Membership Information

Personal First Aid Kit, Compass, Flashlight, Weapons cleaning kit, Canteen, Binoculars, 25' Rope,

GPS, FRS Radio (special communications radios will be provided), Entrenching Tool, Gloves,

BASIC ABILITIES

The better shape that you are in, the better your chances of escaping
or surviving dangerous situations. Everyone should strive for a maximum
level of fitness. Being able to run 5 Kilometers (3.1 miles) in 30
minutes or less with running gear is a good start, and is a measure of
some cardiovascular fitness and the ability to get somewhere if you have
to. It is important for the individual in the field to be of sufficient
mobility with a battle load to be able to either get somewhere quickly
enough to be effective, or to escape from an area in order to live to
fight another day. In a three-dimensional urban environment, climbing steps,

ladders, and ropes, and being able to effectively move through streets, alleys, and
buildings will severely test one's fitness.

Having looked at the basic equipment, we will examine three simple abilities. We feel that, after demonstrating these abilities, you can be considered "able-bodied and capable of bearing arms".

A) COMPLETE A TWO-MILE HIKE. WITH ALL BASIC EQUIPMENT WITHIN 40 MINUTES. You will also be required to carry any shooting aid that you intend to use in your rifle qualification.

It is important to be able to get around on foot. It is possible that, under any number of circumstances, travel by other means will be difficult or impossible. A short, two-mile hike at a slow to moderate pace is a good measure of your mobility.

Please do not be alarmed by the distance. Two miles is actually a very short walk. Most of us cover many more miles in our daily lives.

You will be given as many attempts as you need to complete this walk. If, for some reason, you do not succeed the first time, additional attempts will be allowed after a brief rest period of not less than 15 minutes. It is very possible that persons who do not make it the first time could easily make it if they merely pick up the pace a bit.

As there are few roads along which a militia hike would fail to attract unwanted attention, the hike will take place on a private road or trail.

B) FIELD STRIP YOUR WEAPON FOR CLEANING. Since there are many types of weapons available, this guide cannot possibly cover even a fraction of them.

There are several ways to learn how to break down your rifle. You can learn from the manual that will come with any new rifle. You can learn from instructions published in some other sources, such as certain issues of "Guns & Ammo", and the like. You can also ask someone who is already familiar with that type of firearm. Any gathering of friendly militia people is bound to be brimming over with firearms knowledge, and they will be more than willing to help you. Do not be embarrassed to ask someone for help- the only dumb question is the one that you don't ask.

You will need to break your weapon down so that the bore, bolt, and gas system (if it has one) may be properly cleaned. There will be additional items that it is possible to break down (buffer springs, extractor pins, hand guards, etc.), but for now, this simple field-stripping will suffice.

In many instances, there will be a special tool or device required to break down a certain piece or aspect of a particular rifle. If you are aware of this, it is very important that you obtain this special tool, preferably when you buy the rifle. Sometimes, however, the requirement of a special tool is a warning that you should not remove that certain part at all, so any time a tool is required, exercise extreme caution. Consult your manual, or someone who is thoroughly knowledgeable about your weapon before using any "special tools".

C) PLACE 8 OUT OF 10 SHOTS INTO A 9" TARGET AT 100 YARDS. From a field expedient position, using any item that you carried on your two-mile hike, place 8 out of 10 shots into a 9" target at 100 yards. No benchrests will be allowed, and there will be no coaching while you are firing your 10 round string. You will be required to complete this within 5 minutes. You may use a bipod, sleeping pad, rucksack, or whatever, as long as it was carried on your hike. You are not required to use anything. If time permits, you will be allowed to sight in prior to actual qualifying.

Multiple attempts will be allowed, after everyone has had a first attempt. Following your first attempt, you are free to request a critique of your shooting. In fact, such critiques are often provided without any request at all.

