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[refactortactical]

What do you really need in your IFAK?

Let’s be honest; there are some ridiculous first aid kits out there with everything from a single piece of combat gauze to almost anything you might find in an operating room.  But what do you actually need in there?  There are a lot of pre-packed kits on the market that I think fall short, mainly because the purposefully omit life-saving products in order to reach a certain price point.

Before we go much further, let me make the statement “IFAK kits will be expensive.”  Expect to pay at least $200 for your IFAK and accompanied medical items.  I know this may sound like a lot, but if something dire happens to you, you will spend the rest of your short life wishing you had splurged on the good stuff.

The below-recommended contents are based on years of real-world experience, actually seeing what does and doesn’t work.  These items will fit in a small IFAK and will provide necessary life-saving options.  I will expand on this and say that none of the below medical equipment will do you any good if you don’t know how to use them.  I’d argue that knowing how to use these items is more important than actually having the items themselves.  While I could go into all the recommended courses available, I will save that for a later post.

I will make my IFAK list based on the MARCH algorithm.  The military’s MARCH algorithm varies from the traditional ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) used by civilians.  MARCH stands for:

Massive Hemorrhage- The military puts Massive Hemorrhage at the top of the treatment list.  This means that if you arrive at a patient, you’d want to treat a massive hemorrhage first before moving on to any other injuries.  Now, it’s important to note that a massive hemorrhage means a sizeable arterial bleed is dumping copious amounts of blood onto the ground.  This isn’t a cut that is dripping on the ground; it is large volumes of blood loss that could lead to death in less than a minute or two.

Airway- This pertains to being able to draw air into the lungs.  Airway would be something like an obstructed airway due to debris, a tongue of an unconscious patient or mouth and throat burns.

Respiration- This pertains to the actual breathing process. Standard treatment for respiratory ailments would include something like a collapsed lung or a sucking chest wound.

Circulation- At this stage of the algorithm we go back to general bleeding and lacerations to keep lots of cuts from leaking precious blood out of the body.

Hypothermia/Head Injury- This last piece of the algorithm is a little bit contentious in that many healthcare providers believe you should treat hypothermia throughout the MARCH treatment process. I agree with this method of thinking, but it is always wise to reassess for hypothermia after all the holes have been plugged.

With the above algorithm in mind lets look at what items are going to treat those issues.  Keep in mind this doesn’t address things like spinal cord injuries, burns, smoke inhalation or other possible non-visible injuries that you as a civilian might encounter.  However, those are injuries that you as an everyday civilian wouldn’t be able to treat with anything out of your IFAK anyways.  So these items cover things that you can personally manage and potentially use to save someone’s life.

Massive Hemorrhage:

Compact Gauze- I’d say this is probably the most critical piece of medical kit you can carry.  It’s cheap, small and has a ton of different applications.  If you have a sizeable massive bleed gauze is the only thing that can fill a large cavity and provide the pressure needed to stop the bleed.  You can wrap gauze, stuff gauze, use it as a sling, use it to splint and a multitude of other applications.   I would suggest carrying at least two packages of compact gauze.

[cactustactical-blog]

Spend some time catching up on our tactical blog series about the  Weapons of the War in Afghanistan.

http://cactustactical.blogspot.com/

[blogaleksandros]

Ношение немецкого котелка #Вермахт для Димы Зайцева @tacticalblog

[refactortactical]

Best AR-15 Scopes

One of my friends, a fellow gun enthusiast, once told me that the AR-15 is like a Barbie for men. The endless amount of accessories, modifications, barrel lengths, and furniture makes his comparison pretty spot on. Many of the changes folks make to their ARs are aesthetic and don’t really improve much. However, a few modifications, such as with the trigger, barrel, and optics can drastically increase the capability of the AR-platform. Red dots once ruled the shooting world. Improved technology has given us the ability to have powered optics that enable long-distance engagement and positive identification of our targets further downrange.

HOW WE RATE OUR SCOPES

There are a dozen different categories we can use to compare different AR scopes. Weight, maximum magnification, glass quality, eye relief, etc. For our uses, we’ll stick to a more pragmatic and practical approach using just three criteria.

