Best Global SOF Foundation Podcasts (2024)

1
SOF & Leadership with ADM (Ret) McRaven 46:02

4M ago46:02

46:02

We are honored to feature ADM (Ret) William H. McRaven in SOFspot Episode #70. He pulls from his legendary SOF career to share his views of leadership, the future of SOF, and the importance of international partnerships. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the greats! ADM (Ret) William H. McRaven's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/W…

1
What We've Been Up To 46:23

6M ago46:23

46:23

The Global SOF Team is BACK in your pod-feed! After a year-long hiatus from SOFspot, we're returning with all new episodes. A lot has happened for Global SOF since Summer '22, so Stu, Meaghan, Chelsea, and Jenn got together to discuss just what HAS happened over the course of the past year. From SOF Week to growing the team to policy education, we …

1
More Reality Than Fiction 35:12

6M ago35:12

35:12

Chelsea sat down with Colonel (R) Jeffrey H. Fischer, a successful author of thrillers and an experienced journalist in international security with a 30-year military career. His service includes seven combat tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans, and he's taken inspiration and experiences from those deployments for his Curt Nover military fi…

1
Project Tadpole 47:47

2y ago47:47

47:47

In this episode, we discuss military family building and fertility issues. While we DO talk about freezing sperm samples, more importantly we discuss the breadth of the family planning issue in the SOF community, how it's impacting retention, and what policy changes Congress needs to make to support our Special Ops families. Our experts today come …

1
First Casualty 48:17

2y ago48:17

48:17

In this episode of SOFspot, GSOF President and CEO Stu Bradin talks to Toby Harnden, an author and journalist who was awarded the Orwell Prize for Books in 2012.He also wrote "First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11," which was published in Sept 2021 and tells the story of Team Alpha, an "eclectic band of linguists, triba…

1
UKRAINE - Sasha II 42:21

2y ago42:21

42:21

In this episode, we continue our series of interviews with experts in Ukraine. Oleksandr "Sasha" Danylyuk, who we also interviewed in Episode 61, is back to give more updates on the war in Ukraine, what he thinks it will take to end the war, and the extreme actions he expects the Russians to take against his nation. Learn more about our Sustaining …

1
From Warsaw with Love 49:42

2y ago49:42

49:42

In this episode, Stu chats with author John Pomfrets and COL (Ret) Fred Hart about the actions and inspiration behind "From Warsaw with Love," Pomfrets' latest book. COL (Ret) Hart was part of a daring mission in which Polish SOF rescued him and 5 other Americans from Iraq in 1990. Pomfrets tells the story, along with many more that set the scene o…

1
UKRAINE - Repass 33:53

2y ago33:53

33:53

In this interview, which we recorded on March 17th, we speak with MG (Ret) Mike Repass. He's the former commander of Special Operations Command - Europe, and he's also on our Global SOF Advisory Council. Our CEO and President Stu Bradin spoke with him to get details on some of the lesser-known stories behind the war in Ukraine. They discuss the hig…

1
UKRAINE - Terras 27:05

2y ago27:05

27:05

As the war in Ukraine continues, our Global SOF team is adding interviews with regional experts to our podcast schedule, including today's guest: GEN Riho Terras. GEN Terras is the former Chief of Defense for Estonia and is currently a Member of European Parliament. He spoke to Chelsea about the current state of the war, why the Russian approach is…

1
UKRAINE - Sasha 36:56

2y ago36:56

36:56

Due to current events, SOFspot will feature periodic interviews with subject matter experts on the War in Ukraine. Today's guest was Oleksandr "Sasha" Danylyuk, chairman of the Ukrainian Center for Defense reforms and a member of Ukrainian government inter-agency platform for countering hybrid threats. In this discussion, we talk about the will of …

1
Three Dangerous Men 48:50

2y ago48:50

48:50

It's our first REPEAT guest! Stu sat down with Dr. Seth Jones (also featured in Ep. 42) to discuss his latest book: "Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran and the Rise of Irregular Warfare." Seth talks about how the US is woefully unprepared for the future of global competition, and the threats presented by Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimo…

1
We're All Baby Starfish 32:38

2+ y ago32:38

32:38

We sat down with members of the Special Ops Survivors to talk about their organization, its mission, and the way they support the SOF Community. As an organization that supports the spouses of fallen special operators, they play a critical role in the lifelong service of SOF. Our guests were: LTC (Ret) Rob Neitzel, Vice Chairman of Special Ops Surv…

1
The Body As A System 51:04

2+ y ago51:04

51:04

Chelsea sat down with three men who have different experiences and perspectives with mental and physical health in the special operations community. She spoke to: COL Mark Ray, Director of USASOC's Human Performance and Wellness program Dr. Phil Wagner, the Founder and CEO of Sparta Science Phil Gant, recently separated Special Forces and Director …

