Hard Times Create Strong Men and Resilient Children

 Contrary to widespread belief, the quote “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times” is not an ancient proverb or classical philosophical insight. Instead, it originates from the mind of G. Michael Hopf, an American author and U.S. combat veteran born in 1970, who included this line in his 2016 post-apocalyptic novel “Those Who Remain,” the seventh book in his “New World” series.

In the early 1970s, scientist John B Calhoun conducted his famous “Universe 25” experiment, creating a “mouse utopia” with unlimited food, water, and shelter.  In these ideal conditions, the mouse population grew rapidly before collapsing as social behaviors deteriorated and reproduction ceased.  While not a literal prediction, the experiment serves as a powerful metaphor for how prosperity and social disconnection can erode purpose and cohesion in human societies.

American society is not yet in collapse, but fragmentation is evident: deep political polarization, eroded trust in institutions, and fading shared norms.  Many retreats into online echo chambers, curating realities that shield them from real-world friction.  This produces phenomena resembling Universe 25’s “isolated females” (seen in aggressive or entitled behaviors like “Karens”) and “beautiful males” (withdrawn, self-focused, feminized men).

Both on the left and the right, good times have allowed us to forget what we learned in the hard times that got us through those hard times into the good. Should we not soon turn back, both the left and right will have to relearn.

 

Hard times have a lot of complications for the weak that created them.  Particularly for the LDS priesthood holder.  It’s more than just being a wimp.  It’s being afraid of change and your shadow.  It’s dealing with “woke” ideas and becoming self-sufficient so that you can raise self-sufficient children.

 

Brothers it doesn’t take that much to change the men in the church.  Don’t accept woke ideas.  Call out those leaders who are trying to make this church like our government.  Remind everyone of the doctrine behind “The family a proclamation to the world.”  I’m not saying we should be unkind or mean, but we need to be bold about the truth and about our lives.

Years ago, I lived in a District and a Branch.  I was called to the District High Council.  I had a District President who was from Minnesota.  He and I did not agree politically.  But we were friends and enjoyed talking with each other to get that other view. In one particular meeting he would not stop talking about a particular political subject.  He wanted to debate and I kept telling him that this was not the time or place for such a discussion.  He would not let up and so I finally said some rude things that silenced the room.  (The good brother sitting next to me whispered to me, “Now you’ve done it!  Good job!”) Most people would not talk to a priesthood leader that way.  I would normally not talk that way to my priesthood leader either but I had to jar him back into reality so he would stop trying to talk about inappropriate things in a meeting where other things should be happening.  My tactic worked!  Later on, I apologized and he said, “You had to shock me back into reality.  I know you didn’t have a choice because I was not listening.”  I was glad he understood and our relationship was not damaged.  Over the years you have learned that you can stand up to a priesthood leader if you do it in a respectful and kind way.  Many people will not do this, but a left-leaning leader can do a lot of damage in a ward.  Politics doesn’t belong in Church.  But many people let their extreme views, left or right leaning, spill into their teaching and speaking at Church.  If that view is in opposition to gospel doctrine it must be corrected. The Church has solid stances on Gay marriage, abortion, and gender.  I don’t have a problem with the people that believe in opposition to this doctrine, but these points are non-negotiable.  And they have no place at Church.  Many believe the Church will “come around” concerning these doctrines and that the Church will change.  My contention is that will never happen.  Policy changes, doctrine does not.

Learning to be a man and then stepping into that role is something that seems to be lacking in some generations.  My kids were given responsibility early in their lives.  We have a large family and we all needed to help to care for ourselves, and our home.  Kids have an amazing capacity.  They can do a lot!  At 8 our kids learned, and were responsible for, their own laundry.  When our Grandkids visit they are given the same responsibility at the appropriate age.  Our kids also had chores they got allowance for but also some they had to do out of duty being a member of the family.  I made sure they understood that because we do have an obligation to each other as family members.

 

 Teaching boys to be men and raising resilient kids so they don’t have to take resilience classes should be every parent’s goal.  The Church now offers resiliency classes, I understand why.  It’s taught in seminary now. What the heck?  I’m an LDS Seminary graduate but I never had a class or a lesson in being resilient.  My Dad fought in WWII.  My parents went through that world war and through the Depression.  They could handle whatever was put before them. So, they raised us kids to weather whatever storm they were put through.  My wife and I were children of the 60’s and 70’s.  We were taught how to work and how to survive.  

