror cell located in the small town of Verviers Belgium that resulted in an extended gun fight and two suspects down. This raid was intended to, and did, prevent an imminent large-scale attack in Belgium by the terrorist cell that would later go on to commit bombings and attacks in Brussels and Paris.

You Tube - https://loom.ly/MdtcEpE

27/03/2024

My guests today are Sgt. Heath Ayers and Trooper Logan Smith from the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team. In late August of 2020 the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team attempted to execute search and arrest warrants on a family compound in Johnson Hollow a heavily wooded and very rural area of Kentucky. The suspect, who was being sought on potential murder and drug related charges, had hiding locations and weapons throughout the compound and had built a series of hardened firing positions from which to attack officers. In the 48 hours that followed, the team would have two Officer involved shootings with two different suspects all on the same compound. This event would stretch the team and its resources to their limits, yet the team rose to the challenge yielding a successful outcome despite almost impossible conditions. This case provides numerous lessons learned and teaching points about rural operations and the dangers of unexpected challenges.

This is an audio only episode available wherever you get your podcasts or at https://loom.ly/a7LV_WA

15/03/2024

One week ago today Bill Kirst said THIS on Battle Proven Leadership!

13/03/2024

Today on The Debrief with Jon Becker is Dan Dworkis MD PhD.

Dan is a board-certified emergency physician, an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the founder of The Emergency Mind Project, and the Chief Medical Officer at Mission Critical Team Institute. Dan is the author of The Emergency Mind: Wiring Your Brain for Performance Under Pressure. He is also the host of The Emergency Mind podcast.

This was an amazing discussion because Dan not only has a unique blend of scientist and practitioner but is someone who has thought very deeply about how our minds work in critical incidents and how those principles apply to tactical operators and first responders.

12/03/2024

Did you catch Bill Kirst on Battle Proven Leadership talking about change? Change is all about story telling! Brilliant words from a career of leading change!

11/03/2024

Last week's guest on Battle Proven Leadership dropped a ton of knowledge on us about change. Here's a taste sample of what he talked about. Change is grief for the way things used to be.

08/03/2024

Today's guest on The Debrief: Battle Proven Leadership is Bill Kirst. Bill has spent his career working for big tech companies and helping them to facilitate change in their organizations. He is also the host of the great Coffee & Change Podcast. Bill and I discuss how to lead change, why it is natural to resist change and how to work on that resistance.

You Tube - https://loom.ly/s4U6SSg

Apple - https://loom.ly/osrLyaM

07/03/2024

Jon was invited to write the "What Inspires Me" column in the March-April 2024 issue of Entrepreneur . In this piece, he shares how the death of Glendora Police Department Officer Louis Pompei in 1995 permanently changed the way he viewed his career and business. It's available on newsstands now.

28/02/2024

Today's guest on The Debrief is Rich Diviney a former SEAL Commander who was tasked with researching what skills made the ideal SEALs for elite units. What he discovered was actually that it was not skills at all but personality attributes that drove elite operator performance. The results of that work are the subject of his book The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. These attributes are also the topic for today's episode. Rich and I take a deep dive into what attributes are, how they affect performance, and how we can utilize the attributes in everything from team selection to unit leadership.

Visit: https://lnkd.in/gzxf9CrR to find the episode, visit YouTube at: https://lnkd.in/gwSabpjX or catch it wherever you get your podcasts.

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag USSOCOM

22/02/2024

PREVIEW: Former Delta Force Commander Pete Blaber discusses the results of his research into the death of Cpl. Pat Tillman from friendly fire. Be sure to catch the whole episode with Pete Blaber wherever you get your podcasts or by visiting https://loom.ly/a7LV_WA

15/02/2024

Jon was honored to recently be featured on the Leadership Lab Podcast with Patrick Leddin, Ph.D.. What a fantastic conversation, with a true expert in the field of leadership. They discussed trust, culture, caring for those you lead, the role of leaders in an organization, and a bunch of other topics.

Please check it out at: https://loom.ly/m7Or8vs

‎Show Leadership Lab with Dr. Patrick Leddin, Ep Episode 235: Learn Leadership Lessons from Elite Teams with CEO Jon Becker - Feb 14, 2024

15/02/2024

This week's episode of The Debrief features the former commander of Delta Force Pete Blaber. They discuss his amazing books, his views on leadership, his work on the Pat Tillman case, and how Toxic Leadership is at the root of Pat's death. It's a great episode with a very deep thinker. Available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

This is a good episode to watch on YouTube because of all the animations and graphics used to explain the Tillman case. Available here - https://loom.ly/vq9BXeE

08/02/2024

Did you know that Season 3 of The Debrief we have returned to video on YouTube? Although more than 95% of our audience currently listens to the show, there are just some stories where video can help us to better illustrate what happened. And we have a few of those coming up in Season 3.

Even if you normally listen to The Debrief on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon, or Spotify, please subscribe to the show on YouTube so that you will see the feed for episodes with augmented video.

We have two great episodes coming up. First with Pete Blaber the former Delta Force Commander talking about his new book on toxic leadership and how toxic leadership led to the death of Pat Tillman. Then with former SEAL commander Rich Diviney talking about his work in defining the correct recipe for selecting SEALs for one of our nation's most elite units and his book The Attributes.

