Militia Training Guide

move Page 1 of 2
Gear for Professionals
MOVEMENT
(UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Before getting started, I feel the need to extend Von Clauswitz' definition one more level: He said that
you use your troops to win battles and use battles to win the war. I say you use your troops to win
firefights, use firefights to win the battle, use battles to win the war.
It's time to burst the bubbles of all you Rambo Wannabes out there: Firefights are not won by Chuck
Norris dropping VC with 3-round bursts from the hip at half a mile. Nor are they won by a mud-coated
Sly Stallone emerging from the side of a cliff to shoot a dynamite-tipped arrow at a T-72 tank. Nor are
they won by Jean-Claude Van Damme doing the splits while executing Ninja/Vulcan nerve strikes with
his extended pinkie. Nor are they won by C. Thomas Howell standing in an open field emptying his AK-
47's magazine at a Hind (Soviet chopper) while bellowing, "Wolverines!!!" Nor are they won by the
Brat Pack popping up out of spider holes in a wide-open field to hose down a few hapless Ruskies (or
Cubans, I forget). Firefights are won by units using the principles of fire & manuever as a team.
I've been putting off completing this part of the site because it promises to be the most exhaustive of any
I've completed thus far. It will also require a lot of visuals, and I'll get those together as quickly as I can,
so bear with me.
"Movement" as it applies to a combat

unit, entails quite a bit. There are boocoup variables to consider, even if we're only talking about
"getting from Point A to Point B": Will you be on foot or using a vehicle? If a vehicle, what kind? What
are the advantages and disadvantages? Where can you expect it to take you and where will it be
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move Page 2 of 2
impractical? If on foot, how? What formation should you and your men move in? What pace should you
set? What route should you take? How do you choose that route?
And there are aspects of movement which are far beyond just "getting from Point A to Point B." I'll be
cramming the fundamentals into one of two major groupings: INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT and
GROUP MOVEMENT. Both are equally important for the modern-day Minuteman.
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INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT Page 1 of 3
INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT
How strong is a chain?
Keep that question in mind as you and your men train. Hopefully you've gotten the message by now
(because I've emphasized it so much) that tactical success depends on teamwork. Well, part of teamwork
means you must be able to count on the man next to you to do his job right. And he must be able to
count on you. On this page I will discuss some of the individual skills each man must have. I've broken
it all down into 2 general categories: On Foot and Not On Foot.
MOVEMENT ON FOOT
IMTs
You infantry veterans out there undoubtedly remember Individual Movement Techniques. This seems
like a logical platform to jump off from. But in explaining it for the non-grunts, I will be changing or
omitting the stupid parts, so don't start bleeting, "UN-SAT!" because I don't quote directly from a field
manual.
IMTs are what each man uses to get from Point A to Point B during a firefight. Specifically, we're
talking about the Low Crawl, High Crawl and 3-5 Second Rush.
Low Crawl:
This is an extremely slow mode of transit, so it should only be used when neccessary. And it should only
be neccessary when 1) you absolutely must move, 2) enemy fire is too thick to risk exposing yourself
even briefly and 3) available cover is so low to the ground that you must remain flat against the turf.
You lay belly-down, your head sideways so that your face (or helmet) is against the ground. You reach
forward with one hand to feel for obstacles, mines, etc. With your opposite leg, you bring your knee
forward (keeping your butt down) and push your body forward. The other leg just drags. Your other
hand clutches your rifle sling close to the swivel, palm down. The barrel of your weapon rests on the
back of your wrist and the butt drags along the ground (the ejection port should be facing up). Your head
should be plowing a rut in the ground as you move while the rest of your body acts as a push-broom.
High Crawl:
This is a faster crawl, and it will be up to you when to use it. I might choose this one if the available
cover is a little higher, or if it is so low that not even the low crawl is safe but you have to move and
speed is your only chance. You cradle your rifle so that each end rests in an elbow. Your hands are
palm-down, holding on to the sling. Your legs are splayed out wide to the sides (so that your butt stays
low), knees bent sharply. You tuck in your head, holding it only high enough to see where you are
going. From this starting position you crawl as fast as you can. And I'll warn you right now: this is
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murder on your elbows and knees. So when you practice it, do it on a soft surface for a short distance at
a sane pace or the doctors will be pulling a lot of ugly yellow fluid out of your joints. When you must do
it in combat, then do it as low and fast as you can, for as far as you need to, and count yourself lucky if
all that gets tweaked are your knees and elbows.
3-5 Second Rush:
This manuever is exactly what the name implies. You spring to your feet and sprint for a couple seconds
before diving back to earth. You want to pick out your next position beforehand, burst from cover at a
dead run, then dive down behind your next cover. One way to time it is to say to yourself as you're
executing, "I'm up! I'm moving! I'm down!" If you take more than 3-5 seconds to rush, a skilled rifleman
with a feel for his trigger pull will have time to tap you. When I was an Active Duty grunt, the field
manuals instructed us to execute a "combat roll" at the beginning of your rush. Reasons behind the
"combat roll" varied from FM to FM and NCO to NCO. The most common reason cited, though, was to
confuse the enemy as to which direction you would be going after you broke cover. But I participated in
countless mock engagements, with and without MILES gear (high-tech military laser-tag, in which one
side or the other always cheats by not putting the batteries in their harnesses), both on the offensive and
defensive. When executing the "combat roll" myself, I couldn't help noticing that by the time I finished
the roll and was on my feet running, depending on how much gear I had on and my level of fatigue,
often I had already burned 3 seconds. If you're humping an M-249 SAW, M-60 or other heavy infantry
weapon, just executing a "combat roll" can smoke you. When watching "enemy" troops assault toward
me, those that bothered to execute the "combat roll" were the easiest to tap. Far from confusing me, it
actually provided me a comfortable lead time to put the body in my sight picture and take up trigger
slack. And don't take my word for this...put it to the test. Set your unit up in a hasty defensive position
and have your men take turns rushing toward you with and without the "combat roll". Take note of
which way they are easiest to hit--then take out your red ink stick and scratch out the appropriate parts
of the field manual you're using (if you're using one).
READY POSTURE
Most grunts, hunters and militiamen hold their rifle at a modified "port arms" position in the field. It
seems the natural thing to do and, in fact, over in GROUP MOVEMENT I make the assumption that this
is how you will carry your rifle. But there is a better way to carry it if you want to be ready to engage a
target at a moment's notice. Some call it the "Field Ready" carry. It may look and feel kind of goofy, but
it allows for quick assumption of the standing, off-hand, kneeling and rice-paddy-prone positions. You
place the butt of your rifle on your belt and hold it directly forward at an angle which places the muzzle
centered and just under eye level. Your finger rests on the trigger guard or near the safety, while your
supporting hand is about midway up the stock. When you change directions, the rifle turns with your
body, always with the muzzle centered and just below eye level. When a target is acquired, you merely
stop with your left foot forward (if you're right-handed), oblique your shoulders to the target and lift the
butt of the rifle up to mount, keeping both eyes open. Practice this--it works.
Noise/Light Discipline
Before I actually entered the Service, I imagined that, to be an effective rifleman, I would have to learn
how to move silently like a jungle cat, an Apache or some kind of ghost-ninja. I never did quite achieve
that kind of stealth, but I discovered it was hardly necessary for conventional warfare, anyway. You'll
want to gear up and move around so you can identify and isolate what rattles, then tape it down, remove
it or whatever. You'll need good boots that are comfortable (within reason) and fit right. You'll need to
excersise some common sense while moving: don't bust through thick bush if you don't have to, try to
avoid walking through piles of dry, crunchy leaves, don't step on fallen twigs or branches less than an
inch in diameter (or thicker, if rotten), and watch where you're going. But more important than any of
that is DON'T TALK!! Faster than anything short of popping caps, human voices will alert the enemy
that you are nearby. Voices carry a long way in the bush, even when whispered. Use hand/arm signals to
communicate. There will be things you'll want to say to your buddy, and conversations you'll want to
have. Sin Loi. That's why it's called noise discipline.
For those of you who smoke, you need to quit mos koshee, for many reasons (none of them PC). If you
must cling to one disgusting habit/addiction, switch to chewing tobacco and you'll live longer. I'm not
just talking about Cancer and cardio-pulmonary health, either. A lit cigarette will give you away in the
field, even in broad daylight. A lit cigarette at night, or a flashlight, or a fire, is suicide. If you must read
a map at night, use a red-lensed flashlight and cover yourself and the map with a poncho before you turn
it on. But those are just the most obvious light discipline violations. When you take the field, all your
equipment and everything you wear should be subdued, if not camoflaged. Anything shiny and/or bright
is a no-no. You'll have to lose the big, gaudy belt buckles, the wire-frame glasses, the colorful baseball
caps, ski masks and so on. If you wear the USGI field jacket but fail to button the flap over the shiny
brass zipper (if yours is as old as mine), you've just negated the usefulness of the cammo patern on the
jacket. And regarding jewelry: lose it. Melt it down and make something useful out of it. You may think
it makes some profound statement to the world about your education, your military experience or your
marital status, but it makes an even louder statement to the enemy: "I'm over here! Shoot me!" The only
purpose it serves is as a target reference point. Until it turns up as an ante in the enemy's poker game
later--after it's been picked off your corpse.
MOVEMENT NOT ON FOOT
Go BACK.
GROUP MOVEMENT Page 1 of 17
GROUP MOVEMENT
Field Marshall Helmuth Von Moltke (the elder) once coined an axiom which goes something like this:
"In war, brilliance is not always necessary. Mediocrity is often enough." The Franco- Prussian War
proved him correct. In fact, in most of the wars throughout history, there is major blundering on both
sides. The side which commits the fewest blunders generally wins--of course this is influenced by the
size and technology of the forces involved, plus a host of other variables. The German war machine was
the best any one nation had to offer in both world wars, and was absolutely brilliant during the second
one, but could only overcome numeric and material disadvantages (made worse by Hitler's own
meddling and micromanaging) up to a point. The Russian war machine of that same conflict was
anything but brilliant, but Stalin's overwhelming numerical advantage, coupled with the "Lend/Lease"
war material given him by his soulmate, FDR (paid for by American tax dollars, of course) enabled him
to basically bury the Wermacht with weight of numbers despite the simpletons commanding his armies
(Zhukov being one exception).
So much for conventional wars. And even orthodox guerilla wars. Like I've emphasized elsewhere, the
American Patriot Resistance has no ally, no industry, no supply and no sanctuary. And the odds against
us are much higher than what the Germans faced on the Eastern Front. For these and other reasons,
mediocrity just ain't gonna' cut it for us. When it comes to the SOPs and Battle Drills I outline here, as
well as those you modify or create on your own, strive for perfection. Practice until you're sick of it,
then practice some more. Drill and drill and drill until each man automatically performs his job by
reflex. You and your troops should be dreaming this stuff at night, you do it so much. Hone your unit's
tactical discipline until they work together like a well-lubed machine in the field. Then when you find
yourself in a real firefight, you should be able to come out on top because the enemy does not strive
for this level of tactical harmony!
COMBAT FORMATIONS
During group movement (on foot--some modifications might be needed for other modes of travel),
maintaining certain formations help minimize disadvantages if attacked, or maximize advantages when
attacking. One of the primary concerns here is the enfilade. "Enfilade" is a fancy foreign word (with no
English equivalent) for a situation in which troops are alligned such that one bullet or burst could go
through two or more men. In Saving Private Ryan, you'll hear Captain Miller (the Tom Hanks character)
use the term "defilade" a lot. Defilade is another fancy foreign word which means, roughly: deny the
enemy an enfilade.
For each formation, you will need to assign a hand signal. You might want to assign "On Line" both a
hand signal and a whistle command, since there are some situations in which you might come under fire
before your men are deployed in this formation.
The diagrams below are not to scale--the intervals between men are proportionately tighter than what
you will want them to be for real.
The Wedge
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This is the usual formation for tactical movement. It

