Thought for the day: I am always preaching situation awareness, training, and being the most prepared you can be, probably to the point that you are sick of if and wish this thread would go away. I expect brutality in my line of work, I expect “man” to prey on the weak, I expect the worse, always. But, sometimes, sometimes something crosses my path that makes the blood run hot with revenge. So, I will say it again, be ready. Don’t fall into the stupid trap of “it wont happen to me”
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Just to pile on a little with Idaho’s excellent advice: I met my wife when I was still in the conventional Navy (US). As things started to get serious, I sat her down and explained I intended to do something ‘more’, that I wasn’t going to stay an average sailor for my whole career - I intended to go for something harder and more dangerous, and if she couldn’t support that then we had some serious decisions to make. Long story short - she was (and still is) very supportive. But I’ve seen a lot of guys carry that chick along with them who can’t handle the absences and it usually ended in a divorce or them leaving the service prematurely (granted, by their own choice). If you’re single, no worries, just soldier on. If you’re not, you gotta have that support on the homefront or shit’s gonna suck.
One other thing, regarding performance evals and the like: as Idaho also said, it is the instructors job to weed people out - don’t do their job for them, especially after having one lousy day. I did that once, and I still kick myself for it occasionally. No matter how bad you think you are doing, just keep pushing forward with a positive attitude, keep improving, keep doing your best and let them figure it out.
Good luck to you.
Just curious, what did you do before SWCC?
Deck seaman, and then gunner’s mate
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Thanks Boatguy, I am single and have not been in a committed relationship for awhile now as I have been focused solely on this. No woman is going to draw my attention away from doing this (except maybe a smoking hot latina but let’s sorta hope that doesn’t happen!).
I will definitely try to keep my positive attitude up and keep any complaints down in my training. My biggest reason to join is for the training so I want it to be difficult and I want to do well in it.
Thanks again.
Thought for the day: Know your vulnerabilities.
Another view:
Be Your Own Enemy
How would you attack you? Think like an attacker.
Use this powerful method from the book ‘Sheep no more, the Art of Awareness and attack survival’ by former Navy Seal and Special FBI Agent Jonathan Gilliam (highly recommended read):
1. Describe locations in your life: Where you live, where you commute, where you work, where you go for diner, where you go to a ballgame, the gym, all places in full detail (also for other critical assets)
2. Describe the critical assets: You, your partner, your kids, the dog, money and other things of value, weapons, car, etc.
3. Describe the critical times: who/what is where at what time?
4. Describe the critical vulnerabilities.
5. Describe avenues of approach: How will predators get to your critical assets?
Now plan scenarios in which criminals will want to get access to your critical assets in the way that makes most sense to the criminal.
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This EXACTLY!!! When I went through SFAS we lost more people because they quit more than any other reason.
Thought for the day:
'I have heard the saying, “A person must be a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none.” I disagree with that statement. “I think a tactically oriented athlete must be good at everything that matters and specialize in those things most likely to save their life. You can’t beat a high-level of fitness blended with sharpened fundamental skill sets.”
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Absorb what is useful.
Thought for the day : Going through a 16 hour refresher course. Where do you stand?
Another opinion:
let’s take it further because the med kit’s usefulness is not limited to combat. What’s more likely to happen to you, you get in a gunfight or you experience a car accident where someone is injured? Severe injuries can occur through a number of medians that we experience in our day-to-day lives. With this in mind it’s more likely you’ll need a med kit before you will ever need a firearm.
A daily carry medical kit should contain a few specific items but what you keep in it is up to you; I’ve heard of people rocking nothing but a TQ, pack of homeostatic gauze, and strip of duct tape. A tourniquet (TQ) is probably the most important aspect of a med kit for everyday carry, there are quite a few options out there to choose from but I would recommend picking one that has a proven track record. I would also recommend some homeostatic gauze, Quikclot as it’s called comes in a very small package and can be stuck in a pocket with ease. Bandages and equipment to deal with tension pneumothorax (chest seal and decompression needle) would be my next priority.
Supplement the rest with relevant supplies, this could include medical tape, laryngeal tube, trauma shears, even band-aids for the smaller daily stuff. I realize this ends up being a lot to fill your pockets with so it may be best to have a dedicated med kit/bag._
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Motivational Monday: Always be prepared.
“Too many people nowadays want results without doing work. The secret is consistency and discipline not some tea from IG. If you’re a first responder or in the military and you’re not working out several times a week shame on you. Too many depend on you. Get off your ass and pay the man🇺🇸”
Thought for the day: I have never understood the killing of children. My first exposure was in Africa, followed by an occasional killing in the projects, graduating to the Sunni / Shiite sport of blowing up elementary schools and open markets.
I still don’t understand. To me it takes cowardice to the highest scale, a form of action that is so disgusting to me, I simply cannot fathom the mind behind it.
