Triumph and Tragedy: The USS Indianapolis

No one on board the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) knew anything about the cargo they were carrying. What they did know was that the veteran cruiser (launched in 1931) made the trip from San Francisco to the island of Tinian in the Marianas in just ten days. The crew was proud of the “Indy”, and fo...

By Tom Laemlein

Curtiss P-36 Hawk: Hero Plane of Pearl Harbor?

At the National Museum of the United States Air Force, many visitors will see an unfamiliar aircraft at the entrance to the WWII gallery. The museum’s display of the gleaming silver fighter coded “86” on the fuselage, features a pilot boarding the plane in his pajamas, with an M1911 pistol ...

By Tom Laemlein

SWAT Cop’s Perspective: Proper Room Clearing Tactics

Editor’s Note: This article is strictly the opinion of the author and is for informational purposes only. Avoid potential threats and danger whenever possible. Please seek qualified training. In my article about how to survive a home invasion robbery, I wrote about moving to safe areas of your ...

By Randall Wilson

Making Deer Chili in Camp

Early spring crept into the North Carolina highlands, and our crew settled in for a long weekend with Search and Rescue teams while we taught a wilderness survival course. We pushed hard from first light to dusk, grabbed quick lunches, then circled the fire each night for real food. Winter still ...

By Reuben Bolieu

Get to Know Cold Steel in Three Knives

It would be hard to find two more complementary market sectors than firearms and tactical knives. As a case in point, I imagine you’re likely reading this article simply because you’re the kind of person who appreciates a quality tool in whatever form it takes. Similar to what drives the engi...

By Clayton Walker

Kingfisher vs. Zero: Shocking Victory Over Iwo Jima

A wide range of really well-known aircraft types were used in World War II, by both sides. But for every Mustang, British Spitfire, Bf109, Zero, Flying Fortress, Corsair or Mitchell bomber, there were many other hard-working planes that received little to no attention. Quite often their operation...

By Tom Laemlein

Kit and Gear Selection Part 1: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job

The procurement of individual gear to support military, police, or civil defense has a long, convoluted, but necessary history. Choosing what gear best suits your needs becomes a balance of practicality and assumption. Whether you are riding a tractor, enforcing a warrant, or running the back hil...

By Toby M

The Lost Art? How to Read a Map

It was Thanksgiving weekend. James Kim and wife, Kati, with their young daughters Sabine and Penelope, were motoring on their trip home to San Francisco on I-5, then turned toward Gold Beach on Oregon’s southern coast. The road James took began to climb. There was no traffic, and soon no cell s...

By Wayne van Zwoll
« Newer Posts Older Posts »