Welcome Home - A Podcast for Veterans, About Veterans, By Veterans

Green Berets, Still On Mission

• Larry Zilliox • Season 4 • Episode 141

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The question we ask is simple: Who watches the warriors when their war is over? Larry sits down with Denny Caballero, a former Green Beret and media entrepreneur, to explore how the Special Forces Foundation delivers rapid, peer-led support to Green Berets, their families, and Gold Star survivors—without red tape or delay. From crisis response to household needs, this is a ground-level look at a community taking care of its own.

Denny shares his path from the National Guard to the 82nd Airborne and into Special Forces culture, then opens up about injuries, surgeries, and learning to navigate the VA with help from mentors. That experience shaped his next mission: bringing an authentic, Green Beret voice to a small, agile nonprofit. We talk about building reach the right way, connecting every contact to someone who understands TBI, PTS, moral injury, and the quiet burdens carried home. The result is a foundation that moves fast, funds the essentials, and keeps promises to families long after headlines fade.

We dig into the QRF model—a quick reaction force for human crisis—where trained peers locate, de-escalate, and guide a teammate to care, often within hours. We spotlight the Brotherhood Blueprint, a simple QR code that drops members into trusted Signal groups where jobs, claims help, and honest answers flow. And we examine the future: growth without losing the core identity of “by Green Berets, for Green Berets,” because credibility and connection drive outcomes. If you’ve ever asked how a nonprofit can act like a team, this conversation maps the playbook.

Explore resources, support the mission, and share this with someone who needs it. Subscribe for more candid, purpose-driven conversations, leave a review to help others find the show, and visit specialforcesfoundation.org to donate or get plugged in today.

Larry Zilliox:

Good morning. I'm your host, Larry Zilliox, Director of Culinary Services here at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run. And this week our guest is Denny Caballero. He is with the Special Forces Foundation out in Colorado. And I asked him to join us to tell us a little bit about what they do and who they support and how they support their veterans and active duty special forces. So Denny, welcome to the podcast.

Deny Caballero:

Thank you so much for having me today. I really appreciate it.

Larry Zilliox:

So one of the questions that I like to start with is for you personally, your prior service, Army, why did you join the Army when you could have joined the Air Force?

Deny Caballero:

Well, I think for me, um I it's the mission. I think for me the formative years, I knew that service within the army, that was the choice for me. I just, you know, you grew up with the media of you know, Rambo and the series of uh Vietnam era, Green Beret. For a lot of us, when we were young, we don't dream that we could ever aspire for that, but we ultimately like we we do want to at least find ourselves within a military branch where that could be a possibility. So that's that's why the army made sense for me.

Larry Zilliox:

And did you go into the army thinking you wanted to be in special forces?

Deny Caballero:

No, no, I didn't have the formative years like a good solid home, home life or or supportive family. Or, you know, father figured it gives you that strength of understanding that you can accomplish big things. Um always lame aim low. You know, I never truly had an aspirin to become a Green Berean until I met them, until I saw what they were capable of doing in combat.

Larry Zilliox:

And when did you go in?

Deny Caballero:

So I enlisted uh while I was in high school, I first went in the National Guard. Um, and then after a few years, I uh switched over to active duty, and uh I was in the 82nd Airborne by uh October of 2007.

Larry Zilliox:

And and when did you separate? How long were you in?

Deny Caballero:

Uh I left service uh in 2023.

Larry Zilliox:

Make a VA claim?

Deny Caballero:

Yep, like uh like a lot of us now. Um you you take the time to listen. Um, I went through a lot of injuries in my time, and I was fortunate enough to have a very wise, very capable master sergeant that um gave you a very clear template of what to do, how to file it. And I had a drive to to take care of myself, to make sure that I was advocating for myself after my recovery, after my surgeries, and I knew that this is something I had to prioritize. And you know, some services aren't in in uh that mindset, they might be dealing with a lot, they might be struggling, I have a lot of their priorities. But in that moment in time, for me, I blessed. I had people that um had gone ahead that were ahead of me and could have been in the right direction. And in turn, I did the same for my friends. I made sure that they prioritized it. I showed them, you know, not only the Excel sheet, but the how-tos. And it was a really well done manual and program that I was, but somebody had just taken the time to create it and share it with somebody as he was doing. So I made sure to continue doing that and still do.

Larry Zilliox:

How did you get connected with the Special Forces Foundation?