 

The men of the church need to stop being “nice” and start being men. Being nice is not the same as being kind. We should be kind. Families need to be resilient because Christ is coming. Looking at the signs we know life is poised to be worse. Certain prophecies must be fulfilled and that means things will get worse in this world. We need men who will bear up the church and the gospel. We should be defenders of the faith. It’s hard to defend from a safe space. LDS men should be meek but not push overs. That’s why boys need to be taught to be men. 

 

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times”

 

We are moving into those “hard times”. LDS men and boys need to learn what the 3 P’s are from the Proclamation on the Family. 

What does it mean to preside, provide, and protect?

That’s what we can talk about and teach. Dirty Civilian focus on the Christian preparedness side. The LDS perspective is similar, but with the priesthood comes a higher responsibility.

Boys (and girls for that matter) need to learn physical work.  One of my sons is a computer developer.  One is a welder.  They grew up the same, but the welder likes physical work for his mind and body.  The developer takes care of himself and exercises, but he prefers the more cerebral work of working on software.  Both of them (and our daughters and other brothers) moved rocks.  When we bought our property there was a large pile of stone with rocks about the size of 2 bricks.  We seemed to need this rock pile moved for construction projects and other reasons to move the location of the stone.  So, our kids were given so many rocks to move when they got in trouble.  We did spank our kids but not that often and even less as they got older.  They were given work in addition to the chores they already had.  They were given other tasks sometimes and not always rock moving.  It was physically hard work, but they knew if they complained they could get more rocks.  All my kids know how to work.  It’s interesting because the guys my girls married aren’t necessarily DIY guys.  So, my girls have tool bags, and they work on things as they need to.  Their spouses are getting better, but my girls are hard workers.

One of our family’s sayings is actually from my son-in-law.  “Suck it up, cupcake!” With this mindset our children were not raised to need safe spaces and could handle most everything that has been thrown at them.  They are resilient. I believe it’s our responsibility as parents to bring up our children to handle life and what it throws at you.  To learn from adversity and to become stronger from trials.

There are generations that are soft because their parents wanted things better for them.  I understand that feeling but fight it and teach them how to navigate life themselves.

I had a Stake President growing up who was a millionaire.  His children did not know until they were young adults.  The kids had work at home and jobs to pay for cars and college.  Dad could have just paid for it all, but he and his wife wanted resilient, prepared children.

I hope the men in the church can figure this problem out and stop producing unprepared, dependent children.  I also hope they can change the way the church does things and stop being so timid about running the Lord’s Church.

 

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Gunshot Trauma: Reality of Shooting

 38 years ago, today I had my first combat experience.  I remember the day because it was my wife’s birthday. Great, huh?  The trauma has been minimized but the lessons have lived on.  We all have adversity in our lives.  We must ask God what He would have us learn from these experiences.  It helped me to mitigate the trauma.  One of the things I learned from this harrowing experience was how to manage gunshot wounds.  We experienced 200 to 300 against our 32.  We lost 4 but several were wounded.  It’s a miracle that many survived.  We had some top-notch medics that made a huge difference in minimizing lives lost. 

MARCH stands for Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation and Hypothermia.

Remember this acronym to be able to assess the life-giving aid needed

Stay Calm and Assess the Situation

This is where the rubber meets the road.  Some people are not built for the gore and the emergency of a situation.  It does not have to be combat to be serious and life threatening.

Stay calm to assess the situation and make sure you and the injured person are in a safe place.

You can’t help if you’re in danger too. Once you’re sure it's safe, move quickly to the casualty.

Stop The Bleeding

Massive bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death in gunshot wounds. Your priority is to stop the bleeding, especially if it's from an arm or leg.

 

Related Medical Supplies:

• Tourniquet: If the bleeding is from a limb and it's severe, apply a tourniquet immediately. A good military gunshot wound kit will include a high-quality tourniquet which is ready to use and staged for fast application. Place it as high as possible and tighten as tight as possible.
• Compressed Gauze: If the wound is too high or too deep for a tourniquet (such as on the neck or torso), use compressed gauze to pack the wound. This helps stop internal

bleeding. Pack it tightly into the wound to put pressure on the bleeding vessel. After that, apply a trauma bandage to secure it in place.

·         Blood stoppers: Surgical pads are the best for stopping serious bleeding.  The pads that come in most first aid kits are woefully inadequate.  Several surgical pads have the thickness to stop bleeding.

