What really happened at UC Davis - Don't second guess a tactical situation

Just goes to show you cannot judge a tactical situation from an armchair. UC Davis Police Chief should be ashamed of herself for crucifying her officers, and these protesters were completely in the wrong. Threatening police? Demanding they release detainees? Trapping them and refusing to let them leave? This is also about 20 cops surrounded and threatened by hundreds of protesters. These kids are lucky all they got was pepper spray in their face. That is the least brutal way for these officers to have pushed through and done their job. Give a cop an ultimatum and see what happens. In America, you go to jail (unless you're at UC Davis, where you just get sprayed and start crying.) Anywhere else in the world, you'd likely end up dead.

Occupy This

After watching the Occupy LA encampment being broken up the other night, I still don't completely understand whats going on here, and I'm not sure if any of them do either. Do I think corruption is bad? Of course I do! Corruption and manipulation fly in the face of every facet of capitalism and business. Do I think that the top 1% of America's wealth are responsible for this? Do I think they got to that point through corruption? Certainly not! It is a sad day indeed when someone can be villified for being successful, and threatened with violence or outright theft if they do not entirely support those who have contributed nothing to society. The protesters themselves seem to be falling back on what is at best faulty logic, and at worst a dangerous ignorance and misguided fervor for what would be the downfall of society.

I got this from one of my military buddies, and completely understand the sentiment. We had a mission, we knew what we were doing, and we acomplished our objectives. Also, I didn't even shit in the streets when I was in Baghdad. These kids are doing it in NYC and LA.

3 Button Suits... Seriously?

I know some of my readers out there might get a bit confused by the diversity of my posts - I don't exactly have a niche, it's mainly just my opinions and what is on my mind currently. A lot of the time this is politics (which are becoming more and more frustrating) Veteran's affairs, Finance and Business, Shooting and Tactical issues, etc. Today, it is fashion - well, as fashionable as men can be anyway.

A suit is a fairly simple garment. There really isn't much to it, but let me assure you, there are an infinite number of ways to fuck up the wearing of it. The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting colder - even in Southern California, and suits, jackets and sport coats are becoming more and more prevelant (for those who did not man up and endure all summer anyway, or invest in something in linen or cotton) Lately, something that has been iritating my sartorial sensabilities is the three button suit, and what is worse, not knowing how to wear it.

Three button suits were popular in the late 90's and early in the 2000's, but they have fallen out of favor with a lot of the sleeker, minimalist styles of today. Some people can still pull them off, especially if they have been tailored and are worn well, but most of the time, the wearer will look like an extra on "Friends." Honestly think about any three button suits you have in your closet. Did you buy them in the last year? In the last five years? I didn't think so, and if you did, they probably came second hand, didn't they? Styles wax and wane like the seasons, so don't fret too much about it. maybe in a few years they will come back. I wouldn't try to wear them with jeans as a sport coat, or as a blazer with khakis... the look just isn't there, and instead of looking vintage or classic (like say, a double breasted number, or a trench coat from the 60's.... which I wish I had by the way) you'll just look like you don't know how to dress.

The wearing of a three button suit is altogether forgivable though. Suits are expensive, and many times people in a particular line or work, or who are in transition, may be using one they haven't worn in years (I have seen many job hunting veterans guilty of this - and many are too proud to accept a suggestion) What is worse though, is not knowing how to wear it. NEVER button all the buttons in ANY suit. I have seen people wearing them like this, and it is an immediate indication that they don't know what they are doing. This is an ignorance that is easily remedied if one would take the time to learn. With a three button suit, if you MUST wear it, only button the top two buttons, not all three. I have seen lots of variations on this (like only buttoning the middle or top button, which also looks ridiculous) but always keep the bottom button open. Also, three button suits cannot be worn completely open like a lot of their two button counterparts. The three button hems don't fall right. An education like this is free, and not taking it upon oneself to learn shows laziness. If you wear a suit for a living, know how to wear it right.

Interesting article that discusses a side of the war, and our military, that not many ever stop to consider. The reserves and the national guard are a vital part of the US Military, and the ideal of the Citizen Soldier has a long history in our country. Reservists and Guardsmen are also counted among the Warrior Caste that has received so much attention lately, and are often overlooked - being the quiet professionals that they are. I am not saying that the drawdown is a bad thing, but after 10 years of war, the country needs to remember that being home is not always as safe as many think it is.

War drawdowns wreak havoc on Guard soldiers' lives

By LOLITA C. BALDOR | AP – 3 hrs ago

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months ago, Demetries Luckett left his job in Michigan, turned in his cable box, sent his daughter to live with her mother, and headed for Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

As a 1st lieutenant in Michigan's National Guard, he was being deployed to Afghanistan.

But just a month after he arrived for training, the Army decided Uncle Sam didn't need him after all.

Now Luckett's unemployed and back home in Harper Woods, Mich. — a victim of the Obama administration's ongoing effort to pull at least 33,000 U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by next fall.

Unlike active-duty soldiers who are stationed at U.S. military bases across the country and can be sent on a moment's notice to a conflict anywhere in the world — the nation's citizen soldiers have civilian jobs and lives they have to set aside when they get those deployment notices.

And unlike active-duty soldiers, Guard members may have little to go back to, if their country changes its mind.

Luckett is not alone.

In the last 60 days, as many as 8,900 Army National Guard soldiers were either sent home early from Iraq or Afghanistan, or were told that the Pentagon's plans to send them to war had either been shelved or changed. As a result, U.S. military and Guard leaders have been scrambling to find alternative missions for many of the soldiers — particularly those who had put their lives and jobs on hold and were depending on the deployment for their livelihood.

"If you're a 25-year-old infantryman, and you're a student at Ohio State University, and you decide not to register for school in July because you were going to mobilize, and we say your services aren't needed anymore — that becomes a significantly emotional event in that person's life," said Col. Ted Hildreth, chief of mobilization and readiness for the Army National Guard.

Guard members scheduled for deployment, he said, often quit or take extended leaves from their jobs, put college on hold, end or break their apartment leases, sell or rent their houses, and turn their medical or legal practices over to someone else. And in some cases, in this flagging economy, Guard members who may be unemployed or underemployed are relying on the year-long paycheck, which can include extra money for combat pay or tax-free benefits.

"These are commitments and contracts that have been signed, and so when these changes happen, they are not insignificant," he said. "So we work with the unit, the country team and the joint force headquarters to define who are no-kidding hardships and who we had to work to find other employments opportunities to fulfill the 400-day mobilization commitment that we made to that soldier."

In the coming weeks, as America works to extricate itself from two wars, the U.S. will pull the remaining 18,000 troops out of Iraq, and withdraw 10,000 forces from Afghanistan. Another 23,000 or more will come out of Afghanistan by next fall.

And while the political ramifications of the war drawdowns are hotly debated topics, there is often little said or known about the cascading effects such decisions have on the lives, jobs and schooling of the National Guard and Reserve troops.

Guard units are notified of their deployments as much as two years in advance, so they make long-term plans to meet the year-long military commitment.

But to meet the often-changing withdrawal timetables for Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon has had to abruptly shuffle units, and even individual soldiers, around. The major moves include shifting forces from Iraq to new missions in Kuwait or to Afghanistan.

During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military tries to do all it can to avoid changing deployment orders given to National Guard units once they are notified.

If a unit has been mobilized, he said, "we will find a place to use it," particularly if it is an aviation unit, since those are in high demand.

