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In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Joel “Thor” Neeb '99 explains this simple framework. “Yes” builds experience. “No” protects focus and time. SUMMARY In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Joel Neeb '99 explains this simple framework. Yes builds experience. No protects focus and time. Leadership is knowing when to shift. SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK JOEL'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS 1. Time is your most finite — and most misused — resource. Facing mortality created instant clarity: Stop letting others waste your time. You must actively protect time to focus on what matters most. 2. Regret comes from inaction — not failure. Neeb didn't regret failures — he regretted not trying things that were uncomfortable. Leadership growth = bias toward action in uncertainty. 3. Imposter syndrome + growth mindset = a leadership superpower — “I don't belong here… yet” paired with effort fuels growth. Elite teams are full of people quietly thinking the same thing — and pushing forward anyway. 4. Reinvention is not optional — it's continuous. You don't “transition” to a new role — you start over from scratch. The best leaders willingly become beginners again. 5. Comfort is the enemy of growth. When things become easy, growth stops. Leaders must intentionally seek discomfort, not avoid it. 6. Elite teams + inspiring mission = peak human performance The most meaningful work comes from: Being on a team where you feel you must earn your place and pursuing a mission bigger than yourself. This combination drives purpose and performance. 7. Say yes early in life, say no later in life. Under 35: Say yes to everything → build capability through exposure. Over 35: Say no to almost everything that doesn't align with your goals → protect focus. Leadership maturity = ruthless prioritization. 8. The future belongs to those who disrupt themselves first. AI (and any disruption) rewards those who move early. “Stay slightly ahead of the rate of change” = competitive advantage. 9. AI should be a thought partner in everything; not a replacement but an accelerator. Leaders who integrate AI into daily workflows will move exponentially faster. 10. Think in five-year transformations, not three-month wins. People overestimate short-term output and underestimate long-term transformation. Leadership requires a bold long-term vision and daily actions from that vision. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 — Introduction: From Fighter Pilot to CEO-Level Leadership 00:00:49 — Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis: The Moment That Changed Everything 00:03:48 — Clarity on Time, Regret, and What Truly Matters 00:07:02 — Reinventing Yourself: Leaving the Military & Starting Over 00:10:04 — Growth Mindset, Imposter Syndrome & Elite Teams 00:13:38 — Learning the Language of Business 00:17:14 — AI Is Disrupting Everything: What Leaders Must Know 00:22:46 — Using AI as a Thought Partner to Move Faster 00:24:58 — Say Yes Early, Say No Later: Mastering Your Time 00:35:06 — Big Goals, Long-Term Thinking & Final Leadership Lessons 00:37:22 — Joel's Big Audacious Goal: Leading Through AI Disruption 00:42:47 — Using AI to Learn Faster (Even While Working Out) 00:48:14 — Closing Thoughts and Key Takeaways ABOUT JOEL BIO Joel "Thor" Neeb '99 is a recognized business leader in the software-as-a-service (SAAS) industry. He most recently served as vice president of execution and transformation at VMware, where he led a cultural and operating model transformation for the 40,000-person company as well as helped launch VMware's AI roadmap and strategy. Prior to VMware, he served as chief executive officer at Afterburner Inc., where he led more than 100 elite professionals, including former fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, and Army Rangers, in helping global organizations achieve breakthrough performance. Neeb is a former United States Air Force F-15 mission commander. He was the tactical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the U.S. Air Force and oversaw the execution of a $150-million-per-year flight program. CONNECT WITH JOEL LINKEDIN | 8x8 CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor: Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ryan Hall | Director: Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor: Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer: Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org ALL PAST LBL EPISODES | ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS: Guest, Joel "Thor" Neeb '99 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:11 Joel, my friend, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Joel Neeb 0:13 Thank you very much. So glad to chat with you. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:15 Oh gosh. Well, we are excited for this. It's going to be just a filled conversation of incredible insights, and you have so much to share. And I think what's really special about this is how we're going to touch into AI, because it is relevant, and it's everywhere now, but I actually want to dial it back first to a very specific moment in time, and it's probably an area that has really transformed your life, right? So you went through stage 4 cancer. I mean, not many people can say that they have gone through that and survived it, and I think it also really impacted others in your family. Can you just share a little bit about your story? Joel Neeb 0:49 Yeah, so back in 2010 I was flying, on top of the world. I was going through the interview process for the Air Force Thunderbirds, and I found out, out of nowhere, that I had a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. So within just a couple of weeks, I went from feeling like I was at the peak of good health to now being told that I had about 18 months to live and a 15% chance to live five years. And those would be a pretty gruesome five years if I did make it that far. And so that was the new reality that I had to contend with. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 1:19 I can't even imagine that. I mean, just… Was there some kind of indication, like, you went in and you were checked up and they found this? I mean, it just wow, just boom. Joel Neeb 1:30 You know, it's funny. I actually have to credit the flying role with most likely diagnosing and solving this for me early. Because when I would fly and I'd have my G suit on my abdomen, it would inflate against me when I pulled Gs, and it was a pain that I was experienced on the right side of my abdomen that right around my appendix. On a scale of one to 10, it was like a two. So nothing big, but big enough that when I went and saw the flight surgeon for my annual physical, I mentioned it, and I said, I'm sure it's nothing, but they did the right thing, and did some quick tests and ultrasound on that area and some MRI work, and they were able to very quickly determine that a big tumor grown in that spot. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:09 Wow. Well, I guess right there, just a lesson off the bat is listen to your body. You know your body, and if something doesn't feel right, seem right, you know, say something and get it checked out. Joel Neeb 2:18 That's exactly right. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:19 Oh, my goodness. OK, so you got that diagnosis. You're sitting there with that information. How do you process that? What is the conversation with your wife, you know, what's the next step when you're given some kind of timeline like that? Joel Neeb 2:34 Yeah, you know, it's interesting. I would have thought having gone through like fighter pilot training and even the Air Force Academy, and, you know, all the things that build resilience in life, that I would have felt more prepared for that moment. In other words, that I would have felt more prepared than the average individual. But I did not. I felt, I felt very much like I was in a catastrophe from which I couldn't see how to get through the day to day activities. I was a zombie around the house and it really relied on my wife and my family stepping in to help me. And so for a good couple months, it's was just kind of inconsolable and, you know, I always like to say it was, I would wake up and go through my day very, very tired because I didn't sleep the night before. And then I go to bed staring at the ceiling fan spinning, trying to figure out, you know, any options that I would have to extend my life for my kids to remember me a little bit. I had a 1- and a 3-year-old and so I went through life for a couple of months just a zombie and doing very poorly. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 3:38 So what changed in that couple of months that, I guess, changed the trajectory of how you looked at things, or how you approached her, or what happened? Joel Neeb 3:48 Yeah, you know, there's a great quote that I repeat a lot, which I think makes a lot of sense, which is “the dying have the most to teach us about life.” And what it really means is that when you're faced with these types of struggles, that all of a sudden, whether you're 80 or 33 like I was, you get a certain amount of clarity right in that moment and it's good for eliminating the rest of the noise in your life and identifying what's most important and what should have been most important all along. And that comes through and is in the forefront is it was fascinating to me that the moment I got the diagnosis, immediately I was mad at myself for spending any extra time at work, like it was like a light switch in my head went off and said, like, “You shouldn't have stayed that extra hour at work just to watch the clock turn. You were done with your job there.” I had a boss at the time that I was a huge fan of and he was a clock watcher, and wanted just to be in there to fill up time. And my mind immediately went to “now my finite resource is time, and I've been wasting it.” And I remember vowing that I'll never waste my time again, and I've been very disciplined against letting anybody steal time from me from that point forward; that was one of the key things I took away. And then looking back in my life, there were things I regretted, things that I celebrated and that I was proud of, and also considered what I would do differently if I was given a second chance. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:05 So, you know, you wrote a book called Survivor's Obligation. I'm curious about this journey, though, because obviously you beat it 15 years later, you're here. So, you know, you beat the odds of the 18 months. What was that like when you still had to provide for your family? You know, you were still working like, what was that journey like? Joel Neeb 5:25 Yeah, first of all, I have to credit the Air Force with showing up in a huge way. At that time, I was watching other people in the civilian sector who were undergoing cancer struggles, and they had a much more difficult time than I did. The Air Force had stepped in and was making meals around the clock for my family. I didn't have to show up to work. I you know, they afforded me every opportunity to get better and I really credit the Air Force family with getting me through that period of time, in ways I just certainly would not have been able to get through on my own, and in terms of, like how I looked at my life as I was thinking about the things I was proud of and the things I regretted. The things that I was proud of I was a little surprised by, and the things I regretted I was surprised by. I didn't regret my failures, of which there were many. I didn't regret them, because what I actually regretted were those times that I didn't try, where there's times where I didn't make the effort into doing something new that was a little bit scary, that would have put me outside of my comfort zone, and maybe would have challenged my ego a little bit. And now the end of my life was here, and I'd never have a chance to do anything else. You know, my story was complete. And I said, you know, really angry at that. Had I gotten a second chance, I would do things very differently. I love being a fighter pilot, but I would have preferred it to have been a chapter in my life, not the entire book. I would have tried to go to the business world and done all these things, and when I did get that second chance, and basically, God called my bluff and said, “All right, let's see if you actually follow through with this.” Then, of course, I had to hold myself accountable to living differently in that next chapter. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:02 So that's what you're doing now. You're living in this next chapter. And so, I mean, I think there's a transition out of the military. Obviously, you retired as a lieutenant colonel. And so talk us a little bit about in this moment of what you're going to do if given a second chance. Let's talk about what some of those things that you took a chance on, maybe in the business world first. Joel Neeb 7:24 Sure. So our mutual friend, Kovacic, he says, “I'm in the middle of my Texas Longhorn MBA right now. It's amazing. It's just down the street from you.” He knew — he was following my cancer struggle closely. And he said, “Look, you're two years into this journey. Who knows what the future holds?” But I talked to him about wanting to be in the business sector and trying something new. And he said, “If you're serious about that, you should join the MBA program.” And so that's what I did. I went and joined the MBA program and had a blast being the dumbest guy in the room, by far, in business school. At the same time, it almost reminded me of being a fighter pilot again, or at least the early days of being a fighter pilot, because it was a little bit of a combination of terror and exhilaration, which is really what I loved about being a fighter pilot. That first time you go upside down by yourself and in pilot training and you prove to yourself you can do it, you're a little bit terrified, but fully exhilarated, and knowing that this is exactly what you should be doing. At the same time, I had that same sentiment as I'm sitting in business school classes, as I'm trying to keep up with the conversation there, and you say, “Well, you know that's so different from flying a plane, how are you getting the same joy out of it?” And it's really because where I landed with, you know, what did I value most in life. It came down to the times when I was on an elite team with an inspiring mission, an elite team, meaning I felt like I didn't deserve that spot there. And the little secret was, everybody on the elite team didn't feel like they deserve that spot there. But boy, are they going to try to earn it. And then that inspiring mission that we're pursuing, whether it was our time at the Air Force Academy, I always felt like I didn't deserve to be there. I felt like that was an incredibly elite team with an inspiring mission. Felt the same way about being a fighter pilot. Had a healthy dose of imposter syndrome going through all of this, but I've learned to believe that that's a bit of a superpower, in a sense, because if you have imposter syndrome coupled with a growth mindset, which means I don't belong here today, but I can sure earn the right if I try hard. I think that helps us to really realize the full potential of our lives. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:26 Really well said. And I think that actually kind of helps us see how you're able to make that transition. I want to go back to the fact, — first off, Kope is amazing. I love that he, you know — it talks about the Long Blue Line and our networks from the Air Force Academy. They really are for life. And I think, you know, you just, kind of just showed that you applied and you participated in this MBA program when you're in your mid-30s. Then can you talk about that a little bit? I think there's an interest in, “Oh, if I didn't do this in my 20s, it's too late.” Can you talk about that transition in, you know, your mid-30s, and do you think that was the right time? Can people do it later in their life, etc? Joel Neeb 10:04 So I would say you certainly can do it at any point in life. You can recreate yourself at any point. A lot of — gonna go totally off topic, but a lot of longevity science is saying that the first person to live to be 150 is alive today, meaning we're all going to see a lot more healthy years hopefully in our lives than ever before. So that should mean that all of us should pursue multiple chapters, and there's certainly not a point in life where we're done reinventing ourselves. But the key is the word “reinventing.” And I was at a point in my career where, at 33 years old, I was very, very comfortable flying. I was very, very comfortable doing air shows and flybys and leading missions and signing autographs. And so my identity was a lot of ego and not a lot of growth, meaning it felt good to be told how great I was at doing a certain skill set, but it wasn't that hard to do anymore. It becomes rote, and I wasn't growing at this point. In order to go into the business world, I had to completely reinvent myself. And I like to tell people that are transitioning out of the military, as difficult as it was to do the first thing, whether that's be a fighter pilot or an intel officer, or how you had to reinvent yourself at 23 years old — that's just as challenging as it's going to be. You have to sign up again for the B course, as we call it, as fighter pilots. The thing that introduces you to being a fighter pilot and realize that you're devoting that much effort to reinvent yourself. And people would push back and say, “Yeah, but you've already led in these environments. You have all of these things that should carry over. Wouldn't it be easier for you just to make a transition and less of that initiation energy that's required to start this new thing?” The answer is no, you literally have to start it over, as if you're 25 years old. You got to eat a lot of humble pie and realize you're not special in this environment. But the good news is, you can become special very quickly if you're willing to reinvent yourself now — you bring perspective that nobody else can carry. Nobody else knows how to navigate high stakes, life-or-death environments like we've learned in the military. Nobody shows up with the processes that we've learned through checklists and through cultural training, all the things that maybe we didn't even aware that we're seeing. As soon as you see the opposite in the business world and you realize, well, we don't have that great of a culture here. We had a great one in the military. That's a huge resource that you can bring into that environment, but only after you've completely reinvented yourself and translated your skill set into something that's meaningful for that business setting. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:28 So Joel, that's fascinating, because what you're saying is you're almost stripping yourself of all these experiences to really open up your aperture for what's new. And I'm curious if this was a way you came into that? Sid you go in with your eyes wide open with that plan, or did you learn this about yourself? Joel Neeb 12:47 I came into it arrogantly. I went into these conversations thinking, “Wait till they see how much I have to offer. I've been in very complex scenarios. I've led my way out of them. I have all these awards for being a good leader and a good instructor, and so just wait until they see what I've got to offer.” And that's why business school helped me out a lot, because in a sandbox setting that really didn't have consequences, I got to participate in conversations and learn very quickly I didn't know what they were talking about and that they were — they had an understanding around business already that I didn't have. I didn't understand the language, and I needed to really reeducate myself to become ready in this moment. And so there were moments in that period where I would have done very differently in approaching that next transition, had I known how far I had to go to really having something to offer the business sector. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 13:38 Was there a moment during that time when you were getting your MBA that, in a way that cancer startled you as a life-or-death situation, and you changed your you know — “If I'm given a second chance.” Was there a moment in the business, you know, getting your MBA where you like, really, like, linked into like, this is what I'm going to be doing. It was so clear to you the next move in this, in this journey. Joel Neeb 14:04 Yeah, I say that. I mean, there's one that stands out that really showed how little I understood the business world. So they're talking about pipeline in this conversation at my MBA school, and they said, “You know, we need to improve pipeline. We're working on getting better pipeline for our needs.” And I'm listening to this thinking, “What are they talking about? Is this like an oil pipeline? Is this pipe plumbing? What do they mean?” And for those in the business sector, of course, you understand. They're talking about a sales pipeline. A sales pipeline is a sales funnel that shows that the leads that turns into the sales and the conversion rate and all the things that that, of course, I know intimately well. Now, at that point, it showed me that there's an entire language I just haven't been exposed to, because I'd been talking about missiles and G forces and airplanes for so long that it didn't matter how much experience I was bringing to the table. There was a language I didn't understand. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:50 I think that is really, really thoughtful in how you showed that, because then it helped you probably in navigating when you're leading, you know, other teams that have different experiences coming to the table. So when you learn that language, and I want to talk a little bit about, you know, CEO of Afterburner, let's just talk about your role in the civilian sector, your multiple roles, I'd love for you to share a couple of stories where you've grown as a leader and where you've continued to learn things about yourself in that space. Joel Neeb 15:22 Yeah, so at Afterburner, what we end up doing at Afterburner, more often than not, was leading in keynotes, doing workshops for training, and what we would show them is how you can leverage the things that we learned in the military on the elite teams that we participated in, whether that's Green Beret, fighter pilot, Navy SEAL — we hired all those backgrounds, and, of course, look for teams that had a business degree on top of that. What we ended up doing was getting on stage in front of these folks and sometimes talking to 10,000 people. So I've done presentations in front of 10,000 people in my past. And what I was surprised by — thinking about the learning opportunities and where the growth came from — is that even after having done 3,000 briefings, you know, in a fighter pilot setting, and getting in front of the red flag team in Nellis and doing a presentation there, I would be behind the scenes at some of these huge presentations, and I would get incredible stage fright, I guess is the only way to say it. Butterflies. I would feel like I was going to pass out. And the reason I share this is because I was frustrated that it didn't translate better to this new thing that I was looking to do with public speaking. Now I'm talking for an hour, and I had to be engaging and comical at times, and, you know, bringing the audience into it. I say that because, once again, I was finding that that combination of terror and exhilaration and proving to myself that I could do it, and I had a new place that I needed to grow into for that now, I've done this enough times where my heart rate doesn't go up a beat when I do this at this point, but that's after doing thousands of presentations and I think the key takeaway for me was our growth is never over with, and it's growth that really feels good, and so leaning into those areas of discomfort has been something that's been really important to me my entire life, particularly after cancer. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:06 So what is growing you now? What is new for you that you are pursuing in your personal growth and development? Joel Neeb 17:14 Yeah, so it was new for me now is what's new for society, this next era with AI. AI is going to disrupt every one of our lives. And just as aggressively as AI disrupted my life with cancer, or, excuse me, as cancer disrupted my life, or even becoming a fighter pilot or joining business school disrupted my life, we see the same thing take place on a personal and professional level because of just how powerful this new technology is. And if you're sitting there wondering, “It hallucinates still, and I don't really buy it, and we'll see where this ends up,” I'm here to tell you, as somebody who's at the bleeding edge of AI that's going to transform every single thing we do in very good ways, but also disrupt the way you think you add value today, and the way you think that you know we should participate on teams right now. And so that's it's going to disrupt everything. And so I'm looking to constantly reinvent myself in the context of this next era. And I'm also looking to lead our 2,400-person company at 8x8 on that same journey, so that we can disrupt ourselves before we're disrupted. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:14 So what does that look like right now? Share something maybe that is on the leading edge of that, you know, that forefront of being disruptive before you're disrupted in your organization. Joel Neeb 18:27 Yeah, so for us, it's making this new technology as accessible as possible so that we can break down the barriers for using it and realizing that, much like in the '90s, we went from only a small technical portion of the company that was using computers, then expanded to, of course, everyone in the company is using a computer on every desk. But that wasn't always like that in the late '80s and early '90s; that was just reserved for a very technical portion of the group. Now that expanded. Of course, everyone's on the net. You wouldn't dream of trying to get a job without being internet savvy and having computer skills. We're going to see the same thing take place with AI and so, and I don't just mean using AI. I mean using AI to code, using AI to build things, and it's not just going to be reserved for that technical component of the company anymore. And so what that looks like for us: We conduct a weekly session where we talk about the use cases from the previous week on a personal and a professional level. Why is that important? Because now we're breaking down that barrier. So last week, I'll give you an example. We had somebody whose father passed a couple months ago, and this person had he lives in the UK. He's from Africa. His father had never met his son, so this person's grandson, his father's grandson, he'd never met. And by using AI at his funeral, he was able to take their images and create a moment where they came together and hugged and picked up the grandson and played this really touching video for the rest of the people there to share in that moment that never really happened, of course, but was able to celebrate this person's life and that connection through the grandson. And it was just a really I mean, they were people that were getting emotional, talking about it, listening to the story. And then we have somebody else say, I had my basement flood, and I took pictures of it, and I used AI to imagine how we would have to renovate it and build it back better. And somebody else says I successfully used AI to combat the tax increase on my house, because I came up with good comparables around the area and a good way to beat it. By the way, it's a really good one to use, if you have… Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:32 A mental note right there. Joel Neeb 20:33 Exactly. So we're lowering the barriers on a personal level. So then when I tell you on a professional level, here are my expectations for how you'll bring AI to the table to accelerate the things you're already doing, the teams are ready to do that, and that's been a really important aspect of this journey. Naviere Walkewicz 20:50 Is it important for an organization to already have a culture that is open to — I think what you know is you're going to get a bunch of different perspectives. You're going to get a, you know, maybe thinking outside the box that you wouldn't have thought of. So would you say that the organization was ready for that? Or have you had to create that culture along the way? Joel Neeb 21:11 Yeah, I'd say, you know, change is hard. Nobody likes change. We like being through change. And so one of the things that growth provides an opportunity to change for the better, but it's always start to get that activation energy to really pursue change. And so what we had to teach the culture at 8x8 is to not be change weary, but to be change ready, and to understand that in this era, our ability to stay a couple months ahead of the rate of change will be a superpower the likes of which no one can compete with us. Meaning as difficult as it is to pursue this change and to continue reinventing yourself — and when I say revenge up, I mean if you're doing the same thing today in six months, then you're gonna be passed by — literally changing that fast. And we're seeing that inside of our company. And so the new constant will be changed. The new constant will be disruption. And the faster we get comfortable with that, and the faster we realize that if we disrupt ourselves a little bit faster than the competition, that's a superpower, but we're already enjoying it internally within 8x8, but it's because we've forced ourselves to get a little bit ahead. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:15 that's really interesting. And I imagine, would you say that it takes, you know, when you are in this transformation mode, because this is what you're taking your organization through, you know, how are you coaching as a leader? How are you — maybe it's through the repetition of trying it in their personal life. But you know, what are you sharing from a leadership perspective that's helping them think that way constantly, right? I mean, it's different from, “OK, I'm going to do this today and…” But how are they constantly ingraining that in themselves? And how are you leading that? Joel Neeb 22:46 Yeah, a couple of ways. One, we're saying that AI should be a thought partner in everything that we do, maybe not a thought leader, meaning, I'm not going to hand off a decision or an activity to AI, per se, but literally in everything that we do. So I'll give you a quick example in your role. So you're doing podcasts, and these are amazing. And by the way, you're poised, and I'm not surprised after knowing you at the Academy, because you were very polished then. But this is incredible. You did a phenomenal job with this. But let's say that you want to get some feedback after this session. You can take this transcript, upload it to AI, and you would say, “Give me the key themes from this session that we discussed.” You could say, “Create emails that will be enticing and send them out to the entire team based on this transcript that we have for this conversation.” You could say, “Create new episodes and new questions for the next 10 guests that will continue to weave a red thread of common questions and common themes throughout all these.” Where I'm going with this is when you consider how to use AI as a thought partner in everything that you're doing, you can go 100 times faster on the key things that we want to accomplish. