Garand Thumb - SERE Specialist on Surviving the Most Dangerous Places on Earth | SRS #342

Mike Jones opened the interview by discussing his background as a retired Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) specialist and TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) officer who transitioned to becoming one of YouTube's largest firearms and tactical gear creators. He detailed his religious journey, beginning as a Mormon raised by converted parents, attending the Missionary Training Center at age 18-19, then leaving the Mormon faith to become a Christian focused on his relationship with Christ rather than institutional religion.

Jones extensively described his SERE specialist training pipeline, which involved a rigorous 1-2 year progression starting with a 3-week selection course (TRIPS) focused on improvisation and survival skills under extreme task saturation and caloric restriction. He explained how SERE training cycles through every major biome—Arctic, desert, jungle, coastal, and open ocean—with progressively fewer participants as people drop out. In the Arctic training near Deadhorse, Alaska, Jones experienced temperatures dropping to -80°F, where he struggled with extreme dehydration despite the frozen environment, frost nip on his toes, and the psychological challenge of moving slowly enough to avoid sweating (which would cause hypothermia) while maintaining body heat. The desert training involved a 48-hour water deprivation exercise in sand dunes near Vantage, Washington, where he experienced severe dehydration symptoms including eye irritation, muscle cramps, and sand infiltration in his nasal passages. He described learning to extract water through transpiration bags, digging for water tables, and the controversial method of distilling urine through tarps. In jungle training near Forks, Washington, Jones dealt with constant moisture, endless insects without repellent, false forest floors from dense vegetation, and had to eat banana slugs that secreted mucus-like compounds. The coastal environment was his favorite due to abundant seafood resources, while open ocean training on life rafts proved miserable due to seasickness from Coast Guard cutter operations.

Jones explained the theoretical foundation of SERE training: returning with honor by avoiding capture when possible, not divulging information if captured, and maintaining psychological resilience through faith, family, or patriotic conviction. He emphasized that the "will to survive"—the psychological X-factor—matters more than specific skills, citing examples like Pultam's survival on a life raft and Vietnam prisoners like John McCain who endured torture without breaking. Jones noted that faith and family emerged as the two most common motivators for survival, followed by belief in country.

Regarding his transition to TACP, Jones described the role as advising, assisting, and controlling air assets for ground forces. He explained the distinction between TACPs (primarily attached to conventional forces) and Combat Controllers (specialized in airfield seizure who become JTACs and air traffic controllers). Jones expressed admiration for A-10 pilots and their multi-faceted capabilities as both close air support specialists and Sandy qualified rescue coordinators. He discussed working with various aircraft including F-16s, Apache helicopters, AC-130 gunships, and MQ-9 drones, noting the shift toward drone warfare diminished the personal connection with pilots compared to traditional manned aircraft operations.

Jones traced the origin of his YouTube channel "Garand Thumb" to an accidental moment in 2017 when he made a video on setting up a JPC plate carrier to avoid repeatedly explaining it to military colleagues. The video unexpectedly gained a million views, leading him to create content on gear setup and firearms reviews. He emphasized that he started each week posting one video since 2018 without missing, covering everything from tactical gear to survival skills to experimental military weapons. Jones detailed his hands-on experience with hundreds of firearms, including rare systems like the Russian A94 with its ingenious dual-round hyperfire mechanism using pulleys, and Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) trials entries like the True Velocity polymer-cased ammunition system. He noted that service rifles reflect cultural and environmental priorities—Swiss Sig 550s featured sealed actions for Alpine conditions, for example.

On Ukraine warfare and drones, Jones reported that interviews with Ukrainian veterans revealed drones account for over 90% of kills, fundamentally transforming combat by enabling 24/7 surveillance and constant threat from FPV (first-person-view) kamikaze drones. He explained that movement has become nearly impossible; units attempting repositioning face immediate strikes from hunter-killer drone crews. Jones noted that armored vehicles provide the best mobility options, though even these remain vulnerable. He emphasized that electronic warfare represents the missing piece—once widely deployed, it could shift drone usage toward logistics rather than direct strikes, but currently Ukraine lacks comprehensive EW capabilities. Jones predicted that fieldcraft and individual soldier skills remain paramount even in drone-saturated environments, as proper camouflage and movement discipline during optimal weather windows can still defeat detection.

On preparedness and prepping, Jones emphasized water as the absolute priority, recommending stored 50-gallon drums with bleach as a bridge until rain collection and filtration systems are established. He discussed gravity filters lasting 100,000 gallons, making water purification straightforward, while water collection remains the challenge. Jones explained that coastal properties require digging half a mile inland to hit freshwater tables that salt filtration has already purified. He advocated strongly for community preparation, noting that the Mormon Church's two-year food storage requirement represents wise preparation strategy. Jones stressed the importance of hard-copy books (mentioning the Air Force 64-4 SERE manual and Home Depot carpentry guides) since digital resources will be unavailable post-collapse, and seed storage for future gardening.

Jones addressed the darker realities of collapse scenarios, noting that desperation fundamentally changes human behavior. He referenced his experiences in post-earthquake Haiti where cholera spread due to inadequate sanitation, and observed how people behave during hurricanes—fighting over water bottles, emptying gas stations within hours—despite no actual emergency occurring. He emphasized that during true collapse, the period of lawlessness (estimated 1-2 weeks of intense violence and theft) will be unavoidable; firearms become essential for protecting property from starving, desperate people. He noted that predicting who to trust during scarcity is impossible, making community relationships established beforehand crucial. Jones advocated for rural property with water rights, secluded from neighbors, potentially backed by undevelopable public land, citing a Green Beret friend who used Google Earth's green sections (protected land) to identify isolated properties with miles between homes.

Jones expressed passionate support for companies demonstrating integrity: Silencer Shop's lawsuit that eliminated ATF suppressor wait times despite risking their business model, and SIG Sauer's decision to donate entire SWAT team outfits (rifles, suppressors, optics, flashlights) to an under-resourced county sheriff's department rather than charging cost. He also discussed SIG's swift legal action removing firearms from Roblox's active shooter simulation games that recreated real events like Sandy Hook with victim names displayed.