Transition Drill

Paul Pantani
  • 5.0 (43)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Transition Drill Podcast: explores identity, leadership, and life after service through long-form conversations with military veterans, police, fire, and first responders navigating career transition, purpose, and reinvention. Tactical Transition Tips: practical guidance for those preparing for career change, organized by transition timelines The Mindset Debrief: short-form reflections on accountability, discipline, self-leadership, and personal responsibility for people navigating life.

  1. Tactical Transition Tips Round 109: Why Safer Career Choices Can Cost You After the Uniform

    2D AGO

    Tactical Transition Tips Round 109: Why Safer Career Choices Can Cost You After the Uniform

    Tactical Transition Tips Round 109 of the Transition Drill Podcast offers practical guidance and career readiness for veterans and first responders, organized based on how far out your exit is. In this episode, how civilian career decisions that bring immediate relief can quietly limit your options. A lot of people in uniform picture the civilian world as the easier world. Less danger. Less stress. Less intensity. Some of that can be true. But the risk doesn’t disappear when you hang up the uniform. It just changes its disguise. This time it’s about a different kind of risk. The kind that doesn’t show up with sirens or urgency. The kind that shows up later, after you’ve already made the move. It’s the risk of picking what feels familiar instead of what protects your future. It’s the trap of confusing relief with security. It’s the slow cost of delayed consequences, unclear feedback, and workplaces where effort doesn’t always translate into stability the way you’re used to. If you’re planning your transition, this is about learning to spot the new version of “danger” early, so you don’t end up stuck in a role that feels calm but quietly caps your options. Transition-group tips • Close Range Group (transitioning within a year): Chasing Challenge or Easy Tip: Before you commit to your next job, ask yourself if you’re choosing it because it shuts the noise off fast, or because it actually gives you stability and growth. Why it matters: When urgency is running the show, “familiar” can feel safe even when it recreates the same burnout in different camouflage. • Medium Range Group (transitioning in 3 to 5 years): New Game, New Rules Tip: Use your runway to learn how civilian careers actually work, including how decisions are made, how security is built, and how advancement really happens. Why it matters: The danger here isn’t lack of preparation, it’s preparing for the wrong game and getting blindsided by a different reward system. • Long Range Group (transitioning in a decade or more): Build Mobility, Not Attachment Tip: Build skills that travel, relationships outside your organization, and an identity that isn’t dependent on your current role. Why it matters: Complacency is quiet, and the real risk is realizing too late your experience only makes sense inside one system. Get additional resources and join our newsletter via the link in the show notes. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com SPONSORS: GRND Collective Get 15% off your purchase Link: https://thegrndcollective.com/ Promo Code: TRANSITION15 Frontline Optics Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://frontlineoptics.com Promocode: Transition10

    19 min
  2. The Mindset Debrief: What’s Actually Draining Your Energy, the Hidden Cost of Constant Distraction

    3D AGO

    The Mindset Debrief: What’s Actually Draining Your Energy, the Hidden Cost of Constant Distraction

    This Mindset Debrief episode is a short-form reflection on personal accountability, discipline, and self-leadership for people navigating pressure, responsibility, and growth. In this episode, we focus on: How constant mental pull and unfinished attention slowly wear you down You know that end-of-day tired where you sit down and realize you’re wiped out, but you can’t point to a single hard thing that “earned” it. No crisis. No deep, focused stretch. Just a vague, unsettled fatigue that makes you quietly question your drive, your focus, maybe even your edge. This Mindset Debrief episode pulls that apart, starting with a simple idea from Herbert Simon: a wealth of information can create a poverty of attention. The point here isn’t that you’re lazy or undisciplined. The argument is that what’s wearing you down is the constant splitting of attention, the starting and stopping, and the never fully finishing anything before something else reaches for you. It also gets into why rest sometimes doesn’t work the way it should. You can be off the clock and still not be at rest, because your mind stays on alert, waiting for the next thing, checking, scrolling, keeping mental tabs open, living in a “potentially urgent” ready state. Over time, that keeps the system revving above idle, and the episode frames it as a slow energy leak, not a single spike. From there, it shifts into accountability without guilt: noticing how often the pull isn’t outside of you, it’s you, interrupting yourself. The closing lens is simple: stop asking only “why am I so tired,” and start asking where your attention is being spent without realizing it. Clarity isn’t gone, it’s been crowded out, and it waits for permission. Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the information. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com

    13 min
  3. 233. A Marine's Close Call: It Didn't Explode, He Shouldn't Have Survived. GySgt Brian Scoggins