Usually, he said, officials try to identify soldiers who prefer not to deploy, since there often are some who are happy to stay home. Then the rest of the unit will, if possible, be sent to a different mission in the same country or to another location.

For example, the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, made up of more than 2,300 soldiers from Ohio and Michigan, was initially scheduled to go to Afghanistan in early October to do combat and other operations.

But when Pentagon leaders decided many weren't needed, they scrounged for other missions so that the soldiers who really wanted or needed to deploy could do so.

Maj. Jeff Kinninger, executive officer for the 126th Cavalry Squadron, was another soldier who got to Camp Shelby, then was told not to deploy. But for Kinninger and his family, it was more of a welcome decision because he has a full-time job working for the National Guard in Grand Rapids.

"For me, this would have been three deployments in the last seven years, so I wasn't too disappointed," said Kinninger, 42, who had served in Iraq in 2005 and 2008. "I'm disappointed not to be there with my soldiers, but my family is happy I'm not going."

His squadron is part of the 37th IBCT. So, of the 430 squadron members who headed to Camp Shelby to prepare to deploy, more than 200 were told they weren't needed. After sorting out who wanted to go home, military officials were able to find assignments for all the rest, Kinninger said.

Two other brigades are going through similar struggles — the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in New York, and the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, which includes soldiers from across the U.S.

The 8th of November

Sky Soldiers - The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat team had one of the most gallant records in Vietnam. My uncle served with their sister unit - the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, in the same areas of South East Asia. It's a story that not many know, but that we should all remember - especially now, in the week leading up to Veteran's Day.

Follow Me - All The Way

Twin Sisters Divided over OWS

I know in my last post I said I would limit the amount of political commentary, but after reading this article this morning, I just had to comment. It speaks of the very real disconnect between the sides of the OWS movement.

Twin sisters divided by OWS

‘It Gets Heated’: Twin Sisters Divided Over Occupy Wall Street

By Enjoli Francis

Growing up, twin sisters Nicole and Jill Carty had a lot in common.

But around the age of 14, Nicole Carty told ABC News today, they started going in different directions — and they never stopped, with Nicole Carty attending Brown University for a degree in sociology and Jill Carty heading to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue degrees in international business and studies.

Now with the Occupy Wall Street movement more than a month old, the recent Ivy League graduates have found themselves on Wall Street but on opposing sides.

Nicole Carty, who works for a television station, spends her free time in Zuccotti Park, Occupy Wall Street’s headquarters, organizing general assembly meetings for the demonstrators.

Jill Carty works for a company that assists financial service  clients. She said although she agreed with some of the protesters’ sentiments, she did not support more government regulations and intervention.

“I feel that’s what’s gotten us into this mess in the first place,” she told ABC News Wednesday. “There are always unintended consequences with government intervention.”

She said it was no secret among her family that she and Nicole Carty had different views on Occupy Wall Street and its message.

“I’d be very much more pleased if she [Nicole Carty] would be able to come up with solutions to these problems [voiced by protesters] that use the tools of the country and the world like economics and things that I feel have potential really to change the way that things work and the way people behave,” Jill Carty said.

But Nicole Carty said that her sister’s politics were completely wrong and off base.

“[Jill Carty] lacks a fundamental understanding of structural oppression that is inexcusable and immature,” she said. “She just really trusts capitalism and doesn’t recognize that capitalism is kind of responsible for a lot of the injustices we have in the world.”

__________________________________________________________________________

I think that this article does a good job at showing the divide between the sectors of this movement, and how important the experiences someone goes through as a young adult can shape their opinions and outlooks. I also think that the girl's opinion of the other's side is very telling. They are both highly educated individuals, with Jill having a degree from the Wharton School of Business at UPenn - one of the bust Business schools in the country, and with Nicole having a degree in sociology from Brown - an Ivy leauge school known for it's liberal slant.

What is most telling to me is that Jill has a good job, working within her industry, and agrees that something needs to change within our nation (a sentiment I also hold) but wants it to be done organically among the business world. She sees the issues that her sister has, and simply disagrees with her method of implementing change - government regulation and interference in the personal lives of it's citizens is not the answer... it is the problem. Nicole, on the other hand, has a more or less useless degree that is only worth something in academia, and works within the decidedly left leaning world of media, yet seems to spend much of her time on street corners complaining that the Country hasn't given her enough for free. she also resorts to personal attacks on her own sister - calling her immature, and saying that her lack of understanding of structural oppression (which is a flawed theory, at the very best) is inexcusable. She blames capitalism for our current situation, and further attacks those who use their own merits and abilities to make a better life for themselves.

There is no "Structural Oppression." The United States is the freest society in the world, and not just in our personal rights and liberties, but in our potential. This is the land of opportunity, and everyone here has the chance to make something of themselves - to become something great through their own sweat and blood and toil. In no way should the acheivements and successes of others be shortchanged or hijacked for the betterment of those who refuse to work for it themselves, or even contribute to society.

I could go on about this topic for volumes, but I shall leave you with this small bit of opinion. Socialism does not work. It never has. It breeds corruption at the expense of the whole, and every society that has ever dared to attempt this flawed sense of utopia has failed. Capitalism, in all its variations, is the only thing that has worked throughout history. It is what has advanced technology and society the world over, to include the standard of living at the very lowest level. Compare the average worker, or even the poor, in the 1980's, under Reagan, with the vast majority of the citizens of the USSR. A car in every garage and MTV in every home, compared to standing in the bread lines for days just to eat.

Ten Thousand!

So, Sometime this morning, this little blog of mine hit 10,000 hits! I know, there are some that do that in a day, but for me, its kinda a big deal, especially since I feel like I was at 5,000 just a couple months ago. To those of you who read it, and those who care, look for some changes to be coming soon. I am modifying a bit of the tone, and the content to reflect where I am in my current situation, and what is going on. I will be doing more pieces on culture, fashion, and business, while trying to steer clear of polictics (I am still an unabashed capitalist, and some political stuff may drift into my business or individual rights postings) Most of my readership are shooters, and a lot of veterans, so there will continue to be an educated discussion of tactics and techniques, especially as I progress in both my military endeavors and as an instructor. I also plan on using more media assets, such as posting videos, pictures, and the like. I write for a living now (kinda) so you will see reviews and opinions on products, spirits, and cigars that really go hand in hand with what I experience and what I stand for. Look forward to taking this ride with yall!

-JMS

Sartorial Options

Since starting my new position as Lead Editor at Cigar & Spirits Magazine a few months ago, I have been making various tweaks and changes in my business wardrobe. Tailored suits and ties are great for more formal meetings with investors, while work attire (which is typically accompanied by a fine cigar and a glass of scotch… I know, our office culture is brutal) is usually khaki’s or jeans and a button down. What I am looking for is the in between: Something for client meetings, industry events, tastings, and the like. This is a relatively informal business, but it is still a business. I need something classy, sophisticated, yet not pretentious. Casual enough to keep people at their ease, but polished enough to be taken seriously. I have played with the idea of sport coats with my slacks, but they always leave me feeling a bit too old fashioned, and typically have more of a country club look. The option that I am leading toward most at the moment is simply pairing my suits with a solid color, or subdued, fitted polo shirt. I have seen this look work well, and again, it is typically the man wearing it that determines if it can be pulled off, but I think it is something to try. True enough, this is commonly a summer look, and works best with lighter colored suits and a bit of color on the polo (no logos please) but here in Southern California, the climate lends itself to what could be thought of as spring or summer looks nearly year round. I will try to post pictures of a few options, but I wanted to hear some opinions. I have worked in the fashion industry, and have quite a few contacts whose views I hold in high regard. Thoughts on this?

