War Maps: An Introduction

NIFC Maps: www.frames.gov/fire-ops-maps/...
GPSFileDepot: www.gpsfiledepot.com/
00:00 - Introduction and the COP
03:29 - Land Nav Topographic Maps
04:23 - Road Maps
13:52 - Pocket Atlas
17:22 - Aeronautical Charts (VFR Sectionals)
20:38 - Nautical Charts
22:16 - NIFC Maps
24:19 - US Forest Service Maps
25:30 - Subterranean Maps
27:28 - Additional Resources - World Factbook
28:41 - Travel Guides
30:48 - Paper vs. Digital Maps
33:04 - Closing Thoughts
Disclaimer:
No company sponsored this video. In fact, we have no sponsors. We are funded 100% by you, the viewer. All of the equipment and materials used in this video were purchased by us with our own personal funds. As such, we have no financial incentive to recommend certain brands or products, and none of the companies mentioned in this video were given prior notice that we would be featuring their products. We are happy to help companies develop better products, but we must maintain neutrality in order to ensure the longevity of this content. Specific gear comes and goes, but doctrine lasts a lifetime.
We take this unique approach to encourage a more educational perspective, rather than getting caught up in the tiny details of gear that sometimes overwhelms the tactical community and warfare doctrine in general.
This content is purely educational and does not advocate for violating any laws. Do not violate any laws or regulations. This is not legal advice. Consult with your attorney.
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[@machinemaker2248]

An essential prerequisite for the map reading class is the map _folding_ class.

[@Glenn-ew8jh]

As a high functioning autist, I'm great at reading maps! I'm also great at destroying them while doing so! YAY!

[@nZym1]

This might sound like a joke, but fuck folding large operational maps for real...

[@WR3ND]

🤔 Fold back and forth one way and then back and forth the other way?

[@Ashraven576]

Wake up babe, new S2 Underground just dropped

[@GunGoober]

This is the only tac-community with girlfriends on average.

[@NapalmCracker]

I'm up beebe

[@5GWGuerillaFighter]

Thanks hon!

[@smallblock3056]

Felt

[@DEATH-flare]

Thx

[@matthewbeale5083]

Even as a teenager in the late 90s, I was big into history & geography. After 9/11, I was able to hand-draw a map of from Greece to India to explain to my also-teenage coworkers where Afghanistan was. They were amazed that I was able to draw a map of the world. I was amazed they couldn't.

[@abaker4692]

It's pretty unusual.

[@canibezeroun1988]

I did the same at my job and they were amazed. I got south east asia a little off and always struggle to shape South America, but people are always impressed. I think my 50 states work is more impressive.

[@dr.woozie7500]

Lol what a geek

[@gtc239]

​@@dr.woozie7500Nothing wrong with being a geek.

[@thelonewanderer3728]

⁠@@dr.woozie7500what’s wrong with geeks?

[@HVAC1actual]

a great source for custom maps, in color, or laminated are printing companies that specialize in construction blue prints, i've gotten a full color 36x24 custom topo map for my area printed for 11 bucks. Add like 5 bucks for lamination. Useable with dry erase markers. Very handy for your home base

[@S2Underground]

That is a great idea! Would definitely have to make sure the scale is correct, but this could be a much cheaper way of getting really big maps printed

[@HVAC1actual]

@@S2Underground blue print companies are excellent at printing to scale, since that's what they do daily since scale is so critical to construction. I just email them over the PDF file and a couple hours later I got it. For a layman, just create your original document in the finished scale/ map size you will want printed.

[@NinjaofApathy]

​@@HVAC1actualwhere did you find the source to give to the company to print? Could you tell us about what you would need to find/bring to get this resource made?

[@M33f3r]

That is awesome!

[@izayaorihara7059]

Based. I'm gonna do that

[@TopDownFinance]

"I'm personally not cut out for leadership" you are the exact character of leadership needed. Don't sell yourself short. Great video today, thanks for all your content.

[@zonark8136]

Better than helping Himmler build the perfect railcar

[@MrJamesD]

I concur

[@rotisseriebear5394]

He would be a good leader of team oriented team members, but my experience in 27 years of construction is that leading lots of problem children, flakes, labor fakers, snowflakes, narcissists, etc takes some special talents, and a kind of patience that approaches the heroic.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

The politics of leadership are a pain in the a$$. Most of the time, there is more politics than leadership.

[@COD4JESSE]

@@rotisseriebear5394Heroic AND stoic🤣

[@richardharden]

Having a surveyor for a dad just got this much cooler 😎

[@jabsubabahavh4243]

Underrated comment. This dude fucks. This dude's got maps.

[@abstractapproach634]

He'll yeah, does he have equipment ir just knowledge you can use (either way, that's dope)

[@richardharden]

@@abstractapproach634 Co-owner on an engineering and surveying company

[@JaenEngineering]

One thing about underground transit maps is they tend to be schematic maps rather than geographic. That means they can be very deceiving when it comes to distances between stations and they will rarely show disused lines and stations. They also dont tend to show depths and type of tunnel, sidings and service features or whether lines share adjacent tracks in the same tunnels.