Deny Caballero:

My journey in life, my injuries, my my experience in the I started podcasting and I started producing shows, launched my own business, and uh by chance I met uh the former CEO of the foundation, and he had seen what I was able to do through podcasting with social media and what I offered through my for my clients and my business. And he thought it was uh important enough to bring me in on on board of the foundation, and uh that's really really what happened. Just a chance encounter. I invited him to come on my show. He saw what I had done and grown and had been able to do organically on social media myself, and uh he gave me the big challenge of helping the foundation grow their social media and their presence. And um, I knew the community, I knew the audience, I speak to the audience, so I took a little bit of time, honed down, understood the core principles, the core missions at the foundation, and then uh for an entire year this past year, that's all I did. I had a very lofty goal of taking them from a very, very respectable following into where we're at now. Um, they're doing very well, they have a very good reach in their main platform. It's a small but growing company here at Security Hall Media, and uh we put all our efforts into it, uh, everything to grow it to amplify it. And it's it's the mission, it's the people behind it. When people log in and they go to the website, they read through what we offer and they understand that it's you're not getting a hold of somebody that's not part of the community. You're connecting with a Green Beret or a Green Beret family member or a gold star spouse, somebody that has buy-in into the community that understands your poem set, which sets us apart. We're smaller, we're more agile, we're able to get on the ground faster and support, but most importantly, we know you're going through because a vast majority of us went through it.

Larry Zilliox:

So, listeners, that webpage is specialforces foundation.org. I want everybody to go to the webpage, take a look at it, the resources, and uh donate, hit that donate button, give what you can. So, to receive services from the foundation, one has to have been a green beret, or do you provide services for all veterans?

Deny Caballero:

No, Green Berets, Green Beret family members, and surviving family members. Okay. That is who we serve.

Larry Zilliox:

All right. And how many, uh I don't want you to give away any secrets, but um, I don't know how many Green Berets are out there, but do you guys have any problems like providing services, enough services for veteran Green Berets who who reach out to you? I mean, is I don't know how large the community is.

Deny Caballero:

No, we we have a very, I mean, we are a small percentage, so it's a small percentage, but when you look at it in general population, it it's it expands a lot into our legacy Green Berets from from Vietnam Air and before. So even though we're a small population compared to the entire military, when you look at it from just that community standpoint, there's a lot of people, and there's a lot of people who need help. And we're not in this fight alone. We're we're able to look across defense and see other organizations to support our Green Beret brothers and their families. But we have not had a problem. And we we're very strategic. We are always fundraising, we're always finding ways to put our chief of programs and uh chief of events out there working to create opportunities to raise more funds to support our community. Um, everybody that's part of this organization is deeply connected to the Green Bray community and loves serving this population because for the past 20 years, and anytime our nation has called upon us, and uh the men that will continue to fill the gap in those in those uh positions, we've answered. We've gone off, we've loved our families and us lucky few that come back home. Um, we've a lot of us have found ways to get back. And for me, this has been a great opportunity and a great year. Um, it's been a great, great journey. Uh, I I definitely, if you're listening and you're a Green Beret, find a way to get plugged in. Maybe it's not with Special Forces Foundation, maybe it's with another soft um community serving nonprofit, but find a way to get back. Our community is small, and it's small enough that you can have a direct impact today. Um, one of the the biggest problems our community faces, uh the both active duty and veteran, is suicide. And that's something we're intimately tapped into and we're trying to fix and work through, is how we we can be better sensors, better supporters for our green berets in crisis.

Larry Zilliox:

And that's part of your face to fight program?

Deny Caballero:

That's part of our QRF program. Okay. Um that's uh we're we're very cautious working on it and rolling it out. We're um I'm one of the few people that aren't co-located in in Colorado Springs. It it by definition, it was a very tenth group heavy organization. That's where the the founding uh the president founded the organization. So of course it's got a bigger uh presence in Colorado Springs. But no mistake, we get requests from all over for every active duty group and National Guard group, and we support every Green Beret no matter where they're at, and we're growing. Uh so it's important to understand that we're not constrained by geographic location of the main hub. Like we will we will find a way to support you.

Larry Zilliox:

And listeners, the their program, the QRF program, is basically based on the quick reaction force model. So uh I I'm assuming uh correct me if I'm I'm wrong, but on a QRF case, you just quickly dump a lot of resources into it and get get it covered quickly um to find the help that's needed. Is that is that kind of a a good way to start?

