The ILEETA Learning Lab

Send us Fan Mail

Espen Dahlen-Lervåg will present Adaptive Control – Axon’s Combatives Program at the ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

Adaptive Control – Axon’s Combatives Program

Espen Dahlen-Lervåg | ILEETA Conference & Expo
 Course Length: 3:45 (Requires Registration)

Modern law enforcement encounters are dynamic, unpredictable, and rarely confined to a single tool, tactic, or environment. Yet much of our training remains siloed — separating combatives, electronic control devices, and decision-making into isolated blocks that fail to reflect real-world conditions.

In this ILEETA Learning Lab interview, Espen Dahlen-Lervåg, Chief Instructor for Global Training at Axon, introduces Adaptive Control, a realistic and scalable combatives system designed to integrate next-generation TASER devices into modern control and arrest training.

Grounded in empirical research and ecological learning principles, Adaptive Control shifts the focus away from technique memorization and toward principle-driven performance. Espen explains how constraints, problem-solving, and scenario-based learning allow officers to develop adaptable control strategies that hold up under pressure.

This conversation provides a clear preview of what attendees can expect from Espen’s session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo. Participants will gain insight into how Adaptive Control’s five pillars support better decision-making, improved control, and more resilient performance across a wide range of operational contexts.

Whether you are attending #ILEETA2026 or rethinking how combatives and less-lethal training are delivered in your agency, this episode reflects the innovation, realism, and instructional rigor that define the ILEETA training community.

🎥 Watch the full interview:
https://youtu.be/pPKAJtMGDo8

Instructor: Espen Dahlen-Lervåg
Connect with Espen:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/espen-dahlen-lervag-08b9082b4/

Send us Fan Mail

Guest: Mike Marotta, Executive Director, Warriors Heart
🎥 Watch This Episode: https://youtube.com/live/41BIdJ2TxWM
🌐 Learn More: www.warriorsheart.com

🎤 Watch Mike’s Emerson Hour Talk: YouTube – Emerson Hour

The January episode of ILEETA Live launched 2026 with a powerful conversation featuring Mike Marotta—Air Force veteran, retired San Antonio PD officer, peer-support advocate, and now Executive Director at Warriors Heart in Virginia.

Co-hosts Joe Willis and Brian Hill kicked things off with exciting updates about the 2026 ILEETA Conference in St. Louis, a live check-in from SHOT Show with Todd Fletcher and Ray Merlin, and news that conference registrations are tracking a full month ahead of trend. They also spotlighted key dates like:

• 📅 Trainer of the Year Nominations – Due Feb 1
• 📅 Live Fire / Certification Registration – Opens Feb 2

🎙 Featured Guest: Mike Marotta

Mike’s journey from a C-5 loadmaster in the Air Force to a wellness unit pioneer at San Antonio PD, to national thought leader in trauma recovery is a story of purpose, growth, and grit.

He shared how his personal struggles and emotional reflection catalyzed change, leading him to co-found officer wellness programs, support First H.E.L.P. initiatives, and ultimately find his calling at Warriors Heart. Now, Mike leads a 42-day residential treatment campus in Virginia designed exclusively for members of the warrior class—military, veterans, law enforcement, fire, EMS, and corrections professionals.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• "Don’t Be Afraid" – Mike’s message to those facing transition: “You are created and refined for what’s next.”
• Emotional Literacy Matters – Cops are taught to suppress emotions, but healing begins with words like lonely, sad, and disconnected.
• Get Out of the Way – Mike reflects on how stepping aside allowed the SAPD wellness program to truly thrive.
• Hang Onto Your Satellites – Don’t lose the friends and support systems that existed before the badge.
• Empower the Human Spirit – A guiding mantra at Warriors Heart that Mike now carries forward in everything he does.

Instructor Development Tip

Kerry Avery (Odin Training Solutions) challenged trainers to ditch the bio intros and lead with something emotionally resonant—like a case study or powerful video—to engage the learner's brain and heart. “Start with why we’re here,” she said, “not who we are.”

Mike added, “Start with story. Start with heart. That’s what earns their trust.”

