Performance Drone Works’ next frontier: Weapons and Warfare

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE NEW C-N-O IS A GO. HEAR FROM ADMIRAL DARYL CAUDLE, THE 34th CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, AS HE TAKES COMMAND. 

PLUS, THE PENTAGON RESTRICTS UKRAINE’S USE OF U.S MISSILES AGAINST RUSSIA. WHAT’S BEHIND THE DECISION.

AND,WHAT’S IN A NAME? WHY THE LARGEST DEPARTMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH COULD BE PULLING THE TRIGGER ON A NAME CHANGE.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO WEAPONS AND WARFARE. A SHOW MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE. 

OUR GOAL IS TO HELP YOU HAVE AN INFORMED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH AMERICA’S MILITARY.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M YOUR HOST, RYAN ROBERTSON, AND WE START THIS WEEK WITH A LOOK INSIDE A NEW FACILITY, FROM AN EMERGING PLAYER IN A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET. 

IT’S A SOUND THAT’S IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIABLE. THE PERSONAL DRONE. AND FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THEIR NUMBERS IN THE U.S. HAVE EXPLODED.

FROM HOBBYISTS, TO YOUTUBERS, TO NEWS OUTLETS, AND BEYOND, THERE ARE NEARLY ONE MILLION DRONES IN THE SKIES OF AMERICA.

ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 822,039 DRONES REGISTERED TO COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL PILOTS. 

BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL RUSSIA’S ILLEGAL INVASION OF UKRAINE THAT THE IDEA OF TAKING THESE NIMBLE, DEPENDABLE, AND MOST OF ALL, AFFORDABLE, FLYING MACHINES, INTO COMBAT BECAME A WIDELY ACCEPTED IDEA. FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS, AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERSHIP, AND ENTREPRENEURS ALIKE, HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW BEST TO ARM AMERICAN TROOPS WITH DRONES OF THEIR OWN. 

AT FIRST GLANCE, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE SUPPLY SHOULDN’T BE AN ISSUE.  BUT THE TRUTH IS AN ESTIMATED 80% OF THE DRONES OPERATING IN THE U.S. ARE CHINESE-MADE. SOMETHING THAT, PARDON THAT PUN, DOESN’T FLY WITH AMERICAN MILITARY LEADERSHIP. 

ENTER PERFORMANCE DRONE WORKS. THIS AMERICAN INNOVATOR RECENTLY OPENED A BRAND-NEW BUILDING DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO SPEED UP THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF PDW’S C100 MULTI-MISSION UAS AND THE AM-FPV ATTRITABLE MUNITION. THE 90,000-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY, DUBBED DRONE FACTORY ONE,  IS BUILT TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWING DEMAND FROM THE PENTAGON.

I RECENTLY HAD THE CHANCE TO VISIT WITH RYAN GURY, A FRIEND OF THE SHOW AS WELL AS PDW’s CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, ABOUT WHY NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO UNDETAKE A PROJECT LIKE THIS.  

[Ryan Gury, CEO & Co-Founder, Performance Drone Works]

“Our thesis is that there is a massive generational change occurring on the battlefield. Legacy us primes, you know, really cannot win today’s wars. And there is a massive shift occurring towards attributable robotics, which is what we specialize in, and we leverage commercial technologies, much like you see in the Eastern war in Ukraine, or, you know, with Russia’s use of the shot head to develop and mass manufacture combat systems, you know, for tomorrow’s war fighters.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

“When you say you leverage commercial technologies? What does that mean? And how does that allow you to, you know, move quicker and iterate faster, and all the things that the DoD is looking for?”

