At the end of most years, I try to post a year in review (2020, 2021, 2023). This year saw me attend a LOT of training, even thought I missed two of the classes I intended to take. Let’s take a look at what I accomplished in 2024, from training and personal development standpoints. Here is my 2024 year in review!
January: MSAR Awareness (3 Days)
In January I attended the first in a 3-part Mountain Search & Rescue (MSAR) Series. All three parts are 3 days long. The first in the series is called “awareness.” This was a very demanding class because of the cold. The first day of class was at “the lodge,” while the successive two-days were “on the mountain.” Both places were extremely cold. In the lodge we learned basic knots, raises, lowers, mechanical advantages, etc.
On the mountain we had to demonstrate survival skills, like building shelter and fire. My partner and I were one of only two teams to get and keep a fire, but I got humbled in the process. Making fire under adverse conditions (cold, wet, windy) is harder than you think. We also had to use snowshoes and crampons, and began learning to belay each other down the mountain.
It should also be noted that after the first day on the mountain, the class convened at a local Mexican restaurant. I choked on a tortilla chip and was saved by one of the instructors who did the Heimlich maneuver. This was a pretty profound event, even though it was decidedly NOT one of my 2024 goals. Read about it here.
February : MSAR Operations (3 Days)
The second in the MSAR series, the Operations-level class, happened in February. Same format: first day at the lodge, second two days in the field. This time we had to overnight in the field, and the exercises got more difficult. Instead of just ourselves on the rope, we were raising and lowering baskets and attendants. We also had to know how to ascend a rope.
One thing I really appreciated about this series, is that the entire thing is a building-block approach. They don’t teach 10 techniques to do one thing; instead they teach one thing that you will do dozens of times throughout the class.
February: Tactical Vision & Surgical Marksmanship (1 day)
I left immediately upon the conclusion of MSAR Ops and drove to Crossville, TN. There I picked up my old friend Rich Brown. He and I drove a couple hours away to the TFI Academy in Enville, TN to attend Dustin Soloman’s Surgical Vision and Tactical Marksmanship pilot course. This class was an instructor development course, and was invitation-only. I was in pretty heady company, hanging out with some really cool guys like John Marvel, John Holschen, and Simon Golob.
I did not write an AAR of the course because it was a pilot course and a lot of kinks were being worked out. Simon Golob (who I trained with later in the year) did do an AAR that you can read here. If you get the chance to train with Dustin and/or use his Nuro system, do it!
This was a pop-up goal that I eagerly jumped on when the opportunity presented itself.
March: MSAR Technician (3 Days)
When March rolled around I was back at MSAR. This time we knew what to expect and we knew how to do most of the skills required. The major difference in this class is there was very little instructor guidance…and there were night operations. As with all the MSAR classes, the first day was in the classroom, refining previously-learned skills. The next morning we were in the field. This time, rather than setting up camp, then training all day,we had to keep all our stuff with us at all times, over rugged terrain, doing rescues.
Once at the top of the mountain in the wee hours of the morning we made camp. After a few hours of sleep we self-recovered back down the mountain, and class was dismissed. The MSAR series was possibly the best public safety training I have ever taken. There was a very clear, building-block approach. Techniques were taught and reinforced relentlessly, and the instructors were top-notch.
April: Randall’s Advanced Wilderness Rescue (2 Days)
In April I continued the theme of wilderness rescue training by attending Randall’s Advanced Wilderness Rescue. Randall’s Adventure Training offered a two-day advanced course near me, so I jumped on it. Day One involved a lot of survival training taught by Patrick Rollins, who also had a big hand in teaching Field Survival.
The first afternoon and second day were spent doing rescues. Despite the “advanced” name in the title of the course, this was a “brilliance in the basics” class. Minimal gear, set up efficiently, with as few complications as possible to accomplish challenging rescue goals.
May: Technical Rescue – Wilderness (5 Days)
Apparently I just couldn’t get enough rescue training in 2024! To be honest, it didn’t hurt that work paid me for my time in these classes. The TR-Wilderness class is a five-day class; three days in the classroom and two days in the field with an overnight. I ended up helping teach the land navigation portion of the class because I’m actually pretty good at land nav.
The TR-Wilderness curriculum is fairly basic after having done the entire MSAR series. It is a nationally-recognized curriculum however.
June: On Demand Performance w/ Simon Golob (2 Days)
In June my dear friend Rich Brown and I were back on the road. We headed out to Oklahoma to the Mead Hall Range for Simon Golob’s On Demand Performance. This was an advanced-level, two-day class. The students were incredibly good shooters, the facility was excellent, and the instruction was outstanding.
I wrote a full AAR for the class. Short story: it was amazing! I have taken a lot of firearms training and this was up there with the best. If you haven’t trained with Simon, he should move to your short-list of people to train with.
June: Sym-Tac Shotgun Skills (2 Days)
In June I accomplished a long-time goal: shotgun training with the Haughts! I got to travel out to Ohio, spend sometime with my friend Neil, and go to the class with him. The training was, as expected, excellent. I published a very detailed review of the course here. The Haughts are some of the best and most well-known shotgun instructors out there. If you haven’t trained with them, you need to fix it!
