Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming back former Navy SEAL and current Director of Training at Center Mass Group, Chris Sajnog as a contributor on ITS Tactical.

As a retired Navy SEAL and Director of Training at Center Mass Group, I’ve been around firearms for most of my life. During that time I’ve seen lots of “new” shooting techniques come and go; some good and some not so good. One thing that’s never changed, is what it takes to be a great gunfighter, hands on training.

Whenever people ask me how they can shoot like a Navy SEAL, I always say the same thing: dry fire, lots and LOTS of dry fire. I never mention any particular technique or any of the well known fundamentals of marksmanship. Nope, what you need to do is train. Sure there are plenty of great little tricks out there and I’m always trying to acquire new tools for my toolbox (actually, not to brag but I’ve got more of a tool shed than a box), but no matter what skill or technique I’m working on, I’m working.

Watch This!

As we push on into the information age, the way many people view what is considered “training” is changing. You see, I’m noticing a disturbing trend lately when I talk to people about firearms training. I’m finding many are no longer willing to put in the hard work necessary to learn the art of warfare, since it would be much easier to just buy the latest training book or video. Then all they have to do is kick back on the couch with a few cool-ones and train!

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got no beef with getting more information or learning how to do something through a shooting book or video, and there are some great ones out there but the caveat is, once you’ve got the information, you need to use it. Don’t just sit there like a wallflower, skin that smoke wagon and do a little ballet with that boom-stick.

I Don’t Have Time For That!

Of course this new non-training trend is not exclusive to firearms training. I became a CrossFit instructor a few years back and ever since then I have friends and family asking me to put together workout routines for them. It usually goes something like this:

“Hey Chris, I’d like to have a good workout routine and was hoping you could design a two-a-day, six-day-a-week hardcore program.”

Are you working out at all now?

“No, I’ve been pretty busy.”

OK, I’ll make you a deal. If you can workout 30-minutes a day, 3-days a week for one month, I’ll design you a custom program.
___

To this day I have not designed a single workout program for any of those people.

“Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities – that’s training or instruction – but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed.”

~ Thomas More

Informed Dissent

So what does this mean for you? Well, if your training is already as good as you want it to be, then you don’t need to do anything. But if you want to be better and you’re just sitting around waiting for the next “Dyno-Reflexive Combat-Carbine” video to come out so you can improve your ninja skills, it means you should just take the information you’ve already received from the first video (or book) to the range and see where your skill level is.

Milk the knowledge you already have for all it’s worth and if you get to a point where your training is becoming stagnant, hop back online and order away! But if you’re hammering the basics and really working to be the weapon and not a tool, then this journey in self-mastery will not soon end.

Even when you get to the point that you’ve mastered the basics, just remember that advanced shooting is just the basics done smoother and faster (and the video costs an extra $34.95).

Shoot for the Stars

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) said, “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.” I interpret this to (loosely) mean that you can’t learn how to shoot by just watching more training videos or reading more shooting books but that you should go to the range and shoot if you want to get better. I think if ol’ G.G. were alive today he would say (with a heavy Italian accent), “Gun fighting is a skill that requires more training, not more information.”

Galileo didn’t discover the Milky Way by watching videos or reading books, so what’s your range plan? Post how you train in the comments below, then get to the range and shoot for the stars!

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Chris is a former Navy SEAL and the Director of Training for Center Mass Group, which was founded by two retired Navy SEAL Instructors. Giving people the experience of being trained by the most elite combat unit in the world, Chris is currently a Maritime-Counter-Terrorism and advanced marksmanship Instructor who has trained DOD, DHS, FBI, CIA and multiple foreign allies in all aspects of combat weapons handling, marksmanship and Maritime Operations.

First off, this isn’t a post about what the cause of the explosions were yesterday that rocked Boston, or a “here’s what should have happened” armchair quarterback analysis. I wasn’t there and neither were the majority of the people that will read this.

What I can say is that if I were running the Boston Marathon, I would not have been prepared, regardless. I’ve run a marathon before and I didn’t carry anything other than some energy gel packets. This is exactly why I personally carry both a Pocket Trauma Kit and a firearm though. It’s not for me, it’s for you.

That’s how I feel about daily carry items. If everyone had this same perspective, of looking out for your fellow Americans and hoping you’ll be there when they need you, the world would be a better place.

Staying Vigilant

This isn’t to say that there aren’t bad people everywhere, capable of nightmare scenarios like what happened yesterday in Boston that left three dead, 176 injured and 17 in critical condition. Remaining vigilant and being prepared is the most you can do. You can’t go around on high alert all the time. To give you a Cooper Color Code reference, you can’t live your life in the yellow, your body won’t be able to handle it.

