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American WarriorTHE NRA MAGAZINE FOR THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR N U M B E R 1 3

Israel: What Doesn’t Kill Strengthens

NRA Officer of the Year Dave McCarley

Active Shooter Training with Jerry Head

PTSD: “P” Stands for “Personal”

WarriorWare: Guns and Gear Put to the Test

What Happens in Vegas

Sacrifice Honored at NRA Museum

American WarriorTHE NRA MAGAZINE FOR THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR N U M B E R 1 3

PTSD: The ‘P’ Stands for PersonalPTSD affects warfighters, veterans and law enforcement professionals in as many different ways as there are ways to be different as human beings.

Active Shooter TrainingFormer SWAT Officer Jerry Head thinks outside the box when it comes to giving others the knowledge and training to survive active shooter encounters.

What Happens in VegasA group of wounded warriors gets the red carpet treatment in Las Vegas.

Sacrifice HonoredA small but emotionally moving exhibit at the NRA’s National Firearms Museum commemorates the heroism of the men and women of law enforcement.

WarriorWareTested and retested: our hot-rodded Para Black Ops 1911, Burris XTR 1.5-6x riflescope, Blackhawk backpack, SIG Sauer P227, and the Accuracy International PSR.

Virtual WarriorMaximum music, movies and more for the modern warrior.

Ma Shelo Horeg MekhashelTranslation: What doesn’t kill, strengthens. Living in a state of near-constant peril has allowed Israelis to put aside differences and focus on thriving.

Cool Under FireCaught in a deadly firefight, NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Dave McCarley relied on training, faith in his fellow officers, and the ability to stay cool amid chaos.

WARRIOR FEATURESP R E S E N T E D B Y C O L T

ON THE COVER: Dom Raso is a former Navy SEAL and one of the newest commentators on NRANews (www.NRANews.com). Photo byMichael Ives. THIS SPREAD: A view from the Golan Heights, an area which epitomizes ages-old conflict between Israel and its neighbors—in this case, Syria. Photo by Chuck Holton.

Welcome to the Warrior.

WARNING: All technical data in this publication, especially for handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using specific tools, products, equipment and components under specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported in the article and over which the National Rifle Association (NRA) has no control. The data have not otherwise been tested or verified by the NRA. The NRA, its agents, officers and employees accept no responsibility for the results obtained by persons using such data and disclaim all liability for any consequential injuries or damages. No advertised item is intended for sale in those states, or in those areas where local restrictions may limit or prohibit the purchase, carrying or use of certain items. Check local laws before purchasing. Mention of a product or service in advertisements or text does not necessarily mean that it has been tested or approved by the NRA.

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WA R R I O R WAREGUNS, GEAR & GADGETS FOR

THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR

A M E R I C A N WA R R I O R

The more we shoot with VZ grips the more we like ‘em.

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Dear Mr. Editor,Just thought I’d check in about the ParaUSA “Black Ops” 1911 update you

wanted. It’s mostly good news.First, I got that pistol to Gary Kimball like you said. I knew the name but now I

know the skills. He had it back to me right away. It was really looking hot when I picked it up: new fiber optic front sight, mag well/backstrap/mainspring housing, and a barrel bushing. About that: Gary’s kinda, well, picky—seemed like the old one was pretty tight. Anyway, it mostly turns out, as you’ll see.

By the way, good call on going with those stainless parts with the IonBond finish. The contrast is on point.

Gary also did that trigger job. Holy smoke! That “burnishing” thing has finished, and the trigger settled in at about 3.25 pounds. Finally understand what that “glass rod” break thing is all about. Scary smooth. I got to a range, too. Found some ammo on the way there (took crossing three states, but, well, you know how

ABOUT THE RACE TUNE ON THAT PARA …

WA R R I O R WARE Email the Editor Visit the Gear Channel

tough it is out here). Ran into this guy who was doing a pistol review, and he said it’d be OK if I shot with him.

Anyway, the guy was shooting on a plate rack, so I did too. Man, does that Para go now! I know you were pretty stoked with those mid 4-second runs you were doing, right? Sorry, but you’re toast if I see you again: 3.78 seconds for six plates at 11 yards from the draw was my best, but stayed under 4 pretty easily.

And the red dot/fiber front sight? I’m talkin’ huge! First shot and transitions from target to target were fantastic with that bright

dot out there.Back to that trigger. Remember

how we thought it was, well, gritty-feeling? Just wanted you to know that’s all gone now: just a little “take-up” and then it goes. Made long shots a lot easier. We figured this out when he moved a target out pretty far, I mean, like, it was small. Could it have been 60 yards? Anyway, I loaded up and took a few shots. It was a metal

target so it made that great “gonnng” sound. Funny thing: it made that sound every time I shot. Is that what a good barrel-to-bushing fit does? I know it seemed to irritate the ol’ guy a little.

Next thing we did was set up three of those USPSA targets. Backed up 10 or 12 yards and did one of those “classifiers” you mentioned. We started facing away from the targets and then turned around, fired two shots at each target, reloaded and then shot ‘em again. What a blast! Remembered you said the beveled grip was OK, but not as fast as a mag well. About 7.5 seconds right? Well you were right; time’s closer to 6.75 now. So that was a good idea, too.

Ol’ boy seemed to know a lot about 1911s, so he asked if he could take a look inside, and I said sure. Figured you wouldn’t mind. This is where we figured out just how well Gary had fit that bushing: Even with that wrench, we couldn’t get it all the way out of the slide. But the old guy knew a cool trick I’d better tell you: When

We started facing away from the targets and then turned around, fired two shots at each target, reloaded and then shot ‘em again.

PARA

Broke our hearts to take off the the grey Trijicon night sights but the black rear and red fiber front can’t be beat for rapid acquisition.

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PARA

Matte stainless Smith & Alexander one-piece magwell and backstrap are a great complement to the IonBond finish and dramatically speed up reloads.

Original EGW bushing was an excellent choice but we wanted a tighter fit on a competition gun. We would have had to try to miss at distance.

the bushing wouldn’t quite come out, he turned the bushing lug so it was in the opening at the bottom of the barrel channel (is that what you call “6 o’clock?”). Then, with the slide and barrel pointing down, he just shook the slide gently up and down, just enough so that the shoulder of the chamber would tap the bushing out. No tools, not a mark on anything! This ol’ dog is teaching me new tricks.

Anyway, we got ’er all cleaned up and put away. Figured I better help ‘im pick up his targets.

That’s when it happened. I mean, I was really excited for you and all, and was even thinking about asking you if you’d consider selling me the Para. But when I came back to the bench, it was gone! There wasn’t anybody else at the range, and I know the ol’ boy didn’t have it.

Honestly, no idea what happened. I mean, there were hawks around, but why would they carry it off? My bad.

So like I said, mostly good news: Black Ops “race-tune” is working great... somewhere.

Best,Frank

Frank Winn is a competitive shooter and NRA instructor. Until now, he’s never been known to “lose” a gun during any testing session, much less this one—his official very last gun test.


BURRIS

Several years ago, an optics company in northern Colorado decided to get into the rapidly growing arena of low-powered illuminated optics. Since then, Burris has been making some excellent and affordable options for us black rifle shooters who have decided that we don’t need a big, heavy high-powered scope.

The first scope from the Burris Tactical line I saw was the 1-4 XTR—with the X standing for Xtreme. Normally, I shy (actually run) away from anything that is labeled “Extreme,” but after I spent some time behind that scope following a local shooting competition, I was impressed. I knew then that I’d eventually end up with one or more of these scopes.

Then, late last year, the XTR 1.5-6x caught my eye. One thing you’ll notice right off the bat is the scope’s 30 mm tube. For most American shooters, 30 mm is a thick tube that resembles a truck axle, instead of the 1-inch tube that is more commonplace here. But after spending a lot of time in Europe over the years with the military, I didn’t give this a second thought. Many European hunters get to hunt after dark, and the bigger 30 mm main tube allows more light transmission. Another benefit of the 30 mm tube is a larger field of view. The 1.5-6x has a 60-foot field of view at 1.5x, and 20 feet at 6x.

While a thicker main tube usually comes at a price—more weight—Burris kept this scope down to 19 ounces. For mounting on an AR-15 or a lightweight hunting rifle, lighter is a good thing. The Smith and Wesson AR-15 I chose to test this scope will be a dual role rifle. It will see most of its time shooting 3-gun matches, engaging steel and paper targets from contact distance to 500 yards. The rifle’s other use will be teaching new shooters how to shoot an AR-15, and the occasional coyote or fox.

To begin with, the glass inside the scope is very good quality. At all powers, the image clarity was good with no distortion. The coatings used on the glass are good, and no tints or hues distort the image.

I mounted the scope in a spare LaRue mount I had on hand. To level the scope, I stacked feeler gauges between the erector housing and

By Tom Freeman

BURRIS XTR 1.5-6X

The compact size allows the scope to sit nice and low.


BURRIS

the mount until it was level. To check that it was really level, I mounted the scope on the rifle and leveled the rifle with a machinist level. I then placed the level on the scope’s elevation cap. Perfectly level. All the screws were snugged up with a little blue Loctite.

The XTR 7.62 Ballistic reticle is easy to figure out, and even easier to use. The center of the reticle is an illuminated horseshoe with dots and Christmas tree-type stadia lines. I was accustomed to using a Schmidt & Bender Short Dot QCB reticle, so getting used to this one didn’t take much

range time or thinking. I normally don’t care for any type of ballistic drop-type reticles as they tend to only work with one bullet/velocity combo, but this one works for my eyes and my brain.

I sighted in the scope using Hornady 55 FMJ bullets on top of a case full of Hodgdon Varget—my standard “go-to” load for training ammo. It is accurate, cheap and clean, with emphasis on the accurate and cheap

part. After getting a solid 100-yard zero off sandbags, I switched to Sierra 77-grain bullets, which mirror .308 ballistics and, I hoped, would better mirror the XTR 7.62 reticle than the flatter-shooting 55s would. For the rest of my longer-range shooting, I opted for a more reasonable and realistic rest—a Kifaru Marauder pack with two claymore pouches on the outside. After all, this isn’t a bench rest rifle. No reason to use it like one.

My home range is very friendly to competitive shooters, and since it is a private range I am fortunate to be able to have free rein most days. I set up

The simplicity of the reticle made hitting targets in a hurry quite easy.

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several steel targets from 150 to 425 yards. The targets ranged in size from a 6-inch round plate at 200 yards to a 12-inch diamond at 425 yards. I also put up an ABC zone target at 300 yards for some accuracy tests later.

I plopped down and did some rapid-fire drills, going close to far and far to close on the steel targets. The simplicity of the reticle made hitting targets in a hurry quite easy. Intermediate target distances, like 350 yards, were a piece of cake. I just split the difference between the 300 yard and 400 yard dot, added a little and squeezed the trigger. I was often rewarded with a clang of a hit.

I also put a sling on the rifle and did some positional stuff like sitting and kneeling, just because I could. The reticle’s large horseshoe was helpful to my eyes because it allowed me to judge my wobble while still focusing on the target.

After a fresh coat of paint on the targets, I went back to the 300-yard target and squeezed off five shots at a not-so-slow pace. I was rewarded by four of them being inside 3 inches, with one flyer taking the group up to about 4 inches. Not too bad for a hack like myself.


The lightweight, compact scope works well on a 16-inch AR.


BURRIS

Concealed by the top scope cap, the elevation turret has easy to see and use 1/2 MOA clicks.

After leaving the 425-yard range, I shot the rifle/scope combo awhile at 600 yards. A 10-inch plate at 600 yards is a tough target no matter what you do. Seeing the target and trying to hit it at 6x doesn’t make things any easier. Luckily, the 600-yard hash mark was right on, and I was able to hit the target about 75 percent of the time.

After all the long-range shooting, it was time to switch back to cheap ammo and play on the close-up targets. I set up a few barricades/walls and some IPSC targets from 5 to 30 yards—one of the targets being a fast swinger, the other being a clay bird.

The 1.5x not being a true 1-power was not a big deal for me. I noticed it for sure, but it did not slow down my transitions between targets or my ability to find close-up targets in the scope. Tracking the swinging target

and getting hits on it was no problem. I tended to ambush the target at the bottom of the swing, when its movement is the least. Two pretty solid hits from two fast shots was the norm. Hitting static clay birds was also easy with the reticle. I just put the bird in the horseshoe, and it was gone.

The scope’s eye relief and eye position were very generous at 1.5x. Even with a fast mount, the reticle was easy to find. Cheap low-power scopes tend to have short eye relief and a very small eye box, making fast shooting difficult even on a good day. But the Burris engineers did their homework here.