Act of Valor

I am normally very critical of any combination of Hollywood and the Military, but I have been paying attention to the buzz about this movie for a while now, and having just seen the trailer, I think it has the potential to be bad ass. The main difference here, is that the actors are all US Navy SEALs and they were advising on the entire film. If anything is close to reality, it aught to be this. Enjoy.

Customer Service

So back in August I messed up obe of my California mandated low-capacity magazines (the 10 round variety) for my FNP-40 while I was out hiking (more accurately I was climbing.) Anyway, I sent it in to Browning for either repair or replacement - by the way, if you ever have to do this, stick with USPS for shipping. UPS cost me nearly as much as a new magazine. A few weeks later i get a card in the mail stating that it is hunting season and so they are backed up, but they will be working on my issue as soon as they can. Completely understandable, and I have a few spare mags, so its fine.

Anyway, 6 weeks or so have passed since then, and yesterday I called for. Update. I spoke with Jeff, who took down my order number and asked me to hold. After a while on hold he comes back on to tell me that the magazine is still on backorder (I can see this, as my FNP-40 is not a common pistol) but that he found a distributor that has one in stock and will ship it to me ASAP. He also informed me that he did not cancel my order with browning, and as soon as they get one in they will ship me another mag to say "thank you" for my patience.

This was spot on customer service. Not because they are giving me free stuff but because Jeff understand a customer issue, and handled it. I was on hold, but only once. No transferring me around, no asking for a manager's approval, just seeing an issue and fixing it.

Tip of the hat to you Jeff, and Browning, you've got yourself a loyal customer.

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Twitter Fight!

Oh boy, I feel like a celebrity! People seeking me out and railing against stuff that I stand for? Awesome.

From my Facebook: Posted something on Twitter about my confusion as to the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and had someone seek me out to rail against capitalism. 1) I have like... nine followers. how did he even find me? and 2) you're barking up the wrong tree if you're trying to convert me to socialism. A man rises and falls in this nation based on the sweat of his brow, the strength of his arm, and the dedication in his heart. Those who work, succeed, those who do not, cry "oppression!"

From Twitter:

@jmsenk Marshall Senkarik

Really don't understand this whole "occupy Wall st" Thing... i mean, what are they even protesting? How can u be against banks AND the fed?

 

tariqshandz Tariq Talib

@

@jmsenk how can you be for them? Let's get the facts right Capitalism doest work, hasn't worked, and will never work. It is time for change

2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

»

jmsenk Marshall Senkarik

@

@tariqshandz facts? What facts? Capitalism is the ONLY economy that has worked throughout history. A society based on merit achievement&work

Estillo Cubano Toraso

Estillo Cubano Toraso from Ventura Cigar Company.

My initial impressions of the Estillo Cubano Toraso was that this thick cigar had a good firm feel of oiled leather, and a pleasant aroma even before it was lit. The rabo de cohchino (pigtail) head required two cuts from my preferred cutter (Cuban Crafters) but it held the tobacco tight and smooth, even after the cut.

            The puro lit easily after toasting the foot, and the draw was smooth and consistent. This was a medium to strong flavored cigar, but with a relatively light volume of smoke. With rich, heavy flavors of leather and oak, this is a man's cigar: complex but without fruity or chocolaty undertones.

           

            The toraso ages well, with the burn staying smooth and even well into the middle and tail of the cigar. The woody, oak flavor gives way to a nuttiness towards the end that is just below the leather, without any hint of the scotched bitterness that is typical at the end of many quality cigars.

            If this is any indication of what to expect from Ventura Cigar Company, then I am certainly looking forward to smoking the rest of their line.

Read more of my reviews in Cigar & Spirits Magazine as well as articles and editorials that I write.

Office

So new new job as editor of Cigar & Spirits Magazine comes with something that I havn't had in a long while, and that I have been wanting for even longer: An Office.



I am pretty psyched about this at the moment, and I have a long way to go before it rivals Jack Donaghey's or Don Draper's but I'm working on it. I'll bring in some more gear to personalize it later, but first things first: I've got to kick ass at my new job, and show that I deserve this office.

My first day was great. I am getting the hang of the process, and I feel like I am already showing that I am an asset to the organization. I have a meeting with a potential investor tomorrow, and if I play my cards right, I might even meet Rocky Patel (who was on the cover of our last issue) Until then, I shall leave you with one of my favorite 30 Rock quotes:

"This is business, and Jack Donaghey didn't get a bathroom that looks like part of a wall, by being bad... at business."

Twitter...

So I have broken down and opened a Twitter account. Before you start with the deriding comments, twitter has changed the face of business the world over, and I am using my account to follow industry experts and financial trends - not post about what I ate for breakfast or gush over Justin Beiber.

Having an account has paid off in the first day - we were discussing HP in my MBA course last night, and because I follow @jimcramer I was the only one who knew Meg Whitmen was picked as thier new CEO - thanks to my twitter account, I rocked the in class discussion.

 

oh, and I am @jmsenk in case anyone is interested.

Airman to receive the Air Force Cross for actions in Afghanistan

This is for all my Air Force buddies out there. Bad Ass article about a true hero. SSG Gutierrez, here's to you.

Full article available here : http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Features/airpower/Pages/box090211breach.aspx

Once More Unto the Breach 

Once More Unto the Breach SSgt. Robert Gutierrez, who has been nominated for the Air Force Cross for his actions in Afghanistan in 2009, stuck to the mission despite taking a bullet, his lung collapsing, busted eardrums, and losing more than five pints of blood.
—Amy McCullough

Click here for the PDF version of this Air Force Magazine article.

Sept. 2, 2011—SSgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr. has been nominated for the Air Force Cross, pending the signature of the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley. Here’s why.

On Oct. 5, 2009, Gutierrez and the Army Special Forces team he was attached to set out in the middle of the night to capture, detain, or kill a “high-value target” coalition forces had been chasing for the previous six years.

The target was a “brutal” man living outside Herat city in a “highly sympathetic village” in the western portion of Afghanistan, said Gutierrez. The Taliban forces were well aware they were being hunted and were well protected. Armed insurgents manned the rooftops inside their compound, surrounded by a 20-foot wall. The narrow, improvised explosive device-laden roads made it almost impossible to enter the village by vehicle, forcing the US team and about a dozen Afghan soldiers to finish the last two-and-a-half miles on foot.

The team moved fast, “because speed in the night is what favors you there,” said Gutierrez, the lone joint terminal attack controller on the ground that day. At the time, he was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C. Two F-16s and an MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft orbited the area high above, giving those on the ground a heads up on the insurgents’ locations.

The two teams started taking fire almost immediately after the initial breach of the wall surrounding the target compound. The first team pushed through. Gutierrez, who was in the second stack, paused to take out a group of insurgents who were laying down heavy fire from behind an adjacent alley before he took cover inside the targeted building. Once inside, he radioed the aircraft to let them know they were in contact with the enemy. The team leader already had been shot in the calf and was having trouble walking, and the medics were busy tending to other members of the team struck by fragmentation.

