"The Watchmen"

[Metroyeti]

Staying awake overnight is easier said than done most people switch off by 4am. If you know your territory/land well you can normaly tell if someone else has,been through.

[Mortblanc]

A very simplistic article to say the least, and a very revealing thread following.

I am really concerned that no one here has any friends. I am not talking about a "survival group", I am speaking of the people that look at you and a person of good character and great knowledge that is the "go to guy" if things get bad. People that will seek you out due to your known intelligence and ingenuity. People you can depend on to help you keep watch. Most of you are not even counting on the wife and kids!

Oh well!

Sleep, and when you do it, becomes a different experience in a combat or stress situation. the one thing most combat vetrans will agree on was that the sleep deprivation they endured was one of the worst parts of their experience, far worse than the brief episodes of dodging bullets.

In our military, at least when I was playing "defenders and raiders", we worked our positions in 3 man teams. Everyone was up until around midnight even if they were not on an ambush or recon patrol. At 12 the watch started and went in 2 hour shifts through the three men until just before daylight.

At dawn EVERYONE was shaken awake and on full alert. Most attacks take place in the haze of false light at dawn. You want every human that can carry a weapon awake at dawn.

Then the day begins. Security does not end at dawn, it goes on through the day. Patrols being done by one lone man are normally called suecide missions. You do not send your BEST man out to see what is going on, you send your WORST man, the one you can do without or the one that pi$$ed everyone off yesterday.

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(25 February 2013, 18:25)Mortblanc Wrote: A very simplistic article to say the least, and a very revealing thread following.

I am really concerned that no one here has any friends. I am not talking about a "survival group", I am speaking of the people that look at you as a person of good character and great knowledge that is the "go to guy" if things get bad. People that will seek you out due to your known intelligence and ingenuity. People you can depend on to help you keep watch. Most of you are not even counting on the wife and kids!

Oh well!

Sleep, and when you do it, becomes a different experience in a combat or stress situation. the one thing most combat vetrans will agree on was that the sleep deprivation they endured was one of the worst parts of their experience, far worse than the brief episodes of dodging bullets.

In our military, at least when I was playing "defenders and raiders", we worked our positions in 3 man teams. Everyone was up until around midnight even if they were not on an ambush or recon patrol. At 12 the watch started and went in 2 hour shifts through the three men until just before daylight.

At dawn EVERYONE was shaken awake and on full alert. Most attacks take place in the haze of false light at dawn. You want every human that can carry a weapon awake at dawn.

Then the day begins. Security does not end at dawn, it goes on through the day.

Patrols being done by one lone man are normally called suecide missions. You do not send your BEST man out to see what is going on, you send your WORST man, the one you can do without or the one that pi$$ed everyone off yesterday.

The result is that in a understrength unit everyone is going to be sleep deprived. Everyone is operating on 4-6 hours sleep daily, if that much.

One of the reasons the dog was one of mans first domisticated animals was so that he could get some sleep, and so he could have better ears, smell and hearing while traveling alone.

If the dog you have is not alert and making noise when strangers get near, eat it. Dog is a good meal.

In the early days of Colonial America we developed a breed of dogs that were well suited to guarding the frontier forts. They were generally an Englisn Mastaff crossed with a Foxhound. These brutes were kept inside the fort walls and became formidable warriors in their own right. There are several instances when the dogs of the fort saved the inhabitants. Our native Americans were terrified of these animals more than they feared the settlers.

http://www.nashville-vacation-fun.com/ba...bluff.html

One might also note the 400 against 20 odds of this seige/battle. This was not unusual odds for defense on the frontier with all weapons technology being equil for both sides.

There is no record of any frontier fort ever falling to assualt as long as the gates were kept locked, the enemy had no artillery, and there was a good watch standing at the walls.

Make some friends.

[NorthernRaider]

(25 February 2013, 18:25)Mortblanc Wrote: In our military, at least when I was playing "defenders and raiders", we worked our positions in 3 man teams. Everyone was up until around midnight even if they were not on an ambush or recon patrol. At 12 the watch started and went in 2 hour shifts through the three men until just before daylight.

