Who are the people you need in the apocalypse?
Everyone thinks they know who they want to go into the apocalypse with. You’ve got your core group of friends. These are people you like being around, so you want to keep an eye on them in a disaster. That’s understandable. But what you may not realize is that your friends might be useless. They might be more of a liability than an asset. Look, I’m not saying you need to get rid of dead weight. I’ll leave that up to you. What I am saying is that you may have to get your friend up to speed with some essential skills that will be more conducive to the group’s survival.
At the very least, you will want the following five people in your group during an apocalypse. Some people might fill multiple roles, but these are the core skills you want on hand for maximum effectiveness. Sure, bring your friends, but if you have to get rid of one person on a life raft in favor of another, strongly consider drafting one of these five people for your team. These are the people you need in the apocalypse.
1. The Soldier
the soldier
Firstly, you’re going to need someone in your group who can use a weapon. When law and order goes by the wayside, you are going to have desperate people doing all sorts of nonsense out of fear, and other people doing whatever the hell they want. You need to protect your group. Having one soldier in your group is a good start. This person should know how to use a weapon, how to set up a defensive position, how to pull security, etc. This person needs to be okay with doing bad things to people in the interest of survival. Even better is having someone who can train the rest of the group in the ways of combat.
2. The Negotiator
the negotiator
Because not every problem requires killing, you’re going to want someone who can deal with other survivors. A charmer. A politician. A salesperson. Maybe even a chaplain. This person might be the de facto leader of the group, someone who has a certain aura of charisma about them. This person will not only be useful in terms of dealing with outsiders to make concessions and trades, but they should be able to delegate tasks and responsibilities amongst the group and handle any internal conflicts that arise from the inevitable erosion of morale and tension that comes as a side effect of being in the afterbirth of civilization.
3. The Survivalist
the survivalist
Resources will be imperative, and as time passes it will be harder to scrounge for supplies. This is when the survivalist comes into play. You want someone who can live off the land. Someone who can hunt, fish, garden, trap, etc. Having a true-blue country boy or girl in your group is a necessity if you want to survive when the system goes down. Eating non-perishable junk will get you by initially, but with the abundance of wildlife that is sure to be out there for the taking, you will want someone with the know-how to haul in fresh food and clean water. They’ll also help you raise livestock and grow food.
4. The Mechanic
the mechanic
Things break, and you won’t be able to go to the store to buy new stuff. You are going to need a tinkerer on your hands, someone who is skilled at fixing things, rigging them, and innovating new ones. This is a person who can repair just about anything, from a vehicle to electronics to the back deck. They will know where to look for parts and will know just the right tools needed to get the job done. This is a person who can figure out how to get solar panels working. They can read schematics. They can figure out how to weld. This is the person who will get the lights on and keep them on.
5. The Medic
the medic
Besides other people, wild animals, and the environment itself, the biggest danger is going to be injury and illness. You need a sawbones. Someone who can patch up a gunshot wound and who also knows their way around antibiotics. In the apocalypse, a scratch becomes a death threat. People are going to get hurt, they’re going to get parasites, they’re going to get pregnant, and they’re going to get sick. You want someone who can navigate a variety of medical situations coming your way. This is going to have to be someone willing to go outside their own area of expertise, too, because they’re going to have to be able to pull teeth and be in charge of your stash of medical supplies, which you’ll want to protect like a dragon would its hoard of treasure.
Bonus. The Scoundrel
the scoundrel
If you’ve got room for one more person on your squad, make it the rogue, the scoundrel. The rule of law will be nonexistent and your group may have to do some unsavory things in the name of survival. You’ll want someone who knows the ways of what used to be the underbelly of society. This is a person who knows how to break into buildings, boost cars, loot things, and avoid detection in the process. And because they know how to plan heists and take things from others, they will know how best to prevent others from doing it to you. They’ll know how to scam others, and they’ll know how to recognize others who are untrustworthy.
Dan Donche is a former TACP in the US Air Force, where he served two deployments to Afghanistan and once to Iraq. He is also a former Special Operations Developer for the USAF where he trained, coached, and mentored candidates for careers in Special Operations (now called Special Warfare). While on active duty, he was a MCMAP combatives instructor for his squadron. He fought for a while as a professional mixed martial artist, was the creator of the esteemed HexCam camouflage pattern, and currently lives in Colorado, where he writes fiction and runs this website.