He’s Hit

As the battle raged inside the compound, an additional support team was moving in from the west, but insurgents unleashed more heavy fire on them before they could breach the wall, rendering their own firepower useless. The additional support team was forced to break contact, leaving those inside to rely on airpower to keep them from being overrun—a real possibility considering they were outnumbered and some of the Afghan national forces had already fled.

Gutierrez hovered in a doorway dodging bullets and returning fire when the soldier next to him had his gun jam, then was struck by fragmentation. Gutierrez called a medic and took over his buddy’s position, where he had a better line of sight on two insurgents shooting at them from the rooftop next door.

Just as one of the insurgents fell, Gutierrez was hit.

“I knew something was wrong, but you don’t really have time to sit there and think about things,” Gutierrez told Air Force Magazine during a July interview from Hurlburt Field, Fla., where he is stationed now. “You just do what you need to do. You return fire and eliminate the threat.”

He did return fire until the pain in his side and arms overwhelmed him. Gutierrez fell to the ground gasping for air, realizing for the first time that he had been shot. “I know I’m wounded [and] I’m trying to think of how severe it is,” he said.

“Time has virtually stopped. ... I’m on my hands and knees ... trying to talk, but every time I tried to talk, I had blood coming out of my mouth and out of my nose, so I knew that I had been wounded pretty bad.” Gutierrez was an experienced air commando and he had seen similar wounds before. He knew he was probably going to die, but he was determined not to let his guys down.

He needed to get back on the radio, so he called for the medic. Gutierrez had no idea where the bullet entered his body.

Although he was suffering from a sucking chest wound, he tried to shout commands to his comrades to cover the door and attempted to connect with the aircraft overhead to tell them he had been shot. But as the medic stripped off his gear, Gutierrez was quickly losing his breath, making that impossible. The round had entered through his upper shoulder, traveled down his scapula, pierced his lung, and then exited out his back. “The whole trajectory of it and the way it came through just ripped apart everything all the way down,” he said. Gutierrez would later acknowledge just how lucky he was, because the bullet took a “weird” turn and narrowly missed his heart.

No Time For the Pain

High above, the pilots assumed Gutierrez had been injured when they couldn’t get him on the radio. They weren’t sure how bad it was so they continued to relay insurgent locations and requested permission to strike. “I couldn’t talk. I could hear it, but it was so unfortunate [because] I couldn’t talk,” he said. The enemy was no more than 50 feet away, and air support was debating whether the aircraft should fire a Hellfire missile.

“I had to get back on the net, call it off, abort the pass,” recalled Gutierrez. The sheer power of the Hellfire would probably have killed them all, he said.

But he still couldn’t breathe. The medic held up a needle—“a good seven inches long,” Gutierrez recalled—and told him his lung had collapsed. He needed to jam the needle into Gutierrez’s chest to relieve the pressure in his chest cavity so his lungs could inflate. It was going to hurt, but “GZ” just nodded. He wanted to get it over with so he could get back to his job. He didn’t have time to focus on pain.

Gutierrez said he was “in the middle of the fight and we are starting to take heavy grenades. … An RPG has gone off on the side of the wall, and he gives me the needle decompression.”

Seconds later, he was back on the radio. He called off the Hellfire strike and requested that the F-16s conduct a show of force.

The deafening roar of the jet fighters as they passed by partially caused the buildings to crumble, yet the insurgents kept firing. Gutierrez requested another flyby, this time with flares. The insurgents didn’t back down, and now the F-16s were running low on fuel.

By the time Capt. Ethan Sabin, an A-10 pilot based at Kandahar Airfield, arrived the situation was grim. Gutierrez was wounded and Sabin said he “could hear the severity of the situation in his voice.” However, Sabin said Gutierrez’ words remained crystal clear.

“He saved the lives of all of his men,” Sabin said. “As dire as the situation was, had he not been there to talk me on to the target and provide controls for strikes, the team would have likely suffered more casualties.”

Lt. Col. Parks Hughes, at the time Gutierrez’s commander, called his performance on the battlefield that day “extraordinary,” but said “his actions were completely consistent with his character as warrior and an airman.”

When Sabin arrived, only the Predator and one F-16 remained on the scene; the other fighter had run out of fuel and had flown back. Sabin sent his wingman to fetch the tanker, which was roughly 170 miles away. He didn’t want to leave the guys stranded and no one knew how long the battle would last. It was critical for aircraft to get back into the fight as quickly as possible.

Sabin descended below the Predator’s altitude and asked the F-16 pilot to mark the target with the laser on his targeting pod. This enabled him to “instantly get eyes and sensors on the target,” said Sabin, who now serves as the chief of weapons and tactics with the 354th Fighter Squadron from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Down below, Gutierrez and his team leader, both suffering from gunshot wounds, discussed their options. The shows of force had not worked, and the insurgents had them covered on three sides. They needed a gun run, even if it was “danger close.”

Gutierrez requested the first strafing shortly after the Hogs arrived, while the medics were still packing his side with combat gauze and trying to stitch up his wounds. Sabin said he had some reservations about strafing less than 65 feet from friendly forces, but his attack proved to be “spot on.” The attack was so close, Gutierrez’s right eardrum burst and his left eardrum was severely damaged from the noise.

“Perhaps [what is] most impressive was the exceptionally high degree of technical proficiency with which he directed the air strikes, despite such dire circumstances and great physical pain,” said Hughes, the former commander of the 21st STS. “Ultimately, his actions helped to suppress the enemy force and enabled his team to escape the kill zone with no additional casualties.” In fact, despite the intensity of the close-quarters battle, there were no US fatalities in the engagement.

The shooting halted for a short time, then picked back up again. Gutierrez called in another strafing run.

“It came through, was on target, also danger close,” he said. Time was running out. Buildings were catching fire and the soldiers were standing inside a ticking time bomb. The target building was filled with a “high amount of ammonium nitrate,” a highly flammable fertilizer used to make improvised explosive devices, he said.

Bleeding Out

“We decided that we were combat air effective,” and the high-value target was dead, so “we were going to use one more pass as a cover for us to exit,” Gutierrez said. “I put my kit back on, put my helmet back on, ... [and] gave instructions to the A-10 pilot. He fully obliged [and] came back through. As [he] struck, we pushed out and left the compound.”

Determined not to be a burden on his team, Gutierrez got to his feet, with the medic holding his bag and supporting his shoulder.

“Since my ears were out, my balance was completely off. I couldn’t really stand up straight,” he said. “I kind of would veer off everywhere.” Gutierrez called in a medical evacuation for himself, the captain, and two other wounded troops, but he was initially denied. It was too dangerous; they had to leave the area, he was told.

Sporadic gunfire followed them as they stumbled away from the village. After struggling for about two miles, Gutierrez’s lung collapsed for a second time. The medic did another needle decompression by the side of a four-way intersection as the A-10s continued to provide close air support and ISR assets fed them vital information from above. When he got his breath back, Gutierrez requested an immediate medevac.

The troops found a muddy, square vegetation field, roughly 300 feet by 300 feet, which had just enough room for one helicopter to land. They secured the site and waited for the medevac, a joint Spanish and Italian team from Herat Airfield, to arrive.

Wet and weak from the loss of blood, Gutierrez waited for an hour-and-a-half. His uniform became soaked and stuck to his arm. At first he thought it was sweat from the difficult trek to the landing zone, or maybe muddy water from the canal he stumbled in as they pushed out.

He had no idea he had lost five-and-a-half pints of blood.

