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A few years ago I read One Second After and it really got me thinking about trying to get home in a variety of scenarios ( EMP, civil unrest, etc... )
I do service work and am all over the north Georgia area. I could be anywhere from 3 miles to well over a hundred miles from home in an SHTF scenario where I might have to abandon my vehicle and start walking home.
I've put together a "Get Home Bag" and would love some feedback/input.
Kept in the van are the following items not shown in the Get Home Bag:
My EDC Bag with daily crap I carry. ( Glock 26 and Serpa holster, 2 spare mags, iPad, iPhone, charging cables, Leatherman Skeletool, spare reading glasses, lighter
  Cold weather gear. I keep some cold weather clothing in the van for the sake of the job anyway. So, if I had to abandon the vehicle in cold weather, I would just put that clothing on and take it with me.
   A couple of cases of water in the van both for everyday consumption and start making my way home use.
   A spare, quality pair of waterproof, composite toe boots in the van that I would change into.
   A nice heavy duty pry bar
   A Snugpak Stratosphere waterproof one person bivvi shelter

Here is the bag and its contents:

GET HOME BAG


Maxpedition Falcon II backpack

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FOOD
3 Mainstay 1200 Calorie Energy Bars
2 Cliff Bars
8 water flavor packs

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FIRE KIT
100' paracord
Fischer Space Pen
ASP Pepper Spray Key Defender
ASP Kuboton Glass Breaker
Write in the rain notebook
Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizer ( storage for fire making supplies )
Wire Saw
Fresnel Lens ( magnifying & fire making )
Petroleum saturated cotton for tinder
Jute twine for tinder
Knife sharpener
Light My Fire FireSteel Fire Starter
Going Gear Numyth Fire Piston
Lifeboat Matches in waterproof case
Orange Numyth Tohil Watertight Fluid Lighter
Black Windproof butane lighter
cash in small bills ( vending machine or even fire tinder if need be )
roll of quarters
Fox 40 rescue whistle
Silicone lubricant for fire piston seals

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TOILET KIT
stored in Spec-Ops Dry-Cell Waterproof Pocket Organizer
Nice N Clean wipes
3 rolls camping toilet paper
Hand sanitizer

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MISCELLANEOUS STUFF
Maxpedition Pocket Reference
4 Chem Lights
4 AA batteries ( for Garmin GPSMap-60csx )
4 CR123 batteries for Surefire Flashlight, carried separately
case for batteries
OR ( Outdoor Research ) Bug Bucket hat
Grease Monkey work gloves

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BOO-BOO KIT
Life Straw ( water filtration )
5 Dust masks
Foldable reading glasses ( in case of broken/lost Clics readers )
Ear Plugs
Tick Key ( for traipsin' around in the woods in the south )
Hemostats
Scissors
First Aid book
Knot refresher guide
Black & Red Sharpies
Insect repellant wipes
Allegra D allergy meds
Ace Wrap style bandage
Whiney pills ( Excedrin Migraine, Alleve, Benadryl, Immodium D ) in waterproof
       match container
Misc bandages
Duct Tape wrapped around phoney credit card
AfterBite insect bite itch treatment
Travel toothbrush
Toothpaste
2 maxi-pads ( I'm a guy so yeah, go ahead and chuckle, but think of what
        they're for. Not a bad wound dressing if you get a bad cut )
2 tongue depressors ( good for finger splints )
Uncle Bills Sliver Gripper tweezers ( these things are freakin' awesome! )
Gerber multi-function fingernail clippers
More bandages/wound treatment

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s
MAIN COMPARTMENT
Maps - Georgia & Atlanta
38"x65"  4 mil blue plastic bag ( minimal cold weather / rain shelter ) from
        outdoorsafe.com
Boonie hat with 30' of paracord
Black Buff ( neck/facehead cover from sun, dust, light cold )
Hiking shirt to change into from work clothes
2 bandanas ( water filter, head/face cover, etc ) many uses for bandanas
Blue Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nylon Tarp Poncho
Eaton Scorpion hand crank/solar radio
Garmin GPSMap-60csx with road maps and terrain maps loaded
Leg straps for Gerber LMF 2 knife
4 water bottle holders ( bottle shown for display purposes. 2 cases water
        carried in work van for everyday use and abandon vehicle and start
        trekking home  use. Pull em out of bag, put a water bottle in and clip em to
        outside of bag )
REI inflatable Sit Seat. ( gonna have some down time while trekking home, may as well make it a little comfy )
Shemagh ( head, face neck cover for heat, cold & dust )
More Cliff bars
Henry U.S. Survival rifle with 3 magazines and 50 rounds

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CLOTHING
Lightweight Hiking pants with zip off legs
ExOfficio travel underwear ( non-cotton, fast drying )
Spare pair of Smartwool Heavy Duty socks

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OUTSIDE OF PACK
Gerber LMF 2 knife
EOD Breacher bar
Skull pace counter beads ( more to put a smile on my face than anything )
2 UV glow sticks ( like chem lights, but indefinitely reusable )
2 Petzl locking carabiners
Wedge-It door wedge


Really thinking about adding one of the HPG kit bags featured here on ITS as a way to carry the Glock up front and outta sight if I did ever have to walk away from the van.

I've had a pretty easy life for the past little while. I went to work, came home, watched TV, played video games, went to bed, got fat, got lazy, got useless. I would generally only get off my ass at work. Now, I did this for quite a few years and got used to the easy life. It's hard not to. However, in the past year or so, I've gone through a bit of a change and decided my shit job in Security wasn't going to pay bills for my family (well, soon to be, it's just me, the wife and a cat for now). I decided I needed something new, so I went into welding.

Changing from the easy life of doing nothing all day, to one where I'm working hard for the day, meant that I had to get back into shape. I had developed a nice beer gut and some formerly tougher parts had grown weak. This had to change so I figured out 5 simple ways of making my life easier by living harder.

1. Just because you can do it easily, doesn't mean you should.

I always found the easiest way of doing things because I was lazy and had no motivation. However, in my new trade, I had to do a lot of lifting and carrying and what not that used muscles that hadn't seen movement in years. Now the simplest of tasks for others were a bit of a struggle. I decided that if they were a struggle, that eventually they would become easy if I just kept at it. So I did.

Eventually, the difficult things became easy. Now I wasn't improving, I had simply plateaued. So I figured, instead of making it easy on myself, why not add a bit of challenge into it?If I have the time, Instead of one load of plates, I'll take one and a half, or two. This can apply to any job or task. Raking leaves or shovelling snow? Don't just rake or shovel your yard, ask your neighbour if they need help. Walking to and from work? Get up early and find a longer route.

