Map Reading and A Threat Map

I listened to a story of one of my Scouts one time. He told of being with his family traveling in a car. They got to a place where they weren’t sure about where they were. In the story the boy says that his father’s phone did not have service so they could not get a map on his phone and his mother’s phones battery was dead. I asked why they didn’t have a car charger? He didn’t know. I asked why they didn’t have a map? He didn’t know. His father is an Air Force pilot! I was dumbfounded. The lack of foresight was quite blatant. They obviously survived the incident. He was telling me the story. But having a clear idea of where you’re going and how you’ll get there is always important. So is knowing what you’re preparing for. Risk analysis can only be performed if you know what the risks are. This is why a threat map might be a good idea. So what are you going to mark on your threat map, and how should you do it? If you are using an electronic map, you can use any built-in tools on your mapping app, if you have them, or convert the map into a file format compatible with a graphics editing tool. Paper maps have more options. If you are marking on the map directly, you can use whatever you want; pens, pencils, markers, highlighters and crayon are all viable. Take care that what you use to write on your map does not bleed so badly that it obscures anything important on the front or back of the map. You might try overlaying the map with clear page protector or acrylic sheet to allow you to write on it with dry erase markers or grease pencils. This has the advantage of allowing you to change and update your markup as your plans and threats evolve without using a new map, but obviously markings of this kind are not indelible, so you’ll need to protect your map a little more from anything that could wear or wash your markup away. Before you go jotting down whatever crosses your mind onto your map, take a minute to gather your thoughts and align them with your goals: what do you intend to accomplish with your threat map? What details are most important to you? Will you be recording a lot of data or only a little on it? How will you indicate the data; color, pattern, symbol, or something else? Your map should be easy to understand at a glance, if only to you. Adopt a system for your markup and if you have a variety of colors, patterns and symbols included consider creating a legend for the map. Below are a few items you might consider marking on your map, and my thoughts on indicating each that can serve as a guideline for creating your own. Don’t be afraid to deviate from my recommendations; I am not using any standardized, official methodology, military regulation markings or anything else. Such things may add value for some, but for the majority of civilian preppers they are unnecessary. Areas in your locale that have a reputation for turning out criminal activity should be marked on your map, as any event that halts police activity or provides cover for criminal enterprise will see crimes increase, often with areas immediately around bad sectors affected the worst and quickest. You should be avoiding these parts of town at any rate if you have any choice in the matter. I like to mark the coarse boundary of these areas in orange on my maps, and lightly shade the interiors or run a few hazard stripes through it. Keep in mind that crime is not delineated by any “border” streets, and will readily spill over into more affluent or safe areas during or after a crisis. A good neighborhood is only good until some scumbag strolls into it. You should have a minimum of two routes into and out of town from your home or workplace marked on your threat map, with attention paid to likely sources of slowdown or any bottlenecking that may occur. Pay attention also to putting as much distance between your route and any rough parts of town as possible. Think carefully about how your route will be affected by a mass of panicking, fleeing people, or which ones might be shutdown or throttled by authorities in a crisis. I highlight my routes in light blue, and fill in any detours as a dashed line that will take me around potential roadblocks or similar obstructions. Narrow roads, bridges, and traffic-prone thoroughfares may become easily blocked or vehicle restricted in an emergency. Additionally roads and paths that are easily to render impassible should be illustrated also if they are a potential route out of town or to home, ones that have such features as very steep shoulders, flood easily or are lined with large trees . Any of those may become showstoppers for all but the most capable vehicles. I mark these items in red along my blue route shading, and usually with a tiny illustration of the hazard for easy ID at a glance. You don’t need to go overboard and do this for the entire map, only the routes that will see you in or out of town. I mark all safe havens where I can expect security, resupply or other aid on my map in green with a small note if the map does not have a symbol for it already. Things like