takes advantage of sectors of fire, providing 180-degree security while on the move, and provides good
defilade. The more open the terrain, the wider you will want to spread out; and vice-versa. The space
between men, theoretically, should never be too much to maintain eye-to-eye contact, nor so little that
one grenade would take out two men. Notice that in the diagram of the 3-man fireteam above, the team
leader (on point) has put a left-handed man on the right flank. That way everyone's weapon is facing
outward. If any of them spot the enemy, they can fire immediately without pivoting or changing position
drastically. Also, the risk of an accidental discharge hitting one of your own guys is significantly
reduced. A 3-man fireteam is perfect for this formation. I would never attempt to travel in the wedge
with more than 5--just too much of a pain for everybody.
The Diamond
Just a modified wedge. Add a 4th man to the 3-man wedge above, bringing up the rear. The advantage
of this is that you automatically have 360-degree security at the halt (the rear man simply about-faces
before dropping to the prone, while the men on right and left flank merely pivot outward at a right angle
to the direction of travel). The disadvantages include greater risk from friendly fire and better
opportunities for the enemy to enfilade you.
The Staggered Column
This formation is used by conventional forces when a

platoon-level (or higher) commander wants to move all his troops in one formation, faster than is
possible in the wedge. It is the default formation for a road march. Once again, the left-handers have
been placed on the right flank. It provides defilade from the flanks, but not from the front or rear, so it is
used only when moving through a relatively "secure" area. For the Patriot Resistance, there will likely
never be such a thing as a "secure" area. We should never travel along roads, trails or firebreaks while
on foot--it just invites ambush, indirect fire and aerial obsevation and/or attack. So we probably won't
need this formation much.
Column-of-Ducks
Also referred to as the "Ranger File." Just a single-file line, not even staggered. Sometimes in really bad
bush (swamp, jungle, thickets, etc.) the vegetation is so thick that you must use this formation in order to
maintain eye-to-eye contact. This is an extremely vulnerable formation, so only use it when necessary.
The only defilade available to you in this formation is the distance you can force your men to keep from
each other (human tendency, especially when numbed by fatigue, is to bunch-up) and a zigzag course
(which the terrain will probably establish for you). If possible, alternate right- and left-handers through
your order of march in order to equalize potential firepower to both flanks.
On Line
This is an advantageous formation to assume

immediately prior to an attack or certain types of ambushes. Your heaviest firepower should be
positioned on the flanks because your enemy, given the time and opportunity, will attempt a
counterattack there. But overall, less consideration is given to your rear and flanks than normal because
you know which direction the enemy will be coming at you from or you wouldn't have assumed this
formation in the first place.
Echelon Left
Here's one you won't find in the Infantry or Marine

field manuals. Let's say that for one segment of a tactical movement, you lead your unit on a course
paralell with a cliff, a river with a thick treeline, or some other terrain feature which protects your right
flank. By shifting into this formation, you transfer all your potential firepower to your only vulnerable
flank. Not only will this allow you to lay down more fire if contact is made, but it cuts the risk of
enfilade and friendly fire down to the minimum. Simply by each man pivoting outward as he drops to
the prone, it becomes just about impossible for the enemy to get in your rear, due to the natural barricade
you were skirting, now at your back.
Echelon Right
Mirror image of Echelon Left. Same exact reasons and

purpose.
Traveling Postures
The US Infantry has designated some defensive postures for grunts on the move, depending on the
liklihood of enemy contact. The terminology gets shuffled around a lot, so I don't know if they still teach
it this way, but I'll explain it the way I remember it.
The first posture is simply called "Traveling," and is used when enemy contact is unlikely. This is
nothing more than moving in the Staggered Column.
The second posture is "Traveling Overwatch," used when enemy contact is possible but not expected.
For a lone squad, this would mean both fireteams moving in the wedge, abreast of each other.
The third posture is "Bounding Overwatch," and should be (but never is in peacetime excercises) used
when enemy contact is expected. Once again, I'll use a lone squad for the example: Both fireteams are in
the wedge. One fireteam bounds forward past the other, which is down and ready to give cover fire if
necessary. When the moving fireteam reaches its advance position where it can "overwatch" the other,
they drop to cover. Seeing this, the covering fireteam now rises and bounds forward to an advance
position. This "leapfrogging" is used a lot at the tactical level, so you will see it again. The going is slow
in the Bounding Overwatch, so--peacetime units always being in a big hurry--it is almost never used
during a field problem, even when enemy contact is likely. I advise you, however, to practice it. It's not
hard to learn and you'll definitely need to use it at times after things go South.
If you plan on using these postures, you'll need hand signals for them. Whistle commands won't be
necessary--contact has not yet been made when you decide to assume one of these postures.
Some Advice Concerning Pace
When moving in any formation or posture, move at the pace of your slowest man. Don't just preach this,
practice it. In the peacetime active duty US Military, the SOP is to set such a murderous pace during
any movement that people fall out and those who make it are utterly exhausted by the time the objective
is reached. Don't be part of the problem with the pace you set. You want your unit intact, your troops
healthy (no heat exhaustion, lacerated feet, etc.) and sharp.
BATTLE DRILLS
Remember the martial arts analogy I started this section with? You might want to think of Battle Drills
as the katas a Karate student must master. Like the combinations a Western boxer learns or the
"blocking and tackling" drilled into football players from their first practice in high school right up
through and beyond the Superbowl. This is where the rubber meets the road.
Assault Through
Here is the most widely-rehearsed Battle Drill in the land forces of the United States. In some units, this
is the only one ever practiced. You need to assign a whistle command to this BD, but no hand signal
should be necessary (if surprise has been achieved, then firing your weapon will suffice for the signal to
assault through; if not, then the whistle can be heard through the gunfire, but your men will be too busy
to watch for and relay hand signals).
In some situations, you may have enough troops or the objective may be small enough that you can split
your unit into an Assault Element and a Covering element. Ideally, the two elements would form a "V"
with the objective positioned right in the crotch of the "V." The Covering Element opens fire and pretty
much destroys the objective (actually, both elements should open up during this phase to catch the
objective in a crossfire). They lift fire, then the Assault Element charges through, mopping up whatever
is left. But doing it this way is extremely difficult, and makes it just about impossible to maintain
surprise while positioning your troops. Remember, the more complex something is, the greater liklihood
of failure. So you should probably stick with the simpler version below:
This BD should be initiated from the On-Line formation, your men facing the objective. Depending on
your unit's size, you should either have them organized by squads, fireteams (in which case, the BD
would be executed just like Bounding Overwatch), or alternating men. In the diagram, the assault team
(a 4-man fireteam) has been organized by alternating men. You give the "Assault- Through" signal and
Man #1 & #3 open fire. The #2 & #4 Man have already spotted their next respective positions ahead
(based on what provides the best cover, will keep them roughly abreast of each other, and can be
reached in a 3-5 second sprint) and bolt from cover. They reach their spots, dive behind new cover and
open fire (assuming they have targets in their sectors). Man #1 & #3 cease fire and bolt from cover to
the spots they have already picked, in advance of Man #2 & #4's positions. They drop behind cover and
open fire, then Man #2 & #4 bound forward...and so on and so on until the assault team has gone
through the objective.
On the far side of the objective the team falls into a 360-degree perimeter, prepared to face a
counterattack (which should not occur, if you've done your job right). You get a quick head count, do a
quick weapon and equipment check, and correct the problems (there will be problems, I can assure you)
as best you can. Then send someone back to the objective. This man searches and strips anything useful
from the enemy dead (like NATO or Warsaw Pact ammo), finds lost equipment, brings back POWs to
be searched (if you're taking prisoners) or tends to your own wounded. US Army SOP is to designate 2
men as an "aid & litter team", 2 men as "POW search", and a bazillion other 2-man teams to anything
from checking for booby-traps to organizing volleyball games for the prisoners. And all this is supposed
to be done back on the objective. Well, it never works out that way, even in peacetime. It's always a big
gaggle. And of course, when it's the real thing, why would you predelegate all these little post-assault
tasks when you don't know which of your men will still be alive and able after the assault? Remember
the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It will prevent a lot of confusion if you just wait until the
assault is over and you've got your 360, then pick a man to go back over the objective. If he absolutely
needs help with something, you can always send another man back.
So when, during a real shooting war, should you use the Assault Through?
Good old Field Marshall Blowhard. He provides me with so much material. So many examples of what
not to do. I once opined to him that not all the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in the US
Military's repertoire were applicable to guerilla militias. "Well, that's true," he granted, "for instance,
when we assault through a bunker, instead of doing it like the Army does..."
Whoah, big fellah! When we assault through a bunker!?!?!?!? Egad, man! If one single member of
Blowhard's unit survives this war, I will be amazed. Pillboxes, bunkers and machinegun nests are not
just set up out in the middle of Indian Country then left to fend for themselves. Such an emplacement
will be part of a defensive line (and a strong one at that, if such emplacements are part of it) probably
established by a unit of regimental size or larger. The belt fed weapon(s) in that bunker have sectors of
fire interlocking with other belt-fed weapons to the right and left, with all kinds of hungry small arms in
between them seeking scraps. To the rear of that line will be mortars. To the rear of those
mortars...artillery. And to the rear of that an airbase full of gunships and fast movers ready to give close
support. Not to worry, though. Field Marshall Blowhard has got a great plan for attacking that defensive
line with his platoon of militia men.
Saving Private Ryan is a great movie with gruesome special effects, but frankly, not very accurate from
a strategic or even tactical standpoint (nor technical nor historical, for that matter, but I digress). This
becomes annoyingly obvious during the final battle scene, but it stands out elsewhere, too. One such
scene is the firefight at the radar installation. The squad of American Rangers comes across some dead
US Paratroopers, tipping them off that a German bunker is hidden below the tower. Captain Miller
decides to take out the bunker to ensure the same fate doesn't befall the next allied unit that comes along.
Rather than sit here and pick the scene apart (which is a temptation, I'll admit), I'll just bring up a few
points that hopefully will dissuade you from taking the scene too seriously.
First of all, remember how I just said that bunkers are not just set up out in the middle of nowhere then
left to their own devices? Well, apparently, this bunker was. That's called "a suicide mission" by
veterans of combat. The Germans didn't concoct such missions during that stage of the war. Later, as
they were pushed back into Germany and became increasingly desperate, they did resort to the
occasional suicide mission, but our presentday enemy will hardly be facing a situation to require suicide
missions. Next, assuming that a Ranger Captain would decide to attack a bunker with only a squad (not
a good call without at least a platoon of expendables--which these Rangers weren't), seeing as how the
bunker was isolated like that, he most certainly would have circled around and attacked from the rear.
But in the movie they make a gaggling frontal attack right up the meat grinder and only lose one man
(and that man was the medic! What in blazes is a medic doing assaulting a bunker??). Rangers have
always been bad dudes, but they've never been bulletproof. That German machinegun would have
chopped them into raw gruntburger before the barrel needed changed--and long before they got into
hand grenade range. Such lessons were hammered home brutally at Verdun and the Somme, and were
old news by the time of the Normandy invasion. (Having said all that, I must now concede that Private
Ryan is one awesome piece of filmmaking and I strongly reccommend you see it if you haven't already.
Just don't let it inspire any fantasies, okay?)
So the Assault-Through Battle Drill, IMHO, should only be used in a few specific situations: as part of
an ambush in certain terain, to take out an enemy LP/OP (listening post/observation post, but get out of
Dodge mos-koshee, or their buddies from the line will make you sorry), maybe to take out a sniper if
you're close enough and know where he is, or if you encounter an enemy unit smaller than your own (if
you surprise them and/or catch them in flank, however, then you likely could best a unit larger than your
own). The decision will be on the shoulders of the militia commander, however. Sometimes a
commander will make an on-spot judgement call to attempt the impossible and succeed--Americans and
Israelis have done this time and again throughout history. Just remember, our numbers are few. Your
men are not cannon fodder. They are not expendable. We can't afford to waste troops in stupid,
unnecessary glory charges like conventional forces do.
Retreat
Here's one the Army and Marines don't bother with. Is that reckless egotism, underestimation of the
enemy, or some combination of the two? Of course the Marines have an excuse: they've never retreated
on the field of battle. Back around Korea's Chosin Resevoire they were just attacking in another
direction, right?
Well, we can't afford egotism (too late for some of us, I know) and we sure can't afford to underestimate
the enemy. In the coming conflict we will be retreating a lot. Whether we choose to or not. Whether
you've rehearsed it or not. So why rehearse it? For one thing, fluency in this particular Battle Drill will
keep your troops from panicking. Panicking troops flee in the face of the enemy and are cut down like
grass under the lawnmower. When that happens, it's called a "rout" and you will no longer have a unit to
command. You will probably be killed yourself, or worse. Not only will an orderly withdrawl keep a
retreat from becoming a rout, it can and has often bloodied the pursuer mortally. (I'm SOOOOO tempted
to offer more sports analogies and historical examples, but I'll refrain...for now.)
Once again, only a whistle command is needed to initiate this BD--more than likely you will already be
under fire when you decide to give the command. The Retreat works much like the Assault-Through,
only backwards. It's a bit harder, too: While #1 & #3 Man are laying down covering fire, #2 & #4 man
must jump and whirl in the same motion (I advise against trying to run backwards--it makes you a
slower target, you'll probably trip and fall, and it doesn't really give you any advantage anyway) and
rush to their next cover within 3-5 seconds, then dive and whirl in the same motion so that they're facing
the enemy again. #1 & #3 Man are too busy laying down fire to look over their shoulders and pick their
next cover, or to see if #2 & #4 Man are down and ready. You can add on a whistle signal that means
"we're in position, your turn" or you can just do it by timing. Timing it would be best, so nobody has to
fumble for their whistle after the initial "Retreat" command. When #1 & #3 Man whirl to their feet, they
must instantly pick their spots, beyond #2 & #4 Man, then leapfrog past them and drop/spin behind their
new cover within 3-5 seconds. Why 3-5 seconds, you're probably asking? Because if you're an upright
target for much longer than that, a good marksman with a feel for his rifle's trigger pull can aim and fire
accurately. This backward leapfrogging continues until you've put enough distance between yourselves
and the enemy to make your next move...redeploy for an ambush of pursuers, get in the wedge and move
out in the opposite direction...whatever needs to be done.
Flank Left
Any
time you need to make a lateral adjustment of an On-Line formation in an orderly fashion (your unit is
facing the right direction, but too far to the right), this BD will do it for you. Assign both a whistle
command and hand signal for the Flank Left, because it can conceivably be used when under fire or not.
The diagram should make it self-explanitory, but I'll briefly describe it anyway:
In the diagram, you have a 3-man fireteam On-Line. You give the "Flank Left" signal and the man
furthest right peels off and leapfrogs behind the rest of the team to a new position (behind good cover,
hopefully) to the left of the team. The next man does the same exact thing, then the last man. Now your
team is repositioned to the left, but still in the same On-Line configuration they started in, and no more
than one man's firepower was absent from the line at any time.
Flank Right
Same
thing only reversed, right?
Wheel Left
Here's another one I invented. There is no similar BD

