Could 1,000 Christians Change the State Department Forever? [CrossPolitic Show]

CrossPolitic 1v1 — Show Notes: Andrew Crapuchette, CEO of Red Balloon On this episode of CrossPolitic 101, the Waterboy sits down with Andrew Crapuchette, CEO of Red Balloon, to talk about what happens when merit replaces DEI in hiring — inside corporations, inside the military, and now inside the U.S. Department of State. Andrew breaks down Red Balloon's acquisition of MilitaryHire.com, their new contract as the official recruiting arm for Foreign Service Officers, and why getting 500 to 1,000 cleared patriots into the State Department could have a generational impact on America and the world. Plus: why you should consider taking the Foreign Service Officer Test — and how classical education might be exactly the preparation you need.   Timestamps 00:00 — Intro & sponsors — Classical Conversations and Red Balloon Recruiter 02:22 — Red Balloon acquires MilitaryHire.com — why veterans keep getting rejected by AI gatekeepers 04:01 — Humans are made in the image of God — why AI shouldn't make hiring decisions 05:16 — New contracts: ICE, Border Patrol, and now the U.S. Department of State 06:53 — Rubio's State Department: less than 10% voted for Trump, DEI recruiting, and the house cleaning 09:37 — What a Foreign Service Officer actually does — and why it's one of the most influential jobs in government 11:41 — Why Christians should be applying: language intensives, global assignments, family-friendly benefits 13:31 — The FSO Test: 1–3% pass rate, how it works, and how to practice without burning your shot 15:40 — 17 specialist tracks for those who don't pass the general test 17:32 — What's next for Red Balloon — VA contract, new DC projects, and moving into the CrossPolitic building   Connect with Andrew Capshew Company: Red Balloon Website: redballoon.work Military Hiring: militaryhire.com FSO Recruiting: Department of State via MilitaryHire — link in show description   Fight Laugh Feast 2026: Holy Wars Join us October 1–3 in Franklin, Tennessee at The Factory in Franklin for the Fight Laugh Feast Conference. This year's theme is Holy Wars — Just War, the Crusades, and the Christian Life. Featuring Doug Wilson, Joe Boot, George Grant, Jared Longshore, Joe Rigney, Ben Merkel, and the CrossPolitic crew. Early Bird pricing ends July 1st — nearly halfway sold out. Tickets: https://tickets.flfnetwork.com/holy-wars-conference   This Episode's Sponsors Classical Conversations Homeschooling with a classical Christian model that teaches students how to learn and think — not just what to memorize. Join over 50,000 families in 60 countries who have chosen Classical Conversations. Website: classicalconversations.com/flf   Red Balloon Recruiter The right employee can grow your business by 5, 10, or even 25%. Red Balloon's personalized source-and-screen process connects business owners with top talent — increasing revenue and reducing cost. Website: redballoon.work   About CrossPolitic CrossPolitic exists to put Jesus over Politics and reclaim the public square through bold, joyful, biblically grounded media. We confront the chaos discipling America and build the next generation of Christian media infrastructure. Our mission is simple: all of Christ for all of media for all of America.   Mainstream media is collapsing. Eighty-seven percent of journalists identify as progressive, and even many conservative outlets prioritize profit over principle. Meanwhile, billions of hours of digital content are discipling the world every day. CrossPolitic stands in that gap, producing courageous, entertaining, truth-filled media for households, churches, and leaders across the nation.   Become a CrossPolitic Club Member Support the mission and unlock exclusive content, behind-the-scenes shows, and theology series. https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/menu/checkout   Subscribe & Share! Every like, comment, and share helps push Christian media back into the algorithm where it belongs.   Follow CrossPolitic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSPOLITIC X: https://x.com/CrossPolitic Facebook: https://facebook.com/crosspolitic Instagram: https://instagram.com/crosspolitic Join our Email List: https://crosspolitic.com/   Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NRBTV, DirecTV, Dish, and everywhere podcasts are found.   #CrossPolitic #RedBalloon #MilitaryHire #ForeignServiceOfficer #ChristianBusiness #Hiring #Meritocracy