Get ready to breach the boundaries of traditional recruitment with "Mission Critical: Defense Recruiting"! Hosted by Katherine Jerald of Elray Search, this edgy podcast is your go-to source for decoding the secrets behind building killer teams in the defense industry. Each adrenaline-fueled 30-minute episode takes you behind the scenes, exploring unconventional recruitment tactics, war stories, and insights from industry rebels who are redefining the game. We're not here to play it safe; we're here to kick down doors and unleash the beast in defense recruiting. Subscribe now and gear up for a January 2024 launch—because it's time to flip the script on what's truly mission-critical. Stay on the edge, stay fierce, and join us on this unfiltered journey!
The Defense Innovation Gap: Why Breakthroughs Fail to Scale | Duke Hartman
Billions are spent on defense technology every year.
A surprising amount of it never makes it into real-world use.
In this episode of Mission Critical: Defense and Aerospace Recruiting, Katherine Jerald sits down with Duke Hartman, CEO at Integer Technologies, to unpack one of the most misunderstood problems in the industry: why great technology so often fails to get deployed.
Duke shares how the gap between innovation and implementation isn't about capability. It's about integration, incentives, and understanding the realities of how defense systems are actually used in the field.
From procurement cycles to program risk, he explains why even highly advanced solutions can stall before they ever reach the warfighter, and what needs to change for innovation to translate into real operational impact.
"If it doesn't fit into how the mission already works, it doesn't matter how good the tech is."
This conversation goes beyond the surface level challenges of defense innovation to explore the structural reasons behind slow adoption and why the companies that succeed are the ones that design for reality, not just possibility.
Inside this episode:
– Why so much defense technology never makes it past evaluation or pilot phases
– The real gap between building great tech and getting it deployed
– How procurement structures and incentives shape what actually gets used
– Why integration matters more than innovation in defense systems
– The hidden risks that stop programs from adopting new technology
– What startups misunderstand about working with the Department of Defense
– How to design technology that fits existing missions rather than disrupting them
– Why speed alone is not enough to win in defense
If you work in defense technology, aerospace, or government contracting, this episode offers a clear look at why deployment, not invention, is the real challenge and what it takes to close that gap.
Connect with Duke Hartman:
linkedin.com/in/will-edwards
Learn more about Integer Tech:
https://www.integer-tech.com/
Connect with Katherine Jerald:
http://www.elraysearch.com
Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com
1 Apr 2026
The Defense Startup Rebuilding America's Missile Supply Chain | Will Edwards
Everyone talks about missiles.
Almost no one talks about the bottleneck that decides whether they actually get built.
In this episode of Mission Critical: Defense and Aerospace Recruiting, Katherine Jerald sits down with Will Edwards, CEO and co-founder of Firehawk Aerospace, to discuss the overlooked weakness inside the defense industrial base: rocket propulsion manufacturing.
Firehawk Aerospace is approaching that challenge from a completely different direction. By developing 3D printed rocket propellant, the company is working to reduce production timelines from months to hours while dramatically increasing manufacturing flexibility and scale.
Will shares how an outsider perspective led him to question long standing assumptions in propulsion manufacturing and why solving "unsexy" problems like base bleed motors and rocket propellant could unlock billions in defense production capacity.
"Everyone wants to build the flashy systems. But fortunes are made in components."
Inside this episode:
– Why rocket propulsion has become one of the most fragile bottlenecks in the U.S. defense supply chain
– How Firehawk's 3D printed propellant reduces production timelines from months to hours
– Why solving "unsexy" component problems can unlock billions in defense capacity
– The hidden challenge of scaling missile production in the defense industrial base
– How startups can collaborate with primes without slowing innovation
– Why past performance and facilities create a difficult barrier for new defense companies
– How base bleed propulsion systems extend artillery range and why they are so difficult to manufacture
– Why Firehawk is building the first U.S. facility dedicated to 3D printed rocket propellant
If you work in defense manufacturing, aerospace, or national security technology, this episode offers a look at how new startups are helping rebuild the industrial capacity needed to support modern conflict.
Connect with Will Edwards:
linkedin.com/in/will-edwards
Learn more about Firehawk:
https://firehawkaerospace.com/
Connect with Katherine Jerald:
http://www.elraysearch.com
Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com
4 Mar 2026
DevSecOps in Practice Across Defense and National Security | Yolanda Clarke
DevSecOps is talked about constantly in defense and national security.
Very few leaders actually have to make it work in real mission environments.
In this episode of Mission Critical: Defense and Aerospace Recruiting, Katherine Jerald sits down with Yolanda Clarke, Founder and CEO of Powder River Industries, to break down what DevSecOps looks like when failure is not an option.
Yolanda explains how DevSecOps must be designed into programs from day one, not bolted on at the end, and why treating security as a core design requirement is the only way to deliver speed without compromising trust, accreditation, or mission outcomes. Drawing on more than 20 years of military service and deep experience across defense programs, she shares how real DevSecOps depends as much on organizational structure and leadership accountability as it does on tools and pipelines.
"If security is siloed, you're not doing DevSecOps."
This conversation goes beyond theory to explore how DevSecOps operates in practice across defense and national security programs, how leaders should evaluate whether it's real or just PowerPoint, and what it takes to scale secure systems in environments where the consequences are real.
Inside this episode:
– What DevSecOps actually means in defense and national security programs
– Why security must be integrated at the start of system design
– How DevSecOps reduces schedule risk, rework, and failed ATOs
– The fastest way to tell if an organization is really doing DevSecOps
– How team structure and accountability determine DevSecOps success
– Lessons from military leadership that translate directly into secure system delivery
– What leaders should ask when outsourcing DevSecOps support
– How Powder River Industries scales DevSecOps without breaking mission trust
If you work in defense technology, national security, or government IT, this episode offers a practical, experience-driven look at how DevSecOps works when it has to deliver for real missions, real customers, and real consequences.
Connect with Yolanda Clarke:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolandaclarke/
https://www.powderriverindustries.com/
Connect with Katherine Jerald:
http://www.elraysearch.com
Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
12,879
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
63
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
77
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