    5D AGO

    233. A Marine's Close Call: It Didn't Explode, He Shouldn't Have Survived. GySgt Brian Scoggins

    Brian Scoggins, retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, in Episode 233 of the Transition Drill Podcast, explores identity, accountability, and consequence for veterans and first responders navigating the long shadow of family history and personal choice. You’ll hear Brian on carrying mistakes that weren’t his, surviving moments that should’ve ended his life, and what it took to take ownership anyway and build a future he could stand behind. Brian Scoggins grew up on the east side of St. Paul, Minnesota, in a split world: one side of the family steeped in stability, military service, and tradition, and the other marked by addiction, chaos, and hard lessons at home. He talks about how that environment pushed him to grow up early, protect his younger siblings, and figure out who he was when things around him weren’t steady. Brian takes you through the turning point that changed the trajectory of his life as a teenager, including a near-death moment that led him to recommit to faith and make a clean break from the path he was headed down. From there, it’s the messy real-life version of “getting it together”: trying to join the military, dealing with legal problems caused by his older brother using his name, and learning fast how systems work when you’re the one stuck proving you’re not the guy they’re looking for. He originally wanted a rescue-focused path and even chased the idea of being a firefighter, EMT, or special operations, but the Marine Corps became his lane after a recruiter encounter that felt like a dare. Brian shipped to boot camp in 2004 and ended up in aviation ordnance, loading guns, bombs, and munitions on aircraft, often in high-tempo environments where mistakes can get people killed. He shares what it was like hitting the fleet and deployments to Iraq, and how deployments and leadership experiences shaped him, including time inside a struggling helicopter squadron where he had to confront dysfunction head-on and protect Marines by forcing uncomfortable accountability. After 20 years of service, including recruiting duty, and fighting MMA, Brian retired in June 2024, and explains the work he’s doing now working for Northrup Grumman and in the nonprofit space with No Lone Wolves, focused on reducing isolation and suicide risk by building connection through community and online gaming meetups. The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. Follow the show and share it with another veteran or first responder who would enjoy this. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH BRIAN:https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-chaos-to-commitment-marine-veteran-brian-scoggins-service-and-transition SPONSORS: GRND Collective Get 15% off your purchase Link: https://thegrndcollective.com/ Promo Code: TRANSITION15 Blue Line Roasting Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://bluelineroasting.com Promocode: Transition10 Frontline Optics Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://frontlineoptics.com Promocode: Transition10

    2h 14m
  4. Tactical Transition Tips Round 108: Benefits Use Them or Lose Them | Veterans & First Responders

    JAN 29

    Tactical Transition Tips Round 108: Benefits Use Them or Lose Them | Veterans & First Responders

    Tactical Transition Tips Round 108 of the Transition Drill Podcast offers practical guidance and career readiness for veterans and first responders, organized based on how far out your exit is. In this episode, the systems in place to protect you require documentation and use before you’re out. Benefits don’t fail because they’re weak. They fail because they sit there unused. In these careers, it’s easy to treat “benefits” like paperwork you’ll deal with later, once life slows down. But later is the trap. The system isn’t going to chase you down and make sure you’re set up. If you don’t learn what you’re entitled to, document what needs documenting, and use what’s available while you still have access, you can end up paying out of pocket, delaying care, or walking into transition with avoidable problems on your back. This episode addresses benefits as protection, not perks. That includes medical documentation, but it also includes education options (like the GI Bill), financial and investing support, home buying programs, and even outside organizations that offer help for you and your family. The point isn’t to become a benefits expert. It’s to stop treating protection like background noise. Here are the three transition tips covered: Close Range Group (transitioning within a year): Get it on paper before you get out You’re running out of time for “I’ll handle it later,” so this is about getting appointments, issues, and records documented now so you’re not trying to prove things from memory after you’re out. Medium Range Group (transitioning in 3 to 5 years): Fix it while you’re still in You’ve still got the advantage of structure and easier access, so you use this window to address real issues and use available resources before transition pressure makes everything harder to prioritize. Long Range Group (transitioning in a decade or more): The most important equipment maintenance is you This is where you build habits and track patterns early so neglect doesn’t become normal and small problems don’t turn into long-term damage that follows you into any future transition. Get additional resources and join our newsletter via the link in the show notes. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com SPONSORS: GRND Collective Get 15% off your purchase Link: https://thegrndcollective.com/ Promo Code: TRANSITION15 Blue Line Roasting Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://bluelineroasting.com Promocode: Transition10

    20 min
  5. The Mindset Debrief: Responsibility is Respect and Shows Up After Your Work Leaves Your Control

    JAN 28

    The Mindset Debrief: Responsibility is Respect and Shows Up After Your Work Leaves Your Control