[@iivin4233]

You need former workers who know that stuff I'd imagine, or locals. There are some places in the world where all the surviving old tunnels are not fully known.

[@aliquidmedia3255]

@@iivin4233 It is said that military stay-behind-groups many places in Europe is a part of planning underground railroad and pipelines

[@nidhoggstrike]

​​​@@aliquidmedia3255While I don't know if that is true, I do know that many European countries made extensive transportation tunnels that officially doesn't exist, and several of these are basically abandoned by the military. I know of people who have explored these supposedly top secret tunnels. for hours, undisturbed, for social media clout .

[@dagnytaggart5216]

Back in 2020 I traveled across the desert between SoCal and Nevada. I was traveling with 3 grandkids and was trying to use gps on my cell phone. Somehow we missed a turn we were supposed to make. No problem, gps will give us another route. Suddenly the road we were on came to an end, and there was a gate with military men guarding the entrance. My gps map showed it as a road that went straight through, but that wasn’t the case at all. Guess the U.S. learned to make maps deceptive from the old USSR. 😄

[@netherhobbit]

Sounds like a fun road

[@TexasVexes]

A lot of training/proving grounds out in south east CA/South west Nevada

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

Michael Scott and Dwight made the same mistake and ended up in the lake.

[@chrisresnikoff1741]

Sounds like Twentynine Palms

[@highdesertdrew1844]

Even ignoring a handheld GPS, the Delorme Offroad atlas is an absolute must. I've driven Mojave Rd and regularly drive the back roads between NW-AZ, S-NV and all over S-CA, and the eastern edge of the state on the east sierras. Terrain fitting is a great way to start, but the GPS comes in handy if you have all the nav skills of a butterbar. And yea, there are still a few mine roads, and other roads that leave US-HWY system and end up inside military bases, which are often unguarded, and very badly marked. Twentynine Palms MCAGCC used to just have a series of painted barrels marking the boundary, and with flash floods knocking them over, washing them off, it was sometimes not entirely sure which side of the line you were on.

[@syberphish]

14:07 "One thing that will assassinate your credibility really quickly is if you don't know where something is but somebody else does". Gary Johnson: I approve this message and am still trying to figure out where Aleppo is.

[@joemama69448]

95% of Americans didn't know where Aleppo was either. Same percentage couldn't point to Ukraine on a map before last year.

[@syberphish]

@@joemama69448 Except that his actual quote was "what is an aleppo". I was paraphrasing slightly in my original post. He was so unaware of what was happening internationally that he'd never even heard the word Aleppo before. And while I may not have heard of it MUCH before that time... I absolutely had heard of it and knew (the media versions) of what was going on and that it was a city in northern Syria. He didn't even know that much.

[@CheapSushi]

@@syberphish Not true, he knew but they were going for a gotcha moment and he misunderstood what they were trying to say. He was well aware of Syria and what was going on since neocon warkhawking MIC stuff was part of his platform. Since you're on this channel, I figure you'd know the mainstream media is trying anything it can to knock down any candidates not already set up for the illusion of choice. One blip and he was done. Turns out, you can have a ton of blips and still get through though, hence now it's getting even more pressured on how a populist can even come out. Keep in mind, before Trump, Jeb Bush was the front runner. A 3rd party became more important to crush to not divide votes.

[@SirYeetus]

Maps are crucial tools in war. Phenomenal situational awareness (if it's accurate enough)

[@conductingintomfoolery9163]

Warband assembly

[@diligentsun1154]

Dey sho IS, Boss!

[@gickygackers]

how did pizza delivery ever happen before GPS. haha

[@deathtothewageslave]

I buy a couple maps last night and boom an S2 video…no coincidence

[@deathtothewageslave]

@@hello-ox5rf in today’s world I take it as SOP

[@howardheminger287]

Most excellent. As a boy in 1958 I grabbed up free road maps from gas stations. Today my office (command post) and my Outpost in the mountains are wall papered with maps of all varieties. So is my ready room and laundry room. I love maps. Plus I have a filing cabinet drawer full of more maps plus each of my fleet outfitted with maps. Maps are essential.

[@navyman8903]

It's crazy how people focus on being prepared or trying to be larperators.....but don't understand maps. Or are dependent on electronic equipment. This is something I also am weak in. So this is excellent information.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Larperators! 😂👌

[@basaltywizardl2156]

honest hard work, Zero ego, just the need to keep people informed. Thanks

[@Horus2Osiris]

Zero ego😂, you noticed some egos running rampant too?! Not this guy, pure fact, no small weinie compensation, hilarious, but true. Love this channel, no bs

[@basaltywizardl2156]

@@Horus2Osiris it's hard for some people to grow up and see the bigger pictures, this gentleman doesn't have to waste his spare time doing this, on top of that he does it in a manner which is professional and claim.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

​@@basaltywizardl2156 🤦

[@daledurbin2354]

I have driven well over several million miles in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Back in the seventies I bought maps. eighties DPS, the nineties to date I use GPS only for speed. Today I consult Google maps and just follow road signs and dead reckoning, works for me!

