CATO Podcast

Learn from the Best: Medal of Honor Recipient Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee   CATO joins forces with tactical expert and host of The Debrief, Jon Becker, as he sits down with Medal of Honor recipient Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee. This podcast features the most exciting excerpts from Brent and Jon's interviews with Master Sergeant Plumlee. Earl is an amazing storyteller and he shares the harrowing e...

Kenny Brayton and Marcus sit down with Captain Dustin Kulling to discuss the key components required to design effective training. Learn how to apply the Theory of Constructed Emotion to police decision-making training and how action competency facilities and wellness training enhance the regulation of the stress response.     Captain Kulling is a 28-year law enforcement veteran who has spent much...

This episode of the podcast discusses Chapter Three of Sound Doctrine. Marcus and guests Travis Norton and Adam Sharki discuss Command and Control, the challenges of selecting a commander, and what it means to command effectively.  

Attorney Gene Ramirez was a founding member of CATO and has spent the last several decades defending law enforcement officers in civil court. Gene discusses California Assembly Bill 742, which bans law enforcement's use of bite dogs. Gene also discusses his lessons learned from defending officers and how we arrived at a push by the legislature to ban police bite dogs. For more information on AB742...

Marcus sits down with Nolan Cleall, who has served on a mid-sized Northern California agency's HNT Team for the last ten years. The two discuss his experiences on a collateral Hostage Negotiation Team. They review common approaches to training SWAT/HNT integration and cover some tools you can implement today to develop a comprehensive approach to solving tactical problems. Nolan is also a whiskey...

Lt Travis Norton and Lt Adam Sharki join Marcus to discuss the concept of "novelty." What does it mean? Why does it make us all amateurs? They'll cover strategies you can use today to enhance your response to these "novel" and critical events.

CATO President Brent Stratton sits down with Nick Sprague, the President of the Rocky Mountain Tactical Team Association (RMTTA). The two discuss how to take care of your team, both professionally and personally. They also cover the importance of debriefs--even when they hurt--and the similarities and differences between CATO and RMTTA. Finally, they explore Brent's obsession with Peanut Butter Wh...

In this episode, Brent and I sit down with retired Navy Seal Command Master Chief Jason Tuschen and world-renowned author, Dr. Graham Simpson, who is the medical director for Opt Health.  Military and first responders share many similar health problems during and after their service. I asked Jason and Dr. Simpson to explore the common health issues found in our communities and how we should be add...

Marcus Sprague and Kris Jenny sit down with Fire Training Division Manager Jim Etzin.  Jim has been involved with the tactical community since serving as a corpsman in Desert Storm and as a combat medicine instructor for the 1st Marine Division.  Jim attended LASD SEB SWAT school and has dedicated his life to enhancing our response to large events.  He is also the founder of the  North American Ac...

Is your ropes program ascending to meet the needs of contemporary tactical problems? Marcus Sprague sits down with a longtime friend of CATO, Dana Vilander. Dana has partnered with CATO in presenting Tactical Rope Access courses and has decades of experience in the tactical community as an operator and medic. They discuss Dana's unique background and how he blended his tactical experiences with hi...

Kevin Cyr (RCMP SWAT) joins Marcus with Echelon Front's Codey Gandey.  Codey is part of the Echelon Front staff and is the lead for their First Responder Training program.  Codey has worked with a variety of agencies and has personally worked with Kevin's full-time swat team in British Columbia.  The group discusses common challenges agencies face and how Echelon can help your team succeed.

Marcus sits down with the Deputy Director of the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center to discuss the importance of fusion centers.  Randy started his career as a patrol officer in Atlanta Georgia. However, he spent the majority of his career working for the Drug Enforcement Agency.  His final assignment with the DEA was as the Regional Director of the Middle East.  After a brief stint...

Marcus Sprague, Kris Jenny, Travis Norton and our guest, Kevin Cyr, discuss active shooter training and response and some of the lessons of the past that we have yet to learn. While the nation mourns the tragedy in Uvalde, it would behoove us to discuss what we can do now to better prepare ourselves, our teams and our communities. This discussion is not intended to specifically address Uvalde, as...