At dawn EVERYONE was shaken awake and on full alert. Most attacks take place in the haze of false light at dawn. You want every human that can carry a weapon awake at dawn.

Glad to see out colonial cousins military learned something from the battle of Paoli

[Highlander]

(25 February 2013, 18:54)NorthernRaider Wrote:

(25 February 2013, 18:25)Mortblanc Wrote: In our military, at least when I was playing "defenders and raiders", we worked our positions in 3 man teams. Everyone was up until around midnight even if they were not on an ambush or recon patrol. At 12 the watch started and went in 2 hour shifts through the three men until just before daylight.

At dawn EVERYONE was shaken awake and on full alert. Most attacks take place in the haze of false light at dawn. You want every human that can carry a weapon awake at dawn.

Glad to see out colonial cousins military learned something from the battle of Paoli

Ok,... so 2LI does have some battle honors,...lol,...did you know that we had to wear that red backing ( from the red feather) behind our bugle too?

[NorthernRaider]

(25 February 2013, 19:54)Highlander Wrote:

(25 February 2013, 18:54)NorthernRaider Wrote:

(25 February 2013, 18:25)Mortblanc Wrote: In our military, at least when I was playing "defenders and raiders", we worked our positions in 3 man teams. Everyone was up until around midnight even if they were not on an ambush or recon patrol. At 12 the watch started and went in 2 hour shifts through the three men until just before daylight.

At dawn EVERYONE was shaken awake and on full alert. Most attacks take place in the haze of false light at dawn. You want every human that can carry a weapon awake at dawn.

Glad to see out colonial cousins military learned something from the battle of Paoli

Ok,... so 2LI does have some battle honors,...lol,...did you know that we had to wear that red backing ( from the red feather) behind our bugle too?

Yup the LI and the RGJ carry the burdon of their greatness

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Do you think they have forgiven us for capturing the Whitehouse ?

[Mortblanc]

(25 February 2013, 20:56)NorthernRaider Wrote: [quote='Highlander' pid='47358' dateline='1361818458']
[quote='NorthernRaider' pid='47352' dateline='1361814858']
[quote='Mortblanc' pid='47346' dateline='1361813148']

Do you think they have forgiven us for capturing the Whitehouse ?

Nope, we still paint it white to remind us why we paint it white. It was red brick and simply known as the President's Home until you vandals torched it.

Have you forgiven us for The Battle of New Orleans yet?

You fellows sure are easily distracted.

Might there be some input about "standing watch" from any other person on the forum that has actually "stood watch"?

[bigpaul]

i'm going to get myself a whole bunch of dogs WTSHTF, ones left behind when the neighbours either snuff it or go to their families in another town/city, dogs are more alert and have 100X the smell receptors humans have, nobody will get within half a mile of where we are with that lot on guard!

[Highlander]

I am fairly certain there are more than a few of us here who have had to `stand to` and then stood watch until the next `stand to`.

Even a couple who are surviving on their own would have to take turns at this,.. including children if old enough, no one person can stay awake and be safe doing it,.. he may think he is alert, but he would easily be got past by a careful foe

The mind wanders, try sitting in a car park for an hour or two watching Tescos front door, and then you will understand, add darkness, silence, hot summer nights, freezing feet, to that, then think about the possibility of doing it every night,... you and your family would not be safe,.. if you have the need to be on guard, then you must feel there is a threat,.. dont try and guard them alone

Two hours on watch is the best format, you can stay alert for that long, then swap over, it would be great if there was three of you, because 2 hours on four off is about right,.. but if not then at least you are getting rest every two hours

[bigpaul]

i've got the OH so in theory we could take it in turns...say 2 hours on 2 hours off..then there is the dog, she'll hear anything moving about.

[Metroyeti]

I found security patrols a joke, most people doing security have there torch on stamp there feet and make loads of noise. Whilst working with these people we used to hide in bushes and jump out on them, they soon stop wanting to patrol outside and start working inside again. Also there would be zero offers for doing a patrol if they thought it could be raining.

People being people we can use this to our advantage, its not like were going to be dealing with soldiers behind enemy lines post shtf, just people in crap clothing, old trainers and desperate for food.