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

“The essential thing “in heaven and earth” is…that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.” – Friedrich Nietzche, Beyond Good and Evil

In 1989, Wyoming-native Mark Jenkins set out with three Americans and four Russians to become the first to bicycle all the way across Siberia, starting at the Pacific port town of Vladivostok and ending 7,500 miles later in Leningrad. Battling mud, wind, injuries, and sub-zero temperatures, the 5-month journey took them through hundreds of villages, an 800-mile swamp, the Ural mountains, and a culture permanently hardened by the savage taskmaster of communism.

The trip planted the team in the Guinness Book of World Records, but what made it remarkable was not that it was long, but that it was hard – brutally, numbingly, painfully… hard.

The Hard Way

We don’t come across that word too often when discussing heroes or success. Everything we long for is easy and instant. Without a shortcut to the end we often conclude that the journey isn’t worth the time and effort. We want everything neatly packaged and ready for immediate consumption – our food, our friends, even our faith. Our lives have come to resemble those of tourists, wanting the experience, but not wanting to stay long enough to risk experiencing the realities that come with permanence and commitment. In fact, “hard” has become more of a scarlet letter rather than a badge of honor. Let’s face it, the idea of spending years busting your butt at the same job or pursuing the same goal has become downright antiquated, a fool’s game.

Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Carnegie are finding their stories of long persistence quickly displaced by those of the flash-in-the-pan celebrity tabloid genre. Teenage phenoms, reality “stars,” 20-something internet billionaires, and people for whom success and its spoils came swift and early are the new cultural heroes and idols. With each new fresh-faced superstar, the idea of success as a secret formula to be unlocked rather than something to be worked for is slowly cemented into our brains.

“He or she is naturally-gifted,” we proclaim, inwardly hoping that we too can find our own hidden talent or skill to make us famous, rich, or at least…noticed. The books and seminars that sell out most quickly are those that promise the easiest steps to a better life – the secrets that have been known for ages by the rich and famous, but somehow managed to escape your radar until this very moment.

This “easy” epidemic has reached every aspect of our culture from health to education to relationships. People don’t want to workout and eat healthy because it’s hard. No problem, according to the creators of 1,000 different diets promising a great body with little to no effort. As for expanding one’s knowledge, why waste time reading a whole book when you can get the gist from the Cliff Notes? And relationships? Well, working through marriages can be difficult, so “experts” have stepped in to hand you a Kleenex and pat your back as they tell you, “You deserve to be with someone who adores you for you, don’t feel bad about ending things and moving on to someone new who will better meet your needs.”

Avoiding What’s Hard

At some point it has become acceptable to avoid things because they’re hard. Success has become some sort of self-help scavenger hunt with all of us desperately wanting to find an easier way than just grinding it out, a magic solution to life’s equation waiting to be uncovered.We cut corners and call it “optimizing.” We take the path of least resistance and dress up our cowardice in the guise of efficiency. And in doing so, we’re killing ourselves, one life-hack at a time.

There’s nothing wrong with working smarter or making things more simple. There’s no reason to make something harder than it has to be. And I’m not suggesting we go back to plowing fields by hand or walking uphill both ways to work. The problem is that many of us have begun to think that if something is hard, it is automatically wrong and must be changed or substituted immediately. In the process we often fail to reach our real goals, substituting in ones that are more “realistic.” And more importantly, we rob our character of some much needed pruning. We’re missing out on a fundamental truth of manhood – doing things that are hard molds boys into men of strength and character.

In the recent blockbuster smash 300, audiences and critics were shell-shocked by the ripped and chiseled bodies of the actors and stuntmen involved. How did they get so jacked? Surely they were Hollywood-ized, right? Wrong, says Mark Twight, the man behind the regime that molded these actors and stunt men into Spartan warriors. Writing to the critics he responded curtly:

“It appears everyone has an opinion about ’300′ and how the actors and stunt crew achieved the level of fitness and consequentially, appearance for the movie. I have read that it was all CGI, make-up, steroids, etc. However, no one has come right out and said, ‘those guys worked really hard and had the self-discipline to control what they put into their mouths.’”

In short, these guys got their stuff handed to them 10-12 hours a day, five days a week for four months. It wasn’t pretty and they didn’t get the usual, “Way to go buddy!” or “‘Atta boy!” after each set. Instead they were called losers and mocked for being fat. Not the kind of positive, feel-good, self-congratulation you would find most life-coach gurus promoting. It was brutal, it wasn’t fun, but it worked. It was hard, hellishly hard. Lead actor Gerard Butler summed up the experience saying, “Pretty much anything Mark Twight offered up was so difficult in the kind of way where you wish you had never been born – and even more than that, wished he had never been born.”

Absolutely nothing replaces hard work. No shortcuts, no 5-steps to success, no secrets. This may come either as a blessing or a curse depending on how one looks at it. But, what makes the hard way so important for men is not just the end result, but the character built along the way.

Carpe Diem

It may sound cliche, but the journey we take often matters much more than the destination. How we live our lives each hour, each day determines the type of men we will be in ten years. Knowing this, we should construct our lives to embrace difficult challenges which will mold our character into one of discipline and perseverance. In doing hard things on a daily basis we’re constantly training ourselves so that on other days, in other situations, we can remain solid.

The hard way may be scoffed at as old-fashioned, but it produces integrity and strength far more meaningful and concrete than any gold star along the way. This method of living produces men who remain faithful to their wives and children, decade after decade. Men who refuse to sacrifice their integrity for short-term results or gain. Men who at the end of the day are fulfilled with the fruit of their labor. Men who finish a marathon rather than simply starting a million sprints.

If we can develop in ourselves a certain zeal for the hard things in life we will reap the benefits for years to come. Not only victories won along the way and character developed, but a fulfilled life at the end of the day. As legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once put it:

“But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

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.

Not only is Panteao Productions putting out some incredible instructional DVDs, but they’re producing them at an unbelievable rate! It almost seems like there’s a new one coming out each week with a different well known industry instructor.

What’s also unique about what Panteao brings to the table with their instructional DVDs, is that you can sign up for a monthly membership at $17.95 or a full year for $150 and stream anything and everything online without having to commit to purchasing each DVD.

Despite us having a few of Panteao’s DVDs here at the shop, I’m seriously considering signing up for the annual online subscription. When you take into account all the training you’re getting for $150, it sure makes it worth it compared to traveling to a class. Watching a DVD or online instruction is never going to replace hands-on training, but I know I’ve learned quite a few things from the DVDs I’ve watched.

Travis Haley

New to Panteao’s lineup is Adaptive Kalash (Kalashnikov or AK for those of you unfamiliar with the terminology) with Travis Haley. While I can’t wait to check the DVD out, as I’m not as proficient with an AK as I am with an AR, I’m a bit partial to the cover with Travis using one of our new ETA Trauma Kit Pouches!

I’m stoked that Travis has had so many good things to say about the pouch and that he produced a review through the Haley Strategic Knowledge Channel highlighting it!

Other Instructors

I’ve really enjoyed the DVDs I have by Bill Jeans, Bob Vogel, Paul Howe and Dean Caputo too. Dean is someone I learned a whole lot from on working with my AR when I attended an AR Operator Diagnostics course with him a few years ago. I know he’s a full-time LEO out of California and I’m not sure if he still travels around giving that course, but I’d highly recommend it if you get the chance to learn from him.

