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Book Reviews - Homeland Siege and Tequila Junction
H John Poole Studies
March 08, 2023
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In my continuing study of the works of H John Poole, I recently finished Homeland Siege and Tequila Junction.  The two are really a set, because Homeland Siege discusses the flow of drugs into America and the impact of MS-13 and M-18 on the American Homeland, and the CHINESE influence behind it, while Tequila Junction covers China and Iran's influence on drug and human smuggling throughout South and Central America.  China's goal in all this is destabilizing the US.

H John Poole is a prolific writer and former US Marine.  His writing focuses on small unit tactics for military and police, and it's easy to extrapolate that out into tactical measures for our purposes as prepared citizens.

HOMELAND SIEGE

Amazon Affiliate Link: Homeland Siege

Part One states the source of the drug problems in America: CHINA.  Poole begins by explaining how Triads operate and how the Triads are linked to the People's Liberation Army and thus the CCP.  He then goes on to explain the drug trafficking routes and how they are protected by MS-13 and lesser-known M-18.  Both of these immigrant gangs now function as sort of Private Military Companies offering escort and route security services for drug cartels, who are in turn supplied product (Fentanyl) by China.

A little-known fact exposed by Poole is the city of Mexicali, Mexico.  This city is nearly completely Chinese and is a stop-over point for Chinese illegal immigration.  The discovery of underground tunnels at the US borders (both northern and southern) would tend to indicate an Asian influence, since Asian armies have used them extensively (Japan, North Korea, China, and Vietnam).  The fact that they are on BOTH the northern and southern borders confirms this.  Hezbollah also is known to use them, and that confirms the Iranian influence as well.

Poole posits that the problem has far exceeded the ability of civilian police and federal law enforcement and that perhaps it's time to treat it as an insurgency and a foreign instability operation being conducted against us by the Chinese.

In Part 3, Poole gets to specific small unit tactics.  He begins by studying the Mumbai terror attack and the use of a water escape route by the terrorists.  He then takes a deep dive into the Lima, Peru hostage rescue at the Japanese Ambassor's Residence in 1996.  In this case, the commandos used a swarm attack from tunnels to appear all over the building at once, crushing resistance before they could harm the hostages.  

After that, Poole discusses a better doctrine with less collateral damage than what US military tactics are for assaulting a building.  The Princes Gates SAS hostage rescue is used as another example.

Next, Poole gives an in-depth analysis of defensive operation by the Germans in WW1, the Russians in WW2, and the NVA in Vietnam.  All involved a mobile defense by falling back to covered or underground routes before being decisively engaged.  Very specific small unit tactics are covered (sorry, buy the book) that would be OUTSTANDING for a small civilian self-defense or local security unit to employ, rather than trying to copy typical "big army" US doctrine.  

The book finishes with a discussion of China's takeover of Nepal.  The study is chilling in it's parallels to things we are seeing today.

TEQUILA JUNCTION

Amazon Affiliate Link: Tequila Junction

Tequila Junction discusses the possibility of using fire-team sized elements to interdict drug and human trafficking.  For our purposes, the same skill set would enable a small local security element to protect a large area from infiltration and lawlessness.

Part One lays out the problem - Areas south of the US Border are facing Marxist and Maoist movements that began as military revolts and are ending in election victories.  As the Soviet Union died, Cuba needed a new sponsor.  It was a small adjustment to switch from Marxism to Maoism.  Cuba directs China's influence operations throughout Latin America.  Iran also lends a hand. Hezbollah has a large presence in South and Central America.

Each chapter gives a brief history and country brief on every country in the region.  The book is eye-opening and will have you looking up Hutchinson-Whampoa Ports to see what all China controls.

In the second part, Poole describes Latin America, with it's drug issues, as more similar to Afghanistan than to Iraq.  In order to disrupt the alliance between Latin American Marxist/Maoist/Islamist groups and China/Iran, 4th generation warfare is needed.  

Poole makes the bold statement that despite America's technological advantage, "21st century wars will be won by dismounted infantry."  He points not only to our own troubles in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also to a pair of little-known ambushes that happened is the Hamas/Hezbollah war with Israel.  At both Bint Jbiel and Wadi Saluki, small groups of well-hidden and well-armed insurgents DESTROYED an entire Israeli tank battalion with almost no losses.  Tanks might take ground, but you need men with rifles to hold it.

Part 3 discusses Poole's thoughts on 4th Generation Warfare Counterinsurgency.  Spoiler Alert: It's not what's in FM 3-24.  To illustrate the advantages that a Maoist guerilla has, Poole studied ZANLA operations in Rhodesia (HAIL BRUSHSTROKE GODS).  Does anyone remember who advised ZANLA?  The Cubans and the Chinese.

The best part for our purposes is his discussion of "Deep Interdiction" tactics.  It lays the groundwork for a small fire team to be inserted and live off the land.  He gives specific patrolling and assault tactics, as well as a great layout for hidden patrol base operations (again, buy the book).

