We are so fortunate in America. We have access to an inordinate amount and variety of training. If you want to learn how to patrol through the jungle like John Rambo, there is a school that you can do to. If you want to learn how to start a fire with wet tinder, there is a school you can go to. If you want to learn how to sharpen a stick with a rock, there is a school for that too. If you want to learn how to shoot 1” groups from distances that would make Carlos Hathcock jealous, good news. There is a school for that. If you want to learn how to hotwire cars, jump out of airplanes, pick locks, hack computers and clone cell phones like Jason Borne… great news! There is a school for that too! The only bad news is that with so many schools, attempting to prioritize the training that you intend to attend could become quite a chore. It is, nonetheless, possibly one of the most important choices and subsequent plans that you will have to make.
GENERAL BACKGROUND FOR THE BASIS OF PRIORITIZATION
At Hybrid Tactics are fortunate enough to have a host of people who are interested in providing for their own self-defense, and who happen to have an endless supply of questions about how to do that! Their continuing supply of questions helps us to keep motivated about retaining the knowledge that we have garnered. It also encourages us to do our best to keep up to date with the latest TTPs, equipment and training. All of this information we then utilize in order to help those with whom we speak to develop a plan of action for prioritizing the type of weapons training that they need.
We concentrate on developing the “mindset” that goes into the planning, conduct and evaluation of training. We have been fortunate enough to have been able to be placed in positions that necessitated the application of our training; thus verifying that what we’ve learned was relevant and applicable or not.
HOW SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES PRIORITIZE THEIR TRAINING
All special operations forces utilize a method to prioritize their training. This method is referred to as, Mission Essential Task List (METL). The Mission Essential Task List is a list of certain “musts” that have to occur in order to accomplish a mission. A few of the METL points for a Special Forces team might look like the following: or example:
§ Be proficient in speaking the language of the assigned country § Be proficient in both foreign and domestic small arms weapons § Be proficient in airborne operations
Each task of the above METL is then further broken down into “collective tasks”, which make up the METL. Whenever we speak with people about the training that they need, and how to prioritize their training, we utilize the exact same philosophy.
METL APPLIED TO CIVILIANS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, MILITARY AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
We often chat with a variety of people (friends, coworkers, clients, etc.) about the need for the prioritization of their training. When we have these conversations, we start by looking closely at certain aspects of their “METL”. These aspects are:
- Their current level of training and proficiency with weapons, their employment, and tactics.
- Their desired end state of training and objectives.
- Their actual (not perceived) needs.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT – “ACTUAL (NOT PERCEIVED) NEEDS”
From the above list, point # 3: “Their actual (not perceived) needs is quite possibly the most important aspect of this process. It is PARAMOUNT that each individual, agency, unit and that we understand what the true needs of those involved are.
For us, the driving force that we use to identify the needs is broken down into two aspects. Those two aspects are:
- (A) What is the Most Likely Engagement Criteria scenario for the individual, group or unit?
- (B) What is the Most Dangerous Engagement Criteria for the individual, group or unit?
HOW DOES “THE MOST LIKELY…” APPLY?
When we discuss the most likely engagement criteria, and the most dangerous engagement criteria, we are actually borrowing a page out of the military’s Military Decision Making Process. We modified it a bit to fit civilians, and law enforcement and other government agencies, but by application, it is still the same thought process.
So how does this process work? Very simply. Let’s take the law abiding, American citizen who works in an office, in no particular city. His name is John. We take reports from the news, internet, our experience, his life background (messy divorce, jealous ex-husband, etc.) and then walk through his average, and special event days. John has been married for 12 years, and has two wonderful children, a loving wife, goes to religious services each Sunday, has a stable, well-paying job and lives in a neighborhood with the lowest crime rate in the city. His company has no issues with clients, nor competition. However, one of John’s (internal) competing coworkers, “Aiden”, is a recovering alcoholic, and suspected drug user. Aiden has just been divorced, and lost custody of their children. Aiden has also been reprimanded multiple times over the last few months for missing timelines on projects, coming to work disheveled, not being prepared for briefings, etc. In order to mitigate damage to the company due to the Aiden’s mismanagement of accounts, the company has decided to shift some of Aiden’s workload to John, himself. This has left Aiden overtly upset with John. In fact, two weeks ago, Aiden stormed out of the office in a rage because of a perceived injustice where John was assigned another of Aiden’s projects. In addition, Aiden has been posting articles on social media about court system injustices, and the need to “take action” now.