1
SOF Team Room Preview 46:18

2+ y ago46:18

46:18

Join KaLea Lehman of the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative for a preview of some of the discussions and topics we have planned for our first virtual "SOF Team Room." She speaks with three of the event's speakers about SOF Legacy, relationships, and the future. Dr. Preston Cline Dr. Chris Frueh CSM (Ret) Rick Lamb Register for this FR…

1
The Birth of MARSOC 46:41

2+ y ago46:41

46:41

Three men who were heavily involved in the birth of MARSOC share their views on the Command's founding: Major General (Ret) Mark "Droopy" Clark: Served two tours with USSOCOM and Commanded MARSOC from 2012 to 2014 General (Ret) Bryan "Doug" Brown: USSOCOM Commander from 2003 to 2007 Lieutenant General (Ret) Dennis J. Hejlik: The first Commander of …

1
Homage to Spain's Green Berets 40:03

2+ y ago40:03

40:03

Today's episode features our President and CEO, Stu Bradin and MG (Ret.) Jaime Íñiguez Andrade (with brief cameos from Chelsea and Rick). MG Iñiguez was the first commander of Spain's Joint Special Operations Command. He joined us to talk about his personal history in Special Operations, as well as the growth and establishment of Spanish SOF. He's …

1
JTF-510 in The Philippines 49:35

3y ago49:35

49:35

This Episode comes from our "SOF Story: Live!" on Joint Task Force (JTF) 510 in The Philippines during Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines (OEF-P). It brings together four men who were there in the early 2000s as they discuss their experiences in the island nation. You'll hear from: LTG Retired Donald Wurster LTG Retired David Fridovich CWO 3 …

1
The Story of the Soldiers 46:55

3y ago46:55

46:55

Stu and Chelsea speak with journalist and author Jessica Donati about her new book, "Eagle Down: The Last Special Forces Fighting the Forever War." We talk about how she got to Afghanistan, what moments there impacted her the most, and what led her to write the book. She talks about the impact of the war on the soldiers (and their families) and wha…

1
JUST CAUSE + Slate 46 41:45

3y ago41:45

41:45

In episode 52 of SOFspot, we share excerpts from two of our recent "SOF Stories: Live!" In the first half we listen in on Operators who participated in Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama in 1989/1990. They talk about the roles they played in the mission and some of their favorite memories. Like what you hear? The full story is here: https://www.youtube…

1
2021 Frogman Swim 40:21

3y ago40:21

40:21

The Frogman Swim is an annual 3+ mile swim across Tampa Bay that takes place every January to raise money for our friends at The Navy SEAL Foundation. This year our own Chelsea Hamashin swam it herself, assigned in honor of SOC (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, so she shares her experience and talks to several folks involved with the swim: - Chris Irwin, Di…

1
In Somebody's Bullseye 52:34

3+ y ago52:34

52:34

Stu interviews COL (Ret) Keith Nightingale, former Army special operator and author of "Phoenix Rising: From the Ashes of Desert One to the Rebirth of U.S. Special Operations." He candidly talks about mistakes made at Operation EAGLE CLAW and the Invasion of Grenada, the formation of US Special Operations Command, and what he thinks the role of the…

1
Comfortable in the Chaos 46:41

3+ y ago46:41

46:41

Are you active duty SOF or SOF support and dreading your transition to civilian life? Then this podcast is definitely for you. We talk to three separated (or separatING) operators who discuss their unique paths into post-military life. They are: Blake Moore, Former Air Force, currently at Wickr Edward "Ted" Handler, Former Marine, currently at STIH…

1
5 Airmen & 3 Marines 42:08

3+ y ago42:08

42:08

In this episode of the podcast we share our November 2020 "SOF Story: Live!" on Operation EAGLE CLAW. It features CSM (RET) Rick Lamb and CMSgt (RET) Taco Sanchez, both of whom were involved in EAGLE CLAW and it's follow-on Operation HONEY BADGER. They discuss prepping for the mission, the many challenges that it presented, and why it's important t…

1
Task Force Ranger 53:12

3+ y ago53:12

53:12

This episode of SOFspot is an excerpt from our SOF Story: Live event on Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu in October 1993, which was made famous by the book and movie, Black Hawk Down. In this episode, we highlight four men who were really there, and their personal recollections from that day and night. Our speakers are: - CSM (Ret) Rick Lamb - MAJ (R…

1
The Army of the Party 51:36

3+ y ago51:36

51:36

Chelsea and Stu met with Dennis Blasko, a "walking encyclopedia"" on the Chinese Military. Dennis has studied the Chinese language, military, and people since the 1970s through roles with the U.S. Army, traditional schooling, and years of in-country experiences. In this episode we talk about what you can learn from consuming Chinese news media (eve…

