Welcome to the Thanksgiving to Christmas stretch. This year it will be a hard time and we all need to be safe. It’s a good
Only 2 of 50 states are not in red condition for COVID-19. We’ve had almost a complete year to deal with this virus and have
I’m putting these three together. They seem common sense, but then again. I’ll discuss fire further on in more detail. Task Nine Mild: Drowning Prevention
Hand in there. We’ll get to the exciting stuff soon enough. To prevent choking and suffocation There’s a reason certain toys are designated for certain
I know these tasks about the home seem mundane and not as sexy as learning to start a fire with a box and piece of
When we think survival, we picture someone out in the wilderness in a pine tree lean-to, but we spend most of our time in our
Further evaluate the people on your A-Team. Task Five Mild: Evaluate and list the following for you and each member of your A-Team. Name: Overall
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] One size does not fit all. A key step in preparation I found most preparation and survival books
For future tasks, I include specific information about gear and equipment. The items linked are for reference purpose. I personally have all things listed. Feel
Unless you plan on being totally alone in an emergency there are others who are on your “A-Team”. A-TEAM refers to the people you will
Over the next six weeks, I’m going to post every survival task from the Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide, one by one. If you
We are living in a surreal environment in the United States. We have a president who lost an election, claiming he didn’t lose it and
When I consult with clients about the Area Study and preparation for disastrous events, I often run into those who favor a fixed position for
While people focus on election results, COVID-19 is surging on a daily basis. We’ve hit peak and there’s no end in sight. I know of
The White House surrendered; hell, they never even fought. But that doesn’t mean we have to. We are at record numbers with no relief in
I hope everyone is enjoying cooler fall weather. My latest release, The Green Beret Guide to Seven Great Disasters (2) is out today. This series
Having served in the Special Forces Group that focused on Winter Warfare, I spent several months every year not on deployment, training at high altitude
I just finished updating my Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide and an addition to the new edition is a listing of books I believe
While researching the Donner Party, the thing that struck me wasn’t what everyone focuses on: the cannibalism. That’s almost an afterthought to all the mistakes
I’m in the process of updating all my nonfiction and this morning I went through my free slideshow on useful apps, adding a couple, including
We’ve noticed this summer in Tennessee has been more humid than usual. To the point where working outside is fraught with the danger of heat
“We must share together the bad news and the good news . . . So far, the news has been all bad. If you feel
That’s the latest prediction. Which means a surge and more than double the current death toll coming in the next four months. This is the
I “what if” for a living. What makes Special Forces elite is our planning before the actual mission. Planning for all possible contingencies, on top
Wildfires, hurricanes, COVID-19, and more. 2020 has not been the best of years and it’s not over yet. The Green Beret Pocket-Sized Survival Guide is the survival
Laura is growing in strength. And it won’t be the last of the season. Adding to the problem is evacuating in the midst of a
I wish I could be more optimistic. I am at a certain level—I think the average American is a decent person. The problem now is
World War III. The use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons on a large scale. A series of local conflicts that disrupt trade and commerce
During my recuperation I watched a cheerful movie, Threads, It’s from 1984 and it might seem outdated, but it actually is one of the best
Been out of the net for a few days, but back now, better than ever. It only cost six million dollars but I can jump
Yes, that’s a plane that crashed just short of the runway. Why? Because the pilots shut down the wrong engine. And people in the rear
Gives you a basic Grab-n-Go bag. Whether it’s just a short jaunt in the woods or a longer day-hike, these are things everyone should carry
It didn’t need to happen. Really. Logic and science said it would; but both were ignored. So states re-opened, after never really shutting down and
I’ve been updating my free slideshows on various survival and life preparedness information. The latest are in the subject and gathered on one page HERE.
I’ve done a lot of research on both natural and man-made disasters. Also on survival. Certain things kept coming up in after-action reports that people
That sums up the apocalypse that is the United States. Betsy DeVos, Sec of Education, summed up this administration’s approach to the pandemic this morning
2020 needs a do-over. But that’s not going to happen. A lot of people are in denial right now but here is reality: Nothing is
Wildfires can be devastating. They’ve wiped out entire communities. They can occur in many different places. They’re fast, often over-running those who wait too long
Above is the weekly trend. It aint good. To understate a bit. The Federal government never really took charge when the pandemic struck. At first
There’s no other way to title our current reality. Science doesn’t care what your political beliefs are. Nor your religious beliefs. It doesn’t care what
I just redid my free slideshow, with links, for the Grab-N-Go bag, updating a number of items. This is a critical thing everyone should have.