Colonel Jeff Cooper was known for advocating a color code to describe a person’s state of mind. Not so much in regards to a level of alertness, but purely the mental state.

The following comes from his book, Principles of Personal Defense:

• Condition White – You are unprepared and unready to take lethal action. If you are attacked in White you will probably die unless your adversary is totally inept.
• Condition Yellow – You bring yourself to the understanding that your life may be in danger and that you may have to do something about it.
• Condition Orange – You have determined upon a specific adversary and are prepared to take action which may result in his death, but you are not in a lethal mode.
• Condition Red – You are in a lethal mode and will shoot if circumstances warrant.

While the Cooper Color Code is obviously focusing on shooting and in the scenario we’re discussing here, there wasn’t a threat to start shooting at, but it’s applicable here to illustrate levels of mental alertness and situational awareness.

Something that Jeff Gonzales talked about in the mindset lecture portion of his pistol course I recently took, is shock threshold. Shock threshold is the measure of time from the initial shock of an event to the point at which you react. If you don’t apply that aspect into your training, you’ll never know how you’ll react.

Factors that can affect shock threshold are physical fitness, age, experience (more familiar, less shock threshold) and genetics. Remember, strong people are harder to kill.

How is shock threshold applicable to what happened in Boston? I only mention it to point out that you need to be ready to respond. The less time it takes you to respond from the initial “shock” of an incident and getting your ass in gear to respond, the better off you and those around you will be.

Medical Kits and a Plan

I’m not going to turn this into some sales pitch for the Medical Kits we sell at ITS, this is about having something and being trained to use it. I don’t care if it’s knowing how to use a bandanna and direct pressure to stop bleeding, or having a hemostatic agent like Combat Gauze and a tourniquet.

Get a kit, get trained and have it on you. Plain and simple. If you’re not comfortable carrying it, then you’re going to leave it at home when you’ll need it the most. Comfort doesn’t just apply to it being in your pocket, but also speaks to your level of training. If you’re not prepared to fully use it, then you’ll hesitate.

Whatever you feel that you can carry comfortably on your body is what you should focus on. Those chosen supplies should give you, at the very least, a way to stop bleeding. Extremity hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death right now with our troops overseas and after looking at the devastation in Boston, that scenario is much like the IEDs that our soldiers are facing.

I’m going to try my best to not to get on my soapbox about the fact that most primary first responders are Law Enforcement and they continually have to fight to get the medical supplies they need and often have to purchase these things out of their own pocket. It’s time for our local governments to wake up and get our officers the proper equipment and training they need to respond.

Having a communications plan in the event that the lines are flooded is extremely important too. Text messages may work, but what’s important here is not what can be used, but what you and your family will use. Have a plan on how your loved ones can get ahold of you so they’ll know where to turn.

Mindset

I’ve always focused on our motto here at ITS Tactical when it comes to scenarios like what happened in Boston, “Prevail.” That and what lies at the core of what our logo, Website information and the oath I took when enlisting in the Navy states: defense against (imminent) threats, both foreign and domestic.

Staying vigilant, but not hyper vigilant, is the take home. That and using what happened in Boston to ensure you’re prepared to handle anything like this that might happen in the future around you. If you see something out of the ordinary, report it. You’re the eyes on the ground and you can make a difference.

Keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers, but stay strong. The best way to honor their memory is to prepare yourself to be able to help when the next nightmare scenario occurs.

For resources on connecting with victims and what you can do to help, please refer to our post from yesterday here.

You may have read Bryan’s latest article on smoke detectors and recently replaced yours, but do you have a plan for what to do when they go off? Smoke detectors may work in different ways, but their primary goal is to alert those nearby that something has changed in the air, be it gas, smoke or carbon dioxide.

It’s important to know the difference in the sound of your smoke detectors, due to the fact that it changes how a person needs to react to save themselves and their family.

What is Smoke?

This may sound like a silly question, but it’s important that we all get on the same page. Smoke is the hot unburned gases that are visible to the naked eye. This is what sets off the alarm and can cause you to frantically fan the unit when you burn something on the stove. The problem isn’t necessarily the smoke, but the number of other undetectable elements that are released when a fire breaks out.

Smoke and most other bad gasses, will first rise in a fire and then bank back down off the ceiling. This is why being close to the floor is best. Because the smoke will rise, the air closest to the floor will be safer and you’ll have a greater chance to escape. Smoke inhalation is actually the leading cause of death in most home fires.

