Don’t think a good “Sleep Plan” is important? Go conduct combat operations day in and day out, then tell me about it (I had the flu through most of this multi day patrol). If you have choice (as many of us that were leaders did not because the “Joes” come first, and we eat and sleep last) and you don’t set up a good sleep plan, you are asking for trouble. Sleeping when we safely could was the rule (Lead Pic).
While in conversation with a friend a while back, we were discussing an ongoing thread at a certain forum where I had mentioned the reality of the size of your security patrols outside of your perimeter. My premise was simple. If you had eight adults (you’re very lucky if you do) who can patrol, perform an LP/OP (Listening Post/Observation Post) function, and the LP/OP’s opposite number on the CQ (Charge of Quarters) desk, you don’t have the personnel to conduct regular four man security patrols. Reality dictates that the normal security patrol size would be two people in this scenario.
The thought on the forum was “Well we won’t send out less than a four man team (fire team sized) to do patrols.”. My thought is that if you have eight people manning these security posts and you send out four, you are seriously degrading you long term ability to maintain constant alertness and ability to perform other tasks at the retreat. The need for a properly integrated and executed sleep plan, whether you put out multi-day patrol, or standard perimeter patrols at your retreat cannot be underestimated.
“But JC, we can sleep when we’re dead. HaHa.” Yeah, real funny, but you will all be “dead asleep” if your perimeter is breached because Jack couldn’t stay awake on LP/OP duty to warn you through Jill (CQ), or Jill couldn’t keep her eyes open on “CQ” to relay Jack’s warning of the bad guys in the wire. “Just because you CAN (pull a 12 hour guard shift), doesn’t mean you should.”, when it comes to not getting sleep in a non permissive environment.
Reality dictates that your highest priority in a retreat scenario that involves possible hostiles at any time is Security. Dovetailed with this security is your Sleep Plan. Let’s look at the above retreat scenario that has eight individuals capable of manning Security or Patrol positions (Honestly, as I said earlier, if you have eight people in your group that can do this, you are doing very well in my estimation).
First priority for a retreat is manning retreat perimeter security, correct? OK, so at a minimum, you have an LP/OP post outside (I’d rather have two, but one is adequate if necessary) and a “CQ” post inside (One person) with redundant commo/alert to each other ([PACE plan] P-Field phones, A-Radios, C-Flare gun that is loud and lights the perimeter, E-Sound of gunfire ). That takes two out of the eight total. You have a 24 hour schedule to man these posts, and if you think you’re gonna make it a 12 hour post, you’re an idiot!
Eight hours is a long time to man a “Watch” post. Whether it’s the guy on LP/OP, or the guy on “CQ”, and you might still have issues regarding “complacency” even if it’s not twelve hours. Making it less could cause issues with your sleep plan however, unless you put some serious thought into the schedule. Four hours is definitely better than eight, and not only gives the people manning those posts a better chance at staying alert, it also gives that pair more daylight time throughout your multi day schedule to take care of tasks they might have been assigned (still other work other than “Security” that needs done at the retreat, correct?).
Depending on whether you decide to conduct patrols every day or mix them up, you have to make sure everyone is getting an appropriate amount of sleep. Other than the standard 8 hour recommendation that we hear from Doctors, I recommend you find out what is the norm (I do fine on 6 hours, but that’s just me) for each individual in your group, and what their “perfect schedule” is (example: They might be “night owls” and would prefer to be the night security group). I have included a sample of a schedule on an eight day rotation that has each security pair pulling rotating four hour shifts, and this is integrated with perimeter security patrols that should be at random times.
This shows a standard schedule on an eight day rotation (seemed to work best for a four group rotation). It has everyone assigned a regular duty position and daily report time. If you have “Night Owls” this is when you want to know who they are so they can pull the 2400-0800 shift (Groups 1 and 2). Group 4 rotates between “Security Patrol” one day and “Security Relief” the next.
It is important to make sure your patrol schedule isn’t too obvious, and something bad guys can figure out and predict. The the second sample schedule has some patrols scheduled for day, some for night (you never know when bad guys might be moving in your area), and some follow the day before, and some skip two days. DO NOT BECOME PREDICTABLE IN THE SHORT TERM (You have to conduct surveillance on this retreat for 16 days before you could show a patrol pattern). At the very least, change up the actual times (start a day patrol at 0800 hrs one day and 1100 hrs on the next day patrol. The same goes for night patrols)
Anyone that has conducted operations in a non permissive environment, especially over the course of four days or more, knows that the amount of sleep you get can make all the difference in your performance. In cold weather especially, everything from your attention to detail, to the immunity you have to things like a cold, can benefit or be adversely affected by how much or little sleep you get. You do what you gotta do, but not paying attention to things like your sleep plan will catch up to you eventually. Planning “worst case” is just common sense.