Deny Caballero:

Yeah, it's reaching out individuals that are in crisis. Um, and we're working through this in the local the Springs area is is the main area where we're working this and we're trying to grow the networks out, but being able to support those individuals that um you know by building a network of sensors, other Green Berets are reaching out, we can connect with people that are in the area that can support them. So at the end of the day, the the name of the game is connection, being there for our brothers, building a network of individuals that can support each other.

Larry Zilliox:

So if we have listeners who are Green Berets and they live in uh New York State or Iowa, should they be reaching out to you and saying, look, if somebody nearby where I'm at is in crisis help, I'm willing to stop what I'm doing and get over there and you know talk with them.

Deny Caballero:

Yeah, absolutely. Always connect with us, reach out. One of the other things that we're working on is our Brotherhood Blueprint program, which right now it's it's we have them on the ground rolled out in 10th group and third group. Simply by scanning a QR code, you can quickly gain access to these signal chat groups and become integrated in community of like minor green berets. And within these small little ecosystems of communication, you're seeing guys solve their own problems, you're seeing guys hand out resources for job fairs, hand out resources for filling out your CRSC claim, your VA claim. So it's one of the things that's really important for us, being able to provide uh some sort of community engagement for individuals. As at the end of the day, um, it's all about connecting. It's all about being able to reach through and reconnect with old friends, old teammates, or making new ones in a place where you are you know that the community is trusted.

Larry Zilliox:

And when you look at the Greenberry community today and and their families, what needs are still going unmet that uh you you think other veteran service organizations or the Special Forces Foundation can step up and and address?

Deny Caballero:

That is a great question. And and and the reality of the situation is needs vary by location, by area, and by family. We are we're seeing everything. You never know what individuals are going through. Um, you know, we recently had the government shutdown, which we thought wasn't gonna affect families, and it most certainly did. And the amount of requests we got for just some simple things that can help an individual or a family overcome those financial burdens is huge. You know, one thing that most people don't think about is you know, wintertime, do I need a new furnace, especially if you live in Alabama or Florida? Yeah, um, like I am. Uh and one of the things that we were able to partner with was an amazing organization in Pennsylvania to give one lucky green beret a brand new um uh heater and furnace. And and that was something that you know, the individual that needed it confided in us saying, like, I don't know if we could have made it one more winter. That's and that's just one simple thing you can do for somebody to relieve that burden, that financial burden, and be able to give them that that family, that peace of mind, and like, holy cow, like people care, people are out there trying to find us. Because at the end of the day, it it's that's that's what we're trying to do. Show our community, our Green Beret family members that they're not forgotten, even if, especially if they are a gold star family. It's easy to forget these families, um, especially when they belong to such a small demographic. Uh, but one thing that we do through our gold star family programs is we remind them that we're there, whether it's through a small gift in the holiday season or by inviting them to come to our gala. Like our gold star representatives, uh, they're there, they're connecting with these families. Let them know that their sacrifice never goes, um, it's it's never going to be forgotten. It doesn't leave the top of our mind.

Larry Zilliox:

Could you kind of walk us through a typical Green Beret QRF case? What what say yeah?

Deny Caballero:

Those are those are different. And it's not um, that's when somebody reaches out and they they are in need of support for a Green Beret that might be in crisis. And the way that it's working right now is we have individuals that are trained, have uh a peer-to-peer certification, they have an understanding of how to talk and engage with somebody that is in crisis and can get them to that next higher level of care. So oftentimes what that's looked like in our Colorado Springs area is a family member, a trusted friend, or somebody notifies our lead who right now is Cody Halfpop, that there's something going on with this individual. Cody will in turn activate the individuals that are trusted in green berets in the community that might know the individual and they can start working to find out where they're at, to de-escalate the situation, find out what the root causes. Um, oftentimes, as we all know, the issues can be as simple as a financial burden, a financial burden, an issue at work, an issue at home, at home life, uh, an argument with the spouse gone wrong. Being able to get Green Berets and friends, people that they care about in the area to talk and then offer them the resources they need. One of the biggest things that we've realized is alcohol is a co-currying issue. So being able to dive in and expand on the issue, find out what they need, and get them to the right place, whether it's Warrior's Heart or another treatment center, um, being able to offer them that level of care right there on the spot has been game-changing. It's saving lives. We we have uh a record now of individuals who were in crisis who thought there was nobody that could help them. And then as soon as they sit down and talk with one of our representatives, they realize that hey, there's a path to care. There's a place I can go to. There's, you know, there there isn't there is a journey to go through, and it can start today.

