Doctrine. We rely on it for many things both inside and outside of our training sphere. Sometimes it's called by a different name, but it's there, behind the scenes. Sometimes, we latch on to doctrine and adhere to it so literally that we actually do more harm than good. To dig into this, and hash out this topic, I also get to catch up and sit down with Blake Flannery. As a Recon Marine with a twenty year career, as well as a successful instructor outside the military, Blake has a lot of experie...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Season 3Ep. 257
It's been a few weeks, and we've settled down a bit from the initial shock and awe of the attempt on the life of former President Trump. Now that some of the odd internet drama has subsided, and we have at least some degree of confirmed information and reports to go off of, we sit down and take the time to examine more closely, what happened, and where things went wrong. I'm joined for this discussion, by J.T. who has over a decode of experience in law enforcement, with most of it being spent sp...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 45 min•Season 3Ep. 256
Situation Report for August, and we have a few really critical items to touch on. Venezuela is experiencing their fallout from what appears to be an attempt at a rigged election to ensure victory for the incumbent. Protestors took to the streets and have clashed with law enforcement over the alleged results. Clearly, there are some parallels with what many of us experienced four years ago, and still more expect to experience in just a few short months. Additionally, I share my thoughts and my fe...
Aug 04, 2024•49 min•Season 3Ep. 255
Building a tribe, assembling a team, finding a network, it's something we have either all been chasing, or chased at one point in our individual journeys. However, once we find our group, we locate this tribe, where do we go from there? There's a large effort that comes with trying to bring together a band of talented individuals, and get them all reading off the same sheet of music. Many folks underestimate this endeavor and become easily discouraged. In this weeks episode, I talk about my own ...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 254
Rick Largesse has spent over twenty years building a career in law enforcement, and is the owner of SSV Concepts. With his passion for teaching and his extensive experience in multiple roles from patrol to investigations to SWAT and more, Rick has years of knowledge he shares. He joins me in this weeks discussion and we definitely touch on a lot of different subjects. From discussing the great opportunities that internships provide in the realm of prospective young officers, to the budgetary con...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 51 min•Season 3Ep. 253
With a combination of recent events which have no doubt shaken the entire United States, it's only right that I drop a SITREP to talk about them both. Between the recent attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump, and the announcement by President Biden that he will not seek re-election, we as a nation are left asking what will come next. In this iteration of the Sunday SITREP, I share my thoughts on both of these events, now that we have a bit more information to go off of, at least a...
Jul 21, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 252
Priorities. We all have them, however far too often, they're not properly ordered, supported, or executed. Our community has grown increasingly dependent on the approval of others, even of strangers whom we hardly know, or don't know at all. We let these desires and wishes drive our behaviors, even at the expense of things which are actually important, and should actually be our priorities. Further, we let the toxic behavior of those around us, inside and outside the community, push us in direct...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 251
Randy Turner is the owner of Direct Action Combat Performance, a Canada based tactical training company. Randy also happens to be a former member of JTF2, Canada's tier 1 Special Operations force. While Canada is our close neighbor to the north, especially so for me here in Michigan, they have a entirely different set of firearms laws, and a different type of gun culture. In this weeks discussion, Randy and I get into his story and what led him to starting his company, as well as talk about the ...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 250
We've had a few major events since our last SITREP, and as always I'm here to give some insight and a heaping helping of opinion on the matters. In this months iteration, I spend quite a bit of time talking about the debate between the two assumed nominations from the Republican and Democrat parties, and the fallout that came afterward. I also touch on quite a landmark decision from the Supreme Court, limiting the powers and oversight of some regulatory bodies, and talk about what that could mea...
Jul 07, 2024•56 min•Season 3Ep. 249
Combatives and personal combat capabilities, are something that we haven't had a lot of opportunity to dig into here on the podcast. Yes, we've talked briefly on jiu-jitsu and martial arts training, the value it can bring to an individual, but we've not truly talked about a physical altercation and the ability to fight for ones life. In this weeks episode, I'm joined by Jonah Norman, and we do just that. Jonah and I talk briefly about his work in executive protection, but more to the point, talk...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Season 3Ep. 248
Marketing is tied in to almost every single piece of information and content that we ingest in the firearms industry. It seems that you can't watch your favorite influencer, or favorite instructor without actually touching some piece of promotion or subliminal marketing. To get into this, and of course, talk about our industry and community, I'm joined by Jason Demo. Jason is a former law enforcement officer in Florida, and has a interesting story that landed him in his role today, working as a ...
