Combat Studies Group

I am going to go ahead and open up December 6-8 for classes in the NW. I have had requests for T3C/Off-Grid Medicine, Combat Pistol, SUT and E&E. I won't be able to do them all this time so if you are interested in one, email me so I can lock down the appropriate subject and locale. Pick your poison and push the go button....

Thought I would post these items up as their relevance, I believe, could be important... Chinese Troops in US - Not A Conspiracy Theory This is to coincide with the upcoming GridEx2 exercise being spearheaded by the fine folks over at DHS/FEMA. Also worth noting.... Communications Down Might want to spend some time on your commo plan. Maybe get familiar with these items as well..... The QBZ-95 and variants (top picture) is the standard issue assault rifle for the PLA. Manufactured by Norinco (remember, all those cheap import AK and M1A clones back in the 90's?) it fires the 5.8x42mm cartridge..... they also have a variant that fires the 5.56 NATO cartridge, the QBZ-97. Below that is the M99 anti-material rifle which fires a 12.7x108mm cartridge.....this also has a variant that fires the US .50BMG cartridge. See a pattern here?

S2Company A good read on understanding the Intelligence building cycle. The questions you need to ask yourself as you read this are: 1) How can an enemy use this process against me? 2) How can I use this process against an enemy? 3) How would I need to modify the process to make it a useful tool in my unit's current configuration? ****  "The enemy has a reserve which can be used to counterattack into either Objective BOB or Objective JOHN.    The initial CCIR was "Where will the enemy counterattack with his reserve?".     During your IPB you might identify the details about that reserve (it's the 1-23 Tank Battalion, etc), but you won't know WHERE it will attack until it actually starts to move.   During the wargame the staff realizes that the effect of this enemy action is significant enough that it will require the commander to make a decision on the use of attack helicopters.    This   becomes a Decision Point, and the CCIR is transformed i

Continuation (part 3) of the ongoing "learning through fiction" series. Part 1       Part 2 John shifted uncomfortably as he pulled the scratchy, surplus wool blanket to his side to plug an annoying draft. He forced his eyes closed and tried to focus on the vibrations the big locomotive was producing....anything to quiet his mind from replaying the events of the last twelve hours. The adrenaline had finally subsided, but while his endocrine system may have adjusted to his current situation, his brain refused to be so accommodating. He started to stand from his curled up position in the corner of the cab behind the engineer. He was not quite erect before the engineer growled at him to keep out of sight or he would kick him out right here and now. John sunk back down, not wishing to be ejected into a pine tree at 50 some odd miles an hour. The events from hours earlier began their mental replay again - after he had squeezed out of the tiny café

In the last piece we read about the conditions the Rhodesian farmers had to exist under and some of the techniques they used to try and mitigate the dangers they faced. I would now like to look at another aspect of the homestead security problem, specifically, avoiding the siege scenario. History has shown that sieges rarely end well for the people tucked inside the walls. From the stone fortress of Masada, to the massively fortified city of Sevastopol, to the wood framed building at Waco – history begs us to take note of the lessons.....and have a viable exit strategy on hand. Dealing with small groups of bandits, looters and marauders in a SHTF scenario could in fact be a manageable problem dependent on your manpower, level of combat expertise and fortifications, but dealing with an antagonistic state level group (or even a well funded/equipped private entity) is a whole different animal as demonstrated in the three afore mentioned examples. What can make this especial

Found via a commenter at Max's place ( original post  HERE  ) "After discussing in another thread the problems with the wooden building that are so often used elsewhere in the world I thought I would post my 2 cents on how its done in Africa at many farms I have visited and read about over the years. Rhodesian Farmers Defensive Arrangements The following is a general overview: 1) Most farmers fitted hand-grenade grills to the outside of all windows and Doors leading outside were likewise security grilled. 2) Many farmers built thick sand bag walls in front and under bedroom windows to stop bullets passing through walls and providing secured firing arc's. Beds were never placed against the outside walls of a farmhouse. 3) It was usual to have a designated safe room within the farmhouse that could be defended until support arrived. Sometimes this was a central corridor that allowed the farmer to move into other rooms to attack those outside through the windo