February 2019
F.A.S.T. Test (pistol, 6 rounds) (FAST=Fundamentals, Accuracy, and Speed Test)
Target: 3x5 card (head), 8” plate/circle (body) Start position: Weapon concealed or in duty condition with all holster retention devices active. Facing downrange in relaxed state with arms down at sides. Course of fire: Shooter loads gun with two rounds. On signal, draw and fire two rounds at head target, perform slidelock reload, fire four rounds at body target.
Scoring: -Open top retention (ALS, SERPA) without concealment, + 0.50 sec to final score
-Flap/retention mag pouch, - 0.50 sec to final score
-Misses to 3x5 box, + 2.00 sec per miss
-Misses to 8” circle, + 1.00 sec per miss
Ranking: -10+ seconds: Novice
- Under 10 seconds: Intermediate
- Under 7 seconds: Advanced
This drill was designed by Todd Green of pistol-training.com
A tribute to Todd:
(His Bio from Pistol Training.com)
Todd Louis Green first became involved in pistol shooting while working at the Washington DC U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Section during law school. Over the next few years hobby became profession, beginning as a range officer and instructor at the NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia in 1997.
Todd then spent three years as the Law Enforcement Operations Manager at Beretta USA where he oversaw the Beretta Training Academy and competed as part of the Beretta Elite Team in both USPSA and IDPA competitions. Todd next worked as the Federal & Military Projects Manager at SIG-Sauer (then SIGARMS) where he also taught SIG Academy classes and shot as a member of the SIG action pistol team.
Todd has accumulated more than 1,100 hours of formal firearms training from such schools and trainers as Ken Hackathorn, Ernest Langdon, SIG Academy, and Blackwater/USTC. He has graduated Advanced four times from the prestigious Rogers Shooting School and earned two of their highly coveted Top Shooter “red pins.” Todd is a graduate of the NRA Law Enforcement Advanced Tactical Pistol Instructor Development School, a certified NRA instructor & range officer, and certified Simunition Force-on-Force instructor.
While never in the military or law enforcement himself, Todd has been an invited instructor at the US Military Academy West Point, DEA Academy, Federal Air Marshals, US Department of State Diplomatic Security, and various other military, federal, and local law enforcement academies and ranges across the US. He has been a many-times presenter at national and regional International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor and National Tactical Officers Association conferences.
From 2009 to 2010, Todd was the consultant to the ATF New Weapon Solicitation, the largest non-military firearms procurement in U.S. history. Todd played a key role in developing the specifications and test protocols that led to $80M worth of pistol contract awards.
Since 2007, Todd has been the owner and chief instructor of pistol-training.com which provides training and consulting services to military, law enforcement, and qualified private citizens across the country. The pistol-training.com website has also been where Todd became well known for partnering with major firearms manufacturers to complete high round count pistol endurance tests.
Todd succumbed to cancer in 2016. He is sorely missed, and remembered often.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Monday, February 18, 2019
Being Organized In Ammo Storage
I am a gun guy. I have used guns for many things in my life. To defend myself and others, to teach discipline to others, to discipline myself, and to just manage stress or have fun. So in the process of doing these things, I have found the need to store set amounts of ammunition. As of today, I know how much ammo I will go through in a month. So, I keep an amount of ammo stored that will fill that need. I also feel the need for being prepared in this area of ammunition. So I have established an amount that I want to keep in storage and have on hand always. We do the same thing with our food storage. We maintain certain amounts that would feed our family for a specified amount of time. We must rotate that food to not waste, to maintain nutrition or quality, and to prevent spoilage. I approach my ammo storage in the same way. Organization really does matter. This takes some preparation and discipline. Like food, ammo can have a shelf life. If not stored properly it can go bad like food. If not organized you can find yourself wasting or storing more of one thing than you really want.
Labeling is a very important step. Identifying what is in an ammo can without opening it is essential. This will save you time and preserve your ammo longer. Ammunition has a long shelf life if stored properly. If you need a particular caliber of ammo, labeling will keep you from opening several cans to find what you’re looking for. Get a good labeler. This is good for many things beside your ammo storage.
If you use desiccants in your ammo storage create a desiccant check schedule. Every 6 months (my schedule, maybe not yours) I open certain cans and check the desiccant. I do half of my storage every 6 months so the entire stock gets checked annually. Your schedule may vary depending on how and where you store your ammo. Ammo storage is another article. I’m just focusing on organization. All of these checks can be put into reminder form electronically. You can use a written calendar or whatever will work for you. My phone is what I use.
One of the main reasons I maintain an ammo inventory is insulation from cost fluctuations.
The 2008–13 United States ammunition shortage refers to a shortage of civilian small arms ammunition in the United States that started in late 2008 and continued through 2010. There was an additional shortage in December 2012 that went through most of 2013. The 2008 election of President Obama increased both firearms and ammunition sales. Rationing followed during the shortage. During 2012 a mass shooting at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, a frenzy over gun control laws also set off a shortage. .22 Long Rifle seemed to be the most difficult to find. This eased up in 2013 and the availability went back to where it was before although ammo prices increased and did not decrease with the increase in availability. During this time I never had a problem with my weekly shooting because I had stores of ammo. I did try to replenish what I was using and so I too was looking for almost anything available like everyone else. I just didn’t feel panicked like some others did.
Keeping all this inventory on my computer is much easier than a written log. There are several apps for your phone or device that will help you to keep an account of what ammo you use and have on hand. I’ve used some of them but I always come back to just a Word document. On this document I have:
The location of the ammo. Some ammunition are in hidden locations.
I have long term and short term storage.
Quantity, what kind of can it is in, caliber, whether it is in a bag, box, or loose.