practiced in the Army or Marines. This comes in handy when you discover that your unit is in the
correct location but facing the wrong direction (and this happens quite a bit). Here's one of many
possible uses for a Wheel BD: Let's say you make contact with an enemy force and you realize that
you're right on his flank. If your unit were only at a right angle to the enemy unit, you would have a
beautiful enfilade. Rather than trying to scream out instructions to your men to make the adjustment,
you simply give the whistle command for a Wheel (or hand signal, if the enemy doesn't yet know you're
there).
For a Wheel Left, the man furthest left simply pivots in place 90 degrees. Simultaneously, the next man
maintains his distance from the first guy (imagine this guy as the pencil in a compass and the first guy as
the pointy part that sticks in the paper) while running in a semi-circle to a new position at a 90 degree
angle from his previous facing. Meanwhile, the next guy is running in a bigger semi-circle, maintaining
his distance from the second guy. You get the idea. Now you've got enfilade on the enemy and can roll
up his flank (using the Assault-Through).
Let's reverse the situation real quick: You make contact with the enemy and this time he is on your
flank. Before he can adjust his men to enfilade you (which should take a while, since he's never trained
his men for Wheel BDs), you can Flank Left or Flank Right (depending on which flank he's on) to
maintain your defilade. Now he's got to come right at your muzzles. Neat, huh?
Wheel Right
Same thing, only backwards, right?
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPs)

In the military this acronym is used for anything which is standard throughout a unit. For instance, a
specific library of hand/arm signals may be Battalion SOP--so none of the Companies and Platoons in
that Battalion vary, modify, or replace any of those hand signals. Every hand/ arm signal connotes the
same exact meaning to every Swinging Richard in that Battalion. Of course, there are a lot of SOPs
which are just plain ignorant. There is a US Army-wide SOP for how boots should be laced, and only
soldiers of a certain MOS (tankers, I think) are allowed to follow a different boot-lacing SOP.
Your unit can (and should) formulate its own SOPs for whatever needs to be standardized. But I won't
even attempt to list all the possible (or even necessary) SOPs for a militia. Below I've just outlined some
tactical SOPs required in certain situations. You should modify or fill them in as you see fit. Remember
the KISS principle, though.
Crossing Danger Areas
Any time your unit must cross an open area where your men will be exposed for more than a few
seconds, you are crossing a "Danger Area." Rule #1 is to avoid such areas if at all possible. But, if
there's no way around it, you need to get your men across it in the safest and quickest way possible. Any
number of Danger Areas may be encountered on any given mission, so an SOP is required.
Here's one basic outline of a "Crossing Danger Area" SOP that works as good as any:
I'll use a squad-size unit (2 fire teams) for the example. The point man (lead fire team leader) realizes
there is a danger area ahead, and signals a halt. He uses a hand signal to call up the squad leader. The
squad leader goes up to the edge of the DA to look it over and decides that there is no way around it. He
signals back for the "Near-Side-Security" element to come forward. 2 predesignated men hustle up and
take positions on either side of the squad leader where they can observe and lay down cover fire if
necessary.
Now the squad leader signals back for the Recon element. These 2 men come up to the squad leader
(and receive any special instructions, if applicable). From there they hustle across the Danger Area.
Once on the far side of the DA, they perform a brief recon. Usually they move in the "inverted heart"
pattern--maintaining safe distance from each other at all times they proceed into the far side abreast of
each other; after they've gone in far enough (all they're doing is securing an area large enough for their
unit to fit in), they split up and work their way back in mirror-image semicircles to meet back at the edge
of the Danger Area where they first came in. They take up positions at the edge of the DA where they
can observe and lay down cover fire if necessary. They signal back across the DA (a thumbs-up would
suffice) that they've secured the far side. These 2 men are now the "Far-Side-Security" element.
The squad leader sends his men across the DA (1-at-a-time or by 2s--large units might send entire fire
teams across at a time). He crosses after them. The last men to cross are the 2 "Near-Side-Security"
guys.
As everyone hustles through the DA, they enter the far side between the positions held by the 2 "Far-
Side-Security" guys. As they enter the secure area, they begin to form a 360 degree perimeter. Once
everyone else is across, the "Far-Side-Security" guys fall back from their positions and complete the
perimeter. The squad leader gets a quick head-count and prepares to continue the movement.
The Hasty Ambush
Here's your bread & butter. The Patriot Resistance will live and die by the hasty ambush.
Let me stress, 1st of all, the right tools for the right job: If you're ambushing personell, small arms
should be adequate. But if you're ambushing a vehicular convoy, you'll need mines, rockets, grenades or
something.
What you want to do is bottle up the enemy unit somehow so that you can wipe them out before they
formulate a means to escape. Then steal their stuff.
So let's say you've got a platoon-size unit this time. From intelligence and recons, you've selected a
location by which you expect an enemy unit to pass. The terrain in this area will provide your men good
cover/concealment, and will assist you in bottling up the enemy unit (ie: a cut through a mountain that a
convoy must drive through--cliffs on both sides). You give your platoon the Operation Order, rehearse
the ambush, check weapons/equipment and move out.

