The Debrief with Jon Becker - podcast cover

The Debrief with Jon Becker

Jon Beckerthedebrief.live

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

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Episodes

Leaders & Legends - Mike Hillman - Part 2 of 2 - The History of SWAT

Description My Guest Today is Mike Hillman. Mike is a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. But as a brief bio he was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a n...

Aug 17, 20221 hr 6 minEp. 7

Leaders & Legends - Mike Hillman - Part 1 of 2 - The History of SWAT

Description My Guest Today is Mike Hillman. Mike is a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. But as a brief bio he was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a n...

Aug 03, 20221 hrEp. 6

Training and Tech - Ed Hinchey – Body Armor and Surviving and Recovering After Being Shot

Episode Description - My guest today is Ed Hinchey, a retired Sgt. with the Forest Hills Pennsylvania Police Department. Ed is the survivor of a violent police shooting who was saved by his soft body armor. After retirement Ed became the Director of the Safariland Saves Program. In his capacity as Saves Director, Ed’s job is working with officers who have been shot in the line of duty and saved by their armor. As a result, Ed has likely interacted with more officers shot in the line of duty than...

Jul 20, 20221 hr 40 minEp. 5

Leaders & Legends - Brent Stratton and Marcus Sprague – The California Association of Tactical Officers and The Doctrine of Tactical Science

Description My guests today are the hosts of the very successful California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) Podcast, Brent Stratton, and Marcus Sprague. Brent is the Assistant Chief at a Southern California Police Department and the President of the California Tactical Officers Association (CATO). Marcus is a recently retired Lieutenant at a Northern California PD and the Vice President of CATO. Both Brent and Marcus are graduates of the CARO Strategic Leadership Program. Timestamps 1:05...

Jul 06, 20221 hr 16 minEp. 4

Leaders & Legends - Lee McMillion - Inside LAPD D-Platoon (SWAT)

Episode Description – In this episode, we take a deep dive into LAPD D-Platoon (aka SWAT) with Lee McMillion, one of the two Lieutenants who currently lead the unit. We discuss the history of SWAT, the current configuration of the team, the specialized cadres within the team, and what happens when the team is activated. We also discuss how they select the right personnel, leading a team of high achievers, maintaining high standards, and trying to support personnel who are constantly engaged in d...

Jun 22, 20221 hr 7 minEp. 3

Leaders & Legends - Sid Heal - Part 2 of 2 - Understanding Tactical Science

Episode Description – This is the second of a broad reaching two-part interview with Sid. In this second episode, we discuss the origins of his study and writings on tactical science and take a deeper dive into several concepts in tactical science like initiative and maneuver in time and space. We also dig into Sid’s views on leadership and take an emotional reflection on his responsibilities to those he led. This episode of The Debrief is in honor of Sid Heal who passed away on May 24th, 2022, ...

Jun 08, 202255 minEp. 2

Leaders & Legends - Sid Heal - Part 1 of 2 - The History of LASD - SEB

Episode Description – This is the first of a broad reaching two-part interview with Sid. In this first episode, we discuss Sid’s career history, the evolution of special tactics, the history of LASD SEB, the origins of SWAT, and his research on flashbangs and development of the NTOA Instructors Manual. We also discuss the origins of non-lethal weapons, police reform and defunding, and the origins of his study and writings on tactical science. This episode of The Debrief is in honor of Sid Heal w...

Jun 08, 20221 hr 20 minEp. 1

The Debrief with Jon Becker - Trailer

The Debrief with Jon Becker launches June 8th. Please enjoy this trailer. The Debrief is an interview-based podcast that tells the stories of the leaders of some of the world’s top law enforcement and military units – individuals who navigate dangerous situations with their highly effective teams every day. Jon Becker founded AARDVARK at just seventeen years old. The company started out as a climbing equipment business, often selling gear to SWAT teams and operators. After attending law school a...

May 24, 20221 min
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