The Squad Room

Jeff Halstead retired as the Chief of Police for the city of Fort Worth, Texas after a 30+ year career. Jeff rose quickly through the ranks of the Phoenix Police Department before making the jump to Texas. After retiring, Jeff didn’t set up a beach chair in the sand and order a pitcher of margaritas (my current retirement plan). Nope, it seems when Jeff retired that’s when the real work began. Jeff founded Hope4Blue.org, a non-profit organization devoted to several missions. Most importantly, taking care of officers who’ve had to medically retire and who need medical care their retirements and disability insurance don’t cover. They also fund training and equipment for officers and departments that can’t afford the most basic supplies. It all results in a group that is devoted to making the lives of officers better every day. I was struck by how a guy who’d done his service at the highest ranks went back and focused on the line-level officers. In this episode we also cover: – The hi-tech messaging app he developed just for cops that encrypts communication and protects you from civil litigation. – How he was mentored, and how to run a mentoring program at your agency. – The one book that influenced his entire life. (Enlightened Leadership) – Decision-making up and down the chain of command – Why education-based discipline needs to replace punitive discipline for officers. – The difference between leadership, supervision and management. How we confuse the terms and who is really in charge of a department (hint: it’s often not the chief). – The importance of having “IT-free” date nights and how it’s helped him have a successful marriage. – What he wishes every line officer knew about being chief. You can follow Jeff on Instagram @hope4blue, Twitter at @h4bnow or his Facebook page The Halstead Group. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @thesquadroom. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or the podcast player of your choice. You can also tell a friend about the show.

Tony Blauer says he is engaged in “the study of human movement as it relates to violent aggression.” Tony has been teaching self-defense tactics to cops, tier 1 special operators, and housewives for over thirty years. Blauer created the S.P.E.A.R. System, CrossFit Defense and many other self-defense courses and he’s made a career out of training people to be prepared for the first 3 seconds of the fight – it’s an important 3 seconds. Tony studies our natural evolutionary gift of fight vs flight instincts and how to utilize those instincts to begin our defense against an ambush within that reactionary gap. Tony’s system and methods fill a gap in our defensive tactics instruction, and it’s one I hadn’t given much thought to before learning about Tony. We learn about reactionary gap with our firearms training but it does seem to be lacking from most ARCON / Defensive Tactics methods. Blauer says there’s nothing wrong with what we’re taught in ARCON but the best BJJ, ARCON, Defensive Tactics methods are useless if we lose the fight before our brain knows it’s happening. As a natural part of this, fear needs to be addressed because fear is what motivates our bodies to fight or flee. It’s also what triggers what Tony calls the “startle flinch” response and how we can train our flinch to become a self-defense reaction. In this episode, we talk about a lot: * How all of our fights are reactive and defensive in nature and why that will never change. * Why self-defense is not the same as fighting. * The 4 elements of fear * Why he doesn’t train for fear inoculation, at least not how you would expect. * Why he thinks muscle memory doesn’t exist. And much more. I hope you enjoy Tony’s appearance on the show. Follow him on Instagram @tonyblauer and @spear.system Stay safe.    

This short Briefing Topic covers 5 questions I try to ask myself on a daily basis – sometimes several times a day. I’ve noticed that if I go too long without answering these questions, I stray from my goals and who I want to be. I hope that you find them helpful as well.

Mark Rippetoe probably doesn’t need an introduction for many of you. The author of “Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training” and “Practical Programming for Strength Training” has been training athletes for 40+ years. Mark is as well-know for his strong opinions as he is for his expertise and he shares them on this episode. We cover: – Why you need to train, and not exercise. – What popular programs masquerade as training but are really just exercise (fellow Crossfitters I’m looking at you). – The difference between training and a performance. – Why doing anything more than 5 reps of anything is pretty much useless. – Why strength training will accomplish your goals. It was a really fun conversation and I just scratched the surface of what I wanted to cover. Time flew so I hope we can have him back on to plunge down the rabbit hole of strength and conditioning. Follow Mark on Instagram @startingstrength. For demo videos, articles and seminar dates, his website is Startingstrength.com Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @thesquadroom. If you got something out of this episode, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or the podcast player of your choice. You can tell a friend about the show too.

Dr. David Klinger was a guest on this show. A former LAPD officer, now a college professor, and author of the phenomenal book, “Into the Kill Zone,” says that law enforcement must be preoccupied with failure. I agree. Listen to this short briefing episode to learn more. And if you haven’t, read his book. A rookie officer told me this week it should be mandatory reading in the academy. I agree.