I have the totals for each caliber
I also have my goals for amounts I want to store for each caliber
Having a plan for ammo storage is an important part of your defense plan. Be realistic about what you would like to store and store safely and in an organized manner. You’ll be more prepared if a shortage should ever arise and not panic because you are caught without any ammunition when it is needed.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Labeling is a very important step. Identifying what is in an ammo can without opening it is essential. This will save you time and preserve your ammo longer. Ammunition has a long shelf life if stored properly. If you need a particular caliber of ammo, labeling will keep you from opening several cans to find what you’re looking for. Get a good labeler. This is good for many things beside your ammo storage.
If you use desiccants in your ammo storage create a desiccant check schedule. Every 6 months (my schedule, maybe not yours) I open certain cans and check the desiccant. I do half of my storage every 6 months so the entire stock gets checked annually. Your schedule may vary depending on how and where you store your ammo. Ammo storage is another article. I’m just focusing on organization. All of these checks can be put into reminder form electronically. You can use a written calendar or whatever will work for you. My phone is what I use.
One of the main reasons I maintain an ammo inventory is insulation from cost fluctuations.
The 2008–13 United States ammunition shortage refers to a shortage of civilian small arms ammunition in the United States that started in late 2008 and continued through 2010. There was an additional shortage in December 2012 that went through most of 2013. The 2008 election of President Obama increased both firearms and ammunition sales. Rationing followed during the shortage. During 2012 a mass shooting at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, a frenzy over gun control laws also set off a shortage. .22 Long Rifle seemed to be the most difficult to find. This eased up in 2013 and the availability went back to where it was before although ammo prices increased and did not decrease with the increase in availability. During this time I never had a problem with my weekly shooting because I had stores of ammo. I did try to replenish what I was using and so I too was looking for almost anything available like everyone else. I just didn’t feel panicked like some others did.
Keeping all this inventory on my computer is much easier than a written log. There are several apps for your phone or device that will help you to keep an account of what ammo you use and have on hand. I’ve used some of them but I always come back to just a Word document. On this document I have:
The location of the ammo. Some ammunition are in hidden locations.
I have long term and short term storage.
Quantity, what kind of can it is in, caliber, whether it is in a bag, box, or loose.
I have the totals for each caliber
I also have my goals for amounts I want to store for each caliber
Having a plan for ammo storage is an important part of your defense plan. Be realistic about what you would like to store and store safely and in an organized manner. You’ll be more prepared if a shortage should ever arise and not panic because you are caught without any ammunition when it is needed.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
LDS Gunsite Index 2018
LDS Gunsite Index 2018
Jan (6)
1. LDS Gunsite Index 2017 1/2/2018
2. Poor Man’s James Bond Series (1 through 4) By: Kurt Saxon 1/3/2018
3. Hearing Protection: Hear Me Out 1/5/2018
4. Expedient Fallout Shelter: For When It's Real 1/18/2018
5. LDS Gunsite's 4th Anniversary: Murphy's Laws 1/25/2018
6. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month for January 1/29/2018
Feb (12)
7. Grim Reality of Self-Defense 2/5/2018
8. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month For February 2/6/2018
9. Monthly Read: Book Review For February 2/6/2018
10. Porter Rockwell Tactical Preparedness 2/9/2018
11. School Shootings and The Normalcy Bias 2/15/2018
12. Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground Basics 2/16/2018
13. Responsible Gun Ownership and Practice 2/16/2018
14. If You Are Willing 2/20/2018
15. School Security: If It Were My Kids 2/22/2018
16. Fight Against Gun Laws! Call To Action 2/23/2018
17. Privately Selling Your Guns 2/26/2018
18. Gun Collecting Throughout the Country 2/27/2018
19. Police Shoot Hostage: Training Problem 2/28/2018
Mar (5)
20. Background Check Questions: Can You Pass? 3/1/2018
21. Monthly Read: Book Review For March 3/2/2018
22. School Security: Opinion and Ideas 3/7/2018
23. Renewing Your Carry Permit Early 3/12/2018
24. Overwatch: Drill of the Month for March 3/14/2018
25. Irrational Fear and Gun Education 3/30/2018
Apr (3)
26. Breaking In A Gun 4/9/2018
27. Resist! Nothing Else Is Acceptable! 4/16/2018
28. Close, Don't Be Closed Upon 4/20/2018
May (8)
29. Following Christ and Fighting Evil 5/1/2018
30. My Rationalization 5/4/2018
31. Boy Scouting Caves and Caves 5/11/2018
32. Overwatch: Drill of the Month for May 5/11/2018
33. Cleaning You EDC Knife/Multi-tool 5/16/2018
34. Choosing Your Home Defense Handgun 5/18/2018
35. Do We Want Our Schools Secure, Or Not? 5/22/2018
36. Memorial Day Is Not Good For Everyone 5/29/2018
Jun (8)
37. Overwatch: Drill of the Month (Firedrill) 6/6/2018
38. Your D Day: Preparation and Situational Awareness 6/8/2018
39. Complacency and Concealed Carry 6/11/2018
40. Looking Like A Hard Target 6/14/2018
41. Flag Day 6/15/2018
42. Recognizing Cover 6/15/2018
43. Changing Out Your Carry Ammo 6/19/2018
44. Don't Raise Offensensitive Kids 6/28/2018
