NRA American Warrior - Issue 1

American Warrior

Warrior Ware:2011 SHOT Show Gear

Is This FallujahOr Hollywood?

THE NRA MAGAZINE FOR THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR N U M B E R 0 1

Virtual Warrior: Movies, Music, Apps & Games

CSI: Spokane

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American WarriorTHE NRA MAGAZINE FOR THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR N U M B E R 0 1

Welcome to NRA American Warrior magazine, the National Rifle Association’s brand-spanking-new salute to all who serve.

And welcome to the future of magazines. This ain’t some stodgy paper-and-ink rag. This is now. No … this ain’t even now. This is five seconds from now. And it’s tailor-made for you, whether you’re in the armed forces, law enforcement, FBI, NCIS or any acronym in between. This is your magazine, filled with the guns, gadgets and gear you need (or wish you had) to do your job. Eat it up. It’s all yours.

WA R R I O RWA R E :

2011 SHOT Show Tactical GearNRA American Warrior was there to scout the aisles for you.

Marc Lee’s KnifeHonoring the first SEAL killed in Iraq.

HULC: Incredible?Enabling Warriors to leap tall buildings?

Virtual WarriorMusic, movies, video, apps and games to battle by.

Warrior StoriesThe post-Columbine school cop.

WARRIOR FEATURESP R E S E N T E D B Y

CSI: SpokaneAin’t no place for glamour: This all-female team rolls up its sleeves.

Is This Fallujah or Hollywood?After you’ve had your bell rung, you can’t freakin’ tell.

Welcome to the Warrior.

Get out your plastic! NRA American Warrior scouted out the top tactical products at the 2011 SHOT Show.

Warrior Store

The Law Enforcement section of the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show continues to grow, and continues to be more awesome year after year. The truth is, if you need it, someone at the SHOT Show likely has it for sale or will help you design it. But sometimes you don’t know what you need until you are looking at it. That’s where NRA American Warrior comes in. We were there, and as soon as we wiped the drool from our chins, we wrote up this quick recap of some of the 2011 SHOT Show’s top new tactical offerings.

B Y K E V I N M I C H A L OW S K I

Quickly: Name an Austrian

pistol that offers outstanding ergonomics, a great trigger, an amazing sighting system and unfailing reliability.

Did you think of Steyr? You should have.At the 2011 SHOT Show Media Day, while

watching other shooters wait in line to shoot a sniper rifle chambered in .338 Lapua, I noticed a black polymer pistol lying on the table waiting for someone to insert a magazine. I was just the guy for the job.

The pistol turned out to be the M9-A1. Steyr also makes this gun in a .40 S&W model that is aptly named the M40-A1. For a

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Steyr M9-A1 Pistol

WA R R I O R WAREGUNS GAMES GEAR & GADGETS

FOR THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR

time, Steyr stopped importing pistols into the U.S. This piece is a great one to restart their conquest of the American market.

The first thing you notice about the M-series is the extremely high tang. Your hand really gets up high on backstrap of this pistol, and that brings the bore axis down closer to your hand and the muscles and bones in your arm. You all know the story: The lower bore axis reduces muzzle flip and keeps you on target. The M-A1 is a design masterpiece in this area.

I also really liked the trigger pull—it is very smooth thanks to a minor redesign of Steyr’s Reset Action System. The trigger pull is long

but consistently smooth with a crisp break at about 5 pounds. It does seem to travel a long way to reset, but I got used to it quickly.

The fixed, low-profile sights present a unique triangle/trapezoid configuration for exceptionally fast target acquisition, as the triangular shape of the front sight naturally directs the shooter’s eye toward the target. If you have not used sights like these before, you might view them a bit suspiciously. They are totally different from anything traditional, but they work very well.

This pistol is not brand new, but it is sufficiently changed from past iterations to be called new. Get your hands on one and you will want it in your holster.

This piece is a great one to restart their conquest of the American market.

In a tactical situation you want power,

maneuverability, versatility and reliability. How does 15 rounds of 12-gauge ammo sound? What if you could carry that in a 27-inch shotgun with a full 18.5-inch barrel and no bulky “box of ammo” hanging beneath the muzzle? Take a look at Kel-Tec’s bullpup, pump-action tactical shotgun.

The KSG (Kel-Tec Shotgun) is the company’s first entry into the shotgun market. And they got it right. The size, shape and design are similar to the currently available Kel-Tec RFB rifle, but the KSG ejects downward, instead of forward. The KSG is as compact as legally possible with a 26.1-inch overall length and an 18.5-inch cylinder bore barrel. Even with this compact size, the internal dual tube magazines hold an impressive 14 rounds of 12 gauge 2-3/4" rounds, 7 per tube. The simple and reliable pump-action feeds from either the left or right tube, and the selector switch to choose which tube you use is just behind the trigger guard. To make the shotgun cruiser safe,

the lever can be positioned in the center detent in order to easily clear the chamber without feeding another round from either magazine. A cross bolt style safety blocks the sear, and the pump release lever is located in front of the trigger guard. And get this: It weighs just 6.9 pounds empty. The forearm includes a bottom-mounted Picatinny rail for the mounting of a forward grip, or a light or laser. The top-mounted Picatinny rail will accept many types of optics or iron sights. Forward and rear sling loops are built in, and a basic sling is included. The soft rubber butt pad helps to tame recoil. And best of all, it will retail for about $800. Check it out at www.keltecweapons.com.

Kel-Tec Shotgun

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... the internal dual tube magazines hold an impressive 14 rounds of 12 gauge 2-3/4" rounds, 7 per tube.

Tired of carrying a 50-pound

breaching pack and 35-pound ram on operations? The Jersey Boot, from Jersey Tactical, replaces all the breaching tools in your pack and weighs just 26.5 pounds. This is more than just a battering ram. The Jersey Boot gives you every available option from knocking in doors to breaking locks to serving as a simple yet stable step to help clear obstacles.

The Jersey Boot will open whatever you

need to open, and it works even better in pairs, as you can use one tool to set the other.

Designed by real SWAT cops, the Jersey Boot is built to last, simple to use and just plain devastating in operation. Where you want to knock in a door, pry a door open, break a lock or use the Jersey Boot to hold doors open or closed, this piece of steel is ready to work for you. And you can download an operator’s manual right from the website, www.jerseytactical.com.

The Jersey Boot

The Jersey Boot will open whatever you need to open ...

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Warrior Store

You know, it’s true. The AR rifle Eugene Stoner envisioned from the start was chambered in .308. So when you hear about a .308 AR, are we moving ahead or are we going back to the starting point?

Such a question may be too big for this article, but Rock River Arms answered it anyway, providing

a rifle that hits with the power of the .308 but carries like an AR-15. The LAR-8 Elite Operator will certainly provide the power, accuracy and versatility modern shooters really want.

If you are familiar with the AR-15 platform, the manual of

arms will really be no different for you on the LAR-8. One especially nice touch is the “half-quad” handguard. Sure, when you say “half-quad” you might think of just two rails, but don’t worry; it has all four. But the rails simply run half the length of the handguard, from the gas block back. From the magazine well forward the handguard is just that, a handguard—with a knurled aluminum free-float tube that is both comfortable and easy to grip. For your ammo supply the Elite Operator uses FAL metric and L1A1 inch magazines. So there should be no trouble finding 20-round boxes for your reloads.

This rifle proved to be accurate, easy to handle and hard-hitting. That is a great combination, especially when you want more power than the 5.56 round offers. Find it at www.rockriverarms.com.

Rock River Arms LAR-8 Elite Operator

... hits with the power of the .308 but carries like an AR-15.

If you’ve ever thought about how to hold your

AR-15 for range maintenance, MTM Case-Gard has you covered with the new Tactical Range Box. This is a must-have item for AR-15 owners, and it also works for bolt-action rifles, too.

