Tertiary Prepper Skills – Reconnaissance

The world of prepping is consistently evolving.  Simply have a look at how far technological developments up to now 5 to 10 years have come and the way it has benefitted not solely the army and legislation enforcement however the prepper group as properly.  However alas, with each technological advance, the prior method 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 if you happen to wanted to collect intel.  Quick ahead to at present and also you ask any MAG, tribe, or prepper group, and greater than doubtless they may have one, if not two, drones together with extremely expert and educated operators.  In essence, drones have develop into a power multiplier for not solely the army however civilians as properly.  The “eye-in-the-sky” is the brand new method of performing reconnaissance, however is it at all times the finest method?

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECONNAISSANCE, RECONNOITER, AND SURVEILLANCE:

Earlier than going additional, I need to take a second to clarify 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 entails the usage of digital gear (drones, surveillance cameras, wiretaps, and many others.).  Meriam-Webster Dictionary definitions are as follows:

Reconnaissance: (N) a preliminary survey to collect info 

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 talent goes to be centered on using old-school reconnaissance teachings to get again to the fundamentals and never should depend on know-how, apart from a comms system. If comms is just not accessible, you can use a two-person group the place one is a runner and communicates again to the group the findings of the reconnoiterer.  Lastly, there’s nothing incorrect with using drones for surveillance or reconnaissance, nonetheless studying the handbook method of gathering intelligence will finally provide help to and your group in the long term, if want be, given an EMP event. As soon as discovered, meshing each drones and reconnoitering expertise throughout TEOTWAWKI will solely broaden your offensive and defensive safety plan.

The Prepper SKILLS OF RECONNAISSANCE:

The GoArmy website definition for the military occupational specialty (MOS) 13F, or Joint Fireplace Help Specialist, is: As a Joint Fireplace Help 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 fireside help plans, coordinate, and goal, function laser vary finders, and goal gadgets, 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 making a gift of your place after which reporting it again to your base of operations. That is primarily for FO’s (reconnoiterer) hooked up to gentle infantry and infantry airborne models (at the least it was once I was an FO). Other than attending to and setting up an observation post (OP), one should first be proficient within the artwork of stealthy reconnaissance.  This isn’t an exhaustive record, however among the expertise a ahead observer must possess for reconnoitering are:

• Topographic map reading
• Day and evening land navigation
• Goal / object distance estimation
• Stealth and concealment
• Radio operations (comms)
• Bodily and psychological stamina
• Capability to work autonomously
• Fundamental survival information (water procurement, wild edibles, and many others.)
• Intestinal fortitude

In my perception, it’s right here that these expertise must be extra of a main or probably a secondary precept of prepping than a tertiary one.  Though drones can play an necessary function in OPSEC (Operations Safety), bodily reconnaissance has now develop into extra of a TPS, which must be practiced and developed.  That is additionally one of many extra elaborate tertiary prepper expertise that want extra consideration than only a weekend or two to study. 

SCENARIO:

It has been 9 days for the reason that U.S. descended into chaos and it’s a true WROL situation. The president shortly thereafter declares martial legislation throughout the USA, 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 individuals heading northbound on the most important freeway positioned 5 miles from the place you reside.  The horde is 15 miles away to the south presently. 

There may be additionally a secondary freeway off the most important 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 most definitely 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 stories on the NOAA alert {that a} hurricane is coming inland and might 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 state of affairs you develop.  You’ll thank your self later.)

That is the place having reconnoiter expertise as a tertiary prepper talent will come into play.  There are some knowns and unknowns on this state of affairs. 

The Knowns are:

1. Nobody within the group has ready for this sort of state of affairs.  There’s a potential risk roughly three to 5 hours away heading northbound in your path (relying on how rapidly a horde of ravenous individuals can stroll).
2. The scale of the caravan is reported to be 1k individuals.
3. You could have one drone that could be a long-range waterproof machine and may deal with sturdy winds, however you danger the lack of the drone if you happen to probability it. 
4. It’s nightfall and about to get ugly exterior.  A hungry horde could also be on the lookout for a spot to attend out a storm that might jeopardize your present location.

The Unknowns are:

1. Is there actually a big caravan of hungry individuals heading in your path?  Are there actually 1k individuals or is it solely 50?  Is somebody deploying psyop ways within the hopes individuals within the surrounding space bug out and depart behind most of their prepper possessions?
2. Does the potential caravan risk have present vulnerabilities?  Are they armed?  Are they largely ladies and youngsters?  Are all of them on foot or utilizing different technique of journey?
3. Your speedy group has not assessed and has had the time to course of the danger of their vulnerability and potential of being exploited by a mass of ravenous individuals. 
4. Is it possible to place countermeasures in place in such a brief period of time?