45. A Legacy of Protecting Prophets 6/29/2018
Jul (7)
46. The OODA Loop: O=Observe (Part 1 of 4) 7/2/2018
47. The 4th: Remembering Honor And Sacrifice 7/2/2018
48. The OODA Loop: O=Orient (Part 2 of 4) 7/3/2018
49. PTSD: Self-Defense Reality 7/20/2018
50. The OODA Loop: D=Decide (Part 3 of 4) 7/23/2018
51. The OODA Loop: A=Act (Part 4 of 4) 7/24/2018
52. Complacency Kills! 7/30/2018
Aug (6)
53. Trust But Verify 8/7/2018
54. Hyrums Gun 8/13/2018
55. Eluding Dog Tracking Teams 8/14/2018
56. Parachute Cord: It's Not Just For Jump School 8/21/2018
57. Hiding From Aircraft and E and E 8/27/2018
58. Fight The Freeze 8/28/2018
Sep (7)
59. Remembering 9-11-2001 and 9-11-2012 9/11/2018
60. Myth Of Firepower and Winning A Fight 9/11/2018
61. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month For September 9/12/2018
62. What Is Your Major Malfunction? Drills To Help 9/13/2018
63. Every Day Carry Basics 9/13/2018
64. Breathing: It's Not Just For Living Anymore 9/18/2018
65. Caring For and Cleaning Your Guns 9/26/2018
Oct (12)
66. Concealed Carry ADD 10/1/2018
67. Monthly Read: Book Review For October 10/1/2018
68. Bury Your Guns? 10/2/2018
69. Winning A Fight For Your Life! 10/9/2018
70. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month For October 10/9/2018
71. We Have To Better Than Them 10/10/2018
72. EDC and Your Wallet 10/12/2018
73. Words To Live By: Code Of Conduct 10/12/2018
74. Protecting The Prophet and The Brethren 10/23/2018
75. Remember Beirut 10/23/2018
76. First Aid Basics: Using A Chest Seal 10/26/2018
77. The Rare Mail Bomb 10/30/2018
Nov (4)
78. Basics Of Buying A Tourniquet 11/4/2018
79. Veteran’s Day Remembrances 11/6/2018
80. Concealed Carry And Forgiveness 11/16/2018
81. Overwatch: Drill of the Month For November 11/27/2018
Dec (10)
82. Gun Inventory: A Man Has To Know His Limitations 12/10/2018
83. Overwatch: Drill of the month for December 12/10/2018
84. Constitutional Carry: My Opinion 12/12/2018
85. Interesting (maybe) Facts About LDS Gunsite 12/12/2018
86. Monthly Read: Book Review For December 12/14/2018
87. Complacency And Lack Of Education Kills 12/14/2018
88. Holiday Security 12/17/2018
89. Children And Guns 12/19/2018
90. Knowing what gunfire sounds like 12/24/2018
91.Ex-Mormons: Possible Threat? 12/29/2018
It was a good year!!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Jan (6)
1. LDS Gunsite Index 2017 1/2/2018
2. Poor Man’s James Bond Series (1 through 4) By: Kurt Saxon 1/3/2018
3. Hearing Protection: Hear Me Out 1/5/2018
4. Expedient Fallout Shelter: For When It's Real 1/18/2018
5. LDS Gunsite's 4th Anniversary: Murphy's Laws 1/25/2018
6. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month for January 1/29/2018
Feb (12)
7. Grim Reality of Self-Defense 2/5/2018
8. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month For February 2/6/2018
9. Monthly Read: Book Review For February 2/6/2018
10. Porter Rockwell Tactical Preparedness 2/9/2018
11. School Shootings and The Normalcy Bias 2/15/2018
12. Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground Basics 2/16/2018
13. Responsible Gun Ownership and Practice 2/16/2018
14. If You Are Willing 2/20/2018
15. School Security: If It Were My Kids 2/22/2018
16. Fight Against Gun Laws! Call To Action 2/23/2018
17. Privately Selling Your Guns 2/26/2018
18. Gun Collecting Throughout the Country 2/27/2018
19. Police Shoot Hostage: Training Problem 2/28/2018
Mar (5)
20. Background Check Questions: Can You Pass? 3/1/2018
21. Monthly Read: Book Review For March 3/2/2018
22. School Security: Opinion and Ideas 3/7/2018
23. Renewing Your Carry Permit Early 3/12/2018
24. Overwatch: Drill of the Month for March 3/14/2018
25. Irrational Fear and Gun Education 3/30/2018
Apr (3)
26. Breaking In A Gun 4/9/2018
27. Resist! Nothing Else Is Acceptable! 4/16/2018
28. Close, Don't Be Closed Upon 4/20/2018
May (8)
29. Following Christ and Fighting Evil 5/1/2018
30. My Rationalization 5/4/2018
31. Boy Scouting Caves and Caves 5/11/2018
32. Overwatch: Drill of the Month for May 5/11/2018
33. Cleaning You EDC Knife/Multi-tool 5/16/2018
34. Choosing Your Home Defense Handgun 5/18/2018
35. Do We Want Our Schools Secure, Or Not? 5/22/2018
36. Memorial Day Is Not Good For Everyone 5/29/2018
Jun (8)
37. Overwatch: Drill of the Month (Firedrill) 6/6/2018
38. Your D Day: Preparation and Situational Awareness 6/8/2018
39. Complacency and Concealed Carry 6/11/2018
40. Looking Like A Hard Target 6/14/2018
41. Flag Day 6/15/2018
42. Recognizing Cover 6/15/2018
43. Changing Out Your Carry Ammo 6/19/2018
44. Don't Raise Offensensitive Kids 6/28/2018
45. A Legacy of Protecting Prophets 6/29/2018
Jul (7)
46. The OODA Loop: O=Observe (Part 1 of 4) 7/2/2018
47. The 4th: Remembering Honor And Sacrifice 7/2/2018
48. The OODA Loop: O=Orient (Part 2 of 4) 7/3/2018
49. PTSD: Self-Defense Reality 7/20/2018
50. The OODA Loop: D=Decide (Part 3 of 4) 7/23/2018
51. The OODA Loop: A=Act (Part 4 of 4) 7/24/2018
52. Complacency Kills! 7/30/2018
Aug (6)
53. Trust But Verify 8/7/2018
54. Hyrums Gun 8/13/2018
55. Eluding Dog Tracking Teams 8/14/2018
56. Parachute Cord: It's Not Just For Jump School 8/21/2018
57. Hiding From Aircraft and E and E 8/27/2018
58. Fight The Freeze 8/28/2018
Sep (7)
59. Remembering 9-11-2001 and 9-11-2012 9/11/2018
60. Myth Of Firepower and Winning A Fight 9/11/2018
61. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month For September 9/12/2018
62. What Is Your Major Malfunction? Drills To Help 9/13/2018
63. Every Day Carry Basics 9/13/2018
64. Breathing: It's Not Just For Living Anymore 9/18/2018
65. Caring For and Cleaning Your Guns 9/26/2018
Oct (12)
66. Concealed Carry ADD 10/1/2018
67. Monthly Read: Book Review For October 10/1/2018
