Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.” – Luke 24:4-9 (KJV)

Notes for Saturday – September 12, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Aging Prepper, by R.H.

If you are reading this article, then you are aging. Obviously, the only way to escape aging is to pass on to the “other world”. So assuming that you are not reading this while comfortably seated in a recliner in the Happy Hunting Ground, let us have a discussion of aging and how it relates to the activity of prepping.

First, aging usually brings forth some diminished mental and physical abilities. Those past the age of say forty have probably noticed changes in eyesight and perhaps lessened strength and endurance. Balance and reflexes are probably not as keen as they were when we were teens or twenty-something.

Reminders

Let’s face it; our memory is not as good as it was either. In the short-term, we may joke about it, but down deep we worry about the long-term effects of age-related dementia. This particular topic came to mind (pun intended) the other day when in one absent-minded episode I left the garden gate open and forgot to shut off the drip irrigation tube from a rain barrel. That day, my forgetfulness was a minor inconvenience, something to shake my head at and make me mutter to myself. After TSHTF, this lapse could be disastrous. The garden could be wiped out overnight by deer or other critters, and the waste of water from a rain barrel could very likely impact my survival.

In answer to my one-day lapse of judgement, I implemented a system of reminders to hopefully eliminate future “brain cramps”. Sure, I’m a note-writer, listing chores to do and assigning them priorities, but now I also use bright colored ribbons so I know at a glance if a task has been completed or not. Similar to lock out devices for safety in the industrial world, I tie a survey marker ribbon on the garden gate or the rain barrel spigot to remind me that the job is completed. I seem to remember that step in the process, and I don’t have to think “Did I remember to . . . ?”

After nearly driving out of my garage with a chain saw on my truck’s tailgate, I’ve employed a “tailgate in use” ribbon that I place over the steering wheel. I place the ribbon on the truck’s steering wheel when I’m working off the tailgate, and I remove it when I’m done. It’s easy peasy, and it prevents me from doing something stupid that might be costly.

All of this started me thinking of other things I should prepare for as I age. I began by assembling a notebook with suggestions I took from SurvivalBlog entries. My notebook has lots of information, including water purification techniques, copies of important paperwork, and contact lists, and it tells me at a glance what I have for food stores, precious metals, ammunition, and medical supplies. I don’t have to trust anything to my failing memory! The information in the notebook is backed up on a flash drive in my bug out bag.

First-aid and Medical Supplies

Anyone over fifty can tell you about aches, pains, symptoms, and so forth that can sneak up on you without notice. Maybe stocking some over-the-counter medications would be prudent. Start with age-appropriate multi-vitamins. Since you will be outside more and not in an air-conditioned house, maybe some antihistamines for worsening allergies. Chopping and splitting wood may be the rule of the day, so aspirin and NSAIDs will help with muscle aches.

Even if you currently eat what you store, there will still be a change in diet, so stockpiling some laxatives and other supplements could help. Something to control diarrhea is a must have. Think of the Civil War casualties that were caused by dysentery alone!

You will be working hard just to survive. Some of these situations may be risky or downright dangerous, so it is prudent to prepare for injuries. As a prepper, you should have already stocked first aid supplies, but have you considered recovery from a sprained ankle, a twisted knee, or even a broken femur? Maybe you should check the neighborhood garage sales and thrift shops for a pair of adjustable crutches that can be utilized while you or family members heal. The same thing goes for splints, support braces, and maybe even a wheelchair. I recently suffered from plantar fasciitis, and believe me it dramatically reduces one’s mobility. I was prescribed an adjustable boot splint that helped me heal and enabled me to walk. After my recovery, I kept the boot in case of future problems.

Tools to Ease the Burden

Your overall strength will most certainly diminish with age, and you won’t be able to rely on gasoline-powered implements and vehicles. Stock things like buckets, carts, and wheelbarrows to make life a bit easier for yourself. Also, consider pulleys, jacks, “come-alongs,” wire, wire cable, and rope for the very same reasons.

