Back in November, I wrote about the Big One. In that article I mentioned the ‘team’ concept and teased this article. Well, here it is and we’ll discuss the concept and the organization of a TEOTWAWKI team.
The Concept
Let’s start with the ideas behind the team concept. Except for some very specific exceptions, you can’t go it alone in a SHTF situation. Frankly you don’t know enough to survive long term solo. There is just too much specialized knowledge needed for survival for one person to have it all in their heads.
Then there’s the labor aspect. Doing all that needs to be done in a SHTF scenario takes a lot of time and labor. Pulling security, water collection, foraging for food, securing fuel, and the other tasks that will need to be done on a daily basis will take up all of your time.
A team will help spread the load, both in labor and in knowledge. Besides, there’s safety in numbers.
The Social Aspect
Before we get into the individual skills let’s take a look at the kind of people you want and do not want on your team. There are some traits to look for when you’re putting together your team.
First and foremost, will you all get along? Internal strife will make it more difficult to get things done. I don’t mean you all need to be BFFs, that’s unreasonable at best, but you do need to be able to communicate effectively with as little friction as possible.
Related, you want to make sure that whoever you choose is willing to do what they’re told without too much grumbling. Am I saying you should look for ‘yes men’? No, but whoever you choose should know when to ask questions and raise objections and when they shouldn’t.
A good mental state is important. I’m not talking about psychiatric diagnoses here, instead I mean a good attitude towards things in general. An eternal pessimist is a bad teammate, if only because their bad attitude will be contagious.
Similarly, eternal optimists can have a corrosive effect on the team. Unlike the pessimist though, the problem with the optimist is that attitude can cause issues with the realists in your group.
You also want to look for people who are hard working and self-starting. There will be a lot to get done, and if your team needs constant reminders to get moving, well, that’s sub-optimal.
What does a team look like
A SHTF team can and will look different for different people, as our social circles are all different. We’ll know different people with differing skillsets. However there are a few things that should be the same. Every team should have the following people, I’ll go into depth about what skills and attributes each should have below.
- Leader
- Logistician
- Weapons specialist
- Medic
- Builder
- Agriculturist
- Hunter/forager
- Communications specialist
Keep in mind, these do not need to be individual people. In fact, most people can and will have multiple skills. Personally, the only skills I would deem myself deficient in are the agriculturist, medic and builder roles. That’s not to say I couldn’t plant some veggies, apply a TQ or knock together a rude shelter, I could, but I am far more skilled in other areas.
So, let’s take a look at what skills are needed for each role.
Leader
This is the person that holds everything together. Think of them as the CEO, they take all the disparate threads and weave a coherent plan. They should listen to their subject matter experts, weigh the options given to them, and decide on a course of action.
You do not want a petty despot or know-it-all in this position. Nor do you want someone who barks out orders and expects them to be obeyed at once.
Logistician
This is the person who makes sure your team has everything you need when you need it. If you don’t have it, they have a plan to get it. Scavenging skills are a major factor in this role. A good logistician will also prepare and keep rosters and schedules to make sure what needs to be done gets done. They are also generally responsible for backing up the leader. An executive officer if you will.
Weapons Specialist
This one is a little more complex than it sounds. Yes, they need to be knowledgeable about firearms. But they also need to be able to teach others about them and do all of the repairs and maintenance needed. A working knowledge of small unit tactics wouldn’t hurt either. I’d throw the ability to hand-load in as well.
Medic
Of all the skillsets, this one is probably the most technical and requires the most training. when SHTF, all of your medical needs will probably need to be addressed by your team. Depending on your situation, you may only need someone with a grasp of basic field medicine. It may also dictate that you need a full blown MD.
Builder/Maker
The person in this role needs to have a wide variety of construction skills and the ability to improvise when they don’t have the exact item they need to finish or fix something. It would be helpful if they could do automotive/small engine work.
Agriculturist
You need someone with a green thumb in this position. They will be responsible for growing whatever crops your team decides are viable for your location. It may be as simple as the three sisters or as complex as cereal grains. The ability to grow your own food in TEOTWAWKI is one of the most important skills on this list. Food preservation is another aspect of this job/skillset. Whoever fills this role should be able to can/preserve food.
Hunter/Forager
This person does not need to be Daniel Boone or Euell Gibbons (If you don’t know who Gibbons is, you should. He wrote the best book on foraging ever, Stalking the Wild Asparagus), but they do need to be a better than average hunter and able to identify edible plants. This person should also have the knowledge to process the game and plants he harvests.
Communications Specialist
This person needs to be a ham radio operator. That’s it.
What My Team Looks Like
I’m going to start this section by saying my team is going to look a lot different than yours. I am one of the rare exceptions that could survive by myself when SHTF. I can do most of the jobs on the list above well enough to survive fairly long-term before I’d need to seek out any help. That said, I am part of a team.
Besides my family members, namely my son and his affianced, there are 4 permanent members plus their families. One of them is a retired cop, one is a registered trauma nurse and competitive pistol shooter, one is a gardening genius and the other is a professional handy-man. We’ve made relatively detailed plans that vary depending on the severity of the situation, everything from major storms to civil unrest to full-on TEOTWAWKI. Between the 5 of us and family members, we cover all the skills listed above pretty well.
Now is the time to start working on your team. It will be too late to put one together once the shit hits the fan. There are plenty of on-line resources on how to connect with like-minded folks and what/who to look for.