Magazine Storage: Loaded? or Unloaded?

Storing magazines full or empty. My opinion, regarding your question, comes from my direct experience in the military, as a competitive shooter and as an industry professional. When using quality magazines with quality ammunition, stored and maintained properly, you can leave them loaded as long as you want to without any reservation. GEORGE HARRIS, August 12, 2019, “Shooting Illustrated” De-formed followers, bad ammunition, problematic firearms, and user error are more often to blame for frequent malfunctions than worn magazine springs. Chris Baker, editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge, June 02, 2014 I’ve shot guns with magazines for over 4 decades. I have a lot of experience with good and bad magazines. I have considerably less experience with wheel guns. But I actually taught revolver shooting in the military in the days of yore. I have had a few magazine failures but not very many. When I competed I was paranoid about magazines. If a magazine was ever in question, it was replaced. I did not store my competition magazines with ammo in them for fear of that being a factor. I have changed. I store self-defense magazines full of ammo all the time. I’ve talked to manufacturers, I’ve talked to engineers, and I’ve talked to many other instructors, and the conclusion I have come to is, I’ll store ammo in magazines, but I will probably rotate the ammo and the magazines on a fairly regular basis. In his article in Shooting Illustrated, George Harris said: "I thought it fitting to contact some of my friends in the industry, both from an engineering and customer-service perspective. As I suspected, the answers I received were as varied as the number of people to whom I talked. I called four different people in four different departments at one of the major manufacturers with whom I have a close relationship and received four different answers. They ranged from the magazine could remain loaded indefinitely and still function fine when and if the time came to use them, to a long, complicated regimen of exercising the spring by partially downloading the magazine periodically to different levels so the spring wouldn’t take a set to a specific position because of the number of rounds loaded in the magazine.” I’ve heard similar answers to the above so I adopted my own regime of storing magazines loaded, but rotating the ammunition at least annually, but just as often as not, 3 to 6 months. Some magazines are not used very often so that annual thing has not happened. I know I have some .25 caliber magazines that have not been changed out in a while. Probably a few years. I’ve started to put a post-it note with each magazine stored with a date it was put into storage to get a better idea of how long it has been. Some guns are not shot often and this simple note will at least tell me how old the ammo is. I’m not here to answer the question, “Should I store magazines loaded or not?” I’m here to shed light on the reality of storing and keeping guns functioning and keeping sanity. I’m probably the pickiest about my carry guns and other self-defense guns, but in my experience and for me, I store magazines loaded mostly. Depends on the gun. I have many AR15 magazines and all of them are not full all the time. But I have some guns that have only 4 magazines and I store those full. Unless it is an odd caliber that I don’t shoot much. So you see, the answer to this question is not really a definitive “loaded” or “unloaded”. The only time I’ve wanted all magazines always full was in combat. Otherwise, it’s a case by case basis. I’m glad to have cleared that up…. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Recommended: Has Big Pharma Hijacked Evidence-Based Medicine? By Dr. Joseph Mercola

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2022/12/joseph-mercola/has-big-pharma-hijacked-evidence-based-medicine/ This is a very interesting article and video. I recommend you watch and read, then do your own research! Semper Paratus Chek 6 Burn

Becoming A Danite (Updated DEC 2022)

This is just a reference to the article of SEP 29, 2022. Read it! Burn

Get Home Bag

Most of the country have experienced record high temperatures last Summer and we were no different. In the southwest we are used to no rain. In our area we have had no significant rain all year. But one night we experienced a real thunderstorm! I don’t normally work evenings but I happened to be at work that night. The storm hit right as I was leaving work. Lot’s of lightning, rain, and wind. I could hardly see the road as I made my way home. We live out of town about 4 miles and a few miles off the highway. Once I get off the highway we have about 3 significant low water crossings I was worried about. I came to the first and could see it flowing. Around here, if you can see it flowing it’s deep enough to take your car away. It only takes 2 inches anyway. So there I sat wondering when I would get home in a pouring rain, watching the lightning. It was hot but I couldn’t open the windows, of course. I was sweating and I thought maybe dehydration might be a problem. I had several bottles of water in the car so that wouldn’t be a problem. I got out of the car once to check a crossing and by the time I got back in I was drenched. I wish I’d had a poncho or rain jacket of some kind. Even a large garbage bag would have worked. I carry a flashlight and multi-tool so I had that. Every car we have has a folding knife and a lighter in the glove compartment. We try to keep pain reliever in there too. I really wish I’d have had an emergency kit when I needed it. I was only stranded there for about 30 minutes but it felt like hours. The rain calmed down, I found a crossing on a different road that got me home and I was in bed by midnight. As usual, the experience made me think of my lack of preparedness. I did have a cell phone and water. I could have cut a water bottle to collect rainwater if I needed to. This experience prompted me to research and put together a “get home” kit. Here is the list I came up with and I will explain my logic for the items I feel are the most important. Car Kit Suggested Items Purified water (2 liters/person) Food, (3 day supply requiring no cooking) Blanket, sleeping bag or emergency metallic space blanket Large plastic garbage bag, poncho or rain gear Can opener (P38) 2, ½ rolls toilet paper Compass and map, mirror, whistle Matches, striker, light sticks Pepper spray Tube tent Water straw filter Flashlights (extra batteries) Knife or multi-tool Eating utensils 550 Para cord, fish line, hooks Leather gloves, N95 masks Personal Items: Shower cap (to keep fallout out of your hair) Chapstick, hairbrush, hand lotion Feminine supplies, Toothbrush & toothpaste Soap, washcloth, small towel, razor Extra eyeglasses (even if you wear contacts) Deodorant Change of clothing, jacket, shoes, socks, underwear, hat Infant needs, if necessary Level 1 first aid kit Cold weather clothing, paint can alcohol heater (I’ve added these for those who live in cold areas, or areas that snow. We very rarely have any significant snow) This is a fairly complete kit. Items in bold are considered necessary. I’ll go through the first 9 items that I feel are essential. Remember my acronym SWiFFS? It stands for: shelter, water, food, fire, security. I think these things, in this order, are the very basics of survival. Some ask me why shelter first? Most of the time shelter is first but under certain circumstances water is first. There are times when first aid, which is not even on my list, will come first. Usually a shelter will be at the top though. If you are protected from the elements you will have a place to go to eat and drink and get warm. Sometimes water overshadows shelter. Notice on my list is water first. That is because you are already in a car for shelter. Of course food is next. Be sure to have plenty of water. The list says 2 liters per person but to be honest with you, I’d have about a gallon per person. I keep about 4 gallons. Yes it is a hassle securing it and keeping it fresh. But I live in a desert, and I want as much water as I can stand to deal with. That’s in my Jeep Cherokee. It will generally hold about 4 people. A larger vehicle, like years ago we had an Expedition, however holds 6 gallons. Anyway, find out what will work for you and adjust accordingly. Shelter also equals warmth and protection from the elements. I love wool blankets! They are light and very warm. They also retain most of their warmth properties even when wet. I also carry an emergency “foil” blanket. A poncho is a life saver. I like them because even the cheap ones do what they are designed to do. Wind does affect them a lot, but that can be said for many things. A can opener is a great necessity. There are many kinds of can openers but I like the old military style “P38”. It is small, and light. I carry one on my keychain but also in my kit. Being able to start a fire is a skill all people should have. A fire can purify water, cook food, give warmth, give light, give security and comfort, and it may be used to signal many miles away. Fire is extremely versatile. Having something to help you start a fire is truly priceless. Toilet paper is the best thing in your kit when it is needed. I have a roll vacuum packed and another in a zip loc bag. It can be used as a fire starter too! A compass can save your life, literally. Having a compass and map and knowing how to use it gives me great security and confidence. If you don't know anything about this, learn. The internet is full of websites and videos that teach this skill in detail. Or find a Boy Scout Troop in your area. They would be glad to teach you. A mirror and whistle can also save your life if you are lost. Using a mirror takes a little skill and practice but it's pretty simple. Pepper spray is a great small, light, non-lethal weapon. It will work on a man and some animals such as a dog. My family knows one of my rules is “Never leave home without a knife, or gun” Pepper spray is an alternative to lethal weapons. They take a little training too so ask someone who may know. Do you have a friend in law enforcement? They would be able to teach you the basics of using pepper spray. A “get home” kit could save your life at worst, or just get you home in a disaster or time of trouble. Don't forget to rotate your food, water, medicines, and anything else that could expire. Like your personal bug out bag, a get home bag will give safety, security, and peace or mind. This article is far from complete. Like all kit, these things are personal and should be tailored to you and your family's needs. Research and remember sometimes less is more. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Civilian Tactical Training

