

Tactical Tangents
Tactical Tangents
Mike is a police SWAT team member, K9 handler, and tactical medic. Jim is an Air Force pilot with a background in close air support and combat search and rescue. Our goal is to elevate the conversation about all things tactical for public safety, military, and concerned citizens. Join us to hear lessons learned about decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 15, 2020 • 1h 48min
75: Cecil Burch on jiu jitsu and street fighting, when there are guns and knives and ninjas and sh*t
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 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

Oct 1, 2020 • 1h 12min
74: Cold Weather Survival with Polar Explorer John Huston
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 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

Sep 15, 2020 • 57min
73: The Newhall Massacre: The day CHP lost 4 officers over 50 years ago.
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 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

Sep 1, 2020 • 1h 12min
72: Fight or Flight, Fear and Muscle Memory; with Neuroscientist Dr. Vivian
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

Aug 15, 2020 • 33min
71: Principles of Warfare
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

Aug 1, 2020 • 1h 22min
70: Officer Isaac has an announcement to make... From LE to ?
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 contribution at GoFundMe. Intro music credit Bensound.com

Jul 15, 2020 • 1h 29min
69: Killing Grossman: Understanding On Combat and On Killing
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 the tactical telephone game and caricature views of violence through things like Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs can be problematic. 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

Jul 1, 2020 • 1h 10min
68: It's Your Platoon: US Army Combat Engineering Lt. Dave
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. 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

Jun 15, 2020 • 1h 20min
67: How to think like a Tactician
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 concealed carry/self-defense scenario, it could be tactical situations in law enforcement or the military, or how you approach disaster preparation. Whatever the situation, your job needs to be focused around these core principles so you can fight effectively and win. 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.

Jun 1, 2020 • 2h 31min
66: You can't handle the truth! What Police Officers Need To Know About Going to Court, and How Police and Prosecutors Can Restore Public Trust
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 the War on Drugs, the CSI effect, and considerations for arrest and charging decisions for law enforcement. Mentioned in this Episode: Win Your Case, by Gerry Spence "The Lelevier Case:" Man murders his step-daughter Tucson Police Officer shot in the head 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


