Hello and welcome to Swift | Silent | Deadly, a blog by me, Justin Fields. I’m a former Marine Corps Special Operator, government contractor, professional trainer, and current paramedic. I’m on a mission to help others become more capable, competent human beings by sharing the lessons learned from a lifetime of adventure. Read more about me.
Justin
The Latest
Physical Fitness Goal: Cooper Law Enforcement Standards
I love quantifiable goals, metrics, and standards. Shooting tests – like the Wilson 5×5 Skills Test – really appeal to me because of clear ranking system. As a cadet at a local police academy I was introduced to an interesting physical fitness test. The Cooper Law Enforcement Standards measures several aspects of physical ability, and puts you into a percentile based on your age bracket. If you need a physical fitness goal and have no idea where to start, check out the Cooper Standard for Law Enforcement Physical Assessment, explained below.
Concealed Carriers: 5 Ways You Should Be Like the Police!
Two weeks ago I listed ways in which concealed carriers should avoid emulating law enforcement. Not everything cops do is bad, however. Law enforcement as a whole does some things that are worthy of emulation by concealed carriers. There are some ways you should strive to be like the police, despite the things I said a couple weeks ago. Here are a few ways to try to be like the police.
Best Audiobooks for Holiday Travel
Holiday travel is right around the corner. Before know it you’ll be getting the car or hopping on a plane to go home for Thanksgiving. I often wait until the last minute to pick out an audiobook for my road trip. This list of the best books for holiday travel offers some of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with any of them.
Concealed Carriers: Don’t Be Like the Police!
Law enforcement agencies have some characteristics that are worthy of emulation by civilian concealed carriers. Shooting police qualifications is not a bad thing, as I have repeatedly said on this site. Using the ammunition used by prominent law enforcement agencies probably isn’t a bad thing, either. But there are some things done by law enforcement that you should actively strive to avoid emulating. Don’t be like the police if it harms your readiness.
Freedom IS Free, For Most of You
This will surely be another hugely unpopular post, but one that’s been on my mind for a while. Despite the popular slogan, “freedom isn’t free,” freedom is free, at least for most of you. Let’s discuss.
Lessons Learned at The Worst Firearms Training Class I’ve Ever Attended
It finally happened: I attended a bad firearms training class. I don’t have the deepest training resume, but I have trained with quite a few national-level trainers. Though I once wrote a couple scathing reviews of a local concealed carry class, most of my class AARs are glowing; I love training and it’s not hard to make me happy. Here is what happened at the worst firearms training class I have ever attended.
Disaster Preparedness: 72-Hour Food Supply Considerations
During the power outages of Hurricane Helene, I learned a few lessons. I wrote about most of them in this article. There are some that I want to dive into in a bit more detail, however. One of them is considerations for a 72-hour food supply and how to build one.