The close-up shooting also gave me my first, and only, real complaint about the scope. The illumination was not bright enough to show up on a very bright, sunny day. However for low-light shooting/hunting and predator hunting, the illumination is perfect. And the variable rheostat allows you to dial it up and down depending on your needs.

All in all, I found the Burris XTR 1.5-6 to be an outstanding scope, and it fills a lot of gaps in the low-powered scope world. Now to go buy some flowers and apologize for spending more money on gun stuff.

A 20-plus-year veteran of the United States Air Force as a C-130 flight crewmember, Tom (Hoser) Freeman is an NRA Firearms Instructor and has numerous top-3 finishes at state, regional and national championships.

... the variable rheostat allows you to dial it up and down depending on your needs.

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BLACKHAWK

With roomy pockets and pouches, the Cyane Dynamic Pack has plenty of storage space for you to accomplish the day’s mission.

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When broken down to their simplest form, all packs do basically the same thing—carry your gear so you can accomplish a mission. The new Cyane Dynamic Pack from Blackhawk is marketed as a daypack, designed to carry enough gear for a few-hour mission and get you back to base. It can be used as a stand-alone pack or can easily be converted to a PALS/MOLLE-compatible pack to attach directly to body armor.

The first thing I noticed upon taking the pack out of the box was its heft. Despite its small size and no metal components, it weighs in at 3 pounds, 2 ounces with the empty hydration bladder (sold separately). Most of the weight seems to be in the removable 3-D mesh padded back panel, which is designed to comfort the wearer’s back and help prevent it from becoming a sweat box on long treks.

The pack is constructed of durable yet lightweight 500-denier ripstop (black, coyote desert, and olive drab colors) or Cordura nylon (MultiCam). The zippers are heavy-duty, and all have large pulls for easy grasping with no fumbling around in the dark or when wearing gloves.

The Cyane Dynamic Pack fits the bill as a daypack with regard to space. There is plenty of room for a couple of broken-down MREs, wet/cold weather gear and other mission essentials. Since it is also covered with S.T.R.I.K.E. webbing down both sides and with two more strips on the back of the lower pouch, you can add your own pouches for additional storage.

Inside the main compartment is a mesh pocket designed to hold a 100-ounce hydration reservoir. There are three elastic tube ports as well. At the top of the pouch is a large zipper that follows the curve of the pack, maximizing the size of the opening. With ample room to access

CYANE DYNAMIC PACK F R O M B L A C K H A W K

By J.R. Salzman




the contents of the pouch, the main compartment was designed with common sense in mind.

I wish I could say the same for the slightly smaller beavertail compartment. Rather than place the zipper around the top like the main compartment, it was placed across the upper face at a slight angle. The only logical reason I can come up with for such placement is because it looked high-speed during the design process. Unfortunately, the result is an undersized opening that is difficult to reach into and move items in and out of, especially since the compartment is three times longer than it is wide.

There are two pockets on the front, with the larger of the two at the bottom. Both are readily accessible and have common-sense zippers for small items. Because of their small size, I did not feel that a secondary organizer was necessary to go inside either of them. The smaller of the two seemed ideal for small bits like index cards, batteries, etc. On the front of the upper pouch are also three strips of hook-and-loop fastener for patches, name tapes or cat eyes so you don’t have to sit around in the barracks with

a needle and thread, or head off to the local seamstress on base.To give the Cyane Dynamic Pack a test, I loaded it up with 20 pounds of

miscellaneous gear. The bulk of the weight came from loaded PMAGs, and most of the space in the pack was taken up by a few articles of military clothing. I was surprised how much could be crammed into the Cyane Dynamic Pack. The mesh area is scalable by design with the assistance of the adjustable straps. Simply throw your gear in, cinch up the straps and go. Because the mesh does not go all the way to the top of the pack, that compartment is better suited for large bulky items that cannot slip out at the top.

The 3-D mesh padded back panel helps keep the pack rigid, conforming comfortably to the wearer’s back. Despite my purposefully poor and hasty packing job, I could not feel any sharp objects poking me in the back, a common problem with many packs lacking back panels.

The mesh area is scalable by design with the assistance of the adjustable straps. Simply throw your gear in, cinch up the straps and go.

BLACKHAWK



The padded back panel and straps ensure comfort—no gouging or pinching.




BLACKHAWK



I hiked a few miles over rough and steep terrain with the pack. The straps seemed sufficiently wide and padded for the 20-pound payload I carried. At no point did I feel like they were carving into me or cutting off circulation to my arms. The connecting strap between them kept the straps on my shoulders without slipping off. Despite ducking around and through heavy brush and crawling on my knees at one point, the pack stayed high on my back where it should be. Never did I feel like the pack was becoming separate from me and swinging around, beating me up.

I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive when I first saw the mesh netting on the pack. It seemed like a great way to get objects with sharp edges caught, especially when bumbling around in the dark. The mesh netting

performed better than expected, though. During testing, I purposefully went through dense brush and briars in an attempt to snag the mesh. Unlike my face and exposed skin, the pack performed flawlessly in the briars without anything hanging up on the mesh or trying to yank the pack from my back.

As a final test, I ran about a half-mile with the pack on my back just to see how bad it would beat me up. With all the straps tight and a 20-pound load, it was surprisingly

comfortable with the thick back pad. I never felt like it was trying to abuse my kidneys or send me to my chiropractor.

All in all, I was impressed and satisfied with the Cyane Dynamic Pack. If not for the slanted zipper on the beavertail-style compartment that I consider unwieldy, I would find no faults with it. But even aside from that, it’s an all-around great pack that will do exactly what it’s intended to do—hold your gear so you can accomplish the day’s mission.

Full pack specs available here: www.blackhawk.com/product/Cyane-Dynamic-Pack,1861,1579.htm

In addition to being an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, J.R.Salzman is also an eight-time Lumberjack World Champion once named by ESPN “among the preeminent outdoors athletes” of the last decade. He is a frequent contributor to NRA American Warrior magazine.

With all the straps tight and a 20-pound load, it was surprisingly comfortable with the thick back pad.


It can’t be easy being “the other” .45. It is a Coke and Pepsi, Ford and Chevy thing. But, for nearly 40 years, there has been an excellent “other” .45 ACP. And the new SIG Sauer P227, we’ll make the case, belongs in that vaunted company.

THE PISTOLClose inspection is required to distinguish the P227 from the now-classic P220. The latter—introduced in .45 ACP in 1976—was developed in response to a Swiss Army requirement to replace another icon: the SIG 210. The 210 represented the pinnacle of 9 mm service sidearms in the post-WWII era and established the SIG reputation for splendid reliability, accuracy and durability. So splendid, in fact, that the 210 is now back in production after a long hiatus. The P227 capitalizes on this 60-plus year impeccable pedigree and moves it forward. Well forward.

What rolls out of SIG’s Exeter, N.H., facility is a Nitron-coated/hard-anodized, stainless steel and aluminum alloy titan. As Tim Butler, SIG’s pistols product manager, told us, it gives “anyone—military, law enforcement, competitive shooters, SIG enthusiasts—who is looking for an all-metal

T E S T I N G , T E S T I N G ...

THE SIG SAUER P227

By Frank Winn

SIG SAUER

PHO

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Our BSS variant came factory equipped with Tritium/3-dot night sights - just the way we like it. Took every opportunity that we could to snag the hammer spur: no dice.

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SIG SAUER

construction, high-capacity .45 ACP an option that is designed and manufactured to the level of performance made legendary by other SIG pistols.”

While “legend” status is yet to be determined, the 227 starts in solid territory with the 220 heritage: stainless slide mated to the aluminum alloy lower on full-length rails; proven DA/SA trigger/safety/de-cocker system and the outstanding one-piece E2 wrap-around grip treatment. (SIG fans will recognize this excellent grip texturing first introduced on the P226 in 2009.) The P227 also brings a staggered stack 10+1 and extended 14+1 round option to SIG’s .45 platform—an advance on the 220’s 8+1 configuration. The magazine is the button-latching

style with a polymer base, tough as nails and easy to maintain. (We particularly liked the centering “tower” on the internal magazine spring plate. The mag is a cinch to reassemble with no risk of a forehead-rebound, across-the-tent, in-the-dark parts launch.)

Our pre-production evaluation sample also included SIG’s excellent SIGLITE three dot/tritium night sights. Front and rear sights are

dovetailed into the slide. Barrel length in our sample was the standard, conventionally rifled 4.4”, combined with the integral SIG accessory rail, which means existing holsters and other accessories will work with the 220, 226 or 227. Two magazines are normally included. Other details include a reversible magazine release and full-length guide rod complemented with the SIG-standard stranded wire recoil spring—an adaptation from machine guns that gives the SIG version a very long service life.

A lockable case with chamber flag, lube/protectant sample tube and through-the-barrel gun lock round out the P227 kit. The SIG manual is particularly excellent in our view: We especially approve of the use of diagrams to make safety and operational points: Such visuals are often easier to capture but much harder to understand from photographs.

“P” series .45s now boast up to 14 + 1 round capacity.

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INSIDE

We felt like a scene-of-the-crime movie cliché once inside the SIG: “Nothing to see here; move along.” No tiny, delicate parts. Everything has a clear purpose (nothing that screams “guess what that does?”) We liked it. And it is tough-looking. We really liked that. Also, getting into the pistol is a delight: If you’ve ever

disassembled the venerable Walther P-38, you’ll be right at home. Check for unloaded and empty, lock the slide to the rear, move the properly tensioned takedown lever mounted conspicuously on the left side of the frame from 3 o’clock

position to 6 o’clock, and slip the slide forward off the frame. We appreciate the ingenuity of other takedown methods, but not their compatibility with the cold, dark and wet, to say nothing of the spring-aided—ahem—disassembly methods out there. The five resulting components of barrel, slide, frame, guide rod and recoil spring are all the disassembly that will

You’ve got the best de-cocker in the world under your thumb—use it.

SIG SAUER

normally be required for maintenance and cleaning. Operation of the P227 departs in no important way from its predecessors.

A Browning-style, short recoil breech-locking pistol, the 227 barrel locks at the top on the chamber and ejection port cuts, and at the bottom on a steel locking block embedded in the alloy frame. Trigger/safety/de-cocker interaction is the same as the vast majority of SIG “P” series pistols: no manual safeties need be disengaged to fire an initial shot from a ~10-pound double-action press (although the hammer may be manually cocked using the well-designed hammer spur, this is a fine motor task and ill-advised). Every successive shot is from a shorter single-action press of ~4.4 pounds.

Deactivation can be achieved at any point by use of the de-cocking lever, which returns the hammer to a nominal half-cock (safe) position. This lever is under the right thumb of right-handed shooters in a normal firing grip. SIG pointedly does not advise any other method of returning the gun to safe (no thumbing the hammer down, for instance), and we concur: You’ve got the best de-cocker in the world under your thumb—use it. Other safeties include the SIG-patented automatic firing pin safety block, safety intercept notch, and a trigger bar disconnector. Loaded chamber indication is both tactile and visual on the extractor.

Great cocking serrations even with gloved hands. Do they sell replacement recoil springs? You won’t need one for a loooooonnngg time.

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AT THE RANGE

Disassembly, a light cleaning and a mechanical check preceded our first visit to the range. We followed the lubrication instructions in SIG’s manual, noting particularly that they advise light lubrication in the bore and chamber. For many shooters, this may be a departure from what they learned, but this is now a common recommendation. At one time, we believed that incompressibility of fluid lubricants presented a greater threat of bore damage than running dry bullets down a dry bore. The propensity of lube to attract foreign matter inside the bore was an even greater risk. Research has demonstrated an absolutely dry bore wears much more quickly, however, and foreign contaminant risk is overestimated, so—as the SIG manual recommends—“lightly oil bores … remove any excess.” Certain environments may demand modification of this, but consult your armorer if in doubt.

The first session is always a little humdrum: we’re after a safety check and break-in; good news is common (the thing goes bang when expected), and problems rare. But even by this low standard, the P227 lived up to any reasonable expectations.

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SIG SAUER

Nitron-finished stainless steel slide is a perfect match to the anodized alluminum alloy frame. Undercut trigger guard allows for a higher hand position to control recoil. Note how the rails run the full length of the frame.

The extractor provides both tactile and visual loaded-chamber indication.

