America’s Volunteers and its state and local groups train to a standard of training that instills confidence in our members.  We believe it is important to hold to one standard of training so that all AV teams, local groups, and State Groups have the ability to act independently when the need arises but are also able to join forces and work together in larger groups and under a unified command structure.

 

Our National Training and Operations Branch has put together a resource list so that all State and Local Command Groups have a standard to train their personnel in the skills they will need to insure the safety of their members, families, team/group, communities, and if the need arises to work with other groups within AV and function to achieve any mission or task that needs to be performed.

 

North Carolina volunteers holds monthly training sessions where members come together and train in Urban and Wilderness survival, Defensive Tactics, Field Medical Operations, Emergency Communications and much more.  We encourage all members to obtain the materials contained in the reading list below and start the process of learning skills that will be needed to protect themselves, families, team/groups, and help their communities when disaster, civil unrest, or a breakdown of the system occurs.  It is important that we as American citizens are always ready and prepared to defend the Constitution of the United States of America and our citizens from all enemies foreign or domestic, and be ready to aid in disaster preparedness and response if the need arises.

 

Recommended reading:

 

The following books are used by America’s volunteers as their source material for Wilderness and Urban Survival, and Tactical training.  Many groups and organizations try and write manuals, and this is good, but we feel it is more important for our Command Staff to spend more time on gaining the information they need and getting their personnel trained. 

 

Note:  The books that have an (*) are required reading for our members and we suggest that these are the first books they purchase, the other materials can be gotten as time and finances allow.

 

Wilderness Survival:

 

* Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual by Mykel Hawke.  This manual is used as our core Wilderness Survival manual, and it is suggested that all members purchase a copy and use it as their main reference material for Wilderness Survival Training.

 

 

* Hawke’s Special Force Survival Handbook by Mykel Hawke.  We suggest that all members purchace copies of this book and keep it in their bug out bags.  There is a lot to survival and no one can remember it all. 

 

 

98.6 Degrees: The Art of keeping your ass alive by Cody Lundin.  This is a great book and will give you lots of great ideas on improvisation.  We highly recommend this book.

 

 

Urban Survival:

 

* Urban Survival Guide: Learn The Secrets Of Urban Survival To Keep You Alive After Man-Made Disasters, Natural Disasters, and Breakdowns In Civil Order.  We feel that all should have this book and it will give you information on how to develop a great plan for your family.

 

 

SAS Urban Survival Handbook: How to Protect Yourself Against Terrorism, Natural Disasters, Fires, Home Invasions, and Everyday Health and Safety Hazards.  Great information

 

 

When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin.  This is a great book that will give all many great ideas.

 

 

Tactics:

 

* Patriot Dawn by Max Velocity:  This is a novel that we encourage all of our Volunteers to read.  It is scenario based and contains a lot of useful information that will give our members possibilities that they may face, and help them to develop the mindset to deal with many situations.

 

 

* Contact: A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival by Max Velocity.  This is required reading for AV members and gives them the skills to work in teams and groups when the crap hits the fan. 

 

 

* Rapid Fire: Tactics for High Threat and Combat Operations by Max Velocity

 

 

* Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams by Christopher E Larson.  We advise all within America’s Volunteers to purchase this book.  Much of our tactical training comes directly from this book because it is easy for all to understand.

 

 

SAS Ultimate Guide to Combat: How to Fight and Survive in Modern Warfare by Robert Stirling.  This book gives really good information and will help you deal with many situations. 

 

Close Combat:

 

The following DVD’s are great for helping our members get in shape and helping them learn the skills needed to defend themselves if not armed.  Although Martial Arts, such as, Karate or Kung Fu are great for staying in shape and learning self-discipline, we feel it is more important to learn practical skills that work with gross muscle movement and are easy to learn and remember.

 

The following websites will give you links to great training DVD’s

 

Ultimate Krav Maga.  These are a great set of DVD’s that will walk you through the basics and take you all the way to intermediate levels.  I do recommend that you find an instructor and a place to train, because the classes are invaluable.

 

 

Wolfe’s Combatives has some great DVD’s I highly suggest purchasing the Core Combatives DVD’s lots of great information.

 

 

Stay Safe Media.  All the videos by Michael Janich are great and will work for people of all ages. I highly suggest the Practical Unarmed Combatives Series and the Martial Blade Concepts Series.

 

 

Note: We use techniques from all of the above systems during our Close Combat training Sessions held in Georgia Volunteers.  Our members love the training, and some have never had any experience in hand to hand and have learned a great deal from the video material above.