05 U.S.A.S.O.C.

U.S.A.S.O.C. – THE MAGAZINE United States Airsoft Special Operations Command

C o n t e n t s: Letter from Editor: Pg. #5 N e w s: P g . # 7 Team Interview: Pg. #19 Reviews: Pg. #32 Tactics: Pg. #62 Laws and Safety: Pg. #81 Tips: Pg. #90 P h o t o s: P g . # 9 7 P h o t o o f t h e I s su e : P g . # 1 0 0 Upcoming Events: Pg. #102 Teams: Pg. #110 Airsoft Websites: Pg. #114 Op Idea: Pg. #118 Final Thoughts: Pg. #120

Letter from Editor: It’s now about midway through the summer with it being July and all, and I hope each and every one of you out there is enjoying the weather, time off from school/work, etc. Remember, July 4th is right around the corner so take some time to sit down and reflect on what our country has done for us. Be proud that you are American and be proud of what our nation has achieved. Enough said on that.

Also, most of you will notice our new website. We have a new design, thanks to a good friend of mine who goes by the alias of abstereram.

Feel free to let us know what you think about it by emailing us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or by simply visiting our website and filling out the form on the “FAQ” page.

What’s in this issue? To start things off, we have a good number of reviews for you guys. ICS’ QD (Quick Detach) long-version silencer; TPG’s Reflect Red-Dot Scope; Tokyo Marui’s, yes, we did spell it right this time, Colt 1911 gas pistol, and UTG’s MP5A4 are reviewed.

Just a preview/heads-up: in our next issue, we will review the G&G, Tokyo Marui, AND the new Classic Army M14s. Back to this issue, the River Rats are interviewed in the team section. As many of you have requested, we will be starting our room clearing series for the “Tactics” section. I will be breaking up the series into a few parts. Part one, in this issue, discusses two man CQB tactics, and yes, we have photos/drawings of each step. In the following issues, I will discuss tactics for three and four man fire teams. Also, we have some basic ways on how you can make bunkers in the “Tips” section. As always, we have news, photos, events, teams, websites, etc for you all. We hope you enjoy the fifth issue, and once again, thank you for any and all comments you send to us. We appreciate each and every one of them. We are always looking for articles to put in the e-magazine so if you have one and want to see it in U.S.A.S.O.C., please email it to us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit online at: www.officialusasocmagazine.com. You will be given full credit for it.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the fifth issue of U.S.A.S.O.C.!

Nick Petrus-Owner/Main Editor

N e w s: DeadRag Airsoft Radio Is Online and Free!

Our featured spotlight of this issue is DeadRag Airsoft Radio, which is run by two gentlemen: Jeff Langhammer and Shawn Boswell.

DeadRag Airsoft Radio is a free, online airsoft radio broadcast.

Their shows are your source for airsoft news, reviews, tactics, team coverage, and OP reviews. They feature a guest on every show who talks about the area of their specialty including gun and gear tech, tactics, MilSim, and anything else they want. DeadRag Airsoft Radio is based in the North Texas airsoft area; the DeadRag staff covers local teams, games, and retailers as well as any OPs they travel to. I highly suggest checking them out. I’ve talked with Shawn via email a few times, and they even have been gracious enough to mention us in their current episode (Episode #4). The show is very easy to download as it is in a MP3 file. Also, for you IPOD fans out there, DeadRag Airsoft Radio is available on Itunes! Shawn and Jeff’s shows are fantastic. I really enjoy them and they are quite lengthy too; their current one is over eighty minutes long. You can download episode #4 and all their other episodes, also photos, forums, and much more, at their website: www.deadrag.com. Once again, it’s free, just like U.S.A.S.O.C., so go and check them out!

N e w s: U.S.A.S.O.C. Has a New Staff Member!

As the owner and main editor of U.S.A.S.O.C., I’m proud to announce that we have a new staff member. His name is Steve Diedesch. He’s a dedicated gear-head to airsoft and enjoys the technical aspect of airsoft almost as much as he enjoys the actual game. Steve has attended every single one of Summit Lake Films’ Codename: THUNDER events and has written a number of songs used in the score of the videos. In the game of airsoft, he values appearance just as much as functionality.

He took honors’ classes while in high school and graduated in the top 10% of his class. Also while in high school, he won numerous awards. He also wrote awhile back for the “retired” airsoft magazine: FPS. Outside of airsoft, Steve spends a lot of time working with music. He’s a shoddy saxophone player and enjoys massacring classic jazz tunes. He also writes electronic music. Even then, Steve is still a gear-head, spending a good portion of his “not-quite-disposable” income on his beat-up, antique Pontiac (he did a complete engine swap last August in it); when he isn’t fixing airsoft guns for himself or a friend, Steve is usually working on music.

U.S.A.S.O.C. is happy to have him, and you will notice his first article for us in this issue: review of the UTG MP5A4. So please welcome Steve, as you all have so nicely done to U.S.A.S.O.C., into the airsoft community. Welcome to the team Steve!

If you would like to write for U.S.A.S.O.C., whether that be an article or two per issue or one every-now-and then, feel free to email us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com letting us know.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

N e w s: Update On HR 428 Bill As most of you know, we did an article in our third issue on the HR 428 Bill that wants “to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban toys which in size, shape, or overall appearance resemble real handguns.” In “layman” terms, that means airsoft guns would be illegal. As airsofters, it is our responsibility to make sure this doesn’t pass, and also in our third issue, Mr. Dorsett from ASA (www.airsoftsafetyassoication.com) gave us a sample of what he wrote to his Congressman.

Well, we have an update on the bill, thanks to Mr. Bondurant from Aristotle Web Design (www.aristotledesign.com). Here’s what he sent us: “Just wanted to contact you guys to provide information on this bill.

This bill was introduced in two previous sessions of Congress. All three times, it was introduced by the representative from New York, Edolphus Towns. I believe the bill is ridiculous enough not to pass, as it has not passed in two previous attempts. I'll send a letter to my Congressman anyway, just to help them stay informed.”

So the point of this: the bill hasn’t gone away yet…completely. As Mr. Bondurant said, it failed in the two previous attempts, but the fact that it hasn’t been abandoned altogether is something that should concern all of us. The solution: keep sending letters to your Congressman letting him know you are NOT for this bill. Not sure what to write? Just check out our third issue in the special we did about the bill (Page #55) and see what Mr. Dorsett wrote to his Congressman.

Again, if anyone has any future information about this bill, please let us know about it by emailing us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com.

N e w s: New Classic Army Products!

News from Classic Army: they have a line of helmets coming out.

They range from Medium-Extra Large. Their price is yet to be told.

They look like the CQB helmets that Special Ops’ guys wear. They should be a good competitor against some of the other helmetmaking companies that are out there.

Also, Classic Army has introduced new ABS stocks in OD (Olive Drab), wood, and walnut colors for their M14 series. Check out more about the helmets and the ABS stocks by going to: www.classicarmy.com (Walnut and OD are shown below).

N e w s: AirSharp’s 1919 Browning-Style MGs!

The guys over at AirSharp (www.air-sharp.com) have developed what looks to be some absolute beasts: the sustained fire, total target saturation 1919 Browning-Style machine guns. They reportedly have over four, continuous minutes of sustained firepower. They also have an automatic ammunition supply that can hold/shoot 5,000 BBs without reloading‌wow!

AirSharp also just recently came out with DUAL-1919 BrowningStyled machineguns; yup, that’s right…TWO of these put together (see photo below). And the pricing on these things aren’t bad at all!

For a single, it’s around $425.00 USD (without accessories), and the dual one, it’s about $899.99 USD.

N e w s: New Gas Pistols for the Summer!

Coming this summer, RedWolf Airsoft (www.redwolfairsoft.com) will have three new gas pistols out. First is Western Arms’ “HardBaller” 1911 variant (shown below). It’s officially dubbed the “SCW Version 3 AMT HardBaller” and is going for $229.00.

Second up is Tokyo Marui’s stainless version of the SIG P226R (shown below). It’s going for $120.00.

And finally, Marushin’s Five seveN USG (shown below). It’s going for $122.00.

N e w s: Real Sword’s New Type 97B!

We receive some news from Real Sword (www.realsworld.com.hk) about their new 97B. Here are some of the things Real Sword has said about their new 97B: “The most distinguishing feature of this gun is the muzzle device, with trumpet-shape flash hider in the front part and thick cylinder design in the back part. When firing, it can reduce the blaze and noise. And with the help of unique fore-grip, it can restrain the muzzle from jumping. Same as the RS type 97, RS T1 7mm bearing metal gearbox is put into the duralumin forged and CNC processed frame, but the RS type 97B is equipped with a high speed motor which increases the shooting frequency and firepower. Type 97B uses the same materials and techniques as type 97. The stock, grip, upper handguard are made of high strength polymer, and frame is forged by the duralumin, thus the overall weight is reduced. The hard coat anodizing finish on surface enforces the rigidity, wear-ability, and

anticorrosion of frame, which makes the frame more nice and practical.�

Enjoy some more photos that Real Sword was kind enough to supply us with of their new Type 97B.

Team Interview: River Rats

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: How did the Elgin City River Rats start? When did you guys start? Who started the club? Where are you guys located, etc?

A. The Elgin City River Rats were initially formed in 1992 by stunt performers working for a company called Medieval Times. In those early days, the group wasn’t known as the River Rats (it had no official name), and it was more-or-less aimed at being an alternative to local paintball. This loose affiliation was fairly prolific, playing as many as two games a week and saw more than a hundred participants over a period of seven years. In 1999, the group discovered airsoft and restructured itself as an official organization (the Medieval Times Airsoft Group, or MTAG). In 2002, MTAG received a flood of new members from the Elgin Fire Department and

the influence transformed the club’s focus to include real-world, small-unit tactics and military simulation. With the change in focus also came a new name: the Elgin City River Rats. Today, the River Rats are active throughout Chicago and northwestern Illinois, holding private, invitation-only events every three weeks.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Are the River Rats based off of any particular military and/or law enforcement unit?

A. No. The River Rats simulate the tactics used by military and law enforcement in general. We do not attempt to reenact specific units/departments.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Is the team an “all-around” team, or do you guys specialize in a particular field of operation (CQB, outdoors, etc)?

A. Our events are held in as many different venues as we can find.

We engage in both CQB and outdoor events, and we play day or night, year-round, in all weather conditions.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: From the look of your website and your reputation, the team looks very professional and squared away.

Do you guys consider yourselves a professional airsoft team, or one that can get together when everyone’s schedules allow it?

A. If by ‘professional’ you mean the literal definition, then the answer is no; none of our members get paid to play airsoft. If by ‘professional’ you mean the colloquial, then I would venture to say yes; we maintain high standards of quality control and keep things as organized and streamlined as possible.

The River Rats put on events every three weeks. These game days are very structured, featuring in-depth, objective-based scenarios designed to be as realistic as possible. The events are tied together by a fictional campaign, or back-story, and the outcome of each scenario influences the course of the campaign throughout the year.

We incorporate sophisticated props (including radio telemetry devices, satchel charges, working mine detectors, gas-powered AT-4

recoilless rifles, vehicles, etc) and an advanced medic protocol which simulates the tasks required of the combat medic.

For our members wishing to learn real-world small-unit tactics, we hold regular training events and offer a wealth of resource material through our website. We also put on specialty training days, such as our “Green Beret” training events, and we volunteer as OPFOR to area law enforcement and military units in airsoft-based training exercises.

The River Rats’ Quartermaster secures wholesale deals to the membership on BBs and other equipment, and does a great job administering chrono tests, obtaining patches, printed material, specialized props, etc. In addition to our three administrators, we have a Sponsorship Coordinator who personally guides all new applicants through the process of becoming River Rats, familiarizing them with our rules and regulations, proper weapon handling, and our rigid safety standards. A few of our members are also reliable and experienced airsoft techs, doing repair and upgrade work for the membership free of charge.

Currently, all our members are over twenty-one years old. Most have families, careers, and a variety of outside commitments, so needless to say, time is something of a premium. This dynamic has given rise to the River Rats philosophy that while airsoft is fun, if it isn’t done in a smart, safe, and quality fashion, then it isn’t worth doing at all.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: How many members do you have, and who are they?

A. We currently have forty-three members. The roster can be viewed here: http://www.riverratsairsoft.smugmug.com/gallery/1523979 U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Are you recruiting?

A. Yes, we’re always open to new members.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: If yes, what are your standards and requirements?

