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One cannot simply ask people if they want to be in a survival group. Anybody who rejects you NOW will be looking for you one the need arises. If you're planning on bugging in at your home, then the fewer people who know about your preparations the better.
One should gather intel on perspective candidates, there are things you should look for and things you should avoid.
One place to start gathering info believe it or not would be craigslist. Start a chat for your local area and see if people share your concerns. Just chat it up with them. If they've done about as much as you have you might want to link up with them.
NRA meetings are another solid place. If somebody doesn't own a firearm and actively practice their shooting skills then it is a safe bet you don't want them on your team unless a required skill set outweighs that
Try to find hunters or fisherman in your area. These are good people to have as they routinely wake up early and go out into unideal conditions. They're used to nature so to speak so it wouldn't be such a drastic change. The less drastic the change, the less stress. People with lower stress makes for better living arrangements.
As ex-Infantry I'm perfectly aware of how to shoot well. However say I kill a deer I would have no idea which parts are the best meat. I have no idea how to skin an animal or fillet a fish. So somebody who routinely does that would have a much better knowledge then I do.
Talk to small business owners. Now chances are if you go to the local K-Mart and speak with the person at their sporting goods / weapons department they might not really have any knowledge on the subject.
Now somebody who owns a small gun shop is virtually guaranteed to know a lot about guns and probably be one hell of a shot. Somebody who owns a sporting good store probably knows a lot about surviving in the outdoors. Not to mention that in an ITEOTWAWKI situation, chances are they'd share their goods with the group. Once the dollar loses all value and food isn't being produced there is no reason to keep merchandise to sell.
Don't forget any military surplus owners as well. Most are veterans and they'll have plenty of useful items.
However don't ASSUME that they'd part with their stock. Make it perfectly clear up front that you WON'T request the stock in case of a small riot, or a localized natural disaster such as a floor or earthquake. In the event that the dollar collapses and SHTF only then would they be expected to part with their inventory.
This has the second benefit of obtaining unregistered weapons. The ITEOTWAWKI might only last a few years and authorities might still investigate murders, even if it was self defense and somebody tried to harm one of the group. Since the power grid will most likely have failed who's to say that the gun-shop owner wasn't robbed? Only use what you need though and barter/save the rest
Recruit skill sets. Almost everybody can agree that a doctor would be a good thing to have around. At NRA or community watch meetings find out who the doctors are. Additionally you could take a drive through the private parking area of your local hospital and take note of any bumper stickers they might have, or their types of vehicles. People with off-road vehicles might be a good indication they enjoy outdoor activities which is a plus. It could just be that they live in a small isolated area with dirt roads which is also a plus. veteran bumper stickers are also a plus. EVERYBODY in the military is required to know how to shoot.
Look for people who have a skill set AND know how to shoot. An ex-Medic knows medicine and also knows how to shoot. A hunter is valuable and also knows how to shoot. A farmer is valuable and most can shoot. Not everybody has to be an expert shot, but SOME people should be. Once you have your group together you can go out to the range and coach the non-shooters into being basic marksmen.
Avoid active military however. In the event of a national disaster the soldier will most likely not be able to help you and taking care of professional matters instead. NOTHING personal against active military, I'm an Iraq vet myself. I'm just simply stating that they can't exactly walk away from their job to come defend a property with you. Same goes with policemen and other government workers who HAVE to do their jobs in time of crisis
Do not exclude family men as potential recruits. While at first glance a veteran with a wife and two children might look like a lof of extra mouths to feed it can be worth the trade off. If somebody has someone to protect they'll perform their role much better then somebody with nothing to lose.
Noncombatants can still perform vital roles such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. I know that makes me sound like an arse to some people but you have to be realistic. Everybody performs some role. If you can't perform a combat role then you get stuck with menial possibly degrading tasks. That's just the way it is. Obviously babies and small toddlers really can't do anything but you just have to accept that and not make a logistics issue out of it. I would say a single guy would be allowed to bring his girlfriend along. The situation would be stressful enough without having to go cold turkey on relations
Form a "Militia". Naturally you don't want to label it as such and attract unwanted attention and place yourselves on the radar, however get your group and take the time to bond with them. Go out for morning jogs when you can for group motivation to keep everybody in relative shape. Go to the range together and practice shooting. The advanced marksmen can impart their knowledge on the beginners. An experienced spotter can watch your body as you shoot. There are several fundamentals of marksmanship and through watching somebody's body as they shoot you can tell which one they're failing on. Get everybody a portable radio and teach everybody the phonetic alphabet. Have an established frequency that you use along with code-names for each person
Spending time together in advance not only builds the psychological bonds which will be necessary, but it lets you know who is compatible with each other. I myself am an atheist and there are people who wouldn't be okay with that, so we would be incompatible as far as the group goes.
What if the situation comes along where we have 10 people, with enough supplies for 10 people. Now three more people show up. A mother and two children. There aren't enough supplies for everybody. Who is willing to turn them away and who isn't? Who is capable of flicking that light switch in your head from " Upstanding moral citizen who cares about the community " to " Small group of survivors who will kill if necessary to protect themselves "?
