Tactical Tangents

Latest Episodes:

80: "I would just shoot him," and other imaginary outcomes Jan 01, 2021

Show notes

Most of us have daydreamed, imagined, and rehearsed what certain survival or self-defense encounters will look like in our minds, so we are going to make fun of our younger-selves and shed some light on something we are all guilty of: The Tactical Fantasy. This episode is about making sure that we ground those fantasies in reality. This goes beyond truck guns and the Zombie Apocalypse, it also speaks to the OODA loop, tactics, risk management, and other important concepts. Mike and Jim walk through some practical steps to stage our equipment, preparedness, and mindset accordingly.

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

79: The Millennium Bomber--How Professionalism Saved the Day Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

A terror plot at the turn of the century was thwarted by the professionalism of CBP Agent Diana Dean. For those of us old enough to remember the Y2K drama, you might not have heard of the foiled plot to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport amidst New Year's celebrations for the year 2000. This Al Qaeda sponsored terrorist attack was halted in its tracks by a squared away Customs and Immigration Agent, who noted Ahmed Ressam's suspicious behavior and sent him to a secondary inspection. Mike and Jim share their overview and analysis of the event to help you stay vigilant as we approach the 20th anniversary of this success story. We also touch on pre-attack indicators, the radicalization process, and a defense and risk mitigation strategy called "The Swiss Cheese Model."

The Seattle Times: The Terrorist Within

Swiss Cheese Model (wikipedia)

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

78: Wisdom from over 30 years in Special Operations Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

Chief Master Sergeant Keaton shares some war stories with us, including the time he won the Pitsenbarger Award after saving the lives of 5 women and children who were used as human shields by an enemy force in Afghanistan. Along the way he illustrates some lessons learned and leadership pointers that he picked up while leading some of America's most elite operators throughout his 30 year career working in special operations as a PJ and reaching the highest enlisted rank in the United States Air Force.

Article about Chief Keaton's Pitsenbarger Award

"In the company of heroes:" Retirement announcement after 30 years of service

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

77: How to deal with Fog and Friction when things get sideways. Nov 15, 2020

Show notes

Some of you might have experienced a crisis that was later described as a "Charlie Foxtrot," which is an acronym for the sort of situation known for being chaotic, overwhelming, and difficult to manage. Mike and Jim discuss the doctrinal definitions of fog and friction and talk about some coping strategies and training philosophies that will help you deal with these kinds of problems. This is not terribly different than managing stress, but often has to do more with groups than individuals. Listen to learn about ways to communicate and interact with your team and plan for when things get weird.

Aurora Colorado Shooting Police Radio Traffic

RAND Paper on Performance Under Stress

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

76: Dr. Daniel Blumberg on the Moral Risks of Policing Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Daniel Blumberg is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor who has spent over 30 years working with several large law enforcement agencies in the realm of pre-employment screenings, management consulting, and services related to police officer wellness, ethics, and resilience. His research has shined a light on many of the moral risks that affect those of us in law enforcement: what they are, how they are related to critical incident stress, and what the implications are for police leaders and trainers. Mike's conversation with him is wide-ranging and covers things like organizational behavior and culture, leadership and management principles, integrity, and more.

POWER Institute Police Officer Wellness, Ethics & Resilience - https://beyondusandthem.org/our-programs/power-program-for-officers/ The POWER Manual - https://amzn.to/4pfGRsG

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

75: Cecil Burch on jiu jitsu and street fighting, when there are guns and knives and ninjas and sh*t Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

How do the rules change when you go from sports to the street? What changes on the ground vs. standing up? How should you apply your nunchuck skills in the context of self-defense? Mike and Cecil talk about all things martial arts and how they fit in to street fighting in real life. He specializes in an interdisciplinary approach to entanglement and close-range fights where weapons - including your own - are in play.

Immediate Action Combatives

ShivWorks

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

74: Cold Weather Survival with Polar Explorer John Huston Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

John Huston was one of the first Americans to successfully complete an unsupported expedition to the North Pole. His expertise in cold weather survival and expedition planning has led him to opportunities training Special Operations Forces and he uses his experience as public speaking and training curriculum related to high-performing teams, operational planning and risk management, leadership, teamwork, and more. As a bonus, John also works with Sled Dogs, which is just cool.

Find his book at JohnHuston.com

Training, Consulting, Expertise at skadigroup.com

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

73: The Newhall Massacre: The day CHP lost 4 officers over 50 years ago. Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

In April 1970, 4 California Highway Patrolmen were killed by two men after an armed road rage incident. Those men were career criminals in the planning stages of a robbery attempt who were heavily armed. This incident had a ripple effect for police agencies across the country that led to significant progress in the realm of firearms proficiency and officer safety. There are several lessons learned that remain relevant today. Mike gives us a synopsis of the shooting and provides some analysis for police officers today.

CHP Training Video

Newhall Shooting: A Tactical Analysis

Articles by Michael Wood (1) (2) (3)

Article by Massad Ayoob

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Intro music credit Bensound.com

72: Fight or Flight, Fear and Muscle Memory; with Neuroscientist Dr. Vivian Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

While you don't need to deep dive all of the science here, you do need to understand the tactical implications of a fight or flight response as it relates to training, perception, memory, and attention. Mike and Vivian discuss muscle memory, building good habits, perceptual distortions, and ways to enhance our performance under stress.

Further reading on Perceptual Distortions in Lethal Force Encounters

RAND Paper on Enhancing Human Performance Under Stress

Like what we're doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at GoFundMe.

Intro music credit Bensound.com

71: Principles of Warfare Aug 15, 2020

Show notes

Jim breaks down some fundamentals for how to turn Sun Tzu into operational reality with the handy acronym MOSSMOUSE. This is useful in any sort of fight or conflict in which you want to use tactics and strategy instead of just brute force or power to fight your way through it. How can you apply it to your situation?

Like what we're doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at GoFundMe.

Intro music credit Bensound.com

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