The Tactical Advantage: A Definitive Study Of Personal Small-Arms Tactics

TWO BASIC TACTICAL

One of the deadliest misconceptions in tactical circles is that a single operator can safely negotiate an entire area (indoor or outdoor) alone. This point is easy to illustrate when you realize that you cannot look in two directions at once, and searching alone often requires doing just that. A single operator must often turn his back on one danger area to search another. The rule is to avoid searching alone.

A police officer or tactical team member will have the option of calling for reinforcements to help in the search. An individual, such as a homeowner, generally does not have that luxury. If he is certain an invasion has occurred, he is better off to barricade himself in a "safe room" and lie in wait for the invaders to come to him. This way he can deal with them by surprise and from cover. The principles of military operations in urban terrain teach us that built-up areas overwhelmingly favor the defender over the aggressor. Thus, plan A for a private citizen/homeowner is to take a covered position and call the police. The same plan for a single police officer is to take a position of advantage outside and call for a backup or two.

But what if a homeowner is not sure enough to call the police? Reality tells us that a citizen who cries wolf at every little sound in the night will receive increasingly delayed police responses (if any at all). What if he isn't sure whether that sound of breaking glass was the cat knocking over a vase or something more sinister? Let's be honest-you probably won't call when you're not sure. Similarly, neither will you lie in wait with your Benelli Super-90 pointed at the triple-locked door, barricaded until the sun rises. Here's another more sobering consideration: what if that sound of glass breaking came from your child's bedroom on the other side of the house? I would go out into the darkness alone to make sure; unless you are a spineless liberal coward, so would you.

With that decision out of the way, I'll discuss some tactical principles that will help minimize the already considerable amount of danger. Remember the reason you are searching, because that will determine the intensity and method of your efforts. If you are simply investigating the sound of glass breaking at the far end of the house, you won't necessarily be looking into closets or under furniture-not yet anyway. You will be moving carefully and stealthily toward the source of the sound. On the flip side, what if that sound of glass breaking was followed by your child screaming and a stranger's foul language ordering her to shut up? You will be conducting a dynamic hostage rescue and be attacking the problem violently and aggressively. Just as you match the speed of your shooting to the difficulty of the problem at hand, so do you balance the level of aggressiveness and degree of speed to the tactical situation you face. Regardless of the type of search you conduct, these principles will help you immensely.

1. Use your senses to look for target indicators. Primarily, you will rely on your sight and hearing. Do not, however, dismiss the other senses. Your senses of smell and touch will provide essential data about the whereabouts of the enemy during your search.

Target indicators are anything that will point to the presence of an adversary. They are often categorized as shine, movement, sound, smell, shape, contrast, human sign, and tactical sign. Some things may be very obvious, such as the sound of a careful footfall on a creaky wooden floor, the reflection of a hidden adversary on a light fixture, a shadow on the floor in front of you, or even a gun muzzle protruding from around a corner. Target indicators may also be subtle, such as the sound of fabric scraping against a wall or the sight of an open door that was previously closed.

^{Use your senses to look for indications about where your adversary might be. Here the instructor takes a student through a room-clearing drill.}

^{Is this a target indicator? What does this tell you about the intentions of the person on the other side? How would you handle this?}

^{Do not produce any target indicators yourself. Here the author acts as a target during a dry-practice doorclearing drill.}

Target indicators may be olfactory as well. For example, the smell of a smoker in a nonsmoking residence is difficult to miss. Weapon solvent, cologne, body odor, and the more primal human scents may also alert you to the presence of a hostile.

Human sign and tactical sign are indicators left behind by a sloppy adversary. Fresh, muddy footprints on a clean rug, smoldering cigarettes in an ashtray, or palm prints on a foggy glass window are good examples of human sign.

Tactical sign are any indication that the adversay has modified his environment to his presence. An open window on a cool day, furniture stacked against a door, and booby traps are all examples of tactical sign. There arc others.

You may even feel the adversary's body heat as you search a close-quarters environment, such as a small hiding place. I experienced this firsthand during a search for a narcotics suspect. He'd fled our initial room assault and run to the rear of the house. After a meticulously s-l-o-w and thorough search, we reached the only room remaining: the bathroom. He'd been hiding in the cabinet under the sink for more than an hour, and I distinctly remember feeling his body heat emanating through the cracks in the door of the cabinet as I moved to open it. Too bad for him!

