Best United States Special Operations Command Podcasts (2025)

1
Pistol Duels Existed Across the 19th-Century World, But Only the Chaos of the American West Produced Gunfighters 51:30

11h ago51:30

51:30

To understand American history and its deep-seated relationship with violence, we must look to the last three decades of the 1800s in the American West, which had the highest murder rate per capita in American history. And it all boils down to one place: Texas. Texas was born in violence, on two fronts, with Mexico to the south and the Comanche to …

1
S6 E9 - Jim O'Brien - Leadership, Legacy & the Global Brotherhood of SOF 1:05:48

1d ago1:05:48

1:05:48

From dreaming of being a commando at eight years old to commanding the Special Forces Qualification Course, Colonel (Ret.) Jim O’Brien’s career is a blueprint for service, humility, and transformational leadership. In this episode, Jim sits down with SOFcast to unpack a lifetime in Special Forces — from chasing insurgents in the Balkans to shaping …

1
Rome Definitively Eclipsed Greece in 197 BC By Making the Alexandrian Phalanx/Cavalry Obsolete 46:35

2d ago46:35

46:35

The battle of Cynoscephalae represents a key moment in the history of the Greco-Roman world. In this one battle the Macedonian hold over mainland Greece was broken, with the Roman Republic rising in its place as the pre-eminent power in the Greek East. At Cynoscephalae, the proud Macedonian kingdom of Antigonid monarch Philip V was humbled, its arm…

1
Exploring the Wreckage of the Britannic (the Titanic’s Sister Ship) and Discovering Why It Sunk in 50 Minutes 48:25

7d ago48:25

48:25

The RMS Titanic is history’s most famous shipwreck, but it wasn’t the only ship of its kind. The White Star Line built two other nearly identical vessels: The RMS Olympic and Britannic. The Olympic carried passengers until 1935 and can be visited today. The Brittanic sank only four years after her sister ship the Titanic off the Greek island of Kea…

1
S6 E8 - John Dailey — Forging the Foundation of MARSOC 1:04:33

8d ago1:04:33

1:04:33

🎙️ Before there was MARSOC, there was Det One — a hand-picked Marine unit tasked with proving that the Corps could integrate into U.S. Special Operations Command. And at the center of that mission was Force Recon Marine and plank holder John Dailey. In this episode, John joins SOFcast to talk about his journey from rural Virginia to becoming a team…

1
Did Tariffs Make America a Manufacturing Powerhouse Or Trigger Economic Misery and Stifle Global Trade?ads) 44:55

9d ago44:55

44:55

At a time when debates over tariffs, regulation, and the scope of government are back at center stage. Is this time in American history unprecedented, or can we find parallels in the past? For example, has trade “hollowed out” U.S. manufacturing—or have fact tariffs like the Corn Laws in Britain hurt working-class families the most? Was the Great D…

1
From Submariner to CEO: Cameron McCord's Journey Building Nominal 34:28

10d ago34:28

34:28

In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula reconnect with Cameron McCord, Co-Founder and CEO of Nominal, two years after his first appearance on the show (linked here). Drawing from his unique journey from submarine officer (484 days underwater) to defense tech entrepreneur, McCord discusses building software to accelerate…

1
Alan Pinkerton: The Private Detective Who Saved Lincoln’s Life and Built America’s Contract Security State 50:07

14d ago50:07

50:07

Alan Pinkerton is perhaps the most over-achieving barrel-maker who ever lived. After practicing his trade in rural Illinois for a few years in the 1850s, the Scottish immigrant busted up a counterfeiting ring, which got the attention of Chicago’s police department, offering him a job as a detective. From here he worked as an intelligence agent in t…

1
S6 E7 - Michael Rodriguez — Service With & Without a Uniform 1:16:23

15d ago1:16:23

1:16:23

🎙️ Green Beret veteran, father, artist, and advocate — Michael “Rod” Rodriguez has lived a life marked by deep service, both in and out of uniform. In this powerful episode of SOFcast, Rod shares his journey from multiple combat deployments to post-9/11 healing, and how his own traumatic brain injury and his son's military service redefined his mis…