This schedule rotates patrol and shift duties throughout the eight day rotation. One of the advantages is everyone does a security patrol during the rotation, and also you are not stuck working one particular time frame on your guard shift. As noted in yellow, during the long days (26 hours between assigned sleep times) there are blocks of time that can be used for getting sleep if needed.
Use common sense and don’t try to be the “Tough guy”, acting like you don’t need sleep to get by. I’m telling you this because too many people don’t give something like a “Sleep Plan” the amount of importance it deserves in your planning and scheduling process. It’s not all about planning your next “combat patrol”. You won’t be planning or patrolling anything if your down for the count with an illness you could have mitigated with solid, realistic planning and a good night’s sleep.
JCD
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As an emergency medicine physician I remember well the hazing that occurred during medical school and residency. “I had to stay awake 72 hours in a row so you have to also” is a mantra and shaming technique I remember well from my peers. While I recognize the need to perform well under pressure: the idea that one can make accurate and life saving decisions while awake for 48 hours or more is silly and harmful. Mistakes occur much more frequently when sleep deprived and contributes to the domino effect of major malfunctions and mistakes. I have trained myself over the years to be able to stay awake for long periods of time due to the shift work I do in rural and underserved areas. To expect someone to remain vigilant through the night in an LP/OP situation that has rarely /never done so is a recipe for disaster.
Thank you for highlighting this issue.
Thank you for an extremely useful and pragmatic article.
I’ve read a lot of stories of people coming back from the GWOT with major hormonal issues after years of extreme stress and sleep deprivation. Things that could only be fixed with hormone replacement therapy. Not exactly an easily treatable without regular access to modern medical care.
Lack of sleep is correlated with all kinds of other negative health outcomes. I’m a bit envious of those folks with the genetic abnormalities in the DEC2 gene that can feel great on 6hrs of sleep (https://science.sciencemag.org/content/325/5942/866).
I can muddle by in a mediocre manner on 5-6hrs, but I crush life on 8 hrs of sleep.
Sleep management is a big deal for optimal team performance.
JC, this is awesome! What a great article as I never really thought about it. I guess success is in the details, huh?
I used to use a schedule similar to what you propose when skippering a boat from point A to B obviously developed based on needs. Type of boat – Sailboat vs. power. Distance – Open ocean vs. coastal.
Thanks for getting the mental juices flowing.
Sorry I missed the Memo that outside the wire patrols was even needed. After all where is the time for the chicken-rabbit-pigs-cows milking and general garden-fruit tree work? We already have hardened areas for the designated marksmen to over watch as we work the homestead. The hardened areas are also a rally point to retreat too if alarm is sounded.
I know my AO really well as I’ve hunted over it by foot for decades. Rolling hills and thickly wooded for the most part. I know the 4 best places currently not under my control that I’d use for sniper work and took the *ahem* liberty of planting a thick bunch of Poison oak there. I also noted them with the range cards so we know the bullet drop for that target. Our range cards and range walks to ID areas that the knees of the walker was not visible for “Special Attention” for the sneaky folks after 911 fails to be useful. I’ve got ditches very hard for ATV’s and logging chains for the other roads-paths as well as direct OP for them. Thickly planted and nurtured blackberry patches located to funnel folks into areas I can control.
Why would I choose to go outside my OP’s defensive firing arcs to look for trouble? What pray tell would I do if the Patrol FOUND trouble? Nobody aside from special forces ninja’s could easily sneak past the OP’s. We’ve tried it several times in various weather events at night. Our dogs and other detection systems seem to work pretty well detecting and letting us deal with the recent rash of illegal hunters around my area even with the OP’s not manned right now.
Am I missing something here folks? I’m retired Medical military and most of my peers are mostly hunting neighbors with some military and police experience.
Opinions and needs vary……
JC not to be argumentative but I too had to do security for my MASH unit in the sand box. However today I don’t have helicopters and supply trucks to bring me supplies. I needed to keep hostiles out so my patients are protected and my mostly unarmed medical soldiers keep doing their jobs.
If you were outside the wire, your patrol is no faster than the slowest member yes? No more stealthily than the most clumsy yes?
