nra book vol 9

C-130s and The Battle for Colorado Springs

A Different Kind of Boom in Iraq

The Life of Duty That Never Ends

Saboteur: A Spy’s Story of Sacrifice

NRA National Police Shooting Championships

Welcome, NASCAR Race Fans!

The How-To Guide Every Dad Needs

WarriorWareSmith & Wesson’s small but powerful Shield, the future of joint light tactical vehicles, night vision for your iPhone, a SNAFU-ready survival kit and more.

Virtual WarriorMaximum movies, music and games for the modern warfighter.

Start Your EnginesBuckle up, race fans: The NRA American Warrior 300 is coming to Atlanta Motor Speedway and ESPN2.

The NRA National Police Shooting ChampionshipsLaw enforcement officers from around the world are headed to New Mexico to compete at the 50th annual NPSC.

Welcome to the Warrior.

American WarriorTHE NRA MAGAZINE FOR THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR N U M B E R 0 9

WAR R IOR FEATU R ESP R E S E N T E D B Y C O L T

ON THE COVER: Maj. Neil Harlow, a member of the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing, has been deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Colorado Springs. Harlow piloted one of the C-130s that rained down thousands of gallons of firefighting slurry on the inferno that threatened Colorado Springs this summer. Photo by Tom Kimmel. THIS SPREAD: While C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System provided the heavy artillery above the Waldo Canyon area, helicopter pilots did their part as well, repeatedly dumping huge containers of water over the blaze. Photo by Tom Kimmel

The Battle for Colorado SpringsAs flames threatened Colorado Springs, brave C-130 crews took to the air in response.

KurdistanThis autonomous region of northern Iraq is experiencing a boom—the good kind of boom.

Saboteur: Part 1 The hard-to-believe tale of a British spy’s sacrifice in service of the Crown.

The Life of Duty that Never EndsA military career may end, but that in no way diminishes a warrior’s value to society.

Be a Better Dad TodayReviewed: A how-to book for fathers whose careers—whether in the military, law enforcement or otherwise—too often take them away from their families.

International ALERT Academy:

From Boys to MenNRA Life of Duty

correspondent Chuck Holton introduces us

to the International ALERT Academy,

where young men learn emergency

preparedness and real-world skills.

NRALifeofDuty.tv serves as your gateway to a duffel bag full of exclusive video documentaries featuring American Warriors of all kinds. Here’s what’s hot right now:

NRALifeofDuty.TV is brought to you by

Frontlines with LtCol Oliver NorthNRA Life of Duty correspondents LtCol Oliver North and Chuck Holton report from Kurdistan.

Sponsored by

The St. of Gambier BayOur latest Patriot Profile, sponsored by Smith & Wesson, recounts the story of Seaman First Class Norm St. Germain and the USS Gambier Bay, which came under fire by the Japanese on the morning of Oct. 25, 1944.

Find out more at NRALifeOfDuty.tv

SUPPORT

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LIFE OF DUTY.

$5.00 donation to NRA Foundation. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Text STOP to 50555 to STOP. Text HELP to 50555

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NRA Life of Duty serves those who protect and defend the safety of the American people. Make sure their stories are heard; take 30 seconds to text “Patriot” to 50555, and give $5 to support the LOD mission by providing exclusive NRA LOD programming, including …• Patriot Profiles, with broadcast-network quality stories covering those at home

and abroad. • Frontlines with LtCol Oliver North, offering never-before-seen footage,

reports and interviews with the retired U.S. Marine Corps officer. • NRA American Warrior, an exclusive digital magazine with interactive

media, videos and articles detailing the latest tactics and technology.There’s more, too—insightful coverage that’s geared toward those who put

their lives on the line. And with your support, new NRA LOD programs are in development—including Live and Listening, a live commentary show; My Hometown, a place for families and friends to submit videos and stories to those deployed; plus Archives, a channel celebrating veterans and their achievements.

Help NRA tell the stories other media outlets ignore: the stories of America’s Warriors.

NRA LOD programming is free to LOD members, but it isn’t free

to produce! Pick up your cell phone and give now!

EXCLUSIVE

This Labor Day weekend, join the National Rifle Association at historic Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NRA American Warrior 300 Nationwide Series race.

“We wanted one race that focuses entirely on the life’s work of the American warrior,” said Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president. “This is a labor of patriotism and gratitude. As a tribute to these wonderful people, the NRA and Speedway Motorsports came together to make possible the NRA American Warrior race.”

If you’re new to our publication, NRA American Warrior magazine is the NRA’s bi-monthly salute to all who serve, from the armed forces to law enforcement to first responders. Each issue of NRA American Warrior provides interactive media, videos and articles detailing the latest tactics and technology.

The magazine is part of the NRA Life of Duty Network (nralifeofduty.tv). The NRA Life of Duty initiative encompasses a new class of sponsored NRA membership for all who serve—available at no cost to them—as well as a state-of-the-art online network and NRA American Warrior digital magazine.

If you can’t make it to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the 7 p.m. ET race on Sept. 1, catch it live on ESPN2.

Not every magazine has a major NASCAR race named after it. But this one does!

SHIELD YOURSELF

WA R R I O R WAREGUNS, GEAR & GADGETS FOR

THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR

A M E R I C A N WA R R I O R

SHIELD YOURSELF

THE SMITH & WESSON M&P’S SMALLER SIBLING PACKS A PUNCH.

It ain’t heavy. It’s the M&P’s smaller brother.

We’ve been fans of the Smith & Wesson M&P line since it debuted, and we know a number of our friends in the law enforcement community feel the same way. With the M&P line, Smith & Wesson has provided a dependable, ergonomically sound pistol that’s built for rugged use, yet still has an aesthetic

WA R R I O R WARE Email the Editor Visit the Gear Channel

CALIBER: 9 MM AND .40 S&W

ACTION: STRIKER-FIRED

SEMI-AUTOMATIC

CAPACITY: 7 OR 8 ROUND (9 MM);

6 OR 7 ROUND (.40 S&W)

BARREL LENGTH: 3.1 INCHES

OVERALL LENGTH: 6.1 INCHES

FRAME WIDTH: .95 INCHES

OVERALL HEIGHT: 4.6 INCHES

WEIGHT: 19 OUNCES

M&P SHIELD

EVERYTHING WE LOVED ABOUT THE M&P ... IN A SMALLER PACKAGE.

appeal often absent in polymer-framed duty pistols. Smith & Wesson did a great job of taking everything we loved

about the M&P and putting it in a smaller package with its line of M&P Compact pistols, too.

But in the world of backup and concealable pistols, smaller is almost always better, so Smith & Wesson now brings us the M&P Shield. Pint-size but powerful, the Shield measures even smaller than the previous M&P Compacts—half an inch shorter in overall length, 2 ounces lighter and about a quarter-inch narrower. Chambered in either 9 mm or. 40 S&W, the Shield in no way sacrifices stopping power for size and is fully capable of inch-and-a-half to 2-inch groups at seven yards.

Those who have become familiar with the full-size M&P, either through personal or professional on-duty use, should do themselves a favor and take the Shield for a spin. Chances are, it’ll become your new backup or concealed-carry piece.

PINT-SIZE BUT POWERFUL, THE SHIELD MEASURES EVEN SMALLER THAN THE PREVIOUS M&P COMPACTS ...

WA R R I O R WARE Email the Editor Sponsor an LOD Membership

M&P SHIELD


HUMVEEWA R R I O R WARE HUMVEE

... THE CURRENT PLAN IS TO REPLACE ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE HUMVEES IN SERVICE.several companies are competing for $65 million to produce vehicles for further testing, full production on a new JLTV would likely not begin until 2015. Even then, the current plan is to replace only about a third of the Humvees in service.

Having said that, we can’t resist the opportunity to give you a preview of what the future might hold in terms of a new JLTV. Presented here are the six vehicles competing to partially, kind of, close but not quite replace the Humvee someday … maybe.

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WA R R I O R WARE SNAFU

THE ANTI-SNAFU

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SNAFU: adj. MILSPEAK. An acronym used to describe the unchanging nature of an event or operational activity that continues or remains in a constant state of being screwed up. A condition or excuse of circumstance used to shorten what otherwise is far too long and complicated to explain.

Emergency Survival Kits have come and gone, but most rarely hit the mark because they prey upon the apprehension and ignorance of those who have no idea what the contents should be and who don’t understand how to supplement them

Email the Editor Sponsor an LOD Membership

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When seconds count, you don’t want to spend minutes digging through your emergency kit. The SNAFU Kit has a place for everything and keeps everything in its place.


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1. Cyalume ChemLights

2. Suunto MB-6 Compass

3. Coast TX10 tactical LED light

4. Ultimate SurvivalPara 550 paracord bracelet

5. SOG Trident TiNi Knife

6. BlastMatch Fire Starter

7. JetScream Whistle

8. Ultimate Survival Delta Lighter

9. WetFire Tinder

10. SOG Pocket PowerPlier

11. StarFlash Signal Mirror

for their individual needs or circumstances. A good example is all the survival kits built for earthquakes in California or the hurricane kits built for Florida and the southeast. Most of these kits offered exactly the same items, housed in a bucket or attractive sealed container, with the bulk of the contents being vacuum-sealed rations, rolls of toilet paper and water.

One can’t help but visualize the guy on his roof during Katrina wrapped in this giant piece of foil that someone convinced him was


SNAFU

an emergency blanket trying to use one of those rolls of toilet paper in the driving rain. Most of these kits are little better than those 99-piece first aid kits people buy only to find that they contain a pair of scissors that couldn’t cut you if you ran all day with them, a roll of tape and 98 Band-Aids.

The problem with other people’s concept of need for your emergency is they are never there when you open it and your personal reality has gone to hell in a handbasket. Bringing the right components together to cover a vast array of unexpected survival scenarios typically creates a mass too big to carry and a budget buster bordering on the ridiculous.

NRA Life of Duty industry partner AdvanTac Technologies, with the help of elite smokejumper Jason Ramos of Product Research Gear (PRG), has done a great job bridging the gap. They have assembled a kit with industry-renowned and military-approved survival items. This kit has reliable components to meet necessary survival needs like fire and signaling, along with

general utility tools and a soft case with a little extra space for storing items of your choosing. PRG has individually tested the components during extreme smokejumper operations.

The bundled products will save you both time and money over buying each individually yourself.

In the survival business, experts know that “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” They also know the Six P’s—“Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.”

AdvanTac has taken liberty with an age-old acronym to create the Signal, Nav, and Fire Utility Kit: SNAFU. Survival encounters offer situations nowhere near normal, and you can find yourself in a pretty screwed-up position if you fail to prepare with some basic components. The SNAFU Kit is a great place to start.

PRG HAS INDIVIDUALLY TESTED THE COMPONENTS DURING EXTREME SMOKEJUMPER OPERATIONS.


NIGHT VISION

The iTelligent adapter from US NightVision lets your iPhone camera interface with a number of military-grade optic devices.

FOR YOUR IPHONE

With its 8-megapixel iSight camera and ability to shoot 1080p

high-def video, the current generation iPhone pretty much obviates the need

to carry any additional photographic or video equipment for casual use. But what if

we want to shoot video in the dead of night?Not a problem, thanks to US NightVision’s iTelligent case

and adapter, which allows you to connect an iPhone to a


The American Armor case provides a tough layer of protection for your iPhone while the 360º clocking adapter gives it super-duper night vision.