Whetstonesand files will keep your cutting instruments sharp. If they are sharp, they will be safer, and you won’t have to work as hard. You should already have crosscut saws, axes, splitting mauls, and wedges ready to go to work when the gasoline dries up.

Fire Safety

With an eye toward fire safety, you will want to keep grass, weeds, and brush back away from your house, woodpile, barn, and other structures. There won’t be an organized fire response post-TEOTWAWKI, so perhaps sickles and scythes (with a sharp scythe blade) would help keep dry weeds and other vegetation at bay. Stock and mount fire extinguishers in likely places. You may not have pressurized water available, so the extinguishers become very important and enable you to fight a small fire before it gains in strength and size. You may not be physically able or have the endurance or equipment to fight a large fire.

Water

Water will be of utmost importance, and it is heavy. As you get older, you will not want to carry water a long distance, if you can help it. I highly recommend installing rain barrels now, while materials are available. You can get the system working for watering vegetables in the garden now, and later you will be able to also utilize your catchment system for your consumption, bathing, and clothes washing needs. If rain water catchment is prohibited in your area, at least get the components now for a complete system to assemble after TSHTF.

Also consider saving thicker, quality, food-grade gallon jugs with handles. It is much easier to carry a gallon in each hand and make a couple of trips than to wrestle a 5-gallon container of water. Don’t forget a couple of steel water bottles and cooking pots for heating water for purification and cooking.

Speaking of hauling water, how about dish washing after TSHTF? At my age, I only want to haul the minimum amount of water, so dish washing becomes a very low priority. I have stockpiled paper plates, the good ones, for a time when I will only haul water for consumption purposes. While not considered “green alternative” right now, I can get lots of them inexpensively and store them forever. After I use them, they can be burned or dried and used to start the next cook fire, leaving no trace but smoke and ash.

Gardening

Gardening will mean food. If you haven’t started at least a small patio garden yet, you should consider doing it very soon. You have probably read that there is a leaning curve associated with gardening, and that is very true. Even if you can garden successfully in South Carolina, there will be a learning period if you move to Idaho. Weather patterns, insect pests, soil types, and diseases constantly test your skill and knowledge. A vegetable can be doing well, and then overnight something can almost wipe it out of your garden!

Try to construct your garden to suit an older you so that you can keep gardening as you age. Consider raised beds and vertical gardening in order to ease back strain. Plan your rain catchment system to be close or connected to your garden to lessen watering trips. Small vegetable gardens close to your house may serve you better as you age rather than large gardens a tractor ride away. If you can, stock fertilizer and maybe insect control products.

A rolling compost bin may be a bit easier for you to handle than forking and turning over large conventional compost heaps. Some bins are even mounted on legs to eliminate all that bending over.

Optics and Health

Your failing eyesight might require good quality optics, like waterproof binoculars to identify threats at a distance. Long distance rifles should be fitted with scopes that can work in low light situations. While we are on the “optic topic”, get lots of reading glasses, and get them now! I have a pair in virtually every room in my house, my vehicles, my shop, my tackle box, and even in my bug out bag! Even if you don’t need them yet, buy bunches of inexpesive reading glasses in varying strengths. You will be glad you did when you can’t read, thread a fish hook or a sewing needle, or even tighten a screw without them. Extras will be great barter material, and the people who didn’t plan ahead will clamor for them.

Your eyes, teeth, and overall health should be checked soon. Fix any problems while you still have access to health care providers. I can’t imagine enduring a toothache without a dentist handy!

Threats to You, Your Family, and Your Property

The rules will change dramatically after TSHTF. As a prepper you have probably at least started a modest armory of weapons and ammunition. As I’ve gotten older, I have sold or traded beautiful, expensive, or unique “wall hanger” firearms for a narrow but deep armory that includes identical patrol rifles, identical home defense shotguns, and identical sidearms. These firearms span only four ammunition sizes, so I only have to stock those calibers. Having identical models helps with training and provides interchangeable parts. As a side note, don’t forget spare parts and cleaning supplies for your guns. These will quickly become scarce.

To summarize, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and plan for the future. In a survival situation, nature forces us older preppers to work smarter, not harder.