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

But 20 year old Dale didn't have all that knowledge yet. We've got to show the young generations all the things they need to learn. 👍

[@rustysreality1091]

One book with some pretty interesting and different maps is strategic relocation: 4th edition by Joel M. Skousen. If you have never heard of this book (with maps). I would highly recommend it. It shows probable nuke targets, city population density maps ( if people were walking by foot), and reservations. Safe places to go with water sources and game to hunt. This is just some of the content in this book with tons of colored maps. State, region, and country maps. Excellent video. I'm actually buying some of your recommendations right now. Your videos are always packed full of useful information.

[@MR-backup]

How the hell did you find it?

[@rustysreality1091]

It's dropped in price. $35.00. I think I paid around $70.00 for the hard cover edition. Link posted. Cheers. "The secure home" is pretty good too. @@MR-backup

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

​@@MR-backupI can't speak for OP. My brother sent it to me. My problem is that we decided that we were pretty much in the best place already. 😂

[@MR-backup]

@@PatrickKQ4HBD Good problem.

[@mayanboricua]

That's an awesome book. I remember when it came out years ago.

[@mattcosgrove8254]

Every single video produced on this channel is fantastic information to have. In particular the subtle subjects of what might be of concern in the future. I believe my favorite quote was “the soldier that stands between me and my elected representative is not my friend” keep up the great work!

[@mauimixer6040]

Thanks for sharing as I'm new to this channel, but glad .

[@ET-mr4iu]

As a former S2/G2 and present cartographer I would like to thank you for bringing back memories and showing that paper maps are not as obsolete as my teachers claimed they were.

[@xirensixseo]

ive always been super interested in map making and navigation for since i was a kid. recently, my friends and i have been playing map games, naming countries. i never realized how little i knew about central and eastern europe

[@MrJamesD]

@11:19 i can 100% vouch for that statement. Having spent a great deal of time in China, literally the best way to navigate (if you don't speak or read and write Mandarin) is to match the characters of the roads you are on and projected destinations. The "" LOCAL MAPS"" which can be purchased at train or bus stations are very accurate as far as LANDNAV is concerned.

[@brianwilke592]

Excellent video today! We used 1:50,000 maps when I was in, both in land nav and in the TOC. But that was MP stuff. In then West Germany, before Google, these were great even for details like exact details of exit ramps and major junctions. I have 1:50,000 of the area Iive today. Still have the Army land nav compass to do the old back azimuth stuff too.

[@abstractapproach634]

That's less than 1in:4000ft, how do you get details like which houses yards connectto alleys, which businessconnect in the back, motercycle but no car space zones, ect. *these seem like the mist useful features for bugging in*

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

​@@abstractapproach634If you're planning on bugging in/out, you'll want to add a complement of smaller scale maps of selected areas.

[@Brad-js7kq]

Another great map source to keep on file would be Natural gas and Oil pipeline maps. Most, if not all pipeline companies, have maps made to scale on their websites in the information posting sections. I work in the gas/oil business and we keep dozens of pipeline maps on hand for work related business. I could see these being very useful in a mobile TOC to help locate areas of potential vulnerability. Just a thought!

[@michaelarmbruster586]

Fire police stations military bases cell towers power lines airports highways bridges radio stations. Etc

[@mauimixer6040]

And a good thought at the least. Thanks for sharing.

[@breezyx976]

Remember, when it comes to maps: It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it!

[@mauimixer6040]

Lol

[@Livi_Noelle]

On the stateside front, De Lorme atlases and gazeteers are amazing

[@RadioVictor]

Time to start a new file folder just for maps. Thanks for bringing it to realistic scenarios as always.

[@thesaintjimmy88]

If you're making maps for your local area it is highly recommended to mark the locations of local radio repeaters and their frequencies. That way, if you're out and about and need to dial into one, you know what's close and how to call in.

[@paulambartsumyan7111]

what if your enemy captures your map and destroys your coms

[@abstractapproach634]

Great idea, but you can start without them and put them in when you get the beofeng ir whatever. I think pace maps are highly overated, especially for comparison (knowing the path that seems longer but actually isn't or vise versa is good.)

[@kerbalairforce8802]

If you have a directional antenna, you can use these known repeater locations to triangulate where you are.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

​@@paulambartsumyan7111You're talking about several layers of screwed. Don't bite off so much at once.

