preppers & the military

There are 6-8 of us ex-military types that are active here. The others are ghosts.

Im going to "Come out" soon as a person living with PTSD. By the way, Im doing fantastic. I never thought I would get this far. The point is that one of the symptoms is Hyper Vigilance. The connection should be obvious. I, personally have found prepping to be very healing in that it has helped to rewire the brain. The focus is looking into the Future instead of compulsively reliving the past. The nightmares are pretty much over for me and the flashbacks have healed quite comfortably into simple painfull memories instead of reliving it every day as if it just happened. Though no one is talking about this subject yet, I see it quite obviously is several well known Youtube preppers.
For others, Its one of the fundamental problems with what I am calling "Peak Prepping" or the myth of the Special Forces Survivalist. It gives military men a place to belong in the same way that Biker "Associations" are also filled with ex military. I hope these comments don't piss off folks. Just my observation.

I'm fortunate not to have PTSD, but that could be because I also lack compassion, guilt or the need to build meaningful relationships with others. That's another story altogether.

I prep because I've actually found a person who I've grown attached to, and want to care for.

If SHTF and I didn't have her (or preps), I would be capable of... a lot of things. But she has become a moral compass and anchor to me. Hence I prep.

A lot of folks get into the military because they are wired to learn that way. Tons of ex military have stockpiles of supplies, equipment and knowledge. If you do find them here as preppers, then you find them as Hikers, Bikers, Bushcrafters and the list goes on. I think the count is about 25 active members that are ex military with some ghosts. There are also some ex and current Police and Fire Fighters as well, two ambulance drivers and 4 Nurses, all Male nurses by the way.

They always teach us to be ON.. Vigilant from the very fist day of Basic Training, but.. they forgot to tell us how to turn that off as well ! We learn to learn and we learn to watch out for things, so we are taught to prepare for any eventuality all the time. Well the Combat Arms guys and some of the other parts of the services, but not all. Sailors are the Infantry of the Sea, so there are a few of those around too!

ps. I would take a Trench Mate, or Prepper Mate with PTSD any day over most non service members, shared background and the knowledge that they know hot to get stuff done, when the time is right.
Pro Patria

The military background people are easy to spot so they seem to stand out. The use of three letter acronyms and military jargon becomes second nature and their use sticks out to any non military person. The military also training aligns everyone thought process the same way so teamwork becomes natural. Everyone has the same goal so the task goes quickly. There is also the bond of trust that your buddy has work back. It is very unique lifestyle and not everyone is cut out for it. P.S. - we do like to be prepared!
Ready Aye Ready
GM1

Military or ex military are great preppers cause they are taught to never give up, last and endure. They are that person before joining the Forces but the forces just have a way of bringing it out!

Proud to be currently serving

I have the upmost respect for the military personal of the world, these are good people who for the most part, who voluntarily put their lives on the line to protect others. But many are also parents, and as military they are keenly aware of the threats that face us everyday in our modern world. As parents they are more then aware that it is every parents responsibilty to do everything they can to care for and protect their children to the best of their ability. So being more aware then most sheeple our military personal often take the lead in showing the rest of us how to prepare and how to best defend against an uncertain future.

o/ our military hero's

I am a newbie to this site and an a vet. I've always been a preper but without a reason I could identify, besides having ptsd. the last few months though I've been seriously getting my headspace into prepping. I agree with one earlier post as to prepping is a great way to focus my mind and I feel re-energized by all this process. I looking for land away from here to a much more remote property. 😀

I've been avoiding this one.

I have what is called PTSE. Post Traumatic Stress Effects.

In a nutshell, I am never switched off. I am always at yellow or higher, depending upon the situation. I watch people, search for patterns and always keep an eye open for X-rays.

I don't really feel bad about the bad guys I've dealt with, I only miss my mates who didn't beat the clock, and there's a fair number of them.

As for any bloke with PTSD, I can't treat you, but I understand where you're coming from. I'll still expect you to do your job though.

-S.

The military tends to attract a certain type of personality...a warrior or protector if you will. And combat and the military in general, seems to rewire your brain even more so. You may retire or release but the rewiring remains and you can't turn it off or easily revert to the way you were before. It becomes the cross you have to bear. All the best my brothers. Keep on prepping!

GM1

I am ex-military and 25 years law enforcement.

