Post by USMC0331 on Sept 4, 2014 18:35:29 GMT -5
I've read through the book in the past 3 days and cutting to the chase... It's worth every penny as an overall guide to preps & organizing what the authors call a NPP (Neighborhood Protection Plan) or in my case, "how to protect your ranch/farm property with a small group" which they do distinguish as a unique scenario.
The book covers "low resident NPP", "high resident NPP", and only gives name to the "ranch/farm scenario" but all of the "low resident NPP" info applies to it just on a smaller number of residents in the area needing protection.
You can download and pre-read the book at the author's website www.afailureofcivility.com to see if the table of contents is what you are looking for. I'm going to only comment on the sections I highlighted as I raced through the book on my first reading. I'm sure I will find more jewels of thought or confirmations that apply to my own situation as I read it again, but this is the down and dirty that stood out to me.
I feel it's target audience is those who are "aware" and not something you would buy for a "non-prepper." It's well organized and covers a large amount of territory. The weapons info is handy, but nothing we don't already know. It's not a tactics book but would go well with MV's "Contact" book in that regard.
Hope this information helps anyone on the fence. I was happy to see that I've got more than 80% of the topics covered well in my few years of prepping (4 now) and much of my thinking on tactics was already inline with the SPECOP authors.
My highlighted notes:
1. Emergency food, firearms, ammunition and more emergency food. Best investment now, can't get enough, gold / silver afterwards if you ever think you have "arrived."
2.From the re-printing of SELCO's account:
a. Survival was a matter of "strength in numbers, not preps."
b. Never bring a stranger into your inner circle, family is best.
c. Always have a person outside of perimeter to protect the house. Known as an "outflanker marksman" by the authors.
d. Never enough ammo...
e. Blend in approach by making house look deserted. (Author's don't care for this, I can see both sides. I say blend until it's not possible to blend anymore.)
f. If you don't have preps, your life will be constantly looking for them post event.
g. Most died from bad water & lack of hygiene supplies.
h. Hospitals will be deserted eventually just as Police when they realize they need to take car of their own.
i. Diarrhea kills!
j. Salt, cigs, TP, booze = good trading materials. Booze consumption X10 of pre-event.
k. Having skills to barter with are important.
l. The survivors come out at night, daylight was sniper alley.
3. Helping others with defence outside of your NPP may get you in hot water during partial WROL as LEO won't know whos a good/bad guy. Gun = badguy in modern civility and that will take time to wear off for LEO.
4. They give two stories about how strangers were handled during the great depression and will be in the present time. The heart of man has only grown colder with time and we basically have sociopaths for yout these days, act accordingly. (emphasis mine)
5. During Katrina 30% of LEO left and that was minor.
6. Inflation is killing us and they mention BRICS and it's doom for the dollar.
7. Formulate a plan now even if you are the only one participating in it. You NEED to assess what resources your people will bring to the party and how much food you will need now.
8. NEVER EVER FEED OUTSIDERS!!!
9. Beware of bad morale, use those in your group that are clowns to improve it when possible, but don't let it fester.
10. A lot of time is spent on establishing the NPP with neighbors and while I read it, I don't believe it possible in my area until post event. Since my plan is to make my own NPP from a few houses covering several acres and mostly family members, I'm not too concerned about it, but I think the authors are overly optimistic about forming an NPP pre-event as common suffering is usually what brings people together against a common threat. That's what I learned in boot camp at least.
11. Crazy people live amongst us now, meds are the only thing that keep them functional, that will end quickly... plan accordingly.
12. A WATER SOURCE is key. Keep it within 1 mile.
13. Have two fall back bases if possible. 20 miles, 100 miles away.
14. Create weakend positions on purpose to draw enemy into for ambushes.
15. Number guard posts according to the clock position and have ammo used per post listed at CP.
16. Take photo's of your perimeter from various distances, heights, approaches to see what the enemy will see.
17. Every alert is a real alert. Don't become complacent by false alarms, they may be probs to throw you off.
18. Use unique arm bands (both arms) to ID friends.
19. Numerical passwords work fine and are easy to remember, change every 24 hours.
20. Vary all routines like guard changes.
21. No more than 2hrs on for guards.
22. Use an earpiece for your comms, simple bubble packs work fine.
23. THEY ARE CONFUSED about privacy codes CTSS and think they are securing comms but they do not.
24. Rotate guards after 1 hour of 2 hour shift to a new position.
25. Don't send ALL of your react team unless it's a definite attack, hold some back in case a distraction is being made in one spot of the perimeter to draw away from another that is the intended POE.
