Survivalist Forum banner

Deployed in Afghan and SHTF what to do

12K views 58 replies 39 participants last post by  NectarNook 
#1 ·
So here is the issue i am facing i am deploying soon to afghanistan with the euro falling with the dollar soon to follow. I have been planning with fellow soldiers what we can do if the economy collapses and the US Gov't cant bring us home.
So far we got bringing gold with us one ounce each to buy our way home.
but that is pretty much it.
 
#2 ·
1. might need more cash, gold etc, not sure whats allowed.
2.stay informed constantly on space A mil flights, get to know someone in scheduling there.
3.if things go that bad at least your in a valuable commodity,a mil unit,know where your closest ally nation is,most likely to take your unit in. learn that lang,social/economic/political climate there. ex. whats it like in turkey.make friends,contacts in that country.
4. train.train.train,not drink,chase skirts etc.
5.save/invest your pay, young troop. for if/when you come back!!!!!! [keep your mouth SHUT about your finances].
GOOD LUCK,REMEMBER YOU HAVE NO LOCAL FRIENDS OVER THERE. TRUST ONLY YOUR SQUADIES!!!
 
#31 ·
All excellent advice. With regards to the closest ally nation, that's going to be India. Plenty of Americans over there, plenty of Indians who have spent lots of time in America and gone back and forth, and English is spoken widely relative to most any other country in the region. There's a moslem minority there, but they are generally not well liked by the Christians and Hindus in the country.

Of course you have to get through Pakistan to get there.
 
#3 ·
A little light reading;welcome! all these links are to 100s of free downloads on pertinent topics.saves you alot of surfing. wish I'd had this when I first started! It should be a sticky. :thumb:

naturegirlmia
Target Shooter Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 420
Thanks: 838
Thanked 791 Times in 251 Posts

PDF Treasure Trove

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enjoy!



All KINDS of Topics:
http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media...cat=6&start=0o
http://preterhuman.net/texts/
http://www.shtfinfo.com/shtffiles/books_and_reading/
http://www.forgottenbooks.org/browse

Polar Shifting/Various Survival Topics:
http://www.ps-survival.com/PS/index.htm

Various Survival Topics:
http://www.laylowsbunker.com/info_pump/
http://www.4shared.com/dir/7233737/7...d/sharing.html
http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/F...cty=US&lang=en
http://survival-training.info/library.htm
http://www.housegate.net/woodvival/m...nualistica.htm
http://modernsurvivalonline.com/surv...ase-downloads/
http://www.noahs-archives.com/noahs-archives.html
http://canteenshop.com/id76.html
http://www.mainepatriot.net/id49.html
http://www.shtfinfo.com/shtffiles/
http://www.aussurvivalist.com/downloads.htm
http://www.survivalbound.com/manuals/military.html
http://www.survivalprimer.com/Index_Survival.htm
http://www.bushcraftliving.com/downl...als-and-guides
http://www.doomguide.com/
http://www.survivalring.org/downloads/
http://riverwalkersblogroll.blogspot...-material.html
http://www.survivalistssite.com/~canuck/ebook.html
http://www.surviveclub.org.nz/defaul...page=downloads
http://thesurvivalist.freehosting.net/archives.htm
http://www.preppers.info/Free_Downloads.html
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Publicati...+downloads.htm
http://www.survivalbill.ca/phpBB3/vi...hp?f=46&t=6039
http://urbansurvivalsite.com/ebooks/
http://advancedsurvivalguide.com/?cat=80
http://infothread.org/info/index.php...d Documents/
https://www.wuala.com/kb5won/Shared/...y=j5rbjSfVa2bx
http://www.prepdbq.com/apps/documents/?&page=1
http://www.raems.com/downloads.html
http://advancedsurvivalguide.com/downloads/

Primitive Skills:
http://stoneageskills.com/articles/index.html

Flintknapping:
http://flintknappinginfo.webstarts.com/


Prep Lists:
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/att...0&d=1162062278
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/FTP_Files/DFPlanImp.zip
http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com...rintables.html

Various Self-Sufficiency Topics:
http://homestead.org/NewIndexes/Directory.htm
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/
http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/howto/howto.html
http://downloads.tpass.org/
http://www.mediafire.com/?d7lk8erc71rck
http://survivaluk.net/downloadfiles/
http://www.bayrose.org/Poppy_Run/
http://grandpappy.info/aword.htm
http://allaboutfoodstorage.com/food-storage-printables/
http://www.self-sufficiency-guide.com/eBooks.html