I think maybe it's because, especially after being overseas, we see the bad things that can happen and never want to see our kids being the ones who ask strangers for food.

GM1 made a good point about the protection aspect, for cops and service members. Some may join for college or a job or the retirement (over other jobs), but especially in some of the tougher services, you're also getting people who want to excel, want to be different or better, and who have a need to serve.

Someone else made the point that we're taught to prepare. In the Marines, in two different MOSs that I was in and in several that I covered, we learn the jobs to the left and right, one up and one down, so we can do that job if and when that person isn't there. We learn to do the next job on the list so we're already prepared for it when we're promoted or end up in the supervisor or leader slots.

We also, more a few years ago but still some these days, learn to make do with whatever's on our vest/carrier and in our bag. A 1-day or 2-day trip may end up being 3 days. Three days turn into a week. So you pack carefully and learn what's important and to be prepared for that kind of unexpectedness. And then the greater awareness and the preparedness comes home with you.

The point was made, too, that we just stand out. I'll bet there are a bunch in any group who suffered at the hands of Mother Nature or who suffered a financial reverse, and decided to make sure it didn't happen again. There are probably greenies/environmentalists who started down a path aware that we were burning through resources and then had their eyes really opened and decided it was more than saving the polar bears, that we really might be in trouble, and began preparing for that eventuality.

They don't have quite as many acronyms, but they have enough to overlap sometimes. What you really have to watch are those freaky HAM ops. Man, they like to speak in tongues.
🙂

Hi people,

I don't feel so alone anymore. I have always had a need to be,' good to go',light, and fast. Being alone that was easy, but now I have a wife and three kids. I have had an epiphany of a kind. A paradigm shift is needed and Asap. I needed to dig-in, get some OHP and in-depth coverage. This coverage has to come to a large degree from other people who have as much to lose or gain as everybody else.

The techno stuff is easy. The people stuff is hard. The concept, ' that not just your survival but your doing well has to be vitally important to me, because my doing well, my well-being and survival depends on you,' is not understood by many in our western selfish and self-centered society. Positive cohesion depends on the ability of the members of a community to put the collective good above their own. The success of the whole is the success of the individual parts.

As a community development planner I have studied every kind of intentional community there is and have learned one important fact. All successful, intentional communities are based on some kind of spiritual belief system. This is true all over the world. Members of these kinds of communities see their role as serving the community, not the community serving them.

Success here means 'existing past the first or second generation from the original seeds.'

I am not proposing anything here. I thought it important to point out the fact.

Survival needs no other impetus than the need to survive.

You have heard the saying, 'we have won the war and lost the peace'. After you have survived then what? The world may be in such a state you may wish that you hadn't. If, however, you have planned for the possibility of your survival and have looked way beyond then you may have purpose to continue. I read one blogger talking about looking seven generations beyond. I have read people talking about rebuilding society. The question that begs to be asked is this: what would you go forward with? The only examples you have are those that have brought the world to its knees, or have been complete failures.
I come from a First Nations community. There is a lot that can be gained from Native peoples histories and present realities. I have seen the gains achieved for myself and for many others individually in learning where they come from. However, I believe that going backwards is not a way for the collective to go forwards, that historic tribal cultures can not be resurrected to meet the needs of the present or the future.

The answer to this riddle is both simple as it is daunting. Like the individual drops of water that makes up the puddles, pools, ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans, you too, can contribute to a great effect. Imagine your heart as a mirror. It reflects only what you point it at. You have the choice to reflect a healing light into the world OR You can focus your heart on things like wealth, power, fame and possessions that have and are draining the earth of its health and of its future. If you survive what will you bring forward?

I ask the question of you as I have asked it of myself many years ago when I survived ... when many others didn't. The burden of life can be very heavy. I carry it for those that can't and I hope I earn their forgiveness.

Hi, it's not just the military guys here - I'm sure there are a number of other military gals. My hubs is retired combat arms and myself and our son are still serving (logistics). Our combined experience of eight tours between us all and the things we've seen and experience has lead us down the path of the prepper. Yes we have been places and have seen what happens when things break down and maybe due to this many military members start on the prepper path in order to protect ourselves and our families.

I believe everyone on this forum has something to offer, the military members often have the practical experience and training in many things. However the military has not taught me about homesteading, canning, gardening and such. That I'm learning on my own with the help and advice from many on these boards!