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:52 I believe that wholeheartedly. And just a little side story, I'm coaching my son's fifth grade basketball team. Never coached basketball before, and he's going to be middle school next year, so it's the one and only year. But I used ChatGPT to build out my coaching plan, and we are — we only lost our first game and we've been undefeated since so I'm going to hand it off to my ChatGPT coaching partner. Joel Neeb 24:13 That's amazing. That's a great story. See, that would be one we'd love to hear at our session that we do every week around how accessible AI is. Because people hear that and they say,” I can do that too. I want to bring that to my kids game.” The more we use it every single day, the better prepared we're going to be for the big changes that are coming. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:27 Excellent. So Joel, I want to dig into your personal life a little bit, because you have such a fascinating way of — I mean, you make everyone feel that the moment that they're spending with you is 100% theirs. But I know in the background — and your time is important, you talked about that — but I know in the background, you are doing so many things. You've got your family is a key pillar. You know, your health and fitness is a key pillar. You're traveling all the time. As a leader. You know, how are you navigating all of that and doing it so well? Joel Neeb 24:58 Well, first of all, I appreciate the sentiment. I certainly don't feel like I'm always doing it well, but I'll tell you my philosophy and how I mentor people that are that are pursuing a path to their dreams, and whatever that dream might look like, is the following. I tell them, “If you're younger than 35 years old, you need to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way.” What do I mean by that? When the boss asks you if you're able to give a big sales presentation, even though the voice in the back of your head says you're not ready for this — “I don't think you you're gonna do well,” the answer is yes. You prepare yourself, you go out there, you embarrass yourself, you do it better next time. And that's how you learn through that process. When they ask you if you're ready to go lead this mission, your answer is yes. You're gonna figure it out. You're gonna do everything behind the scenes to make sure that you're successful. And you're going to push yourself into that discomfort zone and ensure that you're leaning into all of those opportunities as aggressively as you can. Why? Because it's exposure to all of those areas of discomfort that really owns the discipline for us to perform in this positive way when you get to those areas now. When you're after 35 years old, the main advice that I give to people is that you're flipping the script. You are no longer going to say yes to everything you're asked. You're going to aggressively say no to everything you're asked unless it aligns to your key things that you want to pursue in life. So you're completely looking at it in a different direction. I've said yes to everything for the first half of my life. Now I'm saying no to everything in the second half. Why? Because it's the distractions that stop us from doing the big things in life. Once we pass about 35 years old, the better you are at saying no to things, the freer your time will be to say yes to the most important things. So while it looks like I'm juggling a lot of things, to your point, I'm aggressively saying no to everything else that doesn't align with a few things that I have really focused my time on. Naviere Walkewicz 26:52 So let's pull that thread a little bit more, because saying no is uncomfortable, and it may feel to some that they are letting others down. How do you or how might you coach them through telling someone no? Joel Neeb 27:09 Yeah, I would say that I don't have that problem. I probably did, and certainly prior to cancer, I would have. I am at the place now after I've learned how short all of our lives are, not just my life because I had a cancer battle. And the big surprise for me was not that I might die in 18 months, it was that I was going to die at all. Because for all of us, that notion of death is so far away and really something that we don't really come face to face with very often in life, that all of a sudden I had to accept the fact that I was going to die someday, and I better make good use of the time between now and then. So when people ask to have my time, I aggressively say no. I never feel bad about it. And then I also introduce gatekeepers to my time on top of that. So I don't even — most of the time you're working with my executive assistant, most of the time you're gonna be working with somebody on my team, and that's because I want to jealously guard my time at this stage so I can be as incredibly impactful on the few things that I want to do as possible. That desire dwarfs any emotional attachment I would have to say no to somebody else that long time. It doesn't even cross my mind to think twice about it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:25 I think that's a great lesson right there. I mean, I think if you actually put time as the, you know, main, the thing you're protecting, right, everything else on to your point, it dwarfs behind that. And I think the way you did that, you actually made it very doable for people to say no, because now you've created gatekeepers, you put some stops in there. And I think that's a lesson that people can take away as they're looking to navigate their journey forward. So thank you for sharing that for sure. So, you know, you wrote two books, I'm sure there's probably more. Is that something you've always wanted to do, or has that been a realization of “I've experienced this, and there's a — I need to share this. Like, what was the impetus behind writing books on your experiences? Joel Neeb 29:09 Yeah, great question. Very different reason I wrote both books. So the first book was born out of this feeling that as I was going through cancer, that clarity that I experienced: The dying-have-the-most-to-teach-us-about-life piece of it, I came back to the sense that, wow, I wish I knew this before I had cancer, I would have lived my life very differently, and I had made a deal with God that, you know, if I do make it through this, I want to share these insights and share what you know, my perspective was from being on this precipice with death and what I take away from it, because I did think it was valuable enough for my life to share with others in my immediate vicinity and then to write it in a book. And I just needed to get that out of me. The second one for the insight age is much more around what is the template that I wanted to pursue within companies to help take them from the Information Age where we have universal access to information, to the Insight Age, where we now have universal access to AI-driven insights, and how you prepare for that. I wanted people to have the template for it and understanding about how I approached it before I showed up so that we could all be on the same sheet of music when I led the transformation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 30:15 OK, that's really helpful. So as we think about AI in business, and, you know, having a template for that, can we talk a little bit? And we went to the Air Force Academy, and so I, gosh, I can't even imagine how I might have been a better student had we had AI back in the day. But how do you see AI disrupting? You know, our service academy cadets are, you know, anyone going through, you know, degree programs, you know, how do you use it where there's still original thought, but obviously it's, there's a thought partner that is helping you and maybe accelerate that. I mean, how is that working? Joel Neeb 30:49 It's the same shift that you and I both experienced with universal access to information in the Information Age. And so in other words, there was a time where you had to memorize every phone number that you would call in your network, right? I mean, I sat down — we went to a high school reunion recently and we all sat down and we're trying to rattle off the phone numbers across the table. And we got most of them out there, still lingering in our head somewhere, these memorized phone numbers for everybody. I couldn't tell you, like, my kids phone numbers at this point, like, because I'd push a button and I just get it. And where I'm going with that is we're now in an era where memorization of rote facts and phone numbers and just facts that you can find in the internet is no longer required, and we're used to that, right? And so I wouldn't say that we think less. I would say we think a lot more. At this era there's a risk right now of saying, “I'm no longer going to be required to do critical thinking, because AI is going to do some of that for me.” And the answer is, it will. But much like I got a calculator for every GR that I got to go to — I did a math minor at the Academy… Col. Naviere Walkwicz 31:54 That's why I didn't see you in any classes. Joel Neeb 31:59 I brought a calculator to every test, but it certainly didn't make it easier. If anything, it made it harder. I would have had an easier time like writing down calculations and just having to do the arithmetic. Because I had something that did the arithmetic for me, it elevated my thought process and made me more responsible for the critical thinking. You're going to see the same thing with AI. So as you think about it, how AI will disrupt a knowledge institution like the Air Force Academy. At first blush, we would think, well, it's just going to make it easier to cheat. It's going to make it easier to do the things that we're doing today. Yes, it does, just like if I only was doing arithmetic, a calculator makes it easier for me to do that, and I can turn my brain off. But as we all know, it's just going to elevate the threshold for what is required of us, right? So we're going to go in right, we're going to go into this next era with a thought partner on everything that we do, but you still have to guide that thought partner. You still have to point it in the right direction. You have to ask it the right questions. This era is going to be much less about having the right answers and much more about asking the right questions to find success. Col. Naviere Walkwicz 32:59 Which is critical thinking at its finest, honestly. Fascinating. So, you know, Joel, I think about you and, you know, when I see the, like, the things that you're doing, American Ninja Warrior, your family is involved in this. How do you see, you know, how do you bring your family into the vision that you have it with the growth mindset? Do you see that that's how your family is? All the children are raised that way your wife is. I mean, is this the way that the Neeb household kind of operates? And has it always been this way, or has it really been since you kind of came to that realization that life is too precious for me to live otherwise? Joel Neeb 33:35 Yeah, I mean, I try to live the philosophy that I want my family to live as well. And it's not the Joel show, meaning this is not just for them to support me and go cheer in the crowd at American Ninja Warrior. My wife has gone on and done physique competitions like you have as well. Col. Naviere Walkwicz 33:49 She's amazing. Your whole family's amazing. Joel Neeb 33:53 And she's a regional board member for a group called YPO. So she's in charge of 3,000 CEOs and a network for that. And then she just did a presentation to Europe yesterday on AI herself, and she's going to be traveling to Europe next month to do the presentation in a live setting. And so where I'm going with this is, I feel like because of my cancer battle, because of what we've experienced as a family, and we've learned how precious our time was and how incredible it is to experience that combination of terror and exhilaration, all of us lean into those moments, and we don't do it perfectly, and we all get mad at traffic, and we all are lazy once in a while, and, you know, myself included, but more, we try to do a little bit extra step into that direction, because it has been such a fun way to live after having the scare that we had as a family. Col. Naviere Walkwicz 34:43 That makes sense, and I can really see your family embracing that. You know, I want to ask you a question about yourself and what you're doing on a daily basis to be better, and it sounds like you're already thinking about it right? Reinvention on a constant basis. But if there was anything else you would say that you're doing on a daily basis to be better and better is, you know, in quotes, like you define what better is, what would that be? Joel Neeb 35:06 Yeah, I think that there's a couple of things that I think we should all try to do if we're trying to be, quote, unquote “better.” As you said, there's a quote I like that that says that we vastly overestimate what we can do in three months and we underestimate what we can do in five years. Col. Naviere Walkwicz 35:27 OK, wait, say that one more time. If you don't mind, say it one more time. Joel Neeb 35:30 Yeah, really, we overestimate what we can do in three months. “I can't wait for February. I'm going to do X, Y and Z.” And then we disappoint ourselves because we didn't accomplish all those things. And yet we underestimate what we can do in five years. What do I mean by that? It means that if we were intentional about what we wanted to do in the long term, about what we wanted to grow into in years from now, five years from now, you can reinvent yourself to be anything. I think conceivably, any of us could say, “I could accomplish just about anything in five years, if I put my mind to it.” The problem is we think in the short term, and so a lot of us think of I need this happen fast. I need the, you know, in three months. I need this to take place. That's putting the car before the horse. We need to define what we want to be in the long term and then back into what that implies we need to do right now. That also speaks to the focus that I have and saying no to other things, because if I have this big, audacious goal for what I want to be in the long term, then I have to say no to a lot of things if I'm going to take those steps necessary to start marching down that path. And so what I say to folks is that build that long term first, build that vision of what you want to be in the future that's exciting to you, whether that's a fighter pilot or a CEO or you name it, shoot for the stars, whatever that is that you want to be, and then start backing into it and celebrate the fact that you're doing this. In other words, then people get caught up and, you know, I feel like I'm not making enough progress, and I'm mad at myself for not taking enough steps, I would challenge that and say, don't put the pressure on yourself that you have to do this. Reverse that conversation. Say, “I get to, I get to pursue this vision.” Doesn't mean it'll take place. Doesn't mean to occur. But if I have a vision in mind, and I'm taking steps towards it, even if I don't reach it, I'm still going to be in an incredible place that I wouldn't have been otherwise. And so that's, that's the approach that I would take. Col. Naviere Walkwicz 37:18 All right, Joel, so what is your big audacious goal in five years that you're working towards? Joel Neeb 37:22 Big audacious goal? Yeah, so I am super excited about the future of AI. I think that it has a lot of positive and negative implications for society in general. And so I'll give you a quick example. Right now, we've got 9.5% of our recent graduates that are unemployed, which is much higher than it's ever been from graduating college. That's unique, and what I attribute that to is that we're just starting to see the workforce disruption that's occurring because of AI. We're starting to see the workforce drawdown that's occurring because of it. At the same time, we're seeing companies that are able to do much, much more with AI. And so they're questioning, well, how do I operate as a company? How do I teach everybody to stay on board this training and be successful in this new environment and then societally, we're challenged with, well, how do I set up our young people for success? How do I tell my 19-year-old what to do to do to be successful. So when I think about the big, hairy, audacious goal that I want to go pursue in this next chapter in five years, I want to be on the forefront, helping the government, helping companies, helping everyone to continue disrupting themselves and leaving as few people behind as possible in this next era. Because that's the real threat. And the challenge is cats out of the bag. If we don't do this, China is going to do it like others are going to pass it by. Pass it by. The wrong answer would be to try to step it back in the bag and say we're not doing any I we're going to put regulations around, putting our heads in the sand. We would just get passed by, like, in a few years by our biggest competitors out there, which we know we don't want to have happen. And so the key is, how do we keep as many people up to speed with his transformation possible? So I talked to, you know, graduates like August Pfluger, who's in Congress, and we have, yeah, he's awesome. And so we talk about, what does that look like in the future he's shaping, you know, the future from a government perspective? I talked to former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, is a good friend of mine, and we go on vacations together and a conversation we have about from a corporate perspective: How do we address this as well? So that's my big goal. That's what I want to influence over the next couple of years. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 39:22 Love that. So if you could rewind the clock and, you know, tell your young Joel, and this is really for anyone who is looking for preparing myself for that long term, right? So maybe it's not the five year, the big thing in five years, but it's — this is for what can I do today that is gonna — I'm gonna help myself — future me. What would you tell yourself, Joel? Joel Neeb 39:43 If I were to go back to Academy Joel, I would say, “Take this experience more seriously.” At the time, I kind of resented the experience that I was going through at the Academy, not understanding fully that they understood how to polish the coal to try to make it into a diamond. And I didn't always see the method to the madness behind the scenes and why they were doing things. And I would tell myself to take it more seriously, to lean into the leadership opportunities, lean into the experiences. I think it's a tendency as a cadet to lean away from those and to kind of look at those with resentment. I remember I did, and I wish I would have taken those more seriously. I wish I would have taken my 20s more seriously in terms of pursuing things that were uncomfortable, and not just getting comfortable towards the latter end of my 20s and early 30s, where I was flying upside down with ease every single day and really not doing anything that was challenging me too much. I certainly didn't have it all mastered and figured out. But my discomfort was all but gone in those moments. And so I would tell myself, “Keep leaning into those areas of discomfort, because it's in those areas that we find growth.” And growth is one of the top things that we can feel as a human being. Being a part of an elite team is growing together on an inspiring mission. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:56 Well, I know that you are, you know, constantly in the forefront of AI, but what makes you or what causes you discomfort now that you're working through? Joel Neeb 41:05 What causes me discomfort now is compelling a 2,400-person organization to move as quickly as I think we need to. In other words: right now. The things I'm talking to you about, I'm communicating with them about on a daily basis, and we have remotely dispersed teams. I'm staring into cameras like we are right now. So I'm not sitting in the room with them and helping them to learn these things. My discomfort is around how as a leader, can I be more compelling about the burning platform that they're standing on right now, that as soon as it burns away, their role is going to be obliterated, and we're going to be disrupted by the market. And how do I really excite them around this destination that we're pursuing together, where we're going a little bit faster than the rate of change? I'm proud of the progress that we've made, but in terms of the discomfort that I'm feeling, it's almost impossible to go fast enough in this era, and so I am. The thing that keeps me up at night is, how do I make this more compelling for them? And then ultimately, I know that whatever themes I'm learning right now to make it compelling is what I'm going to have to bring to society in this next chapter, as well as we try to keep the entire American society moving ahead of the rate of change that we're experiencing. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 42:14 Well, thank you for that. I would imagine you probably phoned your friend, ChatGPT, on some ways to do that, but I think that what you really shared today has opened, I think, eyes of how we can partner with technology at our fingertips. I mean, you and I were just chatting before this, and I asked you this, because one of the things I remember you being really big on is finding time to read as a family. I remember you had like Saturday family time, we read. As much as you're traveling and as much as you're trying to move your organization at this rate of change with AI, where do you find time to read now? Joel Neeb 42:47 Yeah, so I use AI for that too. So when I'm in the gym, I upload a chapter at a time into ChatGPT for the books that I'm reading, and I ask it to read it to me in the voice thing that it can do. And so it's reading the book to me. But the really cool part is, it's not just audible. I'm not just hearing, you know, the recording of it. And by the way, you can even tell it talk two times faster or whatever you want to do for the right speed. And I'll interrupt it. The cool part is, I'll say, “Hey, wait a second. I didn't really understand that that part of the book. Break it down for me in simpler terms.” And it'll actually pause, explain it to me and put it in terms that my fighter pilot mind can understand, or I'll even say, “Yeah, tell me about that theme in the context of the company that I'm in, 8x8, and tell me how we can apply that right now, and look at our industry. And how can I take some of this to that team?” And so it takes a book that was generically written and makes it customized for my experience by leveraging AI to do that. So once again, it's a thought partner in literally everything that I do. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 43:42 What's the last book that you read in which you were able to take some of those things to, or maybe that you'd recommend to some of our listeners to listen in via ChatGPT. Joel Neeb 43:51 I just finished reading the Teddy Roosevelt biography, which is phenomenal. What an incredible American, and it was inspiring to read. And I was able to pause it in parts and challenge some parts of the books and say, “Did that really happen?” And, “Tell me more about this incident in history.” And it explains some historical pieces that I wasn't aware of and the book didn't delve into as much as I would have liked it to. That's a little bit of a boring historian-nerd kind of answer, but that's what I took away from it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 44:17 Well, thank you for sharing that. So Joel, is there anything that we didn't talk about today that you would really like to make sure that we touch on? Because this has been a really exciting and fascinating conversation for me, but I want to make sure, because this has been your leadership journey, and there's so many facets to that that that we hit on the things that are important? Joel Neeb 44:33 The thing that I've learned in my time is that the foundation that we receive in the military, whether that's the cultural foundation, how we are all aligned with similar values, with a common mission that's inspiring the adherence to what we call in the business world, standard operating procedures, what you would call in the military, a checklist, effectively. That foundation that we have is easily the most valuable resource that I carried into the business world and the teams that I've been on. And I think we underestimate just how powerful that experience is, that during our 20s, we're in this incredibly disciplined environment with a really strong culture, really strong sense of value, really strong sense of mission. Pay attention to that while you have that opportunity. While you're being exposed to it, pay attention to how it was built. Pay attention to how they that accelerated our success in those teams. Because I promise you, you'll want to someday carry those concepts to every team that you're on in the future. And so I think it's an opportunity for us to leverage the incredible team that we're on in the military, and talk about that in an exciting way with whatever team that we participate on down the road. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 45:50 Thank you for sharing that. And if I could just pull on that thread a little bit more in that just in that transition, and taking those to those teams, I want to just jump to your very first transition from military to Afterburner? How did that come about for you? And I think that just our folks will be curious on that. Joel Neeb 46:10 Yeah, so Afterburner is a company that's been around since 1996 and they basically took some of those things from the military that I just spoke to, brought it into a corporate setting and helped them to adopt the same levels of positive outcomes. And when I saw this company, I said, “Wow, they really tapped into something that I that I knew as well intuitively, that if we apply some of these same themes, we could really take over anything in the business world. And so I reached out to the CEO and kept bugging him and continue to stay on his radar until he agreed to bring me into the office in Atlanta. I was living in San Antonio, and I went out there on my own dime and did an interview with them, and it went well. And of course, the rest is history after that point. But I found the thing I wanted to do and pursue, and then a very aggressively got in front of the people that could make it happen and definitely was part of the journey for me that I needed in order to be successful. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 47:04 Yes, I definitely wanted you to share that, because I knew, obviously, you had that experience. You took those things that you learned, and you wanted to hone in as you led other teams. But I think the critical piece was you pursued it, and you continue to pursue it, and you continue to pursue it until you got there, right? And so I think that's a critical part of moving forward and getting what we want. So I really am glad that you shared that, because it may seem that it's really easy just to make the transition, right? You can check all these boxes and so you're the shoe in, but it sounds like that wasn't the case, and you had to make a case for yourself. Joel Neeb 47:39 One-hundred percent. I had to be my own biggest advocate, and not in an arrogant way, in a way that I could show I could add value for that team. And that was, that was a lesson that I've taken and tried to apply since then. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 47:51 Well, I'll tell you what, it's been, gosh, 1999. How many years is that? 25 years for us? I mean, I feel like, you know, this has been a true honor to be able to sit with you. I mean, I've always watched your journey and just really been cheering you on, but I think what's incredible is how you're able to now really give back to our Long Blue Line. So Joel, thank you so much for this time today. It's been really wonderful having on Long Blue Leadership. Joel Neeb 48:14 What a privilege, Naviere. And I would say, you know, you had just asked me back in 1999 if there's a dozen people from the Academy that I thought would be very successful, your name would have been one of them. I don't think there's another person at the Academy who would have said my name. So we came from very different starting points, but I'm super excited to see the success you created, and, more importantly, the impact that you have on our graduate community, because it is noticed by everyone that I talked to. So thank you for how you lean into that our community as well. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 48:43 Thank you for saying that. And as we come to a close, I'd love to offer a few thoughts before we go. What stands out to me today from our conversation is how leadership is both timeless and adaptive. Joel's journey from commanding F-15 missions to leading global organizations and navigating AI reminds us that leadership fundamentals remain steadfast, just like you said, yet in the context in which we lead, it's always evolving, and the ability to adapt is what sets exceptional leaders apart. His story of personal resilience, overcoming stage four cancer diagnosis underscores that leadership is defined by how we respond to challenges and how we make lasting impact. From lessons in the cockpit to corporate transformation and personal discipline. Joel offers a blueprint for leading with confidence in uncertain times. Thank you for investing your time and listening in Long Blue Leadership. I encourage you to share this episode with others who are also in their personal journeys, especially because it's my classmate and he's phenomenal. Thank you for listening to Long Blue Leadership. I'm Naviere Walkewicz; until next time. KEYWORDS Leadership, leadership development, modern leadership, leadership mindset, growth mindset, resilient leadership, adaptive leadership, transformational leadership, leadership under pressure, leading through adversity, leadership lessons, executive leadership, high performance teams, elite teams, leadership philosophy, leadership strategy, personal growth, professional development, continuous improvement, reinvention, career transition, imposter syndrome, mental toughness, discipline, time management, prioritization, decision making, strategic thinking, innovation leadership, change leadership, leading through change, disruption, self leadership, accountability, peak performance, overcoming fear, stepping outside comfort zone, leadership habits, future of leadership, AI leadership, leadership in the age of AI, digital transformation, organizational culture, team culture, mission driven leadership, purpose driven leadership, high impact leadership. The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