In addition to the 1911 Armorers Bench DVD we have, I noticed that Panteao also has an AR-15 Armorers Bench DVD with Dean. Kelly recently ordered the Jessie Abbate DVD and is looking forward to getting a look at that. She was excited to see a female shooter in the Panteao lineup.

Definitely check out Panteao Productions, which is run by Fernando Coelho, formerly of EOTAC. They’ve really brought something unique to this industry and a shift in how instructional videos can now be watched. I’m looking forward to seeing what else they have on the horizon.

Look for more on Panteao here on ITS in the future as we take a in-depth look at the training presented in a few of the DVDs!

I would argue yes, the order does matter. Something that’s been ingrained in me since my days in BUD/s is the order in which I dress.

As I was getting dressed this morning, putting my pants on first, I thought I’d write about why we were taught back in the day to dress in a certain order.

Pants, Socks, Boots

The reasoning is this; if you’re suddenly awoken in the middle of the night and have to move out, that muscle memory of putting your pants on first means that you’re somewhat protected from the elements if that’s all you have time to put on. Especially if you’re going commando.

Next is socks, which I feel don’t necessarily stand on their own. If you have to move out and you’ve got pants on socks on, yes there’s some protection on your feet, but it can be easier to move barefoot than it can be with socks in certain situations.

With boots being the last thing on the list, you’ve got enough to be able to run, move efficiently and evade if necessary. Of course the elements have a lot to do with this methodology, as keeping your core warm is more important than your legs.

David Guttenfelder / Associated Press

I’ve always been able to see the reasoning behind why we were taught this though and granted it had a lot to do with the time constraints we were under at BUD/s to get our gear on and move out to the next evolution. That’s not to discredit this information though and hopefully you can see the value in it too.

This doesn’t necessarily have to apply to a soldier either, which is why I still do this. If something awakens me in the middle of the night, I’ve always got a pair of pants next to me just in case. More than likely though I’d just grab my gun and negotiate the threat, but at least my pants are there if I need them.

I also wanted to bring up this information to get you thinking about situations that might come up while you’re sleeping. Apart from a break-in, there’s also fires to consider and whether your evacuation plan requires clothing. If it doesn’t, it should. Especially with the winter upon us, having to climb out of a window on short notice without clothing to protect you from the elements isn’t ideal.

Following this will also ensure you don’t stumble out of a bunker with pink boxers on like the soldier above, despite how awesome that is!

What do you think, does the order you dress in really matter?

One of the hardest things about the GORUCK Ascent for us has been figuring out how exactly to describe it. It was so much more than simply getting the opportunity to climb multiple 14,000 foot peaks and even more than a field test for the GORUCK GR2 pack.

Hand the GORUCK GR2 to an avid backpacker or mountaineer and they’ll most likely begin pointing out what makes their pack better. It’s lighter, it has a waist belt, it’s colorful… you get the idea. But we assure you, the GR2 was in no way a simple bag. It’s not only capable of summiting 14′ers, but getting you to and from every campsite and trail head in between.

Throughout this article you’ll be reading both of our (Bryan’s and Mike’s) experiences during the Ascent and our journey along the way.

The GORUCK Ascent wasn’t just an event that forged friendships, took us out of comfort zone and forced us to overcome adversity daily, but introduced us to parts of ourselves that we never knew existed. While the Ascent wasn’t billed as a GORUCK Challenge, what we came away with is truly what a “challenge” is all about. Personal growth.

GORUCK Ascent

 In the months leading up to the GORUCK Ascent we not only prepared physically, but with the help of some awesome vendors, we meticulously put together our packing lists. Everything we would need for the 100+ hours would have to come with us.

As you might remember in the articles linked above, we got very detailed with our lists and had our GR2s down to 28-31 lbs. A huge lesson learned is that you can do without more than you ever thought you could. That was a big take home lesson of the entire adventure; doing more with less.

This wasn’t only a lesson for the week, but something that can be applied to our busy, hectic and consumer driven lives. It’s how most of us are and we’re both as guilty as the next person.

Having never climbed a mountain of any significant altitude, being as prepared as possible was paramount. We did just about everything we could do short of taking prescription medicine. About two weeks prior to the start and every day during, we were taking Ginkgo Biloba as a way to lessen a chance of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

We were also the first two to show up three days before the Ascent and spent time hiking around the local land in Nederland, CO, which served as the Ascent HQ (8,228 ft. elevation) and climbing Saint Mary’s Glacier (12,136 ft. elevation) trying to do everything we could to acclimatize. We both continuously remarked how beautiful the small town of Nederland was and how clean the air was compared to the cities we had come from.

Our Journey

When we arrived at HQ on Monday, we were greeted by GORUCK’s CMO, Sarah, who said she was literally just reading our packing list article on ITS! We were able to get some time to chat with the Cadre and they let us know that the Ascent was not a Challenge in the typical sense.

“If you want to do bear crawls, that’s on you.”

We were told that the Ascent is more of a reunion than anything else. A way for members of the GORUCK Tough community to come together and do something great while relaxing and hanging out at the same time. Little did we know just what their definition of relaxing was!

Prior to the official kickoff of the Ascent on Wednesday evening, those that were there prepped the camp, dug a fire pit and searched for as much firewood as possible. This was important because once we started a fire, it had to be maintained and we were told that the next time we’d be in camp, we’d be exhausted and it wouldn’t be fun to look for firewood then. Boy were they right about that!

Wednesday was the official start of volunteer day, designed to get us working and aid in the acclimatization process. Those of us who had already arrived headed out to a local trail early that morning to help the U.S. Forest Service build up a newer trail to handle the rigors of mountain bike use.

We learned so much that day about trail building that we both take for granted when riding mountain bike trails, as building them was no easy task. Using Pulaski and McCloud tools we positioned rocks, graded and did work!

The remainder of the day, after returning from our volunteer project, was spent completing micro missions. One such mission near and dear to our hearts at ITS was untangling 1,000 feet of paracord that had come off the spool. Any of you out there that understand what a nightmare this is can surely empathize.

That evening was spent concentrating on the essentials (beer, food and fire) and kicking off the Ascent. After introductions of the Cadre and GORUCK staff, we received our warning order and intel for the next day. Dividing into two teams, we met with the Cadre and were given the coordinates of the peaks we were to attack.

Another little bit of intel they sprang on us was the ruck weight limit of 23 pounds. No one seemed to come there with a ruck that light, so we were all scrambling to shed any extra weight. If it wasn’t essential to survival, it wasn’t coming along. Simple as that. We even decided it was best to leave the Nemo Gogo LE tent and share the one man Nemo Meta 1P to save weight and bring more food.

Once we got everything dialed in and squared away, we tried to catch some z’s before our 0145 wake up. There was a bus coming to take us to our first objective and luckily the ride was around two and a half hours long so we all got a chance to rest some more.

Mt. Belford (14,197)

We rolled into the Collegiate Peaks trail head near Leadville, CO with darkness still obscuring the 14′er that awaited us in the distance. The first team departed a bit ahead of us to hit Mt. Missouri (14,067) as our team anxiously went through some stretching, led by Alex, one of the two Cadre that would be with our group.

