Year in review: The best of the Debrief in 2024

[Ryan Robertson]

ALL RIGHT, I AM JOINED NOW BY THE REST OF OUR TEAM, BRADY BUNCH STYLE, IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. WE HAVE SENIOR PRODUCER, BRETT BAKER. BELOW HIM IS OUR EDITOR, BRIAN SPENCER, AND TO HIS RIGHT, YOUR LEFT SENIOR MOTION DESIGNER, GRAPHIC ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE, DAKOTA PITEO, GENTLEMEN, QUAD FATHERS, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE HAVE OUR FAVORITE DEBRIEFS KIND OF LINED UP, BUT GUYS, WE’RE LOOKING BACK ON YEAR ONE OF WEAPONS AND WARFARE. SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK

[Brett Baker]
IT’S BEEN REALLY AMAZING TO DO. YOU DON’T OFTEN IN YOUR CAREER GET A CHANCE TO START SOMETHING FROM SCRATCH, LET ALONE DO IT REMOTELY, WHICH IS NEW FOR KIND OF EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK IT’S BEEN AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE SO FAR, AND I’M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE’VE DONE, AND YOU KNOW WHERE WE’RE GOING.

[Brian Spencer]
YEAH, THERE’S A LOT OF MILITARY SHOW VOICES OUT THERE, AND I’M REALLY EXCITED TO KIND OF LEVEL UP THAT WHOLE CONVERSATION AND BE BE PART OF DECIPHERING THE WORLD OF MILITARY.

[Dakota Piteo]
YEAH, I WAS LOOKING BACK EARLIER TODAY AT, LIKE, OUR BACK CATALOG, AND IT’S CRAZY TO SEE HOW MUCH CONTENT AND THINGS WE’VE COVERED AND ALL THAT STUFF. IT WAS JUST, IT’S REALLY COOL. SO IT WAS A GREAT YEAR, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME MORE OF THAT.

[Ryan Robertson]
AND FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, I’M JUST GOING TO KIND OF GIVE A LOCATION. THIS IS A REMOTE SHOW, LIKE WE’RE ALL REMOTE. BRETT BAKER, YOU ARE IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, DAKOTA, YOU ARE IN DENVER, BRIAN. YOU ARE IN ST LOUIS. BUT EVERY WEEK WE WORK TOGETHER, WE MEET ON SLACK, WE COLLABORATE, WE MAKE FUN OF EACH OTHER, WE, YOU KNOW, AND WE SHOOT IDEAS UP AND SEE WHAT FLOATS, RIGHT? SO REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT TO MAKE THE SHOW A REALITY. AND YOU KNOW, THE THE CORE PART OF EACH ONE OF OUR SHOWS SEEMS LIKE THE DEBRIEF, RIGHT? IT’S, THE MAIN PART OF EACH ONE OF OUR SHOWS. AND SO THIS EPISODE, WE’RE CHOOSING OUR FAVORITE DEBRIEFS. MY FAVORITE DEBRIEF THAT WE DID, AND I’LL KIND OF GIVE YOU A FEW REASONS WHY, WAS THE ONE THAT WE HAD DONE ON OUR HEAD HEAD, THE ONE WE DID ON CAN THE US TAKE OUT ALL OF CHINA’S AND RUSSIA’S NUCLEAR LAUNCH FACILITIES WITHIN TWO HOURS. SO THERE ARE SOME BRITISH RESEARCHERS WHO CAME OUT WITH THIS PAPER THAT SAID THAT WITH CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS, ONLY THE US CAN TAKE OUT ALL OF CHINA AND RUSSIA’S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES IN TWO HOURS. IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY CRAZY THOUGHT IDEA, A CLAIM. AND SO WE TALKED TO THE RESEARCHERS. WE ALSO TALKED TO A US INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHO SAT ON THE RUSSIA DESK. AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS A THIS STORY IN PARTICULAR, WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOWCASE WHAT WE DO BEST OF BRINGING THIS WORLD THAT’S, YOU KNOW, CRAZY AND FULL OF JARGON TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE PERSON, AND MAKING IT RELATABLE AND THE IDEAS ATTAINABLE OR, YOU KNOW, CONCEIVABLE AND ABLE TO DIGEST. I THINK WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT, AND WE ALSO PROVED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS ROOM FOR DEBATE IN THIS WORLD OF WEAPONS AND WARFARE.

[Ryan Robertson]

SO, SO THAT WAS MY FAVORITE DEBRIEF EPISODE FROM EARLIER IN THE YEAR. LET’S GO AHEAD AND KEEP THIS TRAIN MOVING ALONG. BRETT BAKER, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DEBRIEF?

