Tactical Tangents

We have been following our buddy Isaac's career into law enforcement and it turns out, he's got big news about where his career is headed. Hear what his plans are, what his favorite stories as a cop has been, and what advice he would give to someone new to the profession.  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 contribut...

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a retired military psychology teacher who wrote the books On Combat and On Killing. They were some of the first attempts to help people understand the psychological experience of killing from the perspective the armed forces and survival-oriented crowds, but because they were such early works some of the theories don't hold up long-term. We discuss these issues and how th...

Jim interviews Lt Dave from the US Army about his experiences as a young officer and what it means to lead troops and face off the Russians in Eastern Europe in the "new" Cold War. He talks about his relationship with senior NCOs, the differences between different commissioning sources, and how his job as a Combat Engineering Officer fits into the big picture for large scale combat operations.   L...

At Tactical Tangents, we talk a lot about "People Ideas Hardware" and how to apply that formula to making critical decisions in tactical situations. The point of this podcast is to help you, the "tactician," apply critical thinking and problem solving to things like shooting, driving, fighting, and other skills so you can overcome any survival situation you find yourself in. That might be a concea...

Chief Criminal Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Mosher (Pima County, Arizona) and Homicide Detective Josh Cheek share their lessons learned from taking serious violent offenders to trial and how police officers can be better witnesses. We also discuss the importance of establishing and retaining public trust by the way we investigate and prosecute crimes. Other Tangents include some commentary on t...

This episode isn't for hardcore fitness gurus, it's for the people who realize they need to get up off the couch, watch what they eat, and take those first steps toward getting in shape. We wanted to address fitness from the beginning for those folks who don't fitness good. These are the basic things you need to understand about losing weight and getting in shape. It starts with getting over the m...

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.  Like what we're doing?  Head over to Patreon  and give us a buck f...

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.  Like what we're doing?  Head over to Patreon  and give us a buck for each...

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.  Like what we're doing? ...

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. 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 .   LA Riots Wiki   Stereotype Threat Wiki Group Think Wiki Riot...

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 Schuelke of the SB Police Department was involved in that fight and shares the story of the event from start to...

Mike and Jim went to SHOT Show (Shooting Hunting and Outdoors Trade Show) 2020 and wanted to experiment with field interviews, so we spent some time with our sponsors to showcase them and thank them for their support. If you guys like field interviews like this let us know so we can bring you more from the people you want to hear from next year - Click on the microphone at TacTangents.com and leav...

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 for human factors and performance. We discuss checklists, cognitive tools, and training implications.  Like what we're doing? Head over to Patreon  and give us a...

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.  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 .  Check out our sponsors! MantisX - Using data to improve your...

Jim walks us through a series of rape scandals at the Air Force Academy, and discusses practical ways to prevent and respond to assaults. 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 .  Agenda For Change:  https://media.defense.gov/2005/Oct/07/2001774406/-1/-1/1/IPO2004C003-appendix.pdf   5280 article Co...

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 futu...

One of the most emotional and fascinating stand-offs in American history is the one between the Weaver family and the FBI Hostage Rescue Team 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 initial exchange of gunfire that left people on both sides dead, the FBI HRT responded to resolve the issue in what beca...

Jim lays out the planning you need to do before a disaster strikes - arguing for a sane approach to "prepping." 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 .  Check out our sponsors! MantisX - Using data to improve your shooting.  Point 6 Merino Wool Mastered.  Riton Optics for binos, scopes, and red do...

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...

Back in the day when we went to junior high or high school there was plenty of structure to learning but we were also easily distracted. It's a little different when you fast forward into a profession or hobby built around saving your own life, so Mike and Jim discuss some thoughts for students and instructors on how to learn or teach well, whether it's related to physical skills or the softer mor...

John Johnston is the host of Ballistic Radio and he 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. Mike and John discuss how we identify metrics for performance and how those metrics apply in context. Speaking of context, CDR also has a course for The Armed Parent and Guardian, whi...

Jim spends some time to define and explore terrorism, what is it? What are we doing about it? Why do the "bad guys" hate us so much? He will discuss radicalization and Islam along the way, but this is a much more fundamental overview. Who else do we consider a terrorist? Why or why not? On Guerrilla Warefare First In Jawbreaker Spec Ops Demon in the Freezer Pentagon's New Map Like what we're doing...

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.  Article on Flying Safety American 383 American 587 United 232 Book recommendations available here Like what we're...

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.  Like what we're doing? Head over to Patreon  and give us a...

The F-35 is our fancy new stealth fighter, and we got Justin Lee AKA Hasard to talk with us about what makes the new 5th-generation jet special, how we use it as a force multiplier, what John Boyd would probably say about it, the differences between a flying solo versus a crew-served aircraft like Jim is used to, and what kind of coaching he gives to new Fighter Pilots as an instructor. Justin is...