[@MrEmiosk]

@@paulambartsumyan7111 if the "enemy" has your personal handrawn map, you the person is most likely not in a position to care. Let the idiots squabble over imaginary lines, and the fools who does their bidding and spread their idiocity do that. If my map can bring them down... then damn are they screwed from the start.

[@barahng]

3:15 Size of the map can affect what's on the map though. The bigger the map, the more detail you can have (for a given scale) without it becoming an illegible mess. Less relevant now with digital maps that have zoom functions, but I would guess that's where the tradition comes from.

[@peterprovenzano9039]

You guys do an amazing job. I’m just kind of blown away you did not mention Google Earth and other satellite imagery and maps. 30-40 years ago nation states spent billions to have this capability, then the prepares citizen can just log onto the internet and start downloading satellite imagery to their hard drive

[@Noqtis]

sure. but you can't use this shit in military applications if you are a country opposing the US or you will get fucked

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Good point!

[@bigredwolf6]

I would say it warrants its own video as well as it has been mentioned in other videos of his. Personally, I like his ATAK, WinTAK videos.

[@peterprovenzano9039]

@@bigredwolf6 ATAK is dumb. It constantly pings out your signal to be intercepted and triangulated or hacked. Command and control comes down to old school map, prior planning on the OPORD with control measures like rally points and phase lines

[@user60521123]

Map publishing companies also protect their product by including inaccuracies that more than likely won’t effect the average consumer. These inaccuracies function like a water mark. Fascinating video. Well done, S2!

[@dreed7312]

It doesn't really apply anymore, but in the old days the local phone books had good area maps, and they often had several, one for exchanges, zip codes, area codes etc. They often show shopping districts, police and fire stations, utilities, municipal buildings . . .

[@stefanadamcik8221]

Thank you S2 Underground. You really get to the heart of battle staff bread and butter. All 1LTs should listen to your channel.

[@michaeldickinson5146]

I am thankful for every video you provide. I am greatful more so for the skills, ideas and knowledge you provide to the people. The thought path and process of a man with real world experience is informing and empowering. I hope you continue to share your knowledge and wisdom. You are a asset to the people.. Michael, NW England.

[@nightfury6836]

Brilliant video as usual from the S2Underground!!! I love your way of explaining stuff; very insightful!!! I hope that everyone is doing well. Stay frosty out there folks 😉

[@boonmsgt]

As a forward observer in the Marine Corps our maps are an essential tool. Great video. I learn to French Fold my maps. Recommend you give it a try. It takes a large map and makes it divided into four equal parts.

[@angamaitesangahyando685]

I'm a huge map nerd, but mostly about large-scale campaign and civilisational kind. Just got suggested your channel, and this brilliant video, amazing! - Adûnâi

[@vicusa8549]

Hello. Perhaps you would know. What on-line resource would you recommend to download or order maps for less populated cities in South America? I’m mostly interested in Colombia, but Peru and Venezuela would be of interest too. Thank you.

[@abrahamspies7611]

Have you realised the earth is flat yet? Look at the maps

[@MrToad-actual]

Here in IOWA, you can go to your local sheriffs office or county courthouse and buy a map of your county that has EVERY SINGLE ROAD on it right down to the level B roads.

[@foxhoundms9051]

Amazing video bros, I love maps and map making, map/compass reading is an under appreciated skill these days.

[@KetchPhraz]

Old school road atlases are a fantastic tool to have. I have road atlases for my specific county and a few adjacent counties as well. A good road atlas will not only show roads obviously, but railway lines, key terrain features, and very specific information such as elevation of a particular hill, names of small streams/lakes islands etc. that unless you lived right next to you would never have learned otherwise.

[@utoobuser206]

Explains why when i was truckin I'd end up in a pasture occasionally following GPS, love my rand McNally's !!!

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

I took have run over the occasional residential flower bed and mailbox...

[@theminer49erz]

I happened upon a large tub FULL of CDs of GIS data from almoat every county for like 80% of the US. Some are just burnt disks with sharpie on them, but some look more "official" with printed lables or actual printing on the discs. It even had full versions of sthe software needed to view it properly. Very nice find!

[@haldorasgirson9463]

Thanks for the link to the NIFC maps. Just downloaded Arizona and New Mexico. Free maps are nice.

[@jellyonaplate1026]

I's true about having to use road maps or maps supplied by means ther than military generated one's. When we landed in East Timor in 1999, we had no maps. Whlst protecting a governmen building, I discovered a box of tourist maps, which were pretty well descriptive but had the desireable information neeed. Main and secondary roas. Bridges. Distances. Population densities. Water courses. Airfields. Government buildings and much more useful nformation. I brought this to the attention of my commanders but their ignorance shone through. It took a bit of convincing to them but when we were relieved I showed an officer the box of maps and he saw their potential. They were used right up till our mapping agency came in to country. There's a lot more to this story but it was a good memory for me, so thank you for bringing me this story. Good work.

[@OreWaSulekDesu]

Very well prepared material, thank you so much.

