THE PODCAST
Elevating the conversation about all things tactical.
“9-1-1, What’s your emergency?” Calling for Help: Dos and Don’ts
Mike explains how the 911 systems work in a way that is helpful to both first responders and those who need help. There are a lot of ways we lose information in the call taking process so make sure your emergency call renders the response you need. We also talk about when to call and ways to communicate covertly with a dispatcher.
The Honorable Judge Edward Lee
Enjoy our interview with Veteran, Infantry Commander, Police Officer, former District Attorney, and leadership guru Judge Edward “Ned” Lee. Judge Lee recently retired after 28 years on the bench in California’s Superior Court. Hear his stories and lessons from a distinct and varied background in the criminal justice system.
Fights from Law Enforcement
Jim asks Mike about a handful of fights that he’s been in as a police officer. Mike talks about his experiences early in life and how they led to him becoming a cop. This is not a complete police use of force episode but we scratch the surface and cover the basics. We also help apply those principles to self-defense. We touch briefly on de-escalation training and case law.
LA Riots and Civil Unrest
Mike and Jim give a rundown of the Los Angeles Riots and discuss the warning signs and implications of mass civil unrest. We also look into the term ‘Boogaloo’ making the rounds on the internet.
San Bernardino Active Shooter
In December 2015, a husband and wife who pledged allegiance to ISIS carried out an attack that killed 14 people and wounded 22 others in San Bernardino, California. The shooters fled the scene and engaged in a lengthy gunfight with police when they were located some time later. Lt. Gary Schulke of the SB Police Department was involved in that fight and shares the story of the event from start to finish, including accounts of the survivors and audio from the incident. The incident was the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States at the time post-9/11.
Performing Under Pressure with Dr. Michael Lauria
EPISODE 58 Dr. Michael Lauria Dr. Michael Lauria was a United States Air Force Pararescueman (PJ), Flight Paramedic, Government Contractor, and is now doing his residency in Emergency Medicine at New Mexico’s only trauma center. Michael talks with us about his passion...
Resilience and Mental Toughness
Our feelings on what resilience means in a tactical setting and how to make sure you are not an easy victim. Includes some thoughts on “resilience training” and where mental toughness comes from.
Sexual Assault
Jim walks us through a series of rape scandals at the Air Force Academy, and discusses practical ways to prevent and respond to assaults.
Preventing Heat Related Injuries – In Memory of Ken “K3” Sturgill
First, a toast: This episode is dedicated to Airman First Class Kenneth “K3” Sturgill, an Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) Specialist Trainee who perished in training as a result of heat stroke. K3’s father, K2, shares some stories about his childhood and the man he was. We learn about the mishap and what steps the Air Force is taking to prevent this sort of thing in the future. To wrap up, Mike and Jim talk a little about heat stress and how to mitigate heat related injuries.
Lessons from Ruby Ridge
One of the most emotional stand-offs in US history is the one between the Weaver family and the FBI at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. This all started when a group of US Marshals were attempting to arrest Randy Weaver for a weapons offense. After an exchange of gunfire that left people on both sides dead, the FBI HRT responded to resolve the issue in what became one of the most polarizing cases that touched everything from gun control, the use of deadly force by law enforcement, and federal oversight and over-reach.
Disaster Prep
Jim lays out the planning you need to do before a disaster strikes – arguing for a sane approach to “prepping.”
MJ the Marine Round 2
This is the second time MJ has joined Mike and Jim on the show. Today we discussed some of the differences between Air Force and Marine Corps culture. Obviously very different – but MJ and Jim are both pilots so there are some similarities in that regard. There are reasons for both and they each have their advantages and disadvantages. We also discuss how this applies to other areas, and of course relate it all back to the philosophy of John Boyd.
Teaching and Learning
EPISODE 51 if you're not outstanding, you're outprocessing.learning and teaching in elite teams...
Tests and Standards with John Johnston
John Johnston is the host of Ballistic Radio and teaches firearms with Melody Lauer at Citizen’s Defense Research. CDR has a one-day shooting class called Tests and Standards which is an entire day of assessments. We discuss how people identify metrics for performance and how they apply in context. CDR also has a course for The Armed Parent and Guardian, which led to an interesting discussion about the dichotomy of taking training and performance seriously while also enjoying life and having fun.
Terrorism 101
EPISODE 49 TERRORISM 101: WHY DO THEY HATE US?Jim spends some time to define and explore...
In a crisis, YOU are the variable
Mike uses three aviation emergency case studies to illustrate how human factors apply to real life situations, and touches on things like the importance of training, the value of good after-action debriefs and what makes them effective, and a little about interpersonal communication.
Risky Business – Doing dangerous work, Safely.
Military, LE, and Concealed Carriers are armed for a reason – to reduce or mitigate risk. Jim breaks down what that means and how to apply risk management as part of your tactical equation. This isn’t a safety class, this is a class on making the right call on whether that new gun, tactic, or training class is helping you or hurting you.
America’s New F-35, with Justin Lee
EPISODE 46 AMERICA'S NEW F-35, WITH JUSTIN LEEThe F-35 is our fancy new stealth fighter, and we...
Isaac: Less Sheepdog, More Golden Retriever
Isaac the Rookie Cop joins Mike back on the show for an update on the beginning of his career. Isaac is going to share some thoughts and lessons on being the new guy in Law Enforcement and reflect back on the things he would have done before the academy or when he first started on his path to becoming a police officer.
The Intersection of Art and Science
EPISODE 44 THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND SCIENCEIn many areas there is both an art and a...
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Leadership in Teaching
LEADERSHIP IN TEACHING One of the first leadership opportunities I’ve had at any job has been some...
Intuition and Survival
WHY YOUR HANDS SO SWEATY? In his book about implicit survival signals The Gift of Fear, Gavin de...
Micromanaging-Please Don’t!
MICROMANAGING--PLEASE DON'T. Imagine I’m in the back of an ambulance with my Paramedic partner. As...
Teaching to the Lowest Common Denominator
ARE YOU TEACHING TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR? A follower asked us a question on Facebook the...
Glock and AR-15 Cleaning
GLOCK AND AR-15 CLEANING One of the “benefits” of working on a SWAT team is a whole bunch time...
Get your affairs in order
GET YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER I don’t know whether you will get in a gunfight. I do know, for a fact,...
Dry Fire
WANNA SHOOT BETTER? There is no magic to becoming a great shooter—like most skills, it is mostly...