In addition to developing some online courseware for Forward Observer Dispatch, I’m going to enroll in a few free online course via Coursera. This is just one of many websites that features online courses from Yale, MIT, Stanford, and other great schools.
Analysts have two jobs: 1) arrive at accurate conclusions and 2) remove bias from our thinking. Intelligence is a thinking man’s game. If you take the time to learn how to improve thought processes, then your intelligence work can greatly contribute to your security, whether that’s defending against Leroy Jenkins in post-SHTF, or defending your rights, community, and state from the hard tyranny of regime warlords.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” – Sun Tzu
This is why we take the time to improve the intelligence functions of our operations. Intelligence drives the fight. Without intelligence, there are no operations. Why are we patrolling here? Because intelligence indicates the possible presence of bad guys. Why are we putting up surveillance here? Because our Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) says that the enemy may advance from this direction. Why are we kicking in this door? Because this bad guy lives here. It all comes back to intelligence collection and analysis.
