The Debrief with Jon Becker

The Debrief with Jon Becker Jon Becker, CEO of AARDVARK, sits down with leaders in the tactical industry to discuss all things tactical.

From mission debriefs to tactical leadership, this series is to improve the safety of those who put themselves in harm’s way.

08/18/2026

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the August 18, 2021 shooting involving the San Bernardino Police Department SWAT Team, making this week’s Summer 2026 Throwback an especially meaningful one to revisit.

While attempting to apprehend a suspect wanted for ambushing a sheriff’s deputy, the team came under immediate gunfire. Officer Jordan Robison was struck eight times, and Officer Chris Shipley was shot once in the leg. Despite his own injury, Shipley returned fire and then helped provide lifesaving aid to Robison alongside SWAT Medic Spencer Brumbaugh.

In this episode, Jordan Robison, Chris Shipley, and Spencer Brumbaugh sit down with Jon to walk through the incident, the response, and the actions that helped save Jordan’s life.

Five years later, we’re looking back at an extraordinary example of teamwork, training, and performance under fire.

🔗Link to full episode in bio.

08/13/2026

This week’s Summer 2026 Throwback revisits a conversation about resilience, recovery, and what it takes to come back after a life-changing injury.

Justin Dodge is a 28-year veteran of the Denver Police Department and longtime SWAT operator and team leader. In June 2023, he suffered a catastrophic injury during the Denver Nuggets championship parade that resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee.

Rather than ending his operational career, Justin fought his way back, ultimately returning to full SWAT duty.

In this episode, Justin sat down with Jon to talk about that road back, the realities of resilience for first responders, and what adversity can teach us about continuing to move forward.

Revisit this powerful conversation this week on The Debrief. 🔗Link in bio.

08/06/2026

On November 11, 2023, APD officers responding to a stabbing call in Austin were met with gunfire. SWAT made an emergency entry to reach victims trapped inside, a rescue that came at a devastating cost.

Officer Jorge Pastore gave his life in the line of duty. Officer John Conner was seriously injured.

This week’s Summer Throwback revisits Sgt. Rafael Rosales and Officer Kevin Olejar’s sit down with Jon as they walk through what happened that day and the lessons it left behind.

This episode is dedicated to Officer Jorge Pastore and his sacrifice in the effort to save others.

EOW: November 11, 2023

🔗 Link to full episode in bio.

07/30/2026

Welcome to the first episode of our Summer 2026 Throwback series!

Today, we’re looking back at Episode 18, which originally aired in May 2023. In this episode, Jon sits down with retired Louisville Metro Police Sgt. John Mattingly to discuss the March 13, 2020 search warrant operation at Breonna Taylor’s home and the twelve seconds that changed everything.

Mattingly shares his firsthand account of the operation, the aftermath, and the facts and perspectives he believes were left out of much of the public conversation. He also discusses his book, 12 Seconds in the Dark.

🔗 Full episode link in bio.

The Debrief is on our annual summer research hiatus as we work on new episodes, new stories, and new conversations for t...
05/23/2026

The Debrief is on our annual summer research hiatus as we work on new episodes, new stories, and new conversations for the season ahead.

One question we get all the time is: “How do you choose your guests and topics?”

The answer is simple: a lot of them come directly from YOU.

Some of our best episodes started with a listener mentioning a case, sharing a conference speaker, sending an article, or pointing us toward a story they thought mattered. Summer is when we dig into those leads, do the research, and start building what comes next.

So if there’s a topic you want covered, a team doing great work, or a story the industry should hear about, send us a DM or email [email protected]. We want to know what matters to you and your team.

We’re honored to share that Confronting Hate: Responding to the Tree of Life Attack has been awarded a Silver Telly Awar...
05/21/2026

We’re honored to share that Confronting Hate: Responding to the Tree of Life Attack has been awarded a Silver Telly Award 🏆

What began as a podcast conversation evolved into a documentary focused on one of the most devastating acts of violence in recent history and the lessons surrounding leadership, response, resilience, and confronting hate. This project was built to tell an important story with care, honesty, and purpose.

Established in 1979, the Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television across all screens, with more than 13,000 entries submitted globally each year. Receiving this recognition is an incredible honor and a testament to everyone who helped bring this film to life.

Thank you to everyone who supported, contributed, and believed in the mission behind this project. And a special thank you to the first responders, survivors, victims and their families for allowing us to tell their story.

📽️ Watch the film at the link in bio.

05/07/2026

Did you catch last week’s episode on blast injury and brain protection?

We explored the growing body of research surrounding low-level blast exposure and the long-term neurological impact it may be having on military and law enforcement operators. What was once dismissed or misunderstood is now becoming harder to ignore.

Like many health crises before it, the damage was occurring long before the science fully caught up. Today, researchers are finding measurable changes linked to repeated exposure from breaching, flashbangs, heavy weapons, and other operational environments many teams encounter routinely.

This isn’t just a conversation about medicine. It’s a conversation about readiness, leadership, and protecting the people who continue to put themselves in harm’s way.

If you missed this episode, go back and listen. It may be one of the most important conversations we’ve had on The Debrief.

🎧 Link in bio

Repeated blast exposure is changing the brains of our operators, and most teams don’t even realize it.In this critical e...
04/29/2026

Repeated blast exposure is changing the brains of our operators, and most teams don’t even realize it.

In this critical episode, we discuss the growing body of evidence linking breaching charges, flashbangs, and weapons fire to microscopic brain injuries often misdiagnosed as PTSD.

Following groundbreaking reporting that sparked congressional action, this five-year investigation brings together researchers, operators, families, and Harvard medical experts to explain one of the most significant hidden health crises facing the tactical community, and to discuss what can be done right now to protect the next generation of teams.

New episode out now wherever you get your podcasts or at thedebrief.live

🎧 Link in bio

04/27/2026

Coming soon…and we are really looking forward to this one. This will be an extremely important conversation.

👀 Keep an eye out. You won’t want to miss it!

Did you catch our last episode with Jon in the hotseat?“Because the truth is, every department has policies, every team ...
04/13/2026

Did you catch our last episode with Jon in the hotseat?

“Because the truth is, every department has policies, every team has equipment, most have training, but only a few organizations consistently produce elite teams.” - Jon Becker

If you missed our conversation about culture-first leadership, it’s worth going back to listen. The insights on what separates good teams from elite ones are game-changing.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Link in bio.

Enjoyed the episode? Grab Jon’s book Culture First to give you tools you can implement immediately to start improving your team’s culture. 🔗 Link in bio.

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