Certain situations will require people to suspend feelings of morality and guilt in order to survive. Make sure ahead of time people UNDERSTAND this and are willing to do it.
Lastly numbers. You shouldn't have too many and you shouldn't have too few. Few people means less mouths to feed but longer security shifts while others sleep. With 24 people you could each only pull a single hour shift daily but once the food supply runs out and you must hunt / fish it'll require more effort. More people means more room required for storage, more places needed to sleep etc. You'll have to work it out with the group what you consider to be the ideal number.
Know anybody rich? Rich people typically own houses far too big for them, as well as many acres of land which could used for a farm, not to mention a ton of capital to buy supplies with in advance. While he may not possess any required skill sets it can be overlooked for the other huge advantages he would possess. Having everybody occupy a mansion is much better because it becomes a single point to defend.
Some questions to ask potential recruits:
A) What skill sets do you currently possess?
B) Can you shoot a handgun / rifle / long-rifle?
C) Are you okay with having people in the group who may share an opposing religious view?
D) Do you require prescription medicine? Can you live without it?
E) Do you currently have any STDs? ( Require confirmation from doctor )
F) Excluding yourself, how many dependents do you have? And what are their ages?
G) Do you have any physical condition which would affect your ability to be an infantry soldier ie are you able to lift heavy objects, ruck a couple miles, run a couple miles, etc?
H) List any allergies to food or medicine for yourself and family
I) List all weapons you own and how much ammo of each type you currently possess
J) List the location of your place of work and house
K) List the blood types of your family and yourself
L) Are you prepared to take instruction from the group leader even if you personally disagree with it?
M) Are you prepared to turn away other survivors who have no where else to go?
N) Are you prepared to kill if necessary to defend any member of the group or our property?
O) Would you be willing to give lodging to group members in your home?
P) Would you be willing to leave your own home and bring your supplies to the home of a different group member?
Q) List any vehicles you own
R) List any other notable survival supplies
S) Do you require prescription glasses?
T) Are you willing to steal from or kill members of a different group if it becomes necessary to take OFFENSIVE action for the groups survival
I shouldn't need to explain why those questions are relevant but if somebody needs me to I will. Note that those are in no particular order and could be better arranged
Well that ate up a bit of time. If anybody has anything to add feel free to do so, if you disagree with me on any issue please state WHY you disagree with me so that it adds to the discussion. I have no problem admitting I made a mistake as long as others are able to learn from it.
One should gather intel on perspective candidates, there are things you should look for and things you should avoid.
One place to start gathering info believe it or not would be craigslist. Start a chat for your local area and see if people share your concerns. Just chat it up with them. If they've done about as much as you have you might want to link up with them.
NRA meetings are another solid place. If somebody doesn't own a firearm and actively practice their shooting skills then it is a safe bet you don't want them on your team unless a required skill set outweighs that
Try to find hunters or fisherman in your area. These are good people to have as they routinely wake up early and go out into unideal conditions. They're used to nature so to speak so it wouldn't be such a drastic change. The less drastic the change, the less stress. People with lower stress makes for better living arrangements.
As ex-Infantry I'm perfectly aware of how to shoot well. However say I kill a deer I would have no idea which parts are the best meat. I have no idea how to skin an animal or fillet a fish. So somebody who routinely does that would have a much better knowledge then I do.
Talk to small business owners. Now chances are if you go to the local K-Mart and speak with the person at their sporting goods / weapons department they might not really have any knowledge on the subject.
Now somebody who owns a small gun shop is virtually guaranteed to know a lot about guns and probably be one hell of a shot. Somebody who owns a sporting good store probably knows a lot about surviving in the outdoors. Not to mention that in an ITEOTWAWKI situation, chances are they'd share their goods with the group. Once the dollar loses all value and food isn't being produced there is no reason to keep merchandise to sell.
Don't forget any military surplus owners as well. Most are veterans and they'll have plenty of useful items.
However don't ASSUME that they'd part with their stock. Make it perfectly clear up front that you WON'T request the stock in case of a small riot, or a localized natural disaster such as a floor or earthquake. In the event that the dollar collapses and SHTF only then would they be expected to part with their inventory.
This has the second benefit of obtaining unregistered weapons. The ITEOTWAWKI might only last a few years and authorities might still investigate murders, even if it was self defense and somebody tried to harm one of the group. Since the power grid will most likely have failed who's to say that the gun-shop owner wasn't robbed? Only use what you need though and barter/save the rest
Recruit skill sets. Almost everybody can agree that a doctor would be a good thing to have around. At NRA or community watch meetings find out who the doctors are. Additionally you could take a drive through the private parking area of your local hospital and take note of any bumper stickers they might have, or their types of vehicles. People with off-road vehicles might be a good indication they enjoy outdoor activities which is a plus. It could just be that they live in a small isolated area with dirt roads which is also a plus. veteran bumper stickers are also a plus. EVERYBODY in the military is required to know how to shoot.