I had a conversation with a coworker today. He is concerned about his young family. He’s a guy in his 30’s with 2 kids and one on the way. He’s got a good job and good insurance. He’s saving some money and investing in a retirement. He’s got a house that should be paid off before his retirement. He’s fairly financial secure. Now he is concerned for his family’s physical security. He’s made sure his doors have plenty of locks and has created a “panic room” for his family to go to, but feels he needs to train them. His children are young but are old enough that they can understand the need for protection without being scared. I told him it starts with he and his wife. They need weapons training. Not only safety and operation of a weapon, but using that knowledge tactically. Tactical training for civilians should be general and scenario based. Many ranges offer tactical shooting courses that provide you situations that represent more realistic scenarios, rather than just standing at one end of a range and shooting at a stationary target. Classes are often the best course for many, however, if you do have the property, or can find a place where you can lawfully fire the rounds, you may consider setting up tactical training courses of your own. Remember that the element of surprise is a huge aspect of tactical training. If you do set up your own course, you will need a partner who can change the targets and situations to create a unique training experience every time. Tactical training requires a level of psychological involvement that is simply not applied in ordinary self-defense training approaches. Learning a specific, technical skill for defense is extremely important. But, a technical skill that is only mastered in a controlled environment is only applicable to similar controlled environments, not necessarily real world events. In order to learn a technical skill that will be helpful in any situation, you must be conditioned psychologically as well as physically. With the psychological aspect of tactical training in mind, you will practice your technical skill in a variety of anticipated states, considering factors like stress or exhaustion. Preparing your mind for the possibility of these stressful situations will enable you to perform with greater effectiveness when an actual disaster occurs. Not all tactical training is physical in nature, and hoplology is a great place for many beginners to start. As with most things, research can be a huge asset to a person’s self-defense repertoire. Hoplology is the study of the development of human combative behavior and performance. It is in short, the relationship between different cultures in regards to how and why we fight. Becoming a student of hoplology opens you up to a slightly different tactical approach . Taking the knowledge of why and how we fight into consideration can give you a slight advantage when engaging in combat with a potential assailant. Studying other cultures and fighting techniques can also give you an advantage when approached with any self-defense situation. Not only can you anticipate what might be coming, but you can take appropriate action to combat it as well. One of the things that helped me in combat was the chaos. I could focus on my own task at hand and block out the noise and confusion. When I was in high school my Mother couldn’t understand how I could study with music going. The chaos becomes like white noise, and I was able to concentrate on my task at hand. No one is safe if they only learn how to protect themselves in one type of situation. That is why even if you are focusing on one specific discipline of tactical training you will find that it is both broad and inclusive of a variety of potential scenarios. Any good tactical training course will provide you with multiple situations to overcome, preparing you for a variety of both physical and psychological tasks associated with your survival. Yes, you can learn to shoot the same menacing looking targets in different orders each time at the gun range, but this only covers one scenario and is not effective tactical training. True tactical training will also call on more than one level of physical and psychological needs at any given time, to ensure you are well rounded and prepared for any situation. A good tactical training session might even appear chaotic, but they are highly structured to call on multiple skills to test a student. If you can use your range of skills to make sense and survive the situation, the chaos leaves, which is exactly what you are hoping to be able to apply to a real-life scenario. You can help prepare your family with tactical training as well. There is a fine line between preparing and scaring your children, so always consider their age and understanding level in every training scenario. Drills, however, are important and can give you the life savings seconds you need in a disaster scenario. Many families have fire drills for instance, so considering a few potential events and outcomes that your loved ones can practice to increase your chance of survival is a form of tactical training that can keep your whole family safe and better prepared. There are several important points in tactical training. Avoid highly specialized training classes and events. While it is good to practice in specific ways, broad range courses are best for beginners, so you can build a solid skill set. You can go on to more specialized training down the road. Look for a course with scenario-based training as it can help prepare you psychologically, as well as physically. Hone your skills. One of the goals of tactical training is to take your actions from being intellectual to instinctual. If you’ve ever heard of “muscle memory” you’ll begin to understand using instincts. In high-stress situations, if you can rely on your instincts to help in your defense you have a higher chance of surviving a confrontation. Any few seconds you can spare in mental processing and decision making, due to effective, tactical training could be life-saving. Situational awareness is something you can practice away from the shooting range. Self-defense is a lifelong journey. You must adopt it as part of your regular life and commit to continually practice if you want to truly become a master in the art of self-defense and be able to defend yourself no matter what the situation brings. This mindset is something that can be practiced off the range also. Again I bring up the Cooper Color Codes. Condition White is unaware and unprepared. This is a condition you should try to avoid, as it means you will probably lose a fight. The only time that I’m in condition white is when I’m asleep. And even then, I wouldn’t consider myself unprepared; I’m just unaware. Condition Yellow is relaxed alert. Yellow means you are aware of what is happening around you, but you do not perceive a potential threat. Your mindset should be prepared to defend yourself if the need arises. Everywhere I go, I’m in Condition Yellow. I keep a pretty good watch on the people around me, and I’m continuously rating each person’s danger level in my mind. Condition Orange means that there is a potential threat that has gotten your attention. This can be almost anything and usually results in nothing, at which time you go back to yellow. Condition Orange basically means that if someone turns and I spot a firearm. Instantly, I determine what I’m going to do if he reaches for that gun. Condition Red means that you are in a lethal mode of mindset and will fight if the circumstances are warranted. In our make-believe scenario, the armed guy draws a gun from under his coat. At this point, I implement my action plan that was determined during Condition Orange. This doesn’t always mean fight. If there are too many innocents around or you don’t have the means, your best plan might be to wait and see what happens or even retreat and call the police. These levels are not situational awareness levels. These are a mindset to be in always. Even when you can’t be armed. Being tactically trained and having a security mindset is something anyone can do. It’s important in a prepared lifestyle. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

You Have A Right To Rights!

Will our gun rights be violated? They already have been. I’m not talking about gun laws, but gun confiscation. In 2005, during hurricane Katrina, police and National Guard went house-to-house and confiscated guns. It took a lawsuit to get those guns returned. Law enforcement made a feeble attempt, but they claim it’s too difficult because of so many residents misplaced because of the hurricane. Yet the NRA was able to do a pretty good job of finding these citizens. In 2006, Congress passed the DISASTER RECOVERY PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT OF 2006. The law was intended to prevent the government from seizing legally owned firearms during the time of a disaster. It was incorporated as an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2007 and signed into law on October 4, 2006. In H.R. 5013 it states: “(3) In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the safety of these citizens, and of their homes and property, was threatened by instances of criminal activity. (4) Many of these citizens lawfully kept firearms for the safety of themselves, their loved ones, their businesses, and their property, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment, and used their firearms, individually or in concert with their neighbors, for protection against crime. (5) In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, certain agencies confiscated the firearms of these citizens in contravention of the Second Amendment, depriving these citizens of the right to keep and bear arms and rendering them helpless against criminal activity. (6) These confiscations were carried out at gunpoint by nonconsensual entries into private homes, by traffic checkpoints, by stoppage of boats, and otherwise by force. (7) The citizens from whom firearms were confiscated were either in their own homes or attempting to flee the flooding and devastation by means of motor vehicle or boat, and were accosted, stopped, and arbitrarily deprived of their private property and means of protection.” This is part of the Congressional record. So the politicians, Including our current President and Vice-President, have said they will not take anyone’s guns. Hopefully this law and others, will keep this from happening again. So left leaning people need to stop saying we’re paranoid, it’s already happened! Politicians talk about countries that they want to copy as far as gun confiscation Australia reports from the early 2000s estimate that only 20% or so of the banned firearms had been confiscated. Non-compliance is so widespread that the Australian government has seen fit to repeatedly offer extra periods of amnesty, most recently in 2016, after a government report estimated there were still 260,000 “illegal” firearms in civilian hands. Australia similarly banned the civilian possession of most semi-automatic firearms in 1996, but the country has spent the last two decades trying—and to a significant extent, failing—to enforce it. In Texas, Government Code Chapter 418 (EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT) permits the Governor to declare a State of Disaster which suspends certain state laws and regulations to allow local authorities to conduct rescue and recovery operations. However, it does not allow for the seizure of any legally owned firearms, University of Melbourne researchers Wang-Sheng Lee and Sandy Suardi concluded their 2008 report on the Australia’s debacle with the statement, “There is little evidence to suggest that [the Australian mandatory gun-buyback program] had any significant effects on firearm homicides.” “Although gun buybacks appear to be a logical and sensible policy that helps to placate the public’s fears,” the reported continued, “the evidence so far suggests that in the Australian context, the high expenditure incurred to fund the 1996 gun buyback has not translated into any tangible reductions in terms of firearm deaths.” The U.S. background check system prevented more than 300,000 firearm sales in 2020, a record amount indicating that nearly twice as many sales were blocked than the year before. Citing FBI data provided by Everytown for Gun Safety, The Associated Press reported that 42 percent of those denied sales of a firearm had previous felony convictions. The news comes as the number of potential gun buyers increased over the past two years from 0.6 percent to 0.8 percent, according to AP. One expert told the wire service that the increase in declined sales may be due to the fact that first-time buyers who have a previous conviction are unaware that they are legally prohibited from owning guns. “Some may have a felony conviction on their record and not think about it,” UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, who specializes in gun policy, told the AP. Winkler added that although making a false statement in a background check is a felony punishable by prison time, most are not prosecuted for essentially lying on a form filled out before making a purchase. U.S. gun sales surged during the COVID-19 pandemic last year. CNN reported that around 23 million guns were sold in 2020, a 65 percent increase from 2019, when 13.9 million guns were sold. Of those who were prevented from purchasing guns, 16 percent were blocked by state laws and 12 percent were blocked due to reasons related to domestic violence, according to the AP. “There’s no question that background checks work, but the system is working overtime to prevent a record number of people with dangerous prohibitors from being able to buy firearms,” Everytown research director Sarah Burd-Sharps said. “The loopholes in the law allow people to avoid the system, even if they just meet online or at a gun show for the first time.” The “loop-hole” she’s talking about is private sales. I’m sure Sarah is appalled at this practice but she is unaware of the black market guns that are out there. These are illegal guns being sold to illegal buyers. Regardless of law, this black market will always exist. Sarah also thinks that private sellers don’t care who they sell to. She is wrong. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t care what is done with the gun that they sell. I know that I don’t want a knock on my door from law enforcement asking about a gun I no longer own. I don’t do background checks but I ask for personal information like a social security number and a drivers license. I like to have an idea who I’m dealing with. I also require a bill of sale and always ask if they have a concealed carry license. If they have a CC license at least I am assured they passed a back ground check. What Sarah doesn’t realize is how easy it is to find a black-market gun with no questions asked. This is usually an illegal sale but not necessarily. Banning the gun does not work. Confiscation does not work. The cat is already out of the bag with confiscation. More people trained and carrying would help. Background checks help but they will not cure what ills us. We have a problem with people. It won’t change with banning. It will change with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not to get religious but this is the only true cure. Everything else is a band aid. Changing the way we think, how we handle stress, and how we act toward each other. These things will change a lot of this violence. But as one who has experienced his fair share of being involved with violence and evil, I’m here to tell you and Sarah that you can not stop it. I don’t understand the logic of making laws to stop law breakers. Some people don’t understand rights. These are not man-made even though men enacted the constitution. When I say God-given rights I’m saying that despite the affairs of mankind, despite human history, despite what you may want or I may want, despite the realities of our society, certain qualities of life are the birthright of every living soul. Defending ourselves and our families from those who would harm us IS a God-given right. How we do that may be disputed. I’m not sure of a better way to do this than with a gun. Other weapons are a possibility, but they do not address a threat the same way. This is why this amendment is in the bill of rights. You can’t just say “Oh you don’t need that anymore.” This right will always exist in spite of the above threats of gun control. Law enforcement is not the answer. Unless a cop lives with you, they cannot protect you. When seconds count, the police are minutes away. If we don’t pay attention to our rights they will be shaken and taken. Always be aware of what is happening to our rights. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Becoming A Danite (Updated DEC 2022)