NIGHT VISION

wide range of military-grade night vision and infrared devices. The video we’ve seen coming out of these night-vision equipped iPhones is nothing short of amazing, but don’t take our word for it. Check out the video we’ve included here and we think you’ll agree that this little device has elevated the iPhone from great to awesome.

THE VIDEO WE’VE SEEN COMING OUT OF THESE NIGHT-VISION EQUIPPED IPHONES IS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING ...

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From the “Why didn’t we think of this?” department comes a desk lamp perfectly suited for the NRA American Warrior editorial department. The Andromeda from Los Angeles-based Sketchy Design Studio is a black rifle-inspired lamp, the body of which is formed from a unique tri-railed configuration of Picatinny rails.

At the time of this writing, Sketchy Design Studio had more than 98 percent of the funding needed to go ahead with production of the Andromeda, so by the time you read this, you might be able to place your order

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If Rambo were an accountant, this lamp would provide illumination for his work.


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ANDROMEDA

WE SEE NO REASON A LASER SIGHT OR POSSIBLY A SMALL BAYONET COULDN’T BE ATTACHED TO THE LAMP.

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for the lamp at Bed, Bath & Beyond.It’s actually a pretty great idea. The use

of tactical rails allows the Andromeda to be adjusted into a number of configurations … perfect for any décor! As a bonus, we see no reason a laser sight or possibly a small bayonet couldn’t be attached to the lamp. We also see no reason a person would need to do that, but we like knowing the option is available.

Tactical rails provide many options—for rifles and lamps.

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I’M A COPThe LE QD-360-ID Identification Banner, marketed exclusively through Brownells Law Enforcement’s Policestore.com, provides a simple yet ingenious way for off-duty and undercover police officers to identify themselves as such when responding to a call, with the goal of reducing accidental blue-on-blue shootings.

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DON’T SHOOT!

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I’M A COP




BROWNELLS

When not in use, the banner stows away in a nondescript belt pouch and can be quickly and easily deployed using the non-shooting hand. Once deployed, the device provides an extremely visible identification of the wearer as a police officer.

WHEN NOT IN USE, THE BANNER STOWS AWAY IN A NONDESCRIPT BELT POUCH AND CAN BE QUICKLY AND EASILY DEPLOYED.

WA R R I O R WA R E | WA R R I O R WA R E | WA R R I O R WA R E | WA R R I O R WA R E | WA R R I O R WA R E | WA R R I O R WA R E | WA R R I O R WA R E |

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If you’re like us, your thoughts turn toward the upcoming deer season as soon as summer starts to wane.

Oh, who are we kidding? Your thoughts turned toward the upcoming deer season the day after the last deer season ended, just like ours did. We recently became aware of a new backpack from Alps Outdoorz that’ll make this year’s hike and climb up to the tree stand a lot easier. The MatriX is a spacious and sturdy bag, to be sure, but what impresses us most is its ability to securely carry a crossbow, compound bow or rifle—and we do mean securely. Two straps wrap completely around your bow or rifle, and a drop-down pocket holds it from the bottom.

The pack also includes a blaze orange rain cover and plenty of interior space and pockets


ALPS OUTDOORZ


SAND FLEA ROBOTALPS OUTDOORZ

to carry ammo, binoculars, water and whatever else you like to haul along on the hunt. The MatriX

is retailing for $99.99, but we’ll let you in on a little secret: Alps Outdoorz offers a 45 percent

discount on its products to NRA Life of Duty members. Enjoy.

... ALPS OUTDOORZ OFFERS A 45 PERCENT DISCOUNT ON ITS PRODUCTS TO NRA LIFE OF DUTY MEMBERS.

A two-strap system and drop-down pocket provide a firm grip on your rifle, compound bow or crossbow.

Front-zippered “Wing Pockets” protect and secure your firearm or

gear during hauling.

21 Jump StreetEarly on in 21 Jump Street, a detective

played by Nick Offerman (best known as Ron Swanson from TV’s Parks and

Recreation) tells bumbling cops (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum) about their new

assignment: “We're reviving a canceled undercover project from the '80s and

revamping it for modern times. The people behind this lack creativity and they've

run out of ideas, so what they do now is just recycle s--t from the past and hope

that nobody will notice.” While the title may be the same, and the set-up similar to the ’80s teen-cop show that launched

Johnny Depp’s career, this movie is far from recycled crap. In fact, it’s one of the

best and funniest buddy cop movies we’ve seen in years.

WHAT2WATCHMAXIMUM STRENGTH

V I RT UA L WARRIORMUSIC, VIDEO, GAMES, APPS …

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Wrath of the Titans Yes, it’s a sequel to Clash of the Titans, which was, itself, a remake of a movie from the early 1980s, but what Wrath of the Titans lacks in originality, it makes up for in mindless action. Set 10 years after the events of Clash of the Titans, Wrath is set in a mythical world where the gods have lost control and terrifying monsters are running rampant. Once again as in the original movie, it’s up to our hero, Perseus, to restore order. The special effects are good, the acting so-so, but Wrath of the Titans is worth a couple of hours of your time on a lazy weekend.

WHAT2WATCHBETWEEN WATCHES

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Lockout People say Hollywood has run

out of ideas, but take a look at what French moviemakers are

churning out. Lockout (a French movie, but in English) is another

in a long line of run-of-the-mill “secret agent must save the

president’s daughter who has been stranded in a space jail

overtaken by psychotic prisoners” movie. Seriously. That’s what this movie is about. And it ain’t half

bad either.

MOVIES Sponsor an LOD Membership

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Machine Gun Preacher Given the grindhouse-ready title, we went into Machine Gun Preacher expecting something along the lines of last year’s Hobo with a Shotgun. It’s not the first time we’ve been misled by a movie title (see also Naked Lunch), but in this case we were pleasantly surprised rather than severely disappointed. Machine Gun Preacher is based around the true story of Sam Childers, a drug- and alcohol-abusing biker who finds religion, travels to Africa to help rebuild homes destroyed by civil war, and ends up devoting his life to saving the young children of Sudan, who are being brutally forced into military service.

WHAT2WATCHBETWEEN WATCHES

Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior | Virtual Warrior |

Hank Williams Jr.: Old School, New RulesLike a fine wine, or maybe rotgut whiskey, Hank Williams Jr. seems to be getting better with age. On the aptly titled Old School, New Rules, Bocephus has one foot in the past—sampling his father, Hank Sr., on the opening track and joining Merle Haggard for a duet on

the closing track—and one planted firmly in the present as he gets in jabs at ESPN, social media, President Obama and anyone else who walks on his fightin’ side. Old School, New Rules is a good old-fashioned modern-day country classic.

MUSIC Like Us on Facebook

V I RT UA L WARRIOR


Zac Brown Band: UncagedThe Zac Brown Band is tough to categorize. They’re a little bit country, a little bit (Southern) rock ‘n’ roll, but they share a lot more in common with Jimmy Buffet than they do Hank Williams or Lynyrd Skynyrd. What they are is fun … and that ought to be categorization enough. This is music to be enjoyed with a beer in the hand and toes in the sand.

The Offspring: Days Go ByIt’s been almost 20 years since these Southern California skatepunks broke big with Smash, but the song remains essentially the same. While there’s nothing as catchy on their latest release as early-career hits Self Esteem or Come Out and Play, this is still a good collection of radio-friendly pop/punk songs and well worth the price of a download for fans of the band.

Cost: 99 centsAn absolutely beautiful first-person shooter for the iPhone, iPad or Android device, Dead Trigger is sure to scratch your zombie-killing itch. It’s a pretty straightforward game: You’re given a map of a zombie-filled city and a number of missions to complete. The graphics are stunning, the controls are smooth and the zombies are plentiful. Best advice: Aim for the head.


Email the Editor View Patriot Profiles

V I RT UA L WARRIOR APPS

Cost: 99 centsOur app picks for this issue have a decidedly end-of-world focus to them. It’s all fun and games, but if you’re going to survive a real-life doomsday or zombie apocalypse scenario, we suggest downloading

this app, which includes more than 60 manuals covering practical (“Bug Out Bag Tips” and “Food Stockpiling Guide”) and slightly less practical (“Counter-Zombie Operations at the Fireteam Level”) survival techniques. You can never be too prepared.


Cost: FreeWhen doomsday comes, we’ve always assumed we’ll spend our time running around an apocalyptic cityscape jumping over lava pits, dodging wrecked cars

and picking up as much duct tape as we can carry. Turns out that’s exactly the way the developers of this app envisioned it, too. If you like Temple Run, chances are, you’ll like The End, too.

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Epic Paintball WarWhere do we sign up?

YOUTUBECLIP

THE

VIDEOSV I RT UA L WARRIOR Sponsor an LOD Membership

LOADED WITH OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS


Domino Drill Team

If drill teams won wars, Belarus might

rule the world.

Test Firing the .577

T-RexYour mind says, “Yes.”

Your shoulder cries, “No!”

Fireworks Fail … or Win?Entire 20-minute display goes up in 20 seconds in San Diego.

YOUTUBECLIP


y the time you read this, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be in full swing and

no doubt we’ll all be suffering from a nearly debilitating case of Olympic fever. What better way to alleviate the symptoms of this epidemic than to fire up a video game console and plant yourself on the couch for a few hours?

London 2012: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games lets you compete in 40-odd Olympic events, including various track and field events, shooting, archery, rowing, weight lifting, swimming,

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V I RT UA L WARRIOR GAMES

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diving, gymnastics, kayaking and beach volleyball. There’s no basketball (EA Sports probably has some sort of contractual hold on that), boxing or wrestling, but outside of those notable omissions Sega has done a good job of including just about

any Summer Olympic event you can think of.

And the gameplay is engaging, for the most part. We particularly enjoyed the pistol event, which puts a premium on speed and accuracy, and archery, where every gust of wind becomes your enemy.

We tested London 2012 out on the Xbox 360 and found the controllers put to good use.

You’re not just mashing buttons here. Each event requires well-timed and often subtle manipulation of the controller’s buttons, sticks and triggers. And, if you have the Xbox Kinect system (or the PlayStation Move), you can get off the couch and throw your body into a handful of the events. Shooting and javelin throwing were probably our favorite of the motion-enhanced events, but the fun wore thin fairly quickly and we

London 2012 offers single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer...

Availability: Xbox 360 & PS3 ($49.99), PC ($44.99)

were back to using the controllers.London 2012 offers single player, local multiplayer and online

multiplayer modes. In online multiplayer, you get to choose the country you’ll represent (U-S-A!, U-S-A!) and not only can you compete against up to eight online opponents, each medal you win improves your chosen nation’s standing on an online leaderboard. We think having the ability to compete for your nation is one of the coolest features Sega brought to London 2012, but we know we’re in for a long night when we check the leaderboard and see the red, white and blue in second or third place overall.

The one downside we see to London 2012 is the lack of value in repeated play. In all honesty, we may be trading this game back in after a month or so, but, frankly, we could say the same for a lot of other games in our collection.

The one downside we see to London 2012 is the lack of value in repeated play.

GAMES Visit NRA Life of Duty Network

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t’s not due out for another month, but we’re anxious to get our hands on Sleeping Dogs, an open-world crime drama set in Hong Kong. Playing the part of an undercover cop named Wei Shen, you’re on a mission to take down one of the world’s most powerful crime syndicates. In the process,

you’ll employ various pieces of weaponry, use your character’s martial arts skills and take control of cars, boats and motorcycles in a number of high-speed chase sequences.