The Tactical Range box includes two adjustable gun forks for rifles and shotguns, and an all-new action block insert arm that is designed to fit into the magazine well of AR-15/M16-style rifles. I can’t believe someone didn’t think of it sooner. It offers excellent support for cleaning and accessory mounting for customization with

red dots, lights and lasers. The Tactical Range Box uses a two-piece design.

The removable top storage box is a bonus for storing all of your small cleaning items such as oils, solvents, brushes, batches, as well as any additional accessories. Unlatch the top box to reveal a deep-storage maintenance center. This is a convenient place to stash your larger items such as ammo, extra cleaning gear, tools and accessories. This is truly the ultimate range box, maintenance center, and it retails at $55. Buy one. It is made in the U.S.A. Find it at www.mtmcase-gard.com.

Tactical Range Box


Warrior Store

I can’t believe someone didn’t think of it sooner.

A bag to carry your gear needs to be versatile and tough. The Maxpedition Doppelduffel puts other bags to shame in both areas. The Doppelduffel Adventure Bag is a unique, large travel bag that can be carried by hand, by a shoulder strap in two orientations, vertically or horizontally, or with hideaway integral backpack straps. Two

internal padded dividers can split the main

compartment into smaller sections, or you can remove them to use the entire space.

This is the perfect bug-out bag. It will hold all your SWAT gear, including boots, or it would make a fine oversized trauma/rescue tote, and you can hang

extra pouches and attachments on the outside. If need be, you can carry it like a backpack. The access to all your gear is simple yet ample, and the bag is, like the rest of Maxpedition’s gear, built hell-bent for stout. Find it at www.maxpedition.com.

Maxpedition Doppelduffel

This is the perfect bug-out bag.

Danner showed off a new boot specifically designed with operators in mind. The Descender is created specifically for vertical insertion. According

to Danner the Descender has a

groundbreaking new outsole design that allows for controlled and reliable arresting during fast-roping evolutions. The Descender will be available for Fall 2011 and ready to ship in July 2011.

While we didn’t get to do any fast-roping with the boots, the patent-pending Danner Descender Outsole utilizes Vibram’s ultra abrasion-resistant V-4 compound in the medial arch to aid the operator arresting during descent. Its durable and low-oil content Nubuc leather and breathable 1000D spacer mesh nylon upper keep the rope clean without leaving residue behind. The variable lacing system allows for a climbing inspired close-to-foot fit and

enables enhanced control and superior mobility. The Descender also provides a dynamic and protective ride by using a co-molded midsole that offers impact, puncture and lesion resistance.

That’s the technical part. The boot, from all outward appearances, is tough as nails. But it’s also comfortable, built for extended wear and versatile. You can choose either 100 percent waterproof GORE-TEX lining, or a highly breathable, moisture-wicking mesh lining for hot-weather comfort. The Descender comes in a 4.5-inch or 8-inch style with color options of canteen green or black. For guys who zip down a line then spend the rest of the day on their feet, there is not a better choice for footwear. Find them at www.danner.com.

Danner Descender


Warrior Store

The boot, from all outward appearances, is tough as nails.

WARRIOR WARE Sharp cutting edge, tempered, hardened: These are all attri-butes of a warrior—and of a quality knife.

Making a warrior, or a quality knife, requires a process starting with “the right stuff” and resulting in a well-polished, highly refined instrument of war. Enter Petty Officer Second Class Marc Alan Lee.

On Aug. 2, 2006, Lee, whose first name means “mighty warrior,” was the first Navy SEAL to die in Iraq. His is the

name, and story, behind a newly released Benchmade commemorative knife, crafted for a true American hero who willingly gave his life for his country and for his fellow warriors.

On that August day in Ramadi, Lee and a buddy, Ryan Job, were on the roof of a building supporting the Iraqi army against foreign insurgents. When Job’s rifle was struck by enemy fire, he sustained a serious head injury from the

The Marc Lee Glory Knife

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The Marc Lee Knife Lock 20 Navy SEALS in a room with 100 knives to choose from, and this is the one they’d fight tooth and nail over. Benchmade President Greg Mooney saysof his knives: “Know that each is built with you in mind. We will never forget.”

Navy SEAL Marc Lee

resulting shrapnel. Recognizing the severity of his buddy’s injuries, Lee stood—not once, but twice—in the line of direct enemy fire so a medic could examine and extricate his wounded friend.

After securing the scene, Lee and his team returned to camp. Upon arrival, however, they learned the location of the enemy insurgents that had attacked them and willingly returned to action, taking the fight to the bad guys.

While leading a team to the rooftop of a building, Lee was mortally wounded by enemy gunfire.

In his name, Benchmade Knife Company helped estab-lish the Marc Lee Foundation and produced the Marc Lee “Glory” Commemorative Combat Knife.

The 12.5-inch-long knife weighs just a little over half a pound. The 7.3-inch blade is made from premium-grade

154CM stainless steel and has a ceramic-based coating to protect it from saltwater corrosion and exposure to other harsh elements that SEAL equipment is normally subjected to. It comes with a sheath and is engraved with Marc Lee’s SEAL information—his BUD/S Class (251) and that he was killed in action in Iraq on August 2, 2006.

As a sad footnote to this inspiring story, Ryan Job, whose life Marc Lee saved on that rooftop in Ramadi, unexpectedly died last September following a second reconstructive surgery on his eye socket.

After his combat wound, which left him blind, Job had continued to live his life with Navy SEAL zeal, acting as a spokesman for the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation, an organization that helped wounded veterans, and even climbing Mount Rainier two months before his death.

Job left behind his wife, Kelly, who is pregnant with their first child and due in May.


SEALs

resulting shrapnel. Recognizing the severity of his buddy’s injuries, Lee stood—not once, but twice—in the line of direct enemy fire so a medic could examine and extricate his wounded friend.

After securing the scene, Lee and his team returned to camp. Upon arrival, however, they learned the location of the enemy insurgents that had attacked them and willingly returned to action, taking the fight to the bad guys.

While leading a team to the rooftop of a building, Lee was mortally wounded by enemy gunfire.

In his name, Benchmade Knife Company helped estab-lish the Marc Lee Foundation and produced the Marc Lee “Glory” Commemorative Combat Knife.

The 12.5-inch-long knife weighs just a little over half a pound. The 7.3-inch blade is made from premium-grade

154CM stainless steel and has a ceramic-based coating to protect it from saltwater corrosion and exposure to other harsh elements that SEAL equipment is normally subjected to. It comes with a sheath and is engraved with Marc Lee’s SEAL information—his BUD/S Class (251) and that he was killed in action in Iraq on August 2, 2006.

As a sad footnote to this inspiring story, Ryan Job, whose life Marc Lee saved on that rooftop in Ramadi, unexpectedly died last September following a second reconstructive surgery on his eye socket.

After his combat wound, which left him blind, Job had continued to live his life with Navy SEAL zeal, acting as a spokesman for the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation, an organization that helped wounded veterans, and even climbing Mount Rainier two months before his death.

Job left behind his wife, Kelly, who is pregnant with their first child and due in May.

As a sad footnote to this inspiring story, Ryan Job, whose life Marc Lee saved on that rooftop in Ramadi, unexpectedly died in September 2009 following a second reconstructive surgery on his eye socket.

After his combat wound, which left him blind, Job had continued to live his life with Navy SEAL zeal, acting as a spokesman for the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation, an organization that helped wounded veterans, and even climbing Mount Ranier two months before his death.

Job left behind his wife, Kelly, and daughter Leah, born after his passing.

WARRIORWARE


Comment Word Up

If you gotta gear up, you might as well

SEAL Up!

Tools of the Trade: Packing gear that would make Batman jealous, the Navy SEAL always comes loaded for bear. And pirate. And terrorist. Drool over this sampling of elite gear carried by our elite warriors. (Mouse over small pics to embiggenate them.)