In addition to producing smoke, fire can incapacitate or kill by reducing oxygen levels, either by consuming the oxygen, or by displacing it with other gases. Heat is also a respiratory hazard, as superheated gases burn the respiratory tract. When the air is hot enough, one breath can kill.

Now that you know the true definition of what smoke is and how it acts, what should you do when you hear the smoke detector go off?

During the Night

If you’re sleeping and the alarm goes off, DO NOT SIT UP IN BED. Roll to the floor first, before getting your bearings and assessing the situation. The reason you wouldn’t want to sit up in bed, is that you could be lifting your head right into smoke and hot gases. Most people found dead in house fires are found in bed because they’ve sat up, inhaled a big dose of bad air and died.

Once you’re on the floor, where you go depends on the condition of the room you’re in. Is it really hot and full of smoke? If so, find the closest exit and get out. The term “exit” means any way possible of getting your body outside of the home as rapidly as possible. If your door is closed, remember to feel the doorknob with the back of your hand. If it’s warm or hot, find another way out.

Lets say it’s not just you in the home, but your family is there too. Again, focus on the conditions in the room you start off in. If they’re bad, get out now and work from the outside in to help your family. If conditions are clear, stay as low as possible and move to the rooms they’re in and then to the closest exit immediately.

Find Your Escape

Advocating the closest exit is due to the fact that people are creatures of habit. If the family always goes in and out of the front door then that’s where they’ll try and go, but this obviously isn’t always the best way. Whether the closest exit is through a bathroom window or down and out through the basement, keep an eye out for the best option.

The Fire Department looks at windows as doors and that they can be used to enter and exit a building in roughly the same manner. This being said, you may get cut trying to use a window, or break a bone jumping from a second story window, but cuts and breaks are much easier to fix then lungs exposed to hot gases or burns to the body.

In the event a family member is trapped inside and the rest of you are safely outside, this is the first thing that Firefighters need to know when showing up to the scene. Things to tell them would be the family member’s name, age, sex and what room they may possibly be in. This information can help reduce the search time to find loved ones.

Prepare for the Worst

Having a solid escape plan can help with nearly every situation described above and even with the aftermath of recovering from a tragedy. Taking the time to sit down with your family and discuss what to do when the alarms go off, as well as primary and secondary exits, is a very import conversation to have.

Prompt your kids to get creative and draw out a map that they hang in their room. They’ll pass it everyday and hopefully see it from time to time. Quiz your family at dinner and ensure everyone is on the same page with what to do in the event of a fire.

Along with the basic items we use on a daily basis, such as a driver’s license, credit card/s, car keys and cell phone, there are also other items that will be especially important after a house fire. These include copies of your Homeowner’s/Renter’s Insurance Policy, Birth Certificates, titles or deeds, computer backups, spare clothing, etc.

These are all items that can be copied and/or stored somewhere other than your home so they’re available if needed. If you store these items in a fire-proof safe, keep in mind that most safes are only designed to be in a heated environment for so long. When the Firefighters arrive, you can inform them of the safe location or items you need saved, which will help them help you.

Some simple items can be stored in a shed, neighbor’s house or with a family member that lives nearby. These would be things such as a change of clothes for everyone in the family (remember to keep sizes up to date), important phone numbers, backup ID, credit cards and any daily prescriptions that a family member requires.

Each family’s list will be different, as well as what and how much will be stored. In the short time it takes for a house to burn everything inside, a little prior planning can mean all the difference in starting over.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming PJ Packard as a contributor on ITS Tactical. PJ is a Florida Firefighter, Paramedic and TSAR. He’s been involved in emergency services for over 10 years and loves hunting and the outdoors. We’re also proud to have him as a Life Member at ITS!

Ask yourself this question “If a major catastrophe happened tomorrow, would I be ready?” I know in all honesty my answer would have to be no, which is a very scary scenario for me.

I do my best to budget, plan and to continue to fill my supply closet with food and water, but we all know in our current economic state that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find the funds to build up our supplies for “The End of the World as We Know It,” or whatever term you’d like to use.

I’m sure there are many people out there who are like me, doing their best to build up their supplies so their family will be safe, but feel they’re not where they need to be to survive. What can we do to remedy this? I don’t want to go into debt so that I can have a fully stocked supply closet. I’ve personally put a lot of thought into this very situation. “What would I do if things went bad tomorrow?” “How long could I last on what I have?” “What would I do if I started to run out before things got better?” These are some of the questions I have spent countless hours thinking about.

