Lessons Learned from The Debrief

This column grew out of the same mission that drives The Debrief itself. On The Debrief, Jon has the honor of interviewing the world's finest tactical operators, leaders, and scientists about their operations, training, and studies. It is not a commercial venture — it's his way of paying back the debt he owes to the men and women who trained him, invested in him, and helped build his career.

The catalytic event was the death of a friend and mentor named Tim Anderson — a retired USMC colonel, retired LAPD sergeant, and true student of tactical science. Standing at Tim's funeral, Jon said to their mutual friend Sid Heal: “Tim took more than 50 years of knowledge and experience to the grave. Somebody needs to start capturing this.” Sid's response was the spark: “We won't talk to the media. If you like the idea, you better start it. We trust you.”

Over the next six months, that conversation became The Debrief. Jon's first interview was a two-part series with Sid. He died suddenly just weeks after. The Lessons Learned column in Tactical Edge brings these critical insights to the NTOA community in condensed form.