Bring your popcorn.... TR goodness in this thread.

[LastRebel70]

I have known people who worked with James Yeager overseas. All have had nothing positive to say about him. They said his work ethic was a bit off and that he was a "hothead" if approached about any of his shortcomings. They also said he also wasn't as knowledgeable as he had played himself up to be. They said it seemed it was more about being able to brag than anything else and his history since seems to back that assertion up.

James Yeager was over there for a very limited time before a screw up on his part cost some folks their lives. After that he was never able to find work overseas again. And honestly it does take a pretty substantial screw up for the companies to not use you after the money they spent on training, clearances, plane tickets and a lot of other costs. It is such a small community that a reputation, good or bad, stays with you and gets around rather quickly.

His screw up is how Tactical Response was born, he was able to turn lemons into lemonade. I am glad he is able to rebound from what has happened but for me he is doing nothing more than duping people out of their money. He makes sure to mention he spent time working as a contractor but never mentions there are people dead because of HIS mistakes while doing it.

He is like a lot of other high profile instructors out there (Pat Rogers). They market themselves well but have very little to actually offer. I have watched a lot of videos of his courses and all have a hill billy, hold my beer kind of unprofessional feel about them.

There are plenty of other great schools out there for the money. They offer a lot more training without all the ego inflated chest thumping bravado James does.

Dolomite

Maybe you can explain to me how the driver of car 1 is responsible for the commander of the unit to let the 3 car convoy sit at the road block for so long and be to blame for the guy that got killed in the initial burst from the ambush, who was in car 2?

[Guest bkelm18]

Maybe you can explain to me how the driver of car 1 is responsible for the commander of the unit to let the 3 car convoy sit at the road block for so long and be to blame for the guy that got killed in the initial burst from the ambush, who was in car 2?

Have you read Yaeger's AAR?

[LastRebel70]

Yes I have read it but that still doesn't answer my my question of how everything is his fault.

[scoutfsu]

You should really go read up on the facts before posting. Also, as stated by Jason, it wasn't just his multiple mistakes on scene that led to his dismissal. It was his AAR where he blamed everyone except himself that got him tossed.

ETA: wrote that before the replies

Edited July 20, 2011 by scoutfsu

[scoutfsu]

It's not that everything was his fault. It was his attempt to shift blame that topped off the mistakes he made.

ETA: From the Company's AAR -

Actions during the contact itself were conducted in accordance with the team SOP. The team attempted to drive out of the kill zone but this action was precluded due to operator error for vehicle one and mechanical failure due to enemy fire with vehicles two and three. Upon failing to extract by vehicle the operators evacuated the vehicles and established a base of fire in order to suppress enemy forces so as to then be able to break contact as required. The fact that the team suffered 50 percent casualties in the initial volley of fire detracted from their ability to sufficiently suppress the enemy thus also negating their ability to then break contact. James Yeager in accordance with the team SOP attempted to break contact in the opening stages of the contact yet fire superiority and or suppression had at that time not been established. Ian Harris and Mark Collen, each under heavy enemy fire, were the only two individuals during the contact who attempted to suppress enemy forces. Simon Merry was continuing to try to maneuver his vehicle to a position of support to vehicle one and then two whilst Al Johnson was busily treating multiple casualties at his location with vehicle three. James Yeager was in a location at the median where he could not engage enemy forces as he did no have a line of fire from his location. Ian Harris as team 2 IC provided leadership to the team through the use of verbal commands and fire control while the team leader, Al Johnson attended to the wounded personnel from his vehicle. Ian Harris, with assistance from Coalition Forces and Olive Security, consolidated the team and evacuated the area.

Edited July 20, 2011 by scoutfsu

[LastRebel70]

I was responding to Dolomite's claim that it was JY's fault that the 3 people were killed. That is what I was asking to be clarified. I have neither tried to defend him or attacked him, I was simply asking a question. And I have checked up on the facts I saw the video, read his AAR and another AAR.

[LastRebel70]

Double Post

[Guest bkelm18]

This thread is gaining tremendous potential for WIN.

