THE MINUTEMAN "Special Contest Issue"
Observation Post/RON Contest
PATROL KIT CONTEST Part 2
Your Mission, if you choose to accept it, builds upon the idea of a 24 hour patrol kit with a focus on building and manning an Observation Post (OP) for a 24 hour period. To observe a known location, supply road/trail, enemy camp, or any other possible area and to be able to report what is found in a timely and accurate manner. I'm still learning as well so this is a great exercise for me too in what I'm doing right and what I still need to learn and improve upon!
Scenario…
We are heading into fall in the US and after 6 months of the nations grid being down most of America is in turmoil. The cities have been decimated and WROL has taken its toll. Gang leaders have turned into warlords and have started pushing further into rural areas in search of food, supplies, slave labor, and more. Folks in your area are starting to have issues with small groups from these cities trespassing and poaching on the surrounding land. You have been tasked to recon the border of a neighboring property that has recently had issues with poachers and possible squatters. The goal is to set up an OP and man it for 24 hours and observe and take notes and relay information to your MAG as to what you find.
There are 4 parts to this contest that need to be included in your video submission. See below for the 4 key elements that will be looked for.
Part 1: Present yourself ready to step off
Put your kit on and present yourself ready to step off to walk into and setup your assigned OP area. Do a 360 degree view of you with your kit on and confirm that nothing is loose or rattling and show a functioning bolt on your firearm. Remember this is for your area, so base it on current weather patterns and terrain.
Example:
Part 2: Construct your OP and show yourself occupying it
Construction of an OP can be simple or elaborate depending on your terrain, visibility, size of team, possibility of detection, skill, and risk assessment. OP’s require certain equipment to be able to effectively gather and relay information. Optics (binoculars/monoculars, spotting scope, night vision, thermal imagers, etc…), radios, cameras, notebook, maps, appropriate camouflage, perimeter security, egress routes, and more… Do a walk around of your OP showing how you built it, your observation equipment, and a perimeter security measure you have taken. Don't forget to show yourself actually in your OP.
Examples:
Walk around…
Constructing OP…
Perimeter Alarm…
Observation Gear…
Occupying Your OP…
Part 3: Put together and send a SALUTE or Status Report
The information you gather is only as good as how accurately you can relay that information. You ever hear the saying “Just the facts ma’am”? This is key to sending any sort of message. Brief and to the point. Less time transmitting means the harder it is for OPFOR to locate you.
SALUTE Report:
S=size
A=activity
L=location
U=uniform
T=time
E=equipment
Example:
Status Report:
This would be a prearranged check in, confirmation of reaching a designated area, or just a simple comms check.
Example:
Part 4: After Action Report (AAR)
AAR’s are important in reviewing what went right, what went wrong, things learned, and identifying your strengths and weakness in relation to the overall exercise.
Example:
Extra things we are looking for:
-Camo effectiveness of your overall kit
-Creativity
-Demonstration of Security Measure
-Actually staying overnight
Put together a video no longer than 20 minutes and email your submission to me at: jayclimber2003@yahoo.com
Contest runs until Halloween
Prizes:
One of the prizes will be the Vismix Chest Rig I recently reviewed plus a few other items being determined from AT Armor and maybe a surprise or two!
You can make your video public if you want to, but at least have it unlisted so that I am able to view it. I am not concerned with video quality, I want to see your effort in trying to get the job right. This is for all of us to learn and improve in our skill sets.
MISSION ESSENTIALS: OBSERVATION
Observation gear... This is a bit simplified, but I think you will get the point. When setting up an OP for observing an area there will be certain pieces of gear that need to be brought along to help do the job right. This past weekend I set up an OP (Pay attention, my Fall Contest has to do with this) to observe a junction of 3 different trails frequented by Coyote near our Bushcamp for a 24 hour period. The goal was to observe, document (photo evidence, time log, and map reference, etc), and report my findings to camp.
Some key pieces of equipment to do this is some sort of magnified optic for observing the targeted area:
-Monocular
-Binocular
-Spotting Scope
-Tripod
-Rifle optic
If manning an overnight OP you will want to add the following to your optics:
-Night Vision
-Thermal Imager
Recording ability such as:
-Camera
-Camcorder
-Drone
Note taking items like:
-Notebook
-pens, pencils, markers
-Maps with Protractor/Grid tools
Comms ability to relay or send information:
-Radio
-Phone
-Tablet
Hide building kit to include:
-tarp w/bungees
-camo netting
-folding saw
-pruning shears
-chicken wire
Area denial devices for providing an early warning system in case anyone tries to sneak up on you. These should be placed while doing a 360 of your OP site. I use some homemade audible alarms that work great against 4 legged (and 2 legged) critters.
This was in addition to a purpose built hide to provide cover from visual detection as well as weather protection. A ghillie hood (and sniper veil) to provide additional camo during the activity. A light foam pad for laying on and poncho liner for added warmth (Temps dipped into the upper 40's). Food was a no cook 24 hr ration pack and 4 liters of water.
Everyone's OP setup will be different. It is not a camping trip. Your approach needs to be slow and calculated looking for any signs (such as smells, sounds, physical, visual, etc). When in your OP you need to only have out what you need and nothing else. If you get bounced you need to be able to beat feet NOW. You won't have time to pack your gear up. And don't forget to have escape routes.
Don't be afraid to go out and practice, that's how I'm learning all of this. I learn new things everytime I go out!
Ghillie Hood (A DIY Project)
This was an inspired project from Risky Chrisky and Ivarr Bergmann. I had been wanting to do this for several months but some recent content from them was just the push that I needed to get it done.
I built this from mostly materials I already had. My only purchase for this was colored jute twine. I started off with an old combat shirt that was too big for me. I cut the lower body off leaving the sleeves, upper back, and collar. I then sewed an old hood onto it that I had from an old German rain drop patterned jacket.
I then proceeded to glue and sew my own attachment points onto the shirt and hood for tying on the strips of twine and cloth alternating between types and colors.
I then put it on a gear stand to help see where I needed to fill in colors or materials.
After a little guidance from a couple guys in the know I added more tan and then spray painted areas to better blend in the base.
I thought I was finished but now the actual work was just beginning. Unbeknownst to me, it now needed a proper “wash” by getting it thoroughly wet and then broken in by crawling around my area to better fray the material and work the local colors into the ghillie hood. So….
After getting it thoroughly wet we went and crawled around in it…
And I have to say that I was happy with the results…
Overall I had about 20 hours invested in making this (not including field time) and am rather pleased with this first effort. Next step is working on tying on vegetation and stalking practice.
Resource Highlight:
The Professional Citizen Project
From their website…
“Being a Professional Citizen is not a hobby for you, it is your personal commitment. A promise to yourself and your family to be tactically and technically proficient with all the tools you have available. The Pro Citizen series of manuals and references will assist you in preparing for that inevitable "it's happening" text message. Start with a copy of the CM-1 (Individual Tactical Skills) and get after it.”
The guys over at The Professional Citizen Project are pushing the conversation on being a prepared citizen by taking existing military doctrine, outdoor adventurers experiences, and bushcraft concepts and putting it all in a new series of field manuals that is easily digestible for the everyday citizen to learn from!
If you haven't already, be sure to pick up a copy of CM-1 covering Individual Tactical Skills! It is a good primer for things to come!
Just got my entry posted to YouTube, and the link sent your way! Thanks for running the contest!
Another Informative post thanks Jay.