If it gets easy, take on more. Take on as much as reasonable, then add a bit more to that. You'll find that the challenge becomes something you actively seek out, rather than avoid.

2. Stop consuming shitty stuff.

This is the easiest concept, but hardest challenge. It used to be that I'd have to have two donuts and an extra large 2 cream, 2 sugar coffee in the morning (I still have the coffee, but I've cut it down to 1 x 1 and I also use milk instead of cream, some things, you just need to prevent murder ). On top of that, dinner often consisted of fast food as it was just easier and faster than cooking at home.

Since I needed to pay for college (welding course at a trade college), I lost the luxury of spending money on fast food. This meant I had to plan for meals in advance in order to budget out our grocery costs. So, my wife and I sit down and figure out our meal plan for the month. We keep the meals balanced and the portions reasonable. However, not only has our food costs dropped from $500/ month to $100-150/month, so has my weight, sort of, but I'll get to that later.

Not only is shitty food expensive in the long run (for example, on the cheap side: 4 x $2 burgers + $2 drink = $10 / night x 7 = $70/ week x 4 = $280 / month on DINNER alone), but it's more detrimental to your health. I am 29 years old, had the blood pressure and cholesterol level of a 45 year old smoker and would get winded going up stairs. All of this was because of shitty diet. I know this seems simple, but the math alone was enough to break out of the fast food prison for us.

The other thing is alcohol. I was an alcoholic when I met my wife. I didn't need AA or anything, I just needed a reason to stop drinking. She gave me that reason. When I met her, I weighed 250 lbs (at 5'11" that was mostly gut). I recommend cutting alcohol consumption down to an "occasional" type of thing. I really only drink on special occasions now, in a social setting, rather than just getting blitzed for the sake of it. I feel better, and my wallet is fatter for it.

If you're an alcoholic and can't stop drinking on your own, you don't need to go to AA, but it can help to get some sort of outside assistance. Talk to your doctor for recommendations.

3. Be a man, not a boy.

This is difficult to grasp for some of us, I know it took me a while, but I got it. Being a man isn't about eating meat, drinking beer and fighting bears (although those tasks do make your balls huge, just saying). Being a man is about responsibility for yourself and your family. It sounds simple, but it isn't.

Taking into account your actions and how they affect others is not something we, as humans, are built for. It takes conditioning, something I lacked growing up.I grew up in a great home; no divorce and had a happy childhood filled with great times. However, I was pretty much given everything I could ask for. I rarely had chores beyond raking leaves or shovelling snow (which would be done half-assedly so I could get back to my video games). My parent's were great parents, but had trouble disciplining me or teaching me important things like responsibility.

This ended up faulting me as a man, as it took me longer to realize what I was supposed to do. They did their best, and I love them for it, but they could have been harder on me to prepare me for the real world.

I learned that being a man is all about providing for yourself and your family. You need to contribute to the house beyond financial means. Help out with the dishes, do some yard work, etc. Do those chores you were supposed to do as a kid. Beyond that, you do need to put food on the table. If that means taking on two jobs, then do it. I'm working on weekends and going to school on week days. If I could fit work in the evenings, I'd be doing that too (I do need to sleep though).Responsibility is a hell of a motivator.

If you know another person is relying on you, it makes you get your shit together pretty quickly. If you're married, and you're concerned you're not doing enough, then do more. Don't ask what needs to be done, just find what needs to be done and do it.

It's that simple. If it means bringing more money in, then try your best (these times are tough, so it's easier said than done). If it means working at McDonalds even though you have a Masters degree, then so be it. It's not demeaning, it's providing for a family, and that is NEVER demeaning, no matter how it is done.

A true man will do anything to make sure the family is taken care of.

4. Live Like You're in the 30's

This one is probably the easiest to accomplish. You've had a long day, on your feet for 8 hours, and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. That's fine, I feel that way too.

With my workload, I am exhausted when I get home from a long day. I really don't want to lift weights after doing so much work in the shop (although, to be fair, see #1 for how I get my extra exercise in).

The easiest way to relax while still taking a load off is by not using any TV, computers, iPods, iPhones, whatever. Want to take a load off? Go for a walk to a park with your friends or significant other. Get out, go somewhere, but do it by foot. Go to a library, read a book, walk back home. It's simple.

Live like you're in the 30's and avoid all of our modern conveniences. If you want to just relax, do it away from home and get there by foot. When you start to realize how much more enjoyable life can be without technology, you'll also learn to appreciate the technology we have more without abusing it. You don't need a car to go to the store 5 minute away, get off your ass and walk there.

People swoon after the simple life of the 30's for a reason. It's because there was no bullshit to keep us distracted back then. We had to strive to survive and if we didn't we died. A mentality like that goes a long way in days like these.

5. Learn to love living.

Sappy time.

I was a pretty miserable bastard for the longest time. Truth be told, I still have my moments (clinical depression is pretty hard to deal with, but that's for another story). However, when I decided that my life was shit because of the choices I made and made a change to better myself, I learned one thing that will make you the strongest.

Living life is great.

Motivation to make yourself better is the best conditioning tool that no one talks about. Being fat and sad is one thing, but being able to break yourself out of that is tantamount to moving the Pillars of the Earth. It's the hardest thing a person can do. If they're battling clinical depression, that adds another layer of difficulty. A motivation element needs to be present in order to be a better person. This is the part that needs a person to take a huge look inside themselves to see what is needed to change their life.

For me, it was realizing that I needed to provide for a family that I wanted to start. My wife saved me from drinking myself into an early grave, but it was the personal choice of wanting to give her a better life that made me snap out of "Child mode".

If you're finding it hard to do anything in life because you just feel it has no point, you need to realize that it has a point. Living isn't easy, and it does suck at times, but you have to take time to step back from the shit and smell the roses that are planted in it. For guys in the forces, you know what I'm talking about. "Good Livin'".

As a welder, I have a better analogy: Life is tempered by the heat of our tribulations and the cooling of our triumphs.

You need to push through the shit and learn to enjoy your accomplishments. Failure does happen, and it can be tough, but the key is to remember that no matter how many times you fail, you can always try again with knowledge gained from your failures. If you found a marriage that didn't work, you'll know what not to do next time. If you had to quit a job or got fired, you'll know what not to look for next time. It's all about learning from failing.

Failure is the biggest key to success. If we never fell as babies, we would never have learned how to get back up.

In Closing

I hope this ramble has provided something for those who are in a slump like I was. I've not been posting on here for a long time because I've been busy bettering myself. Thanks to this site, I've found some tools to make accomplishing the above 5 steps easier, and now I hope the anecdotes above will make it easier for you to get back on your feet.