Coming from damn near sea level, the two of us and what seemed to be most of the group, were dragging through the steep switchbacks that make up the first mile that cut through a forest of spruce and aspens. Our lead cadre Alex, who was appropriately nicknamed billy goat, set a quick pace and would systematically build in brief rest stops.

During these he would literally sprint from the front to the back of our 20+ group ensuring everyone was good to go. He could have ran up Mt. Belford and summited without appearing out of breath.

With the better part of a 4,660 ft. elevation gain ahead of us, we reached the trail junction in Missouri Gulch as the day was fully upon us. One of the Cadre, Rob, had arrived early to the Gulch and we were told that we could leave some extra weight with him if we wanted to, as he would be there at the aptly named “casualty collection point” to wait with anyone who had to descend. Sleeping bags and pads could stay behind but it was a good idea to keep a tent in case the weather got severe.

Staring up at the ominous switchbacks that awaited us on the northwest ridge of Mt. Belford was intimidating and looked to be too steep to climb, but as we continued to ascend that feeling went away and we chalked it up to the perspective we were seeing from below.

The weather that day was interesting to say the least and despite the sun shining brightly, we were alternating between our base layer shirts to full on hard shells with the hood pulled tightly to deal with the wind.

Bryan: As we continued our ascent with the false summit just in view from the flat spot where we turned left (13,900 ft.), AMS headache symptoms hit me hard. Despite taking Aspirin, they never subsided, only got worse. By the time we reached the summit I could feel my head pounding in my throat. I remember that I kept telling myself “if it gets any worse I’m turning around.” I’m not sure if I even could tell if it was getting worse, but I never turned back. Not even our descent eased up on the headaches. It wasn’t until we were back near the trail head that they started to subside.

Mike: Right as we were about to summit Mount Belford, maybe just 300 vertical feet shy, I started to get a headache. We were so close that I decided to push through, especially because it was just starting and wasn’t too bad. After our summit photos I took some Ibuprofen and hoped for the best. While planning our descent and some other missions it started to intensify. All I could focus on was getting down and I wasn’t much help to the rest of the team. I started to get very quiet and my steps were getting a little sloppy. All I wanted to do was get down and I felt as if I were taking forever. It was like walking down an escalator that was coming up. Once we hit the tree line I started to feel better and getting some freshly filtered water from a stream livened me up.

Mt. Belford Summit

Everyone has a point at which the effects of altitude hit them, not necessarily in AMS symptoms, but the point at which you start to walk slower and your pace is labored. Ours was somewhere around 13,900 ft., surprisingly when both of our AMS symptoms hit hard.

Despite the AMS, the summit was beautiful. There’s something about being past 14,000 ft. and looking down on the world. Everything seems to stand still as you marvel at God’s creation and realize just how small you are, surrounded by giants.

Bad weather rolls in most afternoons on 14′ers and a general rule is to start your descent by 1300. While reveling in our ascent accomplishment, Dan our 2nd Cadre and an active duty Green Beret, informed us that there were hidden caches that the cadre had planted along our descent and it would be to our advantage to obtain them using the provided GPS coordinates.

We were able to locate three caches as we descended what seemed to be double the distance we’d just covered ascending. We both had trekking poles, which proved to be tremendously valuable both on the ascent and especially the descent. Dr. G. Neureuther published a study in 1981 which proved that the use of “ski poles” while walking, reduced the pressure strain on the opposite leg by 20%.

As we reached the Missouri Gulch trail junction, we met back up with the advance team that had left that morning to hit Mt. Missouri and both teams collected their cached belongings and completed the descent. It was a tremendous accomplishment for both teams and a long 11 hour journey by the time we made it back to our base camp that we’d call home for the next two evenings.

Meanwhile… Back at the Hall of Justice

Hungry, our team was rewarded with a big bag of rice and two boxes of LRP Rations for the caches we found (Just like MRE’s, but with more calories). The other team didn’t locate any caches and were given nothing but a bag of rice to eat. No one had had any lunch and not much of a breakfast at this point either.

Everyone was extremely exhausted and tensions were high as we tried to figure out how to split up the meals. We already burned through most of our 1-2 pounds of ‘lickies and chewies’ on that first day climb and had to think of fuel for tomorrow. In the end, we decided that we were all one big team and we had to think of ourselves as a team no matter what. We shared the MRE’s and actually had extra which some ate for breakfast.

This was the second wrench that had been thrown at us, after the packing weight debacle the previous evening. This began our food deprivation and essentially being provided food only at dinner, which was at most an MRE split between two or more people. Those smart enough to have rationed their lickies and chewies had something to put in their stomachs throughout the day. We both rationed ours well and had some the entire four days away from HQ, even if it did only consist of Clif Bars split into eights or a few almonds as a time.

Talking to the lead Cadre, Brian, a former Green Beret and 18D (Medical), we were both officially diagnosed with Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) based on our symptoms on the mountain. Everyone acclimatizes differently and there’s no magic formula in which your fitness level gives you a leg up. It affects everyone differently no matter your body type and even if it hasn’t affected you previously, you’re not immune to it in the future. While good health isn’t a benefit to not getting AMS, bad health is certainly a risk factor.

We made the decision that evening to stay at base camp the next day while the teams flopped mountains and our team that hit Belford moved to Missouri and vice versa. After seeing two guys have to go home early, we didn’t want to miss out on this remainder of the event and stood by the unofficial motto of RMI Expeditions: “Safety is first; fun is second; success is third.”

After dinner we were wiped out and went to bed before 2200, but we were up at 0445 to tear down the camp as the summit teams left.

Field Craft: Shelter and Fire

Those that stayed behind learned various field craft skills from Dan, specifically shelters and fire building. We ended up building a fairly large shelter which even stood up to Dan’s test of dumping 5 gallons of water on it. We were all surprised at how the GORUCK Resort, “Shadow of the Pines,” held up.

The groups that summited came back with tales of electric charges and hail storms which oddly enough made us jealous that we missed out. It’s discouraging to know that we did everything we could to stave off altitude sickness, short of taking prescription medicine and getting to Colorado even earlier.

That night we discussed plans for the next two days. We were to move South the next day and establish a new base camp at North Fork that would serve as a staging area for a team to attack Mt. Harvard and Mt. Columbia in a single shot. They would be the first team to be transported, as they would have to leave in the early afternoon to ensure they had time to hike in to the base of Mt. Harvard to set up camp for an early morning summit.

A second team would also be leaving later in the afternoon to hike out and spend the night near the base of Mt. Yale, they too would hit an early morning summit. A third team, which Bryan was a part of, would leave at 0200 for a direct hike from base camp to summit Mt. Harvard.

New Base Camp

The following morning we packed up camp and while we awaited transportation to the next campsite, we were told that we all needed to make a spear, club or hatchet. We planned to bring them while we went off looking for wild game that night.

We both worked together to fashion a battle axe out of a long piece of fallen Aspen. By splitting the top of the branch, we inserted a carved blade section and tightly wrapped it with gutted paracord. It’s amazing what you can come up with given time and opportunity and the project renewed our confidence of being able to build field expedient weapons!

When we both arrived at our new base camp, the Harvard/Columbia team had already departed and the Yale team was busy getting their gear together to depart. Those attacking Harvard directly in the early, early morning had some down time to prepare the camp.

