First and foremost we had a blast during the Ohio Tactical Clinic! Everyone was motivated to learn and that made our job incredibly easy, and fun. All of the students showed up with a positive mental attitude and that made all of the difference! Starting with the Ohio clinic, we will begin publishing AARs following the event so students and staff can follow along. Planning: For those of you who don't know, here at CAG we run a membership program for proactive preppers looking to network and conduct reality based training. One of our members reached out and asked to host a specialized CAG event for his friends, family and peers in the group program. We run these clinics all the time, so of course we accepted the challenge.

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Our host was able to procure private property for our private event, with what turned out to be a class act land owner. The location was able to support the training readily and was centrally located to enough members so that the final turn out was a whopping 5 STATE showing! WI-IN-OH-KY-GA Lodging accommodations included hotels and camping under the stars! Another great chance to shake out your gear. All the coordination was easily handled inside of our membership network. DAY 1 training: Intro to combat pistol marksmanship The days class was tailored towards intro skills and ensuring the students understood their equipment and could safely handle their weapon while performing clearing, loading and immediate actions during live ammunition fires. [caption id="attachment_1043" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Working the line during live fire in Ohio![/caption] After we checked for eye dominance we started off with a solid dry fire session focusing on proper stance, marksmanship fundamentals, trigger safety and how to perform immediate action drills. The final instructor to student ratio was about 1 to 2, which made for an easy start to big day. *Note: The range safety brief and MEDEVAC plan was issued before both dry and live fires, by a designated range safety officer and medic. Following dry fire and a lunch break students lined up for the start of their live fire session. We began with 5m Bulls eye and worked on fundamentals until the students were comfortably in center mass while performing all necessary immediate drills from their chosen weapon system. Once the students demonstrated safe handling of the pistol, and tactical reloading we progressed thru out the day onto:

• Multiple shot strings
• Multiple targets
• Multiple targets lateral and in-depth
• Basic use of cover
• Familiarization fire from kneeling and prone positions

Needless to say, good times were had by all. The day went long after the prescribed hours, but this is due to the fact that here at CAG we train to standard, not to time. In the future CAG will set aside more time for the first day so students will have a better idea of what to plan for. DAY 2: Intro to Austere Field medicine (TCCC Skills) Day 2 started like day 1 and began with a discussion about what exactly is "it" the TCCC offers the good folks of America. Following a brief description of the equipment, the hands on portion of the day began in earnest. [caption id="attachment_1120" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Demonstrating how effective a TQ is with the ultrasound[/caption] The class began with a group follow along of 1 student performing the MARCH assessment while the other students watched. This way the active "medic" could sense the pressure from their peers while they tried to perform the primary basic skill set, the patient assessment. Every student had their chance in the limelight and received direct 1 on 1 feedback while they performed. Once all of the students demonstrated their ability to assess a patient, they were broken down into small groups for Scenarios and hands on skills. Covered during the days training:

• MARCH assessment
• Massive Bleeding management
• Airway adjuncts
• Chest injury management
• Vital signs and wound care
• Hypothermia prevention and treatment
• Patient hand offs and radio evacuation requests

Following a solid day of sound TCCC basics, the CAG staff and students had a chance to sit back and run thru QnA while handing out some free CAG swag. Synopsis of the Ohio tactical clinic: Bottom line is that every student who participated in the week-end tactical clinic walked away having learned the intro level basics on two, very important life saving skills. For the students, they left knowing that their journey has only just begun, and that now that they have some knowledge, the real questions can start. This was yet again another fantastic week-end training adventure for both the CAG staff AND the Emergency Action Group membership. Our EAG members continue to set the standard for professionalism and experience thru actively leading by example in their own lives, while serving as the lighthouse for others to emulate.

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Collectively the Ohio tactical clinic was an excellent example of Americans celebrating their second amendment rights as mature responsible gun owners, while insisting on learning the trauma skills to serve their communities when the time comes. What more could you ask for in a neighbor? [caption id="attachment_1049" align="aligncenter" width="660"] War gaming with our Ohio sponsor[/caption] Take home lessons for students:

1. People are hurt. Many of us, myself included have been forever changed by life, but learning to effectively fire a weapon is a critical self-defense skill. Working with injuries is part of life and marksmanship is no different. Keep working thru the "new normal" and find a technique that will fit your program in the long run. Our instructors were impressed at how hard our members worked, even when limited by prior medical conditions! This is an important factor to consider when you get home and need to work with family members and friends. You don't have to be commando fit to be safe and effective with your sidearm.
2. Asking questions is a good thing. Clarification on safety and performance is crucial to developing your self-defense program. As instructors we know, you don't know, what we know. Demand clarification and expect a professional response. After all its your money and your life we are talking about here. I'm confident CAG lived up to this standard.
3. Maintain the positive mental attitude. The hours were long and it was hot, but everyone hung in there and it showed by the end of each day. Survival is a mindset, not a stock pile. You are all leaders with in your spheres, and we commend each you.
4. Now that you've taken some classes, its ok to shop and spend a little money. We preach "learn before you pay". Make sure you know what you need a holster to do, not what you want it to look like....

