Radio Contra Ep. 267 Interview with K

NC Scout of Brushbeater interviews K of Combat Studies Group in episode 267 of Radio Contra. They discuss the Texas border, involvement in local politics, Iran, China, Russia, weapon setups, and more.

Radio Contra Ep. 267. Night Vision, Thermal, Weapons Setups and Training with K of Combat Studies Group

S2 Underground: Improvised Incident Response

S2 Underground has a quick video on responding to an incident in your area.

“What do I do when X happens?” is a question we get fairly often. While no one can answer that for each specific event, there are basic steps one can take if located outside the general area of an incident, but still need to be involved. This is our attempt to create a very basic, stop-gap solution to this when it comes to communications. There will be more to come on this topic later, but in the interest of expediency, this is what we have for now.

WPC: WA HB 2331 would defund schools that do not adopt controversial curriculum mandated by the state

From the Washington (state) Policy Center, HB 2331 would defund schools that do not adopt controversial curriculum mandated by the state

The state House of Representatives may soon vote on HB 2331, a bill to defund school districts refusing to adopt controversial curriculum materials mandated by the state.

Since 2019 the state legislature has passed laws encouraging school districts to teach the false and divisive Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in public schools. Many local schools object to adopting textbooks and materials that promote harmful ideas to children. HB 2331 would give the state superintendent the power to cut state funding if he does not approve of the classroom materials chosen by local schools.

HB 2331 would effectively repeal the state law that says local schools should choose textbooks and materials that are best for children. The bill would further damage the reputation of public education as a place which serves all children, regardless of race and background, on an equal and respectful basis.

Many parents are concerned about the radical leftwing political shift in schools.  The families of 46,000 students have already left public education. The bill would tell families that their local school is not responsive to the community, adding to the trend of families leaving the public system. 

For more information, see our Legislative Memo on this bill.

2024 Mountain Guerilla Classes in Idaho Falls

Mountain Guerrilla has announced some 2024 classes which will be held in Idaho Falls, ID.

2024 Mountain Guerrilla Class Offerings–

Classes this year in Idaho Falls won’t begin until July, because I’ll be calving from mid-April through mid-June.

13/14 JULY—Clandestine Carry Pistol

Idaho Falls, ID

Cost of class is $500. Deposits for this class are due no later than 1JUN.

17/18 AUG—Practical Horse Packing for Pedestrian Preppers

Idaho Falls, ID

This is a new class. It will cover basic horse care and equipment for the inexperienced with horses or folks who don’t have much horse experience beyond arena riding lessons or day rides on trails. It will cover basic field care and first aid, as well as methods of securing horses in the absence of corrals and barns. We will discuss and practice different methods of packing loads on horses, including the use of panniers and mantied loads, and the use of different types of pack saddles, including using riding saddles as pack saddles.

If you have zero experience with horses, or think the idea of using horses in a post-grid world is ridiculous, this is a class you need to take. This is NOT a riding class. There will be no riding in the class, although we will discuss setting up riding saddles for riding as well.

This is not a field class. It will take place outdoors, but in an outdoors classroom environment. While camping is available on site, you don’t need to feel like you’re required to camp out.

There’s no basic gear requirement for the class, except long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and closed-toes shoes, but students are encouraged to bring go-bags/GHB/rucks of choice for illustration purposes with loading.

Whether you know nothing about equines, or are an experienced rider, you’re going to learn a lot in this class.

Cost of class is $500. Deposits for this class are due no later than 1JUL.

14/15 SEP—General Preparedness Rifle

Idaho Falls, ID

Cost of class is $500. Deposits for this class are due no later than 1AUG.

Preparedness Lessons from the Ukraine War

This Offgrid article is dated back to the beginning of the invasion, but still has some useful things to think about when making your own plans. This article focuses on military threats. You can find many articles and videos that talk about why the USA is nearly invulnerable to invasion, but that just means that someday someone is going to say, “Hey, they’ll never expect it, so they won’t be ready.” Other more general preparedness related articles on the war follow below the excerpt.