Traps and Snares:
http://www.sullivansline.com/TLine/education/traped.htm

Shelters:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28255...-h/28255-h.htm

Hygiene/Sanitation:
http://www.watersanitationhygiene.or...0Resources.htm

Livestock/Agriculture:
http://www.howtomakeeverything.com/CD3WD/INDEX.HTM
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-growers_library.aspx
http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/index.html
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/p.aspx?tabid=16

Farming/Agriculture:
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library.html
http://www.earthlypursuits.com/Allot...AllotGuide.htm
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_lib...tml#Wrench_who
https://attra.ncat.org/publication.html
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books
http://agebb.missouri.edu/download/index.htm
http://www.gardening-guides.com/pdf-library/


Buildings/Agriculture:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_...ml#Anchor73272
http://www.cps.gov.on.ca/english/planmenu.htm

Farm Recovery after Nuclear Fallout:
http://www.ki4u.com/webpal/b_recover...ry/farming.htm

Alternative Energy:
http://www.green-trust.org/freebooks/
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library.html
http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/H...HydroGuide.pdf
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/information.html
http://www.scoraigwind.com/download/index.htm

Pioneering Crafts/Knots and Lashes:
http://www.pioneeringprojects.org/

Making Instruments:
http://www.angelfire.com/music2/construct/planpg1.html

Wild Edibles:
http://www.wildfoodschool.co.uk/urban/wfsURBANGUIDE.pdf
http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/...px?NodeID=1995
http://www.wildfoodschool.co.uk/urban/index.htm
http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wildf...dex.htm#recipe

Botanical Medicine:
http://www.swsbm.com/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.html

Medical:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga-seafa...ical_guide.htm
http://www.wemsi.org/medkit_docs.html
http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/
http://freebooks4doctors.com/
https://rendezvous.nols.edu/content/view/1751/713/


Emergency/Disaster Guides:
http://survivormall.com/freebooks.aspx
http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/library/erg
http://www.all-hazards.com/LGP/library.htm
http://blogs.cce.cornell.edu/herkime...d-emergencies/
http://www.disasters.org/dera/library/library.htm
http://wedc.lboro.ac.uk/knowledge/no...ergencies.html
http://helid.desastres.net/

Community Emergency Guides:
http://archive.ahrq.gov/prep/
http://www.seattle.gov/emergency/publications/

Cooking:
http://bitsyskitchen.com/drymixes.html
http://www.rawpaleodiet.com/wp-conte...structions.pdf
http://www.tasteofhomedigital.com/ta...gNfishing/#pg1

Tech Skills:
http://www.tpub.com/
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/fspubs/index.htm
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/en.../crg/dtu/pubs/

Woodworking:
http://www.evenfallstudios.com/woodw...s_library.html

Auto Repair:
http://www.team.net/www/morgan/tech/index.html#TOOLS

Blacksmithing:
http://www.iforgeiron.com/files/
http://www.hct.ac.uk/Downloads/craftpublications.html

Military Manuals:
http://www.survivalebooks.com/usmilitarymanuals
http://www.stevespages.com/page7c.htm
http://www.90thidpg.us/Reference/Manuals/index.html
http://www.justplainfedup.com/pdfs.html
http://www.prc68.com/I/Man.shtml
http://www.deltagearinc.com/Downloads.htm
http://www.nh-tems.com/documents/
http://www.everyspec.com/library.php

Military Medical:
http://www.vnh.org/
http://www.defence.gov.au/army/pilba...tudy_Guide.pdf
http://www.brooksidepress.org/Produc...ryMedicine.htm

Firearms/Optics/Metal Detectors/Cameras/Flashlights:
http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm

Firearms:
http://www.reloadammo.com/
http://pookieweb.dyndns.org:61129/AK/docs/templates.htm
http://www.mediafire.com/?9onmno58kwflx
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=0641f...82F0DBC!5722
http://www.quarterbore.com/library/pdfindex.html
http://www.reloadbench.com/downloads/
http://www.lasc.us/ArticleIndex.htm

Urban Survival/Militia:
http://www.urbanevasion.com/downloads
http://zinelibrary.info/DIY

Martial Arts:
http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical...o-bookshttp://

Diaries of Mountain Men:
http://mtmen.org/mtman/mmarch.html

Fiction:
http://www.otr.net/?p=esca
http://jerrydyoung.fatcow.com/stories/page.php?3

These downloads will jump start you to the head of the line,thanks again NATUREGIRLMIA!!! YOU ROCK
 
#10 ·
Read the above post three times slowly. This is good advice.

Save as much money as you can while you're overseas, so its available to you when you return.

