The world of prepping is consistently evolving. Simply have a look at how far technological developments previously 5 to 10 years have come and the way it has benefitted not solely the army and legislation enforcement however the prepper neighborhood as effectively. However alas, with each technological advance, the prior manner of doing issues and that information tends to slowly slip away into an abyss.
One main change has been in how we view defensive operations. Within the “ole” days one must reconnoiter when you wanted to assemble intel. Quick ahead to right now and also you ask any MAG, tribe, or prepper group, and greater than doubtless they’ll have one, if not two, drones together with extremely expert and educated operators. In essence, drones have grow to be a drive multiplier for not solely the army however civilians as effectively. The “eye-in-the-sky” is the brand new manner of performing reconnaissance, however is it at all times the greatest manner?
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECONNAISSANCE, RECONNOITER, AND SURVEILLANCE:
Earlier than going additional, I wish to take a second to elucidate the distinction between reconnaissance, reconnoiter, and surveillance. Many occasions, these phrases are used interchangeably, however there’s a distinction between reconnaissance and surveillance. Surveillance often includes the usage of digital tools (drones, surveillance cameras, wiretaps, and many others.). Meriam-Webster Dictionary definitions are as follows:
Reconnaissance: (N) a preliminary survey to assemble data
Reconnoiter: (V) to make a reconnaissance of
Surveillance: (N) shut watch stored over somebody or one thing (as by a detective)
For the sake of this text, this tertiary prepper ability goes to be centered on using old-school reconnaissance teachings to get again to the fundamentals and never must depend on expertise, aside from a comms system. If comms shouldn’t be obtainable, you might use a two-person group the place one is a runner and communicates again to the group the findings of the reconnoiterer. Lastly, there may be nothing mistaken with using drones for surveillance or reconnaissance, nevertheless studying the handbook manner of gathering intelligence will in the end make it easier to and your group in the long term, if want be, given an EMP occasion. As soon as realized, meshing each drones and reconnoitering abilities throughout TEOTWAWKI will solely broaden your offensive and defensive safety plan.
The Prepper SKILLS OF RECONNAISSANCE:
The GoArmy web site definition for the army occupational specialty (MOS) 13F, or Joint Fireplace Assist Specialist, is: As a Joint Fireplace Assist Specialist, you’ll collect intelligence and enemy goal location to assist the Military decide the place and the way to deploy artillery in mission-based conditions. You’ll arrange and function communications methods, encode, and decode messages, help within the preparation of fireplace assist plans, coordinate, and goal, function laser vary finders, and goal units, and decide the goal’s location utilizing computer systems or handbook calculations.
The primary half the place it states, “collect intelligence and enemy goal location” means in layman’s phrases, stealthfully looking for out your enemy’s location with out freely giving your place after which reporting it again to your base of operations. That is primarily for FO’s (reconnoiterer) connected to mild infantry and infantry airborne models (not less than it was after I was an FO). Apart from attending to and organising an statement publish (OP), one should first be proficient within the artwork of stealthy reconnaissance. This isn’t an exhaustive listing, however among the abilities a ahead observer must possess for reconnoitering are:
- Topographic map studying
- Day and evening land navigation
- Goal / object distance estimation
- Stealth and concealment
- Radio operations (comms)
- Bodily and psychological stamina
- Capability to work autonomously
- Primary survival information (water procurement, wild edibles, and many others.)
- Intestinal fortitude
In my perception, it’s right here that these abilities ought to be extra of a main or presumably a secondary precept of prepping than a tertiary one. Though drones can play an necessary position in OPSEC (Operations Safety), bodily reconnaissance has now grow to be extra of a TPS, which must be practiced and developed. That is additionally one of many extra elaborate tertiary prepper abilities that want extra consideration than only a weekend or two to study.
SCENARIO:
It has been 9 days because the U.S. descended into chaos and it’s a true WROL scenario. The president shortly thereafter declares martial legislation throughout america, and all mobile towers and web providers have been disabled. You hear chatter over the ham radio that there appears to be an estimated one-thousand-person caravan of ravenous folks heading northbound on the key freeway situated 5 miles from the place you reside. The horde is 15 miles away to the south at the moment.
There’s additionally a secondary freeway off the key northbound freeway that skirts to inside one mile of your bugout location. If the caravan takes the secondary freeway, you may need some critical issues, as scouts will probably be venturing out to scavenge. So as to add insult to damage, it’s nightfall and the wind is blowing at 30 mph. You’re listening to reviews on the NOAA alert {that a} hurricane is coming inland and can be a tropical storm by the point it goes over your location. (Yeah, it’s a little far-fetched, however at all times attempt to incorporate Murphy’s Legislation into each situation you develop. You’ll thank your self later.)
That is the place having reconnoiter expertise as a tertiary prepper ability will come into play. There are some knowns and unknowns on this situation.
The Knowns are:
- Nobody within the group has ready for this kind of situation. There’s a potential risk roughly three to 5 hours away heading northbound in your course (relying on how shortly a horde of ravenous folks can stroll).
- The dimensions of the caravan is reported to be 1k folks.
- You’ve got one drone that could be a long-range waterproof machine and may deal with sturdy winds, however you danger the lack of the drone when you likelihood it.
- It’s nightfall and about to get ugly exterior. A hungry horde could also be searching for a spot to attend out a storm that might jeopardize your present location.
The Unknowns are:
- Is there actually a big caravan of hungry folks heading in your course? Are there actually 1k folks or is it solely 50? Is somebody deploying psyop ways within the hopes folks within the surrounding space bug out and go away behind most of their prepper possessions?
- Does the potential caravan risk have present vulnerabilities? Are they armed? Are they principally girls and kids? Are all of them on foot or utilizing different technique of journey?