Happy Hour 270: Claire Reynolds, Democratic Nominee for CD-11

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2026 22:20

The 11th Congressional District is one of those wildly gerrymandered and gigantic slices of Texas designed to amplify GOP power in rural areas while diminishing the more progressive voices in our urban areas - in this case, stretching from the Permian oil patch all the way through north Austin and Pflugerville. Just so happens, the long-time GOP nominee is August Pfluger, a lockstep Trump puppet who has gone without a challenger in his last two elections - but not this year. Claire Reynolds is an Austin attorney and part-time Terlingua desert dweller who's standing up as part of an historic statewide stand by Texas Democrats, looking to bring needed change and improvement to the lives of ALL of CD-11's wide range of communities.Learn more about Claire Reynolds and her campaign at https://www.clairereynoldsforcongress.org/.Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

texas donald trump cd gop reynolds happy hour congressional districts texas democrats democratic nominee permian pflugerville terlingua august pfluger

Checking in on the DHS Shutdown, SAVE America Act, and war in Iran

Hugh Hewitt podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2026 98:52 Transcription Available

Hugh covers the war in Iran, the DHS shutdown, and the SAVE America Act, and talks with Mary Katharine Ham, Noah Rothman, Sarah Bedford, Danielle Pletka, Abe Greenwald, Matt Continetti, Rep. August Pfluger, Josh Kraushaar, and a longer conversation with Haviv Rettig Gur.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

iran checking shutdowns dhs save america america act noah rothman josh kraushaar mary katharine ham august pfluger

Hail to the Chief

#StillServing: The VFW Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2026 75:05

On the heels of an electrifying VFW Washington Conference, Host Rob Couture welcomes VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore, Ryan Gallucci, Kristina Keenan, and Mike Figlioli to reflect on a landmark week of advocacy, powerful testimony on Capitol Hill and the sobering reality that American service members remain in harm's way amid escalating conflict involving Iran. Whitmore discusses delivering her testimony as VFW National Commander before a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees, calling on Congress to fully and faithfully "Honor the Contract" with veterans. The panel examines the VFW's top legislative priorities, including the Major Richard Star Act, suicide prevention, brain health, toxic exposure research, and improving access to care for veterans and service members. Watch VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore's full testimony: https://youtu.be/UXXQzZxifJs Featured Guests: Carol Whitmore – VFW National Commander Ryan Gallucci – Executive Director, VFW Washington Office Kristina Keenan – Director, VFW National Legislative Service Mike Figlioli – Director, VFW National Veteran Service Episode Highlights: 0:00 Intro and roll call 1:28 Washington Conference overview 2:11 Conflict involving Iran and service members in harm's way 5:11 Remembering the six U.S. service members killed 11:44 Why honoring the contract matters now 13:00 Carol Whitmore's testimony before Congress 15:22 Preparing the VFW legislative message 17:10 Standing ovation for the Major Richard Star Act 19:04 Suicide prevention and the human cost of inaction 22:01 Why the Major Richard Star Act matters 24:56 Sen. Ron Johnson blocks unanimous consent 27:49 How unanimous consent works in the Senate 31:21 Why the issue is fairness, not cost 40:07 VA Secretary Doug Collins at Washington Conference 41:56 Rescinding the interim final rule 46:16 "No veteran should ever have to pay for a claim" 51:05 VFW Congressional Award for Rep. August Pfluger 57:30 Bonus Army Memorial March and VFW advocacy history 1:06:35 Good of the Order 1:14:11 Closing remarks

american house preparing congress iran suicide standing senate contract capitol hill ron johnson vfw whitmore hail to the chief august pfluger

Lasting Lessons: A Long Blue Leadership Retrospective

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 9:03

In our Season 4 retrospective, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 and Wyatt Hornsby, the Association & Foundation's senior vice president of marketing and communications, revisit the clips that stuck with them. - “Mind. Body. Spirit.” - “What can I do for others?” - “Be humble. Be credible. Be approachable.” These aren't just soundbites. They're leadership gold. This episode will remind you why these conversations matter. TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE Lead from mind, body, and spirit Sustainable leadership requires caring for mental clarity, physical stamina, and spiritual/emotional grounding. Leadership is a daily practice, not a position Being a leader shows up in consistent habits and choices, not just in moments when you have the spotlight or a title. Mental health fuels clarity and creativity Protecting your mindset and mental health enables focus, problem-solving, and innovation. Physical readiness underpins reliability Long hours and high-demand environments require physical energy and stamina so you can show up for others when it counts. Spiritual/emotional health anchors your “why” Knowing your purpose and values helps you make grounded decisions and stay steady in pressure or uncertainty. Shift from “Why me?” to “What can I do for others?” Transform challenges by asking how you can serve your team and community, rather than focusing on personal hardship. Selfless leadership unlocks others' potential When you lead by example and create opportunities for others to excel, people gain confidence and stretch toward their own “superhero” potential. Humility, credibility, and approachability are core leadership traits Effective leaders are humble about their limits, credible in what they say and do, and approachable enough that others feel safe coming to them. Trust and respect are earned, not assumed Especially with large teams and many colleagues, you must earn trust and respect through consistent behavior, not rely on rank or title. Leadership is ongoing presence and intention Leadership “doesn't start with a title”; it's about showing up with intention and care, being present when it matters, and putting others first over the long term. CHAPTERS 0:00:07 Introduction & Episode Setup 0:00:54 Intro – Leadership as Daily Practice (Tanji Johnson Bridgeman) 0:01:19 Mind, Body, Spirit in Leadership 0:02:06 Reflection on Intentional, Holistic Leadership 0:02:39Intro – Selfless Leadership & Inspiring Others (Dave Harden) 0:02:59 Transforming Challenges & Leading Selflessly 0:03:26 Reflection on Timeless, Presence-Based Leadership 0:04:03 Intro – Humble, Credible, Approachable (Rep. August Pfluger) 0:04:30 Core Leadership Tenets in Public Service 0:05:37 Reflection on Trust, Respect, and Credibility 0:06:13 Season Four Recap & Invitation to Explore Past Episodes 0:06:57 New Biweekly, Year-Round Schedule Announcement 0:07:45 Closing – Core Leadership Themes & Thank-Yous ALL PAST LBL EPISODES | ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership. I'm Naviere Walkewicz. Wyatt Hornsby: 0:10 And I'm Wyatt Hornsby, and today we're hitting pause for a moment and we're going to look back. Naviere Walkewicz 0:14 Yes, this episode is our Season 4 retrospective. We're revisiting some of the leadership moments that really stayed with us long after the microphones were turned off. Wyatt Hornsby 0:25 We went back through the season and selected three clips among many amazing ones, each from a guest who brought a different perspective on leadership, but all with a common thread: responsibility to people. Naviere Walkewicz 0:36 Absolutely. We're going to play each clip, Wyatt and I will react to it and talk about why those still matter. Wyatt Hornsby 0:43 And at the end of the show, we'll also look ahead. We've got upcoming guests to share and a couple of important changes and exciting changes to how Long Blue Leadership will be published going forward. Naviere Walkewicz 0:54 Absolutely. So let's get started. All right. Our first clip comes from Tanji Johnson Bridgeman, Class of '97. Her episode stood out because of how she directly spoke about leadership being a daily practice. Now as you listen, pay close attention to how she talks about the health of your mind, body and spirit, and how those together form the foundation of great leaders. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:19 Mind, body, spirit. Why is that important? Because in anything, any philosophies that we adopt, we have to really see where it's important. So when you think of what is an officer — what is a leader going to have to do with their mind? This is where they have to have clarity. It's going to help with focus, creativity, to innovate new solutions. And so we need to be able to prioritize our mindset and our mental health. And then there's the body, right? So a lot of us are going to be going on deployments. We're going to work long hours. Our body is what's going to give us the fuel and energy and the stamina to get through a day. It's literally bringing our energy. And then you think about the spirit, and this one is really special, and it's probably the most neglected. So when you think about the spirit, this is where you're going to anchor in with your emotional health. What is your purpose? What is your why? Wyatt Hornsby 2:06 That is such a great insight. And what really resonates with me, Naviere, is Tanji's emphasis on health and wellness is a critical component of leading others — that integration. Naviere Walkewicz 2:16 Yes, well, you know, we both really take our health and wellness seriously, but I think to the level that she really talked about it being — she really had this quiet confidence, and I think that also spoke volumes, right? It's not just about being physical, but being in your mind, body and spirit really well. And so I think that when we think about how that plays into being really intentional, people will experience you differently. Wyatt Hornsby 2:39 All right. Our second clip comes from Dave Harden, Class of '95. Dave brought perspective shaped by high-stakes environments where leadership is about inspiring others. Listen for how he connects looking outside of yourself, for your team with leading them to their own greatness. Dave Harden 2:55 If we can transform, if we can pause, if we can look up right and see the faith and the what if and not say, say, Why is this happening to me? But what can I do with it? What can I do for others? How can I connect in a meaningful way? You will transform your life. You'll transform your leadership, and you'll transform the people around you, because they'll be inspired to be superheroes in their own right. Naviere Walkewicz 3:26 Wow. That was a very powerful clip. And I just remember his conversation being really powerful, because there were so many moments where we talked about, you know, when you're really leaning into the fire. But this particular clip — what spoke to me, Wyatt — he was saying, if you lead selflessly and by example, looking for others to have opportunities to excel, they actually find the confidence in what they're able to give and do and striving for more. Thought that's really powerful, for sure. Wyatt Hornsby 3:51 Agree Naviere, and that's really timeless leadership. Whether you're leading in uniform or outside of it, people trust leaders who are present when it counts. And Dave really personifies that. Naviere Walkewicz 4:03 Yes, our third clip comes from Congressman August Pfluger, Class of 2000. When we spoke to the congressman, he brought a unique perspective, one shaped by military service and now public service. His leadership journey didn't end when he took off the uniform. It simply evolved. And this clip reflects that sense of responsibility to those one leads. To do that successfully means establishing credibility. Let's roll the clip. August Pfluger 4:30 Growing up professionally in a fighter squadron, there were three tenants that they, even though I didn't go to weapons school, they teach you: that's to be humble, credible and approachable. I mean, think about that. Those are the core tenants of who our lead warriors are. And that is not what you see. When you think of politicians. You think, Well, they're braggadocios and annoying, and, you know, OK, I hope I don't fall into that category. I need to do some self-reflection every once while, but, but I've got a staff of almost 40 people, and I have 434 other colleagues that you have to work with. So you better believe that you've got to be humble, because there are people who are better than you in every category, you better believe that being approachable in this job is really important, because people are going to come to you and they're going to need something, or you're going to need something from them, and if you don't have the credibility of what you're talking about or what you're leading, then you're not going to get anything done. Wyatt Hornsby 5:37 Great insights from the congressman. And that's really one of those leadership truths that carries across every domain for him now in Washington, DC, and the congressman is reminding us that leadership doesn't start with a title. Naviere Walkewicz 5:50 I really appreciate that. I think specifically when he said he had over 400 colleagues, that really stood out to me about not leading with the title, but really leading with your virtue and being there. And so I love the fact that he talked about earning trust respect, and then with that comes credibility. Wyatt Hornsby 6:06 And being approachable. Naviere Walkewicz 6:08 Being approachable. Yes, we see him doing that all the time. Wyatt Hornsby 6:13 All right, so let's look ahead. As we close out this retrospective, we also want to take a moment to look forward, but before we look forward, let me just say that these were three conversations among so many great ones from Season 4. Naviere Walkewicz 6:26 It was hard to choose, wasn't it wise? Wyatt Hornsby 6:28 It was so hard to choose. And we encourage you, if you have not listened to all of Season 4, check them out, because there's so many wonderful guests here. Thanks for the great job you did hosting those conversations. Naviere Walkewicz 6:40 Always my pleasure. Always my pleasure. In fact, gosh, going back, I think, all the way to Season 1, there's always someone, a guest, that our graduates and other listeners, and gosh, our viewers can really resonate with. There's some wonderful leadership lesson down there. Wyatt Hornsby 6:53 And easy to find. You can you can get our episodes anywhere you get your podcast. Naviere Walkewicz 6:57 Yes, we have some outstanding guests coming up. These are leaders from across different fields, and we're excited to bring them into our Long Blue Leadership conversation. Wyatt Hornsby 7:06 And we also want to share a couple of important and very exciting changes to how Long Blue Leadership will be published. Naviere Walkewicz 7:12 Yes, we are moving away from seasons, and we're shifting to biweekly, year-round release schedule. This is so you get Long Blue Leadership all the time, year round. Right to you where you are. Wyatt Hornsby 7:23 Very exciting, and that means more consistent leadership conversations. No long breaks, just ongoing dialog. Naviere Walkewicz 7:30 Absolutely you just go to longblueleadership.org to find your Long Blue Leadership conversation. So going forward, we'll publish our annual retrospective, released each December, a dedicated moment where white and I come together to reflect on the leadership lessons we heard throughout the year. Wyatt Hornsby 7:45 Very exciting, and Season Four reminded us that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing up with intention and care, being humble, being approachable and putting others first. Naviere Walkewicz 7:57 We're grateful to every guest who shared their perspective and to you for being part of this incredible community. Wyatt Hornsby 8:03 And Naviere, while we're at it too, let's go ahead and thank Ted, our incredible producer of Long Blue Leadership. Naviere Walkewicz 8:09 Thanks, Ted. We appreciate you so much. This doesn't happen without your magic. So thank you very much. Wyatt Hornsby 8:13 Yeah, thank you, Ted and everybody. Thanks for listening. I'm Wyatt Hornsby. Naviere Walkewicz 8:18 And I'm Naviere Walkewicz. We'll see you on Long Blue Leadership. KEYWORDS Mind, body, spirit, leadership, daily practice, mental health, physical health, spiritual health, wellness, emotional health, purpose, why, selfless leadership, service, inspiring others, transformation, high-stakes environments, team, connection, trust, respect, credibility, humility, humble, approachable, virtuous leadership, public service, military service, fighter squadron, colleagues, responsibility to people, presence, intention, care, confidence, long blue leadership, podcast, retrospective, season four, biweekly schedule, year-round release, annual retrospective, leadership lessons, graduates, listeners, community The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

