From the monthly archives:

July 2010

OUTDOOR GEAR: I Call BS on All Sleeping Bag Temperature Ratings

by James G · 45 comments

in OUTDOOR GEAR

This is about what it’s like to sleep in a transit tent in Iraq

About 4 or so years ago I was working on a gig in Iraq where I had to fly and drive to FOB’s* all around the country and stay in tents, empty buildings, transit housing and even the great outdoors. But the majority of times I ended up in a transit tent on the ass end of the base.

After spending a about a month freezing my ass off in the tents (believe it or not the AC in transit tents in Iraq is freezing) with no blanket (on some FOB’s they have 9 to 5 billeting or they don’t give linen to transient folks) I got smart and started lugging 2 furry-ass hajji blankets around with me base to base.

The problem was the 2 hajji blankets I had took up way too much space (everything I used I had to shove in a ruck) and were a bit heavy, so I decided it was time for my ass to get a real sleeping bag. It had been about 15 years since I last bought a sleeping bag so I really didn’t have a point of reference when looking for one. I basically needed one that was light and took up very little space.

I spotted an ad for a sleeping bag that was rated to 40 F and rolled-up into a pretty small package, I knew it didn’t get anywhere that cold in a tent (probably no colder than 60 F) so I ordered one up. When it arrived I was all too happy that I wouldn’t have to lug my furry bright red hajji blankets around with me anymore.

And luckily for me the day it arrived I ended up going on mission that same night to a FOB where I knew I would be staying in a cold ass tent.

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{ 45 comments }

INFO SECURITY: Don’t Have a Computer? You’re Still Hackable!

by Norm W. · 9 comments

in Info Security

Just like a computer or your email a car can be hacked

Back in the beginning of June, Fox News did a piece on 10 items that almost everyone own that are becoming new targets of attack by hackers.

I’m going to give my own personal thoughts on each of these items however I’m going to do it over several articles.

The first article I’m going to do is Your car.

I’m going to extend this to all portions of the vehicle and electronics included within the vehicle such as the computer terminal (for LEO, FF, EMS and some military vehicles), the GPS system which is now integrated in many vehicles, and the onboard mapping system.

This actually takes my list down as it’s combining several of the items on the original list.

Many vehicles out there are now coming stock with on board mapping software, GPS systems, etc as well as bluetooth, cellular, hands free, On-Star and a myriad of other computer oriented on board systems.  It has been proven that blue tooth is easy to hack providing almost no security whatsoever.

It’s easy to ‘blue snarf’ a vehicle and listen in to anything being said, phone conversations, map directions, confidential conversations, etc.  This is why some government agencies are disallowing blue-tooth as part of anything but a mouse connection these days, and even that can open up a hole for someone to connect and grab data.

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{ 9 comments }

DVM – Army Banned

by DV Mag Staff Article · 29 comments

in Uncategorized

Getting blocked on NIPRNET is almost as gay as Multicam

Well it looks like DVM is blocked on NIPRENT (the DOD non-classified network that most soldiers use to surf the net in places like Iraq and Afghanistan).

Not really sure why, could possibly be the language – but other websites with fuck and shit in every article are not blocked.

Honestly this pisses me off, it’s not like we post smut pictures or talk bad about the military (quite the contrary, we are way pro-Military). I am guessing that we pop-up under some sort of pulse-less blog and “naughty” language filter.

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{ 29 comments }

TACTICAL GEAR: If I Hear One More Tactical Gear Manufacturer Say “Our Gear is Used by Special Forces” I am Going to Kick a Kitten in the Head

by James G · 58 comments

in Humor,Tactical Gear

Really?

Attention Tactical Gear Manufacturers: Not only do I not believe that Special Forces guys carry your 3-foot long Tactical Tomahawk or 8000D MOLLE checkbook cover into combat – I just don’t give a shit.

Every time I read a new tactical gear product description I am hoping in my mind that: “this will be the one, the 200-pound catfish of Tactical Gear Ads, the one that will not have a single mention of Special Forces or (insert High Speed ninja-like tactical group) using it to fight for freedom in faraway lands”

But, alas no sooner I am thinking “this is a pretty cool piece of kit” BAM! There it is in all capital letters – “used by Navy SEALS in Afghanistan to fight Al Qaeda” at the bottom.

I am not sure what Tactical Gear Manufacturers are thinking when they take out adds like this in magazines and online. Do they seriously think someone will look at their MultiCam nalgene bottle case and think “man, if this was only used by Force Recon Marines I would totally buy it”?

Plus – I am not an SF guy jumping out of an airplane into East Germany. That’s great if your kit works for high-speed SF dudes who have the budget to replace their gear every mission or use it for extended combat, while living in caves for months at a time with the Northern Alliance.

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{ 58 comments }

CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS: The “Shit-Bag Hoochmate” Contractorous Douchebagnus and Hoochmate Etiquette

by James G · 36 comments

in Civilian Contractors,Douchebag Contractors

If you share a hooch with someone and you are a slob I hope you get hit by a mortar

First of all I shouldn’t even have to write this article, Civilian Contractors are grown ass men that should know better. But a high percentage of guys working as Civilian Contractors have the hygiene and manners of child. Because of that I am forced to write this article.