[Ryan Gury, CEO & Co-Founder, Performance Drone Works]

“Essentially, commercial technologies have reached such a point of maturity that you can develop weapons and scale them, and that’s what we’re seeing on the front lines in Europe. Now, 70 to 80% of all strikes are being delivered by drones the size of a dinner plate, using parts from Amazon and Alibaba, and they outperform legacy systems like the Switchblade. ”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE SWITCHBLADE, BEING AN AEROVIRONMENT LOITERING MUNITION, THAT WAS THE FIRST SPECIFIC SYSTEM CHOSEN FOR THE PENTAGON’S REPLICATOR PROGRAM. BUT IT’S THE NIMBLENESS OF UKRAINE’S INNOVATORS, AND THE SPEED OF TECHNOLOGICAL GROWTH, THAT’S PUSHING GURY AND HIS CO-WORKERS. 

“When you talk about scale, and you know the US needing to make millions of these, and you know your facility will be able to make 60,000 a month is do you imagine that this is the first of several facilities That PDW will have, or is PDW part of a larger picture of other manufacturers all contributing to that millions? I mean, what’s kind of your crystal ball insight into that?”

[Ryan Gury, CEO & Co-Founder, Performance Drone Works]

“Well, both there’s room for a few pdws out there, and the reason why we call it drone factory, one is inferring that there’ll be another. We believe that there needs to be an arsenal small robotics on the front lines. There are a few companies, only a handful, though, and they’re still, you know, early stages are that are aligned with us and in the style in which you make robotics, and we think that they’re going to be greatly successful as well. I think what we’re after is the end of these exquisite systems. We want to see a marketplace where users can rate and buy and choose what they want. We want to remove the red tape and these long programs of records. ”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

AT THIS POINT YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY NORTHERN ALABAMA FOR THIS VENTURE? FOR GURY AND HIS TEAM, THE CITY’S HISTORY IN MISSILE PRODUCTION AND ROCKETRY MAKES IT AN IDEAL PLACE FOR PDW AS THEY WORK TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF UNMANNED TECHNOLOGY.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

“The location of the facility in Huntsville, Alabama, obviously not by chance there’s the location to different military facilities in the area. How does that going to help with the rapid iteration and the the feedback loop with with your closest customers?”

[Ryan Gury, CEO & Co-Founder, Performance Drone Works]

“When we, you know, we started the company in Manhattan, which was no place for a defense company, we kind of looked across America as, you know, a great home. And we thought Huntsville was just perfect. We could find big fields to fly. Everyone is supportive of what we do. Culturally, it’s wonderful, and it’s really cost efficient.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY’S PRESS RELEASE WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DRONE FACTORY 1, PDW IS INTRODUCING MORE THAN 500 NEW JOBS IN THE GREATER HUNTSVILLE AREA AND SPURRING AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MORE THAN $81 MILLION PER YEAR.

IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MY ENTIRE CONVERSATION WITH RYAN, YOU CAN FIND THAT A LITTLE LATER THIS WEEK ON THE WEAPONS AND WARFARE YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

I’M JOINED NOW BY SENIOR PRODUCER, AND AIR FORCE VETERAN, BRETT BAKER.

FOR SOME HEADLINES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

BRETT. YOU FEELING ANY BETTER THIS WEEK? I KNOW LAST WEEK YOU HAD SOME ALLERGIES YOU WERE DEALING WITH.

[BRETT BAKER]

YEAH, I FEEL BETTER. I DON’T SOUND A WHOLE LOT BETTER, BUT I FEEL FINE. IT’S JUST, YEAH, MY VOICE IS NOT GREAT. PROBABLY GOING TO NEBRASKA, AND CINCINNATI AT ARROWHEAD DIDN’T HELP WITH THE RECUPERATION PROCESS. BUT YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE PAINS YOU GOT TO PAY TO BE A FAN.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ABSOLUTELY, FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GET TO THOSE HEADLINES.

185 DAYS AFTER ADMIRAL LISA FRANCHETTI WAS RELIEVED OF COMMAND, THE NAVY HAS ITS NEW CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.  ADMIRAL DARYL CAUDLE, A LONGTIME SUBMARINE COMMANDER WITH 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, IS OFFICIALLY THE NAVY’S 34TH CNO. 

