A Little About Me or "What Makes Me Think I'm Qualified...."

You know, everyday I think about new and exciting topics to write about.  Today, really I just want to talk about me, lol.  I've on this planet for almost 40 years now and have seen and done some amazing things.  I started my career in the USAF as a Security Forces Airman.  I like to call them the infantry of the Air Force.  We specialized in air base ground defense, priority resources, law enforcement and personnel protection.  We spent a lot of time in the field, digging foxholes, conducting patrols and learning to ambush attackers.

 We were trained on vehicle, weapons systems, and crossed trained with our sister services.

 We were armed with M16A2 rifles and M9 pistols.   All of this started to shape my young life and helped me to develop my principles of personal protection, security,
patriotism.

 

 After carrying a gun everyday for work, I felt naked without one.  I purchased my first pistol as soon as I was legally able, a Rossi subnosed 357 revolver.

My previous experience gave me the basics for using a pistol, but I soon began to absorb any information on firearms, tactics and training.  I attended a few shooting schools, and joined the base SWAT team to progress my skills.

 I had purchased at least 2 additional handguns, a shotgun and a rifle.  At this time in my life, I considered myself an operator, sprung tight and ready for action.  Later I left Security Forces to learn a little more about the Air Force and the world as a whole.  

I found myself completely out of my element, having to learn how to speak, write, and engage people, not as a cop but another human being.  

Also, I was no longer an operator, I was a support technician and people seemed to doubt my hard earned skills.  The wars began and I was eager to get my red badge of courage, and prove to my peers I wasn't just another desk jockey. 

Iraqi was a horror show, as any one who's been there can tell you.  So many lives lost, military, civilian, and bad guys.  Any Vet that spent time outside the wire can tell you, if they could replace those memories, they'd do it in a heart beat.  Very soon after that I deployed to Afghanistan, but this time the horror wasn't in my face, it was on a computer screen, as I captured images and video of bad guys doing bad things.  In both places shots were fired, but I came out physically unscathed, because God was with me.  

I got back to the States still young and looking for something I couldn't define.  Now an expert in my craft, I still yearning for gunfire, so I started competing.  

Though my time was short as an IDPA competitor, I learn valuable lessons that aid me to this day.  Why was my time cut short you might ask, Well a little guy was born who changed my life, my son.

After the birth of my son, I no longer looked for the fight, longing to engage enemies or watch stuff blow-up, I was a father, so safety and security was now my agenda.  I changed tactics and began to learn about prepping, wilderness survival, and most importantly, how to avoid the fight before it comes.  Now my son is almost 10 years old and I'm blessed to have grown into a different man.  That said, I have a lot of knowledge I'd like to share with you, if you're willing to listen.  If you've gone from operator to family man, or if your children have changed your life, let me know in the comments.  Cheers