26. I SKIPPED HIGH RISE SECTION
27. Try to standardize weapons and ammunition if possible.
28. Minimum of 500-1000 rounds per weapon. 10 spare mags for rifle, 5 for pistol
29. At least one scoped rifle for accurate shots to 300 yards.
30. 22lr for food
31. Their description of a 2ltr bottle suppressor is a joke.
32. Learn to shoot offhand, offside with pistol and rifle.
33. Learn to shoot one handed and practice wounded drills.
34. Don't be predicable, peek/shoot from one position only once. No "whack-a-mole!"
35. Skip rounds on hard surfaces.
36. Leave empty mags on deck, pick up after the fight.
37. Practice reactive shooting via drills and jungle lanes. Speed / Aggression
38. Use timed drills for stress with distractions thrown in.
39. Use a timer to find that balance of speed and accuracy.
40. Said to pray to God or Higher Power when in a fire-fight (gives foxhole promise as example) but the Bible says not to do that and if you do, you better keep your promise.
41. When on vehicle ops, put a scout out 1.5miles ahead.
42. When patrolling, use outflankers!
43. If you have to BUGOUT it should be a last resort and time is likely at a premium, take your BOB and go! NOW!
44. Have a cache on the way to your secondary locations to draw from.
45. Have assigned water bottles for each member and track consumption for daily rations.
46. Distillation DOES NOT kill bacteria and viruses.
47. Start working long term foods into your daily meals ASAP after an event to allow digestion to adjust.
48. Use vitamins to supplement emergency food.
49. Don't count on table scraps for your dog, stock food for them.
50. Food consumed in one day (3K cals) can keep you going for 6 days.
51. Learn to eat slow, take 20 minutes for a meal. (timed my breakfast today, took 10 minutes, thanks for a life long bad habit MCRD SD!)
52. Ration TP, especially to kids.
53. Build a Faraday cage, keep sensitive comms in it. (secure gun safe for this!)
54. Have food setback for those who will show up without. Beans and rice if nothing else.
THINGS I NEED TO LEARN / ADD TO MY PREPS FROM THE BOOK:
1. Learn to navigate by constellations.
2. Add No-Doz, Surgical kit,
3. 100gal + bladder to fill from well with genset to prevent genset usage.
4. Hand pump for well if extended event.
5. Multi-vitamins (increase supply)
6. Metamucil & Diarreah medicine
7. Buy 5gal bucket shitter lid.
8. Rubbing Alcohol to make baby wipes.
9. RING BOUND version of "Special Operations Forces Medic Handbook"
10. Anti-biotics (don't recommend fish amoxicillin, but you that's all I know I can get.
)
11. Syrup of Ipecac
12. Super glue (restock)
13. Mercury thermometer, BP cuff
14. Chlorhexidine for washing wounds
15. Tincture of Green Soap for disinfectant, also garden bug killer.
16. Multi-purpose Pine Tar soap
17. Google map printouts for CP board.
18. Bolt cutters
19. SAND BAGS!!!
20. Hand transfer pumps. One or fuel, one for water.
21. More large Industrial rolls of TP
22. Camping shower bag setup.
23. More 5gal bucket water filter setups.
24. Garden seeds
The book covers "low resident NPP", "high resident NPP", and only gives name to the "ranch/farm scenario" but all of the "low resident NPP" info applies to it just on a smaller number of residents in the area needing protection.
You can download and pre-read the book at the author's website www.afailureofcivility.com to see if the table of contents is what you are looking for. I'm going to only comment on the sections I highlighted as I raced through the book on my first reading. I'm sure I will find more jewels of thought or confirmations that apply to my own situation as I read it again, but this is the down and dirty that stood out to me.
I feel it's target audience is those who are "aware" and not something you would buy for a "non-prepper." It's well organized and covers a large amount of territory. The weapons info is handy, but nothing we don't already know. It's not a tactics book but would go well with MV's "Contact" book in that regard.
Hope this information helps anyone on the fence. I was happy to see that I've got more than 80% of the topics covered well in my few years of prepping (4 now) and much of my thinking on tactics was already inline with the SPECOP authors.
My highlighted notes:
1. Emergency food, firearms, ammunition and more emergency food. Best investment now, can't get enough, gold / silver afterwards if you ever think you have "arrived."
2.From the re-printing of SELCO's account:
a. Survival was a matter of "strength in numbers, not preps."
b. Never bring a stranger into your inner circle, family is best.
c. Always have a person outside of perimeter to protect the house. Known as an "outflanker marksman" by the authors.
d. Never enough ammo...
e. Blend in approach by making house look deserted. (Author's don't care for this, I can see both sides. I say blend until it's not possible to blend anymore.)
f. If you don't have preps, your life will be constantly looking for them post event.
g. Most died from bad water & lack of hygiene supplies.
h. Hospitals will be deserted eventually just as Police when they realize they need to take car of their own.
i. Diarrhea kills!
j. Salt, cigs, TP, booze = good trading materials. Booze consumption X10 of pre-event.
k. Having skills to barter with are important.
l. The survivors come out at night, daylight was sniper alley.
3. Helping others with defence outside of your NPP may get you in hot water during partial WROL as LEO won't know whos a good/bad guy. Gun = badguy in modern civility and that will take time to wear off for LEO.
4. They give two stories about how strangers were handled during the great depression and will be in the present time. The heart of man has only grown colder with time and we basically have sociopaths for yout these days, act accordingly. (emphasis mine)
5. During Katrina 30% of LEO left and that was minor.
6. Inflation is killing us and they mention BRICS and it's doom for the dollar.
7. Formulate a plan now even if you are the only one participating in it. You NEED to assess what resources your people will bring to the party and how much food you will need now.
