Hello my friend and welcome back! In today’s post we are going to discuss how to get and keep the tactical advantage when defending your bug out location. I think you will find it very interesting and I hope you will enjoy it, so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
When SHTF hits, one thing is for sure and that is that we will need to be able to protect what we have from those that would take them from us. Whether it is roving gangs or groups of starving people, we must be ready at all times or we will lose everything we have. To do this we must have a clear plan set out ahead of time and practiced at every opportunity. When the time comes and you have to defend what is yours, you don’t want to be forced to stop and think about what you need to do. You should just be able to react and do what you have been trained to do without needing to think about it. Training is so important and sadly though, most groups don’t practice nearly enough. If you want to get and keep the tactical advantage, you are going to need to be at the top of your game and that requires hours and hours of training to prepare for an attack.
You will need several plans available depending on the type of attack and who is attacking you. What do I mean by this? Let’s say that you are being attacked by a group that has had a lot of military training vs a group of starving people with no military training. One group will definitely be much more dangerous than the other. Tactics that work on the starving people probably will not work on the Military group as they have probably seen them before, so plan for multiple types of attacks and be ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. In the paragraphs below I will discuss the different force multipliers that you should consider when creating your tactical plan.
- Take the high ground! – Anytime you get into a fire fight, it’s best to have the high ground in the battle. That way you are shooting down onto your enemy while they are forced to shoot up and if the sun is at the right angle this can be a very big force multiplier. It will also keep them from sneaking up on you as you should have visibility on all sides. This will also give you the advantage when throwing bombs or grenades at your enemy as you will have a much better field of vision than they will.
- Plan your fields of fire carefully! – The last thing you want is to accidentally be shooting your own people when the firing starts! To prevent this, you need to have preset fields of fire to avoid hitting each other. Plan for locations that offer good fields of fire in advance, don’t wait till the last-minute to try to decide. This is a recipe for disaster! Many people have lost their lives for this very reason. Friendly fire is not friendly at all!
- Look for Cover and not just Concealment! – Cover gives you protection from incoming fire while concealment simply hides you from the enemy’s view. You are going to want to select spots that preferably offer both. Once you have decided on these, find a place nearby to store extra ammo and equipment because chances are when the fighting begins, you will likely not have time to start looking for it and carrying extra ammo or equipment to your spot. Plan it out in advance and be sure it is located someplace that you can get to when you need.
- Move! – If you get caught out in the open or away from your home base when a firefight starts, the key to survival is to keep moving. If you stop you will greatly increase your chances of being shot. Movement means staying alive when it comes to a gun battle. You should always be looking for better cover, concealment, and line of fire. By moving around, you keep the enemy off guard and constantly guessing where you will be next. Do not move in a straight line if at all possible and backtracking can also work to your advantage as well.
- Have an Early Warning System and use it! – Take the time to plan out and create an early warning system for your compound even when just bugging out. The key to staying alive is to know that the enemy is coming before they get there. Whether you use ground censors, trip wires or lookouts, you really need to do everything possible to keep from being surprised. Always be sure to have guards posted at strategic points and rotate them as much as possible. Change up their schedules at random times and if they are a roving patrol, have your people walk different paths and different directions often. Keep from having any kind of pattern that the enemy could exploit, you have to keep them guessing!
If you know that the enemy is coming in advance then you have gained the tactical advantage and if you plan out your defense strategy and fields of fire well in advance and practice it then you will have a much better chance of keeping it. The only guarantee in a gun battle is that those that do not prepare for it will not survive it. Think, Plan, Practice, this should be your mantra and in the end, it will give you the tactical advantage and help you keep it.
Well that is it for today’s post and I hope you have enjoyed it. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared!
-The Sargent-