1. HK MP7 Submachine Gun The MP7’s 4.6x30 mm round will pierce CRISAT body armor out to 200 yards. Outfitted with an Aimpoint Micro T-1 red-dot sight, 200 yards might as well be 2 feet. Rail-mounted Surefire E1E light and buttstock-mounted Garmin Foretrex 401 complete the package. 2. M79 Grenade Launcher The 40 mm “thumper” pictured here sports a cut-down stock and barrel. Topped with a red-dot sight, because close only counts in horseshoes and … well, just horseshoes. 3. SIG Sauer P226 This 9 mm is built for battle, not a fashion show. An Advanced Armament suppressor comes in handy when discretion is required. 4. Titanium Bolt Cutters Chain-link fence? Padlocked door? Fuhgeddaboudit. 5. Fixed-Blade Knife A great warrior demands a great knife, like this one forged by certified Mastersmith Daniel Winkler, who has been working with the U.S. Navy since Operation Desert Storm. 6. Ops-Core Helmet Night vision optics on the front, Manta Strobe and battery-powered chem light on the rear, and Princeton Tec headlamp on the side make this a hat for all occasions.

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WARRIORWARE


Comment Word Up

If you gotta gear up, you might as well

SEAL Up!

Tools of the Trade: Packing gear that would make Batman jealous, the Navy SEAL always comes loaded for bear. And pirate. And terrorist. Drool over this sampling of elite gear carried by our elite warriors. (Mouse over small pics to embiggenate them.)

1. HK MP7 Submachine Gun The MP7’s 4.6x30 mm round will pierce CRISAT body armor out to 200 yards. Outfitted with an Aimpoint Micro T-1 red-dot sight, 200 yards might as well be 2 feet. Rail-mounted Surefire E1E light and buttstock-mounted Garmin Foretrex 401 complete the package. 2. M79 Grenade Launcher The 40 mm “thumper” pictured here sports a cut-down stock and barrel. Topped with a red-dot sight, because close only counts in horseshoes and … well, just horseshoes. 3. SIG Sauer P226 This 9 mm is built for battle, not a fashion show. An Advanced Armament suppressor comes in handy when discretion is required. 4. Titanium Bolt Cutters Chain-link fence? Padlocked door? Fuhgeddaboudit. 5. Fixed-Blade Knife A great warrior demands a great knife, like this one forged by certified Mastersmith Daniel Winkler, who has been working with the U.S. Navy since Operation Desert Storm. 6. Ops-Core Helmet Night vision optics on the front, Manta Strobe and battery-powered chem light on the rear, and Princeton Tec headlamp on the side make this a hat for all occasions.

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Tools of the Trade: Sporting Salomon Quest boots, Crye Precision combat pants and shirt, and plate carrier from London Bridge Trading Co., the dapper SEAL at left is loaded for bear. And pirate. And terrorist. But clothing alone doesn’t make this man. Read on. (Mouse over small pics to embiggenate them.)

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1. HK MP7 Submachine Gun The MP7’s 4.6x30 mm round will pierce CRISAT body armor out to 200 yards. Outfitted with an Aimpoint Micro T-1 red-dot sight, 200 yards might as well be 2 feet. Rail-mounted Surefire E1E light and buttstock-mounted Garmin Foretrex 401 complete the package. 2. M79 Grenade Launcher The 40 mm thumper pictured here sports a cut-down stock and barrel. Topped with a red-dot sight, because close only counts in horseshoes and ... well, just horseshoes. 3. SIG Sauer P226 This 9 mm is built for battle, not a fashion show. An Advanced Armament suppressor comes in handy when discretion is required. 4. HK416 Like an M4 on steroids, pimped out with a TangoDown pistol grip, Advanced Armament suppressor, Surefire Scout Light and EOTech optic and 3x magnifier. 5. Fixed-Blade Knife A great warrior demands a great knife, like this one forged by certified Mastersmith Daniel Winkler, who has been working with the U.S. Navy since Operation Desert Storm. 6. Ops-Core Helmet Night vision optics on the front, Manta Strobe and battery-powered chem light on the rear, and Princeton Tec headlamp on the side make this a hat for all occasions.

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The Incredible HULC Someone over at Lockheed Martin must love his Marvel comics. Last summer, the company bagged a $1.1 million contract to test a nifty piece of military technology that brings to mind Tony Stark’s Iron Man outfit, but bears a

name much more reminiscent of Bruce Banner’s mean, green, gamma ray-fueled anti-hero.

The Human Load Carrier, or HULC, is a hydraulically powered titanium exoskeleton that, according to Lockheed Martin, will allow soldiers to carry loads of up to 200 pounds for extended periods with minimal effort. As if that weren’t

cool enough, it’ll also allow a soldier to sprint at speeds of 10 mph in short bursts.

HULC transfers the weight from heavy loads to the ground through the battery-powered, titanium legs of the lower-body exoskeleton. An onboard microcomputer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. Soldiers strapped into the exoskeleton will be able to perform deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minor exertion.

Now, if we can just get this thing outfitted with jet packs, we’ll be getting somewhere.

Lockheed’s HULCMarvel had the idea decades ago. Someone wake up our scientists!

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®

The Recon Scout Robot (model ZRS-IR) is a miniature, infrared illuminated, two wheeled, robotic camera for tactical video surveillance and remote video inspection.

Recon Scout Robot Features:

• Adds remote video monitoring to any existing system

• Suitable for tactical or EOD missions

• Highly rugged, throw-able with a 1500G force rating

• Always lands on wheels - self-rights upon moving

• Controlled remotely with a simple joystick

• NEW! Low light BW camera and built in IR illumination works in total darkness

• Constructed with a titanium shell and cast urethane wheels

Recon Scout Controller Features:

• Compatible with any WalkAbout or Video Monocle System

• Simple joystick operation

• Draws power from the WalkAbout display

Recon Scout Robot specifications

Physical Camera RF Weight: 1.2 lb (.54 kg) Type: BW CCD (NTSC

only) Indoor range: 100' (30M)

Length: 7.375 in (187 mm) Resolution: 600 lines Outdoor range: 300' (91M)

Wheel diameter: 3 in (76 mm) FOV: 60 degrees Video frequency: 433 Mhz2

Lux: .0003 Command frequency: 75.57 MHz2

Battery specifications: Performance Type: Lithium ion Speed: 1 fps (.3 MPS) Charge time: 2 hours Drop shock resistance: 30' (9.1M) vertical

60 min – stationary Throw shock resistance: 120 ft (31.4M) horizontal Run time on full charge: 50 min - moving Operating temperature range: 20 F (-6 C) to 140 F (60 C)

1) The Recon Scout Robot is sold as a kit (ZRS-IR), including a Recon Scout Robot (RSR-IR), Robot Scout Controller (RSC) and a Scout

Battery Charger (RSB). Product Warranty Note: This product is warranted to be free from material and workmanship defects for a period of

one year.

2) To order an alternate frequency robot kit, add “-A” to the PN (ZRS-IR-A) to specify video/control frequencies of 445MHZ / 75.41MHz or add

“-C” to the PN (ZRS-IR-C) to specify video/control frequencies of 439MHZ / 75.45MHz. 7/09

Recon Scout Controller specifications

Size: 7.5" (190 mm) x 3.5" (89 mm) x 2" (51 mm)

Weight: 1.25 lbs. (.57 kg) Recon Scout Controller

Recon Scout Robot with IR Illumination

Throwbot!Product: Zistos Recon Scout RobotWhat it Does: You throw it toward the target, then you use a joystick remote to drive it the rest of the way ... whereupon it rights itself and sends back video.Cool Factor: Way high. A robot you can throw? Are you kidding us? You can treat it like a dodgeball, yet it will still do its job. This what we always wanted from technology! We can’t wait to try it around the station.

The Zistos Recon ScoutUsually, we only throw technology when it doesn’t work.

UnstoppablePop quiz, Denzel. There’s a cargo of toxic chemicals on a runaway train. If it derails, a quaint town’s gonna get soaked. What do you do? What do you do? (Just sayin,’ it kinda sounds like “Speed.”) If we were studio execs, we might’ve titled this one “Faster,” on account of, you know, the train going fast and all.