[@Andrewy27]

GIS here, former Geospatial Engineer in the Army - absolutely completely true. And one thing I would recommend is... KNOW HOW TO USE THE MAP SCALES. 1 to 24,000 = 1 inch to 2,000 feet! 1 to 48,000 = 1 inch to 4,000 feet! 1 to 72,000 = 1 inch = 6,000 feet! Divide the scale by 12, if it comes out even, its that number of feet per inch! If you see something like... 1 to 62,500, it probably means 1 inch = 1 mile! It requires some math! If you use Metric you're in luck! 1 to 24,000 = 1cm to 24,000cm 1 to 48,000 = 1cm to 48,000cm Etc... You need to know how far away things are on your maps!

[@GregAtlas]

Your point at 15:19 is very true in my experience. Yes, we hear about so many locations on the news, but without having the context on where those locations actually are and the significance of the location, you might as well not know anything that is going on. It was actually kind of eye opening to me playing Hearts of Iron 4 for the first time and learning a lot of map data from that. Seeing where Benghazi is for the first time to understand some more context as to why Hillary sold our embassy and troops out there is quite the experience even if it is a video game that is based in the second world war. I learned more about geography in this game much more than any school classroom sadly.

[@zukessurvival4785]

Wish this had come out a few weeks ago. FInished with MDMP and IPB courses, now working on branch specific. Top notch material.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Which branch? 💪

[@zukessurvival4785]

@@PatrickKQ4HBD LG. It's fun stuff.

[@marrty777]

I am pretty adamant about paper maps, but I was recently quite impressed by AllTrails on a weeklong backcountry trip in deep Wyoming wilderness. I ended up not pulling out my paper map once.

[@KillrMillr7]

I have their app too. Haven’t tried it yet.

[@syntaxerrorsix3137]

I use them on my Garmin.

[@mauimixer6040]

But, When not if , that's not available ?

[@bobp7626]

Good faith and understanding!!! Much love to the concept!!!

[@alancranford3398]

Thank you--maps are important and accurate maps containing needed information are vital. I was just on a trip to Las Vegas and I wasn't able to acquire paper maps nor did I have a printer. Digital maps were nice, but when I got detoured those GPS systems (based on cell phone towers, not satellites) were less than optimal. During Operation Iraqi Freedom Two my National Guard Signal Corps company was relegated to back-up of the expanded land-line telephone network, so over half of the company was tasked with convoy escort. I had spent five years in Kuwait as a contract anti-terrorist security officer (civilian) and was familiar enough with the area half a decade later--and I had my own maps already. I photocopied my map (the military-issue strip maps were crap) and when the MP escort was new, I'd snag the senior guy, hand him a copy, orient him--and I'd wind up in his vehicle for the first trip or two. I'm NOT bragging that my convoy briefings were the greatest--I'm complaining that the convoy briefings were inadequate. Rally points--none designated. Time tables, checkpoints and radio checks, all that was missing from the REGULAR Army and from trained military police sergeants. MPs have two major wartime functions--traffic management and rear area security. It helped my credibility that I could articulate well, that I had maps, and my anti-terrorism work and regular army career with intelligence preparation of the battlefield allowed me to present a case. When I returned stateside, my National Guard unit was broken up (Army policy seems to be "get rid of combat-experienced units and their institutional knowledge") and my company became a battalion spread through three states. Lots of convoys--and strip maps. Since the unit was stateside and the cadre wasn't all dummies, strip maps became more user-friendly with street-level views of intersections as well as the traditional line drawings--often snagged from the Internet. I went one level more because I had worked with air photos--I got the "satellite views" that gave a good appreciation of terrain. I still have a lot to learn--like how to get the elevations of different points. Some of the vehicles suffered a loss of horsepower when the engine was at 6000 feet and more--and military vehicles are ALWAYS overloaded, often pulling overloaded trailers, too. One of my resources was annual almanacs. Weather and light are important to military operations. An almanac with moon phases and moonrise/moonset/sunrise/sunset proved valuable, though I was a troublemaker. A combination of almanac and satellite view of our campsite told me that the place would have strong winds around sunrise and sunset. The site was situated between an ear-shaped mountain and a lake. Worse, it was during a windy season. So I requested extra tent stakes and guy lines. Double the regular number was my answer! The command did get extra stakes--it was impractical to do a leaders recon so I didn't know the ground type nor what stakes would be best. Anyway, when we reached the site and set up tents, the crew I supervised grumbled about having to put so many stakes out and extra guy lines to keep our tent down. At chow call, the evening wind whipped up--and knocked down every other tent. My first sergeant was the one to say "I told you so--take a look at the surviving tent and make sure that yours is like that." Maps helped. I really liked that your presentation mentioned multiple information sources. One source won't have all the information. Sometimes there won't be a specific information source. Satellite-based GPS are great ONLY if the operator practices using the system. Cell tower-based GPS only works as long as the phone company isn't compromised. As pointed out, many paper maps are inaccurate (the map is not the territory) and my experience with poorly-drawn strip maps slammed that fact home. I used to take my strip maps and compare them to the issue typographical maps--sometimes I'd catch an error in the strip map. General Patton famously planned his invasion of France with Michelin road maps. I was astonished during my time in West Germany that the civilian road maps sold in German book shops had UTM coordinates and typographical information. The commercial German road maps were good enough that I could plan out routes when something happened to the route planned on a strip map months before the exercise. The D-Day landings were planned in part using souvenir postcard photographs. SWAT teams don't usually tour museums and public schools to get a feel for a potential incident site--they may "know the area" but need more information. SWAT started off with "contain the barricaded gunman until he surrenders--only storm the place as a last resort." An active shooter incident is a different story--plunge right in with a small team of the first officers on the scene because the death clock is ticking. I retired from the contract security guard game a while ago, but in the 21st Century I'd use on-line mapping functions to find my new worksite, then I'd use satellite views to get a picture of the areas surrounding the site. I'd pay attention to potential trouble spots. It wasn't perfect--I needed building blueprints but for a number of reasons that wasn't allowed. One thing that I did look for was "how am I going to abandon ship when something goes wrong?" A single unarmed security guard pulling access control is no match for a "mostly peaceful if fiery protest" directed at a warehouse or office building--where do I go and how do I get there? Where's the closest exit? Where's a good escape route? It wasn't paranoid of the presenter to discuss getting out of a troubled country. Even in America, it helps to know where the exits are in your favorite mall or at the supermarket. There's no substitute for being on the ground. One time I was the senior enlisted for a Volksmarch rest stop. My strip map and UTM coordinates put me in the middle of a field that was producing seeds for future crops. Can you say "maneuver damage?" Somewhere there would have been a German map telling me which places were farmer's fields and probably what that field was growing--but I had no access to it. Being able to read rudimentary German (and having a small German-English dictionary) helped keep me out of trouble--I moved the checkpoint about 100 meters. When the OIC showed up, I explained why I moved the point and then showed the captain the original site so that he could tell his seniors why he was "in the wrong place." Maps and GPS and arial photographs and street-level views are great--but what was that smudge on the edge of the photo?