Hitting a 9" target at 100 yards should be relatively easy. (At higher levels, the target will get smaller.) Almost any militia person will help you accomplish this. If you just show up at any range training, we'll be glad to help. (Some training sessions do not require firearms, so please check first.) The final word on shooting, and you will hear this repeated often, is "practice, practice, practice."

UNIFORMS AND HEADGEAR

One of the most frequently asked questions that we hear is, "What kind of uniform should I get?" Since there seems to be a large non-conformity streak running through our unit, we won't issue a specific uniform requirement, although some units do have a uniform requirement, wherein you would speak to the Team Leader of that Unit you wish to join. We will, however, feature a brief discussion on the matter.

Most militia persons tend to wear US Army style BDUs (battle dress uniforms) in the woodland camouflage pattern. As with other things, the government has spent a lot of time and money on testing for its equipment, this includes camouflage patterns. For Wisconsin, the woodland pattern is fine, and it works most of the time being that Michigan is primarily covered by trees. This would be the preferred option.

There are also large numbers of foreign military surplus camouflage clothing available. Most of this will work for our purposes, as long as you wear some kind of patches or insignia that identifies you as a militia person (you DO NOT want to be mistaken for a foreign soldier if things get screwy). Remove any foreign insignia from any uniforms that you may have.

Other commercially available camouflage patterns look cool, but may have very limited applications. The desert, urban, or black patterns are exceptional under their specific situations, but you probably don't want to wear them into the woods, at least not in daylight.

There are patch order forms available from the Post Commanders, and we have an SOP (standard operating procedure) on where to have them sewn on your uniforms. At the very least, get a subdued (green) American flag patch sewn on your uniform as well as a "Don't Tread On Me" patch, also subdued. There are many other militia-type patches and insignia available, and nothing can prevent you from arranging your uniform as you wish, but some semblance of uniformity wouldn't harm any of us.

As far as headgear goes, we haven't made helmets a requirement. You can purchase one, if you wish. Many of our comrades have bought Kevlar helmets, and some of them have the old steel pot helmets. If you can afford the Kevlar, that's great; that's what our regular military uses, so you know it should be of good quality. The steel pot helmets served well for many decades, so they deserve some consideration, also.

Many militia outfits wear berets. Nothing will prevent you from wearing a beret, but remember, it is the most useless thing that you can wear on your head. They do not shade your eyes from sun, wind, or rain, and they can become incredibly hot. Unless you just want to look good (we will admit that berets do look good), there is no reason to wear a beret.

The military type soft cap (the one that looks kind of like a baseball hat) at least shades your eyes. The ones with the fold under ear-flaps can keep your ears from freezing.

The watch caps that you can find anywhere work well at night, but they can get warm in the summer months. Still, they would be a good choice for the "commando" look.

One of the best types of headgear would have to be the "boonie" hat. They offer shade and protection from the weather, they do not overheat your brain, and they look cool. If you need to pick up some type of headgear to complete your uniform, you should give strong consideration to the "boonie" hat. They are available in woodland, tiger-stripe, desert, and possibly other camouflage patterns; get one in a pattern that matches the rest of your uniform.

CARRYING GEAR: Web gear, TA-50, vest, kit, LBE (load bearing equipment), rig, set-up, whatever you call it, some kind of carrying gear is necessary. The standard US military (and, consequently, many third-world allies) carrying gear consists of a web belt, suspenders, (we recommend "H"-type suspenders instead of the "Y"-type, as the "Y" suspenders may pinch and bind some of us in the neck and shoulder region. If you can find the older "H" suspenders, they will be inexpensive. The new manufactured "H" suspenders that are available through several mail order companies are somewhat more expensive. "Y" suspenders are fairly common place.), ammo pouches (2), canteens (1 or 2), and a butt-pack. The butt pack can hold your cleaning kit and first-aid kit, or you can have a separate attachment for them.

There are many new, high-speed vests and carrying mechanisms available through US Cavalry, or other mail-order companies, but they are all very expensive. Some new, high-tech rigs can run close to, or even over, $200!! You would be much better off sticking with surplus military gear. If, however, you have your own unique way of carrying gear that works well for you, then stay with that.