🔗 Connect with Mike Marotta & Warriors Heart:

• 🌐 Website: www.warriorsheart.com
  
  
• 📹 Emerson Hour Talk: Watch on YouTube
  
  
• 💼 LinkedIn: Mike Marotta on LinkedIn
  
  
• 📸 Instagram: @warriorshearthealing
  
  
• 🐦 X (Twitter): @WarriorsHeart22
  
  
• 📘 Facebook: Warriors Heart on Facebook
  
  

With just 54 days until ILEETA 2026, this episode reminds us why the community matters. 

🗓 Conference Dates: March 16–21, 2026
📍 Location: Union Station Hotel, St. Louis
🔗 Register: www.ileeta.org/conference

Send us Fan Mail

Geoff Desmoulin will present The Science Behind Prone Restraint Deaths at the ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

The Science Behind Prone Restraint Deaths

Geoff Desmoulin | ILEETA Conference & Expo
Course Length: 1:45

Prone restraint deaths remain one of the most complex, misunderstood, and high-liability issues in modern law enforcement training. In this ILEETA Learning Lab interview, biomechanical scientist Dr. Geoff Desmoulin breaks down what the science actually tells us about body positioning, respiration, circulation, and the physiological cascade that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Rather than relying on opinion or anecdote, this conversation focuses on evidence-based findings drawn from biomechanics, physiology, and real-world case analysis. Dr. Desmoulin explains how factors such as prolonged struggle, body weight, surface type, restraint position, and delayed recovery positioning contribute to hypercapnia and metabolic acidosis, increasing the risk of fatal outcomes.

A key emphasis of the discussion is recognition and prevention. Trainers and leaders will hear how eight identifiable risk factors can be recognized early, how body-worn camera footage reveals patterns often missed in the moment, and how simple, practical adjustments can reduce risk without compromising officer safety.

This interview offers a clear preview of what attendees can expect from Dr. Desmoulin’s session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo and reflects ILEETA’s commitment to evidence-based training, open dialogue, and continuous improvement across law enforcement education.

🎥 Watch the full interview:
https://youtu.be/xOWFTd3z8DY

Instructor: Geoff Desmoulin
Organization: GTD Scientific Inc.

Connect: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-desmoulin/

Send us Fan Mail

Duane Wolfe will present Instant Impact: Roll Call Training Powered by Video at the 2026 ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

Instant Impact: Roll Call Training Powered by Video
Duane Wolfe | ILEETA Conference & Expo
Course Length: 1:45

Roll call is one of the most underutilized training opportunities in law enforcement. When done well, it can become a powerful daily touchpoint for learning, discussion, and skill reinforcement. When done poorly, it becomes routine, forgettable, or wasted time.

In this ILEETA Learning Lab interview, Duane Wolfe explains how trainers and supervisors can transform roll call into high-impact training using video. Drawing on decades of instructional experience and research in human performance, Duane walks through how to select effective video clips, identify decision points, pause strategically, and facilitate meaningful discussion that reinforces policy, tactics, and judgment.

The conversation explores both the strengths and limitations of video, including perceptual bias, hindsight bias, and the difference between what cameras capture and what officers actually perceive. Duane also discusses how video-based roll call training supports spaced practice, improves retention, and creates opportunities to revisit critical skills and decision-making in short, focused sessions.

This episode provides a clear preview of what attendees can expect from Duane’s session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo. Participants will leave with practical methods they can apply immediately, whether they are full-time trainers or supervisors responsible for maximizing the “minutes that matter” each day.

Whether you are attending #ILEETA2026 or simply looking to improve how training is delivered between formal courses, this episode reflects the professionalism, practicality, and shared learning that define the ILEETA training community.

🎥 Watch the full interview:
https://youtu.be/FKqFkphlCQY

Instructor: Duane Wolfe
Connect with Duane:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duane-wolfe-34806828/

Send us Fan Mail

Mark Candies will present Enhancing Reality-Based Training with Adult Learning Principles at the 2026 ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

Enhancing Reality-Based Training with Adult Learning Principles
Mark Candies | ILEETA Conference & Expo
Course Length: 3:45

Reality-based training is most effective when it mirrors how officers think, decide, and act under stress. In this ILEETA Learning Lab interview, Mark Candies explains how adult learning principles can be deliberately integrated into reality-based training to improve retention, adaptability, and real-world performance.