1
MacArthur’s Plans to Drop 50 Nuclear Bombs During the Korean War 50:45

16d ago50:45

50:45

The Korean War came dangerously close to going nuclear, and if would have if Gen. Douglas MacArthur had gotten his way. He proposed using 30 to 50 nuclear primarily to targeting air bases, depots, and supply lines across the neck of Manchuria to create a radioactive barrier and halt Chinese and North Korean advances. This would have killed millions…

1
The Many Ways That Rome Never Fell and Lives On Today 37:16

21d ago37:16

37:16

Rome’s Western Empire may have fallen 1,600 years ago, but its cultural impact has a radioactive half-life that would make xenon jealous. Over a billion people speak Latin (or at least a Latin-derived language). Governments around the world self-consciously copy Roman buildings and create governments that copy the imperial senate. Every self-aggran…

1
SOFcast Brief | The OA-1K Skyraider II: AFSOC’s Newest Weaponized Workhorse 37:31

22d ago37:31

37:31

🎧 In this SOFcast Brief, host Matt Parrish sits down with Maj. John Bendokas from Air Force Special Operations Command to break down the newest addition to the AFSOC arsenal — the OA-1K Skyraider II. Born from hard-earned lessons in places like Tongo Tongo and designed to support geographically isolated SOF teams, the OA-1K is a modular, cost-effec…

1
Hooves of History: How Horses Created Ancient Warfare, Built the Silk Road, and Became the Dividing Line Between Nobleman and Peasant 44:28

23d ago44:28

44:28

In order to become rich, powerful, and prestigious in the pre-modern world, nothing mattered more than horses. They were the fundamental unit of warfare, enabling cavalry charges, and logistical support. They facilitated the creation of the Silk Road (which could arguably be called the “Horse Road”) since China largely built it to enable the purcha…

1
Moonshining Survived (and Thrived) At Least Two Decades After Prohibition Ended 45:47

28d ago45:47

45:47

The Prohibition era (1920–1933), enacted by the 18th Amendment, birthed an overnight economy of moonshiners who distilled and distributed homemade liquor to meet America’s insatiable demand for alcohol, transforming rural farmers and opportunists into underground entrepreneurs who supplied speakeasies. But this new economy didn’t disappear after Pr…

1
SOFcast S6 E6: Angel Cortes — From the Streets to the Regiment 1:12:28

29d ago1:12:28

1:12:28

🎙️ From a childhood of poverty and violence in Los Angeles to the ranks of the 75th Ranger Regiment, Angel Cortes’ story is one of grit, growth, and relentless purpose. In this raw and moving conversation, Angel shares how he escaped gang life, found a new mission in the Army, and eventually became a leader in the Ranger Regiment — even after setba…

1
How to Cross the Sahara as a Tenth-Century Cameleer 53:08

1M ago53:08

53:08

What comes to mind when we think about the Sahara? Rippling sand dunes, sun-blasted expanses, camel drivers and their caravans perhaps. Or famine, climate change, civil war, desperate migrants stuck in a hostile environment. The Sahara stretches across 3.2 million square miles, hosting several million inhabitants and a corresponding variety of lang…

1
Financing the Fight with Chris Lay and James Parker of Leonid Capital Partners 39:29

1M ago39:29

39:29

In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula are joined by James Parker and Chris Lay, co-founding partners of Leonid Capital Partners, a private credit fund supporting the US national security ecosystem. Drawing from their unique backgrounds in astrophysics and neuroscience, Parker and Lay discuss how their innovative lendi…

1
How American Slaves Fled By Sea, Whether as Stowaways or Commandeering a Confederate Ship 46:06

1M ago46:06

46:06

As many as 100,000 enslaved people fled successfully from the horrors of bondage in the antebellum South, finding safe harbor along a network of passageways across North America via the Underground Railroad. Yet many escapes took place not by land but by sea. William Grimes escaped slavery in 1815 by stowing away in a cotton bale on a ship from Sav…

1
SOFcast Special Episode: “Moments That Matter” — Medal of Honor Panel at SOF Week 2025 1:01:58

1M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

🎙️ In this extraordinary SOFcast episode, we step away from the studio and onto the stage of SOF Week 2025, a premier joint conference co-hosted by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and the Global SOF Foundation. Recorded live in Tampa, this powerful panel titled “Moments That Matter” features three living SOF recipients of the Congressiona…