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Season 3Ep. 247
Whenever someone starts down this road, this path to personal accountability, and general preparedness, it seems like staring at a mountain. There's so many different variables you need to account for, so much to learn, so much to buy, the list goes on. For many, it leads to a first round knockout, and a generally ignorant perspective on the whole matter. To address this, and help put some sort of quantification or metric around what a reasonable expectation of preparedness might be, I share som...
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 246
Dynamic Principles is a small shop, producing high quality nylon gear, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In this episode, I have the chance to sit and talk with the owner and company founder, Dan Pod. Getting a glimpse into the nylon industries is always one of my favorite opportunities, and this conversation is no different than any we've had in the past. Dan and I touch on a number of different topics, from business strategy and marketing models, to sustainability and being able to meet custom...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 46 min•Season 3Ep. 245
Joe Fasanella is a former NYPD officer, former Marine, and owner of the Trinity Training facility in New York. Having spent over a decade with NYPD, mostly working in various roles within their counter terrorism team, as well as deploying to Fallujah as a Marine, Joe has scene and experienced a whole lot within the Global War on Terror. This conversation is one I have been looking forward to, as I had some idea about Joe's breadth of knowledge, but certainly wasn't expecting everything that we w...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 3Ep. 244
June is here, and what else would we be talking about in this SITREP installment, but Donald Trump and the history making conviction that has come out of his trial in New York. Beyond setting historical and legal precedent in what can almost only be referred to as a complete sham of a trial, these events have some far reaching impacts and consequences. We're just over a month from the Republican National Convention, and this outcome all but assures that Trump will once again secure the nominatio...
Jun 02, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 243
Leadership. We too often associate this word with a supervisory role, a title, or a rank. We let these constructs shape our understanding and definition of what it is to be a leader. Truthfully, leadership can, and should be, a quality that is present in all of us, at least to some degree. Jon sits down with me, and we do our best to dissect the virtues of leadership, while sharing our own opinions, as well as some of our own experiences. As a former Infantryman and current member of the Michiga...
May 31, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Season 3Ep. 242
In this weeks discussion, we tackle a ultra- common, but very difficult topic; The Media and the constant effort to socially engineer America. We all absorb media, whether it's our local news broadcast, perhaps a popular television show, or even a movie. The difficult part to sometimes see and understand, is that almost everything that we consume today, has a degree of social engineering baked into it. Storylines on our most popular television depict stories of racism and police brutality, infri...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 241
To round out our "series" discussing the 3-day Orion Training Group Flexible Search course that we recently completed, I have the opportunity to catch up with one of our class instructors, Jason. This is actually Jason's second appearance on the pod, but this time, I actually have some idea what I'm talking about! Coming just a week or so after we've wrapped class, and had time for the students to decompress, and the instructors actually to teach an additional two classes at the annual MTOA conf...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 45 min•Season 3Ep. 240
The moment we have waited many months for has finally come, and now gone. Going through the three day Flexible Search course with Jared and Jason was an outstanding learning experience and both Josh and I walked away with a lot of information. Beyond our own experiences, this was a great win for our local community, as we were able to bring in a fantastic company, to a local venue, and get sixteen great folks together for a weekend of training. Josh and I break it down for you all, from the day ...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 3Ep. 239
May is here, summer is creeping up, and as the new season comes upon us, old familiar thoughts and flashbacks are everywhere. Looking at the news, reviewing the output of the media, we see lots of stories that are too familiar of years past. Violent protesting across the country, tied to an agenda which doesn't help or improve our own home, as well as mass coverage of Donald Trump. We certainly can think back to the year 2020 and say that much of what we're seeing now, is reminiscent of what we ...