68. Bury Your Guns? 10/2/2018
69. Winning A Fight For Your Life! 10/9/2018
70. Overwatch: Drill Of The Month For October 10/9/2018
71. We Have To Better Than Them 10/10/2018
72. EDC and Your Wallet 10/12/2018
73. Words To Live By: Code Of Conduct 10/12/2018
74. Protecting The Prophet and The Brethren 10/23/2018
75. Remember Beirut 10/23/2018
76. First Aid Basics: Using A Chest Seal 10/26/2018
77. The Rare Mail Bomb 10/30/2018
Nov (4)
78. Basics Of Buying A Tourniquet 11/4/2018
79. Veteran’s Day Remembrances 11/6/2018
80. Concealed Carry And Forgiveness 11/16/2018
81. Overwatch: Drill of the Month For November 11/27/2018
Dec (10)
82. Gun Inventory: A Man Has To Know His Limitations 12/10/2018
83. Overwatch: Drill of the month for December 12/10/2018
84. Constitutional Carry: My Opinion 12/12/2018
85. Interesting (maybe) Facts About LDS Gunsite 12/12/2018
86. Monthly Read: Book Review For December 12/14/2018
87. Complacency And Lack Of Education Kills 12/14/2018
88. Holiday Security 12/17/2018
89. Children And Guns 12/19/2018
90. Knowing what gunfire sounds like 12/24/2018
91.Ex-Mormons: Possible Threat? 12/29/2018
It was a good year!!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
Monday, February 11, 2019
Legend of Special Forces Underground-Updated
Years ago I fell into some bad company. Special Operations cadre. Guys that participate in war all over the world. Some of them participate in missions before a invasion. Some of them do operations within countries the U.S. is not really friends with and some of them do things they can’t get caught doing. Their victories are secret and they blend in. Some work is overt and some is covert. They seem to do it all. I found myself in many different schools with these types and I had the distinct honor of fighting with some of them in distant lands. I am not one of them. But I got to know them pretty well and in certain situations, we became brothers for life.
After I served in the military I was given a copy of a newsletter called “The Resister”. This came to me by a friend of a friend in the Summer of 1994. It was a gray copy of The Resister and I was dubious about it being genuine. Later I received communication that confirmed The Resister was what it said it was, The Official Publication of the Special Forces Underground. Their Philosophy is this:
“The philosophy of The RESISTER is straightforward. Individual rights, strict constitutionalism, limited government, isolationism, laissez-faire capitalism, and republicanism; in short, the principles upon which this nation was founded.
We oppose: statism, socialism, collectivism, racism, altruism, internationalism, tribalism, unlimited democracy, pull politics, and the "New World Order;" in short, the ideologies of all tyrannies.
Our philosophical framework is Objectivism* (the rational morality of self-interest--LIFE). Our political philosophy is grounded in the works of the Framers of the Constitution (government as servant, not master-- LIBERTY). Our economic philosophy is laissez-faire capitalism (the origin of true rights--PROPERTY).
We do not advocate the overthrow of the U.S. Government. We do advocate resistance to government tyranny. We do not advocate the initiation of force in doing so. We do advocate appropriate force-in-kind in retaliation. We advocate active resistance against the United Nations. Our goal is the restoration of the Constitutional Republic and to see the government chained to the walls of its constitutional prison.
*The editors of this publication accept Objectivism as their philosophical base; however, we are not spokesmen for Objectivism and we alone are responsible for the views expressed here.
From “The Resister” Volume I Number 3"
The Library at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina judge advocate confiscated the library’s resource copy of The Resister for reasons unknown. The library contains socialist, communist, and even Nazi works in it but only The Resister was taken. “Errand boys sent by grocery clerks” was what the Major was called who took the original grey copy. You knew you had an original copy of the newsletter if it was on grey paper. White paper copies were encouraged to be shared and distributed.
I wonder what the Army was afraid of? Insurrection in its ranks? Well, the military have never been very “free thinkers.” I admit that I didn’t agree with everything that was presented in the newsletters, but I think it was, and is, a necessary publication. Those that produced it were patriots. They were not white supremacists or skin heads. They were not looking to over throw the government. But if the government ever gets out of hand, they need to know that these type of patriots exist. And I can tell you that they do indeed exist. They have chosen (in writing) to stay away from affiliation with patriot or militia groups.
According to the Hoover Institution in August of 2015 the “true patriotism” of the underground group included views vehemently misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. At the end of 1995, the white supremacist views of The Resister came under scrutiny after three white army paratroopers were arrested for the murders of two African American citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina: home of Fort Bragg, the primary training facility for Green Berets, he murders’ possible link to skinhead extremist groups within the Army gave rise to a branch-wide investigation; all available copies of The Resister were gathered and sent to the army’s staff judge advocate for review. The judge advocate ruled that the magazine did not violate army guidelines or regulations nor did it breach security.