S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S | S L E E P I N G D O G S

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V I RT UA L WARRIOR Visit NRA Life of Duty Network

GAMES

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V I RT UA L WARRIOR

From the previews we’ve seen, the best way we can describe Sleeping Dogs is to say it looks like a combination of L.A. Noire, Batman Arkham City and a John Woo action movie. We’re pumped and can’t wait to spend some quality time with this one. We have a feeling it may be one of 2012’s best action games.

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V I RT UA L WARRIOR

f you like ample amounts of gore in your war-themed video games, Sniper Elite V2 is a must-have. The game is set in Berlin toward the end of World War II. You take the controls as U.S. sniper Karl Fairburne, a crack shot tasked with taking down a number of high-priority targets involved in the German V2 rocket program.

This is no mindless shooter. You’ll need to employ an ample amount of strategy and use cover to your advantage as you track your targets. Leave yourself out in the open or make too much of a ruckus, I

GAMES

S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 | S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 | S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 | S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 | S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 | S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 | S N I P E R E L I T E V 2 |


V I RT UA L WARRIOR

... Sniper Elite V2 goes beyond the blood spatters of most war games ...

GAMES

and you’re dead meat. Use stealth to sneak up on your targets and take your shots from a distance—you’re a sniper, after all.

And when you’re ready to take your shot, double-check that there are no children in the

room. Sniper Elite V2 goes beyond the blood spatters of most war games and employs an X-ray cam to show what your shot really does to the target: bones shatter, eyeballs burst, entrails spill. This tactical shooter is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.Gore notwithstanding, this is one of the best sniper games we’ve played in a long, long

time. The realism of WWII-era firearms, vehicles and locations allows one to become truly immersed in the game. The amount of strategy

... this is one of the best sniper games we’ve played in a long, long time.

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V I RT UA L WARRIOR

required to set up your target for a shot will give your brain a good workout, too. If you need any more justification to run out and buy this game, a downloadable content pack gives you the opportunity to take out the absolute highest-priority target of World War II—if not all time: namely, Adolf Hitler.

... a downloadable content pack gives you the opportunity to take out the absolute highest-priority target of World War II.

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Availability: Xbox 360, PS3 & PC ($49.99)

S P O N S O R E D B Y C O LT

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action: Single action

Magazine Capacity: 8

Trigger: 3-hole aluminum

Receiver: Black Cerakoted Stainless Steel

Slide: Black Cerakoted Stainless Steel

Sights: Novak low-mount with dots

Barrel length: 5 inches

Overall length: 8.5 inches

Approx. weight: 36.5 ounces

With its model O1980RG, Colt has improved upon the tried-and-true M1911 platform and produced a modern masterpiece: the Colt Rail Gun. The use of forged steel for the receiver, slide, barrel and slide stop has allowed Colt to retain the 1911’s rock-solid dependability while adding such modern accoutrements as Novak low-profile dot sights and an M1913 Picatinny rail. The ability to attach tactical lights or laser sights makes the Colt Rail Gun an ideal—and danged fine looking—pistol for military, law enforcement or home protection applications. Also available with a brushed stainless steel receiver and slide (model O1070RG) or blued carbon steel receiver and brushed stainless steel slide (model O1970RG).

A collection of images from the 1962 NRA National Police Pistol Championship, including women’s champion, Jeanne E. Bray, from the Columbus Ohio Police Department, and the championship four-man team: Larry A. Mead, Paul Clark, Harold Wilkins and Thomas Williamson, also from Columbus P.D.

After three days of competition, a group of officers from the Buckeye State had swept the inaugural NRA Police Championships. Larry A. Mead of the Columbus (Ohio) Police Department was the first National Police Pistol Champion. Jeanne E. Bray, also of the Columbus P.D. was the National Woman Champion, and a four-man team of Mead, Paul Clark, Harold Wilkins and Thomas Williamson took home the team championship.

We’ll give you three chances to guess which jurisdiction that four-person team represented, and the first two guesses don’t count. It is said that competition is an extension of firearm training, and if that’s the case, then Columbus, Ohio, must have been home to the best

n Aug. 24, 1962, 140 law enforcement officers and 20 police teams gathered in Bloomington, Ind., to put their training to the test at the first

NRA National Police Pistol Championships, hosted by the Indiana University Department of Police Administration.


B Y S T E V E N M . B R O W N

THE NRA NATIONAL POLICE SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIPS: 50 Years of Competitive Excellence

Training is put to the test at the NRA National Police Shooting Championships (NPSC)


Top: A shooter competes in the Stock Semi-Automatic Pistol Match, the No. 1 entered event at the NPSC the past four years. Above: Three-time overall champion Robert Vadasz of the U.S. Border Patrol will be in Albuquerque to defend his most recent NPSC championship. Right: The NPSC now draws competitors from around the world, as evidenced by this Russian police officer shooting the Stock Semi-Automatic Pistol Match.

police firearm-training regimen in the nation in the early 1960s.

The tactics, tools and training employed in law enforcement have all changed to varying degrees since 1962, but the National Rifle Association still hosts the pre-eminent national competition to test police officer training. Today, the competition is known as the NRA National Police Shooting Championships, or NPSC, and from Sept. 16-20 it will celebrate its 50th anniversary at Shooting Range Park in Albuquerque, N.M.

Some of the top shooters in law enforcement will be there, including last year’s champion Robert Vadasz, a senior patrol agent with the U.S. Border Patrol. It will be Vadasz’s 12th NPSC, and he’ll be looking to earn his fourth championship title.

Vadasz told NRA American Warrior that he’s been shooting well at a number of matches around the country lately, which is likely not what the rest of the field at NPSC wants to hear. He says he’s been “seeing the sights well” and is looking forward to the opportunity to defend his NPSC title in Albuquerque.

So, outside of keeping his skill sharp at regional matches, what does a champion like Vadasz do to prepare for the NPSC? He takes a day off.

“For me, it’s more about mental preparation than physical,” Vadasz said. “I try to take the Saturday off before sight-in and not shoot anything. I try to take a quick mental vacation. Then Sunday we sight in and the match starts Monday.”

Of course, on Monday it’s all business—sort of. “When I get out there, I’m still trying to have fun, even though the

competition is very important to me. I have to work hard at not taking it too seriously. I really just try to relax.”

For Vadasz, winning isn’t everything. Make no mistake: He wants to win, but Vadasz told NRA American Warrior that the NPSC is really about the camaraderie and friendship exhibited among fellow law enforcement officers. He says new NPSC shooters shouldn’t be intimidated by the competition veterans. Rather, he says they should make it a point to reach out to the seasoned NPSC shooters for assistance.

“Talk to as many people as possible,” Vadasz said. “Don’t be afraid to ask anyone a question or for a favor or for a shooting tip. Everybody in this sport is more than willing to help out.”

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK ANYONE A QUESTION OR FOR A FAVOR OR FOR A SHOOTING TIP. EVERYBODY IN THIS SPORT IS MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP OUT.

Right and bottom: Officers compete in the Tactical Police Competition. Below: Kevin McPherson will compete this year as a retired oficer.

That same advice is echoed by Kevin McPherson, who first attended the NPSC in 2008 to shoot the New Mexico challenge, an invitational match for New Mexico law enforcement officers. McPherson has competed at NPSC ever since and will do so again this year as a retired officer from the New Mexico State Police. The friendliness of the competition is one of the main things that has kept him coming back year after year.

“The first time out, I was overwhelmed by the amount of assistance we got from senior competitors,” McPherson said. “There’s an amazing lack of ego in the sport when you’ve got guys like the reigning national champion willing to set aside what he’s doing to give you instruction to help you shoot better.

“That’s something I’m looking forward to now. It’s very gratifying to me personally to know enough to be able to help younger shooters.”

The main piece of advice McPherson offers to first-time NPSC shooters: Just do it.

“Jump in with both feet and shoot everything you can shoot,” he said. “As a new competitor, the NRA makes it so easy. Even if you don’t have the best equipment, shoot with what you’ve got and learn as you go. There’ll be seasoned competitors there that will bend over backwards to help new people.”

Vadasz agrees. “Just come out and shoot,” he said. “Grab your duty gun and holster and come out. Don’t worry about comparing your scores to others—just measure yourself against your own ability. If you get a little better every time you shoot an event like this, that’s the important thing.”

And there’s plenty of opportunity to shoot and get better in a variety of disciplines at the NPSC, which has evolved over the years to match the ever-changing law enforcement officer skill set. In 1969, a shotgun course was added to the mix. With the growing popularity of the semi-automatic pistol in law enforcement, the Championships started a Stock Semi-Automatic Pistol Match in 1988 then added a Semi-Automatic Two-Man Team Match in 1990 and a four-man team match in 1995.

In 2008, the NRA met the demand for a competition employing multiple firearms by starting the Tactical Police Competition, which remains an integral, and exceedingly fun, part of the NPSC. Much like the 3-gun competitions that

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JUMP IN WITH BOTH FEET AND SHOOT EVERYTHING YOU CAN SHOOT.

The NPSC added a

Stock Semi-Automatic Pistol Match in 1988

due to the growing popularity of the

semi-automatic pistol in law enforcement.

have become so popular, the Tactical Police Competition involves the use of handgun, rifle, shotgun or a combination of firearms. It also involves a lot of movement and is set up to test an officer’s ability to differentiate between threat and non-threat targets; fire from unusual positions; make tactical decisions of how to move through a course; use cover and work around visual barriers; manage ammunition; assess hits; and balance the need for accuracy with speed.

Marc Scroggins of OMNISEC International Security Services came out on top in the Patrol Division of last year’s Tactical Police Competition. The course of fire was demanding, but Scroggins said that the difficult nature of the event is part of what makes it so worthwhile for him and the other officers competing.

“NRA’s tactical competitions are always challenging,” Scroggins said. “They had one course where everyone, including me, didn’t fare all that well. You just kick yourself after you’re done. But it gives you another objective to focus on while training for the job.”

That has been another of McPherson’s big takeaways from competing at the NPSC over the years. It forced him to get better and let him know the specific areas he needed to work on.

“There’s nothing better a shooter can do to get better than work on fundamentals,” McPherson said. “It instills confidence as a police officer knowing that you have your fundamentals down pat. Those fundamentals are what will see you through the day if you ever have to use your gun in the line of duty.”

The 2012 National Police Shooting Championships take place Sept. 16-20 and the Tactical Police Competition is Sept. 15-16 at Shooting Range Park in Albuquerque, N.M. Online registration is available at www.nrahq.org/law until Sept. 5, after which registration can be completed onsite. Registration can also be completed by calling NRA Law Enforcement Competitions at (703) 267-1632 between 9:30 and 4:30 EST. Registration is free for any shooter who has never attended the NPSC.

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E : Look for full coverage of the 2012 NPSC in the next issue of NRA American Warrior.

THE NO. 1 ENTERED EVENT FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AT THE NPSC HAS BEEN THE STOCK SEMI-AUTO MATCH.



Master Sgt. Mike Novick of

the Wyoming Air National Guard’s

153rd Airlift Wing

The Waldo Canyon Fire burns perilously close to Colorado Springs homes despite the best efforts of firefighters to contain it.


Firefighters sleeping in tents at Holmes Middle School wake up to smoke-filled air wafting in from the mountains west of Colorado Springs. The school was used as the Incident Command Center to fight the Waldo Canyon blaze and became the temporary home for hundreds of firefighters.


