Militias: What They Are and What They Aren't

With the increase in rhetoric coming from both sides in the gun control arena, I'm seeing a lot more references to “militias” in the last few weeks. Some pro-gun people are calling for the formation of more militia units to prepare for anticipated “storm-troopers and jack-booted thugs” that are waiting for the orders to “come take our guns,” while the anti-gun crowd is proactively calling any armed resistance “terrorism”. In my opinion, both sides need to step away from this “inciting violence” level of talk before someone gets stupid and people get hurt, arrested, or both. 

As I posted a few months ago, there is a possibility for a large man-made disaster if any group of politicians decide that they can order the disarming of Americans on any scale. Such an order is laughably ignorant for reasons that I may expand upon in a future article, but that won't stop the hard-core tyrants from trying.

Since words have meanings and clear communications require that definitions be known, I'll try to settle a few misconceptions about militias. I will not be using any Wiki pages, since they are too easily modified to suit political agendas.

What is a Militia?

The definitions vary slightly from source to source, but a militia is generally seen as a group of able-bodied and armed people (men, originally) that can be called up by the government to defend an area or region. They are not a full-time part of the uniformed military services, but are available to supplement or assist those uniformed services.

The militia is divided into three classes:

1. The Organized Militia, commonly known as the National Guard, which is funded and controlled by the Federal government. The NG and Reserves have taken on a large part of our war fighting in the last few decades, and are becoming less of a militia and more a part-time military branch.
2. The Unorganized Militia or Reserve Militia, which is composed of all the other able-bodied men and women. This is the “bring your own gear” militia which can be called up by the government to assist regular troops.
3. State Defense Forces, which are set up under state laws and are generally under the control of state governors. Poorly funded and generally small units, these are the “core” or cadre that will lead the Unorganized Militia in state call-ups.

What isn't a Militia?

• A group of drunken idiots wandering around the woods playing soldier is not a militia. LARP (Live-Acton Role-Playing) is not real life; air-soft or paintball training will teach you bad habits that will get you killed in real combat.
• A guerrilla or rebel force. Unconventional forces are covered under other specific laws and are treated differently than uniformed troops fighting under a nation's flag. The rules of warfare tend to apply only to international conflicts; internal fighting has to get to a pretty bad stage before the concept of “war” supplants “crime”.
• “Private Militias”, aka armed groups that do not answer to a government. State laws vary, but they are generally subject to the same laws as any other civilian, meaning they have to obey the laws or be charged as criminals.
• Mutual aid and defense groups. This is a newer concept and is still being worked on. Most of the groups that have an internet presence are based around minority groups that will come to the aid of each other to prevent or stop aggression. LGBTQ groups seem to be the leaders in the formation of Mutual Aid and Defense groups.
• Levee en masse: armed citizens spontaneously resisting an invasion before the uniformed troops can get there. They're still afforded combatant status in international disputes, but such actions against the standing government have mixed results and tend to be classified as criminal. I say “tend to be” because the winner gets to write the history, so take any reports with a grain of salt.

Who is in the Militia?

• In the USA, we have laws that define militias and those eligible to serve in them. The US Code of Federal Regulations lays out the requirements in Chapter 10. The short answer is “all able-bodied men (and some women) between the ages of 17 and 45” with some exceptions. 
• There is no formal need to “join” a militia; most of us are already included.

Are Militias Legal?

Since they are named in several of our founding documents and are covered by several sections of Federal and state regulations, they are most definitely legal as long as they meet the criteria.

To be blunt about the whole militia movement: I see it as a call to join a group, which is subject to government duty, in order to resist an action by that same government. Calling such resistance a militia is either a mistake in comprehension or a verbal fig-leaf to cover up intended illegal acts. If your goal is to defy government rule, you don't get to call yourself a militia; there are other terms such as “freedom fighter” or “resistance fighter” that more accurately define your actions.

Light Units

In my review of the Twyst flashlight, I listed the output for the flashlight in Lux but the output for the lantern mode in Lumens. This may cause some confusion, since the two aren't the same and there is no good direct correlation between the two. Welcome to the world of scientific units of measurement!