hospitals, police and fire stations, EMS stations and city government installations. I also mark locations of my closest friends and family members where I know I can get a port in a storm, and to make sure I can find an alternate route to them in case they are imperiled. Now, I am aware that some folks consider major government and civic installations to be places to avoid in a disaster for a variety of reasons, from disease or possible targets (or dealers) of violence. This is a personal choice, but I advocate that we prepare for what threats are most likely to occur. Following that reasoning, most situations will see any of the above as centers where you can get aid or rescue, and I plan accordingly. Mark any natural terrain feature or man-made structure that could feature prominently in a crisis as a major source of danger on your map. This could be things like a nuclear or chemical plant that will release who-knows-what onto the wind if it should explode or burn, or a floodplain around a river that becomes notoriously impassible after heavy rains. Near mountains you might mark the paths of likely avalanches, or areas most vulnerable to lahars or pyroclastic flows near a volcano. Know what the biggest threats are in your area and understand how far their effects can reach. I mark these hazards in brown according to the nature of the threat. I will outline a floodplain or landslide zone like I do a high crime area. I will mark man-made installations with a symbol representing them and then an arc of projected effect according to the most common prevailing wind conditions in my locale. This lets me plan my movement or escape according to what areas are most likely to be impacted or rendered impassible. You should obviously change your priorities if you find out your home or office is in any of these affected zones. These are some other things to consider on your map. • locations of ATMs, in case they’re working and you need to make a quick cash withdrawal • locations of vending machines, so you can grab a few extra supplies • roads with steep slopes, because they might be hard to drive through, particularly during winter (unless you have solid 4X4 vehicle) As your plans change and threats evolve or recede, update your map. Also update your map with any observations that might indicate a new threat or point of concern. If you notice a road dealing with much more traffic than before and backing up a regular basis, you can depend on it being far worse in an actual disaster. Change your route, or just mark the sluggish stretch by itself. Places and buildings that are regular sites of protest should be marked as hazard zones, or perhaps removed from your list of safe havens if they were one before. You don’t need anything to do with teeming masses of stressed-out, agitating people in kind times, much less when the stakes are far higher. When updating your map, don’t make too many corrections, mark-outs, strikethroughs and the like before ditching it and recreating it. All those marks and scribbles get confusing quickly. If you used an erasable ink or grease then you are good to go, obviously, but take care that you completely obliterate any prior markup that needs removal. A crisis is no time to second guess that dashed line or errant squiggle. Once your map is updated and set the way you can make use of it, back it up. Make a high-res copy or scan it to a device so you can make use of it no matter how you are travelling. Put a copy in your BOB and vehicle. You might consider laminating a paper map if it is not weather resistant or placing it in a heavy-duty map case. Consult it regularly when trouble is brewing, even if just on the horizon. All that time and research will pay off when you need to decide on a course of action quickly and your map can help you do it. A threat map is not just a prop for the deranged and paranoid survivalist. A threat map, made with care and intelligence, is a valuable asset for risk-mitigation and disaster planning. Tailor yours to support your goals and you’ll greatly enhance your personal readiness. As a side note, learning to use a map goes without saying. A regular road map works fine but a topographical map gives you more information and you can navigate with compass anywhere. But this type of map reading and navigation takes a little training to know what you’re doing. It’s not difficult to learn but it does require some effort and practice. It is a less known skill as we are in this electronic GPS world. The problem is, like my story at the beginning of this article electronics can fail. This is a skill you can teach your kids. I first was exposed to this as a Boy Scout. As you teach your kids you can make it fun for them. It can be a competition or not. Go to a park or other open area and make your own map of the area. Then devise a compass course for your kids to practice on. I think the Boy Scouts and the military are the only ones that teach this anymore. Don’t let it become a lost skill. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Defend The Faith, Defend The Church!

