#brian vaught

"I have been a registered nurse for 20 years now... and no we do not have our own 'male nurse' school"

3 gun has always had a kind of macho flavor.  Running around shooting guns. The crazier the stages the better…I get it, and I love it. But when asked recently what medical supplies I keep in my gear my answer was not very macho. Maybe even a little embarrassing. It might show how un-macho I am, but so be it..I will share.

I have been a registered nurse for 20 years now. (yes a male nurse, and no we do not have our own “male nurse” school). I have cared for all kinds of patients, from the worst trauma to the simplest illnesses. When it comes to remaining healthy and functional on the range, from what I have seen in 6 years of 3-gunning all over the country, the key is simple prevention of simple injuries. If I get shot (god forbid), call for EVAC and hold pressure. I will do the same for you. (provided you are not too far ahead of me in match points).  Most performance reducing injuries or health concerns are simple to prevent so you can enjoy your time on the range.

This is a Short List of What I take to a Match and Why:

Sunscreen, SPF 45 or greater- sunburns sneak up on you and once you got one, it takes days to heal. Key is to apply sunscreen generously about every 2 hours and wear a hat. Don’t be the guy that looks like he just had a chemical peel. It’s a dumb look, and that guy never looks like he is having fun.

Insect Repellent- Ticks, chiggers, turkey mites, mosquitoes. They are dangerous. Where I live in central Kentucky, chiggers can make your hide look like a well used steel target in no time. They also have a stealth factor. You don’t know you were covered in chiggers until your junk starts to get itchy…in a bad way.  Many times simply applying deep woods off, or another repellent with high DEET content, around your boots and ankles can be enough to do the trick. In wooded areas, you may have to resort to total coverage.

Anti-inflammatory Meds- I hate to take pills, but about day 2 of any match, I take Motrin in the morning before heading to the range.  Last year I must have given away 30 doses to my fellow shooters. Hangovers, sore muscles, headaches…it is good stuff. 

Socks-You have to take care of your feet! One of my teammates actually got a case of trench (immersion) foot at Task Force Dagger this spring. He spent 3 days standing in wet boot/socks.  One morning he woke up and his feet were so swollen and red, he could hardly stand on them (Yes we made fun of him and called him a dumb-ass…teammate obligation fulfilled). Take plenty of dry socks, extra shoes, and change them at intervals that make sense. If you have a long wait between stages, change into dry socks. Boots are great, and many can be worn for long intervals comfortably, but if you notice your feet are sore on day one, don’t expect them to feel better on day 3 unless you change something related to your footwear. Once you are off the range, get cleaned up and rest your feet by giving them some air and wearing comfortable footwear during downtime. 

" ...if you need a Motrin, no problem I’ll let you bum a couple, but you will have to bring your own tactical ass-cream."

Tactical ASS-Cream- Yep, this is the particularly un-macho part of my “match medicine” kit. When you are at the Pro-am, in a 108 degree heat index, for 3 days, there are parts of your body that are wet… That should not be wet for that extended duration. This causes chafing, skin breakdown, swelling, and pain. By day 2 and a half you think you are shooting with a bunch of cowboys because everyone is walking with their legs spread apart to reduce friction in said “affected area”. Desitin, or other moisture barriers, applied before rash develops, is a sound “tactical” decision to consider.

"I have been a registered nurse for 20 years now... and no we do not have our own 'male nurse' school"

3 gun has always had a kind of macho flavor.  Running around shooting guns. The crazier the stages the better…I get it, and I love it. But when asked recently what medical supplies I keep in my gear my answer was not very macho. Maybe even a little embarrassing. It might show how un-macho I am, but so be it..I will share.

I have been a registered nurse for 20 years now. (yes a male nurse, and no we do not have our own “male nurse” school). I have cared for all kinds of patients, from the worst trauma to the simplest illnesses. When it comes to remaining healthy and functional on the range, from what I have seen in 6 years of 3-gunning all over the country, the key is simple prevention of simple injuries. If I get shot (god forbid), call for EVAC and hold pressure. I will do the same for you. (provided you are not too far ahead of me in match points).  Most performance reducing injuries or health concerns are simple to prevent so you can enjoy your time on the range.

This is a Short List of What I take to a Match and Why:

Sunscreen, SPF 45 or greater- sunburns sneak up on you and once you got one, it takes days to heal. Key is to apply sunscreen generously about every 2 hours and wear a hat. Don’t be the guy that looks like he just had a chemical peel. It’s a dumb look, and that guy never looks like he is having fun.

Insect Repellent- Ticks, chiggers, turkey mites, mosquitoes. They are dangerous. Where I live in central Kentucky, chiggers can make your hide look like a well used steel target in no time. They also have a stealth factor. You don’t know you were covered in chiggers until your junk starts to get itchy…in a bad way.  Many times simply applying deep woods off, or another repellent with high DEET content, around your boots and ankles can be enough to do the trick. In wooded areas, you may have to resort to total coverage.

Anti-inflammatory Meds- I hate to take pills, but about day 2 of any match, I take Motrin in the morning before heading to the range.  Last year I must have given away 30 doses to my fellow shooters. Hangovers, sore muscles, headaches…it is good stuff. 

Socks-You have to take care of your feet! One of my teammates actually got a case of trench (immersion) foot at Task Force Dagger this spring. He spent 3 days standing in wet boot/socks.  One morning he woke up and his feet were so swollen and red, he could hardly stand on them (Yes we made fun of him and called him a dumb-ass…teammate obligation fulfilled). Take plenty of dry socks, extra shoes, and change them at intervals that make sense. If you have a long wait between stages, change into dry socks. Boots are great, and many can be worn for long intervals comfortably, but if you notice your feet are sore on day one, don’t expect them to feel better on day 3 unless you change something related to your footwear. Once you are off the range, get cleaned up and rest your feet by giving them some air and wearing comfortable footwear during downtime. 

" ...if you need a Motrin, no problem I’ll let you bum a couple, but you will have to bring your own tactical ass-cream."

Tactical ASS-Cream- Yep, this is the particularly un-macho part of my “match medicine” kit. When you are at the Pro-am, in a 108 degree heat index, for 3 days, there are parts of your body that are wet… That should not be wet for that extended duration. This causes chafing, skin breakdown, swelling, and pain. By day 2 and a half you think you are shooting with a bunch of cowboys because everyone is walking with their legs spread apart to reduce friction in said “affected area”. Desitin, or other moisture barriers, applied before rash develops, is a sound “tactical” decision to consider.