Fresh out of the two day CQB Fundamentals course here in Michigan, I share my debrief on the class, what I learned, what I liked, and why it's all so important. As civilians, we're constantly told and reinforced that we can't or shouldn't learn skillsets like structure clearance, or CQB. Either we'll never use it, other than as a singleton, or that knowledge in the hands of "folks like us" is a unnecessary danger to law enforcement. Ironically, whenever we're told we can't or shouldn't have things for almost any other part of the 2A space, we push against that narrative. Regardless, this was an incredible experience, and it was wonderful being able to help facilitate this kind of valuable learning to the folks in my local community. If you're looking into learning these skills for yourself, or perhaps interested in Orion Training Group and what they offer, give this a listen, and see for yourself what you've been missing out on.

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Joe Dawson is the owner/founder of Bruiser Industries, and a former Navy SEAL who has made it his life's work to teach and mentor others. Going back even to his time prior to serving in the Navy, from a young age, Joe had a interesting in counseling and helping others learned. Progressing through his military career, additional opportunities for instructing and educating others helped bring about what we all know today, as Bruiser Industries. Joe and I talked about the principles to teaching. Not only the what you're teaching, but how you do it, and why it should be done. It's very easy in our community to present yourself as a subject expert, and feign a desire to "teach" those around you. In reality, it requires a good amount of work and dedication. We got into the details of how the military approaches teaching, and also talked about the 2A community and the teaching problem many of us experience on a sometimes, daily basis. This was a fantastic conversation, and one that I think many of you are going to really enjoy.

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Perception. The state of being or process of becoming aware of something through the senses. In 2025, this often means, believing what you see and hear. Regardless of accuracy and fact, we as a society build "our truth" off of our perceptions. For those of us trying to build support, to correct misinformation, about our 2A community, it means fighting the colossal battle against public perception. As the adage goes, perception is reality. Whether things heard in the news or seen on social media are indeed true, they are believed by the public masses just as if they were. This means, for those of us trying to better the community and build support from unlikely places, having honest conversations. Sometimes even with ourselves. I dive into this and explore why this is so essential, and how we can be successful.

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Spring is here, and it's time for the May SITREP. This time, I actually have some PMP news to share, with the upcoming structure clearance course with Orion Training Group, here in Michigan, as well a teaching opportunity for me. Additionally, I dive into the news of the recent raid in Colorado Springs that resulted in the arrests of a hundred illegal immigrants with ties to various known criminal and terrorist organizations. As the reality of this problem continues to set in, we as prepared individuals need to stay informed and stay vigilant. The better information we have available to us, the safer we and our families can be.

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Community First Project is a unique effort, created and headed by Andrew Sullivan. A former Navy SEAL, Sully brings almost two decades of military experiences and lessons with him as he carries out his mission to better train and enable law enforcement around the country. However, this isn't your average training company. C1P is actually a non-profit organization, fueled through fundraisers and grant funds, to bring training and knowledge to departments and agencies that couldn't otherwise afford it in their budget. I sit down with Sully, and dive in to how this all got started, what the goals and efforts behind Community First are, and why the work he and his team are doing is so important not just to those of us in a police uniform, but all of us and our communities. A unique approach to say the very least, and a conversation that I think will carry a massive benefit to those of you operating in the law enforcement space.

You can learn more about Sully and his mission at the Community First Project website, C1P.org

Additionally, you can check @community_first_project and @sully_c1p on Instagram for more!

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In the greater pursuit of personal capability and skill, many of us get distracted by the bright, shiny new things that are constantly dangled in front of us. Our community, or more properly identified, industry, has a vast array of solutions available for any of the challenges we may face, regardless of our path of life. While this is a tremendous advantage, it also becomes the downfall of many. In the grand scheme, your ability to problem solve, the strength of your skill sets is what really carries you through the difficult situations to succeed, and complete your mission. Why then, do we focus so much on our tools? In this episode, I do my best to explore this question, talk about what you need, why you might need less than you think, as well as offering some personal insight behind why in some cases, more is actually better. If you're a chronic shopper, and have a closet full of unused equipment, this might be for you.

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Hunter Freeland is a former National Guardsmen, Contractor, and Law Enforcement Officer. He's also the owner of Hunter Freeland Shooting, and is regarded by many as one of the top firearms instructors in the country. We spend our time talking about the reality and relevancy of performance based shooting, and separate out some of the community propaganda that promotes a dichotomy between competition and tactical applications. Additionally, we really spend time talking about the mindset and attitude that will take you, as a shooter, but also as a human, further in your journey. From accountability to work ethic and personality, all of it plays a role in how, when, and why some folks will end up excelling at this skills, and others won't. The obsession over the minutia carries a value with it that is often spoken of, but rarely embraced. If you're wanting insight on how Hunter teaches, as well as how you can improve not only your abilities, but your mindset, this is a fantastic conversation for you to check out.

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As we charge past our 300th discussion, it's time for another SITREP. As a community, we have to work harder than ever it seems, to stretch our dollars to make every purchase count, and put ourselves, and our families in the best positions we can. With some of the recent events, and decisions made by our current administration, we could potentially see some much needed relief on the horizon. To provide context, I dive into some of the recent news revolving around the DOGE effort, and yes, I get into my thoughts on what is happening with tariff's and the impact to the world market, and ultimately bring both those ideas back to why it matters for folks like you and I. Additionally, I give a brief recap on some of our more impactful recent discussions, for those of you who may not have checked them out yet.

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As another benchmark passes, I feel it important to take a look at what's led to some successes and how the future will look. The mission here has always been to share information, and provide a common learning experience. As a concerned citizen and prepared civilian, this journey has been one of tremendous trial, and outstanding reward. To me, it's important to occasionally, stop and reflect on things. In this very important episode, I share a lot about the past, as well as the future, and what is coming next. There's a few changes coming in the immediate future and several things that will remain as firm and steadfast as ever. We do this for the community, and for the good that it brings to the world, and that's exactly what this three hundredth episode is all about.

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Making better information, more consistently accessible is a huge hurdle in the training community. What's even more difficult, is having a space to practice that information, and the associated skillsets. Checkmate Group in Texas has brought a unique spin to the effort, but building their own facility, and granting access to their students to continue their training and growth. Forrest Dohrmann, one of the owners is a dedicated civilian, like many of us, and has invested in his own personal preparedness and the growth of his community. To really get into this and break down why it's important, we sit down and talk about the evolution of the community, the value of an aggressive mindset, and the capacity to be a protector. For as common as being a prepared civilian is, it's still something we don't have nearly enough of, especially when it comes to sharing knowledge and experience. This is a great discussion, and one that I think we'll all relate to.

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