Arkansas Is Open For Veterans: Jumping In with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

On Veterans Day we celebrate our military from every service and every generation. Freedom requires people of character to stand up for America…no matter the challenge. This Veterans Day, the Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with theUniversity of Health and Performance https://university-hp.com/outside of Bentonville, Arkansas. Dedicated to providing our transitioning service members with the skills needed to build careers in health and fitness, and as entrepreneurs, UHP is leading the way in showing private industry just how valuable our Veterans will be for the next generation of America. While at UHP, Fran Racioppi https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisracioppijr/ had the chance to sit down with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, https://governor.arkansas.gov/about/governor-sanders/ the youngest Governor in America and one of only 13 female Governors across the country. Governor Sanders is a staunch advocate for up-skilling transitioning Veterans and is working hard to ensure Arkansas has the resources and job opportunities to bring Veterans to the state. The Governor and Fran discussed her Veterans initiatives, her outlook now that the 2024 election is decided, and how it is incumbent upon all leaders to bring the country together to get things done for the American people. HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 Introduction1:46 Welcome to the University of Health and Performance2:12 Veterans Day in Arkansas3:08 Arkansas is upskilling Veterans4:22 Women Governors are changing America 5:23 America post-election6:36 Can America come together? QUOTES “Creating an atmosphere that allows us to keep Veterans right here in Arkansas is a great thing.” “We want this to be the best place for Veterans to call home.” “Having women in leadership I think is absolutely critical to the long term success of our county.” “We have to focus on things everybody can agree on and things that lift our country up.” “Remember where the enemies are; and it’s not within our own country.” The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation https://greenberetfoundation.org/the-jedburgh-podcast/. Watch, listen or read https://linktr.ee/franracioppi all our Veterans Day coverage. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast https://www.instagram.com/jedburghpodcast/ and the Green Beret Foundation https://www.instagram.com/greenberetfoundation/ on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform and watch us on YouTube https://youtu.be/FFBO5PhwEHk as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge. The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of the guests and the 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.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:05Fran Racioppi?

  Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast. I'm the creator and host, Fran Racioppi. Each episode, I speak with transformative leaders, visionaries, drivers of change, and those dedicated to winning no matter the challenge. The Jedburgh Podcast is founded in the lineage of the special operations Jedburgh teams of the past and is an official program of the Green Beret Foundation, supporting our nation's US Army Special Forces and their families. On Veterans Day, we celebrate our military from every service and every generation. Freedom requires people of character to stand up for America, no matter the challenge. This Veterans Day, the Jedburgh Podcast, the Jedburgh Media Channel, and the Green Beret Foundation are proud to announce our partnership with the University of Health and Performance. Located outside of Bentonville, Arkansas, UHP is dedicated to providing our transitioning

• 0:50Fran Racioppi?

  service members with the skills needed to build careers in health and fitness and as entrepreneurs. UHP is leading the way in showing private industry just how valuable our veterans will be for the next generation of America. While at UHP, I have the chance to sit down with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the youngest governor in America and one of only 13 female governors across the country. Governor Sanders is a staunch advocate for upskilling transitioning veterans, and she's working hard to ensure Arkansas has the resources and job opportunities to bring veterans to the state. The governor and I discussed her veterans initiatives, her outlook now that the 2024 election is decided, and how it's incumbent upon all leaders to bring the country together to get things done for the American people. Watch, listen, or read all our Veterans Day coverage.

• 1:34Fran Racioppi?

  Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media, listen on your favorite podcast platform, and watch us on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge. Governor, thanks for joining me on the Jedburgh Podcast.

• 1:48Speaker 01

  Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

• 1:50Fran Racioppi?

  We're here at University of Health and Performance Northwest Arkansas, right outside of Bentonville. My first time here, so I have to admit it. What an absolutely amazing place. We flew in, we flew over the Ozarks. I've only seen the show, so I was able to see everything firsthand, but I mean, absolutely incredible here. Incredible to have you here. Incredible to have Senator Bozeman here and really be talking about the importance of Veterans Day. Why is it so important to you and Arkansas?

• 2:14Speaker 01

  What they have been able to do and create here is so important. We're so proud to have it in Arkansas. Matt, who's the CEO and founder of UHP, has done a great job of building a place that helps our veterans transition from serving in the military and then going into the workforce. And that's something that we really value here in Arkansas. We know that there's some of the most highly trained, loyal, mission-oriented people that you can find, and it makes perfect sense to want to put them into the workforce. And so, creating an atmosphere that allows us to keep veterans right here in Arkansas is a great thing and really proud to support it. But also, most importantly, today and every day, having the opportunity to thank our veterans in person for the service and

• 2:58Speaker 01

  sacrifice that they've made is such a big deal and such an honor to be part of.

• 3:02Fran Racioppi?