Seal the Chest Wound

If the gunshot wound is in the chest, you need to act fast to seal the wound as soon as possible. Gunshot wounds to the chest can cause a condition called tension pneumothorax, air gets trapped in the chest cavity and collapses the lung.

 

Related Medical Supplies:

• Chest Seal for Gunshot Wound: Most gunshot wound first aid kits come with vented chest seals designed specifically for a chest open wound.

Apply the chest seal directly over the wound, making sure the edges are completely sealed to prevent air from getting in. There might be an exit wound on their back—so check and apply another chest seal if needed. The vented type is recommended because it lets air and blood escape through the channel while preventing air from re-entering.

Check Breathing and watch for Tension Pneumothorax

Once you’ve controlled the bleeding and sealed any chest wounds, it’s time to check the casualty's breath and look for signs of tension pneumothorax. If the Casualty is having increasing difficulty breathing, this might be what is happening.

• Signs of Tension Pneumothorax: Difficulty breathing, rapid shallow breaths, bluish skin (cyanosis), and chest pain.
• Action: Ensure the vented chest seal is functioning properly, allowing air to escape. If breathing becomes more difficult, you may need to perform a needle decompression (with proper training and equipment,) and prepare for rapid evacuation.

In many cases, the person who is injured won’t make it to the hospital without immediate care. That’s why having a gunshot wound first aid kit nearby is so important. Whether it’s in your vehicle, home, or on you during outdoor activities, being prepared means, you can provide lifesaving care.

 

 Gunshot Trauma Kit contents

· Bandage Scissors

· Curved Hemostat

· Venom Nitrile Gloves – No Latex

· Face Masks

· Alcohol Wipes

· Betadine Iodine

· Mylar Blanket – avoid shock

· Ammonia inhaler

· CPR Mask

· Red Marker

· Incident Report

· CAT Tourniquet

· H & H Dressing

· Adhesive Tape – Latex Free

· Israeli Bandage / Emergency Pressure Bandage

· #10 Scalpel

· Decompression Needle

· Roll Gauze

· Celox-A Sterile ABD Pads

· Double Chest Seal

 

• For Bleeding: Tourniquet, Compressed Gauze, Combat Gauze with Kaolin, gloves, trauma shears
• For Chest Wound: Chest Seal kit, gloves, trauma shears

 

It’s important to react quickly to a gunshot wound.  Some cases would be something that needs immediate attention even for a through-and-through or a nick.  Some may be minor blood loss but it’s not always clear what was hit inside the body.

It takes a little preparation in gear and learned skills that can mean the difference between life or death.  It’s not always that dire, until it is.  Get basic training and have the tools necessary to save a life if called upon.  I can tell you from personal experience that’s it’s not a good experience to watch someone die in front of you and feeling helpless.  Preparedness is the answer.  Be prepared!

Semper Paratus

Check6

Burn

"May You Live in Interesting Times" and Terrorism Awareness

 A Chinese curse is “May you live in interesting times.”  Well, we are living this curse now!  With a combat action going on in Iran it only follows that we will see more terrorist activity in the U.S.  We’ve had some shootings that have been radical Islamic connected.  We just had an attempted bombing in New York that was also extremist influenced.  I feel this is only the beginning and we experience more.

