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Articles by Mark Miller
The Fitness Industry's Golden Goose
Mark Miller, the COO of Merritt Clubs, shares the fitness industry’s golden goose and three recommendations on how to care for it. What is the best way to lead your clubs to success? What gives you the most in return for your efforts? To illustrate this conundrum, I’d like to turn to the fable “The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.” A man and his wife owned a goose that laid a golden egg every day. They decided they were not getting rich fast enough.
What are Good Risk Management Practices?
For club owners and operators to implement good risk management practices, they need to understand what a good practice is. Risk management is all about planned attentiveness. Club owners and operators are well served by using rare periods of downtime to focus on potential business risks. They’re more likely to notice lapses in equipment servicing, deferred maintenance issues, staff complaints and concerns, and business challenges that require their attention.
6 Thoughts to Get Back on the Road to Success
Mark Miller, the COO of Merritt Athletic Clubs, shares six thoughts to be back onto the road to success after the last two years. This time last year, we thought we were looking back on the longest 12 months in the history of our industry and lives; yet it continued. So here we sit April 2022. A lot has changed in our landscape and will be forever. We could not have known then that the past two years would be challenging and memorable.
The Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course: Where Failure Can Be fatal
I have been through a lot of training over the years. After a few beers, people sometimes ask about the toughest training I have ever seen. After you read this story, I think you will agree that the Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC) at the Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West, Florida, takes the prize. I went through CDQC before it was a seven-week marathon — my hat is off to those guys who took the course after I did.
Fighting with the Marksmanship Fundamentals
The mighty United States Army teaches four fundamentals of marksmanship. You need to know these to make it through Basic Training: 1. Steady position focuses on grip, elbow placement, rifle butt position, stock weld, bone support, muscle relaxation and natural point of aim. 2. Aiming focuses on sight alignment, eye focus and consistent sight picture. 3. Breath control teaches the soldier to hold his breath when firing.
The Ideal Cartridge for Personal Defense? It May Be The .40 S&W
The .40 S&W has been called “the Ideal cartridge for personal defense”. Does it live up to that title? There have been a lot of folks through the years who thought so and new ammo lines like the SIG V-Crown have pushed the .40’s performance to new levels. Specifically developed to duplicate performance of the FBI’s reduced-velocity 10mm cartridge, the .40 fits into medium-frame (9mm size) automatic handguns. It debuted January 17, 1990, along with the new Smith and Wesson 4006 pistol.
The Ideal Cartridge for Personal Defense? It May Be The .40 S&W
The .40 S&W has been called “the Ideal cartridge for personal defense”. Does it live up to that title? There have been a lot of folks through the years who thought so and new ammo lines like the SIG V-Crown have pushed the .40’s performance to new levels. Specifically developed to duplicate performance of the FBI’s reduced-velocity 10mm cartridge, the .40 fits into medium-frame (9mm size) automatic handguns. It debuted January 17, 1990, along with the new Smith and Wesson 4006 pistol.
Shoot Better with SIRT Trainers: Laser Beams Make Everything Better
The SIRT is a useful training tool to augment live fire training exercises. The resetting trigger allows the user to “fire” the gun without having to action the slide and the shot indicating lasers provide immediate feedback for shot accuracy. SIRT is an acronym for Shot Indicating Resetting Trigger.
Lee Armory's Build Class: Make your own AK rifle
The guys at Lee Armory know AKs. They run a manufacturing operation and have all the jigs fitting and parts for building AK rifles. They also have a cadre of gunsmiths who know and love the Kalashnikov design in all of its variants. Most importantly, Lee Armory wants to help you build that perfect AK to your specifications. If you live in an area with state restrictions, Lee Armory can talk you through your options for a legal build. Because they are close, California guns are a specialty.
Think Like a Green Beret: Never Quit
One thing that all special units have in common is an aversion to quitting and quitters. The greatest sin, the one unforgivable error, is to quit, no matter what the obstacle. Only death can stop a truly determined man. You have to know that the man next to you will not break and run when things get tough.