Head Pilot Maj. Neil Harlow of the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing describes the functions and capabilities of the Modular Air Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) mounted inside a C-130. Maj. Harlow and his crew flew numerous MAFFS missions in close proximity to Colorado Springs to battle the Waldo Canyon fire.


Thirty-six hours after receiving the call, I was on a flight to Colorado Springs. I had been there just a month earlier covering the Warrior Games, an Olympic-style athletic event for wounded warriors of the military.


Although I am a frequent visitor to Colorado, that was my first trip to the beautiful city. I had taken in the views and admired the way the Air Force Academy is nestled into the mountains, as are the bulk of the residential neighborhoods on the west side of the city. It never occurred to me at the time that this close proximity to the mountain forests could be their undoing.

As my airplane came in on a very turbulent approach that successfully evacuated the stomach contents of a young boy sitting across the aisle, I spied the first clouds of smoke wafting up from the mountains. From a distance it didn’t look that bad. The fire had only been burning for a couple of days at that point and seemed a fair distance from the city. I was unaware that the same winds that violently jostled the aircraft were also pushing the

fire at an alarming rate. The Waldo Canyon fire was burning out of control, threatening

to take the city of Colorado Springs with it.Within hours I found myself near neighboring Manitou Springs,

which had been evacuated the previous weekend. The sight of the burning mountains was breathtaking. The constantly shifting wind fueled and pushed the fire as it burned dangerously close to the Cedar Heights neighborhood, full of high-end homes. Off to the northeast, the fire jumped from ridge to ridge, working its

B Y J . R . S A L Z M A N

Three C-130s sit grounded by heavy winds at Peterson AFB during the fires.


Inset: Airmen work at refilling a C-130 with fuel and slurry mixture during a 15-minute pit stop. Bottom: A worker carefully mixes fire retardant and water aboard a tanker to create slurry before it is pumped into a waiting C-130’s onboard MAFFS.

way in the direction of the U.S. Air Force Academy. A large column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air, forming a large mushroom cloud reminiscent of a Cold War atom bomb test.

Overhead, a coordinated ballet of aerial firefighting

equipment was taking place. Helicopters carrying enormous buckets of water flew between and over ridges before dumping their loads and flying back down the mountain to refill. Specially equipped firefighting C-130s circled constantly overhead. Each one made numerous passes around the burning mountain areas before descending to a breathtakingly low altitude near the smoke, expending a long trail of red liquid in its wake. Massive and powerful, their four propellers emitted a deafening roar that betrayed the aircrafts’ slow velocity.

As an Iraq War veteran, I am no stranger to the C-130 aircraft. My last experience with the plane involved a combat landing in Iraq—a feat that involved gut-wrenching, evasive maneuvers while spiraling down to the runway until landing altitude was attained. I remember doing my best not to vomit into my Kevlar helmet, while the onboard loadmaster sprawled out on a pallet and read a Maxim magazine.

But this time I wasn’t flying, just reporting. At the daily morning briefing by officials, I met an accommodating Air Force

Admissions Liaison Officer who gave me access to the Air National Guard C-130 flight crews who were fighting the Waldo Canyon fire. I caught up with two of the flight crews at nearby Peterson Air Force Base, where they were temporarily stuck on a weather hold. As I made my way onto the flight line with my Air Force escort, we were met by a maze of hoses and lines snaking about like spaghetti on the ground.

Nearby sat a series of large red tanks, with crews hard at work managing the maze of hoses, valves and pumps. Next to them, Air Force personnel manned a giant pump and air compressor, patiently waiting for the next

Specially equipped firefighting C-130s circled constantly overhead. Each one made

numerous passes around the burning mountain areas before descending to a breathtakingly

low altitude near the smoke, expending a long trail of red

liquid in its wake.

1 2

As I made my way onto the flight line with my Air Force

escort, we were met by a maze of hoses and lines

snaking about like spaghetti on the ground.

1 Pushed by high winds, the Waldo Canyon fire burns quickly over inhospitable terrain, forcing the use of aerial firefighting equipment.

2 Firefighters receive their Operational Brief at Holmes Middle School, temporarily used as the Incident Command Center.

3 Airmen wash brightly colored slurry mixture from the outside of a C-130 after a successful MAFFS mission.

4 Master Sgt. Marshall Davis of the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing describes his duties as a loadmaster on a MAFFS-equipped C-130.

5 Firefighters rise from their sleeping bags on the lawn of Holmes Middle School.

3 4 5

C-130 to approach. This was the pit stop area for refilling the C-130s with slurry, the term given to the mix of water and fire retardant that is loaded into each plane’s onboard Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS.

As a loaded C-130 noisily taxied out onto the runway in preparation for takeoff, I was greeted by head pilot Maj. Neil Harlow, a member of the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing. Maj. Harlow is a long-time member of the Air National Guard and has seen deployments all over the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

As he led the way to his C-130 with a Wyoming Air Guard emblem on the tail and a giant, fluorescent “3” stuck on the outside, I inquired how exactly someone ends up on this mission.

“The absolutely most experienced people are the only ones who get to do this,” Maj. Harlow said. “We look for very highly experienced crew members.”

His choice of words stuck with me. It became clear during our subsequent conversation that C-130 crewmen do not just naturally ascend to the role of flying missions using the MAFFS—they are chosen. I would soon learn why.

When we reached the rear of his aircraft, I saw the MAFFS inside the cargo bay. At first glance it looks more like an adrenalized science experiment gone awry than a life-saving firefighting device in the sky.

Filling up the entire cargo bay from front to rear, the MAFFS’ main body is composed of a long, cylindrical tank that holds an impressive 3,000 gallons of firefighting slurry. Next to it rests a smaller tank that holds compressed air for operation. Hoses and cables snake about the aircraft from the onboard air compressor at the front to the control panel by the two loadmasters’ seats at the rear. A giant pipe used to dump the slurry bends its way out of the “para-door” on the left rear side. I quickly realized that using this sophisticated piece

A MAFFS-equipped C-130 (designated by the brightly colored #1) operated by the Wyoming Air National Guard sits on the flight line at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs.

“The absolutely most experienced people are the only ones who get to do this,” Maj. Harlow said. “We look for very highly experienced crew members.”


CRITICS RANGE FROM TRATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING ENTITIES THAT COMPETE FOR THE SAM TRAINING DOLLARS TO ADMINISTRATORS OR THOSE IN LEADERSHIP STILL ENTRENCHED IN OLD SCHOOL TACTICS ...

Above: Maj. Neil Harlow walks past the MAFFS dumping system extending outside the C-130. Left: Master Sgt. Mike Novick describes the operation of the MAFFS while standing in front of the dumping system protruding from the aircraft.


Utatur, conse necab idebist laut mi, opta et audam quatiis imperrovid maio que prat.of equipment involves a lot more than just flying over a fire

and hitting a button.“I’ve had people at my airline job ask me what that MAFFS

mission is like,” Maj. Harlow said. “I tell them all the normal safety features that are in the airplane have to be disabled.”

Maj. Harlow went on to explain how all the warning systems for things like midair collisions or crashing into the ground have to be disabled or they will go off throughout the entire flight.

“This is the one mission that we do that operates the aircraft to its absolute maximum capabilities, ” he said.

Despite taking off from Peterson Air Force Base with only an hour’s worth of fuel, these C-130s were still forced to take off 300 gallons short of the maximum load or they risked not getting off the ground or losing so much maneuverability that they would crash into a mountain. A full load of slurry weighs in at a whopping 24,000 pounds, not including the weight of the MAFFS itself. Because the system dumps from the side instead of the back, it actually pushes the aircraft sideways as compressed air empties 3,000 gallons of slurry in less than five seconds.

Other than landing at a nearby airfield for a 15-minute pit stop to reload the tank, little planning is done in advance of a drop. Unlike a dangerous mission in Iraq or Afghanistan, where the crew has hours to prepare and plan possible routes and contingencies, preparation consists of only a radio frequency and coordinates. After takeoff, the crew makes contact with the lead Forestry Service aircraft, typically a smaller and more agile plane circling the target area. The lead aircraft determines where the drop will take place, then uses radio communication and an onboard smoke generator to show the MAFFS crew where they will expend their slurry.

As if flying at the absolute limits of the aircraft in hostile terrain without a plan of attack isn’t enough, the crew must rely on visual recognition of the

Because the system dumps from the side instead of the back, it actually pushes the aircraft sideways as compressed air empties 3,000 gallons of slurry in less than five seconds.

The Waldo Canyon fire was burning so hot that the Forest

Service actually directed the C-130 crews to drop directly on the fire ...

something they rarely do.


target area. If the smoke is too thick or the wind changes (as happened frequently on the Waldo Canyon fire), they must circle until visibility improves, or find another target. It is a mission reminiscent of World War II bombing runs, where crew were largely dependent on the weather and visibility on the ground.

Amazingly, the ideal altitude of a successful slurry drop is only 150 feet. Too high or too low and the slurry does not dissipate properly and will not achieve full effectiveness. When done correctly, the MAFFS leaves a quarter-mile long trail of slurry on the ground to either contain or “take the heat out” of a fire. The Waldo Canyon fire was burning so hot that the Forest Service actually directed the C-130 crews to drop directly on the fire, or perform a “direct attack”—something they rarely do.

Although the eight MAFFS in use are used only by the Air National Guard, they are actually owned by the U.S. Forest Service. There are only four Air Guard units in the country—located in Colorado, North Carolina, California and Wyoming—that have the necessary experience and training to operate the MAFFS.

The value of the MAFFS was on full display over Colorado Springs throughout my visit. C-130s seemed to fly endlessly overhead, back and forth to

the fire that threatened to swallow the western half of the city, including the nearby Air Force Academy. Flying over inhospitable mountainous terrain, they methodically and efficiently fought the constantly shifting fires in ways and places that forces on the ground could not.

“It’s a tragedy that we’re here and have to do this for what it is, but at the same time we get so much enjoyment out of this kind of flying,” Maj. Harlow said. “There’s a huge amount of satisfaction. You feel like you’re making a direct, instant impact on somebody’s life.”

Inset: A MAFFS-equipped C-130 executes a fire retardant drop near the Cedar Heights neighborhood of Colorado Springs. Left: Charred landscape shows how perilously close the Waldo Canyon fire burned to homes and businesses.


As we huddled behind the rear of MAFFS #3, dodging the 60 mph winds that had swept the flames into the Mountain Shadows, Peregrine and Rockrimmon neighborhoods the night before (and had grounded the C-130s), the conversation with the crew turned to more personal matters. Despite spending a sufficient amount of time together on missions away from home—such as firefighting missions as well as deployments to Afghanistan and elsewhere—the crew still spends time together on family outings, hunting trips and other activities. It was obvious that their displays of fraternalism and friendship were indicative of a truly deep bond of brotherhood. These were the chosen few who are called upon to fly a mission like no other—one that stretched the limits of the aircraft and their own abilities.

Weeks later the Waldo Canyon fire would be 100 percent contained, but not before Colorado Springs felt the full destructive force of the fire. In all, more than 18,000 acres burned, forcing the evacuation of over 32,000 residents. Ultimately 347 homes were destroyed, and two residents lost their lives.

Colorado Springs will never be the same. But the devastation would certainly have been much worse had the C-130 crews not been on hand to tackle some of the hottest of hotspots in the battle to quench this historical fire.