No discussion of small unit tactics against other small units would be complete without an analysis and discussion of tactics used by the British in Malaya and the Selous Scouts in Rhodesia (Make Zimbabwe Rhodesia Again) and Poole covers their tactics well.  He thoroughly discusses the Selous Scouts' extensive use of turning enemy combatants into allies, which could be helpful for us.

Poole discusses Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia and suppression of the Khmer Rouge insurgency as an example of a more successful operation than ours in Iraq.  Having fought as guerillas, the Vietnamese had a better appreciation of their foes.

While discussing 4-man patrols, Poole gives a few great ideas for defeating drones.  In our modern times, drones are a pervasive and enduring threat, so you need a plan for it.  All is not lost; they are actually fairly easy to defeat.

Options for working in an urban area conducting security operations are discussed as wel;.

The book closes with a list of training exercises that your Mutual Assistance Group could conduct to get ready for these operations.

As usual, when it comes it H John Poole, my recommendation is to include these books in your training library.

Next, we'll be reading Dragon Days, which discusses how a small unit could secure a large area filled with opposition.  

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Situational awareness.

Today’s run going north into Nashville I encountered a small group of protesters on an overpass, their protest was political in nature and banners openly calling for violence. (Comey beach numbers and Kathy Gifford infamous photo)
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If the summer of 2020 showed us anything it is that motivated people, of either political or religious ideology are willing to do some outlandish things.

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DM-32UV Radio Review

Brushbeater Store Link: Baofeng UV-32DM

I know, I know, "Not another Boo-Fwang", right?  Well, this one fills a need for the prepared citizen, and it's not what you think.  I've had one for about 2 weeks and have been testing it out.  In this, I'm going to recap my thoughts.  

Let me just say that if you are a sad ham, or a fan for amateur "Digital Mobile Radio"/DMR, you should probably stop reading.  NC Scout and I teach an entirely different skill set with the DMR than you use, and you won't like it.  I did not test this out on a single DMR repeater and did not try to program every ham DMR contact in the world into my radio.  Sorry.  Just like we say at every class, "This is not ham radio".

So, if I don't use Amateur Radio DMR, why would I want a digital radio?   Well, for starters, in a complete collapse and Without Rule of Law (WROL) situation, a digital voice signal (like your cell phone) travels farther than analog voice, so there is that.  Our use case is for sending text messages via a handheld radio.  I know, some sad ham is going to screech about how we can't do that without a permission slip from our overlords, but that's entirely FALSE.  Digital text messages are allowed on MURS and you are allowed to send text messages via FRS/GMRS under the rules.  It's perfectly legal, sad hams. Wait until you hear about digital over CB - wild times, man, wild times.  Oh, and Midland is campaigning to add digital voice to GMRS, just like the Europeans did with PMR (Personal Mobile Radio - 446 Mhz).

I tested the message function and it works across all brands.  In other words, I was able to send and recieve text messages with my Baofeng digital radios, my Abbree ones, and Motorola XPR digital radios.  They all also recevied the digital voice using both the All Call ID and private calls.  A cool side effect of using digital traffic is that anyone with an analog-only radio will just hear static rather than your comms.

Another important feature on these radios is AES 256 encryption.  I tested it with my other Baofeng DMR (DM-1701) and the Abbree DM-F8 DMRs I own and the encryption worked flawlessly.  I was not able to get it to handshake with my Motorola XPR and XTS radios.  That's both a blessing and a curse I guess.  However, if everyone on my team has one of these and the same encryption key, we are good.  Now, neither NC Scout nor I recommend running encrypted radios all the time because they draw unwanted attention to your traffic, but there are times and places when I might want it.

The software is easy to use, but a little quirky.  For example, when programming repeaters, if you don't "Forbid Talkaround", the radio defaults to talkaround only and doesn't let you activate a repeater.  Checking the "forbid" box solved it, but it's annoying.  It also required me to enter the All Call talkgroup (16777215) manually, while every other DMR I've ever had had it already in the radio.

I recommend setting the squelch to 3 on all of your channels.  I started with 5 and wasn't receiving anything at all, while my other radios were. Adjusting it down to 3 was a quick fix.

The stock antenna is actually quite good, once you set the squelch properly.  

The radio is very well-built and is designed to look like a Motorola APX.  It fits very well into AR-152 pouches.  My radio came with a pouch, but I am not a fan of the stock pouch.

The main problem I have with it is the screen brightness.  When turned all the way up, it is still not readable in daylight.  You can turn the screen off as well.

The radio accepts all the standard K1 accessory cables.  You don't need to buy a whole bunch of additional stuff that way.  The radio battery screws into the unit and accepts USB-C charging, so you can charge it on the run.  You can also find spare batteries on Amazon.  For the first time, the people at Baofeng got the charger right - the charging base is also USB-C powered.  FINALLY, I can run the quick charge base from my vehicle power using a USB cord.  Well done.