I know writing this crap has been a bit challenging (not as challenging as reading it, HAH! *rimshot*), but it'll prepare me for my next goal. I hope to complete a GORUCK Challenge around my 30th Birthday in September (depending on if I can get to one around then, might be a bit later or a bit earlier depending on how things go). If I can accomplish that, then I'll know that I've made some serious strides in my life from someone with no point in life, to a man who can take care of anything that may face him.

Thanks again for reading.

I've been reading the articles on the blog for the better part of a year and recently decided to invest in a "crew leader" membership, with that, I started reading through the forums and since I spend 8hrs a day and at times more 5 days a week as part of my job I have the ability to read through my share of the posts and information that everyone shares. First off... thank you! secondly I just wanted to say that I really appreciate how "cool" everyone is on this board... its not like any of the other forums I read through. Everyone just seems to be cool with each other even when there is a difference of opinion (from what I've seen anyway) . Not sure if this is something the forum leaders have a hand in or if everyone is just genuine here either way I prefer to think its the latter of the two

I've already mined a great deal of info and hopefully I can begin to return a little of what i've taken away...

davis.agd, on 15 March 2013 - 02:37 PM, said:

Don't forget it also started when society started pandering to women as in alimony, child support that has nothing to with supporting the children, and so on.  I get so sick of hearing, "it's for the children" in that whiny ass voice.  Child support has nothing to do with the children it's about enslaving the man and subjugating him to 'dead beat moms' and the system.  Further, why does no one use the term 'dead beat mom'?  Only men can be dead beats?  I have the deepest respect for single moms who work and still manage not only to raise their children to adulthood but also managed to teach them how to think for themselves and become good, responsible adults.  But I don't think there are many of those type of women out there.  Now all you see is women who use their children as a cash cows, don't care about their upbringing, don't care about their diets nor their education.  In fact those type of women teach their children how to use the system, punish men and sit on their asses all day.  I hate what this society has become.   I respect a man that opens the door for me and can defend himself and his family and make and do his own thing.  But sadly, that is also becoming extinct.

I’ve been stewing all afternoon after originally reading and responding to this thread. I think it is a misconception to strictly associate being a man with being a redneck. I’ve known lots of “rednecks” that were men, but also many that were total douchebags. Just because you are outdoorsy or work with your hands and are not afraid to get dirty does not alone make you a man. Being a man is so much more.

You can wear a $1,000 suit everyday and drive a 100K car and still be a man, you can wear a uniform and a save/protect lives for living and still be a man, and yes you can be a total blue collar, manual laboring, flannel shirt wearing redneck and still be a man. Being a man is about your core values, beliefs, and morals. A man is a gentleman and still treats ladies with respect, opens the car door for them, always picks up the bill, and understands what a bit of chivalry is. A man is not afraid to work hard, in fact he enjoys working hard, because you know after working hard you have accomplished something; and no, working hard does not have to mean getting covered in grease and mud, but of course it can. A man is does not accept failure as an option, nor does he accept settling. A man has true morals and ethics and is not willing to cheat his way to the head of the line, but is willing to work hard and get to the head of the line the honest way. A man would not see a fellow man in need and not be willing to in some way lend aid or assist. A man is not afraid to make the hard decisions that life often requires of them to make. A man understands that life will not be easy, it will often times be hard, but knows that anything worth having and enjoying is worth taking the bad with the good to get. A man is all of these things and more.

Who can be a man? Any male can be a man, and should be a man. I have no tolerance or sympathy for bleeding heart liberals that make excuses for people not being what a man should be because of life circumstances. I do not care if you grew up in the Deep South, the slums of Harlem, big city Los Angeles, or the wilds of Alaska; you can be a man if you choose to. I don’t care if you had poor examples, bad influences, or no support. There are no excuses that I accept. I had a shitty father growing up who walked out on my mom and I when I was a 13, the only valuable thing I learned from him was how NOT to be a man, but I took that lesson and cherish it to this very day and I did learn from it. I knew that I never wanted to be like that and made a conscious decision and promise to myself that I would not be. All of these welfare sucking sandbags on society that are trying to make excuses for themselves need kicked in the ass, because again, no excuse is acceptable to me. But this is what is wrong with society, this I believe is the core problem our Great Nation faces. We as a society have major character flaws in that there are males who refuse to be men, and there are people that support them being little scummy douches. These are the people that are dragging us down, that are not willing to support, believe in, or even understand what our Founding Fathers wanted for us. They have no comprehension of what the Constitution provides for us, and they are not willing to standup against the politicians that are trying to take apart my America one Constitutional “compromise” at a time. This is unacceptable to me!

All right fellas, if you made it this far, thanks for letting me vent. I am now officially stepping off of my soapbox for the night.

Food for Thought for the ITS Crew. Write an article on what to think about when one is buying a tactical vest or a plate carrier for the first time user and buyer who has no military or LE experience.

I think for the best results you may need to ask a Somali soldier.



In a pinch you might be able to talk to a "gangsta"



I'm sorry... I couldn't resist.

I serve on our local fire and rescue department, so I make bags to meet certain incident requirements. No one bag can fit everything I need for all the different types of calls. This is my everyday trauma care shoulder bag. It is not a survival/bug-out bag; this bag is tailored for effectiveness at vehicle collisions, but would also be very useful at the aftermath of a shooting (lots of drug activity where I am). It only has enough medical equipment for one or two patients, but the bag is a very manageable size and can be worn on top of my turnout gear if necessary. I have other bags that contain survival gear and active shooter gear, those bags meet different mission requirements. A larger EMT bag is in the works.



Flashlight
Safety glasses (these are great for all occasions; in rain, snow, working on a patient spewing fluids, etc…)
Tweezers
Shears (these are actually a spare, my primary shears are in my wallet for EDC)
Hemostats (probably not for tying off an artery in my role, but great for other things)
Notebook + pencil + sharpy
Knife (usually put this in my pocket when I respond)
Spare Glock mag
Warm little mits (I wear these under my extrication gloves, they’re great!)
Gloves (these aren’t nomex, if I’m working on a burning vehicle; I will be in full turnout gear)
Cliff bar (usually have 2-3 of these, not sure where the others went)
Jelly beans (usually have some of these for diabetics, they’re small and cheap)
Blanket (the shiny kind)
Extra exam gloves (I also keep a pair of these in my pockets when I’m out and about)
Hand wash sanitizer
Burn Jel (great stuff, the dressings by the same company are also great)
Antibiotic gel (for little wounds, will probably ditch this in favor of burn dressings)
Tapes (both kinds)
Zip tie (for securing a splint, houseline, or restraining an unruly person/patient)
Gauze pads (for minor injuries)
Bag of medications (asprin, painkillers, etc)
Bag of bandaids of all sorts
2 packs of Kerlex gauze
Nasal airway (military standard)
More paracord
Quikclot
Splint (knock-off of the SAM, but it works great)
Israeli combat bandage
SOFT-W tourniquet (the Wide version features a 1.5" band rather than a 1")

I also have a casualty extrication/vehicle stabilization strap on the side of my bag, a headlamp attached to the strap, and 40+ feet of paracord.

