THE GUYS
PHIL RABALAIS
Husband, father, veteran, and author of American Insurgent. I'd start off by telling you what I am not. I'm not crazy. I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I don't wear a tinfoil hat. I am a prepper, but a prepper that is realistic about the measures I have taken and the likelihood of their necessity. I don't think the zombies are going to eat us, nor that the Russians will invade tomorrow.
I'm not an operator. I was never, during my short military career, infantry, special forces, or any other high speed operator type. I was a helicopter mechanic, and I really enjoyed my MOS. Along the way, I had a few occasions where I had to step off the flightline and perform some traditional Army functions, but I would not consider myself an expert at anything resembling DA/direct action based on my military experience. I have never been a space shuttle door gunner, much to my disappointment.
I am a husband, and a father. I, and my wife (and daughter, thought she was very young when we had to ride out her first hurricane at home), have lived through natural disasters. We have had to ride out hurricanes, flooding, and
other various incidents at our homes with no access to the roads, the stores shelves, or outside assistance. It is out of these shared experiences that we believe prepping is not something comical, but common sense. Prepping is about taking care of your family, assessing the risks you are exposed to, and taking measures and making plans to mitigate them. Prepping is admitting things go wrong at times, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure any day.
I am also a military veteran that believes in protecting one's self, their family, their home, and their community. I was raised to believe that a husband has a responsibility to protect his wife, a father his children, and simply by being an adult I have a responsibility to protect those around me in the community. Some of the gear I own, and some of the things I profess, may seam excessive to the average person, but I refer back to the documents written at the time this country was founded for my justification. The Militia Act of 1792 makes for very good reading to get this point across.I started this blog, and the audio podcast, and the YouTube channel for the same reason; I want to teach and educate. I want to break down the stereotypes, disprove the myths, and bring prepping into the mainstream. It's more than just tinfoil hat and zombie apocalypse, it's a very mature admission of our inability to control all of the things around us, and a mature attempt to mitigate the risks involved. I hope you will come along with my family in this journey, and please reach out to me with any questions.
I was born in Arizona but raised in Central, Michigan. After spending some time at a community college I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to attend University. I graduated and have never left. I enjoy the city but I find myself missing the quieter life. I find that every time I move I go further away from the city, so it will be interesting to see where I move next and how far away from Grand Rapids I end up.
Growing up, I was always shooting with my family. I have been shooting since I can remember, and have always been into the idea of survivalism but never really went past that. What got me into the act was the show Jericho. Watching that show made me really think about the what-if scenario and it sparked something that has yet to go out. My dad has always encouraged firearms, either for hunting or self defense. He laughs at the idea of prepping but in reality he is closer to one than he thinks. I grew up hunting with my dad, I ate a lot of venison growing up that he shot, and my mom always had a garden. Sure, we had a grocery store, but I grew up eating home grown vegetables and it makes me want to start my own garden once I get the property for it.
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When I talk to people about being prepared, I tell them always be ready for your zombie apocalypse. Many people laugh but in reality, the phrase Zombie Apocalypse doesn't have to refer to the flesh eating. I use it to generalize that "oh shit" moment. Everybody has their own zombie apocalypse, whether it is a hurricane, tornado, or even a winter storm. In Michigan, we deal with cold winters and at times many feet of snow. I keep cold weather gear in my car for over half the year and the other half I keep lots of water and things to deal with heat.
I bugged Phil to bring me on because I feel I am the other voice that says, "Yeah, but what about this?" I feel Phil and I have a good common ground, but sometimes I like being the devil's advocate. I also feel that me being in Michigan and him in Louisiana helps split the show into South vs. North scenarios. I am a big fan of any movie or book that deals with survival or the apocalypse. What I hate is how generalized they are. Normally they take place down south or out west where it is always warm. I like the idea that Phil is sitting in AC when I need to put on a hoodie because it's 37 degrees. I hope I can help Phil bring the show to a new level. I, like Phil, want to teach and educate. I love teaching people about firearms and the idea of self defense. My goal is to spark that flame in somebody and get them learning and thinking in a different way than they are used to. If I am ever wrong, please don't hesitate to reach out and talk with me. This whole show is a learning experience and I know I won't always have the right answers.