There was a beautiful flowing stream right near the camp that was fed by the melting snow from the mountains. It was extremely cold water and we quickly decided to build a dam to keep our keg and beers cold. We had a keg? Yep, BFF (beer, food and fire). A few of us also used the stream as an opportunity to join the polar bear club and rinse off.

We also realized that we had the possibility to catch some small fish and a few people quickly set to work building a fish net. While just hanging out by the stream exploring, Mike was able to catch a small seven inch brook trout with his bare hands. It took a good bit of scrambling for him to finally grab and hold onto it, but after gutting it and cooking over the fire, we all had a meager but nice snack.

Led by Lou, our cadre and active duty Green Beret, we took an evening hike following some game trails and learned how to set snares for everything from deer to beavers. We also collected a few cat tail roots to make a stew later. On the hike we even found evidence of a bear that marked his territory by clawing a tree. It was interesting to think of us traveling the same path of a bear because neither of us see those where we’re from.

Additionally on this hike, a fellow Ascenter managed to catch another fish. The ‘fisherwoman,’ Holly, then strung it up with some paracord and carried it around like a necklace until we returned to camp. As those that would leave early for Harvard the next morning prepared, we all had a great time watching Ranger TV (fire) and telling stories. Unfortunately for you, stories told on the mountain, stay on the mountain!

Mt. Harvard (14,427)

Bryan: The 0200 wake up call came quick and I’m always amazed at how quickly I can be up and ready when I’m away from the comforts of my bed. The air was cold and crisp as I got dressed, threw on my pack and walked to the fire pit to wait for the others.

Luckily I was able to get a fire going by blowing on the embers still left from our last night at base camp. The warmth was short lived and we departed just as the fire roared to life. We had no idea how far it truly was from our base camp to the summit, but afterwards I found out we put in about 18 miles and a 4,455 ft. elevation gain.

Despite the air being cold, we didn’t have the wind of the first summit to Mt. Belford and I was thankful for that. Our climb, while longer, seemed to go faster and follow a more gradual ascent; that is until the last 100 feet that you have to scramble up!

One of our Crew Leaders and active duty Marine, Ben, was with me on the climb up Mt. Harvard and it was awesome to be able to get a photo with him and I holding up the ITS Flag on the fourth tallest point in the contiguous United States! Mt. Whitney is the tallest at 14,505.

Descending was again a long adventure, but I got the opportunity to talk with GORUCK’s founder and former Green Beret, Jason, for the better part of it. He and I share very similar values in our companies and taking pride in American made craftsmanship.

Departing to HQ

As the teams all convened back at base camp, they were greeted by a delicious stew that the few who stayed behind had put together. They raided the cadre tents and liberated what they could to ensure we all had a fulfilling meal. Getting back on the bus for the three hour ride back to Ascent HQ was sad in a way. It was like summer camp was about to end.

With so many new relationships forged, we rotated between chatting, napping and staring out the window. As the bus pulled into HQ, we saw that a fire was going and GORUCK had a surprise waiting for us. Actually two surprises in the form of 45 lb pigs. We could have eaten them raw if given the chance we were so hungry. Once they were seared to perfection, we all just tore in. People were grabbing feet and ears, anything that would rip off easily. We looked like a bunch of savages, using knives to cut off huge chunks of flesh that would have made Al-Qaeda queasy!

Fat and happy, we hung around the fire recounting the past 100+ hours and were presented with our 2011 GORUCK Ascent patches. We earned it it… We did and did it well. There were also goodbyes to some people were leaving that night. In the morning we packed up and headed into town for some breakfast. We both had a hard time finishing our meals and attribute it to our stomachs shrinking a little. You’d be surprised how much your diet changes when you aren’t guaranteed food.

The Ascent was over but we were still ‘hungry.” Not for food but for more of the mountains. We both now have a new goal, to tackle every single 14′er in Colorado. There’s 54 of them and we’re addicted to say the least.

Words can’t describe the feeling of being on top of the world looking down and how worries seem to fade away. You truly feel one with nature and that you belong. It was invigorating to say the least. It’s another world on the mountains and we haven’t felt the same since. If feels like they’re calling us…

Lessons Learned

The primary take home from this whole adventure was the personal knowledge of knowing that what you think you can’t live without, you can. Lightweight backpacking, minimalism, whatever you decide to call it, it’s the mindset of doing more with less and one that’s hard to come up with on your own. The fact that we were forced, by a scale, to take 23 pounds in a pack that weighed roughly 5 lbs. empty was less than we would have ever taken if left to our own devices.

We also tried to game the GORUCK Ascent by thinking it wasn’t going to be a “challenge” like the GORUCK Challenges we’d both been through. It certainly wasn’t a test of our physical abilities, but of our mental capability. What you got out of it is what you put in.

Mike: You may think you know what’s going on but you rarely have the big picture. Just take your time and live from moment to moment. Yes, there needs to be planning but don’t get too attached to having regular meals or even sleep. Learn to be flexible. Many things seem impossible but it helps to break them down and focus on the little things. At around 12,000 feet, every single step, no matter how small, was a brand new personal record. Knowing that gave me strength.

Something I read in No Shortcuts to the Top really resonated with me:

The mountains are a beautiful arena in which to face challenges that aren’t too easy and success that doesn’t come too quickly. On top of that, you face the challenges with a few carefully chosen friends who have similar goals, aspirations, and work ethics. A great climb is a wonderful mixture of difficulty and intimacy. The challenge is both physical and mental. If your body is willing, your mind can push it to do amazing things.

Bryan: Something I’ve never had to deal with is a shortage of food, even throughout my time in the Navy I never experienced that. In Hell Week we were even given 2 MREs four times a day to ensure we had the energy to keep up with the physical demands of BUD/s and being awake for a week straight.

At first I was put off by the fact GORUCK didn’t have food for us, but quickly embraced it and used it as a learning experience. It was also challenging to push through the symptoms of AMS, but now I’ve been there, know what it’s like and what I can truly handle. I say it time and time again in a lot of what I write about here on ITS, but if you’re not putting yourself in situations where you’re overcoming adversity, how can you truly learn about yourself?

I’ve learned first hand throughout my life that the mind truly does control the body and that I’m capable of much more than I ever dreamed was possible.

Notes

We considered adding in how each piece of gear we took held up, as the GORUCK Ascent was also a test of some great gear provided by awesome sponsors, but we’ve decided to put that in a follow-up post that will be coming soon to ITS. We’re going to get detailed and thought it would be better to devote an entire article to the gear of the GORUCK Ascent. Stay tuned!

As mentioned, we couldn’t have done this without our sponsors and everyone who donated to the Green Beret Foundation through our FirstGiving pages. We each needed to raise $1k for the foundation and surpassed it with all the support we had! In the end we raised $4,888, more than doubling our original goal!

A huge thank you to Tactical Distributors, Arc’Teryx, Outdoor Research, Under Armor, NEMO, Jetboil, Smart Wool, Princeton Tec and Contour for getting us some great gear to evaluate on the Ascent!

We’d especially like to thank Jason, Brian, Lou, Dan, Alex, John, Jack, Rob, Polly, Sarah, Sophie and Java for an event we’ll never forget! Your friendship and camaraderie were what made this event all that it was!

