The Most Challenging Military Job Nobody Wants 🪖

Some moments stay frozen in time. For Major General Gil Ferguson and Dalia Munoz, that moment was the day he arrived at her family’s door to deliver the worst news imaginable, her father, SFC Pedro Munoz, had been killed in action.

Fran Racioppi sat down with General Ferguson and Dalia to recount the grief, shock, and unimaginable responsibility of that day. As the casualty notification officer, Ferguson carried out one of the Army’s most sacred and heartbreaking duties. Dalia, just a teenager, had her world changed forever.

Years later, fate brought them back together when Dalia unknowingly began working under General Ferguson at USASOC. Bound by duty, tragedy, and compassion, they now share a bond forged in loss and leadership. This is a story about honoring sacrifice, finding strength in grief, and leading when there’s no script for what to say.

Watch, listen or read this unforgettable Memorial Day conversation. Episode 172 is live: https://youtu.be/zYTM_el3npc?si=-k6kmcSI816boyJX

This Memorial Day, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Gil Ferguson and Dalia Munoz to share the story of the day that changed, and intertwined, their lives forever. The day SFC Pedro Munoz, Dalia’s dad, was killed in action. General Ferguson was the officer charged with informing her and her family of his death. Delivering a message no one wants to receive and no one wants to give. Dalia, her mother and her grandmother have never been the same.

In this emotional tribute, Dalia and General Ferguson recount that grief-stricken January morning; the planning and preparation behind the casualty affairs process; and the shock, disbelief and sadness that suddenly overcomes a family.

Regulation says the casualty officer and the family shall never meet again; which was the case until General Ferguson became the USASOC Chief of Staff, a role that put him in charge of the Protocol office, the office in which Dalia worked. Confronted with the biggest leadership challenge of his career, General Ferguson had to decide if, and how, to tell Dalia about their encounter years earlier.
This episode is about service. It’s about leadership when it matters most. And it’s about what it means to live a life shaped by loss, and still find purpose on the other side. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s one to never forget.

Special thanks to General Ferguson and Dalia for their openness and willingness to share the rare bond they hold. Thanks to the USASOC Historian’s office for hosting us.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health and Performance, developing the next generation of fitness entrepreneurs from our Veterans.

Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video versions on YouTube.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator 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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