Look for people who have a skill set AND know how to shoot. An ex-Medic knows medicine and also knows how to shoot. A hunter is valuable and also knows how to shoot. A farmer is valuable and most can shoot. Not everybody has to be an expert shot, but SOME people should be. Once you have your group together you can go out to the range and coach the non-shooters into being basic marksmen.
Avoid active military however. In the event of a national disaster the soldier will most likely not be able to help you and taking care of professional matters instead. NOTHING personal against active military, I'm an Iraq vet myself. I'm just simply stating that they can't exactly walk away from their job to come defend a property with you. Same goes with policemen and other government workers who HAVE to do their jobs in time of crisis
Do not exclude family men as potential recruits. While at first glance a veteran with a wife and two children might look like a lof of extra mouths to feed it can be worth the trade off. If somebody has someone to protect they'll perform their role much better then somebody with nothing to lose.
Noncombatants can still perform vital roles such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. I know that makes me sound like an arse to some people but you have to be realistic. Everybody performs some role. If you can't perform a combat role then you get stuck with menial possibly degrading tasks. That's just the way it is. Obviously babies and small toddlers really can't do anything but you just have to accept that and not make a logistics issue out of it. I would say a single guy would be allowed to bring his girlfriend along. The situation would be stressful enough without having to go cold turkey on relations
Form a "Militia". Naturally you don't want to label it as such and attract unwanted attention and place yourselves on the radar, however get your group and take the time to bond with them. Go out for morning jogs when you can for group motivation to keep everybody in relative shape. Go to the range together and practice shooting. The advanced marksmen can impart their knowledge on the beginners. An experienced spotter can watch your body as you shoot. There are several fundamentals of marksmanship and through watching somebody's body as they shoot you can tell which one they're failing on. Get everybody a portable radio and teach everybody the phonetic alphabet. Have an established frequency that you use along with code-names for each person
Spending time together in advance not only builds the psychological bonds which will be necessary, but it lets you know who is compatible with each other. I myself am an atheist and there are people who wouldn't be okay with that, so we would be incompatible as far as the group goes.
What if the situation comes along where we have 10 people, with enough supplies for 10 people. Now three more people show up. A mother and two children. There aren't enough supplies for everybody. Who is willing to turn them away and who isn't? Who is capable of flicking that light switch in your head from " Upstanding moral citizen who cares about the community " to " Small group of survivors who will kill if necessary to protect themselves "?
Certain situations will require people to suspend feelings of morality and guilt in order to survive. Make sure ahead of time people UNDERSTAND this and are willing to do it.
Lastly numbers. You shouldn't have too many and you shouldn't have too few. Few people means less mouths to feed but longer security shifts while others sleep. With 24 people you could each only pull a single hour shift daily but once the food supply runs out and you must hunt / fish it'll require more effort. More people means more room required for storage, more places needed to sleep etc. You'll have to work it out with the group what you consider to be the ideal number.
Know anybody rich? Rich people typically own houses far too big for them, as well as many acres of land which could used for a farm, not to mention a ton of capital to buy supplies with in advance. While he may not possess any required skill sets it can be overlooked for the other huge advantages he would possess. Having everybody occupy a mansion is much better because it becomes a single point to defend.
Some questions to ask potential recruits:
A) What skill sets do you currently possess?
B) Can you shoot a handgun / rifle / long-rifle?
C) Are you okay with having people in the group who may share an opposing religious view?
D) Do you require prescription medicine? Can you live without it?
E) Do you currently have any STDs? ( Require confirmation from doctor )
F) Excluding yourself, how many dependents do you have? And what are their ages?
G) Do you have any physical condition which would affect your ability to be an infantry soldier ie are you able to lift heavy objects, ruck a couple miles, run a couple miles, etc?
H) List any allergies to food or medicine for yourself and family
I) List all weapons you own and how much ammo of each type you currently possess
J) List the location of your place of work and house
K) List the blood types of your family and yourself
L) Are you prepared to take instruction from the group leader even if you personally disagree with it?
M) Are you prepared to turn away other survivors who have no where else to go?
N) Are you prepared to kill if necessary to defend any member of the group or our property?
O) Would you be willing to give lodging to group members in your home?
P) Would you be willing to leave your own home and bring your supplies to the home of a different group member?
Q) List any vehicles you own
R) List any other notable survival supplies
S) Do you require prescription glasses?
T) Are you willing to steal from or kill members of a different group if it becomes necessary to take OFFENSIVE action for the groups survival
I shouldn't need to explain why those questions are relevant but if somebody needs me to I will. Note that those are in no particular order and could be better arranged
Well that ate up a bit of time. If anybody has anything to add feel free to do so, if you disagree with me on any issue please state WHY you disagree with me so that it adds to the discussion. I have no problem admitting I made a mistake as long as others are able to learn from it.