This version of the Douchebag Contractor is known as the “Shit-bag Hoochmate” Contractorous Douchebagnus. Things like shower everyday, don’t play rap music until 3AM and fart outside are most things normal guys know – especially when they are sharing a room smaller than most maximum security prison cells with another dude.

But not some Civilian Contractors, these Douchebags act like they were born in a cave or something.

If you happen to get stuck in your hooch with one of these oxygen thieves you should forward this story to him. And if you are currently a Civilian Contractor working in some 3rd world hell-hole look over this article to make sure that you are not a “Shit-bag Hoochmate” Contractorous Douchebagnus.

Click Here to Learn How to Behave Like a Fucking Human Being >>>

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{ 36 comments }

TACTICAL GEAR: Gear Whores in LE

by Brian O. · 14 comments

in Tactical Gear

Man it was so worth maxing out my Visa to buy this gear – I look so fucking cool

It seems lately that the norm among Tac Teams has become “more is better”. The more MOLLE on something the better it must be, and in concert with this, I must fill up all my MOLLE with Pouches. A thought process, while profitable for the million new companies that sell everything up to and including tactical ass paper, is not necessarily practical.

I agree there are certain necessities to add to the vest dependent on your position on the team. Flashbang pouches, ammo pouches, are some obvious ones but the filling of a vest just because you can, could hinder you. Just because it has MOLLE or Velcro, doesn’t make it tactical. The whole reason behind MOLLE is that you can add what you need.

Lately, any swinging dick can take some green cordura nylon and put a fast-tek buckle on it and keyboard commandos will buy it. It becomes about showing the other guys on your Team that you are an internet pathfinder who can find the “latest and greatest”.

Next time you are about to click the “purchase” button on one of those sites, sit back, count to ten, and decide if you really need it. Save your pennies from the crap that you would have bought and invest in better quality necessities.

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{ 14 comments }

KNIVES: The Myth of Automatic Switch-Blades/Knives

by Lorenz Lo Szabo · 13 comments

in Knives

Even jack bauer loves a Microtech

First this article was written to vent off – consider it a therapeutic session. Second who came up with the idiotic term of “switch-blade”? Anyway, the main idea of this article is to stop the argument that Navy SEALs, SWAT operators, or “real operators” would never use an automatic knife in a serious situation.

When I speak of automatic knives, I cover Microtech. I am also aware that Microtech built a reputation that not everybody likes. To summarize my feelings: I own too many to hate this company. My Microtech SOCOM Elite is properly my most carried knife. There are also alternatives from companies like Benchmade, Gerber, Protech, and many others.

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{ 13 comments }

TACTICAL TRAINING/H2H: 80% of Your Tactical Training Should be H2H

by James G · 21 comments

in H2H Fighting,Tactical Training

keep dreaming dude – This will never be you

What is more likely to happen to you:

- Some insecure ass-hole hassles you on the street outside your office or in a bar and you are forced to go H2H with him?

- You get into an epic gunfight burning through half the AK mags in your chest rig?

Unless you are Military, a Civilian Contractor working in a hostile environment, LE, or employed in some sort of high risk profession the chances of you getting into a shoot-out where you use the high speed skills you learned at some tactical ninja school are about zero.

But the chances of some douchebag, “tough guy” or thug forcing you to defend yourself using H2H are damn high if not guaranteed to happen at some point in your life.

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{ 21 comments }

INFO SECURITY: Password Complexity – How to Keep Your Crap Safe

by Norm W. · 9 comments

in Info Security

In today’s online connected world, there is a HIGH requirement for one to keep a user id and password for just about everything.

Back in the day, you were lucky to have to remember one or two user id’s and passwords.

Currently I’ve got at least 60-70 user id’s and passwords to remember between personal and work (and I’m sure I’m being conservative on the number there).

There’s a few different ways you can do this.  You can;

•    Use the same user id and password
•    Use the same user id and different password
•    Use the same password and different user id
•    Use different user id’s and passwords
•    Use easy user id’s and passwords
•    Use complex user id’s and passwords

Let’s take a look at a few of these.

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{ 9 comments }

SEARCH AND RESCUE: Finding a Body

by Alex S · 5 comments

in Search and Rescue

IF YOU WORK ON A SAR TEAM, YOU MAY END UP SEEING DEAD PEOPLE

If you work on a search & rescue team, there will inevitably come a time when you go on a callout and find your missing person dead.  It’s obviously not the optimal outcome but it is an inescapable fact of the job.  There also may come a time when you are asked by our friends in law enforcement to find a body for them.  It’s not pleasant by any means but as the old saying goes – it’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.

In this article I’m going to run down some of the basics on what you can do to help yourself in the event of discovering a body.  Naturally this is an extremely broad subject and I cannot pack everything you need to know into one article, nor would I try to, but these basics should help you and your team on discovery.

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