Readers;

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America..." so starts the Pledge of Allegiance. Just now, without thinking about it, most of you finished that sentence with "and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." I know that the words are ingrained in my head as I, like most of you, was required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning in school. At the time, the words weren't that meaningful and it was more of a routine than anything. As I grew older, I realized the true meaning of the words I had been saying for all those years and have sworn my pledge of allegiance to our country with heartfelt pride every since.

The requirement to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools is routinely criticized and legally challenged. The courts have time and again ruled that students do not have to recite the pledge in public schools nor will they be punished for not doing so. On September 14, Fox News reported that various First Amendment advocates are arguing that educators should be compelled to inform children that the decision to recite the Pledge of Allegiance is entirely up to them. Really? Well, I hope these same First Amendment advocates realize that the decision to live in this country is entirely up to them too. Foreign nationals are required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in order to complete the naturalization process to become U.S Citizens and yet people that are born here are fighting to not have to say it? What is that old saying?

Oh yeah....USA Love It or Leave It.

Stay safe.

Zach Taylor

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

- Sir Winston Churchill

General Calls for More U.S. Troops to Avoid Afghan Failure
September 20, 2009
New York Times
Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker

The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a confidential assessment of the war there that he needs additional troops within the next year or else the conflict "will likely result in failure."

The grim assessment is contained in a 66-page report that the commander, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, submitted to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Aug. 30, and which is now under review by President Obama and his top national security advisers.

Earlier this week, U.S. Special Forces killed a man U.S. intelligence said was the link between an Islamic militia in Somalia and al-Qaida in Pakistan. But he also had a connection to the U.S. that has not been reported: He was a senior instructor for new al-Shabab recruits, including a handful of young Somali-Americans from Minneapolis.

When FBI agents capture a terrorism suspect, one of the first things they do is pull out mug shots so they can try to identify other possible members of al-Qaida. And that's exactly what happened earlier this year - when some of the young Somali-Americans who trained in Somalia returned to Minneapolis.

Black representation among high-quality Army recruits has changed over time, with the black share of gross contracts falling 8.3 percentage points between fiscal years (FYs) 2000 and 2004, then increasing 1.2 percentage points between 2004 and 2007. (A recruit is deemed high-quality if he or she has a high school diploma and scores above average on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.) Black representation among Navy recruits has been generally stable. In contrast, Hispanic representation among high-quality recruits increased in both the Army (3.3 percentage points) between FYs 2000 and 2003 and in the Navy (5.3 percentage points) between FYs 2002 and 2005. These disparate trends suggest that black and Hispanic youths' enlistment decisions respond differently to resources, external opportunities, and other factors.

No living service member has been awarded the Medal of Honor during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That could finally be changing.

On the same day that President Barack Obama presented a posthumous Medal of Honor to Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti at the White House, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said reviews are underway that may result in the nation’s top military honor being presented to a living recipient of the current wars.

New Course Annoucement

The US Training Center is proud to announce the addition of the Home Defense Course to their outstanding training repertoire. This course will inform the concerned citizen on methods of protecting the home front. The student will engage in shoot/no-shoot, force on force realistic scenarios based on actual events that have occurred where their decision making process will be explored and tested. For more information and upcoming dates please visit www.ustraining.com/new/courses/NC/home-defense.asp or call (252) 435-2035.

Tip of the Week:

Sighted Fire vs. Point Shooting

What makes a good shooter is being able to be consistent, by doing the same thing over and over under stress. If you practice both sighted fire and point shooting, under stress you will revert back to point shooting because it requires less mental thought then using your sights. This is why most tactical teams that teach both sighted fire and point shooting are getting less than 20% hits on target. That's 80% of total shots fired not hitting their intended targets. When ask if they had seen their sights, the answer is usually no. Where are these rounds going, the answer is nobody knows. This has the potential of hitting innocent bystanders or other teammates and that is unacceptable. Also, civilians that use their weapon for home defense and train to point shoot have the potential to hit a family member. You need to have an acceptable sight picture for every round fired out of your weapon. Why? Because, you are held accountable for each one of those rounds. There is minimal time difference between picking up your sights rather than point shooting. What it will give you is a higher hit probability on your intended target. On the range you need to practice sighted shooting and become consistent so under stress you are better able to get your hits.

Joseph Scolly
Firearms and Tactics Instructor

To view the latest contract opportunities at U.S. Training Center, visit our Contract Web Page

TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION AND SUBMIT YOUR RESUME CLICK HERE
Questions regarding Security Consulting or Training at USTC (252) 435-2488 or email webmaster@ustraining.com

Tactical Equipment Evaluation

Mustang Survival H2O Rescue Kit

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... well, it seems like another life anyway – I was a teenager taking lessons to become a certified lifeguard. I clearly remember the instructor telling me never to forget two things: 1) NOT to endanger myself by taking unnecessary risks, and 2) NEVER go in the water to rescue someone you can save from the safety of dry ground. Even television shows about lifeguards clearly show them taking a flotation device with them on a rescue. So often I've seen all the parts and pieces needed for such rescue work collected but not organized and now I've seen them all neat and tidy in an easy to access kit: enter Mustang Survival's Water Rescue Kit.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/other/mustangsurvival.htm

Recreational Equipment Review

I think I took my first armorer training course from Sig Sauer way back in 1988 when they were still headquartered in Virginia. Across the years I took more to include Beretta, Glock, Colt and a couple others. Inevitably I built up my own armorer's kit that contained the items I most often needed to work on the various handguns and shotguns that I would work on. No matter what type or caliber gun it is, there are a few common things you need to maintain them. The same can be said of necessities to maintain tools and knives. Sentry Solutions has put some of those common items together into convenient kits.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/huntfish/sentsolkits.htm

MAKING IT ALL WORK WELL

Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within your control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental role and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible. Epictetus

Employee fitness pays dividends
September 20, 2009
The Augusta Chronicle
LaTina Emerson

Cyndy Odom works out three days a week. The 48-year-old employee of University Hospital receives a free gym membership to Health Central on Broad Street through her employer.

To maintain it, however, she must visit the gym at least 12 times each month.

"This keeps me on track. I would probably walk, probably not do machines or anything like that" if not for the free gym membership, Ms. Odom said.

She said she has been going to the gym for several years and has maintained a healthy weight while improving her muscle mass, strength and cardiovascular fitness.

Tom Peters once posed this question at a seminar I attended back in the early 1990s. I remember it vividly. Sitting there at one those big round tables in the ballroom at Amsterdam's Okura hotel, Tom's question connected with me like a left hook from Mike Tyson. I vigorously scribbled those words on the notepad in front of me and sat there for a few moments staring at them. What had I actually done with one whole precious year of my life? And, more to the point, what exactly was I going to do with the next one?

When I left the Okura hotel that cold December day and headed home, I made a passionate resolution: I was going to start writing the book that had long been on my mind but not on my agenda. It turned out to be one of the major turning points in my life. That book, "Rethinking the Future", became an international bestseller sold in over 20 languages and the launch pad for my public speaking career. It also gave me the great honor of working with (and getting to know) some of the smartest business thinkers of all times – luminaries like Warren Bennis, Gary Hamel, Charles Handy, John Naisbitt, Michael Porter, CK Prahalad, Peter Senge, and Alvin Toffler, among others.

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.

A Fisher House™ is "a home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes are normally located within walking distance of the treatment facility or have transportation available. There are 38 Fisher Houses, with five more in construction.

Learn more about Future Houses

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