Preparedness not Paranoia
My in and around car for day to day use is pretty non-descript. I’ve got no flashy in plain view inside worth stealing and “Kill ‘Em All” stickers plastered on the outside.
The items in my trunk are for when “Shit’s Gone South”. It would have to be a really bad day if I’ve got to deploy and employ my items, but I’d rather have and not need than to need and not have. If an active shooter is reaping havoc in a venue where my kids are, and if my local guys are not on the scene, I am going into that crisis site like a scalded ape.
The big dumb reflective vest is to separate me from the shit head in the venue. The rifle’s sight has cross hairs as well as bats (in the event the bats shit the bed). The battle bag has eight loaded mags. Inside of the battle bag I’ve got water, eyes, ears and lube. In the Day and a half bag I’ve got more “Shoot, Move, Communicate and Medicate.” I’ve got also, grease pencils, multi tool, chem lights, reading glasses (that’s right), lighter, 550 cord, and a few other nick knacks.
Patrick McNamara
SGM, US Army (Ret)
Patrick McNamara spent twenty-two years in the United States Army in a myriad of special operations units. When he worked in the premier Special Missions Unit, he became an impeccable marksman, shooting with accurate, lethal results and tactical effectiveness. McNamara has trained tactical applications of shooting to people of all levels of marksmanship, from varsity level soldiers, and police officers who work the streets to civilians with little to no time behind the trigger.
His military experience quickly taught him that there is more to tactical marksmanship than merely squeezing the trigger. Utilizing his years of experience, McNamara developed a training methodology that is safe, effective and combat relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety at all times and choose targets that force accountability, as well as provides courses covering several categories, including individual, collective, on line and standards.
While serving as his Unit’s Marksmanship NCO, he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP, and USPSA affiliations. Mac ran monthly IPSC matches and ran semi annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship fundamentals and competitiveness throughout the Army.
He retired from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting).
Tags: Alias Training and Security Services, Pat McNamara, TMACS Inc
What does the vest say? How do you keep from getting shot by the cops?
That’s my question too!!
…The fact that it’s reflective/large should highlight the intention to be identified rather than to be hidden.
It’s the same idea when police have large capital letters on their vest with “POLICE” on their tac gear.
Positive identification is usually encouraged rather than a CCW license or badge being reached from a wallet (extremely slowly of course).
If “an active shooter is reaping havoc,” preferably identify yourself first to officials on scene before bringing out the hardware (carrying nothing in your hands) and wait for the OK. Presume they will be less than receptive, even for certified Cool-Guys™. And just because one guy or one team knows who you are doesn’t mean everyone will, including later-arrivals, who might see an impertinent vest (vis-à-vis pre-planned/particularized colors/vests/armed bands) as *more* of a threat. And even then, Blue-on-Blue incidences are parade of “invisible gorillas” (even more so when there’s some guy on the University’s tactical squad who has been waiting FOR THIS MOMENT … all of his life *Cue Phil Collins Drum sounds*).
That is close to what’s in my jeep but, can’t rock the rifle most of the time since I have to go on post most days and the guys at the gate tend to frown on things like rifles and loaded mags. The way I see it is my bag is enough to sustain me for a day or two while I makes way home. Also what load do you have in those mags is it just M855 or some thing a little higher performance?
Good article! Good point, Pat!
I think any ammo you have available usually goes in mags and not loose in ammo boxes. Maybe for continuous operations I would have ammo boxes to refill empty mags I could collect when the situation is favorable to me.
Re filling empty mags I guess that would be just in case not under fire.
Some guys here defend you should train/learn/practice to put rounds one by one in empty mags without using your eyes, i.e. without looking at it, because when doing so in combat you will have to keep your eyes on the environment.
Have you ever hear about that technique of putting rounds one by one into empty mags by feeling, without seeing?
In my opinion, if I have the chance/need to fill empty mags that won’t be under fire so I will pay attention to what I doing so I do it right and fast.
Is that Prismatic on backwards?
Yes, the prismatic is backwards
I really want to know what Mac considers nick knacks. Just another idea for everyone with kids, I marked my kids exterior classroom windows with blue painters tape. One less thing to think about. I also verified I can drive my truck right to that window.
thats the kind of paranoia I can respect! Filing that one away for future use.
That looks like a DD Omega rail, but I don’t recognize the barrel nut.
What does ‘bats’ stand for? Sorry for my ignorance.
Damn it! Bats = batteries. I feel really stupid. I didn’t realize about that.
Grease pens and reflective vest. (adding those to the tool box) Check. Amazing the free knowledge you can get nowadays.
Speaking of hi-viz vest – in European Union any driver must have at least one, and not in the trunk. It’s safety regulation intended to reduce risk when driver (and passengers, in some countries) have to abandon their vehicle in low visibility conditions. And there are actually many ways to use it for safety in addition to wearing it when replacing the tire.
Really good, straight to the point article. I am currently reading on “Sentinel: Become the agent in charge of your own protective detail”, by Pat McNamara
Again, Straight to the point book.
Does anybody know what kind of sight that is?
I wouldn’t load a fighting mag without visually and physically inspecting each round that went into it for type, condition and defects.
My ANSI vest/jacket is in the door pocket of my ride-I’m far more likely to need it for changing a tire at night. A raid jacket is in my bag, way down at the bottom, cause it’s the last thing I’ll need in a crisis.
Where is the sling ding on your rifle?
Ha. Good catch. No sling ding on that rifle…yet
What optic is that? I don’t recognize it, but someone mentioned a backwards prismatic.