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Fifty rounds of ball ammunition (American Eagle 230 gr. round nose) sailed into the berm. We always load various round counts into the magazine to check functioning at various magazine spring-tension levels. We also shadow the firearm under test with a comparable offering from another manufacturer—again without issue; this prevents ammunition issues from creeping in under the guise of an equipment problem. We did encounter a functional issue with the P227 almost right away: failure of the slide to lock back on an empty magazine. This surprised us given our experience with the Federal/AE loading: It always has enough “oomph” to lock the slide back, or so we thought. After several repetitions of the problem, including a switch to Speer 230 gr. RN ammo, we introduced a new shooter into the equation.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the problem disappeared. We frankly expected the issue to be ergonomic, and it was. But even to the experienced it serves as a good reminder: Be sure you aren’t the variable before you blame the equipment—particularly equipment as good as the P227. Our first shooter uses a hard thumbs-forward grip, and was applying very slight, unintentional pressure to the slide lock lever and keeping it from engaging even though the follower in the magazine was elevating it correctly. A high-thumbs grip or buried (right) thumb solves this issue.

We had a windy day for our second range trip, so we abandoned chrono and accuracy tests in favor of “practical” exercises. This first took the form of middle-distance shooting on the excellent MGM “Tac BCCZ” steel at 60 yards. Long story short: You do your part and you’ll hit with the P227. Even adapting to the somewhat unfamiliar trigger and allowing for conditions, the SIG will hit this every time—not saying we did, but … close.

The plate rack was a different story: At 11 yards, the plates could have been 2” instead of 8”, maybe smaller. To our eye, sight regulation was point of aim (as opposed to 6 o’clock hold), and dead on. We didn’t have a holster to work from, but turned in mid to high 4-second runs. No doubt SIG’s Max Michel would run them a lot faster, but the potential is certainly there for us mere mortals.

This second trip included tests with every bullet nose shape we could find: With the exception of a short-nosed match target round, the P227 gobbled up everything without complaint.

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SIG SAUER

Wisely sourced from MecGar, the P227 magazine is a tank. The tapered top of the staggered stack makes for faster reloads especially when on the move.

Slide lock can be defeated with an improper right thumb position. Doh!

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Wrap-around E2 grips are as

good as any custom stipling job that we

have seen. The grip profile is surprisingly

forgiving, even in very small hands.

Grip circumference—backstrap to just below the trigger guard and back—is only .09" greater than a single stack 1911-style pistol.

P220 COURTESY OF MAJOR CHUCK SMITH, USMC (RET.)

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220 vs. 227 Thats what 59 percent looks like.

SIG SAUER


> > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R > > S I G S A U E R

OF GRIPS, MAGS AND MATH

To our mind, the addition of a higher capacity .45 design to the SIG “P” series seems belated, and Tim Butler concurred: “The idea of a high capacity .45 ACP in the Classic line (of) pistols had been talked about for years. The reason it was not done was the grip would have been too large. The development of the E2 grip provided the engineers another look at the project. The result was a double-stack .45 pistol that still feels similar to our P226 with standard grips.”

The P227 remains hand-filling—impressively so to some, intimidatingly so to others—but the more we handled it, the more we liked it. We did have a difficult time concluding precisely why. While the E2 grips are a great innovation, they aren’t an explanation. In the end, a tape measure held the answer.

We measured several grip sizes on a selection of 1911s, and arrived at an average under-the-trigger guard circumference of 5.34”. Another well-known and widely respected double-stack came in at 5.81”, and the P227 at 5.42”. Fair enough if that’s already too much math, but here’s the upshot (and maybe the single most important thing to know about the P227): the P227 adds only 1.5 percent in this crucial dimension compared to a single stack .45, yet has a reload “target”—an unmodified mag opening—which is 59 percent larger.

We weren’t able to fully test the implications of this with the SIG: The excellent Mec-Gar-sourced mags are in understandably short supply at this point. But a variety of mag swap exercises gave us some metrics nonetheless. When the tapered top of a staggered magazine is combined with the more generous magazine opening of a wide-body pistol like the P227, shot-to-shot magazine changes were an average of 14 percent faster while static, and almost 21 percent faster while on the move.

So here’s the point: It isn’t just two more rounds (or six more in the 14-round extended mag), it’s two more rounds with the next reload a third to half a second sooner. That might matter—you think?


SIG SAUER

THE TRIGGER

We’re now well into the fourth decade of argument on the merits of the various semi-auto trigger systems. It’s our belief that they all have merit. But it doesn’t pay—no matter your preferences—to ignore operational realities.

This compels us to acknowledge that while the P227 system wouldn’t be our right-out-of-the-gate choice for some duties, it’s a superior choice for many others, particularly where a shooting grip and stance must rapidly be abandoned for other crucial tasks (cuffing, flashlight/

radio manipulation, etc.). In these circumstances, the de-cocker’s one-handed ability to render the action inert but ready can be a big tactical, training and safety advantage.

The long double-action trigger press on initial shots is a somewhat different and more demanding

matter. Experienced double-action trigger shooters learn to suppress most of the barrel wander implicit in the interaction of the hand, grip geometry and trigger press axis, but it takes practice. This does not mean accurate, rapid first shots aren’t readily achievable with a P227, just that it won’t come quite as easily as with a single-action trigger system. That is what dry-fire is for, however, and also the price of the advantages of a de-cocking pistol.

The good news is that most shots (second and on) with the P227 will be made with a crisp single-action press coupled to a good, short reset. Remember our distance tests: we hit our 60-yard target on first shots, but it was much easier with that single-action press under our somewhat SIG untutored index finger.

... most shots (second and on) with the P227 will be made with a crisp single-action press coupled to a good, short reset.


THE BORE LINE

A review of a “P” series SIG can hardly be complete without a discussion of bore line. SIG aficionados have long argued that the relatively high position of a SIG in the hand has no impact on the speed with which precise follow-up shots can be made. Fans of other pistols, suffice it to say, assert “not so much.”

The argument goes as follows: Because the SIG design(s) place the axis of the bore high relative to hand position, the muzzle of the pistol will “flip” more in recoil. This longer lever arm exerts more upward/rearward torque on the wrist/hand/pistol system and results in greater pivoting at all points forward

of the elbow. This in turn results in a necessarily longer interval for the nose of the pistol to descend and permit re-alignment of the sights. As far as it goes, the explanation makes sense and subjectively matches our previous experience.

But here’s the rub: When we compared stock configurations in .45 ACP pistols shooting identical ammunition, there was very little

in the way of objective artifacts that suggested this perception affects actual shooting. We went so far as to do (admittedly simple) time-lapse photography in search of proof or refutation, but could only identify small differences (less than 10 percent) with this technique. In shooting exercises that stressed follow-up and transition—repeated runs on a plate rack—we performed better with pistols we’d shot more, but not by the margins we expected. The conclusion is perhaps obvious: Engineering principle, pistolero truth or urban legend, judge this for yourself. And not with just a box or two of ammo.

Fabled SIG muzzle-rise: Engineering principle, pistolero truth or urban legend, judge this for yourself.

SIG SAUER

SIG accessory rail makes a new holster rig unnecessary. It will still mount most 1913/Picatinny accessories.

With the top of the trigger guards aligned, increasing bore height becomes apparent (largest on top).


SIG SAUER

The P227 handled heavy bullet ammunition with ease and accuracy (240, 250 and 260 grain).

Absolute vs. relative right-of-way: .45 230-grain ball vs. 9 mm Parabellum.

The .45 ACP’s original bullet weight was originally 200 grain per John Browning. The P227 liked these best.

FINAL ANALYSIS

As a general matter, SIG folks—like the Naval Special Warfare Group among many, many others—really love their pistols, and we now understand better why this is so. Outstanding fit, positive controls, superb reliability with rational ammo selection and splendid accuracy made our sojourn with the P227 a thorough pleasure.

But our appreciation for it goes deeper. A weekend sporting shooter will find plenty to enjoy and admire, certainly. A somewhat more serious sort who has a self-defense or duty consideration in mind will find more, particularly in the it-goes-bang-every-time department. It’s the

serious SIG guy, of whatever stripe, who needs to take an early look at the P227, however: There is a meaningful step forward here. Pay attention.

MSRP on the SIG Sauer P227 is $1,085. See it at www.SIGsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p227-nitron.aspx

An active competitive shooter and NRA Instructor with a lifelong interest in shooting, Frank Winn holds several state and regional action shooting titles, as well as a GSSF “Master” classification.

Hollow points, hollow points and more hollow points. Golden Saber, Gold Dot, Winchester and a couple of PMCs ran without fail.

It’s the serious SIG guy, of whatever stripe, who needs to take an early look at the P227 ...

WARNING: Technical data and information contained in NRA American Warrior are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity.

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Shown above sans barrel, the stock folds to the right side of the rifle, locking the bolt handle in place. It also folds away from the shooter when slung across the front. The rear portion of the stock shows how adjustable the stock is to allow proper fitting to individuals. Also secured under the cheek-piece is a 4 mm hex wrench. That wrench and 90 seconds are all that is needed to complete a barrel/caliber change.

PSR

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L O O K W H A T W E G O T . . .

A C C U R A C Y I N T E R N AT I O N A L

By Tom Freeman


A I P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > > > P S R > > > >

PSR

NOT YOUR MOMMA’S EVIL BLACK RIFLE.If you can’t see it, you can’t hit it. A Schmidt and Bender 5-25 scope mounted in a Spur mount and a 3 Gun Stuff scope lever top it all off. The 5-25 also has a 56 mm objective lens and an

illuminated reticle to aid with night and low-light shooting.

Shown here with the .308 barrel and magazine, this rifle put five rounds of factory ammo in a 2.5-inch group, at 600 yards. The heart of the rifle is Accuracy International’s excellent 2-stage trigger. This version features an adjustable trigger shoe to accommodate shooters

with different-sized hands. All three of the factory barrels are CeraKoted tan and have AAC muzzle breaks/suppressor adaptors. All aluminum parts are anodized tan to protect them from wear and tear.

... this rifle put five rounds of factory ammo in a 2.5-inch group, at 600 yards …

A I P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > P S R > > > > P S R > > > >

The Spur mount includes an integral bubble level.

The 3 Gun Stuff scope lever makes adjusting the scope’s magnification power fast and easy while not snagging on your gear.

The Atlas bi-pod is an outstanding choice.

We’ll be giving the PSR the full Warrior test-drive treatment once our suppressor arrives from Thunder Beast Arms. Look for it in the next issue of NRA American Warrior


PSR

Three red dots = .338 Lapua Mag. Two yellow dots = .300 Win. Mag. One white dot = .308 Win. The barrels are also coded just in case your brain squirts out your ear and you get confused.

Like their Artic Warfare predecessors, the PSR bolt bodies are fluted to give grit and grime a place to go.

. 3 0 8 W I N C H E S T E R

. 3 0 0 W I N C H E S T E R M A G N U M

. 3 3 8 L A P U A M A G N U M

ONE BOURBON, ONE SCOTCH AND ONE BEER.Being a three-caliber system, the PSR requires three different bolts. Unlike other switch barrel rifles, the PSR uses one firing pin assembly and three separate bolt bodies. Removing the firing pin assembly is painfully simple and takes all of 10 seconds. Barrel changes are also just as simple. The different calibers all require different magazines. All of which are included and can be yours for a few (or many more) mortgage payments.

... the PSR bolt bodies are fluted to give grit and grime a place to go.

. 3 3 8 L A P U A M A G N U M

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Red Dawn In the original Red Dawn, it was Patrick

Swayze, Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen battling against a Soviet invasion of

America. Back in 1984, a Soviet attack seemed entirely plausible, and who was

better suited to defend American soil than cast members from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Dirty Dancing? In the 2012

remake, the invader is North Korea—a significantly less fearsome opponent—

and leading the ragtag group of American defenders is Chris Hemsworth.

He’s Thor, for heaven’s sake! We’re pretty sure he could defeat North Korea

all by himself—in real life.

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Skyfall This is not your father’s James Bond movie. Daniel Craig may lack the wry wit and suave demeanor of Sean Connery, or even Roger Moore, but he more than makes up for it with his ability to dole out punishment in hand-to-hand combat. Craig has turned 007 into a legitimate action hero, and Skyfall is the best Bond movie we’ve seen in a long, long time.

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Taken 2 In Taken 2, Electric Boogaloo, Liam Neeson and family are completely

undisturbed by anyone while enjoying each other’s company in a public

place. Yeah, right. Neeson’s character, Bryan Mills, and his wife get taken by the father of one of the bad guys that

Mills killed in the first Taken movie. Man, talk about holding a grudge.

Luckily, Mills still has his “particular set of skills,” which he once again puts to

good use in taking out his kidnappers. Eventually, villains are going to get

wise and just leave Neeson alone.

MOVIES Email the Editor

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End of WatchA gripping cop movie from the writer of Training Day, End of Watch casts Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as Los Angeles patrol officers who find themselves targeted by a powerful drug cartel. Filmed in part with personal video recorders and dash cams, End of Watch does a great job of making you feel like you’re in the action. One of the best cop movies we’ve seen in a long, long time.

