Night Vision. The super power that we all want, and the only capability which can be purchased. Unfortunately, to many, it's perceived to be unattainable due to the financial constraints which surround it. What many folks don't realize though, is that you have more options available than what you might think. To explore the options, and talk in depth on used and surplus options, I'm sitting down with Shane Sharp and Ty Morgan from Terrace Unity Solutions. TUS is a Michigan based night vision company just a few minutes from me, and a resource I only recently realized I had access to. We get into the comparisons and benefits between surplus and new devices, as well as some common questions like L3 versus Elbit versus Photonis, and do our best to fill in the gaps and add some much needed context to the common concerns that folks have. If you've been chasing the dream of owning NODs and haven't been able to make it happen, give this one a listen. I think you may learn a few things.

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Watches are an essential piece of field kit, and something that many of us take great pride and interest in. Understanding what goes into making a quality watch, what to look for, as well as why it's important, is critical in making a good selection. It's even more important if this is a functional tool that you'll depend on in either the military or law enforcement, out in the field. To discuss these details, and how Brigade Watch Co. is facing the challenges head on, I sit down with one of the founders of Brigade, Kevin Ding. As a former Marine, Kevin first-hand knows the challenges of the field and training, and as a watch enthusiast, he knows what makes the difference in a quality time piece. As someone who enjoys watches but doesn't know a lot, I really enjoyed the time with Kevin and being able to soak up his knowledge, and hear about how uncompromising values and dedication to quality, drive Brigade Watch Co.

Check out https://www.brigadewatches.com/ if you want to see the fantastic work Kevin and team are doing!

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Kevin Estela is a former History teacher and life-long outdoorsman, as well as an author, and talented educator. For me, Kevin was one of my earliest inspirations as a podcaster, and I couldn't be more excited to have the opportunity to sit down with him. We dive into history and fieldcraft, his transition from public school educator to full time instructor, as well as the importance of mindset in your individual training journey. Kevin shared a lot in this conversation, including the three essential elements to achieving success: awareness, preparedness, and willingness. We talked at length about how those three characteristics together will lead you to the places you want to be, and how their absence can lead to failure. Further we talk firearms for wildlife encounters as well as self defense, and even got into a little bit of tactical shotgun. Absolutely, an outstanding and entertaining conversation, and I'm sincerely looking forward to connecting with Kevin again in the future.

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As long as we've been chasing self-improvement and trying to run a gun faster and more accurately, there have been men trying to develop ways and means in which to do so with less effort, and more quickly. Certainly at the top of that list is the handgun compensator. A device which when attached to the end of the barrel, vents the gasses in various directions, helping to mitigate felt recoil to the shooter, and muzzle rise. Having just jumped into this myself, I reached out to our good friend Jake from Herrington Arms, to talk about it. As a instructor, LEO, and competitive shooter, Jake has tens of thousands of rounds behind a plethora of different setups and compensators. We get into some of the testing and the science behind these devices, talk about lightweight triggers, reference plenty of the core principles of performance shooting, and also, at the very end, get a sneak peak at a new development from the team at Herrington. It's always good catching up with Jake, and I enjoyed getting to pick his brain for this one. Check it out!

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I think it's a safe statement to make, that we all are, or have at least at some point, struggled to understand the balance that exists between the three pillars of overall preparedness. Heck, at some points, I'm sure many of us didn't even realize that they existed. That's alright, it's part of the journey, and to a large degree, that journey never stops. You simply have many encounters along the way that shape your mission and your goals. While it can be confusing, once you're able to make sense of what you need to spend money on, what you need to spend time on, and what's actually worth spending your energy on, the picture does become a lot more clear. You can out run budget end tools and equipment with enough training, however no amount of high end kit will ever compensate enough to make up your training deficit. In the same token, neither of those things matter if your mind isn't right and you're pursuing these things for the wrong reasons. So lets talk about it.

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Chris Costa is a man who truly needs no introduction. His early work with Magpul Dynamics helped to inspire thousands of us to pick up the rifle and start training, and his continued influence on the community is at best, difficult to measure. This week, I have the opportunity to sit down with Chris, one of my earliest influences in training, and pick his brain. We started by getting into Chris' experience in the Coast Guard, traveling the world on Counter-Drug operations, how that led to not only his career in teaching but also what sparked his passion for performance shooting. Of course, this conversation wouldn't have been complete without talking about the fabled Magpul DVD series, and even got into talking about long range precision shooting, handgun work, and a lot more. This was a spectacular conversation, and one I hope to be repeat soon, in the near future.

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August is here, and we're two-thirds of the way through the year. For this iteration of the SITREP, rather than stepping into political news, or global developments, I have a update on our own training here in Michigan to share with you. Pulling together a diverse group from across our state, with backgrounds in Military, Law Enforcement, and obviously trained Civilians, we are fresh off our first "CQB Workshop" training session. This was a targeted exercise put together and planned to "pressure test" and validate the practices and procedures that we use in our own training, and find the gaps, and as a group, get better. In this episode I share a behind the scenes on the planning work, but also the rationale behind building the event so hopefully, you all can do the same.

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In 2025, let's be honest, there's threats that we face in our daily lives that we can realistically prepare for. However, in the same token, there's a limit to how far that preparation can carry us. From emerging technologies, geopolitical turmoil, to the potential for civil unrest growing seemingly by the day, there's a lot out there. Far more to account for than certainly any one of us can alone, and even in a group limits to what can be accomplished. In this discussion I do my best to shine a light on what truly "being prepared" means, and I don't even get to everything. My goal was to draw connections between our daily lives and concerns, the training interests which fuel many of our passions, and the real world threats that exist, which many of us miss, or have as a gap in our planning.

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While it's pretty well noted that I don't have a ton of knowledge or experience out in the wilderness or in the survival community, my guest this week, has more than enough to make up for what I lack. Craig Caudill is the owner and founder of Nature Reliance School, and has dedicated his life not only to teaching survival, bushcraft, and sustainment, but to continuously seeking out individuals who know more, and finding ways to learn new things in areas he's spent his whole life studying. This was a fascinating conversation for me, and we were able to get into all sorts of interesting topics from beginner courses of instruction, to advanced training, to escape and resisting human trafficking. Craig has done a lot, and has a lot to share. This is certainly a discussion tailored to those of you more comfortable in the woods, than in your own home.

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The Red Letter Project is a unique company that takes the traditional approaches we see to skills like firearms safety and proficiency, force on force training, and individual capability, and builds on them through personal focus, and faith based principles. Maddy Scholar is the owner and founder of The Red Letter Project, as well as a avid shooter, as well as a student of business and faith. We sit down in this discussion, starting with Maddy's story of what led her to such an impactful life mission, and spend a lot of time talking not only about the benefits of the training, but the importance of being an invested coach and educator, as well as constantly looking for ways to improve yourself so that you may more positive improve your students. I found this conversation to be very interesting, and was blown away by the work that Maddy and Red Letter are doing to change the world.

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