[2] The U.S. military has often invoked an old saying, "No battle plan stands first contact with the enemy." This is a universal truism that is applicable to any military force, and translates (at least conceptually) to any language. It probably dates back in spirit 50,000 years, to the days of cave men running terrified from a well-planned battle, screaming, "They have clubs!" Unexpected things happen in battle, and situations change from what was planned. The same principle applies when planning for handling business disasters.