Letter Re: Killer Survivalism

Dear JWR:

I would add a thought to the advice from the writer of “Killer Survivalism“: Don’t neglect your current responsibilities in favor of your preparations for TEOTWAWKI.

A relative of mine had a “prepper” mindset but was not very stable financially. He had chronic problems with credit card debt, could have used a better automobile, and constantly put off repairs to his house. Upon his sudden death from a heart attack, I helped dispose of his estate and found that although he was chronically short of funds, he had spent a large amount of money on stored food and other preps, which he kept in his home and in rented storage units. He also had a sizable quantity of “junk silver” coins squirreled away. I pointed the supplies out to his heirs and made sure they didn’t just roll up the coins and sell them at face value. I think they will make good use of all his “goods”, so his efforts won’t go to waste, but the stress of his preparations and the related debt may well have contributed to his death.

I sometimes counsel friends on preparedness but always advise them not to go overboard. A well-thought-out plan executed in a methodical way will get you prepared without undue financial hardship. Of course, world events may take a sudden turn and justify an accelerated plan. You can be the judge of what’s appropriate in your situation.

Incidentally, whenever somebody laughs off my own warnings of potential hard times ahead, I share with them a motto: “Paranoids are rarely taken by surprise. On the other hand, people who live with their head in the sand are often surprised by everything.” – R. in TN

Odds ‘n Sods:

Military misplaces black plague samples – J.C.

o o o

Taking the President’s lunch money: In Major Humiliation For Obama, Iran Sends Soldiers To Support Russian Troops In Syria – GJM

o o o

Interesting, the kinds of articles that are starting to show up on such relatively nerdy sites as “Zerohedge”, these days… Guide for Learning to Use a Sidearm to Defend Yourself, Your Loved Ones, and Your Property, Should a Race War Break Out – GJM

o o o

Hackers had full access to your GM car for five years – D.S.

o o o

Microsoft is downloading Windows 10 to your machine ‘just in case’ – P.S.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. – Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (KJV)

Notes for Friday – September 11, 2015

September 11th is of course the anniversary of the 2001 Al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. , but it is also the anniversary of the Benghazi Embassy attacks in 2012. Please remember the sacrifice of J. Christopher Stevenson, Sean Smith, and CIA (former Navy SEAL) agents Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Between them, Woods and Dohery reportedly dropped at least 60 of the attackers, before their position was overwhelmed. Please also remember the spineless worms in Washington, D.C. who decided to not back up the embassy staff when they were in dire need of help. Eventually, they will pay for that. Time wounds all heels.

o o o

Chad from Infidel Body Armor has produced a bugout/tactical survival training DVD and companion book called Driven. Those who purchase the book will get a month subscription at Team Infidel (discounts, in-person training, webinars, and articles). In addition to the physical DVD, you will also get instant access to the book and DVD online. Opening day is today (9/11).

My Long Lesson, by D.D.

As an engineer I make my living by solving problems efficiently and with an eye toward the future. I can be stubborn in technical things, which bleeds into other parts of my life. This article is a about how that failed to serve me. Perhaps, it will ring true for you.

I remember the day I became a prepper. I was living and working in southern California. One morning in my office, after a discussion of current events a fellow engineer quietly and kindly said to me, “You know, gasoline stations only have about one day of fuel in their underground tank. Supermarkets only have three days of food on the shelves.” He didn’t then tell me what to do but left it at that. I did not. By the weekend, I had a couple of 5-gallon cans of gas put up in the gardening shed, four gallons of water, and a dozen cans of food in the hall closet. Then, I started reading.

Assembling my “get home” bag was instructive, and I learned that most of the preparedness gear in the outdoor stores are junk. I had some extra money saved up, so I partnered with my cousin to order $3,000 worth of med kits, tools, and so forth with the goal of buying vendor tables at the local gun shows. Before I placed that big order, I bought samples and took everything apart to inspect. It wasn’t SEAL grade, but it was pretty good to get people going.

