In case of war

I realize this may sound like a silly question to some. I was talking to a coworker and he said he thinks that we are headed for war, a big, long war. I can't say I disagree that this is a possibility because the world is a volatile place. I am in the U.S. and we have a LOT of civil unrest. I have thought about how to deal with that. What I wouldn't know how to prepare for, because I don't know what to expect, is a huge global war.

What kinds of things would happen here if the fighting is not on this soil. That doesn't mean I don't think it can't come here. I have seen stories about other wartorn countries, so I'm not totally uninformed about the hardships.

I don't know, I guess I just wanted other people's ideas here.

Thanks in advance.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

The next war wont be armies of soldiers on the ground, but terrifying weapons of mass destruction fired from a long distance....don't worry...it'll be quick and many won't even know it...just..."Wow! What was tha.....!"

Gone

a reply to: mysterioustranger

They been saying that for the last 70 years. No war always ends up on the ground and door to door.

And even if it comes as a wave of mass destruction (nukes, whatever), then the aftermath of local warlords will be worse than a normal war anyways. There is always someone trying to take power by force.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

I am a prepper, but i can only hope i would dissapear in the first strike. No amount of preparing can help with the since of loss that will surely accompany surviving the first waves. Imagine the animal and monster you will become when the only choices are to survive or die. Its the ultimate elephant in the room when everyone says they are prepared to become a monster where the strong survive while walking on the skulls of the weak.

Asses where you live first, where are the closest military installations, ammo depots, missle fields etc. then ask are you down wind from them.

If you are not near a primary or secondary target surviving the initial exchanges are pretty high I think.

Next question is where will you ride out the insanity... if you live in a big city bunkering in will be tough.

For example, if I survived the initial exchange I had a place I could go to about 2 hours drive from my home, so I could assess the state of the region... if it was still a wreck I have my final fall back position in the ozarks with family. (this was about 4 hours from my home)

This kind of plan needs to be set up well in advance, you need to plan your route, possibly set up supplies etc.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan


Basically, Ellie, in a very serious war such as WWII, the public would suffer in every way imaginable. Standing in line would take up a lot of your time. You will get a ration card that allows you only a limited amount of items per period that you formerly took for granted, sugar, milk, gasoline, tires, etc. Housing would be controlled and limited. Social controls would hammer everybody also, from curfew to what you could say, write and do. You would be hounded to donate and gladly give to the "cause" because some one you knew or was related to may be on the receiving end of the enemies bullet. The propaganda would be terrific. You think the recent political mess was tiresome wait 'til we go to war. And there would be those little flags that the government gave out to advertise that were hung in front windows to indicate that a family member was at war. Not infrequently, a addition to that flag would appear, it was a red strip as I seem to recall that meant that person had paid the ultimate sacrifice. (I was seven when the war ended.)

As you more or less suggest, the US doesn't know what a real war is all about. Modern "real wars" large and small have always been fought elsewhere. Were that specter to come in earnest here, most Americans would rather die than attempt to suffer through. A full-scale modern war, will not likely be a physical invasion of foreign troops, but the quick and simple task of lobbing ICBMs into population centers. Such a "war" could be over in a week's time with the most of the modern world "bombed back into the stone age" as it is frequently cited. In WWII the US saved the world from a horrible future under the Nazis and the Japanese while here at home, we remained basically free of the destruction. That will not be the case when thousand-miles missiles are the weapons of choice.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

Well, first and foremost, it is highly unlikely that there will ever be a World War like the first two, where much of the fighting was rifle combat.

War these days has such a focus on air superiority, and on long range weaponry, over the horizon systems and the like, that the image we get of a force moving through an area in either Russia or America for example, just would not be happening unless that area had already been pound to rubble from a distance or from the air.

But the main thing is that if it ever kicks off to the point where Russia and America are in a hot war, there WILL be nuclear attacks. The main thing to worry about with that, is once the first one gets fired, will it mean the others eventually are launched? Will either or all sides empty their magazines at one another? Because if they do, the only people who will survive will be those who have buried themselves DEEP underground, and to be frank, I am not sure that many of the people who do survive the initial onslaught will still be happy that they did by the time they realise that the food is running out, and its going to be a couple of hundred years before anything can live on the surface again.

