THE PODCAST
Elevating the conversation about all things tactical.
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James Gagliano
The Ferguson Effect. The militarization of law enforcement. The history and evolution of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. These are just a few of the topics we cover with Mr. Gagliano who is a retired career FBI Supervisory Agent, West Point graduate, Army Ranger, and now CNNs Law Enforcement Analyst.
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Jim’s Take on Shooters
Jim does a deep-dive on active shooters and mass violence, complete with case studies, some steps you can take to get help, fight if necessary, and some scenarios to help you recognize some warning signs.
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Optics 101 with Riton
Brady Speth of Riton Optics is going to teach us some nomenclature and terminology about scopes and optics. We’re also going to hear he started Riton and learn about his background and the company’s design process. Even if you already own a scope, check out our interview with Brady to learn something new about optics. There are a lot of good products on the market, but in true TacTangents style we hope that People and Ideas drive your Hardware choices, which is why you need to hear what Brady has to say.
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Role Players and OPFOR
EPISODE 30 TRAINING WITH ROLE PLAYERS AND OPFOR LOOKING FOR AN OPTIC? We are excited to announce our new partnership with Riton Optics! Need a Scope, Red Dot, binoculars? Use discount code TacTangents for 15% off. Deeper discounts for military and public safety! Be...
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Shivworks ECQC
Earlier this year we had Craig Douglas on the show to talk a little about his expertise in the self-defense world. Craig runs a company called Shivworks, and their flagship course is called Extreme Close Quarters Concepts (ECQC). ECQC specializes in clinched/entangled or “0-5 feet” fights that often involve knives and guns. Jim went to ECQC and tonight we’re talking about his after-action report and lessons learned. Check out why ECQC is one of the best self-defense courses available.
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The “Tactical” Personality
A lot of people think that being a “Type-A” has something to do with a hierarchy or “alpha dog,” but it turns out, that’s not it. We break down what Type A really means, and what traits we see in the Tactical type of person. These traits are important to understand, because a little might be good, but a lot can be really bad. They are also good to know from a leadership perspective, because if you work in a community full of “Type-As,” you know that can be, uh, difficult…
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Kevin Briggs, The Guardian of the Golden Gate
EPISODE 27 THE GUARDIAN OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE LOOKING FOR AN OPTIC? We are excited to announce our new partnership with Riton Optics! Need a Scope, Red Dot, binoculars? Use discount code TacTangents for 15% off. Deeper discounts for military and public safety! Be...
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The Final Mission of Extortion 17
Ed Darack is an author and war reporter who has embedded with US forces in Afghanistan and written a couple books about it. Extortion 17 was a US Chinook helicopter that was shot down by a lucky hit by a Taliban fighter with an RPG. 38 US and Afghan personnel and a military working dog were killed in what became the largest single loss of Special Operations personnel in Afghanistan. Just so happens, Jim was deployed at the time of the incident and has personal connections with the story. In the aftermath, several rumors and conspiracy theories surfaced about the incident, and Ed wrote an article and then a book to get the story right and honor the memories of the personnel and crew who were killed that night.
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Being Effective At Work
This might sound a little boring, but let’s face it: Trying to get stuff done when you’re dealing with your bosses is a skill of its own. Some people are better at it than others. We discuss some strategies for dealing with “obstructions” in the workplace. It’s not that you should backdoor everything and circumvent rules or procedure, its just that there are some ways to go about the system that might help you achieve your mission.
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Problem Solving and Tactics Development
What is a tactic? How do we come up with them? The word tactical is one of those buzzwords we throw around, but what does it all mean? We are going to talk about how people apply creativity and problem solving in our professions. That involves several layers: We have to come up with ideas, we have to test them, we have to make sure they are grounded in reality, and ultimately it takes a team of people to make this process work. How do we go from “bar-napkin idea,” to “the way we do business?”
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On Valor
Mike and Jim examine courage, bravery, and valor. Can it be taught? We go over a few examples and also discuss the element of choice. There are some leadership/moral courage lessons in here as well.
Thomas Yoxall: A dark and cold morning on the side of the highway…
Thomas Yoxall is a regular guy who makes his living as a photo journalist and enjoys shooting in his free time. He carries a concealed Glock 26 and takes that responsibility seriously – Which is a good thing, because on January 12, 2017, he was driving along Interstate 10 enroute to California when he saw a State Trooper in serious trouble. DPS Officer Ed Andersson had been shot, pistol whipped, and was in a close-quarters fight for his life until Thomas drove by and stopped to help. Concealed weapon carriers and police officers alike need to hear this story.
Human Needs and Motivation
Some time ago, a psychologist named Abraham Maslow wrote up a list of human needs in roughly the order people need to satisfy them: food and water at the bottom of the pyramid, social and family needs in the middle, and self-esteem and purpose at the top. Mike and Jim discuss some ways we can apply this to tactical and leadership settings by figuring out how to influence behavior.