In closing: We love meeting new people and we always learn something new from the students. The Ohio Tactical clinic was a great chance for us as a company and our members to bond and exchange ideas. This is what America is all about folks. Keep prepping! As always, thank you and keep up the good work!

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Tactical Ranch® operates in conjunction with Covenant Special Projects, LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned and Operated Small Business specializing in elite security consulting and training services provider for U.S. and Allied Nation Governments, Local, State and Federal Agencies and private customers. Our foundation in the U.S. Military Special Operations Forces (SOF) community provide us a unique experience-base and specific skill-sets which serve as a base for our programs of instruction.

Our Mission is to provide consistent, best-practice-based tactical and defensive training services in an ethical, responsive manner, on-time and within budget constraints.

Tactical Ranch® (TR) was founded by Tom Buchino, Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Special Forces (Ret.). Tom is a decorated combat veteran with worldwide experience having served in multiple Special Forces Operational Groups, the Special Warfare Center and School, and a Counter-Drug Organization.

Tom has recruited TR's cadre of instructors from all aspects of the SOF arena and specialized Law Enforcement personnel. TR's cadre are subject matter experts in their specific disciplines; all possessing the common goal to provide fundamentally-sound, relevant, best training to our customers.

Our cadres combat and trainer experience means you receive training by someone that has actually employed what they are instructing.

Our trainers include:

U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets)

U.S. Army RANGERs

U.S. Navy SEALs

U.S. Air Force Para-Rescue

U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations

We train to WIN!  

Tactical Ranch® distinguishes itself by providing students a cadre of subject matter experts vs. one instructor tasked with instructing a large number of students. TR operates its programs of instruction on a Student / Instructor ratio-basis; promoting course safety and ensuring each student receives necessary attention for skills development.

Through service to this nation, our cadre has developed and more importantly employed specialized skills in the world's most unforgiving environments.  We know what works and what doesn't. We are dedicated to promoting your tactical readiness, defensive posture, survivability and mission readiness.

North American Rescue (NAR) is dedicated to decreasing preventable death by providing the most effective and highest quality mission critical medical products to our military, federal agencies, civilian law enforcement, EMS and pre-hospital life savers. We design, develop and test these products based on the military's Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines, Rescue Human Factors® engineering, evidenced based medicine and an in-depth understanding of the requirements from you – our customers.

Ensuring that we remain at the forefront of casualty care as a premier provider of life-saving products and supplies, NAR has assembled a seasoned staff of former Special Operations medics, experienced Law Enforcement / SWAT / EMS healthcare providers, credentialed product development and quality professionals, former senior military medical officers and expert consultants.

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) guidelines focus on the 3 leading causes of preventable combat death – extremity hemorrhage, tension pneumothorax and airway obstruction. NAR's mission critical medical products such as the C-A-T® (Combat Application Tourniquet), ChitoGauze™ Hemostatic Bandage, HyFin® Chest Seal, ARS® Needle Decompression Kit and Nasopharyngeal Airway Kit, to name a few, directly address these causes. Together, these products have potentially saved more lives on the modern battlefield than could have been saved at any other time in history. In addition to the 3 leading causes of preventable death, hypothermia has a significantly negative impact on a trauma patient's survival rate. Consequently, NAR developed the Hypothermia Prevention and Management Kit™ (HPMK®), with other new hypothermia products in the pipeline.

Commitment to Our Customers is NAR's top priority. Whether you are on the battlefield, in an urban landscape or in austere environments, hostile conditions pose unique challenges for managing traumatic injury. At NAR, we recognize that in a post 9/11 world requirements are ever-changing for those dedicated combat lifesavers, tactical healthcare providers and law enforcement / EMS professionals who stand in harm's way to save the life of another. You are our customers and empowering you to save lives is the very heart of our business and our culture.

Our Commitment to Quality is demonstrated by NAR being an ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 Certified medical device company. These certifications mean that we adhere to the highest standards of quality and to rigorous regulatory compliance, ensuring that our products are of the highest quality and safe to use. In addition, the NAR team possesses a unique insight into the unconventional challenges of tactical medicine and is committed to providing breakthrough products that span the full spectrum of tactical casualty care, from the point of wounding to the doors of the trauma center. Is your medical device provider committed to maintaining Medical Device standards through ISO 13485? We are.

Commitment to Our Community is an essential part of the NAR culture and focuses on our charitable giving program, Operation Giveback. NAR has donated over $17 Million to primarily support Wounded Warriors and their families. With a focus on combat medics and their families, we appreciate your sacrifice and through programs like the Ranger Medic Handbook, strive to make our contributions count to the community we serve.

As "Partners In Empowerment" in our community, our relationship with the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD) provides jobs and training for their clients, who are faced with a wide variety of disabilities. Giving back to the community provides us with focus to fulfill our Corporate social responsibilities.