Lasting Lessons: A Long Blue Leadership Retrospective

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 9:03

False Alarm in El Paso? Shutdown Showdown? And $25K Reparations?! - Feb 11 Hr 3

The Joe Pags Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2026 44:09

Rapid fire news hits hard. The El Paso airport shuts down and reopens — false alarm or something more? Another government shutdown looming — will leadership step up? The so-called “Seditious Six” fallout continues. And an Illinois city hands out $25,000 payments — is this really happening? Then Rep. August Pfluger joins the show for a must-hear interview — defunding ICE, the SAVE America Act confusion, the filibuster fight, and what's really happening behind the scenes in Congress. Direct. Unfiltered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

illinois congress ice showdown shutdowns rapid el paso unfiltered reparations false alarms august pfluger then rep

Iran Attack Imminent? DHS Shutdown Fight Over ICE & Border Funding

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2026 122:44

[00:00:00] Rep. August Pfluger [00:18:26] Dr. Patrick Spero [00:36:50] First Lady Melania Trump [00:55:12] Shannon Bream [01:13:35] Kennedy [01:32:00] Marc Thiessen [01:43:31] Daryl “Moose” Johnston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

iran attack funding border shutdowns imminent melania trump shannon bream august pfluger marc thiessen patrick spero

Criminal Underworld Is Being Forced Into The Light,Trump Preparing The Country For The Win – Ep. 3831

X22 Report

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 99:22

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe green new scam is dead, and in Texas people are now seeing that wind and solar cannot support the electrical load during the cold. China said the quiet part out loud, they were suppose to be the reserve currency. Trump’s new Fed chair help with the transition. Trump is now exposing the criminal underworld the people of this country. The people are seeing all the pieces of the crimes they have committed. When the people see that all the characters are criminals and have done horrible things and that these people are the same ones that have been trying to stop trump, it is game over. Trump is now pushing the Save Act to shutdown the [DS]. Trump is setting the country up for the win. Economy Report: Texas Wind and Solar Failed During This Week's Winter Storm, Grid Carried by ‘Natural Gas and Coal' The recent snow storm that overtook Texas reportedly crashed the state's wind and solar energy generators, leading to natural gas, coal, and nuclear providing most of the state's electricity. https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/2015854614206206101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2015854614206206101%7Ctwgr%5Eccb14922c034250da614ea4ff40e89ae08ce9117%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Freport-texas-wind-solar-failed-weeks-winter-storm%2F According to David Blackmon, an energy-related public policy analyst and consultant, by the early morning hours of Jan. 26, natural gas, goal, and nuclear were providing 89 percent of all the state's power. “Natural gas alone is chugging along at an impressive 68%,” Blackmon reported online on Substack later that same day. Politico similarly reported that the U.S. energy grid “leaned heavily on coal and natural gas generation to satisfy the energy appetite from Winter Storm Fern.” https://twitter.com/mayes_middleton/status/2015822288663228536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2015822288663228536%7Ctwgr%5Eccb14922c034250da614ea4ff40e89ae08ce9117%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Freport-texas-wind-solar-failed-weeks-winter-storm%2F Source: thegatewaypundit.com China is on a ‘strong currency' mission to make the yuan a global reserve: Xi Xi Jinping says the goal of becoming an international powerhouse is a long-term one and will rest on core foundations China needs to build a “strong currency” that can become widely used in international trade, investment and foreign exchange markets, and reach the status of a global reserve. Source:.scmp.com Trump Launches $12 Billion Strategic Mineral Stockpile To Counter China; Rare Earth Stocks Jump The Trump administration is preparing to launch a major initiative aimed at protecting US manufacturers from disruptions in the supply of critical minerals, committing about $12 billion in initial funding to build a strategic stockpile of essential materials, according to Bloomberg. The project, known as Project Vault, is designed to reduce America's dependence on China for rare earths and other strategically important metals. By creating a centralized reserve for civilian industries, officials hope to cushion companies against sudden shortages and sharp price swings that can disrupt production and strain finances. Shares of MP Materials, USA Rare Earth, Critical Metals and other rare earth associated names are higher between 5% and 10% heading into the cash open on Monday on the news. At this point it’s safe to say last week’s Reuters rare earth hit piece (authored most likely at the behest of a disgruntled short), which sent the sector tumbling on disputed claims the Trump administration was seeking to distance itself from the rare earth space by moving away from a price floor on critical metals and suggesting MP’s deal with the government may be in question, has been thoroughly debunked. Even the MP Materials X account was mocking the grotesque misreporting: https://twitter.com/MPMaterials/status/2016734732835573833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Project Vault will be financed through a mix of private and public funding: $1.67 billion is expected to come from private investors, while the US Export-Import Bank is set to provide a $10 billion loan with a 15-year term. The bank's board is scheduled to vote on the deal, which would be the largest in its history. More than a dozen major companies have joined Project Vault, including General Motors, Stellantis, Boeing, Corning, GE Vernova, and Google. Three large trading firms – Hartree Partners, Traxys North America, and Mercuria Energy – will handle sourcing and purchasing materials for the stockpile. Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/Geiger_Capital/status/2018319873609290010?s=20 https://twitter.com/StephenMoore/status/2017295983940354307?s=20 https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2018300872447418573?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Political/Rights https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/2018249171900227730?s=20 https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/2018147684276748388?s=20 https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/2018146323581513971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2018146323581513971%7Ctwgr%5Ebf8eb4e3fdfcee731660a65a8ed9f8dad15fa004%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fnicki-minaj-fires-back-grammys-host-trevor-noah%2F know — yet they continue to attempt bullying. Also, I won't be releasing an album until my contract is renegotiated & until I tell you about all the sabotage this RICO is finding out about Billboard. https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/2018156644689920362?s=20 https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/2018142074906845333?s=20 accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media. Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I'll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$. Ask Little George Slopadopolus, and others, how that all worked out. Also ask CBS! Get ready Noah, I'm going to have some fun with you! President DJT https://twitter.com/Patri0tContr0l/status/2018162192676229182?s=20 the TV tells them to. https://twitter.com/DrunkRepub/status/2017198485510963485?s=20 https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/2018184786209087562?s=20 Lord Mandelson resigns from Labour Party over Epstein links Lord Mandelson says he has resigned his membership of the Labour Party as he does not want to “cause further embarrassment” by his links to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The former cabinet minister, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his past connections to Epstein, appeared in the latest release of files by the US Department of Justice on Friday. Documents suggest Epstein made $75,000 (£55,000) in payments to Lord Mandelson in three separate $25,000 transactions in 2003 and 2004. In his letter to Labour’s general secretary on Sunday, Lord Mandelson said: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.” He added: “Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. Source: bbc.com https://twitter.com/Patri0tContr0l/status/2018011104094380207?s=20 TRUMP'S DOJ that arrested Epstein. Facts are hard for professional liars like Eric Swalwell. Newly-Released Emails Reveal Jeffrey Epstein May Have a Secret Son Newly-released emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein may have a secret son. Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, congratulated Epstein on the birth of his baby boy. Ferguson said she ‘heard from the Duke' that Epstein had a baby boy. The email is date September 21, 2011 so if Epstein has a secret son, he would be 14 years old today. The Daily Mail reported: Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/JayTC53/status/2018073517368184847?s=20 Jew night” “media elite” and “once the money is paid” https://twitter.com/JayTC53/status/2018128138715443273?s=20 the biggest Trump haters were best friends with Jeffery Epstein https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2018358307052793892?s=20 since been neutralized by King Salman and new crown Prince MBS. This Epstein email reveals (confirms) two sides of the Deep State triangle. House of Saud, and the Rothschilds. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2018185343263019234?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2017859237502767117?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2018351298685419772?s=20 the documents with required redactions. With Trump exonerated & damaging details now pointing toward Democrat power brokers, the pressure has abruptly flipped back to secrecy. https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2018138887655133692?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2018017331499213275?s=20 DOGE Geopolitical https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2018020919252230227?s=20 since 1996 but was stormed by the police for the eviction 5 weeks ago. Nearly 2000 of the protesters later broke off from the main demonstration and fought the police for hours in the streets. They threw stones, fireworks and homemade bombs while also setting barricades and police vehicles on fire. Many Italians are now calling on Meloni to launch a crackdown against violent far-left extremist. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2018311833405293048?s=20 friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to “BUY AMERICAN,” at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter! War/Peace https://twitter.com/AP/status/2017881629440483383?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2018022342731976897?s=20 We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there… hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right.” https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2018030967823192563?s=20 Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2018176829723398321?s=20 https://twitter.com/Tyler2ONeil/status/2017430244496412840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2017430244496412840%7Ctwgr%5E1d06078b39cc73de0216e98cb34ee981fb7d135c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailysignal.com%2F2026%2F02%2F02%2Fbreaking-2-more-arrested-minnesota-church-invasion%2F Armstrong tells Lemon—who knows the location but is hiding it from his audience—that they’re going to “disrupt business as usual” at what we later learned was Cities Church. Lemon said he would see her there. https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2018326184468058566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2018326184468058566%7Ctwgr%5E1d06078b39cc73de0216e98cb34ee981fb7d135c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailysignal.com%2F2026%2F02%2F02%2Fbreaking-2-more-arrested-minnesota-church-invasion%2F https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2018337163188846994?s=20 https://twitter.com/Rightanglenews/status/2018101057902059727?s=20 Anti-ICE Resistance Manuals and Training at Schools Receiving Federal Funding Anti-ICE resistance training manuals, including de-arresting and blocking, are being distributed, and in some cases, the training is being held in schools receiving government funding. Image of de-arresting by Minnesota ICE Watch. Minnesota ICE Watch, the organization that Renee Good and her wife were members of, distributed a document known as the “De-Arrest Primer,” which instructs activists on how to physically interfere with law enforcement officers during arrests. The manual provides detailed guidance on pulling detainees from officers' grips, pushing and pulling officers, breaking holds, and opening law enforcement vehicles to free suspects. The manual also teaches the use of coordinated chanting to create confusion and overwhelm officers during active arrests, as well as surrounding officers until they release detainees. The guide openly acknowledges that these actions may constitute criminal offenses but argues that the risk is justified. Each successful interference is described as a “micro-intifada,” framed as a tactic meant to spread, replicate, and inspire wider disruption. The manual claims these methods originated in pro-Palestinian campus protests and presents them as a model for broader resistance activity. While no single formal publisher is identified, the manual appears to originate from broader activist and radical networks that promote direct physical interference with law enforcement. It has circulated widely through Instagram and other activist communication channels and has been used in training individuals described as “constitutional observers” or “ICE watchers.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2018111147237425556?s=20 https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2018114619320017259?s=20 JUST IN: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Signs “ICE On Notice” Executive Order to Prosecute ICE Agents Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a press conference hosted by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker / Screenshot: MSNBC Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order on Saturday, launching investigations into ICE agents and laying the groundwork for criminal referrals for alleged law violations. The order “creates a framework for public accountability in the event federal agents violate local or state law while operating in Chicago,” a press release from Johnson's office reads. “Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity' in America,” Johnson said in a statement. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/9mmsmg/status/2017633783638368516?s=20 https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/2018435428932538861?s=20 President Trump's Plan Federal Appeals Court Tosses Justice Department's Misconduct Complaint Against Judge Boasberg A federal appeals court tossed out a Justice Department misconduct complaint against Judge James Boasberg. AS previously reported, DC Chief Judge James Boasberg and other DC Judges admitted bias against the Trump Administration during a March 2025 judicial conference with Chief Justice Roberts, according to a memo obtained by The Federalist. For the last year, DC Circuit Court Judges have engaged in a judicial coup against President Trump. Far-left DC judges James Boasberg, Beryl Howell, Chutkan, Berman Jackson and others have ruled against President Trump in every case related to deportations and firings in the Executive Branch. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2018099758943084657?s=20 agencies, Los Angeles County has more than 36 states combined and 30X MORE than the whole state of Florida and New York “How is that possible? And take a look at this map, a cluster of 287 hospice providers, in a two-mile radius, some in strip malls, unmarked buildings, even a wrecking yard and vacant lot. All of it is just paperwork. I could fill that out in Kazakhstan if I want and get a hospice license waiting for me.” https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2018172495535247571?s=20 Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World. In other words, if we don't close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result! Based on these findings, and totally subject to Board approval, I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time, with a scheduled Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a Facility before. Therefore, The Trump Kennedy Center will close on July 4th, 2026, in honor of the 250th Anniversary of our Country, whereupon we will simultaneously begin Construction of the new and spectacular Entertainment Complex. Financing is completed, and fully in place! This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before. America will be very proud of its new and beautiful Landmark for many generations to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP President Trump to SETTLE $10 BILLION IRS LAWSUIT — Plans to DONATE THE PROCEEDS TO CHARITY President Donald J. Trump is preparing to settle his massive $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department, and he says he will donate the entire payout to reputable charities instead of keeping a penny for himself. President Trump, Eric Trump, Don Jr., and the Trump Org filed a lawsuit against the IRS for leaking their tax returns. They are seeking $10 billion in damages. In September 2023, federal prosecutors charged a former IRS contractor who worked for the agency from 2018 to 2020 with unlawfully obtaining and disseminating the tax details of a high-ranking public official and numerous affluent Americans to media outlets. According to court documents and an official press release from the Department of Justice, Charles Littlejohn, 38, of Washington, D.C., stole tax return information associated with a high-ranking government official, referred to as Public Official A – now known as Donald Trump. He then disclosed this information to a news organization identified as News Organization 1 – now known as The New York Times. Littlejohn reportedly stole IRS information on thousands of wealthy people. The stolen information was then disseminated to two news outlets (New York Times and ProPublica). “In July and August 2020, Littlejohn separately stole tax return information for thousands of the nation's wealthiest individuals. Littlejohn was again able to evade IRS detection. In November 2020, Littlejohn disclosed this tax return information to News Organization 2, which published over 50 articles using the stolen data. Littlejohn then obstructed the forthcoming investigation into his conduct by deleting and destroying evidence of his disclosures,” the DOJ previously said. L Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2018117811625730171?s=20 some facts: 1. Yesterday’s voter turnout was 94,938. 2. In the same district in 2024, the voter turnout was 400,339. 3. In the same district in 2022, the voter turnout was 277,883. 4. This was a special election to fill a vacant seat resulting from a state senator's promotion into state comptroller. 5. Based on the timing of this election and the next election, and the peculiar nature of Texas state government, it is a 99.99% certainty that this new Democrat will never cast a single vote in the term he is filling. 6. The vote was on a Saturday. I am as passionate a MAGA voter as is alive, but if I lived in TX-SD9, I would have stayed home and enjoyed my Saturday based on fact #5 alone. Is this good for the GOP? No. Is it bad for the GOP? No. Then what is it, CP, you big smartypants? IT'S NOTHING. IT'S MEANINGLESS. So everybody please calm down. For the 2026 midterms, every Trump voter knows that if he does not win, the House will impeach him twice weekly. That fact will be as widely understood as any fact during the 2024 election. There are still many issues Trump needs to work on, and I'm not guaranteeing a 2026 victory. What I AM guaranteeing is that yesterday's TX-SD9 election has as much meaning as peanut butter on a dog's nose. (The dog freaks, everybody laughs, but ultimately the dog gets the peanut butter and we all move on.) https://twitter.com/JohnBasham/status/2018199554764447926?s=20 The Georgia Elections Board. https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/2018277500464275804?s=20 Complaint against Tulsi Gabbard could do ‘grave damage to national security': Report The whistleblower's allegations are so highly classified that documents are being kept locked in a safe and the complaint still hasn't been shared with Congress From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford i Source: the-independent.com There’s an “8 month old complaint” from a “US official” alleging “wrongdoing” https://twitter.com/awaitekw14/status/2018081688803516456?s=20 ballots from Fulton. Coincidence? No way. COVID wasn’t just a ‘pandemic’—it was the engineered pretext that flipped every state rule on mail-ins, drop boxes, and signature verification. Harvest those ballots, truck them in after 3 a.m. stops, rinse & repeat in swing-state blue zones. Regime change 2.0 after Russiagate flopped.If they can prove those Fulton ballots trace back to illegal harvesting (or even foreign interference via the biolab network), the whole house of cards collapses. Treason on a scale we haven’t seen since the founding. Trump saying ‘interesting things happening’ soon? Understatement of the century. Stay frosty, patriots. The storm is here. https://twitter.com/liz_churchill10/status/2018006616369496424?s=20 https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/2018375101847097793?s=20 Andrew Desiderio Schumer issues new statement reiterating that the SAVE Act is “dead on arrival” in the Senate — amid push from GOP Rep. Luna & others “If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown” https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2018378753873969400?s=20 elections from fraud. REP. AUGUST PFLUGER, Chair of Republican Study Committee nails it: “The House did our job nearly 300 days ago. It's high time that the Senate do theirs!” President Donald Trump has proposed building a massive triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., often referred to as the “Independence Arch” or “Memorial Circle arch,” to be located on Columbia Island near the Potomac River, close to the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The structure is envisioned as a 250-foot-tall monument, which would make it more than twice the height of the 100-foot Lincoln Memorial, taller than the 70-foot White House, and larger than Paris’s 164-foot Arc de Triomphe—though still shorter than the 630-foot Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Trump’s motivations stem from a desire to create a grand symbol of American pride and exceptionalism, emphasizing that Washington, D.C., is “the only city in the world that’s of great importance that doesn’t have a triumphal arch The arch signifies Trump’s emphasis on monumental nationalism and grandeur, evoking historical triumphal arches built by emperors and leaders to commemorate triumphs and project power—earning it nicknames like “Arc de Trump.” (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