Larry Zilliox:

Well, listeners, again, the webpage is specialforcesfoundation.org. Take a look at the the web page and you can see the programs that they have, and hit that donate button. I guarantee you the your donation will be going to a great cause. I mean, think about the support just for Gold Star families of of Green Berets alone is is something. I mean so often the families um are forgotten and uh they've sacrificed so much that this is an organization that doesn't forget them and it and it doesn't forget uh its uh Green Beret veterans either. And it's while it's a small community, comparatively speaking, they are, you know, these tier one operators, they they can't serve any length of time without physical injuries, moral injury, PTS, TBI is huge in this community, I'm sure.

Deny Caballero:

Uh oh absolutely.

Larry Zilliox:

Yeah. So um please give what you can, and especially if you're a former Green Beret, reach out and say, just connect. You might not feel that you need any kind of assistance now, but once you're plugged in, you may need some sort of assistance next year or sometime in the future, or you may be able to help a fellow Green Beret in your area if the need arises. So, at a minimum, go ahead and give them a call, reach out and plug yourself into this organization. Let me ask you this where do you see the Special Forces Foundation say in five years?

Deny Caballero:

Oh man, that's a great question. I am a hopeless optimistic. I I went through so much at the end of my career, and I didn't see a light out. I and and that's a story for a lot of us. A lot of us get involved because we went through something very difficult. And when I found myself working with the foundation, I I realized the importance of the smaller, more agile nonprofit. And I really want to see them grow, but never move away from the from what makes them different and special. And that's at the core, it's by Green Berets for Green Berets. Yes, we have phenomenal team members that are spouses, gold stars, um, surviving family members. But at the core, when you look at the individuals that work at this foundation, it's a war officer, a retired master sergeant, a senior E7, guys that lived in the team room, guys that were there. They went through it all, they seen it all. And now they're fighting to save others, and they're doing it with the same tenacity and the same fighting spirit as when they were in the G1. It's the same, I can't tell you the amount of nights I've stayed up doing analytics, doing work, and the same with one of my counterparts. Cody Halfpop doesn't sleep. If I'm up, he's up. That's the amount of joy and passion we bring to this. It's not just a nonprofit. This foundation is different fundamentally from the other ones in the space because it's a mission, it claws you back in to help somebody else day in and day out. You're kidding up in a different way, you're putting on a different part piece of armor each morning, but it's it's a extremely rewarding mission to have, to be a part of, to be able to give back. So I really see them. If if they can continue being focused on allowing the Green Berets to lead the foundation, I see them getting bigger and I see them bringing more to the fight. It's just to me, it needs to be the Green Beret for Green Beret message. I've seen other organizations that walk away from that idea. Um, we have so much talent. And to me, that's that's what's going to take this organization to the next level. When I look back at my small contribution years from now, I I will see I will I hope to be able to see that the leadership, that the guys doing the work at the foundation, the ones leading the events, the ones on social media are Green Berets, that they've picked up the torch and continued to move forward by leading in the nonprofit space. I tell guys, your mission's not over once you get out of the military. Maybe it's not with the SFF, maybe it's with another organization, but you belong in a nonprofit space. You belong in in the business world, you belong here because the same things that made you a successful Green beret are the same things that people are looking for in this space. And I truly believe that.

Larry Zilliox:

Well, we want to see you guys around for a long time. I mean, this is a a very special community that uh contributes to our nation's security in an oversized kind of way. They are uh absolutely phenomenal. And every Green Beret that I've ever met has been a stand-up guy who's pretty low-key, humble, doesn't really talk about much, but is there if you need him. And we're very fortunate here to have some people in our community that were Green Berets. And I'm gonna force them to listen to this podcast. And uh we'll see about getting them connected with you. But uh again, listeners, uh listeners, our uh webpage is specialforcesfoundation.org. Go ahead, check it out. If you're a Green Beret, reach out, make that connection, and uh listeners donate, uh give what you can. Um Denny, I can't thank you enough for coming on and and just really telling us about this great organization of yours.

Deny Caballero:

Absolutely. It's my pleasure, and I can't thank you enough for for giving us uh this platform. Uh every every avenue that to be able to talk and share and expand our reach is important because it's one of the few foundations, in my opinion, that's that's truly taking the fight and really servicing the Green Bray community with uh with with every every aspect of its uh its mission.

Larry Zilliox:

Well, listeners, we'll have another episode next Monday morning at 0500. You can find us on all the major podcast platforms. We're on YouTube and Reese Across America Radio. So until then, thanks for listening.

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Larry Zilliox | Veteran Podcast Host

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