[Brett Baker]
WELL, YOU KNOW, IT’S KIND OF HARD TO PICK, BECAUSE WE’VE DONE A LOT OF REALLY COOL STORIES, BUT I THINK THE ONE THAT RESONATED MOST WITH ME WAS ONE THAT WE KIND OF HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE. WHEN WE WERE AT SPECIAL FORCES WEEK IN TAMPA, WE MET A GUY NAMED JARED SHEPARD WHO STARTED THIS THING CALLED WARRIORS ETHOS, AND WHAT IT REALLY IS, IS A TRANSITION PROGRAM FOR VETERANS, YOU KNOW, LIKE MYSELF. NOW, I WAS FORTUNATE. I LEFT THE AIR FORCE ON A FRIDAY AND STARTED AT A TV STATION IN SAN ANTONIO ON A MONDAY AND AND I DIDN’T HAVE A DIFFICULT JOURNEY TO TRAVEL. BUT THAT’S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. SO WHAT JARED IS DOING IS IS REALLY COOL AND INSPIRING, AND YOU KNOW, IT’S HELPING A LOT OF A LOT OF VETERANS WHO NEED THAT NEXT STEP. BUT IN TELLING THAT STORY, WE FOUND A DEEPER STORY OF ONE OF THE GUYS THAT HE HAD HELPED AND MAYBE ONE OF THE LAST GUYS YOU MIGHT THINK WOULD NEED THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE IN A MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER.

[Ryan Robertson]

ALL RIGHT, SO THAT WAS BRETT BAKER’S FAVORITE, DEBRIEF, THE WARRIORS ETHOS BUILDING MOMENTUM. IT’S JUST A GREAT ORGANIZATION. AND REALLY GLAD WE GOT TO MEET UP WITH THEM AT SOFT WEEK. AND BRETT, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO SHARE THE STORIES OF FOLKS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT THINK NEED HELP IN THAT. TRANSITION PROCESS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT ORGANIZATION BEING ABLE TO HELP ANYONE THAT COMES TO THEM. AND I HOPE I SURE WILL MEET UP WITH THEM AGAIN AT A FUTURE SHOW, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM. SO NOW WE’LL GO TO ST LOUIS, HITTING UP THE LOO. BRIAN, YOU’RE THE GUY WHO WE GIVE YOU SO MUCH DISPARATE PIECES, AND WE SAY, PUT IT ALL TOGETHER. AND YOU DO EVERY WEEK. YOU DO A GREAT JOB WITH THAT. SO IN YOU KNOW, YOU’VE BEEN THE GUY IN THE TRENCHES FOR SO LONG, PUTTING TOGETHER PIECE BY PIECE, ALL OF THESE SHOWS, ALL THESE EPISODES. SO YOU HAVE MORE OF A FIRST HAND LOOK AT SOME OF THIS THAN MAYBE SOME OF THE REST OF US DO. SO YOUR FAVORITE DEBRIEF?

[Brian Spencer]
WELL, THIS ONE ROLLS RIGHT OFF THE TONGUE. IT’S THE INGEST EURO NATO JOINT JET PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM IN TEXAS. REALLY COOL PROGRAM FIRST, I THINK IT’S JUST SO COOL THAT WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO GUYS LIKE THEIR THEIR WING COMMANDER, COLONEL SHULMAN, AND HAVE ACCESS TO SOMEBODY LIKE THAT WHO’S JUST IN CHARGE OF THIS REALLY UNIQUE PROGRAM. AND THE SECOND THING I THINK THAT’S SO UNIQUE ABOUT THIS STORY IS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OFFICES, BRANCHES OF THE SERVICE OF OUR OWN MILITARY, ONE HAND DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S THE OTHER HAND IS DOING SOMETIMES. YET THIS PROGRAM JOINS 14 NATO COUNTRIES IN TEXAS ALL SPEAK IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, AND ALL GOING FOR THAT SINGULAR MISSION OF SECURING EUROPE OR THE SKIES OVER EUROPE. AND I JUST THINK THAT’S REALLY COOL, THAT THEY’RE ABLE TO OVERCOME ALL THE BUREAUCRACY OF THE MILITARIES OF EACH COUNTRY AND THEN OVERCOME THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, THE CULTURE BARRIER, AND JUST BECOME THE BEST FRIENDS AND HAVE BROTHERS IN THE SKY.