[ADM Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations]

“Those who know me best know that I am not one for standing by idle. I’m chomping at the bit to get after the work that lies ahead, to ensure that our Navy remains and forever will be the most dominant, lethal , and credible maritime fighting force the world has ever known. ”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ADMIRAL CAUDLE IS NOW PART OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AND ACTS AS AN ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT, THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, THE HOMELAND SECURITY COUNCIL, AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. 

BRETT–WITH THE PROSPECT OF A WAR WITH CHINA IN THE PACIFIC ON THE HORIZON–PICKING A SUBMARINE COMMANDER MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

[BRETT BAKER]

NO, THAT’S A GREAT POINT. AND FOR SURE, THE…

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, EXCUSE ME, YEAH, SORRY, GO AHEAD.

[BRETT BAKER]

YEAH, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE ONES YOU DON’T WANT TO I’D SAY, GET EMAILS. 

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

YEP, EXACTLY. NO.

[BRETT BAKER]

HE’S A MAN WITH A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE, PROBABLY MORE THAN READY FOR THE JOB. HE EXPRESSED THAT IN. IS SWEARING IN SPEECH. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT’S A GOOD CHOICE, IF THEY HAD TO MAKE A CHANGE, WHICH WE CAN DEBATE THE MERITS OF THAT LATER. I THINK THIS MAN IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR THAT, FOR THAT POSITION.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE PENTAGON HAS BEEN QUIETLY BLOCKING UKRAINE FROM USING U.S.-MADE LONG-RANGE ARMY TACTICAL MISSILE SYSTEMS (ATACMS) TO STRIKE TARGETS INSIDE RUSSIA, LIMITING KYIV’S ABILITY TO EMPLOY THESE WEAPONS IN ITS DEFENCE AGAINST MOSCOW’S INVASION, THE wall street JOURNAL REPORTED IN LATE AUGUST. CITING U.S. OFFICIALS.

THE NEWS CAME AS U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS GROWN MORE FRUSTRATED PUBLICLY OVER THE THREE-YEAR-OLD WAR AND HIS INABILITY TO SECURE A PEACE DEAL BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE.

BRETT–BIDEN PUT RESTRICTIONS ON UKRAINE WHEN IT CAME TO USING U-S WEAPONS–THEN HE LIFTED THEM RIGHT BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE. SO, THIS RESTRICTION IS SORT OF A RETURN TO NORMAL FOR UKRAINE.

[BRETT BAKER]

RIGHT, WHICH I THINK IS UNFORTUNATE. I REALLY THINK THAT IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THEY BE ALLOWED TO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO USE THOSE MUNITIONS IN THE WAY THAT THEY BEST SEE FIT. THIS IS THE KIND OF SITUATION WHERE, WHENEVER YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, YOU NEED TO PRESS IT. YOU NEED TO SEIZE ON IT, AND IF YOU’RE TYING A HAND BEHIND THEIR BACK, THAT IS NOT HELPING THE CAUSE,

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

RIGHT? UKRAINE HAS DEVELOPED SOME OF THEIR OWN LONG RANGE OPTIONS, LIKE THE FLAMINGO AND THE NEPTUNE MISSILE. THEY’RE, THEY’RE TRYING TO PUT THOSE INTO MASS PRODUCTION. OBVIOUSLY, THE US HAS A LOT MORE WEAPONS THAN UKRAINE DOES, AND MR. TRUMP, PRESIDENT TRUMP, DID PUT OUT ON TRUTH SOCIAL THAT YOU KNOW IT’S, IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN A WAR IF YOU DON’T STRIKE YOUR ENEMY WHERE THEY LIVE, SEEMING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT UKRAINE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO HIT RUSSIANS IN RUSSIA. SO MAYBE THIS IS A NEGOTIATING LIKE A BARGAINING CHIP THAT HE’S ABLE TO PLAY AGAINST. PUTIN. IF THE CEASEFIRE DEAL DOESN’T COME TO FRUITION, IT HASN’T YET, SO WE’LL SEE HOW THIS GOES.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS THINKING ABOUT RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

TRUMP HAS MUSED ABOUT RENAMING THE DOD TO IT’S ORIGINAL NAME, THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR. THE NAME WAS CHANGED IN 1949.

