Militia communication protocols are the spoken and hand-signal habits that keep a message intact: say it short, name who it is for, send it once plainly, have the receiver repeat it back, and report any contact in a fixed order. A message passed by voice through 4 people who each get it right 9 times in 10 arrives right only 66% of the time, and read-back is what lifts that.
Part of Community Militia Training
Communication protocols are the agreed ways members speak, signal and report to each other in the field, so that messages are short, clear and checked.
Devices Are In Another Article
The instruments and codes (flags, horns, drums, the code table) are in Signal Systems and Communication. This article is about what members do with their voices, hands and memory within a squad and between posts, and what goes wrong when a message passes through several people.
Worked Example: A Message Passed Along A Line
Suppose each person in a chain passes a message on correctly with probability q. After n hops the message arrives intact with probability q to the power n. Example inputs (assumed, not measured): q = 0.9 and n = 4.
- 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 = 0.656, about 66%.
- With q = 0.95 and n = 4: 0.95^4 = 0.815, about 81%.
- With q = 0.9 and n = 8: 0.9^8 = 0.430, about 43%.
Fewer hands and a higher q both help, and both are within a militia’s control. Read-back raises q because errors are caught at the next person; short messages raise q because there is less to get wrong.
The Protocols
- Short. One thing per message. Long instructions are split.
- Named. Start with who it is for and who it is from: “Gate, from north post: …” An unnamed message is heard by everyone and acted on by no one.
- Once, plainly. Say it once at the speed of the slowest listener. Do not shout; ordinary conversation is audible at 100 to 200 m in still air (Noise Discipline), so use a low voice or hand signals when outsiders could be near.
- Read-back. The receiver repeats the message; the sender says “correct” or repeats it. A message is not received until it is read back.
- Contact report in a fixed order, the same six questions in every report: what, how many, where, which way it is moving, what it is doing, and since when. A fixed order lets a frightened sentry remember what to say.
- Facts, then guesses, each marked as such.
- Scheduled check-ins. Each post reports at fixed times. If a post misses one, the next level checks, and two misses start the overdue procedure. With check-ins every T minutes and a miss tolerated once, a silent failure is noticed between T and 2T minutes later; at T = 30 minutes, 30 to 60 minutes.
- A stop word and an alarm word. The stop word halts a drill or task instantly; the alarm word means the plan starts.
- One speaker to strangers. When strangers approach, one named member speaks and a second listens as witness. The challenge procedure is in Use of Force Guidelines.
- Silence after contact. Chatter masks sound. After a contact report, only essential traffic.
Method: Teaching The Protocols
Step 1: Teach the six-question report and make each member give one from an object placed in the view.
Step 2: Run a message-chain drill: a message passed along 4 people, read back or not, compared at the end.
Step 3: Practise in the dark and under noise (Stress Inoculation).
Step 4: Use plain words, not slang or abbreviations only some know.
Step 5: Record failures in the after-action review.
Diagnosing Failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Message acted on by the wrong person | No name at the start | Name the receiver first |
| Wrong detail arrives | No read-back, or too long | Split and read back |
| Two people reply at once | No rule on who answers | The named receiver only |
| Reports vary in order and detail | No fixed format | Teach the six questions |
| Stressed member forgets the format | Not drilled under stress | Stress drills (Decision-Making Under Stress) |
| Whispers heard by outsiders | Voice too loud | Hand signals or move closer |
Common Mistakes
- Relying on memory for a long message. Write it, or send a runner (Runner Systems).
- Telling the next person to pass it on, not naming the destination. Messages die in the middle.
- No acknowledgement. The sender does not know.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Equipment and Logistics — the kit and supply behind the people
- Combine with: Night Patrols — recognition and challenge in the dark