BREAKING IT ALL DOWN
Now we take all of this information and break it down:
- Stable job
- Stable family life
- Lives in a city with a low crime rate
- Lives in a neighborhood with the lowest crime rate in the city
- Unstable coworker
- Potential alcohol and drug abuse from coworker
- Potential loss of coworker’s income due to poor performance
- Overtly expressed displeasure from coworker
- Coworker has social media posts regarding “taking action”
SEEING THE TRUTH FOR WHAT IT IS
First we identify the most likely areas of engagement in John’s life. These areas are:
- Internal family dispute
- Crime (pre-planned, or victim of circumstance)
- Terrorism (pre-planned, or victim of circumstance)
- Workplace hostility
Internal Family Dispute: Due to John’s stable home life, internal family dispute does not seem to be a high probability.
Crime: Due to John living in a low-crime city, and an even lower crime neighborhood, being a victim of crime is not high. It is higher, however, than a family dispute.
Terrorism: John lives in a normal city, is not affiliated with law enforcement or the military, or any significantly important resource management facility, so terrorism is low.
Workplace Hostility: Here is where a threat to John’s well being manifests itself. Aiden, without going into detail, has internal family issues, external workplace issues, and alcohol and drug use are potentially involved. These issues have manifested themselves with displeasure towards John.
PLUGGING IT IN
- (A) What is the (projected) “Most Likely Engagement Criteria” scenario for John?
- Workplace hostility
- (B) What is the Most Dangerous Engagement Criteria for the individual, group or unit?
- Workplace hostility at the place of employment.
- Residence hostility, directed against John and, or his family by a disgruntled coworker.
WORKING IT ALL OUT
We didn’t mention one little facet earlier. Sorry guys! John lives in the north, and is an avid biathlete. During the season, he attends and wins all of the local events in his
area. He also helps to coach a youth league biathlon club. John, however, doesn’t own a handgun or a rifle, other than the .22 caliber rifle that he uses for his biathlons. John’s eventual goal is to become a nationally recognized biathlete and to begin to write articles for a well-known blog that his friend hosts. Over the next year, John intends to travel and to participate in numerous world-class level training events in order to attain the level of proficiency that he desires in.
Applying all that we’ve learned about John’s life and what we project as being the “Most Likely, and Most Dangerous Engagement Criteria” in his life, we might make a different suggestion as to prioritizing his next year’s training plan.
PROJECTING A TRAINING PLAN
Based on the most likely and most dangerous engagement criteria relative to John’s life, we would encourage him to prepare himself and his family for hostilities based on his workplace’s environment. We would first suggest that John purchase a handgun for self-defense. A sample-training regimen would include:
- A basic handgun safety course for BOTH himself and his wife.
- A basic marksmanship course himself and his wife.
- A basic tactical shooting course for himself and his wife
- During the biathlon season, continue to engage in that sport
While we could really geek out here and go way down the rabbit’s hole, we’ll just pause for now. Don’t worry… We’ll come back to some really important aspects in the near future.
SUMMARY
While not everyone’s life is as clean cut and as crisp as John’s, the reality is that threat exists in all of our lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Special Forces NCO, or a clergyman, or a nurse at a hospital – Threat exists. It is real. One of our jobs is to help you find that threat and then to help you prioritize your training to meet that threat.
Krieger is a former Army’s Special Forces NCO. While a member of Special Forces Krieger was qualified as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18B), Special Forces Engineer Sergeant (18C), Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D), and Special Forces Operations Sergeant (18Z). Krieger deployed multiple times in support of counter-insurgency, counter-drug, and counter- terrorism objectives. He is a former instructor in the Department of State’s High Threat Tactics Course, and the Iraqi Field Immersion Training Course.
As a contractor for Triple Canopy, Krieger deployed as a designated defensive marksman for the Department of State’s Protective Security Detail, Baghdad, Iraq. As a contractor for Triple“ Krieger was assigned as a DDM, and as a Tactical Commander to the Long Range and Emergency Response” team. Krieger was also assigned to the United States Ambassador’s protective security detail, Baghdad, Iraq. Krieger is currently an unconventional asset protection and recovery agent, and an instructor for Hybrid Tactics. He can be reached by emailing him at: [email protected]