You reach the ambush site and signal your men to get in the 360. You (and a hand-picked assistant, if
you want) quickly walk over the site and get a grasp on how you want your unit deployed. Then you
place each man exactly where you want him.
Here are the considerations for deploying your force:
z Security--ensure no enemy force can surprise you as you're waiting in ambush.

z Avenues of escape--for yourself, once the ambush has been conducted.
z Favorable terrain--you want maximum cover and visibility for your own men, but the terrain
should assist you in trapping and wiping out the enemy force.
z Sectors of fire--you want to throw an efficient, yet effective fusillade into the enemy force. There
should be no dead space on the ambush site--every square foot should fall under at least one man's
fire. Not only should each man's own zone of fire slightly overlap that of the man on his left or
right, but if you've set up a "V" shape ambush or some other which divides your unit into 2
elements, the cumulative field-of-fire of each element should interlock with the other (without
risking friendly fire).
z Delegation--every man must know his job. After the enemy force has been destroyed, you may
want to dispatch certain men or teams to go down into the ambush site and gather intelligence,
take ammo/supplies, set demolition charges, etc. They should be well-rehearsed in these tasks so
that they are carried out quickly and efficiently.
When the enemy unit is sighted, the hand signal is passed along and safeties are clicked off. Now comes
the hardest part: waiting until the enemy is right smack square in your kill zone. If you trip the ambush
too soon, he can fall back with the bulk of his unit and escape or worse (like call in indirect fire or an air
strike, and\or try to manuever around into your rear). If you wait too long, he will just double-time right
through. It's vital that no one opens fire until you give the signal (firing your weapon is the best signal).
You and your men pour down fire on those poor saps until they are out of commission (unless you've
bitten off more than you can chew, in which case you'd better vacate while they're shocked and
gaggling). Then steal what you can, break what you can't, and evacuate the area mos-koshee.
Challenge & Password
In a combat situation, when you are approached by someone you don't immediately recognize, you
should use this SOP. You don't want to let just let anybody and everybody waltz through your area,
because there are bad guys out there. Nor do you want to bring smoke on everyone you see, because
there are friendlies out there, too. Above, Beetle Bailey and Zero demonstrate how to bolo the Challenge
& Password. Here's how to do it right:
You hear or see someone approaching your position, but don't know who it is. In a voice just loud
enough to be heard, you command, "Halt! Who is there?" (Or "who goes there?") Your safety should be
off, your finger on the trigger, ready to squeeze, and the tone of your voice should suggest all of this to
the individual(s) addressed. You are not playing around.
If the person(s) approaching don't want to die, they will freeze in place and identify themselves.
"Yardbird Sam and the ambush patrol." "Whoodie Thunkit: Liason from the Cold Dead Hands." Or
whoever.
You command them, "advance and be recognized." They approach your position (all of them better do
it--don't let anyone hang back or sneak away) until they are close enough to see clearly and to hear you
speak quietly. Then you command them, "halt!" And they better do it.
Take a good look at them. If they claim to be someone you know, then make sure you recognize them.
In a quiet voice, you give them the challenge: "Thunder," for instance. If the password is "flash" and
they reply with that, then let them pass if you recognize them. If they haven't claimed to be someone you
would recognize (a link-up from a friendly Patriot unit, for instance) but got the password right, exercise
caution. Have them sling their weapons and escort them to your commander if necessary. If they
respond, "lightning" when the password is "flash," cut them down.
If they fail any step in this sequence, engage them. Otherwise...
I've been very generalized about these SOPs, but for now that's all I'm going to say. These are just
outlines. You should hammer out the details as you formulate your own unit's specific SOPs. I do intend
to eventually flesh this out and polish it, but for now I'm leaving you with this rough draft. I hope to get
a rough draft of the Individual Movement page before I come back to this one.
Go BACK.
shoot Page 1 of 3
SHOOTING
One thing we all have in common is that we all keep and bear arms. We've all had at least some
experience shooting, whether it come from target practice, hunting, or war. In general, shooting is what
a Patriot does best out of all the basics of combat, so I won't spend a lot of time on it.
Even though General Washington's Continental Army was armed primarily with smoothbore muskets
and trained in the principles of Volley Fire, Americans quickly became reknown as sharpshooting
riflemen. The Minuteman in those days was no stranger to survival in the outdoors. The town-dweller
and farmer, as well as the mountain-man, constantly hunted and trapped to feed himself and his family.
No reasonably intelligent man would hunt with a musket when a rifle was available, so these men not
only owned rifles, but maintained an admirable proficiency with them. The Pennsylvania Rifle (now
inaccurately known as the "Kentucky Rifle") in the hands of an American militia man was a fearsome
weapon, and quickly became legendary.
By the time of our first Civil War, every soldier carried a weapon with a rifled bore. But many of the
artillery pieces were smoothbore and/or otherwise crude and clunky. So perhaps it shouldn't seem that
odd that small arms fire accounted for the lion's share of the casualties during that war.
By the time Edward Mandell House, via his puppet, Woodrow Wilson, managed to entangle America in
the Great War, the American population was still mostly rural. American farmers still deserved their
legendary status as riflemen, as proven by Alvin York, for one. But this was overshadowed by the
revelation of the machinegun's devastating potential. The great majority of small arms casualties in
WWI are attributed to crew-served, belt-fed automatic weapons.
WWII and Korea only reinforced the supremacy of the machinegun; however, the replacement of bolt-
actions with semi-automatics helped the infantry battle rifle reclaim some of the body count.
"Firepower" was becoming the popular buzzword in military circles.
Then, through the succeeding efforts of Ike, JFK and LBJ, we were entangled in a different kind of war
in Southeast Asia. "Different" because the US military was forbidden from executing the tried-and-true
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steps to victory in a conventional war. Although the NVA and VC could strike in South Viet Nam, then
run and hide behind the borders of North Viet Nam, Laos or Cambodia, our troops were under orders
not to cross those borders in force. The Communists routinely attacked our vital military assets in-
country, including hospitals and medivac choppers, yet our pilots were ordered to drop bombs on
random sections of jungle instead of vital enemy depots or supply trains, where the bombs might
actually do some tangible damage. Thanks to Barry Goldwater (before he became demon-possessed or
whatever he is now), these and many other ludicrous "rules of engagement" inflicted on our fighting
men during that suicidal "war" were published in the Congressional Record. Despite this, theories
abound regarding the reasons we lost that "war." One of the most ridiculous suggests that Americans
simply don't know how to fight in the jungle or as guerillas. Tell that to the Japanese survivors of the
Pacific war. The "island-hopping" campaign by MacArthur included the most brutal jungle fighting the
world has ever seen, and guess which country won?
The leading cause of battlefield casualties in Viet Nam was schrapnel. Artillery? Yeah, but booby-traps
too. And this was because the Professional Politicians back home insisted that we fight the enemy's
fight, as I touched on above. Our fighting men were sent to Indochina merely to serve as static targets
for the enemy, and no other reason. Even so, I can't help thinking that the seeming decline in
effectiveness of crew-served, belt-fed weapons was aided by the hit-and-run tactics of the enemy. It
takes time to set up an M-60 on its tripod and get it rocking. Even longer for a .30 or .50. It sure
wouldn't seem like a long time during a peacetime demonstration, but the outcome of a firefight can be
pre-ordained in a few split seconds. Below is a famous photograph of a GI firing an M-60 from the
shoulder during (I believe) the battle for Hue City. This could be evidence of what I'm suggesting.
The Patriot Resistance can't hope to rival the firepower of our enemy (at least until we start stealing his
big toys). But a semiautomatic rifle in the hands of an expert can wreak a lot of havoc before a
machinegun can be effectively deployed. Again, think about what Alvin York accomplished with a bolt-
action Springfield (against a fortified machinegun emplacement at that--suicide for any but a master
mechanic).
The American guerilla's weapon is, and always has been, the rifle. I encourage you to stick with it. It
would be no small task to acquire a belt-fed MG before the shooting starts; and even if you manage it,
shoot Page 3 of 3
will you be able to carry enough ammo to feed a pig that fires 600-800 rounds per minute? (If, however,
you have the chance to acquire an MG for "free" off the enemy during wartime...that would be hard to
pass up.) In order for us to prevail, it will be necessary to make the enemy fight our fight. Part of this
means (for you other combat arms veterans out there) we must radically readjust our doctrines regarding
tactics and firepower.
We have to put aside our "pop-some-caps-and-keep-their-heads-down" conditioning and go back to