I go overseas frequently, and have some advice for you regarding what to take with you:

Take nothing with you that you wouldn't be okay leaving there. Between theft, misfortune, or accident, you may lose anything you take with you. Expensive jewelry comes to mind as a particularly poor choice. One gold coin, not so much of a problem, so long as you don't mind losing it. (How will you secure it when you shower? etc.) Whatever you take with you, plan on losing. That way when you lose it, it won't be a tremendous disappointment.

The very best thing you can take with you is a laptop, in a dust-proof pelican case. Read everything you can on your laptop, and write out a plan that you can work with when you return. Between saving every dollar you can and in-depth planning, that's likely the best use of your off-duty time while deployed. (You can watch movies and listen to music on a laptop, but you can't edit files, write a journal, and conduct in-depth planning on an iPod.) Take a camera with you, and have it on you at all times.


By the way, keep your head down and pay attention constantly to whats going on around you. Don't trust anyone over there, except your own guys.

Both my kids have been over there off and on for the past three years, and it takes a lot of self-discipline to avoid complacency.

Be safe, and thanks for serving.
 
#8 ·
I got dibbs on a ride home with him!!!!

I make sure your MRAP stays running till we get to????

Crap this place is land locked and not alot of friendlies around us.

And its a long swim back home.

Crap.

Seriously hope you get placed at a major RSA.

If you become a fobbit like me its a real long walk back to those places.

And chances are you being military will be the guarenteed a flight home.

Me....50/50.
 
#12 ·
That'd be an interesting happening. You'd be smart bringing gold. It has had several thousand years of convincing people. I'm not sure how much an ounce of gold will go, maybe they'll do a group rate. It might end up a bunch of soldiers forcing their way back home, courtesy of Uncle Sam or some shipping routes. Chances are is if the S really hits the fan, they would probably call all hands on deck to help back home

If you weren't going to Trashghanistan and stationed in some friendly area of the world, I would say build up relations with the locals so you could have a place to hide in SHTF on-base.
 
#13 ·
Don't take the gold with you.You still have to clear customs and don't need the headache of explaining it or keeping up with it while you live out of a duffel bag .If the world comes to an end you won't get stranded and if you did at least you guys are well armed.
 
#15 ·
I am hoping they will get us home but I am assuming so did the Soviet soldiers a few decades ago and the few guys late for the last birds out in Vietnam. An once of gold won't be hard to clear customs with especually a coin. My thing is how much would it really get. Also if the really shtf then would there even be flights. I have spent a lot of time in Afghan and speak pashtu and a little Dari . My main worry is mass exodus like Vietnam or left behind like Soviet marines. Either way gonna suck where I am going where it will be easier to walk out than drive and only hope would be choppers. I already have a very nice bol in the Appalachians where my family has survived since 1703. I am a blue mountain v boy born and raised prepared and ready minus getting left in a dangerous hostile country
 
#17 ·
I'm going to say it. If you're in the military and on a deployment, you need to keep your mind on what is going on with your unit. That's why you are in a unit and not out there roaming around on your own while wearing a US Army tape on your uniform. If the world situation is the reason that you cannot be redeployed to take care of things at home then guess what? You better hope that everyone assigned to your unit cares about the organization as a whole if you want any chance of making it back to where it is you plan to go. If you want to go "Lone Wolf", you need to wait until you ETS.
 
#18 ·
The guys in my unit are getting an over whelming feeling that we may need to be prepared to support ourselves on this one. We have so little money they cut more people got the deployment every day literally. Second draw of gear was cut to insure we have enough money to even go. It won't be lone wolf it will be company lone wolf because of where we will be will be isolated.
 
#22 ·
btw ... over there dust gets everywhere buy a dust resistant / water resistant tough digital camera . also get rid of all your services here in north america before you go over there .(phone , electicity , internet etc) also deplate your car put it on temporary storage thigny )if you rent an appartment put all your stuff in storage and leave the key of the storage unit with your parents or somone you trust with it. break your lease ( find arangment with your landlord). if you have a home you might also do the storage thing and just rent your home to somone. dont buy any big thing before you leave buy after! download here what you will read over there ! ( 56k sucks so does dsl with 1000 folks on it ) BRING BACKUPS ! bring your install CDs/DVD aswell . bring some music along and some entertainment.

bring extras of things like flashlight , usb keys, hard drives ( external mybook works wonders) knives etc ( whatever you can fit i guess) . i dont know much about army gear but i am pretty shure you can supplement it a litle ;-) . also desert nights are cold ! .

i would bring an extra ipad / tablet or somthing i can easaly carry with just in case . i wouldnt leave somthing like that with ppl i dont know around tho .


like was said prepare to loose stuff .
 
