E-Mail 'Identify And Secure Your Retreat Like An Engineer, by JAD' To A Friend

16 Comments

1. I find articles like this completely worthless. No offense to the author but a retreat plan based on a FOB which gets regular replacement of consumables, including men, is hardly a sound plan for a sustainable family retreat in SHFT.
   This article is like wanting to know how to catch Walleys and the author starts by writing find a lake.
   Some of the guidelines are directly opposed to others and none are weighted in terms of priority.
   A clear line of fire means 1,000 yards and it’s a two way range, which makes it hard on your teenage guard. You might get that out West in the desert on a hill where water,fertile ground and other materials are nonexistent but nowhere you’d actually would/could live. You’re also unlikely to be unobserved out there on that open hill.
   What I find useful are articles by people who have actually done what they write about and give specific guidelines as to what works and what doesn’t in the real world we live in, not some ME combat zone.
   In my opinion, and I have a retreat, we preppers give too much thought on that zombie biker gang down the road and not near enough time on what’s really important, water, shelter, food, sewage, power and keeping it all working day in and day out.

2. Oh yeah, cool. (not) If you aren’t already living at your site you’re doomed. You aren’t going to “bug” anywhere when the SHTF.
   All the above article is economically impossible for 99 % of the population.
   Here’s the best advice I can give. Get out of town. Become self sufficient. Be ready, but don’t let this stuff completely take over your life.

3. After looking for many years, we have finally moved to a more rural area. We decided on southern Oregon due to it’s mix of climate and low population density and access to water (we don’t want snow measured in feet).

   Now we are looking for a ranch. Our main priorities, can we afford it, access to water, and enough usuable land to homestead if needed.

   It’s hard enough to find a home that meets those considerations…

4. Why would anyone want to live in a bunker and have a bunker mentality that everyone is out to get me.
   I agree with the other comment about having shelter, water, food and ability to defend your life.
   But ultimately just have faith in God, let Him guide your steps

5. Hate to pile on, BC writing these is difficult enough, but I have to agree with most of the other commenters. This is not a very useful article, and is not at all related to any situation one is likely to face. Sometimes we can find ourself far too preoccupied with the “Rambo” mentality. I suspect that may have occurred here.

6. Sir,

   Your research and knowledge are appreciated.

   In the future, please use your talents that can be practical to the least prepared,

   Assist the least prepeared after you have provided for yourself, your family and so on.

   If you have the retreat property you have described please let readers know how to contact you.

   If not a bottom’s up approach would be appreciated.

   Your efforts will greatly assist all levels of peppers, if you choose to do so.

   God bless,

7. This article IMHO is a little too involved for the common prepper or even a smaller prepper group. To use military manuals is fine for general material but the material must be able to transition to the small scale. Everyone’s need are different in most things- retreats as well. Isolation or close neighbor support. High ground, fields of fire, etc are all well and good but worthless if this site has no available water or cannot handle septic tanks. Most of us I think have a feel for what is good for our individual situation.

8. BLUF: The article is well written and a useful primer on a procedure to securing what cannot remain secure in bad times. To USExpat and Brooksy – while this information may not be what you’re looking for, I would say that it’s premature to think that it wouldn’t be useful to someone who has to provide regional security yet still live at home when their watch is done.

   How many people consider the hard reality behind redundant security layers? Very few, but if you are law enforcement, or go in harm’s way, you must. If you think that you’ll be anything but the gray man in a WROL scenario – anything but someone who shuffles off at the sign of danger to neighbors or your community – you first must make your own homestead buttoned up.

   Adhering to a standardized approach works in physical security. This type of post is very much what those who would assign the term ‘Sheepdogs’ to themselves. If you’re not a sheepdog, you’re a wolf. If you’re not a wolf, you’re a sheep. Sheepdogs have their home lives in order before they take the risks because the wolves always want to catch them unaware, off guard. Sheepdogs are public because they’re guarding the sheep. Wolves cannot win a confrontation, but backing down doesn’t make them any less of a threat. It makes them the threat that you lost sight of.