With a 4 man patrol of military age healthy people reasonably trained and equipped what do you do when one stumbles and has a possible broken ankle-maybe twisted but still? You need two members to assist that member back to camp yes? Going to be a interesting trip back to the wire with only one still armed soldier looking 360 degrees as you return slowly.
You don’t have the man power to send out a relief force to recover the injured?
Same patrol but you run across a sniffling little kid. Is it lost or bait? Is he-she carrying a nasty bug you don’t want carried back to camp?
My OP’s are fighting positions set up so my less able seniors can provide effective over watch and base of fire while the folks out working the homestead are heading to the rally point to defend themselves.
If that sniffling little kid shows up at the gates we can do medical isolation as we are QUITE Aware just how BAD a Nasty Flu can get running wild through the homestead.
Most of my neighbors are in their 50′ +. Most are active hunters and still shovel their own show after our Nor’easters here in NH. Were not cripples but also not active duty soldier level troops either.
Your article about scheduling sleep is excellent and useful for homestead security-work details needs. Thanks. But I am still lost at the idea of looking for trouble?
I think sleep is one of the most under-rated combat factors. It is a relief to see JC Dodge give it the importance it deserves. I also think that lack of sleep makes a fighting soldier much more vulnerable to PTSD. Lt. Col. Grossman, psychologist, in his book ‘On Combat’ points out that mega-research shows that combat PTSD has existed and been ignored for centuries. I don’t think he mentions sleep directly as a factor but I strongly believe it does. Other than that I am an old man who has come to believe a good nights sleep is a gift from heaven, I’m no authority but I don’t think I need to be. I believe sleep is not only a great combat factor but coupled with the very valuable tactic of keeping your opposition forces sleepless (shock and awe, etc.), exponentially so.
The largest factors for PTSD are complex, and in some cases contradictory. Car Accident victims can get PTSD, as well as people raised with violent paternal figures. Or people in violent neighborhoods. All of which can be found in combat. Vehicular accidents, Attacks, and abusive leaders. So our soldiers have triple the threat factors, and nowhere to escape or retreat to. Compounding the effect. As neither fight, nor flight are options for lower enlisted. There are also feelings of “No control” being described as a major factor.
Lack of sleep was never mentioned in those studies until after the incident (from what I recall). But the victims reported the lack of sleep was a result of them trying to process what happened to them, and constantly being in a heightened state of alert. Which I saw occur in person; I also saw a lack of conflict resolution as a huge factor. In myself and others.
For example, “that guy just tried to kill me, but I wasn’t allowed to return fire?” And then you spend years trying to process why our government lets islamic terrorists try to kill U.S. Soldiers without retaliation. The answer is now exceedingly obvious. But that wasn’t so obvious 10 years ago.
As for car accident victims, the usual culprit was brain trauma/damage. Which happens to victims of violence too. The last time I was knocked out(For about 20 seconds cold), I couldn’t sleep for two days and had a miserable headache and anxiety. When I was knocked out cold for about 2-3 minutes straight, I couldn’t even remember my name for several minutes as my brain “rebooted”. These experiences rewire our brains as a biological defense mechanism. I am now constantly alert, and basically have a 24-7 mild anxiety attack unless I am alone at home. Most people report that it can take 10-25 years for the feeling to go away. Depending on the severity of the attack, and the level of preventative measures one could have taken to avoid the situation. Like better training, or not hanging around toxic environments.
I would like to read this book “On Combat”. I believe I read another book of his called “On Killing”. But I may be mistaken. I’m gonna find that text now. I know the studies at my school can be confusing to read, and little is actually determined in the findings. Mostly because I think they are intentionally being unscientific. Like studying only National Guard members and ignoring active duty entirely. I would post and share these medical journal articles, but you need University Credentials to access these articles. Which is ridiculous because our tax dollars pays for them.
JP,
Skip Grossman. He based most of his work on SLA Marshall’s stuff and that was shown to be pretty much made up, as in bullshit. Mosby threw back that curtain on his blog a while back.
Grossman is the same author for both very popular books ‘On Killing’ and ‘On Combat’. I’ve only read ‘On Combat’ and highly recommend it. Only 11 pages out of over 350 pages references SLA Marshall. If Lionheart has overly influenced you, JP please at least read the part about tactical breathing. It wouldn’t surprise me if you’ve already been introduced to it through other avenues. The only caveat about this breathing is not to practice it too much. I am not alone in subscribing to the belief that trying to control your breath in anyway too much, too long and too often has a detri-mental effect on your mind. Of course, don’t ever forget that much better than ‘tactical breathing’ is avoiding situations where you need to use it! Calm, easy, natural breathing is best. Easier said than done, I admit.