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August Pfluger US Congress #PBIOSLIVE 2025 PBIOILSHOW.ORG OCT 21-23 ODESSA TEXAS ECTOR COUNTY with hosts Keith Stelter, Matthew Hill, Janie Snelson, and Scott Emerson

Talking Energy Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2026 14:35

August Pfluger US Congress #PBIOSLIVE 2025 PBIOILSHOW.ORG OCT 21-23 ODESSA TEXAS ECTOR COUNTY with hosts Keith Stelter, Matthew Hill, Janie Snelson, and Scott Emerson #pbios #pbioslive #podcast #vlog #entertainment #leadership #industry #business #networking #humor #education #oilgas #oilandgas #oilfield #energy #upstream #midstream #downstream #pipeline #refineries #power #data #technology #electricity #policy #stem #science #environment #safety #security #permian #permianbasin #oilshow #midland #odessa #texas Sponsored by T.D. Williamson Internet available for all thanks to EnerStar Solutions Podcast Studio Equipment from RATTLER MEDIA & PRODUCTION Podcast Studio Styling from Second Story Coworking PBIOS LIVE 2025 PBIOLSHOW.ORG - Permian Basin International Oil Show (PBIOS) Voices of the Industry is more than a podcast — it's the story of the people who power the Permian. Featuring exclusive interviews and candid conversations from the show floor and beyond, we spotlight the voices shaping the future of oil and gas.

hosts us congress stelter permian matthew hill odessa texas snelson august pfluger ector scott emerson

