Flatten The Curve for Hunting Deer – Part 2, by Behind The Counter

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

The topics that I’ll deal with in Part 2 include:
• The size, shape, location, and contents of a deer’s vital zone,
• Legal, ethical, and practical considerations using your defense rifle for hunting,
• Other caliber options available for your AR-15 platform including .300 Blackout, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, .224 Valkyrie, .22 Nosler, .350 Legend, and the new kid on the block 6mm ARC.

Let’s begin by understanding where to aim.

HOW BIG IS A DEER’S VITAL ZONE?

Well, it depends. A deer’s vital zone area is easy to visualize. Draw a horizontal line splitting the deer’s body. Draw a vertical line straight up the back of a deer’s front leg. The intersection is the center of the vital zone. This is where the lungs and all the major arteries and veins come together with the heart in the lower portion. For a small doe, the vital area is a circle 5” to 8” in diameter, and on a large buck, the circle might be as large as 10” to 11”. If you aim at the center of that circle, your shot should still be fatal 4” high or low on a small doe and 5” high or low on a big buck.

Berger Bullets, a premium bullet manufacturer offers free downloadable vital zone targets. Designed to print on standard size paper, these targets are a great way to lock in the visual image of your target as you practice. Using one of the images on the Berger target, I super-imposed the dotted red lines below – splitting the body in the middle and coming straight up the back of the front legs. The three irregular shapes on the target show the location of the vital zone. Where the two red lines cross is your aiming point. The Berger target will aid in visualization, but aiming at the unmarked center of a paper plate also works well. My personal preferences are an 8” round steel gong made from 3/8” thick AR500 steel and a similar 4” gong hanging from the same cross bar. Start at 100 yards on the 8” target. (The image is from atlastargetworks.com. After warming up and getting relaxed, put all your attention on the 4” steel target. Then, move the target set further away and continue to practice. Aim small.

A successful shot may not drop your quarry in its tracks. In fact, expect that it may take 10 seconds for death to occur, and a leaping deer will travel a fair distance in that short time. Depending on the actual shot placement, it may take a minute or more for the deer to bleed out. Sometimes, you do everything according to the book, but at the last second, the deer looks up or smells your scent or hears a twig snap or sees the white flag from another deer. A single step in that fraction of a second could cause your shot to be several inches off dead center. Maybe you got “buck fever” and jerked the shot a little. Perhaps at the very last fraction of a second, you flinched. If you have consistently practiced to hit the center of the vital zone, these last minute “gotchas” will probably not cause a complete miss. It just means more work to track the wounded deer.

MPBR also works for wind conditions up to 10 to 15 mph even at 90 degrees to your point of aim at ranges below 200 yards. Like bullet drop, the effect of wind drift increases dramatically with distance. It is also important to look for natural indications of wind speed and direction such as trees or grass near your target. The wind pattern might be quite different from where you are located. Depending on field conditions, you may need to adjust as much as the full size of the vital zone to compensate for the wind. Remember that your reference point is always the center of the vital zone. Once you have done all the basic work sighting in your rifle, practice some in windy conditions. That could be the real world on your hunt.

PERSONAL DEFENSE RIFLE AS A VIABLE CHOICE

Assuming a 22-caliber centerfire cartridge is legal in your state, your personal defense weapon may be an excellent choice as your deer hunting rifle. Some states like Wyoming also specify an expanding bullet design and/or a 60 gr minimum weight. Two of the three gun stores closest to my shop had multiple choices for hunting loads in .223 Rem on the shelf. The third had only a few boxes of 55 gr FMJ rounds in 5.56. Your local conditions may leave no choice but the internet.

More to the point, is .223 / 5.56 an ethical choice? That depends on two key factors. Are you capable of consistently hitting a 4” steel gong at 100 yards from a variety of field positions? Yes, and we move to the next question. Whether your AR-15 is chambered for 5.56 or has a .223 Rem chamber, can your rifle and you put a 3-shot group on target with a maximum spread of 4” at 100 yards using factory .223 ammo? Yes? Keep practicing and enjoy your hunt!

If the answer is a qualified “Maybe…” or just plain “No.”, it may be time to do some detective work. Diagnosing the problem is something we have done for a number of customers. Sometimes the rifle needs a little help, for example a smoother and lighter trigger or clearer optics or just a more rigid scope mount. Sometimes the shooter needs to have someone coach with breathing, trigger squeeze, a more natural rifle fit, or better eye relief for the scope. Over the years, we have developed a routine process that works most of the time to get much tighter groups. That could be a topic for another article.Continue reading“Flatten The Curve for Hunting Deer – Part 2, by Behind The Counter”

SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets

This weekly column is a collection of short snippets: practical self-sufficiency items, how-tos, lessons learned, tips and tricks, and news items — both from readers and from SurvivalBlog’s editors. We may select some long e-mails for posting as separate letters.