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E : In addition to being an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, J.R. Salzman is also an eight-time Lumberjack World Champion

once named by ESPN “among the preeminent outdoors athletes” of the last decade.

The author with Colorado Springs Fire Department spokesperson Sunny Smaldino.

In all, more than 18,000 acres burned, forcing the evacuation of over 32,000 residents. Ultimately 347 homes were destroyed, and two residents lost their lives.

A DANGEROUS OPERATION Despite the safety precautions, the additional training requirements and the lengthy experience needed to operate on an aircrew using the MAFFS, it has recently become clear just how dangerous the system is to deploy.

Four days after meeting the two Wyoming-based MAFFS crews in Colorado Springs, a crew from North Carolina’s 145th Airlift Wing, MAFFS #7, crashed while fighting a fire in South Dakota. Four of the six crew members were killed.

Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, Maj. Joseph McCormick and Maj. Ryan David, all from North Carolina, lost their lives in the crash. Theirs would be the first U.S. deaths while using a MAFFS.

A REGION IN NORTHERN IRAQ IS BOOMING ... BUT THIS BOOM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BOMBS.

I’m 150 feet off the ground, looking down on a large and raucous crowd of Iraqi men and women. It’s my fourth

trip to Iraq, and on any of the previous visits, this scene would have included a helicopter, heavily armed troops and a flak vest. The crowds likely would have been setting something on fire. This time, it has none of those things.

This time, I’m on a Ferris wheel. During my first trip to Iraq in 2005, I witnessed the carnage

in Samarra, Tikrit and Baghdad. If you’d told me then I would

B Y C H U C K H O L T O N

NRA Life of Duty correspondent Chuck Holton

and cameraman Dennis Azato

found festivity in a most

unexpected place.

ERBIL, NORTHERN IRAQ,


23 00 hours


ERBIL, NORTHERN IRAQ

someday be back in Iraq riding rides at an amusement park, I’d have bet I would sooner be skinny-dipping at our annual church picnic. But there I was on a warm spring night, riding a Ferris wheel with my cameraman, a fellow former Army Ranger, Dennis Azato. No body armor, no soldiers in sight. The crowds were full of young, carefree Iraqis who were more likely to be posting photos on Facebook than protesting anything.

I kept wanting to check my GPS to make sure we were actually in Iraq. I mean, the news out of Baghdad was still wall-to-wall bombs, bodies and blood. Sure, that was several hours’ drive south of our current location, but after years of being the most dangerous country on the planet, you’d think any part of Iraq where it was actually safe to walk the streets at night would at least garner a mention in the press.

Then again, why should I be surprised? Even today, much of the footage being shown whenever Iraq is mentioned on TV is from firefights in the early stages of the war. I’ve seen it often in the mainstream media—whenever the news trots out an “expert” to talk about the simmering trouble in Iraq, the footage that’s shown was shot years earlier. The subtle message being given is that the whole of Iraq is just as bad today as ever.

This is understandably depressing for anyone who dared hope in 2003

NO BODY ARMOR, NO SOLDIERS IN SIGHT. THE CROWDS WERE FULL OF YOUNG, CAREFREE IRAQIS WHO WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE POSTING PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK THAN PROTESTING ANYTHING.

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BUT IF EXPLOSIONS EXCITE YOU, KURDISTAN WILL BE PRETTY BORING. THIS SEMI-AUTONOMOUS REGION OF NORTHERN IRAQ IS BOOMING, BUT NOT IN THE “BOMBS AND BODIES” SENSE.

that the U.S. invasion of Iraq would result in a safer, less volatile area of the Middle East that was at least somewhat friendly to the West. But more than a decade later, continued squabbling in Baghdad and looming civil war between Sunnis and Shiites in the south have left many Americans with the sense that all the sacrifice made by U.S. troops in that region amounts to an ill-conceived, if well-intentioned, venture. Even after the hurried departure of American troops last December, violence in many of Iraq’s major cities has continued as the radical Islamists continue to sow destruction wherever they can.

But if explosions excite you, Kurdistan will be pretty boring. This semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq is booming, but not in the “bombs and bodies” sense. Here, construction cranes have become something of a national symbol of progress; the capital city, Erbil, is starting to look more like Dubai than Baghdad. New construction is everywhere, and the streets are packed with cars, most of which are nicer than mine.

Sectarian violence is unheard of in this region, and even petty crime is relatively low. Even more surprising, Kurdistan is now the only country besides Israel whose schools teach a religion-neutral curriculum. This is astounding, since the area is more than 90 percent Muslim, yet they do not require students to learn Islamic precepts to graduate. Because of this peaceful, pluralistic worldview, Christians and other non-Muslims from around the Middle East are flocking to the area.

There’s a success story behind all of this progress—and it could be said American Warriors played a large part in making this forgotten frontline in the war on terror the safe haven it is today.

To understand the issues surrounding this ancient land, one must travel

back to the days of the Old Testament. The Kurds are descendants of the Medes, or Persians, which means they aren’t Arabs. They maintain this significant distinction today, with the residents here identifying more with the nation of Kurdistan than they do with Iraq. In fact, Kurds make up significant portions of the populations of neighboring Turkey, Syria and Iran. It is said that Kurds comprise the largest homogenous people group in the world without their own nation state.

Since Biblical times, this region has been plagued by war. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s, Kurds began a push for independence. This gave rise to the Peshmerga—Kurdish guerrilla fighters whose name means “those who face death.”

And face death they have done, by the hundreds of thousands throughout the 20th century. They often clashed with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, whose campaign to “Arabize” northern Iraq resulted in a genocidal policy toward the Kurds in which more than 40,000 died and more than 1 million were displaced.

International calls for action rose to a crescendo in 1988 after news broke that Hussein’s Ba’ath party had gassed the Kurdish village of Halabja, killing thousands of civilians. This massacre became a large part of the justification for the first Gulf War, though then president George H.W. Bush stopped our troops short of removing Hussein at that time.

After Hussein’s surrender to Coalition troops in 1991, the dictator continued to brutalize the Kurdish people. As it turns out, one of their greatest blessings is also a curse—a national fortune of oil and natural gas exists under Kurdish territory. Hussein did what he could to control those resources, and the Peshmerga fought back. In 1992, the United States declared a no-fly zone over Kurdistan and launched a humanitarian operation to


send help to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who had been driven from their homes by the fighting.

This umbrella of American protection continued for almost 20 years, helping to lay the groundwork for the progress evident today.

The mountains along the Kurdish border with Iran are the birthplace of the Peshmerga. Wild and incredibly rugged, the area along the frontier has provided the Kurds with protection from their enemies for millennia—a fact embodied in a centuries-old saying, “The Kurds have no friends but the mountains.”

We wanted to see these mountains, so our translator and fixer, Mohammed, drove us two hours from Erbil to a small village only a few kilometers from Halabja, the ill-fated site of the most deadly chemical attack in history. The village is known as the birthplace of the Peshmerga because it was from a cave there that the fighting force was first organized.

As fate would have it, we arrived on a very special day—the annual festival held in that village to honor the Peshmerga fighters who have died defending their country. We were forced to park more than a mile from the village and walk in because the road was completely blocked by parked vehicles. As we descended the mountain road on

foot, I started to feel very nervous about how we would be received. In this part of the world, cameras often show up just before something

explodes, since the bad guys like to record the carnage for their followers. I remembered the story of Ahmad Shah Massoud, a military and political leader in Afghanistan who was assassinated on Sept. 9, 2001, by two Al Qaeda operatives posing as journalists. In this part of the world, people aren’t always friendly when they see a camera. We were walking into a gathering of over 2,000 indigenous fighters. While I felt privileged that we were the only Western journalists who would witness the celebration, I also secretly hoped the crowd wouldn’t decide to rip our arms off.

The sight that greeted us when we arrived was something out of the old National Geographic magazines I used to read as a kid. Hundreds of men were dancing, singing and celebrating at the bottom of a narrow valley surrounded by 5,000-foot peaks. Old men who had obviously seen their share of battle sat in

“THE KURDS HAVE NO FRIENDS BUT THE MOUNTAINS.”

the shade of mulberry trees, enjoying the festivities, some missing hands, feet or eyes. I saw no women. Regardless, everyone was very friendly and happy to grant interviews when we asked.

We interviewed one portly Peshmerga commander, a swashbuckling man with a pistol on his hip. We were wrapping up that interview when Mohammed grabbed me and said, “Come quick! The former prime minister of Kurdistan is here!”

He pushed me toward a boiling throng of people, all crowding around a well-dressed older man wearing spectacles. The crowd was so thick I was sure we’d never get through, but Mohammed swam through the crowd like it was a mosh pit at a punk rock concert, until we were standing within shouting distance of Barham Salih, who had only months earlier completed his term as the second prime minister of Kurdistan. Mohammed shouted above the crowd that we were with an international news crew and would like an interview. Salih smiled and waved his hand, and suddenly the crowd parted and we were standing in front of him. He raised his hand again and the roaring crowd went relatively quiet and

watched while I stood in the eye of the storm, so to speak, to conduct the impromptu interview.

I asked Salih to describe the scene we were seeing in front of us. His poised response couldn’t have been better.

“These are the heroes of Kurdistan,” he said with a sweep of his hand. “These men have fought and sacrificed to make Kurdistan the safe and prosperous place it is today.”

As he was talking, men squeezed in next to him and threw their arms around his shoulders to have friends snap photos. Salih maintained his composure and seemed not to notice.

“We want to thank our American allies,” he continued, “for believing in us when the rest of the world was against us. We will never forget those who stood with us in the worst of times.”

“WE WANT TO THANK OUR AMERICAN ALLIES,” HE CONTINUED, “FOR BELIEVING IN US WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS AGAINST US. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THOSE WHO STOOD WITH US IN THE WORST OF TIMES.”


THERE IS ALWAYS A SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN MEN WHO HAVE FACED DEATH TOGETHER. IT’S A BOND MADE STRONGER THAN BROTHERHOOD BY THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD.

The interview ended as quickly as it had begun, and we swam out of the crowd with Mohammed. He led us through the crowd to a spot where they were making lamb kabobs by the hundreds over a long, narrow grill. We were ushered to the front of the line and given hot, fresh kabobs on flat bread as honored guests. They tasted fantastic.

As we ate, I looked around at the old men sitting nearby, sharing stories of long-ago battles and friends who were no longer alive to tell them. To me, it felt like being transported back in time to what must have been very similar celebrations held by veterans of the American army who had fought for independence from the British crown.

It also reminded me of the get-togethers I’ve attended with old Ranger buddies with whom I shared hardship and the hell of combat. There is always a special bond between men who have faced death together. It’s a bond made stronger than brotherhood by the shedding of blood.

Back at our hotel that night, Azato and I decided to walk around after dark and see what the nightlife was like. A short cab ride from our hotel brought us to a modern mega-mall, complete with stores selling everything from housewares to Levis to coffee. Attached to the mall was a good-sized amusement park, and as the night wore on, the crowd got larger and larger.

Young people and families with children were out by the hundreds, eating ice cream, riding the rides and playing games along the midway. Aside from the music, which was Turkish pop, it could have been any state fair in America. It all felt very familiar, except this was Iraq. That made it surreal.

We did get accosted by security when a guard noticed our cameras. But once they found out we were Americans, they were very happy to allow us to continue filming. They seemed eager for us to record how normal everything was.

