HEY TATER
IT'S REALLY A GREAT EXPERIENCE, BELIEVE ME. I WAS A MEMBER OF THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SAR WHEN I WAS STATIONED AT GEORGE AFB.
REALLY HELPED ME OUT WHEN I WENT TO SURVIVAL SCHOOL AT FAIRCHILD. THE BERDOO GUYS REALLY TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT LAND NAVIGATION. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL LATER ON ALSO.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIGH PLACES, THEY WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO RAPPEL OFF OF THOSE. YOU TALKED ABOUT EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED, WELL THE BERDOO GUYS MADE US MAKE OUR OWN RAPPELING SEAT HARNESSES. THEY REALLY WORKED. THE WAY WE MADE THEM WAS NOVEL. WE WENT TO THE NEAREST FARM SUPPLY STORE AND BOUGHT ROPE AND MADE THE SEATS. THEY MIGHT TEAR OFF YOUR MANHOOD BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THEY WOULD NOT BREAK.
AT THAT TIME WE GI'S SAVED THE COUNTY A LOT OF MONEY AS SECURITY AND MEDICAL CHECKS WERE CONCERNED, THEY ACCEPTED VERBATIM MILITARY PAPER WORK. IF YOU HAD A S OR TS CLEARANCE THEY ABOUT KISSED YOUR FEET. THEY ALSO KNEW WE WERE DRUG CHECKED. YES WE HAD TO PEE IN THE BOTTLE EVEN IN THOSE DAYS. I'M TALKING 60'S HERE.
I HATED THOSE THINGS. HITTIN' THAT BOTTLE SITTING ON THE NURSES DESK WAS REALLY TOUGH.
FURNISH AS MUCH OF YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT AS YOU CAN. YOU PROBABLY HAVE QUITE A BIT ALREADY, IT'S CALLED HUNTIN' STUFF.
TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ARE A GOOD SIDE ARM AND KNIFE.
AT THAT TIME WE WERE CONSIDERED A RESERVE DEPUTY SHERRIF
WHICH THE AIR FORCE WASN'T REAL HAPPY ABOUT, BUT THAT'S BASEBALL.
NAVIGATION NOW SHOUL BE A SNAP. THANKS TO GPS. ALL WE HAD WAS A COMPASS A RULER AND A PENCIL. WE SIMPLY TRIANGULATED AND WORKED GRIDS.
MOST OF OUR RADIO WORK WAS DONE ON CB'S. THEY WERE "SLIGHTLY" TWEAKED BY A FORMER RADIO MAN FROM WW2. I'M NOT SAYING THEY WERE POWERFUL BUT THE LOCAL RADIO STATIONS IN BERDOO COMPLAINED TO THE FCC ABOUT OUR SIGNALS.
AS FAR AS LEARNING THE OPERATIONS IT'S JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE WHILE YOU ARE IN THE LEARNING STAGE, KEEP YOU EYES AND EARS OPEN AND YOUR MOUTH SHUT, UNLESS YOU HAVE A SENSIBLE QUESTION.
GOOD LUCK PARDNER AND I'M SURE YOU WILL FIND IT AN ENJOYABLE, REWARDING EXPERIENCE.