At PMCI we realise that in some circles military contractors are still viewed as “guns for hire”, or more simply put, mercenaries, former soldiers that will put their lives on the line for cold, hard cash. But is this a bad thing when they not only fight for the money, as virtually every professional soldier does, but for ideals as well? Bill looks to the story of “Mad Mike” Hoare who turns 100 years old in March 2019, to take this further.
The question of the “mercenary soldier” will no doubt vex minds far more learned than my own, but history can show many examples where the “paid and professional soldier” fought not on behalf of their country of birth, but for an ideal that they truly believed in. The days of the “gentleman adventurer” may be gone now, but I believe it is still a reason why good men and women may take up arms against a foe in distant lands.
I am certainly not naive enough to realise that some are truly “just in it for the money”, but many that leave the military and search for “what comes next” have spent their formative lives defending an ideal (whether that is country, creed, or just simply the guy next to them), and with a different mindset and a set of specialist non-transferable skills decide, like “Ronin”, they must seek to follow the warrior path but without a specific master; it’s their beliefs, morals, and ideals that drives them to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
It was my great honour to be contacted by Chris Hoare, the son of a man that you could say history has dealt harshly with in some circles, but that in my mind epitomises that “gentleman adventurer” of a different age, a man who would find a welcome amongst the modern day warrior that fights for pay; “Mad Mike Hoare”.
Thomas Michael “Mad Mike” Hoare was born on 17th March 1919, and is a British-Irish mercenary leader best known for his military activities in Africa and his attempt to conduct a coup d’état in the Seychelles. The epithet “Mad” Mike originates from broadcasts by East German radio during the fighting in the Congo in the 1960s.
They would precede their commentary with “The mad bloodhound, Mike Hoare”.
Esta historia es de la edición March 2019 de Private Military Contractor International.
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Esta historia es de la edición March 2019 de Private Military Contractor International.
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GEAR ON TEST
If you’re training, on the range, or indeed in need of a fine partner to carry all your EDC items, then sometimes a small pack can be the answer! We’ve been trying out the latest version of one of our favourite designs, and find that it still meets our needs as well as ever.
FIVE YEARS STRONG!
AT PMCI WE PREFER TO CONCENTRATE ON BRINGING YOU THE MOST INSIGHTFUL AND VALUABLE INFORMATION WE CAN IN EACH AND EVERY ISSUE, CONCENTRATING ON PRODUCTS AND PROVIDERS THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO TRAIN AND PLAN EFFECTIVELY RATHER THAN BLOWING OUR OWN TRUMPETS! HOWEVER, WE’VE JUST REACHED A MILESTONE THAT WE FEEL IT’S RIGHT TO SHOUT ABOUT, AS THE EDITORIAL TEAM HITS THE FIVE YEAR MARK! BILL AND TRAMPAS GIVE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THOSE FIVE YEARS, AND WHERE THEY’RE HEADING NEXT…
Spotting Danger With Gary Quesenberry
Over the course of the past twenty years, trampas has worked in and around law enforcement on the local, state, and federal levels through various task forces before transitioning to the firearms and training industries. His travels have led him around the usa to meet some amazing people and learn many valuable lifesaving skills. Of these skills, one of the most important to learn and pass along to family, friends and students is that of situational awareness. So important in fact, pmci decided to invite a special subject matter expert to join us and discuss his new book on the topic! - ts.
RUGER-57
Late December of 2019, Ruger Firearms threw the gun industry for a loop by announcing a new semi-auto pistol chambered in 5.7x28mm aptly named the Ruger-57. This nearly 30-year-old cartridge, commonly perceived to be pertinent only to a niche market, was suddenly, the main topic of conversation! -TS
KIT: TACTICAL FLEECES
Although they are nothing new, one of the most overlooked bits of kit in our “tactical wardrobe” is the fleece, but it’s actually one of the most versatile garments that you can own, both for training and for general use! As we head into the colder months of the year Bill takes a look at some of the models he’s been using and abusing and brings us the benefit of his years of use and technical garment knowledge!
MICROTECH SCARAB
In the knife community, there is perhaps nothing more captivating than the “SWWWICK” sound of an automatic knife. Whether it’s the classic linage of the stiletto switchblade from our favorite gangster movies or if it’s the mystique of being banned in several states, the automatic knife remains on the top of every blade fan’s “must have list”. -TS
ATTACKSENSE UPDATE – PEER TO PEER TRAINING
If you’re a regular reader of PMCI then you’ll know that some of the contributors, especially those in the UK where access to live fire training is limited, have been making good use of their “6mm” tools to keep their skills and drills up to date with the AttackSense Smart target System, and now it looks like things are getting even more interesting with live peer to peer “ranking data” available! -BT
CONSOLE VAULT
AS AN AVID PRACTITIONER OF LEGALLY CARRYING A CONCEALED FIREARM EVERY DAY AND TEACHING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME THROUGH THE TRAINING COURSES OUR COMPANY OFFERS, TRAMPAS IS CONSTANTLY AWARE OF AREAS IN WHICH HE CANNOT POSSESS A FIREARM, AND LOOKS TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THOSE MOMENTS WHEN HE NEEDS TO SECURE HIS “TOOLS” WHEN MOBILE. - TS
CHANGING THE TRAINING DYNAMIC WITH THE REALISTIC TARGET COMPANY
Throughout my law enforcement career, the standard training for our department, as with many agencies across our state, consisted of a static range with a solid color (black, blue, or green) human silhouette known as a B-27 target. It was only during my regular training as part of the SWAT team away from the patrol, upper brass, and investigations personnel in which things were a bit more “dynamic”.
SKILLS & DRILLS
With our good friend and valued PMCI contributor Andy N fully back in the fold, he shares the experience he has gained both in the UK military and “on the circuit” as he continues with his usual wry take on the “Skills and Drills” that are invaluable to any shooter!!!