After six months, we had attended three gun shows and one community fair. Our gross sales were $17. It wasn’t because we dressed shabbily, didn’t have a lot of product on our table, or ignored people who walked by. It was because most Americans simply don’t care. At the big gun show in Phoenix, I remember a fellow that turned over a $20 medical kit for a good five minutes, reading the list of contents and such. Finally I offered, “That’s a nice kit to put in your glove box.” As he set it down, he remarked, “Yeah, I really should get one of these.” Then he walked away.

It has taken me five years since that event to finally come to grips with the fact, my friends, that most of America doesn’t want to be saved. They want their comforts of life and are willing to put up with inland border checkpoints, the NSA reading their communications, et cetera, as those are minor inconveniences. The really important things are that Facebook runs quickly on their phones, Snapchat is still free, the NFL is ramping up for a new season, and of course Bud Light and Doritos will be on sale this weekend.

I’m engaging in extreme sarcasm here. Wait, am I? How many people do you know that really want their freedom, their dangerous freedom? The Israelites turned on Moses when they ran out of food in the desert, and that was quite the rescue plan he effected. To how many of your friends have you casually mentioned the surprisingly low resources of the local gas station and supermarket, and yet received a blank stare? Or how many even violated your own OPSEC for a close friend and shared a bit about your preps, only to have it ignored? Yes, me too.

If we are to lead and succeed in protecting our families, we must be wise as serpents (but harmless as doves). The first element of an OODA loop is to Observe. It took me a long time to stop chasing after people who don’t want to be helped, because I didn’t want to believe my observations. Now, I turn my energies toward myself, nurturing my family, and training with my like-minded associates.

Letter Re: The 20% Solution, by Redoubting Thomas

Hugh:

I have comments to the communications section of Redoubting Thomas’ article. Communication is the process of moving information from one place to another. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, there will not be just one specific communication need, there will be several. You will want to communicate over short, medium, and long distances. Some communications needs will be one way. Some will be two ways. Differing needs require differing means to achieve differing objectives. In my opinion, the CB radio, for very many technical reasons, is a poor solution for many, if not most, of these needs.

The author emphasizes that CB requires no license. Technically, this statement is untrue. While the FCC does not require an individual station license, the legal user of a CB is licensed collectively as an eligible licensee, i.e., a U.S. citizen. The FCC does regulate the use and specifications of CB radios in the U.S. In a WROL situation, having or not having a license means nothing.

The author states that a CB radio “can do up to 12 watts on SSB (4 on AM).” Then he goes on to discuss the relative merits of SSB versus AM operation, suggesting that SSB is inherently better because of wasted power in the carrier and one sideband. In reality, the 12 watts for SSB is peak envelope power and the 4 watts for AM is average carrier power. These two types of power– peak envelope power and average carrier power– describe two very different things. The fact is that 12 watts PEP and 4 watts average carrier power are essentially the same amount of usable signal power at the antenna and that either type of signal travels essentially the same distance given the same environment.

The description of how a modulating signal applied to a carrier generates sidebands is generally correct in a simple way, however, the primary effect is that generating a SSB signal is more efficient in terms of the information content, but generating a SSB signal requires more complicated circuitry and increases the cost of the transmitter and receiver as compared to an AM radio.

The author talks about NVIS versus omni antennas and increasing communications distance. The concept of NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) antennas is about transmitting a signal nearly straight up so that the signal reflects back down, off of the F2 layer, within roughly 200 to 600 miles of the transmitter. Unfortunately, this effect starts to lessen dramatically above roughly 10 MHZ. At CB frequencies near 27 MHz, there is no NVIS effect. Transmission of NVIS signals at near CB frequencies exceeds the critical angle for reflection and pass right through the ionosphere into outer space. Omni, meaning omnidirectional, antennas will generally provide the least distance in any particular direction. You can increase distance, in one particular direction, by choosing a beam antenna over a typical omnidirectional antenna. There are many antenna designs with greatly differing characteristics in gain and directivity. Which one to choose depends on the purpose of the communication system.