But I know this, this MFPOS needed to be blown away.
BOISE, Idaho – A man who had been asked to leave an apartment complex in Boise returned the next day and stabbed children celebrating a 3-year-old girl’s birthday, authorities said Sunday. Six children, ages four to 12, were injured in the attack, along with three adults who rushed to their defense. Boise Police Chief William Bones said the victims are alive but some are gravely injured.
Timmy Kinner, 30, of Los Angeles, was arrested and charged with nine counts of aggravated battery and six counts of injury to a child, CBS affiliate KBOI-TV reports. Police said they had not yet identified a motive.
The attack took place at an apartment complex home to many refugees. Kinner is not a refugee, police said, but he temporarily lived at the complex until he was asked to leave on Friday. Kinner returned Saturday when the girl was having her party a few doors down from where he had stayed, police said.
“Our victims are some of the newest members of our community. They’re victims of their past homes who have fled violence from Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia,” Bones said at a news conference Sunday. “This was an attack against those who are most vulnerable – our children.”
Thought for the day: “The world is full of monsters with friendly faces and angels full of scars.”
I have often used the “Valhalla” reference in the past when a cop is killed in the line of duty. That is a personal decision, due to my distaste for organized religion and the untold millions who have been butchered over the centuries in the “Name of whatever GOD”.
I don’t wear or believe in wearing Valhalla T-shits, tats or anything that "identifies me with the cool guy IG crowd. So, I am stopping the Vahalla reference after this was pointed out to me by a professional. If I have ever given someone the impression that “Valhalla” was only for “warriors”, please except my apology.
Another opinion:
"Stop with the “til Valhalla” schtick it’s just self aggrandizing babble. I’ve always said “It’s okay to just be a cool dude”. Be a hitter when it’s required and be a decent human the rest of the time. I never had to choose one or the other … I just recognized when to touch gently and be kind and when to break bones and let the demons out. “The world is full of monsters with friendly faces and angels full of scars.”
I’m tired of hearing “mindset briefings” which was the genesis of this post. They are a fools errand and intend to convince someone that they are someone they likely are not. A proper and beneficial mindset is not achieved by verbal tribute to old warring cultures nor catchy historic references…it is the continually evolving product of a life led. Without hardship, danger and both physical and personal sacrifice there is no way to have a perspective on the world that allows one to succeed in spite of the odds or conventional wisdoms. “For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain."
Also as I said above, there is a galaxy of distance between saying you kick ass and actually kicking ass. I don’t like braggarts… just be cool in your own skin was my point and be decent as much as possible.
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Agreed. While I personally admire (what i know of) ancient Viking culture, I will agree most guys who ‘identify’ that way would be laughed at and crushed by actual Vikings (and yes, I most likely would be as well). The Spartan thing went the same way for me, several years ago. Right around the time I took a kid from my church to visit a couple recruiters (he asked me to, since I knew the language). Army recruiter we spoke to had multiple plaques from previous commands (all admin and recruiter related), all covered with Spartan shields and at least one had the ‘come back with your shield’ thing on it.
Just to lump some more into that category, there’s always the ‘professional veteran’ crowd. Their wardrobe is almost entirely made up of BRCC, Art 15, ASMDSS, Grunt Style, and whatever other ‘vet’ clothing line is new and hot at the time, and they manage to work into every conversation (regardless of topic) about their time in the service and their status as a vet, and/or they believe their status as a veteran sets their opinion at a higher bar than the average civilian. And then these same guys will spout something about OPSEC and being a quiet professional.
Gotta agree. Sorry dude. You are not a Viking/Spartan/Samurai or whatever. You probably aren’t even a sheepdog (although I was always fond of the analogy). You’re just a dude. You may be a cop, a soldier, an armed citizen or ‘just’ a dad. Whatever it is, you have a job. Do it. Do it well. Find ways to do it better than you did yesterday.
I think the driver behind all this is the fact that underneath our veneer of sophistication we are basically tribal in nature. We all want desperately to belong. Our society is increasingly disconnected so we invent our tribes. It’s a weird thing.
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So fucking true. When I was PMC, this crap was constant. I would get "OPSEC’ response on almost anything mentioned by the “quiet warriors”. I would always say, I have a TS/ SCI, with polygraph based level 4, you are safe with me. Stupid shits.
Happy and safe 4th, brother.
Good point. The extreme example to your thought would my country’s fucked up Congress and Senate. I would personally would like to see all of them replaced with the “average” man and woman ( teachers, first responders , single mothers, craftsman, etc., someone who has a little common sense and has actually worked a job.)
I don’t think I was clear on this post, the Senate and Congress are nothing but whimpering tribes, each trying to out do the other, like dueling “ex-special forces” IG gun gurus. your reference to having a support group was dead on.
Thought for the day: Happy Birthday, America, may you always survive.
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hahahahaha. Nice, thanks.