My wife has no idea that I apply certain military principles in our lives. For example, the "5-Point Contingency Plan."
This is used when one element departs from another.
What is it in civilian terms? It is a simple brief that I give my wife when I leave the house. This way she is informed
GOTWA
( G ) - GOING - Where am I going
(O) - OTHERS - Others that I am taking with me
( T ) - TIME - Time that I will be gone
( W ) - WHAT to do if I don't return
( A ) - ACTIONS to take if I am hit / if you are hit
Granted, that last one doesn't exactly apply, you can tailor it to any situation.
Here is what it may sound like.
- Honey, I am going to the sporting goods store.
- I am alone.
- I will be gone 2 hours.
- If I don't return in two hours, give me a call on my cell phone. If I don't return in 4 hours, look on the news for accidents which may have held me up. If I don't return in 6 hours, feel free to use your judgement to call the police and report me missing. Call local hospitals.
- If I am held up by traffic, I will call you. If you need to leave the home, send me a text (with a 5-point).
Granted, police may not search unless 24 hours has gone by but I would rather a call made than not. Besides, they may know of an incident that could be holding up traffic.
When the train wreck happened just South of JBLM, I happened to be in Steilacoom. It took me 8 hours to travel the back roads to get to Lacey and home. My cell phone was dead. Though I stopped at a store to get another power cord for my car, I literally got the last cord as I was not the only one with this problem. In emergencies, keeping your family informed can help to relieve stress.