After-Action Review – Montana

Over the last two weeks, NC Scout and I conducted three classes at Camp Ponderosa in Bigfork, Montana.  We covered Basic RTO (Radiotelephone Operator), SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), and Fieldcraft.  A few of the students took all three courses and spent the entire time hanging out with us in the gorgeous natural setting of the SwanContinue reading “After-Action Review – Montana”

Return to Self Sufficiency

We are sitting in beautiful NW Montana this morning.  NC Scout is up front teaching a radio communications class to help folks stay in touch when the normal methods fail.  That’s a first step down the road to self-sufficiency and it had me thinking this morning.  NC Scout and I have been here a fewContinue reading “Return to Self Sufficiency”

What Do I Put In My Radio?

OK, so Tactical Wisdom and NC Scout, along with that “BOO-FWANG” guy Randy said I needed to get some Boo-Fwang’s, and I did. Now what? Those radios are useless to you sitting in a drawer, unprogrammed. The biggest question I get is, “But what do I program it with?”. That’s a great question and we’llContinue reading “What Do I Put In My Radio?”

Why Should I Learn to Navigate?

Many people’s idea of preparedness involves buying something to address an issue and thinking that’s good enough. For example, buying huge stocks of food. Well, once you crack the seal on your stored food, you’re on the countdown to starvation. Radios are the same. Thousands of people bought a Baofeng UV-5R and then tossed itContinue reading “Why Should I Learn to Navigate?”

Preparedness Lessons from Baltimore

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by the MV Dali (Singapore-Flagged) at 0130 Eastern on 3/26/2024. Casualty numbers are not in yet, and it is certainly a tragedy. We can take away a few lessons from it right now. Immediately after, almost everyone on the internet became an expert on ship handling, port operations,Continue reading “Preparedness Lessons from Baltimore”

Road Movement Planning

This past weekend, I spent some time with a group of like-minded folks working on secure vehicle movement. Having been there and done that on a few occasions, I can report that the guy who led the class really knew his stuff. We capped the day with a practical exercise by actually doing a secureContinue reading “Road Movement Planning”

Having the Right Gear

I am recently back from 6 days of winter camping. OK, so the picture is a BIT dramatic, as my winter camping was in North Carolina, but there are still some lessons learned. In this article, we’re going to talk about bringing along the right gear, just in case. In fact, here’s some Tactical WisdomContinue reading “Having the Right Gear”

Mountain Partisan Gear

I spent the last 6 days down at the Brushbeater Training Center in North Carolina, serving as cadre for the Scout and Recce Courses. First, let me say that you should seriously consider taking these courses. The content and interactive exercises are amazing, but the sense of community and camaraderie built among the students andContinue reading “Mountain Partisan Gear”

Finding Community

“How do I find like-minded people to build a community with?” is probably one of the biggest questions I get, but I’m going to have preface this with some tough love. I’m going to tell you how, but you all need to “man-up” (or woman-up or Zhe-up) in this area. What I mean is, when I tellContinue reading “Finding Community”

Why Do I Need A Comms Plan?

Probably the second biggest pushback I get is: Look, I’m not into radio, so why do I need a comms plan? Well, imagine you didn’t have an advanced microcomputer that you carried with you everywhere for instant communications and information? What if you walked down to the river for water, leaving your family at home, and theyContinue reading “Why Do I Need A Comms Plan?”

You Don’t Have To Live Like a Refugee

It’s no secret that I recommend having a good tent or a tarp along with outdoor sleeping gear. These aren’t meant to be where you live out your days in a without rule of law situation. In fact, in all of my books, I mention that quality of life matters, even in a disastrous situation. While it’sContinue reading “You Don’t Have To Live Like a Refugee”

Why Do I Need Fieldcraft?

There are two types of people involved in preparedness that most people fall into.  The first is what I call the Tacti-Cool Prepper.  This is the guy with 14 guns (how are you going to carry them all??) who imagines that a Without Rule of Law (WROL) situation will be a Mad Max movie.  TheContinue reading “Why Do I Need Fieldcraft?”

Book Reviews – Guerrilla’s Guides

One of the most important things we can do in preparedness is read & learn. I am a voracious reader and am always studying something. There is even some Tactical Wisdom from the Ultimate Tactical Handbook on this: The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,    for the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 18:15 Now, whenContinue reading “Book Reviews – Guerrilla’s Guides”

What’s Ahead: 2024 Focus

Federal authorities are bracing for more political unrest in 2024, as the election draws near. We, as Americans, are more divided than ever before. A Chinese Military-Aged-Male was just arrested for a hoax hate crime (he painted a swastika on a synagogue), and the FBI warned that he had been all over the country. Iran, Russia, and ChinaContinue reading “What’s Ahead: 2024 Focus”

The Battle of Athens/Green Township

What happens when a government fails to heed the wishes of the people it purports to represent? This is a question we face now in the United States as the federal government issues executive orders and state governments pass laws that no one wants. So far, it’s only resulted in one large protest, but that protest soContinue reading “The Battle of Athens/Green Township”

EDC Means “Every Day”

A man was killed in a knife attack in Paris yesterday and two others wounded. Assaults and attacks related to the Gaza conflicts are happening all over the world and the victims rarely have anything to do with either side. Extremists on both sides are using it as an excuse to commit violence. Meanwhile, crimeContinue reading “EDC Means “Every Day””

Building a Tribe

I can’t think of a better topic on Thanksgiving week than building your tribe. Think of the example of the first Thanksgiving – a group of people who fled the dystopian urban centers of Europe to evade over-reaching federal governments intent upon stamping out their religious freedom. Sound familiar? These people made the ultimate homesteadingContinue reading “Building a Tribe”

