Readers;

I want to personally apologize for dropping the ball last week and not getting the BTW delivered. I was at the SOFIC Show in Tampa and was meeting with many of my old friends.

About the Training Center, there are 600 plus students on property, at least 3 countries represented and many rounds going down range. We continue to grow our database of professionals and with over 1500 independent contractors in rotation it is a never ending process.

I am considering a feedback section, where readers can submit short and concise thoughts that will be published each week.

Stay safe.

John Adams

Managing Editor, Blackwater Tactical Weekly
Please continue to submit your suggestions to btw@ustraining.com

- Greg Evans

This week at the ProShop- Taclite shorts regular price $38 now $29.99...and...buy one pair of Taclite shorts and receive $5.00 off any shirt priced $20 or more...

Offer good while supplies last. Offer expires June 14, 2009.

http://proshop.blackwaterusa.com/

On January 21, 2009, President Barack Obama issued his first executive order: He was closing the detention center at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba and calling a halt to the military commissions created in late 2001 to try terrorist suspects detained there. Like the startling opening chord of a Beethoven symphony, Obama's action was intended to herald a new tone in America's "war on terror" and a restoration of America's moral standing. The response was electric. The facility at Guantánamo (Gitmo for short) had become "America's most notorious prison," as Fox News put it. In the minds of many, it was the American equivalent of the Bastille or the KGB's Lubyanka prison: a dungeon used to isolate, intimidate, and torture generally hapless inmates, many of whom were innocent of any crime against the United States...

Then several strange things happened. Obama's order "closing" Gitmo actually left it open for a year, ostensibly until new arrangements could be made for the 240 or so inmates still detained there-though Obama admitted privately it might have to stay open longer than that.

Since 2007, at least five police officers have been killed or seriously wounded while handcuffing - in some cases after getting one handcuff on the violator. The offenders "rip" or pull the handcuffed arm away suddenly after cooperating with the officer and then draw a concealed firearm and shoot the officer. It should be noted that in every case that this has occurred the offender was being placed into custody for a minor offense.

President Obama, in his long-promised address to the Muslims given Thursday in Egypt, embraced Islam, gave a green light to Iran’s nuclear program, and said that the "trauma" of 9-11 led America to act contrary to its ideals.

In 6000 words, the president managed to prove that everything conservatives worried about -- his naivete, lack of expertise and belief in moral equivalency -- was correct and even understated.

The Commander-in-Chief described his view of America’s relationship to Islam and his own responsibility:

During the course of the last year revelations of a potential Iranian nuclear weapons program combined with increasingly belligerent rhetoric emanating from Iran has caused alarm in the international community and no more so than in the United States. As the Bush administration weighs its response to the possibility of the revolutionary Islamic Republic armed with nuclear weapons, perhaps it might be instructive to consider what options actually exist. There is a range of options available. Published discussions have suggested everything from diplomacy to sanctions to air strikes to a limited ground war to a regime changing war on Iran. Even the use of tactical nuclear weapons has not been discounted.

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Tactical Equipment Evaluation

About ten years ago I had the privilege to attend an edged weapons class taught by a guy who specifically focused on relatively small folding knives for use by police officers on or off duty. "Small" was the key. A 2" blade was his recommendation. Such a knife certainly wouldn’t look intimidating. Lately I've been asked to come up with a functional yet small knife with a slim profile that plain clothes officers and administrators could carry / wear that would be less obtrusive. Enter the SOG Access Card.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

Recreational Equipment Review

Lowa is a revered name in hiking and mountaineering boots. Lowa boots have been on the feet of serious hikers and mountaineers for over 80 years, and have been used on countless pioneering expeditions. Lowa also makes boots for day hikes, too, but in true conservative German fashion, they under-spec their boots. "Only useful for occasional weekend strolls in the park" is how they (seemingly) describe some of their best boots for day hikes in the mountains!

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.borelliconsulting.com/recevals/apparel/lowazephyrboots.htm

THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA...

Another busy week... We are already into the 2nd week of June. Yesterday I was privileged to give the invocation and benediction at a most unusual but much appreciated event. It was an Annual Awards Ceremony where officers and other local citizens have been recommended to receive certain medals, awards and recognition for actions above and beyond those actions usually expected.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.ustraining.com/new/btw/Chaplain/060809chaplain.htm

A healthy life is important to lead a good life. Our health is like a wall pre-requisite to draw a picture. We are the architect of our own health. Either we prevent being unhealthy or cure the damage already done. Physical fitness is very vital. Fitness is a relative term. A sprinter should have a different degree of fitness as compared to a music teacher. There are many more dimensions one can bring to define fitness. Depending upon the required level of fitness, one should take appropriate steps.

Here are some links for charitable organizations.

The Blackwater Tactical Weekly does not endorse any organization over another nor encourage charitable contributions, we provide these links as a public service, and take no responsibility for the actual sites. Although we strive to validate the sites before linking we caution you to do your own research, as the internet is ripe with scams.

The Police Officers Safety Association, Inc. (POSA) is the training arm of the American Police and Sheriffs Association, Inc. (APSA), a tax-exempt non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

In addition to our major focus of training, APSA offers two nationwide grant programs:

• The Equipment Donations Program awards grants to under-funded police departments to help them acquire equipment and supplies for safety improvement.
• The Survivors Assistance Program provides assistance to families surviving officers killed in the line of duty.

The Blackwater Tactical Weekly is a free weekly e-publication.

The Blackwater Tactical Weekly provides readers valuable information from diverse sources regarding tactical and strategic security issues.

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