Violent Nomad: Plan, Execute, Vanish

When I was on active duty in the Marine Corps and deployed to the Med for 6 months, I had some downtime for reading.

Back then one of the more popular book series to read amongst military guys was either Tom Clancy or Rogue Warrior.

What really intrigued me while reading these books, was the ability for the characters to immerse themselves into their environments, acquire the needed tools/weapons, accomplish the mission, and then disappear.

The Origin of the Violent Nomad

Fast forward several years and now we have the concept of the Violent Nomad. Clint Emerson (Author of 100 Deadly Skills) came up with this concept while still active with the SEAL Teams.

On paper, Clint developed a list of skills every operator would need if they were to transition to the operative world. Once that list was completed and the sensitive skills were redacted, You had the beginnings of his first 100 Deadly Skills book.

In short, the concept or idea was to develop a government program that we could put guys through to make them literally 100% ‘naked warriors’. By that, I mean that they can be inserted into any environment without any weapons, a minimal loadout, and still be able to complete the mission by leveraging the environment around them.

This would make for a very low investment with high-profit margins for striking high-value targets on behalf of the U.S. government. Plan, Execute, and Vanish.

Even though many of us have never been tier 1 operators or have served as a member of JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) teams, we can still adopt that mindset, get a certain amount of training, and start to become more self-reliant and rescue oriented. We need to stop relying on 911. When seconds count, law enforcement and first responders are minutes away.

One of the first orders of business in the first 100 Deady Skills book is the anatomy of the Violent Nomad. In other words, the gear carried and used to accomplish the missions.

Let’s take a closer look at what the anatomy looks like when broken down into 3 levels or tiers. Keep in mind that your skill level, environment, and threats will dictate what gear you should carry and train with.

The anatomy (EDC) of a Violent Nomad broken down into 3 layers

Pocket kit

The pocket kit is exactly what it says; the contents that you carry in your pockets every day otherwise known as your EDC.

If I’m traveling my pocket kit would obviously change a bit. For legal reasons, I would not be carrying a concealed fixed blade or my folding knife. For air travel, my pocket kit is slimmed down quite a bit.

I only have a handheld flashlight, SWAT T Tourniquet, and Zebra Stainless Steel Pen. Most ‘tactical pens’ on the market look just like the name implies; Tactical.

The Zebra pens are just that, a pen, that is available from most stores that sell office supplies.

Container kit

A small kit can be thrown into a desk drawer or any bag that you choose to take for the day. In other words, this small container kit can turn your existing bag into a go-bag to get you out of a bad situation.

I’ve come up with a TSA-compliant container kit that I can throw in my daily bag or carry-on baggage without worrying about it getting confiscated. I’ve traveled many times with this kit inside my carry-on bag and have never been questioned.

The contents of the TSA-approved kit are contained in a SealLine ‘See pouch’ that not only keeps the contents dry but can also be used as a small water collection container. The fact that it is see-through on one side is a plus for the TSA, as they are able to see the contents with a quick glance.

Operational Bag

The operational bag will be the bag you grab every day before heading out the door, whether that is a messenger-style bag, duffle bag, or backpack. I’ve been through several different style bags over the years and have settled on the Mystery Ranch Rip Ruck.

The backpack is what I would call ‘slick’ on the outside, reducing the ‘tactical’ signature, which is what we are trying to avoid. The Rip Ruck has no molle webbing whatsoever on the outside. The goal here is to mask our capabilities by blending in until a threat presents itself.

Conclusion

Be violent and deadly in spirit, but you don’t need to be walking around looking like you’re violent and deadly. Blend in, look like the sheep, and be ready to hit the wolf button and rip people apart.

*Originally published on The Gear Bunker

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