The second episode in our "2024 Summer Flashback" series features a legend in the tactical community with a list of career accomplishments that would take an entire podcast of their own. Mike Hillman was one of the original founders of LAPD SWAT, a Deputy Chief at LAPD, the Assistant Sheriff in Orange County California and a Chief of Police for the Los Angeles Port Police. He was one of the founders of the National Tactical Officers Association, headed security for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, crisis management, critical incident management, special operations and a wide variety of other subjects.

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit: https://thedebrief.live/episode-6/

The first episode in our "2024 Summer Flashback" series features not just the first episode of this podcast, but the man who inspired the project as a whole. Not only was Sid Heale a legend in the special tactics’ community, he was a retired CWO5 in the United States Marine Corps serving numerous combat deployments including the Vietnam War, The Gulf War, and Operation United Shield in Somalia. Sid was also a retired Commander from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, had worked in the Special Enforcement Bureau, the Emergency Operations Bureau, and a wide variety of other assignments. Sid was one of the most prolific authors on tactical topics having authored several books and hundreds of articles.

To view the original episode, its follow-up, and recommended reading, please visit: https://thedebrief.live/episodes/?modal-link=https://thedebrief.live/episode-1/

Season 3 of The Debrief featured an impressive roster of guests, including: Andy Stumpf of Cleared Hot Podcast, former Delta Force operator Pete Blaber, and Lionel D. of Belgium’s elite Group Dianne (DSU). These guests, and others, provided an extensive body of knowledge and experience surrounding leadership, tactical decision making, and cognitive performance.

With this season now wrapped, and in keeping with our standard policy, we will be taking the summer off from new content. During this time we will be replaying five of my favorite episodes from Season 1 that you may not have heard before. Today, we’ll recap the tremendous progress made so far, and discuss the major changes being made for Season 4.

I also want to personally thank our subscribers and listeners for the nearly half-million views we’ve reached. This show started as a way to discuss important topics that improve operator safety, and has grown into something larger than I ever imagined. Please enjoy your summers, and I look forward to bringing you new, engaging, and insightful content next season.

My guest today is Brittany Loney the founder and CEO of Elite Cognition. Brittany has almost 20 years of experience training high performing operators from communities as diverse as elite SOF warriors, professional and Olympic athletes, high-level coaches, and corporate executives. She also has over 14 years of experience training Special Operations Forces (SOF) and was the first cognitive performance coach embedded within a United States Special Operations Command (USASOC) Tactical Human Optimization and Rapid Rehabilitation and Reconditioning (THOR3) Program.

Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, peer reviewed academic journals, textbooks, SUCCESS Magazine, SOCOM’s SOFcast, and various other programs. In addition, Brittany has been a panel member or guest speaker at Global SOF Week, Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA), SOCOM’s Wellness Week, Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Learning Professional’s Consortiums, Women in SOF Symposiums, and countless other professional conferences.

Brittany has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Learning Systems from The Florida State University, an M.A. in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Sport Psychology from California State University, Fresno, an M.S. in Exercise Science from Florida State University, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University where she was also a NCAA Division 1 basketball player. She lives her profession, spending much of her time working out, ultra-running, hiking, paddle boarding, and researching neuroscience, performance, and cognition.

I was first introduced to Brittany by some of our nation’s best tactical operators. Her work with US SOF units is unique in its approach to improving operator performance through physical, cognitive, and emotional training. I am extremely excited to have her on the debrief, because the broad scope and clear structure of her work will lay a foundation for several episodes to come on improving operator performance. I hope you enjoy my chat with Brittan Loney.

Book Recommendation:
The Daily Stoic Boxed Set Hardcover - Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman - ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593544891
Warrior Mindset - Dr. Michael Asken, Loren W. Christensen, and Dave Grossman - ISBN-13: 978-0964920552
Contact Info:
Brittany Loney – www.elite-cognition.com

There may be no US tactical and rescue unit more well known than the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit or ESU. Featuring a mission set that ranges from high angle ropes work to water rescue, from high-risk search warrants to hostage rescue, and from CBRN response to counter terrorism, ESU has sometimes been described as 911 for NYPD.

My guest today is Joe Bucchignano (pron: Buck-ig-nano). Joe started his emergency service career in 1997, working as an EMT and completing paramedic school in 1999. Joe worked as a full-time paramedic until 2003 when he joined the New York City Police Department and spent his first 7 years assigned to the 52nd precinct in the Norwood section of the Bronx. In 2010 Joe was selected to join the ranks of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit, or ESU, where he spent the next 13 years of his career. During his ESU tenure Joe's assignments included patrol is ESU Truck 3 and Truck 1, being an adjunct tactics and medical instructor at ESU's Specialized Training School, and he finished his career as a full-time member of the ESU Apprehension Tactical Team. Joe also served with NY Task Force 1, a joint police and fire Urban Search and Rescue team which is part of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue response system. There he deployed several times to natural disasters within the United States as a rescue and logistics specialist.

Joe retired from the NYPD in June of 2023 and now serves as an Assistant Paramedic Coordinator for an EMS agency in Westchester County, NY. He is also the founder of Crisis Zone Consulting, a multi-disciplined training and consulting company which works with public safety agencies, private entities, and individuals to enhance their organizational and individual emergency preparedness.

This episode gives us an inside view of one of the world’s premier units. Including how they train, how they operate, how they manage their ridiculously diverse skill set, and the lessons learned by an ESU veteran.