There are different units for the same thing (Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales), and there are similar units for slightly different things (troy ounces and avoirdupois ounces). Measuring light is no different, because there have been many methods of measuring it proposed over the years and different groups will use differing units or methods. I'll try to give you a basic understanding of the differences for the common measurements of light, how they are used, and what they actually mean.

Candle-power or Candela

One candle-power is the amount of light put out by a single standard candle. The “standard” candle was a pure whale wax (Spermaceti) candle weighing 1/6th of a pound, burning at a rate of 120 grains (there are 7000 grains in a pound) per hour. Any normal candle will put out about the same amount of light, so don't worry about the details too much.

Lumen

The total output of light in the visible part of the spectrum. Used for measuring the total amount of light produced by a source, most often used when comparing flood- or lantern-type lights. Household light bulbs will have their output listed in Lumens since they radiate light in a spherical manner. The light produced is what is measured in Lumens, but the light falling on a surface is measured in Lux or Foot-candles.

Lux

The metric unit of measure for illumination of a surface. Most commonly used when comparing spot-type light sources. One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. A good example is a flashlight with a variable focus, like a Mag-Lite. The bulb puts out a steady amount of light (Lumens) but by changing the focus you can concentrate that light into a smaller area, making it brighter (Lux).

Foot-Candle

A foot-candle is actually one lumen of light density per square foot of a target one foot from the source of light, and is the American (SI) version of the Lux. Since most of what is sold in the US is made in countries that use the metric system, it's not likely that you'll see foot-candles listed on new lights.

Watt

Some lights are advertised by the wattage of their LED or bulb. Watts do not relate directly to the light output level. As used for light sources, Watts defines the rate of energy consumption by an electrical device when it is in operation. Differences in the efficiency of the LED or bulb as well as in the amount of light produced that is visible to the human eye make it difficult to relate Watts of power usage to light output.

I hope that clears up some of the confusion about the different units. I managed to keep most of that pesky math out of it while I did it, too.

Footnotes

http://www.ledtronics.com/TechNotes/TechNotes.aspx?id=13

Baggage

There have been several different types of bags mentioned here and elsewhere, and I think it is time to differentiate between the types and their uses.

Since the only “one-size-fits-all” bag would barely fit onto a cargo plane, most of us have to tailor our bags for different jobs or times. For example, my vehicle bag gets a lot bulkier in the Winter because I live where it gets bitterly cold, but during the Summer it contains bug spray and other things that would otherwise freeze.

BOB

Bug Out Bag- intended to give you the bare essentials if you have to leave home in a hurry. Having somewhere to go will be the determining factor for the contents of a BOB. If you're planning on bugging out to a location fairly close to home, your BOB won't need to be as complicated as one designed to get you three states away. Evelyn talked about her BOB here. 

GHB

Get Home Bag- similar to a BOB, but intended to give you what you need to get home if a crisis occurs while you're away. Most GHBs are stocked for the normal commute to and from work, with additional items added for longer trips. Erin talked about her GHB bag here and here. 

EDC Bag

David talked about his EDC (Every Day Carry) bag here. Having a discreet way to carry more than you can keep in your pockets comes in handy for those who deal with the public. “Don't scare the sheep” is a maxim for CCW, and it is applicable to prepping as well. A “turse” or “murse” is also a good form of OPSEC, as it conceals your possessions from prying eyes.

72 Hour Bag

This can normally be used as either a BOB or a GHB, as well as being a simple way to store 3 days' worth of supplies for you if you choose to (or have to) bug in.This is usually the "starter" bag for a prepper, with contents being modified as they learn more and refine their plans.

Blowout Bag

AKA a trauma bag, this is a well-stocked medical aid bag carried by those of us with advanced training. The contents will vary according to the level of training and budget. This should not be confused with a simple first aid kit, which is smaller and fits in BOB, GHB and EDC bags. 

Range Bag

A range bag is going to contain the stuff that you're likely to need for a trip to the shooting range. Spare parts, ammo, cleaning gear, first aid kit, and safety gear are the most common.

Go Bag

This is a philosophical issue, since a Go Bag doesn't really have much to do with preparing for most emergencies and crises. For those who anticipate the possibility of having to respond to armed conflict, a Go Bag is how they tote and store their tactical gear. Go Bag is short for “Go to war bag”, and is normally stocked with a minimum of survival gear and contains more “tactical” equipment.

