The Squad Room

JP Dinnell is a veteran of three combat deployments in the Global War on Terror. Most notably, he served with Seal Team 3 Task Unit Bruiser in the Battle of Ramadi as a sniper, working right next to the world’s most famous sniper, Chris Kyle. Kyle was in Charlie Platoon, and JP was in Delta Platoon. JP has been featured on the Jocko Podcast and he now works with Jocko Willink as the Director of Tactical Training Programs at Echelon Front, a leadership and management consulting company. In this episode: * What it’s like to work for a strong leader like Jocko, and what he taught him about war. * How leadership begins with the lowest man on the totem pole. * His struggle to find purpose after an injury sidelined him from a deployment he’d been looking forward to, and how training the new generation became his new mission. * A great story about boot camp that emphasizes the never quit attitude that the SEALs are famous for, and that we need to being adopting in law enforcement. * How leadership and ownership are not just reactive actions but also proactive and aggressive strategies. You’ve got to listen to hear JP’s appreciation for the work the men and women in law enforcement do everyday. He knows how tough it is, and he has immediate family who hold their place on the thin blue line. JP will be participating in Jocko’s Roll Call on September 21, 2018 in Dallas, TX. It’s a one-day event specifically for first responders and military personnel. Find out more information at www.extremeownership.com Check him out on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as @jpdinnel.

Sgt. Larry Hahn has done many things throughout his career with one of the largest sheriff’s department’s in the country. But it was what he did off-duty on the night of Sunday October 1, 2017 that will show you how he is the kind of leader I talk about when I ask you to be the one. Larry was enjoying the Route 91 country music festival with friends and partners, and was on the floor when the shooting started and he didn’t leave the floor until it was nearly over, protecting a group of strangers from the attack. Larry was inches from the bullets, and one of his partners was shot, and a partner’s wife was shot also. On top of this, Larry is just an interesting guy. We met during a leadership course and over the course of 8 months, I got to know him quite well. I’m lucky to call him a friend. He has so many stories about personal leadership that we couldn’t get to them for this episode, and his story (with an ending that will blow your mind!) is plenty for one episode anyways. We’ll have him back on the show again at some point. Larry’s not on social media, he doesn’t have a book to sell or a podcast to promote. He’s just a regular cop who loves his job, takes it seriously, and is the very definition of The One.

Eric Hodgdon is a resilience coach, author, and speaker. I first met Eric in October 2017 at a workshop and was immediately drawn to how him. He just exudes being a good guy. In March of 2018 I got to spend a few days with him a a leadership retreat in Florida and it was there that I learned his whole story. It’s quite a story. As first responders, we live in this bizarre world where we are voyeurs on other peoples problems and tragedies. We are often the only person in the room as someone goes through their worst nightmare. In Eric’s case, it was losing his daughter Zoi to suicide. On this episode, Eric tells the story of that night, and how he walked through grief to find a way forward. He’s now teaching around the country on the topic and showing people how to navigate hardships of all kinds to move forward. Check him out at erichodgdon.com and Instagram @ericbhodgdon His book, “A Sherpa Named Zoi” is available on Amazon.

James Capra is the retired Chief of Global Operations for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Before his retirement, James testified to congress as he had done before, but this time he went off-script and spoke from the heart. It ended up on YouTube as “DEA Official Freaks Out at Senate Hearing.” But to hear James explain it, you understand that this is a patriotic man who is committed to leading in his country and community. James, the son of an NYPD officer, started his career in the Los Angeles field office chasing kilos during the height of the crack epidemic. His leadership continued to get him promoted and he was assigned to HQ, and as the Special Agent in Charge of both the Dallas and Miami offices. Eventually, James was promoted to Chief of Global Operations, responsible for 227 domestic offices and 86 foreign offices in 67 different countries. That’s enough to keep you busy. In this episode, we talk about his history and why he decided to promote up, how to manage the work-life balance, how to love the people you lead, dealing with imposter syndrome as you promote, leading people 24/7 and not just at work and much more. James has a great book called Leadership a the Front Line: Lessons Learned about Loving, Leading, and Legacy from a Warrior and Public Servant.  James’ new book is Raising Courageous Children in a Cowardly Culture: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Our Children. James’ kids book is The Eagle and the Seagulls: A Wisdom Story for Children and Adults.  James’ website is www.frontlineleadershipgroup.com  