Many years ago I was a full time missionary. This was in the dinosaur days before the internet. In those two years I was exposed to a lot of anti-mormon literature. I had a collection, at the suggestion of one of the assistants to the President. I started to throw it all in a shoe box (of which none of it was worthy.) I didn’t spend much time looking at it or studying it, in fact some of it I had never read. I learned this about anti-mormon information. It is all the same. They find some obscure thing and harp away at it until it is their obsession. I could say the same thing about this modern day group of anti-mormons. Nothing has changed, they just moved to the internet. I tell you, I do not go looking for this stuff. It always finds me. My wife calls me an anti magnet. She’s always asking how I find this stuff. I do not seek it, but it does find me. Let me change gears here. I am a gun guy. Through childhood experience with guns and hunting, and then experience in the military, I’ve become a gun guy. I like guns. I don’t think I’m obsessed, even though I think I like to sound like I’m obsessed. I still have other things in my life. My family, the church, music, our homestead, all these things can occupy my life. In the early part of my military life I qualified for some courses that the military doesn’t just give out to people. I changed my job in the military because I wanted a little less danger, I had a family. But because the military went through the trouble of letting me qualify for this training they wanted to use their resource the best that they could. So, they followed through on sending me to training that was related, but not required for the job I had changed to. In the process, I met some outstanding guys and also had some opportunities I took advantage of. I figured if the military was going to use the heck out of me, I may as well use the heck out of them! There was less pressure to do well in the training! In that process I became a weapons instructor even though my job did not normally become a weapons instructor. I enjoyed some of the training and schools because I didn’t care whether I did that great in this training. I mean I did my best, but if I actually did not do well it would not affect my job. Because of this training, I held SEI’s (Special Experience Identifier) that actually got me in trouble. I was sent to some places I really would not have wanted to be. I went through some combat experiences that taught me something about myself. So what do these 2 things have to do with each other? One is I have become a defender. I have defended my country and family. I also defend my church. I’m not talking about grabbing a weapon and standing a post. I’m talking about identifying threats, and fortifying against them. I see many threats to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mostly it is sin. Sin can threaten the members of this church. We need to fortify against sin by learning of Christ and living as close as we can to His life and keeping Heavenly Father’s commandments and covenants. But I also feel drawn to defend the church against those who try to pull the faithful away and those who try to sully the Church’s name. This means identifying those who fight against the Church. Most of them are “Zarahemnah’s”, those who were members but now fight against it. Zarahemnah was a ex-Nephite in the Book of Mormon who fought against the Nephites and those who were trying follow Christ in His church. There are also some “members” who stay in the Church to fight against it. Some of them are hidden, some are in the open. You can identify Zarahemnahs because often they have left the church but not necessasarily. The first thing they will tell you is they’ll give you their “church resume”. “I’ve grown up in the church.” I had this calling or that calling. They must establish that they were faithful and experienced in the church. Then some traumatic thing drove them away. This frustrates me because my “church resume” is long and wonderful too. I’ve had crazy things happen to me yet I am still here. The Danites were a group of members in church history who were vigilantes. There are those who say Joseph Smith endorsed their lawless and evil actions. It was a volatile time in the church. Members were being persecuted, killed, and driven out of places they tried to colonize. Missouri had an extermination order on “Mormons”. Missouri’s Governor Boggs directed that "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace—their outrages are beyond all description". You can understand how violence can come out of this from both sides. Governor Boggs executive order was only rescinded in 1975! It was issued in 1838. It took 137 years to rescind this ridiculous order. So when someone (usually an anti-mormon) gripes to you as a member about the secret Danites, remind them of a government willing to exterminate a people. I’m not saying anything evil or lawless is justified, but if something like this happened now we would have an uprising. I’ve been called a modern Danite. I don’t picture myself as this but I can see why some might name me that. I am not a member of a secret organization that assassinates those who oppose the church. But that would be cool wouldn’t it? I am just kidding people. I hope you can appreciate dark humor. I am not looking to kill anyone. I am not looking for violence of any kind. Let me tell you another story. There is a family in my ward who I have known for a long time. We come from a similar background and are both from Arizona. This family is a wonderful faithful family. One of their sons went through a divorce and met a sister in our ward that he actually knew for many years. She too had gone through a divorce. Her divorce was bitter. I knew the guy she had married and was her priesthood leader when they got married. He is no good. My wife thinks if I ever see this guys face again that I’ll beat him to a pulp. Maybe. Probably not. After this bitter divorce this ex-husband was a real jerk to his ex-wife and their children. He was a snake and even caused my old family friend and the snakes ex-wife (they married) some great legal problems. He even came looking for his children he thought he should have had for the weekend at church and caused a problem there. (I was out of town at the time. I’m so grateful because I probably would have beat the guy up and ended up in jail.) Anyway, I met this guy alone in the hall of our ward one day. He lives in another city a few hours away so I don’t see him often, thank goodness. But as we passed I stopped and I told him I was on to him. He played innocent, but I knew better. I told him that I knew exactly what he was doing to his ex wife and children. I told him he was trying to convince anyone who would listen that he just wanted the best for his kids. I told him that I was watching him and that he should be careful and watch for me. It was intimidating but I didn’t actually threaten him. I just wanted him to know that he wasn’t fooling me. This is the way I feel about some people who are staying in the church to cause havoc. Some of them are open about what they are doing and some are not. To those who are doing this openly I say, “I see you, and if you don’t cause problems you’re welcome. The moment you start trouble, it’s my job to show you the door.” I know some would say that’s not very Christlike of you, and I can see their point. But I’ve watched people bent on fighting the church cause a lot of problems in a ward. I say, and this is just me, there’s no place for you here. If you’re not genuinely trying to learn or have your questions answered, or you’re bent on trying to disparage leadership both local and in Salt Lake, then out with you! If your purpose is to tear down the church and its leaders I don’t want you here at church. There are those who would do this openly, but some do it covertly. In my experience you’re not that hard to spot. I will defend the church with words or with the tools I have learned through the years. Your choice. If that makes me a modern Danite then so be it. I’m not a murderer and I actually am not a fighter, but I am a warrior. I strive to be as Moroni. I’ve never been a man of blood. I do know there are others like me out there. You are ex military or law enforcement and you have a hard time abiding those who think they can do what they want in this church and not get any push back. Most members are not like me, thank goodness. They lead quiet lives serving and giving. They are not acquainted with violence and have never been hardened by it. It is OK. That is a very good life. Sometimes I wish my life was more that way. Because they are meek and humble people they can get abused easily. I will not allow that. The anti-mormons and predators that try to infiltrate and tear down the church will be eliminated. No, I’m not talking about murder, but I can help you to see that you would be more comfortable away from the church and its members. I understand that many of these ne’er-do-wells have friends and family who are active members. I get that, but what I’m talking about is the general population of wards and stakes. There are others out there like me. We should get together and compare notes and strategies. I’m not talking about organizing and certainly not in secret, but I wish there was a place we could go to communicate. I’m not sure that would go over well even with Salt Lake. I know the anti’s would accuse us of all kinds of things. Just look what happens to Dez Nat and those associated with something as innocuous as a hash tag. I didn’t mean for this to be a rant so I hope that it is not. I just desire to know if my PTSD is making me completely crazy or not. But if I am a modern day Danite, then I’ll be the best one I can be! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn PS If you are like me I would like to hear from you. Do not worry if your are not ex-LE or ex-military, there are those kindred spirits out there without that burden of being "ex" anything. I said that I wanted to communitcate with those of the above mind set. Email me at: burningbush8@hotmail.com. It would be interesting to have a modest list of us crazies in the Church!

Concealed Carry Myths (Reprint from May 21, 2014)