“You just go. I don’t have time to be a hindrance,” he said. “If I’m dead, I’m just dead weight. Everybody has their own push, their own internal fortitude, and I don’t have time to let anyone down.” When the medevac bird finally arrived, Gutierrez asked the pilot to follow the rest of the team as they hiked back to their vehicles, where an International Security Assistance Force convoy was waiting to escort them back. Then he passed out.

Over the next day-and-a-half he would be treated at Herat Airfield, at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Airfield—both in Afghanistan—then Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, before finally arriving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

It took him about 19 months to recover. Today Gutierrez is back on duty and now serves as an instructor at the Air Force Special Operations Training Center at Hurlburt. He is about 98 percent recovered, although he still has limited movement in his arm. That’s “just the nature of the beast,” said Gutierrez. “I probably won’t get it back, but it’s fine. I’m full up. I’m fully deployable. I’m good to go.”

And, if a bullet wound, a collapsed lung, and busted eardrums didn’t make him quit, a minor loss of mobility won’t keep him from deploying again.

“Oh, I assure you I will,” said Gutierrez with the same dogged determination that helped save his life and the lives of his team members two years ago.

shooting...

Shooting is a perishable skill. Don't ever forget that. It is one thing to know the basics - it is something completely different to be able to put them into practice without regular use. If you can't make it to the range, then dry fire, simulate, train with a laser, do something, because if you need to use your weapon, you don't want it to be the first time you've squeezed a trigger in a year.

And remember, when it comes to personal tactical skills, there is no "advanced" level... there is just perfect execution of the fundamentals.

Conversations through the smoke

It honestly never ceases to amaze me at the level of conversation and the people you can meet at your local cigar lounge.

First of all, I was slightly surprised and somewhat embarrassed by the amount of attention and celebrity that I received by writing for a startup cigar magazine. Nothing but complements from people that I didn't know, or knew only in passing, while old aquaintences talked up my virtues (whether real or perceived) to new ones.

My last visit to my favorite lounge not only provided hours of stimulating conversation in a friendly and sophisticated atmosphere, but also potential business contacts and a host of new opportunities.

I met, and hit it off with a pair of senior associates at what is basically my dream job, a celebrity in his own right (depending on the circles you run in... this man is well known to those familiar with Las Vegas and a deck of cards) and quite a few new readers for the magazine - which, by the way, is available in hard copy at most Orange County tobacconists, or by requesting a subscription from the website.

Sometimes you can be just as productive holding a cigar in your hand as you can holding a pen.

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10 years ago...

10 year ago today I was at the Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. I had already been a soldier for more than a year, and had just been accepted to West Point. Everyone remembers where they were when the towers fell, but what really matters is what they have done since. I count myself fortunate to have been able to put myself in harms way for my country, and consider it an honor to have served beside men like Matthew Hermanson, Benjamin Britt, Neale Shank, Tom Martin, Jacob Harrelson, and a host of others, more numerous to name, that have given their life for their nation. For all I may have done, I doubt I will ever shake the feeling that it simply isn't enough.

Armed Soldier Foils Robbery

Article I found from Military.com - you never can tell with the world we live in, and it always pays to be prepared. Too bad a lot of the country still feels that restricting lay abiding citizens, even well trained ones (like myself and many others I know) will somehow reduce violent crime. Yeah, because thats how Chicago and DC have become so safe and serene.

 

Original Article found here: http://www.military.com/news/article/armed-soldier-foils-robbers.html?ESRC=army-a.nl

 

September 03, 2011

Knight Ridder

Two men convicted Thursday of trying to rob women stranded on Interstate 95 near Walterboro last year got more than they bargained for when one of the women's passengers turned out to be a trained -- and armed -- soldier recently returned from Iraq.

Jurors found Antwan McMillan, 22, and David Jakes, 20, of Smoaks guilty Thursday at the Colleton County Courthouse of three counts of attempted armed robbery, possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime, and three counts of first-degree assault and battery.

Judge Perry M. Buckner sentenced Jakes to 35 years in prison and McMillan to 30 years, according to the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office.

"I am pleased that both of these brazen, dangerous criminals have had their careers cut short," said assistant solicitor Amanda Haselden, who prosecuted the case. "They thought two stranded women would be an easy mark, but they didn't bargain on a well-trained and legally armed serviceman being just out of sight."

On June 3, 2010, an Army specialist, his wife and mother-in-law were in two vehicles headed south on I-95 when one of the vehicles towing a trailer had mechanical problems. While the soldier tended to the vehicle, three men pulled up in a car, according to a solicitor's office news release.

 

When Jakes pointed a gun at the mother-in-law and demanded cash, the soldier popped up from behind the vehicle with a gun. He ordered the men to leave several times, the release said.

Instead of leaving, Jakes pointed his gun at the soldier. The soldier fired several rounds, striking Jakes three times.

McMillan began firing from inside the car. Jakes crawled back to the car and they sped off, the release said.
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office found Jakes at a local hospital. He was arrested after recovering from his wounds. McMillan and a third suspect, James Davis, 21, were arrested later that week.
The case against Davis is still pending, according to the solicitor's office.

Wearing White After Labor Day

Growing up in the south, I was always raised to have a bit of class and sophistication – Think seersucker and mint juleps rather than NASCAR and Budweiser. In this world there were a lot of unspoken rules, certain tenants that one just did not break. Always hand write thank you notes, treat your elders with respect – and yes, this means saying “Sir” and “Ma'am” even when the object of one's politeness insists that it “makes them feel old.” and another of these unalienable maxims: the ubiquitous “never wear white after labor day.”

It is hard to argue with such a tried and true tradition – something that has been handed down, seemingly for generations. My mother, born and raised in Troy, Alabama, would be skeptical at best were she to read this (though she is supportive enough not to be horrified) but this is one of those rules that I might just question. Now before the sartorial traditionalists out there shout “Blasphemy!” I am not advocating donning a bleached linen suit and straw cap for Thanksgiving, or anything of the sort, (though going as Boss Hogg to a Halloween party might be well appreciated) rather, a bending of the rules, or a slight modification to their rigid expectations.

Wearing white after labor day is not an exact science, and depends greatly on the environment where one finds themselves, as well as the occasion, weather, and overall attitude of the situation. Tropical or Mediterranean climates invite white attire well into what would be considered the fall for the rest of the country, but needless to say, there are only very specific areas where this is applicable. South Florida, areas of coastal southern California, and parts of the gulf coast of Texas are about the only places where white chinos with boat shoes can be acceptable in October, and even there, under very specific circumstances.

Something I heard not too long ago that could sum up my opinion is that these days white can be worn for the most part throughout baseball season (and no, not really into the playoffs.) I could mention things like global warming, and how it is making the summers longer and hotter, but the real issue is whether or not lighter colors and whites work in the environment. If there is a drink in your hand and sunglasses on your face, there is a good chance white can work out, even into football season. Any time you can wear shorts, a good pair of khakis won't be wrong, and a white button down with jeans or slacks would not go amiss well into fall – especially if the weather doesn't require a jacket.

If anything should be taken away from this it is that there are no real rules, just a set of guidelines that are very open to interpretation, and completely situationally dependent. If you're lucky enough to live in a warmer climate, then by all means, take advantage.

Don't Judge a Book...

