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The Debrief with Jon Becker — Education
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

Copyright: © 2026 The Debrief with Jon Becker

Latest Episodes:

Andy Stumpf – Leadership Lessons From the Cleared Hot Podcast Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

My guest today has such a diverse skillset and resume that its almost hard to summarize. Andy Stumpf enlisted in the Navy while he was a Junior in high school, entering military service in 1996. After completing boot camp he went on to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, also known as BUD/s. After earning his trident he began his SEAL career attached to SEAL Team Five, in Coronado California. In 2002 he joined one of the most elite counterterrorism unit in the military, The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (aka DEVGRU). While on a combat deployment, an Iraqi insurgent shot Andy in the hip at close range with an AK-47. Doctors told him it would be years, if ever, before he recovered the use of his leg and returned to full active duty. Four years later, after extensive work, Andy returned to the Naval Special Warfare Center as the Leading Petty Officer for 2nd Phase BUD/s training. While completing his two-year instructor tour, Andy submitted his package to become a commissioned officer. In 2008, he became the first E-6 selection commissioned through the Limited Duty Officer Program in the history of Naval Special Warfare. Upon commissioning, he joined SEAL Team Three and completed his final combat tour to Afghanistan.
Throughout his 17-year career, Andy executed hundreds of combat operations throughout the world in support of the Global War on Terror including the hostage rescue of Jessica Lynch. He was medically retired in June of 2013. His awards and decorations include 5 Bronze Star Medals (Four with Valor), the Purple Heart, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, The Navy and Marine Corp Commendation Medal with Valor, Three Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medals, Two Combat Action Ribbons, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
After retirement, Andy continues to support the SEAL community, and their families. In 2015 he set two World Records after jumping from 36,500 feet and flying over 18 miles in a wingsuit to raise 1 million Dollars for the Navy SEAL Foundation.
Post military, his business experience includes managing corporate development, licensing, and charitable initiatives for a global fitness brand. He also founded a consulting firm dedicated to ensuring that the lessons learned from the Global War of Terror are utilized by business leaders as well as Federal, State, and local entities.
Andy also hosts the fantastic Cleared Hot Podcast which has close to 20 Million views on YouTube.
Contact Info
Cleared Hot Podcast - https://www.clearedhotpodcast.com/
Books Recommended
Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War – Robert Coram - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316796880
About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior – Col. David Hackworth - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0283999598

Most Profound Moments of 2023 Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

It's been an amazing year on The Debrief. In the 18 months since we launched the show, we've accomplished more than we ever thought we could. To date there have been more than 100,000 downloads of the show. We've recorded 31 episodes of The Debrief and 5 episodes of Battle Proven Leadership and covered a wide variety of topics. To end our second season, we thought it might be fun to do an episode that gave you a behind the scenes view of this year's critical incident reviews, as well as the most memorable moments of each.

July 22 Norway Terrorist Attacks – Delta Norge Response Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

On July 22, 2011 Norway experienced two terrorist attacks (a bombing at a government building in Oslo and a mass shooter event at a youth camp on nearby Utoya Island). These were perpetrated by a lone rightwing extremist. These attacks were unprecedented for the peaceful county of Norway and stretched the Norwegian first responders to their limits.

My guest today is an active member of Norway’s most elite tactical and counter terrorism police unit - Beredskapstroppen (bearee-id-schkop-stropen), also known by its callsign Delta and internationally as Delta Norge. Because of the nature of his current assignment and the nature of their work, it is critical that we maintain his anonymity. As a result, we will not be showing his face on video or using his real name.

Additionally, because these events resulted in the deaths of 77 people, most of whom were children, and the injury of more than 300 others we will not be glorifying the attacker by using his name. It is our hope that the memory of the attacker will be forgotten but that the memories of his innocent victims will not.