Brent and Marcus sit down with Jon to discuss his relationship with CATO and how he has crossed paths with several pioneers of the tactical community. Jon's unique background has given him the opportunity to receive thousands of hours of tactical training as a civilian and work with a variety of tactical teams throughout law enforcement and the military. Jon uses his experiences to blend a unique...

In this episode, Brent and Marcus talk with the founding members of the Honor Hike Foundation. Each year members of this organization hike one mile for every fallen Law Enforcement Officer from around the country, creating a moving memorial. The foundation also supports the officers' families and their agencies. The Honor Hike Foundation was created by a group of active and reserve law enforcement...

For this exciting podcast, Marcus is joined by CATO board member and training cadre member, Sergeant Kristofer Jenny, and Travis Norton, a southern California lieutenant. The three sit down with the infamous Gordon Graham to discuss Black Swans, Gray Rhinos, and what you can do now to impact your team, your agency, and our profession. Graham, a 33-year veteran of law enforcement and the co-founder...

In this episode of the CATO podcast, Brent and Marcus sit down with CATO's Demonstration Response Chair, Adam Sharki, and CATO Training Cadre member, Kris Jenny, to discuss Chapter 2 of the Sound Doctrine, Crisis and Conflict. The group discusses the definition of a crisis, the five characteristics present in all crises and why you should be able to explain them to those you serve with, your super...

Neuroscientist Dr. James Engall, co-founder and President of Blast Analytics and Mitigation Inc., sits down with Brent and me to discuss the results of BAam360's research and mitigation with the Navy Seals, how they are bringing about awareness and mitigation strategies related to blast exposure in the military, and why it led them to develop Operations Blue Shield where they leverage their knowle...

Marcus and Brent sit down with a panel of experts to discuss California Assembly AB481, affectionately known as the Military Equipment Bill. Panel members have spoken with the folks from Lexipol as well as other attorneys and experts throughout the state and come together to discuss the major components of the law, including some of the poorly written and unclear portions. The group also offers su...

Brent Stratton, Marcus Sprage and Adam Sharki discuss Sid Heal's book, 'Sound Doctrine'. They discuss what they like about the book and why they feel it should be the cornerstone for the foundation of tactical learning. This will be the first of several episodes that break down 'Sound Doctrine' and how you can apply it to resolve today's tactical problems.  

Marcus is joined by CATO SWAT Team Leader Cadre members Kenny Brayton and Kris Jenny, CATO's After Action Review Chair Travis Norton, and CATO's Demonstration Response Chair Adam Sharki for a panel discussion on the component parts of California Assembly Bill 48 and what you need to know to ensure that your demonstration response and use of force is within policy. We'll discuss what you can do to...

Marcus sits down with Sergeant Tom Datro, host of the POLICING IN AMERICA podcast. Sergeant Datro works for one of the largest police departments on the West Coast and created his podcast to address difficult challenges facing law enforcement today. In this episode of the CATO podcast, Marcus and Tom discuss a variety of topics such as de-escalation, leadership, culture, the importance of empathy...

Jeff Felts, from Center Mass, is our guest on the latest episode of the CATO Podcast with Marcus Sprague and Kris Jenny, CATO Training Cadre member. As a young sniper, Jeff found himself well trained, but poorly prepared for a very dynamic hostage situation. This setback sent him on a journey to improve his training and resulted in the formation of Center Mass, the National Patrol Rifle Conference...

We don't often talk about one of the greatest threats facing our profession. This adversary is hard to name, difficult to identify, and is rarely talked about openly, yet each year it kills more and more dedicated men and women in law enforcement and the military. We all agree these professions leave a mark when you're done. For some, this mark can cost them their happiness, family, and even their...

Marcus and Brent sit down with retired Alexandria Virginia Captain Tom Panther. Captain Panther, a former SWAT Operator and Commander, was one of the men charged with coordinating the response to the Pentagon attack on 09/11/01. While we hope to never repeat the experiences of 9/11 and the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, there are a lot of lessons to be learned. Panther shares his sto...