So this morning I stopped at a gas station to put a few quarts of oil into my engine. This got me quite a few strange looks, and it was probably because I was doing so in a tailored suit. Being well dressed and professional aught to indicate that a man CAN take care of his own affairs, not an automatic assumption that he cannot. Most successful individuals become so through hard work, sacrifice, and no small amount of grit. This is the United States, and nothing worth having is just handed to you. As Americans, we aught to remember that, because drive, ingenuity and worth ethic are what have made this country great.

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Free Speech Area

Saw this a few days ago at a local shopping center, and figured I should make some comments

Now, no one could ever really call me a friend to hippies, protesters, or any of the other subsets of society that enjoy using and abusing the Constitution of the United States only when it serves their interests, yet never lifting a finger to support it in any other way, however, I am not altogether sure that I approve of this solution.

The right to free speech should not be relegated to a designated area. I am all for property rights, and the rights of business owners to cater to consumers, but this does not mean that they (or the city... or whatever government entity you choose) can limit the rights of others. No, there should be no soliciting or protesting or pandering for signitures inside any privately own (or rented, or leased, establishments, as property rights extend to those as well) and there can certainly be restrictions on blocking sidewalks, doorways, etc. but these caviats and addendums should be kept to a list of places where someone's right to free speech might impede on the rights of others (consumers, shop owners, etc)

Rather than an individual's right to free speech be regulated to a 10" x 4" designated area, I think that it should simply be understood that there are places where someone's right to do business takes precident. If necesary, post signs defining THESE areas, not limiting something protected in our bill of rights.

5000!

So apparently a few days ago, this little blog of mine surpassed 5000 hits! I know to some major writers/bloggers out there, this is nothing, and they get that number in a day. These people blog professionally, and are typically associated with a Yahoo or Google news site that sponsors their links. Thats cool and all, but it is certainly not my case. I am a member of a few forums where I have links to my page, and I write about interesting topics - which apparently come up in google searches, plus a lot of my friends and people that I know take a valid interest in what I have to say. This, I think, is pretty exciting, as it proves that people actually read what I write, and I'm not just going through the motions out of vanity. Combine this milestone with a few comments and emails I have received recently about the quality content of my writing, and my shared opinions, and I am really pleased with this little venture - even if it isn't making me any money, I am getting my stuff out there, and that is important too.

Hope you continue to enjoy my page, and hope to hear from you all while on the way to 10,000!

~Marshall
DTOM - ATW

S&P Downgrade and the Volitile Markets

Today marks the fifth or sixth day in a row of extreme highs and lows for the market. This all started because of fears of a downgrade by the S&P in the US debt rating, then continued after our downgrade, and then sprang back up after many wisely reacted to the fear and bought in while the market was down about 10% in a few days. This, of course, prompted a sell off the next day, or those investors timing the market simply taking their profits, and we see the markets tumble again. That brings us to today, where markets are again undervalued, and those that have assets liquid enough to do so, are buying in hopes that they can either take a profit or catch a stretch of good new (which may be coming up... and I will discuss this in a moment) This is an extremely volatile and stressful time to be in the investment world – overall the markets are off their highs from just a few weeks ago by as much as 1000 points (around 8% or so) and this is bad for everyone involved. My typical go-to safety funds of emerging markets aren't doing too hot either, as the Euro is in serious trouble, and the European debt crisis (Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal... etc) is far worse (respectively) than the situation in the United States. This may not mean that Brazil or India is in bad shape, but it means that no one is buying their products or services at the moment, and therefore a best case scenario is a stalled economy, if not a significant drop as we are seeing here in the US.

Going back to the root of the matter – The S&P downgrade – seriously, what the hell? Where do they get that kind of nerve? The United States is the model economy in the world, yes, even right now. If we are not AAA, then who is? As much as much as the President and I do not agree on a few fundamentals, I did like what he had to say about the drop in the Dow “Markets will go up, and markets will come down, but this US has always been, and will always be a AAA country.” The United States and the US Dollar are the standards upon which everything else in the world is judged, and there is no denying that. It's strength may wax and wain depending on the performance of some emerging market or new investment in currency or industry, but we will always be there, and be on top. Something my Economics teacher told me my sophomore year at West Point is that “If America fails, the world fails, and that is just not going to happen” I could write volumes on why the world depends on the United States, and will do so for the foreseeable future, but that would really take away from the object of this post.

The past week or so has been caused by fear mongering and speculators taking advantage of low markets. It drives me crazy to watch it, but it is what it is, and nothing I do is going to change that. I think that tomorrow will be a good day for the market as well, when the Jobs report comes out favorably (which I believe it will) we will still see a run in the green, and it is always nice to end on a high note going into the weekend. I am annoyed at S&P, because if we are not AAA, then who is? I am not happy with our current deficit or spending plan, and think that it seriously needs to be addressed (without doing something as brutally cold hearted as cutting military retirement for those who served 20 years in harms way) but the simple fact of the matter is that the US will never default. There may be a long and hard road ahead of us, but we are the United States of America, and the collective ingenuity and work ethic of this great nation will push us through it.

San Bernadino

Went up to the SBNF yesterday and spent a few hours taking in some of the hills. Parked off of the gravel trails with my Adventure Pass and went esentially straight up. No trails, just traversing the slopes trying to get to the top. Ran a few ridgelines after that and basically got myself nice and worn out. It was a beautiful day for it, and my first time in San Bernadino. It's a Great feeling hitting a crest and watch the ground slope down in every direction. Got some nice pictures, of which here are just a few, and overall it was just peaceful to be up there by myself for a while. no trails, no people, just me and the hills.

Published!

So, as a lot (some) of yall may know, I have recently been writing for a relatively new publication called Cigar & Spirits Magazine. I would like to say that I am now officially a published writer! I have two articles in the magazine's current issue, and have at least one slotted for it's next publication. I am pretty excited about this opportunity, and hope that you will check it out. The physical copy of the mag should be out in two weeks or so, and I will let you know where you can find it. The articles that I wrote begin on pages 14, and 35, but the entire magazine is worth a look. Enjoy!

July Issue - Cigar & Spirits

http://www.cigarandspirits.com/

Cigar & Spirits Facebook Page

Hiring our Heroes Review

I would first like to apologize for the tardiness of this post. I had originally wanted to write and publish about the Hiring our Heroes career fair within a day or so of the event, but technical difficulties foiled my plans. All that being said, here is the last of several attempts.

During my time transitioning from the Army, being in an underemployed workforce, and in business school, both in Florida and here in California, I have been to more than my share of career fairs. Some were military specific, some business specific, and some were little more than outright scams. The Hiring our Heroes veterans job fair in Los Angeles, however, was above and beyond. It was easily the most organized, professional, and well run career event that I have attended. I attribute much of this to the national level of the organizations behind it, the staffing from Blue Star Families – a non profit organization made up of military spouses and dependents which provided much of the staff and volunteers for the event, and also the international attention that Hiring our Heroes due to the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

There were around 200 companies represented in Hanger 15 of Sony Pictures Studios (Hollywood aficionados might know this as where they filmed much of the Spider man movies, as well as the Wizard of Oz, and numerous others) making it large, but not the largest of the career fairs I have attended. Employers ran the gamut of the mechanical and skilled labor jobs, to security and law enforcement that are staples of any military hiring event, all the way to corporate and financial positions that are typically reserved for graduate programs. I was particularly pleased to see organizations like Bank of America (a main sponsor of the event) and JP Morgan Chase offering military specific recruiting websites, acknowledging the flexibility, leadership, and technical skills of military veterans that seem to go unnoticed by many others. (It should be noted that upon further investigation, many of the “entry level” positions offered at these companies still required 3-5 years of financial experience... something not typically learned at Ft. Benning by a newly transitioning veteran. Full marks for effort though)