[@BanditFMP]

vfr sectionals are updated every 56 days, usually its minute details so you can wait a little bit to get another and it wont be completely wrong. (just a tip)

[@robertjordan4755]

Love you guys keep up the great work.

[@zonark8136]

In Ukraine, any and all normal methods of finding your way around went away within the first few days of the war. Road signs got taken down, landmarks, GPS was of course nonfunctional and road maps were probably burnt in piles before the invasion. So get such things now. You might think you'll be fine but, with the landscape ravaged most landmarks will be unrecognizable.

[@incomitatus]

When the war in Ukraine started, I had difficulty finding maps without Cyrillic lettering. I dug up some old WW2 German day by day situation maps, the famous Lage Ost(Location East, i.e. the Eastern Front) maps. Although the Russian & Ukrainian towns & cities are printed in German, that language is close enough to English to be useful. The Library of Congress has finally, after all these years, made these maps freely available to download in high resolution, if anyone is interested, these maps are amazing, they show all the German & Russian divisions, and their location every day, from June 22, 1941, onward. I believe these are the same maps the German high command used to plot the daily movements and attacks of their Wehrmacht & SS divisions.

[@Activedead]

I appreciate this presentation of knowledge. Thank you.

[@calebgreenlee8056]

If you look at the IFR low and high enroute charts, it will show you the Center frequencies that aircraft use when transiting (ARTC)

[@josephluscavage8162]

When we had the time, we would do kickass sand tables at our S-3 shop. You can do multicolor Main Supply Routes (MSRs) with different bug juice powder out of MREs. USGS offers U.S. (paper) maps for sale. At the "State" level they have paper, and the maps are good, in more recent years they offer PDFs. In my early years I laminated them, backpacked using them all over PA/NJ/NY for the Appalachian trail. I still have my Maui and the county I grew up and live in (they come in a 2-map set) currently. The county and regional maps do have a magnetic north declination but not the state map, what they all lack are "grid squares". Show of hands, who knows how to use a standard lensatic compass and can do the calculations to convert magnetic north to true north? If not, you're just depending on orienteering to get where you are going. GPS is great, when it works! Cities are not just the only place with subterrain maps. I grew up in the Anthracite Coal region of NE Pennsylvania, there are maps of anthracite mines from back in the early 20th century.

[@shibbidydoowop]

Magnetic declination, essential for finding bearing

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

If you needed to enter an old coal mine, what could you do with it besides get killed? Isn't there usually only one entrance?