"don't fire 'til you see the whites of their eyes." This should reflect in how we SHOOT AS
INDIVIDUALS and how we SHOOT AS A GROUP.
Go BACK.
Returning visitors be advised: This site is updated or added to occassionally. If it's still in your cache
Individual shooting Page 1 of 8
SHOOT: INDIVIDUAL
...Armed organizations almost never shoot really well, as the public servant has not the
opportunity to fall in love with his piece if he must simply pluck it out from a number of
similar items in a rack.
--Jeff Cooper
PROFICIENCY
Whatever rifle you have, it is obviously only going to be as effective in combat as you are. The US
Marines put it this way: "Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless." I must concur.
I have no doubt that most of you reading this have sent many a round downrange and are quite proficient
at punching tight little groups through paper targets. That's good. But shooting in combat is considerably
different.
Obviously, what one man did once is no measure of his skill. It is what he can do on
demand that counts.
White could not get into what Crossman regarded as a satisfactory shooting position, and he
knew nothing about the shooting sling. White did not shoot small groups, but he shot
consistent groups. He could keep all his shots in a 4-inch ring at a hundred steps under all
conditions of light, speed and position. Calm or out-of-breath, lying down or standing up, in
slow fire or in a hurry, his shot always landed within 2 inches of his exact point of aim. This
sort of thing will win no medals in competition, nor will it be extolled by the advertisers,
but it will do what needs doing, and it will do it every time.
--Jeff Cooper
You must build on the shooting skills you already have. Go beyond the target range school of shooting
and imagine the type of shooting you'll need to do in combat. If you're an experienced hunter, then
you've probably already taken your first steps. Basically, you need to become proficient at shooting from
every position, static or on-the-move, through the sights and from the hip, static or moving targets. A
well-thought-out Jungle Walk course can help hone some of these skills--and isn't expensive to make.
With a little imagination and a lot of hard work, your unit can even set up a crude-but-safe pop-
up/moving target range similar to the one at Fort Benning (which Army grunts don't get nearly enough
training on, by the way): Dig trenches deep enough for a man to stand in, then have him operate the
targets remotely with ropes and pulleys while protected in the trench. I suggest starting out with
cheap .22 LR until you become proficient enough to justify burning up expensive centerfire ammo on
these excersizes.
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There are also shooting courses offered to civilians (often advertised in SOF or ASG-type magazines),
for a price, which teach different disciplines of "combat shooting." I'm sure the quality of these courses
varies, but I know at least some of them are for real. I went through boot camp with a kid who had paid
to take a course back in the World which taught him how to "shoot without using the sights." It sounded
screwy to me at the time, but this kid qualified Expert his first time out and proved to be one of the best
shots in the company. Ever since then, I've had my eyes open for a course which taught "sightless"
shooting.
Something which was once taught to professional fighting men in rifle companies was use of the
shooting sling. By the time I came of fighting age, this practice had long been abandoned by both the
Marines and the Infantry. Once again, I'll be deferring to gunner's guru Jeff Cooper, world-reknown big
game hunter and combat veteran (in the USMC and as a merc in Rhodesia).
It is no use whatever from the offhand position; but if you have time to assume a more
stabilized stance, proper use of the loop sling will increase your likelihood of hitting by
about 30 percent.
The function of the shooting sling is to take the weight off the muscles of your support arm,
so that when you are in a proper firing position you can relax all your muscles and the
weapon will remain exactly on target. This is accomplished by binding the support hand to
the fore-end of the rifle and then securing that contact to the support shoulder so that the left
elbow is held in its flexed position by the strap itself without any support from the biceps.
This works when the support elbow is resting on something solid or nearly so, such as the
ground or the support leg; thus, it works in the prone, sitting, military squat, and kneeling
positions--in addition to a good many "jackass positions" which may be improvised in the
field.
You must always use the loop sling if you have time to get into it (provided you are not
shooting from a rest and that your left elbow is supported)
Once you can consistently shoot accurately and fast, from any position, in any state of exertion, against
any target, you have the makings of a fine modern warrior. But to paraphrase John Wayne from The
Shootist, it ain't necessarily speed or accuracy that'll win you a gunfight, so much as your willingness to
do it.
WEAPON SELECTION
Opinions, some say, are just like sphincters--everybody has one. This is seldom as evident as when
people start discussing "the best" firearm to have. The fact is, there is no such thing as a "best" firearm
for every purpose or every person. There are just too many variables for such a judgement to be
possible. Having said that, let me now throw my own sphincter...er, opinion into the melting pot: For our
application and limitations (financial, "legal", etc.), I can narrow down the candidacy of existing
firearms to the gas-operated semi-automatic rifle, chambered for NATO, Warsaw Pact, or some other
extremely common caliber, capable of accepting high-capacity (20+ round) detachable box magazines--
"Assault Weapons," as the Lapdog Press labels them. The action and magazine type reduce the time
needed to reload during a firefight. A rifle because you'll want the ability to engage targets beyond
pistol/shotgun range. Gas-operated because the range and accuracy are not harmed as they are in a
recoil-operated action (but a few exceptions are included). NATO or Warsaw Pact caliber because then
you can use the ammo you strip off the enemy's dead.
There are dozens of battle-tested weapons that fit into these parameters, and I have plinkered with many
of them. Just in case there's anyone reading this who still hasn't armed himself (in which case, you better
get off your butt and find a way to do it while you still can; read Luke 22) or who hasn't yet written in
stone his own opinion on what the "best" is, here's my critique on various firearms by caliber:
.22 Long Rifle
Go ahead and scoff! Can you find a cheaper or more available round, though? And you can carry
hundreds of rounds without even feeling the weight. With a decent rifle, you can drive nails with .22 LR
at 100 yards and better. For close-in fighting, .22 LR offers the best bang-for-the-buck, whether from a
rifle or pistol. Yeah, yeah, "Knockdown Power." First of all, not every grunt wears body armor--Ruskies
and ChiComs don't even know there is such a thing. Secondly, have you ever been hit by a .22 LR round
inside 100 yards wearing body armor? It will certainly get your attention. It may not crack your ribs on
the first hit, but it will drop a strong man on his can (so imagine what it would do to one of Klinton's
Kolon Kommandoes).
Ruger 10/22: A fine little autoloader. It is recoil-operated, but accuracy does not suffer. It is also
extremely dependable and accessories for it are everywhere. Everything Ruger makes is high in quality
and this is no exception. The only faults I can pin on it are these: Steel banana mags are no longer
available for it; and the iron sights don't have enough windage adjustment for some shooters at 100
yards.
Marlin-Glenfield Model 70 carbine: The action is almost identical to the 10/22, as is the performance.
Until recently, however, there were no accessories available for this carbine. Now you can find bullpup
stocks that fit it, as well as 30-round banana mags (but these are plastic and seem to have inadequate
structural support at the point which fits in the magazine-well).
Armalite AR-7: Not as accurate as either of the above .22s, nor as dependable, due to its stamped-metal
construction IMHO. But it is truly a survivalist's firearm and it breaks down into a compact little
arrangement that floats on water.
.223/5.56mm NATO
This small centerfire cartridge is easy to carry in large quantities, is pretty fast, with a flat trajectory, and
surprisingly accurate up to about 500 yards (when fired from a good rifle). It is a round which wounds
rather than kills, usually. Perhaps this is why we are not allowed to hunt anything larger than a squirrel
with it.
Colt AR-15/M-16:
Here's where I start stepping on some toes. Keep

in mind that a lot of this is based on my own opinions, which, in turn, are based on my experience. If
you disagree, that's your right. We can still be friends, okay?
The AR-15 is simply the civilian version (semi-auto only) of the M-16. This is the most over-rated
military rifle in history. First of all, it is completely undependable. If you keep it in a completely airtight,
sterile chamber at all times, then clean and lube it between every round fired, you can probably burn off
a few magazines without a jam. But one little speck of sand or dirt in the receiver and you might as well
be shooting a bolt-action. And for some reason, this plastic-and-stamped-alluminum monstrosity is a
MAGNET for dirt. Then there's the sights: When first developed, the charging handle was on top, so the
geniuses who drew up this abortion put a "carrying handle" over it and put the rear sight aperature on
top of the handle. This made it necessary to raise the front sight post, too. Eventually the charging
handle was moved to the rear, but the "carrying handle" was left in place, keeping the sights 2 inches
above the bore! Every grunt and ex-grunt knows full well that using the "carrying handle" to carry the
M-16 will quickly get some NCO's boot planted so far up your 4th-point that the dentist will wonder
how you got so much Kiwi on the backs of your teeth. So why are the sights still so far above the barrel,
where you can't take advantage of that nice, flat trajectory? And one thing that may not seem important
to someone who only uses one to plinker with is the noise it makes: try moving quietly through the bush
with one. It has more rattles and clanks than a '73 Toyota from Rust Bucket, Ohio. There are good things
about it--it's light, doesn't kick, and is easy to field-strip. The A-2s have many improvements over the A-
1s--they don't rattle as much, the barrel is heavier (stronger) and now has a 1-in-7 rifling twist, the flash
suppressor has been modified to compensate for muzzle climb, and it has a brass-deflector for left-
handed shooters. None of this means much to me, though, since the improvements have been made to a
poorly designed firearm. Why, then, is this 40+ year-old design still the darling of the US Military?
Because the present-day US Military is all about appearance, and the M-16 looks neat. If you want to
fire .223, my suggestion is to use the...
Ruger Mini-14:
A rifle superior to the M-16 in every way, except

perhaps muzzle noise--whereas the M-16 makes a soft little pop! popping sound when fired, the Mini-14
goes BOOM! BOOM! (due to the lack of a recoil buffer like the M-16). This isn't much of a problem, as
I see it--in a firefight, who cares how noisy your rifle is? The Mini-14's action is modeled after the M-14
(hence the name), and is as reliable as they come. It has a nice, light trigger pull right out of the box, and
the sights are right down on top of the barrel where they should be, making this rifle verry accurate for
a .223. There are more accessories available for this rifle than any other, so you can trick it out any way
you like. The 30 round mags for the Mini-14 fit perfectly in the GI M-16 ammo pouches, and some of
them can even be used in the M-16/AR-15! Field-stripping could be difficult without a screwdriver, but
almost all of us carry multi-tools with us anyway. Oh yeah, the Mini-14 is less than a third as expensive
as an AR-15. Some Patriots refuse to buy Ruger products because Sam Ruger is supposedly a gun
control advocate. I certainly understand their boycott, if this is true. But what do they usually spend their
money on instead? Red Chinese AKs and SKSs. Duh...okay...!
Galil:
An improved copy of the Kalishnakov, and

chambered for NATO rounds. They cost a lot more than an AK-47, but they're also better made. The
Israelis don't play around when it comes to weapons.
7.62x39 Warsaw Pact
This is a decent middle-of-the-road round. Its trajectory is not as flat as the 5.56 NATO but it's got
longer range and better penetration. It's also likely to be found on the battlefield just as easily (or even
moreso) as NATO ammo.
AK-47:
Probably the most popular military-style rifle on

the market because it is (still relatively) cheap and reliable. The Russians stole the design from a
German submachinegun, then crudely simplified the manufacture of the parts. The result is a battle-
proven rifle which is reasonably accurate and low-maintainnence. I don't think it's balanced all that well
and it feels rather clunky, but the men who own one swear by it. Quality varies depending on whether it
was made in the USSR, one of its sattelites, or China. You won't find one with a nice finish or with a
smooth walnut buttstalk or foregrip, but they weren't meant to be pretty.
SKS:
Perhaps the second-most-popular military-style

rifle due almost entirely to its low cost. The action is one of the most reliable in extremely cold weather-
-too bad magazine changing is such a pain. There are funky-looking high-capacity detachable box
magazines made for this rifle, but locking them into place is not an idiot-proof task. The rifle comes with
a low-capacity trapdoor/box mag; kits are made to "convert" the rifle to accept detachable mags. To my
way of thinking, the result is much like what you would get by having McGiver build a helecopter using
a Mercedes deisel engine, a 10-speed bicycle, a Yugo body and a ceiling fan. Can you say "ate up like a
football bat"? Like the AK-47, the SKS has been manufactured in just about every backwards
Communist country that has inspired Slick Willie's speeches and executive orders. So if you're not
careful, you might end up with an investment-cast receiver and a pinned (not threaded) barrel. Most of
these rifles come with a hinged bayonet included which, together with what I've mentioned about the
magazine and barrel, strongly suggests that the SKS was designed primarily to be a melee weapon
capable of blasting off a few rounds before using it to club and stab your enemy to death. But that makes
me wonder why most of the stocks are made of pine or other cheap wood which would splinter apart
upon the first blow to some insubordinate proletarian's head. I suppose that's all academic, since
synthetic stocks are available in abundance for the SKS. If you can't afford anything better, then an SKS
is not a bad investment.
Ruger Mini-30: Same rifle as the Mini-14, only chambered for the Warsaw Pact round. Not as many
accesories available as for its sister Ruger, but still quite a few.
.308/7.62 NATO
Here is a round with a distinctive arc in its trajectry, yet has an incredibly long range. It is a slow round
compared to some, yet has penetration comparable to the .30-'06. Most NATO countries have a battle
rifle chambered for this round, and the US Army's M-240 machinegun uses it too (as did the M-60, still
in use in National Guard units), so finding it on the battlefield should not be a problem.
Heckler & Koch G3:
One thing the Germans have always excelled at is

