Posted: 7/7/2005 6:18:19 AM EDT
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Last year several of us made a lot of good suggestions about getting together once a month os so and teaching each other feild craft, basic medical, and such. as usual it was great ideas that we all got to busy to execute. With todays bombings in london i got the motivation again. if anyone is interested post here and list your strong assests for helping others learn. my major strong points are: field medical <trauma related> NBC survival <served as a flight medic on the biological emergency response team at usamriid> VERY familiar with most military style small arms i have a good LARGE area for training and camping and would be up for some field exercises to test skills and gear. Lostwilcat and i are in the surplus business and can get just about any gear anyone needs. we got into this business initally to get our gear cheap. we will happilly pass this along to those that help out the group. mike |
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I really don't want to sound looney or anything so stop me if I am but with the recent turn of events, before this mess in London, I was seriously thinking something along the same lines. But moreso, I've been thinking that a clear series of objectives should be set in place by local groups of individuals here who trust each other, say for instance, the B'ham gang, Mobile gang, etc. Proactive measures are umpteen times more crucial than the chaos in reactive measures. I am young and haven't served so I have little specialties that I can think of (unless you need a good schooling of your mortgage amortization  ), but would be willing to chip in and help, ESPECIALLY now that my college requirements are simmering down immensly.For whatever strengths that I might have, I don't necessarily think I am apt for teaching them but they may come in handy in some way: Moderate experience: > Backpacking > marksmanship/guns (obviously) > Mrs.BeetleBailey - disaster relief/preparedness |
unofficially some of that structure is in place among some folks. This is not going to be a militia type organization. just a way for people with different skill sets to help others learn. these are NEVER bad skills to have and generally if they are not practiced we lose them. Those that know me well know there are plans for major situations in my area. they need to be refined and updated but we are definantly not unprepared for most of what life and mother nature can toss our way. |
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you joke about the mortgage thing, but actually some financial skills would not be a bad idea to cover as well. it is part of survival in day to day life and the ability to trade effectivily during a crisis is a real need. everyone has skills. you may be surprised to find you know a great deal about something that others do not after showing up. Sometimes not knowing anything offers a new perspective on the old standard of doing thngs that might improve them. mike |
Very wise statements there, Mike. I am amazed at some of the new more efficient ways that projects are met here at work with new minds that have diverged from old courses of action. And I'd be happy to advise on good financial practices. (right now would be a good time, too. I just placed all of my birthday money in savings this morning instead of heading to JoJo's during my lunch break for that 1911 that I have been lusting over for a year...  and  )
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I'd like to get in on this when I get down there. I'm in much the same boat as Beetle Bailey. I'm young and don't really have any special skills, but I'd be glad to learn and help out. I think you can derive some confidence and peace of mind by staying prepared and knowing that we aren't in it alone if something happens. |
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anyone is welcome. beetle, get her in a bikini and bring her with you  j/kwhat kind of training does she have? |
Lol. She is finishing up her degree in education and as a part of the curriculum has had to take classes on disaster relief/preparedness and such. Also, when she worked as a teacher's aid for a number a years she received medical training such as CPR and so on as well as some similiar training in sterilization techniques as required now by law when she worked at an eating establishment before that. I don't know the specifics but she was really interested in it and some of her teachers were FEMA-affiliated and taught a lot of the procedures and in-and-outs.