The author mentions sunspots, the ionosphere, and the Creator. The Creator has given us the 11-year sunspot cycle. We are currently about half way down from the peak of the current sunspot cycle. This means that for about the next ten years, long distance communications on CB frequencies will be virtually nonexistant. Most CB long distance communications is by means of sporadic E skip. You might have heard the term “talking skip”. This is where the term comes from. The “E” in sporadic E skip refers to the E layer of the ionosphere. The E layer is created daily by the sun and disappears at night. It also has some seasonal effects. The word sporadic means that increased densities in the E layer able to support long distance CB communications occur only sporadically. A means of communication that depends on sporadic occurrences and changes with time of day and time of the season is not very predictable or reliable. CB radio is probably best used for short distance communication in a local area. For this use, it is a disadvantage that residents of the east coast can hear your communications between neighbors in Idaho.

My point in mentioning all of this detail is twofold. First, because communications needs vary greatly, communications solutions also vary greatly and can be much more complicated to implement in a real TEOTWAWKI situation. Preparing long-term communications plans requires knowledge of radio equipment, antennas, radio wave propagation, and an understanding of the communications requirements and how to combine these factors to achieve the desired results. Second, I would highly suggest that anyone looking to provide communications in the long term either spend the time and effort required to get the knowledge and acquire the skills necessary or find someone who has the knowledge and skills to help them with their plans.

– an Extra Class Ham

Economics and Investing:

Personal Austerity – A.L.

o o o

Buy Gold, Sell the S&P

o o o

Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Peter Schiff – Meet QT; QE’s Evil Twin

GLOBALIST WARNS FED RATE HIKE WILL CAUSE PANIC, CALLS FOR QE 4

Government Employees Outnumber Manufacturing Employees 1.8 to 1 – News Flash: We are in trouble…

Krugman `Really, Really’ Worried Abenomics Might Fail – You need no better proof that sometimes people with high IQ’s can be downright stupid. What alternate universe does he think his beliefs on economics exist?

Odds ‘n Sods:

TSA blunder hits travelers at U.S. airports – D.S.

o o o

Obama Orders That America Take In 70,000 Islamic “Refugees,” But Now John Kerry Says That The Number Will Be Up To 100,000 Muslims. Be Prepared For ISIS Massacres To Happen In The US Soon – B.B.

o o o

Bill Whittle – An Illegal Immigrant Catastrophe… In Europe? ISIS Refugees! – MtH

o o o

Video Shows Cops Tell K9 “Good Boy” as they Let Him Maul a Handcuffed Man – RBS

o o o

Traditional Family ? The CEO Of Starbucks DOESN’T WANT YOUR MONEY – T.P.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights – the “right” to education, the “right” to health care, the “right” to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are the rations of slavery – hay and a barn for human cattle.” – P.J. O’Rourke

Notes for Thursday – September 10, 2015

On September 10, 1776, George Washington asked for a spy volunteer. Nathan Hale stepped up to the challenge of an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City. Unfortunately, the British captured and executed him. He is probably best known for his last words before being hanged: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” He has long been considered an American hero, and in 1985, was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut. It is good for us to remember that every American patriot and hero from the times leading up to and during the American Revolutionary War would have been considered traitors to the crown and would have suffered much the same fate as Hale had America not won her independence.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Thorough Planning and Orders Process- Part 2, By J.E.D.

2. Arrange for Reconnaissance: The best way to describe this portion is with a story. Let’s say you’re looking to buy a new house with some property. This new place is going to be your retreat, so you really want to make sure it’s going to be the right place for you and your family. You found a place you really like by looking on the internet, but it’s on the other end of the state from you. So, the first thing you do is find the address to the property. Then you’ll probably MapQuest or Google map it, and get directions and time to it. Next, the real estate agent or homeowner is contacted, and a time and date is set for a meeting. You make sure your spouse/significant other and other possible family members or friends involved can meet on that same date and time. You have now just arranged for reconnaissance. It is that simple.