Don’t Count on Grocery Stores

Many people think that if a major catastrophe happened, they could just take a trip down to the local grocery store and stock up on everything that they’d need for the next few months. This is not only a very unlikely remedy, but also a dangerous one. Here is an example why: It was winter time a few years ago, when the city I live in was hit with a huge snow storm, almost three feet of snow fell in twenty four hours.

The city was crippled; the roads were virtually un-drivable, many homes were without power and according to the news it was only going to get worse. Within a few hours the store shelves were empty. I had to walk to the store near where I was living, because my car was stuck in its parking spot. I was amazed at the sight of a bare shelved store. What surprised me more was that it had been only a few hours since the storm had started and everyone was stocking up for the next few days of bad weather.

I nitpicked through the store trying to find your average grocery list items and was unable to. The next morning I was watching the news and was even more surprised to hear news stories being reported of the police being called to local grocery stores because of people fighting and hurting each other so they could get the last gallon of milk. It took about a week and a half for the grocery stores to recover and get new shipments to stock their shelves.

City Officials asked the local food banks to open their doors to the general public because many families were out of food. In a Colorado town where people should be accustom to large snow storms, a mild case of pandemonium broke out over three feet of snow. People literally were fighting in the grocery store over milk and bread. Imagine the chaos that would take place if something of substance were to actually happen. This experience cemented in my mind how dangerous things will become when people are desperate to feed their families.

I will share with you what I did to remedy the potential supply shortfall that many of us could face if major catastrophe happened before we were fully stocked up on supplies, I call it the “Plan B Map.”

The Plan B Map

Start out by visiting your local Wal-Mart or similar type of store and find a road atlas for your state. Within this atlas you will be able to find some fairly detailed maps of your neighborhood. For now, mark those pages and set the atlas aside. When you have a few hours of time and are ready for a drive, get in your car with a note pad and pen. Go around and make a list of every single business, store and shop within a two mile radius of your home. Also find every single source of water; ponds, rivers, streams, swimming pools, water towers, water wells, etc.

Once you’ve finished this task, head back home and make index cards for every location you have on your list. Now comes the hard part. You will have to go through these index cards and think about each and every business. You’ll have to decide if there’s the possibility of any type of useful item that might be kept or used by that particular business.

A few examples are as follows: Dental offices often have bottled water available to their patients. I happened to have 5 dental offices within the two mile radius of my home. I also have a gym about four blocks from my house that has two industrial refrigerators full of energy drinks, bottled water and protein snacks that are available to sell to those that work out there. I also have a bicycle shop three blocks from my home that had shelves and shelves of energy bars, protein bars, energy drinks and all sorts of things geared towards the outdoorsman.

Within my two mile radius, I have nine ponds, three swimming pools and two streams. You’ll be very surprised on the amount of resources you’ll find in unsuspecting places. We’re not just talking about food and water either. The doctor’s office close by will also have very useful medical equipment. The hobby shop will have needles and thread, string, twine and craft wood that can be used for fires. There’s almost an endless list of the items you can find right around the corner.

Putting It All Together

Now combine your maps and your index cards, marking each location on your maps with a number. That number will correspond to a number on an index card. That index card will have the useful items that are available at that particular location. You’ll want to plan routes to and from all of these locations. Include places to stop or hide in these routes and even alternate routes in case you see something on the way that you don’t want to pass on your way back.

Create a list of importance, meaning which locations have the most important items. Many of us spend a few nights a week walking our dogs. Instead of just walking around the block, start trying out the routes that you’ve made. This will give you the opportunity to adjust your routes if needed to avoid certain things. Keep you map and index cards updated to new businesses, or businesses that have changed locations or closed down. You’ll also need to update your list of importance as time goes on.

As more time passes your immediate needs will change. As you continue to work on your personal stock of supplies, the things that at one point that were important, may become less important because you had the opportunity to stock up on that item. Pay extra attention to the sources of water that you find. These may be sources for more than just water. Are there fish in the streams or ponds? Do you see ducks and geese in these areas frequently? Think of all the different ways you can take advantage of these water sources because they can be food sources as well.

Transportation

In addition to making the map, you’ll also need to have a way of transporting the items you go after. You cannot rely on the idea of having a vehicle to drive. So this means you will have to come up with an alternate way of getting to your locations and a way to bring supplies back. For my situation and surroundings a bicycle is the most practical for me to utilize. Not only is it faster than walking, I also have the ability to attach duffle bags or backpacks to the frame and rack.