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Buckcherry: Confessions “Are you ready for World War III?” asks Josh Todd on “Wrath,” the second track from Buckcherry’s new album. Well, no actually, we’re not. But if it comes down, we’ll have a handful of these songs on our playlist as we march into battle. Other tracks on

Confessions include “Gluttony,” “Greed,” “Sloth,” “Pride,” “Envy” and “Lust.” We’ve never been big Buckcherry fans, but their latest is sinfully good, and we confess to liking it quite a lot.

Luke Bryan: Spring Break … Here to Party Songs about the beach: check. Girls: check. Cold beer: check. Yep, it’s all there. We’ve tallied it up and determined that up-and-coming NRA Country star Luke Bryan has provided us with the perfect spring break party soundtrack. Nothing heavy here, just good-time country music from a great young singer with all his priorities in order. A welcome breath of fresh air.

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Aaron Lewis: The Road Aaron Lewis was born in Vermont, raised in Massachusetts and is best known as the lead singer of alt-metal band Staind … we don’t think Hank done it this way. Lo and

behold, on his first full-length solo album, The Road, Lewis sounds like he grew up a lot closer to Nashville or Austin than he did to Boston or Hartford. Standout tracks like “75” and “Endless Summer” put Lewis right in the middle of the discussion of today’s top country artists.

NRA: Practice Range cost: freeThe mainstream media had a field day railing against NRA: Practice Range when it launched. A petition was even raised asking Apple to remove the app from its App Store. We’re not sure what all the hubbub’s about, Bub. As

a player, you’re shooting at simulated paper targets and clay pigeons. In between rounds, you’re presented with gun safety tips and facts about the NRA and its history. Pretty innocuous stuff, but no need to let facts get in the way of a sensational news item.

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V I RT UA L WARRIOR APPS

U.S. Army News & Informationcost: freeThe official home page of the U.S. Army now has a home on your iPhone. The U.S. Army News & Information app collects all the news from Army.mil and puts it right in your pocket, along with photos, videos, podcasts, links to the Army’s Facebook page and Twitter feed and a ton of information on Army firearms and vehicles.

Sportsman Channelcost: freeHunting, fishing, shooting and game-cooking tips are just part of the

appeal of the Sportsman Channel app. We’re more than a little biased here, but we downloaded the app because of its inclusion of highlights from the Sportsman Channel’s newest hit: NRA News Cam & Co. Now when you can’t be near a TV to check out the latest Second Amendment news from Cam Edwards, you can whip out your phone or tablet and get up to speed.

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Extreme Rope Swinging

Whatever you do, don't look down.

DeLorean HovercraftRoads? Where we're going, we don't need

roads.

Police Pursuit Gets Real3D TV technology just keeps getting better and better.

Video TitleCaption goes here please Caption goes here please

DARPA Legged Squad Support

SystemThis is either the coolest

robot or the creepiest dog we’ve ever seen. Stay, Fido. No, really. Stay—far away.

S P O N S O R E D B Y C O L T

M A R X M A N C R X - 1 6Serious accuracy. Serious dependability. That’s

what the serious competition shooter demands, and

Colt delivers with its Marxman CRX-16 Competition

Rifle. With a 16-inch, mid-weight, match-grade

4140-chrome-moly barrel; precision-fit forged

upper and lower receivers; and Colt Competition

match-target trigger, the Marxman CRX-16 is a

rock-solid, tack-driving machine. Every Marxman

Colt Competition Rifle is test-fired for accuracy and

functioning and must shoot a three-shot group of 1

inch or less at 100 yards before it ships. When the

match is on the line, the Marxman gives you the

edge you need.

C O L T C O M P E T I T I O N R I F L E

CALIBER AND CHAMBER: 5.56X45 MM/ .223 REMINGTON CHAMBER

OPERATION: DIRECT IMPINGEMENT, GAS OPERATED, WITH CARBINE-LENGTH GAS BLOCK

MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 30 ROUNDS

OVERALL LENGTH (BUTTSTOCK RETRACTED): 32.5 INCHES

OVERALL LENGTH (BUTTSTOCK EXTENDED): 36 INCHES

BARREL LENGTH: 16 INCHES

BARREL RIFLING: BUTTON-RIFLED 1 TURN IN 8 INCHES 6-GROOVE, R.H. TWIST,

BARREL MUZZLE THREADS: 1/2-INCH DIAMETER—28 T.P.I.

WEIGHT (WITHOUT MAGAZINE): 6.45 POUNDS

MODES OF FIRE: SAFE/FIRE

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An Israeli fighting position in the Golan Heights looking over the Valley of Tears now serves as a memorial to those who died defending Israel in the Six-Day War.

I S R A E L ( C O N T ) 6 0 4 P H O T O S 2 9 J A N - 0 4 F E B

WHICH MEANS:

“WHAT DOESN’T

KILL, STRENGTHENS”

8 4 5 3 5 0 3 9 8 2 _ 5 9 8 4 2 C A 2 C 5 _ BG O L A N H E I G H T S

Modern Israel

is built upon layer after layer of history. Here, ancient carvings

adorn the cliffs of what once

was known as Cesarea Phillipi.

Vad Yashem is a stark, moving memorial to the 1.5 million children whose lives were snuffed out in the holocaust.

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I S R A E L | T H A T W H I C H D O E S N ’ T K I L L , S T R E N G T H E N S

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D O M E O F T H E R O C KThe golden-domed mosque which now occupies the site of the original Jewish temple in Jerusalem is ground zero for the conflict between Islam and the Judeo-Christian heritage.

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The Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem’s old city has been used as a

cemetery for more than 3,000 years.

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This room at Vad Yashem is lit by only five candles, but the mirrors are arranged in such a way that they reflect into over a million points of light—one for each child killed by the Nazis.

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Written prayers stuffed into the cracks at the Western Wall in Jerusalem show the fervency of the Jewish people, who pray for the day they will once again be able to visit the temple mount.

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The 12-hour flight from Newark couldn’t have been better. I even got upgraded to first class. But 10 minutes after landing in Israel, as I stepped to the front of the passport control line, my luck changed.

As it turns out, a well-worn passport filled with stamps from

places like Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq is not a desirable status symbol in Israel. Not when most of those countries support the destruction of the Jewish race. But the immigration agent was friendly about it. “Why do you keep going to all these countries?” he said, pointing to an Afghan visa in my passport.

“I’m a war correspondent. It’s my job,” I said, smiling.“Oh, OK. Please step over there and wait a few minutes,” he said,

motioning to a door to his left.For an American, it’s almost never a good thing when one finds

oneself in a small room with a group of angry Muslim men. Suddenly it looked like it might be a while before I met up with our team at the hotel.

My first trip to Israel wasn’t starting off on a very good note.

ho you know is sometimes more important than who you are.

Being surrounded by enemies and in a state of near-constant peril has a way of pulling people

together.

Case in point: ISRAEL.

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Israeli airport security is legendary. It has to be. A country the size of New Jersey surrounded by neighbors committed to its destruction necessitates very thorough screening. Political correctness? Not here. If you ever had an “Abu” in your family, Israel is going to look very closely at your reasons for visiting.

During my wait, Israeli security agents came in from time to time with someone’s passport and called a name. Once, six burly plain-clothes

officers came in and escorted one of the angry-looking Arabs away. That doesn’t look good, I thought.

I tried to be understanding, but my American impatience was starting to win out so I left the room and accosted an official.

“Is there anything I can do to speed this up?” I asked.

The security agent was pure professionalism. “Your case will be reviewed shortly.”

“How short is shortly?” I pressed. “I’ve been here more than two hours already. Frankly, at this point, Afghanistan is looking like a better vacation destination than Israel.” Probably not the best thing to say, but I was getting frustrated. The agent maintained a friendly demeanor, though. “I’m sorry for the delay. We’re very busy this evening.”

I went back to my place and passed the time daydreaming about drone strikes on would-be airport bombers. Another 45 minutes later, I was about to go all ugly American on somebody and get myself arrested when a balding man in civilian clothes stuck his head in the door and called my name.

Finally!I followed him to a small office, and he again apologized for the wait.

“We just have a few questions for you, and then you can be on your way,” he said.

The “few questions” was more like 50, but it was an interesting look into Israeli security procedures. I had to list the names of my father and grandfathers, as far back as I could remember. I made it to about 1850. We talked about my military experience in the Rangers. My time in combat. In any other setting, it would have been fun to do over coffee, but by this point my butt had been numb for several hours, and I wasn’t in the mood for 20 (more) questions.

“Look,” I said finally, “I understand why you have to do this, but perhaps it would save you some time if you just Google my name.”


“Oliver North? You work with

Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North?”

LtCol Oliver North led a tour of the holy land in January, visiting not only the Biblical historical sites, but also more current places, like an Israeli Air Force Base.

The man laughed a little and said, “OK, let’s do that.” He punched my name into his computer. “Over one million hits,” he noted. He began reading to himself, then his eyebrows shot up. “Oliver North? You work with Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North?”

“I do. As a matter of fact, he’s been waiting for me at the hotel here for several hours now.”

The man handed me my passport. “I’m sorry for the trouble. You may go. Please give Colonel North our best.”

Sometimes it really is about who you know.

Israel is one of those places you just ought to visit before you die. The history there is piled on so thick it’s mind-boggling. The story of this land is one of near-continuous conflict, beginning long before it became the center of three world religions. The country remains a center of conflict today, with Muslim enemies on every side. Talk about a rough neighborhood.

Modern-day Israel maintains a high state of alert because of these enemies. Whether it’s Hezbollah to the north, Iran to the east or Hamas in the south, Israelis face danger all around. In a way, this persecution unites the Jewish people. Every man and woman must give two to three years to Israel’s armed forces, and most take great pride in that service.

Our NRA Life of Duty team, consisting of LtCol North, cameraman Dennis Azato and myself were in Israel to film an episode of our show, Frontlines, to help our viewers understand that these conflicts aren’t just regional—

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they’re global. And we sought to show how that country’s woes have a profound effect on America, especially in

this age of global Islamic jihad.We took an afternoon to visit Masada, the desert fortress of Herod the

Great, which was the scene of one of the most well-known tragedies in Israel’s history. Around 70 A.D. a group of Jewish rebels, known as Zealots, holed up in the fortress and was given a choice by the Roman army: Slavery or death. After a siege that lasted three years, the Romans finally breached the walls of Masada to find the Zealots had made their choice clear—by committing mass suicide.

Today, Masada is the site where every Israeli soldier has his graduation from basic training. At the end of the ceremony, the soldiers shout, “Masada shall never fall again!”

It’s more than a motto. Everywhere you go in Israel, you sense the people’s patriotism. It is evident in the green fields that cover the once-desolate countryside, made verdant by pioneering agricultural methods. It’s there in the Israeli high-tech industry, which is responsible for much of the technology that protects not only their soldiers, but ours, from insidious threats like IEDs and rockets. And that commitment is on display daily in the Israeli Knesset, which we visited one week after its most recent election.

It bears mentioning that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Ironically enough, though most Muslim countries around the world are hostile to Jews, Muslim citizens in Israel are given all the same rights as Jewish citizens. They can vote, hold political office and serve in the military. In fact, Muslims in Israel have it better than many of their co-religionists living in Muslim countries.

We also visited the Golan Heights along the border with Syria. Tensions are high in this area today, as Israel has taken action to stop weapons shipments from flowing to Hezbollah from Syria. But the truth is, Israel does not throw its weight around without careful consideration: Rockets rain down on Israel almost every day of the year. It’s so common, in fact, that it only makes the news when the long-suffering Israelis decide to strike back, as they did in Syria while we were there. On a tour of an Israeli air base, we interviewed an F-16 pilot


At the end of the ceremony, the soldiers shout,

“Masada shall never fall again!”

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who was on standby for another such raid. He told us about friends and neighbors who lived their lives under the threat of enemy rockets, and it was clear, for him, that this wasn’t politics, it was personal.

As we were finishing up that interview, a cute 20-something female approached wearing mechanic’s coveralls. “Colonel North? I just wanted to shake your hand, sir.”

North smiled. “Certainly! That’s not an Israeli accent I hear.

Where are you from, dear?”The girl blushed. “I’m from Wisconsin. I’m a Jew, though, and just

felt like I should do my part to help my people in Israel. So, two years ago, I came and enlisted as a flight mechanic.”

Coming from America, so polarized as to almost represent two different countries existing in the same space, seeing the way the Jews pull together for the best interests of their country made me feel a bit, well, envious. Perhaps the existential threats they face being so close, so obvious, allow the Israelis to put aside their differences and focus on thriving in a very unfriendly neighborhood. If only America could do the same. Our country also faces a multitude of threats to our very existence, some from within our own borders. Perhaps it will require purging this country of the rampant and ridiculous political correctness that all but paralyzes our ability to identify that which is evil and remove it from our midst.