The conversation explores how instructors can use constraints-led design, interleaving, effortful retrieval, and structured debriefs to move beyond scripted scenarios and single “right answer” outcomes. Mark also discusses how equipment, time, and organizational constraints influence training—and how instructors can mitigate those limitations through intentional design and facilitation.

This episode provides a practical preview of Mark’s session at #ILEETA2026 and delivers value for any instructor seeking to improve decision-making, contextual understanding, and learning transfer through reality-based training.

🎥 Watch the full interview:
(link to be added once posted)

Instructor: Mark Candies
Connect with Mark:
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/mark-candies-36a56375

Send us Fan Mail

Neuroscience of Law Enforcement Decisions with Applications Jason Sherwin, Ph.D. | ILEETA Conference & Expo Course Length: 1:45

Law enforcement demands split-second decisions that blend rapid perceptual processing with later analytical scrutiny—yet traditional training often overlooks the brain science behind these high-stakes choices.

In this ILEETA Learning Lab interview, Dr. Jason Sherwin, co-founder and CEO of deCervo, shares insights from his session on the neuroscience of law enforcement decision-making. Drawing from peer-reviewed research on perceptual decisions, the conversation explores the distinction between “thinking fast” (intuitive, high-speed responses driven by visual cortex and basal ganglia pathways) and “thinking slow” (deliberate analysis via prefrontal regions), and why policing uniquely requires both.

Attendees will preview interactive elements: using mobile devices to engage with anonymized body-worn camera footage in timed scenarios, analyzing group results to connect fast decisions to post-incident processes like report-writing, and discussing agency implementation best practices, including recruit vs. veteran training differences. Sports analogies from baseball hitting and hockey officiating illustrate measurable rapid-decision neuroscience, translated to law enforcement’s higher-scrutiny context for improved accuracy, reduced cognitive load, and enhanced officer safety.

The session emphasizes evidence-based approaches rooted in neuroimaging and cognitive science, offering trainers practical tools to strengthen decision training without replacing instructor expertise.

This preview captures the scientific depth and real-world applicability that highlight ILEETA’s commitment to advancing law enforcement education through innovative, brain-informed methods.

Instructor: Jason Sherwin, Ph.D.
Connect with Jason and deCervo: 
Instagram: @deCervoProfile 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sherwin-decervo-thor/ 
X (Twitter): x.com/deCervoProfile 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/decervoprofile 
Website: www.deCervo.com

Recent Case Study on deCervo implementation of e-TRAIN in law enforcement: https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/translating-neuroscience-academy/ 

Details a deCervo implementation with a police academy using e-TRAIN, showing recruits achieving 78% accuracy and faster decision times over training, with metrics aiding retention and topic-specific feedback.

Send us Fan Mail

Kerry Avery will present AI-Powered Training: From Course Design to Delivery at the 2026 ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

AI tools are evolving faster than traditional training development processes can keep pace with. In this ILEETA Learning Lab episode, Kerry Avery shares how instructors can use conversational AI to support course design, lesson planning, and delivery materials without losing instructional quality or authenticity.

Drawing on real-world experience, Kerry explains how AI can act as an assistant rather than a replacement, why instructor expertise remains the most important guardrail, and how agencies can finally document and modernize training that has historically lacked lesson plans and instructional structure.

This conversation offers insight into what attendees can expect from Kerry’s session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo while also providing value to any trainer looking to improve efficiency, design better learning experiences, and adapt responsibly to emerging tools.

#InspireExcellence #TribeOfTrainers #ILEETA2026

Instructor: Kerry Avery
Connect with Kerry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerryavery/
Substack: https://odintraining.substack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/odintrainingsolutions
Website: https://www.odintrainingsolutions.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Mark Beluscak and Eugene Matthews will present Rescuing the Class No One Wants with AI Magic at the 2026 ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

Every law enforcement academy has at least one required class that instructors dread teaching and students struggle to stay engaged with. Legal liability. Civil process. Criminal code. Courtroom security. Important material, but often delivered in ways that fail to connect.

In this ILEETA Learning Lab episode, Mark Beluscak and Eugene Matthews explore how instructors can transform low-engagement courses into student-centered, scenario-based learning experiences using AI tools as a force multiplier, not a replacement for expertise. Drawing on adult learning theory and real academy experience, they walk through a practical process for redesigning courses that instructors are often required to teach but rarely enjoy teaching.