[DONALD TRUMP]

“You know, Department of Defense. We won the World War One, World War Two. It was called the Department Of War. And to me, that’s really what it is. It’s defense is a part of that. But I have a feeling we’re going to be changing. I’m talking to the people. Everybody likes that.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

TRUMP SAID THE PREVIOUS NAME “HAD A STRONGER SOUND” AND THERE MIGHT BE AN UPDATE ON THE POTENTIAL NAME CHANGE “OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.”

AND BY THE TIME THIS SEGMENT AIRS, BRETT, I SUPPOSE WE MAY HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF WAR–

WHICH MAY BE A MORE APT NAME FOR IT IF WE’RE BEING HONEST….NOT ALL OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE D-O-D ARE STRICTLY DEFENSIVE IN NATURE. 

[BRETT BAKER]

RIGHT. BUT I DO THINK THAT THE NAME CHANGE, WHEN THAT DID OCCUR, SPEAKS MORE TO THE TIME AND PLACE WHERE WE ARE. IT’S ABOUT NATIONAL DEFENSE. IT’S NOT ABOUT NATIONAL WAR, RIGHT? YES, WAR HAPPENS. YES, WE HAVE PARTAKEN IN THOSE. BUT I THINK THE TIME AND PLACE HAS CHANGED, AND WHY? LIKE, REALLY, THE BIG QUESTION IS, JUST WHY IT DOESN’T AFFECT ANYTHING. SO, YEAH, I MEAN, IT’S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS. IT’S LIKE, OKAY, SURE.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

YEAH, I CAN SEE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, WHEN I STARTED HEARING ABOUT THIS FROM A LOGISTICS PERSPECTIVE, LIKE, THINK OF ALL OF THE SIGNS BRANDING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, FROM A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE, ALL OF THE EVERYTHING THAT SAYS DOD WILL HAVE TO BE CHANGED, LIKE EVERYTHING FROM CARDS TO SIGNS TO WEBSITES, LETTERHEADS. SO THAT’S THAT’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND ENERGY. SO YEAH, OBVIOUSLY THIS IDEA IS BEING CRITICIZED BY FOLKS OUT THERE. THERE’S ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. I UNDERSTAND BOTH SIDES OF IT. SO MAYBE WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF WAR RIGHT NOW. BRETT, MAYBE WE DON’T. WE RECORD THIS OBVIOUSLY BEFORE IT PUBLISHES, SO I GUESS TELL US IN THE COMMENTS SECTION, FOLKS, IF WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF WAR YET OR NOT. BRETT, ALWAYS A PLEASURE. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT TIME.

[BRETT BAKER]

NEXT TIME, WE’LL BE THERE.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

IMAGINE A VEHICLE THAT COMBINES THE SPEED OF AN AIRCRAFT WITH THE EASE OF A BOAT. IT FEATURES THREE MODES: FLOAT, FOIL, AND FLY.

THIS WINGED PASSENGER FERRY IS CALLED THE PALADIN, AND COULD REVOLUTIONIZE COASTAL TRANSPORTATION OR SERVE AS A NEW TYPE OF WARSHIP. AND THAT’S WHY IT’S OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING SOMEONE IN THE 1960s MIGHT HAVE IMAGINED ABOUT THE WAY PEOPLE WOULD TRAVEL IN THE YEAR 2000.

25 YEARS ON AND THIS WINGED PASSENGER FERRY GLIDING OVER THE SURFACE OF NARRAGANSETT BAY COULD BE THE FUTURE OF COASTAL TRANSPORTATION OR A NEW OPTION FOR MILITARY COMMANDERS OPERATING IN THE LITTORALS OF THE PACIFIC.

ITS MAKER, REGENT CRAFT, IS BETTING ON BOTH.

