THE MVT CODE OF CONDUCT
The following has been up on the MVT Forum for some time.
The intent was to create a document that would give far more practical guidance than many of the honor codes that you see. Many of those give you a few key words with definitions, but the question is: how do I implement that in life? This is Version 1.0, and is intended to be included in the MVT Tactical handbook when it is complete and published.
MVT CODE OF CONDUCT
PROTECT. DEFEND. SURVIVE.
The Physical:
You must train hard yet with good sense, never be lazy; you will train to maximize your potential as a protector. In training and life, take the hard road. Train hard, fight easy.
Strength:
Train for functional strength, not vanity. Move your own bodyweight, and develop power. Manage your training to avoid injury.
Speed:
Train to move yourself and your combat load rapidly across the terrain. Cardiovascular fitness is vital to tactical operations. Include aerobic and anaerobic training. Consider that a combat load should be in the range of 35 – 50 lbs, and you must be able to tactically maneuver while carrying it.
Endurance:
Train to keep going, never quit. Develop the ability to continue physical work for long periods of time, whether that be manual labor or tactical activity.
Skill at Arms:
Become proficient at your personal weapons, and maintain those skills.
Train to fight hand to hand, pistol and carbine from 0 to 500 meters.
Conduct operant conditioning to create ‘muscle memory’ for weapon manipulation and reaction to contact, in order to beat the freeze and improve your initial survival response.
Physical Courage:
You must not shrink from the fight, or the challenge, if it is tactically unsound to do so. If it makes sense to fight, or take that physical risk, then do so, and do not be a coward. You will experience fear, and it may be almost disabling, but the true warrior can control and overcome it and thus permit the correct tactical course of action.
The Mental:
Tactical Knowledge:
Know small unit tactics (SUT) and how to practically implement them. Book learning is not sufficient, but practical training is necessary to achieve this.
Decision Making:
Become proficient at sound tactical decision making and critical thinking, which includes time sensitive decisions made under conditions of stress, tiredness and exhaustion.
Leadership:
Know how to lead others and do not shirk from it when it is necessary. Put the welfare of others before yourself. Be ready to sacrifice yourself for the team.
Ruthless:
Do not shirk from hard decisions that are necessary to the well being of your group. Kill as necessary and expedient. Do not pity the enemy.
Selfless:
Give priority to others in your group over yourself. This is particularly true if you are in a leadership position. Be ready to give your life without hesitation for those that you love. There is no greater thing.
Moral Courage:
Do not be afraid to tackle hard problems in order to safeguard the welfare of the group. Make the hard decisions, and do not shirk the necessary outcomes. Do not let situations fester that will destroy the group.
Determination:
Never give up the struggle, never give up the fight. Work tirelessly towards the goals of your family, clan or group.
Visualization:
Utilize visualization as a form of mental rehearsal of physical tactical skills. This will improve your readiness in the event of surprise attack, and will go a long way to preventing the freeze.
Spirituality:
Believe in the greater purpose of what you are here for. Look skywards , and believe that by your efforts, you honor the memory of those that came before you, and put you where you are.
The War Band:
The War Band is the tactical unit of the clan. It is the Patrol. The War Band will execute tactical operations. It will look beyond perimeter security to find, fix and destroy external threats to the group. The War Band is a sub-set of the overall clan, which is made up of the families of the War Band.
Team:
Understand the holistic approach of operating tactically as a team; train with your tactical team, and become as a whole greater than the individual. Apply your individual skill at arms to team tactical operations.
Violence:
Protect the perimeter, strike out at threats by ambush and raid, utilizing targeted violence, justified by the necessity to protect your group. Violence is often the right answer.
War Craft:
Make use of tactical wisdom to decide when violence is necessary, or not, and what the best course of action is. There is no such thing as a fair fight. Use low cunning and guile. Surprise your enemy with maximum violence when appropriate. Do not fight when there is no need, or an alternative approach will provide a better outcome. Do not be goaded into poor decisions by false pride.
Reputation:
Reputation is honor, earned respect among the peers of the War Band. It is also praise and recognition from the War Band for achievement, which helps create the hierarchy and develop leaders. Your reputation is your honor, and is gained by adherence to the established code of conduct within the group. You must strive to build and maintain your reputation, which is honed in competition and cooperation with the others of the War Band.
Lead and Follow:
Be prepared to either lead or follow depending on where your tactical and leadership skills lie in relation to others in the War Band.
Compete:
Compete in training to test and measure your skills against those others in the War Band.
Cooperate:
Competition and Cooperation are essential to the health of the War Band, and are not exclusive. There is a time and a place for each. Cooperate to defeat the enemy.
Tempered Ego:
Ego must be tested by training and competition, and thus each man will find his worth among the group. This will build realistic expectations, and develop trust.
Inequality:
Men are not equal. Each has worth. All men must strive to achieve their greatest worth, and find their place within the War Band. Respect each other for the effort required to do so, and work as a team.
Loyalty:
You are loyal to the group. There is no loyalty or sacrifice owed to those outside of the group. Fight to defend those in the group at all costs, regardless of right or wrong. Censure of wrongdoing is internal.