Israelis love America. There are T-shirts on display around the country that say, “Don’t worry, America, Israel has your back!” They have arguably contributed more to America’s well-being than any other single nation on earth. For that, Israel deserves our loyalty. We should be proud to support her.

After all, it’s all in who you know, right?


There are T-shirts on display around the

country that say, “Don’t worry, America, Israel

has your back!”

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Dave McCarley

B Y S T E V E N M . B R O W N

NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Dave McCarley relied on faith in his fellow officers, ample firearms training and the ability to devise a plan amid chaos to make it out of his first firefight alive.

COOL UNDER FIRE

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That all changed in a horrific way on May 1, 2012.

Just before noon that morning, McCarley and four other officers—Archie Bennett, Shaun Terwilliger, John Rose and Michael J. Walter—arrived to serve a search warrant at the apartment of Carnell Gaines Jr., a suspect in the sexual battery and molestation of a minor. When the officers arrived, they did not expect any trouble. In fact,

not seeing the suspect’s vehicle in the complex parking lot, they didn’t even expect Gaines to be home.

The officers knocked on the apartment’s door, and when there was no response, they sought a building superintendent to allow them entry. Moving into the small apartment, the officers announced their presence—again to no response.

Detectives McCarley and Walter, a former Minor League Baseball pitcher who had joined the Pearl Police Dept. in 2009, began a methodical search of the apartment’s back bedroom and then moved across the hall to another bedroom. The door of this second bedroom, though, was locked.

“That was my first hint that something might be amiss,” McCarley said.One of McCarley’s fellow officers used a knife to pry open the locked

n his decade of service, Det. Dave McCarley of the Pearl (Miss.) Police Dept. had never been fired upon by an assailant, nor had he ever had to fire a shot in the line of duty. There had been occasions where he had drawn his weapon, but that display had always been enough to diffuse whatever situation he found himself in.

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Detective Michael J. Walter was shot and killed while serving a search warrant at the apartment of a man suspected of sexual battery and the molestation of a minor. He was the first Pearl (Miss.) Police Department officer ever lost in the line of duty.

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door. Once inside the master bedroom, the officers quickly became aware that they were not alone. The suspect, Gaines, was hiding in the shower of an adjoining bathroom. Although surprised, McCarley said

he still had little real concern that the situation would get out of hand. He had the utmost confidence in his fellow officers.

“I had four other guys with me,” McCarley said. “I’ve been a firearms instructor for a couple years now. I was very confident in their abilities. I’d trained with them myself.”

After Gaines repeatedly ignored commands to come out of the shower and give up peacefully, Det. Walter entered the narrow bathroom with the intention of using his Taser to safely apprehend the suspect.

“Mike got his Taser and went into the bathroom,” McCarley said. “When he reached around the shower wall, that’s when the guy came out with the gun. They both basically fired simultaneously. Mike fired the Taser, and he (Gaines) fired the shot that killed Mike.”

What ensued was a legitimate firefight. Gaines’ first two shots struck Walter in the face and neck, and he fell to the floor. Gaines then turned and fired on McCarley. That round glanced off McCarley’s gun and entered his right hand—his strong shooting hand—causing significant damage.

McCarley dropped to one knee and experienced a second of shock before realizing he needed to act, and act quickly. The bedroom was littered with trash and filth, making it impossible for McCarley to retreat to the rear. As Det. Rose laid down fire, hitting the suspect several times, McCarley had to briefly enter the field of fire in an effort to find cover. He was able to make his way to a chest of drawers and pull it down to the

The door of Carnell Gaines Jr.’s apartment, site of the deadly shootout

Left to right: detectives Shaun Terwilliger, Archie Bennett,

Dave McCarley and John Rose

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“I HAD FOUR OTHER GUYS WITH ME,” MCCARLEY SAID. “I’VE BEEN A FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW. I WAS VERY

CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITIES. I’D TRAINED WITH THEM MYSELF.”


floor to use as a makeshift shield. At this point, another round from Gaines’ gun struck McCarley in the leg.

Rose’s firearm was now empty, and he and the other officers were able to retreat from the bedroom and leave the apartment

to regroup and obtain more ammo. At this point, not realizing that McCarley was still in the bedroom, Gaines emerged from the bathroom, moved across the bedroom and shut and locked the door. McCarley and his downed partner were now alone in the locked room with an obviously violent offender intent on not being taken into custody.

“He was standing there watching the door and looking out the window,” McCarley said. “A few seconds later, he notices me. I’m totally unarmed at that point. I had a knife but I couldn’t get it out of my pocket because it was so incredibly slimy with blood. I couldn’t get a grasp on it.”

Gaines moved toward McCarley and leveled his firearm at the officer, who was still taking cover behind the upended chest of drawers.

“He came over, put the barrel down on me and said, ‘Give me your gun,’” McCarley said. “I held up my hand—all bloody with my finger almost blown off—and I said, ‘I don’t have a gun anymore.’ Then he says, ‘Give me your backup.’ I said, ‘I don’t have a backup.’

“He basically perceived me as a non-threat at that point.”As the suspect moved his attention to the window and the officers

outside, McCarley began to devise a plan. The small room was so filled with smoke from the firefight that McCarley could barely see across to the other side, but he knew he needed to locate his gun. As McCarley repositioned himself slightly, Gaines once again keyed on him.

“He acted like he was going to shoot me,” McCarley said. “I just kept telling him, ‘Man, I can help you. Let me help you get out of this.’”

McCarley soon was able to spy his gun through the smoke, but the sight was far from encouraging. His gun’s frame, barrel and magazine had all separated. The gun had basically disintegrated when Gaines’ round hit it.

Keeping his cool and immediately devising a new strategy, McCarley realized that his fallen partner’s gun was still in its holster.

“Mike had been using a Taser, so I knew his gun was still in his holster,

“HE CAME OVER, PUT THE BARREL DOWN ON ME AND SAID, ‘GIVE ME YOUR GUN.’”

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IN THE AFTERMATH, ZACK’S THOUGHTS TURNED TO HIS 5-MONTH-OLD TWIN SONS.

“MIKE HAD BEEN USING A TASER, SO I KNEW HIS GUN WAS STILL IN HIS HOLSTER, AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET TO IT.”

and I knew I had to get to it,” McCarley said. “With all the radio traffic and smoke in the room, I felt like I had an opportunity if I could be quiet enough.”

McCarley made his way to the fallen Walter and, using his left hand, attempted to remove Walter’s firearm from its holster. It was then that McCarley realized just how grim his fellow officer’s condition was.

“I looked at him and saw no signs of anything from him,” McCarley said. “I couldn’t really even work on him with my hand the way it was. Once I saw how bad he was, there was no doubt what I was going to have to do.”

With the suspect’s attention fixed on the window and the locked bedroom door, McCarley was able to remove

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McCarley stands just outside

the apartment bathroom where a May 1, 2012,

shootout resulted in the death of

fellow officer Michael J. Walter. McCarley’s hand

(below) was severely injured

when he was struck by

a round during the incident.


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McCarley now serves as training officer for the Pearl (Miss.) Police Department. He vows to use his experience to “scare the hell” out of the officers he trains.

the fallen officer’s gun from its holster. He laid the gun on Walter’s chest and repositioned himself so the he could grip it with his left hand. McCarley, who grew up shooting recreationally with his grandfather and later shot competitively, would now call on his

long history of shooting and his experience as a firearms instructor to try to make it out of his current situation alive.

“At the range, the one lesson I would always do with the guys was the left-handed drill,” McCarley said. “You’ve never heard a bunch of guys bitch and whine until you get a bunch of cops together and ask them to shoot with their left hand.

“But it served me well.”With his partner’s gun in his left hand, McCarley made a move back

toward the chest of drawers he had been using as cover. Seeing the movement, Gaines turned and aimed his firearm through the thick wall of gunsmoke still hanging in the room. As Gaines took aim, McCarley jumped back behind the chest of drawers, reached around and with his left hand put several rounds on target, dropping Gaines, who fell forward onto the bed. Thinking the short but intense firefight was finished, McCarley then turned his attention back to aiding his fallen partner.

“I went back over to Mike, trying in earnest to get some kind of response from him,” McCarley said. “As I’m doing that, the bad guy starts to push himself up off the bed. Honestly, It freaked me out. He had a lot of bullets in him at that point.”

Keeping his cool, McCarley spun around and fired off one last shot, hitting Gaines between the eyes and ending the ordeal.

McCarley then called out to the detectives outside the bedroom, who rushed in, secured the scene, and rendered immediate medical assistance. Although CPR started Walter’s heart again, he passed away shortly after being airlifted to the trauma center. Walter was the first officer lost in the line of duty in the history of the Pearl Police Dept.

McCarley took grave risk to his own life to attempt to aid his fallen comrade. His ability to remain calm amid chaos and to form a tactical plan that quickly ended the gunman’s actions ensured the safety of both his fellow officers and the apartment building’s residents. His heroic actions

“AT THE RANGE, THE ONE LESSON I WOULD ALWAYS DO WITH THE GUYS WAS THE LEFT-HANDED DRILL.”

under stressful circumstances resulted in the National Rifle Association recently naming McCarley the 2012 NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. He will be officially recognized

during the 2013 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, May 2-5.

The humble McCarley is quick to give credit to his fellow officers involved in the firefight, specifically mentioning Rose, who hit Gaines with several debilitating shots at the beginning of the incident.

“If he hadn’t taken the wind out of his sails, I don’t know what would have happened. I think he pretty much saved my life.”

McCarley is also thankful for the outpouring of support he’s received from the Pearl community, as well as from his police department. He said that the way his department has stood behind him as he rehabilitates from his injuries should be an example for all departments across the nation to follow.

As Pearl, Miss., and its police department continue to mourn the loss of Walter, McCarley has returned to duty. Soon after the deadly incident of May 1, 2012, he was named the department’s primary training officer. He vows to use his experience to the betterment of those he trains—even while admitting that he may have to pull some of his fellow officers along kicking and screaming.

“We always used to go to the range, line up, shoot 50 rounds at our B27 paper target and qualify,” McCarley said. “Training is going to be a lot different now. Basically my mission is to scare the hell out of them. We’re going to make it more realistic—shooting from behind cover, taking fire from multiple angles—we’re going to be shooting with the left hand a lot. I don’t want my guys to get complacent.

“They’re probably going to hate me,” McCarley concluded with a chuckle.

“I want to try to imitate the feeling I had during that situation. It’s not fear. It’s not anger. The idea of the game is to keep your brain working. Make a plan and use whatever advantage you have. I’m going to teach them that you do whatever you have to do to make it out alive.”

“IF HE HADN’T TAKEN THE WIND OUT OF HIS SAILS, I DON’T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I THINK HE PRETTY MUCH SAVED MY LIFE.”

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McCarley at the range with the man who nominated him

for the NRA Law Enforcement Officer

of the Year award, Lt. Brian Ellis (left).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affects warfighters, veterans and law enforcement professionals in as many different ways as there are ways to be different as human beings.


ost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an incredibly difficult topic. The condition’s widespread existence and reality among uniformed servants butt up against age-

old stereotypes, the warrior code and even Hollywood, which has done more harm than good by typecasting the afflicted in the same vein as the crazy, the psychopathic and the ticking time bomb.

ersonal.It’sP O S T - T R A U M A T I C S T R E S S D I S O R D E R P O S T - T R A U M A T I C S T R E S S D I S O R D E R P O S T - T R A U M A T I C

Those diagnosed with PTSD are predominately portrayed as individuals on the frayed edge of reality—suffering demons and flashbacks that fight the subconscious to reveal what the sufferer wants to keep secret, what the afflicted want to forget.

Those afflicted would tell you that PTSD is as poorly named as it is portrayed; that it is as unique to the individual as his or her experience and emotional pain. And since there is no one-size-fits-all cause or definitive explanation for its existence in one person vs. another, there also exists no one-size-fits-all cure.

As the host and executive producer of NRA Life of Duty Television, I have had the privilege and honor of spending the vast majority of my time these last fours years in the company of heroes—uniformed servants from every profession, ethnicity, gender and generation who open their hearts and

allow us in. I have spent hours upon hours with them as they revealed their personal feelings, deepest secrets and the emotional toll their professions have demanded of them. Some have purged themselves before our cameras in an almost relieved surrender to whatever they’ve been holding back for years—whatever it is that has afflicted their heart and soul. Those who share are not looking for rhetorical answers, fixes, fanciful words or solutions. More often than not, they are simply relieved to have the uninterrupted opportunity for such outpourings in a judgment-free moment of vulnerability.

Tom and Scot Spooner, two highly decorated Special Forces soldiers who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and were featured in an NRA Life of Duty Patriot Profile titled Forward March, shared a great deal about their own journey and experience with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

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These brothers have no desire to be lumped into any category, and both believe strongly that “it takes a warrior to heal a warrior.”