Operational Security and speaking to the media on Spec Ops matters: Now there’s a high wire act I really can’t recommend.

I’ve been asked to appear on numerous news programs and television specials now pertaining to our Special Operations units and their accomplishments, especially the recent successes of our Navy SEALs. In most cases, due to a lifetime of secrecy and an appreciation for it, I flatly decline. I have, however, accepted on the few rare occasions when I felt there was something positive to contribute, or even to intervene and “stop the bleeding” as it pertains to our Operational Security (OPSEC).

My motivation for speaking out has most often come from seeing high-ranking military officers spilling highly-sensitive information as though it were no concern at all, which sends the media into a feeding frenzy for operational details. In these situations, I feel it’s important that SOMEBODY get on there who will ride the OPSEC brakes a bit and steer the press away from our operational specifics. So, in my case I spoke out when I thought it would help. Did it work? In one case, apparently it did work to some degree. Friends of mine noticed other news contributors quoting my recommendations in the press over the following few days.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

When our country enjoys a strategic success, I believe it is both healthy and good to acknowledge that accomplishment and celebrate the forward marker that particular success indicates. I also strongly believe we must NOT give away our operational playbook in that celebration. With those in the news media no longer necessarily looking out for our country’s best interest, it can no longer be assumed that they won’t air damaging information.

The words, “Loose lips sink ships” were once right on the tip of every American’s tongue. We had a sense of unity and team that have since been lost with the currently forcing of “multiculturalism” and other anti-American concepts upon our citizens via the powerful news and social media outlets. Gone are the flag-waving American Presidents who stand up as leaders and firmly ask legal immigrants to assimilate into our culture when they arrive. Instead, every criminal invader is seemingly rewarded with an arm-long list of benefits available to them, which are available to none of us should we invade their countries in like manner. Assimilation into the American culture is seemingly dead. It’s unbearable to see that we are increasingly becoming a directionless, multi-national gaggle, living under the protection of one nation’s finest Warriors.

Let’s face it, because we live in an open society with wide open borders, the internet and cable television; what we tell our citizens via the media, we tell our enemies. So, we should all be thinking about the security and safety of the men who are putting their lives on the line to accomplish these missions. Because I’ve been one of those Operators, I understand what it takes to get these missions done. There are only so many ways to skin a cat. The sooner we, as a country, give up any of our techniques to the public, the sooner our operational units lose the ability to use that technique again with the element of surprise they enjoyed when it had been successful. This giving away of the playbook is the most pressing and damaging error I’ve seen lately.

The Right to Know?

Our citizens have the right to know what our government is doing with our hard-earned tax dollars, EXCEPT when that knowledge would be beneficial to our enemies, or harmful to our troops. In these cases, such information should not only be protected by those of us from the operational community, but by our own media as well. ANYONE who lives in our country and is benefitting from our military’s protection has the duty and responsibility as an American citizen to protect the information that is sensitive to the welfare and success of our troops. Yes, even those in the media. How that simple truth got lost over the years, I’ll never understand or accept.

It’s a gamble to speak out, even if your intentions are rock solid and your focus is clear. The things you say can be manipulated or shown in a different light through numerous media manipulation techniques. I’m sure we’ve all seen examples. The safest course seems to be keeping quiet and criticizing those who act. Was speaking out the right call in my case? I’m honestly not entirely sure and probably never will be. There are no absolutes. There will always be those who sit back and do nothing, criticizing anyone who dares to take action. An older, wiser friend who’s been around the block a few more times than I has forewarned me there will always be the 10% who simply don’t like it that you’re on TV and they’re not, no matter what the circumstance may be.

Special Operations Spokesman

I find myself wishing the military had better representation for the media to interview on these issues. Why not put forward a spokesman for JSOC, or any other part of our military who have a rock solid handle on all the operational sensitivities, as well as an appreciation for the few points of a situation that could and SHOULD be shared with the public.

Without such a spokesman, I have tried on a few occasions to contribute what I could to get out the 2-pronged message I felt was important. If you’ve seen or heard any of my interviews, you’ve seen the following 2 points made:

1. Give only general atmospherics to help give the public an appreciation for our spec-ops troops and the dedication it takes to serve at that level.
2. Protect the Operational Specifics by steering the media’s questions away from that topic and sharing my concerns about the dangers of it.

Many of these prime interviews are LIVE and GLOBAL, so it’s not necessarily a relaxing venue to have a conversation of such importance. The news anchor has an earpiece with editors and advisors walking them through the talking points and the agenda they want out of the interview.

You, however, do not. If you look at your notes, you’ll look like a moron. You have no monitor, so you have no idea whether or not the audience can see you, or how you appear from moment to moment. You will have a delay to deal with from an interviewing anchor in another location whom you cannot see. The questions are rapid and known to the anchor, but not to you. You must think on your feet in front of everyone you’ve ever met, along with a few million of their best friends across the globe. NOT a forgiving environment. Still, if you speak with conviction, you can make your point. You may have to boldly change the subject to do so, but it can be done.

All in all it’s a chore best left to the experts, but they seem to be missing in action. I definitely can’t recommend speaking to the press on any occasion surrounding special operations. If you do, you should be in a position like my friend, Colonel Anthony Shaffer, who has his finger directly on the pulse of what’s going on at multiple levels and can cover numerous angles of any story.

Personal Experience

For me personally, after what Geraldo Rivera pulled when he took a snippet from an interview I gave with Greta Van Susteren’s Fox news show, On the Record, and plugged that snippet into his show where he was trying to map out the entire Bin Laden raid, I’m all done. For me, that manipulation on Geraldo’s part was a serious betrayal and reversed the appearance of everything I had been trying to accomplish. Only those who know me personally or saw the previous show with Greta in its entirety would understand where I was coming from. That’s the first time Fox has burned me like that.

So, I feel it’s important to share this type of info in case it can be of assistance to anyone else who needs to travel that road. As for me, I think I’ll continue to decline interviews on those subjects. It’s just not worth the effort.

Rage on! ~SAW

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: We’d like to thank Craig for coming forward with this article in light of the recent tragedy in Afghanistan and the Bin Laden operation. For more information on former Navy SEAL and DEVGRU Operator Craig Sawyer, please visit his Website Tactical Insider.com

Being killed by your own firearm is not the way any of us wants to go. Unfortunately, many law enforcement officers have been disarmed and subsequently killed with their own gun. Some citizens have also met this unfortunate end. There are three things that can help prevent being disarmed by an assailant: awareness, retention holsters and weapon retention training.

While this article will focus on the carrying of handguns, excellent retention techniques exist for the long gun as well. In many ways, retention of a shotgun or rifle is easier than that of a handgun.

Awareness

The first, and perhaps best, counter to a gun grab is your awareness of the situation. You have to be aware of how your weapons are exposed to the enemy and what pre-attack signals your potential assailant may be exhibiting.

Weapon Exposure

For a law enforcement or security officer, you must be wary of turning your holstered firearm toward the subject you are investigating. The same holds true for any citizen exercising their right to open carry. Turning the gun side of your body toward a potential assailant is an invitation you do not want to send.

If you are standing directly in front of a potential attacker, you can turn your body about 45°, rotating your weapon-side away from the danger. This will make it harder for the subject to try to grab your gun quickly, but still allow you to face the threat.

