In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Richard Nance interviews Mike Pannone, a highly experienced former Recon Marine, Army Special Forces soldier, and Delta Force operator who medically retired after losing an eye in a breaching accident, then transitioned into high-risk contracting, curriculum development, and founding CTT Solutions. Mike shares his extensive military and operational background, emphasizing how real-world experience shapes practical, no-nonsense approaches to training and tactics—contrasting sharply with theoretical or entertainment-driven content often seen on social media. He stresses critical questions like "What are we doing? Why? How does it work? How much time do we have?" to evaluate techniques, critiques unrealistic "cosplay" drills (like elaborate vehicle shooting maneuvers that ignore real ambush timelines and physics), and highlights the difference between marksmanship in isolation versus its application in dynamic, high-stakes scenarios. The discussion covers the value of competition shooting for refining fundamental gun-handling skills (while separating it from tactics), the importance of tailored instruction based on deep experience and critical thinking rather than rigid parroting of drills, the pitfalls of oversized classes that become logistics exercises instead of genuine skill-building, the crawl-walk-run progression for learning (including slow, deliberate practice before adding speed), and humility in demos (showing mistakes at full speed to teach awareness and realism). They also touch on gear priorities—reliable basics over flashy items—and modern optics like red dots (now highly durable and effective on pistols and carbines) plus compensators (valuable for recoil management, especially on shorter-barreled guns for concealed carry or duty use). Overall, Mike delivers straightforward, experience-driven insights aimed at cutting through industry hype to focus on what actually works for military, law enforcement, and responsible civilians.

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