You’re now done with your “Plan B Map” and you’ve figured out a form of transportation other then your car that fits your situation and surroundings. Keep up with your map and your index cards. Don’t feel like you have to throw your map and cards away if you’ve reached your goal of the amount of food, water and supplies you wanted to stock up on. Even if you’re fully stocked, you never know what situations you may be faced with.

Your map and index cards could be an invaluable asset no matter what you level of preparation you’re at. If you’re diligent with this project, you’ll provide yourself with a safer way to scavenge for supplies if faced with that need. While everyone else is fighting it out at the gas stations and grocery stores for the last couple cans of food, you can safely make trips to and from the locations marked on your map.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming Tom F. as a contributor on ITS Tactical. Tom works in the firearm industry and spends his downtime researching, learning and practicing self-reliance and survival skill-sets that will help his family in good times or bad.

Editor-in-Chief’s note: This post was written by Brett and Kate McKay and originally ran on The Art of Manliness.

The idea of carrying around a pocket notebook has become quite popular these last few years, revived by the introduction of the current incarnation of the “Moleskine” into the market. It’s become so popular that I’m afraid it has come to be seen as trendy or faddish, and this is putting some men off to starting this important habit themselves. Some find the Cult of the Moleskine and its faux history understandably distasteful. The company shills their pricey Made in China notebooks as the notebook of Hemingway, Van Gogh, and Matisse, when the company that currently makes them only got into the business in 1997.

But don’t let the pocket notebook’s current image dissuade you from carrying one around. The truth is that you don’t need to use a Moleskine (unless you really like them)-even some note cards clipped together will do. And far from being a modern fad, the pocket notebook has a long, important, and manly history. Pocket notebooks were part of the arsenal of a long list of great men from Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Edison (we’re working on an in-depth post of how these men used their notebooks for the future). The repositories of eminent men’s personal effects nearly always includes a pocket notebook full of their ideas and musings.

I spent many hours combing through the google book archives looking for references on the use of pocket notebooks by ordinary men during this past century. The following excerpts I collected show the pocket notebook’s history and demonstrate that far from being the domain of the modern hipster, the pocket notebook has always been used by men from many different walks of life.

The Farmer

“One farmer I know keeps his notebook in his pocket to jot down the tasks which can be performed on a rainy day. This enables him to plan quickly the work for a rainy day. In planning rainy day work, do first the jobs which are in danger of getting in the way of the next dry weather work. The rule is to leave no rainy-day work to be done when it is not raining for in this climate our profits are limited by the amount of outdoor work we get done.” -Circular, Issues 46-105, By Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture , 1914

The Salesman

“There should be a book in your pocket all the while ready for the name of anyone who might be induced to handle your product. A name overheard, a name suggested by a fellow traveling man, a name secured by visiting with someone from a town you do not make, a name seen in a local newspaper—any such name may be that of your prospect.

One salesman I know buys the local newspaper in every town he enters and reads the personal columns as well as the advertisements in search of men who may be or may become possible customers. He studies openings in towns where there is a possible opportunity, and he puts the right men in touch with them. He visits with representatives of the local commercial organizations and advertising clubs and gathers much information that he tabulates in a pocket notebook. He always has at hand information of value to men in his line of trade, and in time they come to realize it and look forward to his coming, saving him some kind of an order even if they are not much in need, because they want a chance to talk with him.” -The Successful Salesman, By Frank Farrington, 1918

The Minister

“Have upon your study table, always accessible, a good-sized substantially bound blank book. Whenever a germinant thought comes seize your pen and write it down. Such thoughts will come out of your special course of literary reading, out of your cursory scanning of current fiction, even out of the five-minute glance given to the morning paper, out of nowhere and from anywhere. Thought-compelling suggestions entirely foreign to the sermon on which you are just now engaged will frequently send you to your treasure book, and without any damage to present preparation you will scribble down a page of matter that will set you on fire at some future day just when you are in need of inspiration and help. Have also a special vest-pocket notebook and let nothing escape you.” -The Methodist Review, 1907

The Boy Scout

“In one of the pockets there should be a lot of bachelor buttons, the sort that you do not have to sew on to your clothes, but which fasten with a snap, something like glove buttons. There should be a pocket made in your shirt or vest to fit your notebook, and a part of it stitched up to hold a pencil and a toothbrush….

No camper, be he hunter, fisherman, scout, naturalist, explorer, prospector, soldier or lumberman, should go into the woods without a notebook and hard lead pencil. Remember that notes made with a hard pencil will last longer than those made with ink, and be readable as long as the paper lasts.