A. Potential members must be fully self-equipped with their own weapon (AEG not exceeding 400 FPS @ .20g limit), BDUs & web gear, FRS radio, and paintball mask or full-sealing safety goggles. All applicants seeking membership without the direct referral of a current member must be at least twenty-one years old. All potential members must be compatible, meaning they must be honorable, mature, and responsible.

When an individual wishes to join the Rats, he is assigned a sponsor and must complete a three-event sponsorship period within six months.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Do you have a website and/or any other contact information that fans, and potential future members, can check out?

A. Our website: http://www.riverratsairsoft.com/.

Our online forum: http://grandmannerstudio.com/phpBB2/.

Our media gallery: http://riverratsairsoft.smugmug.com/.

Our online brochure: http://www.riverratsairsoft.com/pdf/RiverRatsBrochure.pdf.

Email inquiries can be sent to: ratcom@riverratsairsoft.com.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: I see that some of your members were stunt performers before getting involved in airsoft. Did any of them work on any well-known Hollywood movies, or were they just local stunt men?

A. All of the stunt performers involved in the Rats worked full-time on live shows doing jousting, falling, sword fighting, and horseback riding. Some of the guys have performed (or continue to perform) all over the world. If you’ve seen the movie Cable Guy or A Knight’s Tale, or seen the Medieval Times or Excalibur shows, then you’ve seen the sort of work they do.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: I heard that in 2004, the River Rats were able to help out the Illinois National Guard’s 123rd Artillery Battalion in MOUT exercises before they headed out to Iraq. Can you let us know what that was about, and what it was like?

A. The training we took part in with the 123rd was MOUT training conducted over three weekends in Milan, Illinois. Volunteers from our group provided OPFOR (under the direction of the 123rd’s O/Cs) in a variety of evolutions including room clearing, react to ambush, and vehicle convoy scenarios. The weapon systems we used for the “livefire” exercises were exclusively airsoft-based (Tokyo Marui AEGs, to be exact.)

As the "enemy", the River Rats’ job was to provide challenging resistance, which took all the cunning, skill, and aggression we could muster. We resorted to setting booby traps, detonating IEDs (in the form of home made airsoft "claymores"), setting up ambushes and using decoys. The pace of the training meant we were "fighting" for approximately eleven continuous hours a day with short, five-to-ten minute breaks between evolutions to reload. Despite the thrill of being the "bad guys" in these exercises, no one forgot the seriousness of the training and that the future of our soldiers' well-being was potentially at stake.

Here is a statement from Major James Kondrat (formerly of the 123rd Field Artillery, Illinois National Guard) discussing the events: “During the 2004 training year, the River Rats assisted my former BN, 2-123FA, in preparing for deployment to OIF by providing intense and realistic training in CQB tactics using airsoft weapons. Over the course of 3 weekend sessions, nearly 400 artillery soldiers were able to test the tactics taught to them with the stress of OPFOR that shot back. The River Rat's conduct was professional, enthusiastic, and always executed with safety in mind. Over 75,000 airsoft rounds were expended with zero injuries resulting. Through their assistance in training the 2-123d Field Artillery, the River Rats undoubtedly saved lives during the BN's deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

V/R JAMES W. KONDRAT MAJ, FA ILARNG SQDRN XO, 2-106 Cavalry Squadron (RSTA) Kewanee, ILLINOIS”

Today, the River Rats continue to volunteer to local law enforcement and military units as OPFOR in airsoft-based training events.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: I also have heard that the Rats implemented “Green Beret” training events under the guidance of candidates from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School in 2005. What was that about, again, what was it like?

A. The Rats are fortunate to have a candidate from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School put on yearly training events.

These events are designed to teach the Rats the fundamentals of infantry tactics as authentically as possible. Some of the topics covered include individual skills (shooting, land navigation, hand signals, etc), patrolling, battle drills, MOUT combat, CQB, squad tactics, and squad leadership. The information taught at these events serves as the basis for our regular training sessions held throughout the year. The Rats refer to these training events as “Green Beret” events in honor of our instructor.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: What events have you been to or plan to go to?

A. The Rats don’t attend many open games because we put on our own events every three weeks. We also attend private games hosted by other teams both locally and out-of-state, which means our schedule averages around twenty events a year. Once in a while, though, some of our members make it out to see what’s going on in the rest of the world. Some recent local events Rats have been to include Operation: Round Up (05-06-07, Wisconsin) and Operation: Fallen Valor (05-20-07, Indiana). Both were great events. On the national scene, some of our members plan to attend Operation: Irene V. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to it.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Have the River Rats had any trouble with the law regarding airsoft?

A. No. In our experience, a little common sense and respect is all that is required to avoid problems with the law while airsofting. Here are some guidelines that we recommend:

-Always transport airsoft guns in proper cases.

-Never display airsoft weapons in public.

-Avoid drawing undue attention or making the public “nervous” (walking into the local convenient store while in full load-out, for example).

-Never trespass or play at venues where you haven’t secured explicit permission.

-Always hold events out of sight of the general public.

-Always practice uncompromising gun safety.

-If you don’t know your local laws or ordinances, research them.

-If by some unplanned circumstance an officer of the law confronts you while airsofting, always, ALWAYS show proper respect and follow instructions.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: What would you say to a bunch of individuals who wanted to start a new airsoft team?

A. -Don’t kid yourself about the amount of work involved. Managing a serious airsoft team/club is like a part-time job (only it doesn’t pay a wage.) Anyone considering starting a team should be certain up front that they’re willing to sacrifice a lot of their time, energy, and money for little in the way of glory or gain.

-Don’t try to do it all yourself. Recruit other organizers who are willing to be accountable and empower them as equals. You’ll find that having partners to share the workload will really make a huge difference in your sustainability.

-Don’t make managing a team about your personal ego. If you’re starting a team so you can be “the boss”, you’re doomed to failure.

Running a team should be about serving the members, and the team leaders should look on their positions as a privilege.

-Don’t make the members jump through too many hoops. We’ve seen teams come and go because the requirements were unrealistic; very few people will have thousands of discretionary dollars available to satisfy expensive gear requirements and fewer people have the drive and time available to make it consistently to “mandatory” events.

Make becoming and staying a member of your team as easy as possible within the framework of your standards.

-Don’t let the tail wag the dog. If something you’re doing just isn’t working anymore, or is no longer fun for you or the members, change it or get rid of it. Know when to face reality.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: What weapons and gear do you guys have? (Brief outline or lengthy detail is fine) A. Honestly, our collective gear is too diverse to list. Some of our members are serious collectors with state-of-the-art gear and dozens of weapons (from mini-guns to gas-powered classics, to bolt-action sniper rifles and run-of-the-mill AEGs.) Other members are laidback and own nothing more than a TM AEG, a gas-blowback pistol, and a surplus LBV-88. Most of our members are somewhere in the middle.

I would say that if the gun or gear is something you might see at an airsoft event, one or more of our members has it (or had it at one time.)

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Are any of your members in the military, law enforcement, or any other fields of public protection?

A. Over half of our members are firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and current or ex-military. This is by no means a requirement to join the River Rats; it just worked out that way over time.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: How often do you get together and train? On a weekly basis? Monthly?

A. We incorporate regular training at every other event (in other words, every six weeks.) Specialty training sessions, like the “Green Beret” training events, are scheduled separately.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: I see that you have “awards” on your website for your members. Can you explain what that is about?

A. The River Rats have been around in one form or another since 1992. Over the years, we’ve developed a few unique traditions: -Nicknames. Unlike most other airsoft organizations, no individual member of the Rats picks his or her own handle. In the River Rats, nicknames are given out by a consensus of one’s peers. There are three criteria for assigning someone a nickname: 1) the recipient must be a full member, 2) the nickname must reflect something about the recipient’s playing style, and 3) the nickname must be something the recipient is guaranteed to hate. It goes without saying that all nicknames are handed out commemorating something the recipient would rather forget, but it’s meant with affection, and over time nicknaming has become a tradition that bonds everyone in the group.

Check out the roster if you’re curious…

-Bloody BB Award. Though the River Rats make safety a priority, occasionally plastic meets exposed skin. If a member sheds blood in this way, he or she is awarded a “Bloody BB Patch”, which may be displayed on the collar. It’s common knowledge that Rats with multiples of the Bloody BB Award are crazy!

-The Black Widow Society. Every year, the Rats hold a Significant Others and Spouses event (S.O.S. game) designed to give wives and girlfriends a chance to get out their frustrations. These events are always well attended and a lot of good-natured fun. It was decided years ago that if one of these lovely guests actually managed to kill her mate during an S.O.S. event, she would be indoctrinated into the sororal order of the Black Widow Society. This year will mark our 4th annual S.O.S. event, and to date the Black Widow Society still doesn’t have a single member. We get a good laugh out of it, but the guys figure our time has got to be running out…

- The Assault Badge (a.k.a. “No Camping Patch”). This award is a tongue-in-cheek symbol of the River Rats’ die-hard attitude.

Members wishing to advertise their warrior spirit wear the “No Camping Patch” on the right shoulder.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Any tips you can let readers know about how you train, or is that a “member only” kind of thing?

A. Our regular training includes diverse subjects, but it tends to focus on patrolling and battle drills (we find this is most applicable to our actual events). We open training with a lecture discussing the topic(s), then move into practical evolutions. After practicals, the training then proceeds to “live-fire” evolutions against OPFOR and wraps up with a de-briefing. We try to focus on one or two main points per session, but we also encourage members to use skills from previous training sessions (for example, if the day’s training is about coordinating fire, we encourage members to use appropriate hand signals, come on-line and flank appropriately, use bounding overwatch if necessary, etc). Our training is always optional and is usually scheduled before the start of an event; this way, members who aren’t “gung ho” about learning tactics can arrive later and still participate in the event.

Our advice about training is: -Keep the lecture time as short as possible and maximize the practical time.

-Incorporate “live-fire” into your training plan.

-If no one on your team is knowledgeable about tactics, find a qualified instructor (you’d be surprised who you know that might have more than passing knowledge to share.)

-Avoid making training mandatory unless everyone on your team is equally “hardcore.”

-Remember that the skills in question are extremely perishable, even for the professionals: don’t expect miracles from your airsoft team.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Any final tips you can give to the readers?

A. Good luck and play safe. If anyone has any specific questions (or just wants to say hello), feel free to drop us a line at

ratcom@riverratsairsoft.com or stop by our forum at http://grandmannerstudio.com/phpBB2/. We welcome hearing from fellow airsofters.

U.S.A.S.O.C. - The Magazine: Thank you very much to all who participated in this interview, and thank you for allowing U.S.A.S.O.C. – The Magazine to interview the Elgin City River Rats.

A. The Rats are honored to be a part of U.S.A.S.O.C. Sincere thanks to the editorial staff for including us and our best regards to the readers!

I would once again like to thank the Rats for allowing us to conduct this interview. You know, in many, if not all, ways, they represent what an airsoft team should be like. Sometimes, I think that teams get wrapped up in having a lot of regulations for people who want to join.

Now, I’m not saying that is bad but look at how long the Rats have been around, and what they have accomplished. They are obviously doing something right. I would highly suggest checking out their website: www.riverratsairsoft.com for some more great photos and more details about them. I’ll end with some photos of the Elgin City River Rats.

Photo Credit Below: Elgin City River Rats

Photos Credit: Elgin City River Rats

Reviews: ICS Silencer (Long Version)

Note: Silencer’s tip was colored black using a photoshop program. It is shipped and should be used with the orange tip visible.

General Background: If you are a fan of Special Ops, like me, you most likely at some point wanted a silencer. I know I did, and that’s why I bought one. I had heard some good things about the ICS silencers (long and short versions) so I decided to try them out. Why choose ICS? Well for one, I wanted a QD silencer. For those of you who don’t know, QD means “Quick Detach.” Instead of unscrewing my flash hider, screwing in a silencer that was the right size for the barrel, etc, I wanted one that I could just pop on and off. Sure, there were other QD silencers on the

market, but like I said, I had heard good things about ICS so it was time to test one of them out.

First Impression: I ordered it up from AirSplat, because they had the best deal on it, (www.airsplat.com), and I couldn’t wait to get it. Well, UPS coming to my door is always a good sight so when I saw them, I knew it was a good day. I opened up the secured package and found what I was looking for. The silencer is held in a small, sturdy box with a picture of the silencer and the ICS logo on it. The silencer was held together very nicely inside. I could tell that it wasn’t damaged at all.

