vonsteubentraining

Can Cannon Grenadier TACSOP (videos)

It is with great pleasure to announce that I have FINALLY finished the TACSOP videos for the Can Cannon Grenadier concept. Thank you for your patience, this has been several months in the making. Topics covered: I wanted to present this material in as professional and thorough a manner as possible. It ended up beingContinue reading “Can Cannon Grenadier TACSOP (videos)”

Hawg-Ops.com Part II: Unit Symbols and Map Making

Two years ago I discovered hawg-ops.com. It’s a very potent open-source map tool and I wrote an introductory article on it back in August 2022. Since then I’ve been fiddling around with it and have discovered a few more features that I will share with you today. Adding Unit Icons The site has the abilityContinue reading “Hawg-Ops.com Part II: Unit Symbols and Map Making”

2024 Spring Training Classes

I am pleased to announce that the open enrollment classes for this spring are finally up on the training schedule and registration is now open. This includes the first Team Leader II class, which is being graciously hosted in the mountains of Western NC by a good friend of mine. While Team Leader I is anContinue reading “2024 Spring Training Classes”

The Minuteman’s Guide to Signature Management (SIGMAN)

When we hear the word “camouflage,” we think of a sniper wearing a ghillie suit or our favorite camo patterns. In reality, there is far more to the topic of camouflage than simply visual concealment. The modern battlefield is saturated with sensors of all types, and it is important to be cognizant of how vulnerable you areContinue reading “The Minuteman’s Guide to Signature Management (SIGMAN)”

Mountain Training Event AAR

This past weekend I had the privilege of spending a few days in the mountains of Western NC training with some friends. There was a combination of force-on-force exercises, radio practice, TCCC training, and the fieldcraft involved with just dealing with the elements of being in the mountains in winter. I came away from this eventContinue reading “Mountain Training Event AAR”

When Gear Fails

Stuff breaks. No matter how expensive an item is or how many torture tests it passes, everything will wear out and break eventually if it is actually used. Or human error gets the best of us and we just lose things. When this happens in the military, Uncle Sam just reaches into his your pockets and replaces saidContinue reading “When Gear Fails”

Assessing the Effects of Fires

Anyone who has ever done any sort of small-unit tactics training can remember “covering” a buddy while they move. This is good to learn, but there can be a bit of misunderstanding as to what actually constitutes “covering fire” or “suppression”. Just because you are putting rounds downrange does not necessarily mean that you have “covering fire,”Continue reading “Assessing the Effects of Fires”

Minuteman Grenadier: How to Make 66mm DPS Rounds (Video)

Boltboy and I demonstrate how to modify EG-18 smoke grenades such that they can be launched from a can cannon. We call them 66mm DPS (Dual-Purpose Smoke) rounds, since they can be launched for hasty target reference points or thrown/launched for screening movement. We are NOT building explosives, we are simply putting a pre-made pyrotechnicContinue reading “Minuteman Grenadier: How to Make 66mm DPS Rounds (Video)”

On Body Armor Part III

Part I of this series laid out the pros and cons of armor and provided context on when it should be used. Part II was a guide on what to look for when purchasing armor. Today, in part III, I will demonstrate proper fit and wear of a plate carrier and provide some tips onContinue reading “On Body Armor Part III”

On Body Armor Part II

In Part I, I covered general pros and cons of body armor, as well as considerations for when you and shouldn’t wear it. In this article I will cover what to look for when purchasing body armor. Determine How Much Protection You Need/Want The first step in purchasing armor is deciding how much protection youContinue reading “On Body Armor Part II”