[LastRebel70]

You know what I give up, I tried to get an answer to a question but you are ignoring my question and zeroing in on something completely different. It's like I heard there are 2 groups, one hates mhim and everything he says or does and the other loves him and there is no middle ground which is where I am.

[scoutfsu]

I'm apathetic towards him. I don't hate or like the guy. I'll say that his actions, past and present, speak volumes about himself. Yeager lost himself a ton of business the way he dealt with that guy.

[TGO David]

Guys... Yeager's involvement in the incident on Route Irish have been discussed here ad nauseum and, frankly, I don't know that it is possible given the third-hand information available to extrapolate "the truth" about what happened or who did what. We can definitely draw some conclusions with reasonable accuracy, but there will still be unknowns that leave room for uncertainty.

That said, I think it is easier to debate the matter at hand and draw conclusions from that.

The older I get, the less patience I have and subsequently I am less willing to accept risks when it comes to investing my money or my time. If I cannot enter into an endeavor with reasonable assurance that I am going to either enriched personally or financially from my involvement, I do not enter into that endeavor. I can apply that mentality to firearms training pretty easily. If I have questions about a training opportunity or organization or personality because of well-known baggage, I am not going to spend my money or my time with them.

There are too many good, reputable trainers and training orgs out there -- perhaps even teaching the exact same things -- for me to take risks with, or support, those who have a cloud of bad karma surrounding them.

This doesn't apply to Tactical Response in particular, it just applies to all of them in general. Your mileage might vary.

[LastRebel70]

Actually they have had 300 students in the last 7 days and already passed last years numbers.

[Guest Plainsman]

It's not what he did during the fight, it was his actions after that landed him in hot water and gave him the reputation he carries. In his AAR he basically blamed everyone but himself.

James Yeager was over there for a very limited time before a screw up on his part cost some folks their lives.

He makes sure to mention he spent time working as a contractor but never mentions there are people dead because of HIS mistakes while doing it.

Maybe, but if that's the case, your statement here should have been whats said to begin with. You've made my point. I think that by now, in speaking of him as a professional it is agreed that he is very controversial. I don't know that he deserves having someone say HE is solely responsible for the deaths of some on his team. But again, I don't know much...

[Guest Plainsman]

Actually they have had 300 students in the last 7 days and already passed last years numbers.

If your facts are correct, the statement that TR has had 300 students in the last seven days just tacks on another reason I won't be attending anytime soon.

Why would they be publishing "data" anyways??

[BigPoppa]

I'm apathetic towards him. I don't hate or like the guy.

Here's where I am, too.

Yeager lost himself a ton of business the way he dealt with that guy

I don't know how much business he will lose (or gain), I just know he won't be collecting any Big Poppa dollars.

.

..

[Dolomite_supafly]

I am not ignoring your question. I don't hang on here every waking moment of every day. 45 minutes isn't a long time before giving up on getting a response.

who was in car 2?

Lead/Advance Vehicle consisting of Soft Skin BMW Sedan

James Yeager - Driver

Steph Surette - Vehicle IC

Mark Collen - Rear Gunner (medic)

Center/Main Body B6 Armored Mercedes

Driver- Simon Merry

Vehicle IC- Ian Harris (mission 2 IC)

Rear/Follow Vehicle consisting of Soft Skin BMW Sedan

Driver - Chris Ahmelmen

Vehicle IC – Allan Johnson (overall mission commander)

Rear Gunner - James (Jay) Hunt

Yes I have read it but that still doesn't answer my my question of how everything is his fault.

I never said everything was his fault but it was HIS mistake that prevented the team from getting out of the kill zone. He placed the car in neutral as well as engaged the emergency brake then forgot he had done so. It was not the drivers of vehicle two or three that did that, it was Yeager who was in the lead vehicle. He should have been moving off the "X" at :07-:08 of the video, instead the team had to remain static while Yeager ran to the median.