Both made it emphatically clear that they do not question the cause, morality or just nature of their service or those of their fellow soldiers. They do not question America’s right and legitimacy to execute these wars thrust upon her by ruthless governments, dictators and evil men.

Their story and experiences are their own, and both are adamant about the fact that no one speaks for them. Tom Spooner uses an interesting analogy about the importance of sharing to the healing process—an analogy about a glass of water.

“Imagine a glass of water,” he said. “If you pour the contents of that glass into another glass, and then return the contents to the original glass, a small amount remains in the glass you shared it with.” Thus, he said, when a warrior shares his experiences and pain with others, a trace of that pain and story is left behind.

Tom and Scot would also say that no matter how right or just a warrior’s experience or duty is, exposure and proximity to the utter inhumanity of war simply takes a toll.

As I share these thoughts on PTSD and the afflictions of the warrior soul, I want to make it clear that none of the information presented in this article reflects the opinions of those named, unless they’re directly quoted. If I learned anything during my time with Tom and Scot, it’s that PTSD, Soldiers Heart, Shell Shock or whatever name someone wants to attach to this affliction, is for those experiencing it to define, not outside bystanders.

American warriors have always been called to service in terms of duty and honor. As a young nation by world standards, America has fought most of its conflicts for liberty and against tyranny and oppression. Our fight for independence during the Revolutionary War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and others were executed with the strong support of the American people and its leaders. Yet the Civil War, Vietnam War and even parts of our most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced divided support at home.

No matter what we think of war—no matter how just or righteous we consider the cause—at the end of the day the warrior must be able to look into his or her own soul and know beyond all doubt that the cause he fought for is real, and that the execution of that cause is moral, ethical and pure. Within the heart of every person standing before the mirror each morning is an individual, not a nation.

Sgt. Joseph Collins has served his country in both the military and law enforcement. He has been up-close-and-personal in a number of violent exchanges that ended in death. He has watched his own soldiers ripped asunder in a hail of gunfire and explosions. He has seen the enemy


Exposure and proximity to the utter inhumanity

of war simply takes a toll.

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dismembered, decapitated, cremated and reduced to human paste. The victim of numerous IED attacks, Collins has wounds—internal and external—that will last a lifetime. As a cop, Collins has even experienced an officer-involved shooting where he was forced to kill a man holding a pair of scissors to a child’s throat.

The sensory overload Collins has experienced exceeds that which most people—even most other warriors—will ever experience. To believe that these experiences haven’t darkened or dampened his soul would be naive. And in addition to seeing more than his fair share of death in war, Collins returned home to be an eyewitness to the shooting carnage at Virginia Tech.

For Collins, finding answers, if there are any, has come from his faith in God. The son of a pastor, Collins believes that his first steps in reconciling any of his experiences was finding reassurance that his participation had

Exposure and proximity to the utter inhumanity

of war simply takes a toll.

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Sgt. Joseph Collins has seen his share of violence and death, both while serving in the military and in law enforcement. He relies on faith in God to reconcile what he has witnessed.

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been just, moral and right in the eyes of his Creator. “I don’t know how any person can go to war without

God,” Collins told me. “What separates evil men and acts of war is often a very fine line in the eyes of some. For me, I have always needed to know that my actions, and those of my men and country, met the standards of justice before God.”

Gilbert Magallanes, an Army Special Forces soldier during the first Gulf War, was tasked with collecting photographic evidence on the infamous “highway of death.” On that highway, American and coalition fliers destroyed countless military vehicles and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of enemy soldiers trying to flee Kuwait. The carnage of twisted steel and charred bodies was shocking and emotionally overwhelming.

Magallanes would continue his career in Special Forces and perform incredibly dangerous missions with his ODA team in Afghanistan. During his last mission, well behind enemy lines, he and his team became the victims of friendly fire. Magallanes suffered debilitating injuries and a traumatic brain injury. Yet in spite of all the things he has been through and seen, the carnage on the highway of death still troubles his soul the most.

Each of these encounters with death and violence has its own extreme circumstances—singular, unimaginable reasons for etching the mind and soul of those experiencing them. What differentiates these events from others is a


Why one person might be afflicted with PTSD while another with similar experiences might not is impossible to define.

In an early NRA Life of Duty Patriot Profile, we visited an all-female forensic team in Spokane, Wash. These crime scene investigators—mothers, wives and girlfriends—experience violence, death and evil on an ongoing basis. The things they have witnessed would repulse even the most hardened war veteran—from bodies found after extreme exposure to water

A Question With

No Answer

“I had to escape the room before I became violently ill.”P I S F O R P E R S O N A L

Lori Preuninger

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matter of opinion. Why, when or how they will show themselves later, in the form of PTSD, is anybody’s guess. Those who have experienced PTSD will tell you that its arrival makes no sense

to them either. They can’t tell you when “one more” became the one too many, or even whether their personal involvement in the deaths makes any difference.

Magallanes was not personally responsible for the deaths of those he photographed along the highway. He did not fire the weapon systems that unleashed the destruction before him, yet he was a member of the military that inflicted it.

Collins has had both direct and indirect responsibility in the death and destruction he has seen, both in the military and in law enforcement. He has been the life-saving responder and hero, yet on other occasions he has pulled the trigger himself.

It would be unfair and irresponsible to discount the emotional impact that any of these events have had upon those who have experienced them. Who knows what demons await, or when and where they will be revealed.

Many victims of PTSD are frustrated to see the terms PTSD and TBI

and heat that have expanded to the point of rupture, to a mother eight-months pregnant who had been stabbed multiple times.

Lori Preuninger described what it was like for those on her team to process the bodies of the mother and the unborn child within her, and then go to the hospital and process the bloody hands of the psychopath who had perpetrated the crime—while he laughed and bragged of his exploits.

“In all my time on the team,” Preuninger said, “ I have never had to leave the room or the scene to compose myself. Several months pregnant myself at the time, I had to escape the room before I became violently ill.”

One of her team members had to climb into the small confines of a furnace to sift through ash to gather bone fragment evidence on a man who had killed a person and then served the victim in a soup he had prepared for his dinner guests. These women have seen the most brutal sights imaginable, have faced pure evil up-close and personal, yet somehow have found a way to stow it and go home at night like nothing’s happened. Miraculously, none “yet” suffer from PTSD.

The carnage on the highway of

death still troubles his soul the most.

“I had to escape the room before I became violently ill.”

so loosely used, and even more loosely defined, by those who have no understanding of the matter. PTSD’s portrayal by those in Hollywood and its reporting by those in media have been nearly an outright betrayal of those

who serve. What’s painfully clear is that

American service members are taking their own lives in record numbers. At no time in our nation’s history have more veterans committed suicide in and out of uniform. Is it because they suffer in silence and are afraid to be ostracized or blacklisted by their peers? Is it because we have taught them there is weakness in the display of emotions or in the admission of fear?

Whatever the negative connotation or preconceived ideas we once held of those suffering with PTSD or similar afflictions of the soul, we must surrender it. Military leaders, elected officials, fellow warriors, the media, Hollywood and our entire nation must stop the stereotypes associated with it. The best and bravest of our military are suffering. The dedicated and most selfless of our nation are coming home, coming apart and coming undone.

Warriors who live by rules and codes—those who ascribe to the ethos of their communities—are suffering alone, dying in record numbers at their own hands. We can no longer fail to recognize the severity of this issue. Until we remove the obstacles that impact their careers or subject them to unmerited scrutiny for seeking help, things will only get worse.

Dr. Edward Tick, a clinical psychotherapist, has become, to many veterans, a leading visionary in the field of PTSD—not because he has followed the path of others in his profession, but rather because he has not followed them. He is the director of Sanctuary, a center for mentoring the soul, and also the co-director of Soldier’s Heart, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization created to help warriors and their families deal with the moral, social and spiritual wounds of war. In his book War and the Soul, Dr. Tick has masterfully crafted a message that resonates with most, primarily because he has interviewed hundreds of those afflicted—and listened to them.

“Words hold secrets,” he writes. “Tears that rend and tears that fall are homonyms … . The soul at war is characteristically distorted along all its essential functions: how it locates itself in the cosmos and identifies with


What is painfully clear is that American service members are taking their own lives in record numbers.

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The photographic evidence that Gilbert Magallanes captured

during the first Gulf War still haunts him

to this day.

moral and spiritual principles … . War stamps the soul with an indelible imprint and makes it its own. The soul that once went to war is forever transformed. But this transformation need not be a disability or a debilitation.”

What has changed in the soul of those afflicted is difficult to define or express to others, because many can’t even define it for themselves. Many times, those who bear this burden cannot comprehend or explain their anger, fear, anxiety or the emotional roller coaster they’re on.

People around them just want them to return to normal, but they can’t, because this is their “new normal.” While others may see changes in their behavior, attitudes, mood or personality, they may not even see these changes in themselves. Their internal conflict and the extremes they experience—should they wreak havoc or withdraw, lash out or retreat—most often results in an even deeper personal conflict that further shuts them off from the outside world, including those who love them most.

War is nothing short of ugly. It is the violent destruction of human life and property that kills, destroys, maims, and mutilates without regard for justice, honor, right and wrong, or rule of law. It is brutal, horrifying, violent and repulsive. War invites sights, smells, feelings and damage to the human soul that may never go away.

Our military, law enforcement and first responders have experienced, with their own eyes, the depravity of mankind. They have witnessed, regardless of the moral, ethical, and spiritual justification of their service, the collapse of humanity at a level that is not simply comforted by right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust.

America sends its sons and daughters off to war and expects of them something that is simply not possible. We want warriors to go off to battle, then to return the same as when they left, but they cannot.

No one visiting war and flirting with the proximity of death can ever be the same. The loss of innocence, the burden of guilt, the remorse of living when others die, and the surrender of the soul are far too overwhelming.

Editor’s note: Many suffer in silence for fear of ridicule or retribution, or seek to ignore issues by internalizing or self medicating. Seeking help from mental health professionals remains confidential and cannot be entered into a persons records so long as those seeking are not threatening to harm themselves or others.


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We want warriors to go off to battle, and then return the same as when they left, but they cannot.

U.S. Army veterans Tom and Scott Spooner now

dedicate themselves to helping those

scarred by the horrors of combat.


Jerry Head protected and served the residents of California for more than 28 years. Now he’s found a new calling—training those who come behind him to stay alive in active shooter situations.

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B Y R I C K S T E W A R T

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As SWAT Officer Jerry Head boarded the ship with 19 other officers from the Irvine (Calif.)

Police Dept. SWAT team, danger was in the air. The barricaded suspects were reportedly armed and willing to shoot it out with police, so Head and the others advanced with caution, paying careful attention to their departments long-established tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for such scenarios.

Within a minute and a half of boarding the ship, all 20 officers, including Head, had been shot. Reeling from the fog and chaos of the rapidly unfolding events, Head couldn’t believe the two suspects—heavily outnumbered and outgunned—had so quickly dispatched 20 trained law enforcement personnel.

The only good news in an otherwise bad day was that this was a good day to die—good because the deaths inflicted that day were “simulated,”

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Sgt. Jerry Head with

fellow officers of the Irvine

Counter Assault Team in front

of President George Bush’s

limousine

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and the rounds being fired were welt-wielding paintballs, not lead. And good because the bad guys were U.S. Navy SEALs hammering home the importance of training, even forcing the SWAT team members to question everything they thought they knew about active shooter engagements and combative response to them.

Embarrassed and frustrated, Head and the others regrouped for another re-entry. This time the team lasted nearly four minutes before being dispatched—Bad Guys, 40; Good Guys, 0.

As Head and the team drove home that night, they felt like a dejected sports team that had just been handed an embarrassing defeat.

“We drove for a couple of hours in utter silence, licking our wounds and re-playing the events of our thorough ass-beating over and over,” Head recalled. “I knew beyond all our excuses that we had been handed our backsides by men who not only knew what they were doing, but who cared that we received a message loud and clear.”

As he recounts that experience now, nearly 20 years later and as an “active shooter scenario” trainer instead of a police officer, he conveys the lasting impression the experience had on him—and how it changed the course of who he became as a police officer.

“Those SEALs were willing to hurt the last little feelings we had left,” he said, “if memory of that painful truth in the days and years to follow meant that nobody would die for real.”

Head had listened to guys on the SWAT team complain about the tactical advantage of their highly-trained adversaries and how unfair it was that they knew the ship.

“As the men whined and complained about how they cheated or set us up, it dawned on me that beyond our wounded egos, we were failing in our own admission of the facts,” he said. “Barricaded bad guys almost always have the tactical advantage of knowing their place of concealment. Bad guys have no operational protocols or rules of engagement to constrict them. And they certainly have no concern or responsibility for the safety of innocent bystanders or hostages.