Chuck Rylant is a veteran  SWAT cop from Santa Maria, CA. After being forced into a medical retirement, Chuck began looking for ways to continue in service to others. As a result, he wrote a book called “Shots Fired: The Psychology Behind Officer Involved Shootings.”  Chuck interviews 12 cops who had been involved in shootings and he details the experience in terrific detail. Each cop had a different experience and there are lessons to be learned from each of their stories. Chuck comes on the show today to talk about the lessons he learned in his own career and how he’s overcome challenges, and also what lessons he learned about preparing for, surviving, and thriving through an officer-involved shooting. Learn more about Chuck at chuckrylant.com Find him on Instagram @chuckrylant and let him know you heard him here. Stay safe.  

Traver is back with more insights and strategies about how to live your best life. In this episode, we talk about Traver’s new project, Man Uncivilized, and what inspired him to launch a movement that is quickly gaining attention. Traver is a regular contributor to the show and a man I refer to as my “personal Buddha.” In the environment of #metoo and other stories, masculinity is such a highly charged and emotional topic. But Traver is here to tell you that you should embrace your masculinity, and that women should seek it in their partners. To both of us, there’s no such thing as “toxic masculinity” because those toxic features aren’t part of the modern man at all. To learn more about Traver, check out his site at traverboehm.com Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @traverboehm Follow us on social media @thesquadroom Sign up for our mailing list by texting THESQUADROOM to 44222.

Rob Shaul is the founder of Mountain Tactical Institute. Rob trains first responders, military athletes, and tier 1 operators.He got his start in Wyoming, training mountain athletes. When members of the military got wind of his success, they started seeking him out to help them climb the mountains of Afghanistan. When first responders learned about his success with the military, they came calling asking for help to get them ready for the demands of our job. Rob and his team began developing programs devoted to SWAT school prep, academy prep, patrol operations and much more. Rob is one of the most frequent guest requests from listeners. He delivers on this episode and he brings his strong opinions with him. Here’s some of the articles Rob’s written that we talk about on the show. My Most Dangerous On the Job Mistake, and What I Learned From It The Burden of Constant Fitness: a Law Enforcement Perspective Mountain Tactical’s Philosophy for Training Law Enforcement Athletes Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @thesquadroom, and join our closed Facebook Group to engage with other listeners. To join our mailing list, go to thesquadroom.net and sign up, or text THESQUADROOM to 44222 to get signed up from your phone.  

Kelly is a physiotherapist, speaker, coach, author and the founder of MobilityWOD. Kelly’s mission is to improve the mechanics and movement of every human to optimize physical performance and overall health. A few years ago he picked up a camera with a commitment to record one video a day for a year demonstrating important stretching and rehabilitation routines. That led to his first (he has three!) New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best Seller, “Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance”  Kelly’s client list includes elite military units, players in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, Olympic athletes and power lifters and strongman competitors. Kelly firmly believes that we are in fact, tactical athletes, and that our body requires specific capabilites that are unique to our profession. Many of his answers can be counterintuitive but I can attest to the efficacy of his work. In 2011 I broke my back in a mountain biking accident. During my rehab and physical therapy, I learned about him and I credit him and not the doctor I was seeing face to face with resolving my pain. I’ve had surgeries and followed Kelly’s advice and recovered better and faster. My back has (and will again) gone out, and I turn to Kelly and his work to get back upright. It works. It was an honor to have him on the show.

Andy Stumpf is many things. Boring is not one of them. * He’s a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant who served in the Navy SEALs * He served in the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) better known as SEAL Team 6 * He was a BUD/s instructor. * He holds two world records for jumps in the wingsuit. * He has one of the most popular new podcasts called “Cleared Hot.” There’s plenty more. Andy is very pro-law enforcement and he wants to help us be better at our jobs and more successful in our careers. He is the definition of a modern renaissance man. In this episode we talk about: * What one thing he wants to teach every cop in the country. * How he keeps himself surrounded by high-performance individuals and how you can find them. * How preparing for a world-record breaking wingsuit jump relates to being a rookie preparing for a career in law enforcement. * How can “be the one” by holding a high standard in law enforcement. It’s a great episode. His blog is confessionsofanidiot.com  His socials are @andystump212  