TWELVE PROPELLERS LINE THE 65-FOOT WINGSPAN OF THE PALADIN, A SLEEK SHIP WITH AN AIRPLANE’S NOSE. REGENT CRAFT IS TESTING A PROTOTYPE OF THIS VESSEL, IT CALLS A SEAGLIDER – A HYBRID BETWEEN A BOAT AND AIRCRAFT THAT EXPLOITS A PHYSICS PHENOMENON CALLED GROUND EFFECT, THE SAME CUSHION OF AIR THAT PELICANS AND SEAGULLS RIDE WHEN SKIMMING OCEAN WAVES.

[Billy Thalheimer, REGENT Craft Co-Founder and CEO]

“So right now, when seaplanes and flying boats try to take off from the water, they’re slapping the surface of the water. They have very poor wave tolerance. And that’s why they’re constrained to inland waterways, lakes and rivers. Seagliders, by contrast, have a hydrofoil. That’s an underwater wing. We’re taking that from the sailing world, the racing world – the America’s Cup and Sail GP. These underwater wings, called hydrofoils, lift the sea glider out of the surface of the water giving us five feet of wave tolerance, so that’s basically a hurricane, allowing us to accelerate up to about 50 to 60 miles an hour before we take off on the wing.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THE COMMERCIAL VERSION IS DESIGNED TO TRAVEL AT 180 MILES AN HOUR, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE MISSIONS THAT LAST AN HOUR ON BATTERY POWER – TAPPING SEVEN TESLA’S WORTH OF BATTERIES ON BOARD.

THE VESSEL OPERATES IN WAVES UP TO FIVE FEET FOR BOTH TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS, MAKING IT IDEAL FOR ROUTES CONNECTING COASTAL DESTINATIONS AS WELL AS OVER-WATER ROUTES LINKING ISLANDS.

[Billy Thalheimer, REGENT Craft Co-Founder and CEO]

“We have $15 million in contracts with the U.S. Marine Corps today. We are rapidly approaching larger programs, acquisition programs, and working not only in the U.S., but with our allied Department of Defense’s and Ministry of Defense on incorporating Seagliders into their defense and national security strategies.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

REGENT IS WORKING WITH THE CORPS TO REPURPOSE THE SAME “WING-IN-GROUND-EFFECT” VESSELS FOR ISLAND-HOPPING TROOPS IN THE PACIFIC. THOSE VESSELS WOULD LIKELY TRADE ELECTRIC BATTERY POWER FOR JET FUEL TO COVER LONGER JOURNEYS. 

AND THE MARINES AREN’T THE ONLY ONES INTERESTED. REGENT HAS ALSO BUILT PARTNERSHIPS WITH U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND AND THE U.S. COAST GUARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

[Billy Thalheimer, REGENT Craft Co-Founder and CEO]

“In less than five years, we have our full scale prototype on the water with safety systems sufficient to take on human crew. I mean, literally myself was on that Seaglider earlier today, and we are imminent, within a couple of years now, of our first deliveries to both commercial and defense customers.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

AND WE ARE STARTING TO GET SOME CLARITY ON THE FATE OF THE COLORADO AIR NATIONAL GUARDSMEN THAT WE PROFILED IN EPISODE 78. AND THAT’S THE SUBJECT OF THIS WEEK’S COMMS CHECK.

IT NOW LOOKS LIKE THE 2025 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT THAT CALLS FOR THE TRANSFER OF NEARLY 600 AIR GUARD SPACE PROFESSIONALS TO THE SPACE FORCE IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN. THAT’S AFTER SENATORS IN THE STATES MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED BACKED OFF CALLS TO STOP THE MOVE.

SENATORS JOHN HICKENLOOPER OF COLORADO AND MIKE CRAPO OF IDAHO PROPOSE TRANSFERRING GUARDSMEN WITH SPACE MISSIONS TO THE ACTIVE-DUTY SPACE FORCE AS EARLY AS OCTOBER. A MOVE THAT’S STILL FACING STRONG OPPOSITION FROM GOVERNORS AND LAWMAKERS ADVOCATING FOR A SPACE NATIONAL GUARD.