Despite the Army’s ruling, the House National Security Committee called for a federal investigation of extremist activity in the military (in The Resister, Barry called it a “witch hunt”) and convened a hearing in June 1996. Although the findings were inconclusive, Barry was demoted and retired the following year. After his retirement, Barry continued editing and distributing The Resister. As the newsletters show following Barry’s demotion the magazine became increasingly extremist and racist; by 1998, The Resister featured full-page advertisements for the neo-Nazi National Alliance. To date, the military still lacks substantial demographics for the “Special Forces Underground.”
The term “Special Forces” is often misunderstood in civilian circles. SEAL Teams, Army Rangers, Marine Force Recon units, and so on are not really Special Forces; they are “Special Operations.” The term “Special Forces” specifically refers to what most civilians identify as “Green Berets.” The Special Forces existed prior to the authorization of the iconic head-gear, but they came to be what we know today when President John F. Kennedy authorized the unusual headgear over the Department of Defense’s objections (DOD thought the berets were too feminine).
The legend of the Special Forces Underground reaches back to the same time period. The story is that President Kennedy, kind-of a left leaning, outspoken critic of the military-industrial complex, pulled selected Special Forces officers aside when he visited Fort Bragg in October of 1961. In a very informal conversation he asked these officers to promise that if the US military was ever used against the people of the United States the men of the Special Forces would use their very unique training to assist the people. According to the legend, this promise has been passed down through the decades to some of the soldiers wearing the Green Beret today. These men make up what the media and DOD investigations have referred to as “The Special Forces Underground.” Is there any truth to this legend? President Kennedy did meet with Special Forces officers in October of 1961 at Fort Bragg. That much is public record. The relationship between the Special Forces and President Kennedy is unique to say the very least. Any request the unit had during his administration was granted, and the number of Green Berets more than doubled during his short Presidency. Within hours of President Kennedy’s assassination, 46 Special Forces soldiers were en route to Washington, DC at the request of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Some were selected to participate in the President’s Honor Guard. Available records don’t indicate what the others did. Kennedy is the only President to have ever had a detachment of Special Forces soldiers serve in this capacity. They stayed with his casket and guarded over it until after the President’s family left. After the family left, Command Sergeant Major Francis Ruddy removed his Green Beret and left it on the grave. By some accounts, all of the other Green Berets left their symbolic headgear behind as well. CSM Ruddy’s beret can be seen today at the JFK Presidential Library where it is on permanent display in honor of the US Army Special Forces. It is the only permanent military display in the museum, even though Kennedy himself served in the Navy.
The center where Green Berets are trained today is located where the reported promises were given at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is called the US Army JFK Warfare Center and School. Every year, Green Berets travel to Arlington National Cemetery and place a wreath on Kennedy’s grave in a brief ceremony. No other President receives this attention from the Green Berets. President Kennedy authorized the creation of the Navy SEALs as well but there is no similar tribute from the Navy.
The legend continues.
And so we come to the Special Forces underground. This is actually is term coined by Steven Barry and not anyone in Special Forces. The racist views of Barry led to a Department of Defense investigation. It was determined that the group was not racist in nature. In 1995, Lt. Colonel Kenneth McGraw told the New York Times that several checks of the group by the DOD demonstrated that it did not violate any regulations. This was the first and only real admission by military personnel that the group exists.
Barry has since faded into obscurity. The name “Special Forces Underground” stuck, much to the dismay of the Special Forces community who would rather not be associated with the racist nature of the man who came up with the term. Interestingly enough about this brotherhood within the Special Forces is that even though both the DOD and the FBI acknowledged that it exists during the investigation into the racist element of the 1990s, most Green Berets will say it does not. They don’t deny it either. What we do know is that the Department of Defense and FBI believes it exists.
Talk to Green Beret both current and retired. They will deny that they are involved but can tell you how soldiers are selected and approached to be in the group. Operations security is obvious. I have asked many Green Beret about this affiliation and they speak of it in abstract. I do know many in the Special Operations community and it seems that other branches of Spec Ops are also included in this brotherhood. I have said many times that I have had the opportunity to have been on the periphery of these great organizations. I call many of these good men my brothers.
I believe that this organization exists and am grateful for them. If they ever need a brother, I would have their back.
“The Resister” put a spotlight where none was needed or wanted. But I am glad in a way to know that these brothers are there and willing to step in if ever needed.
PS I asked several SOP members including Green Beret if I should write this article, and was given their blessing. All of this information can be found on the internet except my personal experiences.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
PPS Update 2/20/2019
I was contacted by 2 operators and ex-operators who confirm this brotherhood. They say they do not mind anyone being aware of the Underground's existence, as long as "official" agencies keep their distance, which they have since the original investigation in 1996.
Judge as you will the veracity of all of this.
Burn
After I served in the military I was given a copy of a newsletter called “The Resister”. This came to me by a friend of a friend in the Summer of 1994. It was a gray copy of The Resister and I was dubious about it being genuine. Later I received communication that confirmed The Resister was what it said it was, The Official Publication of the Special Forces Underground. Their Philosophy is this:
“The philosophy of The RESISTER is straightforward. Individual rights, strict constitutionalism, limited government, isolationism, laissez-faire capitalism, and republicanism; in short, the principles upon which this nation was founded.
We oppose: statism, socialism, collectivism, racism, altruism, internationalism, tribalism, unlimited democracy, pull politics, and the "New World Order;" in short, the ideologies of all tyrannies.
Our philosophical framework is Objectivism* (the rational morality of self-interest--LIFE). Our political philosophy is grounded in the works of the Framers of the Constitution (government as servant, not master-- LIBERTY). Our economic philosophy is laissez-faire capitalism (the origin of true rights--PROPERTY).
We do not advocate the overthrow of the U.S. Government. We do advocate resistance to government tyranny. We do not advocate the initiation of force in doing so. We do advocate appropriate force-in-kind in retaliation. We advocate active resistance against the United Nations. Our goal is the restoration of the Constitutional Republic and to see the government chained to the walls of its constitutional prison.