Observe Distance

A suspect may try to take your firearm while it is in your hands, not in the holster. When pointing a firearm at a suspect, you want to be very careful in approaching him or her.

One advantage of a firearm is the operator’s ability to place distance between him and the assailant that would not be possible with a knife or baton. Once you close to the distance, the assailant may knock the firearm off target and move to an inside position where you are vulnerable, or the suspect may be able to take control of the gun.

I suggest not closing with the subject unless circumstances demand you to do so. For example, a police officer will have to approach a subject to handcuff him. An armed citizen who is holding an intruder at gun point should avoid approaching the subject.

If you do have to approach, make sure you have cover officers on scene to immediately deliver deadly force if required. An armed citizen is less likely to have such assistance, but a team approach by trained family members is possible.

Pre-Attack Signals

Another aspect of awareness is reading the suspect’s intentions. Oftentimes, an assailant will telegraph his intentions to attack you or to try to disarm you prior to the actual attack.

Pay attention to the suspect and look for behaviors such as:

• Staring at your firearm,
• Repeated glancing towards your firearm,
• Movements to close the distance between you and him,
• Movements to the side of your firearm,
• Odd or inappropriate questions about your firearm,
• Or other body signals that suggest imminent fight or flight (shuffling feet, shoulder shifts, clenching fists, etc.).

If you see a suspect exhibiting these signs, address them as an imminent threat using whichever options are reasonable at that time. Having someone staring at your gun while they are clearly calculating the odds of success is a little unnerving the first time you experience it. How you react can determine the outcome of the encounter before the suspect’s move is ever made.

Retention Holsters

Retention holsters are an excellent tool to help retain control of your firearm in a gun grab. A retention holster does not replace awareness and retention training, but, like a bullet resistant vest, a retention holster may give you the second chance you need to prevail. More than one police officer is alive today because a gun grab was defeated by a retention holster.

By use of levers, hidden snaps, buttons and directional drawing, duty retention holsters can slow or even prevent an assailant from taking your gun. If you are in uniform, I strongly recommend carrying your duty gun in a retention holster.

One of the best retention holsters on the market is also one of the pioneers in this category of gun leather: the Safariland 070 SS-III. The 070 was a Bill Rogers design that Safariland has been selling for about 30 years. I’ve spent a lot of hours carrying guns in this holster, and I give it a wholehearted recommendation.

For citizens exercising open carry, I also suggest a retention holster. A single snap on the top of the holster is easy to defeat, but better than nothing. There are retention holsters on the market for both open and concealed carry, including products from Bianchi, Safariland, 5.11 and BLACKHAWK!

Retention holsters require additional training for unconscious competency. In other words, you need to spend time learning the holster so you can draw smoothly under pressure.

Retention Training

If someone grabs your gun, do you know what to do? Learning techniques to defeat a gun grab can literally be a lifesaver.

Jim Lindell pioneered training in gun retention techniques back in the 1970’s when he was working for the Kansas City Regional Police Academy. Those techniques have been the basis for many retention training programs in the US.

The concept behind most retention training is leverage, not brute force. A small framed officer or armed citizen can easily be overpowered when matching force to force. Leverage, however, allows a small person to move a mountain.

I strongly recommend seeking out gun retention training. An article like this is wholly inadequate to teach the techniques. After you receive the basic training, it is up to you to practice it and make it natural and instinctive.

Don’t forget that an assailant trying to take your gun away is a deadly force situation. Respond appropriately. The use of a back-up gun, knife or crushing blow to the windpipe may all be justifiable in a lethal force encounter.

Conclusion

If you have a firearm for self-defense or you carry one on the job, you owe it to yourself to practice good gun retention. Be alert of your surrounds and who you are dealing with. Get good training and practice it. If you carry an exposed firearm, seriously consider a quality retention holster.

Dying sucks. Giving your gun to the dirtbag who kills you is even worse. Stay safe!

Richard is a Police Officer with a mid-sized department in the Tampa Bay area and also publishes the police training site, BlueSheepdog.com

Two Louisiana police officers were called murderers after they killed a young, unarmed man one night by repeatedly shooting him in the back.  The officers claimed the man was armed, but no gun was ever found.

In the aftermath, the police chief was fired, the officers were dragged through the legal system and the community lost faith in the police force.

What went wrong?

Mistake-Of-Fact Shootings

A mistake-of-fact shooting can be described as a shooting where the officer reasonably, but inaccurately, believed the suspect was armed and posed an imminent threat.

In recent years, police departments have started putting more training emphasis on shooting in low light situations. Not nearly enough training is being done, but at least it is a move in the right direction.

However, very little training has ever been provided to police officers on how to identify threats in low light conditions. The prevailing thought is “you’ll know it when you see it.” But what if we can’t see it?

If it was so simple as knowing it when you see it, then why do we have so many mistake-of-fact shootings? Consider this:

• The ACLU has previously reported that about 25% of all police shootings were of unarmed people.
• A study of Los Angeles County officer involved shootings (OIS) from 1998 − 2002 showed that 18% were likely mistake-of-fact shootings. About 75% of these were in low light situations.
• Career law enforcement officer and researcher Tom Aveni studied OIS statistics from departments around the United States and found that mistake-of-fact shootings ranged from 18%-33%

The Eye and the Dark

The human eye is an amazing thing. It has two different sensors that convert light energy into images we use to see. Cones help us to see in well lit areas and rods help us to see during diminished light conditions, yet rods and cones are good at different things.

Cones work best with straight ahead vision, which is typically where we are focused. Cones help us to see detail and color while also providing depth perception and are located in the center of the eye.

Rods are very good for spotting movement, but are not good at all at detail and color. Rods are located around the periphery of the eye.

In bright light (photopic vision), the eye uses the cones. In darkness (scotpic vision), the eye uses the rods. In reduced lighting, or twilight conditions (mesopic vision), the eye uses some combination of cones and rods. The darker it gets, the more rods (and fewer cones) are used.

So, as light diminishes, the eye loses the ability to distinguish detail and color. This means it becomes a lot harder to identify a weapon. Unfortunately, that’s not all the bad news.

Body Alarm Response

Body alarm response (BAR) is a mode the human body goes into when it perceives a threat. The greater the threat, the higher the BAR. The BAR is sometimes called the “fight or flight” response too.

Among the many different changes in bodily function, the BAR causes the eye to focus at longer distance threats. This means that the eye is forced to focus light in the center portions of the eye where the cones are located. In low light conditions, that takes light away from the rods, further degrading night vision.

Age & Other Factors

The older you get, the harder it is to see at night. Each person is different, but on average, a person needs twice as much light for every 13 years of age. So, a 39 year old officer needs twice as much light as a 26 year old suspect to see in the dark. The same officer needs four times as much light as a 13 year old teen. Other factors, like smoking and poor nutrition, also degrade night vision.

If you start combining these factors together, vision goes downhill very rapidly for some officers. Consider the middle-aged officer working midnights, maybe he’s not exercising and eating like he should. He responds to a hot call and encounters a felony suspect in a partially lit parking lot. What are the odds this officer will be able to properly identify what is, and what is not a threat?

Treat Identification Study

Paul Michel, an optometrist and reserve police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, conducted a study on perception in low light. He took a group of police cadets with good vision and had them attempt to identify four objects in varying light conditions. The results were startling.