Several readers mentioned this article that was picked up by dozens of newspapers: Growing risk of once-in-a-century solar superstorm that could knock out internet, study says. Here is a snippet from the article:

“The paper, written by University of California assistant professor Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, is titled “Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse.”

It paints a scary picture of what could happen if an enormous solar storm hits us: submarine cables between countries shut down, power grids offline, data centres from web giants at risk of going dark.”

o  o  o

And, the IEEE cites a similar vulnerability to a man-made equivalent: One Atmospheric Nuclear Explosion Could Take Out the Power Grid.

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Noraly “Itchy Boots” Schoenmaker, the intrepid Dutch motorcyclist-geologist vlogger, has reached another milestone: Crossing into Zimbabwe. She has now logged 75,000 kilometers in her worldwide travels and now has 842,000 subscribers.

o  o  o

Reader S.B. suggested this article:  A home wrapped in foil survived the massive Caldor Fire.

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Reader C.A. rote:

“St Funogas’s article got me thinking about reusing canning lids. Ball lids have been unavailable even at our local Amish stores (I live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania)  they have been selling generic canning lids with no brand name in clear plastic bags. I purchased several dozen but also began saving and washing my used lids with my jars. The generic lids are thinner and do not seem to have the same quality as the ball lids I normally use.  Upon using the new generic lids I found they would dent and kink in the canner and although they did seal the finished product was not as nice looking as a Ball lid. Time will tell if the seals hold.  In response to this, I decided to try reusing my one-time use lids and have found them to seal better than the new generic lids. Multiple batches of various foods both in water bath and pressure canning have produced acceptable results with used lids. It is my opinion that a used ball lid is preferable to a generic new lid of unknown brand.”

o  o  o

Postal workers will be subject to Biden vaccine mandate, contrary to initial confused reports.

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File Under: “For Thee, But Not For Me”, this from Charlie Kirk: Insane Hypocrisy: White House Staff Not Required to be Vaxxed. JWR’s Comment: So, the only ones at the White House who must be vaccinated are the Secret Service and the US Marine Corps guards? And we are hearing the same from Congress, where U.S. House and Senate members and their staffs are exempt from the vaccine mandate. There, at the Capitol,  it will just be the Capitol Police, cafeteria workers, groundskeepers, and janitors that will be under coercion. The hypocrisy and duplicity of the Liberal Intelligentsia is sickening.

o  o  o

17 Republican Governors Issue Statements in Direct Opposition to Biden’s Federal Vaccine Mandate.

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog Readers’ & Editors’ Snippets”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — September 14, 2021

Today is the birthday of actor Clayton Moore (1914–1999). His name is almost synonymous with Lone Ranger.

This is also the birthday of James Wilson, a lawyer and a signer of the Declaration of Independence (1742 – 1798).

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

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More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

Flatten The Curve for Hunting Deer – Part 1, by Behind The Counter

Do you remember how long it was supposed to take to “flatten the curve”? Weeks not years. In this article, it takes a second or less to flatten the curve.

To flatten the curve for hunting deer, we will follow the science. No masks required. This is primarily the science of external ballistics with a nod to terminal ballistics. The curve is the trajectory or arcing line of flight that a bullet takes when it leaves the muzzle of a firearm on its way to a down-range target. Because the barrel is pointed slightly above the line of sight, the bullet rises as it leaves the barrel at its muzzle velocity. As the friction of moving through air and gravity act on the bullet, velocity slows, and the bullet’s trajectory turns down. The decrease in velocity and the shape of the trajectory can be predicted taking account of variables like muzzle velocity, weight and shape of the bullet as well as the relative density of the air measured by height above sea level, local temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure.
This is important because:
• You get really excited, and your pulse races when you aim at a deer (buck fever).
• Your rifle hurts every time you pull the trigger (magnum rifle).
• It’s hard to get a deer to stand broadside at exactly 100 yards (real world).
• Your buddies at work set up a pool on the success (or failure) of your hunt. (ego)
• You spent a lot of money on gear for your deer hunt (anxiety).