The highlight of the fair, however, was the appearance by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate. They were there basically for the closing ceremony of the event, many of the companies stayed for a while afterward to get maximum exposure. The prince was very humble about his own service, but spoke about the sacrifices made by soldiers of both nations, and the need to assist returning veterans when they get back home – with education, employment, and all around reintegration. Maybe I am an optimist, or hope to believe the best in people, but I still tend to believe that Americans know the value of their returning veterans, and they know the skills and experiences that they can bring to the table, it is, unfortunately, only the current economic climate that keeps veteran unemployment numbers hovering around 30% or so (again, this might simply be my optimistic opinion)

Meghan Weiten-Scott, Left, of Blue Star Families,
 discussing military families with Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

My friend Meghan Weiten-Scott (wife of my USMA roommate, CPT Drew Scott) of Blue Star Families, spoke at length with the new Duchess Catherine about being a military wife, and it seems that the Duchess may work to implement similar programs with British troops and their families once she returns – it is, after all, a full time job being a military wife.

Note: in the time between the event and publishing this post, I have sent in dozens of applications, set up a few interviews, gone on one, and have still put in countless man-hours in the search for a career that does not require body armor. It is hard work being unemployed (for a Republican anyway) and remember to go after the companies you want to work for – you cannot just wait for them to come to you.

Iowa Congressman helps fight off home invasion

An excellent account of an armed, law abiding citizen defending his home and family. Congressman Boswell, a Democrat, is endorsed by the NRA, and has received an A rating.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - An eight-term congressman from Iowa helped fight off an armed man who invaded his farm house in Decatur County and attacked his daughter on Saturday night, according to a statement from his office.

The attack occurred around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday at a farm in Lamoni, where Representative Leonard Boswell, a Democrat who represents Iowa's third congressional district, was spending the weekend with his wife, daughter and grandson.

The unidentified armed intruder entered the front door and assaulted Boswell's daughter, demanding money.

Hearing the commotion, Boswell went to the door and attempted to disarm the intruder, according to the statement.

While the two scuffled, Boswell's grandson grabbed a shotgun from a nearby room and confronted the intruder, who then fled into the surrounding field.

No one was seriously injured in the attack.

The Decatur County Sheriff's Department and state and federal authorities are investigating.

(Writing by James B. Kelleher)

Link to Story: http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-congressman-helps-fight-off-home-invasion-163355425.html

Hiring Heroes - Los Angeles

Mobile blog from the Hiring our Heroes career fair in Los Angeles. Event is being staffed by Blue Star Families volunteers - a 501c3 non-profit run by, and for, military families. The guest speaker today, among a few notable veterans in the business community, is Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge. There is a large, diverse crowd of veterans and military spouses here looking to continue serving their country - wearing suits instead of body armor. To quote a speaker this morning, "Veterans are a civic asset." Will continue to update as the day goes on.

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Bad Ass... I mean ICE

My Ice is badder than your Ice... That is all

Southern California's own Kean Coffee

Martin Diedrich, founder and master roaster of Kean Coffee, has certainly lived up to his title. The coffees that I have had at Kean formidably rank among the best cups of Java I have had stateside. I make this statement because there is quite a lot to be said for the environment where a cup of coffee is taken. It is hard to compete with the hot, sweet, comfort of a good coffee on a mountainside in the Chilean Andes; the sophisticated bit of an espresso on a bustling street corner in Naples; or the rich, chocolaty tones of a local brew on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. I also say this to let the reader know that I am no novice, and have discerning tastes when it comes to coffee. I take care and pride in my home brewed cups, and won't praise the bottomless coffee offered by just any greasy spoon diner.

The coffees at Kean, however, are comparable to any I have tasted. They have an excellent variety for nearly every discerning palette. Their rich mochas and Mayan spices are sweet and smooth. Their espressos have the creamy head that is the mark of a talented barista, with a full bodied flavor reminiscent of the north of Italy. The menu is playful and creative, giving a wide range of drinks that would put any national chain to shame. Their coffee by the pound is excellent. Ground to order (I use a metal filter at home) and intensely aromatic, I recommend the Medium Roast Fortaleza blend. It is what I am sipping as I write this, and has a rich, deep flavor, with subtle floral notes that end in a fruity taste of cherries and chocolate. I stoked up, so I hope it is still available.

The atmosphere is what would be expected of any high end coffee house, only brighter, cleaner, fresher. Kean glows with natural light, and is filled with students, artists, hippies, surfers, businessmen, and other Newport Beach locals that give it a perpetual feeling of fun and sophistication. Their outdoor patio is open and breezy, while often just as crowded and lively as the inside. There is always a line at Kean – which speaks to the quality of the drinks and the artistry of the baristas, and the best of luck finding a table, no matter what time of day, but there are ample entertainments to occupy your attention as your customized coffee is created. People watching is as enjoyable here as anywhere, and one can feel the energy and imagination echoing through the coffee house. Martin Deidrich, the proprietor (and, as mentioned before, Master Roaster) can usually be found hard at work, tasting new creations, roasting new blends, and conversing with the coffee aficionados that frequent his establishment. Kean is where I go for a mid day cup of pick-me-up, to write down my thoughts, and to gather ideas. It is the closest thing I have to a creative incubator... and the coffee isn't bad either.

True Patriots - Kentucky Long Rifles

Read a great article on a historians collection of Revolutionary War era Kentucky Long Rifles. This Article is by Donovan Webster from Garden & Gun Magazine. I am a big fan of this magazine, and even though it is usually filled with good stuff, articles like this really jump out at me. As a history buff, Son of the American Revolution, and firearms fan in general, I can really appreciate the history and American culture behind these pieces.

The article is available at: True Patriots - Dan Webster

By Donovan Webster | Feb/March 10 | 

True Patriots

Virginia collector Michael Tuccori’s eighteenth-century Kentucky rifles are studies in American history

Almost every kentucky rifle has a story to tell. The one I’m looking at has a rectangular silver inlay near the rifle’s butt that reads: “C Kelsey.” And etched along the top of the rifle’s black barrel—in blocky and bold letters—is this: “New Market made by H. Spitzer.”

“This weapon was made by Henry Spitzer,” Michael Tuccori is saying as he handles the antique Kentucky rifle, its curly maple stock glowing gold in the morning sun. “Spitzer was a gunsmith working in New Market, Virginia, and he made this gun for Charles Kelsey, a native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, in 1794. Records show that Kelsey moved into Kentucky with his wife in 1795, only the next year. He took the rifle with him. Now it has come back home.”

As Tuccori says this, we are in a room in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Hung on a wall are his collection of roughly five-foot-long Kentucky rifles, also known as long rifles, amid a collection of equally long fowling muskets, gunpowder horns, and handmade pistols from the American Colonial era. A dealer and collector of antiques, Tuccori, sixty-three, focuses his weapons collection on the few years either side of the American Revolution for a specific reason.

“By the 1800s, you get a more cookie-cutter weapon,” he says. “Before that, it was master gunsmiths working on the frontier with a journeyman and an apprentice. They hand-bored each gun’s barrel, then hand-rifled each barrel themselves using a tool. It was slow and painstaking work. After about 1800, the process got more mechanized, so the weapons get less unique.”