Early in the book, Lt. Col. Grossman references how an altruistic mind-set has a very protective effect against PTSD. I think Grossman was going to discuss this more in some latter part of the book but I never found it. I’ve said that I’m an old wannabe citizen-soldier but there’s nothing wannabe about me trying to be a good sheepdog. I haven’t seen ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ but I’ll bet my last dollar army paramedic D. Desmond epitomizes a sheepdog. I’ve read that military paramedics (especially female nurses) suffer the most severely from PTSD because they are exposed day after day, month after month, year after year to the carnage. Perhaps Grossman overlooked to follow up on the most important part of his book because in truth it so self evident, what more can or need be said?
My apologies. I’m hoping where people read in my post the term ‘combat factor’ they will know I meant ‘combat multiplier’.
I made all the guard rosters and patrol rosters for my platoon in Baghdad.
It was a hard job for several reasons.
1) More people, more moving pieces, more you gotta keep track of. You need a white/chalk board
2) It’s gonna change. Period. Don’t try to fight it. Accept it.
3) 12 hour shifts are better than 4 or 8. It’s easier to change and adjust. Let the element deal with the internal details on their shift.
4) You cannot make everyone happy. Learn how to say no.
5) You will get into an argument with someone who thinks they are “Working harder than everyone else”
6) Account for special details. Like the guys who do, in fact, work harder than others.
7) Your decisions need to be backed up by a position of authority or rank.
8) Your staff, and soldiers, need their personal time. Don’t bother them during their time off.
9) Learn to solve problems on your own. Based on the established standard.
10) The standard can, and will, change from time to time.
A few thoughts that I learned during my time in service.
There is more to add for sure. Feel free to disagree. I worked on rosters everyday for two hours minimum. Plus Armorer details.
Excel spread sheets are a great way to keep track of your chess pieces and other information. A digital rough draft is the best. But are poor for making “finalized” schedules. Use the white board, chalk board, legal pad, or your note pad and pencil for the “Final draft”.
“1) More people, more moving pieces, more you gotta keep track of. You need a white/chalk board.
3) 12 hour shifts are better than 4 or 8. It’s easier to change and adjust. Let the element deal with the internal details on their shift.”
The point of the post was most people won’t have very many in their group that are able to stand LP/OP or CQ. If you have 8 adults, I’d say you’re ahead of the curve numbers wise. A retreat is not a “Platoon in Baghdad”, and requiring your group to work 12 hour “Security” related tasks, is ridiculous, considering the other jobs needing to be done during the work day. You generally know how long a specific schedule will need to be run on a combat deployment, if you’ve started running security ops from your retreat location, you can bet you are clueless how long they will need to be conducted. Making sure it doesn’t burn your people out prematurely is pretty important. Yeah, I’ve put together security and patrol schedules in a combat environment as well. Two hours a day and Armorer tasks too huh? Where you the Company Armorer or the Supply SGT (or was that you?)? Where was your Platoon Leader, Platoon SGT or any other Squad NCO in your platoon for that matter?
I wasn’t disagreeing with you. I’m just sharing a different perspective based on the community defense model covered in “A failure of Civility”. Which will reflect the model of a company or medium/large platoon.
If you, or anyone else, wants to micro manage 50 people. Good luck. Because it’s gonna make more work every time something changes. Imagine ordinary citizens vs. disciplined soldiers.
The junior leaders were on Static Guard, Roving, R&R leave, or Patrol.
They were busy. So I had to make decisions. They would make spot corrections as needed based on new information.
My Platoon Armorer details included sensitive items accountability, repairs, and troubleshooting for Platoon and Company items like Tripods, Turret mounts/Turrets, and Thermals/Nightvision gear.
I deployed in 2008-2009 and everything was wore out, out of spec, missing pieces, and falling apart. It was a lot of work.
We also had 3 changes of command for our CO, and my PL, which required constant company grade or platoon grade 100%’s.
Lots of stuff was missing from prior deployments, and I had to do BII layouts for 1600 sensitive items.