I love seeing what the rest of you guys have been posting, it gives me lots of ideas for my other bags.

Stay safe!

I'm fortunate enough to carry a full SWAT kit in my trunk (vest, plates, helmet, the works).  But I'd never even consider that gear when responding to an active shooter.  It takes too long to get everything on and ready to go.

I had a go bag that I was using forever (it was a 5.11 rush, or something like that).  Kept all my spare handgun mags in one side pouch and my spare AR mags on the other side.  Medical supplies in the center (Israeli bandage, quick clot, etc).  The biggest problem I had with the bag was the fact that it would swing around a bit too much while I was on the go.  And if I had to go prone it would often fall off to the side and turn over, making reloads nearly impossible.  So around the middle of last year I started kicking around the idea of switching over to a chest rig.  I've always paid for much of my own gear (anything the dept isn't willing to pony up for).  But I decided to really push the brass to get everyone on board with this.  It turned out to be a blessing and a curse.  I was able to get the department to outfit each deputy and supervisor squad with a chest rig, four 30 mags, and detachable first aid blow out kit.  

The problem however, was to make it cost efficient  they decided to get condor gear for everyone.  The three piece setup was like $60 a car.  I'm not particularly fond of the way the straps are configured on the chest rig, and it doesn't offer the ability to add any additional meaningful ballistic protection.  I plan on replacing the entire setup down the road with a plate carrier of some sort, but it'll do for now.  We also carry M4's and shotguns in all the cars.  I keep my bitch in the trunk, all she does is get in between me and my rifle.  She crowds up the cabin and is pretty useless if you ask me.  Again, with SWAT I'm lucky enough to have a short-barrel .223 with full auto in the car at all times.  I also keep two 30 round Pmags held together with a coupler in the well.  So I'm ready to deploy with a minimum of six full mags plus the additional handgun rounds (I run three spare mags on my duty belt).

As for my rifle- it's held in a vertical gun lock between the front seats.  I like to lock it in upside down, this allows for me to pull it from the mount with just one hand.  I can perform this without having to get out of my driver's seat, or opening the front door.  I've got a haligen breaching tool in the trunk, but honestly it's a whole lot quicker to ram a door with your car.  I used carry a GG&G Tactical Tomahawk under my driver's seat.  But the brass decided it was inappropriate for work and forced me to remove it from the car.  Can you believe that?!  Kind of a sore subject with me.

Other than that, I still carry the old 5.11 bag in the car.  It's full of extra medical supplies and my spare handgun mags.  Doubtful it would make the trip into an active shooter call though.  Mostly there for organization at this point.  I'll try to get some photos uploaded tomorrow or the next day.  Hope this helps.  Let me know if you've got any other questions.

I have been holding back because I don't usually talk about politics just get too upset most of the time. But I just can't take it anymore I spent 6 1/2 years serving this great nation in the army 2 of those years in Iraq I just separated and moved to Chicago with my family ( ya I know why chicago believe me it wasn't my choice). For 6 1/2 years I have defended our rights from enemy's overseas and nowni come home to find that it wasn't the guy in the desert 10,000 miles away that was a threat to our rights it was our very own elected officials that are trying to strip us of our very basic right to defend our family and loved ones. This just doesn't sit well with me these people need to remember and be reminded that they are public SERVANTS and are replaceible not some elitist group that can tell me and my family how and with what we can defend ourselves. I think Obama was right it is time for change It is time to change the people that we choose to represent us as a whole. I have been watching tv and seeing political commercials for different runners for political seats. One stands out from the rest in this commercial all they do is bash the opponent for there stance on firearms and call ar-15 style firearms as weapons of mass murder. Really weapons of mass murder thisnis so crazy that it would be funny but the fact is that people actually believe this lie. The kicker is that she actually won the election I am just in awe of this. I don't know if I am overreacting but I am truly worried for this country and the direction we are heading in. I am sorry for the length but I just started typing and just couldent stop so thanks for listening.

Would be nice if these were made available, at least to the higher level members who cannot make the muster.

Link to original here

http://guardianofval...cond-amendment/

Herein, in full ...

A Letter From The Special Forces Community Concerning The Second Amendment

Posted on January 29, 2013
This letter was signed by over 1100 members of the SOF community, of which the names will not be published as this is Active and Retired members.

Protecting the Second Amendment – Why all Americans Should Be Concerned

We are current or former Army Reserve, National Guard, and active duty US Army Special Forces soldiers (Green Berets). We have all taken an oath to “…support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.…” The Constitution of the United States is without a doubt the single greatest document in the history of mankind, codifying the fundamental principle of governmental power and authority being derived from and granted through the consent of the governed. Our Constitution established a system of governance that preserves, protects, and holds sacrosanct the individual rights and primacy of the governed as well as providing for the explicit protection of the governed from governmental tyranny and/or oppression. We have witnessed the insidious and iniquitous effects of tyranny and oppression on people all over the world. We and our forebears have embodied and personified our organizational motto, De Oppresso Liber [To Free the Oppressed], for more than a half century as we have fought, shed blood, and died in the pursuit of freedom for the oppressed.

Like you, we are also loving and caring fathers and grandfathers. Like you, we have been stunned, horrified, and angered by the tragedies of Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Fort Hood, and Sandy Hook; and like you, we are searching for solutions to the problem of gun-related crimes in our society. Many of us are educators in our second careers and have a special interest to find a solution to this problem. However, unlike much of the current vox populi reactions to this tragedy, we offer a different perspective.

First, we need to set the record straight on a few things. The current debate is over so-called “assault weapons” and high capacity magazines. The terms “assault weapon” and “assault rifle” are often confused. According to Bruce H. Kobayashi and Joseph E. Olson, writing in the Stanford Law and Policy Review, “Prior to 1989, the term ‘assault weapon’ did not exist in the lexicon of firearms. It is a political term [underline added for emphasis], developed by anti-gun publicists to expand the category of assault rifles.”

The M4A1 carbine is a U.S. military service rifle – it is an assault rifle. The AR-15 is not an assault rifle. The “AR” in its name does not stand for “Assault Rifle” – it is the designation from the first two letters of the manufacturer’s name – ArmaLite Corporation. The AR-15 is designed so that it cosmetically looks like the M4A1 carbine assault rifle, but it is impossible to configure the AR-15 to be a fully automatic assault rifle. It is a single shot semi-automatic rifle that can fire between 45 and 60 rounds per minute depending on the skill of the operator. The M4A1 can fire up to 950 rounds per minute. In 1986, the federal government banned the import or manufacture of new fully automatic firearms for sale to civilians. Therefore, the sale of assault rifles are already banned or heavily restricted!