Primary Arms 4X Compact Prism Scope: World-class Reticle
Primary Arms is well known for quality optics at reasonable prices. Their new 4X Compact Prism Scope with their Patented ACSS Reticle “Advanced Combined-Sighting System” continues that tradition. It has everything you could want in an affordable and easy-to-use package. The integrated mount attaches directly to a Picatinny rail, and with an optional mounting screw, you can attach the scope directly to a fixed AR15 carrying handle. There is an accessory rail on top to add a red dot or laser.
.40 S&W Cartridge: Ideal Cartridge for Personal Defense?
The .40 S&W cartridge has been called the “ideal cartridge for personal defense and law enforcement.” The .40 S&W was specifically developed to duplicate performance of the FBI’s reduced-velocity 10mm cartridge and fit into medium-frame (9mm size) automatic handguns. It debuted January 17, 1990, along with the new Smith and Wesson 4006 pistol.
Building the FMK AR1 eXtreme: 1 lb 10 oz Complete AR Lower
The FMK AR1 eXtreme is an AR15 Lower Receiver made from high impact proprietary composite polymer. I just put this lower together and I am impressed. The key to a good AR build is the lower receiver and the AR1 eXtreme is the strongest composite polymer lower on the market. The big news is a weight savings of 4.4 ounces. The AR1 eXtreme weighs in at 4.3oz. A milspec lower weighs 8.7 oz. My complete lower build came out to 1 pound and 10 ounces.
Nazi Wunderwaffe: the MG42 and the Sturmgeweher
At the start of the World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) equipped their infantry with a mix of bolt action rifles and machine guns. They would find that mass production required a different weapon and a new machinegun, the MG42 was developed. Between the wars, they had developed the revolutionary Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34. This air cooled, belt fed machine gun fired the standard 7.92 x 57mm Mauser rifle cartridge on reloadable non-disintegrating links. What made it so special?
Nazi Wunderwaffe: the MG42 and the Sturmgeweher
At the start of the World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) equipped their infantry with a mix of bolt action rifles and machine guns. They would find that mass production required a different weapon and a new machinegun, the MG42 was developed. Between the wars, they had developed the revolutionary Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34. This air cooled, belt fed machine gun fired the standard 7.92 x 57mm Mauser rifle cartridge on reloadable non-disintegrating links. What made it so special?
The FMK AR1 eXtreme Polymer AR Lower: Strong and Light
The FMK AR1 eXtreme is a multi-caliber, Mil-Spec, AR15 Lower Receiver, manufactured in the USA of a high impact proprietary composite polymer. The key to a good AR build is the lower receiver and the AR1 eXtreme is the strongest composite polymer lower on the market. Made in America, it comes with a lifetime warranty. The big news is a weight savings of 4.4 ounces. The AR1 eXtreme weighs in at 4.3oz. A milspec lower weighs 8.7 oz.
Blowndeadline Custom Cerakote: Combining Art and Science to Make Great Guns Awesome
BLOWNDEADLINE applies Cerakote H-Series firearm coatings. That is like saying Einstein did math. BlownDeadline (BDL) creates unique custom finishes and themed builds using patterns and stencils created in-house to make mind searing crisp designs without limits. If you have been thinking about cerakote, it is time to stop thinking and fill out an order form. I have had a love hate relationship with gun painting.
Think Like a Green Beret: Small Victories
In the Special Forces pipeline, everyone goes to SERE school (Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape). One of the most powerful concepts they teach is winning small victories. If you can win even a small victory, you can stay motivated in an impossible situation. SERE school starts with classroom training on the Code of Conduct, then continues with field training in evasion and survival skills. The finale is a simulated prisoner-of-war camp complete with beatings and interrogations.