*The editors of this publication accept Objectivism as their philosophical base; however, we are not spokesmen for Objectivism and we alone are responsible for the views expressed here.
From “The Resister” Volume I Number 3"
The Library at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina judge advocate confiscated the library’s resource copy of The Resister for reasons unknown. The library contains socialist, communist, and even Nazi works in it but only The Resister was taken. “Errand boys sent by grocery clerks” was what the Major was called who took the original grey copy. You knew you had an original copy of the newsletter if it was on grey paper. White paper copies were encouraged to be shared and distributed.
I wonder what the Army was afraid of? Insurrection in its ranks? Well, the military have never been very “free thinkers.” I admit that I didn’t agree with everything that was presented in the newsletters, but I think it was, and is, a necessary publication. Those that produced it were patriots. They were not white supremacists or skin heads. They were not looking to over throw the government. But if the government ever gets out of hand, they need to know that these type of patriots exist. And I can tell you that they do indeed exist. They have chosen (in writing) to stay away from affiliation with patriot or militia groups.
According to the Hoover Institution in August of 2015 the “true patriotism” of the underground group included views vehemently misogynistic, racist, and homophobic. At the end of 1995, the white supremacist views of The Resister came under scrutiny after three white army paratroopers were arrested for the murders of two African American citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina: home of Fort Bragg, the primary training facility for Green Berets, he murders’ possible link to skinhead extremist groups within the Army gave rise to a branch-wide investigation; all available copies of The Resister were gathered and sent to the army’s staff judge advocate for review. The judge advocate ruled that the magazine did not violate army guidelines or regulations nor did it breach security.
Despite the Army’s ruling, the House National Security Committee called for a federal investigation of extremist activity in the military (in The Resister, Barry called it a “witch hunt”) and convened a hearing in June 1996. Although the findings were inconclusive, Barry was demoted and retired the following year. After his retirement, Barry continued editing and distributing The Resister. As the newsletters show following Barry’s demotion the magazine became increasingly extremist and racist; by 1998, The Resister featured full-page advertisements for the neo-Nazi National Alliance. To date, the military still lacks substantial demographics for the “Special Forces Underground.”
The term “Special Forces” is often misunderstood in civilian circles. SEAL Teams, Army Rangers, Marine Force Recon units, and so on are not really Special Forces; they are “Special Operations.” The term “Special Forces” specifically refers to what most civilians identify as “Green Berets.” The Special Forces existed prior to the authorization of the iconic head-gear, but they came to be what we know today when President John F. Kennedy authorized the unusual headgear over the Department of Defense’s objections (DOD thought the berets were too feminine).
The legend of the Special Forces Underground reaches back to the same time period. The story is that President Kennedy, kind-of a left leaning, outspoken critic of the military-industrial complex, pulled selected Special Forces officers aside when he visited Fort Bragg in October of 1961. In a very informal conversation he asked these officers to promise that if the US military was ever used against the people of the United States the men of the Special Forces would use their very unique training to assist the people. According to the legend, this promise has been passed down through the decades to some of the soldiers wearing the Green Beret today. These men make up what the media and DOD investigations have referred to as “The Special Forces Underground.” Is there any truth to this legend? President Kennedy did meet with Special Forces officers in October of 1961 at Fort Bragg. That much is public record. The relationship between the Special Forces and President Kennedy is unique to say the very least. Any request the unit had during his administration was granted, and the number of Green Berets more than doubled during his short Presidency. Within hours of President Kennedy’s assassination, 46 Special Forces soldiers were en route to Washington, DC at the request of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Some were selected to participate in the President’s Honor Guard. Available records don’t indicate what the others did. Kennedy is the only President to have ever had a detachment of Special Forces soldiers serve in this capacity. They stayed with his casket and guarded over it until after the President’s family left. After the family left, Command Sergeant Major Francis Ruddy removed his Green Beret and left it on the grave. By some accounts, all of the other Green Berets left their symbolic headgear behind as well. CSM Ruddy’s beret can be seen today at the JFK Presidential Library where it is on permanent display in honor of the US Army Special Forces. It is the only permanent military display in the museum, even though Kennedy himself served in the Navy.
The center where Green Berets are trained today is located where the reported promises were given at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is called the US Army JFK Warfare Center and School. Every year, Green Berets travel to Arlington National Cemetery and place a wreath on Kennedy’s grave in a brief ceremony. No other President receives this attention from the Green Berets. President Kennedy authorized the creation of the Navy SEALs as well but there is no similar tribute from the Navy.
The legend continues.
And so we come to the Special Forces underground. This is actually is term coined by Steven Barry and not anyone in Special Forces. The racist views of Barry led to a Department of Defense investigation. It was determined that the group was not racist in nature. In 1995, Lt. Colonel Kenneth McGraw told the New York Times that several checks of the group by the DOD demonstrated that it did not violate any regulations. This was the first and only real admission by military personnel that the group exists.
Barry has since faded into obscurity. The name “Special Forces Underground” stuck, much to the dismay of the Special Forces community who would rather not be associated with the racist nature of the man who came up with the term. Interestingly enough about this brotherhood within the Special Forces is that even though both the DOD and the FBI acknowledged that it exists during the investigation into the racist element of the 1990s, most Green Berets will say it does not. They don’t deny it either. What we do know is that the Department of Defense and FBI believes it exists.
Talk to Green Beret both current and retired. They will deny that they are involved but can tell you how soldiers are selected and approached to be in the group. Operations security is obvious. I have asked many Green Beret about this affiliation and they speak of it in abstract. I do know many in the Special Operations community and it seems that other branches of Spec Ops are also included in this brotherhood. I have said many times that I have had the opportunity to have been on the periphery of these great organizations. I call many of these good men my brothers.