Preparedness Lessons from the Invasion of Ukraine

Humans have a natural tendency to assume events we have experienced in the past are a good reflection of events we will experience in the future — psychologists call this normalcy bias. Unfortunately, this leads us to believe that events we haven’t experienced (yet) are unlikely to occur. It’s the driving force behind all the disaster survivors who look back and say, “I never thought it would happen to me!” Don’t let that be you.

Don’t assume the enemy is bluffing.

If warning signs begin to crop up prior to a potential disaster, your preparedness should ramp up proportionally. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

[T]he highest-value targets should have been predictable to anyone with an adversarial mindset…However, some high-value targets are less obvious… What should this mean to you? If you live in a major city that is likely to be a significant target, your threat awareness should be elevated. You should prepare escape routes with waypoints and discuss them with your family — failure to do so could leave you stuck in gridlock, as many Ukrainians were. This is especially true if your city borders directly with a hostile nation or its allies (e.g. Belarus), or lies on a coastline that is readily-accessible. If your escape plan includes air travel, keep in mind that airports are typically a top priority in warfare, and you won’t want to be there when bombs start to fall.

Cyberattacks will be a significant factor

…We’re not suggesting you abandon technology and everyday conveniences, but you should certainly establish contingency plans in case cyberattacks affect the electrical grid, internet service providers, cell phone towers, or banking/point-of-sale systems. Consider learning how to use ham radio for emergency communications, set aside cash, buy a generator, stockpile important medications, and purchase paper maps of the surrounding area. If we’re ever set back to a world without reliable technology, you’ll be more prepared to cope with it.

Training

Ask yourself: how would you respond if you faced an invasion and had to join the fight, whether by mandatory draft or moral obligation? Would you be able to fall back on a solid foundation of training, not just in shooting skills but also small unit tactics, concealment, communication, navigation, medical, and sustainment skills? Would your spouse and children be prepared to contribute to the fight, or to escape to safety without you?

This brief post at The Prepared just talks about bugging out, and there are some decent posts in the comments as well.

What can we learn from the war in Ukraine?

One of the main lessons I’ve seen so far is the need to reassess my bug out plan. There was a 6 mile (10km) long traffic jam of refugees fleeing to Poland.

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At what point do you abandon your vehicle and trek it on foot? Is going on foot any better?

Another thought I had was having enough water, food, and fuel on hand. You don’t want to run out of food during the middle of an invasion and try to go through a war zone to buy groceries. 

My heart goes out to all those affected. Even to the Russian soldiers who may not like what they are doing but have to.

Let’s learn from what is going on and prepare for the future.

A comment on the post from sewknot:

Things I’ve learned from the news reports & interviews

1 have your documents ready – passport/visa/birth certificates

2 cash – have cash on hand so you don’t have to queue at the atm when you could be on the road

3 have your bag packed! Reports of people waking up at 3 am to missile strikes and deciding to pack THEN

4 your journey will take longer than you expect – make sure you have everything you need to make it to your destination and leave as soon as you can

5 mental fortitude – plan for the worst hope for the best

Some of the above lessons are summarized in an article at Survival Kompass titled 10 Things You Can Learn as a Prepper from the Ukraine Invasion.

  1. 1. Keep a stockpile of water and food for evacuation
  2. 2. Always have access to cash
  3. 3. Prepare for your medical care
  4. 4. Always have a full tank
  5. 5. Check the infrastructure around you
  6. 6. Do not stay longer than necessary
  7. 7. Prepare your family
  8. 8. Have your bug out bag ready
  9. 9. Learn survival skills
  10. 10. Always have a plan B and stay flexible
  11. Conclusion: Early preparation and flexible execution of plans give you an advantage and significantly increase your chances of survival!