Still, Tuccori goes on, it didn’t take long for everyone who saw a Kentucky rifle to want one. Since the rifled barrels shot balls much farther and more accurately than muskets shot pellets, long rifles quickly became very desirable. “The people settling this part of the world moved around…a lot,” he says. “They traveled into Kentucky, up to Pennsylvania, down into Tennessee, then back. They lived in buckskins or loincloths. There were elk, grizzly bear, and eastern buffalo everywhere, and these rifles helped to keep them fed. And there were also Native Americans who could be hostile. So riflemen and settlers wanted a more precise weapon, both to hunt and to protect themselves.”

A smooth-bore musket, Tuccori says, can fire shot pellets only at close range. Long rifles can be accurate to hundreds of yards. “At one point in Revolutionary times, a man named Timothy Murphy shot a British officer at three hundred yards using a long rifle,” Tuccori says. “That’s a pretty fair shot with an open sight. To the people settling this part of the world, an accurate weapon like that was indispensable. It was more valuable to them than an ax or a hoe.”

Because of their unique history and relative scarcity, the price of Kentucky rifles—as well as that of the long muskets and pistols—has risen significantly in the last few decades. And while it’s impossible to know how many Revolutionary-era long rifles are around, their rareness has made them very expensive.

“Even a nondescript one from the era we’re talking about goes into the six figures,” Tuccori says. “And while we do see a few New England rifles around from that time, the majority of them come from the area between Pennsylvania and North Carolina, though they’re generally referred to as Kentucky rifles.”
Though Tuccori says that new Kentucky rifle finds occasionally bubble onto the market out of attics and unknown family collections, most are traded from known and established collections. “Most are identifiable by collectors. The greater majority of them are made with curly maple stocks and the rest with another hardwood, usually cherry. And each has a hand-forged flintlock. After the Revolutionary War, gunsmiths began to trade once again with Britain and France, and they bought manufactured flintlocks from Europe, which is why the weapons prior to that time are more distinctive. After the Revolution, in places like Birmingham, England, they were making and exporting flintlocks by the boxload.”

Still, the variety of the designs and materials used in the creation of Kentucky rifles goes on and on. Earlier versions of the weapon have far thicker buttstocks, plus sliding pieces of wood to cover the butt’s “patch box,” an indentation where greased patches of cloth were kept to separate the rammed-down gunpowder charge from the ball rammed tight atop it. Later-made weapons have elaborate iron or brass patch-box inlays and thinner overall profiles, each design denoting a specific maker, whether there’s a gunsmith’s name on the rifle or not.

“You know, you look at the guns on the wall here,” Tuccori says, “and you can watch the design evolve across the American Revolution. It’s just another way of seeing how our country made itself.”

Glock 23 vs FNP-40

My carry weapon is an FNP-40. I have had it for more than six years now, and I bought it more as a target of opportunity than anything else. I was in the market for a tactical .40 caliber handgun as a training and carry weapon. Being in the military at the time, the H&K USP .40 cal was something of my dream weapon, but the price tag put it a bit out of my reach. I compared a few .40 caliber pistols, including the Glock 23, the Taurus 24-7, and the FNP-40. The glock was a bit pricey, and I didn't like the feel of it while handling it in the store. The Taurus was simply reviewed as being not a quality firearm. I settled on the FN because it had all of the features that I liked, it was designed as an M&P weapon – FN making many of the small arms and automatic weapons that I used in the Army, and because I was able to get it at a significant discount, paying $420 for what is in essence a $600 gun. In the past years I have become far more experienced and proficient in pistol shooting, both in the tactical and target fields. I have fire glocks on many occasions, and though I found them nice shooting firearms, I never really prescribed to the religious following that many glock shooters have adopted. Recently I decided to do a side by side comparison shoot, of a Glock 23 and my FNP-40. I shot several different drills at various ranges (7 yards through 25 yards, with most being at 10 yards) Keeping in mind that there is nothing scientific about this test, and that a lot can be counted on human error, I also attempted to remove any bias that I may have towards the FN that I have carried for so long. I evaluated the two firearms on the basis of: Trigger squeeze and feel, sights, recoil, accuracy, precision, reliability, and target acquisition.


Trigger: the Glock trigger mechanism has always bothered me, and shooting it side by side with the FNP-40, I found it lacking. The SA/DA trigger on the FN was also a plus. The long trigger pull on the initial shot takes some getting used to, but each subsequent shot is very easy. The long pull on the Glock left me feeling slow and jumpy in my shots, as well and being downright uncomfortable. This category goes to the FN.



Glock 23



Sights: I actually liked the Glock's sights much better than the three dot combat sights on the FN. The U of the back sights lined up easily with the front sight, and it was a clearer sight picture. Despite my familiarity with the FN, this category goes to Glock.



Recoil: the feel of the recoil for the FN was just more controlled than it seemed to be with the Glock 23. I was quicker to get back on target, and never had any issues with getting my second shot off quickly (well, as quickly as an indoor range will allow anyway) this was despite the superior sights of the Glock, so I am handing this category to the FN.



FNP-40





Accuracy: I liked my shot placement with the Glock quite a bit. This might go back to the sights again, but I was punching holes through the center of my targets, whereas my FN has always shot a bit low. This I attribute to the combat sights I recently placed on my FN which I am still getting used to, and how every other handgun I have trained with has been oriented to target sights (aligning them with the front sight touching where you want the bullet to go, as opposed to combat sights, with the front sight covering where you want to bullet to end up) but I was more directly on target with the Glock.

Precision: I had tighter shot groups with my FN, hands down. This goes back to recoil and getting back on target, or keeping my sight picture, and the smoother trigger squeeze, but I did not like how I was grouping with the glock.



Reliability: I had fully expected this category to be a wash, as I have never really had any issues with my FN after the thousands of rounds the I put through it, and Glock is known for its reliability under any conditions. I was also only shooting 100 rounds through each gun, and thats not exactly the type of volume to make any full decisions about the reliability of a firearm. I did, however, get a stovepipe with the Glock. Many times in training this can be attributed to a weak wrist on the recoil, but I was shooting both guns with the same technique and have never been accused of being weak wristed in my shooting. I am hesitant to say this is an issue with the Glock 23 in general, as I still know many who swear by them for their reliability more than anything else, and I would put this square at the feet of the range where I rented it from. The lesson from this category is that well maintained weapons make all the difference.



Target acquisition: I did these drills firing multiple shots at 10 yards, with head down and gun lowered (not at the low ready) – being the closest thing to a genuine turn and shoot or draw from the holster drill that I can accomplish at my local range. The easier sights of the glock gave it a clear advantage for the speed at which I can put a set of rounds on target. The FN was good, and I liked the smoothness of the way it operates, but getting on target quicker made the difference here. Glock won this category.



Conclusions and summary: both the Glock and the FN won an equal number of the evaluation criteria, and I will never say that a Glock is a bad firearm, but it is certainly not for everyone. I never got used to the trigger, and the grip was wider than I would have liked – but that may be biased considering how I have been training these last few years. Since this test I have been shooting my combat sights the way they were meant to be shot, and have seen a considerable improvement in putting my FN exactly where I want it instead of an inch or two low. I still think I got a bargain on my FNP-40, and won't be switching to a glock any time soon, but I do think that the two are comparable, and encourage anyone who has the means, to actually put some rounds through the various firearms they are considering before they buy. My FN will stay on my hip, and the Glock fans can keep their golden calf, but I can certainly see it's appeal.