“Yes, we had been defeated by a cheating, yet numerically inferior, force because they were armed with all the advantages, and we were armed with unproven TTPs, status quo and complacency—comfortable in our knowledge of the way it had always been.”

That day, Head vowed that, if he could help it, he and others on his team would never again make the mistake of defaulting to tactics or training that


“Bad guys have no operational protocols or rules of engagement to constrict them.”


Officer Jerry Head on his 10th anniversary

with Irvine PD

were not battle tested in real-world situations. “We decided right then and there that we would

eliminate any unproven standard or tactic that could get us killed when the threats were real and the consequences were permanent,” he recalled.

Over time, Head’s relationship with those two SEALs and others fomented a relationship with the representatives of Laser Products Corp. and paved the way for what eventually became the foundational roots of the Surefire Institute’s Tactical Training. Head is the first to tell you that this training has evolved and become so much more than it was when it was first growing wings. But its reputation remains the

same—integrating the unconventional, and always striving to maintain its

respected place among the most innovative in the tactical training world.

Unlike many who join the professional ranks of law enforcement, Head hadn’t always wanted to be a police officer. When he wasn’t doing his best to become a full-time beach bum, Head worked in construction. He had no interest at all in law enforcement until a buddy entered the police academy. During the course of his training at the police academy, Head’s buddy became the victim of a vicious assault that left him unable to complete his training.

“During a visit with my good friend in the hospital, I was giving him the rally speech about recovering and getting back on the horse,” he said. “Broken and not amused, my buddy told me to join the academy if I thought it was so easy. I don’t know if I was trying to inspire him or me, but I accepted the challenge. The rest is history.”

At the academy, Head was assigned a “ride-along” with an officer from the Tustin (Calif.) Police Dept. Normally boring and uneventful, a ride-along this time didn’t turn out quite as expected.

“I’m sure that part of the process was to dispel the notion of the unending glamour and excitement of the job,” he said. “I think they wanted us to see that it can be routine, underwhelming and anything but glamorous at times.

“But my first ‘ride-along’ pretty much backfired in that regard because the officer I was assigned to got a robbery-in-progress call, and we responded. Weapons drawn, we covered the back of the building as the suspect stuck his head out the door and planned his escape. Before we could bark out any

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Chris Reeves from Legion Firearms sighting in a new production model 7.62 DMR

Jerry Head reading the chronographic results of the Legion 7.62 DMR during a range break

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commands, a rather large fist swung from behind him, weighted with a roll of quarters in it for added emphasis, and cold-cocked the perp with a blow to the head.”

Before the end of shift, Head and his companion responded to a domestic violence call where a woman was severely beaten.

“I was hooked,” Head said. He realized then that he loved the excitement and adrenaline rush that came from responding to the unknown, and loved helping those who could not help themselves.

In 1983, Head transferred to the Irvine Police Dept., where experiences in patrol, gangs, narcotics, vice, and detective work provided him with a well-rounded career.

“Although I had a great opportunity to experience a lot of different roles and challenges within the department,” he recently told me, “nothing was ever as rewarding as the 22-plus years I spent congruently serving as a part of the Irvine Police Dept. SWAT team.”

In 1999, many departments learned the consequences of waiting out barricaded situations involving hostages. The shooting at Columbine High

Cadet Jerry Head at his academy graduation having been selected as his class president/class sergeant

School and other standoffs demanded a different approach. “We knew that we couldn’t surround a building while gunmen had their way with

a school full of victims inside,” he said. “The public expected more from us than that, and, quite frankly, so did those of us in uniform.”

At Irvine PD, Head was fortunate to have a partner named Randy Lack. Lack, who came to Irvine from LAPD, had the same philosophical approach to policing as Head. One day the duo saw a man in vehicle that caught their attention and triggered that internal “bad-guy radar” that officers develop over time.

Head and Lack followed the car and saw a man get out and began to walk through a neighborhood while the driver stayed behind. He then approached a group of people, drew a gun, fired into the crowd and began to chase another man down the street.

Though outside the scope of protocol of the time, Head and his partner gave chase and were quickly fired upon. When the suspect cleared the neighborhood

and ran through a wooded area, Head and Lack could finally get a shot at him. “My shot narrowly missed the suspect’s head and struck a tree,” Head recalled.

“But when Randy fired the suspect immediately dropped to the ground. I was pretty sure we were going to be running up on a dead guy, but when we got to him we found that Randy had missed him, too. The proximity of the shots must have scared him down. We arrested him, and he was sent a way for a very long time.”

Years after the shooting at Columbine, then-Sgt. Head had an opportunity to come face-to-face with a similar decision.

During a manhunt for a murder suspect, Head and other detectives were conducting late-night surveillance on the residence of a known acquaintance. When dispatch alerted them that the suspect’s phone had “pinged” at another location, half of the team left the area. Head and some others remained at the residence, just in case.

“As a couple of other officers were about to have a little knock and talk with the residents, I was looking through the third-story window,” he said. “Just as they were about to bang on the door, I saw the suspect running through the room toward the back of the apartment.”

“Just as they were about to bang on the door, I saw the suspect running through the room toward the back of the apartment.”

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Head ran to the front of the building and alerted officers just as the door was opening. Seeking to avert a hostage situation, officers pushed into the doorway and pulled the suspect’s girlfriend and her mother outside, only to learn that a small child was still in the house with the suspect.

Some wanted to secure the location and call the SWAT team. Yet Head knew the risks associated with giving the suspect ample time to react, plan and think. He immediately led the detectives into the apartment, where they caught the suspect off-guard by their deliberate and offensive engagement, securing the child.

“Cornered in the back room of the apartment, I told the suspect that I could guarantee his safety for only a couple of seconds, and then all such guarantees were off. Unwilling to talk or negotiate any terms of surrender, I told him his seconds were up, that the guarantee I offered for his personal safety had expired.” The tactic worked, and the suspect surrendered.

What he and his team had learned all those years ago—once embarrassed by a couple of SEALs aboard the USS Humility, then from lives lost during the Columbine shooting and other standoffs—

was that “active shooter” situations often require “active engagement” on the part of law enforcement. They learned that in many situations, the secure-and-wait tactics, so frequently used in the misguided belief that things will get better over time, often just don’t work.

Now retired after 28 years with the Irvine Police Dept., Head has begun a new chapter in life with a focused desire on helping those in uniform get the training and tools they need to win. No longer hindered by the restraint of departmental policy, public affairs or even political correctness that at times puts officers at risk, Head is on a sort of self-imposed crusade to save the lives of those who serve


“I told him his seconds were up, that the guarantee I offered for his personal safety had expired. The tactic worked, and the suspect surrendered.”

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Jerry Head taking a turn behind the Legion Firearms 7.62 DMR

Jerry Head checks

spotting for Chris Reeves.

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others by giving them every tactical advantage in the TTP tool box.“Law enforcement personnel don’t often train in conditions that

have people actually shooting at them or deploying aggressive hostility toward them,” Head said. “That’s a huge mistake, because officers can become paralyzed and overcome by certain events when they occur in real-world situations and they haven’t prepared for them. Force-on-force training with Simunitions, diversionary devices,

and non-lethal but realistic exchanges can better prepare officers, warriors and others who may be confronted by them.

“Using electronic rubber knives, non-lethal improvised explosives, paint balls, or tactical Simunitions with the added stimuli of the blood, wounds, smells, sights and sounds they will encounter during live encounters can dramatically affect the fight and/or flight responses in those who respond to such emergencies. Administrators often believe that officers can perform this training once or twice and that will suffice, but I believe this type of training must be a part of every ‘use of force’ program or training conducted.”

Head knows from years of law enforcement that lessons learned and experiences shared are critical to those who need it—and that hoarding knowledge is a tremendous disservice to those who have yet to encounter such experiences.

Under contract, he and others have provided force-on-force and combative training for active shooter encounters to both military and law enforcement entities throughout the country. Head and his team even provided active shooter training to military and law enforcement personnel at Fort Hood after the shooting there in 2009 when Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 and wounded 30 other soldiers.

“Few in law enforcement and the military are prepared for active shooter encounters,” Head said. “And even fewer are properly equipped—emotionally and physically—to fight through these situations to a successful outcome.”

The recent manhunt for fired LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, who gunned down fellow officers and those known to them, is a perfect example of the difficulties experienced by law enforcement with active shooter engagements.

“An active shooter—deranged, unhinged or otherwise—who is willing to murder law enforcement officers, innocents, and even die for his cause presents an even greater challenge,” Head said. “Especially if he knows your tactics.”

For more than 28 years, Head has dealt with deviants, drug dealers, gangbangers, murderers and everything in between. He has worked almost every aspect of law enforcement, led men into

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Jerry Head in Norway visits an “allied agencies” collection of Soviet assault rifles.

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dangerous encounters and provided counter-attack protection for a sitting United States president.

He has worked with industry to develop better technology, tools and tactics for those in uniform—and even invented a few along the way. But nothing has been more rewarding to him than training others in tactics that may someday save their lives.

Head may have retired his uniform, but he will never retire his desire to serve those who follow after him.

“We would all like to believe that we are John Wayne cool,” Jerry said with a smile that reveals he’s seen far more than most. “But at the receiving end of a weapon pointed toward your direction with a bad guy intent on ending your life, it’s what you’ve done before that moment that will increase the chance of a positive outcome.

“You can read as many books on boxing as you want, shadowbox and hit the heavy bag. But until you’ve entered the ring, tasted your own blood and taken a shot to the body and chin, you know very little about boxing.”


Collecting data on the Legion 7.62 DMR rifle at the Spartan Tactical Range Complex in Jacksboro, Texas

For this group of warriors, what happened in Vegas will stay with them for a long time.

By J.R. Salzman

Flanked by cheering supporters, Marine Cpl. Stephen Ayhens and his mother enter the Palazzo casino at the start of the Salute Our Troops wounded warrior event in Las Vegas.

PHOTO BY: THE VENETIAN | THE PALAZZO

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“We can’t do anything but say, ‘Thank you.’ Because we happen to be in the entertainment business, this is our way of saying, ‘Thank you.’” Sheldon Adelson is standing onstage, backdropped by the streaming indoor waterfall inside the Palazzo casino in Las Vegas. Seated before him in chairs and wheelchairs are 32 wounded warriors from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir. Many are missing arms and legs or have other visible wounds. They are surrounded by an audience of hundreds of military personnel, spectators and press.

These wounded warriors are taking part in a Salute Our Troops all-expenses-paid three-day VIP trip to Las Vegas organized by the Armed Forces Foundation and underwritten by Adelson, CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp.

To call this a trip of a lifetime would be an understatement. The trip starts with the wounded warriors being flown in from Washington, D.C., on Adelson’s private 747. They are given a full police escort from the airport and greeted by hundreds of cheering employees and military personnel inside the Palazzo. Drinks, meals and lodging (high-roller suites) are all provided, as well as full access to the Palazzo’s VIP room. There is a tour of the strip, as well as VIP treatment at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, site of television’s popular Pawn Stars series. The wounded warriors are given blackjack and poker lessons, with a warrior tournament for each game. The prize for winning each competition is an all-expenses-paid trip for two back to Las Vegas. There are concerts: Mannheim Steamroller and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, as well as the opportunity to meet and chat with the famed country couple.

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A wounded warrior is greeted by crowds of supporters and a warm embrace to help kick off the Salute Our Troops weekend in Las Vegas.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

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Marine Cpl. Joshua Kerns, a triple amputee, enters the Palazzo Casino amid throngs of cheering supporters at the start of the Salute Our Troops event in Las Vegas.


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Hundreds of miles from the military hospitals most participants call home, Las Vegas seems like an unlikely place to get any sort of rehabilitative benefit. To see the benefits of such a trip, one has to dig deeper into the lives of those gathered here and learn the physical and emotional journey they must undergo as they seek a new sense of normality in the wake of their injuries.

With the opening ceremony finished and the wounded warriors settled into their rooms, I joined Army Sgt. Chris Kurtz and his wife, Heather, in the Palazzo’s VIP lounge. A scout with the Army’s 101st, Sgt. Kurtz is a double-above-knee leg amputee and has extensive injuries to both arms and hands.

He and his wife have been stationed at Walter Reed since Dec. 21, 2010, when he was injured stepping on an IED in Afghanistan.

It has been nearly two years since Sgt. Kurtz arrived at Walter Reed in a medically induced coma. Their stay at Walter Reed has consisted of nearly two years of appointments, occupational and physical therapy, seemingly endless paperwork for the Army’s medical board process, and a tumultuous environment for marriage and family, including their two children.