Lead with Grit - Congressman August Pfluger '00

The Last American Vagabond

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2025 45:55

Leadership demands grit, clarity and conviction. SUMMARY On Long Blue Leadership, Congressman August Pfluger '00 reflects on these qualities through his experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in the cockpit and as part of the U.S. House of Representatives. His story challenges every leader to ask where courage is calling them to go next. SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Courageous career leaps require conviction, timing and faith. Pfluger left active duty at 19 years and four months — a highly unconventional choice — demonstrating that major pivots sometimes require stepping into uncertainty. Work ethic is a lifelong differentiator. He emphasizes that he has never been “the best,” but has always been willing to outwork anyone. Hard work + grit consistently opened doors. Failure and setbacks shape long-term success. Missed opportunities at USAFA and earlier career disappointments taught him timing, resilience and long-term perspective. Leadership is transferable across domains. His fighter pilot and command experience directly enabled his political success — planning, debrief culture and thick skin all mapped over perfectly. Credibility requires deep study and prioritization. You cannot master everything; leaders must choose focus areas and know them cold so others trust their expertise. Humility, credibility and approachability are foundational leadership traits. These principles translate powerfully to Congress and team leadership. Family and faith must anchor leadership. His family's summer crisis reframed his priorities: “None of this matters if you don't take care of your family.” The nation needs more military and Academy graduates in public leadership. He stresses that only four USAFA grads have ever served in Congress — and more are needed to restore civility and mission-focused service. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force are under-resourced relative to global threats. Pfluger advocates vigorously for rebalancing defense spending to meet modern challenges. Self-reflection is critical to growth. Leaders must ask: How do I see myself? How do others see me? If those don't align, adjust the work ethic, mindset or behaviors accordingly. CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction & Biography 01:44 — Opening Remarks 01:47 — Leaving Active Duty at 19 Years and 4 Months 04:06 — Why Run for Office? 05:40 — Family, Faith & Influences 07:14 — Representing His Hometown District 08:29 — Learning to Represent a District 11:07 — Work Ethic and USAFA Foundations 12:22 — Failure, Setbacks & Long-Term Rewards 15:10 — Unexpected Assignments Becoming Career High Points 17:24 — Pentagon, Fellowship & NSC 19:49 — USAFA Grads in Congress 21:03 — Role of the Board of Visitors 23:24 — Key Focus Areas for the Board of Visitors 25:11 — Top National Security Challenges 27:13 — Balancing Congress, Leadership, and Family 29:01 — Leadership Style & Decision-Making 30:40 — Humble, Credible, Approachable 33:38 — Building Credibility as a Younger Leader 34:43 — What's Next: A More United Country 37:29 — Daily Habits for Growth 39:37 — Advice for Emerging Leaders 41:24 — Final Reflections & Call to Action 43:45 — Closing Thoughts & Outro ABOUT CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER BIO U.S. Rep. August Pfluger '00 is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents 20 counties in Texas' 11th Congressional District. After graduating from the U.S Air Force Academy, he served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 25 years as an F-22 and F-15 pilot with over 300 combat hours. In Congress, he is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus on Capitol Hill. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. CONNECT WITH THE CONGRESSMAN LINKEDIN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor: Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Ryan Hall | Director: Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor: Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer: Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org ALL PAST LBL EPISODES | ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest, Rep. August Pfluger '00 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, we're honored to welcome a distinguished leader whose career spans military service, national security and public office, Congressman August Pfluger is a proud graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 2000, and currently represents the 11th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before entering Congress, Congressman Pfluger served for nearly two decades in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. He is currently a member of the Air Force Reserve as an F-15 and F-22 fighter pilot. He logged over 300 combat hours in defense of our nation. He has also served as a member of the National Security Council, bringing strategic insight to some of the most complex global threats we face today. Since taking office in 2021 Congressman Pfluger has remained deeply committed to strengthening our national defense. He currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to critical platforms from which he continues to represent and lead. He is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee and serves as the chairman of the Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, appointed to the BOV by the speaker of the house in 2023 and elected by his colleagues to serve as chair. Whether in the halls of Congress or in the cockpit, Congressman Pfluger's career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to courageous service and leadership. Congressman Pfluger, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Rep. August Pfluger 1:44 Thank you, Naviere. It's honor to be here with you. Naviere Walkewicz 1:47 Well, we are so glad to have you. And there's something that I want to jump right into, because it really occurred to me how odd this is, but you served for nearly two decades, and when I say nearly two decades in the Air Force, 19 years and four months, and then you pulled the plug, you didn't go to retirement right then. Can we talk about that a little bit? Rep. August Pfluger 2:09 Well, this is not something that most financial advisers would advise you of doing. And I'll tell you, this was a journey in faith, because at almost 20 years. September of 2019, we made a decision, my wife and I made a decision to run for Congress, which meant that we got out of the active duty, joined the Reserve, and started a campaign, something that just a month prior, we had absolutely no intention of doing, and had not even talked about doing. Running for office was something that was always of interest, but certainly not at 19 years and four months. So the opportunity came up, had a couple of phone calls from friends and family to say that the representative who represented my hometown and where I grew up was retiring after 16 years, and a lot of factors. And I'll really take you down this faith journey, a lot of factors happened that we couldn't ignore. And we literally moved back to my hometown of San Angelo that I had not lived in for over 20 years, and started a campaign, which, as you can imagine, was, I mean, it took a lot of courage for my wife, from my family, three little girls, who we uprooted and went through this. But I'm so glad that we did it. But it wasn't without, you know, I can say anxiety and just, you know, the fear, the unknown maybe, and not knowing exactly what would happen. So when you say and use the words, we burned the ships. That was the moment in time that we literally burned the ships and ran a campaign with every piece of our heart and soul. Naviere Walkewicz 3:48 Wow. Well, let's talk about that a little bit, because, you know, we have listeners that make these pivotal moments in their careers. They make these decisions that really shaped them. What was it about that time, other than the incumbent was going to retire. Like, why you? Why then, you know? Let's talk about that a little bit more. Rep. August Pfluger 4:06 Well, this is pre-Covid. And the thought of running for office always sounds good. You know, if you have that interest, you're like, “OK, that'd be great.” Well, then when you kind of get down to the brass tax that you're going to have to put in 14- to 16-hour days and learn how to talk to people about what's important in this district that then it kind of changes things. But honestly, there were signs and things that pointed me and my wife in this direction that we couldn't ignore. And when you look at this type of district, I mean, it's really, in the past 100 years, there's only been about six representatives. So it's not one of those things you say, “Well, maybe we'll wait for next time.” The opportunity was there, there was a window of time. It was about 30 days where we had to make a decision to literally move from northern Virginia back to Texas and start a whole new career. And ended doing so forego the pension for what would now be five or six years, because I've had to work as a reservist to, you know, kind of get back to that point. So there was a financial piece to it. There was a career that was, was going very well that, you know, maybe, are we giving that up? And what happens if we don't win? And then, you know, all these unknowns. So I will say it was, it was definitely the biggest professional decision that I've ever made in my career. Naviere Walkewicz 5:40 So you talked about some of your family members — you had phone calls. It sounds like, your faith and your family are a big part of your decision making. And, when you go forward with things, I think you've talked about your grandfather having been someone that inspired you to go into the Air Force. You know, who are those key players in your family that have really inspired you in your big leadership decisions. Rep. August Pfluger 6:02 Yes, you're right. I had two grandfathers that served in World War II. One was a pilot, and that that led me to make the first decision to go to the Air Force Academy. And that stayed with me. We had nobody in my family who was in politics. I mean, not a single person. In fact, a lot of my family, I had several great uncles and different family members that I'm close to, and they said, “What?” Like, ”What are — you sure you want to do this? And why? Don't you have a really good Air Force career and you've been able to, you know, rise in the ranks and all the things that you've tried to do?” But I honestly — it was kind of a word of wisdom to say, “If you're going to do this, have some good reasons.” Like, “Why do you want to do this?” And the district that I get to represent in my hometown, we have military bases, agriculture and energy, and I love all three of those things. And I think of those as national security-level entities that really dovetail very nicely with my first part of my professional career. Naviere Walkewicz 7:14 That makes sense. So it really was an extension — this new path in your journey was really an extension of what you had done in uniform and active duty and now being able to give it back to your hometown district and the patrons in there as well. Rep. August Pfluger 7:30 Absolutely. And in the campaign I talked about how important it was to be able to provide our own food. We have a lot of cattle ranchers there that are in my district, that you don't want to be dependent on some other country, especially an adversarial country, for your food needs. And the same thing for energy production: that you can't be dependent for energy needs on your adversaries. So those were things that I was able to really talk about, and I mean, oh my gosh, after I actually was elected and got into office, I mean, they became front and center and still are of that discussion. And I think that was the really interesting piece about having been deployed. We were stationed all over the world, almost seven years outside of the United States, on three different continents, and to be able to tie it together and kind of bring that back home and communicate why this place where I grew up and now where I live and where I represent is so important to our national security? Naviere Walkewicz 8:29 Well, you talked a little bit about earlier, about you weren't sure if you were going to get elected, and then when you did, you had to go out and talk to people and really understand the challenges. What is that journey like when it's completely new, right? It's not the same. It's you're not getting into a cockpit. You're not an instructor pilot now. Now you are — you're representing all of them. How do you how do you approach that new path? Because I think that's something when our leaders take this leap of faith and they're looking at, well, how do I approach it? It's completely different from anything I've done. I think they'd like to know how you did it so well. Rep. August Pfluger 8:59 Well, thanks for the question. It was a huge challenge in being a squadron commander, having been an instructor pilot or a mission commander, and having led in actual combat, that that was everything. I mean, I didn't know anything about politics, but what I did know was how to map out a plan and how to put the pieces and parts together. And I knew that nobody was going to outwork me. I mean, come on, you know, when you have a SAMI on Saturday morning, you got to wake up and make your bed and do all the things to get that weekend pass. I mean, you're going to work hard. And so I knew that I had a competitive advantage on the work ethic and the ability to plan and so really, the thing that I realize now, now six years later, is that I think people — what they really appreciated was that I wasn't a career politician, that the things that I was saying and campaigning on were like true passions, and they weren't empty promises. I told them this is what I'm going to do, and I'm proud to report I've done every single one of those things that I told them that I would do, and it's because we were instructed so well, both at school and then as members of the active-duty Air Force about how to follow through and be persistent and just carry through with what you said you're going to do. I mean, integrity is a big piece of this, but I will tell you also that now staying in touch after being elected, elected, I travel throughout these 20 counties all the time, and you have to have some thick skin, because you're going to get some feedback from people that is not always flattering, and they're going to ask you, “Well, why did you vote this way, or what happened here, and why are you not doing this? And this is expensive.” And, I mean, so you have to be willing to take that feedback, which, by the way, sitting in a fighter pilot debrief — I mean, that was the perfect training for having thick skin, to understand that what people are trying to tell you: Is it critical? Without substance? That you really need to listen to them and try to solve these problems? Naviere Walkewicz 11:07 So earlier, you had talked about, I think there are these things that you did at the Academy. No one is going to outwork you have. You always been that type of person, someone that, you know, just kind of works really hard. Or is that something that you kind of developed at the Academy. Rep. August Pfluger 11:21 I developed it at the Academy. But I would say I came in with a with a good work ethic and then was challenged by our classmates, who are amazing, you know? It's like, “Oh my gosh, I'm really not that smart and not that fast and not that… you know, whatever,” because you see all these amazing people. But yes, work ethic was, I mean, I look at it now, having administered how many nominations to service academies? I mean, dozens and dozens of kids that I've gotten a chance to work with over the past five years who are absolutely incredible. I'm like, I don't know if I could get in at this point in time, because they're just incredible. And I had to work very hard at everything I ever did, everything I ever achieved, was because of hard work. It wasn't because I was the best. It was because I just, at the end of the day, worked very hard to get it. I think that's something that's a lesson that we learned during four years at the Academy, but it served me very well in this profession. Naviere Walkewicz 12:22 Was there a particular time at the Academy where you worked really hard and it didn't go your way? And, you know, how did you overcome that? Because I think sometimes the outcome is, “If I if I give it all and I work really hard, I'm going to get to where I want to go.” And if that wasn't the case, how did that actually change the trajectory or shape you? Rep. August Pfluger 12:42 There were multiple times at the Academy that you work hard for something. I mean, I came in as a recruited athlete, had some injuries, and so didn't get a chance to finish all four years that that was hard to go through that process, and it just didn't work out. And or you're just not good enough. And then that was the case too for me, on the football team. But they're just better people, which is awesome and that, but that shaped who I am now, because it is not just about how hard you work. That's a huge piece of it. But you also have to have good timing. You have to have some luck. You have to be in the right place and have been brought up by the right people. And when the when the opportunity strikes you, you've got to be able to take advantage of that timing to do that. And that those lessons — I absolutely remember that there was one instance where I really, really wanted to go to do this exchange program in Egypt, and they were going to bring some of the political science department over there. Well, apparently my grades were not in the right area to be selected for this program. I think I was an alternate or something, unless that's good, that's — it's not nothing. But I was very disappointed, because I thought I worked hard, you know, maybe not hard enough on the grades, but had worked hard to be a part of the conversation, to go. Well, didn't get a chance to do it. So always had that in the back of my mind. Well, I went to Egypt, but it was as a congressman. I led a congressional delegation of six or seven members. We met with the president of Egypt and had very serious conversations about the negotiation for what Gaza has now with the peace deal that we have gotten to and had a, you know, went to the president's palace, got to sit down right next to him and talk to him for over an hour. So I always kept that in the back of my mind that I was going to Egypt one day. Naviere Walkewicz 14:37 That's right. And honestly, you worked really, really hard. You didn't get there, but it kept you — kept that fire going, because you knew at some point you're going to, so it did end up working out, in that case, for sure. You know, one of the things that I find really interesting and fascinating about you is, as you talk about these different experiences you've had, you said they've shaped you. And when you're in the military, can you share a time when you maybe we're in a position that it wasn't what you'd hoped for. You thought it was going to be, but you found it to be incredibly rewarding. Was there anything in that kind of space that happened to you? Rep. August Pfluger 15:10 Yes, several times. You know you want things, you think you want things, and then it doesn't work out. You don't get selected. And always in the back of my mind, every young lieutenant wants to be a weapons officer wants to then be a squadron commander of a fighter squadron, and that's just the competitive side of this. And I was no different when it came time to select who the next squadron commanders were going to be. I'll never forget: My operations group commander came to be and he said, “Well, we got a problem. We have six really talented lieutenant colonels. You're all promoted below the zone, and we have four squadrons, so we're going to have to figure out a Plan B for a couple of you, and I've got something in mind for you.” He said, “I think that you should go be a deployed squadron, commander of an OSS, an operational support squadron.” He said, “We've got a war going on, a conflict with ISIS, and you'd be great.” Well, that's not exactly an easy conversation to go home and to tell your spouse: “Oh, I just got told that I was going to deploy. I'm not going to be a fighter squadron commander here. I'm going to go somewhere else, and I'll be gone a year.” So that was hard, but oh my goodness, what an experience professionally. Obviously, I missed my family, but this was the height of the conflict against ISIS. I had hundreds of people that I got a chance to work with, command, flying combat missions, doing something that mattered, working with our international partners. You know, we were on an Emirati base, and so I worked with the Emiratis on a daily basis, because we had almost 20 different weapon systems, 20 different aircraft there and it was the highlight of my professional career. So God had a plan. It worked out much better than I could have ever engineered, and it turned out — minus the fact that I had to be gone for a year; obviously, nobody likes that — but it turned out to be the best professional year of my Air Force career. Naviere Walkewicz 17:13 I find that really interesting because that — so would that have been the last kind of position you held before going into the move for Congress? Is that correct? Rep. August Pfluger 17:24 You know, actually, I came back — was PCSed to the Pentagon, worked for the chief of staff of the Air Force, General Goldfein, OK, went to a year of War College equivalent in D.C., a fellowship program, and then was assigned to the White House, to the National Security Council, for just about two and a half months before we made — three months before we made the decision to run for Congress. Naviere Walkewicz 17:49 So just a couple things happened after that. [Laughs]. What an amazing run, and the amazing leaders that you got to work with. So was that experience that when you were deployed as a squadron commander and then coming back, did that help shape your thoughts specifically to the Congress role, because you talked about the very three important things, right? Energy, you know, national security and there was one more… and agriculture. Thank you. And so, you know, did that all kind of get settled in when you were in that transition piece from, you know, squadron commander, to your time at the Pentagon in the White House area. Rep. August Pfluger 18:26 Absolutely, I had a year as a deployed squadron commander, came back and worked a year at the Pentagon, which I didn't know how lucky that was. Most people get there two or three years, but work directly for the chief of staff. Heard all of the conversations between Gen. Goldfein and Secretary Heather Wilson and then had a year where I studied at a think tank on Middle East policy. It could not have been a better education with a little bit of time in the White House to prepare me to run for Congress. You look back on that, you go, “Oh, so that's why.” “Oh, these steps were to prepare for this job now,” which I mean, just the fact that, as a member of Congress, I've probably met with 10 or 15 heads of states, one on one, presidents from different countries around the world, and to have that education, to be able to speak intelligently, at least somewhat intelligently, on these issues. Took that the steps that I just went through right there. Naviere Walkewicz 19:31 And you know, something that I think is really interesting to what you just said, working with Gen. Goldfein and with Secretary Wilson, you know, there are so few Academy graduates that have had the opportunities to serve in Congress and to be in the role that you are. How many Academy, Air Force Academy grads we have now have that have done this? Rep. August Pfluger 19:49 There's two currently serving, myself and Don Davis, opposite sides of the aisle, but great friends, and there were only two prior, so there's only been four. And the first two were Heather Wilson was the first Martha McSally, I'll never forget when I got elected. Heather Wilson called me and she said, “Congratulations, you're finally keeping up with us ladies.” And I thought it was great. But you know, we need more graduates, honestly. And I don't care who's listening to this, what side of the aisle you're on, we need more air force academy graduates. There are nine West Pointers currently serving, and seven from Annapolis currently serving, and we've only had four total. Naviere Walkewicz 20:30 All right, it's out there now. We've got our, you know, got our calling. So here we go. You know, I want to ask you a question about, you know, being in Congress, you are on several committees, and you're in leading roles in them. Let's talk a little bit. First about, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk about the Board of Visitors, because I think it's a great opportunity for our graduates to understand actually what the Board of Visitors actually does. So if you don't mind, kind of sharing in your words, you know what your priorities are with the Board of Visitors and what that looks like. I think it'd be really helpful in educating our listeners. Rep. August Pfluger 21:03 Well. Thank you. It's an honor to be on the Board of Visitors. It's statutorily set up by Congress decades ago, and it basically provides an avenue of oversight, something that is appointed both legislatively, by the speaker of the house and by the Senate majority leader and also the president. And, you know, we've got a number of several grads, but a number of senators and congressmen. And, you know, again, one of these timing things that I didn't necessarily intend to run for the chairmanship, but we needed, I think, a graduate to do that, and am proud to be the chairman of this group. You know, Charlie Kirk was on this board, and what a tragic situation that was. We've got a number of really passionate leaders, and our job really is to interact with the institution, to ask questions and to report back directly to the Secretary of War and into the Secretary of the Air Force on the health and welfare of the institution, on any other issues that we think are important. And for me, kind of the driving principle is that I love this institution, the leadership lessons that I learned there and those that I hear from so many graduates are important well beyond military service. They're important for the rest of a graduate's life. And I want to make sure that everything that is going on there, the resources that are needed there, the schedule and the curriculum and the ability to train the next generation of young warriors, both for the space and the Air Force, are the best in the country, and that we are prepared no matter what, that those graduates can go do their job. So it really is an honor to be on the board, but then to be the chairman of it. Naviere Walkewicz 23:03 I can imagine that, and I think it really speaks volumes, the fact that, you know, you're so passionate about it, you've taken what you've had from the Academy, you've applied it in this role. What are the first things that I think you're looking at? You said you talked about the resources and kind of the schedule and things that are happening at the academy. What are the key things that you're looking at right now as a Board of Visitors? Rep. August Pfluger 23:24 Well, I think to start with, I mean, we all know you wake up early, you go bed late, and you're trying to cram, you know, 28 hours into 24 and so the No. 1 thing that I want to see and work through is, how are we continuing to innovate with the best training possible, so that, you know, you can't teach the solution to every problem, but you want to teach a framework of how to think, and that, you know, there's going to be cadets that are challenged through their academic studies, there's going to be cadets that are challenged through their military studies. There's going to be cadets that are challenged athletically, and some that get all three of those, obviously, we all get got all three. But no matter which piece of the puzzle fills, you know, their time, they should get the training that teaches them how to respond in stressful situations, that teaches them how to function as a team, and that that offers them the opportunity to honestly, to experience a little bit of failure, while also knowing that success is right down the road, and that with a little grit, a little determination and a little persistence, that they're going to get there, and that is a challenge, I mean, In a resource-confined environment that we have right now that that's a big challenge, but that's why we have legislators, Senators and House members, They can go fight for those resources to make sure that they're getting that training that they need. Naviere Walkewicz 24:56 Thank you for sharing that you know, I think when you talk about having that framework to critically work through whatever is coming at you, and, you know, fighting for resources. Can you share what is the greatest challenge that you're faced with right now and how you're working through it? Rep. August Pfluger 25:11 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, just, you know, from a military standpoint, I'm obviously very biased on what air power and space power does I mean the army will deploy to certain locations. In the Navy will deploy to certain locations. But the Air Force and the Space Force are everywhere. We're in every theater. We've been in every conflict. We are the constant and I don't think resource wise, that that our Department of the Air Force is receiving the resources that it needs proportionately speaking to the threat that we face. We're the smallest and the oldest that we've ever been, and we need to change that immediately. As chairman — you mentioned I was chairman of the Republican Study Committee. What is that? Well, it's a 189-member caucus, committee, policy committee... Naviere Walkewicz 26:01 It's the largest one, right? Rep. August Pfluger 26:02 It's huge. It's the largest committee in Congress, and we meet weekly with Cabinet members and other leaders to discuss policy. But this has been something that I've been passionate about, which we have to take advantage of an environment where some more resources are being put towards our military, and I want to make sure that a larger portion of those go to the Department of the Air Force to meet the threat. And that's just a neat opportunity that it's a competitive election. I had to get elected by my peers. You know, 188 other congressmen and women from across the country. I had to run an election to get elected to it, and now trying to communicate to them why the business of Air and Space power is so important, but, but I'm we're slowly but surely getting there. Naviere Walkewicz 26:53 Well, I'm not sure where you have time when you're you know, you're doing so many things, you're on the road, meeting with your constituents. You're leading. You know these major committees, the Board of Visitors, as chair. Can you talk about how you're balancing? You know, you always talked about being your family is really important to you. How are you balancing that? What does that look like for someone in a leadership role? Rep. August Pfluger 27:13 Well, it's obviously the biggest challenge that any of us face, which is making sure that you take care of the most fundamental and important piece of your life, which is your family and being gone. I mean, I go to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and generally come home Thursday or Friday, and that's about three weeks out of every four. So my wife, is the most important piece of this, because she allows me to do this, and I couldn't do it without her, honestly. And then secondly, you know, we had a scare this summer because two of my girls were at Camp Mystic. And you know, that was that really brought things back to such a fundamental level that, you know, my No. 1 job on this earth is to be a husband and a father, a person of faith. And I'll tell you that that was, that was a transformational moment in it, just in my in my life, because when you have two daughters that were that thankfully came home and in then you see 27 others that didn't, that they knew that we knew the families and we were close to that. This has put everything back into perspective, that the service that I'm doing should be focused on a foundation of family and faith, and that none of it matters if you don't take care of that. Naviere Walkewicz 28:41 So what does that look like in how you lead? How does that shape the decisions you make in your role in Congress, as a reservist? And then for our listeners, you know, how do they put those important things first in the midst of having to make other decisions professionally? Rep. August Pfluger 29:01 I think a lot of it is, maybe not so much, the “what” in the decision, but it's the “how,” you know, you carry yourself, and you know on the other side of the aisle. I mean, I'm going to fight policies that I don't agree with all day long. But I think the how I do that, what I want my daughters to know is that they had a dad that was very firm in his beliefs. So I think that's, you know, when I look at it kind of like from the, “OK, what's important?” OK, being a good dad, not just saying the right things, but actually going and carrying those out. I think the how you carry them out is really important. And then, you know the specifics of legislation. There are things that, if I believe in in taking care of the American family, then there are things that I'm going to advocate for, not, not to make this to political of a discussion, but I think you can see through my track record that that I have focused on those things that would help strengthen the family, Naviere Walkewicz 30:08 The “how” is really, it's part of your legacy, right? And I think that's what your children are seeing as well, in the way that you, you, you do what you do. And I think as leaders, that's something really important to be thinking about. So I'm really thankful that you shared that example. Shared that example. Have you found that your leadership style has evolved, or has it already always been kind of rooted in you know, who you've been and you've just kind of tweaked it a little bit? Or have you seen yourself evolve more than you would have expected? Rep. August Pfluger 30:40 Yes, it has evolved, but, and I hope for the better, we'd have to ask others what they think of that, but, but, you know, look, growing up in a professionally in a fighter squadron, there were three tenants that they even though I didn't go to weapon school, they teach you this to be humble, credible and approachable. I mean, think about that. Those are the core tenants of who our lead warriors are, and that is not what you see. When you think of politicians. You think, Well, they're braggadocious and annoying. And you know, OK, and I hope I don't fall into that category. I need to do some self-reflection every once while, but, but I've got a staff of almost 40 people, and I have 434 other colleagues that you have to work with. So you better believe that you've got to be humble because there are people who are better than you in every category. You better believe that being approachable in this job is really important, because people are going to come to you and they're going to need something, or you're going to need something from them, and if you don't have the credibility of what you're talking about or what you're leading, then you're not going to get anything done. And so I've really had to work on all three of those things since I was elected to make sure that tying that to a servant leadership model. We started out in 2021, and I told my team, I said, we are going to do everything we possibly can to make other people that I am working with, other congressmen and women better. And they said, Wait, what? I said, Yeah, this isn't about me getting the limelight. We will get plenty of limelight, but let's work on giving other people the credit, giving other people the opportunities, calling on their expertise, pushing them up. And it will all work out, and we will achieve everything we wanted to achieve for the district that I represent, and it was just like this lightning bolt of it was so antithetical to the way that many people in Congress think. And I am not saying that we have changed the world, but when you're elected to basically a conference-wide position like I am, then you really have hard conversations with people, and those conversations people said, You know what, you've helped me out. I'm going to vote for you. And that meant everything, Naviere Walkewicz 33:08 Humble, approachable, credible, what great lessons for our leaders. And I think that translates across anything you're doing. Of the three, it seems that credible would probably be the hardest to achieve, right? It's a time-based thing. How would you recommend that our leaders, especially those that are growing in their leadership roles, achieve that when they don't necessarily have the time right in? Rep. August Pfluger 33:38 It's so hard, but that grit, that determination, I mean, the study, the thing, all the things we learned, you know, it's like they give you. The academic instructors are like a torture chamber, because they know you can't study everything, so you have to prioritize, which is a lesson I think I still draw on today. But I think that credibility comes from if you're going to be an expert in something, you've got to study it. You've got to know it, and people have to trust you. So when you tell them something, it has to be the truth, and they have to know well, I don't know that particular policy issue, but I know Pfluger does, because, you know he did that in his career. He studied that. So I think that grit and that determination and the prioritization of your time is so important, you can't do it all. I mean, we just can't. You have to. You have to make a choice, and those choices have to then go towards the goals that you're setting for yourself. Naviere Walkewicz 34:32 Excellent, excellent lessons. So you've accomplished so much since 2021, you know? What's next? What are you trying to work towards next? Rep. August Pfluger 34:43 I mean, there's so many different like policy issues I'm not going to bore you with. Let's just talk about the big picture, the elephant in the room, which is how divided our country is, and it's heartbreaking to see. You know, I think back to like, the aftermath of 911 I literally 911 happened two weeks prior to my pilot training graduation. You as a Class of '99 were right in the same boat. I mean, we were our professional careers were turned upside down, but our country came together, and that that was kind of the I think that that was the best thing to see how many people that were divided on whatever lines kind of came together. We're very divided, and it is hard to see and from I want to see an end of the radical sides of our parties and a normal conversation. We should be able to have a normal debate in Congress about whatever issues of spending and things like that. And we should be able to then slap each other on the back and say, Yeah, good job you won that one. Or, you know, good job I won this one. That should be kind of the norm. And I've got so many good friends who are Democrats that it's there, but the pull to radicalization is it's alive and well. And to be honest, this is why we need more Academy graduates who are doing this type of work, whether it's running for local office or running for Congress or Senate or whatever, because we get it. We get it from being a part of something that was greater than ourselves and being a part of a mission that it wasn't about, I it was literally about the team of success. And I think it's, it's veterans that are in these leadership positions that are going to help be a part of this, so that that really, I really do want to see that that doesn't mean that I'm not going to fight tooth and nail for policy that I believe in, which is partisan at times. And I'm OK with that, but what I'm not OK with is demonizing somebody for having a different belief. Let's go fight the merits of it, but not, not the character of the other person. Naviere Walkewicz 37:03 Thank you for sharing that. I think, you know, just putting the elephant on the table, I think, is really important. That's what it is about conversation. It's about dialog and so thank you for sharing that. For sure, this has been an incredible conversation. We've kind of navigated different parts of your career, you know, your leadership journey, maybe, if I could ask you this, what is something you're doing every day, Congressman Pfluger, to be better? Rep. August Pfluger 37:29 I think, in faith life, really trying to tie in spiritually, and to not be the one in control, trying to be more present in in my family's life, I'm going to give you three or four. So, you know, just being more intentional, putting the phone down, like if I'm going to sit down with my kids and be there, because I could be on the phone 24 hours a day. So put the phone down, talk to my wife be engaged, and that that's really that, that, I think that's a challenge for anybody who is in any adult right now, quite frankly, but especially those that are in leadership positions, which all of our graduates are, and so just put the phone down and being engaged, and it's hard. It's like, “Oh, I got to take care of this, you know, I got to call that person back. We've got to do this.” But you know that is, I think that that is probably the No. 1 thing that then allows a stronger faith life, a stronger relationship with my family. Physically, still taking the Air Force PT test, got a 99 last year. Was very proud of that and so trying to stay physically fit. Naviere Walkewicz 38:48 That's outstanding! Rep. August Pfluger 38:49 There are some other graduates who have challenged me with that. You may know Joel Neeb? A classmate of yours. Naviere Walkewicz 38:58 Oh yeah! I know Thor. Rep. August Pfluger 39:00 Thor is awesome. And he's been such an inspiration. I could name 100 people, but he said he's a really good inspiration to so many people. And on all the things that you just the things that I answered for your question, he's been a good inspiration on. Naviere Walkewicz 39:15 I would agree with that wholeheartedly. Yes. Well, thank you for that. Can you also share, you know, knowing what you know now through the years that you've experienced, you know your hardships, the triumphs — what would you share with our growing leaders that they can do today to help them be stronger down the road? Rep. August Pfluger 39:37 You know, I think some self-reflection, like, how do you see yourself, and how does the world see you? And is this — does it match up? Because if it's different, if your opinion of yourself is higher than that of what other people are thinking and your work ethic and what you're bringing to the to the table, then then you need to do some self-reflection. And I again, I got back to my career as a fighter pilot, which was perfect for politics. You know, you got to learn to work as a team. You have people debriefing you, and there's critical thoughts on your actions, of how you perform. But I think any leader, it needs to first have the grit to be able to stick with it. It's not always the best person that gets the job, but I can promise you, the person who keeps seeking that job and has that drive, they're going to get there. That has been the story of my life and self-reflection, to go What's stopping me from getting there is probably the key, as long as you have that grit, that self-reflection, to have some clarity for whatever goal you want to achieve. That's my humble opinion of what I would tell myself 15 years ago. Naviere Walkewicz 41:00 Wow. And I think that does kind of give us a moment to just sit in it and think about that as we are, you know, trying to be our best selves and to continue to evolve as leaders. What a great way to do that, right? Just reflect some self-reflection. I want to make sure we have an opportunity. If there's anything that I didn't ask you, that you feel is really important to share with our listeners. What would that be? Rep. August Pfluger 41:24 Well, there were a couple of things. No. 1, I was trying to think back — because your Class of '99 and I'm Class of 2000 — on whether or not I had to get in the front-leaning rest and recite John Stuart Mill's poem, or not. I can't remember that, so maybe I snuck by. Naviere Walkewicz 41:45 Definitely a front-leaning rest kind of gal. I have pretty strong abs. I can handle that. Rep. August Pfluger 41:51 You know, I just, I want to go back to what how important our institution is, because we're in that other dimension. We're in the air, in the space domain. We're solving problems in our professional career that I mean, think about where we've come since the Wright Brothers demonstrated we could fly and now, you know all the things that we're doing in air and space, and that's because of our graduates. And you know, I just, I really want to have a call out to our graduates that your leadership in a variety of ways is needed. It's needed in the business community, in Fortune 500 companies. It's needed in your local communities. It's needed at the national level of politics; there are several candidates for Congress right now who are graduates. I'm helping them, and I will help anybody. I don't care what party you are, of course, I have my favorite, but I will help any person who is looking to run for something like this. This is what I know now. But we really do need your leadership in order to bring the temperature down, to unite our country, to make sure that we're going to be successful. It's not if it's a matter of when we're going to face that next big, truly existential threat and challenge to our country. And guess what? I trust the people that were right there next to be in the front, winning rest, reciting all of those quotes and having to do a little bit harder of a standard in our four years of education than other institutions. And so I trust our graduates, but we need you, and we really need you to take that opportunity and serve in any possible way that you can. Naviere Walkewicz 43:45 Wow. Thank you for sharing that. I think that that is a perfect way a call to action, so to speak, for all of us you know the service after the service, so this has been incredible. Congressman Pfluger, thank you for your time today. Rep. August Pfluger 43:57 Well, Naviere, thank you for reaching so many graduates and looking forward to a Bitton Army and Navy again next year. Naviere Walkewicz 44:04 That's right next year. Well, you know, as I reflect on this conversation, you know, one theme really rises above others, courage, the grit, you know, not just the courage we often associate with the battlefield or moments of crises, but the quiet, steady courage that it takes to lead with conviction every day, Congressman Pfluger reminded us that true leadership means standing firm in your values even when the path may be uncertain or the stakes may be high, it's the kind of courage that doesn't seek comfort, but instead answers to responsibility. So as you think about your own leadership journey, ask yourself, Where is courage calling you? Where is that grit gonna take you? Whether it's in the workplace, in your community or your personal life, lean into those moments, because courage, real, principled, humble, courage is what transforms good leaders into great ones. Thank you for listening to this edition of Long Blue Leadership. If you know someone who needs encouraging words in their leadership journey, please share this podcast with them as well. I'm Naviere Walkewicz. Until next time. KEYWORDS August Pfluger, Long Blue Leadership Podcast, U.S. Air Force Academy, leadership lessons, congressional service, fighter pilot, national security, grit and resilience, service after service, Air Force Board of Visitors, faith and family leadership, career transition, public service, humble credible approachable, air and space power. The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation

