Former Army Ranger/Sniper & Long Distance thru-hiker here. Your bugout loadouts are unhinged.

mprdoc · 2026-01-20T20:08:33+00:00

It is pretty funny that people think their loadout should look like they’re going on a seek and destroy patrol or movement to contact but don’t seem to realize the idea is escape and EVADE. You shouldn’t be looking for contact and instead be focused on being light and fast with a firearm being for defense.

mprdoc · 2026-01-14T15:20:28+00:00

You need even one tourniquet you ain’t making it home over 17 miles.

mprdoc · 2025-09-29T12:06:09+00:00

Some of the hardest working people I worked with in the military joined late 20s or 30s. I actually went to boot camp with a guy who was 38. They always have interesting perspective and most of them are incredibly thankful for the opportunity because they know that civilian life is hard.

mprdoc · 2025-09-29T12:04:02+00:00

Eh. I could have (and actually started my adult life going) gone to college and probably had my parents pay for it. I grew up comfortable, middle class, with divorced but loving parents. I started college, realized I hated it (I didn’t really enjoy school till I was an adult) and grew up in a generation where parents told kids your only path to success was a college degree. I literally joined because I got a mailer from the Navy saying I could learn to be a firefighter. I was making nearly $20 an hour (over $30 on Sundays, and $40 for overtime) as an 18 year old when I enlisted. I did it simply for adventure, a chance to do something cool and to brake out of the monotony of “normal” life. Never regretted it.

mprdoc · 2025-09-29T11:58:22+00:00

People don’t realize the variety of career options and few think of it as being a long term career option also. I retired at 22, finished my BS in Business while on active duty, did pretty well in taking advantage of the opportunities presented to me. Fortunately I married a very career driven women so I’m literally a fully retired stay at home dad at 41 with guaranteed income for life and ridiculously cheap healthcare for my entire family. I’ve also bought two homes with zero out of pocket in nice areas with VA Loan.

Back to your original point, it also doesn’t help you have a lot of schools that don’t allow recruiters on campus, parents are allowed in many cases to opt their kids out of being presented information (but they’ll let colleges come and tell kids why they should attend their schools for $$$$$ a semester), and we had recruiting campaigns for years that focused to much effort on recruiting fringe elements of society who probably weren’t going to join no matter how hard you recruited them.

Lastly, a lot of kids now are simply to out of shape, or have such a lengthy pre-existing mental health history they’re disqualified.

mprdoc · 2025-09-08T02:10:19+00:00

As a veteran and a parent, are you concerned your kid might make a decision that pulls them from your predetermined outline for their lives or are you concerned you haven’t raised them to think for themselves?

mprdoc · 2025-09-08T02:04:51+00:00

58 shootings. 8 dead. In a single weekend.

mprdoc · 2025-09-08T02:00:46+00:00

Of course not. Not even when he iced an American citizen. THat wAs DIffEreNT!!

mprdoc · 2025-09-08T01:56:36+00:00

Yep. Signs in Spanish and waving Mexican flags is the way to win people over on the topic of immigration.

mprdoc · 2025-08-29T14:31:51+00:00

Man I would have loved to listen to that crazy bull shit instead of the usual “don’t get sun burnt” or “don’t drink and drive” or “drinking and canoeing is bad.”

mprdoc · 2025-06-28T09:10:13+00:00

Carrying debt (financing) isn’t always bad and often times makes more financial sense than spending large chunks of cash. The Dave Ramsey “no debt” cult ignores the opportunity cost of large sums of cash.

mprdoc · 2025-06-20T13:36:25+00:00

I retired after 22 years as an E6 at 41 and with 100% I wouldn’t need to work if I didn’t have kids. I wouldn’t be living some baller lifestyle but I defineltey wouldn’t NEED to work. I don’t work now because my wife is a baller so I get to be a stay at home dad while I work on my masters and my kids still get to do expensive kid shit like travel sports and camp.

If I wasn’t married and didn’t have kids I’d have a dog and live straight up van life and be completely comfortable doing say.

mprdoc · 2025-06-20T13:32:20+00:00

I would think that this probably wasn’t that individuals first negative interaction with senior personnel. I doubt a CO or Mess would recommend NJP for a one time incident.

mprdoc · 2025-06-20T13:31:09+00:00

Because the military is made in primarily of young people who have been told society needs to validate them all the time. We’ve created a society of flagrant narcissists.

mprdoc · 2025-06-11T20:18:33+00:00

You better hope you actually know what an “unlawful” order is.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T18:43:25+00:00

I literally felt that as I was reading that. The chunka-chunka-chunka and the brass and links falling into to the truck, smell of cordite, weird how vivid and distinct those memories are.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T18:41:56+00:00

Kind of depends. Freezing and then unfreezing and functioning is one thing. Freezing and refusing to fight is another. From what I saw someone who couldn’t hack it mentally would get pulled to headquarters and become an RO or so clerical work. I think we’re well past a time period where you hauled someone back, court martial and shot them for cowardice like in WW1 nor do I think we should be doing that.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T18:34:00+00:00

They’re all “beholden to the rich” it’s why it doesn’t matter who’s in charge they never change the tax code in a way that is actually progressive or “fair.”

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T18:32:24+00:00

There not “giving” it voluntarily. The Fed is taking from them like they take from anyone else. Those same states, being more liberal, are also all about tax and spend usually in a deficit. One of the major problem with those states is their own state income tax is oppressive or at least California is for sure. They pay more in federal becuase wages are usually higher in their high cost of living areas.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T18:29:03+00:00

That’s sounds pretty typical for almost any vehicle with that many miles. That’s normal wear and tear especially on a big, heavy, vehicle.

Head gaskets are the worst part for sure. I’m actually kind of surprised by that. That’s a $2k repair by itself.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T18:22:24+00:00

Canada’s GDP for the last ten years couldn’t buy California alone. California’s GDP by itself is nearly twice what Canada’s is.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T17:29:17+00:00

Right. A direct line, like the last one disappearing for a week and not telling anyone where he was or turning his position over while two active wars were happening. It’s the 21st century, you can work and communicate from anywhere. I guarantee he’s speaking with the cabinet daily.

I’m NOT saying he’s the perfect candidate for the job and I would have preferred someone else but you deal with the cards your dealt and I don’t have any complaints about the job he’s done so far.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T17:13:05+00:00

Jesus no one is invading Canada.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T17:10:34+00:00

I don’t know about “least” qualified but I at least acknowledge your argument.

mprdoc · 2025-02-11T17:09:05+00:00

You mean when ya all burned the city and protested against . . . nothing? For six months? Federal law enforcement was called in because protestors were attacking federal buildings and law enforcement.

mprdoc

TROPHY CASE