Links Official Report on the Event - NOU 2012: 14 - regjeringen.no

Becoming a Tactical Athlete with Kelly Starrett Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

My guest today is Dr. Kelly Starrett. Kelly is a world-renowned physical therapist, a strength and conditioning coach to Olympic and World Champion athletes, a 3x best-selling author, a speaker, and a two-time national kayaking champion. Kelly and his wife and partner Juliet launched one of the first CrossFit gyms in 2005, created the website Mobility WOD, and created the highly praised fitness blog
and podcast called the “The Ready State.”
Kelly’s first book, "Becoming a Supple Leopard", not only found a place on The New York Times bestsellers list for sports books but also challenged traditional perspectives on mobility and biomechanics. He has since written two more best-selling books including his latest work written with his wife Juliet which is called "Built to Move". Kelly has shared his expertise all over the world including working with the US Olympic team, the San Francisco 49s, the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team, and countless other professional sports teams.
More importantly, he has also worked with Tier 1 and Tier 2 units as well as numerous high-profile military and law enforcement tactical units. In this episode Kelly and I discuss becoming a tactical athlete and optimizing your physical capabilities. We also dig into Kelly’s guidance on preventing injury, training for longevity, and creating a culture of performance in your team. This is a fantastic discussion with one of the foremost experts in strength and conditioning who also happens to be a great guy with a genuine passion for first responders.
Books Recommended
Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully – Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett – ISBN 13 - 978-0593534809
Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance – Kelly Starrett and Glen Cordoza – ISBN 13 - 978-1628600834
Contact Info
The Ready State – https://www.thereadystate.com

Lessons Learned As A SEAL Officer and As The Asst Secretary of Defense – Michael Lumpkin Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

My guest today is Michael Lumpkin. Michael has served many roles in his extremely distinguished career including Navy SEAL Captain, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflicts, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Special Assistant to Sec Def, and a Special Envoy at the Department of State.

Michael’s military career included numerous deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, serving as the Officer in Charge of training the West Coast SEAL Teams, Team Commanding Officer, service as the Deputy Joint Special Operations Task Force Commander for The Arabian Peninsula, and service at the USSOCOM Office of Legislative Affairs.

His civilian government career has included the implementation of the 2010 Omnibus Caregivers Act for VA, overseeing the Osama Bin Laden operation, reorganizing the DOD POW/MIA effort, leading the DOD’s response to Ebola in West Africa, negotiating and executing the recovery of Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, and direct appointment by the President to stand up the US Department of State Global Engagement Center to counter ISIS marketing efforts.

Michael is currently the Chief of Staff at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a Commissioner on the Afghanistan War Commission.

I really enjoyed this chat because Michael has a uniquely broad level of knowledge at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of national power including on both the military and civilian sides. This has given him a very unique perspective on leadership, selection, and standards.

Books Recommended

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Nationwide Issues in Special Tactics: A Panel Discussion with the State Associations from the NTOA Conference Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Today’s episode of The Debrief features a unique format: this episode was recorded live at the National Tactical Officers Association Annual Conference in Aurora, Colorado. I was fortunate to moderate a panel discussion that included the presidents of five separate tactical associations including: Brent Straton from the California Association of Tactical Officers, Chris Eklund from the Florida SWAT Association, Thor Eells from the National Tactical Officers Association, Nick Sprague from the Rocky Mountain Tactical Teams Association and Dan Colasanto from the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association.
This was a wide-ranging discussion that covered a number of current topics in special tactics including: Constitutional Policing, Militarization of law enforcement, SWAT standards, no-knock warrants, and the use of dynamic tactics in search warrants. The contrast between the different regional and national perspectives on these issues made for a great conversation. I’d like to thank the NTOA, CATO, Florida SWAT, RMTTA, and TTPOA for their willingness to share this discussion with our audience.

A note regarding audio quality: this episode was recorded live, in a large group setting, at the NTOA conference. We have done our best to reduce most, but not all, of the background noise. It is our hope that you find this content informative and thought-provoking despite these distractions.

Important Links:
CATO - Home | CATO (catotraining.org)
Florida SWAT Association - Home (memberclicks.net)
NTOA - NTOA | National Tactical Officers Association
RMTTA - Rocky Mountain Tactical Team Association (rmtta.com)
TTPOA - TTPOA

Lessons From an Officer Down and Traumatic Hostage Incident - Orlando, FL Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

In June of 2018, just two years after the PULS nightclub attacks, Orlando Police officers responded to a domestic violence call. As officers attempted to contact the suspect, he fired a shot though his door striking Officer Kevin Valencia with wounds that he would eventually succumb to. The suspect then barricaded in his apartment with his 4 children as hostages. This event, which would last more than 24 hours, proved extremely difficult and required the resources of both the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team and their partners from the Orange County Sherriff’s SWAT Team before finally reaching a tragic resolution. My guests today are Dep. Chief Jonathan Bigelow from the Orlando Police Department and Sgt. Chris Eklund with the Orange County Florida Sherriff’s Office to discuss the incident and share their lessons learned.