Defend the church "Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them." —Jeffrey R. Holland First and foremost know that everything that I present here is my opinion and my interpretation of scripture and leaders’ words. I don’t want to lessen my resolve and feeling that the way I see it is true with a disclaimer, but I want to be clear these are only my thoughts. I’ve seen this politically correct (PC) statement for some time called “crisis of faith.” I do not subscribe to this point of view. I do not believe in a crisis of faith (COF). I believe that some people may have questions and may not have a very strong testimony, but this COF business to me is a PC way of saying “I’m weak and vulnerable and some yahoo showed me a snippet of information or a quote that has me doubting.” Or worse, “I’ve just learned (through some “helpful” ex-member) of a policy that doesn’t agree with my present narrative of how the Church should handle fill in the blank.” I’m not saying someone can’t have their beliefs challenged because I know that you can. I’m saying that some people are shaken pretty easily. It’s not easy to be an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It takes faith. And faith requires action. And action usually is work. Changing our lives to be more in line with our Heavenly father is sometimes painful. But, of course, it’s always worth it. In these troubled times the current political climate directs many to man-made ideas and wrong roads to follow. I’ve watched it many times. Apostasy starts in small, seemingly innocent, ways. If a person can ground their testimony in Christ, not necessarily in the Church, church policy, or even leaders, then a foundation will be more difficult to shake. I’m not saying a testimony that the Church is true or that we have living prophets, seers, and revelators is not important. It is. But without a foundation in Christ, it’s easy to lose faith in people and organizations. This is why it is important to defend our faith and our Church. Many years ago as I was serving my mission I starting to collect anti-Mormon material. This was pre-internet and information was slow in moving. I didn’t obsess over it, I just happened to have it reach my hands. I had the largest collection of anti-Mormon material in the mission. I bequeathed it all to my last area and hopefully they just disposed of it. I also didn’t study the information very much. It’s not very deep and they quote each other. Nothing has changed except it has moved to the internet. The anti-Mormon movement has become more sophisticated, but the foundation has not changed. In the 70’s and 80’s it was “The Godmakers”. Now it’s “The CES Letter”. In “The Daily Beast” an article by Tarpley Hitt titled The Bizarre Cult of #DezNat: Alt-Right Mormons Targeting Porn and the LGBTQ Community Updated Jan. 28, 2019 12:01PM ET / Published Jan. 24, 2019 5:15AM ET (https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-cult-of-deznat-alt-right-mormons-targeting-porn-and-the-lgbtq-community) In this article Hitt described a hashtag that was started in August 2018 by @JPBellum. “In early January, a post appeared on the Twitter account @MormonQueerconf, a page devoted to anonymous confessions from LGBTQ members of the Mormon Church, about a new hashtag circulating in LDS Twitter: #DezNat. “I am ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of #deznat,” the post read. “I feel like it’s only one meltdown away from being the one who ends up killing someone like me.”” The article is pretty good about covering #DezNat’s origins, but rather than reporting Hitt decided she doesn’t believe the creator of the hashtag and that it has some ominous meaning or purpose on Twitter. I also found this article to be more about what former members and anti-Mormons think of Dez Nat rather than members that use the hashtag. Just by the title of the article it’s clear of Hitt’s opinion rather than an objective, journalistic view. But this is typical of most media these days. I suppose she would lump me in with alt-right Mormons but frankly, I’m not that concerned about the media, especially internet media. The only reason I mention this is I like the original idea of the hashtag. It was created to identify those willing to defend the Church. It has been used by all kinds including those that believe it stands for Deseret Nationalism and has acquainted it with skinhead-Nazi-anti everything stupidity. I do not believe this hashtag means those things. DezNat is something that I feel is needed. People defending the Church online. Wikipedia says this about DezNat: “#DezNat (shortened from Deseret Nation) is a Twitter hashtag created in 2018 by Twitter user JP Bellum, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church); Bellum stated the hashtag recognizes faithful Church members as "a unique people and should be united spiritually, morally, economically, and politically behind Christ, the prophet, and the church." It also refers to a loosely affiliated group of likeminded Church members who use the hashtag. It is considered by press outlets, such as The Daily Beast and The Daily Utah Chronicle, to be an alt-right, white nationalist hashtag. Many users of the hashtag disagree with these accusations. According to Bellum, "#DezNat is not endorsed by the LDS Church or its leadership. Instead it is the idea that devout members ought to work together to support the church, its doctrines, and each other, on social media and in