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Bondi Beach Terror Attack Sparks Immigration Debate (ft. Sen. Markwayne Mullin & Rep. August Pfluger)

The Will Cain Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2025 81:09

Story 1: With Obamacare subsidies expiring soon, President Donald Trump's approval rating falling, and a nationwide redistricting battle altering the landscape of Congress, should Republicans be concerned about next year's midterms? Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joins Will to discuss the Republican's midterm strategy, and also share his thoughts on the Brown University shooter manhunt and the apparent homicide of Rob Reiner and his wife. Story 2: In the wake of Sunday's shooting at a Hanukkah Celebration in Australia, the country has announced plans to tighten up its gun laws. However, is access to firearms what caused this tragedy, or an unchecked immigration system? Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee and Air Force fighter pilot, helps Will break it down. Plus, Congressman Pfluger shares his thoughts on how the state of the economy and healthcare will play out during midterms. Story 3: Will brings in The Crew to debate the state of this year's end of football season, from Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons both suffering ACL tears and the Kansas City Chiefs being excluded from of the NFL playoffs, to Fernando Mendoza winning the Heisman Trophy. Subscribe to ‘Will Cain Country' on YouTube here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch Will Cain Country!⁠⁠Follow ‘Will Cain Country' on X (⁠⁠@willcainshow⁠⁠), Instagram (⁠⁠@willcainshow⁠⁠), TikTok (⁠⁠@willcainshow⁠⁠), and Facebook (⁠⁠@willcainnews⁠⁠)Follow Will on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

tiktok donald trump australia nfl story congress republicans air force patrick mahomes sparks kansas city chiefs acl brown university rob reiner heisman trophy micah parsons terror attacks bondi beach mullin fernando mendoza immigration debate republican study committee august pfluger

Smartphones Worldwide Silently Infected With Israeli Spyware & The “Peace President” War State

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2025 207:52

Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, an in-depth investigatory show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/5/25). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant. !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble"); Rumble("play", {"video":"v70gta2","div":"rumble_v70gta2"}); Video Source Links (In Chronological Order): (26) Brook Jackson

covid-19 united states america donald trump israel peace americans evil fbi shadow jews republicans vladimir putin member hacks gps gaza israelis fda capitol adults smartphones priority insane worldwide january 6th officer signal older buddy hamas pfizer cyber palestinians rumble phones surveillance trump administration doj benjamin netanyahu chemical owned town hall pegasus west bank america first resonance infected gaza strip mossad icymi dan bongino occam glenn greenwald thomas massie silently dan crenshaw merciless fda approval increased risk createelement ryan grim israeli knesset parentnode brian cole severe covid mint press news amjad masad last american vagabond august pfluger new tab war state did mr encodeuricomponent brook jackson israeli spyware embedjs encodeuricomponent json

Problem Solvers and Backstabbers

The Chris Stigall Show

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2025 94:10

Washington is full of both. Yesterday, Stigall was on Capitol Hill talking with the former. Members of the House's Republican Study Committee. Their objective was to message to you that first, they have an agenda they believe is working and two, they're not done. It's ultimately up to you if you like what you hear or not. We'll have bonus content coming later in the week featuring even more members who didn't make it today's show. Today, you'll hear Rep. Tom Emmer go OFF on his governor Tim Walz, Rep. Eric Burlison with a real idea to fix Obamacare, and Rep. August Pfluger of Texas explains what the RSC is all about. Plus, are Crisis Pregnancy Centers targets of New Jersey government? Sure seems that way and it seems like that what Justice Clarence Thomas thought. Hear his aggressive line of question directed at New Jersey's Attorney General's office, and Carrie Severino of the Judicial Network explains the case in full. Plus, the governor of West Virginia updates us on the health of the surviving Guardsman and the two grieving families in his state after they were ambushed by a terrorist on the streets of Washington D.C. And can you believe - of all places - they're still mandating the stupid shot for school kids?! -For more info visit the official website: https://chrisstigall.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisstigallshow/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisStigallFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.stigall/Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/StigallPodListen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/StigallShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The Fight Against AI-Powered Terrorism: A Legislative Perspective

John Solomon Reports

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2025 40:55

In this episode, we welcome Congressman August Pfluger from Texas, a key figure in shaping conservative policies in Congress. Congressman Pfluger discusses his groundbreaking legislation, the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act, aimed at addressing the threats posed by AI in the realm of terrorism. He also shares insights on the current state of health care legislation, the importance of affordable housing, and the need for regulatory reform to enhance economic growth. Later, we dissect the recent COP 30 climate summit held in Brazil, where the absence of the Trump administration raised eyebrows. Mark Morano from climatedepot.com brings firsthand insights from the event, revealing how the summit turned into a chaotic spectacle, from clear-cut forests to inadequate facilities. We discuss the shifting narratives around climate change and how recent articles suggest that the climate movement may be losing momentum. Finally, we explore the evolving landscape of journalism at the Pentagon with Jerry Dunleavy, chief investigative correspondent for Just the News. As the Pentagon opens its doors to new reporters, Dunleavy shares insights on the critical military issues facing the U.S., including the ongoing discussions about Venezuela and the implications of recent military movements.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Blue state elections are closer than expected

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2025 122:41

[00:00:00] Lawrence Jones [00:11:06] Rep. August Pfluger [00:18:26] Tim & Demi Tebow [00:36:48] Marc Thiessen [01:13:34] Harry Hurley [01:31:57] Jon Levine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Kimmel suspended 'indefinitely' after MAGA, Charlie Kirk comments

Flyover Country with Scott Jennings

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 122:38

[00:00:00] Jason Chaffetz [00:18:25] Bobby Burack [00:36:47] Dr. Nicole Saphier [00:55:10] Rep. August Pfluger [01:13:31] Julian Epstein [01:31:55] Marc Thiessen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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S.C. Lifts Restrictions on LA immigration, Charlotte Stabbing, & Rep. August Pfluger

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 35:26

Today on The Scott Jennings Show, Scott Jennings is live with breaking Supreme Court rulings, and Managing Editor at Newsbusters Chris Houck discusses the media blackout on a brutal crime in North Carolina. Plus, Congressman August Pfluger on Capitol Hill. It’s sharp commentary, unapologetic opinion, and interviews you won’t hear anywhere else.Keep up with the Trump Administration when you subscribe to The Trump Report. This email brings you daily highlights from the Oval Office, right to your inbox, 5 days a week. Subscribe today at http://salempodcastnetwork.com/trumpSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Inside the Capitol: Trump's Push for Historic Legislation

John Solomon Reports

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 42:08

Congressman Rudy Ykam discusses the implications of President Trump's recent visit to Capitol Hill, and highlights a transformative bill aimed at overhauling American governance and spending, which encapsulates decades of conservative ideas. Congressman August Pfluger from Texas discusses the historic legislative efforts currently taking place in Congress. He shares insights on the repeal of the Biden administration's natural gas tax and the importance of energy security for America. Congressman Pfluger also highlights the bipartisan support for significant legislation aimed at protecting families from explicit images online and the ongoing efforts to address Iran's nuclear ambitions. Additional interview with The Wellness Company's Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Peter McCullough discusses former President Biden's recent cancer diagnosis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Congressman August Pfluger on Conservative Leadership, Tax Certainty, and Unleashing American Energy

American Potential

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 25:25

In this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Congressman August Pfluger—Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, decorated Air Force veteran, and proud seventh-generation Texan—for an in-depth conversation on the path forward for America's economy, energy independence, and national security. Congressman Pfluger discusses why predictability in the tax code is essential for families, entrepreneurs, and innovators alike. As the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act faces expiration, Pfluger makes the case for why extending—and ideally making permanent—those provisions is not just a matter of policy, but a critical step to preserve America's competitive edge and avoid economic backsliding. He also shares how the Republican Study Committee, now the largest conservative caucus in Congress with 189 members, is working to restore fiscal discipline, protect family-owned farms from devastating inheritance taxes, and ensure American businesses have the confidence to invest and grow. The conversation dives into the real-world impact of smart tax policy, using examples like a small business in rural Ohio that was able to give employees a 40% raise thanks to the Trump tax cuts. Congressman Pfluger also breaks down the growing demand for domestic energy production—driven in part by rising electricity needs from data centers and AI—and why energy security is inseparable from national security. Representing one of the largest and most quintessentially Texan districts in the country, Congressman Pfluger shares what makes his constituents special, why the Permian Basin is a story of American innovation, and what it means to fight for the freedom and opportunity they hold dear. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand how principled leadership, clear policy direction, and bold vision can help secure a stronger future for all Americans.

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SCOTUS hears arguments on birthright citizenship

Hugh Hewitt podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 68:55

Hugh discusses the SCOTUS birthright citizenship case, the tax bill, and Biden's decline coverage, with Rep. August Pfluger, John Ashbrook, Rep. Steve Scalise, Shalom Laam, Seth Mandel, Sen. Jon Husted, and Jim Talent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Donald Trump is trying to lead a resurrection of America… AND Guest host Paul Gleiser is here to explain how he's doing this

The Todd Starnes Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 122:49

Jimmy Failla has the day off, so the always-reliable Paul Gleiser from KTBB in Tyler, Texas answered the call to guest host Fox Across America. Paul tells us why he believes President Trump is doing everything in his power to lead a resurrection of America. He then welcomes in former Trump 2024 Deputy Communications Director Caroline Sunshine, who offers her commentary on that analogy. Texas Republican Congressman and Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger stresses the importance of getting the president's agenda enshrined into law through the GOP-backed, ‘big, beautiful bill'. Elections Correspondent for The Federalist Brianna Lyman slams the media's dishonest framing about the so-called ‘Maryland man' who was in the U.S. illegally and recently deported to El Salvador. Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube gives his take on why Democratic lawmakers still aren't getting the message on how the American electorate feels about certain issues. PLUS, White House Faith Office director Jenny Korn checks in to talk about how the White House has been celebrating Holy Week and Passover. [00:00:00] Paul Gleiser's monologue on the ‘Resurrection of America' under Trump [00:18:50] Caroline Sunshine [00:37:07] Rep. August Pfluger [00:55:30] Brianna Lyman [01:13:50] Paul takes The Quiz [01:24:55] Rep. Greg Steube [01:32:30] Jenny Korn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Kevin Roberts Show: Exposing the Deep State’s Dirty Secrets | Reps. Keith Self & August Pfluger

The Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025

President Trump is using his executive power to rip the lid off the deep state’s most egregious fraud, waste, and abuse—starting with USAID. But what about Congress? Reps. Keith Self and August Pfluger join The Kevin Roberts Show to reveal how they're working to codify Trump's reforms, gut the bureaucracy, and put America back on […]

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Exposing the Deep State's Dirty Secrets | Reps. Keith Self & August Pfluger

The Kevin Roberts Show

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 17:06

President Trump is using his executive power to rip the lid off the deep state's most egregious fraud, waste, and abuse—starting with USAID. But what about Congress? Reps. Keith Self and August Pfluger join The Kevin Roberts Show to reveal how they're working to codify Trump's reforms, gut the bureaucracy, and put America back on the path to military strength and fiscal sanity. From cutting trillions in waste to dismantling Biden's radical policies, this episode breaks down the real fight for America's future.About Rep. Pfluger: Serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman August Pfluger represents 20 counties in Texas' 11th Congressional District, including Brownwood, Killeen, Llano, Midland, Odessa, and San Angelo. August grew up in San Angelo, where he lives with his wife Camille and three daughters. August graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy before serving in the military for twenty years as a decorated fighter pilot and squadron commander, including two deployments to Syria and Northern Iraq. August also served on the United States National Security Council (NSC) during President Trump's first presidency and still serves as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. In Congress, August is the first Member to represent Midland and Odessa on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He also serves as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee – the largest caucus of conservatives on Capitol Hill – and as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. Additionally, August co-founded the MACH 1 Caucus and the Texas Ag Task Force. He is a conservative Republican, a proud husband and father, and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.About Rep. Self: Keith Self was born in a military hospital during his father's service in the United States Army and was raised in Texas. After graduation from High School in Amarillo, he accepted an appointment to The United States Military Academy at West Point, where he began a 25-year career of service to our country.Keith's Army tours included Airborne Infantry Platoon Leader, Airborne Infantry Company Commander, Special Forces Detachment Commander and Special Forces Company Commander. His service took him to Europe, the Middle East, and the Pentagon, where he worked on the most sensitive military programs. He deployed to Grenada, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraqi Freedom. During his career, Keith received the Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, and Joint Staff Badge. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.Upon retiring from the Army, Keith was elected County Judge in Collin County, TX, in 2006. He served three consecutive terms before retiring in 2018.Keith and his wife Tracy have been happily married since his graduation from West Point. They reside in McKinney, TX and are active members in their church and local community.