Reliability

The most important question is: does it work when you need it to? Your gear needs to stand up to whatever your intended purpose is. All your tools should work when it counts, whether for competition or when your life depends on it.

Price

Is it affordable? Like everything, magnified optics for your AR can be very cheap or extremely expensive, sometimes doubling or tripling the cost of your AR. Generally, you get what you pay for, and quality isn’t cheap, but a few scopes on this list will offer you excellent quality for a lower price.

Accuracy

Is it consistent under the conditions you want to use it? After all, the primary purpose of mounting a scope on an AR is to increase your accuracy by giving you a precise aiming point. Your scope adjustment dials and reticle need to be predictable and repeatable to maximize your accuracy potential.

AR-15 SCOPES

AR scopes are readily accessible, and for whatever your need is, chances are there’s a suitable, affordable, and quality optic for you. I’m a true believer in the utility of a magnified optic for an AR, particularly for a 5.56mm that can reach out to hit a man-sized target at 600m. Maybe you want to hunt with your 300 Blackout or shoot in a Camp Perry match. Perhaps you enjoy 3-gun competitions, or maybe you need an optic on your AR (or M4A1) for work. No matter the use, there’s a magnified optic for you.

[refactortactical]

Every time you fire your rifle, there will be outside factors affecting round placement. Even if you have your trigger squeeze, breath control, and position mastered, there will be things you can’t control—the wind, for example. However, for everything you can’t control, there’s a way to counteract its effect. But, before you get there, let’s talk about MOA. Something you can definitely control—if you know what it is.

[refactortactical]

Disabled Veterans are getting their chance to eliminate all student debt accrued through student loans by an Executive Order signed by President Trump on August 23, 2019. According to the Associated Press and MSN news, President Trump ordered the Department of Education to “eliminate every penny of student loan debt”. This debt forgiveness is an astounding victory for Veteran’s, but only for “completely and permanently disabled” veterans.

[refactortactical]

USAA Student Loans

You might be sitting there right now, getting ready to read this particular post and you’re thinking to yourself, why would I need a student loan?  You served in the military, you had Tuition Assistance (TA), and after 3 years, was able to take advantage of the GI Bill. But here’s the thing, not everyone takes advantage of TA while they’re in, then they get out, don’t have a degree, and have transferred their GI Bill to their child or spouse. Then one day, you apply for a job, you have all the experience, but you don’t have a degree and without it, you can’t get the particular position you’ve been eyeing.

Don’t worry; we aren’t saying education is the only way to get a job. Plenty of people have well-paying jobs, some even enjoy them, and guess what, they didn’t get a college degree to get it. Of course, if you want to be a Doctor or something like that, you’ll need a degree. But, in many cases, degrees get you promotions, not jobs.

College degree or not, you might find yourself sitting in an entry-level position. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pursue higher education. Or, maybe you’re not the one seeking a degree because you somehow obtained five degrees while you were still serving and used your GI Bill because you were never planning to get married and have kids anyway-sike! Or maybe you were only planning for one child, you sign over your GI Bill to him or her and there isn’t enough to go around because your family of three suddenly went to a family of 5.

No matter your reasoning, when TA and the GI Bill are all used up, you might find yourself seeking out a student loan. So, we’ve decided to put together a piece about USAA Student Loans—just don’t get too excited yet, the following isn’t exactly what you’re expecting to read.

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https://blog.refactortactical.com/blog/usaa-student-loans/

[cactustactical-blog]

We are proud to bring back our tactical blog on the Weapons of War in Afghanistan. 

Weapons of the War in Afghanistan: MANPADS (Surface to Air Missiles), Part I

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[cactustactical-blog]

Catch up our tactical blog on the War in  Afghanistan

http://cactustactical.blogspot.com/

[cactustactical-blog]

Don’t forget to check out our tactical blog on the War in Afghanistan. 

[cactustactical-blog]

Check out our tactical blog on the Optics used in the War in Afghanistan.