their communities to further build the Kingdom of God.” Many have been called progmos or progressive mormons. I believe these people exist. I’m sure you have come across them. They seem to know more than the rest of us because they are “woke”. It’s my opinion that they don’t last as members but will fall away or leave the Church in other ways. Then they become exmos (ex-mormons) which of course is a former member of the Church. Some exmos move on with their lives but some can’t help but become antimos (anti-mormons). This is one who speaks out and fights against the Church. They can leave the church but they cannot leave the church alone. I do not believe in violence for violence sake. I do believe in neutralizing the threat. I do not think we need to defend the Church with violence. That may come but that day is not today. I do not agree with those that want to commit violence against those they feel are not welcome into the Church. What kind of crap is that? Defend, yes. And I’ve got to ask. What do these guys really know about violence or killing? Have they ever really been involved in either or are they just macho idiots who think it’s no big deal to harm or kill another human being. These are light thinkers who need to talk to someone who has experienced violence, and have been preparing for it, a large part of their life. So what do I mean by defend? It is just that. Do not allow derogatory remarks without some type of defense. If detractors know that there will be a consequence with every jab, they might think again. At the very least, detractors and anti’s will know they’re not just dealing with meely-mouthed little snowflakes. On August 23, 2021 an Apostle, Elder Jeffery R Holland, gave a devotional at BYU Provo. He spoke about how BYU has changed and how it needs to be. I believe because of some members and non-members, BYU has had this change come about. Because liberal, or extreme left, ideologies have crept into this school, it is no longer what it used to be. BYU doesn’t always uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is in some areas with some professors and students. I believe it should be rooted out, and I believe Elder Holland agrees. This talk was very controversial. Many members (my guess is progmos and other left leaners) had a real problem with it. I believe Elder Holland wants a change at BYU. He defends the gospel tirelessly. Detractors of the gospel already have hit Elder Holland and his “militant” attitudes. John Dehlin, one of my favorite exmos, did one of his shows “Mormon Stories”on this very talk. He called it “Losing control over Mormon LGBTQ support at BYU”. Believe me. If people supported Elder Holland and then heard this talk and no longer support him, I have doubts about the original support. What do people think? That this great apostle is giving new ideas? He signed the Family Proclamation. His views have not changed. Again I commit this challenge to you from Elder Holland in 2014: “Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them.” But in his BYU devotional in August 2021 he spoke of defending as did the builders of the Nauvoo temple “who worked with a trowel in one hand and a musket in the other.” He told of this quote coming from Neal A Maxwell. I could not find this in a talk by Elder Maxwell but he is quoted on a BYU website as saying it. I think it’s in reference to Nehemiah 4:17: “They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” Brigham Young uses this in Journal of Discourses: “…the great Prophet Joseph, in the stone quarry, quarrying rock with his own hands; and the few then in the Church, following his example of obedience and diligence wherever most needed; with laborers on the walls, holding the sword in one hand to protect themselves from the mob, while they placed the stone and moved the trowel with the other, (Neh. 4:17) the Kirtland Temple—the second House of the Lord, that we have any published record of on the earth, was so far completed as to be dedicated.” JD Vol2 Num 6, Brigham Young, April 6, 1853 I might update that statement to “Holding an AR15 in one hand, while holding a DeWalt impact drill in the other.” Some may read this article and believe that I am condoning violence. No, I am not. I’m sure some of the name-calling will happen too. I have spent a lot of time in the military and working on military bases and posts, but I don’t consider myself militant. But I have seen real violence up close and personal. I don’t care to see it again. Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is, engage first. This is not defense of this church. I’m not sure, and I hope, I’ll never have to defend this church with physical violence. But I will defend it with all the training, experience, knowledge, and faith that I have. Others should too! Be a thundering voice for the gospel! Be nice, but defend! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

"Run, Hide, Fight" Can Kill You