making outstanding weapons. The H&K G3, however, fails to live up to German potential, IMHO. Don't
get me wrong--it is a rugged, reliable rifle with excellent sights, a sturdy butt and foregrip, and many
utilitarian traits which make it clear that the designers had grunts in mind when they developed this rifle
(such as the side-mounted sling and the one-finger magazine release). It also has a fairly dependable
action. But despite all that, it's just a clunky rifle. I don't know why, because it looks like a superb
weapon, but it's just plain uncomfortable to shoot. It doesn't kick that hard for a .308, but it feels wrong.
I'm not saying it won't perform well in the hands of a competent shooter, I'm just suggesting that it takes
a lot of effort for such an expensive tool. Even the 20-round magazines for the G3 are outrageous--$80
apiece a few years ago, probably more now. And the ejector tweaks your brass, so if you're into
reloading, this is not the rifle for you.
Galil: Not only is the .308 Galil superior to its .223 sister, it is superior to the AK-47 in EVERY way,
except price. A lot of what I said about the H&K G3 can be said about this rifle, however.
Springfield M1A/M-14:
If the US Military had its priorities straight, this

would still be the standard issue battle rifle. The M-1 Garand was probably the finest rifle to be used
extensively during WWII (not counting the BAR, which served a different purpose anyway). This gas-
operated semi-automatic took 8-round clips of .30-'06, was extremely accurate and dependable, and with
a bayonet attached was more than a match for Fritz's Mauser or Suzo's Arisaka during face-to-face
trench-clearing. After the War the Garand was improved extensively. Among other things, the 8-round
clip was discarded in favor of 20-round detachable box magazines, it was chambered for the slightly
shorter, lighter .308 cartridge, the gas tube was improved and re-positioned, and the action became
select-fire (obviously the civilian version is not, but spraying .308 from an M-14 is like using a torque
wrench as a crowbar anyway). The result was an awesome tool, indeed. The M-14 still wins 3,000 yard
shooting competitions around the world (outshooting most of the fancy bolt-actions of comparable
caliber), so it's accuracy can't be questioned. And if you take reasonably good care of the rifle and its
magazines, and use ammo made by a reputable manufacturer, the M-14 will not jam. The rifle is
beautifully balanced, too--it just feels right in your hands. The first time you field-strip it, you'll
probably need instructions, but after that it becomes simple with practice. Despite what the AR-15
advocates will tell you, the kick is pretty mild, too. It costs about the same (probably less) than the AR,
and right out of the box or 50 years later will always be far superior to the best AR-15 ever dreamed of.
Plus, Springfield is currently offering some nice perks to purchasers of new M1As--like extra
magazines, match-grade barrels, discounts on scabbards, scope-mounts and other accessories. There are
some not-so-good points about the M-14: For one thing, it is heavier than an M-16 or a toy BB-gun, and
the ammo is heavier, too. So if you're spoiled by carrying one of those, the added weight of a real rifle
could take some getting used to. I personally have a problem with the stock. The stock it comes with is a
nice walnut piece, but I prefer a vertical pistol grip and synthetic material (no warpage with climate
changes=consistent accuracy). Unfortunately, most of the synthetic stocks for the M-14 are fibreglass
and rattle like an M-16. I've seen one quality polymer stock for an M-14, but it was on someone else's
rifle. Besides being rare, it doesn't have the vertical pistol grip. There is an "E-2" stock for the M-14
which has a vertical grip, but it is wooden and appears structurally weak in that area. Why some
entrprenuer hasn't marketed a polymer stock with a vertical pistol grip I don't know--addition of such a
stock would make the rifle absolutely perfect for me (anybody have access to the right chemicals and
want to go into business with me?). In fact, Springfield offers little in the way of accessories for the M-
14. For some reason, companies like Choate and Ram-Line haven't plugged the gaps, either. Be advised:
Polytech and Norinco, Red Chinese manufacturers immune to our patent laws (of course) both make
copies of the M1A for sale here in our country. Many dealers at gun shows will try to pass these off as
authentic M-14s. At first they were close to half the cost of the bona-fide article, but now are closer to
3/4 or 7/8ths the cost. If you want to take almost as much money as you would spend on a Springfield
and give it to our enemies for an inferior knock-off of the M1A...I'll never understand it.
Other Calibers
There are other rounds which are fairly common, some of which you might even find on the battlefield
in limited quantities. Here are some of the better ones:
.30-'06 (which means 30 caliber, designed in 1906 AD)--this is what is meant by "high-powered rifle"
ammo. It is the round which was used in the '03 Springfield, M-1 Garand, the BAR and the Browning
Machinegun. It is still a popular hunting round, so the cost is not too bad.
7.62x54--another Soviet round, used in Warsaw Pact sniper weapons. Sometimes you can find great
deals on cases of this ammo made in Hemerroidia or Dingdongistan.
8mm Mauser--like it's American counterpart, .30-'06, this round was used in everything from bolt-action
rifles to belt-fed machineguns right up until the end of WWII. It's an excellent round, which can be
found for a bargain, but there are no modern weapons chambered for it to my knowlege.
.303 British--a powerful round still easy to find and not that expensive. It was used in the Enfield rifle
during both World Wars, and I think one or more of the British machineguns were also chambered for it.
But like the 8mm Mauser, there are no modern weapons chambered for it TMK.
Go BACK.
Group shooting Page 1 of 2
SHOOT: GROUP
This will prove to be one of my shortest pages. I won't cover topics such as "suppressive fire" because I
believe it to be inapplicable. Nor will I explain topics such as "covering fire" because I believe it to be
self-explanitory.
As I've been emphasizing, the only supply which the Patriot Resistance can rely on is what each man
can carry. This means we don't dare waste ammo like soldiers and marines of the world are trained to
do. As unrealistic as it may seem, we must strive to make every shot count. Our goal should be a %100
hit ratio--every round we fire should cause our enemy damage. I'm not suggesting that we all should
operate as snipers--although each of us with good eyesight should be capable of it--simply that we
should display the efficient marksmanship which Americans were once revered for.
Paintball is an excellent training tool. Among plenty of other useful experience, it can demonstrate
valuable lessons to your troops concerning efficient marksmanship. But don't undercut the potential of
paintball by slipping into the Harlem Globetrotter Syndrome: Instead of combatting the same unit every
time, switch roles often. Have one side play the NWO every other time--give them a numerical
advantage, more tools (like paint grenades and paint claymores), and have them use NWO tactics
(among other things, this means that they can burn as much ammo as they want). The other side (the
good guys) should use the SOPs and Battle Drills they plan to use in real combat, and should have
limited ammo. Once a man burns up all his ammo, he is out of luck unless he can borrow some off a
comrade or confiscate a "dead" enemy's.
The first time I played paintball, it impressed me as an awesome training opportunity. One of the many
things I learned was the wisdom of Colonel Andrew Jackson's advice: "Don't fire 'til you see the whites
of their eyes." When you see your enemy, but he hasn't yet seen you, get as close to him as possible
before engaging. Your hit ratio will go up dramatically as you enforce this habit. But it's not easy to do--
you'll have some serious gut-checks while waiting for the enemy to get closer and closer (at least when
the enemy and his ammo is real). This is one example of a situation in which discipline is an absolute
necessity.
Another crucial concept for enabling an efficient hit ratio for your unit is Sectors of Fire. If every man is
trying to hit every enemy he sees on the battlefield, some enemies will be hit simultaneously by multiple
riflemen, while others will slip by unscathed. But if every man occupies himself with tapping every
target within a 45-90 degree wedge from his position, and the men on his right and left do the same, hit
ratios will go up and the likelyhood of any particular enemy soldier escaping your fire will drop
dramatically. This also requires iron discipline. Every man's sector of fire must interlock with that of the
man beside him. But just as important, you must trust the man beside you to be responsible for his own
sector just as you must be trusted with yours. Make frequent eye contact with the man on your right and
left--if he has a weapons malfunction or needs to change magazines, then you will need to broaden your
sector of fire until he is ready to rock again. You'd be surprised how many grunts get hit during the act
of reloading or trying to get their action cleared.
See how important trust is going to be when the powder is thick? All the more reason for you to hang
out with your fellow Patriots, bond with them, help each other iron out problems and train as often as
possible.
Go BACK.
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Communication Page 1 of 1
COMMUNICATION
From ancient times right up until last century, battlefield commands were translated from commanders
down to their units via banners, bugles or shouted commands. But as tactics have evolved rapidly since
then, modes of communication have evolved with them of necessity.
Whether your unit be patrolling, hiding, fortifying or in a firefight, it is imperative that each man know
the unit's mission, his role in it, and the roles to be played by the men to his left and right. The
commander must be able to direct and correct his subordinates. The subordinates must be able to inform
the commander of unforseen developments. Commanders of seperate units must be able to coordinate
with each other.
You have probably attended meetings in which everyone sits around a table and "discusses" one thing or
another. Common sense should tell you that the means and methods of communicating in such a
scenario are markedly different from those you would employ in the field and/or under fire.
As part of a combat unit during war, there are 2 basic modes of communication (at the tactical level):
UNDER FIRE and NOT UNDER FIRE.
Go BACK.
http://www.colddeadhands.addr.com/tactical/commo/commo.htm 2/11/2003
Under Fire Commo Page 1 of 1
COMMUNICATION UNDER FIRE

When under fire, depending on the intensity of the shooting, you can scream at the top of your lungs and
not even hear yourself. So vocal commands just won't get it. Hand signals are not a good idea either--
your hands will probably be too busy to give them and your troops will be too busy to watch for them.
There is a low-tech (hence dependable) means of communicating within our means: whistle commands.
A police or coach's whistle can be heard through gunfire and is relatively cheap. Every man in your unit
should carry one. For every Battle Drill, assign a different whistle command. Use a morse-type system--
dots and dashes (short and long blasts on the whistle) and keep it as simple as possible.
These can be hard to learn, so practice them every time you're in the field. Also break them down and
only try to learn 2-or-3 at a time. Once your men know the first couple by heart, then add a couple more.
Go back and reinforce all the commands they've learned, then add a couple more. Do this until every
command is known by every man. Learn your whistle commands with their corresponding Battle Drills
by putting them both together from the start--just as you will do it when it's real. For Battle Drills which
have overlapping signals (i.e: they can be used when under fire or not) then give the appropriate whistle
command AND hand-arm signal for the Battle Drill you want your men to execute.
If, for whatever reason, you don't get enough time out in the bush to practice this, take your unit to a
vacant football field (dressed in sweats or shorts, not BDUs) to practice. Tighten your formations up and
make the drills symbolic. This way you can all learn both the commands and the execution, but no cops
or sheeple should freak out about hearing whistles or seeing guys practicing on a football field. Take a
football along to be safe and toss it around a bit between drills, if you're worried. Mix in some bogus
plays if need be. If anyone is still suspicious, and asks you what you're doing, tell them you're practicing
for a grudge sandlot game against those wimps from a rival company (or department, or neighborhood,
etc.) who think they're so tough.
Go BACK.
http://www.colddeadhands.addr.com/tactical/commo/combat/combat.htm 2/11/2003
Not Under Fire Commo Page 1 of 6
COMMUNICATION WHEN NOT UNDER