Hierarchy:
Establish the natural hierarchy of skills within the War Band. Appoint leaders through mutual acclaim, based on merit and ability.
Meritocracy:
Include those in the War Band who meet the standards of it, and are effective in the role. Those who are not effective in the War Band will have other roles in the clan.
Remove:
Those who fail to maintain the standards of the War Band, who voluntarily let themselves go, or who disparage the honor code of the group.
The Family / Clan:
War Band vs. Clan:
The War Band is a sub-group that is vital to the survival of the Clan. The Clan is the whole group that is vital to the survival of the War Band. Those who are able to achieve a level of competency to be part of the War Band must train to do so. Those that cannot, will have roles elsewhere. Those with skills or specialties that are vital to the survival of the clan will primarily be employed in those roles. Everyone will train to the best of their ability to provide at least a defensive role in the event of an attack by outriders. Those with mastery in non-tactical survival or essential skills will be allowed to command in their own sphere. They will be respected for this, which is where the balance of Lead vs. Follow is apparent, and those that lead in some areas will follow in others. Mastery of false ego, development of character, and time with the group will make these skills and roles apparent. Lead when you should lead, follow when you should follow.
Family:
A family unit is a partnership, made strong by the mutually supporting qualities of the man and woman within it. The family unit is the basic unit of the clan. Be unselfish and loyal. Men and women are different, each strong in their own way. It is the combination of these gender characteristics that makes the marriage partnership strong, and thus the family unit.
Fatherhood:
This is the vital role of the man in the family unit. The father is the future ancestor of his offspring. Make yourself worthy of it. Your ancestors put you here, and it is up to you to carry on that tradition with your children. Protect the mother of your children, and overall protect your children, and raise them well to take their place as responsible adults. Typically, the man will aspire to the War Band and be on or outside of the perimeter to protect the family unit.
Motherhood:
This is the vital role of the woman in the family unit. Support the man, and nurture the children so that they may grow to their full potential as responsible adults. You are also the future ancestor, and the example of the strong family will be carried forward by your children. Typically, the mother will remain as the inner defense should the perimeter be breached, and must be able to fight and defend. No excuses.
Single Clan Members:
All single clan members will aspire to be members of the War Band. If they are not suitable in some way, they will still be required to stand watch and defend the perimeter. If not in the War Band, they will concentrate on specializing in a skill or task that will benefit the group as a whole.
Clan:
The men of the War Band create clan by the involvement of their families in the group’s activities.
Provide:
In times of peace, strive to provide the best life for your family. In times of war, defend the perimeter, go out and meet the enemy, and destroy then by cunning, skill at arms, and the ferocity of your War Band.
Lead / Follow:
Learn and understand that in matters outside of the War Band, there will be those with mastery of skills and abilities. The must be allowed to lead in their own sphere, and at times you will lead, at others you will follow. Clan activity is a give and take, a cooperation towards the good of the whole.
Mercy / Compassion:
Show mercy and compassion to those within the group. You owe nothing to outsiders. To the old and infirm, the wounded and injured within the group, honor their achievements, and protect them. To outsiders, show mercy only if it benefits the group. Consider including outsiders if they are able to meet with the standards of the group, and will make it stronger.
Teach:
Teach those new to the War Band, and train them in skill at arms and tactics. Raise the young to be brave, strong and skilled.
Earn:
Your place in the War Band and the Group every day, by hard work and example.
Defense:
Everyone in the clan, assessed and based on age and physical ability, will be tactically trained to fill a defensive role, even though they may not have the ability to be part of the War Band. The old, young, unfit, those mothers with children, all have to be able to stand a watch and provide depth defense to the perimeter in case of breach or attack. No excuses or opt outs. If a person is unable to take their role as defender seriously, they should be expelled from the clan. No one is too special to fight, or immune from it.
The Enemy:
Respect:
Respect the enemy and never underestimate them.
Violence of Action:
If forced to fight, ensure your action towards the enemy is planned with guile, and executed with speed, surprise and violence of action.
Conduct:
Consider your rules of engagement and conduct on the battlefield. How you conduct yourselves will create your reputation, and how the enemy behaves towards you. Consider your treatment of captured, wounded and enemy dead, and act with intelligence.
Psychological:
Your treatment of enemy captured, wounded and dead bodies will create your reputation. Consider what you want that to be, and send messages as appropriate to the situation.
Outsiders:
Honor:
Behave honorably in your dealings with other groups, which will create reputation. You do not want to have to fight everyone.
Security:
Never let your guard down, or let a potential threat gain advantage over you.
Alliances:
Make alliances with other groups for mutual benefit. Gain a reputation for strength but also trustworthiness.
Recruit:
Suitable outsiders who have the potential to assimilate into the values of your group, and develop a place of trust.
PROTECT. DEFEND. SURVIVE.
Copyright Max Velocity Tactical 2017. All US and international rights reserved, 2017. You have permission to re-post or link to this material with attribution to Max Velocity Tactical and a link back to this post.