1
Did WW2 Heads of State Want to Preserve Their Empires As Much as Defend Their Homelands? 47:51

1M ago47:51

47:51

2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of Germany’s surrender and the fall of the Third Reich. Likewise, World War II is the single most studied conflict in human history. But most Western accounts offer a one-dimensional interpretation: the war was a noble crusade against fascism, creating a convenient parable about good and evil. But this depiction…

1
How a British Governor of Virginia Raised an Ex-Slave Regiment in 1776 to Fight Patriots and Triggered the Revolutionary War 55:09

1M ago55:09

55:09

As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded in Virginia that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest, and most populous province in British North America, was led by Lord Dun…

1
S6 E5 - Rob Zackery — Calling the Fight, Building the Team 1:07:44

1M ago1:07:44

1:07:44

🎙️ From calling in airstrikes with Green Berets and Rangers to leading Airmen across the globe, Rob Zackery’s career as an Air Force TACP is one of purpose, adaptability, and impact. In this episode, Rob shares what it takes to step into any team room and earn trust — not by rank or reputation, but by performance. He reflects on his early combat de…

1
How a Marine Embedded with Mao Zedong’s Guerrillas in the 30s Became WW2’s Most Celebrated Special Forces Leader 55:46

1M ago55:46

55:46

He was a gutsy old man.” “A corker,” said another. “You couldn’t find anyone better.” They talked about him in hushed tones. “This Major Carlson,” wrote one of the officers in a letter home, “is one of the finest men I have ever known.” These were the words of the young Marines training to be among the first U.S. troops to enter the Second World Wa…

1
"From Production Lines to Front Lines," with Becca Wasser and Philip Sheers of CNAS 32:10

1M ago32:10

32:10

In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula are joined by Becca Wasser and Philip Sheers from the Center for New American Security (CNAS) to discuss their recent report, "From Production Lines to Front Lines." Drawing from extensive industry research and stakeholder interviews, Wasser and Sheers offer a comprehensive look a…

1
Microbes Were Discovered in the 1600s. Why It Take 200 Years For Doctors To Start Washing Their Hands? 54:16

2M ago54:16

54:16

Scientists and enthusiastic amateurs first confirmed the existence of living things invisible to the human eye in the late sixteenth century. So why did it take two centuries to connect microbes to disease? As late as the Civil War in the 1860s, most soldiers who perished died not on the battlefield but of infected wounds, typhoid, and other diseas…

1
S6 E4 - Jariko Denman - Standards, Legacy, and Life Beyond the Regiment 1:17:15

2M ago1:17:15

1:17:15

SOFcast | Season 6, Episode 4: Jariko Denman — Standards, Legacy, and Life Beyond the Regiment 🎙️ From being “the demon cadre” at RIP to advising Hollywood directors and embedded reporting in Kabul, Ranger veteran Jariko Denman brings unapologetic honesty and hard-won wisdom to SOFcast. In this wide-ranging episode, Jariko shares what made him choo…

1
From Einstein’s Chalkboard to Oppenheimer’s Nuclear Test: The 50-Year Path to the Atomic Bomb 48:14

2M ago48:14

48:14

The story of the atomic age began decades before Robert Oppenheimer watched a mushroom cloud form over the New Mexico desert at the Trinity nuclear test in mid 1945. It begins in 1895, with Henri Becquerel’s accidental discovery of radioactivity, setting in motion a series of remarkable and horrifying events. By the early 20th century, a brilliant …

1
Japan’s Desperate Air Battles Against the US in the Final Months of WW2 37:15

2M ago37:15

37:15

The B-29 Bomber led the Allied strategic bombing offensive against Japan, succeeding when US Bomber Command switched from high-level daytime precision bombing to low-level nighttime area bombing. The latter tactic required Superfortresses to attack their targets individually, without a formation or escorting fighters for protection. Despite this, J…

1
S6 E3 - Nick Lavery - Choosing to Fight Forward 1:05:16

2M ago1:05:16

1:05:16

SOFcast | Season 6, Episode 3: Nick Lavery — Choosing to Fight Forward 🎙️ Few stories embody the spirit of SOF like Nick Lavery’s. The first Green Beret to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee, Nick shares his incredible journey of resilience, mindset, and service — and how his fight didn’t end with recovery. Now an author, speaker, and me…

