Finally had a opportunity to catch up with my friend Dameon, from The Concealed Journey. We take the time to sit and chat, and catch up on what we've both been doing this summer. Both of us have been through our first formalized class experiences, and we compare some notes and experiences, as well as talk about a ton of other topics too!

In the prepping and 2A communities, it's easy to get carried away with our vernaculars and acronyms that exist, seemingly, for every little thing. After realizing in some recent conversations that not everyone understands what we're saying sometimes, I thought it would be great to talk through some of the most commonly used and heard terms and acronyms in the military/shooting/prepping community, and how they're all applied.

This week, Sam, Ryan, and myself sit down and talk bugging out. It gets a lot of hype in the prepping community for being the best laid plan, and the only course of action when the world starts to fall apart. But is it really your best option? We talk the pro's and con's of each, and hit on some of the finer points of what it really might look like to "bug in" or "bug out".

This week, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down, talking with Pat Watson, of Uncensored Tactical. We hit on everything from CQB, to force on force, to training mindset and vetting instructors. Pat and Uncensored are growing rapidly and have a ton of great things going on. We highly recommend you check out his website and his courses. You can find more information at https://uncensoredtactical.com/

It's been a hot minute and then some since our last SITREP, and given recent events, we felt this would be a fitting day for one! Lexy and I sit down and discuss the 20th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, how we spent the day, as well as hit a few current events involving recent announcements by the President.

Had the exciting opportunity to sit down this week with family friend and 36 year Marine Corps vet, Thomas Baker. Tom's career spanned the cold war on through the war on terror having only recently retired, and was able to share a lot about his vast experiences with me. Now that he's out, he is also the owner of Crossed Rifles Ranch in Wyoming, offering training and learning opportunities in everything from firearms to livestock and agriculture. Head to Crossedriflesranch.com to get more info!

Accountability should be what steers us, and helps guide us through our goal to be more prepared, and solidify our survival mindset. This week, I share my personal thoughts on what that means. How should we hold ourselves more accountable, and what does that really look like. I talk about some current events, share a few stories, and provide my opinion on why personal accountability is paramount when building a prepared mindset.

August 26th 2021, the largest lost of American life in a decade occurred in Afghanistan as two bombs went off and a gunfight ensued at Kabul Airport. I share with you my feelings first, and then my thoughts on what's lead to this so far, and what we need to do going forward.

This past weekend, I traveled out to Ann Arbor, MI to attend the Carbine 2 course at Ann Arbor Arms. Had a absolutely fantastic experience in my first structured course and I take the time this week to sit down and share my thoughts and experiences. I definitely recommend the amazing facilities and staff, head over to annarborarms.com and schedule your next class!

Trevor and I sit down this week and talk about some experiences we've had ourselves, learning about concealed carrying a firearm, as well as introducing others to it as well. We talk about some common misconceptions, hit on a need for greater education, and even share some of our favorite resources.

I have the opportunity to sit down and talk with my friend Jake, who is freshly out of the Marine Corps. He shares some stories and experiences throughout his time of service and talks about what it was like for him, how it helped him, and how it changed him.

This week, I have the privilege of sitting down with Yousef Badou. Yousef is a expert in situational awareness and pre-event threat detection. He runs Emergence, a company dedicated to sharing this information and training, with the mission of increasing safety and building proactive mindsets. You can find Yousef's training and more at: Free.EmergenceDisrupt.com. We highly recommend this to anyone concerned with safety, awareness, and preparation at any and all levels.

This week, I was able to return to my local gun range for the first time since lockdown in March of last year. As such, I spend some time talking about my visit, some of my observations, and sharing my insights on what to do or not do when at the range.

I share some thoughts this week, on tracking goals, maintaining a positive and tenacious attitude, and pushing through life with a consistent momentum. As we work towards a better equipped and more prepared lifestyle, these are things we all must have, if we want to find our own success.

This week, I'm joined by Zeff, from our partner MyMedic.com. We sit down this week and talk about how MyMedic got started, what their mission is, and how they're working every day to positively impact our world by preparing ordinary people to deal with extraordinary situations. We get into lots of great stuff, so check it out!

This week, Sam is back and we take our first step into the wide world of radio and communications. Sam shares his experience while working with multiple radio platforms during his time as a TACP. We take a high level look into how helpful these are, and how they can aid civilians in being prepared.

I'm joined this week by Tim, also known as concept_grey on instagram. We battle through some connection issues, but have a outstanding conversation about some little known government firearm programs, cloning GWOT mk12's and a bunch more. Great chat with a great guy, check it out!

This week, I take a look at the current hot-button issue with the ATF, pistol braces. Most American's and admittedly many gun owners don't fully understand how they fit into the law. I discuss their benefits, how they work with our current system of laws, why they're such a target today, and more.

Been a while since we had a SITREP so I thought after running into a couple particularly pertinent issues yesterday, this would be a good time. I talk briefly on my thoughts about 2A sanctuaries, legislation, and as always, doing research through reliable and credible sources!

Joining me this week, is Dameon Houser from The Concealed Journey. We take a bit of time on this weeks episode to discuss the 2A culture, mentoring new shooters, being prepared and what that means for well-rounded Americans, and so much more!

This week I share my thoughts and feelings on the growing amount of support of the 2A on various social media platforms. Looking specifically at the advancement and development of both shooter capability and competence, as well as technology. Without the specific work and support of those of us in the civilian sector, we would not be seeing the developments and advancements in gear and training that we are today.

Here in Michigan, we recently found out that restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be lifting. We will be able to put the last 16 months in our rear view. I sit down this week and talk about what we've seen and learned throughout the pandemic and how it's forever changed the way we'll live our lives.

