The Debrief with Jon Becker

In this special episode, Jon Becker turns the tables and becomes the guest on his own show to discuss his new book "Culture First: Nine Leadership Practices That Build Elite Teams." Drawing from four decades of working with top-tier law enforcement and military units worldwide, Becker explores why some organizations consistently produce elite teams while others struggle despite having the same policies, equipment, and training. He reveals that the differentiating factor isn't tactics or gear—...

DME-11 - HR with IEDs

On June 14, 2020, Butte County Sheriff's SWAT team executed what seemed like a routine arrest warrant for an arson suspect on a remote mountain property. Using night vision for covert reconnaissance, the team discovered they had walked into an active attempted murder scene. The suspect was later identified as a serial killer responsible for three murders and two attempted murders. Lieutenant Josh Brazzi, SWAT Commander, and Sergeant Angelo Tavelli, Team Leader, share the harrowing deta...

Jon Becker sits down with author James Kerr to revisit his groundbreaking book "Legacy" and explore what makes the All Blacks the most successful sports team in history. With a win ratio approaching 80% over 125 years, this New Zealand rugby powerhouse offers invaluable lessons on building elite culture and sustained excellence. Kerr breaks down the actionable principles that create championship-level performance, from "sweep the sheds" to "no dickheads" policies. For tactical professionals,...

Guest: Dr. Nathalie Pattyn In this episode, Jon sits down with Dr. Nathalie Pattyn, whose unique background spans medicine, psychology, research, and military operations. Dr. Pattyn discusses her unconventional career path from aspiring astronaut to emergency physician to tactical performance researcher, including her work in extreme environments like Antarctica and space research. The conversation explores how scientific principles can improve tactical performance for law enforcement teams....

A three-month homicide investigation in Washington State led to a suspect barricaded in a vehicle inside a garage. What began as a routine containment evolved into a seven-hour standoff, which suddenly escalated when the freed domestic violence victim returned to the residence and was taken hostage. Joel Anderson and Bob Shaw detail the tactical challenges of coordinating Pierce County and Washington State Patrol SWAT teams through multiple operational phases—from vehicle barricade to urgent ...

DME 08

My guest today is Dr. Jenny Prohaska, a clinical psychologist who has spent her career on the front lines of trauma and high-stakes performance. Jenny trained in neuro -rehabilitation psychology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, working with patients and staff in trauma, ICU, and burn units, where she built her expertise in how the brain and body adapt to extreme stress. For more than a decade, Jenny has brought that expertise into policing and tactical operations. She's force scien...

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...

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 docu...

On this episode of The Debrief we are going to be looking at Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Growth. These are two topics that I am extremely passionate about because, as you might imagine, each incident we cover on The Debrief has had a profound effect on everyone involved. Over the years that I have been working with teams and the years I have hosted this show I have seen people destroyed by their experiences. Yet I have also seen others use the trauma they endure...

On May 24, 2022, an active shooter took the lives of 19 children and two staff members and physically and mentally injured the survivors, their families, staff, teachers and the broader community in Uvalde, Texas. At the request of Uvalde's leadership, the U.S. Department of Justice established the Critical Incident Review (CIR) to conduct an independent, objective assessment of what happened that day and assess the systems in place in the weeks leading up to May 24. The goal of the episode i...