The next war will not be like the first two. The next World War will consume the earth in fire, it will be a nuclear holocaust beyond imagining. All that will remain are some bunkers which will become tombs, and the shadowy outlines of people, burned into the ruins of their homes, workplaces, the devastated remains of their towns and cities. Other than that, there will be nothing. No place will be untouched by the radiation, the fallout, if every nuclear warhead available were to be launched. Every nation, every stretch of land, every drop of water, every mote of dust and air...all corrupted, all lethal near enough on contact for a couple of lifetimes at least.

originally posted by: Ellie Sagan
I realize this may sound like a silly question to some. I was talking to a coworker and he said he thinks that we are headed for war, a big, long war. I can't say I disagree that this is a possibility because the world is a volatile place. I am in the U.S. and we have a LOT of civil unrest. I have thought about how to deal with that. What I wouldn't know how to prepare for, because I don't know what to expect, is a huge global war.

What kinds of things would happen here if the fighting is not on this soil. That doesn't mean I don't think it can't come here. I have seen stories about other wartorn countries, so I'm not totally uninformed about the hardships.

I don't know, I guess I just wanted other people's ideas here.

Thanks in advance.

Ellie, from personal experience I can tell you a couple things.

First among them is there is no precedent to any modern warfare that may ensue if it ever did. With that in mind, preparation would become moot as there is no historical audit one can make. One can make assumptions on the things they may believe to be important (which frankly would be no different than any other natural disaster preparation) but the stark reality is that it would be somewhat meaningless.

Secondly, and honestly this is important irrespective of potential war and likely one of the most important one could ever implement as a human being. Become well versed and rounded in many disciplines. From linguistics, to hunting, to firearms, to medicine, to technology, to automotive repair, to cold and hot climate survival tactics..I could go on all day long on the items it makes sense to have a working knowledge of but I think you get the point...in ANY disaster the more working knowledge you have going for you, the more likely you are to be able to survive and thrive in some dystopian eventuality.

Thirdly, don't stress over it. If you're mentally prepared for some eventuality, then you're 3/4 of the way to actually being prepared. A lot of people tend to have a SHTF hierarchy, which is great and bully for them! Yet, most people have modest means by which to create a sustainable environment post-war survival. Positive mental attitude goes a long way toward actually BEING prepared.

a reply to: JDeLattre89

Surely soon after the initial start...troops will invade whats left....but we dont develope "super-tech" weapons for nothing. And we've got some absolutely horrendous one's. And they will be used....we know that. By some far away-from- the scene delivery systems. We have them now.

Perhaps a pulse 1st, all lights out, no communication..then? Nukes? Biological? Radiological? Pick one. 'Wont even know what hit, where, or by whom...and whats to follow...its only a matter of time.

I sencerely doubt that any future war would be fought with nukes. There is no gain in using that for either party involved.
1st: It will destroy all infrastructure for decades not to mention create a death spot in the land u can hardly pass trough.
2nd: The one that uses it first, will get a #load back, assuring a Mutual destruction. Nobody is this dumb.

That being said: a new WW would first be fought with economics (this kind of war is arguably already happening). Then long range weaponry (without a fallout, but biological is certainly possible) and aireal strikes. Then come the ground troops.
I have extensively researched living under occupation trough my own family (occupied Belgium in WW2) because i needed it for my paper in the military.
U see a lot of preppers saying they have fixed locations set up... forget about that stuff. Not a single FIXED location will save ur ass, it will only prolong your discovery. If u want to survive under the radar u need to keep moving. (I had an uncle who escaped from a german prisontrain and survived by keeping on the move in woods and less populated area's, in the winter he'd seek shelter with friendly ppl)
Transportation is a no go since thats easy to spot, so pack light.
This is all in the situation u find yourself in occupied territory offcourse.

