SOFcast cover art

SOFcast

SOFcast

By: USSOCOM
Listen for free

About this listen

 SOFcast is the official podcast of U.S. Special Operations Command. Listen to members of America's elite special operations forces discuss leadership, overcoming challenges, and current issues for the force. Hear from special operations personnel like Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, Army Rangers, Marine Raiders, Air Force Special Operators, pilots, medics, communicators, and more!


Copyright US Special Operations Command Personal Development Personal Success Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • S6 E9 - Jim O'Brien - Leadership, Legacy & the Global Brotherhood of SOF

    S6 E9 - Jim O'Brien - Leadership, Legacy & the Global Brotherhood of SOF
    Jun 25 2025
    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 the next generation of Green Berets. He shares powerful lessons from time in Iraq with partner forces like El Salvador’s elite troops, reflects on the enduring influence of mentors like Tim Norris and Joe Dawson, and opens up about passing the torch to the next generation, including his two sons, both now infantry officers.

    Jim’s story is about more than tactics or titles. It’s about showing up, serving others, and doing the basics right every time.

    Whether you’re in uniform, raising one, or leading a team of any kind, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • S6 E8 - John Dailey — Forging the Foundation of MARSOC

    S6 E8 - John Dailey — Forging the Foundation of MARSOC
    Jun 18 2025
    🎙️ 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 leader in Det One — and how that experimental unit would ultimately pave the way for what we now know as Marine Raiders. He shares how the Recon community bridged the gap into SOCOM, how his team picked their operators by reputation and character, and what it meant to fight for validation in the early days of the GWOT.

    Now a civilian shaping the next generation of Raiders, John reflects on the formation of the MARSOC training pipeline, the difference between institutional memory and adaptive thinking, and why “tough, rugged bastards with hard feet” still matter in tomorrow’s fight.

    This is a story about standing something up from scratch — and then standing by it for two decades. Listen now.

    #SOFcast #QuietProfessionals #MARSOC #ForceRecon #VeteranVoices #SpecialOperations #Leadership #JohnDailey #DetOne #RaiderHeritage
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • S6 E7 - Michael Rodriguez — Service With & Without a Uniform

    S6 E7 - Michael Rodriguez — Service With & Without a Uniform
    Jun 11 2025
    🎙️ 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 mission.

    Rod reflects on the power of storytelling, the burden of unseen wounds, and how art, policy, and advocacy became his new battlefields. From serving on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to leading the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, he shows how special operations values translate to national service, community impact, and legacy.

    This is about endurance, accountability, and continuing to lead long after the fight.

    The uniform may come off — but the mission never ends. Listen now.

    #SOFcast #QuietProfessionals #MichaelRodriguez #GreenBeret #GWOTMemorial #VeteranVoices #ServiceAfterService #SpecialOperations
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
No reviews yet