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Green Beret Forced Out for Following His Conscience: The John Frankman Story
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What would you do when the order on your desk contradicts the conviction in your gut? We sit down with former Green Beret captain John Frankman to unpack the moment duty collided with conscience during the COVID vaccine mandate—and the ripple effects that followed. From early pressure cues and deployment rules to a surreal JRTC pause where troops were told to decide in the woods, John walks us through the machinery of coercion as he experienced it: shifting policies, career threats, and a system that prized compliance over competence.
John’s path gives the story rare texture. Before Special Forces, he spent four years in Catholic seminary, steeped in philosophy, pastoral care, and daily prayer. That formation shaped his refusal, but it also informed a broader critique of leadership: if irregular warfare selects thinkers who challenge assumptions, why did the culture abandon critical thought at home? We talk lost missions, a missed West Point ethics billet, an exemption that languished for over a year, and a town hall exchange where he pressed senior leaders on EUA versus FDA approvals. The result is a human account of policy made real—how trust erodes, how moral injury forms, and what it takes to step away from a career you love.
We also look forward. John shares cautious optimism about a reinstatement task force, the need for transparent processes, and why accountability matters if the military wants disillusioned veterans to return. Along the way, we step into his inner life—how discipline, tradition, and prayer sustained him—and wrestle with the central question any leader should ask: are we building a force that can win without breaking the people who serve?
If you value straight talk about leadership, ethics, and service in uniform, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who cares about the military’s future, and leave a review to help more people find the show.
Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76
Chapters
1. Opening, Guest Intro, Stakes (00:00:00)
2. John’s Path to Service and Faith (00:01:47)
3. Choosing Hard Jobs and Military Culture (00:07:17)
4. Early COVID Vaccine Pressures (00:12:24)
5. Team Resistance and Command Pushback (00:18:11)
6. Deployment Lost over Vax Rules (00:25:27)
7. JRTC Showdown and Coercion (00:31:19)
8. Exemptions, Counselings, and Legal Walls (00:38:08)
9. Career Fallout and Missed West Point Role (00:45:05)
10. Town Hall Challenge to Senior Leaders (00:51:32)
11. Exit Interview and Final Break (00:58:30)
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