American Warrior Radio

SecureIt Founder and CEO Tom Kubiniec had planned to be a rock star – literally. He started playing guitar at 12 and was performing regularly in local nightclubs by the age of 16. He moved to Hollywood to pursue a music career. Guitar Player Magazine has just done a feature article on Tom when he developed tendonitis, ending his guitar career.

He took a job marketing computer printer supplies and then started his own company. He branched into selling racks to store computer tapes and built the company into one of the largest in the country.  In 2002 he got a phone call asking if he could make racks to store MP-5 machine guns. The caller was with the FBI. He did some research and found that armories across the country were failing – they had not kept up with the changes in weapon systems.  Tom called his partner that was making the computer racks and found the HE had just received a similar request from the Canadian military.

He became aware of a government solicitation to review the status of their armories so Tom arranged for a meeting with a commander at Fort Bragg. Tom says that even though “None of us knew what we were doing”; he introduced himself as the leading authority in small arms storage and armory design. They won the contract and he spent the next 18 months visiting Special Forces armories all across the country. He launched his open architecture system in 2008 and by 2011 SecureIt was the largest supplier to the US military.

Government budget sequestration hit his company hard and convinced Tom he had to diversify into the consumer market as well. Tom shares some of the most common misconceptions about gun safes and the importance of what he calls “decentralized storage”.

TAKEAWAY:  “No matter how good we were, if Congress turned off the faucet, we were dead in the water – we were not in control of our own destiny.”

Artificial Intelligence and the impact it is having on modern combat is the subject of a fascinating new book by Paul Scharre titled “Four Battlegrounds; Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.  In his book, Scharre argues that four key elements will define this struggle: data, computing power, talent & institutions.

Scharre is a former Army Ranger who also worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he played a leading role in establishing policies on unmanned and autonomous systems and emerging weapons technologies. He currently serves as Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for New American Security. His award winning Book “Army of None; Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War” was selected by Bill Gates as one of the top five books of 2018.

Much of Paul’s book deals with the potential dark sides of Artificial Intelligence.  One example is the growing sophistication of voice replication technologies that are being used to conduct scams. Another is China’s use of facial recognition technology to subjugate their people. Like any tool, AI can be used for good purposes or evil.

China’s embrace of Artificial Intelligence research and deployment is the subject of much of our discussion. China produces more AI scientists than any country in the world but many come to the US. If China were to move on Taiwan it would significantly disrupt the world economy.

Personally, I always want to have a human being in the command chain somewhere. However, Paul says we are rapidly moving toward completely autonomous weapons systems.  AI tools can be powerful, but they are also still very brittle. Paul cites a somewhat humorous example of how several Marines defeated a “battlebot”.  He also warns about a “race to the bottom” in regard to safety of AI technology.

TAKEAWAY:  One of our greatest disadvantages in this technology race is government bureaucracy. Paul calls it “lethal to innovation.”

Vinnie Montez knew he wanted to be a law enforcement officer from a young age. He grew up watching the Ponch and John characters on the CHIPs TV show and loved the way they were pictured interacting with the public in a respectful way.

Vinnie joined the law enforcement cadets program as soon as he could and became a deputy in 1998. He has now served over two decades as a Deputy Sheriff with the Boulder County Sheriff’s office.  Early in his career he says he was very “gung ho” and was warned by his fellow officers about burning the candle at both ends. Like many law enforcement officers he compartmentalized the trauma he encountered because he didn’t want anyone to think he wasn’t capable of performing his duties.

In 2008 he came across a vehicle accident and, despite desperate efforts to save the life of one of the passengers, he failed. That experience “flipped a circuit breaker” and made him re-examine his mental health. Vinnie encourages fellow officers to seek counseling if they need it but emphasizes the importance of speaking to professionals who specialize in working with law enforcement officers.

Vinnie turned to stand-up comedy as a way of dealing with the stress and trauma of his job. He is now a nationally touring comedian and has shared the stage with the likes of Gilbert Gottfried & Paul Rodriguez. His Dry Bar Comedy special “Armed & Hilarious” debuted in 2019. Cop stories and his Mexican heritage underpin much of his routine because “truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.” Many of his performances are fundraisers for law enforcement & military charities.

Vinnie is active with the Humanizing the Badge initiative. His Facebook post “You don’t know me” encourages civilians to get to know their local law enforcement and has received 3.2 million views and 11,000 comments.

TAKEAWAY:  “Just like stand-up comedy, if you want to be a good law enforcement officer you have to invest the time and dedicate yourself to the craft.”

Silencer Central owner and CEO Brandon Maddox joins us to address the most common misconceptions about weapon suppressors. He is a nationally recognized thought leader on Class-3 Firearms.

Brandon began his professional career as a pharmacist. A marriage moved him from the Southeastern US to South Dakota and he soon found himself hunting varmints. Because the animals would scatter upon hearing the first shot, Brandon decided to purchase a suppressor. The process was so difficult that it lead him to founding Silencer Central.