The recruits were not under stress, were relatively young, were all checked for good vision and were given a full second to make a determination on if an object was a threat. At the level of light equal to four times the light shed by a full moon, the cadets misidentified the object about 92% of the time. At 25 times the light cast by a full moon, these same cadets misidentified the the object about 69% of the time.

Think about how many times we navigate by moonlight, checking buildings or backyards. At 25 times that light level, young cadets who are not under any pressure are misidentifying threats more than two-thirds of the time.

How To Improve Threat Identification

There are relatively few ways to improve threat identification in low light. The most obvious is to bring more light to the party.

The use of flashlights, spotlights and headlights all help raise our ability to see and identify threats. This has to be balanced against the possibility that the light gives away our position or backlights one or more officers.

Interestingly, there are few confirmed reports of officers being shot because they were using a flashlight. That isn’t to say that it doesn’t happen; there just isn’t a lot of documentation to support the concern.

Since we know that BAR has a negative impact on our ability to see in the dark, stress inoculation would be a way to limit how severe the alarm response is, and therefore how much of an affect it will have on our vision.

Lastly, we must maintain healthy habits to prevent the negative impact of poor condition, nutrient deficiencies and tobacco use.

Aftermath

I started this article talking about an incident where an unarmed man was shot in the back by officers. The incident was real.

In March of 2003, Shreveport (LA) officers attempted a night time traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Marquis Hudspeth, which led officers on a five-mile pursuit. Just before the pursuit was terminated, Hudspeth pulled into the parking lot of a Circle K connivence store.

Hudspeth exited his vehicle, assumed a two-handed firing position and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at one of the officers who fired several ineffective shots. Two officers followed behind Hudspeth who began walking away.

Hudspeth again turned around pointing the gun at one of the officers before quickly turning his back to the officers again. This time, the officers began shooting until Hudspeth went down. Hudspeth was DOA, the “gun” he was pointing at officers was actually a cellphone.

The officers did the right thing. In similar circumstances, I would hope that all officers would make the same decision. However, the case is a perfect example of a mistake-of-fact shooting. Ultimately, the shooting was ruled reasonable by the department, local prosecutors and a federal court.

The Shreveport case is not isolated. Officers from my own agency recently shot and killed a robbery suspect who was unarmed, believing he held a pistol. The shooting happened at night, with little ambient light in a residential neighborhood. The pistol turned out to be a wallet.

Coupled with his threats to dispatchers to shoot responding officers and the way he pointed the wallet, the officers reasonably believed he was armed and posed an imminent threat to their lives. This too is a completely reasonable, but mistake-of-fact shooting.

The best we can all do is keep healthy and use light to our advantage.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming Richard Johnson as a contributor on ITS Tactical. Richard is a Police Officer with a mid-sized department in the Tampa Bay area. Richard also publishes the police training site, BlueSheepdog.com

Earlier this year we noticed a more pronounced female audience for all things tactical. As we’ve looked deeper into what’s out there for ITS gals, we’ve been pleasantly surprised. Not only are more women becoming hunting and outdoor sporting enthusiasts, but more women are interested in protecting themselves with a firearm.

As I’ve been looking for content to contribute to ITS I’ve found that one of the recurring questions in my mind is “what can I do to become better prepared for handling myself in a defensive situation?” More specifically, “could I help protect my family if we were the victims of a home invasion, or could I assist with stopping a criminal if I witnessed a crime being committed?” My answer so far is simply “I don’t know…”

Acknowledging the Need

Even if there aren’t many women who are asking themselves those exact questions, I’m willing to guess that one thought I have in common with all of the women who follow ITS, is that if someone attempts to attack my family they’re gonna see a momma bear in action. That also leads me to wonder how best I can protect myself and my family and how quickly can I stop the offender. Again, I have to acknowledge that I just don’t know how I’d react to best assist in any situation.

This is an area where I need training and I can’t get it from my husband no matter how much training he has or how willing to help me he is. There is an intimidation factor when he helps me with my shooting and self-defense skills. I know it’s self-induced because he’s been nothing but a great coach to me, but it’s there all the same. Maybe it’s because I know I can let my guard down with him, which makes me vulnerable. I feel like for this level of training I can’t be vulnerable.

Women’s Tactical Association

I’m excited to share with you what I’ve learned about a group of women in law enforcement who are helping to educate other women on how to think tactically and with defensive skills in mind; Women’s Tactical Association.

The primary mission of WTA is to promote and encourage training and education among female law enforcement in an effort to enhance and refine skills in the areas of firearms, combat mindset, tactics and fitness. If you’re not a member of law enforcement don’t be discouraged.

Because of the tremendous response that WTA has received from civilian women and due to the recent changes in gun laws in Illinios, they are expanding training opportunities to women outside of law enforcement.

Women’s Tactical Association is a non-profit organization located in Chicago, Illinios and offers training in several different areas; Hand to Hand Combatives, Basic Shooting Skills, Technical Entry skills such as lock picking and mechanical breaching and Introduction to the AR-15/M-16 Rifle. Business plans for 2012 include expanding their available training programs to other states including Texas, I’m happy to report!

In Their Words

I had the pleasure of speaking with WTA President and founder Karen Bartuch and Instructor and Board Member Kim Heath about the organization. Karen is currently a full-time law enforcement officer for the Chicago police department and began developing WTA in June of 2010 after realizing more women in Law Enforcement were interested in women’s training for active shooter situations other than what was being offered by her department. “Getting more women involved in SWAT training has been a hurdle, but specialized shooting and entry skills are needed,” Karen noted.

She also mentioned that “women should know the law well, in order to be better prepared; know when to shoot and feel confident with the use of force.” Kim is also a full-time Law Enforcement Officer in the Chicago area and described WTA’s training program as having well respected and highly trained instructors for all of the classes they offer. “This isn’t touchy feely, pink and fluffy just-for-women training; this is the same training as for men, but in a relaxed and fun atmosphere just for women. You don’t have to be G.I. Jane though, we have trainers who can teach women who aren’t so aggressive.”

“It’s my job to get them [women] up to the same level and get on the same page,” Karen described as we were talking about the basic level shooting classes she offers. “They have different approaches for different skill-sets and we’re willing to work in smaller segments if necessary.” She sees women gain confidence with each training course and both Karen and Kim noted that there are “no egos” in their training. They, along with other instructors, are committed to providing the best possible training to women. They’re taking what they’ve learned from their own law enforcement experience and training and also from men experienced in combat to provide the resources women need for self-defense and confident service to their teams and families.

Member Testing Program

Another valuable part of the organization is their Member Testing Program headed up by Kim Heath. Kim described how the clothing and gear they’ve been wearing for years has historically been designed for men. “Things could work better if they’re designed specifically for women; our bodies are different.”

Kim is working with various companies in the tactical industry to test and review garments and equipment that’s being tailored with women’s bodies in mind. WTA is committed to providing the best group of field testers possible for the companies they work with in order to provide solid feedback that will help develop the best possible products for women in the field.

You can find out more about Women’s Tactical Association by joining their Website at no cost or look them up on Facebook. After registering for their site you can access their calendar of classes in the Chicago area, interact with members on the blog and keep track of when WTA will be coming to a state near you. Paid memberships are also available to law enforcement and civilians to help support WTA, with discounts offered on classes and from participating vendors as well as networking opportunities.