Each of us lives in different places with different environments. I live outside a small town that isn’t really known for crime, although there is some. I have a friend who lives in a metropolitan city with lots of crime. Each of you should do an honest assessment of where you live and work. I used to live in Arizona and lived outside of Phoenix. I worked in a few places on the South side of Phoenix which, at that time, was pretty rough. I knew that I did not stop unless I had to. I would generally not be there after the sun went down and even in daytime I’d stick to the main roads. I knew the convenience stores that would be prone to being robbed and those that were not. I’d go to work and then hit the freeway and get out of there as expeditiously as possible. I’d make sure my tires were good and my gas tank was full because I didn’t want to stop for anything.
If you know any law enforcement in the area you could ask them where you should and should not go, especially after dark. Or you could just stop a police officer that you see and ask him about the area. Tell him or her where you work and about the neighborhood. Law enforcement can tell you the troubled spots, stores, parks, and other areas you should stay away from.
More than good intel, you need to have your head on a swivel at all times. Be aware of what is going on around you. Practice good situational awareness. Keep your nose out of your cell phone or tablet. Watch people and constantly be going through the OODA loop.
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
This is what we do all the time whether we know it or not. The most important parts of the OODA Loop is Observe and Act. If you are observing, you’re practicing good situational awareness.
In review the Cooper Color Code is:
Condition White
You feel secure, whether or not you are actually safe.
Condition Yellow
You are cautious. You should spend most of the time in this state.
You have a 360-degree peripheral awareness of such environmental danger spots as secluded doorways, entries, and alleys.
Condition Orange
You are in danger. You are aware of a potential threat.
Specific alert. A possible target has been identified. A particular situation that has drawn your attention and could present a major problem. Someone may be giving oral indicators such as direct threats or using suspicious language. Focus on the potential attacker.
Condition Red
You are in conflict.
Fight or flight. Flee, defend, or attack. You have evaluated the situation, and if there is a threat, you prepare to fight or run.
In this day and age in the United States of America I believe all people should be in Condition Yellow. It’s not a state of paranoia, but a state of awareness and readiness. If more people were in this state, they would be better prepared if a terrorist attack presented itself. Or at least they would better off.
 If you feel threatened and you are armed; you can have your hand on your weapon. Just remember that often distance is your friend. If you are aware of your environment, it is easier to see things that are wrong. Or you may see something coming.  At the least situational awareness could help you to see and avoid, an accident.
Being in Yellow will become a mindset and an everyday thing as you practice it and help others to look for it too. My family are so tired of me switching seats with them at a restaurant so that I can see the door. When they call me on it, I always say, “You want the one who’s armed to be able to see the front door and as many exits as possible, don’t you?” I think sometimes it’s a game that they play with me just to see if I’ll do it every time. I didn’t pick that seat one time and my wife called me on it. I told her, “Well you are armed tonight, aren’t you?” I noticed she wore her weapon that night, she doesn’t always. She said, “Yes”. I said, “Then tonight you have that responsibility of being aware.” She said later that by pointing out that she was armed and in the right position, this made her more aware of everyone coming in the restaurant.
Being in Yellow means you watch as you are approaching a store of who is “lurking” outside. It means you scan the convenience store to see what it looks like before you go in. It means you take note of the parking lot of that same convenience store as you go in so you know what’s different when you come out. It means that you don’t let anyone in your home door if you aren’t expecting them or don’t know them. It means you’re careful about what you put on the internet. It means you know where your children are and who they are with at all times. It means that you avoid dark alleys and deserted parking lots. You use common sense and you are scanning and assessing all the time. It’s not an obsession, but a mindset.
Really the only time you are in White is when you are asleep and even then you are only unaware.
I sincerely hope no one ever need use this state of awareness to fight or flight, but if you did need it, I would be glad you decided to practice Always In Yellow!
To maximize efficiency of situational awareness:
• Assume an optimal vantage point. If you’re in a crowd where a fight or riot could break out, for example, as odd as it might sound, climb up into a tree and observe from there.
• When possible place yourself within eyeshot of entrances to places like restaurants, courthouses, etc.
• Make sure you know where all the exits are from inside a building when possible.
• When standing in slow-moving lines, take time to observe people in the other lines.
• When using public transportation, look at everyone discreetly.
• Whenever you enter a new environment take note of the baseline environment for possible anomalies. For example, it’s not normal or routine for a person to be talking really loud at a quiet-type coffee house, but at a noisy bar and grill it is.
Situational awareness is more than just environment. The following guidelines are for reading people.
• Realize that a person who stands out in a group isn’t necessarily potentially harmful, such as an angry customer at a fast-food restaurant who got cheese on their burger when they ordered it without cheese. But do keep your eye on such individuals.
• If such a person, however, keeps looking around nervously, behind them, etc., that’s cause to raise your bar of awareness.
• A possible sign of threat is when someone is acting at ease when everyone else is panicking. For example, in video footage, the Boston Marathon bombers stood out like sore thumbs.
Plan of Action
• Great observation skills are great, but once you spot the threat, then what? Your plan, such as knowing all the exits, should already be in place.
• You can even have fun with this: Every time you’re out in public, imagine a dangerous situation and how you respond. What if a fire broke out? An errant car was headed for the window you’re standing near. Gunshots rang out? Or you felt something press against your waistline and heard a voice, “Come with me or I’ll shoot you”? Imagining how you’d respond will help you in a real-life situation.
Prevention Is the Best Medicine
• Don’t look like prey. I know a woman who, as she stands at her car late at night in a parking lot to unlock it, her feet are shoulder width apart, one fist on hip, and she looks all around first, shoulders square and chest puffed out—an “I dare you to mess with me” message.
Get a gun. Get trained. Be legal. If you don’t think a gun is an option carry pepper spray. But this is something you should also be trained in. Look like you are aware of everything around you. Walk with purpose. Look like someone who is in charge. The image you portray can make all the difference in the world. It’s easy to prevent being a victim if you pay particular attention and are aware of your surroundings.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn

How Much Ammo Should You Store?