The radio has GPS and will do automatic APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System).  I did test the GPS function (because of two hams who asked me like a million times - you know who you are).  It matched what my Garmin GPSMap said exactly, including speed and elevation.  I did not test APRS because I am never comfortable broadcasting my location for anyone with a radio to find.  Before you tell me that I carry a phone that does that, several students will attest that one rural Tennessee Sheriff Department complained that my phone pings in Europe (they weren't looking for me, they were looking for a student in the woods with me whose mother was worried - Sorry Samuel).  I do turn the GPS on once a day to keep the clock updated, which is VITAL in digital communications.  Once it gets a fix and accurate time (from somewhere I'm not going to be at for long), I turn the GPS off.  It gets a fix in about 30 seconds after the first time.

The range is simlar to every other VHF/UHF dual band radio.  I am able to hit the Bigfork repeater from 30-35 miles away if I am outside with no problem.

While I think this radio is a must have for advanced users, I don't reocmmend it if you are just starting out.  If you haven't taken the RTO and Advanced RTO course, you won't have much of a need for one of these.  It will not replace my AR-152 for tactical operations, and it won't replace my AR-5RM that I use as my daily business radio, but it has a use for clandestine communications like NC Scout and I teach.

At $99.99, it's more expensive than other Baofeng's, but cheaper than most DMR units.

Again, it's not a radio that everyone needs.  However, if you need a DMR, getting this one or the Abbree DM-F8 is a good idea.

If you're new here, we do reviews like this and on other topics as well as share breaking news with subscribers.  Additional content is avaible for paid monthly supporters as well.  SIgn up.

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Book Review: The Debilitating Tools of War
H John Poole Studies

Affiliate Link: The Debilitating Tools of War

H John Poole, legendary trainer at the USMC School of Infantry East, has released a new book, dealing with the threats posed by modern technology and how to defeat them.  The book touches on the two areas most people are concerned with most, drones and thermal imaging.  His opinions match those of NC Scout and I and hopefully the book can open some eyes.

As always, Poole begins by pointing out that the US military, and all western miitaries, are overly reliant on technology.  We have the most advanced and accurate weapon systems the world has ever known and drones are an incredible force multiplier.  However, as Poole points out, these tools haven't exactly enabled us to defeat Eastern soldiers.  We fought the Koreans and Chinese to a stalemate, we were defeated by a farmer militia in Vietnam, and we were outlasted by tribal militias in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also points to the example of Ukraine, where both sides are using drones heavily, but depsite the Instagram videos, neither side is winning.  In truth, both sides are now reverting to small unit skills and smaller bodies of troops to make progress....more on that later.

The book covers more than just drones and thermals.  Poole dives into weapon mounted lights and lasers, night vision, GPS, acoustic and motion sensors, and many other gadgets we use.  He cites the historical examples of how Eastern soldiers have consistently been able to defeat all of this with solid squad and team level small unit tactics, movement skills, and movement planning.

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Book Review: Reluctant Partisan V2

Book Link: The Reluctant Partisan Volume 2

This weekend, I finished John Mosby’s second volume: The Reluctant Partisan, Volume Two: The Underground.  This volume builds on the first, which was directed more at the actual rural fighting force of a local resistance/partisan unit.  Volume Two concerns itself with the other aspects of resistance, running operations in an urban area, to include intelligence and counterintelligence.

While I liked the book, brace yourself for Mosby’s style.  The only thing I don’t like about this book is his looking down at anyone who wasn’t SOF but thinks they will form a resistance.  He spends a lot of time bad-mouthing the 3 percent movement, which is probably justifiable, but it gets to be too much.  He also derides most of the preparedness community unless you are a super-athlete.  While he has a valid point, he lays it on a bit thick and rather than motivation, it comes across as ridicule and hate.  I’m able to roll my eyes and glean the great training material in here but just brace yourself.

Having said that, this book has great material in it, far beyond the typical “tacti-cool” stuff you find.  He talks about developing an intelligence network and local defense group, finding like-minded people, and intelligence analysis. He also covers counterintelligence and guarding the image you project.  These sections need to be read and re-read dozens of times.  Might even make great class content…..

Just like me, he breaks down “gray man” tactics into reality.  There is a time to be the “gray man” and blend in and there is a time to project the “we will kill you if you trifle with us” image.  As I said, once things get spicy, gray man essentially goes out the window, except in very specific circumstances.

John offers an excellent primer on vehicle patrolling and movement tactics and the appendix contains a very good training curriculum for vehicle operations. 

There is a chapter on the urban guerrilla’s primary weapon, the handgun.  He goes into great detail on handgun operations as well as two-man CQB, the same type that most of the private military companies teach (as well as CAG and other SOF units).

There is a chapter on rifle selection and use.  John smartly stresses familiarity with the manual of arms on several different rifle platforms, as you may have to pick one up and use whatever your enemy was carrying.  It may not be the AR-15.  It might end up being Mikhail’s Brilliant Tool (the AK) or The Right Arm of Freedom (FN-FAL/SLR).  The appendixes contain a pistol and rifle training program.

It’s a solid book and I recommend it.  You can only find it at lulu.com.

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