/u/IWouldRatherNot’s Guide To Your First Militia Muster

This is a work of fiction. This describes participating in a government-authorized militia system that doesn’t exist in real life — at least, not yet.

Overview

So, you’ve read the sticky post on how mustering for the militia works. You’ve read my quick post on how militia service compares to the state defense forces, National Guard, reserves, or standing military. You’ve accepted that the most common reason to be called up is natural disaster response or some kind of majorly boring security. Importantly, you’ve read my post on getting through orientations ahead of time. You’ve read /u/robomojito’s wiki page on the distinction between the local Militia Muster and the Community Defense Group system. If you haven’t read all of these, go back and read them. The most important thing in the militia isn’t being able to fight, and it isn’t being able to march or to dig, and it isn’t being able to obey orders slavishly. It’s being able to comprehend what is asked of you, to do it diligently in spite of danger, difficulty, or boredom, and to make a smart response to a situation, even an unexpected one. If you struggle to do this, you will end up in Orientation Purgatory, where endless orientation classes are frankly used as a way of weeding out people who refuse to learn.

Additionally, please check if you live in New York Metropole, Portland Metropole, Chicago Metropole, Washington DC, New Jersey, Maryland, or the San Francisco Metropole as these regions treat the militia differently enough to each deserve their own pages.

Getting Ready

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, please read /u/raifusempai’s First Muster Militiafolk Gear List. Note that it is pretty short and that it doesn’t include any weapons. The most important things to pay attention to are clothing suited to being outdoors in your region’s weather, good boots, sleeping bag, an approved first aid kit (not a trauma kit), hygiene stuff, a water canteen, a comms endpoint, and webbing or cargo pants. Do not bring anything that it is stated to leave at home. At best you will end up in Orientation Purgatory. Also, make sure all of your exposed gear is an appropriate drab color. If you’re even vaguely unsure about your ability to stand for hours on end, bring a lightweight folding stool.

Don’t sweat the comms endpoint, all smartphones that meet the NGSC 2045 Standards will work. However, this is dependent on you setting it up properly, so you definitely will want to pay attention in the comms class.

You can bring weapons, and if you already have your own rifle, you probably should bring it and you’ll have an opportunity to make sure it’s zeroed — and if you go to a three-day muster or mega-muster, you will get some shooting and combat training with it — however — this isn’t the main point of your first muster, you don’t need to already have a rifle, you’ll get advice on what to get and access to a good group buy if you don’t, and it’s simply not your first priority. In any case, any weapons you bring must be cased and unloaded when you arrive at the muster and all your ammo also needs to be contained in a bag of some kind. Depending on local policies, there also may be drills for which an airsoft gun is desired — you’ll want to check the muster packet or local website, but in general this is something I recommend having. In general, the introduction track to get your first stamp at your first muster is long on rules of engagement and short on actual shooting.

Fitness

I wouldn’t sweat fitness too much at your first muster. It is a lengthy, physical day, and if you’re not accustomed to the outdoors it will be harder, but it also is not particularly intense. You will face more physical training in the future as you pick up stamps. The most important thing is to bring water and drink it. You should be able to walk 6 miles, with some breaks, over terrain that’s representative of the area you live in whether hilly, mountainous, or flat, while carrying your gear load minus camp gear, without getting exhausted.

Things I don’t Recommend Bringing

(but which won’t get you sent home in shame or put through Orientation Purgatory):