This episode will be dedicated to the memory of Officer Kevin Valencia.

Books Recommended

The Common Sense Way: A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing – Pete Blaber ISBN-13: 978-0578876740

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't – Simon Sinek - ISBN-13: 978-1591848011

Sound Doctrine: A Tactical Primer – Charles Sid Heal - ISBN-13: 978-1930051119

The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle - How To Become A Servant Leader - James C. Hunter - ISBN-13:‎ 978-1578569755

Leader Shift- The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace - John C. Maxwell - ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0718098506

Contact Info

Dep. Chief Jonathan Bigelow – OPD - Special Service Bureau – Jonathan.Bigelow@cityoforlando.net

Sgt. Chris Eklund – OCSO SWAT - chriseklund2@gmail.com

Hostage Rescue In A Trailer Home - Hastings, MN – South Metro SWAT Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

On July 2, 2020 patrol officers attempted to contact a suspect about moving an illegally parked automobile at the Three Rivers Mobile Home Park in Hastings, MN. As officers spoke to the suspect’s wife and two of his four children the suspect locked and barricaded the door to his trailer with his other two children inside.
Over the course of the next 15 hours, in sweltering heat, the South Metro SWAT Team, in conjunction with Washington County SWAT, and Ramsey County SWAT, attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the crisis as the suspects mental state deteriorated.
Although they were able to obtain one of the two children, it started to become clear that a tactical intervention would be necessary. My guests today are Adam Tschida, Daniel Salmey, and Jeff Hanson from South Metro SWAT to discuss the case, their successful HRT intervention, and the lessons learned from a very challenging rescue.

About South Metro SWAT
South Metro SWAT provides tactical coverage for thirteen different law enforcement agencies in Minnesota. The team’s service area spans roughly 1000 square miles south of the Twin Cities and is home to approximately 380,000 residents.
The team has roughly 50 members. 35 tactical members including: commander, assistant commander, team leaders, snipers, breachers, medics, K9, etc. 15 crisis negotiations team members included: assistant commander, team leader, sworn LE, licensed mental health personnel. Core competencies include: hostage rescue, high risk warrant service, barricaded suspect/subject operations, dignitary protection, public order operations, man tracking operations, vehicle suppression, and community event security/quick reaction force.

Books Recommended
Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times - Donald T. Phillips – ISBN: 9780446394598
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know - Adam M. Grant – ISBN: 9781984878106
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead - Jim Mattis & Bing West – ISBN: 9780812996838
The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win - Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – ISBN: 9781250195777

Contact Info
Adam Tschida - Adam.tschida@applevalleymn.gov
Daniel Salmey - dsalmey@southstpaul.org

Lessons Learned From 5 Decades of Police Leadership - Chief Mike Albanese - Part Two Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

My Guest today is a true legend who is one of only three people to have served at all of the roles in LAPD D-Platoon: Chief Mike Albanese. Mike has spent 52 years in law enforcement with 37 of those spent at LAPD, 26 of which was spent in SWAT and Crisis Negotiation. Mike is one of only a handful of people to have ever served in the 10 David or SWAT commander role at LAPD. Since retiring from LAPD he has served as a Captain, Deputy Chief and is currently the Chief of Police for the Burbank California Police Department. This is two-part series where we walk through not only his amazing career at LAPD, but the evolution and history of special tactics, the creation of Crisis Negotiation as a discipline, and the lessons learned from a lifetime of service.
Books Recommended
The Situational Leader - Paul Hersey – ISBN: 0931619017
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond – ISBN: 9780064434096

Key Events in the Evolution of SWAT and CNT - Chief Mike Albanese – Two Part Series Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

My Guest today is a true legend who is one of only three people to have served at all of the roles in LAPD D-Platoon Chief Mike Albanese. Mike has spent 52 years in law enforcement with 37 of those spent at LAPD, 26 of which was spent in SWAT and Crisis Negotiation. Mike is one of only a handful of people to have ever served in the 10 David or SWAT commander role at LAPD. Since retiring from LAPD he has served as a Captain, Deputy Chief and is currently the Chief of Police for the Burbank California Police Department. This is two-part series where we walk through not only his amazing career at LAPD, but the evolution and history of special tactics, the creation of Crisis Negotiation as a discipline, and the lessons learned from a lifetime of service.
Books Recommended
The Situational Leader - Paul Hersey – ISBN: 0931619017
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond – ISBN: 9780064434096

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