Organization – Notebook

While working on Tactical Wisdom Volume 4, I got a lot of questions about how to apply and organize the steps and information in the first three volumes. An idea was hatched by the smartest person on the team (which is clearly not me) to create a companion book. A Contact and Notes organizer for people to begin planning and organizing their team and their defense. A way to keep it all in one place.

Write therefore the things that you have seen,

those that are and those that are to take place after this.

Revelations 1:19

That’s not bad Tactical Wisdom. In a WROL of situation, you’re going to want to write things down, so why not have a place to start with planning out your team and your defensive operations?

The book has sections to list all your preparedness contacts, whether they are team members or allies. It also has specific pages to begin filling out your team. There is a page for your overall team, and then pages for each of your sub-teams like medical, security, supply, etc. Here’s a sample:

There are also blank lined pages for recording notes and observations, along with dot grid pages for sketches, and Range Card pages for planning out your defense. At the very back is a handy quick reference with all of the abbreviations and acronyms from the first three books to help you remember.

This book is designed to go out into the field and use daily. I recommend using a pencil, so that you can make changes later. Also, getting it ring-bound is not a bad idea. the publisher didn’t offer that as an option, or I would have made them come that way.

A caution is included: Any time you write down your plans, protect them. Once filled out, the book should be treated as highly confidential and never left unattended or unsecured.

Aside from our notebook, you should also have other notetaking materials. I personally recommend the outstanding Rite In The Rain tactical notebooks. They are in a convenient size, and waterproof. You will need one of their pens or a pencil to write on the paper, however. I have a ridiculous number of these books.

They also sell waterproof range cards, which I use, even for hunting. They are index card size folded closed and fit in an armband available from my friends at battleboard.us. I have a pretty good supply of Rite in the Rain Index Cards for general notetaking as well.

As I keep saying, don’t underestimate your need to write things down or even to keep a journal in a WROL situation. Both Fernando Aguirre (Argentina) and Selco Begovic (Balkan War) took the notes that they wrote while living in WROL societies and turned them into books to help others, after they got away from the situation. Their lessons learned have helped countless others prepare.

As far as TW-04, Scouting & Patrolling, writing is underway as well as research. We are taking materials from the usual US doctrine, like the USMC Scouting & Patrolling Handbook, The Ranger Handbook, NSW SEAL Tactics, & Infantry Squad & Platoon Operations, along with various Commonwealth of Nations materials (Canadian Patrolling, Canadian Ambush/Counter-Ambush, British Small Unit Patrols, Australian Patrolling), and various historical books like the original Scouting and Patrolling by Col Rex Applegate and then modifying them to meet our reality. For example, all of those military volumes have as responses calling for artillery or armor support, but you & I will not (most likely) be in a position to do that. We won’t be able to wait for a larger QRF in armor to come and save us.

So, the book will modify the tactics to represent what we, as self-defending civilians, will have the capability to do. HINT: It isn’t making an immediate assault on a bunker complex. Sure, I could write that into the book and take your money, but I wouldn’t be helping you be REALISTIC. Yes, there will be plenty of offensive tactics, because the best way to protect your redoubt is to deal with hostile activity farther away from it.

I know, I hear it all the time, “But I don’t want to play soldier”. Well, we don’t want Western Civilization to totally collapse either, but we have to play the hand we are dealt. If you want to survive in a WROL situation, you have to play the game that is on the field, not the one you want. You can’t play baseball by football rules (although it might be interesting).

Developing and having the skills, and then never needing them is FAR PREFERABLE to never developing the skills and having 25 looters show up.

Also, don’t rely on the federal government, either. They are more likely to arrest you for “Hoarding” and seize your stuff. The government showing up to rob you is even worse than looters or bandits doing it.

Check out our notebook, buy additional paper and writing utensils, and stay tuned for TW-04.

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