But if the war has not reached u yet, expect the following:
- rations
- obligated drafting
- hostility to whoever is the enemy (remember the Japanese in the USA during WW2? they werent exactly treated well and where outright murdered on multiple occasions)
- Obligated working for whoever that can't fight (munitions manufactering etc)
- famine for whoever is not in the army/working for the war effort.
etc.

I do know one thing, i would prefer the insurgent life over captivity (even if it means i die)

a reply to: Saiker

Yeah, I am as well...but slightly more informed than the general public due to training by DHS, FEMA, C.Corps, MedCorps, Emerg. Mngmnt (credentials below), whom I both work and volunteer for. 24/7 365. On duty, at work, at home, on call. Bags' in the car, another in the other car, one's at home, ones outside the home etc...Thats beside the point.

But a good thing is we prepare to survive afterwards...but do not address the scenario-possibilities and probabilities. We survive not to start over...just to last long enough until your place is surrounded by everyone running away from trouble...right to you because you have what they dont.

You can only defend yourself so long until youre overwhelmed and outnumbered for your stuff. Theyre taking it...and youll give it to them. Fighting back, surviving or not. The vastness of the numbers of those coming your way...no matter how far or secluded...is not in your favor overall, with some exceptions and variables.

I have 3 immediate family members. And I have 3 -45 cal. hollow points separated from the rest of my stocked ammo. Why the 3? Because at all hope lost...and crowds/poisons/bios/radiol's coming for us...I will shoot my dog, my wife and myself. In that order...

The basic survival question we continually ask and discuss? Its "We Survivalists, Preppers, and Doomsday bugout's are expecting to survive what and to what end? How long? When all is lost or runs out or your family is dying, or captured or has the possibility of being tortured in front of you". Think long and hard...

It's a sobering thought....Hey! Do what you can, when you can, however you can. Do the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Peace, MS

EMT/ERT-1st Responder, Advanced Disaster Life Support
FEMA/Dept of Homeland Security, Citizen Corps
I.C.S./Incident Command
Region 2 South, Wayne County, Mi

Thank you all for responding.. I'm right where I started. Feeling helpless and hopeless. This is a topic I have had a concern about since I was a kid. I used to be worried about nuclear war, and my schoolwork (papers and art) reflected it. It seems that nukes shouldn't be an option, but then again, why else were they created?

I am not sure I want to survive in a world that war could create for us. But I don't like the idea of giving up either. I agree the best way to be prepared is with mental attitude and skills. I know I won't always have my stuff.

I don't know, I feel down again. Maybe this thread was a bad idea!

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

It's something none of us want to think about, that's for sure.


While watching videos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are great reasons to be fearful, even more eye opening are those of the Chernobyl disaster and their immediate and after effects.


The bright side in all of this is, that it is so unlikely I think you shouldn't keep you awake at night.

Your real problem will be Zombies! um no real people.
they will steal kill rape and eat you.
City's Full of people and all the stores are closed!
they will run out of food in 4 days or less.
now what do they eat? you!

Get out of the city and as far from it as you can.
as soon as you can. far far from it. and HIDE!
dont come out for ANY thing.
did you learn Nothing from the horror films?

now learn what you can eat and how to find it.

a reply to: Aliensun

There are three places that no one wants to invade the US Ireland and Australia because the people in those places when push comes to shove will f*** the s*** out of everybody

jaden

a reply to: Masterjaden

I think that is the truth, at least the people I know (with some exceptions). I hope it doesn't come to that though.

The truth of the matter is, why would you want to stay around?

You know you wouldn't be the only ones left and the douches of this world are much more prepared and will have lots of swaying power to convince people to do what they want.

Even a reset of humanity wouldn't change, humanity.

99 people can want harmony, change, peace, happiness and love and it only takes 1 to mess that all up and turn 49 against the other 50 for some reason or another.

And why? Because they feel they didn't have enough as the others or didn't agree with the mindset of the leader. Is what most problems boil down to.

So why even want to continue, maybe humanity is flawed, simulation ending in 5, 4, 3, 2...

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

I agree that there could be a time I might want to just give up. I also would want to do my best to avoid suffering. It would be completely different if I were to die quick and painlessly, but there are times when we would not be allowed that luxury.