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The Jedburgh PodcastAuthor: Fran Racioppi
The Jedburgh Podcast empowers leaders to achieve success on their journey to transform themselves and their organizations. Creator, Host and Special Forces Green Beret Fran Racioppi interviews the worlds most prominent visionaries, drivers of change, and those dedicated to winning.Each episode is an in-depth discussion with trailblazers whove earned success through a dedication to talent development, preparation, introspection, and the drive to get things done. Our conversation will empower listeners to define success and operate at an elite level, regardless of the task at hand. In May 1943 the Allied Forces determined a new type of leader was required to win World War II. Operation Jedburgh parachuted three-man teams deep behind enemy lines to win no matter the challenge. Jedburghs lived by the mantra how you prepare today, determines success tomorrow. Today's leaders are no different. Fran speaks with leaders in public service, business, athletics, and academics about their personal leadership stories of success, failure, and the road to continuous improvement. Our discussions focus on the character traits of elite performance used by Special Operations Forces to recruit, assess, select and retain elite performers. Through this lens, we show listeners that success in any field must be earned every day.We strive for each listener to take valuable lessons learned and concrete action steps to improve themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Although developed and used by US Special Operations Forces, these characteristics are inherently applicable to building resilient and successful organizations in any sector or industry, as well as in the betterment of our personal and professional lives. The Nine Characteristics of Elite Performance:-Drive: Growth mindset, be better than yesterday, continuous self-improvement-Resiliency: Perseverance in the face of challenges-Adaptability: Adjust ones behavior to the situation-Humility: Recognize th Language: en-us Genres: Daily News, Government, News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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#207: No Place to Hide - 18th Field Artillery Brigade Colonel Andy Hercik & Command Sergeant Major George Cabrera
Episode 207
Friday, 11 September, 2026
Before ground forces can advance, the battlefield has to be shaped. Air defenses have to come down. Enemy weapons have to be destroyed. And the adversaries' will to combat America has to be lessened. This is the job of field artillery; a branch of the US Army where speed, distance, precision, and results determine who controls the battlefield before ground forces ever make contact.From Fort Bragg, NC, the 18th Field Artillery Brigade leads the Army’s rapidly deployable artillery units. As the largest HIMARS brigade, its soldiers must be prepared to deploy anywhere in the world within 10 days of notification and deliver long-range precision fires in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps, its divisions, and Special Operations Forces.Fran Racioppi sat down with the command team of Colonel Andy Hercik and Command Sergeant Major George Cabrera, to talk about what it takes to maintain readiness as the battlefield rapidly changes. After two decades of counterinsurgency, field artillery is now leading in large-scale combat operations where kilometers matter, ammunition and logistics can determine operational reach, and the ability to shoot, move, communicate, and survive has become unforgiving.Drones have made the battlefield increasingly transparent. A cell phone can expose a position. A lingering electromagnetic signature can make a HIMARS crew a target. The answer isn't abandoning the fundamentals. It's executing them better, while using lessons from today's conflicts to change how soldiers train and how the Army develops the capabilities required for tomorrow.We also discuss what true integration between conventional forces and Special Operations looks like, why the targeting process has to bring every capability together from the beginning, and the responsibility of NCOs and officers to build a formation that doesn't simply comply with standards, but understands why those standards keep soldiers alive and make them lethal.When the call comes, there won't be time to prepare. 18th Field Artillery Brigade has to be ready.Highlights00:00 Introduction01:12 Mission of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade04:16 NCO Leadership and Force Readiness05:38 Subordinate Units and Capabilities09:55 Refocusing on Core Field Artillery Basics13:49 Passing Down Lessons Learned14:40 Interoperability and Special Operations Forces Integration22:31 What Separates the 18th FA Brigade24:58 Joint Force Integration26:15 Modernization, Innovation, and Ammunition Investment30:15 Drone Warfare and Signature Management36:02 Culture of Commitment and the Warrior Mindset41:15 Driving Decision-Making and Warfighting ReadinessQuotes“We have to be ready to deploy, fight, and win within 10 days of notification.”“We are the Army’s largest HIMARS brigade with 54 HIMARS launchers.”“We’re going to first look to strip away adversary air defense and then kill what’s killing us.”“It’s much more effective to destroy a launcher than to try to intercept an incoming missile.”“Divisions are maneuvering in order to fire.”“We now have to be prepared to operate in a completely transparent battlefield.”“What we’re trying to do is avoid being at this point on the Earth where the enemy missile hits when it hits.”“Shoot, move, communicate, clean up our electromagnetic spectrum.”“Making sure soldiers understand the visibility of their signature.”“Be more survivable, which then lets us be more lethal, because we’re able to retain more combat power.”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 is brought to you by OneBrief; enabling military leaders to make innovative, informed and deliberate decisions faster than ever before. Superhuman command wins wars.