FasterIn this revenge yarn, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays an ex-con who must avenge his brother’s death. Well, it’s not so much that he “must” do it, as he just really wants to, and what are you going to do? Get in The Rock’s way? If we were studio execs, we might’ve titled this one “Unstopppable,” on account of that’s what The Rock is.

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What to Watch Between Watches

127 HoursWhat “Jaws” did for pleasant swims in the ocean, “127 Hours” does for rock climbing. This is a seriously great movie, but, sometimes, serious greatness can be hard to watch—especially when dull knives are involved. James Franco’s best performance since his 2009 guest run on “General Hospital.”

Jackass 3D Breathtaking cinematography and compelling dialogue frame this existential character study of a bunch of guys hitting each other in the crotches with stuff. In 3-D!

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What to Watch Between Watches


Virtual Warrior

Adele:21You can have your Lady Gagas, your Katy Perrys. We’ll stick with Adele, whose soulful, bluesy delivery defies her 22 years. As close as you’ll get to a modern-day Etta James, Adele is Amy Winehouse minus the stank.

Lykke Li:Wounded RhymesSwedish songstress Lykke Li has been the “next big thing” since about 2007. Achieve instant hipster cred by adding her latest to your music library. Bass-heavy, electro chill-out music for a Saturday afternoon.

Ozzy Osbourne:ScreamIf you like Ozzy Osbourne albums, then you’ll like this Ozzy Osbourne album. You’ve got your fist-pumping anthems (“Let Me Hear You Scream”), your neo-Sabbathy sludge (“Soul Sucker”) and what passes for a ballad (“I Love You All”). Yep, it’s an Ozzy album all right.

Maximum Strength Music, Video, Games, Apps ...

Soothing the Savage Breast. Or Not.

Ozzy:Metal grampa can still bring the noize.

Lykke Li:

We likey.

Adele:Sweet Soul Sister.

Maximum Strength Music, Video, Games, Apps ...

Soothing the Savage Breast. Or Not.


Virtual Warrior

Invading Mars? There’s an App for That.NASACost: FreeNASA App HD beams the stars and planets right to your iPhone or iPad. Check out current NASA mission info, watch streaming NASA TV, or browse thousands of images of planets, stars, moons and galaxies. This handy, beautiful app will also tell you exactly where in the sky to look for the International Space Station and bring you detailed information on orbiting manmade satellites.

So much beauty, wonder and awesomeness oughtta run at least 99 cents (heck, we’d probably shell out 5 bucks), but NASA is giving it to everyone free of charge.

Adult SwimCost: FreeWhy should anyone have to wait till 10 eastern to watch Robot Chicken and Family Guy? It’s positively un-American.

With the new Adult Swim app, you can watch full episodes and short clips from all the great (and several terrible) Adult Swim programs whenever you want—for free. The app also includes a game center from which you can buy wholesome stuff like “Amateur Surgeon” and “Robot Unicorn Attack.” Probably best to keep this app away from the kids.

NASA:Using tax dollars to conquer the universe is a better idea than bailing out Wall Street.

Adult Swim:Where to find the stuff that makes milk come out your nose.


Virtual Warrior

Some of our Favorite YouTube Moments

Sucked InA tenth of a second in the life of the luckiest airman

in the Navy.

Celebrities Get Tasered

Erik Estrada, Jack Osbourne, La Toya Jackson and Wee

Man get tased, bro.

Dumb CriminalsRock-through-window fail. Times two!

Apache Helicopter—Night Attack in IraqIt is very bad to be an enemy of the U.S. Army.

Top 10 Low Pass Flybys‘Nuff said.

Machowicz; Invite him to a party and you’ll need to buy all new stuff.

One of the Games We Love: RavesIGN: Editor’s Choice Award, “An experience unlike any shooter in recent memory,” 9.2 out of 10. Yahoo! Games: “A must have,” 5 out of 5. PSW Magazine: “Raises the bar for all war games.” 10 out of 10 GameSpy: “An absolute blast.” 4.5 out of 5, “Editor’s Choice.” GamePro: “A must own,” “A thrilling experience,” 4.5 out of 5, “Editor’s Choice.” FHM: “Game of the Year,” 5 out of 5.Official Xbox 360 Magazine UK: “Breathes new life into World War II.” “Outstanding multiplayer action,” 9 out of 10.

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Virtual Warrior

Bigger, Badder, Constant Splatter

Full disclosure: This ain’t fine art. As wine and cheese go, we’re talkin’ box and American. But man, does it satisfy. Fire it up, ignore the story

and shoot, shoot, shoot. Shoot if it moves. Shoot if it doesn’t. You’re on the planet Helghan and don’t have time for questions. This delicate,

intergalactic political situation is best handled by jet packs, mech suits, a flamethrower and truckloads of lead. With gadgets this cool, even your grandmother would throw diplomacy out the window.

And as video games go, this one’s

as gorgeous as it gets. Even the battlefields seem adrenaline-charged—ashes, dust and snowflakes dance across your screen as spaceships exchange pleasantries overhead. A symphony of wild explosions, battle cries and muzzle flashes comprises Killzone 3’s soundtrack—there’s music, sure, but the game’s violent rhythms are best expressed by the cacophony of combat.

Catching your breath is simply not an option.

KILLZONE 3:

GAME GENRE:First-Person Shooter

PLAYERS:1 to 24

PUBLISHER:Sony Computer Entertainment

Bigger, Badder, Constant Splatter

WA R R I O R WAR E Email the Editor Buy Now

Virtual Warrior

Killzone 3Call of Duty: Black Ops tapped the accelerator; KZ3 slams it to the floor. One enormous set-piece battle makes way for another as the game ratchets up your expectations time and again. And the online multiplayer is no less thrilling. After the solo campaign amps your adrenaline, unleashing your fury on friends and strangers alike is the perfect outlet.

Really, Killzone 3 is perfectly named—it’s a no-nonsense throwback of a game that holds absolutely nothing back. It doesn’t reward a delicate palette, and it might not get better with age. But it’s kill or be killed, and it’s done to near perfection.

Rick Bubacz

School Resource OfficerColorado Springs Police DepartmentColorado Springs, COYears on the Force: 7

WarriorStories

WARRIORWARE


Comment Email the Editor Email the Editor

Rick Bubacz

School Resource OfficerColorado Springs Police DepartmentColorado Springs, COYears on the Force: 7

WarriorStories

WARRIORWARE



8

“Especially since Columbine here in Colorado, we know how vulnerable schools can be. There’s been a push to have police officers in our schools to help protect students and staff. My primary focus is on the safety and security of the campus I’m assigned to.

“I don’t walk around the school with my head in the clouds. I walk around thinking, ‘If a gunman popped around this corner, how would I respond?’ That’s part of my responsibility as a police officer assigned to this school. If you don’t mentally prepare for it, it’s going to show in your reaction.

“A lot of times, we have to arrest kids for different things they do on school grounds—drugs, fighting, whatever. But a lot of the job is on the counseling side. Talking to the kids. Helping them understand situations. I think a huge part of our job is educational. We’re trying to help the kids develop into adults and not leave school thinking cops are the bad guys.

“The hard part of the job is you might never know the positive influence you made on a kid. But my heart tells me, if I do the right thing, there will be a kid that will be influenced in a positive way based on how I conducted myself here at the school as a police officer.”

S P O N S O R E D B Y

W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S S P O N S O R > > W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S S P O N S O R > > W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S S P O N S O R > > W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S M

1911

U N I T E D S TAT E S P R O P E R T Y

or well over a century, those who stand in the line of fire defending our freedoms have done so with Colt firearms at their sides. Whether it

was the Colt “Walker,” the Single Action Army revolver or the famous and now nearly ubiquitous 1911, Colt has played a central role in keeping America safe and prosperous.