May 05, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 238
As Josh and I head into the much anticipated 3-day Orion Training Group course we're attending, we talk about our experiences and try to compare them to some of the value that is gotten through organized instruction. Just as there is with most things in our community, there are a lot of ideas around if you need to pay for knowledge, if you should pay for training, and how much you should invest. This is still, after many years of deliberation, a hotly debated topic, and so we do our best to weig...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 237
Duncan Greene joins me once again, almost fifteen months later, as we sit down, and check the pulse on the night vision industry. If you've recently purchased night vision, or are currently in the market for a set of tubes and have been paying close attention, you know there's a lot going on. We're seeing some drastic changes in the market, and Duncan provides insight and his opinion on all of it. As what I would consider to be a subject matter expert, Duncan is able to shine a light on some nua...
Apr 24, 2024•2 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 236
Nick Shepherd is a former soldier and active law enforcement officer, who is also the Director of Training for Jawless Hog Tactical. Through his experiences in the Army, as well as in Law Enforcement, Nick and his partners at JHT set out to provide civilians and law enforcement alike with training that answered the "why" behind modern practices and methods. We spent a good amount of time in our discussion talking about how important it is to have a depth of understanding, to be able to more effe...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 3Ep. 235
In a unexpected, and out of schedule release, we have a SITREP to dive into, talking about the April 13th attack by Iran, on the country of Israel, and its ramifications. This is a historic move, as missiles and drones were deployed against Israel in response to an April 1st attack that killed multiple IRGC targets in Damascus. As the ongoing conflict in Israel has had impact on the United States, as well as the long history of partnership between our two countries, this move raises much concern...
Apr 14, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 234
This week, I'm joined by Will, the owner and founder of CAATail Antennas. If you haven't heard of CAATail, there's a good chance that you've definitely seen Will's work, as his wearable antenna's have become a very common solution across the community. As a former Marine, Will was fortunate in his experience as a radio operator to learn the in's and out's of communications, and the value and impact that a good antenna brings to any team. We talk at length about this, along with how to create and...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Season 3Ep. 233
As we welcome in April, we're seeing a turning of the tide in public support, some new ideas that could really change the conversation around school security, and potentially a legal situation that could shake several popular arguments to their very core. In this months SITREP, I share my thoughts and my feelings around the rapidly diminishing support for the current President from some very large names in media. Typically, these talking heads throw their support without question behind the part...
Apr 07, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 232
J.T joins me once again, and we dive into a discussion around one of the most contentious topics in our community. Equipment and Gear. More specifically, we talk about how to leverage your kit to maximize your success, while minimizing any negative side effects. Having spent time on both a full-time SWAT team, with a high volume, as well as currently working in a capacity to operate with a special investigations team, J.T. has unique insights around gear, and how you can make a little, go a long...
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 40 min•Season 3Ep. 231
Jason "Jabo" Long is a twenty-five year veteran of law enforcement, and a current cadre member with Guild Solutions Group. During his years as an officer, Jabo had the opportunity to serve seventeen years as a full time member of his agencies SWAT team, working in a variety of capacities including as a sniper, breacher, dog handler, and bomb technician. Jabo and I get into his experiences and some of the observations he took away from his time in uniform. We talk about changes in weapons and gea...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Season 3Ep. 230
Two of the most dominant and followed disciplines within our community are that of Close Quarters Battle, or CQB, and Small Unit Tactics, or SUT. Both of these have skillsets have their benefits, and many individuals develop a deep passion for one or the other. This sort of "this or that" mentality has led, as I'm sure many have you have seen, to one side decrying the other, pointing to how obviously nonsensical it is. In this weeks episode, Josh and I fight this out, and sort out what actually ...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 229
By the week, more and more people are making the choice to be more aware, be more accountable, be more prepared. It's as if before our eyes, whether we see it or realize it, our community is growing by leaps and bounds. For the first time in a very long while, we're seeing citizens start to question the own stability, security, and safety, and asking what to do to fix it. In this weeks episode, Josh and I talk about how we all can help mentor those willing to make the lifestyle changes and who a...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Season 3Ep. 228