I just went through this training again. Run, Hide, Fight! I am re-posting this article from December 2019 about the flaws in this training that is used so often. In 2017 in a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas 2 people were killed but the gunman was killed by a parishioner who had volunteered to be on a security team. There is video of the shooting if you can handle that sort of reality. This made me think about the governments "Run, Hide, Fight" (RFH) campaign. The shooting in Texas was over in seconds. The RFH would have done no one any good. Security on the spot made the difference. There were 7 people armed in that church that we can see in the video. These church security teams have some type of training usually. There was 250 people in that church. Two were killed before the gunman was stopped by someone else with a gun. I have worked for the federal government in one capacity or another my entire adult life. The training we receive is RFH. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have also adopted this training. I fear for those who put so much stock in this training. Let me explain why. RFH is a soft response to hard violence. The problem with RFH is that it does not teach about the extreme violence that a mass shooter is. It does not teach the importance of being ready mentally for this type of attack. It does not talk about the normalcy bias that most people experience during a violent encounter. Living in North America most people are relatively safe most of the time and their "normal" does not involve violence. I think that's one of the great benefits of living in the U.S. But it does foster an inadequate mindset of "All is well." This can be dangerous because there is usually a Afreeze@ before the fight or flight response. That is sometimes precious seconds that could be used to run or hide. This is a definition of the freeze from a 2010 article by Dr. David Golstein "The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, refers to a physiological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically. The response is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with a threat or to run away to safety." Most people are not prepared for this response and so often nothing actually happens which is what we call freeze. That's where the ADeer in the headlights@ look can come from. It's too bad that RHF doesn=t acknowledge something that most people will experience. There are ways to learn to control this reaction and it has to with a mindset. Preparing for this type of event in your mind can make a difference. Thinking of scenarios AIf someone comes in that door and does this, I=ll do this@ can help if ever faced with the real thing. I know you can't imagine every scenario, but just thinking of a few will put you much further ahead than you would be. It also gives your mind somewhere to go during this type of event that may keep you from freezing. It does work and is used to train tactical teams. I used to teach a tactical response class in the military. I would use an air horn at a particularly quiet moment to demonstrate the way something unusual can get your adrenalin pumping. It was interesting to see the reaction from some battle experienced people who were told it was coming! Another problem with RHF is that it fosters a "checklist" attitude. These events are situationally driven. Sometimes you may have to go straight to Fight because the situation warrants it. But the way RHF is taught Fight is a "last resort". That is not reality and so it teaches you can't fight yet because you haven=t exhausted the run and hide options yet. This can get you killed. It should be taught "Run or Hide or Fight" to be of any advantage to a victim. The RHF system also creates a victim right away without even giving anyone a chance at something else. It creates a non-aggressive mindset when there are many scenarios where those being attacked should be in a self-defense mode rather than a "roll-over-you're-dead" mode. For some reason the general public in the U.S. have this idea that only law enforcement can or will defend you. Law enforcement is the best in the world in this country. But unless you carry an officer in your back pocket or bag they are minutes away! There are politicians and snowflakes out there that would have you believe that only the police can use violence to defend you. Most law enforcement will agree that is simply not true, yet it is still perpetuated. "Don't fight with your attacker, give them what they want." A purse or wallet is one thing but a woman's virtue is something else! Don't let this false training deceive you! Since Columbine law enforcement has changed its tactics with mass shooters. They used to establish a secure perimeter and wait for SWAT to take out a killer. No longer do they do this. Many people have died with this tactic. Law enforcement has changed, and you should too. Don't let anyone teach you that running and hiding are the first things you should do in an active shooter situation. Don't misunderstand, running and hiding are very good options. They can save many lives. But situational awareness is the most important skill along with a quick threat assessment. Learn about your options. Get trained so that when fight is the best and first option, you=ll be ready. Try to teach others, politicians and leaders, that gun free zones are where people die. Give us the options to get trained and to defend ourselves. If there is one thing we can learn from the tragedy in another Texas Church, it's that someone armed and even trained basically can save lives and make the difference. Don=t be a victim, get training and practice what you learn. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn PS I do not think RHF training is very good, but it is something. Take out some of the flaws and include situational awareness and this would be better training. You can do this yourself. Take lame training, and turn it into something that makes a difference.

