Alright, boys and girls, this is your captain with no name speaking…wait, sorry, wrong movie…. So, HH6 went through the suggestions here on the blog’s comments, and those sent to her via the email account. She picked out a selection that she was most impressed with, and we selected two. Yes, I can break the rules of the contest, because it’s my contest. We’re going to send both recipients the prizes (since “W” only wanted a hard copy of Volume Two, that even makes it easier.) The winners are: Matt, with the suggestion of “developing a PT program within the tribe and how to develop the tribe and mindset as part of that.” and W, with specifically, his suggestion of “engagement/psychological preparation of children/youth in your planning and preparations—what the hell are you going to do with TMO?” While others brought up planning and preparing with/around the children, we went with W’s because he suggested two other things that in themselves would’ve been selections HH6 would’ve chosen for winners, on their own merits. “Vehicle preparation: what kinds, what parts, what skills, hardening…” (Of course, those who have read Volume Two recognize, he’s going to get his answers to that one post-haste, now, isn’t he?) “Medical (may be too close to what Pineslayer suggested, but it was on my list): What the Hell do you do with someone past immediate first-aid when/if WROL and follow-on care is not available.” (Short answer, is the toughest part of the TC3 class that I present, and that goes something like this: “You can do everything wrong, and the patient can still survive. You can do everything right, and the patient can still die. Sometimes, shit is just out of your control. So, control what you can control, do the right thing, and pray to whatever gods you believe in—and praying to the gods of the patient probably isn’t going to hurt either.” While others came up with those independently, HH6 decided to go with W, because he threw a bunch out there and had three winners in one. All that having been said, there were a LOT of solid suggestions, and expect to see some of them addressed in coming articles, despite not being the winners today. Some of the article suggestions have been covered, ad nauseum, on the blog in the past, and for the most part, my thinking on them hasn’t changed all that much. Some of them I’ve never done articles on, am not doing articles on, and will not do articles on, because they are either a) asking for trouble to write about, or b) do not belong on the open internet. Oh, and in response to W’s final question, “What are you doing in May that covers nocturnal ops?” It’s a private class for a group of students who have all been in multiple courses with me, and have proven their ability to perform, under pressure, safely. All of my classes cover low-light operations to some degree, but open enrollment classes tend to be less in-depth on the subject for a variety of reasons ranging from disparate skill levels and safety considerations to range limitations on night fire. Matt and W, email HH6 your shipping addresses ASAP and we’ll get your books out! Happy holidays. John Continue reading...