I seem to get a lot of questions about concealed carry. Many involve these 5 myths. “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” (D&C 9:8)
This is a scripture we have read and heard many times. There is a lot in this scripture and a great story behind it. But I think this scripture also says, “Don’t believe everything you read or hear. Weigh it to see if it is right or applies to you. If you feel a need, pray concerning it. Now when I was choosing a gun for concealed carry I didn’t pray about it (although I don’t see anything wrong with praying for direction). But I did take the things I read on the internet with a grain of salt. There are some people I trust on the internet. I’ve followed certain people on youtube channels or websites for some time. I trust them because they have proven their opinion to me for years. I only go to forums for a quick overall view. These are some myths I’ve read about but do not agree with. As in all things, even my opinion isn’t worth much. Do your own research and see for yourself.
1. Carry the smallest gun you can find
Almost every gun maker has made a sub-compact handgun. There are many out there but you need to find a gun that fits you. One size does not fit all! My son loves Rugers. So he naturally bought an LC9. He hates it! He’s a pretty big guy with big hands. The LC9 is just too small for him to be comfortable. He needs a compact not a sub-compact. Some people carry a full sized 1911 and have no problem with it. Me? I’m a sub-compact guy. Smaller and lighter is what I want. Everyone is different so a blanket statement like one size fits all is the best, is just absolutely wrong. Some like subs because they are easy to conceal. But subs hold less ammo. Full sized guns have a larger ammo capacity, but they are more difficult to conceal. Find out what will work for you! Make sure it’s comfortable because if it is not, you’ll be less apt to carry it. The gun also must be easy for you to shoot. Like the 3 bears, not too big and not too small, but just right.
2. Make sure you carry without a round in the chamber to be safe!
This is the most ridicules thing I have ever heard! If you feel this way just leave your gun in the safe!
Unless you carry a 50 year old weapon I don’t think you need to worry about your gun going off unless you press the trigger. Without a charged weapon (round in the chamber) you would have to rack the slide. Contrary to movies and TV, that is just too time consuming. If you are drawing your weapon you are ready to use it. How can you be ready to use it if you have to operate it to get it ready? If you accept the responsibility of carrying a deadly weapon then you have a responsibility to carry it safely. Let me be clear about this. Not having a round in the chamber could get you killed. That’s only my opinion.
3. Those who are new to concealed carry should carry a revolver.
I love revolvers! There are some great ones out there. They are quite reliable and easy to operate. But as for that style of weapon to be used by those new to carrying a gun, I don’t think so. I’m not sure it takes a whole lot more experience or intelligence to operate a semi-auto as opposed to a revolver. I wouldn’t discount any gun until I found out what worked for me. With any weapon training is needed. Revolvers carry less ammo but are simple to operate. But semi autos may be just as simple with the right training. Again, try a variety of weapons and calibers you think would work for you. Being comfortable with a particular gun will help you to be accurate and confident.
4. This caliber is better than that caliber
It would not be a bad thing to learn a little about ammunition. Are you better protected with one caliber over another? Of course not! I can tell you this, a well placed shot is better than a bazooka. We maybe not a bazooka but you get my drift. A .380 between the eyes is much better than one hit in the arm from a .45. The idea is to stop the threat. I don’t put a lot of stock into stopping power. A well placed shot is what I look for. So get out there and practice!

5. You shouldn’t carry a gun without a safety
As I’ve trained many and as I’ve been trained in the military, my trigger finger is my safety. I don’t like manual safeties. Especially on a concealed carry gun. I want to pull my weapon and shoot. I want to keep it as simple as I can. But as in all things, if you feel more secure with a safety, by all means use one. I can’t tell you how often I’ve thought the safety was off at the range and failed to shoot because the safety was on doing it’s job. Just imagine if you thought the opposite and needed that gun to work! Just remember when you practice with a weapon that has a safety to include putting the safety on and off so you won’t have that problem.

Remember, learn all you can. Ask instructors and those who have been around the gun world a while. Take as much training as you can. Don’t just believe everything you read or hear. Find out for yourself. If you will follow certain sites on the internet you will quickly find out which one you can trust. Especially be wary of mainstream media. I’ve taught my kids “No truth in the news, no news in the truth.” There are other myths out there. The challenge is to recognize them and discard them.

Semper Paratus
Burn

Bishops and Security: Comment Reply

Back in February I wrote an article titled “Condition Yellow”. There was a comment by archerytom. This was his comment: “I was recently called to be assistant emergency preparedness and comms specialist for our Ward. My partner and I had a brief interview with our Bishop a few weeks after I received the call. We sat to discuss, security measures for our Ward. Long and short, we were told, "No Way!" Long and short of it, the meeting did not go as we had hoped, not that we wanted roving armed patrols, far from it. But, what we did want was a team of trained observers that would know what signals to use, alarms to sound etc. IF, and potentially when, an emergency situation presented itself. In other words, we were told that the Brethren all but demand that when we are on Church properties, we are to stay in condition white to very "pale" yellow. His counsel, as well as the previous Bishop was, that we should be prepared but NOT to go on an offensive even IF there is an active shooter. We were told that we have chairs to throw, hymn books to throw and pews to hide beneath plus, we have strength in numbers. Meaning a bum's rush/dogpile on the rabbit. We asked about being in condition yellow, and he said, that on an individual level as heads of our families, "that's a decision we each need to make," but as far as being "sheepdogs" in our Ward, it's not permitted. I am curious and anxiously solicit your thoughts on this. I know you are getting only my perspective of this and yes I condensed it down as much as absolutely possible to get the gist of what I was hoping to convey out. Don't get me wrong here, in no way am I disparaging or "knocking" on our Bishop, he read much of what he conveyed to us right out of the handbook. He said that in his personal family, in his home, or when he is with his family, he plays by his own rules of conviction. But as far as the Ward/Stake meetings and functions and activities go, we must adhere to policy from the Brethren. I can't argue with that one point but still....” I want to answer this comment. First, I apologize archerytom for taking so long to give my take on your situation. There are many things to consider in your ward and with your leadership. May I say that I was a Bishop so I can identify with your, and other Bishops. I appreciate his view of wanting to follow the brethren. I have no problem with that, we all should. And as far as a Bishop, he does represent the Church. But, the problem I have with the answer your Bishop gave is I feel it is somewhat of a “cop out”. I see it all the time. As a Bishop I just about memorized that handbook. I wanted to follow direction. I felt the weight of the calling and I didn’t want to mess up. I now think differently. I was interviewing a brother who had just been called as a General Authority. I recognized that this interview would be one that I would probably never do again. I wanted to glean as much wisdom from this good brother as I could in this one-on-one situation. As we talked and I expressed my thoughts on my calling and my ward he said something that changed how I feel about policy and handbooks. He said, “I was a Bishop for 13 years. I knew what Church policy was and what the handbook said, but that was not my first “go to”. When I needed to make decisions, I counseled with those I needed to counsel with, auxiliary Presidents or my counselors, and then I went by the Spirit. I can tell you that the Spirit told me more than once to do something that was the opposite of what the handbook told me. Those decisions were the best ones I ever made. They impacted the most lives and helped the most people. Go by the Spirit!” I heard that counsel after being a Bishop for about 8 months. I can tell you from personal experience that his counsel was the best thing I could have followed to be the best leader the Lord needed me to be. Now, I’m not saying that your Bishop archerytom is not following the Spirit. What I am saying is that he should have told you, the preparedness specialists whom he called and set apart, who had a legitimate concern that was in their purview as preparedness specialists, that he would talk to his counselors, pray and then get back to you. To say “no” without thought, counsel, or prayer tells me he goes by the book, rather than by the Spirit. I’m not saying a leader should shoot for a course that bucks the system, but you guys were talking about the safety and security of the members of your ward! Why would you be so flippant about that? But I also recognize that your Bishop is probably a humble, good, dentist. Or manager. Or some vocation that is far away from violence or even security. Violence and events like unto violence are probably far from his experience. So without that, comes a less than expeditious attitude about security. Not that you have to be real experienced with violence to be security minded, but often there is what is called the normalcy bias. Or, “It won’t happen in our ward” type of attitude. It doesn’t happen to you until it does. I have been acquainted with violence since I got jumped in Junior High after an activity. It seems to find me, I never look for it. I embrace the suck, and try to be better prepared for it. But I can tell you prevention is so much better than reaction. I happen to be in a ward that has many law enforcement. Federal, state, and local. These good people make up our “security team”. This is a loose term. The one thing our Bishop did was get everyone in the same place at one time to talk about security. Also, he asked these brothers and sisters to take note of where other law enforcement are to “team up” if needed. They meet once a quarter to touch base and they are part of a Telegram group online. My opinion of security at Church is pretty clear. I have written many posts concerning it. These are a few: My Suggestions For Church Defense Oct 9, 2019 What, Me Worry? Security At Church Sep 20, 2019 Current State Of Our Lives: Church Security Nov 11, 2017 Choirboy and Burn's List of Security At Church Aug 23, 2017 Carrying At Church Jan 22, 2016 How To Achieve Security At Church May 28, 2015 Mormons: Low Standards of Security Aug 4, 2014 Protection in Church Jan 29, 2014 There are other posts but this will definitely tell you where I stand on it. I feel we are too familiar and comfortable at church. We should be to some extent, but being aware and doing some things to mitigate the soft target is what I would suggest. And leaders, follow the Spirit and quit leaning everything you do on a handbook. Sheepdogs are permitted at church, but they must be law enforcement. Why we think law enforcement has a corner on this training and experience is beyond me. I’ve trained many in law enforcement who were less than stellar about their own preparedness to stop a threat. But unarmed people being aware and being organized to help others to “Run, Hide, Fight” (RHF) would be the least anyone should do. Just remember that RHF is not a checklist from one step to the next. The first thing that members should do is have a security mindset. The second is situational awareness. This can be done without packing an M4 and being paranoid. Although I would be remiss if I did not mention my opinion on concealed carry in a church building. Like many misguided individuals the church thinks the police can protect the members. Unless they happen to be a member of a congregation and they are actually carrying, they will not be much use. Like our government leaders the brethren are protected by guns but will not let the members protect themselves with a gun. Please do not think I do not sustain our leadership, I do. But this policy is a disaster waiting to happen. I predict it will happen one day. It kind of already has. I track violence in church buildings, mostly in the U.S. but there is some in other countries. Violence “2 Shot Dead In Mormon Library” April 16, 1999 OAKLAND, CA— A Washington man with a history of attacking religious statues was arrested Thursday night after using a large ax to hack pieces off the hand of a Jesus statue at the Oakland Mormon Temple, police said. December 9, 2004 Lehi, UT “Woman shot to death outside church” January 6th, 2008 Vasalia, CA “Mormon bishop fatally shot in California chapel; gunman killed” Aug. 30 2010 South Jordan, UT (Oquirrh Mountain Temple) “Police shoot armed man outside LDS temple” December 26, 2010 Columbus, OH (Columbus Temple) “Police: 2 Shot In Parking Lot Of West Side Mormon Temple” February 26, 2013 Las Vegas, NV (Las Vegas Temple) “Son of judge killed himself in Las Vegas LDS temple courtyard” Nov. 20 2013 SLC, UT “Woman shot outside of church in South Salt Lake” October 17, 2014 EAGAR, Arizona — An Arizona man is dead and two others injured — including a pregnant woman — after he began shooting at a LDS stake center in Eagar, Arizona, and later at his residence, officials say. “Suspect killed by police after shooting at Mormon stake center” May 24 2015 OAKLEY, CA — Two people were shot, and another bludgeoned multiple times, during a large fight between two groups outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while Sunday service was getting out, police said. June 28, 2015 GILBERT, Ariz. - Gilbert police are looking Wednesday morning for the three men involved in shooting a 19-year-old man at an LDS church Tuesday night. April 20, 2016 Smithfield, UT “Police have arrested a 30-year-old Smithfield man, Jason Summers, who is accused of shooting at someone while trying to break into an LDS Church, Thursday night.” July 8, 2016 Solon, OH An officer saw a man sitting in his car beside the LDS church. As the officer approached, the man jumped out of his car, ran into the trees and shot himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene. August 2016 SLC, UT A meth purchase gone bad led to a vehicle chase and shooting. The fleeing vehicle went into the parking lot of an LDS church as the aggressors caught up to them and continued shooting at them. The victims tried to break into the church to get away which prompted a burglar alarm & police came. Nobody was hit by the gunfire. June 2016 Amarillo, TX A 23-year-old man shot another man nearly a month before that Wednesday when he was injured in another gun battle. The man walked over a mile to get away from the scene where he knew police would be looking for him. He chose to hide behind an outside wall of the LDS church, where an observant officer noticed his leg sticking out. The man refused orders to show himself, and when the first thing officers saw was his gun they opened fire on him. He was hit but will survive. June 2016 Vancouver, WA As a group was in the LDS Church playing basketball, someone broke out a window in the other end of the church, entered the building, and set books and the podium on fire. The guys playing basketball smelled the smoke and discovered the fire, putting it out before anyone got hurt. April 2016 Herriman, UT A 12-year-old boy was playing in the parking lot of the LDS church when a man pulled up in his car and tried to convince the boy to get in with him. The boy ran off and police have been looking for the potential abductor. March 2016 Idaho Falls, ID A man’s estranged wife showed up at his funeral at an LDS Chapel and became angry. The bishop asked her to please not say those things, and she pulled out a gun and began to threaten the funeral attendees. Everyone got out safely, and police arrived to disarm and arrest her. January 2016 Rigby, ID Around 10:25 PM that Friday night police responded to the parking lot of an LDS church on reports of gunfire. Police found a shattered window at the church, then arrested a man a short time later based on descriptions given by witnesses. January 2016 Riverside, CA - Girl abducted from Mormon Church sexually assaulted in dumpster June 28, 2017 SLC, UT A woman rebuked another woman for parking in a handicap spot without a sticker. The driver drove up beside her in the parking lot of the LDS Church and threw a Slushy in her face, then ran over her breaking both her legs. Police continue to look for the Cadillac Escalade driver. April 2017 Kalamazoo, MI A woman was in the LDS church parking lot when she was confronted by a man demanding her car keys. She refused, so he punched her repeatedly in the face and took it anyway. She had no idea it was at the end of a violent crime spree including armed robbery, arson, and another woman shot in her home. January 2017 San Diego, CA On November 29 (2017) a jihadist media group published an image suggesting San Diego could be in the crosshairs of terrorists this holiday season. The San Diego California Temple in University City appears to be their target of choice. An image of a terrorist holding an assault rifle was superimposed on the Mormon temple, which appears to be on fire. The two towering spires rise up on either side of the jihadist. A statement at the bottom of the image reads, “Coming Soon.. San Diego.” The words “Coming Soon” are wrapped in Christmas decorations and splattered with red. November 2017 Newberry Township, Pennsylvania A shooting on Friday, March 30, at a church in Newberry Township was ruled a suicide by the York County coroner. “Police were on the scene at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 800 Pleasant Drive, in the township when a coroner was dispatched about 6 p.m. for a report of a possible self-inflicted fatality, according to a coroner's report.” March 2018 ST. GEORGE, Utah — A Mormon church spokesman says an intruder broke into a church temple in southern Utah and damaged furniture, artwork and other items before being stopped by church workers and arrested by police. Eric Hawkins of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says the St. George Temple resumed normal operations after the incident Saturday morning. Hawkins says the intruder damaged items as he made his way to the temple’s fifth floor and caused additional damage there. (This is not physical violence. But the guy had to have had something in his hand to do this damage. And he made it to the 5th Floor!) May 2018 Fallon, NV On Sunday, a middle-aged Mormon man went into the LDS chapel where his ward was having sacrament meeting, and sat quietly for part of the service. Then he opened fire, killing one ward member and wounding another. July 22, 2018. Goiania, Brazil Five people were injured in a mass knife attack at a meetinghouse in Goiânia, Brazil December 2, 2018 St George, UT A gunman fired his weapon at a group of individuals at a meetinghouse parking lot July 23, 2019 Sao Paolo, Brazil A missionary training center was infiltrated by an intruder armed with a knife; the intruder was shot and killed by police February 5, 2020 Provo, UT A gunman fired shots at the Church's missionary training center in Provo, Utah August 3, 2020 Torreon, Mexico– Two men carrying firearms entered a meetinghouse in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico during a zone conference among the missionaries of the Church in that area. The two men demanded cell phones, tablets, and wallets, assaulting some of the missionaries in the process; the mission president and his wife were also assaulted and threatened with a knife. November 12, 2021 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in serious condition after being shot multiple times Friday at a church site in Alabama. December 3, 2021 This list is a cursory “Google” search on the internet. My guess is there is more that I have not seen. I don’t give this list to scare anyone. Indeed, I only do it to help support the idea that violence can and does happen at Church buildings everywhere. It should be noted and prepared for instead of reacted to. Thanks archerytom for your comment, and for being interested in my little blog. Stay safe! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Power and Alternatives