Green Beret Creative Director/Instructor 22 year highly motivated and decorated Army veteran who has served in both conventional units and in Special Forces during war and peacetime. Self-starter with high level of work ethic and attention to detail. Effective leader of personnel in peace and wartime. Dedicated supervisor who always puts the accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of his personnel before himself. Solution oriented problem management. Instructor of surgery and anesthesia at the Special Forces medical course. World class survival science instructor and active homesteader. Proven record of effectively managing multiple tasks with little to no guidance, in stressful environments and on short time tables. Experienced and efficient manager of personnel and equipment. Specialties: Combat Marksmanship, Long Range Mobility Operations, Urban Evasion, Long Range Target Interdiction, Tactical Combat Medicine, Austere Critical Care Medicine, HUMINT and Counter Surveillance, Combat Development/Force Modernization, Survival Escape and Evasion, and low-visibility operations. Profile, references, resume and CV available on Linked in

CEO, Instructor 20 year highly motivated and decorated Army veteran who has served in both conventional units and in Special Operations in war and peacetime. Self-starter with high level of work ethic and attention to detail. Effective leader of personnel in peace and wartime. Dedicated supervisor who always puts the accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of his personnel before himself. Solution oriented problem management. World class survival science instructor. Proven record of effectively managing multiple tasks with little to no guidance, in stressful environments and on short time tables. Experienced and efficient manager of personnel and equipment. Specialties: Combat Marksmanship, Military Freefall, Urban Evasion, Explosive and conventional Breaching, Tactical Combat Medicine, Austere Critical Care Medicine, HUMINT and Counter Surveillance, CBRN mitigation, Survival Escape and Evasion, and low-visibility operations. Profile, references, resume and CV available on Linked in

The Family Radio Service (FRS) is an improved hand held, unlicensed radio system authorized in the United States since 1996. This personal radio service uses channelized frequencies around 462 and 467 MHz in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. It does not suffer the interference effects found on citizens' band (CB) or cordless phones, toys, and baby monitors. FRS uses frequency modulation (FM) instead of amplitude modulation (AM). Since the UHF band has different radio propagation characteristics, short-range use of FRS may be more predictable than the more powerful license-free radios operating in the HF CB band.

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Initially proposed by Radio Shack in 1994 for use by families, FRS has also seen significant adoption by business interests, as an unlicensed, low-cost alternative to the business band. FRS is a great starter radio for families looking to chat around their property on the go during a hike. FRS doesn't require a license and is limited by the FCC with regards to the power output which significantly hampers its use for people looking for an all around emergency radio. There are FRS/GMRS hybrids available, but that will be covered in another article.

Data: FRS radios use narrow-band frequency modulation (NBFM) with a maximum deviation of 2.5 kilohertz. The channels are spaced at 12.5 kilohertz intervals. FRS radios are limited to 500 milliwatts according to FCC regulations. Channels 1 to 7 are shared with low-power interstitial channels of GMRS, the General Mobile Radio Service. A license is required for those channels if the power output is over FRS limits. Unlike Citizens' Band (CB) radios, FRS radios frequently have provisions for using sub-audible tone squelch (CTCSS and DCS) codes, filtering out unwanted chatter from other users on the same frequency. Although these codes are sometimes called "privacy codes" or "private line codes" (PL codes), they offer no protection from eavesdropping and are only intended to help share busy channels. Tone codes also do nothing to prevent desired transmissions from being swamped by stronger signals having a different code.

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FRS stations on channels 1 through 7 may communicate with GMRS stations on those shared channels; the GMRS stations may use up to 5 watts of power, while the FRS stations are restricted to 500 milliwatts (half a watt). All equipment used on FRS must be type accepted according to FCC regulations. Radios are not type-accepted for use in this service if they exceed limits on power output, have a detachable antenna or for other reasons. FRS radios must use only permanently attached antennas, such as walkie-talkies; there are also table-top FRS "base station" radios that have whip antennas. This limitation intentionally restricts the range of communications, allowing greatest use of the available channels. The use of duplex radio repeaters and interconnects to the telephone network are prohibited under FRS rules, unlike other radio services. FRS manufacturers generally claim exaggerated range. The presence of large buildings, trees, etc., will reduce range. Under exceptional conditions, (such as hilltop to hilltop) communication is possible over 60 km (37 mi) or more, but that is rare. Under normal conditions, with line of sight blocked by a few buildings or trees, FRS has an actual range of about 0.5 to 1.5 km (0.3 to 1 mile).

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Sources and citations:

Article: Wikipedia

The Crisis Application Group, or C.A.G. is a private group that consists of professionals and law abiding citizens committed to self defense and self reliance. Our mission is to foster a mature network of proactive, training oriented adults and sponsor dialog across our national and international network.

The Crisis Application Group, or C.A.G. is a private group that consists of professionals and law abiding citizens committed to self defense and self reliance. Our mission is to foster a network of proactive, training oriented adults and create dialog across our national  network.

Our members earn tabs for their hard work and training plus take advantage of special incentives, programs and discounts. We are supported by a growing list of affiliate small businesses in both training and retail that cater to our unique members.

There are no prerequisites to join, other than a mature attitude towards training, work and learning.