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OCOKA – Advanced Terrain Analysis Through a Tactical Lens

June 11, 2024

OCOKA – Advanced Terrain Analysis Through a Tactical Lens

Part VIII of the Complete Navigation Field Guide

We are delving deep into understanding how to move across the land in our ongoing series, the Complete Navigation Field Guide. It’s crucial to understand that part of our learning here is to train ourselves now so that we can have more resilient communities during times of emergency, crisis or societal disruptions. To aid in that effort, today we will look closely at a framework called OCOKA to better understand tactical terrain analysis.

The realm of military strategy includes some invaluable knowledge about understanding terrain. One of the most established frameworks for terrain analysis is OCOKA, an acronym that stands for Observation and Fields of Fire, Cover and Concealment, Obstacles, Key Terrain, and Avenues of Approach. Developed through centuries of military experience, OCOKA provides a structured approach to assessing and utilizing terrain to gain strategic advantages.

OCOKA’s origins can be traced back to ancient warfare, where commanders recognized the importance of terrain in shaping the outcomes of battles. From Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” to Carl von Clausewitz’s “On War,” military theorists have long emphasized the critical role of terrain in strategy. Over time, these ideas coalesced into the formalized concept of OCOKA, which is now a staple in military training and operations worldwide.

There is a ton of information you could read about the history, but let’s forgo that and get right into what OCOKA means in military as well as collapse terms.

Breakdown of OCOKA Components

I. (O) – Observation and Fields of Fire

Definition and Significance Observation refers to the ability to see the surrounding area, including enemy movements and activities. Fields of fire pertain to the range and angle from which a force can effectively engage the enemy with direct fire weapons. Both observation and fields of fire are crucial for assessing threats and effectively utilizing weaponry.

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Winter Survival: How to Navigate in the Snow

February 21, 2018

Winter Survival: How to Navigate in the Snow

[Editor’s Note: As winter rages on, it brings to highlight the importance of knowing how to navigate in snow and extreme winter weather. The worst-case scenario in this winter emergency is not knowing the terrain and getting so lost you succumb succumbing to exposure and possibly starvation because you don’t have the equipment necessary for survival. Author, Jeremiah Johnson has outlined the essentials on how to navigate in the snow and what equipment you will need to protect yourself from exposure.]

ReadyNutrition Readers, I have written several articles in the past on land navigation fundamentals and the importance of those basics.  Most of those basics still hold true in the “Winter Wonderland” of the snow and ice: those basics merely need to be modified for the changes of the season.  Once again, as with all things I recommend to you to practice these techniques and familiarize yourself with them prior to something coming up…a significant event where you must do it.  Practice does make perfect, and repetition promotes a good follow-through.

That being said, how hard is it to navigate during the winter?  Well, it is tougher in several perspectives.  First, with snow blanketing the landscape, the appearance of the terrain is changed.  Secondly, the landscape is also physically altered: it is a different thing to walk across six inches to several feet of snow.  Right now, where I live, I have almost three feet of snow on the ground.  The winter weather conditions are another item: it’s a far cry from a summer stroll when you walk into a cold wind that is throwing sleet right into your face in the middle of February.

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Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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