I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss an important concept known as Tier 1 Civilian. With everything that is going on around the world and in our own country, this idea is taking on more importance by the day.
Recently, I ranted about controlling your own destiny. The rant was a reflection of my frustration with our system of government, and how nobody should ever get their hopes up about expecting anything positive from DC, or our local governments, going forward.
In the last year, our governments have shut down the economy, causing many businesses to close, which in turn has ruined the lives of many.
Yes, it is very sad that over 250,000 people have succumbed to a terrible virus. But, the fact is, viruses will do what they will do. We can take some precautions, but we can’t stop the spread, nor contain it.
Also during the last year, many local governments have decided that the idea of protecting their citizens with a police force is a bad idea. This has also led to closed businesses and lives ruined.
The defund the police movement has also emboldened a sizable group of people in this country to assault people who they disagree with politically.
The bottom line is, you need to learn to protect yourself and your family, both physically and financially. Nobody else will do it for you, and our government system will continue to make it more difficult.
With this in mind, I thought I would write about the concept of the Tier 1 Civilian.
I first learned about this idea at the website of world renowned combatives trainer, Lee Morrison. According to Morrison the ideal civilian combatives trainee… someone who has many of the skills of a Navy SEAL, but is not in the military.
I thought I would stretch the concept a bit further to include protecting your assets. Why?
Because in the last twenty years we’ve experienced three substantial financial crises that were caused either directly, or indirectly, by government policy.
And, the usual prescription when these crises occur is to bailout corporations instead of the people whose lives have been ruined.
Let’s first get to the Tier 1 Civilian concept as described by Lee Morrison.
Tier 1 Civilian – Combatives
Lee Morrison
As Morrison describes, “within an Operational Military context “Tier 1″ refers to those units that are the elite of the elite; those that perform the most sensitive and unconventional of missions.”
Morrison goes on to say… “The Definition of a Tier One Civilian or Citizen is someone that is training hard within a variety of disciplines, that are geared toward acquiring a Reasonable level of Skill, that should translate to a reasonable level of Performance under fight duress, that will stand up within any situation of Crisis!”
Since Morrison is located in the UK, where handguns have been banned since 1997, his focus is primarily on empty hand combatives along with knife fighting skills and use of improvised weaponry.
In the U.S., our gun laws vary by state, but handguns and other firearms are at the very least allowed for home protection. As a result, U.S. citizens also have the ability to develop significant skills in this regard as well.
The Tier 1 Cvilian in this context will also step up to defend others who are being assaulted, and will also have some medical skills to deal with injuries when they occur.
Now, let me expand on the Tier 1 Civilian concept a bit more.
Tier 1 Civilian – Managing your money
Just like we hire the police through our tax dollars, we are all invested for retirement through Social Security. Many people also hire financial professionals to either manage our portfolios, or provide us with advice.
Yet, during the three major bear markets that occurred during the last twenty years, many people suffered significant losses.
If you are young enough, you have withstood the carnage if you stayed invested. However, many people are forced to sell their assets to cover for unforeseen medical expenses, loss of businesses, etc.
The real estate markets have also experienced some turbulence over the years as well. This includes homes, investment real estate and commercial real estate.
In response to these financial crises, the Federal government has resorted to both fiscal and monetary stimulus to help the economy bounce back.
One of the ways it has done this is to prop up the stock and bond markets through a variety of asset purchase programs. These have played a significant role in the quantitative easing that has occurred since the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
As a result, the Federal government now has over $25 trillion in debt, and substantial obligations to Social Security and Medicare that some have estimated at over $100 trillion.
Lastly, the Federal Reserve, which handles monetary policy, now has a balance sheet over $7 trillion.
While nobody can ever accurately predict the next great financial crisis, you can bet it will happen again. In the meantime, the value of our currency continues to erode, and prices for goods and services continue to rise.
In this regard, the Tier 1 Civilian can also be the individual who learns how to handle their money and assets in good times and bad, so that they can also be a financial rock for their family, and perhaps some friends in need.
Training
At this point, you may be wondering where to start in regard to learning how to at least protect yourself and your family, and to learn more about managing your financial assets.
In regard to managing your assets, I’ll cover that at a later date. The range of topics can be quite broad, but I will narrow in on a few based upon my own knowledge and experience, and areas that warrant further research.
In regard to self protection, the best place you can start right now is The Self Defense Company. I am personally affiliated with SDC as an instructor, and highly recommend the programs offered there, so check it out!
If you own a firearm, and want to learn more skills in their use, I also recommend you check out the E3 Firearms Association. E3 offers a membership to individuals interested in developing more skill with firearms.
Lastly, check out Lee Morrison’s website, Urban Combatives. He offers memberships and a variety of pdf files.
I’ll be discussing Tier 1 Civilian related topics quite a bit going forward.
Thanks fo reading!
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