Urban Survival Skills - Threat Wargaming

The easiest way to describe Wargaming is that it is the process of thinking about “what if”. As an exercise, sit down in a quiet place and think about likely events that would challenge you and your family’s survival.

An example: Unemployment rises to 20%; Inflation continues to rise about 2% a week decreasing the purchasing power of your paycheck; Fuel prices shoot up to around $5.00 a gallon causing truck delivered commodities such as food and staples to double in price; Lay offs have a negative effect on production further effecting availability. Personal bankruptcies sky rocket; Foreclosures double, even triple and are brought home by several vacant homes in your neighborhood. You start having people knocking on your door telling you they’ll work for food or just plain asking to be fed. Your vehicle’s windows are broken probably by someone looking for something valuable to pawn or trade.

What do you do? Are you going to wait for it to get better? Is there a point where you quit work or take an unpaid leave of absence and move in with relatives at a less threatening location? Will you even have enough fuel in your vehicle to get someplace? Do you have the means to protect you and your family? What about food?

Add the utilities grid crashing and either no water pressure or unsafe water (because the treatment plants had to shut down) to the overall situation and now you have real problems.
Add hungry people banding together in groups,….or shall we say “mobs” moving systemically through neighborhoods to locate resources and take from those they can. Again what are you going to do? What can’t you do because you are either un-equipped, un-trained and un-prepared?

Summary:

• Wargaming is just the process of “what if’ing situations”.
• Develop what you think may happen, the consequences of this event and what it may mean to you and your family’s survival.
• Wargame to what is most likely to happen and what is most dangerous to your family’s existence.