8. NEVER EVER FEED OUTSIDERS!!!
9. Beware of bad morale, use those in your group that are clowns to improve it when possible, but don't let it fester.
10. A lot of time is spent on establishing the NPP with neighbors and while I read it, I don't believe it possible in my area until post event. Since my plan is to make my own NPP from a few houses covering several acres and mostly family members, I'm not too concerned about it, but I think the authors are overly optimistic about forming an NPP pre-event as common suffering is usually what brings people together against a common threat. That's what I learned in boot camp at least.
11. Crazy people live amongst us now, meds are the only thing that keep them functional, that will end quickly... plan accordingly.
12. A WATER SOURCE is key. Keep it within 1 mile.
13. Have two fall back bases if possible. 20 miles, 100 miles away.
14. Create weakend positions on purpose to draw enemy into for ambushes.
15. Number guard posts according to the clock position and have ammo used per post listed at CP.
16. Take photo's of your perimeter from various distances, heights, approaches to see what the enemy will see.
17. Every alert is a real alert. Don't become complacent by false alarms, they may be probs to throw you off.
18. Use unique arm bands (both arms) to ID friends.
19. Numerical passwords work fine and are easy to remember, change every 24 hours.
20. Vary all routines like guard changes.
21. No more than 2hrs on for guards.
22. Use an earpiece for your comms, simple bubble packs work fine.
23. THEY ARE CONFUSED about privacy codes CTSS and think they are securing comms but they do not.
24. Rotate guards after 1 hour of 2 hour shift to a new position.
25. Don't send ALL of your react team unless it's a definite attack, hold some back in case a distraction is being made in one spot of the perimeter to draw away from another that is the intended POE.
26. I SKIPPED HIGH RISE SECTION
27. Try to standardize weapons and ammunition if possible.
28. Minimum of 500-1000 rounds per weapon. 10 spare mags for rifle, 5 for pistol
29. At least one scoped rifle for accurate shots to 300 yards.
30. 22lr for food
31. Their description of a 2ltr bottle suppressor is a joke.
32. Learn to shoot offhand, offside with pistol and rifle.
33. Learn to shoot one handed and practice wounded drills.
34. Don't be predicable, peek/shoot from one position only once. No "whack-a-mole!"
35. Skip rounds on hard surfaces.
36. Leave empty mags on deck, pick up after the fight.
37. Practice reactive shooting via drills and jungle lanes. Speed / Aggression
38. Use timed drills for stress with distractions thrown in.
39. Use a timer to find that balance of speed and accuracy.
40. Said to pray to God or Higher Power when in a fire-fight (gives foxhole promise as example) but the Bible says not to do that and if you do, you better keep your promise.
41. When on vehicle ops, put a scout out 1.5miles ahead.
42. When patrolling, use outflankers!
43. If you have to BUGOUT it should be a last resort and time is likely at a premium, take your BOB and go! NOW!
44. Have a cache on the way to your secondary locations to draw from.
45. Have assigned water bottles for each member and track consumption for daily rations.
46. Distillation DOES NOT kill bacteria and viruses.
47. Start working long term foods into your daily meals ASAP after an event to allow digestion to adjust.
48. Use vitamins to supplement emergency food.
49. Don't count on table scraps for your dog, stock food for them.
50. Food consumed in one day (3K cals) can keep you going for 6 days.
51. Learn to eat slow, take 20 minutes for a meal. (timed my breakfast today, took 10 minutes, thanks for a life long bad habit MCRD SD!)
52. Ration TP, especially to kids.
53. Build a Faraday cage, keep sensitive comms in it. (secure gun safe for this!)
54. Have food setback for those who will show up without. Beans and rice if nothing else.
THINGS I NEED TO LEARN / ADD TO MY PREPS FROM THE BOOK:
1. Learn to navigate by constellations.
2. Add No-Doz, Surgical kit,
3. 100gal + bladder to fill from well with genset to prevent genset usage.
4. Hand pump for well if extended event.
5. Multi-vitamins (increase supply)
6. Metamucil & Diarreah medicine
7. Buy 5gal bucket shitter lid.
8. Rubbing Alcohol to make baby wipes.
9. RING BOUND version of "Special Operations Forces Medic Handbook"
10. Anti-biotics (don't recommend fish amoxicillin, but you that's all I know I can get.
)11. Syrup of Ipecac
12. Super glue (restock)
13. Mercury thermometer, BP cuff
14. Chlorhexidine for washing wounds
15. Tincture of Green Soap for disinfectant, also garden bug killer.
16. Multi-purpose Pine Tar soap
17. Google map printouts for CP board.
18. Bolt cutters
19. SAND BAGS!!!
20. Hand transfer pumps. One or fuel, one for water.
21. More large Industrial rolls of TP
22. Camping shower bag setup.
23. More 5gal bucket water filter setups.
24. Garden seeds
!