Making the Guard Rosters and Patrol Rosters was tasked out of myself, an E-4, because I had good relations with senior, junior, and enlisted personnel. I was also the company assistant Armorer, so I was already in the room for key leaders meetings with the CO/XO. When we were tasked out with patrol missions, I was already in the room, so it was easier if I just did the work myself, instead of having to make duplicate notes for an absent leader, and then brief them on the entire experience. It saved time. Instead of doing things twice, we could do them once, and move onto the next task. Shifting when needed, instead of constantly trying to keep up with new developments.
No offense to your ideas on the subject. I wasn’t trying to disagree with you. Just sharing.
IMHO assisting with managing 8-10 Senior and Junior NCOs is no different than running an 8 man retreat; Since 90% of Infantry Platoons are short staffed anyway. You will experience the same feelings as an 8 man retreat.
I am just throwing some ideas out there based on my experience running around doing 10 different jobs at once.
I was told I did good work. And made everyone’s life a lot easier.
And the reason we ran 12 hour shifts is because the 4, 6, or 8 hour shifts required soldiers to eat and sleep in rotations that was simply too aggressive, and created a unmanagable mess to keep track of. By using 12 hour shifts on guard, we split the day between two squads who were set into running roving guard and static security on a 24 hour mark. 12 hours per squad x 2.
This left the other half of the platoon(2 squads) to run QRF shifts or Patrols for 24 hours straight, without having to worry about manning or conflicts in schedule. If something changed, for whatever reason, it didn’t have a domino effect on the rest of the duties, which meant I had to generate a completely new schedule.
It fit nicely with the CO/XO Key Leaders meetings in the morning. And everyone could be left alone to perform their duties for 24 hours before things would “Change”. Unless we took contact, casualties, or something stupid happened. In which case, everyone was still set on the 24 hour schedule, and likely, wouldn’t change.
An 8 man retreat detail can be divided into a similar fashion.
If one were so inclined. I was just trying to throw ideas out there.
It took us a week or two to figure this out. And it was the only logical conclusion.
Keeping things simple was the easiest way. Otherwise, we just created a bunch of work for each other, and there was no hope of memorizing the schedule.
Also, it’s very boring to be on guard duty. It’s best to have someone there to chat with.
And to answer your question on where the Company Armorer was, He was an old POS who didn’t do anything except complain about me not doing anything, and make my life miserable for no reason because he was hideously ugly, short, and divorced 3 times. I hated that POS.
We won’t need to do things like BII layouts, but we will need to do fighting position improvement and trenches. We will also need to count every nail, screw, and thumb tack for two reasons. First, itemized lists and second busy work to avoid boredom. That will l eat up large amounts of time.
We used 12 hours schedules in DC when I did executive/senior corporate security as well(Under my recommendation). It’s easier to manage and wastes less time.
I have either read this article before or just missed the preferred sleep pattern part.
I am a early morning person,quarter to five a.m. till about 2:30-3:p.m. me optimal time.
I had to work second shift one winter and while did it did not enjoy it and also felt the quality of me work suffered a bit(carpenter).
I did find on some jobs I have worked/fixing/remodeling rental homes on the beach/mountain regions ect. that I had to work regularly12-14 hour days.As I lived in these homes during the time could start early and get things done well,then,by 2;30 or so got to a not as good operating level.
I tried a lesson from me cats that enjoy a mid day snooze in the sun to then become the active little beasts again that they normally are and by just taking a 40-60 minute snooze was feeling good/on top of me game again for another 6-7 hours with a break or two.
The power nap/siesta has a lot of value and time/conditions permitting a great tool to keep one going.
Oh Yea! Naps and cats. I have to reply. As I told my daughter repeatedly in her younger days to encourage her, I am the Catnap King! I can take a catnap anywhere in just about any position. Interrupt my short nap you do so at great peril. Those that know me, know this to be true. Catnapping is serious business for the Catnap King! I’ve become so good that I can get great benefit from as little as a 5 minute catnap. Of course a 15 minute nap or more is more sensible and extremely beneficial, for the average, inexperienced Joe. Don’t think for a heartbeat that catnapping is for lazy people.
High ranking executives, CFOs, and Wallsteet guys use catnaps for years to work 80 hours a week. I worked in the corporate legal field for a few years and the lawyers who make big money all work 80 hours a week and there are sound proofed sleeping rooms in their offices for naps. Including sunlight lamps.
100% correct on the effectiveness of catnaps. Considering our country was conquered by CFO, Lawyers, Wallstreet, and CEOs I would argue the catnap is a dangerous tool of the trade. Saw it personally.