With the knowledge of training that’s available from Women’s Tactical Association and other organizations throughout the United States, I’m challenging myself and other women to become better prepared for whatever life might throw at us. Whether we like it or not, we may have to take the lead and defend our lives, our homes and our family at some point in the future. Personally, I need to know I’m ready.

As the ladies of Women’s Tactical Association say, “We Are Training. Are You?”

If you’ve been following ITS Tactical for any amount of time you can tell that we are big advocates of being prepared. For some reason though, it takes a massive disaster, natural or otherwise, for people to be shaken into even just thinking about being prepared let alone actually taking the steps.

Much of the Pacific is being rocked by this most recent earthquake/tsunami and Japan is getting the brunt of it. The death toll continues to rise and this is no laughing matter. Now is the time to be prepared. Actually, yesterday was the time to be prepared.

We really want to just get this message out there so it’s not going to be full of any new content but we urge you to take action. If you don’t have an emergency kit and plan in place, begin doing that now. If you already have some sort of plan, review it and check your gear to make sure everything is in working order.

Here are some past articles that you should really take the time to revisit:

• Preparedness Lifestyle vs Preparedness Event
• Every Day Carry Planning Series
• How Blow Out Kits Saved Lives in Tucson and Why You Should Carry One
• Three Seconds. Three Minutes. 30 Minutes. Are You Prepared?
• 12 Things You Need In Your Vehicle Emergency Kit
• Pocket Survival Kit Review Series
• Evacuation Strategies and Emergency Kits for Staying Alive
• Can You Physically Save Yourself
• 42 Grunt Tips & Tactics for Your Toolbox when the SHTF

Also, I was reading an article on Japan’s cell phone service. It looks like their voice network is down but the data is still flowing (for now) so you should be able to use Skype, Fring, Twitter, Facebook, etc to reach loved ones. Take some time to think what you would do without cell or Internet service? Yeah, it’s pretty scary.

Please feel free to leave a comment with ideas on how to prepare so we can help inform as many people as possible about this. What’s in your ‘go bag’ or what do you carry every day in case something like this happens?

We’ve all heard that the first rule of a gun fight is to have a gun, but what about the first rule of living? I propose that the first rule of life is “Have the right mindset.”

An important part of mindset is situation awareness, or the way it was always told to me growing up, pay attention. Being aware of our surroundings can do many things for us. It can help us notice our buddy as he trips on something allowing us a quick chuckle. It can help us notice a big smile on a kid’s face, brightening up our world a little bit.

Situational awareness can also help us notice the gun barrel pointed at us. Or, if you are not situationally aware it might not, which is exactly what happened to me…

Lack of Situational Awareness

I’d been carrying concealed pretty much every day for about a year, but would occasionally not put my gun on, rationalizing to myself that it would be OK because I was just going down the street or would only be gone 15 minutes. Well, one Saturday my wife and daughter were going to birthday party and I had a couple of hours to myself. Like most of you reading this I figured I would head to the range.

I loaded up some guns, ammo, and other junk to take to the range and climbed in the car. Sitting in the parking lot I realized my carry gun was still upstairs in my small safe on the nightstand where I leave it at night. I thought about getting out of the car and going to get but just figured “hey, I’m just going to the range, I’ve been to this range dozens of times and nothing bad has ever happened before, it’s going to be fine.”

What I didn’t think about was that this is an unsupervised outdoor range that my buddies and I had always talked about being dangerous. The trash cans that are 10 feet behind the firing line are riddled with bullet holes. But hey, this was where I went to relax, my proverbial happy place where I could go and just focus and my front sight and forget about all the worries from the rest of the week. I got complacent.

At this point let me say that no one can stay in condition yellow all the time. Your mind needs some down time, some time in condition white to keep it from burning out.  This was something I wasn’t doing at home where I should have been occasionally letting my guard down and relaxing. I was constantly thinking about this, or worrying about that; instead of taking that much needed time to relax and re-focus. Turns out I was doing my relaxing and re-focusing at the range.

When arriving at the range I would look around and make sure there weren’t too many people or anyone that gave me a bad vibe, basically assessing the situation. I paid attention, but once I got setup and started shooting I would just go into a strange kind of front site induced zen. It was just me, the gun and the target; nothing else on the planet mattered. Of course I didn’t figure out all of this until after having plenty of time to think about it after getting shot.

Getting Shot

I had walked over to ask the only other guy shooting on the handgun range if we could go cold so I could setup some targets. He told me that it was no problem, just let him finish the magazine he had in. It seemed like such a simple request at the time. I leaned on the shooting bench in the next lane over waiting for him to finish so I could head downrange. I was looking over at the cars at the rifle range to see if I recognized any of my buddies cars, when I heard a gunshot.

Not a strange sound to hear on a gun range, right? At first I didn’t think anything of it, except it felt like someone stepped on my foot. When I looked down all I remember is seeing a hole in my shoe and thinking “that’s odd, how did I get a hole in the top of my shoe like that?”  I had just been shot, but was in a complete stage of denial and shock. I was so far into condition white that my body couldn’t explain to my brain that I had been shot, at a range that I had previously joked about being dangerous. Our minds can’t go straight from condition white to condition red. It’s like a row of gates and you can’t jump all the way to the end, you have to go through them in sequence.

By the time my brain finally understood and accepted what happened the shooter was gone. In the minute or so I was standing there looking at my foot the guy jumped in his truck and ran. An hour later when talking to the trooper I could only give a basic description because I hadn’t been paying attention. As I’ve heard it said on a certain gun forum, I had the situation awareness of an f’ing rock. And what did I have to show for it? A .22 caliber hole through my foot, a ruined pair of sneakers and an important lesson learned the hard way.

Follow Up

Now it’s over six months later. I’m healed up for the most part, even though the doc still wants to cut me open and put some pins in my foot. I walk fine and can run for about 3 miles before it starts to hurt enough to tell me I should stop. I went through a demeaning two month investigation to be sure the wound wasn’t self inflicted which left me feeling very bitter about life for a while. Nothing like being a victim and treated like suspect, but the worst is over now. Could I not walk for a while, yes.  Was the pain annoying as hell, yeah. Did I get a little depressed about being stuck inside and being investigated, yup. Life goes on though and time is an amazing healer.

So why did I spend the time to mention not bringing my carry gun at the beginning of this article? Because what happened was only one of a million bad things that could have happened. I’m sure some of you have heard news stories about bad folks showing up at a range to steal someones guns. Heck, I could have been robbed, carjacked, attack by a wild animal, or the Chinese could have invaded! The point is that I’d made my self unprepared to deal with those potential problems. We have to have the right mindset and we have to realize that bad things can happen anywhere at anytime. I’m not saying we should live in fear, far from it.  But we should take an honest look at our lives and what situations we find ourselves in, and the ones we could find ourselves in.

So from you to me, please pay attention to your life and carry your damn gun. Not just to avoid danger but also to encounter some joy. Maybe it will be as simple as spotting a five dollar bill on the sidewalk or noticing your cell phone is still in your pocket as you throw your pants on the laundry. But maybe, just maybe… it could save your life. I leave you with this quote from George Steinback:

“The final weapon is the brain, all else is supplemental”