Post by Hawkeye on Oct 5, 2015 11:51:07 GMT -5
So, for the past few weeks while I've been recovering from my back surgery, I've had some obvious downtime, and thus time to think and ponder on some things. I'm going to try and pass on some of those thoughts as I can. Not that I'm anyone special and thus qualified to pontificate as an authority on these things. Quite the contrary, I'm just a normal guy (well, maybe not so much depending on who you ask... 
) but I think I do occasionally have a smart thought or two.
I read a bit here and there on the net, and in books, etc..., and one of the things that I see a good bit, is the discussion amongst folks of putting together a survival/preparedness group, NPT (neighborhood protection team), "militia", and so forth. I want to cover a couple of things with this post, so we'll just see where my ramblings go. First, regarding titles. I'm not big on them for a number of reason, but primarily because in reality they don't mean squat. However, some people assign different values, views, and even cliché's and/or stigmas to them, which can be positive, or negative. If I'm going to use one, then personally, I like the survival/preparedness group or NPT name, and more importantly, concept. When it comes to "militias", I think my friend JC Dodge has an excellent post HERE. I don't want to ramble on too much about this, but I do want to submit a few points/thoughts. I am all for "militias" in the Constitutional format, and in the Colonial (pre-constitution) format. That said, unfortunately, the term has been tarnished by idiotic fools over the years. Like it or not, it has. And if you use the term, you have to be prepared to accept the preconceived notions that will be applied to you and yours, both good and bad. I'd rather just avoid the hassle and go about doing the tasks at hand myself. Using the preparedness group/NPT concept, can often go a lot further in having you accepted by others in your area. Yes, its not right, but its reality. And reality wins just about every time. Setting up a PG/NPT doesn't mean you necessarily have to change anything from how you would set up a "militia", with one exception. Ranks. Just don't do it people. Its pointless. You can, and should, assign roles, jobs, and duties to various group/team members. But skip the whole rank thing. You accomplish nothing other than to paint yourself with a less than flattering brush 95% of the time.
You DO want to still be professional though. Presenting a squared away, uniform appearance, does many things. It shows the average sheep that your not just a bunch of goobers dressing up and playing games and thus they will be more likely to take you seriously and in turn gain acceptance with both the sheep, and potentially any local authorities (local authorities being your local small town police/sheriffs depts. and after things have gone pear shaped. Do not expect the likes of a big city PD to ever give acceptance. Not saying it couldn't happen, but its not likely.). Likewise, it shows potential threats that you are not a bunch of goobers playing dress up, and thus they are more likely to take you seriously, which in turn may help you to avoid a fight altogether as they move on to look for a softer/easier target. Have standards on clothing, weapons, gear, etc... More importantly, get training. Lots of training. This is KEY. Looking professional and squared away only goes so far. How you ACT will go even further. If you look the part, but don't act it in the way you conduct yourselves, all of you, it WILL show and you WILL be outed in the observers mind. Get as much professional training/instruction as you can, do it together as a group/team as much as you can, and practice together as much as you can. Now, nothing I've just said, should be construed to sound as if I'm saying that if you all show up together and everyone has different color/pattern clothing, gear, weapons, etc... that you can't and/or wont be able to be effective in your goals or community acceptance. Not at all. The actions and training part are honestly more important in the long run. Your appearance and uniformity or lack thereof can be a big benefit and help though.
As far as your PG/NPT being effective, vs a "militia", a PG/NPT should be preparing for bad times. That means stocking food, water, medical supplies, shelter, tools, etc., etc. Not just guns and ammo, which unfortunately is what I see many, if not most, "militias" doing. Your primary threats are most likely going to be looters, roving gangs, etc... and not an organized and supplied military force, though that is always a possibility. Most "militia's" focus on fighting off a govt/military force, and don't pay much attention to the roving gangs/looters, etc.. The thing is, a PG/NPT can easily make the crossover into being a "militia" if the need arises. A "militia" however, is going to have a hard time doing the reverse. Most just aren't set up for it. This is a topic for another discussion of its own though.
Now, there's another aspect, that I truly wonder how much thought people give to. How much thought have you given to the interpersonal relationship aspect, of putting together a group of people? If you do have a PG/NPT, you need to be more than friends. You need to become family. You need to get together and do things, as a family. Everyone. Wives, children, etc... You need to do "fun" things together. Take trips together to the zoo, to the beach, just leisure camping, etc... Get together at someone's house and have a movie night. So on and so forth. The point for all that is, you have to become close to each other. You have to start looking at each others families, as YOUR family. You have to know that the lives and well being of your wife and children, mean as much to your friend, as they do you. Your friends wife and children need to mean as much to you, as your own wife and children. You have to know you can trust each other around them, when either of you is not there. You also have to learn each others little idiosyncrasies. What irritates and bothers various people. How do they deal with things. How do you help them out when they are stressed, or mad, or scared, or whatever. Are they the kind of person you just need to give some space to and they'll come down on their own, do they need soft gentle support to talk them down, or are they the kind who you just have to smack in the face and tell them to snap out of it? Do the wrong thing and you might just make a smallish problem into a major issue.
You must intimately get to know each other. All of you. This is something that I honestly don't think many people give much thought to, or put much effort into trying to accomplish. Lets say you have a friend who's part of your PG/NPT, who's wife isn't against them participating, but maybe she's just not into it herself. Lots of women don't like such things, not because they don't see the value in it, but because most women, by nature, like feeling safe and secure. Talking about chaos and dangerous unpleasant times and the necessary actions to prepare for such, often really bothers and affects them. However, instead of just trying to beat them over the head, or, trying to pull the macho BS that I've read/heard from some people of just telling guys in your group to be the "MAN!!" and tell their wives this is by God the way its gonna be and what we're gonna do cause I'm the "MAN!!" (I just love that crap. Its a bunch of insecure idiocy.), you should be getting them together with everyone and doing FUN things, sociable things. That can and will go a long way into easing them into the mindset. Once they start looking at others as their family, they will begin to want to participate in the other things a LOT more. My point here at the end, is this. Give some thought to really and truly getting to know each other, on a family level. Have fun together. Make memories together. Those are things that will go a long way, mentally and emotionally, to helping you, and everyone in your group, make it through whatever bad times may come our way.