This conversation previews what attendees can expect from their session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo, including how to identify instructional challenges, apply backward design, and use AI tools to rapidly generate learning objectives, lesson plans, scenarios, and activities. Participants in the course collaboratively build an editable lesson plan in real time and leave with a framework they can apply to other courses back at their agencies.

For listeners who cannot attend the conference, this episode still delivers value by reframing how we think about “boring” or mandated topics and offering practical insight into modern instructional design, scenario-based learning, and responsible AI use in law enforcement training.

This episode reflects the heart of ILEETA’s mission: inspiring excellence in law enforcement training by helping instructors teach better, engage learners, and continuously improve the craft of training.

#InspireExcellence #TribeOfTrainers #ILEETA2026

Send us Fan Mail

Rick Jacobs will present LTEM – A New Tool for Evaluating Training Efficacy at the 2026 ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

For decades, law enforcement training effectiveness has been measured using attendance, tests, and end-of-course surveys. But none of those methods tell us whether training actually changed performance.

In this ILEETA Learning Lab episode, Rick Jacobs introduces the Learning Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM), a research-based framework designed to address the shortcomings of Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation. LTEM focuses on what matters most in law enforcement training: decision-making, performance, and the transfer of learning to the field.

Rick explains how LTEM can be used not only as an evaluation model, but also as a powerful training design tool. By aligning learning objectives, instructional activities, and performance measures, instructors can gather actionable data about whether a course worked, how participants performed, and where improvements are needed. The model allows trainers to move beyond “smile sheets” and toward meaningful evaluation that supports accountability, credibility, and continuous improvement.

This episode offers a clear preview of what attendees can expect from Rick’s session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo, while also delivering immediate value to any trainer interested in improving how training is designed, delivered, and evaluated.

Whether you are attending #ILEETA2026 or simply committed to evidence-based, performance-focused law enforcement training, this conversation reflects the thinking and professionalism that define the ILEETA Tribe of Trainers.

CONNECT WITH THE GUEST

Rick Jacobs
Principal, Law Enforcement Training and Education Consultants

• Website: https://letnec.com/
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickjacobsapc/
  
  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/let_n_ec/
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LETnEConsultants
  
  

#InspireExcellence #TribeOfTrainers #ILEETA2026

Send us Fan Mail

PODCAST SHOW NOTES

Dave Anderson will present How to Train and Develop Leaders of Character Within Your Agency at the 2026 ILEETA Conference & Expo in St. Louis, 16–21 March 2026.
👉 https://www.ileeta.org/conference/

When law enforcement leaders fail, it is rarely because of a poor tactical decision. More often, the failure is rooted in judgment, values, and character.

In this ILEETA Learning Lab episode, Dave Anderson joins Deputy Executive Director Joe Willis for a focused conversation on why character development must be treated as a deliberate, trainable leadership skill rather than an assumed trait. Drawing from the West Point Leader of Character model and decades of leadership experience across military, corporate, and public safety environments, Dave explains why agencies that focus only on tactics and technical skills leave leaders unprepared for the decisions that matter most.

Dave challenges the idea that ethics training alone is enough and outlines how character is built through habits, daily choices, feedback, and accountability over time. He also discusses how agencies can move beyond abstract discussions and begin reinforcing character in practical, observable ways that shape leadership culture.

This conversation provides context for Dave’s extended session at the ILEETA Conference & Expo and delivers immediate value to trainers and leaders who want to strengthen trust, credibility, and decision-making within their organizations.

Whether you are attending #ILEETA2026 or simply committed to developing better leaders, this episode reflects ILEETA’s mission to inspire excellence in law enforcement training.

WATCH OR LISTEN

🎥 YouTube – Full Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY_Vwed6xYY

🎧 Podcast – ILEETA Learning Lab
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2378747/episodes/18505024

(Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and most major platforms)

CONNECT WITH THE GUEST

Dave Anderson

• Website: https://www.becomingaleaderofcharacter.com/
  
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leaderofcharacter#
  
  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daveanderson.1988
  
  
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/daveanderson88
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveanderson1988/
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alslead
  
  

#InspireExcellence #TribeOfTrainers #ILEETA2026