Kevin is a former Green Beret with two combat deployments to Afghanistan. On September 25, 2011, Kevin was shot in the abdomen while on a patrol. Pinned down by enemy fire, an Afghan commando risked his life to save him. Kevin was left with some debilitating injuries that required six surgeries and thousands of hours of physical therapy. There were points where it was doubtful he’d ever walk again. Kevin fought back and eventually regained the use of his injured leg. It’s a great story of how the will to survive continues after the bleeding has stopped. Nowadays, Kevin is thriving. His recovery was never easy but he pushed forward and was admitted to both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he completed SIMULTANEOUS master’s degrees. I mean…seriously. Follow him on Twitter @woundedbywar or at woundedbywar.com If you got something from the show, please leave a review on iTunes and let us know what you think. Follow us @thesquadroom

Not getting the life you want? Maybe you haven’t turned pro.

Sgt. Rick Burkmier of the Scottsdale Police Department has been a FOS (friend of the show) since the beginning. He claims that we were the inspiration for him to start his own podcast on police fitness called Forty Caliber Fitness. You can get it here on iTunes. Listen to episode 12 where he has some jackass on as a guest. Follow him on Instagram at @fortycaliberfitness Sgt. Burkmier was kind enough to come on the show and talk about an OIS he was involved in as a brand new sergeant. We discuss the event, his thoughts and tactics, and what he learned from the event. It’s a great debrief of a critical incident and one we’ll be highlighting more often. If you want to support the show, please leave a review in iTunes or the podcast player of your choice.

Ruben Palomares’ life reads like the script of a Hollywood movie. Born and raised in some of the toughest barrios of Los Angeles, surrounded by abuse and no father figure, Ruben stayed strong and avoided the siren call of gang life that claimed so many of his friends and family members. Ruben learned he had a talent for boxing, and worked hard in the ring and staying off the streets where he knew evil lurked. HE got so good he won the Golden Gloves and talk making the Olympic team seemed reasonable. But, he ended up missing the ’92 and ’96 teams by a few spots. One of Ruben’s coaches was an LAPD officer, and he saw a lot about life as a cop that he liked. The discipline he learned during long hours slogging away at a punching bag paid off when he went through the academy. When he graduated, he got a lot of attention – particularly from the juvenile narcotics unit which recruited and placed him into a local high school in order to infiltrate and identify drug dealers in the school. Ruben was literally, 21st Jump Street. In this episode, Ruben details his early years, and how he fell so far – from being a rising star within the LAPD to a convicted felon who is still on parole. Ruben had a few experiences during his career that I think w might all recognize either in ourselves or other officers. Moments when, if we’re not careful or aware, we might begin to take steps down a slippery slope. It’s hard to imagine anyone doing anything as sensational and horrific as Ruben did but it happened, and Ruben is here to tell his story in hopes that he can share the warning signs with others as a cautionary tale. Regardless of what you might think of him, it’s a fascinating story.

Greg Amundson is an official “FOS” That’s Friend of the Show. Greg’s teachings, books, and leadership have been instrumental in my own development and I know that many of you feel the same way. I know this because more than anyone else, I get emails asking to get Greg back on the show. Lucky for us he has a new book out, “Firebreather Fitness: Work Your Body, Mind, and Spirit into the Best Shape of Your Life.” Greg’s nickname as the “Original Firebreather” goes back to his time as one of the first students of Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit. There seem to be about 6 people on Earth who can say they’ve been doing CrossFit longer than Greg. In this episode we talk about the importance of separating your Purpose from your profession, why your “Why” is important to understand, and how positive talk influences our lives. We talk about transitions as a lot of us are going through them, whether it’s starting the academy, getting promoted, or retiring, and how we can use those transitions to reinvigorate our purpose in life. As expected, it’s a great conversation with Greg. To follow him on Instagram, he’s at @gregoryamundson and @crossfitamundson His website is gregoryamundson.com To follow me, find me @thesquadroom on Instagram and Twitter or at thesquadroom.net Till next time, take care of each other and stay safe, Garrett  

This is a short episode about 2016 and the ass-kicker that it turned out to be. Interview episodes will return in two weeks so sit tight. In the show, I mention our first t-shirt for 2017, a memorial for the 140 officers lost in the line of duty last year. The back of the shirt has the American flag with 140 blue stars instead of the regular 50, to honor each of their sacrifice. The front has a quote that reminds us all of the will to survive – and thrive. The shirt is available for a limited time at teespring.com/officerdown2016

Green Beret and founder of Guerrilla Approach Training returns to the show to talk about what it takes to survive these days as a cop. Since Aaron’s last appearance on the show – a very popular episode 36 – he’s been traveling around the country engaging with law enforcement from all over the country. He’s learned from, and taught to, a lot of front line leaders who are actively taking a part in their own defense. I’m sure many of you, okay, most of you are like me in that my department just doesn’t have the resources to give us the constant training and repetition that we really need. When they do, it often seems to go to SWAT and specialized units with the intent that it will “trickle down” to patrol but that rarely seems to happen anywhere. Aaron’s great at discussing the purpose behind the tactics, and questioning many of the common “skills” and tactics you see promoted on social media. Many are valid, many are not, but Aaron’s goal is to get people to think for themselves rather than accept the dogma of a social media gunfighter – even if that gunfighter is Aaron himself. We had a great discussion that included how to do your own stress inoculation when you’re doing your own training, why he’s been focusing on tactics around vehicles recently, and what he has planned for 2017 with active shooter response (though we both agree in this episode that “active shooter” is an often overused and broad category. Aaron will continue teaching his courses into 2017. Check out his website guerrillaapproach.com for a schedule of classes around the country. Follow him on Instagram and here some of his philosophies directly from him. It’s like gun porn with purpose. Here’s the link to the Foreign Policy op-ed we discuss during the show The video he shot for Panteao Productions is available for download or hard copy purchase here. Follow The Squad Room on Twitter and Instagram @thesquadroom Our website is thesquadroom.net If you’re interested in a free 30 day trial from Audible.com, you can get yours by clicking here, or going to audibletrial.com/thesquadroom for a free 30 day trail AND a free audiobook of your choice.

