Outpost of Freedom blog

Our Security Team

Gary Hunt
Outpost of Freedom
May 10, 2009

Back in about the middle of 1992, a number of us had gotten together.  We were concerned over the future of America and wanted to be prepared for the changes that we expected to come.  Five of us (all men) met and decided to establish a network that could act to protect ourselves and provide aggressive action, if necessary.

We used to meet every Thursday, for lunch.  All would meet at my office and then we would pick a restaurant, rather randomly, so as to minimize the possibility of establishing a pattern that would leave us open to surveillance during our meetings.  Upon arrival at the restaurant, we observed all who come, after our arrival.  Not so much that we were concerned, at the time that we might be watched, rather, to establish a habit so that we were less likely to be subject to scrutiny during our future meetings.

After the third or fourth meeting, one of the members (George Sibley) asked if his common law wife (Lynda Lyon) could become a member, as well.  It was decided that we would have an answer by the next meeting.  We had decided that, once we were established, we would open the door to no new members.

I had not met Lynda, nor had two of the others.  George and the other member, however, had spoken very highly of her, so, by the next meeting, she was brought in to the group.  The decision had been made at the office, so she joined us at that meeting.  Now, we were six.

Something that that we had been discussing and working on developing was creating cells under leadership of each of the members.  Each member could enlist cell members, up to seven in number, which would be subordinate to that member.  George & Lynda opted for a single cell.  Cell members would be recruited, trained, understand that there was a larger unit, but no information about who, where, or anything else, which might jeopardize the other cells, was ever to be presented to the cell members.

Each member was to train his cell, as he saw fit.  We began, however, to work on standardizing the training, so that the best ideas of each of our members could be incorporated into the overall scheme.

We discussed how we would come together in the event that circumstances warranted it.  We picked a location in a heavily forested area northwest of Orlando for the meeting place.  We had arranged our communications so that if that meeting was ever called, by voice communication and contingent signals that we were to meet.

We discussed the possibility of infiltration of the cells.  It was decided that, if we were called up, once the cell was brought together, and long before they had any idea where the meeting place was, that any observable attempt at delay, communication or suspicious activity would warrant the immediate ‘dismissal’ of that cell member.  The whole was too important to observe any rules of etiquette or justice in assuring that all laws done to best provide for the protection of the whole.

George and Lynda began publishing a magazine called “Liberatus” (http://www.outpost-of-freedom.com/liberatus.htm ) and I was setting up to begin a newspaper, “Outpost of Freedom” (http://www.outpost-of-freedom.com ).  The others, their names, functions, etc., are not relevant to the remainder of this story.  But, as a concern over whether there would be any attempt to ‘cause trouble’ for any of us, we set up a “dead man switch” phone system, so that if it was suspected that anyone was doing anything risky, or had reason to be concerned, the dead man system was activated.  The persons that we were concerned about would have to contact a designated member, at regular intervals.  That interval would be set, as was deemed best serve the situation.  Provision was made for night time, and sleep.  If the member did not make the call by the required time, the designated contact person would contact the others and efforts would commence to find, or find what happened to the concerned about member.

As it was, I went to Waco on March 5, 1993.  My writings (fax network) were going out to, perhaps, ten thousand people, every night.  We know that we riled the FBI, because they excluded me from Press Conferences after March 21.  Unlike the regular networks, we were contacting Davidians who were no in jail or Mt. Carmel, and digging in to the actions of the FBI.

On April 21, I returned to Florida.  The Security Team had my schedule, and arranged for three members, armed, to be in the airport, outside of the security area, to provide for my protection on returning from Waco.  Though, as it turned out, the Team wasn’t necessary, the exercise was a good one in that it showed that we could and would respond, should the need arise.

My first night back, George and Lynda spent the night with me in a motel, as an additional precaution.

The next day, the dead man calling system was implemented.  I was required to call the designated person every half hour, for the first two days back.  Then we shifted to 1 hour intervals for two days.  Finally, we determined that the need for the calling system no longer existed.

We never did have to call an alert, to gather in the woods with our respective cells.  But, we were able to develop, and test a system to see how it worked.  We found deficiencies, and corrected them.

Though I have only touched on some aspects of the Team, our development was much broader than it appears.  The whole exercise was an invaluable lesson, and one that might provide some ideas to those of you who wish to pursue some sort of organization for your own protection.