In any ambush scenario the first thing you must do is get out of the kill zone (get off the "X"). James Yeager prevented this through his actions and as a result there were deaths. Who knows, those who died might have died anyways but Yeager's actions prevented the team from getting off the "X" which didn't help in any way shape or form. And by not moving that kept them in a static position that prevented people from seeking medical treatment. There was a single person who was DRT, the other two who died did so as a result of blood loss. Femoral bleeds are pretty rough to deal with and treatment may not have made a difference but not moving definitely increased the odd they were going to die. His AAR, although detailed, also tried to show himself in good light at the expense of others (you can see the jading and deflecting).

Regardless of this single incident there is a lot more out there about him. I have worked with several people who worked with Yeager. I never heard a single, positive thing said about him while I was over there. They even said that before this incident they had concerns over his actual knowledge vs his claims/resume. This goes a long way toward what I said before which was he has marketed himself well. Although it seems like it is this single incident that has brought on the proverbial ****storm for Yeager but it isn't. It was his actions before and since that has helped him gain the reputation he has. And as I said I am glad he made lemonade out of lemons but I would not put a single dime towards any of his training.

Nothing against LE but I have personally seen more "issues" with those over there with those who only have LE experience as opposed to those with military experience. I am not saying all LE have issues and that all military have no issues but LE tend to have more issues in general while over there. I had both under my hat when I started working overseas. Yeager only had LE experience and that was in small towns.

We have all screwed up. I have as well as most people over there at some point. It is ownership of that mistake that defines how a person is viewed. Hard to say if I would have done anything differently than James but I can assure you I would have done exactly like I have done with so many other mistakes I have made and own it.

Dolomite

[Guest clownsdd]

Well, regardless of what he did overseas, I have to agree with the original poster. He needs his money back and based on what was discussed in the original link, I would stay away.

[DaveTN]

You know what I give up, I tried to get an answer to a question but you are ignoring my question and zeroing in on something completely different. It's like I heard there are 2 groups, one hates mhim and everything he says or does and the other loves him and there is no middle ground which is where I am.

This has been how many years ago now? This has been argued over and over again. You watched the video, you read the reports; what do care what someone else’s opinion is?

You would have to be one messed up individual to have never been in combat or a shooting and start talking armchair smack about what someone else should have done. It is my understanding from years ago that the problem was that his written reports did not represent what happened and that he blamed other people.

Actually they have had 300 students in the last 7 days and already passed last years numbers.

300 people a week? That’s amazing. (if its true). He could buy and sell most trainers on here; so I would guess he is laughing at all this.

300 a week???

[LastRebel70]

Dolomite, I wasn't referring to giving up on getting a response from you, it was directed at the others that commented on what I said. Sorry about this misunderstanding over that.

[Dolomite_supafly]

No worries. I suspect the OP will never see a refund, at least not voluntarily. Dolomite

[LastRebel70]

You are probably correct,

[Jasongar8]

Actually they have had 300 students in the last 7 days and already passed last years numbers.

Care to cite the source you got this information from?

[LastRebel70]

His facebook page.

[LastRebel70]

I never said everything was his fault but it was HIS mistake that prevented the team from getting out of the kill zone. He placed the car in neutral as well as engaged the emergency brake then forgot he had done so. It was not the drivers of vehicle two or three that did that, it was Yeager who was in the lead vehicle. He should have been moving off the "X" at :07-:08 of the video, instead the team had to remain static while Yeager ran to the median.

Actually I rewatched the video today and this was a 2-lane highway with a breakdown lane and the car JY was driving was in the break-down lane with the other 2 cars in the 2 lanes so I don't see how he blocked the road.

[scoutfsu]

He wasn't physically blocking the road. You don't leave people behind, especially with Haj. His inability to "get off the X" definitely exacerbated the situation. That's not even talking about his failure to identify the targets and put rounds downrange. He most certainly couldn't do that from where he was laying in the median. The fact that he was the only one who did that is what we call a "clue."

I just want to add that while I am disagreeing with you Rebel, I'm not attacking you. We're going to think what we're going to think based off our experiences.

edited for misspelling a word!

Edited July 20, 2011 by scoutfsu