Cleared Hot

Gary Edgington is a 40-year law enforcement veteran and the son of a law enforcement officer who was murdered in the line of duty while Gary was in the third week of police academy training. For almost a decade, Gary was also a Task Force Commander with the California Dept of Justice and a Task Force Officer on the FBI joint terrorism task force. Earlier in his career, Gary worked with The Beverly Hills Police Department, Manhattan Beach Police Department, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. After 9/11, Gary became Commander of a multi-agency counter-terrorism task force in L.A. When Gary retired from the DOJ, he deployed to Iraq as an embedded anti-terrorism advisor working counter-IED with the US Army and took a position as an intelligence/terrorism analyst with the Department of Defense. Currently, Gary lives in Charlotte, NC and consults for an international corporation overseeing US security operations. Gary has just written a thriller, Outside the Wire, A retired counter terrorism cop and a fearless Army doctor risk everything, including their burgeoning romance, as they battle clandestine Iranian operatives bent on the slaughter of thousands of innocents and ultimately the destruction of America. The book is now available for pre-orders on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. What happens to a leader when they are fired from the SEAL Teams. Are they lateral transferred, or removed from the Navy. 2. I'm thinking about talking to a counselor, any advice on what to expect and how to approach it. 3. Wildland firefighter or pursue higher education 4. A letter to leadership - what do we want our warriors to be, are we actually being honest with ourselves. Enjoy

James Smith is a consultant in the private sector, as well as for military units. He is the owner of Novasind and Multus consulting. Multus consulting is interdisciplinary consulting that aggregates subject matters including, but not limited to, epistemology, psychology, intellect, culture, evolutionary biology, physics, mathematics, gastronomy, music, and more into an integrated whole. By doing so, each recipient is able to gain a unique and system-level understanding of their tradecraft, and existence, which fails to be achieved due to the overwhelming majority of educational/training approaches in the marketplace that often fail to explain how relevant subject matters integrate in people's thinking and the real world. Skills developed include but are not limited to those that optimize leadership and high-stakes decision-making, negotiations, system-level optimization, critical thinking, conflict resolution, organizational culture, and how to effortlessly deal with high expectations and responsibilities.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. My girlfriend was nearly kidnapped right in front of me and I can't get over the thought I could have done more. What would you have done if you were me, what could I have done differently 2. My wife is intimidated to go back to the gym by herself, what can I do to help her feel more comfortable 3. I quit the police academy in the first week, do I have to wear this badge of being a quitter for the rest of my life Enjoy

John Spencer is an award-winning scholar, professor, author, combat veteran, and internationally recognized expert and advisor on urban warfare and other military-related topics. Considered one of the world's leading experts on urban warfare, he served as an advisor to the top four-star general and other senior leaders in the U.S. Army as part of strategic research groups from the Pentagon to the United States Military Academy. Spencer currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum. He recently served as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast. He also served as a Colonel in the California State Guard with an assignment to the 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard as the Director of Urban Warfare Training. Serving over twenty-five years in the active Army as an infantry soldier, Spencer has held ranks from Private to Sergeant First Class and Second Lieutenant to Major. His assignments as an Army officer included two combat deployments to Iraq as both an Infantry Platoon Leader and Company Commander, a Ranger Instructor with the Army's Ranger School, a Joint Chief of Staff and Army Staff intern, a fellow with the Chief of Staff of the Army's Strategic Studies Group, and Co-Founder, Strategic Planner, and Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute at West Point. Spencer holds a Master's of Policy Management from Georgetown University. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Times, NY Daily News, Wired Magazine, Politico, The Hill, Foreign Policy Magazine, Defense One, Army Magazine, and many other publications. Spencer is also a regular military analyst and commentator for CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and numerous news and media organizations. He currently lives in Colorado Springs, CO, with his wife and three children.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. Our first child is on the way and my parents seem far less excited than my inlaws. How do I decide where to settle once the child is born and am I selfish for wanting to move away from my parents 2. Personal safety while hiking trails alone. Thoughts on tools and things I can do to improve my safety if I prefer to do activities alone 3. I am at a crossroads in life, do I follow my "passion" at the cost of my marriage, or should I find a different path Enjoy