#159: America Is Vulnerable - Representative August Pfluger (TX-11)

The Jedburgh Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 15:10

Threats to America are at an all time high. Our national security and law enforcement professionals have warned us. Our military leaders are preparing for anything and everything. Representative August Pfluger is the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. He is now a 3-term Congressman representing Texas's 11th District. He is also an Air Force Academy graduate and an F-22 fighter pilot with over 300 combat hours. As a member of the bi-partisan military Veterans alliance, the For Country Caucus, one of his biggest efforts is to build coalitions across the aisle. With Homeland Security, terror threats and nation-state brinksmanship front and center, Fran Racioppi sat down with the Congressman to ask him what exactly the biggest threats to America are. They dug into the theory of an imminent terror attack, what the battlefield with China really looks like, and why preventing denial of service attacks and the cyber-security risks against America's critical infrastructure should be at the top of the priority list.They also discussed the future of SOF on an undefined battlefield, how the reduction of fraud, waste and abuse will open up funds for discretionary spending, and why disagreement should be encouraged; but when the decision is made, everyone needs to get in line and execute. Watch, listen or read our conversation from Congressman Pfluger's office. Don't miss our full coverage from Capitol Hill. Special thanks to For Country Caucus for setting up this series. HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Introduction02:55 Veterans in Congress02:35 Terror Threat To America04:45 Cyber Threats10:01 Future role of Special Operations11:47 Lessons from Service in CongressQUOTES“There's a level of trust when you know that somebody else has served.”“It starts with just transparency. We live in a dangerous world. It's not just a terrorism threat.”“These non-nation state actors and even nation state sponsored cyber activities lie in that grey zone.” “That's where we're really vulnerable is some of the smaller communities, some of the smaller banks, some of the smaller entities that provide these services. Denial of services. That's what we're worried about.” “Every dollar of improper payment that is going somewhere else is a dollar we're not spending on security.”“SOF plays a huge role in deterrence. That to me is worth its weight in gold.” Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are brought to you by University of Health and Performance and are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and host Fran Racioppi. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy, nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

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Daily Dispatch 2/26/25: Amidst Texas Measles Outbreak, Anti-Vax Movement Is Unmoved, and More

Progress Texas Happy Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 9:28

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Anti-vax "experts" are blaming the Texas measles outbreak on the measles outbreak itself - and are theorizing that the outbreak was engineered as an attack on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/texas-measles-outbreak-anti-vaccine-advocates-blame-shot-rcna193478...The case count is now up to 128, with cases popping up 250 miles from the Gaines County epicenter: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/...The Republican mayor of Brownfield, Texas - in Terry County which has seen 21 measles cases so far - bravely attests that he believes in vaccines: https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549...The Texas measles outbreak is rightly seen as the first major public health response failure of the second Trump administration: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/texas-measles-outbreak-vaccine-trump-100-newsletter-rcna193543Massive federal budget cuts proposed by Congressional Republicans will likely impact Medicaid - which would certainly impact thousands of Texas children: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2025/02/26/texas-children-will-be-in-danger-with-medicaid-proposed-cuts/...Even as things are now, Texas is dead last in the U.S. for health care coverage for kids: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/26/texas-children-chip-medicaid-uninsured/Governor Abbott issues full-throated condemnation of a proposed Muslim residential development in northeast Texas: https://www.audacy.com/krld/news/local/planned-muslim-community-near-dallasGovernor Abbott apparently has no plans to ramp down the billions it's spending on Operation Lone Star, even as federal border enforcement ramps up: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-border-spending-trump-20187542.phpCivil rights groups are demanding that the Fort Worth Police Department return photos by a world-renowned artist that it confiscated from an exhibit at the Modern Art Museum: https://www.chron.com/culture/arts/article/museum-fort-worth-mann-photos-20181456.phpSan Angelo Rep. August Pfluger has been fundraising on the idea that Donald Trump should serve a third term as President: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/25/pfluger-texas-fundraising-trump-third-term/We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Trump puts world on notice: Do business with us or suffer the tariffs

Energy Solutions: A Podcast From EPSA

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 133:44

[00:00:00] Rep. August Pfluger [00:18:26] Mike Sommers [00:47:56] Jacqui Heinrich [00:55:13] Douglas Murray [01:13:36] Shannon Bream [01:32:00] Julian Epstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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January 20th Can't Come Soon Enough

Hugh Hewitt podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 81:20

Kicking off the new afternoon/evening timeslot, Hugh covers the news of the day and talks with Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, Congressman August Pfluger of Texas' 11th district, followed by Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova, Senator Tom Cotton, Adm. Mark Montgomery (USN, Ret.), and Bethany Mandel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A Year in Review: 2024 Podcast Wrap

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 41:46

We close 2024 with a look back at some of our top episodes this year and end with a look forward into 2025 with EPSA's President and CEO Todd Snitchler. Listen in for thoughts on gas-electric coordination from 2024's NARUC President Julie Fedorchak, highlights from our 3rd annual Competitive Power Summit, and a glimpse into the top conversation of the year: the impact of AI, data centers, and other new technologies on load growth – and the role competitive power suppliers have in supporting the energy expansion. We'll close out the episode with a 2024 debrief and an outlook for 2025 from EPSA President and CEO and Energy Solutions host Todd Snitchler.Guests:Julie Fedorchak, North Dakota Public Service Commission, Congresswoman-elect (ND), NARUCJim Robb, NERCChristi Tezak, ClearView Energy Partners LLC Kelly Speakes-Backman, Invenergy Aftab Khan, PJM InterconnectionRep. August Pfluger, Texas (R-11) Derrick Kulalapai, United AssociationWatch: Competitive Power Summit Recordings Register: EPSA Competitive Power Summit 2025 Listen: ENERGY RUSH: Expert Voices Talk Rising Power Demand Liked this episode? Share it on X @EPSANews or LinkedIn at Electric Power Supply Association. Want more competitive power updates? Sign up for our monthly Power Moves newsletter.

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La ONU da un paso decisivo: ¡Cese al fuego entre Israel y Hamás! | Dos pilotos comerciales registran aparición OVNI en pleno vuelo|

Jaime Maussan Presenta

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2024 39:17

Tercer Milenio 360 Internacional - 13/12/24 August Pfluger, congresista republicano y presidente del comité de seguridad nacional de la cámara, pide a Joe Biden, derribar todo objeto anómalo que sea detectado en el espacio aéreo de los Estados Unidos. La noche del 3 de diciembre en Oregon, Estados Unidos, la tripulación de dos vuelos comerciales reporta extraños objetos en el aire a la torre de control. Imágenes sorprendentes en Miami, Florida y Santa Cruz, California, se trata de sistemas aéreos no identificados luminosos.

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Nathaniel Moran, Dr. Robert Malone, Andrew Bailey, August Pfluger,

FRC - Washington Watch with Tony Perkins

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024

On today's program: Nathaniel Moran, U.S. Representative for the 1st District of Texas, comments on South Korean President Yoon's declaration of martial law in his country as well as President Biden's full pardon of his son Hunter. Dr. Robert

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Nathaniel Moran, Robert Malone, Andrew Bailey, August Pfluger

Washington Watch

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2024 54:02

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A Triumphant August Pfluger

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 31:26

Today on LIVE! Daily News, Congressman August Pfluger took questions from San Angelo residents last night, a barber shop is handing out free turkeys for Thanksgiving, a man was arrested for threatening a woman with a knife, and Glenmore Shopping Center is for sale. Also, Ryan Chadwick talks about the San Angelo Central Bobcat's All-District Award Winners. Today's Top Stories: Teenagers Wanted for String of Robberies in Texas Using Fake Marketplace Profiles (11/26/2024)Here's When to Expect the Worst Thanksgiving Traffic on I-10 (11/26/2024)Majestic Studio & Lounge Giving Away Free Turkeys for Thanksgiving (11/26/2024)San Angelo State Park Announces Holiday Hours and Closures (11/26/2024)San Angelo's Glenmore Shopping Center for Sale (11/26/2024)Couple Arrested After Fleeing Walmart Theft on Sherwood Way (11/26/2024)It's The Most Whata-full Time of the Year! (11/26/2024)San Angelo Man Arrested for Threatening Woman With Knife (11/26/2024)Boy Calls 911 for Homework Help; Deputy Steps In (11/26/2024)100 MW Data Center Coming to West Texas as Part of Expansion (11/26/2024)Dictionary.com Names ‘Demure' 2024 Word of the Year (11/26/2024)Here's What's Open and Closed in San Angelo on Thanksgiving (11/26/2024)VIDEO: Takeaways from Congressman Pfluger's San Angelo Town Hall (11/26/2024)San Angelo's Tour of Lights to Return for 31st Year (11/26/2024)8 Central Bobcats Earn First-Team Honors on All-District 2-6A Football Team (11/26/2024)Celebrate the Holiday Season Outside at a Texas State Park (11/26/2024)First Freeze of the Season Likely by Friday Morning (11/26/2024)Large-Scale Drug Possession and DWI Tops Booking Report (11/26/2024)Angelo State Volleyball Earns No. 1 Seed in South Central Regional (11/25/2024)FTC Leak Targets Energy CEO Amid $60 Billion Exxon Deal, Lawmakers Demand Probe (11/25/2024)

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San Angelo Helps Elect Trump

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 25:47

Today on LIVE! Daily News, Donald Trump is the 47th President of the United States, Prop A passed for San Angelo ISD, and two men are on the run from law enforcement.Also, Joe Hyde and Yantis Green sit down with Congressman August Pfluger at the Arc Light Bar & Grill and Hector Guevara with the Lake View Chiefs talks about the matchup with Andrews. Today's Top Stories: San Angelo Voters Approve $6M for Teacher Pay, Campus Security (11/06/2024)San Angelo Military Wife Reunites with Husband After Deployment, Capturing Moment on Camera (11/06/2024)Water Circus Arrives at San Angelo's Sunset Mall (11/06/2024)City Offices Closed for Veterans Day; Fairmount Cemetery to Host Ceremony (11/06/2024)Law Enforcement in Sonora Searching for Suspect After High-Speed Pursuit (11/06/2024)Angelo State Students to Showcase Diverse Research at Annual Symposium (11/06/2024)Warmer Today, Severe Storms Possible Thursday (11/06/2024)Top 5 Football Games to Watch in West Texas This Week (11/06/2024)2024 West Texas High School Volleyball Playoff Schedule (11/06/2024)Indecency with a Child and Family Violence Tops Booking Report (11/06/2024)Trump Elected 47th President (11/06/2024)Tom Green County Election Results (11/05/2024)AP: Trump Wins Texas in 2024 Presidential Race (11/05/2024)Everything San Angelo Needs to Know About How to Vote on November 5 (11/05/2024)Trent Man Killed in Crash at Unlit Intersection on Motorized Device (11/05/2024)City Hall Annex Closed Again Wednesday Due to Electrical Outage (11/05/2024)Man Dies After Car Strikes Utility Pole on US 277 in Haskell County (11/05/2024)Tom Green County Sheriff's Office Seeks Public Help Locating Suspect in Pursuit (11/05/2024)San Angelo Police Department Welcomes New Officer (11/05/2024)San Angelo and Abilene Experience Hottest October on Record (11/05/2024)Angelo State Percussion Ensemble to Present Free Fall Concert Featuring Contemporary Works (11/05/2024)

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Central Football Star Returns to San Angelo...For Permian

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 17:46

Today on LIVE! Daily News, Unidad Park has reopened, Big Lots is closing its doors, and a familiar face is returning to San Angelo Stadium for the Odessa Permian Panthers.Also, Ryan Chadwick spoke with Wall Hawks head coach Craig Slaughter and Ethan Michaelwicz, and then Bob Bluthardt with Fort Concho is in the studio. Today's Top Stories:Family of Drowned Twins Seeks Support Through GoFundMe for Funeral Expenses (10/17/2024)Solve a Chilling Mystery at Fort Concho Before Spooky Events End (10/17/2024)August Pfluger to Host 'Pfluger Pfest 2024' Featuring Kevin Fowler (10/17/2024)Red-Hot Rams Continue Conference Title Pursuit at Midwestern State (10/17/2024)San Angelo Big Lots Set to Close as Part of Nationwide Shutdown (10/17/2024)Another Earthquake Shakes West Texas (10/17/2024)Sam Singleton Returns to San Angelo Stadium as Part of Permian Coaching Staff (10/17/2024)'Bussin with the Boys' Host Offers 'Comment' to National News Agency (10/17/2024)TDLR: Ensure Your Heating System is Safe and Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks This Fall (10/17/2024)$4 Million Worth of Cocaine Found Hidden in Texas Cargo Truck (10/17/2024)First Financial Bank Volunteers Build Beds for Kids and Paint Mural Wall During Day of Service (10/17/2024)Angelo State Receives $500,000 for Athletics Endowment (10/17/2024)Whataburger Releases First-Ever Book and Puzzle Collection for Fans (10/17/2024)Unidad Park Playground Reopens After Maintenance Work (10/17/2024)Crash North of Eden Leaves One Car Engulfed in Flames, Another With Entrapment (10/17/2024)Mild Weather Expected in San Angelo Through the Weekend (10/17/2024)Spooky: 'October Surprise' Could Come Late on Election Night (10/17/2024)Aggravated Assault and Repeat DWI Top Booking Report (10/17/2024)Darby and Colleagues Intervene to Stop Today's Execution of Death Row Inmate (10/17/2024)Odessa Babysitter Fell Asleep After Leaving Twins in Bathtub, Both Drown (10/16/2024)

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Stabbing Suspect Standoff

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2024 16:59

Today on LIVE! Daily News, a stabbing suspect barricaded himself in a shed before surrendering to San Angelo Police over the weekend, an area arms dealer was sentenced, and August Pfluger was at Goodfellow AFB this morning.Also, Bobcat's Head Coach Mark Smith talks about the team's first win and Bob Bluthardt is in studio from Fort Concho. Today's Top Stories: Bodycam Footage Shows Arrest of Suspect in Apparent Assassination Attempt on Trump (09/16/2024)Garbage Truck Fire Investigated at Pulliam Street (09/16/2024)Up and Down Saloon is Open for Business (09/16/2024)Reagan County Sheriff's Office Confirms No Threat to Schools (09/16/2024)Rep. Pfluger and Rep. Calvert Visit Goodfellow AFB, Emphasize Importance of Upgrades (09/16/2024)TPWD: White-tailed Deer Population Looks Strong Ahead of Archery-Only Season (09/16/2024)Texas High School Football State Rankings: Week 4 (09/16/2024)West Texas High School Football District Standings (09/16/2024)Information Regarding Barricaded Stabbing Suspect Released (09/16/2024)Donate Blood & You Could Win $5,000 (09/16/2024)San Angelo Arms Dealer Takes Plea Deal for Murder of Jacob Hernandez (09/16/2024)Above-Normal Temps to Persist Through Saturday (09/16/2024)Bailout Incident Reported on Interstate 10, Near Sonora (09/16/2024)Suspect Identified in Alleged Donald Trump Assassination Attempt (09/16/2024)Aggravated Assault and Terroristic Threat Top Booking Report (09/16/2024)WATCH: Bloodshed & Mangled Metal at Northside Crash (09/15/2024)Trump Safe Following Shooting at His Golf Course, Campaign Says (09/15/2024)Lane Closures Planned on Loop 378 for Corridor Improvement Project (09/15/2024)

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Goodfellow AFB

Energy Solutions: A Podcast From EPSA

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 6:39

Today on LIVE! Daily News, the Goodfellow Air Force Base hosted career day this morning, an Angelo State student was will serve as Congressman August Pfluger's intern this fall, and expect more and more rain over the weekend and into next week.Also, a ton of sports news out of ASU, high school volleyball rankings, and COVER1 is back this Friday!Today's Top Stories:Semi-Trailer Hauling Cantaloupes Overturns Near Big Spring (08/28/2024)Texas Tech Celebrates the End of 'The Campaign for Fearless Champions' (08/28/2024)West Texas Oil Field Crash Wrecks Two Work Trucks (08/28/2024)Santa Anna Woman Dies, 7-Year-Old Injured in U.S. 283 Crash (08/28/2024)Missouri Man Files Lawsuit After 18-Wheeler Crash in Big Spring (08/28/2024)Where Does Texas Rank in Retail Theft? (08/28/2024)Couple Kidnapped and Assaulted, Lamborghini Stolen; Six Men Arrested (08/28/2024)Unclaimed $1 Million Mega Millions Ticket Set to Expire (08/28/2024)Bronte Showdown One of State's Best Small-School Volleyball Tournaments (08/28/2024)Eight Dead, Dozens Sickened in Boar's Head Listeria Outbreak Linked to Deli Meats (08/28/2024)Theft Investigations Underway in Odessa (08/28/2024)San Angelo Police Department Issues Flood Advisory (08/28/2024)FBI Releases New Photos of Gun Used in Trump Assassination Attempt (08/28/2024)Texas CBP Officers Seize $3M in Cocaine (08/28/2024)Jewish Man Assaulted by Stranger Shouting Anti-Semitic Slur (08/28/2024)Traffic Alert for Aug. 29: Temporary Stop at Jackson Street and Knickerbocker Road (08/28/2024)Rapper Lil Baby Arrested in Vegas for Allegedly Carrying Concealed Weapon Without Permit (08/28/2024)Dramatic Footage Shows Tree Nearly Striking Cyclist (08/28/2024)Texas to Host World's Largest Steam Locomotive During Fall Tour (08/28/2024)ASU Rambelles Soccer Picked 3rd in LSC Preseason Poll (08/28/2024)Strong Mourning and White-Winged Populations Forecast for Dove Season (08/28/2024)GALLERY: Goodfellow AFB Hosts 'Air Force Career Day' for Potential Recruits (08/28/2024)Fifth Death This Month at Grand Canyon: Man Dies After Boat Capsizes (08/28/2024)Fish With Human-Like Teeth Caught in Texas Lake (08/28/2024)Angelo State Student Chosen for Internship Program in Washington, D.C. (08/28/2024)Texas High School Volleyball State Rankings (08/28/2024)Cowboys to Sign Former Second Round Pick (08/28/2024)San Angelo Central Volleyball Suffers First Loss of Season (08/28/2024)Lake View Chiefs Begin Season With Road Trip to Fort Stockton (08/28/2024)Sex Offender Violation and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity Top Booking Report (08/28/2024)Angelo State Belles Tennis Named LSC Academic Champions (08/27/2024)Children's Book Battery Ignites Car Seat (08/27/2024)

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Energy Rush: Policies to Power the Future (PART 1)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 31:11

To meet the nation's rising demand for electricity, we need to build a lot of power generation, and fast, and keep what we have. What's the best way to get there? What policies and market foundations can best incentivize the investment and enable the buildout needed while mitigating costs and keeping the grid reliable? In part 1 of the final episode of our four-part series exploring the challenge and opportunity presented by rising power demand, we interview state and national policy leaders Texas Representative August Pfluger and Arizona Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson.Liked this episode? Share it on X @EPSANews or LinkedIn at Electric Power Supply Association. Want more competitive power updates? Sign up for our monthly Power Moves newsletter.

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Immigration the Correct Way