If you want ideas or suggestions on how to carry your stuff, please attend any militia training session and ask the people there for assistance. They will be more than willing to offer advice.

It is also important, especially with older gear, to make sure that there are no shiny metal surfaces visible. You can tape or paint over them. Also make sure that any straps are not excessively worn, and that all necessary clips are present and functional.

AMMUNITION: Your ammunition must be for your rifle. It is by far better to buy your ammo in bulk than to buy it a box or two at a time. Perhaps you can go in together with someone that uses the same rounds as you do. This is a common occurrence in the unit. It would be great if you (or your fellow team-mates) could get into reloading, so you could save even more money. We suggest that you keep at least 1000 rounds of ammo at home, as it can become a high-value commodity overnight. Ammo can be ordered from wholesalers, and delivered directly to you,

200 rounds is an absolute minimum carried load. This ammo should be carried "hands-free" in ammo pouches or a bandoleer. Carrying a bucket of ammo will not work. If your weapon is magazine-fed, you must carry at least one magazine, and we highly suggest that you have enough magazines to carry 100 rounds in. If you do not have a magazine-fed rifle, then try to keep your rounds on stripper clips. Loading single rounds one at a time can put you at a dire tactical disadvantage. You should make every effort to ensure that your ammo is easily accessible for quick and efficient reloading.

Armor piercing rounds, tracers, and such: These special purpose rounds are much more expensive than regular ball ammunition. If you can afford some, armor piercing rounds would be a bonus in the event that you are confronted by armor wearing foes (like the bank robbers in Los Angeles). If you are a small unit leader, you may wish to consider tracer rounds to help direct your unit's fire.

Hollow point ammunition is not allowed in armed conflict under the Geneva Convention. It is, however, acceptable for training or hunting.

WEAPON CLEANING KIT: This will vary, depending on the type of rifle that you carry, but should include a cloth of some sort, a cleaning rod or pull through cord, a bore brush, cleaning patches, and some kind of lubricant. You may also wish to include a tooth brush type of brush, pipe cleaners, and Q-tips, and whatever specific items required to maintain your weapon. These items are all available at the next gun show, at any local gun shop, or through "The Shotgun News", "Gun List" or other similar publications. It would make sense to buy a cleaning kit at the same time that you buy your rifle. Cleaning equipment is very inexpensive, and there can be NO EXCUSE for failing to have a basic cleaning kit.

As for types of lubricants, we will suggest Break Free CLP (cleaner, lubricant, protectant). It is what the military uses, it is commonly available, and relatively inexpensive. A small bottle will fit nicely in your cleaning kit. We realize that there are other, better (and more expensive), cleaning products available, but Break Free is a functional, general purpose item that will do the job. As you learn more, you will develop your own favorite cleaning routine, with your own favorite products. But for now, start with the basics.

WHY A MILITIA?	INDEX	STATEMENT OF PURPOSE & MISSION
START YOUR OWN UNIT	LINKS	TRAINING MANUALS
MILITIA UNIT PROFILES

Enforce the law. Investigate official and corporate corruption. Infiltrate corrupted agencies. Recruit whistleblowers. Protect witnesses, investigators, and their evidence. Get grand juries to bring indictments. Expose wrongdoings. Concentrate on vote fraud, corrupt judges, and law enforcement officers, and other offenses that would not ordinarily receive official attention or that are being covered up.

� Secure entire areas against attack. Make it infeasible for criminals of any kind to attack people in certain defensible areas, which can serve as safe havens for larger areas. Establish defensive perimeters around persons or organizations that might be particularly subject to attack. And establish mobility and secure communications in the event area security cannot be maintained.

� Roll back unconstitutional legislation. Work on legislators. Pursue cases in court. Get rid of corrupt and abusive officials. Go after the special interests that are the ultimate source of corruption and reduce their power.