Inside Canada's SWAT: An RCMP Tactical Leader & Sergeant Major | Seb Lavoie

Send us Fan Mail Seb Lavoie is the most decorated operator most people have never heard of. Over 20 years he went from a French-Canadian kid with no childhood memories to a soldier, a covert air marshal, an ERT tactical operator and team leader, a court-recognized tactical expert, and the Divisional Sergeant Major over 8,200 people — then pride cost him his leg, and faith rebuilt him. Hostage rescues, the Surrey Six gang murders, an explosive breach gone catastrophically wrong, the cost on his family, rock bottom, and the conversion that changed everything. The Vanguard Wall’s first RCMP guest and first international guest. ▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wyy01D7FYT8 CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:09:00 Why He Can’t Remember His Childhood 00:14:30 Growing Up French-Only in 1970s Quebec 00:19:57 Bruce Lee on a Black-and-White TV 00:23:19 From Kung Fu and Muay Thai to BJJ 00:29:36 Becoming the Bully: Juvie and a Path of Destruction 00:33:13 The Roadside Moment That Pointed Him to Policing 00:39:38 Bouncing, Labor Disputes, and the Quebec Biker Wars 00:43:59 Weekend Infantry Basic with the Van Doos 00:50:13 Why He Left the Military for Policing 00:55:25 Inside the RCMP: Canada’s National Force 01:02:45 Depot: One Academy, Paramilitary From Day One 01:17:04 Posted to Tofino Speaking No English 01:29:12 Combatives Training and the Cop He Chose to Be 01:41:50 First Time Things Went Bad on the Street 01:48:38 The Parking-Lot Talk Before a Bar Fight, Outnumbered 02:04:54 Complacency, the 501st Stop, and Soft Shifts 02:22:16 Where He Was on 9/11 and What Changed 02:27:47 Going Covert: The Air Marshal Years 02:38:06 Chasing ERT: Canada’s SWAT 02:51:17 ERT Selection and the Training Pipeline 03:01:44 First ERT Call: A Machete and Two Hostages 03:13:47 Becoming a Breacher: Explosive Entry 03:24:39 Six Executed: The Surrey Investigation 03:49:20 Maritime Tactical Ops: Taking Down a Boat 04:03:32 Stepping Up to Element Leader 04:19:30 Leaving the Team: The Cost on the Family 04:31:11 Divisional Sergeant Major for All of BC 04:39:56 Leadership Dilemmas and Delivering Bad News 05:00:09 The Decision to Retire 05:07:35 Compartment Syndrome to a Below-the-Knee Amputation 05:17:45 Finding Faith Later in Life 05:26:26 The Moment That Changed Everything 06:00:46 The Roots of Orthodox Christianity 06:23:05 Building Raven Strategik 06:35:56 Final Word: The Power of Discernment 🔗 Connect with Seb Lavoie 🌐 Raven Strategik: https://ravenstrategik.ca 📚 Books — Raven Praxis Press: https://ravenstrategik.ca/raven-praxis-press/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slavccmdr Sponsors: Thinking about buying a home or refinancing? Nuwave built a dedicated page specifically for Vanguard Wall listeners so you can connect directly with the team assigned to our audience: https://nuwaveanchor.com/i/thevanguardwall Serious supplements “For Those that Run Towards” www.hoplitenutrition.com Use Code VANGUARD15 for 15% off 🔗 Connect with The Vanguard Wall Podcast 🏪 Merch: https://www.thevanguardwall.com 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVanguardWall ⚔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheVanguardWall 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevanguardwallpodcast/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569106772297 📧 Connect/Sponsor: thevanguardwallpodcast@gmail.com 📡 The Weekly SSE intel brief (free): https://intel.thevanguardwall.com Thinking about buying a home or refinancing? Nuwave Lending built a dedicated page specifically for Vanguard Wall listeners so you can connect directly with the team assigned to our audience. Get started here: https://nuwaveanchor.com/i/thevanguardwall NMLS #1722624 Patreon advertisment Support the show 🔗 Connect with The Vanguard Wall Podcast 🏪 Merch: https://www.thevanguardwall.com (code VANGUARD15) 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVanguardWall ⚔️ Patreon (early access + Discord): https://www.patreon.com/c/TheVanguardWall 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevanguardwallpodcast/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569106772297 📧 Sponsor Inquiries: thevanguardwallpodcast@gmail.com 💪 Hoplite Nutrition — veteran-built supplements made in the U.S. Code VANGUARD15 for 15% off Subscribe & Save → https://hoplitenutrition.com