[Ryan Robertson]

I CAN SEE HOW THIS TRANSITION IS GOING TO WORK, BROTHERS IN THE SKY, AND THEN YOU’RE GOING TO GO TO SOMETHING LIKE SUPER EMOTIONAL. AND YOU KNOW, WE’LL GET PEOPLE CRYING. SO GOOD. INTRO, BRIAN. ALL RIGHT, THAT WAS OUR PROFILE ON THE INJECT PROGRAM, THE EURO NATO JOINT JET PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM IN WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS. AT LIKE YOU, BRIAN, I WAS REALLY GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT STORY AND TURN THAT JUST SOME BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF. SO I USED TO WORK WITH A GAL AT A STATION IN WICHITA FALLS WHO IS NOW MARRIED TO SOMEBODY I JUST I’M NOT GOING TO SAY HIS NAME PROPERLY, IS CALL SIGN IS VENOM, WHO WORKS WITHIN THE INJECT PROGRAM. AND HE WAS ABLE TO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH THE PROPER PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS AND EVERYTHING. SO THANK YOU, KROS, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE FOR HELPING US GET THAT STORY. OKAY, DAKOTA, DAKOTA IN DENVER. SO AS OUR GRAPHICS ARTIST, YOU MAKE OUR SHOW LOOK BETTER THAN IT SHOULD EVERY WEEK. YOUR YOUR ABILITY TO KIND OF TAKE THESE CRAZY CONCEPTS AND MAKE THEM INTO, YOU KNOW, JUST THESE BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. YOU KNOW, REALLY GLAD THAT YOU’RE WORKING ON THE SHOW, GLAD THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SHOWCASE YOUR SKILLS. SO ON THAT NOTE, DAKOTA, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DEBRIEF THIS YEAR?

[Dakota Piteo]
YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN’T PICK BASED UPON WHAT I THOUGHT WERE THE COOLEST GRAPHICS, AT LEAST NOT FOR THE DEBRIEF, BUT I PICKED EPISODE 33 THE PIECE ON ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, WHICH IS BASICALLY, LIKE INDUSTRIAL 3D PRINTING WITH LIKE METAL, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE AND SEE OR LAY THAT INTO A FINISHED PART. AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY COOL THAT WE COULD, LIKE, RESURRECT THESE, LIKE ANCIENT PIECES OF MILITARY TECH, YOU KNOW, THESE PLANES THAT HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 70 YEARS, THAT THE FACTORIES HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN FOR 40 YEARS OR WHATEVER. AND YOU KNOW, REALLY MAKE A PART THAT’S SPECIAL FOR THEM, AND NOT HAVE LEAD TIMES BE MONTHS OR YEARS, OR HAVE TO SPIN UP A FULL FACTORY. YOU CAN SPIN UP SOMETHING SMALL AND GET, YOU KNOW, YOUR PART WHEN YOU NEED IT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT REDUCING COSTS. AND I THINK IT HAS TANGIBLE BENEFITS FOR LIKE, THE REAL WORLD, LIKE EVERYDAY PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU NEED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, 3D PRINTING IS SO VIABLE. AND THEN IF WE CAN MOVE THAT ON TO LIKE AEROSPACE, OR EVEN JUST A PART YOU NEED IT FROM HOME DEPOT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THING. YOU NEED SOMETHING CUSTOM FOR YOUR OLD FURNACE, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. I THINK IT’S A REALLY COOL PRACTICE, AND I’M REALLY GLAD WE COVERED IT.

[Ryan Robertson]

ALL RIGHT. 3D PRINTING, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, AS IT’S KNOWN IN THE INDUSTRY. AND LIKE YOU, DAKOTA, I’M FASCINATED WITH THAT TECHNOLOGY. THE MORE WIDESPREAD WE COULD MAKE IT, THE MORE COST EFFECTIVE IT’S GOING TO BE. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE, THE FOUR OF US, DON’T HAVE ACCESS, AT LEAST I DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A 3D PRINTER, BUT I KNOW WE WORK WITH FOLKS WITH. IN STRAIGHT OR ARROW NEWS THAT DO, AND THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO 3D PRINT SOME JUST, YOU KNOW, OFF THE WALL THING, LIKE A MASK, YOU KNOW. AND I JUST THINK, LIKE, WHEN’S THE DAY GOING TO COME WHERE IT’S LIKE, OH, I NEED A I NEED A NAIL, AND I JUST GO TO MY GARAGE, 3D PRINTED OUT. AND THAT TECHNOLOGY COULD BE DOWN THE ROAD VERY SOON, BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW THE MILITARY KIND OF LEADING THE INDUSTRY CHARGE TO TO MAKE THIS COST EFFECTIVE. SO QUAD FATHERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR THE OUR FAVORITE DEBRIEFS FOR THIS PORTION OF THE SHOW. STICK AROUND, THOUGH, BECAUSE UP NEXT WE HAVE OUR FAVORITE WEAPONS OF THE WEEK.