   I appreciated this article. Engineering mindsets are detail oriented, and having a procedure on force protection is well appreciated.

9. To comment on Alpine idea the engineers mindset is a good idea but only with massive amount of money and for threats of armed enemies trying to take your position.

   If that level of security is what one wants than buy a unit in the converted missile silos at $1.5-$2.5 million.
   They can survive a full out nuclear attack.

   But for the 99.9% of the US population that level of security in a retreat is not possible.

10. Dear Sir/Ma’am,

    This is an extremely well written article, that probably only benefits the very few.

    That is my personal belief.

    Furthermore, I believe that this author could use their great talents to assisting peppers most in need; That is those who currently live in an urban environment, with limited prepping skills,and resources. This is the majority of preppers.

    That is my personal opinion.

    I would encourage this excellent author, to explore the topics that concern the majority of “Good hearted preppers”, here and abroad. and share them with us.

    This website in fact does represent a community.

    It is unique in its ideology and articles, that are published; Amongst the many survival sites.

    I would encourage all readers to leave comments to what they might consider”,Constructive criticism”.

    By preparing only the elite peppers you might encounter a more dangerous situation, if more would have been prepared in the first place.

    Conversely, by preparing more of the bottom end of preppers, everyone would benefit.

    IMO.

    Thank you writing,the authors excellent skills are appreciated.

    Sheepdog and family

11. Good article. Though many of us may never face the threats that this article hints at, that doesn’t change the fact that defense is ALL about planning. This article directs readers to time tested, battle proven methods of planning a systematic defense. And all of the cited information is applicable – at the scale one finds oneself at. One may never be placing hesco barriers and watchtowers, but the concepts apply equally to neighborhood access, privacy fences, or the deer camp. The information doesn’t lay out a defense plan for the “super rich” as some are claiming – it lays out a defense plan for anyone who is serious about holding their ground against whatever enemies or threats present themselves (and how to identify those threats). Face it, survival (whether for three weeks after a hurricane or for three years after grid failure) is the mission. It might be wise to utilize methods used to plan almost any mission worth its salt. We all need more thorough, systematic plans. Thanks for the article. I, for one, will be putting it to good use!

12. All, I greatly appreciate the feedback. A few of the comments have hit the intent of the article. It’s all about me taking military best practices and scaling them to fit my real life situations. Those that said implementing all of these principles would result in a multimillion dollar bunker are not wrong if taken at face value. Scale them down to your living situation and they can help out. My situation is different than most on this blog. Being active duty I don’t know when or where I will move, so buying a retreat at this time is impractical. With my current career plans I have anytime in the next 15 years to scrutinize every piece of land and property to get exactly what I want. To the commenters that said have 100% security doesn’t allow for self sustainability, thank you. I didn’t illustrate the competing resources and requirements well in the article. If you are familiar with project management consider the iron triangle. In this scenario you must balance security, resources, and time.

    For those that didn’t enjoy the article, I thank you for taking the time to read my long winded rant anyway. I fully recognize that not everyone thinks the way I do.

    Happy preps!

13. I think it was a good article to think about and use when you are looking for a retreat area…Many of the concepts I used when I picked out my area…Ive said here and elsewhere that Community is going to be a big part of your survival…If you aren’t surrounded by people that have like-minded thinking in regards to Survival, Liberty, and Helping one another then you need to think strongly about relocating…I’ve offered to help anyone that wants to relocate to my AO…

14. JAD,
    You laid out a large amount of material and highly technical concept very well. This topic is hard to teach to military personnel whose lives depend on it. It’s harder to present to a wide audience with a varying degree of perceived need. Great job!

15. Is the JFOB publication available for mere mortals? It seems odd to list it if access is restricted.

    Thanks!

    1. It is an unclassified publication, but it is marked For Official Use Only. This means that a service member should not hand it out to the general public, but a quick google search yielded the 1st edition. If you have qualms about looking for it, all of the Engineer information is available in the “Engineer bible” FM 5-34. (it has since been renumbered, but almost no content has changed).

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