THE AMENDMENTS ALLOW A ONE-TIME, VOLUNTARY TRANSFER OF THE GUARDSMEN WHILE ENSURING GOVERNORS ARE CONSULTED. THE NATIONAL GUARD ASSOCIATION CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR A SPACE NATIONAL GUARD AND THE REPEAL OF THE CONTROVERSIAL TRANSFER PROPOSAL, WHICH COULD LEAD TO TALENT LOSS. THE AIR FORCE HAS DETAILED UNITS SET FOR TRANSFER, STARTING OCTOBER 1, 2025, WHILE THE SPACE FORCE IS DEVELOPING A PART-TIME SERVICE MODEL THAT MAY DIFFER FROM TRADITIONAL STRUCTURES.

ALRIGHT FOLKS, THAT’S GOING TO JUST ABOUT DO IT FOR US THIS WEEK AT WEAPONS AND WARFARE. 

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD AND WANT TO HELP IN OUR MISSION TO MAKE STORIES OF MILITARY MATTERS AND NATIONAL DEFENSE MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON–PLEASE LIKE, SUBSCRIBE AND SHARE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS–AND DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY. 

FOR MY WRAP THIS WEEK–I WANT TO SPEND JUST A FEW MOMENTS TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUE OF GUN VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. 

BEFORE YOU LABEL ME AS JUST ANOTHER LIBERAL REPORTER WHO DOESN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE SUBJECT–

I LEARNED HOW TO SHOOT WITH MY GRANDAD’S RUGER 10-22 WHEN  I WAS 8–AND HE TAUGHT ME A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR FIREARMS. MY DAD AND I USED TO SPEND HOURS AT THE RANGE OR IN A FIELD PLINKING–OR PREPARING FOR THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE AS WE USED TO JOKE…

AND TODAY–I STILL OWN GUNS. SO, YOU CAN BELIEVE ME WHEN  I SAY I SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT. 

BUT I ALSO GREW UP IN THE AGE OF SCHOOL SHOOTER DRILLS. WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN AND  SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL– I WENT TO A SCHOOL THAT WASN’T VERY FAR FROM COLOMBINE …AND I ACTUALLY KNEW RACHEL SCOTT, ONE OF THE VICTIMS IN THAT MASSACRE. 

SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS THAN I CARE TO COUNT IN THIS COUNTRY…IT’S HAPPENED SO MUCH WE CAN PREDICT REACTIONS.  REPUBLICANS SAYS IT’S A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. DEMS SAYS IT’S BECAUSE OF QUICK AND EASY ACCESS TO GUNS….AND IN THE MIDDLE ARE PEOPLE SCREAMING FOR CHANGE. 

NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED THOUGH. 

AFTER THE ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN EXPIRED IN THE 90S–

THE ONLY MAJOR RESTRICTION ON FIREARMS CAME WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BUMP-STOCK BAN IN HIS FIRST TERM–BUT EVEN THAT WAS OVERTURNED. 

CONGRESS KEEPS CUTTING FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH CERTAINLY ISN’T HELPING THE PROBLEM–

BUT LAST WEEK I WAS ENCOURAGED TO HEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP SPEAKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE U-S HAS FAR TOO MANY ACTIVE SHOOTERS AND EVEN SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF REOPENING SOME PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTIONS–SO PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT NEED TO GO TO PRISON OR JAIL–BUT STILL NEED HELP–CAN GET IT. 

IT’S OBVIOUSLY STILL TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW THIS PLAYS OUT EXACTLY–BUT THE FACT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE BOTH TALKING ABOUT MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES–HONESTLY, IS JUST SUCH A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN THIS CONVERSATION…WHICH HAS GONE ON FOR FAR TOO LONG. 

FOR SENIOR PRODUCER BRETT BAKER, VIDEO EDITOR BRIAN SPENCER, AND MOTION DESIGNER DAKOTA PITEO–I’M RYAN ROBERTSON FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS SIGNING OFF.