Remember 20 Years Ago, And 9 Years Ago, Never Forget

The other day I was at work a little late. That meant I left work later than usual. I work on a federal installation that is run mostly by the military. That means that every morning and every night the flag is raised and lowered. If you have ever spent much time on any military base you will know that for a few minutes each day, tribute is given to our nation and to its flag. Traffic stops, and the vehicle occupants sit quietly to pay respect. Where ever people are walking, they stop, face toward the main flag pole and salute or stand reverently with their hand over their heart. I experienced this for the millionth time that evening. While I was sitting in my car, I thought that nowhere else that I know of does everything stop to recognize and revere AOld Glory@ and this great country. It made me proud to be an American! How many Americans really understand the meaning of this symbol of our liberties and freedom? How many Americans know how to treat this symbol? We are going to give you a brief lesson on how to treat the flag. Flag Etiquette and standards of respect The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are: The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal. The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering speakers, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top. The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations. The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind. The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything. When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously. The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary. When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner. Displaying the Flag Outdoors: When the flag is displayed from a staff projecting from a window, balcony, or a building, the union should be at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half staff. When it is displayed from the same flagpole with another flag - of a state, community, society or Scout unit - the flag of the United States must always be at the top except that the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for Navy personnel when conducted by a Naval chaplain on a ship at sea. When the flag is displayed over a street, it should be hung vertically, with the union to the north or east. If the flag is suspended over a sidewalk, the flag's union should be farthest from the building. When flown with flags of states, communities, or societies on separate flag poles which are of the same height and in a straight line, the flag of the United States is always placed in the position of honor - to its own right...The other flags may be smaller but none may be larger...No other flag ever should be placed above it...The flag of the United States is always the first flag raised and the last to be lowered. When flown with the national banner of other countries, each flag must be displayed from a separate pole of the same height. Each flag should be the same size. They should be raised and lowered simultaneously. The flag of one nation may not be displayed above that of another nation. Raising and Lowering the Flag: The flag should be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously. Ordinarily it should be displayed only between sunrise and sunset. It should be illuminated if displayed at night. The flag of the United States of America is saluted as it is hoisted and lowered. The salute is held until the flag is unsnapped from the halyard or through the last note of music, whichever is the longest. Displaying the Flag Indoors: When on display, the flag is accorded the place of honor, always positioned to its own right. Place it to the right of the speaker or staging area or sanctuary. Other flags should be to the left. The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of states, localities, or societies are grouped for display. When one flag is used with the flag of the United States of America and the staffs are crossed, the flag of the United States is placed on its own right with its staff in front of the other flag. When displaying the flag against a wall, vertically or horizontally, the flag's union (stars) should be at the top, to the flag's own right, and to the observer's left. The Salute: To salute, all persons come to attention. Those in uniform give the appropriate formal salute. Citizens not in uniform salute by placing their right hand over the heart and men with head cover should remove it and hold it to left shoulder, hand over the heart. Members of organizations in formation salute upon command of the person in charge. The Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem: The pledge of allegiance should be rendered by standing at attention, facing the flag, and saluting.When the national anthem is played or sung, citizens should stand at attention and salute at the first note and hold the salute through the last note. The salute is directed to the flag, if displayed, otherwise to the music. The Flag in Mourning: To place the flag at half staff, hoist it to the peak for an instant and lower it to a position half way between the top and bottom of the staff. The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a moment before it is lowered. On Memorial Day the flag is displayed at half staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset. The flag is to be flown at half staff in mourning for designated, principal government leaders and upon presidential or gubernatorial order. When used to cover a casket, the flag should be placed with the union at the head and over the left shoulder. It should not be lowered into the grave. These are most of what you need to know. I also think that most people should know how to fold a flag properly but this won=t be covered here. Several years ago my wife taught me a great lesson. She was concerned about a faded, ragged flag being flown over a Wendy's restaurant. After several calls to the management and trying to convey her feelings over an appropriate symbol being flown, she got her desired results. They replaced the flag. Now, this is really not a rant against Wendy's restaurants, they are fine businesses. But this is typical of Americans not thinking, or maybe not caring, about our wonderful flag. We must be vigilant, but we must be diplomatic. Not everyone will harbor the same passion over this great symbol. The best thing is to be firm, but to try to teach patriotism. Remember, we are a melting pot. Not everyone who is a citizen has grown up being taught patriotism. Twenty years ago today I was working on an Air Force base. I, like many of you, watched in horror as war was brought to our glorious Republic. I=ll never forget