[@josephluscavage8162]

@@PatrickKQ4HBD In a "wild cat" mine there is usually one entrance. Actual commercial drift mines where required to have escape tunnel every so many yards. When I was a kid we used to, in the summer, play around an old wild cat mine. Probably, in retrospect not the safest thing we could do but it wasn't the last time I did dangerous things. It was a little surreal, in that it would be 90 degrees outside and standing Infront of the mine it was belching out 50-degree damp air like an air conditioner. As we got older it became a great place to store beer for "bush" parties. Today, I can think of any number of SHTF uses for a huge underground storage facility.

[@jackieow]

De Lorme maps, state by state and very detailed and easy to use.

[@adampeterson9130]

just came by your channel liked and subscribed!

[@l.robertvandyke4398]

Love your channel. Thank you

[@merlincultofficial3235]

I love that the green tree line marker on usgs quads shows where the trees are dense enough to hide a group of soldiers from the air

[@JustinVK]

Awesome episode! thank you!

[@superfish0012]

"I've seen some general officers literally have a personal cartographer who prints out big maps for them of totally random places just so they can have a random map for a meeting." I'm not gonna lie, this is some of the coolest shit I've ever heard. Total Zapp Brannigan-level stuff. "Map Boy, tomorrow we have to have a meeting on new cleaning supplies for the base. Go and print me several maps of Nauru."

[@stefanovicigor]

Great work!

[@kayef5724]

never knew i needed this, thank you for this.

[@adamkallaev3573]

Thanks for flashing a Dagestan map for everyone to see

[@adamdyment9732]

How many likes and comments will it take to make the war kitchen videos doable again?

[@TheVanillaBean_GG]

Another thing that may be useful for aeronautical charts is the chart supplemental which has more detailed information about airport operations. If you are already stacking collections of charts and maps, might as well get that too.

[@SgtSkrog]

Love maps, love GPS as well but a hard copy is handy. Full size laminated for world and US. Then local for any states you travel. All laminated so they can be used with markers. No matter where you are at you can identify shelter, water and help (or danger). Hopefully you already know where you are.

[@Sidedlist]

I love learning about maps

[@nadaninadie6234]

Excellent. I have always liked maps and make my own for Garmin GPS and OsmAnd. (I print for backup, but mostly use in electronic form).

[@TurboDog73TX]

Awesome. I always learn something from S2.

[@dreed7312]

To those on land, geography may not change that much but on water it does. Sand bars, spoil islands, and aids to navigation can and do change, more so in deltas, estuaries, and bays. They do have subscription services, and sometimes different services will show you different charts. Don't forget aids to navigation often have some type of signaling device that distinguishes it from other aids to navigation in the same area. Light, horn, or bell that sounds or flashes at timed intervals. If you are near the coast it's conceivable that you could make use of that information and it's all on the nautical chart.

[@nickthestick8963]

Some of the best information I didn’t know I needed

[@wombraider7796]

Your concerns with Airline safety are definitely not unfounded, my father recently retired from Jazz Canada and the horror stories he told me would blow your mind, especially the trend of cutting corners in emergency procedure training to save dollars of simulator time and the outsourcing and replacement of domestic pilots to cheaper Eastern European pilots.

[@mauimixer6040]

This is such useful information. Mahalos

[@tubaboytom]

I'm in the National Guard and have a background in cartography, geography, and GIS. But I'm not a 12Y geospatial engineer (yet) as I didn't sign up as one. Didn't really know what I wanted when I joined to be honest. I'm hoping at the end of my contract here in the next year or so I can go back to AIT and switch my MOS to something I believe I can give the Guard. This video really invigorated me to realize how I can be an effective leader through my expertise in geography and cartography. Might have to find some new maps soon.

[@ngkngk875]

Geospatial engineer sounds like a cool job

[@jpotter2086]

Parents bought us a Nat'l Geographic set in 1980, read those until the pages fell out. That childhood study has served me well ever since! Oh man, the CIA World Fact Book goes back decades and decades.

[@observed00]

USFS Roads and Trails are an overlay on mapping software such as Gaia and OnX . Sometimes innacurate, but nonetheless the most important overlay for me in Central AZ

[@kenatpach]

Super helpful, for reasons too numerous to count. Thanks S2

[@rrcaniglia]

When the US was planning Operation Torch in 1943, the logistics capacity of the port of Casablanca was done using pre-war picture postcards. And the invasion of the southern coast of France had the allies using Michelin road maps.

[@KeyserSoze-sb8vx]

"Look here! You see that Lance!... I want a map! Fill this whole Football Stadium - absolutely beautiful!"

[@ripno2672]

I can confirm, if you know where a place is and its geography while your superior doesn't, you hold a heavier hand then them. I like geography. My history teacher doesn't. Most teachers didn't, and I could correct them both in matters of geography and history.

[@jezusbloodie]

What a great video!

[@KillrMillr7]

A multi scale coordinate protractor is also very handy, quick way to establish the kill zones for fire support.