A longtime supporter of the National Rifle Association, Colt’s support of American warriors has never ceased. And now, Colt’s Manufacturing steps up once again to provide for those who live the Life of Duty, this time as the sponsor of the feature articles you’ll enjoy in the following pages and in every issue of NRA American Warrior magazine.

W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S S P O N S O R > > W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S S P O N S O R > > W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S S P O N S O R > > W A R R I O R F E A T U R E S

U N I T E D S TAT E S P R O P E R T Y

DAY JOB:Collecting, identifying, and analyzing fingerprints, blood and guts

AFTER HOURS:Wives, mothers, girlfriends

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS:Maggots, burning odor of the bone saw

BEST PART OF JOB:Providing peace for the dead, peace of mind for the living

WORST PART OF JOB:Floaters: Bloated, decomposing bodies found after several days in the water

DAILY GRIPE:David Caruso’s wooden acting, unrealistic representation of forensic work

GUILTY PLEASURE:“Jingle Bell Rock”

44 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor Galler y

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Forget David Caruso: In the beautiful

Pacific Northwest, a team of tough-as-nails forensics females looks death in the decayed eye socket every day. And doesn’t flinch.

B Y R I C K S T E W A R T

Forensic specialist Lori Preuninger examines a latent fingerprint. “I must accept some days that I can’t bring back the dead,” Lori says. “So I better get busy trying to provide a little justice to the living.”

Email the Editor About the NRA

DAY JOB:Collecting, identifying, and analyzing fingerprints, blood and guts

AFTER HOURS:Wives, mothers, girlfriends

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS:Maggots, burning odor of the bone saw

BEST PART OF JOB:Providing peace for the dead, peace of mind for the living

WORST PART OF JOB:Floaters: Bloated, decomposing bodies found after several days in the water

DAILY GRIPE:David Caruso’s wooden acting, unrealistic representation of forensic work

GUILTY PLEASURE:“Jingle Bell Rock”

44 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor Galler y

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Forget David Caruso: In the beautiful

Pacific Northwest, a team of tough-as-nails forensics females looks death in the decayed eye socket every day. And doesn’t flinch.

B Y R I C K S T E W A R T

Forensic specialist Lori Preuninger examines a latent fingerprint. “I must accept some days that I can’t bring back the dead,” Lori says. “So I better get busy trying to provide a little justice to the living.”

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S46 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email Spokane County Sheriff’s Department

Nestled in the “near nature, near perfect” environs of the Pacific Northwest sits Spokane, Wash. This scenic, all-American town is home to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office,

which provides coverage to more than 500,000 people in a 1,750-plus-square-mile area. Despite the picturesque setting, law-enforcement officials here are no strangers to violence of the worst kind.

As is the case in any other locale, Spokane County’s forensic unit sees the ugliest side of humanity. What makes this department unique, however, is the fact that the 13-person forensic team is composed entirely of women—beautiful, tough-as-nails, methodical women. Their male and

female counterparts within the rest of the department, from detectives to patrol, all share a healthy respect for the work these ladies do.

“This all-female, blood-and-guts brigade is respected by every single

law-enforcement officer in Spokane—not only for the amazing work they do, but for the conditions and graphic nature of the scenes they arrive on,” notes Detective Doug Marske of the Major Crimes Division.

“Quite frankly,” says the 22-year department veteran, “they are exposed to the harshest sights, smells and emotional stimuli that anyone can encounter, yet you’d never know it by the way that they move through a crime scene and somehow turn off the part of the brain that would keep most people from ever doing this job in the first place.”

“CSI: Miami” this is most certainly not. On the hottest summer days, with sleeves rolled down and heat building under protective masks, sweat rolls off the ladies’ faces, into their eyes, and saturates their clothing from the inside out.

“Yeah, we are date-ready,” jokes forensic specialist Jodie Dewey. “Shows like ‘CSI’ make it appear that female crime scene investigators roll up with just the right amount of makeup, in their stiletto high heels, leather pants and dangly jewelry. We laugh because we show up in the middle of the night with bed head and no makeup.

“This is not a job for the glamorous.” Case in point, the first death case that Carrie Johnson, the department’s

forensic unit manager, ever responded to: Two young girls on horseback

‘‘This is not a job for the glamorous.’’

Forensic specialist Kristen Conklin operates one of the tools of her trade. Shows like “CSI” wrongly suggest that crimes are solved in an hour and every drop of blood is only a spray bottle of magic forensic mist away from discovery.

When she leaves work each day, forensic specialist Trayce Boniecki must remind herself “most people are genuinely good.”

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S46 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email Spokane County Sheriff’s Department

Nestled in the “near nature, near perfect” environs of the Pacific Northwest sits Spokane, Wash. This scenic, all-American town is home to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office,

which provides coverage to more than 500,000 people in a 1,750-plus-square-mile area. Despite the picturesque setting, law-enforcement officials here are no strangers to violence of the worst kind.

As is the case in any other locale, Spokane County’s forensic unit sees the ugliest side of humanity. What makes this department unique, however, is the fact that the 13-person forensic team is composed entirely of women—beautiful, tough-as-nails, methodical women. Their male and

female counterparts within the rest of the department, from detectives to patrol, all share a healthy respect for the work these ladies do.

“This all-female, blood-and-guts brigade is respected by every single

law-enforcement officer in Spokane—not only for the amazing work they do, but for the conditions and graphic nature of the scenes they arrive on,” notes Detective Doug Marske of the Major Crimes Division.

“Quite frankly,” says the 22-year department veteran, “they are exposed to the harshest sights, smells and emotional stimuli that anyone can encounter, yet you’d never know it by the way that they move through a crime scene and somehow turn off the part of the brain that would keep most people from ever doing this job in the first place.”

“CSI: Miami” this is most certainly not. On the hottest summer days, with sleeves rolled down and heat building under protective masks, sweat rolls off the ladies’ faces, into their eyes, and saturates their clothing from the inside out.

“Yeah, we are date-ready,” jokes forensic specialist Jodie Dewey. “Shows like ‘CSI’ make it appear that female crime scene investigators roll up with just the right amount of makeup, in their stiletto high heels, leather pants and dangly jewelry. We laugh because we show up in the middle of the night with bed head and no makeup.

“This is not a job for the glamorous.” Case in point, the first death case that Carrie Johnson, the department’s

forensic unit manager, ever responded to: Two young girls on horseback

‘‘This is not a job for the glamorous.’’

Forensic specialist Kristen Conklin operates one of the tools of her trade. Shows like “CSI” wrongly suggest that crimes are solved in an hour and every drop of blood is only a spray bottle of magic forensic mist away from discovery.

When she leaves work each day, forensic specialist Trayce Boniecki must remind herself “most people are genuinely good.”

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W O M E N W A R R I O R S

48 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor Support Law Enforcement

had been struck by a train and drug several feet. The carnage was so violent that animal and human parts were difficult to

distinguish between. It’s the “welcome to forensic” reality that every member of the team all too quickly experiences once they join.

All the members of this forensic team have individual accounts of crime scenes that remain vivid in their memories. Some are funny, others heart wrenching, but most involve some kind of significant emotional

event. Certain events have little to no effect on some team members, yet create uncomfortable reactions in others. But all quickly learn how to channel, block or deflect whatever bothers them most.

For forensic specialist Trayce Boniecki, it’s the bugs—the creepy, crawly collection of gnats, maggots, flies and other little meat eaters that feast on victims and swirl about them during an investigation.

“The thought that flies buzzing about us were maggots days before and now have fully matured after dining on the dead body

before them is … special,” she says with a tight smile.

For Jodie Dewey, it’s any autopsy that requires the medical examiner to extract the vitreous fluid of the eye. Jodie explains that the M.E. inserts a needle into the eyeball and withdraws a fluid that looks not unlike egg whites. This extraction helps the examiners and forensic specialists determine a more specific time of death, but that doesn’t make it any easier for Jodie to watch.

Crime scenes that involve violent acts

toward children and the innocent are particularly difficult, especially for team members who have children of their own.