In 20 + years, Jeb Corliss has made more than 2,000 jumps, from the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Falls in Venezuela, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and into a half-mile deep cave in China. He hasn't simply leapt off and pulled his parachute, though. To add an extra layer of challenge, push the bounds of his ability, and further slice the razor slim margin for error, he has performed acrobatic maneuvers – twists, somersaults, and gainers – during freefall. More recently he discovered the thrills and challenges of BASE-jumping with wingsuits, flying along some of the most stunning and dangerous mountain terrain. In the nearest approximation of human flight yet, wingsuits (which are more flying squirrel than bird or plane) allow the best pilots to trace the contours of cliffs, ridges, and mountainsides at high speed. All of which makes for an incredible spectacle: In July 2011, Corliss flew feet from the ground in the Swiss Alps, an event captured on camera and broadcast on ABC's 20/20. Two months later, in September, Corliss swooped through an arch in the side of China's iconic Tianmen Mountain, in front of a live television audience of millions. Corliss's stunts and his unyielding approach to life never fail to fascinate. He has been the subject of profiles published in The New York Times, Outside, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Air & Space, Men's Journal and Rolling Stone. He has been featured on television in the United States and abroad, including 60 Minutes in Australia, ESPN's E:60, Real Sports on HBO, Today, The Colbert Report, Good Morning America and Conan. Corliss has been featured in popular BASE documentaries such as A Year in the Life, Journey to the Center, Fearless, The Human Bird, Heavens Gate and The Flying Dagger to name a few. He also hosted the first season of Stunt Junkies on The Discovery Channel and was a technical advisor on the remake of Point Break. When he is not traveling the world, Corliss lives in Vista, California.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. Everyday Carry (EDC) and the shame associated with fanny packs 2. I bombed an interview and now am struggling with confidence and depression 3. I don't want to work for someone else anymore, I need to do my own thing. Any advice 4. A small but profane rant on using children as your sounding board and therapist Enjoy

Alan C. Mack joined the Army upon graduating High School. His desire to see the world as a US Army helicopter mechanic took him to the Republic of Korea, West Texas, and the Federal Republic of Germany before attending Warrant Officer flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The nearly year-long flight school yielded a UH-1H, Huey, and CH-47D, Chinook, aircraft qualification before his first pilot assignment in Savannah, Georgia. He arrived in time to progress with his new unit as a copilot in Operation Desert Shield. Then, several months later, he flew combat missions in the lead aircraft penetrating deep into Iraq. Upon his return to the United States, he quickly achieved the status of Pilot-in-command and eventually assumed the coveted role of Night Vision Goggle Unit Trainer. The NVG UT position is a precursor to flying as an Instructor Pilot (IP). Another assignment to the Republic of Korea was in store for Alan before attending the CH-47 Instructor Pilot course at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The call to adventure was persuasive, drawing Alan into the special operations community as an MH-47 pilot, where he served for nearly 17 years at the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (TF-160th). He carried in the Horse Soldiers in 2001, Navy SEAL Neil Roberts fell from his helicopter when he was shot down during Operation Anaconda, he was the overall flight lead for Operation Earned Respect (the recovery of fallen from Operation Redwings, and the rescue of Marcus Luttrel), among many other missions. CW5 Alan C. Mack is a Master Aviator with more than 6700 hours of flight time, of which over 3200 hours were flown with Night Vision Goggles. Alan C. Mack's awards include • Legion of Merit • 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses • 3 Bronze Star Medals • 3 Meritorious Service Medals • 10 Air Medals; one with Valor device, Combat Action Badge, and the Army Broken Wing award.

Rapid Fire Q and A to finish off the week: 1. Should I develop empathy for miserable and unhealthy people 2. My wife is a teacher and does not deserve the treatment she receives, when should I tell her enough is enough 3. My girlfriend's mom won't stop talking shit about me, what should I do 4. Thoughts on motorcycle safety courses and riding in general Enjoy