Nearly 2500 years ago, Heraclitus, a famous philosopher and one of the first Stoics, uttered a quote that changed my life here in today’s modern world. It was a quote I first heard recited by the powerful Greg Amundson, a previous guest on this show when I saw him give a presentation. Here it is: “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there. Eighty are just targets. Nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them for they make the battle. Ah, but the one. One is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.” Powerful stuff. Perhaps this is your first time hearing this quote. If it is, listen to the episode to hear my take on it, and how it applies to our profession. If you’ve heard it before, think of it again, in the context of our work. Surely most would agree that law enforcement is the one percent of the population who have chosen to be the warriors. But have you ever thought about how this quote might apply to those already within our profession? Can you be the one to lead the others? You should be ready to do so. Because no one else is coming.

The most frequent question I get is from people who want to enter law enforcement and they’ve hit a roadblock. Either they just don’t know where to begin, or they’ve stumbled during part of the hiring process. I get the question so often that I thought I’d delve into some of my tips and tricks that helped me get hired quickly. Disclaimer: I’m not a background investigator so this is just from experience, and sitting on a few panels and watching people crash and burn in front of me. It’s not pretty! But I do know what I’m talking about. I scored 100/100 with 3 agencies I tested with, and 95 with the agency that hired me (note: some of those orals were for reserve programs before I decided to go full-time). I was one of the 1% of applicants from my pool that got hired, and I had offers from multiple agencies by the time I was done. When it came time to promote, I tested very high in all categories and ranked 3rd out of 30 applicants for sergeant and I got promoted on my first try. So, I do know what I’m talking about. And so do our Facebook Group people. I posed the question to them and they responded with some great advice that is included. In this episode I cover: * How to handle the oral interview * What to say I you get a scenario or tactical question and you have ZERO experience. * What to wear to each portion of the test. * Why honesty is an absolute must, even if you’re worried you’ll get DQ’d. * Tips on completing the application. * How to handle the overwhelming background packet. Hope this helps some of you out there looking for some tips. Let me know your thoughts with an email to garrett@thesquadroom.net Stay safe.

Sgt. Kevin Briggs of the California Highway Patrol is the subject of one of the most famous photos in law enforcement. He’s leaning over the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge talking to a suicidal man who is ready to jump. The dramatic photo only tells a small portion of Kevin’s story, a story in which Kevin has saved over 200 people from jumping. When a photographer snapped that photo, it led to a feature in a local paper that dubbed him the “Guardian of the Golden Gate.” The nickname stuck and Kevin became a sought-after expert on suicide prevention and intervention. In addition to over 20 years in the California Highway Patrol, Kevin is a graduate of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Course, and a U.S. Army veteran. In this conversation, Kevin brings a pretty intense level of honesty to the podcast sharing that he himself has battled depression and has sought treatment. Check out his website, at pivotal-points.com  Here’s the link to his Ted talk, “The Bridge Between Suicide and Life.”  Here’s his book, “Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair.” 

Lt. Richard Goerling is the creator of mindfulbadge.com. Richard is an active lieutenant with the Hillsboro Police Department, a suburb of Portland, OR. A decade ago, Richard was like most of us, muddling through is career but feeling a sense of unease he couldn’t quite put a finger on. It was then that he began doing yoga to prevent some of the physical problems we experience. Slowly, Richard became introduced to the work of Jon Kabot-Zinn and his course work in mindfulness and resilience. To say that Richard went down the rabbit-hole would be accurate, and he’s now leading classes devoted to first responders. Richard’s theory, supported by plenty of experience and science, is that if we, as first responders, can be more mindful, then we are better at our jobs, we are safer, and we are healthier. During the show, I share some of my own experiences that support Richard’s hypothesis, which is growing in popularity. Richard is also a retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander, an affiliate Assistant Professor at Pacific University, a faculty member at the Engaged Mindfulness Institute, and an instructor at Claremeont Graduate University. Richard has an undergraduate degree in economics, and an M.B.A., and underwent a year-long training in mindfulness at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. He is a certified Mindfulness Facilitator and he has completed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Resilience course work. To read more about Richard, check out his website, mindfulbadge.com. Here’s his TedX talk that I mention in the show. If you want to know how you can support the show, there’s 3 ways to help. * Leave a review on iTunes or the podcast player of your choice. * Tell other people about the show. * Go to patreon.com/thesquadroom and pledge a donation of your choosing to help support the show.