For a bit of a different vibe this week, I sit down with Trevor, and we compare lists of our favorite and least favorite movie gats. Certainly no shortage of useless information and colorful commentary this week!

This week Sam and I are on with Rob Hull, a friend of ours who works in Law Enforcement. We sit down, and discuss how training impacts us from a civilian, military, and LE mindset. The ups, the downs, the in-betweens, we hit on a lot of the big issues in modern training, as well as how it most commonly impacts our daily lives.

Our fiftieth episode! I share my thoughts on work ethic, personal attitude, and determination. Reflecting back on the journey to get PMP to this point, I offer some of my own experiences, feelings, and failures that helped me and the team find our success.

After my conversation with Ryan on last weeks episode, I've got Sam back with me this week to review our recent trip. Sam shares his input on the trip, as well as a few stories and experiences of his own. We're looking forward to getting back out soon to do it again!

Ryan joins me again and we break down the weekend that Sam and I spent in Atlanta, MI at the Canada Creek Ranch. A weekend full of land nav, scouting, turkey hunting, and more. We talk about the ranch community, hunting turkeys, ducks, deer, and even get into a discussion on clear cutting forests.

As the 2A is under consistent attack in the media lately, I felt this a great opportunity to discuss the latest book got through "Mentoring Shooters" by Dustin Salomon. More specifically, talking about how to welcome new and curious shooters into the pro-2A community. We highlight topics, communication types, and a whole heck of a bunch more!

In the wake of this weeks major announcements from the Biden administration, calling for action by the Justice Department and the nomination for a new ATF director, we take a look at the proposed action. How does this impact you, is this all correct, how does this trickle down, and a lot more.

This week, I take a light-hearted look at the stimulus/relief funds that most American's have received in recent weeks, and appropriately, discuss the best 2A ways to spend that stimulus. We touch on all sorts of gear and I share my thoughts and feelings on various brands and options as well.

I welcome my friend Kori onto the pod this week, and take some time to answer her questions as someone "on the outside looking in". We discuss the current climate as it relates to gun control, what that means for most pro-2A Americans, and share all sorts of information that might not be general knowledge for someone outside the prepared community.

In the wake of the tragic incident in Boulder this week, and the growing demands from liberal legislators to enact even more gun control, I look at the current bills sitting in the House and Senate and how they will impact our lives as pro-2A individuals, as well as share my thoughts and feelings on them.

Sam and I make our long awaited announcement, reflect on the year past, our first full year of running the Prepared Mindset podcast together, talk about our successes, plans for the future, and a whole bunch more!

As states open back up, and we start the great American migration back into our respective offices and workplaces, we take the opportunity to discuss the restrictions we face around the office, and how we can operate within those confines, to still lead a prepared and safe workday.

This week, Lexy and I sit down to talk about our much loved four legged friends! After touching briefly on our pets and how they impact our plans in cold weather situations, it spurred me to do some research and really discuss how deeply embedded they are into plans for prepping and bugging out!

We've seen record winter weather emergencies across the United States the past few weeks. Many regions were ill prepared to face this kind of weather and as a result thousands suffered. So this week, I share some prepping tips and advice I've gathered living in Michigan my whole life, were this kind of cold and snowy weather is quite typical.

I take a chance this Sunday to catch up on some recent political events, and discuss the growing push by legislators for more firearms laws and gun control. I also touch on some of the developments around censoring conservative individuals and how it's impacting us as prepared individuals.

Instagram has become the focal point of much of the 2A community. Sam and I sit down this week and go through our top 10 internet fallacies as they pertain to the shooting community, and share our personal feelings on them all.

There's a lot of thought, and research, that should go into making your first several purchases for your defensive preparations. This week, I deep dive into many of the "missed" steps in this process, and provide my input, and personal experiences on each of them.

As we have more and more new gun owners, more concerned Americans taking a more considerable look at their safety, it's important to evaluate what "responsible ownership" really means. I take time this week to share my thoughts on ownership, and the training that should always come along with it.

Trevor and I follow up a dry-fire session with some shop talk. We hit on MK18's, SBR's, recommendations for friends, and even touch a bit on some bourbon.

This week, in lieu of all the changes politically, looking at the opposition we face as a 2A community, I talk about, what we do next. How can we, as a community, help ensure the safety and survival of what you hold dear. How can we help our fellow citizen see and understand what see, and the why, to why we do what we do.

I take some time to share my personal feelings, some experiences, and even a little history, discussing what the world looks like in 2021. With the ever changing political climate more turbulent than ever, there's lots to consider, and lots to prepare for. We talk history, we talk politics, current events, and how to bridge the gap with your neighbor.

Sam is back, and we tackle a topic we've all touched on at some point or another; Being a better shooter. We look at a bit of the science behind, a bit of the practical application, and exchange thoughts and ideas back and forth on how skills in both music and martial arts have lent themselves towards our shooting skills.

For our 30th episode, Trevor and I sit down and talk all the essentials. Everything from guns to watches, to quality blades, and of course, our favorite picks of bourbon.

Staying focused on your goals, is 100% essential. Especially, if you may not know where to start, or what your next step is, or where to look for support. I take some time this week to discuss my personal experiences with teaching, with learning, with how to digest information, and how to stay mission focused.

After having spent time the last few weeks diving down the "edc rabbit hole", I take some time to admit I was narrow on my scope of the subject originally. I've learned and found some pretty cool stuff out there, as well as a ultra support community of really cool folks dedicated to helping everyone learn and grow!

As a companion/continuation to our discussion on attention in episode 24, this week I talk about protection through inaction. We examine the concept of the gray man, and blending in, disappearing in plan sight. This is an idea that's gained a lot of traction and become much more mainstream in the 2A community within the last several years, and for good reason.