Whether you accept the multiple challenges of a deer hunt with your personal defense rifle or your favorite hunting rifle, a basic understanding of the ballistics of the cartridge you are using will allow you to focus on only one point on a deer’s anatomy regardless whether your target is at 50 yards or 200 yards. Seeing a deer at 200 yards or less, knowing exactly where to aim, and knowing from practice with your rifle how to gently squeeze off a shot is what it takes to have a freezer full of venison. This basic concept is called Maximum Point Blank Range or MPBR. The distance in yards is derived from the external ballistic data for a given cartridge. We will come back to this very useful tool, below.Continue reading“Flatten The Curve for Hunting Deer – Part 1, by Behind The Counter”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the death of USMC Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, and its repercussions. (See the Wyoming section.)

Idaho

Idaho exploring legal action against Biden’s COVID-19 plan.

o  o  o

White-tailed deer test positive in Clearwater Region for EHD. The article begins:

“The Idaho Department of Fish and Game say hundreds if not over a thousand white-tail deer have been killed by a virus infecting the animals.

Officials said the dead deer in the Clearwater Region have tested positive for EHD or Epizootic Hemorrhagic disease. They have tested samples not only from the Kamiah area but the outlying regions like Lenore and Potlatch areas.

All tests have confirmed EHD in the dead deer. The blood virus is caused by a gnat that habits watering holes. Wildlife staff anticipated the potential for a disease outbreak due to this year’s extended hot and dry weather.”

o  o  o

Gonzaga coach Mark Few cited for Driving Under the Influence by Coeur d’Alene Police. JWR’s Comment:  I suspect that he told the police: “I only had a Few.”

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Let the American youth never forget that they possess a noble inheritance, bought by the toils and sufferings and blood of their ancestors, and capable, if wisely improved and faithfully guarded, of transmitting to the latest posterity all the substantial blessings of life, the peaceful enjoyment of liberty, property, religion, and independence. The structure has been erected by architects of consummate skill and fidelity; its foundations are solid, its compartments are beautiful as well as useful, its arrangements are full of wisdom and order, and its defenses are impregnable from without. It has been reared for immortality, if the work of men may justly aspire to such a title. It may nevertheless perish in an hour by the folly, or corruption, or negligence of its only keepers, the People. Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people in order to betray them.” – Joseph Story (1779-1845) Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, and Constitutional Commentator

Preparedness Notes for Monday — September 13, 2021

September 13th, 1951 was the birthday of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

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A Reminder:  I have put Elk Creek Company on another ordering hiatus, for the month of September, 2021. I’m now traveling, in part to gather more inventory. I plan to reactivate our shopping cart system on September 29th. (Mark your calendar.) Thanks for your patience. – JWR

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Today we present another review written by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

SIG-Sauer MPX Pistol, by Pat Cascio

This 9mm pistol, and it is a pistol, has been discontinued by SIG-Sauer for some reason…and they now have a shorter, smaller version called the Copperhead. I received an early version of the MPX for testing, and I’m just now getting around to finishing the article I started a few years back.

Right now, there is a lot of confusion, caused by politics and the BATFE, over certain firearms. Until recently, the ATF has held that pistols, with an arm brace or wrist brace, is legal to own and use. But the BATFE, as always, just keeps changing the rules on this matter. Some many years ago, the BATFE said that you could have an arm or wrist brace on these types of pistols. Then they said that you could NOT shoulder the gun when you fired it, or that would be a “de-design,” Then, the BATFE said that, you could shoulder the gun – intermittently. Most recently, they proposed a totally arbitrary set of “standards” for evaluating arm-braced pistols, with a felony for the owner of any braced pistol that goes over a certain number of “Points.” This has been one big confusing and contradictory mess!

Politics have entered this debate, and with the new Administration in the White House, and they are very anti-gun, they are pushing the BATFE, through Executive Orders, to reclassify these pistols the same way you’d treat an NFA weapon – and that means you will have to register them as a “Short-Barreled Rifle”, with fingerprints, the consent of your local Police Chief or Sheriff, and a $200 transfer Transfer Stamp.  Or, you might have to turn them in so they can be destroyed, or you might turn the pistol into a rifle, by adding a 16+” barrel or by welding on a really long flash hider or barrel extension to bring it to 16+ inches. It’s a vicious circle, but in the end, I believe the FedGov will outlaw these pistols – with or without an arm or wrist brace.

Make no mistake, the new Administration is totally anti-gun – everyone Biden appointed to various Cabinet posts, are anti-gun. So, it will be a constant uphill battle when it comes to owning guns – any type of guns. And, needless to say, they want to ban all magazines that hold more than 10-rounds of ammunition – and that, I’m sure is only the start of many restrictions to come our way.