Jay Dobyns is the author of one of my favorite cop books: “No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels.” He didn’t just write the book, he lived the story. Jay was the primary undercover agent for the ATF during Operation Black Bisquit. Many of us remember the 2002 shotout between the Hells Angels and Mongols OMG clubs in Laughlin, Nevada. Such a brazen gun fight, in the middle of a crowded casino, caught the attention of federal law enforcement and they launched a nearly two-year operation, with Dobyns posing as a gun-runner for a puppet club. To get in good with the HA leadership, he faked the killing of a Mongol’s member, and he earned his patch. The story is nuts, so if you haven’t already, you just need to read the book. Jay Dobyns is a cop’s cop. Long before patching in to the Hell’s Angels, Jay was shot and taken hostage 4 days into his career at the ATF. 18 months later, he was shot again and nearly died. He completed over 500 undercover operations in his 20 year career. He’s received the US Attorney General’s Medal of Valor, 12 ATF Special Act Awards, 2 ATF Gold Stars, the ATF Distinguished Service Medal, the International Narcotics Officers Association Medal of Valor, the National Association of Police Officers “Top Cop” Award and several others. And he’s a New York Times best-selling author. He’s been featured on TV shows like Gangland, Outlaw Chronicles, America’s Most Wanted and many others. He’s regularly seen on CNN, Fox News, and has features in national publications. After all he’d done for the ATF, you’d expect he’d be rewarded for his work. Not so much. Because of his involvement in taking down the HA leadership, he received death threats against him and his family, and promises that his wife would be gang-raped. That seemed almost normal compared to the night Jay was working and his house was firebombed and his wife and kids barely escaped with their lives. And then things got really bizarre. The ATF, the agency that Jay had literally bled for, turned their back and tried to frame him for the arson. Coupled with the ATF leadership’s refusal to give him a protection detail, they began making claims about at that weren’t true. Jay eventually proved that in federal court. Jay’s supervisors during this time? The same guys that authorized and oversaw the disasterous Fast & Furious program that sent hundreds of guns into the hands of Mexican cartels – at least one of which was later used to kill an American law enforcement officer. Jay’s new book, “Catching Hell” tells this insane story of the aftermath of his work undercover. These days, Jay is working hard to help other first responders who are in crisis. He works closely with Safe Call Now and the Institute for Responder Wellness. What’s striking about Jay is that after everything he’s gone through, he’s understandably angry, but he’s not bitter. He still loves police work and the work we do, and he’s got a great perspective on our place in the world.

Traver Boehm returns to the show with a deeply personal story about his recent divorce. Traver has talked about aspects of it before during previous episodes, but he was still very much grieving the loss of his marriage and a miscarriage. Having spent 2016 exploring that grief – living in it, stewing in it – Traver returns to The Squad Room for an honest discussion about the worst year of his life, which also turned out to be the best year of his life. Either way, it was also the hardest. Traver wrote a hugely popular post on his blog titled, “8 Steps to Survive and Thrive After a Breakup or Divorce.” That post helped a lot of people, and eventually led to his new book, Today, I Rise: How to Overcome the Gut-Wrenching Pain of Your Breakup or Divorce and Reclaim Your Life.  (affiliate link) I wanted to have Traver on the show because cops get divorced…a lot. More than the average population. Actually, it turns out, that’s not true. Cops get divorced at about the same rate as the rest of the population. Maybe it just “feels” like we get divorced more often, or maybe we just do it in a more spectacular fashion. Either way, roughly half of the married cops listening to this are going to get divorced. Yikes. Even if you’re in a healthy marriage, I think there’s a lot of value in his proposition for dealing with any time of loss; death, relationships, retirements etc. If you haven’t yet, check out Traver’s TEDx talk, appropriately titled, “How to Make Pain Your Guru.” Traver also developed a course on meditation here on Teachable. His website is onedaystronger.com Traver’s Facebook Follow Traver on Instagram @traverboem Join The Squad Room’s Facebook Group to meet and engage with other listeners. You can also search FB with “The Squad Room Group” and you’ll see our logo. Click to join the closed group.