Telecom Crash In Australia

Optus Telecom, the second largest telecommunications company in Australia that serves 40% of the population, suffered a complete phone and internet outage for most of the day today. Looking at the above outage map, you might think, “that doesn’t look so bad”, but those red dots represent where most Australians live. The outage had massiveContinue reading “Telecom Crash In Australia”

EMAW and The Power of Radio

You might not know this, but Tactical Wisdom was born in a Bible Study. Years ago, I was making every mistake a man can make. I screwed up huge chunks of my life and was losing everything in the process. It ended where such things usually do, a hospital bed. I decided then that thingsContinue reading “EMAW and The Power of Radio”

Responsibility

Last week, I re-read Surviving Home, Book 2 of Angry American’s Survivalist series. It reminded me of the image above and a lot of the commentary we hear after disasters in America. The first complaint we hear, even from our so-called “limited government” allies, is “Why isn’t the government here? Why didn’t they warn us?Continue reading “Responsibility”

Scout & Recce Recap

I spent six days as the OPFOR (Opposing Force) for NC Scout’s most recent Scout and Recce Courses. This will recap the events and learnings. It’s a Train-The-Trainer course, much like this Tactical Wisdom from the Bible: And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who willContinue reading “Scout & Recce Recap”

Warrior Culture

Throughout history, we have recognized many cultures as “warrior cultures”. The Spartans, the Mongols, Feudal Japan, the Norse/Danes, and the ‘Warring States” period in China, to name a few. But even within non-warrior cultures as a whole, there was usually a “warrior class” who espoused a warrior culture. Most of rural Europe was composed ofContinue reading “Warrior Culture”

Mutual Aid Success in Hoedspruit

Anyone who has followed me for more than a few days knows that I say watch South Africa for what is going to happen here.  In fact, today’s riot in Johannesburg looked remarkably similar to the one in Philadelphia last night.  An incident happened last week in which South Africans used the skills outlined inContinue reading “Mutual Aid Success in Hoedspruit”

A Lesson From Rhodesia

Back in early American history, the “militant farmer” was the concept of the pioneers heading west. Born out of the “Minuteman” that led to this nation’s birth, the militant farmer was little changed until 1900 rolled around. He may have traded his musket for a lever action, but the principle was the same. The farmerContinue reading “A Lesson From Rhodesia”

Short Notice Readiness – Minuteman

Friends, it’s been a rough couple of weeks. We still don’t know the extent of the deaths in Maui, and here locally, we woke up flooded one morning, then were struck by a tornado the very next night. This had me re-evaluating my immediate readiness. I’ll be honest – I was not where you wouldContinue reading “Short Notice Readiness – Minuteman”

Security & Egress Plans

Two events this week have me considering updating the Area Study. First, the Lahaina fire area is now seeing not just looting, but also the inevitable armed robberies that will follow in ANY WROL situation. The second is unrest in South Africa related to Jacob Zuma’s legal issues which has claimed several lives and nowContinue reading “Security & Egress Plans”

Life in a Non-Permissive Environment

When US Embassy or military personnel are assigned to duty in a nation that is not friendly to us, we call that a “non-permissive environment”. This means that the host nation’s government will not allow us to operate without challenges or restrictions. We send personnel heading there to special courses on how to live andContinue reading “Life in a Non-Permissive Environment”

Gear Shakedown – Field Time

One of the biggest challenges we face in preparedness is in actually getting in some time using our gear. I spent last week at the Von Steuben Training & Consulting Jager Course. You can find the course review on the Tactical Wisdom Locals Page. This article is more about the use and adjustment of myContinue reading “Gear Shakedown – Field Time”

Building Community

I love getting out and meeting more people in our community. I enjoy spending time learning and training with others. It’s important that we all get out and do this to build a community wherever you plan on weathering a WROL situation. It’s vital whether you plan to bug out or bug in. We’ve talkedContinue reading “Building Community”

Training – Physical Skills

Bruce Lee famously said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks one time…I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”. This quote is about getting in physical repetitions to master a skill. This applies not just to martial arts, but to every physical skill in life. It’s why skilledContinue reading “Training – Physical Skills”

Should I Stay or Should I go?

One of the biggest debates in preparedness is the bug out or bug in question. The question can’t be answered in a definite way because every situation is different, and everyone’s personal environment is specific to them. Where I have difficulty though are the absolutists on either end. First, not every situation requires a fullContinue reading “Should I Stay or Should I go?”

Mike’s Jäger Kit, 2023 Edition

Last year, I wrote a series of articles on my “Jäger Kit”, the equipment that I carry for light infantry operations and extended patrolling. However, one’s equipment is a constant evolution as you find things that work better for you, and I am no exception. And with the Jäger Course coming up in a month,Continue reading “Mike’s Jäger Kit, 2023 Edition”

Mike’s Jäger Kit, 2023 Edition

Last year, I wrote a series of articles on my “Jäger Kit”, the equipment that I carry for light infantry operations and extended patrolling. However, one’s equipment is a constant evolution as you find things that work better for you, and I am no exception. And with the Jäger Course coming up in a month,Continue reading “Mike’s Jäger Kit, 2023 Edition”

Recognizing Your Team

The Russo-Ukrainian War (Slavic Civil War) has brought to the forefront a vital issue. If everyone is driving the same vehicles, using the same weapon platforms, and wearing the same uniforms, how do you identify your own side? As a side note, countless militias are fighting on both sides of that conflict, too, with someContinue reading “Recognizing Your Team”