Look: The look of the silencer is great. The black finish on it is extremely nice (not too shiny, not too plain/flat). On mine was written the serial number, “QD CAL. 6.0MM,” and “I CHIN SHIVAN ENTERPRISE CO., LTD” in white lettering. “I CHIN SHIVAN” is the official name for ICS. I do have one complaint: the end of the silencer is painted in blazing hot orange. I have no problem with it being painted orange at all (since it’s the law), but the extreme amount of brightness is not what I was hoping for. But, in the grand scheme of things, as long as it looks good on the gun and gets the job done, I’m happy, in which I am. I’m not sure what else to say other then it was exactly what I expected.

Feel: The feel of the silencer is excellent to me – not too heavy, not too light considering it is made of all metal parts. It’s very well balanced. I would say that it weighs about one to two pounds. On my Classic Army M15A4 Carbine, it feels and looks amazing. Granted, the gun becomes a little front heavy, but I didn’t notice a difference when out on the field. If you are more a CQB or like a shorter look to your weapon, I would go for the shorter version of the silencer.

Performance: Believe it or not, the silencer actually does reduce sound level. Note though: it doesn’t reduce it by much, if any at all (it could have been my creative imagination). It isn’t a real silencer people, and airsoft products can only get so close to the exact replicas. I haven’t had one miss-fire with the silencer yet. The gun acted just as it would have as if the silencer wasn’t placed on it.

What Guns It Fits On and How to Put It on Correctly: It won’t fit on all M4/M16 variants out there. My suggestion is either ask around or email the company from where you are going to buy it from. It will definitely fit on Classic Army’s M15A4 series and ICS M4s. Now, a lot of you, as I did, were wondering how the heck does it fit on the gun? Great question. It took me about a half-hour to figure out how to correctly put it on. First step: pull down the lever at the end of the silencer (Photo #1).

Second, slide it over your flash hider to the second opening slot (Photo #2).

Third, and this is the trickiest step, push the lever up until it locks. You have to be in the exact, right slot/grove or the lever will not go up.

Believe me, it is a lot easier said then done. You may have to wiggle the silencer around a bit until the lever EASILY slides up. DO NOT FORCE IT. I did that once, and it took me, plus a screw driver, two hours to get it off the flash hider without damaging the gun or the silencer. You can see the marks just to the right of the correct slot.

Just be careful and slow. Once on the gun, for me, it has stayed in place without sliding, unlocking, etc. To remove it, simply pull the lever down and slide the silencer off. Note the name “QD Silencer.”

Pros: The look, the feel, how it’s made, made of all metal, the price ($64.99), the quieting action, and the ease of operation once you know how to correctly put it on and take off the gun, etc are the pros about it that I liked.

Cons: I would have to say the having no directions on how to correctly put the silencer on the gun is the biggest issue I have. I hope I did clear up some questions by answering how to put it on correctly. And lastly, I would have to say the blazing orange painted on the end of the silencer is something I don’t like. You can easily modify that by using black electrical tape, but remember, make sure to have a part of the original orange paint exposed in case the police show up or people start asking questions.

Conclusion: Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the silencer. I couldn’t have asked for much more than this. It matched all, and even exceeded some, of my expectations. ICS sure did a great job on designing it. Since you can easily modify the paint, and you have clear directions on how to put it on the gun and take it off, I don’t see a valid reason, other then money or personal preference, on why you shouldn’t buy this silencer if you wanted a QD one. It performs great and looks just as well too.

It’s very well made, and thanks ICS for putting out such a great product.

If you have a review of your gun or gear and want to see it in U.S.A.S.O.C., email it to us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit our website: www.officialusasocmagazine.com.

Reviews: Tokyo Marui - Colt 1911 Gas Blowback Reproduced with permission by dEFCONAirsoft. You can read the original review and more at: www.defconairsoft.co.uk.

The Colt model of 1911 was the brain child of gunsmith(ing) and weapons’ designer John Moses Browning. The search began in the late 1890's for a reliable self-loading pistol, for use of the military, to replace the various revolvers of that era. During WW2 over 1.9 million pistols were produced for the various armed forces at the time, and long after the war, the Colt 1911 remained the standard military service pistol up until 1985, being replaced by the Berretta 92F (or M9 as the military designated it). Pressure from NATO for the U.S. armed forces to adopt their standard 9mm round, as opposed to the .45 ACP round the 1911 utilized, was the primary reason for its withdrawal of service. This was met with some resistance as the .45 ACP was favored for its stopping power. The demand for a new and improved .45 service pistol gave birth the MK23 SOCOM, which had a higher magazine capacity that the 1911, lower recoil, and a whole host of accessories utilized for Special Operations’ units.

The Colt 1911 has been a very popular model with the airsoft community with Western Arms dominating the market with their replicas of pretty much all of the 1911 variants (and believe me, there are lots!). Up until recently, Western Arms has been the only manufacturer to produce a high quality version of this much loved pistol‌until now. Tokyo Marui released their 1911 some months ago, and it was an eagerly awaited product, much like their SIG P226. But has it disappointed all of those who waited patiently to get their hands on one? We will find out.

The first thing about the Marui 1911 which catches your eye is the box. Now some might say

that the packaging is not very important, perhaps true if you're the average weekend skirmisher. But if you're a collector, the packaging can be equally as important as the gun itself. Marui has presented this pistol in what can only be described as a collector’s case, much like they did with their M14. Olive green in design, and with military style print on the box, to look at it, you wouldn't think it's an airsoft replica at all; all of the text quotes the specifications of the real-steel version. It's a work of art in itself, and when you take off the lid, it gets better. Inside the box, they've neatly placed the gun in polystyrene foam lined with olive drab cloth, a really nice touch I think. Further more, there is a small box which holds your usual 100 or so 0.2g Marui rounds, the red barrel stop, and a 'bushing wrench.’ This small box is also in olive green, laid out with military style text outlining its content; don't worry there are 6mm BB's in there, not .45 FMJ rounds as it would have you believe!

Removing the gun from its container, even before the magazine is inserted, has a nice weight to it (798g; 1106g for the real steel), which is pretty evenly distributed. With the magazine in place, it fits very comfortably in the hand and remains nice and parallel when you point it at the target, probably helped by the very slim grips. Unlike some of the Western Arms models, Marui has opted to make this magazine a ‘double stacker,’ which means as you load the BBs, they sit diagonally to each other. This allows you to fit more into the space, as opposed to a 'single stacker' which means the BBs sit in line on top of each other. Using this approach, Marui manage to squeeze twentysix rounds into the magazine, which is a lot thinner than your average Glock or USP magazine. Loading the rounds is a fairly easy affair. As with most GBB pistols, you pull down the BB follower catch, keeping it held down with your thumb, while you push the rounds into the front of the magazine in the recess provided. This is where the 'bushing wrench' tool comes in handy. You can hook the wrench onto the BB' follower, slide it up the magazine and lock it into place, which makes it a whole lot easier to use, but it’s not essential. Filling the gas reservoir is normal, although it doesn't seem to take as much gas as some of the other GBB's I've used.

The magazine slides into place with a nice positive click and locks in firmly with no rattle.

The gun itself is constructed mainly of high-quality ABS plastic, as with most of Marui's models. It has a nice dull matt finish to it and doesn't display any sort of 'plastic shine.’ External metal parts on this model are the trigger, magazine release button, lanyard mounting point, slide lock lever, manual trigger safety, hammer, and the secondary 'grip' safety. The internal metal parts include the hop-up chamber and mechanism, the spring guide rod, plus the actual slide rails themselves: something that was plastic on the P226.

This model displays accurate Colt trademarks and serial numbers, something which is likely to be taped over or putty filled in the USA. Over here in the U.K., we're lucky enough not to have those problems so the markings can be fully appreciated. A nice touch in relation to this is that the instruction manual details which factory was responsible for producing that model. Our test model had the serial number 871072 (most likely the same on all of the Marui 1911's) which lists it was an original Colt manufactured item, but the real steel was also reproduced under license by Remington, Singer (yes, the sewing machine manufacturer) Union Switch and Signal Co, and Ithaca. The last page of the instruction manual also details where all the markings on the gun are, and what they mean. While we're on the topic of the instruction manual, it is the usual Marui affair: mostly in Japanese with the occasional English paragraph or so. It also includes a two page exploded schematic diagram and spare parts listing.

So lets move on to actually firing the pistol...

If you remember earlier, I mentioned about the 'bushing wrench' tool, as Marui call it; well this is where I found how useful it was.

Pulling down on the BB's follower on the magazine, and keeping it place isn't easy if like me you bite your fingernails! So I utilized their clever, little device and it made loading the magazine so much easier, but not entirely necessary especially if you have a speed loader. I chose 0.2g Excel BBs, and found that twenty-six of these fit snugly in the magazine. I filled the magazine up with gas, pushed it into the pistol's slim frame and racked the slide. The gun is

single action only, which means you have to pull the hammer back before you can fire it. Not entirely safe to carry around holstered in this state, Colt introduced several safety features. The first being the manual trigger safety, a lever towards the rear of the gun you push up once the gun is cocked. This stops the trigger from engaging and also stops the slide from moving backwards too. The second, and the most clever, is the grip safety. If you do not hold the gun correctly, it will not fire. A metal lever the width of the frame is located at the back-strap of the gun; when held correctly, it is engaged by the hand and the gun will fire.

The first thing you notice is the noise. Even racking the slide gives a grin inducing 'ker-klunk,’ and when firing, it gets even better. Pointing the gun at my standard ten meter pistol target and gently pulling the trigger, the first round left with an almighty bang with a very nice recoil indeed. Marui quotes on their box 'Hi-Kick, Hi-Grouping...’ Well they certainly haven't let you down with the kick side of things. I was using Winter Gas, and the temperature outside was about twelve degrees centigrade (Celsius). As for accuracy... well, it certainly isn't going to win any competitions, but that isn't what this pistol is designed for. The grouping itself wasn't exactly small. Measuring about four inches wide by about six inches high, but that is smaller than your average head size target so increasing the range to say fifteen meters, you'd have no problem hitting someone on the head.

Marui quotes a range of about 40 meters (found in very small print on the front of the manual), but I would say that 30-35 meters is the effective range of this pistol. But hey, this is a side-arm, and 30 meters is quite sufficient for what it was intended. We mentioned the hop-up, well Marui have kept their system of the small wheel under the top slide, which works so well, and I much favor over KSC's design. Removing the top slide is fairly easy once you've deciphered the manual to work it out. Remove the magazine, rack the slide, and then pull it back until the small notch just before the slide lock-back notch is in line with the take down lever. Then push the take-down lever from the right hand side of the gun and pull out. The hop-up wheel was positioned at the half way point, which is spot on; if you really want to increase the range slightly, you'll need to give this a few clicks, but I found it to be fine. To re-assemble the gun, just follow the above steps in reverse.

If you remember earlier on, I mentioned that the pistol didn't seem to accept much gas? There is a very good reason for this. Being a very slim style of magazine, the gas reservoir only holds enough gas for around only twenty eight shots, but you get twenty six shots in a magazine. Unlike a lot of GBB's, this magazine does not hold enough gas for a BB refill. I can see this pissing a lot of people off, but to me it doesn't detract from the gun itself. I would either carry a can of gas around me in the field, or purchase another magazine. And I don't think for the die-hard 1911 fans that this would be that much of a problem either.

Conclusion: Well, there is not much more that I can say about this gun. I like it.

Personally, I've always wanted a 1911 in some shape or form, just to add to the collection. I've been put off in the past by the prices of the Western Arms models, and I don't really see what extra you are getting for the money. Now, Marui has brought in an alternative, and this is where my money will be going. For around £109 (around $118 U.S. dollars), you really can't go wrong. The gun is robust enough to take the knocks of skirmishing, and pretty enough to be a collector’s piece. Fans of the Marui Hi-Cap 5.1 or 4.3 should consider getting one of these to finish the collection off; it is finally then that you appreciate that in over 95 years, we've not come a long way at all.

We're still using the same design. The 1911 is so revolutionary and ahead of it's time. It’s a legend. Just as the Peacemaker was in taming the wild-wild- west, I can see plenty of Marui Colt 1911's taming the wild-wild-west skirmish sites around the world.

I would once again like to thank dEFCONAirsoft for allowing us to use their article.