Every scientist and every surveyor knows this and it is only tenderfeet, who use a soft pencil and fountain pen for making field notes, because an upset canoe will blur all ink marks and the constant rubbing of the pages of the book will smudge all soft pencil marks.

Therefore, have a pocket especially made, so that your notebook, pencil and fountain pen, if you insist upon including it—will fit snugly with no chance of dropping out.” -The American Boys’ Handybook of Camp-lore and Woodcraft, By Daniel Carter Beard, 1920

The Doctor

“When I started in practice, I got in the habit of putting many of my spare moments (had plenty of them!) into studying up some of the rarer diseases that we had to deal with. I would read up all I could find on one subject, then I would take some time in thinking it over, then I would formulate a plan of treatment and write it out in a pocket-notebook. In after years, that old notebook helped me out of a good many difficult situations; and some of the best work I have ever done has come from those notes.” -The American Journal of Clinical Medicine, Volume 25, 1918

The Architect

“The little pocket notebook, I soon discovered, was not a record book in the accounting sense of the term. Nevertheless, it was a very necessary part of the architect’s business paraphernalia. The rules of the American Institute of Architects do not permit members of the profession to advertise, or go after new business in most of the ways that are current among commercial organizations. Therefore, the successful architect is a man with a wide ‘acquaintance among the classes of persons who are likely to become builders. He quickly learns to take note of projected buildings, in order to follow up the prospective owners, and secure for his own office the work of designing the building.

This is the purpose of the architect’s pocket notebook. Whenever he gets wind from any source of a projected building, he makes a note of it. Sometimes he secures his information from news notes in the daily papers; more frequently he gets advance information from the people he associates with, and from regular commercial agency reports. If the prospect has in mind constructing a building of the class the architect is used to handling, he makes a personal call on the owner.

‘Sometimes,’ says the architect, ‘I don’t need to use my little book so strenuously as at other times. A growing reputation and a ‘come-back’ clientele are gradually making it possible for me to devote less time to getting business and more time to handling the work that is under way. I keep the book up from habit; and occasionally it brings me a job of the kind I particularly want, and might miss if I didn’t have my notebook as a daily reminder.’” -The Magazine of Business, Volume 27, By Arch Wilkinson Shaw, 1915

The Naturalist

“I am often asked to recommend the best kind of notebook and diary to use for nature observations; but I have never seen any that is satisfying. The value of notes depends upon their being taken on the spot. If you think that you can carry the records of a country ramble home in your head and write them down at your leisure in the evenings, you are very much mistaken. You must carry them home, already written, in your pocket; and for that purpose you must have a handy pocket notebook. But the notes hurriedly written on the spot are not, of course, intended to be your permanent record. Indeed, your penciled scrawls on a cold day would often become unintelligible within a week. If, however, you use a good system of abbreviations, you will find that you can get a surprising amount of detailed observation into each small page of the pocket notebook; and if the book is “self-opening,” i.e., if the pencil is always fixed to the page on which the next entry will be made, very little time is spent in taking the notes.” -Country-Side: A Wildlife Magazine, Volume 4, By British Empire Naturalist’s Association, 1928

The Student

“But you may say, “I have already begun wrong with a long list of words; my problem now is how to get them right, and how to avoid similar mistakes with new words in the future. It is too late to take spelling over again. What is the short cut to improvement?”

Improvement may be made to begin at once by following a very simple plan. Buy an indexed pocket notebook and enter in it from day to day words that you find yourself habitually misspelling. Study Appendix IV, section by section, and copy from it into your notebook words that seem to resist mastery. Copy only a few at a time.

From this notebook choose a word at a time, and by a deliberate act of attention, look at it as if you had never seen it before; if practicable, spell it aloud—slowly, so that you have time to realize the presence of each letter. Then write it correctly again and again; cover a page with it, writing without a pause; if you can, spell it aloud as you write. Underline, as you write, the part of the word in which your error occurs. Repeat this process for five minutes at a time, if necessary every day for a week, or until you know that you can never misspell this word again…

If you feel that this is hard to do, remember that the alternative is lifelong exposure to the unjust suspicion of illiteracy.” -The Writing of English, By John Matthews Manly, Edith Rickert,

Carrying a Pocket Notebook

Hopefully the excerpts above inspired you to start carrying a pocket notebook yourself. It’s a manly tradition that ought to be continued today. Along with a pocket knife and handkerchief, a notebook should reside in the pocket of every man.