- Your instant group has not assessed and has had the time to course of the chance of their vulnerability and potential of being exploited by a mass of ravenous folks.
- Is it possible to place countermeasures in place in such a brief period of time?
The one technique to tackle the unknowns is for somebody out of your prepper group, tribe, MAG, and even your loved ones, to assemble extra intel to calculate this potential risk / non-threat and report it again to the group to take the required precautions.
ITEMS NEEDED:
Apart from the attributes above, to achieve success at reconnaissance, one should begin off with having the precise tools. Though this isn’t an exhaustive listing, this could provide you with a good suggestion of what you would want within the occasion you or somebody out of your group should carry out these reconnoiter duties.
- A 12-hour rucksack (5.11 Rush 12 2.0 is an effective instance)
- 1:50,000 waterproof grid map of your space
- Lensatic or orienteering compass
- An excellent pair of binoculars (w/ vary finder reticle sample if attainable; 10×50 magnification is an effective begin)
- Two (2) army protractors (they’re clear; two is one and one is none)
- Tempo counter beads
- Comms (Ham, CB, or GMRS radio with an earpiece and small microphone can be most well-liked to stay as quiet as attainable. Additionally, you will desire a lengthy sufficient antenna to transmit throughout harsh terrains.)
- Vary Playing cards
- State Freeway map (verify your state’s dot.gov web site free of charge customer state freeway maps)
- Camouflage face paint
- .3mm drafting mechanical pencils
- Grease markers (non-permanent)
- Massive 4mil sealing plastic bag or map case
- Flashlight or headlamp with crimson lens
- Write within the rain notepad w/ pen
- Rain Poncho
- Firearm (Lengthy Rifle or sidearm relying on the mission and terrain)
- Correct seasonal clothes (camouflage ideally on your space, grey man if within the metropolis or suburbs)
- Correct footwear and socks for seasonal circumstances
- Water
- Extra Objects to contemplate:
- Evening Imaginative and prescient or Infrared (relying on funds)
- Water Filter (Sawyer mini or squeeze)
- IFAK (Particular person First Support Package)
- Ammo (think about the extra weight as to what number of magazines you assume you’ll want)
This bag ought to at all times be packed to seize at a second’s discover. Don’t confuse this bag with an INCH (I’m By no means Coming Dwelling) bag or a get-home / bug-out bag. This bag has one function and that’s for reconnaissance. Attempt to keep away from using all the actual property on and contained in the bag. Attempt to preserve this bag round 15 lbs. when you can. Bear in mind, ounces equal kilos, and kilos equal ache. Being stealthy is the important thing to the mission. Being a minimalist can also be key right here, so you want simply the necessities to get to your OP or space of reconnaissance so you may seize the intel and extract your self shortly and quietly.
10 STEPS TO GETTING STARTED:
The artwork of reconnoitering must be developed over time as there are various points and abilities wanted to achieve success, particularly in a grid-down scenario or WROL. If you’re critical about having somebody carry out reconnaissance, here’s a non-exhaustive listing to get you pointed in the precise course.
- Buy as most of the above gadgets on the listing as attainable (NOTE: Do NOT attempt to discover the most affordable protractors or compasses. A protractor that must be “trimmed” shouldn’t be price shopping for. An excellent Lensatic compass is Cammenga. Purchase as soon as / cry as soon as).
- Put money into a 1:50,000 grid map when you can. (https://mapstore.mytopo.com/)
- Buy (or obtain) Map Studying and Land Navigation (FM 21-26) OR (FM 3-25.26).
- Examine these manuals in case you are unfamiliar with map studying and land navigation and work out your tempo depend and remember it.
- After getting acquired your reconnoiter supplies and you’ve got familiarized your self with the data, work out whom out of your tribe, group, MAG, or household has any expertise map studying, glassing, and/or looking and may bodily deal with the reconnoiter obligations on your group.
- This one isn’t important, however you would possibly wish to arrange a code phrase cheat sheet for you and your group in case you are planning on speaking on an unsecured radio channel throughout an SHTF scenario. (NOTE: Please abide by all FCC laws when using open-air communication units.)
- Start creating dry run eventualities together with your group or household. Begin off small, say, reconnoitering a half click on (500M) to a location the place you may arrange a camouflaged Statement Submit (OP). Use your most well-liked comms to name into your base station, group, or household what it’s that you just see.
- Egress. Attempt to decide in your grid map an egress or two earlier than committing to your OP. It’s good follow to at all times take into consideration your extraction plan as issues would possibly get squirrely when you get into place.
- Pink group all the pieces. After your dry runs, get again together with your group or household and assess the professionals and cons of what you may have simply practiced. Do NOT fall into an echo chamber throughout this time and embrace affirmation biases. These dry runs must be taken critically they usually must be dissected for each the great and the dangerous for them to be perfected. Getting captured (and even killed) whereas on a reconnaissance mission jeopardizes not solely your well-being however the security of the group as effectively.
- Apply, follow, and follow some extra as a result of Murphy by no means takes a break day. Ever.
CONCLUSION:
Reconnoitering is a tertiary prepper ability that’s going to take a while to study if in case you have by no means performed it earlier than. However be relaxation assured, 1000’s of troopers yearly study the essential abilities of land navigation and map studying and you may too. This can be a ability that it would be best to develop sooner moderately than later, particularly whereas occasions are nonetheless considerably calm. Learn up in your manuals, watch YouTube movies, and speak to army veterans to study suggestions and tips to higher carry out reconnaissance.
Keep sturdy, continue learning new tertiary prepper abilities, and luxuriate in stealth reconnaissance!
Sgt. Silverman