The second part of the current debate is over “high capacity magazines” capable of holding more than 10 rounds in the magazine. As experts in military weapons of all types, it is our considered opinion that reducing magazine capacity from 30 rounds to 10 rounds will only require an additional 6 -8 seconds to change two empty 10 round magazines with full magazines. Would an increase of 6 –8 seconds make any real difference to the outcome in a mass shooting incident? In our opinion it would not. Outlawing such “high capacity magazines” would, however, outlaw a class of firearms that are “in common use”. As such this would be in contravention to the opinion expressed by the U.S. Supreme Court recent decisions.

Moreover, when the Federal Assault Weapons Ban became law in 1994, manufacturers began retooling to produce firearms and magazines that were compliant. One of those ban-compliant firearms was the Hi-Point 995, which was sold with ten-round magazines. In 1999, five years into the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, the Columbine High School massacre occurred. One of the perpetrators, Eric Harris, was armed with a Hi-Point 995. Undeterred by the ten-round capacity of his magazines, Harris simply brought more of them: thirteen magazines would be found in the massacre’s aftermath. Harris fired 96 rounds before killing himself.

Now that we have those facts straight, in our opinion, it is too easy to conclude that the problem is guns and that the solution to the problem is more and stricter gun control laws. For politicians, it is politically expedient to take that position and pass more gun control laws and then claim to constituents that they have done the right thing in the interest of protecting our children. Who can argue with that? Of course we all want to find a solution. But, is the problem really guns? Would increasing gun regulation solve the problem? Did we outlaw cars to combat drunk driving?

What can we learn from experiences with this issue elsewhere? We cite the experience in Great Britain. Despite the absence of a “gun culture”, Great Britain, with one-fifth the population of the U.S., has experienced mass shootings that are eerily similar to those we have experienced in recent years. In 1987 a lone gunman killed 18 people in Hungerford. What followed was the Firearms Act of 1988 making registration mandatory and banning semi-automatic guns and pump-action shotguns. Despite this ban, on March 13, 1996 a disturbed 43-year old former scout leader, Thomas Hamilton, murdered 16 school children aged five and six and a teacher at a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland. Within a year and a half the Firearms Act was amended to ban all private ownership of hand guns. After both shootings there were amnesty periods resulting in the surrender of thousands of firearms and ammunition. Despite having the toughest gun control laws in the world, gun related crimes increased in 2003 by 35% over the previous year with firearms used in 9,974 recorded crimes in the preceding 12 months. Gun related homicides were up 32% over the same period. Overall, gun related crime had increased 65% since the Dunblane massacre and implementation of the toughest gun control laws in the developed world. In contrast, in 2009 (5 years after the Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired) total firearm related homicides in the U.S. declined by 9% from the 2005 high (Source: “FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Master File, Table 310, Murder Victims – Circumstances and Weapons Used or Cause of Death: 2000-2009”).

Are there unintended consequences to stricter gun control laws and the politically expedient path that we have started down?

In a recent op-ed piece in the San Francisco Chronicle, Brett Joshpe stated that “Gun advocates will be hard-pressed to explain why the average American citizen needs an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine other than for recreational purposes.”We agree with Kevin D. Williamson (National Review Online, December 28, 2012): “The problem with this argument is that there is no legitimate exception to the Second Amendment right that excludes military-style weapons, because military-style weapons are precisely what the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear.”

“The purpose of the Second Amendment is to secure our ability to oppose enemies foreign and domestic, a guarantee against disorder and tyranny. Consider the words of Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story”: ‘The importance of this article will scarcely be doubted by any persons, who have duly reflected upon the subject. The militia is the natural defense of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with which they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.’

The Second Amendment has been ruled to specifically extend to firearms “in common use” by the military by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v Miller (1939). In Printz v U.S. (1997) Justice Thomas wrote: “In Miller we determined that the Second Amendment did not guarantee a citizen’s right to possess a sawed-off shot gun because that weapon had not been shown to be “ordinary military equipment” that could “could contribute to the common defense”.

A citizen’s right to keep and bear arms for personal defense unconnected with service in a militia has been reaffirmed in the U.S. Supreme Court decision (District of Columbia, et al. v Heller, 2008). The Court Justice Scalia wrote in the majority opinion: “The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.“. Justice Scalia went on to define a militia as “… comprised all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense ….”

“The Anti-Federalists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved.” he explained.

On September 13, 1994, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban went into effect. A Washington Post editorial published two days later was candid about the ban’s real purpose:“[N]o one should have any illusions about what was accomplished [by the ban]. Assault weapons play a part in only a small percentage of crime. The provision is mainly symbolic; its virtue will be if it turns out to be, as hoped, a stepping stone to broader gun control.”

In a challenge to the authority of the Federal government to require State and Local Law Enforcement to enforce Federal Law (Printz v United States) the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision in 1997. For the majority opinion Justice Scalia wrote: “…. this Court never has sanctioned explicitly a federal command to the States to promulgate and enforce laws and regulations When we were at last confronted squarely with a federal statute that unambiguously required the States to enact or administer a federal regulatory program, our decision should have come as no surprise….. It is an essential attribute of the States’ retained sovereignty that they remain independent and autonomous within their proper sphere of authority.”

So why should non-gun owners, a majority of Americans, care about maintaining the 2nd Amendment right for citizens to bear arms of any kind?

The answer is “The Battle of Athens, TN”. The Cantrell family had controlled the economy and politics of McMinn County, Tennessee since the 1930s. Paul Cantrell had been Sheriff from 1936 -1940 and in 1942 was elected to the State Senate. His chief deputy, Paul Mansfield, was subsequently elected to two terms as Sheriff. In 1946 returning WWII veterans put up a popular candidate for Sheriff. On August 1 Sheriff Mansfield and 200 “deputies” stormed the post office polling place to take control of the ballot boxes wounding an objecting observer in the process. The veterans bearing military style weapons, laid siege to the Sheriff’s office demanding return of the ballot boxes for public counting of the votes as prescribed in Tennessee law. After exchange of gun fire and blowing open the locked doors, the veterans secured the ballot boxes thereby protecting the integrity of the election. And this is precisely why all Americans should be concerned about protecting all of our right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment!

Throughout history, disarming the populace has always preceded tyrants’ accession of power. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao all disarmed their citizens prior to installing their murderous regimes. At the beginning of our own nation’s revolution, one of the first moves made by the British government was an attempt to disarm our citizens. When our Founding Fathers ensured that the 2nd Amendment was made a part of our Constitution, they were not just wasting ink. They were acting to ensure our present security was never forcibly endangered by tyrants, foreign or domestic.