While the technical name is suppressor, most persons refer to them as “silencers” so Brandon decided to keep that name for his company. We discuss the most common misconceptions and benefits of using suppressors.  They are an important safety device for members of the military and law enforcement who shoot on a regular basis.

Silencer Central sells approximately 100,000 units annually. Many of their first customers were farmers and ranchers. Because suppressors are federally regulated, they have expanded to have locations/representatives in each of the 42 states were suppressors are legal to own. (It is illegal to purchase/use a suppressor in CA, HI, IL, NY, NJ, MA, RI, DE & the District of Columbia) Brandon takes pride in the fact that they make the process as easy as possible for their customers. From start to finish, the process takes about 6 months.

As a pharmacist, Brandon was trained to pay attention to details and he had to be certified both on the state and federal regulations. This experience proved beneficial as he expanded Silencer Central’s footprint to other states. When got to branches in 21 states, he received a “free invitation” to visit with the ATF. During the meetings they added some additional requirements including the need for Brandon to meet personally with ATF representatives in every state which he operates.

All of their products are manufactured in the United States. Silencer Central will also providing barrel threading for their customers in order to facilitate installation of the suppressor.  They also support numerous military & law enforcement with charitable donations.

Historical Officer Joe Winslow served 21 years in the US Marine Corps. Part of his duties included a posting in the Marine Corps History Division. The mission of an artifact and historical officer is to accompany assault units in combat zones and record what they are doing. This includes recording first person oral histories and gathering relevant artifacts. For example, if a Marine was awarded a Medal of Honor, it would be Joe’s job to track that Marine and record items like the serial number on their rifle, uniforms, vehicles, etc.  At the height of the Global War on Terror there were only 8-9 officers serving in these roles.

Joe brought considerable artistic talent to the Corps. Much of the information he recorded in combat were “old fashioned” charcoal and pencil drawings in accordance with the Marine Corps Combat Art Program’s simple mission; “Go to War, do art”.

Joe fought in Operation Phantom Fury – the second battle of Fallujah. He emphasizes that even though he was there to record history, “every Marine is a rifleman first”.  During the 71 straight days of combat, he literally conducted interviews and made sketches under rocket and sniper fire. He witnessed “bravery in the extreme.” He shares his own moment of serenity under fire while serving as a Historical Officer.

During the battle approximately 32,000 individual rooms needed to be cleared, sometimes more than once. Nine Marines were awarded the Navy Cross for their actions in that battle and Army SSgt David Bellavia was awarded the Medal of Honor.

When Joe retired from the Marines, he decided to continue to use his artistic ability to honor heroes. The first itineration was the Tripoli Gift Company which produces inspirational gifts for our nation’s heroes and those who support them.  Some of his artwork resides in the White House, the National Cathedral & the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

TAKEAWAY: “We still grow ‘em and we can still put them in field like we did in World War II, Korea and Vietnam as young people who can defend America’s interests and take the bayonet forward.”

ZeroEyes CEO and Co-Founder Mike Lahiff joins us to share the story behind their Artificial Intelligence technology for detecting weapons. ZeroEyes is the only AI-based gun detection analytics platform with a Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation. They have contracts with schools, military bases and both government and private sector organizations all across the country.

Mike’s transition out of the SEAL teams was not an easy one. While earning his MBA at Wharton Business School, he would talk with other former SEALs enrolled at the college. They shared a frustration with feeling a “loss of mission”. Following a disturbing conversation with his daughter where she described the active shooter drills at her school, Mike and his comrades decided to do something about it.

When it came to initial funding Mike says “we literally burned the boats”. He and his partners liquidated every asset they had, took out second mortgages and maxed out their credit cards to get the company to the point where they could pitch the concept for additional funding.

His team initially scraped the internet for every image of weapons they could find. However, initial testing proved less than effective. They finally resorted to filming themselves carrying weapons in various locations under different conditions. It took two years to develop a working prototype.

Situational awareness is critical in reducing response times in order to save lives. ZeroEyes monitors existing security camera feeds and can identify/evaluate a threat is as little as three seconds. The alert is then reviewed by ZeroEyes Operational Center staff to eliminate false positives. A notification is then immediately sent to the facility and local law enforcement. Staff continues to monitor the feeds and provides real time updates to responders so they know precisely where to find the active shooter.

ZeroEyes now employs 150 persons, 80 percent of whom are Veterans. They also have grant writers on staff that will help potential clients identify funding to install the system.

TAKEAWAY: “Without risk there is no reward. You have to take that leap and just believe in yourself. If you  get knocked down, figure out your lessons learned and apply it to your next venture.”

The Hunter Elite; Inside America’s Secret Force Against Terror by Leon Wagener describes the transition of the Secret Service from being a strictly defensive organization to a proactive one. One could be fooled into thinking the book is a work of thriller fiction but it describes real people and situations.

