With the release of our newest ITS Challenge Coins today, I wanted to take the time to write an article addressing the history surrounding Challenge Coins and the rules, which still aren’t clear to many that have never had a “Coin Check” pulled on them.
Challenge Coins typically feature an organization’s insignia and are carried by their members. During a “Coin Check” they can prove membership, enhance morale or wind up costing you a round of drinks if you’ve forgotten yours at home. In keeping with the tradition of Challenge Coins heavily rooted in the military, we’ve produced our own here at ITS so that you can give them out for recognition or simply carry an awesome coin in your pocket in case you get challenged.
I recently presented an ITS Challenge Coin to everyone that attended our Inaugural Muster in the traditional way of palming it to them during a handshake. Below I’ve listed out the Challenge Coin Rules, which I’d never officially seen printed anywhere until Eric and I visited the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum a few months ago. These rules come from a laminated sheet they had displayed in their gift shop (photo below.) [Read More…]
I’m really enjoying the storyline in BPRE and recently got to meet Kane Smith at the Haley Strategic Disruptive Industries course last week. Getting a chance to chat with Kane and Jon Chang was great and I could see where a lot of the storyline in BPRE came from.
If you’re unfamiliar with BPRE, it follows PMCs (Private Military Contractors) in their efforts to wage a war of ruthless intrigue and clandestine violence in the post-Iraq state using American special operations contractors. Definitely give Black Powder Red Earth a shot if you enjoy graphic novels, you won’t be able to put it down!
Something I thought was pretty cool is that the back cover features a Non-Permissive Environment Specialist Ouija Board design!
I’ve been waiting with baited breath for volume two of the Black Powder Red Earth series to drop from my friend Jon Chang and the Echelon crew. It’s now available thru Amazon in both hard copy and Kindle edition.
I really enjoyed the authenticity of the first issue in the BPRE storyline, which follows PMCs (Private Military Contractors) in their efforts to wage a war of ruthless intrigue and clandestine violence in the post-Iraq state using American special operations contractors.
If you enjoy graphic novels like I do, you should definitely give Black Powder Red Earth a look. If the dark and gritty hard-crime feel to the novel doesn’t keep you wanting more, the fantastic illustrations should do the trick.
Since first hearing of the Black Powder Red Earth Graphic Novel, I’d been wanting to read it. I’m actually a huge comic book / graphic novel fan and was stoked to meet BPRE mastermind Jon Chang recently and get a copy to check out!
Jon also put me in touch with co-storywriter and Special Operations Contractor Kane Smith, who I had the chance to interview. His Q&A below really gives some great insight into the plot development. No spoilers, I promise! [Read More…]
If you haven’t heard about Real Combat Life yet, built to provide an outlet to share combat experiences, you definitely need to head over and check it out.
Not long ago they won a $25k grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project to help out their organization, and move them closer to becoming their own non-profit organization.
We think their idea is fantastic, as writing down experiences is often a good way to make a transition to civilian life easier to handle. Real Combat Life is a great way to support our troops and allow the public a glimpse of what life in combat is like.
Head on over and contribute if you have a story to share!
Did you know that the CIA hired a magician to write a pair of tradecraft manuals for them in the early 1950s?
Magician John Mulholland wrote these once classified manuals to show CIA case officers how to secretly pass documents, hide items discretely, slip pills into enemy cocktails and even covert communication tricks. The real nuts and bolts of espionage!
Once thought to have been destroyed, one copy of each of the two declassified manuals was recovered by the author and appear in their entirety within The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception.
The book is a very good read for those interested in CIA tradecraft history and also its original roots in stage magic.
We’ve casually referenced our recommended reading on ITS Tactical as we’ve seen fit, but have now come up with a comprehensive list of our favorites.
You’ll now see a link above called Books that breaks down our favorites by categories. Most of these are books that have helped us learn and grow over the years, and you can be sure that they’re all books we’ve read. [Read More…]
The book Surviving A Disaster by Tony Nester has been on our recommended reading list for quite some time.
What this book has to separate it from all the other survival books out there, is how to develop a mindset of self-reliance.
Self-reliance is a guiding principle we took to heart when developing ITS Tactical. We strongly believe that without the proper mindset, all we attempt to teach here is potentially wasted.
Through preparation, learning and applying these skills with reinforcement, the proper mindset will be attained. This is what Nester drives home in Surviving A Disaster. [Read More…]
CBS Sunday Morning ran an excellent segment today titled “Knot So Simple.”
Correspondent Serena Altschul took a look at the International Guild of Knot Tyers in the United Kingdom, and interviewed Phoebe Ashley Shardon, the daughter of Clifford Ashley.
Ashley is the writer and illustrator of the Ashley Book of Knots (1944). The ABOK is still known as the bible of knot tying today, and is a must for anyone wanting to learn more about knot tying.
We highly encourage everyone interested to pick up a copy, it’s a fantastic reference book and it’s authority still rings true after 65 years.
Check out the video from today’s CBS Sunday Morning segment here.
Author and historian Stephen Pressfield has recently published a video blog called “War & Reality in Afghanistan.”
Pressfield makes a remarkable comparison between Alexander the Great’s Afghan campaign and our own war today, as well as offering unique insight into the underpinnings of this war on terror.
We’ve embedded the YouTube videos here so you can view all five episodes, but we’d encourage you to visit Pressfield’s blog as well.
He has continued to update his blog posts quite frequently and offers some very insightful information within each and every post.
Pressfield’s book, “Gates of Fire,” is something we all here at ITS Tactical feel should be required reading for anyone interested in any kind of military special programs. [Read More…]
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