Maybe it isn’t as exciting as explosions and the gruesome face of war. But I guess after so many years of that in Iraq, any “normal” that includes amusement parks is kind of a big deal.

SABOTEUR

Warrior Stories

“Keith Armstrong”

lives under an alias in a small

town far from his home country—just a small part of the sacrifice he’s made

for service.


SABOTEURBy Rick Stewart

One Man’s Life of Sacrifice, Secrecy and Sorrow

(Part 1)

“KeithArmstrong”

S ome stories are difficult to believe. This is one of them. A little over a year ago, I read the story of a retired British agent living in America under an assumed name. When I finished it, I read it again.

Warrior Stories

No Cloak No Dagger was an intriguing title for the book, but “No way, no how” was my initial reaction to its many layers.

In a tale involving espionage, spy craft, and the cloak-and-dagger world of secret agents and intelligence operators, it’s even harder to fathom when tales of incredible risk and courage are woven with betrayal, double-cross and injustice. Truth is not always the easiest path and often makes those who twist or manipulate it uncomfortable with its revelation. People lie. Fact is, governments lie, too!

Truth has a way of exonerating truth but quite often far too late for the person or persons it most affects. The innocent have been imprisoned, even put to death, and their lives ruined by being falsely accused for just being at the wrong end of a certain place and time. The victims of such character assassinations have been left to wonder where they can go to get back their reputations.

Winston Churchill once wrote of secrets: “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.”


“KeithArmstrong”

That’s an acknowledgement, of sorts, that some secrets are so important that mistruths can or should be fabricated to protect them—that certain lies allow the end to justify the means. It is the lies and guarded secrets of others for which the hero of this story paid dearly.

No Cloak No Dagger author Grace Stoddard recently introduced me to former British agent “Keith Armstrong” (an alias), now living in a small American town. At 88 years of age, he is well spoken and of quick wit, with eyes that reveal a patriot who has lived far too long in torment of his secrets, his service and his sacrifice. He has been captured,

imprisoned, tortured and repatriated, only to be captured, imprisoned, tortured and repatriated again. He’s been betrayed, abandoned, discounted and dismissed. He’s been persecuted, prosecuted and publicly disavowed. He has been exonerated in the world court by trial, yet never in the court of public opinion, where it seems to matter most.

NRA Life of Duty cinematographer Ryan Welch and I spent several days with Armstrong, filming, recording and

interviewing him over details and dates. Not wanting to be hoodwinked by some guy looking for his 15 minutes of fame seven decades late, I prodded him, pushed him and poked for holes in his story, but could find none.

No Cloak No Dagger is not a self-indulgent story filled with flattery. In many ways it reads like a confession—the haunted memoir of a warrior and spy compelled to do the things he was asked to do for his country, yet left to work through the consequences of his actions and his own convictions and conscience.

Keith Armstrong was born in 1924 on a farm in Cornwall to a family of Cornish gentry—heritage that comes with considerable status in the complicated British class system.


He has been captured, imprisoned, tortured and repatriated, only to be captured, imprisoned, tortured and repatriated again.

Warrior Stories


No Cloak No Dagger author Grace Stoddard

Warrior Stories

Keith Armstrong as a boy growing up on the farm (above) and after graduation from boarding school just before entering military service at age 17

He attended a private boarding school that he says “was designed to take young barbarians and teach them gentlemanly behavior.” It was an education system that prepared young men for leadership, independence and a future of service.

As a young man, Armstrong felt a strong call to military service and long craved the approval of his Victorian father—a stern and principled taskmaster. Armstrong’s family, through records, could trace their heritage and history to a foot soldier serving with William the Conqueror of Normandy and a knight who fought under King Edward the First against Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Falkirk. His father’s respect, approval and affirmation were what Armstrong earnestly sought, but those would elude him for many years as the secrecy of his life to follow would not only hide the nature of his activities from his family but would come with a cover story that made him look almost cowardly as well.

After graduation from Officer Training Corps, Armstrong saw himself as the perfect candidate for military life and a career as an officer in His Majesty’s service. He applied for various opportunities but was never accepted. Out of frustration, he finally enlisted and prayed that, “I would be shown the way and to accept whatever plan God had for me.” That plan temporarily landed him in a motor pool detachment with the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC).

One day, out of the blue, a captain with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) approached Armstrong with a mysterious opportunity for national service. The officer told him that if he was willing to undergo a series of tests and evaluations, he might be accepted into the elite ranks of the SOE. However, he warned, “You


As a young man, Armstrong felt a strong call to military service and long craved the approval of his Victorian father—a stern and principled taskmaster.

cannot discuss this opportunity or selection process with anyone.”

Formed under the Ministry of Economic Warfare, the SOE had a special function in the world of espionage, subversion and sabotage. Armstrong says that he did not know it at the time, “but the SOE had experienced so many losses among their ranks that they were approaching green recruits to replace their depleting numbers.”

One day, he was an enlisted lorry driver working for the Ministry of Economic Warfare in the RASC; the next, a Lieutenant assigned to the SOE. Armstrong’s military uniform was a cover for what he was really going to be doing.

“Exactly what that was, I had no idea,” he recalls. “Nor what, I dare say, I was getting myself into.”

One thing had been made perfectly clear: He could not share what he was about to do with anyone.

Established in the summer of 1940, the Special Operations Executive was created by Britain to infiltrate countries occupied by the Nazis and sabotage their efforts both economically and physically. SOE saboteurs were trained to blend in with the local populace and subvert the efforts of the German military and secret police at all costs. This included spying on their locations and activities, destroying factories and infrastructures, and undermining resources deemed vital to the Nazi war effort. In addition to the overt activities of blowing up trains, buildings and military targets, enlisting and growing an organized secret resistance was vital as well.

During SOE training, Armstrong was approached by a lieutenant colonel of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6. Within this super-secret military intelligence agency was a unit simply known as “Z,” created to keep a watch on the SOE’s


Warrior Stories

Nihillate vollab ilitiusamus simus quidit laccum venia nat dem seque nostia ped ut fuga.

The one thing he did know with absolute certainty was that his life expectancy was to be very short if he breathed a word of it to anyone.

Keith Armstrong and British paratroopers awaiting airlift before Operation Market Garden

Warrior Stories

activities. A teenager, Armstrong had now been recruited not once, but twice, by two different intelligence agencies within his own government—the second asking him to spy on the first.

“If I made it through the training program,” Armstrong says, “I was being asked to spy on an organization to which I did not yet belong… for another organization about which I knew very little.” The one thing he did know with absolute certainty was that his life expectancy was to be very short if he breathed a word of it to anyone.

One afternoon during his training period, Armstrong spotted a pretty Belgian girl working the switchboard at the Belgian embassy. Smitten, Armstrong doggedly pursued her until she gave in for a date. During the courting process, he told her he was a British officer and about how he had first enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps at 17. She volunteered that she was not satisfied with operating the switchboard and planned to become a FANY, a member of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. With their love for one another growing quickly, they spent

every moment together that their schedules would allow.However, when Armstrong was finally sent for initial training as a

part of a selection process for SOE recruits, he was shocked to see Arlette there, too. Both were sworn to secrecy, so neither had known of the other’s recruitment within the SOE. Like the military uniform worn by Keith Armstrong, the FANY uniform now worn by his love interest was a cover as well.


... Armstrong was approached by a lieutenant colonel of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6. Within this super-secret military intelligence agency was a unit simply known as “Z,” created to keep a watch on the SOE’s activities.

Arlette was a FANY (S) with the “S” standing for “special.” Young, intelligent, athletic and intensely patriotic, Arlette made the perfect recruit for the SOE. She was motivated by revenge, hatred and personal loss. She and her family had narrowly escaped Belgium when the Nazi invaders came, and her older sister, who had been picked up by the Germans for questioning, had never been heard from again.

Armstrong and Arlette endured intense training over the next six weeks. They trained with various firearms and learned to defuse explosives, cross rooftops and pick locks. According to Armstrong, they also spent time “learning the art of deception and mannerisms—the way, for instance, a Polish farmer might sound while speaking French.”

Throughout training, Armstrong says his family was sent letters written by others in his handwriting, complete with phony return addresses and doctored postal censor marks. These letters were drafted by some of the best forgers the British prison system had to offer and told his family of the non-glorious activities in which he was involved.

Each recruit and operative was given a code name, usually based upon something the cadre identified in him or her during training. Armstrong’s code name was “Vapor.”

“That’s because one of the officers in the program thought I seemed to disappear all the time; there one minute and not the next—like a puff of smoke,” he said.

Before his next training evolution, Armstrong was called in to sign the Official Secrets Act, a document of many pages, even though he was only allowed to read the first page.

“Signing the OSA was not only a requirement of all those entrusted with State secrets,” he said, “but a sworn oath holding you accountable to them for life.” Armstrong had no reservations about signing the document—his loyalty was, and always would be, to the Crown.

Shortly after their initial training program within the SOE, Keith and Arlette married, and although those over him did not like it, they would eventually approve it. Relationships between those in the SOE were highly frowned upon, but once it was known, it


Warrior Stories

became their responsibility to keep what they secretly did within the organization secret—even from one another.

After they married, Armstrong was flown to a training facility on the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, known only as Camp X. The location was one of the most secretive training areas of the SOE during the war. This camp, run by noncommissioned officers, was designed to test participants’ mental and physical toughness. Survival skills coupled with training in hand-to-hand combat prepared course attendees for total self-sufficiency behind enemy lines. Armstrong remembers the time he spent there “as some of the most difficult, and yet most important, training I would ever receive.”

Learning to disarm the enemy, fight off men sent to harass them as they swam the frigid waters of Lake Ontario, resist enemy interrogations, and derail or blow up trains was all part of the curriculum. Experiences we would refer to as “water boarding” today left little doubt to the serious nature of the training and convinced Armstrong that he could die there.

Armstrong, in fact, knows of two men who did die while he was at the camp.

“One drowned in the icy waters of Lake Ontario, and the other was accidentally shot, in that much of our training, should I say, involved live ammunition,” he said.

Those who failed this training course or who were eliminated for any reason disappeared. Some were sent to an establishment in Scotland, but none were able to return to their homes until after the

war. The secrets they possessed and the knowledge they had of these locations and the training conducted there was considered too important not to protect.

When Armstrong came home from his time in Canada, he knew he had changed. Yes, he was physically stronger and emotionally more confident in his own abilities, but he also detected the reprogramming that made

him reject the conventional values that had been instilled in him much of his life. “Ethics” equaled weakness, and “compassion” was an obstacle. “Deception” was a basic necessity, as were “murder” for the sake of the cause and “loyalty” only for the Crown.

Near Christmas, during his final training before his first operational mission, Armstrong was sent to an SOE facility in Beaulieu, on the estate of Lord Montagu at the edge of the New Forest. The training at this camp was difficult on a whole new level.

One night after the evening meal, Armstrong was summoned by one of his instructors and given one last test. He was told that a convicted murderer serving a life

Those who failed this training course or who were eliminated for any reason disappeared.

sentence had been brought to the camp with an unprecedented opportunity for freedom.

“Armed with knives, the prisoner was told my location,” Armstrong said, “and told that if he could find me and kill me, he would earn his freedom, his sentence commuted.”

For Armstrong, the objective this night was simple—“survive this kill-or-be-killed exercise.” It would be a “final exam” either way.

Armstrong’s initial reaction was “pure fright,” followed by

bewilderment over the necessity for such extremes. Even today he often wonders what his instructors were really testing.