If you have a review of your gun or gear and want to see it in U.S.A.S.O.C., email it to us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit our website: www.officialusasocmagazine.com.

Reviews: TPG Reflex Red-Dot Scope

General Background: First, let me start off by saying this: receiving free products is a great bonus that goes along with our e-magazine. The guys over at Tactical Products Group (www.tacprogroup.com) were generous enough to send on over one of their reflex scopes for us to review. In our previous issue, we reviewed their ACOG scope, which as you all know, we loved. Well this scope is even better, if you can believe it. If you’re not an ACOG fan, but still want a CQB scope, look no further.

Let’s get to the review.

First Impression: The overall look/sense of the scope is great. The whole scope is composed of metal, which is great for the feel/protection of it. When I got it, I was surprised at its size. It’s a rather small scope, but then again, it’s supposed to be. One of the great things about the scope is that it makes for a great CQB accessory, yet you don’t have to use it for CQB. It works very well in other types of games. The reflex scope, two wrenches, instructions, battery, protective covering for the lens, and lens cleaner-cloth comes with the box.

Pros: As with their ACOG scope, TPG really put some hard work into making this scope, and it shows. What I like, and the pros, about their scope are: • The look of the scope.

• The weight/feel of it.

• The instructions/background on the scope.

• The adjustable red-dot and four different reticle options for correct alignment, brightness, and user’s choice of aiming reticle.

• The price.

• The quality of the product.

• It’s made of metal.

• And once again, the very good battery life-span.

The look of the scope is overall great. Once mounted to a rail system, it really gives your gun that CQB/edgy look. The scope will mount to just about any rail system. I would say that the scope’s color is a flat black type. It’s not quite the black of the TPG ACOG or a CA M15A4, but it’s close. The lens, as well, looks amazing and has an amber coating; it just shines in the sun. I really couldn’t ask for more.

The weight of the scope is around half a pound. It’s very, very light, yet the quality of it is simply astonishing! Again, it’s fully metal, another great feature. When I first placed it on a gun, the scope was almost zeroed in 100% correctly.

One of the things I really liked about the reflex scope is that it came with instructions for the scope. Now, I’m not talking about how to mount it to the rail system, but they talk about replacing the battery, zeroing in the scope, etc. It is just a nice feature.

The best feature, I think, and probably many of you do too, about the scope is the adjustability of the red-dot and the redicle options. You can change the brightness of the scope from zero to seven levels of brightness. What I thought was even better was that you can change between four different redicles. You have the standard red-dot along with a red-dot in a circle, a red-dot with four crosshair lines, and a red-dot enclosed in a circle which is surrounded by four crosshair lines.

Another great feature is the price! It’s only $59.99 at most stores, including TPG’s site: www.tacprogroup.com. Again, for the quality/options you are getting with the scope, it’s almost a steal.

And finally, the great battery life-span. As with the ACOG, it hasn’t run out of life yet, and I don’t see it running out for a good amount of time either. The scope holds a 3V lithium battery.

Cons: Overall, I can’t find anything wrong with the scope. It’s simply incredible that for this price you can get this kind of quality. If I had to be picky, I would say that the one con is that to put on and take off the scope, you need the wrenches instead of turning a knob like their ACOG has. But if that is the biggest issue with a product, it really doesn’t matter. Come to think of it, if the scope did have knobs, it might look peculiar in a way because of how small the scope is. So I guess one doesn’t even have to count this as a con. It is just an absolutely remarkable scope. I recommend it to everyone out there, whether you are CQB fan or not. Well done TPG. Conclusion: In the end, TPG’s reflex scope FAR exceeded any expectations I had. I dare say that I like this scope more then the ACOG, which says a lot because I’m a die-hard fan of ACOGs. We here at U.S.A.S.O.C. were not dissatisfied in anyway with the scope, and I’m sure most, if not all, of you will agree once you get yours. I would once again like to thank TPG for sending over their scope for us to review, and all I have to say is go get their scopes/other products! Make sure to check out their ad at the end of this issue as well. If you have a review of your gun or gear and want to see it in U.S.A.S.O.C., email it to us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit our website: www.officialusasocmagazine.com. Once again, I’ll leave you with the specifications.

The TPG L4 is a compact holographic style sight which measures only 3.25 inches long. It can mount securely to a weaver mount or the RIS/RAS of your weapon. Full metal construction with a wide 1.5 X 1 inch amber coated lens. You can switch between 4 different reticles by rotating a knob under the rear of the sight. Each reticle has 7 different intensity settings to match the ambient light level. Fully adjustable for both windage and elevation.

Reviews: UTG MP5A4

By Steve Diedesch Only recently has the acronym “MPEG” appeared in any sort of scale on web-pages across the airsoft web space. With a number of new products pushing into the electric-gun market, it’s easy to understand why a lot of “noobs” are getting disappointed, while others are making off like bandits. But why?

Well, one might say it was inevitable. Guns aren’t cheap, and the people buying them know that as well as the people selling them.

However, most people don’t know that if you know what to look for, you can get a veritable clone of the Tokyo-Marui MP5A4 for about $100, new, and in some places, even including shipping & handling expenses in this figure.

The first gun to really break into this market was UTG’s own MP5, which was marketed as a TM clone.

Now if you want to pick nits, it was more like a fraternal twin than a clone, but as many owners have already seen, it’s a fine piece of equipment. Though, it is a bit tough to dismantle for repairs. I think, however, that many players with small pockets and smaller wallets would agree that a few extra screws and a whacky upper-receiver are really not worth worrying about for a gun that costs an average of less than half as much.

The gun, obviously, is not a clone of the TM MP5, as I said before.

It’s more of a fraternal twin that was separated at birth. This isn’t saying it’s a poor gun; of course, it’s just a noisier, slightly less modular adaptation.

The gun was made in China. That should explain it well enough.

Performance is quite remarkable, compared to any other gun that costs under $100 new. In a match-up against a TM gun, the UTG MP5 would lose, but not by much. This, as I discovered later, was simply as a result of a lower degree of precision and just a generally less powerful gun. This, however, comes as a blessing in disguise for younger players, who you don’t necessarily want toting 400 FPS around on the field.

The best part is, like any AEG, you can rip it apart, stuff a bigger spring and a better piston and gears in, and it will do exactly what you want it to do, due to the standardized gearbox.

Admittedly, the UTG factory package is not impressive. The mechbox is a pretty bone-stock version with nylon bushings and a nylon singlesteel-tooth piston, and something I’ve never seen before: a nylon spring guide.

Even more interesting was the nylon cylinder head. Suffice to say that this gun might need frequent repairs in the hands of a ham-handed gunner, though it might still come out on top of a TM gun for price.

What, then, if you’ve got to fix it? What if those little nylon bushings go out, or the gears chip, or any of a number of problems that happens with any AEG? Well, that’s what I’m here for.

To begin disassembly of the UTG MP5, you start much like the TM MP5. One, take out the battery and fore-grip by removing the buttplate off of the stock and disconnecting the battery first and then removing the fore-grip, as with any TM, ICS, or CA MP5 product (Photos #1).

Next, just like any standard-version MP5, you’ll want to remove the screw and pin from the stock in order to disconnect the said stick from the receiver. The stock slides straight off (Photo #2-#3).

They’re very similar right up to this point. Now, we’re going to change things up from your conventional TM gun.

You have removed the stock and the fore-grip already, and now, you need to remove the motor. This can be done, simply, by removing two screws from the bottom of the handgrip and pulling the baseplate and motor gently away. This will allow you to remove the entire handgrip section (Photo #4).

Removing the handgrip requires removing the select-fire assembly first. You’ll find a small screw in the bottom of the left-hand side of the gun’s select-fire switch, which absolutely MUST be removed with the right size screwdriver. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve destroyed these tiny screws by using too big of a screwdriver to finish the job. If you cannot find the right screwdriver, then make absolutely certain that whatever driver you use does not slip, otherwise you may find yourself looking for a different way to re-assemble the gun. This is the same with all MP5 select-fire assemblies. Once this screw is removed, simply lift the switch away from the gun, and push the pin through until the switch falls out of the opposite side of the gun (Photo #5).

Next, you’ll need to remove the center body pin and screw: the ones holding the gun together just behind the magazine well and just above the magazine-release lever. If the pin refuses to come out after you’ve pulled the screw out, it can be pressed out part-way with a plastic ball-point pen and pulled out by hand from there. You want to avoid using metal tools that could mar the threads because when that happens, you’re in trouble (Photo #6).

Now, remove the two screws inside the handgrip. These hold the handgrip nice and snug against the mechbox, which we can’t have right now. After you’ve removed these pins and screws, you’re ready to rotate the handgrip off of the receiver as shown. Be careful not to damage the wires coming out of the bottom of the gearbox as these might very well snag on the inside of the handgrip (Photo #7).

Now you can see the mechbox. As you can see now, it’s a modular, industry-standard V2 gearbox with some less-than-impressive nylon parts inside. It’s not the best, but it’s not bad at all for $100 (Photo #8).

Next on the agenda is removing the barrel. This involves pulling two screws from right where the brass barrel shows through the front of the front part of the receiver. Be gentle, because this part of the gun contains a lot of fragile parts that could be damaged by too much pressure or a slipped screwdriver. If you damage the two wires here, you’ll find yourself shelling out for new ones, and if you damage the hop-up, then you’re in trouble (Photos #9-#10).

Once you’ve removed the screws from the assembly, turn the gun over and find the little rubber ring on the back of the hop-up lever.

Pull it off with your fingers. You should not need a screwdriver, tweezers, a knife, or anything else for this, because it’s a relatively delicate part. Once you pull this ring off, you can pull the hop-up adjustment lever out of the other side and pull the black outer-barrel straight out, away from the rest of the gun (Photo #11).

You’re almost ready to take the gun apart now, only a few screws away. First is a screw at the back of the receiver, along the upper tube. Next is a screw just behind the magazine well, previously

hidden inside the gun. Take these two screws out, and then remove the rear sight by first removing the screw at the rear of the sight (Photos #12-#13).

Once this is done, you’re ready to get into the gearbox.

The biggest difference between this MP5 and other models is that the upper receiver here actually splits into two pieces. You can gently pry these apart by working a screw-driver into the gap around the edges and slowly working it around the receiver until the two halves have split apart. Make sure to be gentle, because this part of the gun is much less durable when it’s not bolted together. You can now remove the gearbox by grabbing it in the back and lifting it out (Photos #14#15).

And now, you’re ready to do whatever you planned to do to the gearbox in the first place.

Steve is a new member to U.S.A.S.O.C. His hobbies include airsoft (playing and tech sides), cars, music, etc. If you have any questions for him, please send them to: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com.

If you have a review of your gun or gear and want to see it in U.S.A.S.O.C., email it to us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit our website: www.officialusasocmagazine.com.

Tactics: Room Clearing

Photo Credit: Elgin City River Rats Alright…here’s what most of you have been waiting for: CQB/room clearing tactics with diagrams. The first thing I’m going to say is that these are strictly my versions of tactics for room clearing. Everyone will have a little bit different way of doing them. Some claim their way is the best, and that’s great, but I’m a firm believer in “whatever gets the job done is a good plan.” So I don’t want to receive any hate mail saying that this and that are wrong. I’m not trained in the military or any law enforcement fields so my ways may not be the best ways, but they have worked, and worked well, for me in the past. So with that said, let’s get to the article.

For this issue, I will be discussing two-man units. These are probably the most easiest to complete, yet the hardest in some aspects because your team has only two people which means each individual has to cover more then they would if there were more people; and you all know that in CQB, it’s a lot easier to get shot then it is in outdoor areas. Over the next few issues, I will discuss three, four, and maybe multiple fire-team tactics for CQB. Let’s do a little review. If you remember what I said in our second issue, you will remember there is a method for completing close quarters combat missions. It was the “AFS” method (Aggressive, Fast, while using Stealth). Remember to also have a general plan laid out before going in: individuals assigned to certain positions such as the point-man, the scout, the riflemen, the team leader, the rear guard, etc. The more you can do beforehand, the better the mission will usually go.

Basic Four-Corner Room with One Entrance: We’re going to start with the basic room. It has four walls and only one entrance. This could be a bedroom, bathroom, etc in a real world situation.

This is your standard four-wall room. It has one primary entrance. For this instance, we’ll say there are either no windows, or for some reason, the entry team can’t go through them. The photo above is step #1. You want to stack up on either side of the entrance, preferably, the side with the most cover. I don’t think I need to explain why. For this case as well, we are assuming there are no rear threats.

