The Debrief with Jon Becker
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
30 snips
Nov 19, 2025 • 1h 27min
Barricade Erupts into Urgent HRT When Freed Victim Returns to Hostage Taker
Joel Anderson, Tactical Commander for the Washington State Patrol SWAT Team, and Bob Shaw, Patrol Sergeant with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department SWAT Team, dive into a gripping hostage situation that escalated from a homicide standoff. They discuss the tactical maneuvers needed to manage a domestic violence victim's return and the ensuing chaos. Key topics include the critical need for immediate action drills, the complexities of team coordination, and the profound lessons learned about rapid response in unpredictable scenarios.
Nov 19, 2025 • 13min
DME 09 - Barricade Erupts into Urgent HRT
Toby Darby dives into the high-stakes world of tactical decision-making during a barricade scenario. He explains the principles of war that guide incident management, including simplicity and surprise. The discussion intensifies as dilemmas arise, from classifying the incident to the urgency of intervention when a female approaches the suspect's vehicle. As containment breaks down, Toby highlights the critical importance of maintaining command and planning. Strategic lessons shared throughout emphasize the dynamics of crisis situations and the need for continuous tactical training.
Nov 5, 2025 • 15min
DME 08 - South Davis UT Family Hostage Rescue & HRT
DME 08
Nov 5, 2025 • 51min
Pursuit Leads to Unrelated Family Hostage Situation and HRT
Lieutenant Andrew Smith, a veteran with the South Davis Metropolitan SWAT team, shares gripping insights from a harrowing hostage situation in Farmington, Utah. He recounts the tense vehicle pursuit that led to the standoff and the complexities of using SWAT resources, including the decision to call in air support. Andrew discusses key moments, like the rescue of a young girl and the challenges of communication—both with hostages and between teams. He also reflects on lessons learned regarding tactical roles and the importance of community relationships after such crises.
Oct 22, 2025 • 1h 2min
Tactical Longevity – Dr. Jenny Prohaska
Dr. Jenny Prohaska, a clinical psychologist who trains law enforcement in trauma, neuro-rehab, and tactical performance. She explains Tactical Longevity and antifragility. Conversations cover pre-incident prevention, the Rule of R's for coping, reframing stress as growth, the importance of social connection, and concrete training methods to build durable teams.
Oct 8, 2025 • 12min
DME 007 - Bakersfield PD Hostage Rescue
Oct 8, 2025 • 1h 25min
Hostage Rescue Under Explosive Threat - Bakersfield PD SWAT
On October 12th, 2020, Bakersfield police responded to a hospital on a domestic violence call to a female who had been hit in the head with a hammer by her ex-husband. When patrol officers arrived at the suspect's house, the male suspect exited the home, screaming at police and threw an improvised explosive device at officers. Negotiations with the suspect began, who initially appeared to be negotiating in good faith, But after two hours, it became apparent the suspect was not going to comply, and the Bakersfield Special Operations Group was activated. In the ensuing 12 -hour standoff, the team became aware that the suspect had his four-year-old son with him and was an Army combat veteran who had explosive devices in the home. With me today are Captain Ted King and Sergeant Travis Harless from Bakersfield Police to discuss the case.
8 snips
Sep 24, 2025 • 1h 14min
Left of Bang Revisited with Patrick Van Horne
In this engaging discussion, Patrick Van Horne, a Marine Corps veteran and co-author of 'Left of Bang,' shares insights on threat recognition and proactive violence prevention. He explains the Combat Hunter program, emphasizing the shift from reactive to proactive measures. Patrick discusses how recognizing pre-event indicators can enhance decision-making and resource efficiency. He also highlights the broader applications of this framework beyond military contexts, such as in cybersecurity and public health, showcasing its significance in today's unpredictable world.
Sep 10, 2025 • 17min
Lessons Learned from the Tree of Life Synagogue Response
On October 27, 2018 a lone gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA with the intent of killing anyone he could. Tree of Life was the home to three different congregations, Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Haddash, all of which were preparing for or having their normal shabbat services. What followed was the deadliest attack on the Jewish Community in American history. 11 innocent people were killed, and a further 6 were injured.This attack is the subject of our documentary called Confronting Hate, where we dealt with the attack and aftermath in detail. However, we wanted to make a more traditional episode of The Debrief to cover the team’s lessons learned from the event and their advice to other units. In this episode, we will hear from several of the responding members of Pittsburgh SWAT. As usual, we will not mention the shooters name or discuss his agenda because we are hoping time will erase him and the hate he hoped to propagate.
Jul 2, 2025 • 57min
Hostage Rescue of an Infant - Surprise AZ PD SWAT
On Friday May 17 2024 the Surprise Arizona Police department received a call that a suspect had broken into his ex-girlfriend’s home and taken her and their 7-month-old child hostage. The suspect told her that he planned to kill her and the baby and eventually killed her dog. She eventually convinced the suspect to let her go outside and fled to local construction workers who called the Surprise police. When police arrived on scene, they found the suspect shooting out the front of the house into neighboring homes. The decision was made to conduct a high-risk entry to rescue the child. What ensued was a textbook hostage rescue by members of the Surprise SWAT team augmented by patrol officers who entered the home and rescued the child getting him to medical attention and saving his life. The team, having rescued the baby, then pulled out of the home leaving the suspect barricaded in a back bedroom. The suspect eventually lit the house on fire before committing suicide. My guests today are Officer Ryan Scott and Officer Travis Karpuleon from Surprise PD who were both part of the team that rescued the baby Resources: Critical Incident Debrief 5.17.2024 - YouTube
