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The Debrief with Jon Becker
The Debrief with Jon Becker is a no-holds-barred conversational podcast on the leadership principles that govern the world’s elite tactical units. Featuring top military and law enforcement unit commanders from some of the most high-stakes fields, this podcast examines how to form and lead a highly effective team.
After four decades spent working in tandem with top law enforcement and military units, Jon has gained invaluable lessons in leadership, teamwork, communication, and training. Now, he is sharing these lessons through conversations with some of these amazing team leaders. The goal of the show is to make us all better leaders, thinkers, and people.
In each episode, The Debrief shares lessons in decision-making, training, personnel selection, and perseverance that apply to people from all walks of life. Our host Jon Becker, is an expert in tactical equipment; working with some of the world’s top-performing teams. The Debrief is Jon’s payback to the community, units, and leaders who trained him and helped make AARDVARK a success. With this show, Jon invites listeners to benefit from the same insights and stories that have shaped his career and how he views leadership.
Learn more at thedebrief.live
Episodes
99 episodes
Protecting Your Brain From Blast Injury
In this critical episode, Jon Becker examines the hidden epidemic of blast-induced brain injuries affecting tactical operators, breachers, and military personnel. Following groundbreaking New York Times reporting that led to congressional actio...
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Culture First Leadership
In this special episode, Jon Becker turns the tables and becomes the guest on his own show to discuss his new book "Culture First: Nine Leadership Practices That Build Elite Teams." Drawing from four decades of working with top-tier law enforce...
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Hostage Rescue with IED Threat
In this gripping episode, Jon Becker sits down with Greg Roy to dissect a complex hostage rescue operation that began as a planned home invasion at 2:30 AM. Roy walks through the tactical response when an ex-boyfriend took multiple family membe...
K9/SWAT Integration with LASD-SEB
Canine integration into SWAT operations has evolved significantly, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau leading the charge since the 1990s. In this episode, Jon sits down with John Montenegro and Steve Wil...
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Taking Down a Serial Killer
On June 14, 2020, Butte County Sheriff's SWAT team executed what seemed like a routine arrest warrant for an arson suspect on a remote mountain property. Using night vision for covert reconnaissance, the team discovered they had walked into an ...
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DME010 - Arrest Warrant for Murder Suspect on Mountain Compound
DME010 - Arrest Warrant for Murder Suspect on Mountain Compound
Legacy Revisited - James Kerr
Jon Becker sits down with author James Kerr to revisit his groundbreaking book "Legacy" and explore what makes the All Blacks the most successful sports team in history. With a win ratio approaching 80% over 125 years, this New Zealand rugby po...
LAPD D-Platoon's Approach to Hostage Rescue
In this episode of The Debrief, host Jon Becker sits down with LAPD SWAT's Jonathan Pultz, a 27-year veteran and D-Platoon element leader, to examine one of law enforcement's most critical missions: hostage rescue. With D-Platoon conducting 120...
Improving Tactical Performance with Science
Guest: Dr. Nathalie PattynIn this episode, Jon sits down with Dr. Nathalie Pattyn, whose unique background spans medicine, psychology, research, and military operations. Dr. Pattyn discusses her unconventional career path from asp...
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Beyond the Loop: Why Everything You Know About OODA May Be Wrong
John Boyd's OODA loop is widely referenced but fundamentally misunderstood. Mark McGrath reveals how the common circular diagram represents less than one percent of Boyd's work. The real framework centers on orientation—constantly updating ment...
Barricade Erupts into Urgent HRT When Freed Victim Returns to Hostage Taker
A three-month homicide investigation in Washington State led to a suspect barricaded in a vehicle inside a garage. What began as a routine containment evolved into a seven-hour standoff, which suddenly escalated when the freed domestic violence...
DME 09 - Barricade Erupts into Urgent HRT
DME 09 - Barricade Erupts into Urgent HRT
Pursuit Leads to Unrelated Family Hostage Situation and HRT
In September of 2021 a suspect involved in a carjacking and attempted homicide led police in a vehicle pursuit that ended in a car crash in Farmington Utah. The suspect fled on foot across Interstate 15 into a residential neighborhood pro...
Tactical Longevity – Dr. Jenny Prohaska
My guest today is Dr. Jenny Prohaska, a clinical psychologist who has spent her career on the front lines of trauma and high-stakes performance. Jenny trained in neuro -rehabilitation psychology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, worki...
Hostage Rescue Under Explosive Threat - Bakersfield PD SWAT
On October 12th, 2020, Bakersfield police responded to a hospital on a domestic violence call to a female who had been hit in the head with a hammer by her ex-husband. When patrol officers arrived at the suspect's house, the male suspect exited...
Left of Bang Revisited with Patrick Van Horne
My guest today is Patrick Van Horne. Patrick is the co- author of Left Of Bang: How the Marine Corps combat hunter program can save your life. He is also the co-founder of the CP journal where he supports clients in preventing, pre...
Lessons Learned from the Tree of Life Synagogue Response
On October 27, 2018 a lone gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA with the intent of killing anyone he could. Tree of Life was the home to three different congregations, Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Haddash, all of whic...
Hostage Rescue of an Infant - Surprise AZ PD SWAT
On Friday May 17 2024 the Surprise Arizona Police department received a call that a suspect had broken into his ex-girlfriend’s home and taken her and their 7-month-old child hostage. The suspect told her that he planned to kill her and the bab...
Post Traumatic Growth – Guests: Dr. Richard Tedeschi, Josh Goldberg & Chief Chad Kasmar
On this episode of The Debrief we are going to be looking at Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Growth. These are two topics that I am extremely passionate about because, as you might imagine, each incident we cover on The Debrief h...
The Lindt Café Hostage Siege – Sydney, AUS – Guest: Ben Besant (aka Officer A)
On the 15th of December 2014, a terrorist took over the Lindt Chocolate café in Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney, Australia, holding 18 customers and staff hostage, creating a siege that would last for over 16 hours. Although nu...
UVALDE - What Really Happened at Robb Elementary?
On May 24, 2022, an active shooter took the lives of 19 children and two staff members and physically and mentally injured the survivors, their families, staff, teachers and the broader community in Uvalde, Texas. At the request of Uvalde's lea...