In photo #2, these are the first actions taken by the fire-team. The black unit immediately scans the entire room upon entering. His main fire sector should be where the blue area is: between the right top corner and the right bottom corner. Now the fire-team needs to act like one person meaning that both individuals should be entering the room within milliseconds of each other. As you can see, the red unit’s fire sector should be from the left top corner to the center of the room.

This is an easy way to clear a whole room very quickly and accurately if done right.

Photo #3 shows the following movements of the fire-team. The black unit should advance to the right bottom corner covering the right top and bottom corner of the room. Red unit should move to the left top corner while covering the center/right top corner.

In photo #4 (above), this is the only stopping place that the fire-team should’ve stopped at. Everything up to this point should have taken no longer the five to fifteen seconds, depending on the size of the room, what’s in the room, etc. That’s why CQB is very dangerous, and you really need to know what’s going on at all times. As you can see, black unit has stopped in the right bottom corner while covering the right top sector, while red unit has stopped in the left top corner while covering the right top sector as well.

Basic Four-Wall Room with Two Entrances (1):

As you can see in photo #1, the stack is the same as the “four-wall room with one entrance” method.

Also, in photo #2, you will notice not much difference between a oneentrance room. The only main difference is that the black unit needs to watch the second entrance more carefully when entering. Be flexible too. Depending on your situation, you may or may not know the layout of the rooms already, what doors/windows might be open, etc.

In photo #3, notice where the fire-sectors are. Both units have their sectors on the second entrance. Why? It’s the most dangerous part of the room now because regardless of that door being open or closed, you still don’t know if there is an enemy hiding in that next room.

Photo #4 shows one of the correct ways to approach the second entrance. Why not have the black unit go to the right bottom corner like before? It’s really common sense, but if the black unit was to go to that corner, and the door was open, an enemy would have an easy, clear shot at him. With the above approach, both units can keep an eye on that door without being exposed. Now, this is where some of you are probably saying, “Well it looks good, but the black unit will be walking into the red unit’s fire sector which is a big ‘nono’.” True. This is where the red unit individual should either cover a sector close to the black unit’s one while not actually have the black unit in his sector, or cover the rear. For the above example, I wanted to show that the red unit should be covering the second entrance until the black unit comes into his fire sector.

And for photo #5, the fire-team stacks up the same way it did at the beginning of the current room. The fire-team should then repeat the same steps in order to clear the next room(s). Note: in a case like the photo above where the second entrance is on the opposite side of the room as the first entrance, reverse the direction of the fire-team units’ sectors. The black unit would sweep the room, ending up covering the left bottom to left top sector while the red unit enters and covers the right top corner to the center of the room sector.

Basic Four-Wall Room with Two Entrances (2):

Here is a second way to perform a room search that has two accessible entrances. As you see in photo #1, black and red unit are placed at both entrances in the original stacked formation. I HIGHLY suggest not using this method if your fire-team is only two men strong, and you know the enemy could be inside or outside. You have no rear cover for each other whatsoever. It’s a little more risky, but as long as you follow the steps properly, you can clear a room efficient with only two units.

In photo #2, black and red unit has each either side-stepped or leaned around their separate corners to see the top and bottom corners of the room. This is a dangerous step, but if done correctly, you can neutralize the enemy very fast, while still providing your units with maximum cover.

Photo #3 is probably the trickiest/most risky step. I know a lot of you will flinch on this one because each unit will, at some point, have to cross each other fire sectors; yet if done properly, and at the same time, it should result in no FFs (Friendly Fire) and a very effective, lighting room search/clear. This method is one that should be practiced a good deal of time and with the same partners.

In photo #4, the black unit moves to the left bottom corner while the red unit moves to the right top corner of the room. Each unit’s sector should be ranging from the center to the right top (black unit’s) / left bottom (red unit’s) corners.

Lastly, in photo #5, the units should come to a stop after clearing the room to regroup and either clear another room, leave the building, or some other action.

Standard T-Crossing:

This is your standard “T” crossing. Let’s say that your fire-team has infiltrated an enemy’s HQ. They are in the process of clearing a building, when they come across an intersection shaped like a “T” (hint: the name “T” crossing). There are a few ways to approach this obstacle. In photo #1, you will see you have the two-man fire-team approaching the intersection. They are lined up on both sides of the hall. Why? The main the reason is that they can cover both directions at the intersection. If they stacked up behind each other, granted, they could give each other cover, but you leave one whole direction exposed. The “X” cover formation method shown here has worked the best in past experiences.

Photo #2 shows both units at the intersection. As before, they are covering in an “X” cover formation. What are the advantages of the “X” formation? Well, as you can see, both units have the ability to see farther down the hall or corridor. What is the disadvantage? The main disadvantage is that each unit has very limited cover. This method is one that I wouldn’t stand around and take forever to do. I, and my teammate, would move up to the corners rather quickly, take a peak, and then do the method shown in photo #2B.

Photo #2B shows, what I believe, the safest and most effective way to operate at a “T” crossing. Now this all depends on which direction your fire-team is going to be heading. Shown here is if the fire-team was to head left. The black unit still is covering down his original firesector while red unit moves to stack up behind him.

In Photo #2C, the black unit covers the left sector of the hall, while the red unit advances over the black unit, covering the top sector of the hall. After that, the fire-team members cover in the “X” formation

while advancing down the hallway. Advantage: quick and easy to perform while be effective. Disadvantage: both fire-team members’ rears are completely exposed to the other direction in the hall. This method should only be down when you know the other hall’s direction is clear. You can do this by peaking or other types of tactical decisions.

Let’s jump back to what to do if you chose to pick photo #2’s method.

In photo #3, one way to complete a “T” crossing is to lean or move out of the corner – each unit covers opposite directions. Advantage: quick and effective if the enemy is caught off guard. Disadvantage: it leaves very little margin room for errors.

Basic Right-Hand Corner:

The other most common obstacle that you will encounter is a regular right-hand, or left-hand, corner. For this example we’ll be using a right-hand corner when rear security isn’t needed. In photo #1 you can see the fire-team advancing down the hall. They are, again, using the “X” cover formation method.

Photo #2 shows the red unit advancing over to the black unit’s side of the hall. The reason why was explained in the “T-Crossing” section above.

Photo #3 shows the fire-team advancing to the corner. Notice the changing of fire-sectors.

Photo #4 shows one of the many ways to clear the corner. Black unit leans out over the corner, doing a quick scan while engaging his target sector. The red unit, at the same time, advances over the black unit to cover the other fire-sector. Advantage: works well to clear the whole upcoming corridor. Disadvantage: it exposes red unit for a good deal of time which could quite easily result in a friendly down.

Photo #5 is the alternative way I would clear the upcoming corridor.

Why? The primary reason is that it eliminates the red unit from being over-exposed. Black unit, kneeing, would lean over the corner and, again, do a quick scan of the hall while aiming at his target area. Red unit, standing, would, at the same time, lean over the corner as well and cover his fire sector. This way both units in the fire team have some adequate cover while engaging any targets.

Basic Stairwell: To conclude our tactical discussion for this issue, I want to talk about stairway tactics. The following photos can be hard to understand, so I want to make one thing clear: the fire-team is going up the stairs. In photo #1, black unit and red unit are advancing up the stairs.

As they proceed up in photo #2 (below) you will notice that the black unit’s fire sector changes dramatically. Again, I think the reason why is pretty simple and most of you already know it. If you are the point man, or the first man in your fire-team, you will want to change your aim of fire when you can just see the other side of the stairwell or balcony. There is not exact time to do it because all stairwells are different, height and length wise.

And finally, once the corner/upper area is clear, move up the next flight of stairs as in photo #1.

I hope this has helped some of you out there on how to better, or modify, your tactics while in a close quarters’ mission. In the next issue, I discuss tactics for a three man team indoors.

If you have anything on tactics or things relating to tactics and want to see them in U.S.A.S.O.C., email them to: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit: www.officialusasocmagazine.com. Also, if you have anything that you would like to see in the “Tactics” section, please email or visit the website too.

Laws and Safety: AN AIRSOFT RESPONSE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

By Itsahak Wil Dorsett, Team BRASS, Virginia Disclaimer: Use information at your own risk. You reading this understand this and will not hold U.S.A.S.O.C. and/or any of its members responsible for any injuries and/or arrest(s) that you and/or others receive.

The question is asked over and over again by airsofters world wide.

“What should we do if the Cops come around during a game?”

Should we run, stand around and look at them, assume they're a neighboring team coming late to the game, point our replica's at them, do what they say, or just simply ignore them in the hopes that they'll go away? It is an issue that has been debated at length over the internet, at game fields, in coffee shops and eating shops after games, over the phone and face to face many times. And it is, and should be considered, a valid concern!

Let me take the time now to throw this in. You should never, ever, and I mean never, play airsoft in an area that is not a sanctioned field, a sanctioned Operation, or a private field that is either owned by one of the players or you have express written permission to play on. If you play in an area, such as private land, where you do not have permission (a school area, land that “no one” owns, or in areas and games that are not sanctioned), you will probably face a local Police Officer/Deputy Sheriff or SWAT team. And justly so, for those actions are not only illegal but also ultimately just not smart – for will lead to the end and outlawing of our chosen past time. Also, notifying the local authorities is a good idea, as it may help to diffuse these types of situations before they start. You should be able to find a contact person within your local Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) area to whom you can explain what you're doing, where you're doing it, and

approximate date/times you're doing it. Enough of the soap box, lets get on with it!

So you're in-game, and for some reason the local Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) shows up. There are two responses you will most likely face. The first one is the Uniformed LEO response. The second is the full out, SWAT dispatch where you suddenly find yourself surrounded by men in black uniforms in real turn-out gear pointing real weapons at you! That one really raises your hackles!! In the first response, you'll see several LEO patrol vehicles suddenly come flying into your staging area. They exit their vehicles with firearms bristling from their persons! You will see duty pistols, shotguns, patrol rifles, and possibly, a submachine gun or two. Next, you find yourself staring down the barrels of the firearms and having commands shouted at you. As a responsible airsofter, your response here is critical. You're confused, scared, a little upset that they think you're a bad guy and, in some cases, downright indignant…What do you do now? First off, do what the LEO says to do. Nothing makes a LEO more nervous than giving a lawful order and having it either ignored or scoffed at. And in our position as airsoft players, it is vital to our personal safety and the continuity of our sport. When you're told to put your AEG down, do so. If it is hanging by a sling, lift it off by the sling, if at all possible. You'll be ordered to the ground, and most likely placed in handcuffs. They’ll start asking questions. These questions may vary, but in essence they are looking to ensure that the area is safe for them (as safe as an area can get for a LEO that is). Their questions will also be of the type to get the answers to WWWWWH. That means Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Who you are; what you are doing; when you do it; where you've been, either there or anywhere else; why you’re at that area; and how often you've done it. Answer all questions by the LEOs with honesty, respect, and without being irritated, arrogant, or seeming like their presence is a nuisance.

This is the time you will get to explain what you’re doing, how many of you are playing and approximate boundaries. If you have a team game interrupt code, and if you're by yourself or a significant portion of players have not yet been accounted for, this is the time to politely inform the LEO of such and ask if you can implement the code either audibly or over your com's system. You may notice that the LEO are

possibly a bit gruff, and may not appear too pleasant. Look at it from their point of view. They are surrounded by several people wearing military gear, and sporting some of those dreaded “assault rifles.” In today's world of heightened terrorist awareness, that’s enough to make anyone in that field a little nervous. If you're legally occupying the playing field, the most you should get is a stern warning to be more careful and possibly a lecture on safety. If you're not there legally, expect to have your replica's confiscated and/or be arrested for trespassing.

In the second response, you're usually unaware that anything is going on until you're looking down the barrel of a real rifle, pistol, or various other firearms. The big issue here is if it occurs in game, you may not be aware of the SWAT response and may treat it as another player. The obvious danger here is that you can inadvertently point your replica at a SWAT member who firmly believes he's being threatened with a real firearm. Any LEO faced with what he believes is a firearm, by anyone of any gender, age, race, dress, or creed should and WILL respond with deadly force. Every year there are reports from the LEO community of kids/teenagers/college students being shot and killed because of this type of misunderstanding. And again, this is the kind of thing that will get our sport banned. So what do you do? The first thing you will encounter is someone who is shouting their identification (i.e. – Police, Sheriff's Office, etc, etc).