1
S6 E2 - Melissa Johnson - Accelerating Innovation for SOF 56:11

2M ago56:11

56:11

SOFcast | Season 6, Episode 2: Melissa Johnson — Accelerating Innovation for SOF 🎙️ How do you rapidly deliver cutting-edge gear and tech to the world’s most agile warriors? USSOCOM Acquisition Executive Melissa Johnson joins SOFcast to pull back the curtain on how her team connects the team room to the tech world — fielding solutions faster, smart…

1
Season 6 Premier - GEN Bryan Fenton & CSM Shane Shorter - USSOCOM Command Team 1:27:34

2M ago1:27:34

1:27:34

SOFcast | Season 6 Premiere: GEN Bryan Fenton & CSM Shane Shorter 🎙️ SOF is purpose-built for exactly what our Nation demands: unmatched agility, readiness, and lethality — fueled by our people. In this powerful season opener, GEN Bryan Fenton and CSM Shane Shorter reflect on leading U.S. Special Operations Command, the relentless pursuit of excell…

1
D-Day From the East: The Soviet Operation Bagration Crippled the Wehrmacht in Late 1944 42:08

2M ago42:08

42:08

Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a …

1
"Supply Chains Win Wars": Rare Earth Magnets with John Maslin, CEO Vulcan Elements 25:29

2M ago25:29

25:29

In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with John Maslin, Co-founder and CEO of Vulcan Elements, for an insightful conversation about the critical importance of rare earth magnets to U.S. national security. Drawing from his background as a Navy Supply Corps officer and his entrepreneurial journey, Maslin offers…

1
Pilgrimages Involved Penitent Marches, Visiting Holy Places, and Watching Drunken Emperors Go on Chariot Rides 44:53

2M ago44:53

44:53

Pilgrimages are a universal phenomenon, from China’s bustling Tai Shan to the ancient Jewish treks to Jerusalem. But why? What is it about a grueling penitent march to an isolated temple that has become a prerequisite for a civilization of any size, whether Chicen Itza in the Mayan Empire or the holy sites of Mecca? To explore this is today’s guest…

1
Britain Learned How to Set Up Its Global Empire on a Tiny Bermudan Island 44:02

2M ago44:02

44:02

Years before Jamestown planters made New World farming profitable by growing tobacco, and years before their countrymen up north in Plymouth Colony managed to overcome their starvation conditions and acclimate to New England’s growing conditions, there was an English settlement in Bermuda that was wealthier, larger, and more prosperous. It was esta…

1
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud Started Over a Pig and Nearly Escalated Into a Regional War 45:20

2M ago45:20

45:20

The origins of the Hatfield-McCoy conflict (between the Hatfield family of West Virginia, led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, and the McCoy family of Kentucky, led by Randolph "Old Randall" McCoy) begins with a dispute over a pig. From here, it escalated from minor disagreements to violent encounters that spanned decades, nearly sparking…

1
Founders in Focus Part 2: Tyler Sweatt, Josh Lospinoso + Troy Demmer (Recorded @ Manifest: Demo Day) 38:39

2M ago38:39

38:39

Today's episode of Building the Base is part two of our "Founders in Focus" series, recorded at Manifest: Demo Day where 34 companies from across the defense industrial base demoed their disruptive tech. Hosts Hondo and Lauren caught up with some of the most dynamic founders: Tyler Sweatt from Second Front, Josh Lospinoso from Shift5, and Troy Demm…

1
The 1845 Potato Blight Struck Across Northern Europe. Why Did Only Ireland Starve? 48:41

2M ago48:41

48:41

In 1845, a novel pathogen attacked potato fields across Europe, from Spain to Scandinavia—but only in Ireland were the effects apocalyptic. At least one million Irish people died, and millions more scattered across the globe, emigrating to new countries and continents. Less than fifty years after the union of Ireland with the rest of Great Britain,…

1
A Simple Tennessee Preacher Transformed Abolitionism from a Deeply Unpopular Radical Movement to a Centrist Cause 51:18

3M ago51:18

51:18

Sitting high above the small community of Ripley, Ohio, a lantern shone in the front window of a small, red brick home at night. It was a signal to slaves just across the Ohio River. Anyone fleeing bondage could look to Reverend John Rankin’s home for hope. To the slaveholders they fled from, Rankin’s activities as a “conductor” on the Underground …

