Special Forces Warrant Officers are subject matter experts in unconventional warfare, operations and intelligence fusion, and planning and execution. They also advise commanders on all aspects of special operations and are responsible for the integration of emerging technologies.

To explore the unique role of the Special Forces Warrant Officer, Fran Racioppi asked the Command Chief Warrant Officer of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary Ostrander to join him from the Special Warfare Museum at Fort Liberty, NC.

With over 30 years in the Army, Gary advises the commander and sergeant major of SWCS on best practices for training and developing our US Army Special Operations soldiers.

After they defined what it takes to succeed as a Special Forces Warrant, they explained SWCS 2030, the importance of duration in assessment and selection, how technology is being integrated into training, how to create a training program that prepares people for anything and innovation in recruiting initiatives.

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation with one of Special Forces most experienced leaders then head over to our YouTube channel to watch CW5 Ostrander share the lineage of America’s first Special Forces in the Jedburgh Media Channel’s first documentary, Unknown Heroes, Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 3:01 What’s the role of the Special Forces Warrant Officer?
• 11:51 What is SWCS 2030?
• 17:11 What technology is paramount on the next battlefield?
• 19:04 The evolution of the peer-to-peer fight
• 23:56 What are the innovative ways ARSOF is recruiting?
• 29:30 What are you most excited about in the next generation?
• 31:18 Daily Foundations to Success

Quotes:

• “The warrant specifically focuses on those long term planning operations and actions.”
• “We focus on that end product. How do we produce the best product?”
• “More than likely you will be seen by an unmanned system.”
• “We’re the melting pot for the operational force’s #1 select cadre to come back and train and mentor the next generation.”
• “How do they look at a problem set and become the world’s most adaptive problem solvers?”
• “If you show up for the minimums there’s a very slim chance that you are going to be one of the ones selected.”

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation. Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Special thanks to Roxanne Merritt and the entire team at the Special Warfare Museum for graciously hosting this series.

The 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion included many reenactment jumps, but none as visually captivating as the one in Mont St. Michel. A jump that featured multiple sorties of C-47s and some of America’s most important leaders donning the battle uniform of our airborne predecessors.

Included in this stick was Florida Congressman and fellow Green Beret Mike Waltz. After a quick exit and soft landing, Congressman Waltz spent some time with Fran Racioppi on the drop zone to talk D-Day, World Order and the current state of Congress.

With Mont-Saint Michel in the background, and jumpers still falling, they dug into our national security challenges in the Middle East, Ukraine and China; and how immigration policy is rapidly becoming the decisive issue. They also unpacked the need for professionalism in Congress, how polarization is affecting getting things done and what we can expect from our political leaders as we gear up for an election cycle that looks more like a night combat jump with high winds and a small drop zone.

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation from one of the most surreal spots on the globe then head over to our YouTube channel to as we share the lineage of America’s first Special Forces in the Jedburgh Media Channel’s first documentary, Unknown Heroes, Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 02:10 Jumping into Mont St. Michel
• 5:20 What is NATO’s role in global conflict?
• 9:35 Can America mobilize a whole of society approach?
• 12:34 Why is DOD calling for a reduction in Special Forces?
• 14:14 Why can’t we just close the border?
• 17:01 What can we expect during the upcoming election cycle?

Quotes:

• “Vintage birds. Vintage uniforms. But the parachutes are new Mr. Speaker.” (2:53)
• “We can’t keep asking the American taxpayer to dig deeper and deeper into their pocket while the European taxpayer isn’t being asked to do the same thing.” (7:09)
• “We should be flooding the world with cleaner, cheaper American oil and gas.” (8:00)
• “What I want is that every time Chairman Xi gets out of bed and looks across the Taiwan Strait he says ‘ah…they're still too tough, we’re not ready.’" (10:56)
• “The more the Chinese Communist Party are looking over their shoulder, the less they’re looking across the Pacific.” (12:25)
• “Those support men and women for the Special Operations community keep us out of wars. Those are the left of bang.” (13:55)
• “The cartels are behind all of this…We know from Plan Colombia how to take down cartels.” (16:04)
• "The world is a calm place when America is strong.” (18:35)

Stress is the great equalizer in leadership. When you're cold, you're wet, you're tired, your company’s losing money, you have no revenue, you’re pinned down by enemy fire, or you're down by five with two minutes left, great organizations need leaders who stand up, take charge, make decisions and act. America’s Green Berets are the best in the world at leading under stress.

To unpack just how we’re selecting the next generation of Special Forces Operators, Fran Racioppi sat down with the team responsible for training them; LTC Dave Lucas and Medal of Honor Recipient Command Sergeant Major Matt Williams; the command team for 4th battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group, otherwise known as the MOS phase of the Qualification Course.

From the JFK Special Warfare Museum at Fort Liberty’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School they cover the Q-course; what it takes to be a successful Alpha, Bravo, Charlie or Echo; how they’re upholding the standard and preparing the force for the peer-to-peer battlefield and the difference between motivation and leadership.

Plus CSM Williams shares his account of the Battle of Shok Valley and why sometimes the greatest displays of leadership have nothing to do with rank, position, or tenure.

Take a listen, watch, or read our conversation then head over to our YouTube channel to watch this episode and watch CSM Williams & LTC Lucas share the lineage of America’s first Special Forces in the Jedburgh Media Channel’s first documentary, Unknown Heroes, Behind Enemy Lines at D-Day, the story of Operation Jedburgh.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 5:35 Succeeding in the Special Forces Qualification Course
• 10:10 Scenario-based training to a standard
• 15:30 Preparing Special Forces for the next battlefield
• 22:15 Motivation isn't leadership
• 28:57 CSM Williams Medal of Honor battle in Afghanistan
• 413:40 Daily Keys to Success

Quotes:

• “Our job is to teach them the fundamental skills that they will utilize, that they will bring to their operational detachments.” (6:43)
• “When it’s cold, it’s wet and it sucks, we want guys that understand why they're here.” (7:56)
• “What we really try to do is eek out your capabilities under stress.” (11:48)
• “The standard is the standard, is the standard, is the standard.” (13:46)
• “We’re sending guys out to the force to do some of the hardest things in the world, and they can’t just be because you're a good dude.” (15:13)
• “Motivation and leadership are not the same thing.” (23:42)
• “It’s two junior bravos on the side of a cliff figuring out what we’re going to do.” (36:55)

Special thanks to Roxanne Merritt and the entire team at the Special Warfare Museum for graciously hosting this series.