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.

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.

What really separates elite law enforcement teams from everyone else?It’s not tactics. It’s not gear. It’s CULTURE.In th...
04/01/2026

What really separates elite law enforcement teams from everyone else?

It’s not tactics. It’s not gear.

It’s CULTURE.

In this episode, Jon dives into the 9 leadership practices behind high-performance teams, pulled directly from his new book Culture First: 9 Leadership Practices That Build Elite Teams.

Because “Culture First” isn’t just a philosophy—it’s the foundation everything else is built on for any team in any industry.

If you lead in any high-stakes environment, this is a must-listen.

🎧 Listen at the link in bio or tune in at thedebrief.live.

Enjoying the episode? Grab Jon’s book—ON SALE TODAY. 🔗 Link in bio.

03/30/2026

Coming soon 👀

We’re switching things up for this episode. Jon’s stepping out of the host seat and into the hot seat.

He’ll be diving into his new book Culture First: 9 Leadership Practices That Build Elite Teams and sharing what it really takes to build high-performing teams.

You won’t want to miss this one. Stay tuned.

Did you catch last week's episode with Greg Roy on hostage rescue tactics?"This was a planned hostage taking kidnapping....
03/25/2026

Did you catch last week's episode with Greg Roy on hostage rescue tactics?

"This was a planned hostage taking kidnapping." - Greg Roy

The distinction between spontaneous and premeditated hostage situations completely changes how SWAT teams respond. Greg breaks down a complex case involving both hostages and explosive threats.

If you missed it, catch up on the full episode now.

🔗 Link in bio.

Hostage Rescue with IED Threat 💣 LIVE NOW!SWAT team leader Greg Roy takes us inside a high-stakes hostage rescue operati...
03/18/2026

Hostage Rescue with IED Threat 💣 LIVE NOW!

SWAT team leader Greg Roy takes us inside a high-stakes hostage rescue operation where split-second decisions and explosive threats put lives on the line.

🔗 LINK IN BIO

Or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit thedebrief.live for more info!

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