1
How Benjamin Franklin’s Stove Invention Kept Early America From Freezing 41:53

3M ago41:53

41:53

The biggest revolution in Benjamin Franklin’s lifetime was made to fit in a fireplace. Assembled from iron plates like a piece of flatpack furniture, the Franklin stove became one of the era's most iconic consumer products, spreading from Pennsylvania to England, Italy, and beyond. It was more than just a material object, however—it was also a hypo…

1
Roman Churches Had No Involvement in Marriage. How Did It Become a Holy Sacrament by the Middle Ages? 38:25

3M ago38:25

38:25

For much of Christian history, the Church had little involvement in marriage, which was primarily a contract between families. It wasn’t until the fourth century that church weddings emerged, and even then, they were mostly reserved for the elite. Fast forward to the High Middle Ages, and marriage became a sacrament of the Roman Catholic Church. Si…

1
How a Mess Cook Saved Dozens of Sailors from Shark Infested Waters Off the Coast of Guadalcanal 28:21

3M ago28:21

28:21

On the night of September 5, 1942, the USS Gregory (APD-3), a converted destroyer turned high-speed transport, was caught in a deadly ambush near Guadalcanal. The ship had been supporting U.S. Marine forces, ferrying troops and supplies, when it was mistaken for a larger threat by a group of Japanese destroyers. Outgunned and unable to escape, Greg…

1
Founders in Focus Part 1: Jeff Cole, Doug Bernauer + Topher Haddad (Recorded @ Manifest: Demo Day) 27:24

3M ago27:24

27:24

Today's episode of Building the Base is part one of our "Founders in Focus" series, recorded at Manifest: Demo Day where 34 companies from across the defense industrial base demoed their disruptive tech. Hosts Hondo and Lauren caught up with some of the most dynamic founders: Jeff Cole from Hidden Level, Doug Bernauer from Radiant, and Topher Hadda…

1
Humanity’s Past Suggests We Only Have 10,000 Years to Change or Go Extinct 53:19

3M ago53:19

53:19

We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline - fast. As Gee demonstrates, our population has peaked, and is dec…

1
The 16th Century Ottomans Nearly Conquered Europe. Why Did European Kingdoms Make So Many Alliances With Them? 51:05

3M ago51:05

51:05

The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought by Muslims and Christians across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. But this is not merely the story of a clash of civilizations between East and West. Europe was not united against the Turks; the scandal of the age was the al…

1
Fort Stanwix and the Forgotten Revolutionary War Siege That Convinced France to Help the US 42:07

3M ago42:07

42:07

After a series of military defeats over the winter of 1776–1777, British military leaders developed a bold plan to gain control of the Hudson River and divide New England from the rest of the colonies. Three armies would converge on Albany: one under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne moving south from Quebec, one under General William Howe moving no…

1
Enough is Enuf, Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell 39:21

3M ago39:21

39:21

No language is as inconsistent in spelling and pronunciation as English. Kernel and colonel rhyme, but read changes based on past or present tense. Ough has many pronunciations: ‘aw’ (thought), ‘ow’ (drought), ‘uff’ (tough), ‘off’ (cough), ‘oo’ (through). In response to this orthographic minefield, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill …

1
Did Haiti’s First and Last King Squander the Revolution or Succeed in Underappreciated Ways? 51:04

4M ago51:04

51:04

Slave, revolutionary, king, Henry Christophe was, in his time, popular and famous the world over. Born to an enslaved mother on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Christophe first fought to overthrow the British in North America, before helping his fellow enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then called, to end slavery. Yet in an incredi…

1
What Ancient Greeks and Victorian Explorers Thought Was at the North Pole 41:34

4M ago41:34

41:34

The North Pole looms large in our collective psyche—the ultimate Otherland in a world mapped and traversed. It is the center of our planet’s rotation, and its sub-zero temperatures and strange year of one sunset and one sunrise make it an eerie, utterly disorienting place that challenges human endurance and understanding. Erling Kagge and his frien…

1
Nothing Healed America’s Wounds After the Civil War Like Baseball 50:35

4M ago50:35

50:35

The nineteenth century was a time of rapid growth and development for the game of “base ball,” and players George Wright and Albert Spalding were right in the thick of it. These two young men, the first superstars of the professional game, won the hearts of a country in search of a unifying spirit after a devastating civil war. Today’s guest is Jef…

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United States Special Operations Command Podcasts

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