    This Mindset Debrief episode is a short-form reflection on personal accountability, discipline, and self-leadership for people navigating pressure, responsibility, and growth. In this episode, we focus on: Being responsible is how much uncertainty and risk you remove for those after you. Responsibility isn’t a personality trait you “have.” It shows up after your work leaves your hands, when someone else has to rely on what you did and either move forward cleanly or slow down to protect themselves. You’ll hear a different definition of responsibility: it’s proven by exposure, not effort. “I tried” and “I meant well” can feel sincere, but they don’t reduce risk. What reduces risk is what you do before anyone sees the result: forward thinking, verification, redundancy when it’s needed, and follow-through that considers who’s next in the chain. The episode digs into how risk moves downstream. Shortcuts don’t remove problems, they relocate them. When reassurance replaces verification, the work can look “done” in the moment, but the cost shows up later as cleanup, rework, stress, and slowly declining trust. Over time, standards drift. People start checking your work without saying anything. They build their own redundancies because they can’t take “it’s good to go” at face value. It also reframes respect in practical terms. Not politeness. Respect as lowered uncertainty for the next person. Fewer surprises, less friction, less bracing for impact. You don’t prove care by saying you care. You prove it by making failure less likely and outcomes steadier after you’re out of the picture. If you care about accountability, competence, and trust at work and at home, this one gives you a clean lens for what “done” should mean. Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the information. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com SPONSORS: GRND Collective Get 15% off your purchase Link: https://thegrndcollective.com/ Promo Code: TRANSITION15

    14 min
  6. 232. The Secret Side of LA Sheriff's: From Gangs to Tech Ops, and Covert Surveillance. Adam Cordova

    JAN 26

    232. The Secret Side of LA Sheriff's: From Gangs to Tech Ops, and Covert Surveillance. Adam Cordova

    Adam Cordova, retired LASD Deputy, in Episode 232 of the Transition Drill Podcast, shares what it really looks like to build a long law enforcement career without letting the job become your entire identity, for veterans and first responders navigating transition, retirement, and the next chapter. You’ll hear Adam on his time in the SHU, to Gangs, then to secret squirrel stuff, and today a podcaster. All while balancing staying solid at home while still being great at the job. Adam grew up in the LA area in places like Compton, Lynwood, Inglewood, in the shadows of Firestone station, in an environment where you learn early how to carry yourself and how fast things can go wrong. He talks about a strict but fair father, being responsible for his brothers, and making a point to stay out of gangs even with that influence close by; his father was an OG “Veterano.” By his senior year, he was living on his own, working, and learning how to survive. Before law enforcement, Adam chased the fire service hard; he actually didn’t like cops. He trained at stations, tested well, and thought he was headed that direction, but the process dragged out and felt like a game. A friend pushed him to test for the Sheriff’s Department as a backup. That “backup” turned into the career. Adam got hired in 1990, and his early years were exactly what a lot of people don’t want, but every agency needs: the jails, then court services. He talks about how that time either sharpens you or stalls you out, depending on what you bring to the work. In 1995, he finally hit patrol, and his first station was Walnut Station, which ended up being a lot busier than people assume. Walnut trained him in North County areas with gangs, drugs, and real calls, and he learned fast that a good cop can work anywhere if they actually want to work. From there, Adam moved into specialized work, including OSS, and later spent 11 years living the callout life where nights, weekends, and family time get sacrificed without anyone asking your permission. When homicide came up as the next “expected” move, he made a different decision and went to Tech Ops instead. He breaks down what that world actually looks like: trackers, bugs, hidden cameras, microphones, bug sweeps, digital evidence, and working warrants across the county with a small team that was basically on-call nonstop. Adam retired in 2022, and today he’s still creating in a different way, working with graphic design and video production, something he’d been doing as a serious hobby for years. He also started his own podcast: A Proper Scoundrel, where he talks with former cops about the stories of their careers. Adam has a great story and offers great advice and perspective on having a long law enforcement career. The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. Follow the show and share it with another veteran or first responder who would enjoy this. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH ADAM: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-retired-lasd-deputy-adam-cordova-from-wayside-to-oss-then-tech-ops SPONSORS: GRND Collective Get 15% off your purchase Link: https://thegrndcollective.com/ Promo Code: TRANSITION15 Blue Line Roasting Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://bluelineroasting.com Promocode: Transition10 Frontline Optics Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://frontlineoptics.com Promocode: Transition10

    2h 31m
  7. Tactical Transition Tips Round 107: What You Think You Deserve | Veterans & First Responders

    JAN 22

    Tactical Transition Tips Round 107: What You Think You Deserve | Veterans & First Responders

    Tactical Transition Tips Round 107 of the Transition Drill Podcast offers practical guidance and career readiness for veterans and first responders, organized based on how far out your exit is. In this episode, how a “I deserve this” mindset can quietly limit your growth. You’ve earned a lot in your career. You’ve done hard things that most people will never do, and you’ve absorbed stress that doesn’t shut off just because the shift ends or the deployment’s over. So it makes sense if there’s a quiet thought in the background that says, “This should count for something.” This episode is about that invisible story. Not the loud version where you say you’re owed something, but the subtle version that leaks into your patience, your tone, and your expectations. The problem isn’t pride in your service. The problem is when you carry a scorecard into the civilian world and expect the world to agree with it. Because civilian hiring doesn’t run on moral credit. It runs on value, timing, and fit. If you show up with even a hint of “I’m owed,” people can feel it. And you can do everything right on paper while your posture quietly pushes doors closed. So we’re getting practical. We’re talking about how entitlement forms, how it shows up, and how to rewrite the story now while you’re still serving, so you’re not learning this lesson the hard way in the middle of a job search or a new career. Here are the transition-specific tips we break down: Close Range Group (Transitioning within a year): Replace “What I Deserve” With “What I’m Building” This shifts your focus from chasing a payoff to choosing the next right move that builds skills, momentum, and options. Medium Range Group (Transitioning in 3 to 5 years): Test Your Expectations Against Civilian Reality You’ll compare what you think you should get with what roles actually require and reward, so your plan is based on truth, not assumptions. Long Range Group (Transitioning in a decade or more): Learn Humility Before Life Forces You To You’ll train coachability and resilience now, so feedback, rejection, or a detour later doesn’t turn into offense or ego-driven decisions. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood by the civilian world, this one’s for you. It’ll help you show up cleaner, calmer, and harder to ignore. Get additional resources and join our newsletter via the link in the show notes. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com SPONSORS: Frontline Optics Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://frontlineoptics.com Promocode: Transition10 Blue Line Roasting Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://bluelineroasting.com Promocode: Transition10

    22 min
  8. The Mindset Debrief: If It Never Gets Written Down, It’s Not a Real Priority

    JAN 21

    The Mindset Debrief: If It Never Gets Written Down, It’s Not a Real Priority

    This Mindset Debrief episode is a short-form reflection on personal accountability, discipline, and self-leadership for people navigating pressure, responsibility, and growth. In this episode, we focus on: Turning intentions into something clear, visible, and trackable enough to follow through on. Most people don’t lie out loud about what matters to them. They say their health is important, that their relationships matter, that their work deserves focus, that they’re serious about the next chapter of their life. But none of it ever makes it onto paper. It never lands in a notebook, a calendar, a plan, or a place where it can be seen again tomorrow. And because of that, it stays a feeling instead of becoming a commitment. In this episode the information centers on a simple but uncomfortable idea: if something isn’t written down, it usually isn’t a real priority. Not because you’re lazy or incapable, but because vague intentions are easy to protect. They let you feel aligned with the person you want to be without forcing you to confront how you’re actually spending your time, energy, and attention. This episode isn’t about rigid planning or turning your life into a spreadsheet. It’s about honesty. It explores why people avoid writing things down in the first place, why clarity can feel threatening, and how leaving goals undefined gives you an easy escape when things get uncomfortable. You’ll hear how unwritten goals quietly drift, how accountability disappears when nothing is tracked, and how the gap between intention and behavior grows wider the longer it stays unexamined. There’s also a human side to this. Writing things down forces a moment of stillness. It makes you slow down long enough to see what you’ve been avoiding, postponing, or protecting yourself from. That can feel personal. It can feel exposing. And for a lot of people, that’s exactly why they keep everything vague. This episode is a reflection on mindfulness, ownership, and the stories we tell ourselves about what we care about. It doesn’t offer hacks or shortcuts. It asks better questions. What are you actually prioritizing based on how you live your days. What keeps getting attention without ever being acknowledged. And what changes when you stop letting your goals live only in your head. If you’ve ever felt busy but ungrounded, motivated but stuck, or committed in theory but inconsistent in practice, this conversation will likely feel uncomfortably familiar. And that’s the point. Share this episode with someone who could benefit from the information. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST: IG: https://www.instagram.com/paulpantani/ WEBSITE: https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulpantani/ SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: https://transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com SPONSORS: Blue Line Roasting Get 10% off your purchase Link: https://bluelineroasting.com Promocode: Transition10

    13 min
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5
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Transition Drill Podcast: explores identity, leadership, and life after service through long-form conversations with military veterans, police, fire, and first responders navigating career transition, purpose, and reinvention. Tactical Transition Tips: practical guidance for those preparing for career change, organized by transition timelines The Mindset Debrief: short-form reflections on accountability, discipline, self-leadership, and personal responsibility for people navigating life.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Pantani
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    382
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Paul Pantani
  • Show Website
    Transition Drill

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