#24 ·
If you are going to take gold, I would take smaller denomination coins, 1/10th ounce for example, versus a one ounce coin.

Small laptop with solar charging capability.
Small filtration straw.
Download as much information as possible. Maps, how-to's, etc.

If it gets really bad, I wouldn't see getting home any time soon. Hopefully if anything does happen, it would be a gradual decline.
 
#25 ·
I have thought about this. Thankfully, it's not a problem for me anymore.

Were I you, I'd definitely make plans with a few fellow soldiers.

My first inclination would be to stand by and see what the military might do. I'd wager that the military would flip the bird to DC and beg/borrow or steal to evacuate it's Warfighters to get them back to CONUS if it really got bad. Navy ships are basically everywhere. I wouldn't put it pass the military to seize fuel and supplies to take care of it's own. I'm sure you'd even see rescue volunteers leave CONUS to go get you guys home, if it's possible.

If none of that happens, this was my thought process when I was in your shoes:

1. Make sure your family is safe and has a good BOL before you leave.

2. Make plans with your friends for SHTF (like you are currently doing.)

3. If you're in Afghanistan, I'd wager your best route is through Russia and into Alaska.

4. Bring an emergency kit. In the Marines we always had to carry one anyhow, which was a basic, fire starter, e-shelter, fishing, first aid, etc.

5. Bring gold, okay, but bring silver. I'd bring at least a tube of ASE's. (20 coins) Those will last longer and go further.

6. Research possible routes through and locations and what not through Russia and Alaska.

I wouldn't even attempt to go east, west or south.

My best guess, though is that the military will raise hell to get it's own home, so stick around for a little while and see what happens. I also agree with the sentiment that whatever happens won't be overnight. The decline will come, as it is coming, in waves overtime.
 
#26 ·
What sort of scenario, realistically, is going to strand American troops overseas? It
seems to me it would have to be a complete breakdown on the order of nuclear
war or some sort of Biblical-style geological or environmental catastrophe for
communication and transportation systems to break down to that extent.

Also, we're Americans, not Russians. I could believe the Russians just "losing" troops
somewhere because of lousy Communist bookkeeping. (Of course, then again,
*Obama* is in power... so...)

However, if you're claiming that some American troops were left behind in Vietnam
during the collapse just because they missed the chopper... I hadn't heard that, but
it's not impossible. If I were really concerned about it I'd be trying to find out if the
military has an emergency evacuation plan is for the area where I was going to be
deployed, and how the plan assures that all troops in the field could be located and
removed quickly, including logistics and "rear guard" operations.
 
#30 ·
Make a bug out plan to head to India. The only country friendly to the US over there. However, you would need more luck than skill to get there as it is a LONG way away. But, it's not like you would have anything better to do other than wait to get captured and tortured if you stay.
 
#32 ·
Actually, no. Not great advice being given.

You aren't going anywhere without your unit, and your unit will set your game plan. Don't bring gold and other such nonsense. In your fantasy scenario, if it really got bad and they couldn't bring you home you would be in much worse trouble than trying to find valuables to barter with. They would just kill you and take what you have anyways. It would come down to your unit using force to allocate means of transportation if it got that bad.

In reality, if there were a collapse all units would centralize at the major hubs. KAF/BAF/Leatherneck, and begin an exodus out.

As far as space-A, if any of you clowns knows how space-a works, there would not be the situation described anyway. Active duty military takes priority anyway, so if he cant get a ride out nobody does. Hence the term "space-A"....space available after mission requirements have been met....aka the OP.

Do you honestly think that if things break down enough to where we cannot transport our troops back home there will be space-A flights available?

All I have to say is private, you need to calm the **** down. You will get what you need as RFI or TPE issue in country, and you will not be left there.
 
#34 ·
The army, and especially the 101st ABN Div, is not the military of "other countries". I am retired army, and I truly believe our military is of a standard far above that of anyone else.
The only way the US military would leave personnel stranded in a foreign country would really have to be some sort of total biblical apocalypse where our government ceases to exist. But even then, the planes and fuel and pilots to get home still exist, and even if our government collapsed, our military would not.
I have actually always been amazed at the resources our military will expend to rescue even a single person. Ever see what the Coast Guard sends out to pick up a single person stranded at sea?

I really wouldn't worry about getting stranded in Afghanistan. I would be more concerned about getting stuck at Campbell and not being able to get home if things go south. Probably easier getting back from Afghanistan.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top