AmRRON Increased AmCON to Level 3

From AmRRON:

AmCON-3  20231012-2030z

Increased likelihood of a disrupting event which could result in loss of conventional telecommunications and other services.

Due to numerous corroborating news and intelligence outlets, there is a significantly increased risk of social unrest between pro Israeli and pro Palestinian demonstrations, especially within the major cities of US and Europe.  Additionally, this call to action by the terrorist organization, Hamas, could incite lone wolf or sleeper cells to become operational.  Intelligence indicates that at the very least, Jewish personnel and their businesses and places of worship may be targets of terrorist attacks.SOURCE: Forward Observer

HAMAS LEADER CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL “DAY OF RAGE”: Head of the Hamas Diaspora Office and founding member Khaled Mashal called for Muslims across the globe to “be martyrs for al-Aqsa” in “the Friday of al-Aqsa Flood” on 20 October.

Why It Matters: Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian intelligence services have a presence in the U.S., and more “illegals” have very likely crossed the southern border into the U.S. with the potential to act as sleeper cells. Hezbollah is involved in the narcotics trade in Latin America, ranging from the tri-border area between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay to Mexico. If Hamas and Hezbollah seek to draw the U.S. into war in the Levant, they could conduct an attack against U.S. personnel and American tourists in Europe or the Middle East. Amid already high domestic tensions between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel political factions, Hamas militants could potentially conduct attacks within the United States. – R.C.

Also, from Zero Hedge, US Cities On High Alert Amid Hamas’ ‘Day of Rage’ Threats:

Local and federal law enforcement agencies across the US are increasing patrols after a former Hamas leader called on supporters to unleash chaos in what is being called a ‘day of rage.’ 

In New York City, Morgan Stanley employees were allowed to remote work today as an “All Out For Palestine” rally in Times Square, near the bank’s headquarters, presents security risks, according to Bloomberg. 

Google parent Alphabet Inc. employees in NYC were told they could stay home today, while a Jewish school in Queens instructed parents it would close today due to security risks. 

NBC News said the New York Police Department ordered all officers to be on patrol today while providing enhanced security at cultural sites and houses of worship. Additional officers will be deployed to protest areas.  

“New York City will do whatever it takes to keep our people safe,” New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) told reporters at a Thursday evening press conference. 

Outside of Israel, NYC has the largest Jewish population, and already, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D) Democratic Socialists of America have held pro-Palestinian rallies in Times Square. 

AOC has made an effort, optically, of course, to denounce DSA’s explosive anti-Israel rhetoric: “(The rally) did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’ horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation.” 

From coast to coast, police departments said they plan to increase patrols after Khaled Mashal, the former leader and founding member of Hamas, called on Muslims earlier this week to unleash a ‘Day of Rage‘ on Friday. 

AmRRON Sets Readiness to AmCON 4

From AmRRON:

Due to the escalating situation involving the war in Israel, and the potential for expanding regionally and beyond, the AmRRON Readiness Condition Level is now at Level 4 (Incident Possible).

There are numerous factors which could lead to regional expansion of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah, especially as it relates to their supporting nation states (such as Iran).

Additionally, large demonstrations in western cities (including the U.S.) in support of “Palestine” could embolden jihadi fighters in the U.S. (including those who have infiltrated our southern border) to carry out terror attacks in western nations similar to what we saw in southern Israel this past weekend.

The unrest and division could also be exploited by Chinese operatives who (according to multiple intelligence reports) are affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and who have infiltrated into the U.S., and pose a significant risk through sabotage operations.  This could lead to disruptions (either kinetic physical action or cyber attacks) against our telecommunications, transportation, navigation, and fiber optic internet infrastructures.

AmRRON operators should take the following actions:

  • Inspect, functions check, and/or repair communications equipment, including alternative power
  • Charge batteries and increase fuel supply
  • Test your family, group, and community emergency communications plan
  • Discuss communications and other emergency response plans with same
  • Ensure your software is updated and tested
  • Submit a test STATREP (preferably using Commstat) in the next 24 hours

Check the website and this AmCON page for any updates.