If there is a staggering legal precedent to protect our 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms and if stricter gun control laws are not likely to reduce gun related crime, why are we having this debate? Other than making us and our elected representatives feel better because we think that we are doing something to protect our children, these actions will have no effect and will only provide us with a false sense of security.

So, what do we believe will be effective? First, it is important that we recognize that this is not a gun control problem; it is a complex sociological problem. No single course of action will solve the problem. Therefore, it is our recommendation that a series of diverse steps be undertaken, the implementation of which will require patience and diligence to realize an effect. These are as follows:

1. First and foremost we support our Second Amendment right in that “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.

2. We support State and Local School Boards in their efforts to establish security protocols in whatever manner and form that they deem necessary and adequate. One of the great strengths of our Republic is that State and Local governments can be creative in solving problems. Things that work can be shared. Our point is that no one knows what will work and there is no one single solution, so let’s allow the State and Local governments with the input of the citizens to make the decisions. Most recently the Cleburne Independent School District will become the first district in North Texas to consider allowing some teachers to carry concealed guns. We do not opine as to the appropriateness of this decision, but we do support their right to make this decision for themselves.

3. We recommend that Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) laws be passed in every State. AOT is formerly known as Involuntary Outpatient Commitment (IOC) and allows the courts to order certain individuals with mental disorders to comply with treatment while living in the community. In each of the mass shooting incidents the perpetrator was mentally unstable. We also believe that people who have been adjudicated as incompetent should be simultaneously examined to determine whether they should be allowed the right to retain/purchase firearms.

4. We support the return of firearm safety programs to schools along the lines of the successful “Eddie the Eagle” program, which can be taught in schools by Peace Officers or other trained professionals.

5. Recent social psychology research clearly indicates that there is a direct relationship between gratuitously violent movies/video games and desensitization to real violence and increased aggressive behavior particularly in children and young adults (See Nicholas L. Carnagey, et al. 2007. “The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence” and the references therein. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 43:489-496). Therefore, we strongly recommend that gratuitous violence in movies and video games be discouraged. War and war-like behavior should not be glorified. Hollywood and video game producers are exploiting something they know nothing about. General Sherman famously said “War is Hell!” Leave war to the Professionals. War is not a game and should not be “sold” as entertainment to our children.

6. We support repeal of the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it obviously isn’t working. It is our opinion that “Gun-Free Zones” anywhere are too tempting of an environment for the mentally disturbed individual to inflict their brand of horror with little fear of interference. While governmental and non-governmental organizations, businesses, and individuals should be free to implement a Gun-Free Zone if they so choose, they should also assume Tort liability for that decision.

7. We believe that border states should take responsibility for implementation of border control laws to prevent illegal shipments of firearms and drugs. Drugs have been illegal in this country for a long, long time yet the Federal Government manages to seize only an estimated 10% of this contraband at our borders. Given this dismal performance record that is misguided and inept (“Fast and Furious”), we believe that border States will be far more competent at this mission.

8. This is our country, these are our rights. We believe that it is time that we take personal responsibility for our choices and actions rather than abdicate that responsibility to someone else under the illusion that we have done something that will make us all safer. We have a responsibility to stand by our principles and act in accordance with them. Our children are watching and they will follow the example we set.

The undersigned Quiet Professionals hereby humbly stand ever present, ever ready, and ever vigilant.

1100 Green Berets Signed this Letter; the list includes Special Forces Major Generals & Special Forces Command Sergeants Major down to the lowest ranking “Green Beret”.

The letter stands for itself.

Read it and send it everywhere.

This list of executive actions is in addition to several other proposals that need congressional approval (some of which are noted after the listed)

The President is announcing that he and the Administration will:

• Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
  
  
• Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.
  
  
• Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.
  
  
• Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
  
  
• Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
  
  
• Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
  
  
• Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
  
  
• Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).
  
  
• Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
  
  
• Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.
  
  
• Nominate an ATF director.
  
  
• Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.
  
  
• Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
  
  
• Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.
  
  
• Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.
  
  
• Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
  
  
• Release a letter to health-care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law-enforcement authorities.
  
  
• Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
  
  
• Develop model emergency-response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.
  
  
• Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental-health services that Medicaid plans must cover.
  
  
• Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.
  
  
• Commit to finalizing mental-health-parity regulations.
  
  
• Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

Source: White House

Some of President Obama's Proposals

• Requiring background checks for all gun buyers [needs congressional approval]
  
• Ban certain semiautomatic rifles [needs congressional approval]
  
• Require a 10-round limit on ammunition magazines [needs congressional approval]
  
• Prohibit manufacturing, importation, possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets [needs congressional approval]
  
• New gun trafficking laws with serious penalties [needs congressional approval]
  
• Provide incentives for police departments to hire officers for schools and mental-health counselors [Something the NRA would likely support as it has called for armed guards in every school]
  
• Require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations
  
• Direct the Center for Disease Control to conduct research into the causes and prevention of gun violence
  
• Asking Congress to provide $10 million for the CDC to conduct research on gun violence
  
• Launch a national responsible gun ownership program
  
• Nominating B. Todd Jones to be permanent director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [needs Senate confirmation; he is currently acting director]

Source: White House officials


I pulled the above info from: http://blogs.wsj.com...lence/?mod=e2tw  and http://online.wsj.co..._LEFTTopStories

I'm ABSOLUTELY opposed to the proposed awb, limited mag capacity and most of the other proposals that require congressional approval, but I'm surprised that the majority of actions in the list of 23 are quite reasonable. Admittedly I just finished reading the list and haven't digested each item much but it's not nearly as retarded as I was expecting.


*edit: formatting*

***ASSHOLE-PROOFED GEN M3 BLACK PMAGS IN STOCK, $39.20 EACH***



By now, most of you have heard of the Shenanigans in our industry with regards to the inflated pricing of PMAGS and similar, highlighted by the likes of Cheaper than Dirt selling out of PMAGs at $60 EACH.  During the first run before President Obama's inauguration, we didn't raise our prices one cent, and sold out of all of our multiple shipments of PMAGS in record time… only to learn that many of our sales were to high volume purchasers who flipped their orders for ridiculous profits to unwitting fellow gun owners.  Supply and Demand.  Capitalism.  America.  OK, WE GET IT.  

