2018 Rangemaster Tactical Conference AAR part 1

From March 16-18, 2018, several of us from the KR Training team (myself, Dave Reichek, and Tracy Becker) attended the 20th annual Rangemaster Tactical Conference, held at the Direct Action Resource Center near Little Rock, Arkansas.

I’ve been a presenter at the Rangemaster Conference 16 of the past 20 years, running force on force scenarios for many years, transitioning to lecture presentations for the past 5 years.  This year I presented a 2 hour block on the history of handgun technique and training, covering 1930-present day. It’s a subset of the material in my 2 day Historical Handgun course.

Between the sessions I and other KR Training team members attended, the shooting match, and a handful of products I had the opportunity to evaluate, there’s enough content to fill several blog posts.

FRIDAY SESSION 1

The first session I attended was titled “Lend a Paw”. It was taught by Lauren Pugliese, DVM.  Many of her articles can be found on the Active Response Training website.

Her talk addressed first aid skills and equipment for pets: a topic we’ve addressed in the annual Preparedness Conferences Paul Martin and I host each year.   For those familiar with human first aid, here are some pet-specific takeaways:  if you have a pet, put the ASPCA poison center number in your phone. The call is not free (there is a charge for ‘tech support’) but if you can’t reach a local vet, having this number could be essential to taking correct steps, should your pet eat or drink something harmful.

Tourniquets don’t well on pets to control bleeding, but they can be used as a muzzle. Injured or sick pets may bite. There are dog-specific quick clotting powders. Dog flea products do not work on cats.  Many foods and chemicals humans consume may be poisonous to pets.

Here’s her list of what should go in a pet bug-out bag.

FRIDAY SESSION 2

Gary Greco discussed safety concerns when traveling outside the US.  Both as a Federal employee and a recreational traveler, Gary has made many international trips.

Key points:

1) Take twice the money and half the clothes you think you need for the trip.

2) If your luggage is lost, just turn in a claim, buy what you need to continue your trip. You can ruin a vacation changing plans to stay near the airport hoping your bag shows up.

3) The mission of state dept is to advance national interests of the USA. Supporting tourists is not a primary task. Dual citizenship works against you in a foreign country if you are expecting the state dept to assist you.

4) Use: Global Entry program, Google translator, temporary passes to airline premium clubs, ATMs at airport to get local cash.  Clothes similar to what locals wear. Mastercard Travelex money card. Footwear that you can walk or run in.

5) Don’t use or bring: family band radios (may be illegal), pepper spray, folding knives with pocket clips (unless you carry inside your pocket, not clipped), ‘tactical’ pants, locks on your luggage, traveler’s checks. Footwear unsuitable for walking or running.

6) Photocopy all critical docs: Visas, passport, credit card, ids.  Carry your passport everywhere.

7) Medications: anything not over-the-counter, have documentation/prescriptions showing you are supposed to have those drugs.

Much more to follow in upcoming posts over the next few days!