WHY Would I Attend ITS Muster 4?

Twelve hours ago, I arrived home from ITS Muster 4 in Bridgeport, Texas.

Put on by my friends at Imminent Threat Solutions, it is five day immersive weekend to learn new skills and immediately put them into practice. (that is me in the blue shirt in the middle of the photo above)

There will be a full write up coming soon once I've been able to decompress and try to put the experience into words.

This post had to happen immediately though because the number one question I'm getting asked is "Why would someone go to an event like this?"

Sadly, I've also been asked more than once, "Did you join a militia?" or "I had no idea you were a prepper?"

I can't speak for all the attendees who were there, but for me the why is a very simple answer.

I like to learn new things and know as much as possible about the world around me.

There will most likely never be a time in my life when I'll need to patrol through a hostile environment, but I now know how to do it without saying a word to my team.

The day when I need to break out of a zip tie restraints or saw my way out with a piece of kevlar string hopefully will never arrive, but I did both this weekend.

Becoming a thief by picking locks is never going to appear on my resume, but opening a lock with a plastic key I traced and cut from a photograph of a real key was an exhilarating feeling.

I pray I never need to make an improvised tourniquet with a carabiner and a ripped shirt to save one of my family members life, but now have the skills to do so.

This patch board was given to us at the end of the weekend with patches for each of the skills we learned. It makes me smile to think about all the new knowledge I gained over the last few days.

Why does a guy like me who doesn't own a gun, a single piece of camo clothing or a truck attend an event like this?

The same reason the accountants, lawyers, detectives, college admissions staff and others all attended.

To learn what we didn't know.