Medical Moments
Thoughts on July 16th, 2026
I tend to have a habit of watching a lot of news from countries all over the world. It seems to me that things are "ramping up," meaning the stress level is rising. Even what were routine responses seem to have become much more dangerous. It's all the more reason we, as first responders, must stick together as a team. With each news day something terrible seems to pop up and I know that our dedication to each other will protect us. I am talking about EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement. Survival comes from staying together as a team and mutual support. Stay alert and be there for your team members.
Just did a Podcast
Just did my first podcast, which was fun. You can find it by clicking on the link button below. Talked about my time in Africa and other deployments and some medications and techniques that are commonly used.
Patch of the Week: June 28th, 2026
Going back almost 30 years, this is quite possibly the first official Tactical Medical School class that melded Law Enforcement and Tactical Medicine. This is the “OG” patch for Tactical Medicine.
Dr. David Tang and Dr. Lawrence Heiskell offered the “H&K Tactical Medical School” based out of the H&K ranges in Virginia. The doctors (Tang and Heiskell) were both on the Palm Springs Police department as SWAT officers and had attended the FBI Academy and became full-fledged officers.
This was my first time dealing with ER doctors as actual operators on the team. I remember it was so easy speaking to them and recounting medical scenarios in a tactical environment because they had been through them from having worked on the street.
When I arrived for the class, I was handed a H&K USP in 9mm, a Benelli 12 gauge and a MP-5K. Needless to say, things got wild after that. I had a blast and learned a lot. I would go on to keep Dr. Heiskell as a subject matter expert and friend throughout my career in Tactical Medicine.
Kenobe, Uganda
Live fire training in Kenobe, Uganda back in 2015.
September 28th, 2025
I’d like to start a tradition for us here at Vintage Valor Wear.
Everyone reading this that is in Public Service and the Military knows how important tradition is and how it grounds us. The tradition here will be to offer some musings on medicine in this spot, or blog, or WHATEVER you want to call this section.
Lets talk about trying to stay positive in our lives and jobs. When I was starting out in EMS, I didnt necessarily have positivity as I did a drive to learn as much as I could in EMS and be the best at it that I could possibly be. Thats what kept me going forward. Class after class, thousands of patient’s, I treated each one as a test of my abilities. It was fun to “pit” myself against a problem. That’s what drove me, that;s what kept me positive.
That was enough, then……Not now. Now, it wouldn't work. Let's not kid ourselves, the world can be a dark place. Patches of sunlight can be few and far between. We all need some metaphorical armor in todays-world.
That armor, in my experience, comes from inside us. The light that burns in each of us that do this work, that light will guide us. That light is fed by our attitude. Our attitude is fed positive energy by taking joy and satisfaction in small daily things like being with family, pets, and friends in our community.
I accomplish recharging my internal light by doing the simple things. Each day on the planet is a victory. My girlfriend asks me “What are you doing tomorrow?”. I give her the same answer “Waking up…..hopefully. Then I hope my truck starts. Then I hope everyone I love is healthy”. She shakes her head and laughs. I think Marcus Aurelius has a great quote: “When you arise in the morning, think what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
THAT'S how I stay positive.