No matter what profession you find yourself in, the most essential function of the pocket notebook is to provide a place to capture the ideas that spring to mind throughout the day. You may get a business idea, an insight into something you or a loved one has been struggling with, or hear a quote you wish to record. Even though you feel sure in the moment that you’ll be able to remember these thoughts when you get home, every one of us has experienced the agony of realizing later that an idea is utterly gone from our minds and that no amount of mental gymnastics can bring it back.

But the pocket notebook has many more uses. I use mine for brainstorming sessions and as a place to write down and review my personal goals and keep track of things I need to get done. I use it for mundane things like grocery lists and people’s phone numbers. And I love to make calculations, keeping track of income and figuring out when I can pay off my debt. And of course I use it doodle and play hangman with Kate when I get bored at church.

What do you use your pocket notebook for? Share your ideas in the comments!

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: The Art of Manliness is a fantastic Website dedicated to uncovering the lost art of being a man. It features articles on helping men be better husbands, better fathers, and better men. Check them out and be sure to subscribe! Since ITS and AoM admire each other’s work, we’ve agreed to swap one article each month to share with our respective readers.

Disclaimer: All names have been changed as to protect the identity of those involved.

Sounds. There are many each of us have come to learn and recognize. The sound of a door opening. The sound of a shotgun racking a round in the chamber. The sounds of commands issued out between members of a firing team. The sound of a Police radio, which we refer to as radio ear.

Each bears different weight upon the listener. Yet, one sound can be heard clear, no matter the conditions. The hollow, chill sending, dreaded sound of a “Click.” No sound has the effect on a seasoned Military or Law Enforcement veteran, as the sound of a firing pin falling on an empty chamber.

Patrol

0645 hrs. Normal weekday morning. Fresh cup of coffee sitting in my center console. iPod playing through an AM/FM converter sitting on my patrol bag. I was on patrol in my unit as I was every morning. Uniform still smelled of starch from the night before. I was making my rounds through my assigned area and waiting for 0700 hrs. when the local diner opened for breakfast.

I was busily milling over the day’s task ahead, checking emails and making sure to mark event times in my calendar so the Chief didn’t use the speed dial with my number on it. The radio squawked. “Headquarters to LP7, 10-34 103D.” It was my radio number, but a domestic? This early? Odd. I answered with the standard “LP7, 10-71”, meaning proceed with traffic.

The call came out as a domestic disturbance in a residence involving a husband and wife. The wife had called and stated the husband was drunk and was breaking every object in the residence. She had made several attempts to calm him, yet he refused to calm down. The wife reported she had exited the residence and left the husband alone inside. “Drunk at 0645 hrs. Must be nice,” I thought to myself.

Then it struck me. That was John’s house. I know John. I see John every morning. He works across from my office. This can’t be right. I double checked the numerical and was confirmed. It was John and his wife Sally. At this point I was on the main highway and approaching the street. A local Sheriff’s Office Deputy, Lt. Andrews, was on his way to work and heard the call. We met up at the top of the street and after a brief pre-plan, proceeded to our objective.

A note quick on Lt. Andrews. Lt. Andrews is the Lt. Commander of the patrol division of the Sheriff’s Office. He has more than 20 years as a LEO along with being former K-9, SWAT, etc. Basically, he knows his stuff.

On Station

As we approached the residence, we were met by the wife Sally in the middle of the street waving her arms to stop us. We staged our units and ushered her to cover and preformed a quick interview to establish what was going on. We were told John came home drunk and began trashing the house. TV’s, mirrors, glasses, didn’t matter. If it broke, he broke it.

We left Sally by the units and proceeded towards the house. The entrance was a side door in the car port with an SUV parked inside. Plenty of room to walk. Lt. Andrews and I stacked up as I opened the side door. John was standing in a pile of broken glass, almost like he was expecting me. I asked him to step outside and without any issue, he complied. Once outside I started my normal investigation and found John to be very compliant.

He knew he was drunk and he knew he was pissed. When I asked him why he was so upset, he stopped. I asked him what the argument was about and he stepped back. I proceeded with my questioning. “John. It’s Engel, you know me bro. Just let me know what’s wrong.” Another step back, this time towards the SUV door. “John, relax brother. I just want to figure this out so I can help.” John opens the SUV driver door and dives into the SUV. “JOHN! EXIT THE VEHICLE!” I demanded. The first level of retention on my holster snapping open. He complies, right along with an object in his right hand. I zero in on the object and realized it was just a lighter. I breathe. A shooting was not what I wanted. John raised the lighter up to his head and CLICK!