 Whenever I get asked, “How much ammo should I have?”  I then start asking questions of my own.  How often do you shoot?  What are your shooting goals?  What types of shooting do you do?  Are you stockpiling for prepping?  How much space do you have?

These questions let me be better in my understanding of the shooter and their needs before recommending how much they should stockpile.

So, how much ammo should you have? The shooter in me says you can never have too much, but my penny-pincher side sees that as a problem. 1,000 rounds for each firearm you own is a good minimum in most instances.

Let’s get a little more specific.

Things to Have in Mind Before Stocking Up on Ammo

I've found it best to implement a restocking system. That keeps me from panic-buying when prices skyrocket during an ammo shortage and saves me a lot of money. Buying in bulk is a significant portion of my restocking system. It helps me save more money than I would by buying in smaller quantities.

Here's how much ammo I like to have for each gun.

Handguns        5,000 rounds per firearm

Battle rifles     5,000 rounds per firearm

Shotguns          1,000 rounds per firearm

Hunting Bolt action rifles 1,000 rounds per firearm

I've always been a fan of keeping things as simple as possible, and my stockpiling system is no exception. The initial cost stings the most because I like to get started by buying in and then slowly building toward my stockpiling goal. I'm also a fan of doubling up on the savings by catching ammo when it's on sale. But I never buy all the rounds at once, unless it's just a deal I can't pass up.

Start with 500 to 1,000 rounds of the ammo you use the most and gradually grow your stockpile over time. I prefer to use the oldest ammo first, just to ensure I have fresh ammo, but I've stored ammo in a cool, dry place and used it decades later. My father-in-law recently gave me some shotgun shells he had in storage for longer than I've been alive (30+ years). They still fire, but I don't recommend waiting that long to use them.

Having a restock threshold is a great idea. Once you hit a specified minimum number of rounds, it's time to buy more. Personally, I don't like to dip below 500 rounds for most of my guns. I'd ideally have no fewer than 1,000 rounds before I start looking for the best ammo deals. I stockpile less self-defense and hunting ammo, as I don't use those rounds as often, so I'm comfortable with only 100 to 250 rounds of either.

• Step 1: Buy 500 to 1,000 rounds of your most-used ammo.
• Step 2: Slowly build your stockpile by timing bulk purchases and ammo sales.
• Step 3: Restock as needed when you reach your minimum number of rounds.
• Step 4: Repeat the process for every type of ammo your firearms are chambered for.

You should have as much ammo as you can afford and have room for.  I suggest storing your ammo in a fire-resistant safe to protect it from the elements and thieves. At the very least, you should have 1,000 rounds for each firearm you own.

Having ammo on hand is slightly different than having long term ammo. I consider "ammo on hand" to be easily accessible: not locked in a safe or buried under boxes. Whether they're preloaded in magazines or still in their boxes, these rounds are intended to be quickly loaded into your firearm and used for practice etc.

I like to keep 50 to 100 rounds handy at all times. Ninety percent of those are home defense ammo for my pistols and shotguns.

Long term is another topic altogether. You would ideally have thousands of rounds of ammo during an end-of-the-world situation.  But the above goals are sufficient.

Self-defense ammo is much more expensive, and you're less likely to use it, so I don't see a need to have thousands of rounds.

I do like to keep a couple of hundred rounds on hand and purchase more whenever I see an unbeatable price, though. My home defense ammo consists of 20-gauge, and 9mm, though I could narrow it down to just shotgun shells and one of my pistol cartridges if needed.

Answering the question "How much ammo should I have?" is incredibly personal. A competitive shooter will go through thousands of rounds more per year than a hunter or someone training for self-defense.

For beginners, I recommend starting with 1,000 rounds and seeing how long that lasts for you. Then, based on how long that ammo lasts, begin building a stockpile that will last you one to two or more years.