3. Make Reconnaissance: Now it’s time to go look at that awesome house you want. Everyone piles into the minivan, but before you get on the highway you need to stop at the gas station and fill up. While there you get some drinks and snacks and double check your map/directions to the place. Once in the closest town to your new retreat, you start to pay attention to things like the people, what stores are there, condition of the roads, et cetera. You arrive at the house and take a look around. You inspect everything to the best of your ability. On your way back home, you and everyone else will be discussing what you saw and observed. Now plans might change, due to you actually having boots on ground and seeing things for yourself, along with input from your trusted friends and family. The whole goal here is to see things for yourself and not rely on maps, pictures, and hearsay alone. Anytime you can physically be in a location and observe it for yourself, the better the information will be.

You are going to either confirm or reject your previous ideas and information after actually having eyes on what you needed to see. Remember the acronyms METT-T, SALUTE, DRAW-D, EMPCOA, and KOCOA-W; that’s the information you need to answer or confirm. Although those are just the basics, the more information the better.

4. Complete the Plan: It’s time to make a final decision on how you will accomplish your mission. You have already thought of a few ways of going about it. One of the ways that you thought was the best idea, you now realize is impractical, after completing your reconnaissance. After rejecting the first idea, you choose the second best idea you had and carry on with that. Using all the information you had, you filled in the blanks. Then, after completing a reconnaissance, you confirmed that info and answered all the questions you may have had. So now, we have to put it all together into something that is easy for everyone to understand. In comes the operation order.

5. Issue the Order: An operation order can be half a page to a few hundred pages long, depending on the size and complexity of the mission. There is a lot of information being given out to your team, and it must be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Notice I repeated myself there. The whole purpose of an operation order is to provide specific instructions and give direction to your team. It should also convert your plan into action. Although the operation order is written on paper initially and can be read by your team and understood, it was designed to be explained orally using a terrain model or map. Below is an outline of the operation order; following the outline will be a complete breakdown of what it means and how to use it. An easy way to remember what goes into an operation order is use the acronym OSMEAC.

  • Orientation.
    • Terrain Model or Map.
    • Weather.
  • Situation.
    • Enemy Situation.
      • SALUTE.
      • DRAW-D.
      • EMPCOA.
    • Friendly Situation.
      • Higher Units.
      • Adjacent Units.
      • Supporting Units.
    • Attachments and Detachments.
  • Mission.
    • Who.
    • What.
    • When.
    • Where.
    • Why.
  • Execution.
    • Commander’s Intent.
    • Concept of Operations.
    • Tasks.
    • Coordinating Instructions.
  • Administration and Logistics.
    • Beans.
    • Bullets.
    • Band-Aids.
    • Bad guys.
    • Batteries.
  • Command and Signal.
    • Command.
    • Signal.

Let’s start breaking this thing down.