I thought he was typing on his laptop from the reading room at first
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i tried several times via email and leaving voice mail and they never called me back. kinda got the feeling theyd call you if they wanted you. |
| I've been thinking about preparedness for some time now, especially since Ivan came through last year. I'd really like to expand my medical knowledge, right now my knowledge is very basic CPR/First aid. As for skills I have to offer I am a Dive Master/ Rescue Diver. Anything you need to know about diving phisiology I can fake a good answer ;-). I can also TIG and MIG weld and do some minor car repair (I am learning more now that I work for Express Oil Change). Obviously shooting and firearms. As far as sociatal needs go I was a Political Science major and I have a great love of world and American history. |
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I have varied experence in design and construction of various types of buildings. I can operate most common power tools. I am OK at mechanica problem solving in general, nothing in particular. Only other think Ive done in worked on a farm for years and am familiar with heavy equipment operation. EDIT-- Oh yeah, Im rather proficcent at tree dissasembly. (But not spelling) |
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sounds like we have some GREAT skill sets. how about we plan for sometime midaugust at my place. we can get together talk about what we want to accomplish as a group and discuss what basic kit everyone should have to proceed. I figure from then on we look at every other month for a get together/training session. that should give everyone time to have the gear for the coming "class". For those on a budget i am sure many of us have duplicate items we could share for training. Also Ram Surplus will assist as we can for keeping the costs to a bare minimum or at least helping to locate good deals. i think it would be really cool to have a network of many people around the state that we all KNOW we can rely on during a major crisis. whether it be natural disaster or otherwise. mike ps.... if any of you guys are big hunters i wouldn't mind a good class on field dressing game. |
A big +1 and +1 I think a deer hunting excursion is in order. I've never been  ETA: And I'd like to apologize for never really inviting many of you to the B_B Compound, other than Notso, Trogdor, and so on. I work a normal 8/40 and have had classes every night after work for the past three or four years, leaving little time for much socialization. Thank God I am now on the home stretch. |
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I'm retired army, combat MOS, still get around pretty good, can teach map reading, orienteering courses, survival shelters, survival kits, fire starting, reloading, deer hunting ( shoot, field dress, butcher, put in freezer, cook, and eat), also do the canoe/kayak thing, have an indecent number of military guns, reload for everything from a .32 acp to a 30.06, at 53 I'm not as old as I'm going to get but still might have a learned few things some younger folks might be interested in. rk |
+1, again. I think we all need to have a "right-of-passage" outing, where those of us virgins get our long over-due "blooding", if that's what you all call it. |
we'd be doing this up around the bham area. that would be about 1/2 way for the huntsville and montgomery crews. i don't have a problem rotating the location to different peoples houses for training if you guys want. |
i'd like to sign up. i got 6 months in the marines out of high school. now i am a towboat pilot, so i could teach you how to push a barge around . i need more training( no place for me to shoot here) in pistol and rifle. i live in demopolis, but i got a sister and bro-in-law in mtn brook i can bunk with. let me know and i'll give all help i can.
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I can vouch for axl and his field of knowledge. As a matter of fact, I just left his house after spending most of the day with him and his wife. He has ALOT of knowledge and is willing to teach......maybe thats because he is a teacher.....mmmmmmmm....I may be on to something....lol Anyway, as far as the group your trying to get together, I think it is a great idea.....as a matter of fact, we have a small group here in North Alabama who train for survival type conditions. We do Field training exercises, shooting, and survival camping......We are all about survival because one day we know these skills may come in handy. We all need to swap contact info.....Its always handy to have someone (or a group) to watch your six when times get hard....... P.S......axl, I really enjoyed the kayaking today.....It was a great Trip!!!!!!!!!........I also thouroughly enjoyed the trip to the War Musem...... GhostCat |
Worked my way through college working around tugs and barges. The captains I knew got in a lot of shooting, especially in the spotlights of the tugs at night at deer on the Big Muddy. They ate a lot of venison. |
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I am pretty good at bitching and raising hell. I am also quite comfortable being an asshole in most all situations. Are these considered skills? Oh yea, I am an aircraft mechanic. Been a while since I have worked on jets but I am fairly proficient working on helicopters so I guess I can help out if any of you guys have a chopper that needs work. I could probably fly the thing too so long as it is maybe a huey or other smaller bell chopper. Landings may not be very pretty but what the heck! Anyway I work a lot but I was just thinking I might could add to the thread. Wes |
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Ghostcat,, thanks for the kind words, it really was nice out there. KKen and I camp on the Elk river ususllly twice a year for several days. We will be going again in October. I enjoy the fall/winter campouts more than the summer, but the weather yesterday was great. Glad you enjoyed my dust collectors.( For some reason I kept on finding drool on the FAL.) Pick a Sunday, we'll go shooting. rk |
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I've got a BSEE from UAB, though I mostly program at the moment. Look forward to get togethers/meetings as I'm in the B'ham area. I'm also a liberal (pro-gun), so you can debate me all day if you need fodder/conversation. ;) Takes all kinds, right? My wife is also an epidemiologist and is in med-school at the moment. Docs are always nice, right? |