The official first episode AND first SITREP of the 2026 calendar year! While I initially didn't think there would be a whole lot to talk about when planning this a couple weeks ago, there's been a few developments as of late that really worked themselves up the list. As always, these discussions are the monthly opportunity to talk about current events both in the United States, as well as abroad, and give lots of opinion and a little context to help keep our audience informed. Certainly, getting into the new changes the NFA, diving into the fraud scandals with daycare centers throughout the country, and reacting to the capture of Venezuelan President Maduro, this SITREP is not short on that, at all. Happy to have you aboard as well roll full steam ahead, into the new year!

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The end of 2025 is here! Hard to believe as it may be, this is the last episode/discussion of the calendar, as we get ready to turn over, and dive head first into 2026. This past year been one of intense growth for me personally, and certainly for Prepared Mindset. The changes that came about this year in many cases were extremely challenging but in some ways very rewarding too. As with the other years gone by, I take this opportunity to walk through the highlights, and unfortunately some lowlights of this year, and talk about them. From the classes, to the range days, to some of the key developments that have contributed in shaping PMP into what it is today. I appreciate everyone who has contributed throughout the year and helped us find our successes, both large and small. I am eagerly looking forward to what's coming next!

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If you've been searching for information on breaching - how it's done, why one tool is used over another, considerations and constraints - this is the one guys. This week, I sit down with Steven Laster of Core Vision Training and dive into the topic and skillset of breaching. Steve is former Army, and currently active on what I would consider a pretty high volume SWAT team. Throughout our discussion we hit on various tools, including Rams, Halligans, Shotguns, torches and saws, we even spend time talking about the benefits that Hydraulic breaching tools bring into the discussion. From weight and length, to pro's and con's and risk considerations when using something like a shotgun. Steve is truly passionate about this work and shares a ton of information throughout the conversation. If you're aspiring to learn more about the skillset, I guarantee this will be a great starting point for you.

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Go Take a Class! While you can certain do a lot of self study in today's day and age, with the access to articles and videos we have, instructor led courses are still the best source of information and learning available. While they alone won't magically make you better, getting the hands-on opportunity is invaluable in your personal journey of preparedness. Unfortunately, this concept is still one that is widely unadopted, leaving us with a community full of overly-empowered individuals, who parrot the opinions of strangers online, or worse, draw vast assumptions based on personal emotion. In this discussion I dive into how shallow the knowledge and understanding in our community really is, and why we haven't grown more as a whole, over the past several years.

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Not having a personal background in military or law enforcement, I wasn't sure I would ever actually have the chance to teach in the 2A space. Sure, I have a lot of years under my belt as an educator, teaching music and marching band, but is that really relevant in the context of shooting, self defense, tactics, etc.? Well, I finally had a opportunity presented to me to give it a go, and I spend this weeks episode talking all about it. From my apprehension about the outward appearance of someone with no operational background teaching, to the excitement of being able to revisit something that was previously a huge part of my life, and my personality. This ended up being an incredible experience, and I'm very happy to share it all with you!

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We roll through Thanksgiving, officially into the last month of the Calendar, and lots of strong economic indicators as things politically heat up across the country. In this installment of the Sunday SITREP, I talk about some crucial current events, talking about tensions across the country as religious protests increase and the friction heats up between protestors and residents in key cities across the U.S. With things become so tense, especially in the wake of the murder of two National Guardsmen in D.C., there's a lot to consider, and a lot to evaluate. Additionally, I talk about the retail spike from Black Friday, my observations on our culture throughout the largest shopping day of the year, and also how to take advantage of the sales and opportunities. Lots of opinion, and lots of entertainment, as always!

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Fresh off Black Friday weekend, I sit down with Kevin Holland of Custom Night Vision to catch up and talk about night vision, lasers, comedy, and more. It's always interseting to me when I get to chat with industry experts, some of the surprising stories and details their able to share. Being that devices like NODs are so prohibitively expensive for many folks, my assumption would be that when people are able to purchase finally, they've done a lot of research on basic use and common experiences. Kevin and I talk about end users, and how in fact, that assumption is incorrect. We touch, additionally, on IR lasers in the market today, what he recommends (and doesn't) while somehow also managing to get into public education, livestock shows, getting kicked out of school, and how to build a quality rifle. There's a lot packed into this discussion, you're definitely going to like it!

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Almost Cover is a social media presence that many of us may know, and many more of us may relate with. They started as a page, or rather a pseudo "art project" sharing good photos and funny video clips. Rather quickly however, this team of former veterans has turned into something else entirely, changing the world in ways that I think few realize. In this episode, I sit with Irish, one of the team members and founders of Almost Covert. We talk about his beginnings in the Airforce, touch on his time after service working with charity organizations, and end up at the work he and his colleagues do today, fighting human trafficking overseas. Throughout the conversation we touch on the evolution of the team, the evolution of gear and tactics, and even take time to speak on the importance of evolving leadership. This was a outstanding discussion, and one that I hope speaks to you all. Check it out.

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I finally have the opportunity to sit down with Rick of SSV Concepts, catch up, and have a great discussion. Just as the title says, we get into dogs as a low tech early warning system and the realities of dealing with them, combatting drug operations and how the landscape has changed, and general dumb ideas, that may not be so dumb. We spent time talking about utilizing data and personal outputs to track and maximize your own performance, and that of your team. We even took a moment to touch on the idiocy of public perception, and legacy media. I love being able to connect with Rick, and get his no nonsense opinions. As a police officer in Iowa and member of a SRT team, as well as an instructor and competitive shooter, there's not shortage of insight or information in this discussion!

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Breaching has long been one of the most valuable skillsets in our community. To defeat our enemy, to eliminate the threat, we must be able to access that threat, access the hold of our enemy. While there's been so many advancements in breaching technology, the core concepts always remain. In this episode, I sit down with Chris Kuras of Good Dude Concepts to talk about breaching work as a part of a SWAT team in Florida, as well as what he's been able to bring to the conversation with the invention of his Breaching Rescue Bar, or B.R.B. As a tool that is accessible to all walks of life, with intentional design to lend itself to numerous needs, it fills a gap that many professionals and civilians alike have had to work around for years. We got into a lot in this discussion, and if you're interested in learning the skillset, this may be a great starting point for you!

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Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/good_dude_concepts/

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