As we roll into February, we have our latest SITREP for you, and no shortage of interesting news and on goings to discuss. From a somewhat humorous Bill being introduced to add Trump to the Mt. Rushmore monument, to the equally laughable idea of granting a third Presidential term, there's a lot to talk about. The big item in this months report though, comes from a very recent interview with Erik Prince, formerly of Blackwater. As the Trump administration has recently declared Mexican Cartel organizations as terrorist groups, there's a interesting opportunity to leverage the centuries old practice of granting letters of marque and reprisal. If pursued by our government, we could soon see PMC firms deploying contractors on American soil to aid in the fight against the Cartels, and securing our border. As usual, I have a lot to say on all of this, share a good bit of both history, and perspective.

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Hard to believe it's already been three months (and then some) since I first sat down with Jake, but he's back, and we're picking up where we left off. Since the first conversation we had together, Jake has migrated to a new role with Herrington Arms working in sales, marketing, and even helping in customer service. Beyond that, in his role in law enforcement, Jake is currently going through the state approved instructor course for Ohio, to allow him to teach and qualify other officers. Throughout this whole discussion, we talk about some of the in's and out's, the challenges and rewards if you will, of the growth and development that he's experiencing. As always, we offer plenty of opinion, and insight into different ways of doing things, especially when it comes to training and performance. We also spend just a little time hearing about the trip out to Las Vegas for SHOT Show 2025, and the work Jake and Redline Consulting are putting in to their Night Vision events this winter.

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It's 2025, and after reviewing the way the year started, as well as obviously some of the lingering fears and concerns we've all formed over the past two to four years, it's well worth the time to re-evaluate ourselves. As prepared citizens, we're only as good as our level of training. We will inevitably fall back to our lowest level of individual preparation. How do we define that though? What does it look like to you? Further, how do we know, if we know enough to fairly and accurately make that definition? In this weeks discussion, Jon, Josh, and myself sit down and cut it up and get into some of the details behind these questions. There's plenty of comparisons, and maybe even some hurt feelings. At the end of it all though, we get down the what we see as critical, and add context and definition around several common tropes tied to preparedness and training. If you're looking for insight on "what does good look like?" then this is one for you.

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Inauguration Day is here, and with it, we hope a sweeping wave of changes for the better to the United States. While politics, regardless of country, can be confusing and frustrating to say the very least, they are the driver behind so many of the key impacts to daily life. As this change holds the potential, as well as the hope for so many of us, I felt it only appropriate to share my thoughts and my feelings on what we may expect to see as the nation transitions from one President to the next. Obviously, with historically low approval ratings for the outgoing Biden administration, there's plenty of room for improvement across multiple fronts. Additionally, with the last minute move of the ceremony to a indoor venue, we have to bring up the safety concerns after a pair of disastrous situations over the summer. I get into all of this, and more, in this edition of the Sunday SITREP.

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Carrying on from last weeks discussion I take away several of the points the Joe was able to make, and much of the information he provided. In the moment, when we may find ourselves in the midst of one of these "events", we truly do have to be our own first responder, and rely solely on ourselves to get through that experience. There's many misconceptions and outright poor habits that align us for failure, both as prepared individuals and as a society. I compare the New Orleans attack and skills one would potentially carry into such an occurrence, and contrast it to the 2015 attack in Paris and dissect how those two may differ. This is a problem that we all face, and that surely isn't going away any time soon.

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Joe Fasanella returns, to sit down with me and tackle a subject that I've wanted to explore for a few months now. Terrorism. Specifically, Terrorism and it's impacts on you and I as Americans, along with how it affects our day to day lives. In the wake of the shocking attack on New Years Eve in New Orleans, this topic and its many concerns, are once again at the forefront of many minds. Having spent two decades in multiple capacities fighting terror, Joe is able to share a lot of insight around the trends we're seeing in current events, dig into both concepts of counter terrorism, as well as anti-terrorism, and relate that to what we're experience in todays geopolitical climate. We talked a lot of realities in this discussion. None of this was great to hear, and it certainly isn't convenient. As we've always preached here, preparation is key, and we all are accountable for being ready for what may come to pass.

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The year 2025 has arrived, and with it, so too comes our January SITREP discussion. Unfortunately, there is sour news to dig in to, as a terror attack has rocked the heart of New Orleans on Bourbon street. We bring this forward for discussion, as it is a sobering reminder that even though we in the continental United States enjoy a relative amount of safety and security in our day-to-day lives, there is a constant threat that exists amongst us. The more information that we all have, the better prepared we can be, both as individuals and as a community to address these horrific situations. I share as much as I absolutely can on this awful and senseless act of violence, and discuss the importance of having access to a network of intelligence that can support you and your community with gathering relevant data which to act on. Further, I talk about perspective around events like these and what it potentially can point to in the future.

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The year 2024 is rolling to a close, and there's been a lot that's happened in these past twelve months. Josh and I sit down to talk through the calendar, and give a summary of this calendars events, as well as some behind the scenes details and stories. We, as a team, have been fortunate to experience some fantastic growth and learn some truly valuable lessons. From different training opportunities, to community experiences and deepening relationships, there's a lot to get into, and much to be thankful for. From the very beginning, the mission has been to share our learning experiences, regardless of successes or failures, so that others may benefit from them. Further, our goals have been to grow, while investing in the community around us so that we all may thrive. The past year has brought all of that, and more. In this final episode of 2024, we share it all. We're greatful for everything these experiences have brought us, and look forward to what the future holds for us all. Thank you all for listening, and we hope you enjoy!

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As we all have our unique differences, we do all certainly have struggles that we face day in and day out. In addition to striving to improve ourselves on the flat range, in the shoot house, in the field, often the more pressing and daunting of battles is the one we all fight internally. Constantly working on yourself, and finding ways to progress further down the road of righteousness, being a better man, is the effort we should all undertake. In this community, we find ourselves surrounded by a variety of lifestyles and perspectives, but this should be something that exists within us all, in some way, shape, or fashion. Jon, Josh, and I sit down, and open up about the mental struggles many of us face, and the difficulties we sometimes face. This was a deep conversation, that ended up taking some unplanned turns, to some unexpected places, but ultimately, is a message we believe is really worth sharing.

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If you've been hanging around the Night Vision scene the past five or so years, you know the name Low Light Innovations. Over the past few years they've brought forward a small handful of unique market offerings, to provide consumers with night vision housings that meet their various needs and demands. In this weeks episode, I sit down with Claude, one of the owners of LLI, and dig into the history of the company and the development that has brought them to where they are today. We spent time talking about the challenges faced not only by LLI, but by the industry at large, and why creating a "do everything" housing is such a challenge. From feature ideation and product development, to technical limitations and community engagement, we hit on a lot of the important points that impact the night vision industry and their consumer base. If you're looking to grab a LLI LLU-21 or MH-1, I highly recommend giving this discussion a listen!

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