This will quickly be followed by a command to freeze, don't move, stop, desist…you get the idea. Your next move is critical!! Not only to our sport, but to your very vitality and safety!! DO NOT MOVE!!!

Stop all movement, and freeze in that spot. For the next 30 to 60 seconds, only about a 6 to 8 pound trigger pull separates you from this life and discovering if your beliefs on the afterlife are right! The next command series will instruct you to lay down your weapons.

Again, if your replica is on a sling, use the sling to remove it from your person. Other wise, set one end on the ground and let if drop. Yes, let it drop! I know you spent $300 plus on your favorite AEG but honestly, is it worth your life?! Keep your hands in plain sight and away from your gear and your body. Make no sudden moves. Do not attempt to explain your situation to the SWAT team. At this point their entire mindset is on controlling everyone there, controlling the scene, and their own safety. Your explaining will only add to the confusion and heighten the SWAT team’s intensity and anxiety. You will most

ikely be commanded to prone out, or lie face down. Do so without complaining or hesitation. Remember to keep your hands in sight and away from your body and gear. You will most likely be handcuffed and your replicas taken. And so, it may not be done very gently.

SWAT depends on speed, surprise, overwhelming tactics, and violence of action to pull off their missions. Don't hold it against them, they are doing their job. You will probably be separated from the rest of your playing group, just as they are separated from everyone else.

Then you can expect the same type of questions as in Response One. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Again, answer with honesty, with respect, and without being irritated, arrogant, or seeming like their presence is a nuisance. If you're there legally you should soon be released. You will however probably be advised to head home. This process may take some time, especially if the land owner is not playing with you. Even if you have it in writing (which is a smart thing to do) the SWAT team will want to verify that it is valid before releasing you. If your replicas are confiscated, do not complain. Go home and call an attorney. Does it suck? Sure it does, but you’re not helping your case by complaining, shouting, hollering, or downing the SWAT team.

Now lets briefly discus a third encounter type. This one is usually what happens when you're in your car traveling somewhere and you're going just a little bit over the speed limit. Now keep in mind, I personally believe you should transport your replica(s) in a case and out of sight in the trunk. And again, I personally don't let anyone search my vehicle with out stated probable cause or a search warrant. But if it’s in the passenger compartment of your car, and especially if it’s in plain view, it becomes fair game to search the car.

Anyway, the next thing you know, you're seeing flashing lights in your rear view mirror. Pull over as soon as safely possible. Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Don't grab for your wallet or try to cover your replicas now (and why are you transporting them out of a case and uncovered and not in the trunk anyway!!). Do not get out of your car. Once the LEO is at your window, he will tell you to put down your window, get your operator’s license, whatever. If the window is up, do what he says and put it down. Once the window is down, inform the LEO that you have a replica firearm in the passenger compartment.

Stress that it is a replica and not real (especially if you’re underage)!

Do what he says from there on in. Whether it’s to exit the vehicle, sit

in his vehicle (Virginia Troopers will have you sit in the front seat while they write your summons as part of their SOP's, so it’s not too unusual.) Be sure to answer his questions respectfully and politely.

Having an attitude is a great way to ensure that you’re written a summons! Once the LEO is finished either giving you a summons or a warning, go on about your business and enjoy your day!

It is possible that a lone LEO may pull up to your game and begin asking questions. Just ensure that you keep your hands in plain sight and away from your replica(s) and gear. Answer all questions with respect, politeness, and honesty. This response is not likely to happen. Usually it will be one of the first two responses discussed above.

The key to coming out of an unpleasant meeting with LEO/SWAT is to keep your head!! Obey the commands given to you in a timely manner without back talking, cussing, or giving them an unnecessary hard time. Remember, they are only doing their job, and in more than one instance, your life may be on the line!

For questions, comments, or more info contact Itsahak at itsahak@brassairsoft.com Thanks to Wil for this writing article. He had some really good, sound advice on what to do and what not to do. I abide by these rules, and I recommend you do also. Thanks again Wil! If you have an article you would like to submit, please email it to use either via usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or via our website: www.officialusasocmagazine.com.

Laws and Safety: Many people are concerned that the realism of airsoft guns makes them dangerous. Parents need to be aware that giving an airsoft gun to irresponsible children can put their child in danger. In certain countries where real firearms are illegal the police, and others, may understand that children are playing with fake guns. In the United States, however, airsoft guns are regularly mistaken for real guns.

Just as you would not brandish a real firearm in public, the same is true with airsoft guns. Airsoft guns are not cap guns or squirt guns.

Be aware that if your child brings an airsoft gun to school, or any other public place, they may be arrested or, at worst, shot by a police officer.

If you are a parent and are reading this, thank you for taking responsibility and being pro-active in learning about airsoft guns. To learn more about airsoft gun safety please read on.

Not only do airsoft guns appear to be real, they also shoot plastic pellets. Many of the more expensive models such as AEGs are fully automatic. The speed at which airsoft bb's come out of airsoft guns is much slower than the speed that bb's are shot out of a traditional bb gun. Generally speaking, this speed allows people to shoot at each other with airsoft guns safely, under certain conditions. The first condition is eyewear. Never, ever, shoot at someone who is not wearing proper eye protection. Proper eye protection means eye goggles rated at least ANSI Z87.1 or paintball goggles. Proper eye protection is not military sun/dust/wind goggles, ski goggles, or shop goggles. Do not risk your own eyes or take on liability for your friend's eyes. Always wear proper eye protection when shooting airsoft guns!

Read more about eye protection.

Also, please be aware of the speeds at which all airsoft guns used in an airsoft game are shooting. Typical out-of-the-box airsoft guns shoot at ranges anywhere from 250 feet per second to 350 feet per second. Airsoft guns can be modified to shoot faster. Speeds between 375 feet per second and 400 feet per second are usually the maximum speeds US airsoft teams will allow. Make sure that anyone firing an airsoft gun over 400 feet per second is experienced, can accurately judge distance, and does not engage targets at close

range. Never mix real bb guns into an airsoft gun game. If you are unsure of an airsoft gun's firing speed, either buy a chronograph to measure the speed or simply do not allow it at a game.

The simplest rule to remember with airsoft guns is to treat them as real guns. An accidental discharge at close range can have any number of damaging results including, but not limited too, broken teeth and damaged eyes.

When transporting your gun to and from a game, carry it in a gun case. Not only is a gun case the safest means of transportation, it also naturally protects your gun (airsoft guns can be quite fragile) and makes a great place to store airsoft pistols and spare magazines. For many areas, a gun case is the only way to legally transport your airsoft gun. Remember, it is very difficult to visibly distinguish an airsoft gun from a real gun.

Many people are concerned about the use of airsoft guns in crimes. A criminal is a criminal and will use whatever means they can to break the law. I would prefer a less dangerous criminal with an airsoft gun to a criminal armed with a real gun and the capability to kill innocent people.

Don't let any of these safety issues scare you away. Airsoft is not a dangerous sport as long as everyone playing understands safety. If you can not follow these rules, please try another outdoor sport.

When everyone follows the rules, airsoft is just as safe as paintball. In 3 years of playing, I never saw any serious accident. On a few occasions a BB at close range has drawn blood, but that is rare. I have played in games with 50+ people without incident.

Last, but not least, before you play an airsoft game make sure that the airsoft teams you are playing with have strict rules concerning safety and feet per second limits for guns involved. Good Luck!

(Source: www.AirsoftgunHelp.com)

Laws and Safety: • Under Federal Law, o Airsoft guns are not classified as firearms subject to the Gun Control Act. (However, in almost every major city and population center the definition of a firearm within their respected ordinances includes propulsion by spring or compressed air, thus subject to applicable laws.) o A 6 mm minimum orange tip must be present on the barrel end of the airsoft gun to identify it as such for any commercial sales or transport. Once you own the airsoft gun, you may remove the orange tip in most areas, but local and state laws do vary. o Airsoft guns' trademarks must be removed where the manufacturer does not have an existing license agreement with the "Real Steel" gun's manufacturer in the U. S. (Example: Classic Army has a licensing agreement with Arsenal Arms, so the trademarks can stay on imported replicas of Arsenal's SLR 105 A1. In practice enforcement is hit or miss. You might get an "unlicensed" gun through customs with Trademarks intact, while a Licensed gun might be held in Customs by an "under informed" customs agent.) o In addition, the similarity between genuine firearms and airsoft replicas is close enough to provoke interaction with local law enforcement personnel if an airsoft gun is carried openly in public. o If someone were to, for example, attempt a robbery with an airsoft gun, they would be charged as if the airsoft gun were a real firearm.

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Tips: Bunkers

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Disclaimer: U.S.A.S.O.C., and/or any of its members, will not be responsible for any injury and/or damage that may occur to you and/or anyone and/or anything around you at the time you are doing anything stated in this online magazine. By you reading this online magazine (any portion of it), you fully understand this, and will not hold U.S.A.S.O.C., and/or any of its members, accountable for any injury and/or damage that may occur to you and/or anyone and/or anything around you while you are/ were doing any and all of the tips. Remember, be safe and smart.

Some people, when thinking about building bunkers, think either “complex” or “simple.” We’re here to help you both out. What I want to discuss are simple and complex ways of making bunkers for airsoft.

As you can see in the photo above, those bunkers would be great for airsoft, but they are actual real anti-bomb bunkers in Albania so please, don’t send any emails asking where the photo was taken and how you can get there. Also, certain individuals wanted the history of bunkers so I’ll start there.

“A bunker is a defensive military fortification. They were used extensively in World War I and World War II. During the Cold War, massive bunker complexes were built to house both strategic (command & control) infrastructure as well as government personnel and stores for the event of a nuclear war. During that time, bunkers became a part of American culture with people building backyard fallout shelters, though these were not intended to protect against direct attacks as bunkers normally would.” (Wikipedia)

Types: There are four main types of military bunkers: trench, pillbox, industrial, and personal.

Trench Bunker: “This type of bunker or blockhouse is a small concrete box, partly dug into the ground, which is usually a part of a trench system. Such bunkers give the defending soldiers better protection than the open trench and also include top protection against aerial attack (grenades, mortar shells, etc). The front bunker of a trench system usually includes machine guns or mortars and forms a dominant shooting post. The rear bunkers are usually used as command posts or Tactical Operations Center (TOC), for storage and as field hospitals to attend to wounded soldiers.” (Wikipedia)

Pillbox Bunker: “Dug-in guard posts (with loopholes through which to fire guns) and made from concrete are also known as "pillboxes". The originally jocular name arose from their perceived similarity to the cylindrical boxes in which medicinal pills were once sold. They are in effect a

trench firing step hardened to protect against small-arms fire and grenades and raised a little to improve the field of fire.

“Their use seems to have developed during the period of the First World War when defence in depth using the Machine Gun Corps was being perfected. However, most of those seen in Britain, having been left over from the 1940 invasion scare, are designed for use by riflemen rather than for machine gunners. The concrete nature of pillboxes means that they are a feature of prepared positions and their original use is likely to have been in the Hindenburg Line. This is likely to have been the time when they acquired their incongruous English name. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest record of the use of the word pillbox in connection with a defensive post is from September 13, 1917, after the German withdrawal onto the Hindenburg Line.

“Pillboxes are often camouflaged in order to conceal their location and to maximize the element of surprise. They may be part of a trench system, form an interlocking line of defence with other pillboxes by providing covering fire to each other (defence in depth), or they may be placed to guard strategic structures such as bridges and jetties.” (Wikipedia)

Industrial and Personal Bunkers: There is not much to say about industrial and personal bunkers. An industrial bunker is any area that can house food, data, living space, etc. Personal bunkers mainly started with the Cold War when a fear of nuclear war was a threat to many Americans. To prevent being wiped out by a nuclear attack, a good majority of Americans built their own personal bunkers, with some even having multi-floors. Some even allowed the people inside to hold out for a year or longer. I believe there was a show on the History Channel or some other television channel that discussed bunkers in more detail.

Airsoft Bunkers and the Likes: Some of you enjoyed our little history lesson, and others are probably saying “Finally! Now we have gotten to talking about airsoft bunkers.”

As stated before, I want to discuss how to build certain types of airsoft bunkers. I just want to say beforehand…these are the ones I have learned to build over the years so I wouldn’t be surprised if I received a few emails saying “Well, mine looks like this, etc, etc.”

