Readers;

Welcome to another issue of the Blackwater Tactical Weekly.

Ours is a close community and I want you to feel like the valued reader that you are. With that being said, I am asking that you email me with any suggestions or comments that you feel would make the BTW a better newsletter than it already is. It can be anything from article suggestions to having guest writers to whatever you can think of. Is the BTW too long or too short? Is the layout congested? Are the articles interesting, etc etc? You get the idea. Whatever your thoughts, email me at ztaylor@ustraining.com.

I want to thank those readers that already send in their suggestions and comments. I appreciate the input. My email will probably be overloaded this week but I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Stay safe.

Zach Taylor

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

-TYREN SCOTT, a fourth-grade boy, to President Barack Obama during Obama's trip to New Orleans

'Russian NATO' Holds 1st Exercise
October 16, 2009
DefenseNews
By Matt Siegel

The presidents of five ex-Soviet states viewed military drills by thousands of troops in Kazakhstan as the Russian-led security grouping unveiled its new rapid reaction force Oct. 16.

Moscow hopes the new forces will lend teeth to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a loose seven-nation grouping it has touted as a counterweight to the NATO alliance but which is plagued by internal tensions.

Full Story

As America's military role in Iraq winds down, the U.S. is grappling with how to help some of the more than 30,000 troops injured in six years of war move ahead with their lives. One approach is to bring them back to the battlefields where they were injured.

It is a process akin to Vietnam veterans returning to the streets of Hue or Americans from World War II returning to the Belgian forests of Bastogne - a process made more difficult by the fact that American men and women are still dying in Iraq. But the fact that this group of men have come this far shows the lengths some need to go to find that elusive thing called closure.

The flow of mail - including prescription drugs sent through the Tricare Mail-Order Pharmacy program - is about to slam to a halt for about 4,800 military retirees and their survivors living overseas who use APO and FPO addresses at U.S. embassies and consulates.

Neither State Department nor Defense Department officials would confirm a date when mail will stop, but other sources said the effective date at the moment is Dec. 31.

Tip of the Week:

Tip of the week - Shooting with both eyes open

It is important to train yourself to shoot with both eyes open. From a non-tactical stand point shooting with one eye closed will cause negative effects on your vision. This causes a shooter to experience eye fatigue. Think of going to the gym and doing bicep curls with just your left arm, soon your left arm is not going to be able to lift anything and your right arm is going to be rested. The same thing happens to your eyes when you constantly shut one and use the other. The negative effects that come from eye fatigue are the ability to focus with both eyes, depth perception will be off, and your eyes will lose the ability to have a quick near to far focus. Think of these negative effects when trying to transition from target to target or even focusing on your front sight post.

From a more tactical stand point shooting with one eye closed puts you at a severe disadvantage. Situational awareness is one the most important things when in a gun fight. This applies to everyone, from the soldier overseas, a law enforcement officer, or even an everyday civilian. When you close one eye you lose a large portion of what could be considered the battlefield. It is important that you keep both eyes open when shooting so you are able to keep a larger field of view of potential threats around you. Here is a simple way to show how much field of view you lose when closing an eye. From where you are look up and pay attention to what you see with your peripheral vision. Now close the eye you normal shut when you are shooting and focus on the field of view you have just lost. Now apply that to a situation you could potential be faced with and think about the disadvantage you put yourself at by closing that eye.

If you are a shooter that has always shot with one eye closed, breaking that bad habbit is going to take time. You will have to retrain your eye to be able to focus on the sight picture. When shooting the pistol the sights may be hard to focus on at first. One thing you can do is to squint your eye slightly until you can get a clear sight picture. From there begin to squint less and less until you are able to keep both eyes open and still have a clear sight picture. On a pistol, the sights are away from the face at a point where both of your eyes should be able to focus, however, it is different on a rifle. In order to shoot with both eyes open, when shooting a rifle, you need to know which eye is your dominate eye. If your dominate eye is your left eye then you should be shooting the rifle with your left hand. If your dominate eye is your left and you are shooting the rifle with you Right arm then your sight will be lined up behind your non-dominate eye, making it impossible to shoot with both eyes open.

Fixing this common mistake will take time and can be frustrating. Think of the disadvantages you are putting yourself in and use that for motivation. With hard work and determination you will eventually be able to experience the advantages of a shooter who can use both eyes while shooting.

Stephen Bailey
Firearms and Tactics Instructor

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

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Tactical Equipment Evaluation

It is no secret that the AR is the best selling civilian rifle in the US with many manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon in recent years by offering their version and introducing chamberings other than 5.56/.223. As with most good ideas, often the simplest are the best. The Smith&Wesson M&P15R offers a subtle yet distinct nuance to the AR platform by chambering it in the Russian 5.45x39 cartridge. With the ever rising cost of ammunition, the 5.45x39 is one of the most available and affordable surplus cartridges found on the market.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/guns/swmp15r.htm

Recreational Review:

Okay, so you guys know I'm a fan of Parker's work. That said, I'm starting to think that Spenser may be getting a little long in the tooth for his series to continue. Of course, Parker experimented with a book about Spenser as a teenager and maybe there's an on-going young adult market there. But really, a 60+ year old private investigator? Even so, it was a good read. Classic Spenser as he finds out few people are telling him the truth and the case he thought was blackmail is turning out to be murder.

Full Story Can Be Viewed At:

http://www.newamericantruth.com/reviews/recread/theprofessional.htm

EDUCATION (Part 3) and APPLICATION (Part 4)

Discipline, Devotion, Education and Application... These are inseparable because they must continuously work together Knowledge gained must be applied or it is lost... As the process of gaining knowledge continues it must be applied or it is lost!... And it must be a continuous process.That is why we have tests to see what is retained... And practical problems involving information received and application of that information to gain the thing called education...

http://www.ustraining.com/new/btw/chaplain/101909chaplain.htm

Two Flu Vaccines, Lots of Questions
October 18, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
By Kristen Gerencher

The annual ritual of fending off the flu is more complicated this fall as Americans weigh getting two vaccines.

The vaccine to fight seasonal flu is already widely available, although some areas have reported supply shortages or delays. But a new vaccine to protect against the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, is just starting to make its way to schools, public-health departments and doctors' offices.

Full Story

Founded out of tragedy in 1994, TAPS has grown and established itself as the front line resource to families and loved ones of our military men and women. TAPS has provided comfort and care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through comprehensive services and programs including peer based emotional support, case work assistance, crisis intervention, and grief and trauma resources.

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 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.

Managing Editor - Zach Taylor (ztaylor@ustraining.com)
Format Editor - Jennifer Granoff (jgranoff@ustraining.com)
Frank's Review - Frank Borelli (frank@borelliconsulting.com)
Chaplain's Corner - Chaplain D. R. Staton (chpln1@verizon.net)
Advertising - Jennifer Granoff (jgranoff@ustraining.com)
All other inquiries –(btw@ustraining.com)

Questions regarding Security Consulting or US Training (252) 435-2035

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