Power This morning my alarm went off as usual. I lay in bed listening to our dog bark at something. About 1 minute later the power went off. I got up and called the power company to report the outage. As I drove in to work I thought about our dependence on electricity. What could you do in your home without electricity? Can you cook? Would you have heat or water? Would your toilets work? We have tried to answer these questions with alternatives. We can cook on our propane stove in the kitchen. Or we have a wood stove, for heat and cooking. We have a solar oven that my wife has cooked in regularly. This not only saves propane, it=s free and the experience is invaluable. We have a generator with gasoline storage. We have solar lights that also can recharge our rechargeable batteries for flashlights and other devices. We have a few crank generator flashlights that can also recharge our cell phones. We even have an old fashioned hard line cord phone so that we don=t need electricity if the phone lines are up. We have various camping stoves, a traditional white gas stove, a wood powered rocket stove, and small backpacking stoves. We have hurricane lamps that run off of kerosene, and camping lanterns that run off of white gas, and of course, candles. We also have various power tools that run off of gasoline. Even with all these things, I want more. We=re looking into wind power and solar power. There is water power if you have access to running water. On top of the alternatives we have, we still have conventional batteries, car batteries, and water storage. We try to keep spare parts for motors, plumbing and electrical parts, and building materials around. We also have a variety of manuals and books to help us in our fixing or building projects. All these things support living off the grid. Living without electricity requires forethought and preparedness. Items need to be purchased a little at a time. We=ve been doing this for most of our married life. Some things require more planning than others. I would suggest a few things you can do now. Find a container such as a 5 gallon bucket and lid. If you don=t have a spare home improvement stores such as Home Depot or Lowe=s carry them for a small price. Start to fill this container with boxes of matches. There are several kinds on the market, stick or book, safety or strike anywhere. Also lighters should be included in this container. As you purchase these items put them in your container and you=ll be surprised how fast it adds up. Look at your situation. How do you receive water? Is it through a municipal system or your own well? What alternate heat sources do you have? What about light? What about cooking? These answered should be answered with several answers. Redundancy is king and if one solution fails, you=ll need another. Find solutions that you can work on and put it on a schedule. If it=s the purchase of an expensive item, save for it slowly and stay in your budget. I strongly discourage going into debt for any of your preparedness items including food storage. If you need to use credit for short term purchases be very careful it does not turn into long term. On occasion, test your program. Live a weekend with your power turned off. If you do this your eyes will be opened to where your program has holes. Involve the whole family. It can actually be a good and fun experience if you look at it that way. Doing this will also give you experience with the items and equipment you have. Remember that safety is very important. Open flames are very dangerous and should not be left unattended. Camping stoves and hurricane lamps use up oxygen so always have ventilation. Never run a generator indoors. Keep fire and fire making materials away from children and pets. Do your smoke or CO2 alarms run off of batteries or hard wire power? You may need battery power for these items too. Speaking of pets, do you have a contingency plan for your pets? They will need food, water, medicines, and anti-insect sprays and powder. If you want your pets to survive with you have a plan for them too. As you test your Aoff the grid@ preparations you could also incorporate your 72 hour kit plans into that exercise. You don=t have to use your all your 72 hour kit items but finding our operational details would help you in your knowledge of your system, and to know what may not work. We=ve mentioned many things but here is a list of considerations: Remember my favorite acronym for emergency and survival priority: SWiFFS (Shelter, Water, Food, Fire, Security) Shelter: We assume you are in shelter because the electricity is out. Replace shelter with heat. Heat: How will you stay out of the elements? Either stay cool or stay warm, or stay dry. Water: Where will you get it and if it needs to be purified, how will you do that? Food: How will you and yours eat? How will you cook food if you have it? Fire: Heat, see above. Food, see above. Security: How will you keep you and yours safe either from animal or human preditors? Power blackout B general suggestionsSuggestions include: Have an emergency kit prepared. (Either a shelter in place kit or your 72 hour kit) Switch off all electrical appliances, especially those that have heating elements. Unplug >surge-sensitive= equipment, such as computers and video recorders. Keep one light switch turned on so you know when the power returns. Telephone your electricity provider for updates on the status of the blackout. Turn on a battery-operated radio and listen to a local radio station for information. Check on your neighbors to see if they need assistance, particularly if they are elderly or have a disability. Heat and lightSuggestions include: Multiple layers of clothing trap body heat more efficiently than one bulky layer. The body loses a great deal of heat through the scalp so wear a hat. Close doors, windows and blinds to maintain heat. Flashlights are much safer sources of light than candles. Make sure you have a good stock of batteries. If you must use candles, keep them away from drafts and away from children. Be aware of fire hazards B keep candles away from curtains and other flammable objects. Make sure to extinguish all candles before retiring for the night. This morning my alarm went off as usual. I lay in bed listening to our dog bark at something outside. About 1 minute later the power went off. I got up and called the power company to report the outage. As I drove in to work I thought about our dependence on electricity. What could you do in your home without electricity? Can you cook? Would you have heat or water? Would your toilets work? We have tried to answer these questions with alternatives. We can cook on our propane stove in the kitchen. Or we have a wood stove, for heat and cooking. We have a solar oven that my wife has cooked in regularly. This not only saves propane, it=s free and the experience is invaluable. We have a generator with gasoline storage. We have solar lights that also can recharge our rechargeable batteries for flashlights and other devices. We have a few crank generator flashlights that can also recharge our cell phones. We even have an old fashioned hard line cord phone so that we don=t need electricity if the phone lines are out. We have various camping stoves, a traditional white gas stove, a wood powered rocket stove, and small backpacking stoves. We have hurricane lamps that run off of kerosene, and camping lanterns that run off of white gas, and of course, candles. We also have various power tools that run off of gasoline. Even with all these things, I want more. We=re looking into wind power and solar power. There is water power if you have access to running water. On top of the alternatives we have, we still have conventional batteries, car batteries, and water storage. We try to keep spare parts for motors, plumbing and electrical parts, and building materials around. We also have a variety of manuals and books to help us in our fixing or building projects. All these things support living off the grid. Living without electricity requires forethought and preparedness. Items need to be purchased a little at a time. We=ve been doing this for most of our married life. Some things require more planning than others. I would suggest a few things you can do now. Find a container such as a 5 gallon bucket and lid. If you don=t have a spare home improvement stores such as Home Depot or Lowe=s carry them for a small price. Start to fill this container with boxes of matches. There are several kinds on the market, stick or book, safety or strike anywhere. Also lighters should be included in this container. As you purchase these items put them in your container and you=ll be surprised how fast it adds up. Look at your situation. How do you receive water? Is it through a municipal system or your own well? What alternate heat sources do you have? What about light? What about cooking? These questions should be answered with several answers. Redundancy is king and if one solution fails, you=ll need another. Find solutions that you can work on and put it on a schedule. If it=s the purchase of an expensive item, save for it slowly and stay in your budget. I strongly discourage going into debt for any of your preparedness items including food storage. If you need to use credit for short term purchases be very careful it does not turn into long term. On occasion, test your program. Live a weekend with your power turned off. If you do this your eyes will be opened to where your program has holes. Involve the whole family. It can actually be a good and fun experience if you look at it that way. Doing this will also give you experience with the items and equipment you have. Remember that safety is very important. Open flames are very dangerous and should not be left unattended. Camping stoves and hurricane lamps use up oxygen so always have ventilation. Never run a generator indoors. Keep fire and fire making materials away from children and pets. Do your smoke or CO2 alarms run off of batteries or hard wire power? You may need battery power for these items too. Speaking of pets, do you have a contingency plan for your pets? They will need food, water, medicines, and anti-insect sprays and powder. If you want your pets to survive with you have a plan for them too. As you test your "off the grid" preparations you could also incorporate your 72 hour kit plans into that exercise. You don=t have to use all your 72 hour kit items but finding operational details would help you in your knowledge of your system, and to know what may work and not work. We=ve mentioned many things but here is a list of considerations: Remember my favorite acronym for emergency and survival priority: SWiFFS (Shelter, Water, Food, Fire, Security) Shelter: We assume you are in shelter because the electricity is out. Replace shelter with heat. Heat: How will you stay out of the elements? Either stay cool or stay warm, or stay dry. Water: Where will you get it and if it needs to be purified, how will you do that? Food: How will you and yours eat? How will you cook food if you have it? Fire: Heat, see above. Food, see above. Security: How will you keep you and yours safe either from animal or human predators? Power blackout B general suggestions Suggestions include: Have an emergency kit prepared. (Either a shelter in place kit or your 72 hour kit) Switch off all electrical appliances, especially those that have heating elements. Unplug >surge-sensitive= equipment, such as computers and video recorders. Keep one light switch turned on so you know when the power returns. Telephone your electricity provider for updates on the status of the blackout. Turn on a battery-operated radio and listen to a local radio station for information. Check on your neighbors to see if they need assistance, particularly if they are elderly or have a disability. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