FIRE
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
Being born an American is still a blessing for many reasons. One of them is our access to modern
civilian tranceivers. Also, most of the older Patriots are HAM/shortwave proficient and already have a
lot of goodies and know-how. I myself know ti-ti about electronics, but have enough common sense and
experience to make the following suggestions:
Make sure each member of your unit has a compatible radio (you can all transmit and receive on the
same frequency{s}). If your unit has all UHF or HAM tranceivers, then make sure somebody has a CB
to communicate with other units of the Resistance. In like manner, if everyone uses CBs, at least one of
you ought to carry a HAM as well. Don't use anything which relies on repeaters, satellites, etc.
Solar battery chargers would be a good idea. Also, Ray-o-Vac makes rechargeable alkelines. Radio
Shack sells Lithium AA cells, which last twice as long as alkelines (but are also twice the cost). I
reccomend against using NiCad cells in your handheld radios: my experience is that they eventually
tweak the electrical components.
Headsets would be great, if the civilian models weren't so flimsy. But sometimes you can find military
tanker or chopper helmets for cheap, which have built-in mikes. These are very sturdy and the cable,
with some modification, can be plugged into your handheld. Otherwise, I would advise a belt-holster (of
a subdued color) for your handheld, with a push-to-talk mike, attached via coil-cable, clipped onto your
webgear suspenders close to your mouth. Whatever system you come up with, it should keep your hands
as free as possible.
I understand that there are certain HAM tranceivers which can frequency-hop. They aren't as fast as the
military's SINGARS, but could still give enemy intelligence trouble. If you don't have frequency-
hopping capability, ensure that your transmissions are brief! And use frequent "breaks," lest the
enemy triangulate you.
Keep in mind that a simple tone signal uses less energy and can travel much further than voice
broadcasts, so it would behoove you to have everyone in your unit to learn Morse Code. This would also
come in handy for coded transmissions, which I'll discuss below.
Morse:
A .-
B -...
C -.-.
D -..
E .
F ..-.
G --.
H ....
I ..
J .---
K -.-
L .-..
M --
N -.
O ---
P .--.
http://www.colddeadhands.addr.com/tactical/commo/stealth/stealth.htm 2/11/2003
Q --.-
R .-.
S ...
T -
U ..-
V ...-
W .--
X -..-
Y -.--
Z --..
CODES AND CIPHERS
You've heard of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Within that story is a model for the best code system
ever devised:
1 lantern in the tower of North Church=The British are coming by land.
2 lanterns in the tower of North Church=The British are coming by sea.
This code was simple enough that every Patriot could memorize it instantly. And, unless an American
who knew the code confessed it to the British, it could never be cracked, even had the British possessed
modern codebreaking computers. A slightly more sophisticated system, based on this model, would be
very usefull to you in the field.
This is just an example: Count however many men are in your unit; however many there are, pick from
1-through-whatever number that is to assign each of them. Then, starting with a number after that
sequence, start assigning numbers to actions or developments you anticipate.
Here's what the code table that might be used by the Cold Dead Hands would look like:
1=Whoodie Thunkit
2=Yardbird Sam
3=What's-His-Face
4=So-and-So
###
10=Enemy sighted East-North-East.
###
20=Fall back to Rally Point C.
21=Converge at Hill 28.
###
25=Link-up with Defenders of the Republic at base camp.
###
30=Sons of Liberty in our AO--don't know our challenge/password.
...And so on. I'd advise not to go much higher than 30 or it will be difficult to remember. Keep it simple.
And of course, if one of your men is captured or even MIA, it's time to revamp the code. It's also crucial
that nobody carry a hard copy of the code with them--memorize it then burn all copies. This kind of
code cannot be cracked by even the most state-of-the-art equipment.
Super-complex codes for random communication are a pain to devise, require codebooks to be carried,
and can probably be cracked by the enemy even if one of your codebooks doesn't fall into enemy hands.
Not only that, but they often require lengthy radio conversations which will help the enemy triangulate
your position.
Before things go South and your unit bugs out, you should devise a telephone cipher. Most of you have
seen Red Dawn, but the famous radio message from that film was actually borrowed from The Longest
Day--itself based on the factual Cornelius Ryan book about the events of June 6, 1944. So here are a
coulple of ciphers you should be familiar with (The Longest Day is one of the best war movies ever
made, so if you haven't seen it, get together with your unit members for a pizza and fellowship night and
watch it; you'll find it in any video store and sometimes on AMC or the History Channel):
"Wound my heart with a monotonous langour."=Invasion underway. Link up with British

and take bridge.
"John has a long moustache."=Invasion underway. Cut German wire communications in yo
This was kind of like a secret agent skit you might see on a TV comedy--when the listener hears a
certain phrase or sentence, it references a message completely unrelated to the sum of those words (and
therefore impossible to guess by an eavesdropper).
In the examples above, the Nazis may not have known the plaintext behind the ciphers (actually, they
did know the first one because their intelligence had captured a secret message meant for the French
Resistance), but it was obvious to them that the BBC was broadcasting meaningful messages of some
sort. If you concentrate on being shrewd instead of poetic, you can come up with some ciphers that
won't be obvious as such to whoever has your phone tapped. Something you could work into a
conversation with your fellow minutemen and sound fairly innocent. Here are more examples:
"Did you catch that last episode of Ellen?

"I just wish Bob Dole would run again."
"My subscription to Newsweek is up next month."
The idea is to choose a phrase the other person would be surprised at hearing from you (and vice-versa)
but that wouldn't raise red flags for enemy eavesdroppers. The above examples are probably too extreme
to pass undetected, but you get the idea. The true message expressed by a cipher like this could be:
"Time to bug out. Rally at So-and-So's house PDQ with full outfit."
"Whoodie Thunkit under siege. Rally at Yardbird Sam's for Warning Order."
"Urgent meeting. Dress incognito. When you see What's-His-Face's car pass your house
safe distance."
Once again, I must emphasize the importance of simplicity. Don't expect your troops to memorize 60
different ciphers with variables. Just have something for the most likely contingencies. Then memorize
and burn all written copies.
You should also implement a simple numerical code for your pagers, if you use them.
PHONETIC ALPHABET
There are times, during tactical communications, when something needs to be spelled out over the radio
(sometimes electronic commo devices make it difficult to distinguish certain words). But you probably
won't help anyone if you just speak the appropriate letters--a "B" sounds like a "P" sounds like a "T"
sounds like a "D" and so on. You overcome this by using a phonetic alphabet.
If you've ever monitored police radios, you've heard the cops using a nursery-school phonetic alphabet:
"Apple, Boy, Candy..." or something like that. Back when America was a sovereign nation (and proud
of it), our military used the "Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog" phonetic alphabet for radio communications.
But after WWII, when so many other usurpations were spewing out of the Abyss, our military switched
over to the NATO phonetic alphabet so that the Krauts and Frogs "allied" with us wouldn't be confused.
For this same reason, US servicemen are taught to pronounce "Quebec" (for "Q") as "Kebeck." They are
also taught to pronounce 5 as "fife" and 9 as "niner" (so as not to be confused with the German "nein"
which means "no").
A couple years ago, militia units here in the Rust Belt began using a different phonetic alphabet, since
they are not counting on help from any NATO "allies" (so why make it easy for them?) and because the
non-veterans among them would have to learn a phonetic alphabet from scratch anyway (so why not a
politically incorrect one?). Below is a table which has both the NATO and Patriot phonetic alphabets.
THESE ARE NOT CODES! DO NOT TRY TO USE THEM AS CODES! DO NOT EVEN
THINK OF THEM AS CODES! As a code, spelling words out instead of speaking them is about as
effective as Pig Latin. And by using the Patriot rather than the NATO alphabet, all you are doing is
making it easier for Americans to spell out words and harder for any foreigner who might try to
impersonate a Patriot over the radio.
NATO PATRIOT
ALPHA AMERICA
BRAVO BIBLE
CHARLIE CONCORD
DELTA DAKOTA
ECHO EAGLE
FOXTROT FREEDOM
GOLF GUNFIGHT
HOTEL HAMBURGER
INDIA IDAHO
JULIET JAZZ
KILO KANSAS
LIMA LEXINGTON
MIKE MUSKET
NOVEMBER NUKE
OSCAR OUTLAW
PAPA PUMA
QUEBEC QUESTION
ROMEO REBEL
SIERRA SAMSON
TANGO TOMAHAWK
UNIFORM UNDERDOG
VICTOR VICTORY
WHISKEY WACO
X-RAY X-MEN
YANKY YORKTOWN
ZULU ZIPPO
RADIO PROCEDURE
I just want to touch on this briefly. The military, police, truckdrivers and railroaders all have their own
SOPs for talking on the radio. I tend to use the military procedure because that's the one ingrained
deepest in my mind. For your unit, use whatever standard works best for you. The important thing is that
the format you choose allows for efficient, concise transmissions which can't be misunderstood by your
teammate receiving them. Below is a cheesy example of the military SOP in use:
"Cold Dead Finger to Cold Dead Hand, over?"

"This is Cold Dead Hand, over?"
"SALUTE report to follow. Prepare to copy, over."
"Roger. Prepared to copy. Go ahead, Cold Dead Finger, over."
"Wilco. Size: 7 men. Activity: Reconning.
Location: Civilian air strip at 43 degrees, 17 minutes, 51 seconds south/
88 degrees, 29 minutes, 48 seconds west. Break..."
(A short pause.)
"...Unit/Uniform: Irregular. Various camoflage. Various footgear.
Various headgear. Shoulder patches with bald eagle holding M-14. Break..."
(A short pause.)
"...Time: 0426 hours. Equipment: Various small arms, US military ALICE
packs and web gear. Hand-held CB radios. Over."
"Roger, Cold Dead Finger, I copy. Be advised: There are allied units
operating in this theater, over."
"Cold Dead Hand, say again all after 'be advised,' over?"
"I say again, there are allied units in this area. Over."
"There are what units, over?"
"Allied units. I spell: America, Lexington, Lexington, Idaho, Eagle, Dakota.
Allied units. Over?"
"Roger. Good copy this time, over."
"Roger. Probable friendly force. Expecting link-up with squad from DOR your
theater. I spell: Dakota, Outlaw, Rebel. DOR--Defenders of the Republic.
Over?"
"Roger. This looks like them, over."
"Proceed to Rally Point Tomahawk, await link-up, over?"
"Wilco, over."
"Cold Dead Hand, out."
"Cold Dead Finger, out."
Notice that "over" is used when a response is expected and "out" is only used when the conversation is
being terminated. Also notice that lengthy transmissions are broken up by saying "break," pausing, then
resuming the transmission where you left off. This makes it harder for the enemy to get a fix on you.
"Roger" means yes\affirmative and "wilco" is short for "will comply."
HAND/ARM SIGNALS
Obviously, when within eyesight of each other out in the bush, it would be wasteful and foolish for you
and your troops to communicate via radio. Nor should you simply shout back and forth (hopefully this is
just as obvious).
The US Army and Marine Corps use a fairly standardized repertoire of hand/arm signals to facilitate
silent communications in the bush, though there are slight variances from unit to unit. Most of the
signals are fairly sensible, so if your troops are veterans, you might as well stick to them. There's
nothing wrong with inventing your own system, though. It's important you have a signal for each of your
combat formations. Also have signals for your SOPs: Crossing Danger Areas, 360-degree security, etc.
Don't overlook signals for "move out," "halt," "freeze," "enemy sighted front\left\right\etc," "head
count," and so on. For certain Battle Drills you should have overlapping signals (a signal for when under
fire and one when not under fire). Certain commands need only be given when already under fire, hence
stealth is not a concern. For all others, have a hand/arm signal.
Like everything else, keep it simple! Every hand signal should be short but distinct. No one signal
should be close in appearance to another. Neither should any signal interfere with you keeping your
weapon at the ready.
Finally, the most important thing about hand signals is that everyone pass them back to the man behind
him. For some reason, this is the hardest thing to get people to do. But it is imperative that the man
bringing up the rear knows what is the commander's intent. Same for the men on the right and left
flanks, and everyone in between.
Go BACK.
Training and Organization Page 1 of 4
TRAINING AND ORGANIZATION

Being both a veteran of the combat arms and a student of military history, the training practices of the
present-day US Military have always annoyed me. I am referring specifically to infantry field
excercises: probably 95% of them are held out in the bush, even though probably 75% of the fighting in
a conventional war occurs in cities. Army and Marine Corps field manuals recognize this, and yet
infantry units only conduct token MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) training. Be that as it
may, our own situation is markedlky different. We do all our training in the bush, too, but in our case,
this makes for realistic excercises. This is something we're doing right, so let's keep it that way. It
would waste a lot of cyberspace for me to list the reasons why we should stay out of the cities, when you
can probably figure most of them out yourself.
Back in THE TACTICAL PICTURE I talked a little about discipline. I'd like to debunk another myth
concerning discipline here--one popular among prior service Patriots. The myth assumes that instilling
discipline in civilians via drill & ceremony is what transforms them into soldiers.
"Drill & Ceremony" is the term used to describe all the

synchronous movement and marching that troops in formation perform. If you've never served, then
probably the only time you've seen it is in parades or movies about the military. Believe it or not, D & C
was developed for practical, warlike purposes way back when, not for parades and anal-retentive,
aesthetically-appealing troop movements. It dates back to the age of muskets, or, arguably, back to the
age of pikemen or even further back to the Roman phalanx. The specific brand of D & C taught by the
US military, though, dates back to the infancy of firearms and is actually of Prussian import. It was
developed in order for a commander to maneuver his troops around where he could best direct their fire
during a battle. Soldiers did not aim their muskets in those days. Nor did they fire and reload on their
own initiative. They were drilled for "volley fire" in which they simply pointed their muskets whichever
way they were facing (and the commander of each formation determined that), then pulled the trigger
when told to do so. When executed properly, volley fire would blow gaping holes in the enemy
formation which was trying to do the same thing first. Then heavy cavalry or grenadiers could charge
http://www.colddeadhands.addr.com/tactical/trainorg/trainorg.htm 2/11/2003
through the hole into the enemy's rear. (Do not confuse "volley fire" with "volley-and-countermarch,"
which the British used, for instance, against the Zulus.) When present-day US servicemen assemble
("fall in" or "muster," depending on the branch), they are actually assuming 18th Century combat
formations. When they march, and react in concert to commands such as: "Column left...march!" "Right
flank...march!" "Counter-column...march!" "To the rear...March!" and so on, they are executing 18th
Century Battle Drills.
General Washington originally commissioned Baron Von Steuben to train the American Army in D & C
in order that they be able to engage the British Army in what was conventional warfare back then (all
guerilla operations were carried out by the American Militia; interesting, no?). Von Steuben wrote down
all these old European tactics in what the US Army refers to as "the Blue Book." Obviously, armies no
longer fight in this way. Why, then, do the US Army and Marine Corps (moreso than the other branches)
still march in formation at the Prussian Quick Step? Why do they drill their recruits in these obsolete
"tactics?" Because it is convenient for headcounts, for herding garrisoned troops from Point A to Point B
like brainless cattle, and because NCOs get a sick, sexual thrill out of seeing men or objects in neatly
formed ranks and columns, and observing men respond to commands like well-trained dogs or ponies.
A famous quote attributed to Baron Von Steuben goes something like this: "The American soldier is
unlike any other soldier in the world. With a normal soldier, you give him an order and he follows it.
With an American soldier, you must first explain to him the reason for the order...and then he will
follow it." Oh, how I wish such were still the case! Von Steuben's imported European pomp/ceremony is
one of the many tools that has been used to reduce the American fighting man down to the level of the
"normal soldier" who follows orders without thinking. The American fighting man was great once not
because of blind obedience, but because of self-discipline. He thought for himself, and was not so
terrified of UCMJ that his initiative and ingenuity were stifled. Let's not follow in the suicidal footsteps
of the US Military--we can't afford to. The more the Professional Politicians feminize and sodomize the
US War Machine, and turn our servicemen into a bunch of stone-simple career-obsessed automatons, the
less effective they will be as a tool of oppression against us. Let's take what advantages we can get, and
not dumb down to that level. D & C serves no purpose for the Patriot Resistance. It only wastes our
time. Discipline your men with real tactical drills and other excercises which serve applicable purposes.
When it comes to unit size, I must agree with Mark ("from Michigan") Koernke that we should organize
at the squad level or smaller. "Or smaller" would be my advice, for numerous reasons. In a nutshell,
smaller units are just a lot easier to control. I would feel very confident about our chances if the active
Patriot Resistance were composed of thousands of networked but independent (and self-sufficient) 3-
man fireteams. Each fireteam could link with another (forming a 6-man squad) for a raid or force recon,
or with 7 others (forming a 24-man platoon) for an ambush or deliberate attack (given the character of
the modern militia, trying to form any larger units will just be asking for trouble IMHO). For most other
missions, each fireteam should operate independently.
If you doubt the benifits of such small fireteams (disreguarding, for the moment, our relatively small
numbers), put it to the test. Take your 5-man team through some bad bush, with plenty of twists and
turns, and see how well they maintain the wedge. The men on both flanks will either be killing
themselves to maintain proper position and interval, or they won't even bother and your wedge will wilt
into a pointy square. Then try the same thing with just a 3-man team. Voila! Did moving in the wedge
just become a whole lot easier, or what? You'll find that a smaller unit makes a lot of other activities
easier, too.
Another reason for 3-man fireteams is that most of the missions relevant to us require 3 men:
MISSION FIRST MAN SECOND MAN THIRD MAN
RECON OBSERVER RECORDER SECURITY

HARRASSMENT SNIPER SPOTTER SECURITY
GUN CREW GUNNER ASSISTANT AMMO BEARER
A WARNING AGAINST BUREAUCRACY

Yes, your unit will benefit from a certain level of organization. But don't go overboard! No matter how
large your outfit gets (and my advice is to break up into smaller outfits if it grows beyond squad size),
don't turn paperwork into a sacred cow. Keep it simple and informal. When you observe the emergence
of attitudes of "that's not my department," your unit is headed for self-destruction. If it's to the point
where something doesn't get done because "So-and-So handles that and he's not here today," you'd better
go back to the drawing board and start all over again. Spend your time and effort training your troops
and solving problems, not creating and enforcing a bunch of regulations.
SOME WORDS ABOUT PT

PT (physical training) is another aspect of combat readiness in which the enemy has a distinct advantage
over us. The enemy's troops are paid to train full-time, and the combat arms PT 5-7 days a week. And
us? We all have real jobs and can only get together one weekend a month, give or take. Even if we
sacrificed valuable training time during our outings for PT, PT once or twice a month will accomplish
nothing toward getting or keeping your men in shape.
The only viable solution for us is to PT on our own. Unfortunately, too many of you lack the self-
discipline to PT on your own. You're going to cause some serious problems for yourself and your
teammates when the shooting starts because of your lack of stamina. But PT doesn't have to be the grim
drudgery that the active military makes it (push-ups, sit-ups, calisthenics and run...yawn!).
With a little imagination, you can get a good workout while having fun. Once again, paintball is an
outstanding solution (and you just might learn some valuable lessons playing it). Raquetball is fun, can
increase your aerobic endurance, doesn't cause injuries, and toughens up your feet. Hiking and mountain
climbing have potential, but depending on where you live, can burn up a lot of time. Swimming is
excellent for building aerobic endurance, and won't put premature strain on knees or your spine, like
running or roadmarching can. Upper-body strength is important, but will be secondary to endurance in
combat. Design your PT accordingly.
Go BACK.

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move Page 1 of 2

Gear for Professionals

"Movement" as it applies to a combat

How strong is a chain?

3-5 Second Rush:

MOVEMENT NOT ON FOOT

This is the usual formation for tactical movement. It

The Staggered Column

This formation is used by conventional forces when a

This is an advantageous formation to assume

Here's one you won't find in the Infantry or Marine

Mirror image of Echelon Left. Same exact reasons and

Some Advice Concerning Pace

Here's another one I invented. There is no similar BD

Same thing, only backwards, right?

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPs)

the KISS principle, though.

Crossing Danger Areas

The Hasty Ambush

the ambush, check weapons/equipment and move out.

Here are the considerations for deploying your force:

z Security--ensure no enemy force can surprise you as you're waiting in ambush.

Challenge & Password

If they fail any step in this sequence, engage them. Otherwise...

We have to put aside our "pop-some-caps-and-keep-their-heads-down" conditioning and go back to

.22 Long Rifle

Here's where I start stepping on some toes. Keep

A rifle superior to the M-16 in every way, except

An improved copy of the Kalishnakov, and

7.62x39 Warsaw Pact

Probably the most popular military-style rifle on

Perhaps the second-most-popular military-style

Heckler & Koch G3:

One thing the Germans have always excelled at is

If the US Military had its priorities straight, this

COMMUNICATION UNDER FIRE

COMMUNICATION WHEN NOT UNDER

CODES AND CIPHERS

"Wound my heart with a monotonous langour."=Invasion underway. Link up with British

"Did you catch that last episode of Ellen?

"Cold Dead Finger to Cold Dead Hand, over?"

TRAINING AND ORGANIZATION

"Drill & Ceremony" is the term used to describe all the

MISSION FIRST MAN SECOND MAN THIRD MAN

RECON OBSERVER RECORDER SECURITY

A WARNING AGAINST BUREAUCRACY

SOME WORDS ABOUT PT

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