Anyone who is the least bit familiar with SIG-Sauer firearms, knows they produce some of the most reliable firearms on the planet, and they are always coming up with new designs, and that is why I believe the original MPX was discontinued to make way for the smaller Copperhead version.Continue reading“SIG-Sauer MPX Pistol, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Boullion-Flavored Rice

The following recipe for Chicken Boullion-Flavored Rice is from SurvivalBlog Reader Carl W.. It is a tasty way to use some of your stored rice. The dried versions of the seasonings store well, so this would make a good TEOTWAWKI recipe. This recipe makes 4 to 5 servings.

Ingredients
  • 3 cups of white rice — This can be long grain, short grain, Jasmine, or Basmati.
  • 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon powder (or less, if using concentrated bouillon cubes.)
  • 2 teaspoons of dried onion dices or powder (or 3 teaspoons if using fresh, finely chopped onion)
  • 1/4 cup of dried parsley flakes (or closer to 1/2 cup, if fresh green)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of thyme — dried or fresh. Crush dried leaves or finely chop fresh leaves
Directions

Cook as you would normally cook plain rice, mixing in all of the seasonings from the beginning.

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Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at classic car sales. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Bullion Bar Supply Crunch for US Mint. JWR’s Comment: If you want a real gauge of the genuine value of the flood of U.S Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) and confidence in them, then just watch U.S. Mint sales. There, at the Mint, they produce real money. The death knell of the FRN will be heard soon.

o  o  o

Australia Poised to Be the World’s Largest Gold Producer This Year.

Economy & Finance:

At IWB: Joe Biden’s Own Jobs Report Puts Joblessness Near 31% in August 2021.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Rabobank: What Is Coming Is A Bigger Economic, Market, And Geopolitical Earthquake Than QE Tapering.

o  o  o

At Wolf Street: Most Distorted Labor Market Ever: Charts by Sector.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” – James Madison

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — September 12, 2021

Today is the birthday of Richard Jordan Gatling (September 12, 1818 – February 26, 1903). He was best known for his invention of the Gatling gun, the first successful machine gun. The design was later modernized to become the now-ubiquitous family of electric motor-operated miniguns, chain guns, and Vulcan cannons — ranging from 5.56mm up to 30mm.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three-day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  5. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  6. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  7. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  2. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, that have a combined retail value of $589,
  3. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  4. Naturally Cozy is donating a “Prepper Pack” Menstrual Kit.  This kit contains 18 pads and it comes vacuum-sealed for long term storage or slips easily into a bugout bag.  The value of this kit is $220.

Third Prize:

  1. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  2. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  3. Siege Stoves is generously donating a SIEGE® STOVE kit, including a Titanium Gen 3 Flat-Pack Stove with titanium Cross-Members and a variety of bonus items including a Large Folding Grill, a pair of Side Toasters, a Compact Fire Poker, and an extra set of stainless steel universal Cross-Members. (In all, a $200 value.)
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. A transferable $150 purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

—

More than $700,000 worth of prizes have been awarded, since we started running this contest. Round 96 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

More About Leadership, by Old Bobbert

I’ve addressed the issue of leadership before in SurvivalBlog.  I’d like to expand on that a bit, in this essay:

True leadership is a status conferred by knowledgeable persons whose choices reflect their recognition of ability, experience, integrity, character, and a full commitment to a common cause or endeavor.

Being chosen as a leader generally is a result of a decision that they will be supported and enabled by the leader to be successful and secure in the common group efforts.

Often the new group members have made their choice of membership based on their confidence that the current leader is the person they need to provide access for them to the means and support necessary for their success in a common effort or cause.

My definition of who and what a leader is has come to me through 65 plus years of personal experience starting with my enlistment in the US Army, in January of 1958, at age seventeen. I was a Smart Alec kid who was a high school dropout with a severe speech impediment, stuttering.

Immediately after basic training, the Army, in its infinite wisdom, sent me to Fort Sill, Oklahoma to the Signal Corps school to learn radio communication equipment repair.

I learned a lot about the realities of life and true leadership during two years, July 1958 -1960, in the 25th Infantry Division in the then Territory of Hawaii, not yet a state. In that environment I was able to earn two promotions in the first year of active duty. I worked within a specific plan to be a success in spite of my then disability. I believed then, and now, that being disabled is not being unable. Plus two more years of stateside duty, all in communications, and a good discharge in March 1962.  I am old enough to have great-grandkids already.Continue reading“More About Leadership, by Old Bobbert”