  • Orientation: Prior to issuing the order, you want to orient your team to your area of operations (AO). We are not going to discuss the details of the order here. We just want to make sure everyone knows where north is, and any key land features.
    • Terrain Model or Map: When possible, always use a terrain model instead of a map. I am not going to explain what a terrain model is in this article, as it could be an article by itself. Perform an online search for “military terrain model”. I have seen quite a few good examples online. When building terrain models, it helps to have a “terrain model kit”. A usual kit consists of an ammo can as a container, different colored yarn for the grid system, roads, rivers, and routes, green army ***AMAZON?men for friendly and enemy positions, small toy cars, green foyarn for the grid system, roads, rivers, routes, green army men for friendly and enemy positions, small toy cars, green foam floral blocks for buildings, 3×5 index cards to marks grid lines and individual units, and a black marker. By building a large terrain model, you should be able to walk around inside of it. It will be more efficient and much easier to guide your team through the plan, instead of standing on the sidelines and droning on about your strategy. With a large terrain model, your team will be able to see each key land feature and understand the plan in detail. Large terrain models provide much more detail of land features than maps do, and will help those who do not know how to read a topographic map. Another option is to use a sand table. Imagine a foosball table with no handles and it filled with sand. It is the same concept as a terrain model but can be used indoors or undercover, where bare earth is not available. When you are done briefing your operations order, make sure to remove all traces of your terrain model or sand table. Remove any non-organic material, then smooth it over so no one can tell what was there. If using a map, make sure to use good quality topographic maps that are overlaid in military grid reference system grids (MGRS). MGRS maps are much easier to use than traditional latitude and longitude maps. It takes less time to plot points, measure distance, gain your bearing, and is easier to learn. There are online map-making businesses that can print out a MGRS topographic map of the area you want. Although having MGRS topographic maps are nice to work with, don’t underestimate the use of Google Earth, County appraiser’s maps, street maps, and old fashioned hand drawn maps. Avoid making permanent marks on your map that show locations and other sensitive information.
    • Weather: Remember the five military aspects of weather? They’re temperature and humidity, precipitation, wind, clouds, and visibility. All of those aspects are going into the brief; let them know what the weather is and is supposed to be like during the operation. Also, add in sunrise and sunset, so they know what they will be doing in daylight and dark. Weather is particularly important to certain groups of people, like snipers and pilots.
  • Situation: The situation paragraph contains information on the overall status and disposition of both friendly and enemy forces.
    • Enemy Situation: We are going to use the information gathered in the “Enemy” portion of METT-T to paint a picture of the enemy we are up against. You need to brief your team on the following.
      • SALUTE: Again we are talking about the enemy’s size, activity, location, unit, time, and equipment. Use it to focus your thinking on identifying and locating enemy weaknesses.
      • DRAW-D: Defend, reinforce, attack, withdraw, and delay. What do you believe the enemy is going to do?
      • EMPCOA: Enemy’s most probable course of action. Here you will put it all together into a brief statement and explain what the enemy’s most probable course of action will be.
    • Friendly Situation: This subparagraph contains mission information of the next higher unit, adjacent units, and supporting units. The information can be remembered with the acronym HAS-A.
      • Higher Units: Here you will brief your next higher unit’s mission and location. Higher units are those that your unit falls under its command.
      • Adjacent Units: You want to give brief mission statements and locations of adjacent units who will be operating in your vicinity.
      • Supporting Units: If you have any non-organic units that will be supporting the mission in any capacity, explain their missions and locations.
      • Attachments and Detachments: If you are losing part of your unit (a detachment) or gaining part of another non-organic unit (an attachment), explain that here. Be sure to include the effective time of attachment or detachment. If possible, ensure any attached personnel are present during the operation order brief.
  • Mission: Provides a clear and concise statement of what the unit must accomplish. Think about covering “who, what, when, where, and why”. The “how” will come in the next paragraph.
  • Execution: As promised, this is where the “how” comes in. In this paragraph, you will explain how you want the mission accomplished and how all the moving parts will work. This paragraph is made up of four subparagraphs– Commander’s Intent, Concept of Operations, Tasks, and Coordinating Instructions.
    • Commander’s Intent: This is your mission statement and concept of operations together. If all goes to hell and some moving parts fail, the rest can go on and accomplish the mission with just an understanding of your intent.
    • Concept of Operations: This is made up of two subparagraphs that include the Scheme of Maneuver and Fire Support Plan.
      • Scheme of Maneuver: This is your overall plan from start to finish, and it is also the first of two times you will brief the plan. Under scheme of maneuver, you will brief your plan to everyone “anonymously”. Do not name an individual or unit specifically during this brief. For example, instead of saying, “Team 2 you will support team 1”, you say “The support team will be supporting the assault team during this phase”. The tendency is for people to pay attention to only their portion of the plan and not listen to other portions, which are just as important. Make sure to brief in logical order, starting at the beginning and working your way to the end of the mission.
      • Fire Support Plan: Here, you will describe how fire support will supplement the units involved in the mission. If you do not have fire support, then do not worry about this portion. Fire support could include artillery, mortars, medium, and heavy machine guns, or air strikes.
    • Tasks: Now you can explain each specific task to be accomplished by specific individuals or units. When composing this portion of the order, be sure to list each unit’s task in a separate numbered subparagraph. Remember, task statements are your subordinate’s mission statement, so you need to include who, what, when, where, and why in each. Go through and explain the entire mission again, stating who is doing what, when, where, and how they should be doing it.
    • Coordinating Instructions: Specific instructions and tasks that pertain to two or more units in the command. Some items commonly addressed here are order of movement, planned formations, phase lines, check points, route to objective, security, main effort, and time of attack.
  • Administration and Logistics: This paragraph contains information and instructions pertaining to the “5 B’s”– Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Bad guys, and Batteries. We generally break this down into two subparagraphs.
    • Administration:
      • Medical evacuation plan.
      • Location of medics and aid stations.
      • Prisoner of war handling procedures and evacuation plan.
        • 5 S’s and a T (acronym for handling prisoners)
          • Search (The prisoner for weapons and intelligence).
          • Silence (Do not let them communicate, until interviewed).
          • Segregate (Leaders from subordinates).
          • Safeguard (Their safety is your responsibility now).
          • Speed (Out of areas of danger).
          • Tag (Notate prisoner and gear, for investigation purposes).
    • Logistics:
      • Initial issue and resupply plan (water, food, ammo)
      • Power supplies (batteries and other power issues)
      • Transportation
  • Command and Signal: This paragraph contains information and instructions relating to command and communication functions. It has two subparagraphs.
    • Command: Identifies the chain of command, key leaders, and where they will be located before, during, and after the operation.
    • Signal: Gives signal instructions for the operation, such as radio frequencies, call signs, pyrotechnics, emergency signals, radio procedures, brevity codes, challenge, and passwords. Also consider restrictions on the use of communications.

