Mick-Boy's work gear (what and why)

[Mick-Boy]

Excellent info. Thanks for taking the time to post it all up.

It is nice to get actual hands on, no-shit, info from someone that has actually been there and does that.

Keep your head down.

My pleasure. I hope some folks are finding some of the information useful.

As always the "We're all victims of our frame of reference" truism is in play. This is stuff that has worked for me in my applications. I have had very heartfelt disagreements about what constitutes "mission essential gear" with guys who've got just as much, if not more, experience as I do. What's good for guy A might not work very well for guy B.

Yep. My time in Iraq, the difference between hauling ass back to the armor vs continuing the conversation was knowing what what was normal and when you were standing outside of it. Got out of the vehicles once and no less than three minutes later, my translator (an Iraqi-American with a TS and years of experience) said "this isn't right, nobodies outside and everyone's home"

Gotta go... see ya. We red-zoned that village permanently.

this is just such a huge point. You can do everything right, but you fail to listen to your gut telling you something isn't right and that is when crap goes bad.

Sir, I'm sure you're familiar with "The Gift of Fear" and "Blink". Gut feelings can save your bacon for sure... If you're paying attention.

Something I've found very interesting is that my fiances 5 year old son can pick out people who don't look "right" almost as well as I can when he and I have sat and watched people. He knows what a relaxed human being looks like and he can tell when someone isn't. It was amazing to watch how willing he was to trust his gut where adults might second guess themselves.

[cmailliard]

Alright. Here's a 2min video where I stumblingly explain the how and why of my TQ prep.



Regarding threading the TQ through one or both buckles, I see it as limiting the potential for failure with very little cost. I might be able to get a single threaded TQ on a hair faster, but I know I can get a double threaded TQ on pretty quick and I'm not just relying on the velcro to hold it in place while I'm dirty/bloody/moving all over gods creation.

Good vid, Mick.

[Mick-Boy]

TheBelly and coloccw, How does that differ from what you're taught (and teach)?

RE - Hemorrhage control and TQ application.

If I'm putting a TQ on a guy, I'm going to cause him pain. That's just the nature of the beast. A casualty on the ground that needs a TQ (ANY high pressure OR high volume bleeding) is going to get my knee on the offending artery first and foremost.

This would be on the inside of the arm (turn your bicep to the sky and push your fingers in between your bicep and tricep, that's your brachial artery) or on the pelvic girdle (about halfway between the base of your dick and the edge of your hip there is a hollow, push your fingers in until your can feel a pulse. That's the iliac artery right before it becomes the femoral artery).

That knee is to decrease/stop the blood flow while I apply the TQ on the limb. It's not going to feel good (it doesn't) but I don't necessarily know how long the casualty has been bleeding or how bad the hit is. I can't guarantee that I can get to him right after he goes down. That little bit of blood that I save by getting firm pressure (the point of my knee) on the pressure point may make a world of difference.

There was a thread in the survival section a few days ago where coloccw posted this. I've highlighted a couple of bits that I think anyone who carries or uses guns should keep in mind.

For those of you reading along and not familiar with TCCC/NREMT stuff I'll expand briefly: In the field, we cannot TREAT traumatic injuries (EMT-Ps excluded), only try to prevent further harm and package them up for transport to a Doc. This applies CONUS as well as OCONUS. If bullets are flying it doesn't matter if you are here or there: it is combat and combat proven protocols should be used. Stopping the bleeding, however you can, should be the main priority. If you think that pressure and elevation will work, then go at it. However, if it doesn't work then you just wasted all that time for nothing. Properly placing a TQ takes 10 seconds and works almost every time. Now you can take all the time you need to make a nice pretty pressure dressing and have the patient remain calm, etc... Taking off a TQ is not part of preventing further injury; it is treatment. A licensed Doc (CONUS) is needed to legally treat traumatic injuries. Whether a bystander on the range or an EMT-B, we cannot treat traumatic injuries. Basically, we can only stop bleeding, use basic methods to maintain an open airway, control hypothermia/shock, check and record vitals, and keep the patient calm. Get proficient at those basic skills and you can do a lot of good after an incident. Think of those as medical fundamentals: if your pre-hospital care or fundamentals are good, then the outcome should be better. Shitty fundamentals= shitty results.

[SuperiorDG]

There is a class this Sunday over at Bowers that gives a lot of info and on TQ usage.

http://www.ar-15.co/threads/27336-Ca...28th-0800-1200

[cmailliard]

There is a class this Sunday over at Bowers that gives a lot of info and on TQ usage.

http://www.ar-15.co/threads/27336-Ca...28th-0800-1200

So far nobody has signed up, we will most likely cancel it.

[275RLTW]

Nice video Mick. You can easily see that you thought out why you do things and if you are doing them for the right reasons. To illustrate the differences between "guy A" vs "guy B," and that neither line of thinking is wrong, I prep my CATs differently (routed through the inner loop). Although I know and understand that routing the TQ through both loops provides better tension, especially with environmental factors present, I keep all my CATs set up for a worst case scenario in which I need to get one on NOW and have only 1 hand available to do this. Since in the Care under Fire portion of TCCC, utilizing Self Aid/Buddy Care is before anyone coming to help me, I want to be utilizing my gear as efficiently as possible by myself. If I can stop the vast majority of the blood loss in less time, every time, then according to TCCC guidelines I can then (ideally) move to a position of cover and begin reassessing the TQ (most likely putting another one on, routed through both loops this time) as part of my Tactical Field Care. My priority for Care Under Fire is less of fixing the problem as it is making sure I can get somewhere with cover and time to properly fix it. While this approach may double the work I am doing on the same wound, I don't mind the reassessment on a potential life threatening injury. Under fire I am likely to miss something, and that could be a fatal mistake. Knowing that I have to expose the wound(s) and reassess the TQ placement gives me a chance to take a more thorough, calmer, and collected look at the problem and determine the best solution for it.

Either of the methods for prepping a CAT is acceptable provided that you 1) know how it is prepped, 2) are competent with the device and have trained with your gear prepped this way, and 3) continue to consider what you are doing any why you do them. Never stop trying to make things better, more efficient, or testing new methods/gear (in the appropriate environments, of course). Complacency kills as fast as an enemies bullet.

[Mick-Boy]

Never stop trying to make things better, more efficient, or testing new methods/gear (in the appropriate environments, of course). Complacency kills as fast as an enemies bullet.

I try to be a complete nerd in this area. It's how I've ended up with footlockers full of gear in the basement and why I've spent thousands of dollars on additional training.

For gear; the technology is always advancing. Things get lighter, cooler (temperature wise), more bullet resistant, etc. all the time. And I always want to play with the new fancy-sauce.

For TTPs; At the end of the day, there are no "keys to the kingdom" for gunfighting. Just little pieces to the puzzle and multiple ways to solve most problems. Identify what you want to work on, find an instructor (or several) qualified to teach you, set your ego aside and get to learning.

[stoner01]

Good thread. You and I think a lot alike. Always interesting to see how others have evolved their gear preferences over time.

[Mick-Boy]

Would you mind expanding on your mindset a bit?

For me, the adage "Let the mission drive the gear" is always be in the back of my mind.

Mission and threat are going to play a huge roll in selecting my equipment. For instance, awhile back we got some Crye blast belts that someone thought would be a good idea. If we were still getting slammed with IEDs all the time that might be a piece of gear that I'd look to implement. But for walking in the mountains and driving around in civilian vehicles? Not just no, but hell no. Doesn't fit the mission, doesn't fit the threat, shouldn't be included.

[stoner01]

Who me?