The Debrief with Eric Immesberger

He ran a Secret Service counter assault team for 15 years. He ran two United Nations General Assemblies. And this episode, he's answering your questions.Retired Secret Service agent John Constantine — instructor, CAT team leader, and author of Hallways and Stairways — is back on The Debrief for a wide-ranging conversation that goes from leadership philosophy to the actual mechanics of protecting a head of state.Eric and John cover the “mission, the men, then you” framework that shaped how John led his team, how he tested a young leader’s integrity before ever mentioning leadership, and why real leadership is felt, not seen. From there they get into how protective intelligence actually works — how a threat gets assessed, verified, and acted on — the chaos and credentialing headaches of running security for the UN General Assembly, and why presidential campaign years are some of the hardest on Secret Service families. Plus: the story behind the Tudor CAT team watch, and a few protectee stories that have to be heard to be believed.In this episode:The "mission, the men, then you" leadership order — and how to actually live by itHow John tested whether a young leader had earned the right to be followedWhy real leadership is felt, not seenHow a protective threat actually gets assessed and verifiedRunning security for two United Nations General AssembliesThe credentialing chaos of figuring out who actually counts as a head of stateWhy presidential campaign years are the hardest on Secret Service familiesThe truth about the $4,500 Tudor counter assault team watchWar stories from the road: protectees, protests, and one very memorable American farm visitTimestamps:00:00 — Welcome back John Constantine01:34 — “Felt, not seen”: the counter assault team ethos04:58 — Mission, the men, then you10:19 — How do I get people to follow me? A leadership test14:14 — Setting the standard instead of just stating it16:40 — The gun swap: a lesson in how leaders show, not tell19:32 — Listener question: the $4,500 Tudor CAT watch23:18 — How a real threat against the First Family gets assessed33:47 — Reading people: the Germany trip vs. the India trip41:23 — Inside the United Nations General Assembly operation44:12 — Who actually counts as a head of state?54:08 — Protectee stories: the farm, the protest, and the American chow59:13 — Stranded in a firehouse at 2am1:03:08 — How Secret Service protection actually gets assigned in a campaign year1:07:26 — The toll: exhaustion, divorce rates, and life on the road1:19:38 — Taking care of your people when you can't give them more time off1:24:14 — Wrap-up and where to find JohnFollow John Constantine on Instagram john.constantineonezero for his daily leadership posts.Grab John’s book, Hallways and Stairways, wherever books are sold.The Debrief pulls back the curtain on the work law enforcement does every day that you're never going to hear about anywhere else. If you liked this one, hit subscribe — it's how the show keeps going. Send your questions and comments. We read all of them, we answer the good ones, and most of the bad ones too.

Most people watched the Butler assassination attempt and focused on the shooting.Former ATF Task Force Leader Eric Immesberger and former U.S. Secret Service Counter Assault Team (CAT) Leader John Constantine focus on everything that happened before the first shot.Why do elite protection teams rehearse relentlessly?What separates great leaders from average ones?How do communication failures create catastrophic outcomes?And what lessons can every leader learn from one of the most scrutinized security failures in modern history?In this episode of The Debrief, Eric and John discuss:What it takes to lead elite federal teamsBuilding loyalty instead of fearThe culture inside high-performing unitsLeadership mistakes that destroy organizationsThe Butler assassination attempt from an operational perspectiveWhy communication—not courage—often determines successLessons from decades protecting presidents and pursuing violent criminalsWhether you’re in law enforcement, the military, business, or simply interested in how elite organizations operate under pressure, this conversation offers a rare inside look at leadership when failure isn’t an option.Subscribe for more conversations with the people who’ve spent their careers operating where the stakes are highest.