We have already published two great episodes this season with Andy Stumpf from The Cleared Hot Podcast and Claire Park talking about the UK Terror attacks and ten second triage.





https://loom.ly/Mwm15qg

03/02/2024

EPISODE 35 - 10 Second Triage & The UK Approach to Mass Casualty Events
GUEST: Dr. Claire Park

"My guest today is Dr Claire Park. Dr. Park is a Consultant in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine for London HEMS, and Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine at Kings College Hospital in London. She is also an army consultant with over 20 years of deployed military experience. Claire is the Medical Adviser to the Specialist Fi****ms teams of the Metropolitan Police Service and has worked closely with all of the emergency services in London on developing the joint response to high threat incidents, in particular following the attacks of 2017. She is also the Chief Investigator on a UK nationally funded research grant looking at evidence for improving patient outcomes in the hot zone of major incidents."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

29/01/2024

BATTLE PROVEN LEADERSHIP EPISODE
Leadership Lessons from CIA Field Operations
Guest: Marc Polymeropoulos

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!

*****

27/01/2024

BATTLE PROVEN LEADERSHIP EPISODE
Leadership Lessons from CIA Field Operations
Guest: Marc Polymeropoulos

"I am excited to have Marc on because his real-world experience leading people in high-risk clandestine operations is directly on point to the mission of Battle Proven Leadership.

Mark is a retired Senior Intelligence Officer for CIA who spent 26 years working in field operations and leadership roles. Marc is one of the intelligence communities most decorated officers and the author of 'Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA'. His book is a fantastic journey though the lessons he learned while working in the most dangerous theaters in the world."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!

*****

17/01/2024

EPISODE 33 - Leadership Lessons From the Cleared Hot Podcast
GUEST: Andy Stumpf

"Throughout his 17-year career as a highly decorated leader within some of the most elite counterterrorism units in the military, Andy Stumpf has executed hundreds of combat operations throughout the world in support of the Global War on Terror including the hostage rescue of Jessica Lynch.

Post military, his business experience includes managing corporate development, licensing, and charitable initiatives for a global fitness brand. He also founded a consulting firm dedicated to ensuring that the lessons learned from the Global War of Terror are utilized by business leaders as well as Federal, State, and local entities."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

27/12/2023

BONUS EPISODE:
Most Profound Moments of 2023

"It's been an amazing year on The Debrief. In the 18 months since we launched the show, we've accomplished more than we ever thought we could. To date there have been more than 100,000 downloads of the show. We've recorded 31 episodes of The Debrief and 5 episodes of Battle Proven Leadership and covered a wide variety of topics.

To end our second season, we thought it might be fun to do an episode that gave you a behind the scenes view of this year's critical incident reviews, as well as the most memorable moments of each."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

06/12/2023

EPISODE 31
Critical Incident Review: July 22 Norway Terrorist Attacks - Delta Norge Response
GUEST: Delta Norge

"On July 22, 2011, Norway experienced two terrorist attacks (a bombing at a government building in Oslo and a mass shooter event at a youth camp on nearby Utoya Island). These were perpetrated by a lone rightwing extremist. These attacks were unprecedented for the peaceful country of Norway and stretched the Norwegian first responders to their limits."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

20/11/2023

EPISODE 30 - Becoming a Tactical Athlete with Kelly Starrett
GUEST: Kelly Starrett

"Kelly has worked with Tier 1 and Tier 2 units as well as numerous high-profile military and law enforcement tactical units. In this episode Kelly and I discuss becoming a tactical athlete and optimizing your physical capabilities. We also dig into Kelly’s guidance on preventing injury, training for longevity, and creating a culture of performance in your team."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

08/11/2023

EPISODE 29 - Lessons Learned as a SEAL Officer and as the Assistant Secretary of Defense
GUEST: Michael Lumpkin

"Michael has a uniquely broad level of knowledge at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of national power including on both the military and civilian sides. This has given him a very unique perspective on leadership, selection, and standards."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

25/10/2023

EPISODE 28 - Nationwide Issues in Special Tactics: A Panel Discussion with the State Associations from the NTOA Conference
GUEST ASSOCIATIONS:
- National Tactical Officers Association [NTOA]
- California Association of Tactical Officers [CATO]
- Florida SWAT Association
- Rocky Mountain Tactical Team Association [RMTTA]
- Texas Tactical Police Officers Association [TTPOA]

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

14/10/2023

EPISODE 27 - Lessons from an Officer Down & Traumatic Hostage Incident
GUESTS: Deputy Chief Jonathan Bigelow & Sergeant Chris Eklund

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

10/10/2023

With all the exciting events and opportunities happening here with THE DEBRIEF, we wanted to ensure that you were aware of the latest episodes!

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!
*****

26/07/2023

We are honored to share that The Debrief has been nominated for a People’s Choice Podcast award in two categories: Government and the Adam Curry Award. Please go vote for the show in both categories here: https://lnkd.in/g8TUStHk

YOU MUST VOTE BY JULY 31!

Email address verification is required to vote to prevent fraud. Thanks in advance for helping us win!

14/07/2023

BATTLE PROVEN LEADERSHIP: EPISODE 03
Counter - Errorism & A Culture of Safety
Guest: Gareth Lock

"Learning from normal work. You don't have to have a failure to learn. That's about teaching people to reflect on the activity...

If you can get the mindset about learning from normal, then actually when bad things happen, it's not so much of a problem when you go to learn."

Listen now at TheDebrief.live!

*****

Thank you for being on the show The Human Diver!