Traver Boehm returns to the show after a wild adventure all over the western hemisphere the last 11 months. Listen to episodes 1 and 2 to learn more about Traver, and to episode 23 to hear about what happened in his life that provoked him to begin the “Year to Live” project. It’s all pretty powerful stuff. Traver’s a badass. A former NCAA athlete, professional MMA fighter, body guard, and CrossFit coach and entrepreneur. But he’s also a licensed acupuncturist, writer and speaker. He’s the definition of a Peaceful Warrior. Traver was able to stop by and catch up and tell his about his adventures – volunteering in hospice, spending 28 days in complete darkness, and another 28 days in the wilderness. It’s kind of nuts. We skip over an important topic on accident, his TedX talk that he gave, “How to Make Pain Your Guru.” It’s epic. Powerful. Follow Traver on Instagram @traverboehm or on his website traverboehm.com Follow The Squad Room @thesquadroom or at thesquadroom.net If you like audio books, you can support the show by signing up for a free 3o day trial with Audible.com. Just click the link to get a free trial AND a free audiobook of your choice. Stay safe.  

John Welbourn is a lot of things. * 9-year NFL veteran with the Eagles, Chiefs and the Patriots with 3 NFC Championship appearances. * The founder of CrossFit Football * CrossFit Games Athlete in 2008 * CrossFit Level 1 & 2 coach. * Creator of Power Athlete HQ and JohnnieWOD John has his own podcast, Power Athlete Radio that dives deep on training and conditioning. What many don’t know, is that John was also at one time a reserve police officer himself. If you follow him on Instagram you also know he likes his guns, and trains on the range like he trains in the gym. That gives John a lot of unique insights into our lives and the challenge of being a cop – a tactical athlete. For example, even though John is a CrossFit coach, he explains that CrossFit alone cannot accommodate our needs (and he provides some suggestions). John is also our first guest (I think) to talk about the specifics of the weight we carry. Others have talked in generalities about the “heavy gun belt” but John dives deeper, reminding us that “ounces equal pounds” and that when we’re on duty, we need to look at our whole system and how it effects our movement. He’s got his own story about how his gear choices created poor performance on patrol. He’s got a couple funny cop stories too. John has a popular blog called “Talk to me Johnnie” that he’s compiled into a new book. He’s offering Squad Room listeners a discount on the book. Use the coupon code SQUAD (all caps) for 20% off! It’s an awesome episode. Tons of great information from a guy who clearly loves cops and is on our side. We need those guys. Remember to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @thesquadroom Please leave a review in iTunes if you enjoy the show. This episode is sponsored by Audible.com. Audio books are a great way to ingest more knowledge, expand your mind and all while multi-tasking. Get a FREE 30 day trial and a FREE audiobook of your choice by going to audibletrial.com/thesquadroom and signing up. You’ll support the show, even if you decide not to join after your free 30 days. Stay safe, Garrett

I love it when I meet people who know their “why.” People who are bursting at the seems with joy about their Why, their purpose on Earth and their goal in life. People who live their Why everyday make me happy. Dr. ACE is one of those people… Dr. Alexandra Carswell Engle (Dr. ACE) is a Board Certified, Licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor who specializes in personalized natural medicine, including joint, gastrointestinal and hormonal health as well as regenerative and athletic performance medicine. Huh ? I had to dig a little deeper to figure out what that all meant but basically Dr. ACE is a “real” doctor like your General Practitioner PLUS extra schooling in Pharmacology and other areas that makes her, well, pretty badass. Plus, she’s a pretty kickass CrossFit coach and OPEX client (see James FitzGerald’s episode for more on OPEX). In this episode we cover a wide array of topics but they all center around how to take control of your health and wellness: * Vitamins you might be missing in your supplements. * How is a naturopathic doctor different than your doctor. * Supplements – why your favorite whey protein might just be killing you with neurotoxins. * The benefits of ashwagandha. * How to solve the problem, not just the symptom. Check her out on Facebook Her website is RegenerateHealthMC.com Dr. ACE’s Twitter, Instagram Follow The Squad Room on Twitter and Instagram @thesquadroom The Squad Room website is www.thesquadroom.net Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or the player of your choice.