[@vatira]

as a flight instructor, love to see my good ol' VFR sectional :D

[@jamesorth6460]

Another American map company with great detail is Delorme

[@edstoutenburg3990]

Along with a world atlas booklet- and evev better a large NatGeo or similar bookshelf Atlas to look through. The Gazzetteteer state map books are excellent for Grid down/internet loss situations- and they have terrain& basic topo information also. Starting a collection of the mentioned topo state recreation and hiking maps is very useful. Railroad hobby s have magzines that show current- and just as importantly- Old out of service RR lines. When i was stationed in the FRG -( last tour in late '90s) Going to the nearest Bookstore alsways had very accurate topo maps in 1:25000 . Not MGRS but great for just area references as using one when on a Volkmarch event was great practice.

[@philipcoggins9512]

An Airport/Facilities Directory would also be a good supplement. It will list all freqs, services, and other information about the area (restaurants, hotels, rental car, distance to city center, attractions, etc.). They are broken down by region, with seven covering the entire US.

[@AdMan-The-LabRat]

@17:44 WHERE'S WALDO FOUND! DEAD CENTER SCREEN, '1002' West of Richmond, South of the James River, Inside the 3rd Pink Rail !!!

[@myrealname2022]

One toe of map that are excellent to work with are aeronautical charts. They have topography, roads, landmarks such as towers, railways, military airspace, and are setup as a universal standard for the entire globe. They have airspace radio frequencies for local airports. The paper is tear resistant and water proof and can be purchased for cheap. They are printed double sided so you get twice as much area per map and usually one will cover about 1/3 of Texas. So the whole USA can be covered in about 30 some maps.(about the size of a shoe box)

[@dhaltonmiller1215]

Thank God you aren't cut out for leadership in the military. You're a good leader here, and i doubt you would be doing this if you were the leadership type

[@freedomfalcon]

Also on aviation sectionals, you can get weather reporting/automated terminal information service frequencies for up-to-the minute weather.

[@PrograError]

I wonder how that would work in a war time... I doubt any of it would have been online... more likely to be paper printouts and last minute ramp briefs....

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Its a very good idea to hand draw your own maps several times.

[@psychedguitar2716]

love this thank you

[@peebreezy5015]

Avenza maps is pretty good. They have a decent section of free maps and you can import maps too. Love them for hiking/hunting.

[@freedomfalcon]

Can confirm.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

Outstanding!!!!

[@jeanvaljean341]

Your a man of culture DJ 👏

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

@@jeanvaljean341 Likewise 🍻

[@phantomf4747]

I'm headed out today to update my maps. I live on the edge of the suburbs, outside of a capital city. Adjacent to not only city life, but farmland, vast unincorporated areas and the foothills of a major mountain range. I have some, but after this apparently not enough.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

Major misconception there. Every square foot of rural land is jealously owned and watched, maybe more so than in your city. If times get hard rural folk will be busy running off city folk. Edited to add: You may want to look into buying a tiny plot of unimproved farm land, so you can truthfully tell them "Yes, I really do live here" when it's time to bug out. Drop a shipping container and a little gravel for a home base.

[@phantomf4747]

@@PatrickKQ4HBD I have land and a square range already. I have a small 1,200 square foot dwelling on it. I'm more concerned about how best to get there without being seen. On high ground with views of to 800 yards in any direction. Thanks for the advice, bro! Stay safe, watch your 6.

[@RabeHK]

As a swiss officer I am in the happy position that I go all of Switzerland down to 24k and every time one of the maps gets updated I will be sent a new one...

[@boognewsnetwork7620]

Joint Operations Graphics Maps or JOGs were maps I worked on in the past. Decent quality using photogrammetry to update.

[@Viper555]

19:12 it is not required to monitor 121.5 (usually called Guard frequency) for VFR pilots. Airlines may require it via company policy, but not legally.

[@5GWGuerillaFighter]

I'm trying to turn my Jeep in to a sort of mobile TOC lol. All this info is very useful

[@nightshadefern162]

On USFS maps: I have found free downloadable digital ones for GWNF and others. They are also available free at the forest service office in paper form (have not verified this- a relative worked for them for awhile). The digital maps are very confusing because they overlay each other in seemingly random fashion, so you’ll be continually referring to the main one. The maps do not show gates and if there is one thing the forest service likes to do is gate off a road. I carry a lock pick set now, after getting the gate closed behind me, trapping me in. The maps tend to be outdated, so roads that appear may be very old- 50 years since the last vehicle could pass sort of outdated. Some of the “main” roads in the NF are essentially jeep trails, so don’t think you can just buzz through in a suv on street tires.

[@PatrickKQ4HBD]

I used to work in the USFS, and I had the friggin key that unlocks every single one of those gates in the nation, but somehow I lost it. I still kick myself over that.

[@nightshadefern162]

@@PatrickKQ4HBD I suspected they might have a one fits all, otherwise keeping track of which one fits each gate would be a nightmare.