What rubs us wrong is that everyone and their brother who likes AR15s is willing to pay outrageous prices for said AR15s and their feeding devices now that their future seems questionable, but countless among them are folks who haven't lifted a finger or donated a red cent to a worthy cause that protects their freedom.  Well, we just got a large quantity of PMAGs in, and rather than just release them at our regular low price to people who would prey on other panicked buyers, we're going to honor market pressures and price our PMAGs accordingly.  The difference is that we're only going to keep what we normally charge for a PMAG, but the rest of it will go to one of two organizations that we believe in.  SO, if you want one of these PMAGS from SKD, you'll have to select whether you want your funds to go towards the NRA in support of their NEW "National School Shield Emergency Response Program", or the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, rated 4 stars (highest rating) by Charitynavigator.com.  


Thusly, we have for all intents and purposes ASSHOLE-PROOFED our PMAGs.  

"ASSHOLE-PROOFED" you ask?

1) By donating the majority of the proceeds to a worthy cause, by default no one who purchases these PMAGs is an ASSHOLE.  

2) By selling these at or near current market prices, it keeps ASSHOLES who want to flip these PMAGs from purchasing these magazines.
3) By getting these PMAGs out of our warehouse, they are freed from the captivity of the ASSHOLES at SKD.

This is a WINNING proposition no matter how you approach it.  As of this posting we have a HUNDREDS of PMAGS in stock.  We are limiting their sale to 5 per customer.  If you don't like our methods, please don't waste time trying to complain to us because we will not respond.  For the rest us, and those like us, please take a moment to contemplate what it is you can do TODAY to help protect the Freedoms that are in jeopardy this very moment.  Talk to your friends and family, your neighbors and elected officials, and let them know that our Second Amendment Freedoms matter.  And finally, please support the organizations that work tirelessly to protect our Freedoms.  

Sincerely,
The ASSHOLES at SKD.

I saw this contest on twitter today and pulled everything out of my pocket right away!
in no particular order:

RayBan Large Aviators
Loose Change
Aluminum Stylus
Rite in the Rain pocket notebook
Graphix all graphite pencil
Gen1 Gerber multiplier 600
Novatac 120M
Leather Wallet
Keys to Honda, home, and the office





if anyone knows of a rite in the rain pen that also serves as a capacitive touch screen stylus, I would be all over that

Is anyone else already sick of this whole Amanda Berry story?
I totally get it.. the three men that kidnapped those poor girls need to fry.  They are an absolute disgrace to our society.
(side vent... what the hell kind of parent lets a 12 year old girl get an eyebrow piercing?)

But....HERO?
Seriously???? HERO????

Chris Kyle gets murdered and nary a word is spoken aside from forums like ours.

Jason Collins comes out as the first gay NBA player and he is label a "hero" by our President?
Charles Ramsey does what I would hope ANY citizen would do if faced with what he saw and he is labeled a "hero"?
A felon on multiple accounts for domestic abuse?  I don't doubt that he could be a "new man" after his time in jail and totally give him some credit for turning down any donations or rewards offering it to the kidnap victims (maybe that was just for the media).



The longer I live the more embarrassed I am by our current uneducated lowest common denominator society.
I also totally get it... Charles Ramsey, The Leprechaun in Mobile Alabama and Sweet Brown all make hilarious sound bytes but I look at these people as comedy fodder, not as role models.

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to go through a 3 day course with Travis Haley of Haley Strategic and with his special guest instructor Ron Avery had a great time learning some incredible skills.

Let me preface this by saying, this isn't going to be the class review I had hoped to write but will be more of a summary of events.  
I had 2 cameras I planned on running the whole time.  1 Go-Pro mounted to my helmet to record the lectures and some action and 1 Contour+2 mounted to my rifle to record just the action.
I passed on the Go-Pro when I quickly realized I was the only one that would be wearing a bump helmet.  A valuable lesson I learned in basic is not to draw attention to yourself.  Being a red head... that was obviously impossible.  So I set the helmet back in my car hoping to bring it out later after I've proven I'm not just a gear geek but can also operate with the best of them.  This never happened.
No problem, I still have my Contour+2 running along the port side of the rifle.  
Well.. no problem... until I realized there is ALOT of lecture time.  Not bad lecture time, GREAT lecture time.  Instruction coming from these two guys probably doesn't get much better.
Their banter was very comical and light while still emphasising the severity of our actions and the seriousness that comes with firearms.

Travis has stories of his time with Blackwater and the Marine Force Recon that can make anyone cringe, gasp in awe and laugh all at the same time.  Never thought I would get a laugh out of dead checking a opfor.

Day 1
Sunny and 67 degrees
  Each day started with the safety brief.  Something I wish I had better memorized because, though I know it, I still found myself mouthing the words trying to keep up like the person that refuses to sing Happy Birthday but still wants to be part of the party.
I would estimate that the next 4 hours all revolved around zeroing our rifles.  Something we would also do everyday but being day one it was more important to get it right.
We started with a lecture asking what our sights were zeroed at and why.  Though it's not a hard and fast rule Travis explained why he personally felt a 50 yard zero is best.  It all has to do with the height over bore and the amount and ease of hitting a target with a combat effective shot at 25, 50, 100, 200 yards and beyond.  Our range was restricted to 200 yards and his point was driven home what at range.
We broke for lunch at roughly 1:30pm and went back on the range and worked on taking quick shots at 5-10 yards, one shot at a time.  Bringing your rifle from high ready to on target, one shot, then back on safe then down again.  We repeated this process over and over eventually working up to 3-5 shots on target, then back on safe and down again.
  This whole time Travis and Ron walked up and down the line of 19 shooters fine tuning the action.  Travis would relate the actions to tactics, Ron would relate the actions to science and how understanding the science of what we are doing will help us shoot faster, farther and more accurately.
After other similar exercises we ended our day with a shootout... There is probably a name for this drill but it escapes me.
With 3 targets lined up you shoot 1 round in the first target, transition right then 2 rounds in the second target, transition right, 3 rounds in the 3rd target, transition left, 4 rounds in the 2nd target, transition left 5 rounds in the first target.  15 rounds total.
My time: 0:04.22, with first shot on target at about .58 seconds.  Not great, but not bad.. enough for about 4th or 5th in the class.