“Were they testing our ability to follow orders unconditionally?” he asks. “Or our ability to kill without question?”

Armstrong was never provided an answer to the first question. But as he saw the armed convict approach his location with stealth and determination, he was not willing to question the second.

“A knife fight that ends in death,” Armstrong said, “is an ugly thing.” He didn’t realize it was going to be his first of many.

Though the exercise was never mentioned again, he is sure the event was added to his official record. The dead prisoner was carried from the site lashed feet and hands to a pole like a wild boar carried between two hunters. Armstrong left the site on his own two feet—but would never be the same again.

For a soldier and a warrior, there is no questioning orders unless they are illegal and against the conduct established by military law. For a warrior in the world of espionage in World War II, there was no such standard against which to measure an order.

“I had been ordered to kill,” he told me. “I had been given a test,


Warrior Stories

For Armstrong, the objective this night was simple—“survive this kill-or-be-killed exercise.” It would be a “final exam” either way.


and the only outcome that benefited me and those who had assigned it to me was to prevail.

“I had passed my test. There would be many more to come, but I had no time—and quiet truthfully had no desire—to dwell on what couldn’t be undone.”

Within days of his completed training in Beaulieu, Armstrong was sent to train with British airborne troops at a parachute course near Manchester.

“They knew that I was not apart of their unit,” he said, “but they also knew better than to ask any questions, either.”

Armstrong received an accelerated course in parachuting with additional learning requirements like rolling from a moving plane as it made a touch, then roll and go on a grassy airfield. Other training included being dropped into an ice-cold lake in full harness and kit with the objective of getting to shore alive.

One day, Armstrong received word that he had an important

Warrior Stories

meeting. It was going to be a very special day. “I was told that I was to report at a certain time with the

lieutenant colonel of our SOE section to meet at Number 10 Downing Street with the prime minister of England,” Armstrong said. “Why, I wondered, would Winston Churchill want to meet a teenage lieutenant who was a mediocre operative at best?”

Armstrong still remembers “the nervous anxiety and flushness of my face as the man who held the fate of Britain in his very hands entered the room.”

Churchill then told Armstrong that he was honored to meet one of his best agents, and that he had a very important mission for him.

“You will be dropped into Holland with an important coded message of utmost importance for the Dutch resistance and required to bring some information back,” Churchill told him. “If you fail, you will never be heard from again.

“But if you succeed, all of us will be in your debt.”

Editor’s Note: Watch for the second part of this story in the next issue of NRA American Warrior magazine.


“Why, I wondered, would Winston Churchill want to meet a teenage lieutenant who was a mediocre operative at best?”

I am not suggesting that those who serve in uniform—whether military, law enforcement or first responders—should somehow be immortalized or even placed above the rest of our citizenry. What I am suggesting is that we all work harder and smarter to put these people’s important traits and skills to work in America today. What is learned in the name of service should be perpetually used to our country’s benefit.

A Life of Duty typically demands

the strongest and healthiest years of a person’s life. Because there are limits to how long humans can serve effectively in such physically demanding roles, retirement from many forms of service comes relatively early in life for many.

Navy Rear Adm. Jeffrey Penfield, commander of the Fleet Readiness Centers at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, says he and others within the various military services are putting more emphasis than ever on helping those leaving

A sector of our U.S. society has provided us with service above self—and often beyond sacrifice—that should be seen as a national institution. I believe we must draw from that

population to a greater extent and greater benefit for all Americans.


THE LIFE OF DUTY THAT NEVER ENDS

How the uniquely specialized skills and training of our veterans will continue to serve them, their employers and their country long after they’ve taken off the uniform B Y G R E G S T U B E


the services to find a good, productive job in civilian society.

“Military leaders across the service and the Department of Defense know the sacrifices we’re asking of our young soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines,” Rear Adm. Penfield said recently in an exclusive interview with NRA American Warrior magazine. “We have a moral obligation to take

care of these young men and women. And that’s an obligation to help them even after their service days are over.

“All the services have active programs to help that transition into the civilian world. It’s of the utmost importance for us to take care of these folks.”

This transition phase is something in which every American can, and clearly wants to, participate. Much fanfare greets the extreme experiences of those in uniform. Many movies and television programs are, and always have been, centered on military and law enforcement themes. Whatever the reasons for this focus, it is reasonable to believe that a high societal value is placed on the traits, experience and qualifications of those who actually do the things you see on TV.

Let’s say that we agree on the value of service. Let’s also say that we agree on a long list of traits required for extended honorable service. We understand that these Warriors live within a system of uncompromising standards, and that they rise to meet incomprehensible challenges. The stakes are higher than is comfortable for most to contemplate. With this realization, can we now come closer to embracing the real value of the institution of the American Life of Duty?

We must find ways to better harness and utilize the lessons learned within Lives of Duty for the advancement and reinforcement of our country from top to bottom. There is no excuse, in our rich history, to keep re-inventing the wheel.

The American Warrior vows to serve justice, safety and freedom itself. The person who decides to serve in such a capacity must acknowledge the higher accountability inherent to that role. Such loyalty cannot be diminished by the sudden absence of a uniform or official role.

PROJECT MANAGER

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I believe you could take anybody who has had a successful run in the military, go face to face with any employer and that employer is going to sense that in a very few minutes of their conversation,” Rear Adm. Penfield said. “There’s a sense of pride in what we do. In the 30 years I’ve been in, that pride has increased dramatically, in large part the last 10 years we’ve been at war. There’s a lot of pride in fighting for your way of life.”

It’s important to note that American Warriors are such by choice, and the identity is so honorable and contagious that one should

never want it to end. The good news is: It doesn’t have to end!

Many psychological hardships for those living the Life of Duty involve the termination of that service at some point. This is a challenging transition for many. When people are trained and maintain roles as American Warriors, they often must remain “switched on” to accomplish their duties. There’s no other way to stay postured to overcome your own fear of dying in order to get the job done.

One day in Afghanistan, I was severely wounded in battle. My wounds rendered me useless to the forces with whom I’d served my entire adult life. All I wanted was to return to the fight with my team, yet I knew I could not. Therein lies the biggest issue in

the transition from warrior to citizen. The million-dollar question is how to turn off the switch.

In my own return to civilian life after retirement from the Special Forces, I find myself still wanting to somehow be on active duty. Yet remaining “switched on” has turned into a true blessing for me as an American citizen.

For example, being engaged in the NRA Life of Duty program keeps me in position to still be “on the team.” As an activated citizen, I am now, and always will be, on “active duty.” This is a role with which I am very comfortable. It is virtually impossible to stop serving in some capacity when you love your country as I, and many other veterans, do.

I’m not a bit interested in “switching off” now. I am constantly

THERE’S A LOT OF PRIDE IN FIGHTING FOR YOUR WAY OF LIFE.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


trying to adapt those things I learned in my service years to my current life in the here and now. I’ve realized that if I can overcome the kinds of adversity modern warfare brings, then there’s not much I can’t do in my normal life.

I do have a fear as a veteran, however. I fear that LOD retirees and veterans in this country could be somehow viewed as an “entitlement

class.” We can never allow that to happen. The best way to avert that stigma is for us to always contribute more to our country than we take from it. That means

we must continue to serve by putting what we learned to work for the good of our families, our communities and our country. Simply put, we owe it to them.

True, the experiences American Warriors face can produce nightmares at times. Yet it is also true is that those experiences can be used positively in the workplace for great productivity. If you’ve worked in a capacity where lives were on the line, directly or indirectly, then you know how to overcome challenges in any workplace while helping to provide often-needed perspective.

“In the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to work with several defense contractors and be around the civilian sector quite a bit,” Rear Adm. Penfield said. “From experience, I know that how you conduct yourself as you are trying to get your foot in the door oftentimes matters more than the technical aspects of the job you are applying for.

“Lead with your leadership skills, your management skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, all the things we learn in the military. Industry leaders will often hire people because of those traits, then find something for them because they realize how valuable those traits are.”

Once an American Warrior learns the basics of a position, the sky is the limit. While, in reality, such daunting challenges will rarely be faced in the working world that were faced in the trenches, the true benefit might be that a Warrior is not trained to plan for the best possible outcome. He or she is trained to plan for the worst.

We can all turn our patriotism and service into a boost in productivity for any company that will employ us. Becoming a conscientious American citizen after a Life of Duty keeps us “in the fight!” It’s time to

live our own American Dream now. Go after it, and we’ll find that our prior service in a Life of Duty has given us very decisive advantages in today’s workplace.

The pathway to get there requires focus from both parties in the job market. It starts with us, who need and want ways to apply what we’ve learned. Be direct about translating what your skills, education and training include. Don’t assume that an employer will know these things. Previous warriors likely have not translated their true qualifications to this employer, leaving untapped opportunity for you.

Many American Warriors would be the last to promote themselves in any way. The humble servant-warrior typically isn’t much on pumping himself or herself up for appearances. Unfortunately, this may be hurting employment opportunities at appropriate levels.

“Be bold. Be proud of what you’ve done,” Rear Adm. Penfield suggests. “Play to your natural strengths. If you play to those same strengths that got you there in the military, they’re going to be a great benefit to you out in the civilian world.

“I hear it over and over again, that employers are looking for leadership skills, mentorship skills, management skills, technical competence. Those are natural things we achieve that military leaders are looking for, and company leaders are looking for the same thing.”

All employers need to know that the men and women emerging from critical Lives of Duty during the war on terror have been uniquely challenged to overcome their most primal fears while displaying leadership principles, adherence to standards and dogged tenacity. Whether at home or abroad, their duties have

likely been within complex environments of rapid change and threat. Daily diligence and attention to detail required in such duties surely should be sought after in the American workplace. These capabilities, coupled with a Warrior mindset, spell success in many job types.

In fact, many employers would likely find themselves astounded by

TODAY’S AMERICAN WARRIORS RECEIVE TRAINING AND EDUCATION THAT MAY SEEM ORDINARY TO THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR SERVICE BUT THESE ATTRIBUTES MAY BE A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE TO AN EMPLOYER.

...............................


the education and professional development programs within most military and law enforcement occupations. Yet, that largely has not been effectively communicated to today’s employers.

Today’s American Warriors receive training and education that may seem ordinary to them in the context of their service, but these attributes may be a very pleasant surprise to an employer. Few are aware of the specific leadership training received at various levels and how that training and experience can be beneficial in the civilian workplace.

Computer training, EPA standards, maintenance schedules, supply operations, equal opportunity, voter registration, driver training, alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs,

hazardous material handling and transportation, foreign language and safety from A to Z are only some of the standardized training and development programs that are mandatory for many serving their country.

These capabilities must be communicated to prospective employers.

“It’s not easy for anyone to move up the military corporate ladder—it’s just so darned competitive,” Rear Adm. Penfield said. “Those people who have been able to do that have some special talents, and they ought to realize what those talents are.

“They should say, ‘This is what I’m good at. This is why you ought to hire me.’

“Be proud of your military heritage,” he added. “This is a competitive world, in a lot of cases even more than out in the civilian world.”

Perhaps the greatest gift any American Warrior could receive is to be warmly welcomed when returning to the citizenry he or she chose to serve in the first place. If you love America so much that you are willing to fight and even die for her, no greater validation could exist than to simply be a productive citizen when that public service ends.

At the end of 10 years of war, an ever-growing number of American military members are leaving the service and returning to civilian life. In an already depressed economy with high unemployment, these warriors deserve a close look from employers.