Think Like a Green Beret: Worst-Case Thinking
“If your bayonet breaks, strike with the stock. If the stock gives way, hit him with your fists. If your fists are hurt, bite him with your teeth.”—General Mikhail I. Dragomirov, “Notes for soldiers,” 1890 The JFK Special Warfare Center is dedicated to reshaping the thought patterns of their students. They put out a lot of techniques and facts, but those things change over time. The enduring lessons of the Special Forces course are not facts or what to think, but how to think.
Think Like a Green Beret: Don't Stress
Then a 32-year-old sergeant first class from Opelika, Alabama, Bennie and his team were working with a 400-man South Vietnamese civilian irregular defense group (CIDG) at Camp A Shau. The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were so impressed by the team’s efforts that they assembled a regiment-size force and, on March 9, 1966, set out to eliminate the camp and its occupants. The attack was efficient and professional—beginning with intense mortar fire.
Think Like a Green Beret: Don’t Stress
Even by Green Beret standards, Bennie Adkins has a pretty high stress tolerance. During over 38 hours of direct enemy contact and 48 more hours spent evading North Vietnamese troops, Sergeant First Class Adkins killed over 100 enemy soldiers, received 18 wounds from enemy fire, and was stalked by a tiger. For four days he performed Herculean tasks under incomprehensible stress. How do Green Berets perform at such superhuman levels?
Think Like a Green Beret: Plan Your Exfil First
Nobody hates a suicide mission more than a Green Beret. Through the entire training pipeline, it is emphasized that a highly trained Special Forces soldier is a national treasure who should smart his way out of things and live to fight another day. Turns out that the National Command Authority was quite willing to throw Green Berets at a certain difficult problem with very slim odds of survival. Between 1964 and 1988, selected Army Special Forces ODAs were trained to hand-deliver nuclear weapons.
Snake Hound Machine’s “The Loudener”: First impressions
The guys at Snake Hound Machine have embraced the true essence of the muzzle brake compensator. Unapologetically named “The Loudener,” its designers have embraced the fact that, while it reduces recoil, both blast and noise are increased, though refocused and repurposed. Now, like the heroes in Spinal Tap, you too can turn it up to 11.
Think Like a Green Beret: The CARVER Matrix
When you belong to the military of a wealthy nation state, there are many options to solve problems. Green Berets are taught to fight on the cheap, using what is available locally. This makes things a lot more interesting. There is a story I like to tell about a repair man that embodies the mindset and skill of a Green Beret. One day, the big office remote printer broke down, and a repair service was called in. Thirty minutes later, a guy with a bow tie and a briefcase full of tools shows up.
Think Like a Green Beret: Tactics
Green Berets have extensive training in tactics. Phase three of the qualification is 12 weeks of “tactical skills.” In Afghanistan or Iraq, tactics mean the difference between taking fire and being overrun. The word has been diluted and overused. Green Berets know a few things about tactics. Currently, there seems to be a movement to ridicule the ubiquitous word “tactics.” I mean to take the word back. “Combat” is also a much-abused word, as is “operator,” but that is another problem altogether.
TAC-CON 3MR TRIGGER – Speed for the Common Man
Seems like everybody these days wants to shoot faster. There is a whole YouTube channel devoted to watching Jerry Miculek shoot fast. Full auto is fun, but expensive and fraught with legal peril unless your employer can provide you with a machinegun. Rapid semi can give control and economy that you just can’t get at 600 rounds per minute of full auto. That is where the Tac-Con 3MR comes in.
The Phoenix Program: America's Use of Terror in Vietnam|eBook
Read an Excerpt The Phoenix Program America's Use of Terror in Vietnam By Douglas Valentine OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA Copyright © 1990 Douglas Valentine All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4976-2020-9 CHAPTER 1 Infrastructure What is the VCI? Is it a farmer in a field with a hoe in his hand and a grenade in his pocket, a deranged subversive using women and children as a shield?
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