Like others on the team, forensic specialist Lori Preuninger would prefer to insulate her children from the evil she encounters, but that’s not always possible. Lori recounts the first time her daughter saw her on the evening news, covered in blood as she emerged from a car at a rather grisly crime scene. That night, her daughter realized Mommy didn’t just collect and compare fingerprints for a living.

CSI: SpokanepWARRIOR FEATURES

The carnage was so violent that animal and human parts were difficult to distinguish between.

Trayce Boniecki peers into a vehicle. Far left: Lead forensic specialist Julie Brownsfield compares a latent print to that of a known felon.

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had been struck by a train and drug several feet. The carnage was so violent

that animal and human parts were difficult to distinguish between. It’s the “welcome to the forensic” reality that every member of the team all too quickly experiences once they join.

All the members of this forensic team have individual accounts of crime scenes that remain vivid in their memories. Some are funny, others heart wrenching, but most involve some

kind of significant emotional event. Certain events have little to no effect on some team members, yet create uncomfortable reactions in others. But all quickly learn how to channel, block or deflect whatever bothers them most.

For forensic specialist Tracye Boniecki, it’s the bugs—the creepy, crawly collection of gnats, maggots, flies and other little meat eaters that feast on victims and swirl about them during an investigation.



48 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor Support Law Enforcement

had been struck by a train and drug several feet. The carnage was so violent that animal and human parts were difficult to

distinguish between. It’s the “welcome to forensic” reality that every member of the team all too quickly experiences once they join.

All the members of this forensic team have individual accounts of crime scenes that remain vivid in their memories. Some are funny, others heart wrenching, but most involve some kind of significant emotional

event. Certain events have little to no effect on some team members, yet create uncomfortable reactions in others. But all quickly learn how to channel, block or deflect whatever bothers them most.

For forensic specialist Trayce Boniecki, it’s the bugs—the creepy, crawly collection of gnats, maggots, flies and other little meat eaters that feast on victims and swirl about them during an investigation.


before them is … special,” she says with a tight smile.

For Jodie Dewey, it’s any autopsy that requires the medical examiner to extract the vitreous fluid of the eye. Jodie explains that the M.E. inserts a needle into the eyeball and withdraws a fluid that looks not unlike egg whites. This extraction helps the examiners and forensic specialists determine a more specific time of death, but that doesn’t make it any easier for Jodie to watch.

Crime scenes that involve violent acts

toward children and the innocent are particularly difficult, especially for team members who have children of their own.

Like others on the team, forensic specialist Lori Preuninger would prefer to insulate her children from the evil she encounters, but that’s not always possible. Lori recounts the first time her daughter saw her on the evening news, covered in blood as she emerged from a car at a rather grisly crime scene. That night, her daughter realized Mommy didn’t just collect and compare fingerprints for a living.

CSI: SpokanepWARRIOR FEATU R ES

The carnage was so violent that animal and human parts were difficult to distinguish between.

Trayce Boniecki peers into a vehicle. Far left: Lead forensic specialist Julie Brownsfield compares a latent print to that of a known felon.

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Comment Email the Editor Share


These ladies’ jobs have them out in the middle of the night and into the wee hours of the morning. They miss recitals, school plays and holidays. They miss teacher conferences and anniversary dinners. There are days the wind cuts through them like a knife or the rain soaks them to the bone. But most nights, when a shift is over, they return home to be mothers, wives or girlfriends. The same hands that hours before were folding an evidence bag are now folding their child’s brown paper lunch sack for school.

Lori Preuninger tells of the time she worked a crime scene while 8½ months pregnant. She arrived at the crime scene to process the body of a little girl, Jessica, who had been stabbed several times by her mother. The mother, with the child sitting on her lap, had decided to kill herself and take her daughter with her. The child died; the mother didn’t.

“Until that day, my husband Terry (a police officer with the City of Spokane) and I had planned to name our unborn daughter Jesse or Jessica,” Lori said. “The face and the mutilated body of Jessica at the crime scene that morning changed everything.”

This, however, was not the most difficult case Lori ever responded to. Her most difficult involved a young woman eight months pregnant who was stabbed more than 17 times.

“The attack was incredibly violent and bloody,” Lori said. “At the crime scene, I was able to process everything as normal. At the morgue, I was able to process normally. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have feelings or care that a woman and her baby were stabbed to death, but I have a job to do.”

Like her teammates, Lori is a professional in the field, but she’s far from an unfeeling automaton.

“Let me tell you,” Lori said. “I have learned how to have my hands in about anything at a crime scene and turn off the gore, but this year during a soccer match when my daughter broke her forearm and it had the tell-tale “W” shape of a compound fracture, I nearly passed out.

“I think when it comes to our own children and our own families, we are just as squeamish as anybody else.”

What these women see in the field cannot be unseen. Each must develop a means for dealing with the brutality they witness. For some, humor is the answer.

“I am sure that sometimes the things we laugh about would seem a little irreverent or demented to others,” said forensic specialist Kristen Conklin. “One day, Trayce and I were at the scene of a murder in a real nice house near the Christmas holiday. The house was decorated with a tree and lights and everything you would expect

‘‘... when it comes to our own children and our own families, we are just as squeamish as anybody else.’’


C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I :

Left to right: Forensic technician Lacey Miller, Kristen Conklin, Julie Brownsfield, Beverly Naccarato and Lori Preuninger view crime scene photos.


Email the Editor About the NRA

technicians Lacey Miller,



These ladies’ jobs have them out in the middle of the night and into the wee hours of the morning. They miss recitals, school plays and holidays. They miss teacher conferences and anniversary dinners. There are days the wind cuts through them like a knife or the rain soaks them to the bone. But most nights, when a shift is over, they return home to be mothers, wives or girlfriends. The same hands that hours before were folding an evidence bag are now folding their child’s brown paper lunch sack for school.

Lori Preuninger tells of the time she worked a crime scene while 8½ months pregnant. She arrived at the crime scene to process the body of a little girl, Jessica, who had been stabbed several times by her mother. The mother, with the child sitting on her lap, had decided to kill herself and take her daughter with her. The child died; the mother didn’t.

“Until that day, my husband Terry (a police officer with the City of Spokane) and I had planned to name our unborn daughter Jesse or Jessica,” Lori said. “The face and the mutilated body of Jessica at the crime scene that morning changed everything.”

This, however, was not the most difficult case Lori ever responded to. Her most difficult involved a young woman eight months pregnant who was stabbed more than 17 times.

“The attack was incredibly violent and bloody,” Lori said. “At the crime scene, I was able to process everything as normal. At the morgue, I was able to process normally. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have feelings or care that a woman and her baby were stabbed to death, but I have a job to do.”

Like her teammates, Lori is a professional in the field, but she’s far from an unfeeling automaton.

“Let me tell you,” Lori said. “I have learned how to have my hands in about anything at a crime scene and turn off the gore, but this year during a soccer match when my daughter broke her forearm and it had the tell-tale “W” shape of a compound fracture, I nearly passed out.

“I think when it comes to our own children and our own families, we are just as squeamish as anybody else.”

What these women see in the field cannot be unseen. Each must develop a means for dealing with the brutality they witness. For some, humor is the answer.

“I am sure that sometimes the things we laugh about would seem a little irreverent or demented to others,” said forensic specialist Kristen Conklin. “One day, Trayce and I were at the scene of a murder in a real nice house near the Christmas holiday. The house was decorated with a tree and lights and everything you would expect

‘‘... when it comes to our own children and our own families, we are just as squeamish as anybody else.’’


C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I : S P O K A N E C S I :

Left to right: Forensic technician Lacey Miller, Kristen Conklin, Julie Brownsfield, Beverly Naccarato and Lori Preuninger view crime scene photos.




in the weeks leading up to the holidays. The woman that was murdered in her home bled out in her kitchen and the scene itself was rather bloody.

“So, here we were over this victim, processing the body, when the clock on the mantle started playing ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’ For whatever reason the irony hit us both at the same time, and we both just started laughing. The thing continued to do this every hour on the hour until we left the crime scene.”