Happy stocking!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Target Identification and It's Importance

 Several years ago, I was on a military shooting range trying to qualify a young Air Force Captain so he could fly.  He had to qualify, or this pilot would not be on flying status.  This can be very stressful for someone who wants to fly but has a hard time shooting.  Finally, he was the last one, the others had already qualified and left the range.  It was one on one training now.  He was frustrated because he could not keep consistent and was hitting 18, 19, 17 rounds out of the 20 hits needed to qualify.  In his frustration he would wave his M16 around wildly and flag me.  I warned him about that, and he would calm down to try and qualify again.  After being flagged about 4 times I finally told him we needed to stop and come back the next day.

I felt for this guy.  He was trying so hard and barely missing it.  I almost told him when he missed it by one that I would sign off on that and to his credit, he would not “fudge” it.  We talked a bit in this process, and I got to know him better.  He talked about concealed-carry off duty.  As he was shooting, I mentioned target identification.  He asked about what I meant by that.  I told him a story I had read about a guy shooting his son by mistake because he thought he was an intruder.  A flashlight should be an integral part of your EDC so that target ID is not a problem. I’ve heard using a flashlight is a double-edged sword.  It gives away your position besides target ID. The notion that ‘the light draws fire’ or that criminals will wait in ambush for you if they hear you coming are nonsensical. Those are bad paradigms for us to insert in our thinking. If your background is such that having assassins waiting in ambush for you in your own home is a concern, you need to work on some serious hardening of access points to your home.  This thinking applies in combat or law enforcement where noise is your friend.  In a home invasion you want noise. Stealth is not your friend; it is your enemy.  In fact, you should train by speaking.  Next time you go to the range, take the flashlight with you. Instead of just blasting 50 holes in a silhouette, shoot two shots at the silhouette 25 times. Sequence is very important in how you do this.

• Have your gun in your shooting hand and your flashlight in your support hand. The gun is not pointing at the target and the light is off.
• Before each two-shot string, say out loud “Who’s there?”
• Wait and listen for an answer. If you go to the range with someone, have them stand behind you and sometimes respond with “it’s me, Daddy” or something similar.
• If they say that, immediately put your gun down on the bench and abort that sequence.
• Then illuminate the target without pointing the gun at it.
• Finally, bring the gun up and fire the two shots.

One of the things you will find when using this sequence is that the worthwhile two-handed shooting techniques don’t work well with it. It is both clumsy and dangerous to assume when you already have the light on the target and are keeping it illuminated while presenting the pistol. The Rogers/Surefire technique takes some time and manipulation skill to assume. What you will discover is that only the Cheek Technique or the FBI Technique work well in this context.

That means you must learn to:

• Speak while holding your gun.
• Abort the shooting sequence if there is not a threat.
• Do a dissimilar task with the other hand, i.e., orient the flashlight and work the switch, while keeping your gun off target and your finger off the trigger.
• Shoot with one hand only while continuing to perform the dissimilar task.
• Manipulate the safety or decock your weapon with one hand while holding something in the other.

For the final 5 repetitions (10 rounds), put up a clean silhouette target and shoot the LAPD Retired Officer Course (10 rounds at seven yards). Measure how well you do. You’re going to find it’s a lot harder than you think. From the LAPD manual:

“The starting position for this qualifying course of fire will begin at the 7 Yard Line. When the target faces, the shooter will draw and fire 10 rounds at a single silhouette target. A score of 70 percent is required to pass the qualification. All rounds impacting anywhere on the body and head will receive full value and rounds impacting upon the arms are half value.”

There is no time limit, so all you need to do is hit 7/10 shots in the torso or head of the target

That sequence is obviously rather involved; practice it before you must do it for real or you’ll forget to do it or get it wrong. Forgetting to do it is what leads to tragedies.

Some shooters may become overly anxious or excited, which can lead to careless behavior. They may fire at sounds, colors, movements, or unidentified shapes, or simply shoot too quickly. In the excitement after hitting their target, they may swing a loaded firearm toward their companions or run with the safety off toward the target.

Self-control is an essential aspect of safety. Only shoot when you know that no people, domestic animals, buildings, or equipment are in the zone-of-fire.

Slow, careful shooting is not only safer, but it also produces a higher degree of success.

Shooting accurately is a key safety factor. Some incidents, often deadly ones, have occurred when stray bullets have hit people out of the shooter's sight. Be sure you have a proper backstop before you shoot.