^{Do not assume that anything is clear until you have actually checked it.}

These subtle and not-so-subtle clues will be easily noticed if you are looking for them. They denote attempts at concealment by the target. They are hostile and dangerous indications that someone is there, hiding and perhaps waiting for you.

2. Avoid producing target indicators. Just as you seek target indicators during your search, you must strive not to produce them yourself. Searching a building for a hostile is 50 percent hunting and 50 percent avoiding being hunted. At such times, stealth is king! Unless you are forced to rush into a confrontation (for example, a stranger in your kid's bedroom), take it slowly, carefully, and methodically. Be quiet, be careful, move slowly, and handle each tactical problem individually. If you make an unintended noise, stop, look, and listen for about 60 seconds before proceeding.

^{Maximize your distance from potential danger areas-especially corners!}

3. Do not assume something is secure until you've checked it out yourself. Do not rationalize something that is out of place; check it out and be sure. I was once searching a residential area for an ax-wielding madman who'd tried to lobotomize a couple of citizens in the best Viking tradition. I was moving along the front of a residence with my backup man when we heard a slight metallic sound coming from the driveway area. After being alerted to the sound (audible target indicator), we began moving down the driveway. Halfway to the backyard that lay beyond it, we heard a clothes dryer operating inside the house. It sounded as though someone had forgotten to empty the change from his pockets before starting the dryer. We rationalized the sound as the metallic sound we'd heard and dismissed the possibility of the villain's presence. After a superficial scan of the yard, we retraced our steps to the street. As we reached the next driveway, our boy ran out into the street, away from us, ax in hand, from the yard that we'd just "cleared"! Luckily, everything turned out fine, but don't you make the same mistake. Remember: he dead sure or be dead.

^{Move tactically! The purpose of any movement is to allow your muzzle to cover the danger areas you encounter, as you encounter them.}

^{Keep your weapon in a position that will enable you to respond instantly to any threats.}

^{Pay attention to the basics when it comes time to shoot. The best tactics in the world will not help you if you cannot hit your adversary before he hits you.}

4. Maximize your distance from potential threats and minimize your exposure to them. Stay away from corners and any other area that you cannot see beyond as far as geography will allow. Do not let your muzzle (or feet) protrude into the unsecured space in front of you. Doing so will not only betray your position and intentions, but it may get your weapon snatched from you. It may even get you killed.

Do not allow your visual focus to wander from the direction your weapon is covering.

^{Except for special situations explained in the text, keep your eyes, muzzle, and potential target in line. This is the "three-eye" principle.}

^{Part of tactical training involves using realistic targets. The author explains the "center of mass" and "threat perception" concepts during an advanced tactics course.}

5. Move tactically. Keep your balance as you move from one problem to another. Keep your weapon in a position to fire instantly at any threat. The purpose of any tactical maneuver is to allow your muzzle to cover the potential danger areas as you encounter them. Observe the threeeye principle. This means that your weapon must be oriented toward whatever it is your eyes are looking at. Wherever your eyes go, your weapon must also go. Keep the weapon in a ready position or "hunting" attitude so that it does not obstruct your vision while you search. When moving through open areas, do so briskly but do not run unless you are already under fire. Move at a brisk walk unless approaching a specific danger area. When closing in on a potential danger area, move by using the Taylor-designed "shuffle step." Avoid crossing your feet at such times because it will impair your ability to respond in all directions.

6. When it is time to shoot, pay attention to the basics. My associates and I jokingly call these the "three secrets": sight alignment, sight picture, and trigger control. These "secrets" will allow you to get fast, solid hits on your adversary in the least time possible to keep him from doing the same to you. Remember, you cannot miss fast enough to make a difference. You cannot miss fast enough to win a gunfight. If you cannot hit on demand, all the tactics in the world will be of no use to you.

Whether you are a homeowner checking a noise at 03:00 hours, a police officer responding to a burglary alarm, or a SWAT member conducting a covert search, these principles will help minimize the danger and keep you one step ahead of your adversary.