The Indigenous Approach - 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)

Latest Episodes:

Our 18Ds are Incredible! - The Story of How two SF Medics Amputated the Legs of a Surrendering ISIS-K Fighter to Save His Life Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we talk with Travis and Blake, two 18D Special Forces Medics who conducted an emergency, double above-the-knee amputation on a surrendering ISIS-K fighter at an outpost in Afghanistan in 2020.
Col. Jamie Riesberg, the 1SFC(A) command surgeon, joins us for the episode's introduction to put this procedure in context.
Our 18D Special Forces Medics receive an extremely high level of training in both the classroom and in trauma centers to prepare them for the rigors of austere medicine.
*As a fact-check, the 18Ds consulted with the Director of Clinical Services at Criag Joint Theater Hospital rather than the CJSOTF surgeon. The CJSOTF surgeon was alerted to the surgery plans, but did not provide consultation on the surgery procedure itself.

Dr. Lisa Miller on Spiritual Fitness Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Chaplain (LTC) Brandon Moore and COL Jamie Riesberg sit down with NYT bestselling author Dr. Lisa Miller to discuss Spiritual Fitness and its importance for both our force and the Nation more broadly.
Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and most recent book The Awakened Brain. She is a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Miller is Editor of the Oxford University Press Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality, Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the APA journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, an elected Fellow of The American Psychological Association (APA) and the two-time President of the APA Society for Psychology and Spirituality. A graduate of Yale University and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate under the founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman.

Medal of Honor Recipient - Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we talk with Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee, recent recipient of the Medal of Honor for valorous actions at FOB Ghazni in Afghanistan during a 2013 attack on the base. Plumlee provides his reflections on what the medal means, what it was like receiving the award, and what's next for him.

Ethical Leadership - Dr. Pauline Shanks Kaurin and Capt. Ben Ordiway Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Pauline Shanks Kaurin and Capt. Ben Ordiway to discuss moral reasoning and ethical leadership.
Dr. Pauline Shanks Kaurin is professor and Admiral James B. Stockdale Chair in Professional Military Ethics. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Temple University and specializes in military ethics, “just war theory” and philosophy of law and applied ethics. She is author of “On Obedience: Contrasting Philosophies for Military, Community and Citizenry” and “Achilles Goes Asymmetrical: The Warrior, Military Ethics and Contemporary Warfare.” She served as a contributor for The Strategy Bridge and has published in War on the Rocks, Clear Defense, The Wavell Room, Grounded Curiosity, Newsweek and Just Security. She is a member and serves on the board of directors for the Military Writers Guild.
Capt. Ben Ordiway is a Civil Affairs officer with previous experience within the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade. He is currently pursuing a masters in philosophy at the University of Michigan. This summer he'll begin an assignment as an instructor at the United States Military Academy, where he'll instruct cadets in philosophy and officership. Ben's work on moral reasoning and an associated moral decision-making process is sponsored by the leadership of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne). If you'd like to reach out to Ben for questions, feedback, or ideas on this topic, email him here: bordiway@umich.edu.

Candid Conversations: Part IV (Moral Injury / Moral Guilt) Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

Our Candid Conversations Team is back with a great conversation on Moral Injury / Moral Guilt and how an understanding of those concepts could help us deal with past transgressions and become better teammates and leaders.
Our next episode will bring in Professor Pauline Shanks-Kaurin and CPT Ben Ordiway to talk about Ethics from a more academic approach, which complements our Candid Conversations team very well.

Menton Week and Much More - A Conversation with CSM Chris King Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we sit down with Command Sgt. Maj. Chris King, CSM of 2nd Bn, 1st SFG (A), to discuss Menton Week and other things going on in 1st Special Forces Group.
For more about Menton Week, check out this article:
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/384616/1st-sfg-celebrates-legacy-elite-forces-during-menton-week

The Premier Partnered Irregular Warfare Force - Maj. Gen. Angle on the Command's Vision Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we sit down with Maj. Gen. Richard Angle to discuss the command's new Vision: a one-page document titled "Who We Are."
You can find the new Vision document here: https://www.soc.mil/USASFC/HQ.html

JFK Wreath Laying Ceremony *Special Episode* Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

"The challenge of this old but new form of operations is a real one, and I know that you and the members of your Command will carry on for us and the free world in a manner which is both worthy and inspiring. I am sure that the Green Beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead."
- President John F. Kennedy
In this special episode, we take you to the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony honoring President John F. Kennedy, who established the distinctive headgear of Special Forces...the Green Beret.

Candid Conversations: Part III (Sebastian Junger) Oct 29, 2021

Show notes

In the latest episode of our Candid Conversations series, Master Sgt. Chris Copper and Col. Brian O'Leary sit down with author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger (Perfect Storm, Restrepo, War, Korengal, Tribe, Freedom) and Col. Dan Kearny for an incredible conversation on the importance of being part of a Tribe when it comes to reintegration following combat deployments.
Master Sgt. Chris Copper is a Green Beret with 8 combat deployments as a Ranger and Special Forces NCO.
Col. Brian O'Leary is the command Psychologist for 1st SFC(A) and was on two previous deployments covered by Sebastian Junger.
Col. Dan Kearny currently serves in the 18th ABN Corps at Fort Bragg, and was featured in Sebastian Junger's documentary Restrepo as the company commander of Battle Company, 2-503 / 173rd Abn.
Sebastian talks about his Veterans Town Hall organization he started. More information can be found here: https://www.vetstownhall.org.

MACV-SOG: A Conversation with John Stryker Meyer (Part II) Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

In the second episode of this two-part series, Maj. Dan Lessard continues a conversation with MACV-SOG veteran John Stryker Meyer, AKA "Tilt", to talk about his experiences as a Green Beret within SOG in Vietnam.
For more information on the Studies and Observations Group and Meyer's experiences in Vietnam, check out his 2003 memoir titled "Across the Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam"

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Indigenous Approach – 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected