The room changes when people who’ve seen the worst days talk about building better ones. We sit down with two Army veterans from our training division—Officer Wells and Officer Spencer—who trace a line from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to roll call in Fort Myers. Their stories are honest and grounded: why the uniform still matters, how civilian life can feel unstructured, and what it takes to make clear decisions when the pressure spikes and seconds count.

We dig into the training philosophy that shapes our officers: crawl, walk, run; basics before flash; mentorship that corrects and encourages. You’ll hear how hood drills and stress inoculation reveal true readiness, how leadership means anticipating needs and communicating cleanly, and why consistent reps on fundamentals—traffic stops, de-escalation, tactical movement, communication—build the reflexes that keep everyone safer. Along the way, they share the small moments that stay with veterans: the first cheeseburger back home, the feel of carpet under bare feet, the quiet gratitude of being stateside with family.

Threaded through it all is the spirit of Veterans Day—esprit de corps, service beyond self, and respect for anyone who signed the line, regardless of MOS or years served. We talk about transferring combat-earned calm to the street, turning experience into empathy, and living for the aha moment when a trainee finally owns a skill. If you care about public safety, leadership, and what real training looks like from the inside, this conversation delivers hard-won insight with heart.

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