42: MJ the Marine (Pilot, Naval Academy Grad, JTAC, BAMF)
Release Date: 06/01/2019
Who even are you? And why I don’t carry as often as I once did.
Tactical Tangents
You do honorable, important, and dangerous work in your profession, but that work also feeds into your social needs, and you’ve internalized and reinforced the attributes that make you good at your job to a degree that sets you up for problems down the road. Mike addresses the importance of examining your identity and why you need to expand your roles in life beyond your career, because you might not always be as special as you think you are. Like what we’re doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. Find us on social media @TacTangents and give a follow!...
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The best way to clear a house—CQB for Operators and Noobs
Tactical Tangents
From hostage rescue to burglary alarm calls, dynamic entries to slow and deliberate clearing, CQB and entry tactics have shifted over time—but the risks haven’t gone away. It doesn’t matter if you’re a high-speed tactical operator or a patrol cop on the front lines, clearing structures with guns has some fundamental challenges, and there’s no perfect way to do it. This episode explores the tradeoffs behind how we clear structures, why context matters, and what actually improves survivability when everything is working against you. Like what we’re doing? Head over...
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The Algorithm Isn't the Boss-But It's With Us in the Briefing Room
Tactical Tangents
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly reshaping how information is gathered, analyzed, and acted upon in both policing and military operations, and even the private sector. In this episode, we examine the practical implications of AI tools—especially large language models (LLMs)—and how they are already influencing intelligence analysis, operational planning, and day-to-day decision-making across our professions. Mike and Jim explore the promise and limitations of human–machine teaming, the risks associated with data security and data poisoning, and how adversaries can exploit AI...
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Think Like an Architect: Systems Thinking for Warfighters & Cops
Tactical Tangents
In complex environments, effort alone doesn’t equal results. Whether you’re in uniform or behind a badge, you face the same reality: limited resources, adaptive adversaries, and problems that refuse to stay solved. The difference between activity and impact often comes down to how you see the fight. Mike and Jim break down systems thinking for tacticians — a practical way to understand how outcomes actually emerge inside military and law enforcement environments. Using real-world examples, they explore how feedback loops, incentives, and hidden dependencies shape everything from crime...
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We Are Watching You - License Plate Readers and Modern Surveillance
Tactical Tangents
We dive into the real-world implications of living in a sensor-saturated society. From ALPR and private-sector camera networks to open-source data and pattern analysis, modern surveillance isn’t just a policy debate — it’s a tactical environment. We unpack how integrated surveillance systems create unprecedented investigative power while simultaneously introducing new vulnerabilities for police, military professionals, and everyday citizens. The conversation moves beyond headlines to explore the operational reality: how patterns are built, how they’re exploited, and how...
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Guardians and Warriors: What type of Cop are you?
Tactical Tangents
Police occupy an uneasy space between the government and the governed—simultaneously a symbol of state power and a human presence in people’s daily lives. Sometimes we get a little too PUNISHER SHEEPDOG and we need to chill. Mike and Jim break down the archetypes cops often fall into and discuss how to adjust our approach to be a dynamic leaders. Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our website www.tacticaltangents.com Like what we’re doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a...
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Don’t stand in front of cars! And other Pet Peeves
Tactical Tangents
Mike explores a list of pitfalls in law enforcement through the lens of critical thinking and best practices. Among the list are things related to balancing officer safety and legal justification, good tactics and having a perfect plan, communication quirks, arresting and searching people, and ways you might sound like a nerd. Photo Credit from https://youtu.be/vA0P92ddm2A Find us on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube) @TacTangents. You can join the conversation in our Facebook Discussion Group. Find all of our episodes, articles, some reading list ideas, and more on our...
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National Security Strategy Review
Tactical Tangents
You don’t fight in a vacuum—and neither do police officers, soldiers, or federal agents. In this episode, Jim analyzes the newly released 2025 National Security Strategy ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf ) and translates its broad language into practical meaning for people working at the tactical and operational levels. He explains how the NSS communicates priorities across government, how it influences downstream defense and security planning, and how it signals intent to allies, competitors, and adversaries alike. Check out...
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The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword… sometimes
Tactical Tangents
Everyone in a fight has their side of the story. That story is a crafted message that can keep someone in the fight, convince them to stop fighting, and convince bystanders you are the good guy worth helping or the bad guy worth piling onto. Police in America are struggling with an increasingly hostile public narrative that degrades morale, budgets, recruiting, and public cooperation when you need it most. In irregular warfare, the narrative may have more impact than the guided missiles. The conversation focuses on practical storytelling skills leaders need to operate effectively in...
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Closing the Gaps: Building Competence in High Performing-Teams
Tactical Tangents
Gaps in knowledge and performance happen naturally, even in high-performing teams. In this episode, Mike and Jim explore why blind spots develop despite good training, smart people, and strong intent. They walk through the realities of cognitive load—how much information a practitioner can realistically retain—and how this affects everything from tactical decision-making to compliance with policy and law. Using examples from aviation, policing, and military training, they illustrate how complexity, fatigue, and skill decay shape performance far more than most would acknowledge. The...
info_outlineMJ the Marine talks to us about her time at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, her path to becoming a Marine Officer upon commissioning, and some lessons learned while become a helicopter pilot. MJ also went through training for an upcoming ground tour calling in air strikes and is a fully qualified Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC). She also touches on gaining credibility as a young leader in the US Marine Corps, mental toughness, and one particular life lesson Mike and Jim facilitated for her “back in the day…”
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intro music credit bensound.com