Somehow, I also managed to earn a Sym-Tac coin for my run on the Shotgun Skills Gauge. I was – and still am – very proud of this accomplishment!
August: K9 Advanced Life Support (1 Day)
I attended a K9 ALS class where we learned how to work codes (CPR), start IVs, intubate, and perform other advanced interventions on dogs. I wanted to attend this for both personal and professional reasons.
One of the coolest techniques taught was how to clear the airway of a choking dog. In the photo above, find the appropriate landmarks is being demonstrated on a (very patient) live dog.
September: Pistol/Carbine Course (2 Days)
In September I attended a 2-day pistol/carbine course. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this class here because I covered it in another article, “The Worst Firearms Training Class I’ve Ever Attended.” See that article for details. As one of my old First Sergeants would have said: “it’s not completely useless. At least it can serve as a bad example!”
Sept – Dec: Police Academy
I finally took a big step that I have considered for years and started the police academy. This night class is a general academy (i.e. not for any specific department) to gain state-certification as a law enforcement officer. I am sponsored (but unpaid) by my local sheriff’s office.
Upon completion of the course I hope to work part-time for the sheriff’s office, and get into a SWAT medic billet. This class is extremely challenging in many ways, not the least of which is length – more than half the class is in 2025. I will discuss it more in my next article covering my 2025 goals. Stay tuned!
October: Sober October
In October I finally accomplished a challenge that had been in the back of my mind for years: Sober October. The basic goal is this: don’t drink (or use other mind-altering substances) for the entire month. Turns out, it wasn’t much of a challenge. I’m glad I did it because it reset my relationship with alcohol, and I confirmed that I’m not dependent on it. If you use addictive substances I think you should do this kind of exercise periodically to find out where you really stand with them. I actually started on September 30th and had a drink on October 31, because we happened to have a rare night off from the academy.
November: Tobacco-Free for 5 Years!
On November 19th, I hit 5 years of freedom from tobacco addiction. I quite in 2019, shortly before Thanksgiving with my ex’s family. For a couple of months I was pretty unpleasant to be around (including to myself!). I’m glad I underwent the discomfort of quitting, and the thoughts of having to endure it again is what has kept me from relapsing. If you have addictions, you need to move on from them, period.
On a side note, it breaks my heart to see the number of kids taking up lifelong addiction to nicotine via pouches and vapes. Stripped of the veneer of “tradition” and “quality” inherent in actual tobacco, and reduced down to only the addictive chemical, it’s clear that we as a society are just allowing big corporations to peddle a harmful, addictive substances. Would someone please explain to me how this is substantively different from allowing heroin to be sold openly?
All Year: Read 91 Books
In 2020 I started a tradition of reading at least a book a week throughout the year. I have surpassed that goal ever since. This year I pulled ahead of the previous two years with 91 books – averaging almost two books a week. Keep in mind this includes books on dead trees, the Kindle app on my phone, and books on audio. Check out my reading list here!
P.S. – the ornament in the featured image was made by my girlfriend. It has a tiny replica of each book I read in 2024, and is doubtlessly one of the coolest gifts I’ve ever received.
All Year: Wrote Most of a Book
In last years goals I mentioned writing a book with the working title, “Competent & Dangerous: How to be a Man Among Men.” I haven’t finished it, but I am 489 pages into it. I’m very excited about this book; it’s the distilled wisdom of twenty-five years of adventuring. It is the information I wish I had know before I started doing all the crazy things I’ve done, just to be a bit ahead of the curve. This book is the book Sixteen-Year-Old Me wishes had been under his Christmas tree, and the book Twenty-Six-Year-Old Me Wanted to write, but still lacked the knowledge to.
Unaccomplished Goals
The downside to setting a very long list of goals is that some of them are likely to get de-prioritized. My 2024 year in review would not be complete without acknowledging the goals I failed to accomplish. There were three:
- First, I did not attend the Green Ops Carbine course that I signed up for. I had a couple of personal issues working against me and had to withdraw at the last minute. This was a disappointment because I am seriously lacking recent carbine training.
- Second, I did not accomplish the travel I set out to accomplish this year. I made it a goal to go to Delaware and Illinois, and I made neither happen. To be honest I forgot I had even listed these until I went back and looked at my goals over again.
- Third, I completed neither Critical Care Paramedic nor the Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals. These are still goals, but accomplishing both are on the back-burner for the moment.
- Finally, I signed up for a Counter-Custody Course with Ed Calderon/Ed’s Manifest. Unfortunately I was injured at work (doing a wilderness carry-out) and was unable to make the seven-hour drive to the class. I did get a voucher for another course, so I hope to make this up in 2025.
2024 Year In Review Closing Thoughts
So that is 2024 in review from a training and personal betterment standpoint. Looking back, I surprised myself at the sheer number of classes I took. Aside from the police academy I attended 24 days of training. That’s pretty solid for a single year. The focus this year was heavily on wilderness rescue, with some pistol, shotgun, and carbine thrown in for good measure.
Frankly, 2024 is going to be a tough act to follow! What will I get up to next year? Show up next week and find out!
