Klick and El Pato getting ready to give Mr.Terrorist a big KISS. "Homeland Security" should be the duty of armed American citizens, in cooperation with local law enforcement. Especially in rural areas. NOT some government agency in Washington DC., and not the military.
KISSATA sniper scout looking for targets of opportunity. As the full on tactical rifle pictured above does not work very well in a close in fire fight, the sniper is also packing a Colt .45ACP with spare twelve and fifteen round magazines, in addition to standard magazines, in case of a "close encounter" with the enemy. Within the KISS concept the sniper would usually be escorted by two team members with standard rifles, and a lone scout would not usually carry a heavy tactical rifle. Rifle above "was" a SAKO target rifle in 6mm Remington. Now it's painted different shades of green!! It shoots .300" groups at 100 meters. Do a web-search for "Sniper's Paradise" for good information on sniping. Get the KISSATA handbook to see how sniping fits into the KISS concept, and the differences between formal sniping and sharpshooting.
Commander Ugly scouting with the M95 Styer. Scout rifles are a whole other subject. Personally, I believe that whatever works well for you while scouting, IS a scout rifle. But usually it is a rifle that fits into Jeff Cooper's definition. Scouting is very important to the KISS concept, and skill at scouting is a solid, concrete foundation for other skills such as recon and patrolling. It is also how a new member self-trains before he/she/it finds others to train with. Even after rifle teams are formed, members should continue to scout when scheduals conflict and members cannot get out together, and it is a good way to find and "develope" areas for training. The M95 Styer Carbine is a jewell of a rifle. Small, light, powerful, accurate, fast shooting (straight pull action) and very fast loading with en-bloc clips. They are on the market now for $100 or less. The bad news is that ammo is hard to come by.
Sting taking a noon break. Obviously he has stripped off his gear and is quite relaxed. Sometimes it helps to loosen up during a mid-day break, and then patrol hard and stay "in charactor" during the morning and afternoon. Even so, I would not/do not go any further from my gear and rifle than I can reach, and you can see that Sting's gear is nowhere within reach. I would also suggest that when you select your nooner spot that you patrol past it, sweep around it in a circle, come back, and then break. At the least send one person out to scout the immediate area. Do not loosen up to the point that you start talking in normal voice, and/or quit scanning the area for movement. For more intense training, or for when there are hikers, bird watchers, or dog walkers about you will want to form a perimeter and have one person eat at a time while the others watch and stay on alert. You can also have one person continue to circle around you about onehundred yards out, and trade off until everyone has eaten and is rested.
Commander Klick on patrol again, setting another bad example for the camera. Notice the light object sticking out of my left breast pocket, and no glove or cammo on my left hand. These little minor details really draw the eye right to them. The rifle is another previously unissued weapon, a 1955 Russian SKS. And again, the Commander has issued it to himself. No dust collectors in Klick's gun collection.
Observation post, Operation Monkey Frog II. If you look hard you can just make out ol-sarg's hat.
Klick and ol-Sarge come up for air, and Klick takes a shot at the camera. Good thing I missed. Just kidding, MAGGOT!
ol-Sarge and Klick after taking their objective during Monkey Frog II. This is the abandoned hidden survival retreat, deep into the AO.
Rifles used on Monkey Frog II. ol-Sarge's Mosin-Nagant M44 on the left, and Commander Klick's Mosin Nagant 91/59 on the right. Do not underestimate such rifles. Powerful, light, accurate and fast handling. These are the two rifles that were used for the 500 yard range exercise, making consistant hits on paper plates at that range.
Coming down the trail. Because I am in direct sunlight I stand out, but otherwise my cammo is very specific to this terrain. ol-Sarge is behind and to the right, but is in the shadows and you will not be able to make him out.
ol-Sarge goes prone. Again you can see that no matter how good your cammo, direct sunlight will make it stand out a little bit. You must always consider "background" when you are out and about. During Monkey Frog 1, going prone like this, in this same area, allowed civilians to pass within ten feet of the patrol without being aware that we were there. The human eye and mind tends to detect what it expects, and as people laying on the ground are not usually expected, people will walk right by you, most of the time, with this simple "trick". Also, in regards to cammo, cammo does not have to be perfect, or look "invisible" when looking directly at it, but eliminating anything that will draw the eye to you, such as shiney objects or very light color objects, is important. Overly dark color does not draw the eye as much as overly light, in a woodland or forest type setting.
