U.S. Military “Back-Up Weapons”: How One Hero’s Training Saved His Men When He Was Disarmed In Combat

The US Military’s top enlisted man, Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell, said it himself:

“If they choose not surrender, then we will kill them. Whether that be through dropping bombs on them, shooting them in the face, or beating them to death with our entrenching tools.”

CSM Troxell was talking about our troops facing ISIS fighters out on the battlefield.

While “death by shovel” certainly sounds like a brutal statement to make in our “civilized” world of advanced weaponry – from “smart drones” to the most devastating firearms on the planet – Troxell was simply relating what all of us soldiers learn from the very first days of Basic Training…

In Life-Or-Death Combat, Experienced Soldiers Know That “Survival” Can’t Depend On Your Rifle Alone!

The True Warrior Will Use Whatever Weapon He Or She Has Available To Defeat Their Enemy!

Many in the media thought CSM Troxell’s statement was out of control for offering such imagery.

But that’s because they’ve never stared into the eyes of an armed enemy combatant intent on making sure you never make it home alive.

Troxell knew better.

He knew that even the humble “e-tool,” or “entrenching tool” – something every soldier is issued – is as much a “weapon of war” as his rifle.

“That’s ridiculous, Jeff,” you might be thinking. “A shovel, especially a tiny shovel like that, isn’t an effective weapon when every soldier on both sides has a rifle!”

Well, it’s not as far fetched as it sounds – and in fact…

The Military Has Looked At The Shovel As A Last-Ditch “Weapon” For Years!

And It’s Even Been Used In Combat When This Military Hero Found Himself Disarmed In The Heat Of Battle…

Meet Ben Wilson…

Wilson earned a Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Service Cross when he served in WWII and the Korean War, rising to the rank of First Sergeant.

At “Hell Hill” near Hwacheon Dam in Korea, as his men retreated from a North Korean counterattack, Wilson refused to back down.

Even as his rifle was wrestled from his hands in close-quarters combat, he grabbed the closest “back up” available – his military-issued “entrenching tool” (ie. “e-tool”)…

…and killed 4 MEN with the sharpened edge of his shovel!

The military has long recognized just how effective this weapon can be as a last resort.

This is evident from the e-tool’s depiction in combatives manuals through the years.

In other words, it’s not that the military ever saw the e-tool as a “primary close quarters weapon.”

But they DID understand that guns jam… break… run out of bullets… or you can even be disarmed by the enemy.

When that happens, you NEED a backup weapon that will keep you alive while destroying the enemy.

This is the same reason why I personally always carried abackup weapon with me on every single combat mission.

But I wanted something more formidable than a shovel if I was in the heat of battle and my rifle wasn’t an option.

For me, this was my U.S. Army-issued machete!

And just as the military understood, I too realized that…

ANY Weapon Is ONLY As Effective As The Warrior Who Wields It!

If You’re Not Training The Right Way – With The Right “System” – You’re At A Serious Disadvantage When Defending Yourself!

This is just a simple fact.

I feel so strongly about this that I spent 3.5 years training in the legendary “Gatka” sword-fighting system of the legendary Sikh warriors…

… and then another 2 years with another instructor, fine-tuning our own system – integrating elements of African, Central American, and Haitian long-blade tactics arts where real-world machete fighting is common.

The result?

What I would (humbly) consider to be the ultimate “long-blade” fighting system for real-world battle in extreme survival conditions!

Whichever weapon you choose as your own “back-up”, don’t sabotage your survival odds by thinking you’re “trained” simply because you own the weapon.

Is This Weapon Better Than An AR-15 In A Collapse?

How To Master The Ultimate "Survival Weapon" In Just 3 DAYS!

No Warrior would ever call themselves "prepared" without a well-stocked arsenal of firearms to face a collapse.

But guns need ammo... are loud... make you a "target"... and can break, be stolen, or even confiscated during times of chaos and martial law!

When the hordes of desperate, hungry "zombies" have blown through all their ammo fighting over the last package of Top Ramen, they’ll be coming at you with "melee weapons" - and there's only one weapon that's been proven in real-world combat to claim the title as the "ultimate survival weapon"...

And the good news is, you can master this weapon in as little as just 3 days!

What Other Back-Up Weapon Options Are You Considering For Self-Defense Scenarios Where You Don’t Have A Gun?

Please Share Your Best Survival Weapons Tips Below Now…