"Experts" (Reprint from Oct 14, 2016)

I was at the range one day and had just finished my work out. I was putting things in my range bag when a few cars drove up and parked next to my truck. Out jumped about 6 people with some gun cases and ammo boxes. They came up to me and asked if I was their instructor. I told them I was not “I don’t have a class today” were my words. They said “So you are an instructor?” I said “Yes.” They started to pepper me with questions. I finally said, “Your instructor should have told you that…” In the course of talking I found that this was indeed their 3rd class with this particular instructor.
This reminded me of a story I recently read about an experience another instructor had.

“Recently I was asked to ‘baby sit’ (my words) a fellow who was teaching a handgun class at a range where I serve as a Range Safety Officer. I was to give an impromptu safety talk and then observe the class for a while to determine if they could be left on their own or needed watching. They needed watching. Boy Oh Boy, Did they need watching.
Before they started I asked questions to get a feel for their experience and training. I was told that ‘most’ of the four students had trained under this instructor before. The instructor did have a large emblem on the back of his jacket showing his certification as an instructor, issued from a large well known organization, no less. This instructor informed me that these students were all at the ‘intermediate’ level, he then added that this was because they had all attended a concealed weapon class. The class, I believe, he had taught.
Among them one had a medium frame revolver, another a small Glock, another a small oddball copy of the Colt ‘1911’, I don’t recall what semi-auto the other fellow had. Two of the semi-auto shooters didn’t remember how to load their guns, even how to insert the magazine. I observed that the ‘1911’ shooter fired right handed but always used his left hand to put the safety on or off. Later I showed him how to operate the safety using the thumb of his right hand and the alternate method if he was shooting with his left hand. I cautioned one shooter to not put his thumb behind the slide of his semi-auto. I had to remind one or two to put on their eye protection. There was one or two other things I advised. The instructor had never said anything nor did he assist the students with any of these problems. Nor did he assist or correct any other problems.
They were firing at ledger size sheets of paper, that is 11 by 17 inches and doing so from seven yards. The warm-up was to take their time and fire six shots. One guy hit with only five shots, another with only four, the Glock shooter missed with all six. Throughout my observation I kept reminding myself ‘He calls these INTERMEDIATE level students’.
The first four or five drills the shooters were to start from a ‘low ready’ position and fire six shots, returning to the low ready after each shot. Glock shooter never did, every drill he would raise his gun and fire all six. The instructor never said anything. He never knew about it.
I held back from much I could have said or done. I did not want to undermine the instructor or seem like I was ‘taking over’ the class however it was almost difficult not to. I did jump in when the instructor stood in front of his students (who were all on the firing line) and as he spoke of something, two of them drew their guns from the holsters and pointed them down range though somewhat to the side. The instructor had not thought of that as a problem until I interrupted and pointed it out. He didn’t even seem to notice.
While the instructor took a potty break I inquired how much they were paying him. One hundred dollars each for a partial day.
Part of the problem was very clear. He, the instructor, never watched his students. Yup, He would tell them to do something then never watch them as they attempted to do it.
His written material, some memorized, some read aloud from his notes, was ok, not bad, certainly not wrong but was often incomplete in areas. The drills he had them do were so-so at best but did not seem to be leading to any particular goal. His great error was that he never paid attention to what the students were doing. He could not assist his students, correct their problems, improve their technique, or anything because he never saw them in action. Whenever they shot he would stand in the middle of the line and shoot along with them at the same time. They could have been shooting at each other and as long as they missed he might never have never know it.
After about an hour and a half I was notified that I would be needed elsewhere.”
I fear sometimes there are many of those out there. For some of those instructors it was never a passion or they never had a great desire to teach. Some may be just in it for the money. I don’t care which it may be but I find it disheartening as an instructor that so many people out there are being “abused.”
Once in a while I’ve been accused of being an “expert.” I don’t really consider myself an expert. An instructor named Dan Shea pointed out long ago that there really are no experts in any subject, just Reasonably Knowledgeable Individuals, or RKI’s. I like that concept as it keeps all of us honest and locked into the permanent role of student. I also do not think my way is necessarily the best. I’ve learned things through my experience that work for me and have worked for others. Does that mean that’s it? No, there are other techniques and opinions out there. I’d be a fool if I thought I’d learned it all and that there was no more insight in the world. Times change. Technology changes. People’s ideas change. We must be smart enough to see through the hype and learn new things.
Be open to more training. Never stop learning. Never stop trying to find better ways to teach. Read. Observe. Stay informed.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
This article still holds!