Leon says that getting inside the Secret Service was a difficult task. “They take the secret in the title very seriously.” Finally he found two agents willing to talk as long as their identities remained secret. Their code names are Ranger and Laredo. Laredo is a chemical/biological specialist and shared some very frightening stories.

Our President receives an average of 6-8 threats every day. All these threats are investigated and prioritized. Those deemed to be a sufficient and real threat are assigned to the Hunter Elite.

The origin of the Hawkeye CAT (Counter Assault Team) traces back to Nancy Reagan. After President Reagan was shot by Jonathan Hinckley, she exercised her considerable influence to get the group established. Hawkeye CAT is a heavily armed group that travels with the President everywhere POTUS goes. Their mission is to use overwhelming firepower to neutralize the threat – they are not there to make arrests.

Leon shares a number of stories about incidents I have never heard. They include the time a man broke into the Reagan’s private home seeking to kill them. Another involved a cartel assassin who was tracked down and intercepted by the Hunter Elite just before attacking President Obama on a golf course.

In his book Leon also shares interesting insights into the differences in the relationships between various Presidents and the Secret Service. President Biden even attempted to dissolve the organization but was unsuccessful.

Wagener is the author of bestselling biographies of Neil Armstrong and Jodie Foster. He also contributed to eight political books about the Clintons and Obamas which became New York Times bestsellers.

Special Forces Veteran Rick Lamb is somewhat of a legend in the community.  He has led soldiers in operations spanning across 49 countries and 5 continents. He was involved in almost every major battle from Operation Eagle Claw to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rick is a member of the SOCOM Commando Hall of Honor, the Ranger Hall of Fame and was 2015 recipient of the Bull Simmons Award for soldiers who embody the true spirit, values, and skills of a Special Operations warrior.

One could say that joining the Special Forces was in Rick’s DNA. He says “every man I knew or loved carried a weapon to work, either in the military or law enforcement.” He joined the National Guard right out of high school. College “didn’t take” so his Uncle suggested he make a career of the military.

His “first smell of cordite” was Operation Eagle Claw, the mission to rescue US hostages being held in Iran. Regrettably, an accidental collision resulted in a fire that killed eight service members and cancellation of the mission. However, it led to the birth of joint Special Forces operations.

On November 23, 1984 Rick was part of quick reaction force posted on the Korean border when Soviet defector Vasily Matuzok rushed across the border. This led to North Korean forces crossing the DMZ and a fire fight. The unit commanders were not present so four staff sergeants led the response. Rick’s unit surrounded the North Korean soldiers, killed several and forced them to surrender.

Rick was also involved in the 1993 “Blackhawk Down” action. He says he will never forget the look on soldier’s faces when they were told they had to go back out – but they did their duty. Rick’s vehicle got so shot up they had to abandon it. Rick received shrapnel wound in that battle that is still in his head.

Rick also shares his perspectives on the challenges our military is currently having with recruitment. He remains involved with the Round Canopy Parachuting Team & the Global SOF Foundation. He is one of the warriors featured in the With Them Frontlines video game.

TAKEAWAY: “If you train your troop, and you trust them, then you don’t need to be over their shoulder.”

Havok Journal Owner Charles Faint provides us with an update on some of the issues being reported on their website. The Journal publishes 4-5 new articles daily in addition to reposting some of the “evergreen” content.

Ayman Kafel, an immigrant who served in the Special Forces and is now a police officer, has published “A Resolute Path” through the Second Mission Foundation. Ayman had written so many articles that Charles suggested he compile his stories in a book. The book has already sold 100,000 copies.

Havok has started to receive a great number of article submissions from the Army Sergeants Major Academy. “Social Media and Search Engine’s Impact on Retaining Talent” is a very insightful article written by MSG Eladio Tirado. The internet has created a double edged sword; talent is easier to identify but one bad employee review can severely damage recruitment. We discuss the challenges currently faced by military recruiting in the context of this article. Charles shares an important quote from his time in the military -“People don’t quit jobs, they quit leaders.”

Dave Chamberlain wrote an interesting article about Chat GPT/Artificial Intelligence examining whether this software will eventually replace human writers. Dave proposes that human qualities like empathy, intuition & unique personal perspectives are likely to never be replaced by AI. We discuss the potential dark sides of bad players using AI.

Registered Nurse Wendy Arena published a heart wrenching article a “Combat Stress Control Units: Who Takes Care of the Caregivers”. In the article she shares the challenges faced by her military husband who was a member of a Combat Stress Control Unit in Afghanistan. She shared the toll that PTSD, TBI and other afflictions faced by our military takes on their caregivers & spouses. Often professionals feel like they have to just carry their own burdens rather than seeking help. On average a civilian may experience 3-4 genuinely traumatic experiences in their lifetime. A police officer will experience 700 over the course of a 20 year career.

TAKEAWAY: “My main measure of success for Havok Journal is how many people write in to share how some of our articles have made a difference for the Veteran and first responder communities.”