Hi guys, my apologies for being AWOL (Absent With Out Leave) I've been knees deep in running a 5-day intensive course here locally to the Spokane/Northport Washington region. Here's quick recap of this executive protection training program. Day 1-2 Pilot Survival "Crash Course" - SERE-Based Training We began at a wrecked aircraft fuselage that simulated a crash landing, which I'm told the PC term is "off airport landing." This survival training scenario, drawn from my USAF SERE specialist background, focused as soon as they hit the ground on prioritizing injuries using MARCH (Massive hemorrhage – Airway – Respiratory – Circulation – Head trauma and Hypothermia). We discussed strategies of coping with stress and shock, which involved tactical breathing techniques of maintaining 98.6 and box breathing etc. - essential skills for high-net-worth executives operating in hostile environments. Then we pulled out the maps and went over understanding Lat/Long and how to determine our general location just based on an equation called "Rate of speed x Time of flight = Distance traveled". Then we plotted a good site on the map where we could conduct effective emergency signaling and other tasks to fulfill our 5 Basic Survival needs Next they navigated using a wrist compass and keeping track of their paces to the top of the hill where we found ample natural supplies for a smoke generator and proceeded to work our firecraft skills. The day encompassed survival skills like natural and man made shelter creation, small game processing, survival cooking methods and night signals with flares and lasers. The following day we built another fire, heated our coffee and sharpened our tools for easier bushcraft applications afterwards. We went over water filtration methods, day time signals and proved the importance of always having 3 methods of achieving anything critical. Better yet is 4, using the PACE method (Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency) - a cornerstone of American Reconstruction Concepts (ARC Training) methodology.

Here’s a funny locked car story… Just last week my toddler decided she would play in our family car. She’s climbing all around and pushing every button and turning every knob in sight. When she finally did come out and close the door, she of course managed to lock the key inside with the windows up. We had planned on visiting some friends that night, so thankfully about an hour before, I went to double check that the car wasn’t locked with our only key inside…but it was locked. I remembered we had a second key at one point, so I checked in with my wife for that first, but to no avail. So I knew what I had to do. In direct sun and 90+ degree heat I wrestled with the window, found and applied several different prying and inflating and reaching tools, and finally after 20-30 minutes of wrestling with it, got it opened. Here’s the funny part, remember the spare key I couldn’t find? Yeah, it was hanging up in my home office all along. Found it this morning. Made me reflect of the moral of the story. How many times do I struggle in my own strength, when God has the key to my problems right there, all along? Something to ponder.