I believe that this organization exists and am grateful for them. If they ever need a brother, I would have their back.
“The Resister” put a spotlight where none was needed or wanted. But I am glad in a way to know that these brothers are there and willing to step in if ever needed.
PS I asked several SOP members including Green Beret if I should write this article, and was given their blessing. All of this information can be found on the internet except my personal experiences.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
PPS Update 2/20/2019
I was contacted by 2 operators and ex-operators who confirm this brotherhood. They say they do not mind anyone being aware of the Underground's existence, as long as "official" agencies keep their distance, which they have since the original investigation in 1996.
Judge as you will the veracity of all of this.
Burn
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Being Offended Is Offensive
Excuse the rant...
In the 1980’s there was a comic strip that was my favorite. It was Bloom County by Berkley Breathead. I love his humor with a political edge.
The star of the comic is Opus, a penguin. He is sitting at a bus stop with several people. One of them says to him, “Ya know…you penguin types offend me.” Then another guy reading a newspaper says, “Hey…I’ll tell ya what offends me…dirty words, that’s what.” The next panels have others telling each other what offends them. Then they all say at once, “My gosh…LIFE is offensive!!” and all run off screaming. The last panel has Opus looking at you and saying, “Offensensitivity.” This is a humorous way of saying all of us can be overly sensitive and offended. One of my favorite quotes applies to offensensitivity. It’s from Eleanor Roosevelt and she said, “No one can offend you without your permission.”
In a time where free speech is being silenced I think we need to follow the counsel of former President George H.W. Bush, in his 1989 inaugural address, said:
“We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the Nation and gentler the face of the world.”
What is that you say Burn? Are you turning into a sissy? No. I’m still pretty “Close and engage” minded. But I do feel there is a time and a place for everything. We should be kinder and gentler toward our fellowman. Most Americans will pitch in and help and are pretty good people. It’s the reprobates that make it seem that there is no good out there.
But by the same token, we should all have much thicker skins. No one “makes” you mad. You choose to get mad. We choose how we feel. Others can do a lot to trigger some of these emotions, but it’s in our control. I don’t understand what happened to the old rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? Since when did names or insinuations or out and out lies told to us or about us really change us into what we are not? I don’t want my reputation or trust lost, but these days you can’t just live your life. When you get right down to it, we all judge wrong. We all misunderstand other cultures and races. We all get frustrated with the way others think. I’ve never met another human being who didn’t at least have one of these shortcomings. In my belief, only Christ was the perfect being on this earth. The rest of us should be trying. But in the process, patience and tolerance should be our watch word.
I have a real hard time with liberals. I can’t understand how they think and usually feel their actions are asinine. But, I still feel they have a voice and should have a voice. We either have free speech or we don’t. We don’t have freedom of speech only if we agree with what is being said. There are some cases where speech may incite a riot and maybe that is still free to do, but you may have to live with consequences of that speech. Hate speech is similar if that speech tells others to do something wrong and they do it. That doesn’t stop you from using the speech, it just means that consequences may follow. I don’t like pornography. I think it causes a lot of problems for people in many ways. I think it is evil and it should be limited in where it can be displayed and sold, but we have that freedom in this country. I’m not advocating porn but I am advocating freedom of speech.
In this country these days we have a nation of whiny babies. Every one of us has a complaint about something. I’m not saying we should not participate in the debate process but in a civilized, adult manner. What the heck do we need “safe” places for? Should we shield our children from every little mean or bad thing? Bullying is not a new thing. I have red hair and I grew up being taunted because of it. I have great parents who told me that by not reacting to name calling, or laughing along with it, I could disarm the attacker. Most of the time it worked. For the times that I need to defend myself, they taught me to do that also. But they taught me to be very sure before I did anything.
I’m not sure how being “left” or even “liberal” made adults bring up kids that can’t seem to handle anything. I don’t know if it was the “free love” generation or the “activist, anarchist” mentality, but there seems to be an overabundance of wimps out there. I agree that racist words are not “kinder and gentler”. But they are just words. I’m tired of people getting their knickers in a bunch about words. Yes sometimes words hurt, but the alternative is some crazy newspeak stuff that tries to control people’s minds, and I don’t think it can be done. Nazi Germany couldn’t do it, Socialism doesn’t do it. There is an old German song that no one is really sure who the author is called: "Die Gedanken sind frei" which is basically “My thoughts are free.” I think that is a basic right thought of throughout the world as God-given.
Some people and groups have being offended down to an art. They are offended by words, actions, signs, music, books, newspapers and magazines, the internet, and just about everything you can think of. No group, person, or organization hasn’t been hurt by one of the above. We’ve all experienced it. Will it ever stop? No! Not as long as there are human beings on this earth. I’m not saying we should not try, but I’m tired. Black people have an issue. Women have an issue. Native Americans have an issue. Jews have an issue. I believe this is true of all these groups and more. I’m a Mormon. Were Mormons run out of Missouri with an “extermination order” given by Missouri’s governor? Yes! It is a fact. So now should I be offended with every disparaging remark about my religion and cry “Anti-Mormon” when someone disagrees with our doctrine? I guess I could, but I prefer to look upon haters with pity and to get on with my life. I’m not saying there is nothing to bring out as a problem, like those who claim the Holocaust never happened. But I know that the past was horrible for many. Some of my ancestors were driven from Illinois. No one has ever given me money for that injustice. Nor should they. This kind of discontent breeds division in this country. And then, some get offended that you tell them they shouldn’t be offended!
Everyone of us has offended and been offended. Mostly it can be avoided. Strive to teach your children that life can be offensive, but they don’t have to be offended. Do not accept injustice, but be picky about what you choose to fight for. Make sure it is worthy of your time and energy and not someone’s whiny pet peeve.
Do you remember the Seinfeld episode called “The Outing”? In this episode George and Jerry are mistakenly viewed as being gay. As they discuss this they deny it by saying, “We’re not Gay! …not that there’s anything wrong with that…”
Well this is a typical person trying not to be offensive. They are being politically correct.
I think that it’s not a horrible thing to not want to be offensive. We all should be more kind. But sometimes that can be to the extreme …not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
In the 1980’s there was a comic strip that was my favorite. It was Bloom County by Berkley Breathead. I love his humor with a political edge.
The star of the comic is Opus, a penguin. He is sitting at a bus stop with several people. One of them says to him, “Ya know…you penguin types offend me.” Then another guy reading a newspaper says, “Hey…I’ll tell ya what offends me…dirty words, that’s what.” The next panels have others telling each other what offends them. Then they all say at once, “My gosh…LIFE is offensive!!” and all run off screaming. The last panel has Opus looking at you and saying, “Offensensitivity.” This is a humorous way of saying all of us can be overly sensitive and offended. One of my favorite quotes applies to offensensitivity. It’s from Eleanor Roosevelt and she said, “No one can offend you without your permission.”
In a time where free speech is being silenced I think we need to follow the counsel of former President George H.W. Bush, in his 1989 inaugural address, said:
“We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the Nation and gentler the face of the world.”
What is that you say Burn? Are you turning into a sissy? No. I’m still pretty “Close and engage” minded. But I do feel there is a time and a place for everything. We should be kinder and gentler toward our fellowman. Most Americans will pitch in and help and are pretty good people. It’s the reprobates that make it seem that there is no good out there.
But by the same token, we should all have much thicker skins. No one “makes” you mad. You choose to get mad. We choose how we feel. Others can do a lot to trigger some of these emotions, but it’s in our control. I don’t understand what happened to the old rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? Since when did names or insinuations or out and out lies told to us or about us really change us into what we are not? I don’t want my reputation or trust lost, but these days you can’t just live your life. When you get right down to it, we all judge wrong. We all misunderstand other cultures and races. We all get frustrated with the way others think. I’ve never met another human being who didn’t at least have one of these shortcomings. In my belief, only Christ was the perfect being on this earth. The rest of us should be trying. But in the process, patience and tolerance should be our watch word.
I have a real hard time with liberals. I can’t understand how they think and usually feel their actions are asinine. But, I still feel they have a voice and should have a voice. We either have free speech or we don’t. We don’t have freedom of speech only if we agree with what is being said. There are some cases where speech may incite a riot and maybe that is still free to do, but you may have to live with consequences of that speech. Hate speech is similar if that speech tells others to do something wrong and they do it. That doesn’t stop you from using the speech, it just means that consequences may follow. I don’t like pornography. I think it causes a lot of problems for people in many ways. I think it is evil and it should be limited in where it can be displayed and sold, but we have that freedom in this country. I’m not advocating porn but I am advocating freedom of speech.
In this country these days we have a nation of whiny babies. Every one of us has a complaint about something. I’m not saying we should not participate in the debate process but in a civilized, adult manner. What the heck do we need “safe” places for? Should we shield our children from every little mean or bad thing? Bullying is not a new thing. I have red hair and I grew up being taunted because of it. I have great parents who told me that by not reacting to name calling, or laughing along with it, I could disarm the attacker. Most of the time it worked. For the times that I need to defend myself, they taught me to do that also. But they taught me to be very sure before I did anything.
I’m not sure how being “left” or even “liberal” made adults bring up kids that can’t seem to handle anything. I don’t know if it was the “free love” generation or the “activist, anarchist” mentality, but there seems to be an overabundance of wimps out there. I agree that racist words are not “kinder and gentler”. But they are just words. I’m tired of people getting their knickers in a bunch about words. Yes sometimes words hurt, but the alternative is some crazy newspeak stuff that tries to control people’s minds, and I don’t think it can be done. Nazi Germany couldn’t do it, Socialism doesn’t do it. There is an old German song that no one is really sure who the author is called: "Die Gedanken sind frei" which is basically “My thoughts are free.” I think that is a basic right thought of throughout the world as God-given.
Some people and groups have being offended down to an art. They are offended by words, actions, signs, music, books, newspapers and magazines, the internet, and just about everything you can think of. No group, person, or organization hasn’t been hurt by one of the above. We’ve all experienced it. Will it ever stop? No! Not as long as there are human beings on this earth. I’m not saying we should not try, but I’m tired. Black people have an issue. Women have an issue. Native Americans have an issue. Jews have an issue. I believe this is true of all these groups and more. I’m a Mormon. Were Mormons run out of Missouri with an “extermination order” given by Missouri’s governor? Yes! It is a fact. So now should I be offended with every disparaging remark about my religion and cry “Anti-Mormon” when someone disagrees with our doctrine? I guess I could, but I prefer to look upon haters with pity and to get on with my life. I’m not saying there is nothing to bring out as a problem, like those who claim the Holocaust never happened. But I know that the past was horrible for many. Some of my ancestors were driven from Illinois. No one has ever given me money for that injustice. Nor should they. This kind of discontent breeds division in this country. And then, some get offended that you tell them they shouldn’t be offended!
Everyone of us has offended and been offended. Mostly it can be avoided. Strive to teach your children that life can be offensive, but they don’t have to be offended. Do not accept injustice, but be picky about what you choose to fight for. Make sure it is worthy of your time and energy and not someone’s whiny pet peeve.
Do you remember the Seinfeld episode called “The Outing”? In this episode George and Jerry are mistakenly viewed as being gay. As they discuss this they deny it by saying, “We’re not Gay! …not that there’s anything wrong with that…”
Well this is a typical person trying not to be offensive. They are being politically correct.
I think that it’s not a horrible thing to not want to be offensive. We all should be more kind. But sometimes that can be to the extreme …not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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