I inquire when was the last time they had any time alone as a married couple. Heather Kurtz tells me this is the first time in more than two years that they have been alone and not undergoing some sort of medical treatment at a hospital. She is almost giddy, not only at the VIP treatment, but at the opportunity to simply be alone without their children.

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INSET PHOTOS BY: THE VENETIAN | THE PALAZZO


The wounded warrior blackjack tournament brought about a range of emotions among the participants, some with better poker faces than others.

“That’s not to say that we don’t like spending time with our children. Mom and dad need mom and dad time,” she said with a smile.

With less than two months to go until Sgt. Kurtz’s projected discharge date, he and his wife are able to reflect on the journey they have taken since his injuries and begin planning the new one they are about to embark upon.

“It’s events like this that do make you remember, yeah, you were normal at one point in time,” Heather Kurtz said. “This is our new normal. But we were ‘normal’ normal at

one point in time.”As we depart for

dinner, a long parade of wounded warriors with wheelchairs, motorized scooters, and canes slowly makes its way through the Palazzo and Venetian. I strike up a conversation with the mother of a young Marine on the trip and ask

what sort of meaningful rehabilitative gains a wounded Marine can acquire from a VIP trip to Las Vegas.

“With the guys that are just getting out, it helps them to interact with society again,” she said. “They’re in their own little world there (Walter Reed). And a lot of them don’t know how to deal with the public because they don’t get out in the public that much.”

As we continue to chat about her son, I notice his prosthetic arm but not the slight limp in his step. I ask if he has any other injuries besides his missing

“This is our new normal. But we were ‘normal’ normal at one point in time.”

INEST PHOTO AND SPREAD PHOTO BY: J.R.SALZMAN

arm. She tells me, “He’s actually a double BK (below knee amputee) as well.” I am momentarily at a loss for words. He is a young man of only 23 years, and a triple amputee.

The next morning after breakfast I join a group of wounded warriors as they embark on the journey across Las Vegas to the famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. As the chauffeur vans drive past the lines in front of the shop around to the rear entrance of the building, it is clear they will receive the VIP treatment here as well. As the motorized gate closes behind us, the stars of Pawn Stars—Rick, “Big Hoss,” “Chumlee” and “The Old Man”—appear from the building and sign T-shirts and pose for photos.

After the meet-and-greet ends and the stars have rushed off to a filming obligation, a store employee asks the group what they want to see first. Super Bowl rings? Guns? The response from the group is almost unanimous: “Guns!”

The group makes their way out into the main floor of the store and crowds around a lengthy display case full of guns. Rifles and pistols are passed around, the majority of them rare antiques, including an Eli Whitney .50 caliber rifle and a small James Bond-like ring that fires actual bullets. The place is jam packed with customers, but the wounded warriors are treated as if they are the only ones in the building.

Despite the VIP treatment, relaxed surroundings, and mingling with celebrities, the signs of what these warriors have experienced are just below the surface. While riding in a passenger van on the way back from the pawn shop, the sound of a large boom outside startles the veterans who unleash an outburst of colorful language. “%$#, that scared me,” said a young Marine as he tried to calm himself down. It is clear that, even miles from any battlefield, war is always with them.

We arrive back at the Palazzo in time to catch the end of the wounded warrior blackjack tournament. As the final hand is dealt, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Laux jumps from his chair and holds his fists in the air in celebration. Sgt. Laux is both a wounded warrior and a cadre member with the Warrior Transition Brigade at Fort Belvoir, Va. As an infantryman with

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Wounded warriors check out some of the rare and unique firearms at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.


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the 101st, he was on a dismounted patrol in Iraq in 2007 when an IED blew up behind him, severely injuring his left arm.

Because of his position as both a wounded warrior and a cadre member caring for others, he has a slightly different view than others on the trip.

“The warriors are going through a lot of appointments, and a lot of mental appointments as well,” Sgt. Laux said. “So they do this every day, even on the weekends sometimes. So for them to come here, it’s a stress relief, it’s like 50 pounds just released off their shoulders.”

His explanation is one that I heard over and over on the trip. These wounded warriors have been thrown into a state of constant transition. Whether


“... for them to come here, it’s a stress relief, it’s like 50 pounds just released off their shoulders.”

Wounded warriors look on as a Gold & Silver Pawn Shop employee talks about the unique items for sale, including a mini spy ring that fires actual bullets.

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it is bouncing from appointment to appointment, transitioning from the military, or dealing with marital or financial issues, the life of a wounded warrior is one steeped in challenges. The Salute Our Troops trip gives them an opportunity to simply have fun and once again experience what it feels like to not be

buried under life challenges, even for just a little while.The next morning, I join Josh and Emily Schichtl for breakfast in

the VIP room of the Palazzo. They are sitting with others on the trip discussing the Mannheim Steamroller concert and the exclusive club Tao that they went to the night before. Like everything on this trip, it was clearly an experience none of them will soon forget.

Josh and Emily have been married for five years and are a testament to what the trip does for military couples. They had been

married for only three months when Josh was injured on a patrol in Iraq. His vehicle was struck by an array of shape charges that blew him completely out of his Humvee and into a concrete wall. His impact with the wall broke the majority of the bones in his face and robbed him of his right eye. He acknowledges that he’s lucky to have all

his limbs after being blown up by an EFP, saying, “That’s how it is with EFPs. EFPs are amputee makers.”

Rather than disguising the loss of his right eye with an indistinguishable prosthetic, he instead chose to highlight it with a sign of his wartime service. Embedded in the middle of his prosthetic eye is a Purple Heart. (I politely decline when he offers to remove it for closer inspection.)

His wife, Emily, was three months pregnant with their second child when he was injured in Iraq. She tells me, “I was mad. I had literally stopped throwing up the day before I made it to D.C. (Walter Reed).” In all they have a total of four children together. This

Embedded in the middle of his prosthetic eye is a Purple Heart.

After losing an eye to an IED, Josh Schichtl chose to highlight his prosthetic with an embedded Purple Heart.

Wounded warriors enjoy a night at Madame Tussauds wax museum, posing with their favorite celebrities.

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trip represents one of the only times they have been alone as a married couple and apart from their children.

Josh Schichtl is bluntly honest about his situation in life, saying “I’ve been really depressed since I retired.” He is out of the military now and living in Tampa, Fla., with his family. “It’s all done in my life, being a soldier,” he says. “From the get-go, I wanted to be career.”

With his dreams of spending his entire life in the military shattered, he’s left to pick up the pieces and start over. He’s still trying to figure out what he wants to do, but he knows he wants to work with soldiers. For Josh Schichtl, the trip is a more than just a good time—it’s a way to be

around others like him, who know what it’s like to walk a mile in his boots.

“This is a way to be around other soldiers again,” he said. “Once you get away from Walter Reed and D.C., guys drop off the map.”

After breakfast, most of the group makes its way over to the Venetian’s poker room. Once again, the wounded warriors have their own VIP area.

Although the tournament is clearly competitive and everyone wants to win the grand prize trip, it is obvious they are all enjoying themselves. They are

here amongst their own just being themselves, not worrying about appointments, surgeries, medications or disability ratings. They are here to have a good time and remember that, regardless of what they gone through, they are still human and can still enjoy life.

To find out how the trip came about, I sit down with J.P. Purcell from the Armed Forces Foundation. Purcell tells me that the trips have been ongoing since 2007, when members of the Armed Forces Foundation and Sheldon Adelson (a Korean War veteran) pooled their resources together to figure out a unique way to help wounded

Josh Schichtl is bluntly honest about his situation in life, saying “I’ve been really depressed since I retired.”


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warriors. The result was the Salute Our Troops all-expenses-paid VIP trip to Las Vegas. Since there are multiple military medical installations across the U.S., they rotate which facility sends participants.

Purcell informs me that the goal of the trip is twofold. The first is to say “thank you” to the wounded warriors by giving them a once-in-a-lifetime experience that few could ever afford

on their own. The second is to help take their minds off their worries for a little bit and give them the opportunity to work through some of the difficulties they are having in a relaxed environment outside of a military hospital. By spending time interacting with other wounded warriors, talking about their

situation and problems, maybe they can work out some of their issues.

“Hopefully, they’ll meet and link up and remain friends for a long time because they were able to have this shared experience,” he said.

Purcell acknowledges that the focus is not just on the wounded warriors, but their spouses as well. Some of them have been in the

hospital, helping to take care of their military spouse, for as long as two years. Their lives are thrown into turmoil as they go from being a spouse to a nonmedical attendant caring for someone with severe injuries and missing limbs.

“They’re in it too, just as much,” he says. The trip is a way of providing them with a chance to not only remember some of the happier times, but create a few new ones as well.

As the group congregates for dinner back at the Palazzo’s VIP room, I catch up with Chris and Heather Kurtz. Heather is passing

By spending time interacting with other wounded warriors ... maybe they can work out some of their issues.


Hold’em? I barely know’em. Wounded warriors listen to instructions from the dealer during their Texas Hold’em tournament.

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Army Sgt. Chris Kurtz, a double leg amputee, gives his best poker face during the wounded warrior Texas Hold’em tournament.


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the time by playing the penny slots. Over the din of slot machines, I inquire where they would be right now if they were not here in Las Vegas.

“Probably some sort of appointment,” Sgt. Kurtz says. “We would be at the hospital for probably four to six hours.”

After 48 hours of VIP treatment in Las Vegas, the reality of the experience is sinking in on the wounded warriors around me. Many of the spouses are talking about how relaxing the spa treatment was. Others are sharing stories about the previous night in the exclusive club Tao. Everyone is still talking about the flight from Washington, D.C. on Adelson’s private jet. Some are even networking, asking around to see if anyone knows

opportunities to work with soldiers outside of the military. Few are talking about their injuries, appointments or medical problems.

Over the course of the three-day trip, I repeatedly heard the participants exclaim that it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After watching them in this environment for a couple of

days, I agree, but not for the same reasons. Las Vegas is accustomed to giving VIP treatment to

people of wealth, accomplishment and fame—but seldom to individuals as wealthy in spirit and sacrifice as these wounded warriors. While the typical high roller might take a seemingly momentous hit on a bad hand, none have played the hand that these brave wounded warriors have been dealt.

These courageous souls took their chips and went “all in” when their country needed them most. Their reward was returning home alive but permanently scarred, with the knowledge that they served their country with honor and did their job to the best of their abilities.

These courageous souls took their chips and went “all in” when their country needed them most.

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Active and retired law enforcement

officers from across the nation donated revolvers, pistols

and their own badges to form the background of this National Firearms

Museum exhibit.


The exhibit includes handguns that were used by Texas Rangers and small-town sheriffs throughout America, shotguns that guarded metropolitan districts and semi-automatic rifles that deployed in squad cars when dispatchers called in cities and villages across the nation. Badges of officers from many departments share the walls with the firearms they once used.

here is a thin blue line that proudly runs throughout the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va. And, in one prominent display case, the Law Enforcement theme quietly speaks to visitors.

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The exhibit includes handguns that were used by Texas Rangers and small-town sheriffs throughout America ...


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... shotguns that guarded metropolitan districts and semi-automatic rifles that deployed in squad cars when dispatchers called in cities and villages across the nation.

But part of this display draws visitors to a reverent pause, when they read the story of two American heroes firsthand. Here, the service sidearms of two officers—one from Virginia, the other New York—illustrate the stories of first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Fairfax County’s Michael Garbarino drew his SIG 226 pistol in 2006 to protect fellow officers from a madman stalking them during a shift change at their Virginia substation. New York officer Walter Weaver quickly responded on Sept. 11, 2001, when a terrorist attack trapped office workers inside an elevator in the World Trade Center. Weaver’s warped and twisted Smith & Wesson revolver was found later in the rubble of Ground Zero.


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New York officer Walter Weaver quickly responded on Sept. 11, 2001, when a terrorist attack trapped office workers inside an elevator in the World Trade Center.


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What also ties these two men’s stories together is their membership in the National Rifle Association—both believing that the right to keep and bear arms presented a credo they could share with those they protected. The Garbarino and Weaver families both felt their stories could best be told within the walls of the National Firearms Museum. For many thousands of visitors each year, before they leave the galleries, a quiet moment in front of this exhibit gives them a chance to know that these defenders of America shared their proud heritage of membership. 1 4 N R A M U S E U M L A W E N F O R C E M E N T D I S P L A Y 1 5 N R A M U S E U M L A W E N F O R C E M E N T 1 6 N R A M U S E U M L A W E N F O R C E M E N T


$5.00 donation to NRA Foundation. Charges will appear on your wireless bill, or be deducted from your prepaid balance. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Must be 18 years of age or have parental permission to participate. Text STOP to 50555 to STOP. Text HELP to 50555 for HELP. Full Terms: mGive.org/T

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