"Prepper - - Someone who focuses on preparedness, generally for various worst-case scenarios like [peak oil] or [Armageddon]. Sometimes used to avoid the more loaded term [survivalist]."
"SHTF - - When the Shit Hits The Fan. To survivalists and preparedness people, this is the big disaster. Normally connotes suggesting the total break down of civilization and social order."
As seen at a prepper Internet web site and as extracted from same some key points worth reading. Thanks also to Jeremiah Johnson.
"Lessons from the Roman Army for Post-SHTF Combat Operations"
"Friends, Romans, country men, lend me your ears."
"Let’s 'fix' ‘em: set the enemy up and zap ‘em! Let’s do a few things that the Romans were famous for…using these techniques here and now."
1. "Choose the Ground: Yes, you choose the place you will engage them. Along with this, you pick the time of day, the formation of the attack, the objective, and the criteria for withdrawal."
2. "Prep the Ground: The Roman Army were masters of this task".
3. "Always Fight with the Sun at your Back: The Romans positioned themselves and attacked to place the sun in the eyes of their enemies."
4. “'SPECVLATORES'- the Speculatores…the deep-cover operatives…the Special Forces and Reconnaissance warriors of the Roman Empire." Intelligence gathering with eyes on the ground!
5. "Alliances – 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Not always so, but you can use such rifts to your advantage…with other groups who your enemy is at odds with."
6. "Feed Them Disinformation: Yes, the Romans were very adept at sending messages or planting information that was false. This regarded their strengths, their movements, supplies, and reinforcements."
7. "Lure Them and 'Stake' ‘Em – the Roman Army would plant different things out in front of an approaching enemy force in order to delay and distract them…making them ripe for an attack or ambush."
8. "The Violence of Action in a Controlled Manner – the Romans did not win their mastery over all of Europe and most of the Middle East by conducting drill and ceremony."
9. "A Perfect Chain of Command – Modern militaries all have a chain of command and an order of succession for someone to fill the 'vacancy' at all levels."
10. "Discipline: this encompasses all areas . . . Physical toughness, adherence to standard operating procedures (SOP’s), a cool head and iron nerves, and endurance…the ability to keep this up for years…to go the distance"
The Ten Commandments so to speak? Applicable not only to preppers but any military under any scenario or circumstance? I guess so.
Preppers perceiving danger and preparing for conflict of the low-intensity, war-of-the-flea asymmetric nature. Tips and hints as derived from the Romans as valid now as was the case two-thousand years ago? You the devoted reader to the blog decide for yourselves.
coolbert.