The one strategy to handle the unknowns is for somebody out of your prepper group, tribe, MAG, and even your loved ones, to collect extra intel to calculate this potential risk / non-threat and report it again to the group to take the mandatory precautions.

ITEMS NEEDED:

Other than the attributes above, to achieve success at reconnaissance, one should begin off with having the suitable gear.  Though this isn’t an exhaustive record, this could provide you with a good suggestion of what you would wish 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 efficient instance)
• 1:50,000 waterproof grid map of your space
• Lensatic or orienteering compass
• A good pair of binoculars (w/ vary finder reticle sample if potential; 10×50 magnification is an efficient begin)
• Two (2) military protractors (they’re clear; two is one and one is none)
• Pace counter beads
• Comms (Ham, CB, or GMRS radio with an earpiece and small microphone could be most popular to stay as quiet as potential. Additionally, you will need a lengthy sufficient antenna to transmit throughout harsh terrains.)
• Vary Playing cards
• State Freeway map (test 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 pink lens
• Write in the rain notepad w/ pen
• Rain Poncho
• Firearm (Lengthy Rifle or sidearm relying on the mission and terrain)
• Correct seasonal clothes (camouflage ideally in your space, grey man if within the metropolis or suburbs)
• Correct footwear and socks for seasonal circumstances
• Water

• Extra Gadgets to think about:
  • Night time Imaginative and prescient or Infrared (relying on funds)
  • Water Filter (Sawyer mini or squeeze)
  • IFAK (Particular person First Help Equipment)
  • Ammo (contemplate 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 House) bag or a get-home / bug-out bag.  This bag has one objective and that’s for reconnaissance.  Attempt to keep away from using all the true property on and contained in the bag. Attempt to maintain this bag round 15 lbs. if you happen to 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 will have simply the necessities to get to your OP or space of reconnaissance so you’ll be able to seize the intel and extract your self rapidly and quietly. 

10 STEPS TO GETTING STARTED:

The artwork of reconnoitering must be developed over time as there are various facets and expertise wanted to achieve success, particularly in a grid-down scenario or WROL.  In case you are critical about having somebody carry out reconnaissance, here’s a non-exhaustive record to get you pointed in the suitable path.

1. Buy as lots of the above gadgets on the record as potential (NOTE:  Do NOT attempt to discover the most cost effective protractors or compasses.  A protractor that must be “trimmed” is just not value shopping for.  A great Lensatic compass is Cammenga.  Purchase as soon as / cry as soon as).
2. Put money into a 1:50,000 grid map if you happen to can.  (https://mapstore.mytopo.com/)
3. Buy (or obtain) Map Studying and Land Navigation (FM 21-26) OR (FM 3-25.26).
4. Examine these manuals in case you are unfamiliar with map studying and land navigation and work out your tempo rely and remember it.
5. Upon 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 duties in your group.
6. This one isn’t essential, however you may need 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 gadgets.)
7. Start creating dry run eventualities along with your group or household.  Begin off small, say, reconnoitering a half click on (500M) to a location the place you’ll be able to arrange a camouflaged Commentary Submit (OP).  Use your most popular comms to name into your base station, group, or household what it’s that you just see.
8. Egress.  Attempt to decide in your grid map an egress or two earlier than committing to your OP.  It’s good observe to at all times take into consideration your extraction plan as issues may get squirrely when you get into place.
9. Purple group every thing.  After your dry runs, get again along with your group or household and assess the professionals and cons of what you might have simply practiced.  Do NOT fall into an echo chamber throughout this time and embrace affirmation biases.  These dry runs should be taken severely and so they should be dissected for each the nice and the unhealthy 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 properly.
10. Follow, observe, and observe some extra as a result of Murphy by no means takes a time off.  Ever.

CONCLUSION:

Reconnoitering is a tertiary prepper talent that’s going to take a while to study you probably have by no means carried out it earlier than.  However be relaxation assured, 1000’s of troopers yearly study the essential expertise of land navigation and map studying and you may too.  This can be a talent that it would be best to develop sooner somewhat 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 methods to higher carry out reconnaissance.

Keep sturdy, continue to learn new tertiary prepper expertise, and revel in stealth reconnaissance!

Sgt. Silverman