1
Explosion of Data 52:44

3+ y ago52:44

52:44

In episode 45 we talk about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI & ML) with three experts on the subject: - Brian Raymond at Primer.ai - Tim Kelton at Descartes Labs - Abe Usher at Black Cape We talk about how the DoD is handling this "explosion of data," what capabilities they're most excited about developing in the future, and how the…

1
The Immediate Aftermath of 9/11 1:01:36

3+ y ago1:01:36

1:01:36

Global SOF has launched "SOF Stories: Live!" These are monthly events with current and former SOF operators focused on different topics, and as the name implies, they occur LIVE. But we also record them so if you miss the live event, the stories can continue to be shared and spread on our other platforms. This episode's topic was "The Immediate Aft…

1
A Critical Gap for SOF 48:58

3+ y ago48:58

48:58

Chelsea and Stu spoke with Army SF COL (Ret) Bob Wilson, who commanded special operations forces in combat in Afghanistan and in complex missions across Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America. In his final assignment as an Army officer, Bob served in the White House as a director for counterterrorism in the National Security Council. They discuss …

1
There's Time To Turn This Ship Around 42:02

3+ y ago42:02

42:02

Chelsea and Global SOF President Stu Bradin talk to Dr. Seth Jones from the Center for Strategic and International Studies about the Great Power Competition with China, Russia, and Iran. We discuss the way that the US has taken a more conventional approach to the fight while its adversaries have adapted their strategies to meet the challenges of ir…

1
The Guys Who Stop the Russians 42:25

4y ago42:25

42:25

SOFspot is back with episode 41! Chelsea and Rick Lamb interview Jerry, a longtime Operator with Polish SOF Unit "GROM." They discuss how Polish SOF train and recruit, being a "Robocop" after Selection, and the unpredictable threats from their "Eastern Neighbors." Learn More about our 2020 (or 2021) Polish Symposium: https://www.gsofeurope.org/ Cor…

1
Holy Toledo, We're Surrounded! 45:29

4y ago45:29

45:29

This episode of SOFspot focuses on Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, and more specifically, the first MaBell Panamanian Surrender Operation at Penonome. Our guests were three men who were in Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), there on the ground in Panama: COL (Retired) David McCracken, who was a Major in 1989 and co…

1
No Vaporware Allowed 46:26

4y ago46:26

46:26

In this episode, Global SOF COO Meaghan Keeler-Pettigrew interviews Mr. Peter Singer, the co-author of recently released novel: "Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution." They discuss the book, which centers around a terrorist attack in Washington, DC just 10 years in the future, and more specifically the technologies and scenarios that are…

1
A Great Time To Be A Ranger 44:15

4y ago44:15

44:15

Chelsea Zooms with CSM (Ret) Rick Lamb about Operation EAGLE CLAW, the failed attempt to rescue hostages at the US Embassy in Iran in April 1980. They talk about what it was like to be a Ranger in the 70s, prepping for the mission, and what led to its eventual failure. Plus we talk about the outcomes of the mission and what changes it led to in the…

1
Puppet Master of Air Assets 48:15

4y ago48:15

48:15

Chelsea and Steve sit down (virtually) with MSgt (Ret) Wes Bryant, a former JTAC and TACP with 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. He talks about the important role that a JTAC plays in combat operations, the importance of airstrikes in the fight against ISIS, and how that fight had to morph in different areas of the Middle East. Get the Boo…

1
The Colombian Umbrella 52:14

4y ago52:14

52:14

By Global SOF Foundation

1
COVID Update & SOF Stories 21:21

4y ago21:21

21:21

This special episode of the podcast includes an update from Stu and Chelsea on the Global SOF focus during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Then we launch into two SOF Stories from Quarantine: one from Rick Lamb on Armed Overwatch and his relevant experiences in Somalia, followed by Stu's take on the Power of Partnerships and standing up the NATO SOF Head…

1
The History of BELSOF 23:12

4y ago23:12

23:12

Two Belgian SOF Operators tell the story behind their Special Forces Group and Special Operations Regiment, diving deep into their roots in WWII. From the Battle of the Bulge to the Beaches of Normandy, learn about how Belgium's most elite soldiers earned their berets, impacted the war, and became the units they are today. Belgium Museum Recommenda…

1
A Seat at the Table 37:32

4y ago37:32

37:32

Get an inside look at our February SOF Imperatives Forum--specifically the panel on the Role of the Assistant SECDEF for Special Operations / Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC). Moderated by Catherine Herridge of CBS News, she spoke with three former ASD SO/LICs: Michael Lumpkin Brian Sheridan Mark Mitchell See what they had to say about the need …