Being responsible for every bullet is the only way we as concealed carry or home defense participator can be.

Be safe and be deadly!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Tactical Training for Your Family

Family Training

Broad & Inclusive Training

No one is safe at all if they only learn how to protect themselves in one type of situation. That is why even if you are focusing on one specific discipline of tactical training you will find that it is both broad and inclusive of a variety of potential scenarios. Any good tactical training course will provide you with multiple situations to overcome, preparing you for a variety of both physical and psychological tasks associated with your survival. Yes, you can learn to shoot the same menacing looking targets in different orders each time at the gun range, but this only covers one scenario and is not effective tactical training. True tactical training will also call on more than one level of physical and psychological needs at any given time, to ensure you are well rounded and prepared for any situation. A good tactical training session might even appear chaotic, but they are highly structured to call on multiple skills to test a trainee. If you can use your range of skills to make sense and survive the situation, the chaos melts away, which is exactly what you are hoping to be able to apply to a real-life scenario.

I had my family learn how to shoot, how to use pepper spray, and how to grapple.  We talked about tactical thinking and situational awareness all the time.  Try to be versatile. 

Drills

Remember you can help prepare your family with tactical training as well. There is a fine line between preparing and scaring your children, so always consider their age and understanding level in every training scenario. Drills, however, are important and can give you the lifesaving seconds you need in a disaster scenario. Many families have fire drills for instance, so considering a few potential events and outcomes that your loved ones can practice, increasing your chance of survival is a form of tactical training that can keep your whole family safe and better prepared.

Keys to Good Tactical Training

• Avoid highly specialized training classes and events. While it is good to practice in specific ways, broad range courses are best for beginners, so you can build a solid skill set. You can go on to more specialized training down the road.
• Look for a course with scenario-based training as it can help prepare you psychologically, as well as physically.
• Hone your instincts. One of the goals of tactical training is to take actions from being intellectual to instinctual. In high-stress situations, if you can rely on your instincts to help in your defense you have a higher chance of surviving a confrontation. Any few seconds you can spare in mental processing and decision making, due to effective, tactical training could be lifesaving.
• Self-defense is a lifelong journey. You must adopt it as part of your regular life and commit to continually practice if you want to truly become a master in the art of self-defense and be able to defend yourself no matter what the situation brings

·         One of the most popular forms of civilian tactical training  is with the use of firearms. Ranges offer tactical shooting courses that provide you situations that represent more realistic scenarios, rather than just standing at one end of a range and shooting at a stationary target. Classes are often the best course for many, however, if you do have the property, or can find a place where you can lawfully fire the rounds, you may consider setting up tactical training courses of your own. Remember that the element of surprise is a huge aspect of tactical training. If you do set up your own course, you will need a partner who can change the targets and situations to create a unique training experience every time.

 

Psychological Aspects of Tactical Training

·         Tactical training requires a level of psychological involvement that is simply not applied in ordinary self-defense training approaches. Of course, learning a specific technical skill for defense is extremely important. However, a technical skill that is only mastered in a controlled environment is only applicable to similar controlled environments, not to situations in the real world. In order to learn a technical skill that will be helpful in any situation, you must be conditioned psychologically as well as physically. With the psychological aspect of tactical training in mind, you will practice your technical skill in a variety of anticipated states, considering factors like stress or exhaustion.

·         Preparing your mind for the possibility of these stressful situations will enable you to perform with greater effectiveness when an actual disaster occurs.

 

Hoplology

·         Not all tactical training is physical in nature, and hoplology is a great place for many beginners to start. As with most things, research can be a huge asset to a person’s self-defense repertoire. Hoplology is the study of the development of human combative behavior and performance. It is in short, the relationship between different cultures in regards to how and why we fight. Becoming a student of hoplology opens you up to a slightly different tactical approach. Taking the knowledge of why and how we fight into consideration can give you a slight advantage when engaging in combat with a potential assailant. Studying other cultures and fighting techniques can also give you an advantage when approached with any self-defense situation as not only can you anticipate what might be coming, but you can take appropriate action to combat it as well.

There are many ways to improve your family’s training.  Tactical is just one of them.  Find a course, or person, who can teach tactical training in a simple way that is understandable to your entire family.  Develop or find drills that can be practiced easily.  Make it fun for the whole family and you will find that not only is your family prepared and safe, but healthy and happy.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn