Senior Drill Instructor Stu O'Shannon

12-06-2007, 08:02 PM

Listen and watch this my friends. Let me know you thoughts and opinions...

http://www2.tbo.com/static/photo_galler ... otraining/

**Average Joe** · 12-06-2007, 08:34 PM

Have any of these instructors ever been to a DI school or even in the military?

**fltoddy** · 12-06-2007, 08:48 PM

As mentioned before, I stay out of the PBA / Union / Sheriff discussions because I'm not full-time, it's none of my business, and I don't really have an informed opinion.

But on this topic, I do have an opinion, and a strong one at that.

Deputy O'Shannon, in my opinion, is a top notch Deputy. A cop's cop, takes his job very seriously, and someone I would trust to do the right thing. If we were in a movie, he's the kind of guy that makes them stop playing the "scary movie" music and start the marching band when he shows up on a call. Perfect? Nope, but his heart's in it.

I'm not sure what your intention was with this post so please be more specific so people know how to respond to you.

If your intention was to critique the program, have at it, but please try and separate the personnel from the program.

If you're intention was to slam Stu, I'll be back.

12-06-2007, 09:06 PM

No slamming intended and I am sure his heart is in it. It's the program and you can be sure it needs some work. If we are so interested in re-producing "The Academy" Reality Show, we better be sure we are doing it right. Ringing a bell is for the SEALS, not mature, educated folks who made a decision to follow a career in Law Enforcement. TO read that people were injured while marching a mile with heavy gear bags is the way to go. I beg to differ. If it's going to be 2 weeks, why not make it 6 or 8 and allow the candidates to work up to the expectations. The reason being is we don't have the money for a 6 or 8 week boot camp or SUPER paramilitary training program. It needs to be evaluated and eventually they'll figure it out....

As for the wanna be DI's, whatever suits them...

**007bond** · 12-06-2007, 09:13 PM

If you cant make it through a program like that, you will never make it at HCSO.
I wonder if Mike could make it through the program that he loves to slam?

12-06-2007, 09:15 PM

or 50% of the rest of the deputies out there.... That's what I find so amusing. How about a little P/T for everyone...

12-06-2007, 09:20 PM

this is from someone who has been working with stu for almost 10 years now....he the kinda guy who can fall in a pile of crap and come out smellin like roses. seen him do things others would get fired for

**fltoddy** · 12-06-2007, 09:27 PM

As one of the fat butts that struggles to keep my PAT time under 3 minutes, the quest for fitness doesn't turn me on much.

However, thinking with my "business" hat I can see the logic behind the boot camp. With supposedly 150-200 applications per selection, they can afford to be more selective. Maybe they wanted to set the standards high and see if they could fill them? Sounds like at a minimum the applicants will be in top physical shape and have the mental toughness needed to do their job.

I've seen some partners lose their edge when the situation gets dicey. It all worked out okay, but for the regulars I can see the logic behind trying to see what their breaking point is. The ideal course would push them to the limit physically, put them in a scenario where they honestly thought they were going to die, tempt them with an almost irresistible on-duty sexual scenario, and let them "find" $100k in cash. Heck, you could even walk them through a union vote just to see how they did....

However, I think "good cops" come in different styles. In a fight to the death with multiple assailants, you'd be hard pressed to find people better than Stu, Shawn D, and Eric Diaz (TPD) to engage and eliminate targets with extreme prejudice.

Would those three also be the best to counsel a distraught housewife that just banged up her SUV or patiently spend an hour on a 501? Probably not.

Who knows, maybe the few that had injuries would have had the same injuries on duty within their first year? I'd rather lose them in SOT than once they were in a zone slot.

As long as the boot camp is kept brief (2 weeks) and is just part of the application process (as it basically is now), and as long as they have 100+ candidates for each selection, I don't see the harm in raising the bar.

As proof it works, it would scare my fat butt to think of going through that course and I probably wouldn't even apply....

**fltoddy** · 12-06-2007, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Anonymous

this is from someone who has been working with stu for almost 10 years now....he the kinda guy who can fall in a pile of crap and come out smellin like roses. seen him do things others would get fired for

Are you referring to Street Crimes in general, or Stu in particular when you refer to doing things others would get fired for?

:lol:

**007bond** · 12-06-2007, 09:33 PM

Fat has nothing to do with it.
Its if you are physically able to do the job which you are.
Not only that you are smart.
However, some people can't do the job because they are obese. I actually feel bad for them because if they ever had to defend themselves from hand to hand combat, they couldn't do it.
The one girl dropped out because it was obvious she had no commanding presence.
Is it better to let her get her arse whipped on the highway and let a passerby find her dead in a ditch?
Physical fitness has to be a priority.
You can be overweight and be physically fit but you cant be obese and tell me that you are able to do it.