What A Combat Vet Would Share With You

This article puts across the things that many combat veterans experience. Military.com | By Regina Bahten (Obviously "he" could be "she".) Top 10 Things Your Combat Vet Wants You to Know 1. He is addicted to war, although he loves you. War is horrible, but there is nothing like a life-and-death fight to make you feel truly alive. The adrenaline rush is tremendous, and can never be replaced. Succeeding in combat defines a warrior, places him in a brotherhood where he is always welcome and understood. The civilian world has its adrenaline junkies as well; just ask any retired firefighter, police officer, or emergency room staff if they miss it. 2. Living for you is harder. It would be easy for him to die for you because he loves you. Living for you, which is what you actually want, is harder for him. It is even harder for him if you are smart and do not need him to rescue you, since rescuing is something he does really well. If you are very competent at many things, he may at times question if you need him at all. He may not see that you stay with him as a conscious choice. 3. "The training kicks in" means something very different to him. It is direct battle doctrine that when ambushed by a superior force, the correct response is "apply maximum firepower and break contact." A warrior has to be able to respond to threat with minimal time pondering choices. While this is life-saving in combat, it is not helpful in the much slower-paced civilian world. A better rule in the civilian world would be to give a reaction proportionate to the provocation. Small provocation, small response (but this could get you killed on the battlefield). When the training becomes second nature, a warrior might take any adrenaline rush as a cue to "apply maximum firepower." This can become particularly unfortunate if someone starts to cry. Tears are unbearable to him; they create explosive emotions in him that can be difficult for him to control. Unfortunately, that can lead to a warrior responding to strong waves of guilt by applying more "maximum firepower" on friends, family, or unfortunate strangers. 4. He is afraid to get attached to anyone because he has learned that the people you love get killed, and he cannot face that pain again. He may make an exception for his children (because they cannot divorce him), but that will be instinctual and he will probably not be able to explain his actions. 5. He knows the military exists for a reason. The sad fact is that a military exists ultimately to kill people and break things. This was true of our beloved "Greatest Generation" warriors of WWII, and it remains true to this day. Technically, your warrior may well be a killer, as are his friends. He may have a hard time seeing that this does not make him a murderer. Although they may look similar at first glance, he is a sheepdog protecting the herd, not a wolf trying to destroy it. The emotional side of killing in combat is complex. He may not know how to feel about what he's seen or done, and he may not expect his feelings to change over time. Warriors can experience moments of profound guilt, shame, and self-hatred. He may have experienced a momentary elation at "scoring one for the good guys," then been horrified that he celebrated killing a human being. He may view himself as a monster for having those emotions, or for having gotten used to killing because it happened often. One of my Marines recommended "On Killing" by Dave Grossman, and I would pass that recommendation on. 6. He's had to cultivate explosive anger in order to survive in combat. He may have grown up with explosive anger (violent alcoholic father?) as well. 7. He may have been only nineteen when he first had to make a life and death decision for someone else. What kind of skills does a nineteen-year-old have to deal with that kind of responsibility? One of my veterans put it this way: "You want to know what frightening is? It's a nineteen-year-old boy who's had a sip of that power over life and death that war gives you. It's a boy who, despite all the things he's been taught, knows that he likes it. It's a nineteen-year-old who's just lost a friend, and is angry and scared, and determined that some *%#& is gonna pay. To this day, the thought of that boy can wake me from a sound sleep and leave me staring at the ceiling." 8. He may believe that he's the only one who feels this way; eventually he may realize that at least other combat vets understand. On some level, he doesn't want you to understand, because that would mean you had shared his most horrible experience, and he wants someone to remain innocent. 9. He doesn't understand that you have a mama bear inside of you, that probably any of us could kill in defense of someone if we needed to. Imagine your reaction if someone pointed a weapon at your child. Would it change your reaction if a child pointed a weapon at your child? 10. When you don't understand, he needs you to give him the benefit of the doubt. He needs you also to realize that his issues really aren't about you, although you may step in them sometimes. Truly, the last thing he wants is for you to become a casualty of his war. Copyright 2019 Military.com. All rights reserved If you're curious how those who have been in combat think, this article can help. Maybe not everyone of these points will apply to every person, but many of them will apply, and at least a few will apply to everyone. Understanding is a very real way you can help a combat vet. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Spy Crap

I just heard from a guy I haven’t heard from in many years. We were in the military together though he was in a different branch than I. He served as a Green Beret for 6 years and then separated from the Army. He was immediately recruited by the CIA. He worked for what is now called the Directorate of Operations, but is still called less formerly Clandestine Service. Spies. He operated out of Europe and Asia through out his career. He is now retired but our paths crossed many times in training. We went through SERE (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) school together. He had experienced the Army’s SERE training and was now going through some other branches programs. We also went through Jump school together. The last time I actually saw him was in a Combat driving course being run by the Department of State in the 80’s. We touch base every few years in one form or another. I always tease him and ask what new thing he has learned about me. Once in a while he comes up with some scary answers. But he’s been away from the “field” for several years and retired as an analyst. As we were taking this “catch-up” time I reminded him of some things he told me in the past. We talked about these skills and things he’s learned through out the years and I finally said, “You need to teach me some of that spy crap!” He laughed and we talked about spy crap some more. I’ve come up with a list that is potentially criminal, but when used by law abiding people can be useful in a grid-down scenario. Tactical Driving There are several driving schools in the U.S. and throughout Europe. They train military, law enforcement, and executive security or “body guards.” These courses are not real expensive (about $400 to $600). If you have the need and the wherewithal I would suggest researching these schools and signing up. I’ve never used what I learned in the driving course I took in real life experiences, but I have played around in the desert with it. It’s fun and I can see several situations where it would save your life. There is a You tube video going around where someone is behind a car that stops on a bridge and attempts to car jack a vehicle behind it. The quick thinking driver rams into the front car and pushes his or her way through. I like the video, but I may have chose a J-turn to get out of that situation. Maybe. Booby-traps Wikipedia says: “A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm, or surprise a human being or an animal.” There are many ideas and books and manuals on this subject on the internet. It would be advantageous to learn some of these traps. Just remember, there are many legal problems that can arise from using these traps. Like anything else on this site, do not do illegal things. Know what is legal and what is not. Some traps are lethal and were developed during war time. Knowingly killing, hurting, maiming, or harming another person is a crime. Know what you are doing and never use these on people, even by accident. Learning how to build and use trap is another skill you may need in the future. In some states or countries these traps may be illegal to build, or process, leave alone use. Bomb making Making, processing, and using explosives requires special training. DO NOT TRY! This is another skill that is potentially criminal but could be handy in a certain situation. The little bomb making skill that I have was from blowing up my back yard as a kid. I also learned a little from my good friend callsign “Det Cord”, short for Detonation cord, or a cord used to blow up bombs. Det Cord had been blowing things up his whole life so it was natural that he became a UXO specialist in the military and on the bomb squad of a large metropolitan city police department. There is a plethora of information about making these devices on the internet. Some information is false and very dangerous. Even the good info is dangerous. It is always best to learn from someone who has been trained and experienced in explosives. There are several schools to become certified in using and disarming explosives. If you are interested in this as a career, then find a school. I’ve been to IED (improvised explosive devise) identification and recognition course a few times but never in the handling of explosives. If you can find someone willing to teach you the basics this would be a very useful skill in a grid down situation. But ensure whatever training you get is from competent, certified, and experienced people. Do NOT try to wing this yourself! Often it is illegal and always is dangerous. Beware of false and bad info on this! There are many books and manuals for this but like I’ve said here several times, some info is bad so be very, very careful, or leave it alone altogether. CALTROPS This is an area denial weapon make up of several sharp spikes arranged in a way that one is always pointed upward. This is a good device to keep vehicles away from your position. These also may be illegal in certain states or countries. I know for instance these are illegal to possess in the state of Texas. I have a friend who could have gotten into a lot of trouble for having these but through the kindness of law enforcement, was not arrested on the spot. He was allowed to destroy what he made in front of the officer. I’m not sure about other states but I imagine there are others. If it is legal, there are many ideas to make caltrops with minimal cost. Lock picking This is a skill that is not illegal to learn or to have the tools, but like many things could be used with nefarious intent. There are many books, videos, and places to get this equipment. Once you learn a little, you’ll never look at your locked items the same again. I would encourage learning his skill. General nastiness There are many books and manuals out there about how to get back at someone or how to make someone pay for what you feel they have done to you. Some of these skills or ideas are handy, some are a useless waste. Take all of this info with a grain of salt. Disguise I would include camouflage (my favorite color!) in this area. Look at what is out there for this skill and practice. Blending in or not being seen are skills that may save you one day. SERE taught me some great ways of doing this. Look at manuals and books and practice this skill. Disappearing There are manuals and books that teach you how to “get away from it all.” Disappearing, going to ground, fading away, is something that has to be planned and carried out with discipline. Escaped prisoners have been caught because they have returned to family, friends, and areas, where they can be found easily. To disappear is to change your identity and life permanently. This is not easy but many of the things that would make a successful disappearing may be useful for certain situations. Smuggling This can be very illegal. Smuggling people in or out of this country, prison, or other situations is criminal. Smuggling illegal things, guns out of this country, drugs into this country, contraband into prison, or helping someone to break out or prison, are all illegal acts. Do not do them! But learning from these illegal acts may be handy one day during without rule of law (WROL). Knowing how to hide things or people and move them may be a necessary activity in WROL. Again, books and manuals on this are all over the internet. Codes Communication is easier now than it ever has been. It’s also a lot less private than it has ever been. Learning and using codes in an important skill that can make all the difference even in todays world. The internet can help. Improvised weapons Learning to make weapons out of everyday things is a great skill that could save your life one day. Almost anything can be a club or a spear, but it takes some thought to make more sophisticated weapons. Books and manuals can help get the inventive juices flowing. These were just some of the skills that Det Cord and I came up with that would cross over into civilian life during a grid down situation. There are probably more that you can come up with. Loompanics Unlimited was a publisher that had been in business from 1972 until 2006. They dealt in topics ranging from survival to conspiracy theories. Most of what they sold was controversial including titles like “Hit Man. A technical manual for independent contractors.” When Loompanics decided to close their doors they sold off most of their inventory to other sellers and publishers. Some of them went to Paladin Press who published and sold books similar to Loompanics. Paladin was in business from 1970 until 2018. They were sued several times for publishing the above book about becoming a hit man. Each time they settled out of court. The two founders split in 1974 because one wanted to continue with publishing and the other wanted to start a magazine which is “Soldier of Fortune” started in 1975. When the two were together the company name was “Panther Publications” but when they split the name was changed to Paladin Press. The owner died suddenly in 2017 and it was decided that Paladin would stop receiving orders on January 31, 2018. Delta Press is very similar to the above companies but I think they have toned down some of the controversial titles like how to make bombs and murder. They still sell some books that originally were sold by Loompanics and Paladin so there is still a great source for some of subjects we listed above. Lots of these books are PDF downloads on the internet. One of the things I worry about is me getting in trouble with the law. Not because I break the law, but because I’m a gun guy and 2nd amendment supporter. I don’t want the jack booted thugs to confiscate my computer and find some of these controversial books or manuals on my computer. When I download this stuff it goes to a stick, I don’t put it on my computer. I also have ways of getting on the internet and downloading that leave no trace of what I’ve done. I may be wasting my time but preparedness can sometimes breed a little paranoia. If you’d like to be this careful too ask someone you know who really knows computers and the internet how you can be careful too. Knowledge trumps gear every time. Some knowledge is on questionable subjects but like a gun, knowledge can be used for good or for ill. Don't break the law and if you're not sure, find out what is legal and illegal. Get more knowledge. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn

Food Storage and Fires

This is a list of fires that have happened within the last 18 months or so. Some have said this is a conspiracy against food production, or to cause shortages. I don’t know if I agree, but this list is not “normal” as the fact finders and the left has said. I think fires are fairly common in food related industries. I’m not so sure about the number of fires that are common, and I think the “fact finders” don’t know either. But regardless of who knows what, this many fires in this amount of time to food facilities is unusual at best. I’m not convinced it will cause shortages, but it will not help already spiraling prices. 1. 1/11/21 A fire that destroyed 75,000-square-foot processing plant in Fayetteville 2. 4/30/21 A fire ignited inside the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Monmouth, IL 3. 7/25/21 Three-alarm fire at Kellogg plant in Memphis, 170 emergency personnel responded to the call 4. 7/30/21 Firefighters on Friday battled a large fire at Tyson’s River Valley Ingredients plant in Hanceville, Alabama 5. 8/23/21 Fire crews were called to the Patak Meat Production company on Ewing Road in Austell 6. 9/13/21 A fire at the JBS beef plant in Grand Island, Neb., on Sunday night forced a halt to slaughter and fabrication lines 7. 10/13/21 A five-alarm fire ripped through the Darigold butter production plant in Caldwell, ID 8. 11/15/21 A woman is in custody following a fire at the Garrard County Food Pantry 9. 11/29/21 A fire broke out around 5:30 p.m. at the Maid-Rite Steak Company meat processing plant 10. 12/13/21 West Side food processing plant in San Antonio left with smoke damage after a fire 11. 1/7/22 Damage to a poultry processing plant on Hamilton’s Mountain following an overnight fire 12. 1/13/22 Firefighters worked for 12 hours to put a fire out at the Cargill-Nutrena plant in Lecompte, LA 13. 1/31/22 a fertilizer plant with 600 tons of ammonium nitrate inside caught on fire on Cherry Street in Winston-Salem 14. 2/3/22 A massive fire swept through Wisconsin River Meats in Mauston 15. 2/3/22 At least 130 cows were killed in a fire at Percy Farm in Stowe 16. 2/15/22 Bonanza Meat Company goes up in flames in El Paso, Texas 17. 2/15/22 Nearly a week after the fire destroyed most of the Shearer’s Foods plant in Hermiston 18. 2/16/22 A fire had broken at US largest soybean processing and biodiesel plant in Claypool, Indiana 19. 2/18/22 An early morning fire tore through the milk parlor at Bess View Farm 20. 2/19/22 Three people were injured, and one was hospitalized, after an ammonia leak at Lincoln Premium Poultry in Fremont 21. 2/22/22 The Shearer’s Foods plant in Hermiston caught fire after a propane boiler exploded 22. 2/28/22 A smoldering pile of sulfur quickly became a raging chemical fire at Nutrien Ag Solutions 23. 2/28/22 A man was hurt after a fire broke out at the Shadow Brook Farm and Dutch Girl Creamery 24. 3/4/22 294,800 chickens destroyed at farm in Stoddard, Missouri 25. 3/4/22 644,000 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Cecil, Maryland 26. 3/8/22 243,900 chickens destroyed at egg farm in New Castle, Delaware 27. 3/10/22 663,400 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Cecil, MD 28. 3/10/22 915,900 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Taylor, IA 29. 3/14/22 The blaze at 244 Meadow Drive was discovered shortly after 5 p.m. by farm owner Wayne Hoover 30. 3/14/22 2,750,700 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Jefferson, Wisconsin 31. 3/16/22 A fire at a Walmart warehouse distribution center has cast a large plume of smoke visible throughout Indianapolis. 32. 3/16/22 Nestle Food Plant extensively damaged in fire and new production destroyed Jonesboro, Arkansas 33. 3/17/22 5,347,500 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Buena Vista, Iowa 34. 3/17/22 147,600 chickens destroyed at farm in Kent, Delaware 35. 3/18/22 315,400 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Cecil, Maryland 36. 3/22/22 172,000 Turkeys destroyed on farms in South Dakota 37. 3/22/22 570,000 chickens destroyed at farm in Butler, Nebraska 38. 3/24/22 Fire fighters from numerous towns are battling a major fire at the McCrum potato processing facility in Belfast. 39. 3/24/22 418,500 chickens destroyed at farm in Butler, Nebraska 40. 3/25/22 250,300 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Franklin, Iowa 41. 3/26/22 311,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 42. 3/27/22 126,300 Turkeys destroyed in South Dakota 43. 3/28/22 1,460,000 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Guthrie, Iowa 44. 3/29/22 A massive fire burned 40,000 pounds of food meant to feed people in a food desert near Maricopa 45. 3/31/22 A structure fire caused significant damage to a large portion of key fresh onion packing facilities in south Texas 46. 3/31/22 76,400 Turkeys destroyed in Osceola, Iowa 47. 3/31/22 5,011,700 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Osceola, Iowa 48. 4/6/22 281,600 chickens destroyed at farm in Wayne, North Carolina 49. 4/9/22 76,400 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 50. 4/9/22 208,900 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 51. 4/12/22 89,700 chickens destroyed at farm in Wayne, North Carolina 52. 4/12/22 1,746,900 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Dixon, Nebraska 53. 4/12/22 259,000 chickens destroyed at farm in Minnesota 54. 4/13/22 Fire destroys East Conway Beef & Pork Meat Market in Conway, New Hampshire 55. 4/13/22 Plane crashes into Gem State Processing, Idaho potato and food processing plant 56. 4/13/22 77,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 57. 4/14/22 Taylor Farms Food Processing plant burns down Salinas, California. 58. 4/14/22 99,600 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 59. 4/15/22 1,380,500 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Lancaster, Minnesota 60. 4/19/22 Azure Standard nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire in Dufur, Oregon 61. 4/19/22 339,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 62. 4/19/22 58,000 chickens destroyed at farm in Montrose, Color 63. 4/20/22 2,000,000 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Minnesota 64. 4/21/22 A small plane crashed in the lot of a General Mills plant in Georgia 65. 4/22/22 197,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 66. 4/23/22 200,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota 67. 4/25/22 1,501,200 chickens destroyed at egg farm Cache, Utah 68. 4/26/22 307,400 chickens destroyed at farm Lancaster Pennsylvania 69. 4/27/22 2,118,000 chickens destroyed at farm Knox, Nebraska 70. 4/28/22 Egg-laying facility in Iowa kills 5.3 million chickens, fires 200-plus workers 71. 4/28/22 Allen Harim Foods processing plant killed nearly 2M chickens in Delaware 72. 4/2822 110,700 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin 73. 4/29/22 1,366,200 chickens destroyed at farm Weld Colorado 74. 4/30/22 13,800 chickens destroyed at farm Sequoia Oklahoma 75. 5/3/22 58,000 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin 76. 5/3/22 118,900 Turkeys destroyed Beadle S Dakota 77. 5/3/22 114,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 78. 5/3/22 118,900 Turkeys destroyed Lyon Minnesota 79. 5/7/22 20,100 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin 80. 5/10/22 72,300 chickens destroyed at farm Lancaster Pennsylvania 81. 5/10/22 61,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 82. 5/10/22 35,100 Turkeys destroyed Muskegon, Michigan 83. 5/13/22 10,500 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin 84. 5/14/22 83,400 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 85. 5/17/22 79,00 chickens destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 86. 5/18/22 7,200 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 87. 5/19/22 Train carrying limestone derailed Jensen Beach FL 88. 5/21/22 57,000 Turkeys destroyed on farm in Dakota Minnesota 89. 5/23/22 4,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 90. 5/29/22 A Saturday night fire destroyed a poultry building at Forsman Farms 91. 5/31/22 3,000,000 chickens destroyed by fire at Forsman facility in Stockholm Township, Minnesota 92. 6/2/22 30,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania 93. 6/7/22 A fire occurred Tuesday evening at the JBS meat packing plant in Green Bay. 94. 6/8/22 Firefighters from Tangipahoa Fire District 1 respond to a fire at the Purina Feed Mill in Arcola 95. 6/9/22 Irrigation water was canceled in California (the #1 producer of food in the US) and storage water flushed directly out to the delta. 96. 6/12/22 Largest Pork Company in the US Shuts Down California Plant Due to High Costs 97. 6/13/22 Fire Breaks Out at a Food Processing Plant West of Waupaca County in Wisconsin These fires are not “normal” as some would have you believe. I’m not shouting conspiracy but I do feel this is a crazy “coincidence”. Really? That’s what we’re supposed to believe? Riiiiight… Like I said, I believe it’s somewhere in between these extreme views. One thing that I do believe, this is not good for the food consumers in this country. I don’t think it would be out of line to prepare food for a time when it is either very expensive (fast approaching), or scarce (which is happening in some areas with some products). Look at your food storage program. Tweek it or add to it as you feel is needed. I’m not advocating hoarding or panic buying, but if you have no food storage, this is the time to start. If you have food storage, take a look at it and assess where it is and enhance where needed. These fires may mean nothing, or they may make a difference in availability. Either way, be prepared. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn