Mauri DiMeo is an Infantry officer in the US Army currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). He attended Ranger, Airborne, SFAS, the SFQC, and the Austrian High Alpine School. Mauri was a platoon leader in the 4th Infantry Division and Rifle Company Commander in the 10th Mountain Division.
His career took a turn in the final Robin Sage stage of the SF Q course, which we discuss early in our conversation. The lessons he learned there are important for any officer going through the SF qualification process.
Outside of the military, Mauri founded Tactical Alpinism in 2022 with the mission to expand the capability of individuals to go bigger in the mountains by teaching mountain navigation and planning best practices. Enabling people to go bigger in the mountains expands the military’s capability in this environment by focusing on the expertise of the individual within mountain and arctic units. He professionally guides in the mountains in the ski, rock, and alpine disciplines.
His mountain experience includes two decades of climbing across much of the world and multiple ski-based ascents and descents, including Mount Shasta, Mount Rainier, and Denali, all by multiple routes. His civilian mountain certifications include AIARE Avalanche Professional Level 2, AIARE Avalanche Instructor, AMGA Assistant Ski Guide, and AMGA Assistant Rock Guide.
More about Mauri:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacticalalpinism/
Timestamps:
00:00:23 Introduction to Mauri DiMeo
00:01:49 Mauri DiMeo’s Career
00:03:20 Final Year at West Point
00:04:26 Preparing for the Course
00:05:32 Junior West Point Cadet
00:08:45 Doing Too Much
00:10:54 10th Mountain Warfare Training
00:15:56 Ready in a Month
00:18:13 Conventional Units in Cold Environments
00:21:48 The Gap Between What Soldiers Are Taught and Tying Knots
00:26:09 Practicing Skills Where They Matter
00:28:20 Tactical Avalanche Education
00:32:13 Avalanche Bell Curve Management
00:36:20 Speed is Safety
00:42:00 Time Recommended to Build Aerobic Capacity
00:46:50 Balancing Volume Training
00:51:03 Zone 2 Running vs Rucking
00:55:34 Getting the Body to Do What It’s Meant to Do
00:58:48 Effective Mental Frameworks in the Mountains
01:02:27 Filling Gaps in Military Training
01:05:34 Tactical Core Skills for Operating in the Snowy Mountains
01:10:25 What Does Mauri DiMeo Do with Tactical Alpinism?
01:12:20 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received
01:14:44 Outro
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