That’s fine, and if you would like to share your bunker ideas, or any other ideas with us, please do so by emailing us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com.

Basic Bunker #1: This type of bunker is very simple to make. Basically, gather materials that you have lying around (wood, cement blocks, other blocks, crates, logs, etc); the main idea is to have a protective “shield” against frontal attacks. This kind of bunker will not work very well, or at all, if the enemy flanks you from either side or from the rear so keep that in mind. So basically, line your materials up on two sides at a certain distance apart (do as you see fit for the distance). Then, with either a piece of plywood or some other material that can act a suffice shield, lay it across the front, leaning on the stacked materials.

Simple, easy, and yet it can be very affective against frontal assaults.

Bunker #2: This kind of bunker expands upon the first one listed above. This time, set it up the same, but make sure to conceal your left, right, and rear sides. Make sure to fill in any holes you might have. For example, in one game I played in, I was able to secure the bunker because someone on the opposing team forgot to cover up a six inch hole at the bottom. The enemy was lying down at the time, aiming away, and I was able to snag him with an arm/back shot and secure the objective. Little things like this can make the difference between winning and losing. You need to be very detailed, because at some point, the other team will find a way to penetrate your defenses.

Bunker #3: This is the complex version of the two stated above. Do all the same procedures, yet create a roof. This will require more time to set up,

and a little more creative thought processes too. The main thing I want to emphasize here is safety! You don’t want the roof collapsing on the people inside. I don’t care if you like them or don’t like them…safety first. If you are the cause of someone getting hurt, especially of someone that doesn’t like you, you have a bigger chance of being sued/etc.

Bunker #4: This is probably the most simple bunker type I’ve seen, yet it works very well…unless there is rain. Dig a hole large enough to fit how many people you want the bunker to fit. Also, dig it down enough to provide adequate cover for the people inside. Use boards, or better yet, branches that are around the same height. Stick them into the ground and make sure they are secure. Get a tarp or some other type of covering for the roof, and you have yourself a fortified, dug-in bunker: simple. When not to use this design: when it’s raining or you have frozen ground. When it rains, and you have a hole: hole fills up with water: bad for you or the people in it. Also, the hole can be eroded away by the rain. With frozen ground, well…if you have ever tried to dig into frozen ground, you know what I mean. If you haven’t…don’t try. It doesn’t work very well. The only time it has worked was when I rented a jack-hammer (long story…don’t ask), and even that had a hard time going down into the ground.

Materials: Some of you have the creativity for creating these kinds of bunkers (probably better ones too), but you may not have the material or not know what to use. This is where you have to use whatever you have lying around, but PLEASE make sure it’s safe. Common sense says to not use a board that has ten nails sticking out of it. Find something else or remove the nails. Ok, so on with the list. This is an ever growing list as I visit other people’s yards and fields. You always find something new when you visit a new place.

• Wood: o Plywood o 2x4’s, 2x6, etc.

•

•

•

•

o OSB Boards (Note: don’t leave out. They are not made for rain or other weather elements. I only mention them because they are a cheap alternative to plywood which can get pricy). o Scrap wood. o Logs. You will find plenty of these if you are in a wooded area.

Crates: o Milk Crates. o Beer Crates (Should you be over the age of 21 years old…) o Any Other Type of Crates.

Blocks: o Cement. o Brick. o Wood. o Anything you can make into blocks that you are allowed to use.

Roof Materials That We Suggest: o Tarps. They are safe and cheap. Remember: work smarter, not harder.

For Camouflage (If you want to go that far): o Of course, you can buy camouflage netting and tarps. o Use your surroundings: branches, leaves (a lot of them…), branches with leaves on them is great, etc. Be creative.

These are some basic materials that have worked the best for me when creating a bunker. Feel free to use anything else that I might’ve not listed. You really don’t have to be creative as you do observant.

Look for things that will hold up other things; then look for items that will provide cover against BBs. So there you have it. I know it was simple, and most of you all knew what was said already, but I wanted to put it out there. Not many sites or magazines, I’ve seen, have discussed bunker techniques. I would like to see this spread onto some sites on how other people have created their own bunkers so if you have an idea, list it or send it to us. Also, if you have any questions, email us anytime at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com. The only stupid question is the question not asked.

If you have a DIY (Do It Yourself) article or anything on modifications to your airsoft guns/gear and want to see it in U.S.A.S.O.C., please go email it to us at: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com or visit us online at: www.officialusasocmagazine.com.

P h o t o s: Thanks again to all who contributed to us this month. If you have a photo(s) that you would like to see in U.S.A.S.O.C., please send them to: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com to see them in future issues. All of the photos of people without safety goggles or glasses in this e-magazine were staged. This meaning, the players were not playing airsoft at the time so that is why they don’t have on safety goggles or glasses. Please note that.

Photo Credit: Elgin City River Rats

Above Photo Credit: Sparrow Unit Below Photo Credit: Elgin City River Rats

P h o t o o f t h e I ss u e : Thanks goes to the Elgin City River Rats for allowing us to use this great photo for this issue’s “Photo of the Issue.” If you have a photo that you think should be the next “Photo of the Issue”, send it our way to: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com.

Upcoming Events: July-August

For more information about this event, please visit: www.858airsoft.com/civilwar2007.html.

When: Saturday July 14th Time: nonstop 0900 – 1600 hrs.

Where: Springfield (4624 Dayton Springfield RD, Springfield, OH 45502) Fee: $25 pre-pay only Age Requirement: Minimum of 15 years of age (all persons under 18 must have a respected member of an established airsoft team vouch for them, and MUST have a waiver notarized by a proper notary public) Type: MilSim (with props).

AL NAJAF EVENT WEBSITE! Please direct any questions to OpAlNajaf@gmail.com.

CODENAME: Thunder IV August 11-12th 2007 @ Sherwood Forest -N. Indiana (One hour East of Downtown Chicago) The Thunder Returns...

Intel Drug lord Hector Chiro, long thought to be killed in the U.S. attacks on his Cartel mercenaries, has surfaced in the Mountain regions of Colombia along with new allies, vowing to return to his mansion and resurrect his once mighty empire. Since the fighting with the Chiro Cartel ended, the U.S. attempted to stabilize the newly formed Colombian government, but encountered stiff resistance and massive corruption on all levels. The Pentagon, dealing with other crisis in other theaters began to withdraw the majority of its forces to deal with more immanent threats. Along with DEA and CIA operatives, the U.S. left a small garrison of troops, advisors and contractors to maintain control.

After escaping the U.S. Forces, Chiro sought refuge in nearby Venezuela, where he was accepted as a hero. From bases within Venezuela he arranged meetings with other regional Drug Lords, International Arms Dealers and militant organizations; Hector Chiro is now ready to once again return as Colombia's premier Drug Cartel leader. With the help of rival drug cartels, militant radicals, a series of terror attacks, and kidnappings, Chiro and his surviving lieutenants have managed to gain a foothold in Colombia and reclaim some of their former cocoa farms and factories for drug production.

General McTate, commander of U.S. Forces, had gained fame

and popularity amongst the American people after the short lived victory over the Cartel. Rumors of a Presidential run by McTate have cooled since Chiro has come out of hiding, as the current President has attempted to make McTate the scapegoat for Chiro’s return, to save his own reputation. With his sights on the Presidency, McTate must finish the Cartel off once and for all. The President of the United States has persuaded some allies to join its Coalition Forces, including U.S., British, German, Philippine, and Russian units to battle the scourge of the international drug trade.

Mission objectives are to capture or eliminate Hector Chiro and his allies, for good‌ This Two-Day event features: Multiple scenariosSpecial missionsTwo armored assault vehiclesNew PropsPyrotechnicsSmoke grenadesSpecial weaponsNight play- in the Castle lit with torches Free campingConcessionsA dealers area filled with Airsoft productsPrize give-always And more!

MORE INTEL: www.CodenameThunder.com

Burning Sun II Strategy Plus Aug. 18th-19th Sponsored by Strategy Plus, G&L Airsoft, Airsoft CT forums. One of the biggest games this summer price includes All Saturday games Saturday night game (worth the price by itself) Saturday night RON Sunday games Raffle ticket And Operation uniform patch or baseball hat (TBD) Sat Day Game 9am to 6pm Sat Night Game 8 pm to Midnight Sat Night Camp Over Sun Day Game 8am to 3pm Sun Awards and Closing Ceremonies 3pm to 4 pm PAYPAL PAYMENT to Sales@gandlairsoft.com Also there is a web site just for Burning Sun II; there will be team rosters on there, and we will be giving Intel hints on there also.

Anyone with paid registration will be giving access to the website.

There are different Sections for Black Ops and U.S. SEALs/RANGERs, and you will need a password to enter your area of the web site. There will be bi-weekly challenges on the website and completion of them will get you team points.

There will be a raffle at the end of the game for an AEG and some other goodies. There will be Operation Baseball Hats or Uniform patches giving out to all paying players (TBD).

Check out more at: http://www.airsoftct.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1760&start=0

Official count for last year’s game was 158 players. These players made for one hell of a good time!

Location: Dog Pit in Rawdon (In the U.K.) Date: July 21st 2007 Price: $30 Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm Players: Unlimited Players may start to arrive July 20th 2007 after 7:00pm and camp overnight. Firewood and Toilet will be available. Those who wish to camp overnight July 21st are welcome to as well.

Team choices will be Green or Desert, as usual.

Scenario: For the past two years these two nations have been at war, the fighting has been furious and deadly. The years of fighting has taken its toll on both sides.

Dignitaries from both countries have found a way to put this war to rest, by exchanging scientific secrets, as a show of good faith.

However at the time of the exchange a rebel force swooped in killing all except the two scientists, in a massive strike. Now the race is on to recover the scientists, and scientific secrets from both sides.

Both countries are questioning who was really in control of this rebel force, or if there was truly a rebel force at all? Tension is at an all time high.

In the mayhem, two Air Strike laser markers were left unscathed, and must be recovered along with the activation codes, in order to effectively control the battlefield.

Both sides are under orders to recover their scientist, eliminate any enemy forces, and discreetly eliminate any rebel stragglers, and search their persons for information that may reveal who they were working for. Recovery of the Air Strike Laser Marker is also a priority.

VIDEOS: OP Quick Pass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsL_goyjFog OP Quick Pass II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3hCyM4Unsc

GAME INFORMATION, RULES, AND SIGN-UP CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=39346

Wolfpack Manitoba is proud to announce the launch of Operation Keystone Strike 3!

KS3 is slated to run as an 18-24 hour Mil-Sim scenario spanning August 4th and 5th (August long), and will see vast improvements to organization and game flow. We've aimed to out-do both of the previous installments in every regard!

Visit http://www.keystonestrike.com for more information, and sign up. Please be sure to review the rules for the game before signing up (especially the FPS, and magazine rules).

Please also to go to the website if you require any information or have questions, as this thread is posted all over local forums in Canada and cannot be reliably looked back on.

Thanks for looking and we're hoping to see a lot of out of town players in this year!

Teams: Listed here are teams that we have found. If you would like to submit your team to be listed, just include: your team’s name and any contact info (website, location, email, etc). Please send it to: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com.

AMSOG: Location: Tucson, Arizona.

Website: www.amsog.com Airsoft Team Rhino: Location: Las Vegas, Nevada.

Website: www.airsoftteamrhino.com BRASS: Location: Lynchburg, Virginia.

Website: www.brassairsoft.com Contact Info (other than website): itsahak@brassairsoft.com Centurion Aisoft Club: Location: Northern California.

Website: www.airsoftcenturions.com Cimmerians: Location: San Francisco, California.

Website: www.cimmerians.org Cobra Company: Location: Walworth County, Wisconsin bordering Illinois.

Website: www.cobracompanywi.com Fargo Moorhead Airsoft: Location: Fargo, North Dakota / Moorhead, Minnesota.

Website: www.fmairsoft.com

Echo Squadron: Location: Southeastern Wisconsin.

Website: www.echosquadron.com Fox Team Airsoft: Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Website: www.foxteamairsoft.cjb.net Ghost Strike: Location: Dayton, Ohio.

Website: www.ghoststrike.cjb.net Iron Cross Elite: Location: Neenah, Wisconsin.

Website: www.ironcrosselite.com Mobile Militia Force-Alpha: Location: California.

Website: www.teammmf-a.com Morgantown Airsoft: Location: Morgantown, West Virginia.

Website: www.morgantownairsoft.com North Alabama Tactical Airsoft Command: Location: Huntsville, Alabama.