The US State Department confirmed the deaths of nine US citizens in the war between Hamas and Israel with more citizens unaccounted for.

Brushbeater: The CB for a New Generation

NC Scout of Brushbeater takes a look at a sometimes overlooked radio option for radio communication – Citizens’ Band (CB) radio. He talks about the benefits of the CB frequency spectrum and takes a look at a particular piece of CB equipment.

The CB for a new Generation: The CB-58 HT

Most, myself included, dismissed CB a long time back as little more than a relic of generations gone by. A fun throwback to the 70s and 80s, with more practical and capable equipment options coming into the market it quickly started looking obsolete. Older CB radios left much to be desired in terms of practicality for much else that being mounted on a dashboard. And, to be fair, they were built for their primary purpose.

The fact remains that CB radio itself actually has a ton of utility. From 26-27mHz, its nestled right in the upper end of the HF radio range, behaving much like VHF locally but having the capability of transmitting incredibly long distances with a little original thinking and application of antenna theory. It remains the strongest option, at least frequency wise, for rural applications due to its ability to cover long distances while experiencing lower signal loss due to vegetation. In a nutshell, the lower in frequency you go, the less signal strength you lose to vegetation according to the PRC-64 tests in Vietnam.Growing up on the tailend of the CB heyday, many of the handhelds we used in our hunting clubs left much to be desired and usually wouldn’t last more than one season. Truck mounted units were fine, but there was no real field worthy option and the handhelds were pricey to be an essentially one time use item. This led to the rise in popularity of the Motorola FRS Talkbouts, even though they were limited both in terms of range and capability. Once the Baofeng radios hit the market it really became a game changer for a lot of reasons and at least around here a revolution coupled with the utility of the license free MURS frequencies. CB became mostly viewed as obsolete. But one huge thing of note – it remains the option of choice for Spanish speakers to communicate off grid at least in rural NC. Do not let that data point be overlooked…it works for a reason for them and does for you as well.

That brings us to the intersection of two issues; a lack of decent equipment options for field applications and a social aversion due to the opinion of it being obsolete. Fortunately a solution is here and I think its a revolution to CB radio. The CB-58 caught my eye after the FCC made the use of FM legal on CB (previously it was limited to AM only). Having a rechargeable battery as well as a AA battery box is a massive tool in terms of utility in the field. And its build quality is reminiscent of the old Bendix King wild land firefighter radios if they had had an LCD screen, even featuring the rugged BNC antenna connector that is my personal choice in the field.

But the feature list, foregoing the elephant in the room in terms of ease of use, is the addition of the two-prong Kenwood K1 mic connector. That’s right. The same connector that we all know and love for microphones is a subtle feature on this unit. That means this rig can transmit data using the K1 cable we make heavy use of in the RTO and Recce Courses to send data bursts. You can find the instructions on how to do that in The Guerrilla’s Guide to the Baofeng Radio as well, and its even easier to set up with these.

In the last RTO Course I ran an experiment on the students during the final two days (Signals Intelligence) having two groups rig jungle antennas for the CB band and move to transmitter sites, while not informing the students tasked with SIGINT that another tool was in play. They were intercepting the signals on their spectrum analyzers and scanners, but ignoring them completely. “That’s just CB from the highway” I heard one of them say. And when I dropped a hint, they still couldn’t intercept the traffic on FM because their equipment would only tune AM. Not too shabby. The point here is there’s a huge advantage to the high end of HF where CB resides – its hiding in plain site. By the time the SIGINT team got a bearing, the transmissions were sent and there wasn’t anything to exploit. Kind reminds me of something Lawrence Myers covered using CB radio handhelds in his classic, SpyCom.

Radio doesn’t get any simpler than this. I think its a revolutionary tool and another step up in terms of capability to the American Patriot. Get yours today.