The Differences

These different types of bags are designed and packed to cover different scenarios. Trying to compare two different types of bags, or critiquing a GHB as if it were a Go Bag, is a mistake. Doing so is akin to criticizing a Honda Civic because it can't tow a 52', 40,000 lb. trailer or complaining that a Freightliner semi only gets 4 MPG: different jobs require different tools.

Each type of bag is going to be packed differently, by different people, with different skill sets, for different scenarios. This makes it quite hard to go through a bag and criticize the contents in a unbiased manner. Personally, I will be glad to help a fellow prepper choose what to put in their bag, but I have to keep reminding myself that it is THEIR bag. I need to remember:

• I may have skills that they don't (or vice versa).
• They may live in a drastically different climate than I do.
• They may be more concerned with a Zombie Apocalypse than a tornado.
• Their physical condition is probably not the same as mine.
• They're the one who is going to have to carry it, not me.
• It's easier to dump unneeded items out of a bag than it is to find a needed item.

In the end, it's going to come down to a .45ACP vs. 9mm, Ford vs. Chevy comparison. Look around, ask around, and take all information with a grain of salt. As always, YMMV.

Team, Tribe, Town

One of the words that you'll see used in a lot of prepper blogs is Tribe. There are variations of what the word means, but most writers use it to describe the group that you associate with during a time of crisis.

I will lay out my thoughts on groups, their pros and cons, and some examples. My libertarian leanings are going to be quite evident. If you're on your own, then you're not part of a group and that is an entirely different situation.

Team

A team is two to five people who are working toward a common goal. Trust is paramount to a team; they are not very effective at reaching goals if there is no trust between the members. Teams are limited in the scope of what they can accomplish by the fact that they are rarely self-sustaining. Teams are the lowest level of group that offers security to its members. Examples include a work group, search team, or small family.

Tribe

A tribe is a collection of people (or teams), usually numbering between ten and twenty-five, who have something in common and who work together to support each other. A tribe can be an extended family, a collection of small families, or other group of like-minded people who are willing to work, and probably live, together. A sufficiently large tribe can be self sustaining, providing for the needs of the tribe by itself. History is full of different examples of tribal structures; the length of time that they existed is a good gauge of how effective they were at dealing with the problems inherent in groups of people.

Some writers place an emphasis on race or religion when describing a tribe. I don't concur with the racial separatists. There is only one race of humans: homo sapiens. The phenotypes that separate us into Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid are often used to divide us as are religious difference, sexual orientation, language, and ancestry. "Divide and conquer" is an old tactic that you have to watch for, because if someone is trying to split you apart from others, it is often so they can have more control over you.

"There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."   --  Daniel Webster

Town or Township

A town is a collection of families and/or tribes in a small area that have gathered to facilitate trade and/or manufacturing. Most towns are formed around routes of transportation, resources, or water. Towns are easier to secure than a township, but the concentration of resources and people make them more susceptible to damage from disaster and more likely to be seen as a target in times of conflict.

A township is more rural - a collection of families and/or tribes in a disperse area that trade and communicate with each other. Usually agriculturally based, townships provide less security than a town but offset this with greater freedom and resilience. A tornado or fire can wipe out an entire town, but a township will likely have some surviving resources to help with rebuilding.

City-state or territory

A territory is a collection of towns and townships that identify with each other for one reason or the other. Geography, language, religion, and politics are common reasons for their formation. See above under Tribe for my feelings about these. The city-state is the beginning of "politics" as we commonly know it. I am still searching for examples of  good outcomes of politics in history - they're rare. Cities have a lot to offer but they also have a lot to be wary of. A certain percentage of people are idiots (of one type or the other) and when you concentrate population, you also concentrate the idiots.

Nation

Once you gather a group of territories or regional governments together, you have a nation. Sometimes they occur naturally, and other times they are brought into existence by outside powers (maps get redrawn after wars, often times creating new nations out of the losers). Nations are notable because they have internal politics as well as political ties to other nations.  National governments generally have an identity separate from the people who live in the areas they control.