  Well, upskilling our veterans comes to mind when you, when you talk about that, because so many times, we have to realize that when our service ends, it's just a chapter in the book, and we have so much more to give. Right now, the global war on terror, in its intent and purpose by definition, is over. We could argue and have a discussion at much more longer time than we have here about who we are at war with and what is on the horizon for us. So I would argue, we still have a terrorism fight, but we have so many of that global war on terror generation that is now getting out. They've hit their 20-plus years, and they're coming into the workforce. What are the opportunities now that you look at across the state that says, hey, we're going to invest in you, bring you here, come to Arkansas?

• 3:46Speaker 01

  Well, I think a program like what they have here at UHP, which allows those veterans to take the skills that they learned in their military service and transition and then put them into day-to-day workforce and regular application.

• 4:00Speaker 01

  is such a great thing and they can do it very quickly. And I think that's one of the things that makes it so beneficial and so helpful. And we also know that if they're doing a training program like this in the state, it's a lot more likely that they're going to stick around in Arkansas. We want this to be the best place for veterans to call home. And a program like this really helps catapult us to the top of the list.

• 4:21Fran Racioppi?

  You were the first female governor in Arkansas. After the election last week, we're going to have 13 female governors across the country. Why is putting women in these executive positions across the country so important to our nation?

• 4:36Speaker 01

  Well, I think anytime that we can empower people across the board, it's so important, having that different perspective. And women are great multitaskers. A lot of us manage our household, a business, our families, so many other things. And so having women in leadership, I think, is absolutely critical to the long-term success of our country. And for every little girl that is growing up in the U.S., they should have somebody that they can point to and say, I can do that, I want to do that. And so empowering women in every position is so very important. And I'm glad to see that we're expanding that in government. And I'm glad to be the first woman to leave my state as well.

• 5:13Fran Racioppi?

  My daughter turned 15 today and she reminds me, she reminds me of what you just said, that, hey dad, how come you can only do one thing? My wife reminds me too. So you're absolutely right. I think we've just come out of one of the longest election cycles, certainly in history. We talk about divisiveness, the country, it really is divided in so many ways. At least we haven't gone back to the days of the 1800s when Aaron Burr actually shot his opponent. But, you know, President Trump was shot at and we're very fortunate that that ended the way it did. What's next for the country on the back end of this election? Where are we going from here?

• 5:48Speaker 01

  Well, I think that what we saw this past week with such a decisive win by President Trump shows that these are policies that people want. At the end of the day, people don't want government intruding into every aspect of their lives. Frankly, they want to be left alone and so they want a president who understands that. They also want somebody who is respected on the global stage, somebody that our allies actually Respect and that our enemies fear. And I think we saw that take place at the ballot box. People want to secure border. They want to know that we have a law and order country. And those are the big policies that I think you saw people vote on when they cast their ballots last week. And those are going to be the things that I think you'll see President Trump enacting on

• 6:29Speaker 01

  a regular basis as he takes mantle back again at the White House in January.

• 6:35Fran Racioppi?

  In special forces in the military, we talk a lot about having input from every level. I think we're very fortunate on special forces teams. You've got a 12 man team. Everybody gets a say, but when the decision's made, everybody gets in line. Well, as you said, decisively, the decision's been made. Now, how do we get everybody in line? What's the message that says, look, the country spoke. Now let's just come together and do this.

• 6:59Speaker 01

  I think if I knew how to get the other side in line, it would make my life a lot easier. But I think one of the important things is that we have to focus on things that everybody can agree on and things that lift our country up. And remember at the end of the day, who our enemies are, and it's not the people within our own communities and states and neighborhoods. Our biggest adversary, I think at this point is China. And we have to remember who we're up against. And that's where we need to focus our fire. That's where we need to focus our drive and our competitive. It's not against each other, but remember where the enemies are and it's not within our own country.

• 7:34Fran Racioppi?

  I could talk to you all day about China, but we've got a great, we've got a great event that we got to get to. I really appreciate coming out here. Amazing Veterans Day to have the opportunity to come to the University of Health and perform and spend it in Arkansas. I know I'm coming back. I want to go through this program and I want to spend some more time here. And I appreciate your leadership, both at the state level and the national level. And thank you for everything.

• 7:52Speaker 01

  Thank you very much and thank you for your service.

• 7:54Fran Racioppi?

  Absolutely. Thanks. American Jedbergs went out to form the foundation of the United States Special Forces and the Special Activities Director to the Central Intelligence Agency. Thanks for listening to the Jedberg Podcast. I'm your creator and host, Fran Ruchowi. Join us next week for a new episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check us out on YouTube for full episodes, highlights, and other behind the scenes content. If you like what you heard, give us a like and leave a review. Follow me, Fran R. Chopie, Talent War Group, and our sponsor Jersey Mike subs on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Send your comments and inquiries to [email protected]. As former members of Special Operations Forces, the Jedberg Podcast and Talent War Group contribute a percentage of all profits to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, supporting the families of our fallen warriors.

• 8:39Fran Racioppi?

  Thanks for joining us on this episode. How you prepare today determines success tomorrow.