Contact Info: https://crisiszoneconsulting.com/

The evolution of special tactics in the United States is a complicated story whose roots lie in the violent social and political environment of the late 1960s. Highly unusual and televised events like the Texas tower sniper in 1966 and the Munich Massacre in 1972 created the need to develop special units to respond to events that were beyond the capabilities of patrol officers. While Southern California often receives all the credit for the development of special tactics, because of the efforts of LAPD D-Platoon and LASD SEB, it is important to understand that the west coast was not the only region trying to develop special tactics teams. In fact, by the early 1980's there were numerous regions who were all following parallel paths of development albeit in different stages. In these regions, tactical associations began to form that were focused on sharing information and training among agencies. One of these early associations was the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) which was formed in 1984 and this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary. This seemed a perfect time to do an episode on the evolution and history of SWAT in Texas as well as the history and impact of TTPOA.

My guests today are three influential figures in TTPOA.

Lt. Dan Colasanto is the current president of TTPOA. Dan is a 30-year veteran of the Garland Police Department with 28 of those years spent on the SWAT team. Dan has worked in Patrol, Narcotics and SWAT and is also a graduate of the United States Military Academy and an Army veteran. In February 2021, Dan earned a Master of Arts degree in Homeland Security with a Concentration in Counter-Terrorism from American Military University. Dan was the SWAT Team Supervisor during the May 3, 2015 ISIS inspired terrorist attack in Garland, TX. Dan also serves as the Intelligence and Terrorism Chair for the NTOA.

Paul Ford has experience spanning both government and private sectors. Paul's diverse roles include being a police officer, instructor, writer, publisher, developer of numerous police training programs, and sales and marketing executive. Paul began his law enforcement career in 1985, assuming roles in patrol, SWAT, and as a detective. Paul spent almost a decade on the Austin Texas SWAT team serving as the unit's training coordinator and team leader. He is the recipient of more than 60 commendations, including three for meritorious conduct. In the 1990s, Paul played a pivotal role in reshaping and expanding TTPOA where he served as Secretary, Vice President, and Editor of Command Magazine. His dedication earned him the Association’s prestigious Excellence Award in 1999. In 2001 Paul transitioned to the private sector where he has held positions at Defense Technology and he is currently the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CSI, known for their CTS and Penn Arms brands.

Sandy Wall is a true legend in Texas tactical community. Sandy spent 28 years with the Houston police department, 22 of which was on Houston SWAT. Sandy is a recipient of the TTPOA Excellence award, the TTPOA lifetime achievement award, and the National Police Associations Top Cop for the State of Texas. He has also received the Houston Police Department Chief's commendation for valor and the officer of the year award. Sandy has served three times as the president of TTPOA. He has also written two books, invented the Wall Banger system, and has taught and testified as an expert all over the United States.

Contact Info:
TTPOA Website - TTPOA
Dan Colesanto – Dan.Colasanto@ttpoa.org
Paul Ford – Email - paulrford@icloud.com - linkedin.com/in/paul-f-7b581214
Sandy Wall - Sandy.wallBanger@yahoo.com.

My guest today is Lionel D. Lio is a retired team leader who spent 15 years with the
Belgian National Police - Directorate of Special Units, or DSU, also know as Group
Diane. I am excited to have Lio on The Debrief because his former unit is a fantastic
team who are constantly on the front lines for European counter terrorism operations,
like the one we will discuss today.

The operation we will be debriefing is a proactive warrant service against a Jihadist terror cell located in the small town of Verviers, Belgium that resulted in an extended gun fight and two suspects down. This raid was intended to, and did, prevent an imminent large-scale attack in Belgium by the terrorist cell that would later go on to commit bombings and attacks in Brussels and Paris.

As is usually the case with The Debrief, we will discuss the responders and, where
appropriate, use their names and units because they are heroes and need to be
remembered. We will NOT be using suspects names or identifying their specific groups,
because they are criminals and terrorists and need to be forgotten.

Books Recommended:
No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL Hardcover – November 10, 2014
by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer – ISBN13: 978-0525954521

Lio’s Book:
In French - Terrorist Hunter | Editions Racine
In Dutch - Terroristenjager | Uitgeverij Lannoo

Contact Info:
www.lioneld.be
lioneldofficial115@gmail.com

In late August of 2020 the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team attempted to execute search and arrest warrants on a family compound in Johnson Hollow, a heavily wooded and very rural area of Kentucky. The suspect, who was being sought on potential murder and drug related charges, had hiding locations and weapons throughout the compound and had built a series of hardened firing positions from which to attack officers. In the 48 hours that followed, the team would have two Officer involved shootings with two different suspects all on the same compound.

This event would stretch the team and its resources to their limits, yet the team rose to the challenge yielding a successful outcome despite almost impossible conditions. This case provides numerous lessons learned and teaching points about rural operations and the dangers of unexpected challenges. My guests today are Sgt. Heath Ayers and Trooper Logan Smith from the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team.

Links

Two fatally shot in KSP involved shootings in Knox County | News | thetimestribune.com

https://www.clayconews.com/news/16719-suspect-fatally-injured-in-2nd-officer-involved-shooting-in-knox-county-ky-victim-in-1st-shooting-identified

Books Recommended

Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown by Eric Blehm - ISBN-13: 978-0307730695

On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace by Dave Grossman & Loren W. Christensen - ISBN-13:‎ 978-0964920545

On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman - ISBN-13: 978-0316040938

Contact Info

Logan Smith – logan.smith@ky.gov