1
Serving as an "Ordinary" Citizen 35:27

4y ago35:27

35:27

Jim Hake, the CEO and Founder of non-profit Spirit of America, joins Chelsea and Steve to talk about his organization. Inspired by the events of 9/11, Jim founded SoA to help support the American mission in countries around the globe. He calls himself an "ordinary citizen," but we think you'll agree he's much more than that! From baseball equipment…

1
The Terrorism Threat Picture 26:07

4y ago26:07

26:07

This episode features the "Future of Terrorism: A New America Assessment" panel from the September 2019 SOF Policy Forum in Washington, DC. Panelists Melissa Salyk-Virk and David Sterman talk about their findings around the increase in drone attacks, issues in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, and the impact of different ideologies both within and outs…

1
Do Something That Matters 32:50

4+ y ago32:50

32:50

Chelsea and Steve sat down with six active duty soldiers at U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) from Special Forces (SF), Civil Affairs (CA), and Psychological Operations (PSYOP). We discussed joining the Army, differences between conventional and SOF service, and what opportunities ARSOF holds for female soldiers. Thanks to our participa…

1
Deep Behind Enemy Lines 42:07

4+ y ago42:07

42:07

Chelsea is joined by GSF President Stu Bradin to talk with LTC (Ret) Jimmy Reese. Reese talks about his unconventional path in the Army that ultimately led him to Delta Force, Operation Anaconda, and becoming an entrepreneur after retiring from Active Duty. Partner Highlight: The Range Complex https://www.therangecomplex.com/ Learn More... Stu refe…

1
Armed with Opportunities 27:15

4+ y ago27:15

27:15

LTC Rick Woolshlager is the Commander of the U.S. Army's Special Operations Recruiting Battalion--and he's the guest on this episode of SOFspot! Chelsea met with him at Ft. Bragg to learn about the Army's in-service recruiting team and the many career fields that are available in Army SOF. We talk about opportunities for women, what you should know…

1
I Served With Great Soldiers 36:20

4+ y ago36:20

36:20

Chelsea and Rick were honored to chat with MG (Ret) Ken Bowra, an American Special Forces hero who's service goes back to the Vietnam War. MG Bowra talks about serving with the MACVSOG-- Military Assistance Command - Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group. He discusses different tactics used during recon missions, the importance of different types…

1
Evolving SOF Leadership 44:42

4+ y ago44:42

44:42

Please note: The statements and opinions of the speakers in this episode are their own. They are not speaking on behalf of the U.S. Government. This episode comes from this year's SOF Policy Forum in DC, which was held on 18 SEP 2019. We're bringing you a panel called, "Does SOF Leadership Need to Evolve to Win the Future Fight." It features: - MAJ…

1
The SOF Comms Arsenal 53:02

4+ y ago53:02

53:02

Global SOF President Stu Bradin sat down with three experts from the SOF Communications (Comms) Community to talk about their careers in the field, the SOF comms "boom" when everything changed, and what they think the future will bring. Our three commo guests are COL (Ret) Joe Tragakis, SGM (Ret) Arthur "AC" Coley, and CPT (Ret) Rob Keeler. GSF Cor…

1
Fight for the Budget 28:13

4+ y ago28:13

28:13

This episode features Lt. Gen. (Ret) Tom Trask, former Vice Commander of USSOCOM and current member of the Global SOF Advisory Council, along with GSF President/CEO Stu Bradin. They talk about the past and future efforts of the GSF on Capitol Hill, including our platform document--the SOF Imperatives-- and our new partnership with Navigators Global…

1
Listening in on al-Qa'ida 35:49

4+ y ago35:49

35:49

We sat down with AQ and Islamic State expert, Dr. Nelly Lahoud, for a deep dive into the now declassified documents recovered from Osama Bin Laden's Compound in Abbottabad. Dr. Lahoud took us through what she learned from personally translating and analyzing all 6,000 pages of these documents, from the impact of drone strikes to the relationships b…

1
Don't Call For The Medic 24:06

4+ y ago24:06

24:06

This is our second episode with Dan Irizarry, an expert in Tactical Combat Casualty Care. In part two of the conversation we discuss what Dan sees for the future of SOF medicine, the Alan Babin Rule, and freeze-dried plasma. Listen and learn with Dan Irizarry! GSF Corporate Partner Highlight: Aero Pioneer Group https://aero-pioneer.com/ Alan Babin …

1
Tactical Combat Casualty Care 37:33

4+ y ago37:33

37:33

Stu and Chelsea of the GSF met with Dan Irizarry, an expert in Tactical Combat Casualty Care. We had such a good conversation that it was worthy of two episodes... this is Part 1. In this episode we discuss NATO SOF medics, the crazy advancements in simulated training, and tourniquets... lots of tourniquets. Listen and learn with Dan Irizarry! GSF …

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