When she leaves work each day, Trayce Boniecki says she must remind herself “most people are genuinely good.” She says she has to believe in the decency of people and accept the fact that there will always be a handful of people out there that create the reason she has a job in the first place.

Trayce worked a crime scene involving the death of two parents who were murdered by their own teenage son. Evidence showed that he had murdered them inside the house by stabbing his father several times with a knife, and then bludgeoning his mother to death with an object in the garage. Trayce said the son then dragged his parents outside and used the family backhoe to scoop them up. When a shed near the house was searched, the parents were found still in the bucket of the backhoe. Detectives the next day went to the son’s school, where they found him attending class as if nothing had happened.

Trayce says she wonders what went through the minds of the parents. Did they want to fight back? Would they want their child to go to prison?

“I know that these may seem like silly thoughts at a time like that,” Trayce says. “But don’t the final, dying thoughts of people deserve an answer?”

It’s thoughts like these—perhaps specific to the feminine psyche—that set this forensics unit apart. In a beautiful setting, this team puts the ugliness in perspective.

“I must accept some days that I can’t bring back the dead,” says Lori Preuninger. “So I better get busy trying to provide a little justice to the living.”

‘‘... don’t the final, dying thoughts of people deserve an answer?’’

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Detective Doug Marske, Trayce Boniecki and Lori Preuninger work a fresh scene.


Lead forensic specialist Beverly Naccarato pulls archived evidence.



in the weeks leading up to the holidays. The woman that was murdered in her home bled out in her kitchen and the scene itself was rather bloody.

“So, here we were over this victim, processing the body, when the clock on the mantle started playing ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’ For whatever reason the irony hit us both at the same time, and we both just started laughing. The thing continued to do this every hour on the hour until we left the crime scene.”

When she leaves work each day, Trayce Boniecki says she must remind herself “most people are genuinely good.” She says she has to believe in the decency of people and accept the fact that there will always be a handful of people out there that create the reason she has a job in the first place.

Trayce worked a crime scene involving the death of two parents who were murdered by their own teenage son. Evidence showed that he had murdered them inside the house by stabbing his father several times with a knife, and then bludgeoning his mother to death with an object in the garage. Trayce said the son then dragged his parents outside and used the family backhoe to scoop them up. When a shed near the house was searched, the parents were found still in the bucket of the backhoe. Detectives the next day went to the son’s school, where they found him attending class as if nothing had happened.

Trayce says she wonders what went through the minds of the parents. Did they want to fight back? Would they want their child to go to prison?

“I know that these may seem like silly thoughts at a time like that,” Trayce says. “But don’t the final, dying thoughts of people deserve an answer?”

It’s thoughts like these—perhaps specific to the feminine psyche—that set this forensics unit apart. In a beautiful setting, this team puts the ugliness in perspective.

“I must accept some days that I can’t bring back the dead,” says Lori Preuninger. “So I better get busy trying to provide a little justice to the living.”

‘‘... don’t the final, dying thoughts of people deserve an answer?’’

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Lead forensic specialist Beverly Naccarato pulls archived evidence.


76 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor

Fallujah or Hollywood?

WARRIOR FEATURES

Answer: Neither. Instead, it’s a high-tech hybrid of Hollywood special effects, actors and ordnance that makes for a horrifying, hyper-realistic training scenario.

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... who lost both hands in an RPG attack

76 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor

Fallujah or Hollywood?

WARRIOR FEATU R ES

Answer: Neither. Instead, it’s a high-tech hybrid of Hollywood special effects, actors and ordnance that makes for a horrifying, hyper-realistic training scenario.

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... who lost both hands in an RPG attack

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78 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email Strategic Operations

You watch as an unmarked white SUV approaches the village checkpoint and a sentry signals the vehicle to stop.

Without warning, automatic weapon fire interrupts the calm of this routine encounter. The sentry spins and returns fire in the general direction of his attackers. The hail of gunfire, which seems to come from everywhere at once, is momentarily interrupted by the unmistakable sound of an RPG being launched. You see its contrail as the projectile races toward the checkpoint like a perfectly thrown pass.

Intense heat from a massive fireball washes over you as the explosion sends shrapnel and debris in every direction. Big and small, hard and soft, wet and dry, the debris carries everything from steel and stone, mortar and mud, to blood and body parts.

A donkey lies dead on its side, its eyes wide and fixed. Its internal organs spill onto the ground amid a sticky stream of blood and bile. Not far from the donkey, a lamb and goat have met the same fate. Blood is everywhere, its iron-rich smell distinct from the nauseating confluence of burning flesh, feces, bile and sulfur.

A woman’s scream registers like feedback on the periphery of your subconscious as you scan the carnage around you. The young woman, adorned in the traditional clothing of her village and faith, is covered in blood. Her right leg has been torn from her body, revealing avulsed flesh and bone where her leg should be, its meaty mass trailing behind her as she emerges from a bullet-riddled dwelling and crawls toward safety. Your senses scream, overloaded with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and impact of all that is transpiring around you.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, the scene ends with the word “index.”

The death, dismemberment and carnage you witnessed were not elements of an actual firefight, but rather of a totally immersive training scenario—courtesy of Stu Segall and his team of actors, explosive ordnance, makeup, Moulage and subject matter experts at Strategic Operations. The horrifying sights, sounds and

The realism of the Strategic Operations experience makes the training invaluable to those who will face similar real-life situations in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Her right leg has been torn from her body

“End-Ex.”


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78 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email Strategic Operations

You watch as an unmarked white SUV approaches the village checkpoint and a sentry signals the vehicle to stop.

Without warning, automatic weapon fire interrupts the calm of this routine encounter. The sentry spins and returns fire in the general direction of his attackers. The hail of gunfire, which seems to come from everywhere at once, is momentarily interrupted by the unmistakable sound of an RPG being launched. You see its contrail as the projectile races toward the checkpoint like a perfectly thrown pass.

Intense heat from a massive fireball washes over you as the explosion sends shrapnel and debris in every direction. Big and small, hard and soft, wet and dry, the debris carries everything from steel and stone, mortar and mud, to blood and body parts.

A donkey lies dead on its side, its eyes wide and fixed. Its internal organs spill onto the ground amid a sticky stream of blood and bile. Not far from the donkey, a lamb and goat have met the same fate. Blood is everywhere, its iron-rich smell distinct from the nauseating confluence of burning flesh, feces, bile and sulfur.

A woman’s scream registers like feedback on the periphery of your subconscious as you scan the carnage around you. The young woman, adorned in the traditional clothing of her village and faith, is covered in blood. Her right leg has been torn from her body, revealing avulsed flesh and bone where her leg should be, its meaty mass trailing behind her as she emerges from a bullet-riddled dwelling and crawls toward safety. Your senses scream, overloaded with the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and impact of all that is transpiring around you.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, the scene ends with the word “index.”

The death, dismemberment and carnage you witnessed were not elements of an actual firefight, but rather of a totally immersive training scenario—courtesy of Stu Segall and his team of actors, explosive ordnance, makeup, Moulage and subject matter experts at Strategic Operations. The horrifying sights, sounds and


Her right leg has been torn from her body

Visit

80 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor Support Your Troops

smells were all orchestrated, choreographed and rehearsed to create the most realistic experience possible.

Mission accomplished.Strategic Operations, on the

lot of Stu Segall Productions in San Diego, is a full-service TV and movie studio production team that provides what they call “Hyper-Realistic” training services and products to those involved in our national defense, homeland security and national response elements. Over the past six years, Strategic Operations has provided training to more than 100,000 military personnel.

Segall and his crew have

built an unsurpassed reputation for the invaluable service they provide. One command master chief and U.S. Navy SEAL writes, “The Strategic Operations training site has more to offer in force-on-force training than I have experienced in my 23 years in the military.”