• Handguns — They aren’t really relevant in the militia for most purposes, and when you’re a new militiafolk they’re another annoying thing to handle since they must be cased.
• Large, Heavy Webbing such as large load bearing vests, battle jackets, pouch harnesses (unless they can be separated) — these tend to just get in the way, and encourage you to carry a lot of weight everywhere.
• Body Armor — It’s a lot of dead weight. Unless you’re in really, really good physical condition, don’t bother. Later classes will cover using this effectively.
• More than 4 rifle mags — Assuming you use 30 round AR magazines, more than 4 rifle mags are simply not needed on your first muster — you won’t be shooting that much. Personally I think you need two for most militia trainings that aren’t explicitly firearms training.
• Complete military gear outfits — These are best put together once you have a bit of experience and/or with the help of someone more experienced or the Militiafolk Gear Class at your first or second muster. The chances of getting something you don’t need, or something that isn’t favored in your area is high.
• A Big Backpack With Everything In It — Really you need to be able to separate your camp gear and your field gear, so having a single large backpack is not advisable. There are several good options, my favorite is the one generally recommended in Eastern states, the Small or “Day” ROSA Pack, commonly available used or as surplus or one of its many cheap and high quality clones. For some reason it seems like Western militias treat this as a mysterious wonder. But even just having a separate “day” / “assault” pack and “camp” / “sustainment” pack that can contain the former will work fine. Another option is a ROSA Carry-all with enough webbing to strap together your camp gear.
• Insufficient boots — You will hate yourself.
• Camouflage — It’s fine to have it, but you don’t need it, so if you’re getting equipped on a budget and already have sturdy, outdoor-worthy clothes in drab colors, don’t bother. The main element of the base militia uniform is the brassard, anyway.
• Anything you can’t readily carry for around a 2 mile walk on flattish ground.

Handling Orientations

The biggest and most important thing you must do if you want your first muster to be productive is get through your orientations ahead of time. Orientations, if you go through them directly, take about 6 hours in theory. In practice, being dumb or having a bad mindset (whether rah-rah belligerence, thinking it’s all about shooting and stacking bodies, being racist, being selfish and disobedient, wanting to just follow orders, or thinking you’re in disneyland or a cushy office job) will make them take many times longer — this is the fabled “Orientation Purgatory” that can easily take 3/4 of a 3-day muster. Unlike the regular military, the militia doesn’t put militiafolk through days of harsh, intensive training to reshape their way of life. HOWEVER, if you can get your orientation done ahead of time, you can both show that you’re smart and proactive, save time for actual training at the muster, and handle the boring stuff in a less annoying way.

There are always orientation class sessions, often partially over video call, before each muster, and they’ll be detailed in the muster pamphlet — though it tends to be vague and you’ll want to find the detailed website or social media site for the orientation classes. Getting this done over a couple of weekends will give you an idea of basic militia discipline, expectations, procedure, how to avoid various dumb things, a preliminary look at your gear, and they will get your comms endpoint set up.

Going to the Muster

General militia musters are always accessible either by public transit, by a special shuttle bus, or by some form of carpool arrangement — you generally are not able to drive up to them especially without prior arrangements. The pamphlet will explain. In any case, you’re expected to come with any firearms unloaded and cased. You’ll line up and be sorted based on orientation, and assuming you have gotten all your orientations done, you’ll get set up with a group, and get a short “What we are actually doing” / Don’t Do The Dumb” talk.

There will generally be a short ruck to where you’ll be camping, you’ll make camp, and then there will be some discussion, some short lectures and lessons, and then your first maneuvers. For the second day, or the second day of a 3-day muster, you’ll be split up into groups and you’ll have some choice over what specialties you work on. This is your chance to get two stamps rather than one if you play it right and are driven and knowledgeable, and also some chance to get some shooting practice. If you do a 3-day muster, you’ll be back together for maneuvers on the 3rd day, and there will usually be some night patrol work on the 2nd evening.

Mega musters are a bit different. These last 5 days plus an evening, and are made with the intention of still giving you a weekend when they are done. Additionally, partway through you will be sleeping in a barracks type setting with showers, rather than the camp. Mega musters are a bit of a tradeoff, and they may not even exist where you live, or not be offered for green militiafolk. I recommend them especially if you are young and/or single. However, in many cases they are better as your second muster as this will probably give you the ability to get at least four stamps as you’ll have all three of a disaster response class, a civil response class, and a military response class, as well as either a patrol class or a long force-on-force class.

What Comes Next

The overall intended framework of militia training is:

1. Orientations (ideally done before muster) and pre-existing skills, get orientation signoff
2. First Muster, get your greenie stamp and maybe one other (basic disaster, basic civil, basic military, basic support, or basic arms).
3. Various classes and/or various basic Community Defense Group events.
4. Second Muster 3 months to a year later, get your blue stamp and some intermediate skill stamps, and maybe a rating.
5. Advanced classes, get some ratings and learn skills beyond the basics.
6. Third muster and beyond — you are “playing with the big boys now”.

You can of course also start with the Community Defense Group path, but that’s not covered in this article.

Now get out there and train!