Rear Adm. Penfield believes that most employers now are willing, some

even eager, to hire those just leaving the military services. For those who haven’t considered hiring a veteran, he has some simple advice.

“Just let them in the door,” he suggests. “Let the service member sell themselves. You don’t need to believe me that they’ll make a great employee. Just bring them in the door and sit down and have a conversation with them, and the service member will sell his or herself. In just 15 or 20 minutes you’ll be able to get the sense of discipline, leadership and management skills.”

Following World War II, there was a lot of anxiety about what America would do with so many military personnel coming home and re-entering the labor force. At that time, our labor force was basically a war machine grinding to a rapid stop. America retooled, refitted and rolled up its sleeves to put the best of our ingenuity and human power to work for our society. We prospered then, and there’s no reason we can’t do so now.

Vets, ex-cops and first responders always have given us countless examples of great citizenship and service, even long after their careers in uniform have ended. American Warriors have always returned to become leaders, providers, performers and patriots back on the home front.

“If you look at the small percentage of people who serve, and you think about our unique lifestyle that we have in the U.S., so much of our way of life is because of folks in the military who have put it on the line to protect that way of life,” Rear Adm. Penfield said. “In this last 10 years our country has been at war, we have a whole new generation of folks out there who have literally done that.

“There’s a value in that. These people took care of us. How about we turn around and now take care of them?”

For us who are serving or have served in the past, it seems that our nation is more grateful to its servants now than at any time in history. We must work hard to maintain that trust and respect.

Let’s keep paying it forward, upholding the same strength, honor and commitment we vowed to serve with from the start. Let’s get to work and remind everyone that our lives as warriors continue to have real value and meaning!

SO MUCH OF OUR WAY OF LIFE IS BECAUSE OF FOLKS IN THE MILITARY WHO HAVE PUT IT ON THE LINE TO PROTECT THAT WAY OF LIFE.

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THE WORKPLACE NEEDS WARRIORS, TOO


The transition to civilian life can be a daunting challenge for those who have dedicated themselves to living a Life of Duty in uniform. But a warrior’s service to country need not end

when the uniform comes off. You may not realize it, or you may

be too humble to admit it, but as you served this nation’s citizenry—whether in law enforcement, the military or as a first responder—you acquired and honed a set of skills, a method of conducting yourself and a problem-solving mindset that is truly rare among the general population.

Though your time in uniform may come to an end, your personal value, and your value to the country for

which you’ve sacrificed so much, does not diminish—not one iota. The economy may be down, unemployment numbers may be up, the prospects for a civilian career may seem dismal, but as an American Warrior, you have an edge.

And, through the NRA Life of Duty Network, you have a wealth of job-finding tools at your disposal. Visit the NRA Life of Duty Network at www.nralifeofduty.tv and click on the Job Support heading under the Channel Guide (or simply click here: http://nralifeofduty.tv/#/home/placard/default_job_support). You’ll find a list of resources that can help you make the most of your transition to civilian life. Take it and run with it. You might just be surprised how far a warrior’s mentality can take you.


R E V I E W B Y R I C K S T E W A R T

In fact, the greatest legacy a man can leave on earth is the “living legacy” he creates in his children.

Author Gregory W. Slayton expelle cestiun dandipsapis ut labo. Gitiur atinte nobis a venestrum exersperum facea volor aut hici ut atiis sequundem.

BE A BETTER DAD TODAY

B O O K R E V I E W :

he past couple of years have been marred by far too many funerals in our NRA Life of Duty family. Men of honor and distinction have vanished from our presence all too suddenly—in the blink of an eye.

At funerals you learn the most about a man and the legacy he leaves behind. No one rises to speak about the car, the boat or the money that was made. The legacy of the deceased, more often than not, is in the first few pews at the front—the children, families and friends influenced by them and left in the wake of their passing.

In fact, the greatest legacy a man can leave on earth is the “living legacy” he creates in his children. They are amazing little replicas of ourselves who carry on the values, principles and character we instill in them.

I have yet to meet a father who feels he is “all that,” a father who hasn’t made mistakes or poor parenting decisions or who hasn’t battled with the balance of building a life while mentoring his children. If only kids came with instructions, right?

I don’t know many warriors, uniformed servants or other dads who don’t struggle with the proper balance between their “calling” or profession and their families. The proverbial corporate ladder, even climbed in the pursuit of providing a better life for their families, has been the ruin of many men and the families they leave behind them.

The Honorable Gregory W. Slayton, former General Consul and U.S. Chief of Mission to Barbados from 2005 to 2009, knows something about the corporate

A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR DISTANT DADS

climb and career callings that can crush a father trying to do the right things.

In his book, Be A Better Dad Today: 10 Tools Every Father Needs, Slayton shares the personal heartbreak of a distant father who abandoned his family after leaving the military as a naval officer. Slayton witnessed the abuse and abandonment brought on by the demons of self-destruction his father found at the bottom of a bottle.

“My father died completely alone,” Slayton told me, “exactly the way he’d left our family.”

Former Ambassador Slayton sat down with NRA Life of Duty and NRA American Warrior magazine on the same day he attended the funeral of personal mentor and friend Charles W. “Chuck” Colson. Colson had written the foreword for Slayton’s newest book, Be A Better Dad Today, just before his passing.

In the event that the Watergate

debacle precedes you, Colson not only went to prison as a main figure in the Watergate scandal but also suffered the humiliation of being a disappointment to his wife and children. When he got out of prison he started Prison Fellowship, a ministry aimed at helping men come to terms with what they’d done, with an emphasis on who they were created to be—who they could become. Colson saw a prison system filled with men who had been abandoned along the way by fathers—statistical byproducts of no proper father figure or “moral leader during their morally formative years.”

In his foreword to Slayton’s book, Colson said, “When Slayton calls fatherhood ‘the most important job in the world,’ he is not mouthing a greeting card platitude. He knows the difference that a father’s absence can make in the life of a child. What you are about to read,” he continued, “isn’t theory—it’s every bit as practical as it is vital.”

Broken homes litter the American landscape, and Slayton’s experience of abandonment at the hands of an abusive father is unfortunately all too common. What’s uncommon is the courage Slayton demonstrated in rising out of that environment to make something of his life and break the cycle that these family legacies tend to create.

Slayton went off to college at


GREGORY W. SLAYTON BE A BETTER DAD TODAY

“What you are about to read isn’t theory—it’s every bit as practical as it is vital.”

Dartmouth and eventually Harvard. He longed for the stability and structure he didn’t have growing up.

“My mother was a wonderful mom,” he said. “It’s amazing the sacrifices she made for us, taking on the role of both the mother and father in our home.”

Yet, despite all her hard work and sacrifices, Slayton admits the lack of a father figure in his life was devastating.

Working in Africa 25 years ago, Slayton wound up in the hospital after contracting acute viral hepatitis, which almost killed him. He said that his father, whom he had not spoken to in years, called him on the phone at his hospital bed. Very ill and semi-conscious at the time, Slayton says he still remembers that phone call; and despite his father’s multi-year absence the call meant a lot to him.

“My father started the conversation talking mostly about himself,” Slayton

Gregory W. Slayton, the author of Be A Better Dad

Today, and his family enjoy time together in Bermuda.

“A happy family is one of the greatest blessings in life. Happy families come in all sizes and colors and faiths and economic conditions. But happy families aren’t built by accident. They are built day by day, over time and through the highs and lows of life. That takes tools, and the ten tools of fatherhood that we examine in detail in ‘Be A Better Dad Today!’ are some of the most important tools in that building process.”

—Gregory W. Slayton

FAMI LY :


said, “and then, a few minutes into the call, he abruptly said something I will never forget: ‘Sorry, got to go. I will call you back.’ The phone went dead, and that was the last time I ever heard from him.

“Many kids come from a broken home today, but that doesn’t mean they have to live in one … or that it has to define them,” Slayton said. “But many fathers who are failing their children don’t even know how to correct some of the things they are doing wrong because they lacked the proper influences growing up.”

Slayton graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth, was a Fulbright Scholar to Asia, and followed up that master’s degree with another in business at Harvard. Both were conferred with honors.

In his 20s he worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, learning four languages as he studied the culture, ran two separate orphanages

and promoted micro-credit programs for the poor. In his 30s, after Harvard business school, he joined Paramount Pictures as the director of its Silicon Valley technology arm. He led a number of highly publicized company turnarounds in the Silicon Valley and eventually founded his own private venture capital firm, while serving on the board of other businesses, including Google. Yet for all the success he had while climbing the corporate ladder, he spent a great deal of time studying the core and infrastructure of the family in many cultures.

When he writes about the family and ways that dads can do better, he


One chapter in the book speaks directly to fathers about the importance of establishing a mission statement for their home and family to follow.



does so from a vast understanding of what makes families work and the personal example of his own adolescence—an example of what doesn’t work. His writings are not condescending nor overly complicated by psychobabble; they are simple, to the point, and grounded in Scripture, which he calls “the best business plan and guide for living ever written.”

One chapter in the book speaks directly to fathers about the importance of establishing a mission statement for their home and family to follow. His “Noble Family Vision” is like a living covenant and foundational testimony about the who, what, where and why of your family. Slayton’s “Noble Family Vision” concept is a practical way of developing the written principles a family chooses to live by. It says who you are, what defines you, and

what will govern you as a family moving forward. It is a foundational base for moving forward, as well as a solid place to return to when you fail or fall out of balance. The “Slayton Noble Family Vision” he created for his own family is, in itself, reason enough to read this book.

While Be A Better Dad Today is written for all fathers, Slayton’s work with the military and various chaplains has played a huge part in the book’s initial launch. Slayton created the Fellowship of Fathers Foundation that offers the book for free through its Help Our Military—Every Dad

program. Service members can e-mail [email protected] or request the specially developed kits through their chaplains.

The relationship, or lack thereof, with his own father left such a negative impression on Slayton that the thought of having his own family wasn’t even something he considered until he got into college. It was in the relationships with college buddies that Slayton saw “something in their lives that I was missing.”

“These guys had a relationship with God that blew me away, not because of what they said, but rather because of the way they lived... a life of example,” he said. “Even though there was not an example for me growing up, I studied patterns of fatherhood on five continents.”

It was during those observations and studies that he began to see various patterns in fathers who had great relationships with their children. As these patterns were revealed, he began writing them down for his own use someday.

Slayton says that it is those traits, observations and notes that became the “10 tools” in his book on how to be a better dad, a better mentor and a better role model in the lives of your children.

“Through a series of miracles,” he said, “somehow these notes became a national best-seller.”

Be A Better Dad Today has caught


“Through a series of miracles somehow these notes became a national best-seller.”


the attention of powerful men from every profession and all sides of the political spectrum, such as Sen. John McCain, Chuck Colson, Sen. Joe Lieberman, professional football player Danny Wuerffel and evangelist Luis Palau.

Slayton knows the pressures on the family today. He realizes that families and fathers are under attack morally, socially, physically and spiritually. Most homes have both parents working, and, like never before, time is being juggled between too many opportunities and obstacles.

If you’re a dad who wishes someone had written a book that deals with the difficulties you experience, the struggles you face trying not to be distant though you might be thousands of miles from home, or just prioritizing the tug-of-war that happens between work and family, look no further. This book could change your life.

It could put you on a better path to building the most important legacy you can ever leave: your children.


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