Being Prepared

“Very many factors go to the building of sound morale…but one of the greatest is that men be fully employed at useful and interesting work. Idleness is a dangerous breeding ground.” –Winston Churchill

We spend a lot of time talking about mindset and preparedness, and probably less time talking about what goes into building both these skills and traits amongst ourselves, our family, and our circle of friends. It is easy to watch videos on YouTube, hash out grand plans with our buddies out on the range, or maybe make some initial investments into embracing preparedness.

However, there is little these days that spurs us to embrace the strenuous life, as it was often called by Theodore Roosevelt. His drive to constantly improve and continue his success, knowing it was built on each brick of hard work and toil he invested into himself and his passions. How can we do this, though? Where is a paradigm that we can follow and use as a guide?

The time chooses you, and always being ready is a place to start. This comes in a multitude of formats, from carrying your med kit, to working on your soft skills to try to help you recognize and avoid trouble. Knowing how and when to deploy these skills matters. We need to stay active, both mentally, and physically, so that readiness is an easy move from our more passive day-to-day operations.

What are some other ways in which we can be ready, prepared, and otherwise disciplined?

“…here were many tasks that needed doing: training demanded continuous attention; defenses were far from satisfactory or complete — even the Maginot Line lacked many supplementary field works; physical fitness demands exercise. Yet visitors to the French front were often struck by the prevailing atmosphere of calm aloofness, by the seemingly poor quality of the work in hand, by the lack of visible activity of any kind…” -Winston Churchill

• Identify threats, and be open to the fact that they are never as obvious as we think they are. Carrying a med kit is a fantastic start, but what about other, chronic medical needs that you and your family may have. I wear contacts and have learned the hardware to always carry spares of both. Imagine if you cannot get contacts for a while, and your glasses prescription is not up to date? Or, if you’ve failed to keep basic hygiene supplies on hand? Look beyond the big gleaming issues because the details are what will get you.

“Preparedness is only another name for precaution, provision — the taking of measures beforehand, making arrangements in advance — to meet a possible need.”-Self-Helps for the Citizen Soldier, 1915

• Threats that are identified can be prepared for, and preparedness is about balance. I have seen too many folks who are borderline paranoid in their preparations. Perhaps, instead of preparing for a modern day Red Dawn, preparations could take the form of a more “global” approach in which we address all-hazards and other issues, that have a much higher potential of happening, just on a much smaller scale. Thinking even beyond physical items such as food, water, ammunition… what if we prepared skill sets, such as resiliency, hardiness, and even more mundane things such as cooking and basic outdoor tradecraft. Speaking from personal experience, it's awesome to pull that Dutch oven out and cook over coals for the first time, but there is a steep learning curve, and I’m happier knowing I have climbed that curve before I’m forced to feed my family by open fire and coal cooking. I have the ability to do it not only when I have to, but when I want to, which just adds up to more practice.

Master of human destinies am I

Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps wait.

Cities and fields I walk; I penetrate

Deserts and seas remote, and passing by

Hovel and mart and palace, soon or late

I knock unbidden once at every gate;

If sleeping, wake; if feasting, rise before

I turn away. It is the hour of fate.

And they who follow me reach every state

Mortals desire, and conquer every foe

Save death: But those who doubt or hesitate,

Condemned to failure, penury and woe,

Seek me in vain and uselessly implore—

I answer not, and I return no more.

Opportunity by John James Ingall, as hung on Theodore Roosevelt’s executive office of the White House

• The all-hazards approach is key. Being able to take a variety of skills, and apply them in a multitude of situations will make you more resilient so that when things go wrong, you can quickly adapt and find solutions. Mission planning skills need not only be used for military operations but also day-to-day planning in life. Being able to seize the opportunity, as well as weather the storm comes from being dynamic, flexible, and understanding concepts of preparedness, and not just a cookbook approach. Being prepared and ready isn’t just a defensive action, it can be offensive too.

• Being busy with random preparedness isn’t enough. If we aren’t training the right way, for the right reasons, and learning from the right sources, we are doing it wrong. Additionally, initial training is just the deposit in the bank of knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we don’t use, we lose. A great example of this was my time as a flight paramedic doing critical care transfers. I was easily able to lose my edge with simple little things a Paramedic should be able to do, like being really good at starting IVs and splinting. I just wasn’t doing these things in the air, so I made sure I picked up ground 911 shifts to fill the void.

The source of your training and education matters. Be very cautious with those from whom you seek to obtain that training and education. Social media is rife with “experts” who’s only experience comes from between the pages of a textbook, which they read, or from word of mouth, which they heard. Both, experts and expertise matters. Seek them out and learn the different flavors of the trade or skill. As you do that, you’ll blend them all together into an amalgam all your own.

We need to train for readiness. This embraces soft skills, as well as hard tactics. Anything that improves our courage, resiliency, leadership and teamwork is a valuable tool. Being prepared isn’t just about having body armor and a rifle in the trunk. It's embracing the mindset that many things in our levels can improve our resiliency when trained upon.

Until next time, stay frosty. Teddy Roosevelt is watching.