Early in 2017, 27-year-old Trooper Ed Andersson was called to the scene of an accident. Upon arriving and witnessing an overturned car, he began to block off the road and set up road flares as he had done a dozen times before. That’s when a bullet struck him in the chest. Before he had a chance to even to process what had happened, the assailant was on top of him. Severely weakened from the gunshot wound, the Trooper could put up little resistance as his head was repeatedly slammed, again and again, into the concrete. Andersson had to have believed that this is how he would die - until he heard the voice of another man. Someone was offering him help. Seconds later, the assailant was dead on the ground from the bullet of a good Samaritan’s gun, and Andersson was receiving first aid from his savior's wife. Two people with the fortitude to confront evil, and the

Though tourniquets have been used to treat violent wounds as far back as the Roman Empire, there persist many misconceptions about their proper use. Too many still believe that tourniquets are a last resort item or that the use of one will result in eventual amputation. Many of these false beliefs stem from medical practices during World War I and II (we will get into these later in the article) The truth is, that tourniquets have seen wider and wider use in immediate application across the board. Roughly 50% of all combat deaths since World War 2 can be attributed to blood loss, and many are realizing in hindsight that proper tourniquets could have saved a significant percentage of those. They are so valuable that some new combat uniforms even incorporate tourniquets into the design!

Today most military members and EMTs are well aware of the

The classic “Cool Guy” look, leaning back with a pair of sunglasses and a leather jacket, was pulled directly from wartime practicality. Pilots (and gas mask wearers) in World War 1 - and then even more so in World War 2 - used protective lenses to shield their eyes when conducting missions. In fact, the name Ray-bans refers to their original use in “banning rays” from combat pilots eyes. Aviators are pretty obvious with what they are referring to. That typical combat pilot look of sunglasses and a flight jacket is a lasting symbol of American “cool” that has more or less stuck with us. Though some actors had worn sunglasses just prior to the war, it was really that dashing military pilot that led to the boom of the modern age’s sunglass industry.  

I bring up this interesting little factoid because it ties into the subject I want to cover today. Tactically bas