Website: www.natac-airsoft.tk Rangers of NC: Location: Wilmington, North Carolina.

Website: www.home.ec.rr.com/hybridiscool/ai/ River Rats: Location: Elgin City, Chicago.

Website: www.riverratsairsoft.com South East Airsoft Legion: Location: Dade/Broward/West Palm Beach, Florida.

Website: www.southeastairsoftlegion.net

Strikers: Location: Ohio.

Website: www.teamstrikers.com Task Force Delta: Location: Northeast Wisconsin.

Website: www.taskforcedelta.com Tactical Airsoft of Cleveland: Location: Cleveland, Ohio.

Website: www.airsoftcleveland.com Team Hidden Sword: Location: Texas.

Website: www.myspace.com/hiddensword The Empire Corporation: Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Website: www.theempirecorporation.us Contact Info (other than website): theempirecorporation@gmail.com Toledo Airsoft: Location: Toledo, Ohio.

Website: www.toledoairsoft.com 1st Recon Airsoft Battalion: Location: Mansfield, Connecticut.

Website: www.freewebs.com/1streconbn Task Force Iron Hammer: Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Website: www.tfironhammer.com A.C.E.S. (Advanced Combat Engagement Squad): Location: Jacksonville, FL. Website: www.acesairsoft.web1000.com

SGAT (South Georgia Airsoft Team): Location: Douglas, GA. Website: www.southgeorgiaairsoft.com S.I.R. (South Island Rangers): Location: Victoria, BC Canada.

Website: www.sirairsoft.com 1st-S.W.O.R.D (Special Warfare Operations and Recon Det.): Location: Pacific Northwest Region.

Website: www.1st-sword.com Silent Ops: Location: Tennessee Area.

Website: www.freepowerboards.com/silentops Team Excessive Force: Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Area, Texas.

Website: www.teamexcessiveforce.com CRS Airsoft Team: Location: Orange, Seminole, Brevard, and Volusia; Florida.

Website: www.crsairsoft.com

Airsoft Related Websites: Here’s a compacted list of airsoft related links. If you have one that you don’t see, please submit it to: usasoc_themagazine@hotmail.com.

Airsoft Alaska: www.airsoftalaska.com Airsoft Arizona: www.airsoftarizona.com Airsoft Cincinnati: www.airsoftcincinnati.com Airsoft Colorado: www.airsoftcolo.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi Airsoft Hawaii: www.airsofthawaii.com Airsoft Iowa: www.airsoftiowa.com Airsoft Kentucky: www.airsoftkentucky.com Airsoft Louisville: www.airsoftlouisville.org Airsoft New York: http://asny.forumup.org/index.php Airsoft Ohio: www.airsoftohio.com Airsoft Pacific: www.airsoftpacific.com Airsoft Teams.net: www.airsoft-teams.net Alabama Airsoft Forums: www.bbgunmilitia.proboards77.com Colorado Airsoft: www.coloradoairsoft.org Fubar Airsoft: www.fubarairsoft.com/forums Florida Airsoft: www.floridaairsoft.com

Illinois Airsoft: www.illinoisairsoft.com Las Vegas Airsoft: www.lvairsoft.org Lonestar Airsoft: www.austinairsoft.com Minnesota Airsoft Association: www.mnairsoft.org North Eastern Airsoft Group: www.neasg.org Oklahoma Airsoft: www.okairsoft.com Seattle Aisoft: www.seattleairsoft.com South Carolina Airsoft Association: www.scairsoft.net Tennessee Airsoft: www.tnairsoft.com Texas Airsoft Organization (TASO): www.texasairsoft.org United States Federation of Airsoft Standards/FAST: www.fast-us.org Wisconsin Airsoft: www.wiairsoft.com Connecticut Airsoft Forums: www.airsoftct.com Jefferson City Airsoft (Missouri): www.JeffCityAirsoft.tk Airsoft Safety Association: www.airsoftsafetyassociation.com Airsoft Insider: http://airsoftinsider.informe.com Airsoft Forum: www.airsoftforum.com Chat Airsoft: www.chatairsoft.com Airsoft Canada: www.airsoftcanada.com Arnies’ Airsoft: www.arniesairsoft.co.uk

DEFCON Airsoft: www.defconairsoft.co.uk Ottawa Valley Airsoft: www.ottawavalleyairsoft.ca DeadRag Airsoft Radio: www.deadrag.com Planet Airsoft: www.planetairsoft.net

New Website!

Airsoft Advance: www.airsoftadvance.com

New Website!

Airsoft Core: www.airsoftcore.com

New Website!

Airsoft Recce: www.airsoftrecce.com

New Website!

Airsoft Retreat: www.airsoftretreat.com

New Website!

Hellas Airsoft: www.hellasairsoft.com

New Website!

NL Airsoft: www.nlairsoft.com

New Website!

Filipino Airsoft: www.filipinoairsoft.proboards74.com

New Website!

UKASC: www.ukasc.net

New Website!

Acme Airsoft: www.acmeairsoft.com

New Website!

Amplified Airsoft: www.ampair.net

New Website!

OPSEC Airsoft Radio: www.opsecairsoft.com

New Website!

Airsoft Ireland: www.airsoftireland.com

New Website!

Ironfoot Airsoft: www.ironfoot.co.uk/forums/

New Website!

Midwest Airsofters: www.midwestairsofters.com

New Website!

Airsoft News (Europe): http://airsoft-news.eu

New Website!

Lone Wolf Airsoft: www.lonewolfairsoft.com

New Website!

Airsoft Zone: www.airsoftzone.org

New Website!

Airsoft Haven: www.airsofthaven.co.uk

Op Idea: Operation United Cause: Operation United Cause: The year is 2057. Total chaos reigns throughout the entire world.

Following the United States’ victory in the War Against Terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, the supporters of the terrorists took up where they left off and now want to give the United States and her allies a kick in the gut. The United States and her allies won’t allow that to happen. This is their one chance to knock out any kind of threat the terrorists possess before they can really do damage. This is the United States’ only shot to wipe out terrorism once and for all. Will they do it, or will the terrorists finally succeed in taking over the free world? It’s up to you…

Locations: Operation United Cause can be played at any of the following types of areas: • Woodland (forest, valley, etc).

• Desert (Just change the location of the mission from Thailand to a desert nation).

• CQB Facilities.

• A combination of all three.

General Overview for Mission #2: • United States and Allied Forces: Well done gentlemen on stopping the Rittia Rouge from successfully escaping with the stolen biological data, but they are still troubling the boys down at the CIA. Intel from the last 48 hours shows that the Rittia Rouge is planning for a large scale operation on the U.S. embassy in Thailand within the week. From what we can tell, the Rittia Rouge will most likely be taking hostages at the embassy so be prepared for CQB and some close quarters wood action if the terrorists attempt to escape the area. Once again, the Thai government has allowed your team to use whatever force necessary to stop the Rittia Rouge.

Intel: • From the intel we have received, the Rittia Rouge will be taking hostages so watch your fire around those hostages.

• Be prepared to advance into the surrounding jungles if the terrorists try to escape with their hostages.

Objectives: 1. Locate and recon the embassy.

2. Verify if the terrorists are holding hostages or not.

3. Covertly enter the embassy’s entrance and secure the area.

4. Secure the inside of the embassy and any hostages as well.

5. Move to Point Zulu for extraction.

Plan: Your team will be inserting into the area via a disguised vehicle that the Thai government has supplied. Once inserted, make your way to the embassy. It has plenty of jungles surrounding it so you should have adequate cover. Stealth is, again, a priority. If you are not able to maintain stealth when inserting, you will have hell raining down on you. The embassy will be four to five clicks southwest of the insertion.

Once in the embassy’s area, clear out the grounds and then work your way in. Also, make sure to have eyes on the entrances to the compound because if the Rittia Rouge find out you are there, they may try to make a break for it with the hostages to the jungles. How many hostages there are is unknown at this time. Once you secure the area and the hostages, make your way to Point Zulu, two clicks north of the embassy to be extracted out by some of our allies in the area, members of the 1 NZSAS (New Zealand Special Air Service) Squadron, in zodiacs.

Interesting Note: 1 NZSAS Squadron actually did operate in the Thailand region in 1962.

Final Thoughts: Disclaimer: The use or misuse of any information or program obtained here is entirely at your own risk. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. U.S.A.S.O.C., and/or any of its members, will not be held accountable for any injuries to you and/or anyone that you are accompanied with if someone gets injured. You understanding this agree not to hold U.S.A.S.O.C., and/or any of its members, accountable for any injuries to you and/or anyone that you are accompanied with gets. Information has been researched off of the following websites: As most of you know, the heat of the summer season can be great and bad at the same time. Sure, you get a tan, look good for the ladies, etc, but there are some bad effects that can occur if you are doing strenuous work/play outdoors…especially with full BDUs and other load-outs on top of them. The point of all this? Be cautious in the heat. The summer is about a third to a half over now, but the heat is still there so I want to discuss heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Heat Exhaustion: By the definition, heat exhaustion is a condition characterized by faintness, rapid pulse, nausea, profuse sweating, cool skin, and collapse, caused by prolonged exposure to heat accompanied by loss of adequate fluid and salt from the body. It is a milder form of heat stroke, which I will discuss in a little bit. Listed below are signs of heat exhaustion • • • • • • • • •

Heavy Sweating.

Paleness.

Muscle Cramps.

Tiredness.

Weakness.

Dizziness.

Headache.

Nausea or Vomiting.

Fainting.

These are all signs of heat exhaustion. Also, the person’s skin will be cooler and more moist then normal. They will have a fast and weak pulse, meaning it will change unexpectedly. The victim would also have fast and shallow breathing. People who get heat exhaustion are the elderly, people with high-blood pressure, and people who are exercising out in the summer for a long period of time.

Three common ways to avoid heat exhaustion altogether: drink plenty of liquids (keep hydrated), use adequate shade if possible, and develop some kind of wind. Basically, you want to keep your body filled with liquids and your body in shade.

Certain methods to help treat heat exhaustion: one, as directed by a physician or emergency service personnel, give the victim cool, nonalcoholic beverages. Two, let the victim rest. Three, get the victim to take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath. Four, if possible, get the victim to an air-conditioned place. And five, make sure the victim isn’t wearing any heavy-weight clothes. If the person’s condition gets worse, call 911. Also, if you are unsure of what to do in any emergency, always call 911.

Heat Stroke: Again, by definition, heat stroke is a severe condition caused by impairment of the body's temperature-regulating abilities, resulting from prolonged exposure to excessive heat and characterized by cessation of sweating, severe headache, high fever, hot dry skin, and in serious cases collapse and coma. Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia (abnormally elevated body temperature). “Unlike heat cramps and heat exhaustion, two less-severe forms of hyperthermia, heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated” (www.medicinenet.com).

“The body normally generates heat as a result of metabolism, and the body is usually able to dissipate the heat by either radiation of heat through the skin or by evaporation of sweat. However, in extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous exertion under the sun, the body may not be able to dissipate the heat and the body temperature rises, sometimes up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Another cause of heat stroke is dehydration. A dehydrated person may not be able to

sweat fast enough to dissipate heat, which causes the body temperature to rise” (www.medicinenet.com).

As with heat exhaustion, there are certain signs of heat stroke. The most common, yet there are more, are the following: • • • • • • • • • • •

High Body Temperature.

The Absence of Sweating with Hot Red or Flushed Dry Skin.

Rapid Pulse.

Difficulty Breathing.

Strange Behavior.

Hallucinations.

Confusion.

Agitation.

Disorientation.

Seizure.

Coma.

How do you treat heat stroke? You do not. It is a life-threatening condition, and the victim needs medical help immediately. The only thing you should/need to do is cool the victim down. Get them to a shady area, give them plenty to drink (but not coffee, tea, soda, or alcohol because they will dehydrate the person’s body more), fan them, etc. Emergency personnel should be on their way, but until they arrive, just keep the victim cool.

The most important thing is to prevent you, or someone else, from getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke. If you do strenuous activities on hot, humid days, drink plenty of water. Also, make sure to take constant breaks to drink and get in the shade. And finally, wear loose, light clothes.

So be safe, have fun, and enjoy the rest of the summer. Our next issue comes out September 1st, so most of you will at least have something to look forward to when school comes back around.

God Bless & Best Wishes, Nick Petrus-Owner/Main Editor Liz Petrus-Assistant Editor