Reevaluating Battery

[ulf]

Good points panzer!

In my younger days, I was one of those high speed guys. Some lessons learned are hard to forget or unlearn. I still have a fondness for .45 and 7.62 NATO even though there are better options. I still prefer to have a sidearm even though it has limited utility in some situations.

If I were in a primarily rural AO, I would strongly consider dropping the side arm in favor of more mags for my rifle.

Unfortunately, I'm in a major east coast city and will have to transit it and its suburbs to reach my BOL. An EDC pistol is a nescesity and this transfers over to combat load for the same reasons. I also have an AK and six mags in my vehicle at all times.

[panzer0170]

Can't argue with a pistol for EDC, or for a 'driver's gun'. But if you're just traversing to your final location then what you already have will probably do you, no?

I'd definitely look into some sort of training. Personally, given the nature of the USA as a whole and any likely actual need to move? High quality defensive driving training if your medical and firearms trg is all squared. Too many people can't drive safely when the grid is UP. It's a skillsdt you WILL use daily and may save your life even if nothing ever happens in terms of political unrest, major disasters etc.

[ulf]

In the short term, we're working on driving and convoy training.

In the longer term, relocation to the BOL full time is the goal. Not all of the group will be able to do so which means that training in driving and convoy procedure will still be needed.

[panzer0170]

I'd seriously invest in some QUALITY driving instruction. Everyone should be able to drive stick, regardless of if you have manual vehicles or not. It still amuses me that there are whole chunks of a populace that can't move a car unless the car does half the work for them. Look at performance driving. Whilst you don't need to go into CP levels of 'tactical awareness' for your driving courses (most of that stuff is basically just road specific stuff carried across from foot based security anyway...) there are some interesting lessons to be learned from the likes of chaffeuring courses in terms of route selection, driving tips etc. As it stands I'm working up to becoming a driving instructor having finally 'settled' after getting out and driving as a job (buses, round tiny little English roads... it's awesome...) The amount of injuries, fatal and non-fatal that happen because people make poor judgements amazes me, even here. It gets worse when the road system takes all the choices away from you (very few give ways vs stop sign. stop sign. stop sign. traffic light). And above all awareness of what your vehicle can/cannot do. You would be SURPRISED what you can do with say, a CIVIC, if you do your part. Convoy is nice to have, but I would suggest that basic, individual driving skills are more important because if/when something goes arse over tit, you aren't going to be lined up ready in a convoy unless you're really lucky, especially the more run of the mill kinda problems that are far more likely (if less... permanent) than 'SHTF' type scenarios.

[ulf]

I've got a good friend who is a driving instructor for a PMC who will be giving us some instruction in exchange for some gunsmithing work in June. Should be a good addition to what we've been working on already.

A hearty "YES!" on driving stick!

The convoy training covers IADs in addition to the usual convoy routine and is meant to be a foundation which can be used in non-convoy scenarios by anyone in the group.

[panzer0170]

You've lost me at IADs; I'm guessing at immediate action drills? ('Actions on...' to me)

[ulf]

Same same - sorry for any confusion!