While others may produce “canned” training scenarios complete with “Moulaged” victims for effect, Strategic Operations develops scenarios around their customers’ specific requirements. The details—the sights, smells, sounds, expertly choreographed explosions and other special effects—ensure each participant gets an experi-

ence as close as possible to reality, while mitigating risk in a safe and professional environ-ment. Some of the Strategic Operations’ wounds and Moulage pieces are so sophisti-cated that cuts or eviscerations bleed profusely, yet respond to direct pressure or an applied tourniquet. Such full sensory immersion provides those who must perform under such con-ditions in real life the ability to learn from their mistakes without the danger of injury, dis-memberment or death.

To supplement its television and movie production exper-tise, Strategic Operations has assembled a team of subject

matter experts with firsthand experience in the environments they recreate. Eddie Wright, a six-year Marine veteran who lost both hands in an RPG attack in Fallujah, is an excellent example.

Wright speaks with authority about how quickly things can go to hell in a handbasket during the “shit storms” of combat. The presence of his nub on one arm and prosthetic hook at the end of the other says all that needs to be said about the cost of such encounters. His voice, however, enunciates a clear message with the cadence and confidence of a battle-tested soldier.

WARRIOR FEATURES

Quam. Alescrica paties intimus, num et videndum possoltum inatis mo consupi mmovert iliachuid dius confectus, vir hos, nonvo, comanum linte, quem sena, uter pris bonum octum ponstorem la diissa cori supios medium tem non ducon.

Over the past six years, Strategic Operations has provided training to more than 100,000 military personnel. The scenarios are designed to be as close as possible to reality.

cuts or eviscerations bleed profusely,

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80 AMERICAN WARRIOR | 2010 WINTER Comment Email the Editor Support Your Troops

smells were all orchestrated, choreographed and rehearsed to create the most realistic experience possible.

Mission accomplished.Strategic Operations, on the

lot of Stu Segall Productions in San Diego, is a full-service TV and movie studio production team that provides what they call “Hyper-Realistic” training services and products to those involved in our national defense, homeland security and national response elements. Over the past six years, Strategic Operations has provided training to more than 100,000 military personnel.

Segall and his crew have

built an unsurpassed reputation for the invaluable service they provide. One command master chief and U.S. Navy SEAL writes, “The Strategic Operations training site has more to offer in force-on-force training than I have experienced in my 23 years in the military.”

While others may produce “canned” training scenarios complete with “Moulaged” victims for effect, Strategic Operations develops scenarios around their customers’ specific requirements. The details—the sights, smells, sounds, expertly choreographed explosions and other special effects—ensure each participant gets an experi-

ence as close as possible to reality, while mitigating risk in a safe and professional environ-ment. Some of the Strategic Operations’ wounds and Moulage pieces are so sophisti-cated that cuts or eviscerations bleed profusely, yet respond to direct pressure or an applied tourniquet. Such full sensory immersion provides those who must perform under such con-ditions in real life the ability to learn from their mistakes without the danger of injury, dis-memberment or death.

To supplement its television and movie production exper-tise, Strategic Operations has assembled a team of subject

matter experts with firsthand experience in the environments they recreate. Eddie Wright, a six-year Marine veteran who lost both hands in an RPG attack in Fallujah, is an excellent example.

Wright speaks with authority about how quickly things can go to hell in a handbasket during the “shit storms” of combat. The presence of his nub on one arm and prosthetic hook at the end of the other says all that needs to be said about the cost of such encounters. His voice, however, enunciates a clear message with the cadence and confidence of a battle-tested soldier.

WARRIOR FEATU R ES

Quam. Alescrica paties intimus, num et videndum possoltum inatis mo consupi mmovert iliachuid dius confectus, vir hos, nonvo, comanum linte, quem sena, uter pris bonum octum ponstorem la diissa cori supios medium tem non ducon.

Over the past six years, Strategic Operations has provided training to more than 100,000 military personnel. The scenarios are designed to be as close as possible to reality.

cuts or eviscerations bleed profusely,

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matter experts with firsthand experience in the environments they recreate. Eddie Wright, a six-year Marine veteran who lost both hands in an RPG attach in Fallujah, is an excellent example.

Wright speaks with authority about how quickly things can go to hell in a handbasket during the “shit storms” of combat. The presence of his nub on one arm and prosthetic hook at the end of the other says all that needs to be said about the cost of such encounters. His voice, however, enunciates a clear message with the cadence of a battle-tested soldier.

attack



“In my view it’s very important (to replicate battle situations),” Wright said. “I don’t think you can underestimate the power of realistic training. How you train is how you’re going to fight in combat.

“What we offer is some of the stresses, the noises, the sounds, the sights you’ll be seeing in combat. Being exposed to them, we’ve found through some of our research, has reduced dramatically the amount of mistakes you’ll make in a combat scenario.”

Another defining aspect of the company’s Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training is the realistic support structures the team creates. From buildings that replicate those a war fighter might encounter in Iraq and Afghanistan to a commercial aircraft completely outfitted with lighting, sounds and authentic interior, Strategic Operations gets things right. When the company replicates bomb- and drug-making facilities or local indigenous dwellings, the most crucial yet minute details are recreated: foreign writings, markings, graffiti, local foods, produce, mock animals and even indigenous people. The fruit, vegetables, gun emplacements, meat hanging in the street, and even weapons stashes are extremely realistic.

“It is the attention to detail and subject matter experts that set us apart,” Stu Segall says. “Creating scenarios or training environments that don’t fully immerse the war fighter don’t fully train. It is the smells, the sounds, the visual effects and the chaos of the rich environments we create that make the difference.”

The late Vince Lombardi knew something about beating his opponents. Coach Lombardi knew that preparation was not about the quantity of time you spent preparing for your opponent but rather the quality of the time.

Lombardi used to say, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

That’s a lesson every war fighter should take to heart. Strategic Operations is in the business of making sure they do.

“It is the smells, the sounds, the visuals effects and the chaos of the multitask rich environments we create that make the difference.”

Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training offers the actual sights and sounds participants will see and hear later in combat.

Military Operations

WARRIOR FEATURES

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“In my view it’s very important (to replicate battle situations),” Wright said. “I don’t think you can underestimate the power of realistic training. How you train is how you’re going to fight in combat.

“What we offer is some of the stresses, the noises, the sounds, the sights you’ll be seeing in combat. Being exposed to them, we’ve found through some of our research, has reduced dramatically the amount of mistakes you’ll make in a combat scenario.”

Another defining aspect of the company’s Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training is the realistic support structures the team creates. From buildings that replicate those a war fighter might encounter in Iraq and Afghanistan to a commercial aircraft completely outfitted with lighting, sounds and authentic interior, Strategic Operations gets things right. When the company replicates bomb- and drug-making facilities or local indigenous dwellings, the most crucial yet minute details are recreated: foreign writings, markings, graffiti, local foods, produce, mock animals and even indigenous people. The fruit, vegetables, gun emplacements, meat hanging in the street, and even weapons stashes are extremely realistic.

“It is the attention to detail and subject matter experts that set us apart,” Stu Segall says. “Creating scenarios or training environments that don’t fully immerse the war fighter don’t fully train. It is the smells, the sounds, the visual effects and the chaos of the rich environments we create that make the difference.”

The late Vince Lombardi knew something about beating his opponents. Coach Lombardi knew that preparation was not about the quantity of time you spent preparing for your opponent but rather the quality of the time.

Lombardi used to say, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

That’s a lesson every war fighter should take to heart. Strategic Operations is in the business of making sure they do.

“It is the smells, the sounds, the visuals effects and the chaos of the multitask rich environments we create that make the difference.”

Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) training offers the actual sights and sounds participants will see and hear later in combat.

Military Operations

WARRIOR FEATU R ES

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“It is the smells, the sounds, the visual effects and the chaos of the rich environments we create that make the difference.”

Signing off for now, but NRA American Warrior will be back with more guns, more gadgets, more explosions—more of the good stuff in life. We’ll keep updating NRA American Warrior for you, so check back regularly for new intel. Until then, stay safe.

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