6. Supervise: A very wise man once told me “Inspect what you expect”. You must supervise your team and ensure they are doing what needs to be done correctly. Do not expect that it will be done your way without your inspection. Supervision is continuous and occurs throughout the preparation phase and during the mission. As a leader, you are responsible and accountable for the mission.

Using BAMCIS and the operation order will make life much easier for you in most of life’s situations. Obviously, these processes were designed and are used for combative purposes, but we can adapt them to our everyday life. Some of you do so already without even realizing it; I know I do. Below is an entire outline of BAMCIS and the operations order in one complete unit that you can use this as a reference to plan and write your own orders.

  • Begin the Planning.
    • Mission.
    • Enemy.
      • SALUTE.
      • DRAW-D.
      • EMPCOA.
    • Terrain and Weather.
      • KOCOA-W.
    • Troops and Support Available.
    • Time.
  • Arrange for Reconnaissance.
  • Make Reconnaissance.
  • Complete the Plan.
  • Issue the Order.
    • Orientation.
      • Terrain Model or Map.
      • Weather.
    • Situation.
      • Enemy Situation (culmination of intelligence gathered).
        • SALUTE.
        • DRAW-D.
        • EMPCOA (action enemy will likely do upon contact).
      • Friendly Situation (limit info to only that needed to know to accomplish mission).
        • Higher Unit (mission of next higher unit).
        • Adjacent Unit (mission and location of units around you).
        • Supporting Unit.
        • Attachments and Detachments.
    • Mission (clear, concise statement of the mission. Expresses primary task and purpose).
      • Who (unit).
      • What (task).
      • When (time).
      • Where (location).
      • Why (purpose).
    • Execution (contains how-to guide on conducting the mission)
      • Commander’s Intent.
      • Concept of Operations.
        • Scheme of Maneuver
        • Fire Support Plan Tasks.
      • Coordinating Instructions.
    • Administration and Logistics.
      • Beans.
      • Bullets.
      • Band-Aids.
      • Bad guys.
        • Search.
        • Silence.
        • Segregate.
        • Safeguard.
        • Speed.
        • Tag.
      • Batteries.
    • Command and Signal.
      • Command.
      • Signal.
  • Supervise.

I hope this becomes a handy tool for everyone and was easy to understand. Mr. Murphy has a way of infiltrating every operation, no matter the size, but with the Operations Order there should be a solid plan in place with everyone on your team all on the same page. Your team will have a greater understanding of the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then when Mr. Murphy graces you with his appearance, you and your team are able to adapt and complete the mission.