This morning I want to continue with my “Food for thought” series. This section I want to focus more on the disaster scenario and less on the crime. So any kind of disaster will do, man made or natural. It could be the weather or the collapse of government and the world as we know it. The point I want to make is there is strength in numbers. If I had to fight the whole world by myself I guess I will but I’m probably going to lose. You just can’t do the whole thing by yourself, you have to sleep too. Also it’s financially impossible for most people to have everything you’d like to have in the event of a disaster, there’s weapons, water, food, shelter and medicine to name a few items. Then there’s other intangibles like knowledge being a big one, do you know everything?? I don’t. So a working knowledge of say medicine and just simple maintenance and fixing things will be important. Example: My generator dies, do I know anything about small engines or electricity?? Not a thing but my buddies Dave and Stanton do. So the lesson here would be FORM A TEAM AND A PLAN.

Now I don’t have a lot of faith in society, I just don’t. I have picked my very few friends very carefully. They are people I know when the chips are down can be counted on. It’s these people that know if anything disastrous ever takes place we are all to meet up. Strength in numbers, more guns manned, more knowledge, more supplies and teamwork. We are much stronger as a team. I’ll give you some examples of people you may know who are good candidates if you trust them. My G/F is a Trauma/Burn ICU nurse in a world renowned hospital, She’s “Doc”. My good friend and neighbor is a “good ole boy” who I swear seems to know everything about “fixing” machines with nothing, the guy can just “redneck engineer” anything into a working machine or engine, it’s impressive what he can do and how young he is for all the knowledge he has (early 30’s). His wife and my G/F are “country girls” they have chickens and farm animals and horses. They make everything from scratch. I can’t do that, I can’t make anything past a bowl of Lucky Charms. These 2 ladies are strong, smart and trustworthy also they have the ability to keep everybody fed and watered, we’d all croak in no time without that. I might be the most heavily armed guy around but in a week Jack the Dog and I are going to be dehydrated, starved and beaten without their “know how” and contributions. Additionally the little woman has a farm, it’s self sustaining, there’s water and the ability to grow and harvest food, meat, eggs and grains and there’s a wood burner. We could stay there indefinitely and “make it”. I don’t have that at my house, my box of Lucky Charms will be gone in a day and it’s bare cupboards here.

Moving on it will be nice to have some more muscle around. The friends I have are all military and law enforcement like me. Marines, Soldiers, Green Berets, Rangers, Cops and Fed Marshals, a few of them are accomplished hunters. A lot of them like me have combat experience, these are guys I not only trust with my life but I already know they will hold up cause they already have and they know the same of me. We also all think a lot alike. We have a solid working knowledge of patrols, perimeter security and basic combat/survival/field skills, we’re already on the same page. I’d be against a group larger than say platoon size, just to be picky about who we had but defending one self and getting the work done providing for the group sure would be easier with at least a squad size group. You have to sleep eventually and your sure going to want somebody awake watching over you as well as the knowledge and supplies you don’t have by yourself. So pick a solid team. Think of the best people you know and the skills and supplies they may have and make sure your basics are covered, weapons, water, food, shelter and medicine. As the military phrase goes “beans, band-aids and bullets”. On a final team thought here, dogs. I LOVE mine, he goes too no matter what, his life is as important to me as my own. Dogs may eat some of your food but they undeniably sense danger, smell things you don’t, hear things you don’t and will take a chunk out of somebody’s butt if they see harm coming to someone they love. Jack the Dog is probably the gentlest thing alive but he has an uncanny ability to spot ass clowns, he’s always been good at it and he’s always been right. If he doesn’t like you neither do I. Man’s best friend may just save you some day.

Further more with team selection. I hope I’ve been clear, BE PICKY. I would only initially welcome people I’m already very close with and on a case by case basis people that they said were OK. I expect that a lot of lets call them “Have Notter’s” who you recognize from around town or work, people you know casually, they will be showing up because you are a “Haver”. These people are going to be happy to bleed you dry of your resources and offer little if anything in return, so be prepared to be cold and tell people to “hit the road” in so many words. That might be hard for some people to do that, personally I don’t have a problem with telling people to go away. I can’t be running a welfare state here. We will have enough to worry about just taking care of our loved ones. All the rest of these jackasses should have thought of this sooner. Ask yourself if you really truly think they’d help you, I think the vast majority of the time the answer is no. I might sound like a cold and uncaring soulless ass, well I might be but the people I love are way more important to me than some bozo I might say hi too at the post office in the Am. If necessary I will “stack their bodies like cord wood” if that’s what it takes to protect my family. I don’t relish the thought but I absolutely would do it. These are the kinds of things we may someday have to be ready for. Don’t forget these are plans for a time when we are on our own, no paycheck, no electricity, the local PD, fire dept or EMS isn’t coming, food and everything people need in short supply. No help is coming and the wolves will be out in packs so to speak, so think about these things and prepare now.

So we now know I think it’s absolutely imperative you have a solid, trustworthy team, your stronger, more well rounded, you have more stuff and moral support, if nothing else at least you are with people you know and love. I don’t believe you can “do it alone”, at least for very long anyway. So identify your team, talk to them and make sure if the “yogurt” ever hits the fan that everybody is on the same page and knows what to do, where to meet and what to bring. My friends and family have spoken many times about these sorts of things, it’s almost a required topic at some social events it seems. Don’t count on cell phones and hastily made plans while the disaster is happening, you may not have cellphone service and remember the “6 P’s”. “Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance”. Get your team and plans made asap.

As always thanks for reading and happy shooting.

By: Cary Kieffer

The Team!

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Cary Kieffer

USMC Infantry/Combat Veteran/MUESOC/Sniper School - Med Retired LEO w/ 8yrs on job before Iraq wounds caught up with me.

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