“*^%&^%#&& GUN!” I somehow order out. As if by magic, a Glock 19 appeared in my hands, front sight zeroed in. Slack. Sight. Squeeze. “DROP THE WEAPON!” I demand. “DO IT! DO IT NOW!” I could hear Sally screaming behind me and I knew Lt. Andrews was still there. Something just didn’t feel right. John realized his weapon was empty and lowered it to waist level. “John, Drop the weapon!” I demanded again.

Something still felt wrong. I watched as the weapon lowered past his waist. White. Wait. White? Why am I seeing just white? It’s my notepad! Still in my off hand somehow wrapped around my weapon. Good job Engel. I let it fall to the ground. John then does the one thing I was praying he wouldn’t. Up until now I knew the weapon was empty. Then he decided to rack the weapon. I drew my breath in and called out one last order to drop the weapon with my breath finishing on the midpoint. Sight alignment. Sight picture. Slack. Front Sight. Squeeze. John dropped the weapon and kicked it away. The next few seconds would have made a Honey Badger proud. There is a saying with my old patrol buddies. The Gorilla Stomp. That, is exactly what happened. John was hit by 210 lbs. of adrenaline fueled, pissed-off gorilla and stomped. Er, taken into custody and transported. Gently.

Debrief

Regardless of how the suspect was taken in, or how his broken wrist ensued, I’m thankful no one was introduced to St. Peter. Still, the lessons learned will never leave me. After watching the video of my dash camera, the entire suspect contact took place in less than five minutes. From opening the residence door, to suspect in custody. When John grabbed the weapon and attempted to fire it the first time, it took maybe two seconds. In the next second he had racked a round into the chamber. Half a second later I was zeroing in a t-zone shot. Within three to four seconds, a person I knew went from talking to suicide. We had zero reaction time.

Throughout the entire incident, both myself and Lt. Andrews had tactics planned. Our units were staged correctly. Contact and cover was used. The tactical “L” was employed upon suspect contact. Even verbal commands were textbook. Yet I made mistakes, the most obvious being attempting to grip a firearm with a notepad in my offhand. Why? Because I never trained with it. I train with empty hands from the “interview stance.” Meaning my hands are waist level. Never while taking down information. So when I went to present with a notepad; it followed.

Second. I never moved. I called out commands. Presented my weapon; notepad included. Yet I never once stepped out of the line of fire. And I’m a firearms instructor! Why? Again, habit. I have to shoot the qualification course so often; in which there are no steps to the side, only the rear. I preformed exactly as I trained. Yes, I’ve preached and heard this more times than I can count, however, I preformed what I practiced most. Not what I attempted to correct.

Third. I let the incident get to me. I will be man enough to admit it. I had a hard time with this incident afterwards. For one reason and this reason alone, I knew the guy. I saw him every day for the last five years. I still do to be honest. He still lives in my area. It hit me harder than if it were some out of nowhere crackhead. If this guy can pull a gun on me, anyone can, right? Then the paranoia got to me and messed me up pretty good. Thankfully, I have some God sent friends in this line of work that saw the impact and took measures to adjust me. I’m not talking hospitalization or meds. Just a six pack and a deck of cards on a Tuesday night.

Lessons Learned

1. Training is great, but only if it matches the conditions. Train as if you aren’t expecting to draw your weapon. Not at the ready watching the target.
2. You WILL react as you train. Not as you correct. Meaning, if you do an action wrong five times and correct it once, guess what. You’re going to do it wrong under stress. Not “I just ran five miles” stress. I mean %$^@&% GUN! Stress. When your brain shuts down, which it will.
3. No one is bulletproof. Physically or mentally. My wife caught a bit of hell afterwards from this and thank God she’s more stubborn than I am. Your family and friends will notice. After a critical incident, some people just need to talk. Others need help. It’s nice to be the badass, just remember those we leave in our pride’s wake.
4. And to the person who’s inevitably going to ask why I didn’t pull the bang switch? Read On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (Ret). 

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming James Engel as a guest contributor on ITS Tactical. James has been in Law Enforcement for over six years, where he’s obtained his current Firearms Instructor position and the head instructor for his current department. Prior to Law Enforcement, he was enlisted in the U. S. Army Reserve and pulled two years active duty while assigned to the 464th Transportation Detachment out of Fort Story, VA. Besides Law Enforcement, he owns Ares Weapon Training teaching concealed carry weapons courses in south Louisiana.