how fast our aircraft got out of the sky. We were in the highest alert mode I=d ever been in other than an exercise. I also remember the patriotism as most Americans came together and grieved together. It is scandalous to me that even our political leaders felt we needed to go to war to take care of this problem, yet many of them changed their views and some even lied about what they had supported. Even worse to me, a veteran, is the fact that some politicians think that Washington DC had so much to do with the taking out of the mastermind of 9/11. I question anything that does not give credit where it is due. The US military has done many thankless acts in its long history but regardless of what has happened in Washington or in wars, they still give reverence to our symbol. Old glory. The grand old girl. Stars and stripes. I would hope that after only twenty short years we can still remember. Also, do not forget the 4 souls that lost their lives in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. In a scandalous act our government sat back and basically let this attack happen. I do not call this a conspiracy, but many things were covered up. There were 10 investigations of Benghazi. As usual they were a sham. I know personally how this works. There was an investigation of the Iran-Contra affair by the Tower commission, like Benghazi investigations, came up with a solution that was far from truth. Within that particular investigation aid to the Contras was stopped by Congress. That is a lie. I was at a small American Army made landing strip in Panama well after the aid was supposed to be stopped, and it was not. So, as a powerless ex-President who believes investigations ran by Congress or any other government entity would reveal truth, I know that they do not. Because of those impotent investigations the U.S. military was at a base in Panama and lost 4 good men to an attack. We should not have been there, just as help should have been given to the brave souls who did not survive in Benghazi. And our ex-President, who needs to just shut his pie-hole, thinks there was nothing he or his staff did wrong. He has his right to free speech, but should he have used that speech to bash his successor? A better person would have not. And then to bring up a sore spot on his “scandal-less” administration, shows me he is still the classless idiot he was while in office. If you want to know what happened at Benghazi, ask someone who was there. Not someone who supposedly is investigating it. Kris Paronto was there. He says these investigations are wrong, but we should believe those politicians over an honorable veteran. The politicians won. The President and the Secretary of State still have lives and incomes. Clinton even ran for President. Had they been honorable, they would have taken responsibility. Good men died because of their politics. And then the ex-President has the gall to talk about “conspiracy theories” surrounding the debacle. What a horse’s patoot. No wonder Kris Paronto said he wanted to choke the ex-President. I have the same feeling. Remembering 9-11 is important because of the attacks on our country. But also remember 9-11-2012 where we lost more good people to terrorists. Remember regardless of nasty politicians who are only about themselves and their politics. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Ammo Scammers

This article is about ammo scammer websites. But know this could be other gun related products. There are many new gun owners out there.

With the shortage of ammo being a real thing many fake ammunition websites have popped up. I was going along a few months ago looking for primers when I found a site that had lots of primers in stock. The flag was that they had a LOT! The prices were also pretty low. There was no limit on anything they were trying to sell. This started me looking around the website. The pictures that were being used seemed awfully “general”. It seemed like pictures from a photo library. Very nondescript. Then I looked for an address. I couldn’t find one. There was only a email address. Then I started to get further into the site. There were other places on this website that promised training information. They acted as if this business was a gun training business that sold ammo and reloading products. It was pretty elaborate until you started clicking some of these side links. These areas were not yet developed. The content was not there. It wasn’t just under construction. So I filled out the personal information area telling them to bite me! These scammers are almost always outside the United States. Most of the content has been stolen. Of course the business names are fake and so are the logos. If you have never heard of this site or business make sure to read the content. Many of these scammers do not use English as their first language. You can tell in their content. Here are some tips for recognizing fake websites. Too good of a deal If it’s too good to be true it probably is. Prices are often very cheap. You know what these products are going for. Look at the prices from websites you know are reputable to get an idea what prices should be. Social media Look to see if they have any social media links. Then follow those links. It takes a lot of time and work to maintain websites and social media accounts. Scammers won’t put in the time and work. Payment Just like the phone scammers payment is often from some crazy third-party or social media platforms. Most will not take credit cards. Contact Often scammers will want to communicate with you on another platform. They will direct message you and want to communicate with a chat app. Addresses Check their business address. It’s pretty easy to check. Many won’t have any address at all. English as their first language Bad grammar and crazy misspelled words and obvious typos are all indicators of a scammer. Security indicators SSL (this stands for computer-speak “Secure sockets layer”) certificates are what enable websites to move from HTTP to HTTPS, which is more secure. An SSL certificate is a data file hosted in a website's server. SSL certificates make encryption possible, and they contain the website's identity. Tap the lock at the beginning of URL address to see if your connection is secure. But be aware that some scammer sites actually have SSL certificates. Forums Look at some forums and see if you can find the business you are considering being discussed. You can also look for reviews of the business on the site or in forums. Forums are known to be brutally honest. Doubt If you have doubts do not buy! Trust In the end use trusted businesses and websites. Be careful out there brothers and sisters! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn