Recently I had a short conversation with some guys about how I stay fit and capable of hauling a 30 pound plus combat load up and down hills all day without much need for recovery time. As is normal, I get asked how I got to where I am in fitness and how one might get to the same point. I always say the same thing…. stay away from the gym. I will explain more later in this article, but the core message is that in order to get good at something, do that ‘something’ a lot, and then do it more with little food and rest. Sounds simple, right? It is so simple that people have a hard time believing it. 

​In order to be best prepared to perform as an asset in combat, you must first master the conventional positions and movement techniques on an individual level. Failure to change positions rapidly or cover ground quickly can result in you becoming a casualty, and thus becoming a liability to your team. For this reason, the individual is obligated to master their IMT or Individual Movement Techniques. Quick position changes and controlled movement is ideal. This demands a level of fitness that you cannot attain by going to the gym. The best way to reach IMT mastery is to practice these techniques through a sensible progression.

​After recently participating in both HEAT 1 & 2, I feel like I am qualified enough to give Max Velocity Tactical a semi-thorough look-through to inform you on the training opportunities they offer. They currently have 6 regularly scheduled class subjects, to include an Alumni get together in Texas each year, which I will attend, if able.

​During the middle of April, I attended a four-day tactical training course run by Max Velocity Tactical. The class was Hostile Environment Advanced Tactics 1 (HEAT1). In a nutshell, the class is an introduction to team fire and movement techniques and procedures. Nearly all the skills you learn are published in the tactical manual, seen above. During my four days, I camped on-site in the parking lot, in the back of my RAM and I insisted on walking/jogging with all my gear to & from the ranges. The four-day course of instruction cost $1200. You will not find a better environment to learn and practice real light infantry TTPs under the supervision of highly skilled cadre (Max and Scott). In this review, I am not going to talk about the play-by-play of the HEAT 1 class, but rather discuss the big-ticket subjects that you should be taking away from this class.

​The CCE camouflage pattern was introduced by the French Army in the early 90’s and has survived the test of time as a venerable camouflage pattern. Despite its’ good service record, the pattern is rumored to be replaced by the Scorpion pattern starting in 2024. The good news is that this means there will be a huge amount of CCE gear and uniforms coming to the surplus market. Will it be right for you?

​Self-defense is a broad subject that many of my fellow gun geeks have distilled down to the act of shooting an attacker. Based on my training and experience, there is a whole lot more to defense than pulling a trigger. In fact, defense goes well beyond learning ‘Gun-Fu’. There are stages leading up to the attack that you can see, countermeasures that can be taken, contingencies you can/should train for, and even methods in which you should conduct yourself before/after the critical incident, in the eyes of the law. The greatest flaw in mainstream firearms training is they are only preparing you for pulling the trigger, even in “self-defense” classes. This merely reinforces the myopic ideology that defense revolves around the trigger. I get that instructors will pander to the mainstream to keep their business alive, but I feel that classes can at least be enhanced or modified to include the reality of defense. But in the meantime, let me fill you in on a few things to munch on in your mind.

​Macro circuit is a made-up name, as far as I know. I could not think of a better way to describe what I am talking about. Macro circuit training is a way of running through different training subjects throughout the day in a continuous loop for 12 hours at a minimum. In my opinion, it is the best way to get the most bang for your buck and develop physical adaptations and/or learn, especially when time is limited. Keep in mind that this is a very extreme method of conditioning, and it has a very niche purpose to it. The focus is mainly for conditioning people for the rigors of combat. Getting them used to hard work, having to focus and perform, then getting a slight rest before doing it all over again. This is just like combat in the worst case scenario. 

​There are some misconceptions about light infantry out there. Some people seem to have this vision of lightly armed, highly maneuverable infantry using conventional tactics. Though history has shown a gross misuse of light infantry by mostly western forces (using them as line infantry), their training, tactics, and capabilities are more on par with special operations forces. In this article, I am going to talk about some of the characteristics that are under-appreciated in light infantry.

​The American Civil War is filled with lessons for politicians and warfighters alike. You could write a book about all that we could learn from the losses that were suffered by soldier and civilian alike. The war that our new nation was immersed in was an entertaining spectacle for the rest of the world. The Civil War changed warfare for the world in some ways, but in other ways, it took WW1 for the rest of the world to see the light. From my understanding of the Civil War, we are running a parallel course and at risk of repeating some of the same conceptual mistakes made back then. In this article, I am just going to hit some of the wave top subjects, or else this piece will take forever to get published.

​It may come as a surprise when I tell you that I am an avid reader. I gain a whole lot of inspiration from books, and my book collection has now overrun my bookshelf space. I download Kindle books when printed options aren’t available, but I find printed books to be my favorite method of reading. With that said, one of the largest genres in my collection is history. History is a very big genre because it encompasses everything that happened before right now. That means we will always have things to capture, record, and study in future generations.

​Since the beginning of my journey as a gun owner, I have wondered if it makes more sense to have one gun to carry all year or different guns for different occasions and seasons. I know there will be people who side with one option over the other, so I am going to briefly discuss both. Consider this a brainstorming session for evaluating both opinions. Who knows, there may be a compelling argument you hadn’t thought of before, so stick around and read through.

​The M16A2 was the weapon I qualified with in Marine Boot Camp. It was rugged and easy to use. When I was in the Fleet, I mainly had an M16A4 which weighed as much as my Tavor7 after being all decked out with sight, light, laser system, sling, grip pod, and cleaning kit in the stock. Recently I bought the 20” PSA15 (Palmetto State Armory) with the old school sight system, handguards, and Mil-Spec everything. I wanted to take a few moments to look at the concept of the M16 platform (A1, A2, A3, A4) and why I even bothered going with this type of system over the venerable and much loved M4 style (16”) rifle.

​Firearms skills is the only physical skill that I know of that is sold as something that can be taught in an 8-hour class. By the end of the day, depending on your learning ability, you will be shooting relatively well or even better than you thought you could. However, after 24 hours, a majority of that end-of-day performance will have vanished. Why? Because that is just how the human brain operates when it is exposed to a new physical skill. Sorry, but you will not just be able to shake off the rust in 10 years just because you took a particular class with someone who made you feel good about yourself for $300. My aim in this article is to expose you to the complexity of learning how to shoot. Even getting to the point of being ‘good enough’ will be trivial and difficult.

The ALICE LCE system was developed around the lessons learned in Vietnam and prior. All the gear, for the most part, is made of nylon which is lightweight but incredibly durable. It has been used and abused and carries with it a controversial record. Though modular, it is limited to the belt and not all components worked out all that well for carrying heavier loads, such as the Y-Harness system. Some military units had mandated set ups, which gave soldiers and Marines a further dislike of the system. For my purposes, I am not only unrestricted on how I set up the ALICE system, but I am also inspired by the functionality of the British PLCE. By blending ALICE pouches on the US web belt and utilizing a Danish Yoke, I have what I feel is the best fighting system for conventional combat.

​I spent 5 years and change in the Marine Corps infantry. I was wounded in Afghanistan and was stabilized before being medically retired at the ripe old age of 23. My military experience gave me incredible experience and exposure (though limited for sure) to how a battalion is run and how it fights. More than that, I got to see the small & large picture of serving during a time of war and experienced its benefits and shortfalls. In this article, I am merely going to describe my analysis from 50,000ft (so to speak) of what it is like to serve in the military. This is not going to be fully detailed, but should hit the wavetops of how it affects the psychological state of a US citizen as they serve in our volunteer military (during my time, anyways). Just remember this is my isolated experience being condensed down to be honest and comparable for someone unexposed to military life. I cannot speak for current Marines or even other branches.