Have you asked yourself these questions lately?

1. Can I really provide security for my family if there is a major event?
2. Can I truly secure my home as a Bug-in-Location against potential intrusion?
3. Does my family have the skills to grow our own foods to replace what we have stored after we have consumed it?
4. Do we really have the other skills and knowledge to survive post-event?
5. Is my family really ready for this level of emergency?
6. Would it make more sense to affiliate with a group of similar-minded folks who are organized and prepared for such an event? Is there safety in numbers? Are there skills in numbers?

We are an 11-family prepper retreat located in central North Carolina near Virginia. Our membership comes from Northern Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.  We don’t live there–we just prepare it for the day we know we will have to occupy it.

The retreat has a deep well, a pond and a fast flowing creek surrounded by many acres of state protected hunting land. Deer, wild turkey and rabbit are abundant.

We all believe that there is safety in numbers and skills in those numbers as well. We feel it is more critical to store and prepare together than risk an isolated effort. We believe there is a strong likelihood that a major event will occur within the next calendar year or two and value our families’ safety enough to collaborate in preparing for that event. .

I am a Vietnam Vet who served with an infantry unit (173rd Airborne) 1969-70 as part of five years in the US Army. I have organized a retreat community made up of a retired Special Forces officer, several retired naval officers, several former Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine vets.

The retreat includes a medical clinic with a doctor, a physician’s assistant, two RNs, chiropractor, and a pharmacist. The members also include two electrical engineers, two mechanical engineers, a mechanic, a teacher, security systems company owner, a homesteader and trained beekeeper, a couple of tournament shooters and one tournament fisherman. Additional members include a seamstress, construction carpenter, a pilot and IT and systems expert. We have formed teams to address solar power, water/wind power, hunting, food preparation, water purification, recycling, gardening, orchard management, hygiene, armorer, weapons instructor, herbalist, etc. We have six major teams with team captains. We hold two-day Skills Development and Retreat Building Workshops one weekend a month. These workshops include working on developing the retreat as well as developing our skill sets. We have taken several of our members to other homesteading skill training programs in other parts of the state to improve homesteading skills. Some have taken the tactical combat arms workshops.

I have spoken and will speak several times this year on retreat management. We have a 360+ page operations to support our members. Part of the ops manual is a 60-page security section that has been reviewed and critiqued by several retired Special Forces officers and a current security systems expert.

Our own training topics have included basic handguns, rifle and shotgun use, foot patrolling techniques, gardening, food packaging, alternative energy devices, herbs and homeopathy, sanitation, solar energy, small unit patrol techniques, reloading, and survival skills, etc. We have 8 accommodation cabins, eight RV spaces, a medical clinic, laundry room, well house, a 4-room bath house, well house, community center, provisions storage area, kitchen and commo room. We have solar energy, solar backup generators for water pumps, propane supply and wood burning as well. We have prepared for EMP with multiple precautions to include nesting in Faraday Cages.

We also have our own communications equipment to “stay connected.” Five of our members have successfully completed the Ham Tech License test and two have completed their General license..  We have stored our electronics in Faraday Cages for EMP protection.

The governance bodies are:  an Ops Leader, Assistant Ops Leader, a 5-person Planning Council and a Community Council made up of members. We periodically meet via WebEx in a virtual online meeting. All families are required to meet once a month at the retreat for discussion, decision-making, team meetings and work details.

Our members rent space (RV space or cabins) and share in the development of the community through their work. The rent is nominal based on size of the cabin or RV. Our members can also use the property for R&R to enjoy hunting, fishing, relaxing as we are surrounded by a large area with plentiful game. We do have a one-time membership fee that is non-refundable. We now have two cabins available.

We are looking for the following skills: plumber, former military ideally with actual combat experience, Ham operator (experienced to help set up communications network), aquaponics, welder, electrician, farmer or serious food grower, or combat engineer-type. We also prefer families with older teens able to help with security. We are looking for able-bodied folks to help with physical requirements of post-event such as patrolling, gardening, wood gathering, etc.

Prospective members go through a vetting process that includes email interviews, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, and a background and criminal check. Each candidate family must have 9 months of food provisions at 2400 calories per day per person with at least a 25% fat content (67g per day). We also have ammo and weapon requirements that if you do not have now could be near impossible to fill in short order due to the availability issues of both.

We are principally Christian but will consider all religions. If you have been prepping for a while and want to affiliate with a like-minded group in North Carolina to join for safety and skill development, then ask for an application.

The retreat has a full-time grounds keeper and a full-time caretaker for maintenance and security.

Contact sgtprepper2 [at] gmail [dot] com if you want an application and list of further requirements. We are preppers–not food hoarders. We are serious—are you?  Think about the advantages of a well-organized group when it comes to the safety and welfare of your loved ones.