IRP stands for Immediate Rally Point. This is a point outside of your home where your family can gather if they have to evacuate the
Remember, many of us don’t have phone numbers memorized. We rely on the address book of our cell phone, but in an emergency, that might
I wrote my first draft of The Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide about a decade ago. I did my first version of a free
And it’s even worse than the reported information. We know a number of states are playing fast and loose with their numbers and under-reporting. Also,
The note is what Eisenhower penned in case the D-Day landings failed. The most obvious part of it is that he was going to take
As we watch major industries such as the airlines implode, I wonder how many had a plan for a pandemic? After seeing the utter debacle
I went to the grocery store last week for our bi-monthly resupply. It seemed to me that some shelves were barer than before. Meat was
The helicopter flies over you, carrying them to the airport; but not the part where you have to go through security and take your shoes
The spread of Giardia has made most water sources that you used to be able to trust, unsafe. Whatever purification system you use, make sure
And, technically, it is pocket-sized if you put it on your phone in the Kindle ap. But the print size is shown above against an
I’ll get back to more information on water tomorrow, but today I’m in a state of shock over the images from Wisconsin, where their supreme
While water does not appear to be priority for most people in terms of the pandemic, it is a priority for survival if some other
Beyond the Four Basics and doing an Area Study, the next priority is having a Grab-N-Go bag. At least one. I have one in the
Official reports show that 33,000,000 Americans have filed for unemployment in the past month. The equivalent of the work force for half the states in
We wasted the last two months. That’s what historians will focus on. Why did we shut things down and not aggressively test? What good did
Facts: On the day that TN/LA/TX and GA report the most cases and most deaths in the previous 24 hours, those states are relaxing their
I’ve been out of the net for a couple of days meandering in the Jeep in the Smoky Mountains with Scout. We explored the Cherokee
California was shaking the other morning. We had deadly tornadoes in this area last week killing 33 that would have been front page news except
The diagram seems to suggest the curve is flattening, which would be good news. The reality is testing is so poor in terms of numbers,
We’ve heard all the news about the need for ventilators; a big reason for that is because by the time many people are admitted to
Listening to the news today it felt like a lot of people are acting like we’re on the downslope of this pandemic, while I feel
The saying above is a truism. Most Americans have been living in a bubble most of our lives. Protected from a harsher reality. Even now,
A happy picture, although they are not adhering to social distancing, of Scout and Cool Gus in my office with Tigger ready to pounce in
The image is supposed to be of 10,000 people lined up, waiting for a food bank to open in San Antonio. I’ve seen similar lines
In the midst of all the bad and the negativity and the naysayers and deniers, it’s important to carve out some time to be grateful.
The picture is of volunteers standing outside a medical center in Italy. They’re holding bags of food to hand out to those less fortunate. Italy
The map above is the estimate chances of an epidemic across the country. The darker, the worse. I sometimes wonder how this event will be
The first thing I have people do in my Survival Guide, and when I conduct Survival Workshops, is an Area Study. Why? Because everyone’s situation
Got your attention? Sadly, if you’re reading this, I’ve probably had your attention. I despair of the stupidity and willful ignorance in this country. We
I haven’t posted the map in a while. Note Florida is heating up. These maps and all the numbers are really skewed by how few
Long day of trying to rest my eye after the surgery—supposed to spend most of the day on my left side as well as all
Pandemics don’t just come and then disappear. They come in waves; hopefully smaller and smaller waves, but until we have a vaccine, COVID-19 will be
I’m a big fan of SOPs—standing operating procedures. These are ones I received from a reader, Fred, and I think they make sense PROTOCOL WHEN
My surgery went well, did a follow up with doctor today and he said eye looks good, but I’m out of commission for a while.
There are many who think we’ll be okay in two or three months. Wrong. Two things to consider: The fact we have no coordinated federal
Change is incredibly difficult. A little change brings discomfort. A lot of change brings fear. There is a very thin line between discomfort and fear.
We canceled our home delivery of the NY Times 2 weeks ago. My morning ritual used to be to walk down to the mailbox with
Every training environment I was in, and every unit I served with in the Army emphasized leadership. From West Point, to Infantry Officer Basic and
I’m not a glass half full; glass half empty guy. I’m a “what’s in the damn glass?” person. To understand my psyche, realize I’ve written
My son just forwarded me the California lockdown order; which is probably a week late, or early, depending on your perspective. It’s a huge pain
The less you have to go out, the better. Hopefully you’ve stocked up as much food and supplies as you can. Your freezer and fridge
At one time in Special Forces, my team was given the mission to parachute into a certain place and conduct covert surveillance on various targets
Lots of closures, some optional, many mandatory. Without clear Federal oversight, states and local governments are doing what they can. I drove to the woods
We “know” SARS-CoV-2 is well beyond containment. Schools are being closed, athletic events canceled, etc. In larger cities, more and more activities are being shuttered.
these next six weeks or so, even though it is likely almost all of us will eventually be exposed to the virus (ie it’s not
A woman said they were going to the store and someone yelled to them from a car. She went over and there was an older
CDC is reporting 1,215 cases of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19/Coronavirus. Pick your name. The first is the technical one. The latter is what everyone is calling it, but
This is based on recent observations, mostly from China, and medical journals, and is ongoing, but these appear to be trends: Coronavirus spreads slower than
According to the World Health Organization, the chart below shows the differences between all three. Remember, though, each can manifest differently in different people, but
This is a review that was left on The Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide on Amazon and it hits exactly what I was aiming
Yes, SARS-CoV-2, is the official name of this form of Coronavirus. I think people don’t want to use the SARS term as it stands for
There’s a Good Chance We Will Be Exposed to the Coronavirus. Caveat: I am not a doctor and just referring to the information I have
What makes Special Forces elite is our training and, most importantly, our planning. Before going on a mission, we would conduct “Isolation” where we would
Researching available data, I’ve summarized the information in this free slideshow. I’m not a doctor or scientist, just a practical person. In Special Forces what
It’s too late to prepare after a disaster or emergency strikes. People are finding this out now as they realize they can’t buy facemasks, either
There’s considerable disinformation and confusion about the extent of the virus. Some of it is deliberate propaganda. Some of it is exaggeration. Nevertheless, the virus
In an era of coronavirus, wildfires, drought, power outages, tsunamis etc, we know we have to do some preparation for possible disasters. But if you
I participated in numerous winter warfare training exercises and deployments with 10th Special Forces, the one Group that is focused on cold weather and high