Day 2
Sunny and 64 degrees
Again we begin with our safety brief and a reminder of who the trained medics are as well as where the nearest hospital is and where the emergency vehicle sits with the keys in the ignition and medical bag in the back.
We spend about 1 hour zeroing our rifles again, proving that little changed and go all the way out to 200 yards to confirm accuracy. It was essentially the same as yesterday but it wasn't until we went to steel targets on the 3rd day did something really click.
  I didn't take notes of what we did the middle of the 2nd day but from what I remember it was more of the same from day one with a long portion of the class going toward weapon malfunctions.  With the addition of a couple additional exercises to focus on trigger control.  This is where Ron Avery really shines as he seems to have a great understanding of the science of muscle motor control.
Back to the 3 target exercise again.  This time I clocked a 0:03.17 with one miss... again my first shot at .58 seconds (I did have one miss the circle by about an inch), still combat effective but not in the circle.  This was the fastest time of the class and I have officially pinned that achievement to the forefront of my mind =D  Travis... one of the most accomplished Marine Force Recon soldiers in the world clocked a 0:02.77!  That means if I could just speed up the time on my first shot I would be close to Travis's time!  I didn't care about the one miss... I didn't care that it took me more than half a second to hit the first target... all I could think is that I almost matched Travis Haley's time! (with several asterisks).
yes, it was my best time ever, yes I technically had one miss, yes it was probably a slow day for Travis... but I was right there... right there with the best!  Just over 3 seconds for 15 rounds on 3 different targets, not bad.  I really hope Patriot Defense Systems (the company that hosted Travis) has it on video.


Day 3
Rainy and 60 degrees
Once again, we begin our class with the safety brief and reminder of the medics and emergency vehicle.
Once again we work on zeroing our rifles.  I think the point taken from doing this was not only to emphasise how our trigger control and accuracy have improved from the previous two days but to also drive home how the bullet reacts at different ranges.  And with the steel targets you got more immediate feedback.
He presented a picture of hits on a target at different ranges with the same zero and BLAM it all made sense.  If I can find the image someplace I will be sure to share it.  After we zeroed we went to steel targets and worked our way back to the 200 yard range where we were able to engage our steel targets from different emplacements.  From a tree, behind a barrier, inside a building, alongside a building, etc.
It wasn't until we went to steel targets that I really figured out how my bullet reacted to distance.  I was aiming too high assuming the bullet dropped!!  I aimed at what would have been the groin and "PING" hit... I double checked myself, aiming center mass and I would miss high... again at the groin "PING" hit!  PING, PING, PING, PING, PING!  All five shots all consistently on target at 200 yards.
Now we're getting somewhere.
Back up to 25 yards....We worked on movement while shooting and reloading while moving... both more difficult than I anticipated.  I worked hard on fast reloads during dry fire in my basement, but add the mud and movement and it became 1000 times more difficult (obviously).
   After several more exercises we had a small 2 team competition.  Starting lined up at arms length in 2 rows (1 row per team) the first shooter had to take 2 shots standing, 2 shots kneeling and 2 shots prone then run to the back of the line and line up again.  The next person would, from their exact point (not moving forward) would then take the same 6 shots... not advancing until there were 2 successful hits per position.  We continued this until the final person took the final 6 shots at the 100 yard mark.  A fun exercise to say the least and thankfull both teams were very even.  I was the last person to shoot on my team and truthfully I lost this round for the team.  It took me 5 shots to hit the 100 yard steel and 3 shots prone.... (we had a hill in the way and I had to lift my rifle off the deck, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it)
We repeated the exercise.
  We then picked teams again, and I felt like I was at the elementary school dodge ball field hoping I wouldn't be the last picked because of my failure in the earlier match.
Ron Avery stood up for me and recommended the team captain pick me in round 4... I was happy because Ron I think saw something in my shots and ignored the misses I had earlier (or forgot about them).
   This test we had to run from the 100 yard mark and shot the target prone 2 times, ran to the 50 yard mark and shot the target 2 times kneeling, then ran to a barricade at about 25 yards and shot the target 2 more times again while leaning around an object.  Then sprinted back to the line.  The next shooter was not allowed to go prone until after the runner past the line.  This was a great exercise in what we learned thus far and included some heart pounding running.  I have not run that fast with a rifle in a long time and it showed, I flagged just about everyone as I ran past... I'm a tool.
The day ended with a summary of the class, each student took a moment to thank both Travis and Ron for the lessons learned and gave some input on how they think this class helped.
I professed my man-crush on Travis which helped relax the guys after a (no joke) heartwarming speech from one of the classmates.


I will supply any photos or videos once they become available.


Lessons Learned (in no particular order):
Travis has some AMAZING stories.
Ron Avery has goofy glasses
Every aspect of my weapons manipulations has improved 10 fold.
I can quickly fix 99% of my weapon malfunctions and get back on target in seconds confidently
Slings can kill people (Travis has an interesting story about how a friend of his was shot and killed because of his sling)
Breaking your tunnel vision after an engagement is very important and it looks cool.
DON'T wear all multicam unless it is part of your uniform.
I have a lot more confidence that my Aimpoint T-1 can help me hit a target at 200+ yards effectively every shot.  Before I balked at a red dot being worthwhile out that far.
4 hours of a video camera staring at the wooden base of a rifle rack isn't as exciting as you might think!
Additionally 2 hours of a black screen while you listen to the sound of me shooting while keeping the lense cap on is equally as boring.
$600.00 in cameras and I got about 30 seconds of usable video =D

In short, Travis and Ron improved every aspect of my rifle manipulation and usage.

This is the only picture from the class so far:

Today while at work I was trying to figure out a way to take the lever mount plate from my Surefire M952V flashlight and mount my Contour+2 camera to the mount essentially instantly making my Contour camera mountable to my rifle in a super solid base.  Incorporating a quick machining job this is something that would easily rival any other mount on the market.

Now for the silly he said she(he) said part:
Anyhow... while working on this in my spare time my manager said, "oh, what is that?".
I just said "Its a digital video camera and a Flashlight" (essentially what both parts are).
He said "You know you shouldn't bring that kind of stuff to work"  Referring to them both being components of my rifle.
I said "Its a camera and a flashlight?!?!?"  
He said "Those are parts to your gun and they don't belong at work"
I said "IT'S A CAMERA AND A FLASHLIGHT!".
I tried relating to him saying the key to his car is like the flashlight to the rifle, he didn't see the comparison.  He is blinded by gun fear.

WTF is with these people and their fear of firearms!  Some people have become so timid around anything that looks, smells or tastes like a gun.  Two totally independant items that are used 99.99% of the time everyday at every job in the world yet once it looks tactical or is Flat Dark Earth in color, all of a sudden it is a threat!

His views and mine will never be the same but I'll be damned if a palm sized flashlight and camera are going to be banned from a workplace because they look threatening.

We'll see if by noon today I get a visit from security because I was being "insensitive".


Sorry, rant over.

But what the heck are we gonna do with all these bitcoins? Hopefully the SHTF you speak of will involve Skynet, then my Bitcoins will make me invincible.

Food items will get money, but things like cigarettes, booze, and when was the last time you held a porn mag?I think it was HS for me.  Guys are going to be fiending for porn with the internet down. I mean that's practically why the internet was made.

SOS

In the words of Malory Archer, there's a joke for this........ Sorry I have nothing but comedy to provide this thread.

SOS