SCM REPORT: November 2017,       edited update: January 29, 2019                                                                                                    

 

PREAMBLE:

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Without a doubt yesterday - January 28, 2019, was both a bad and a sad day for LE. Having three officers shot in Denver Colorado and four in Houston Texas. Something has gone wrong in the way officers are being trained and the lack of follow-up training they are getting. Community policing and officer friendly can only do so much. There are times when officers must protect themselves and others, and initiate a hard action. It's a fact of life, and city administrators and command staff personnel need to understand this and stand behind their officers. However, the flip side to this is the national turn we have all seen wherein LE has been disrespected and targeted by celebrities, politicians, and  community activist with their own agendas. The parameters of restrictions on LE (community policing - with soft approach and handling) has given the reactionary edge advantage to the suspect or individuals they are dealing with. It is an insane way to conduct business. The result has been that too many of our officers getting killed or seriously hurt.

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                                                                      Combat Mindset: The Will to Win! 

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 I begin with a quote from Steven Pressfield's book, "Warrior Ethos."  He states the following, "The will to fight, the passion to be great, is an indispensable element of the Warrior Ethos. It is also a primary quality of leadership, because it inspires men and fires their hearts with ambition and the passion to go beyond their own limits."

 

The Will to Win, is having the ability to carry a focused mindset in believing in yourself, your mission, your team, and envisioning the outcome before it even happens.  Once the course of action is initiated, then follow through is imperative. USMC General AM Gray, remarks as it pertains to human will and its effect in battle,  - states, "War is a clash between opposing human wills, the human dimension is central in war. It is the human dimension which infuses war with its intangible moral factors. He then goes to remind us, "No degree of technological development or scientific calculation will overcome the human dimension in war. "

 

In truth, it is human will alone, that is the creator of one's combat mindset and gives it the focal intensity and driving force to win at all cost. It is the single greatest survival factor for a person who is thrust into the combat vortex and is at that driving point where one stands at the edge of the abyss facing lethal force. The choices at this point really are simple; succumb to the paralysis of overriding fear and terror, surrender yourself to whims of your aggressor, or fight through these forces with everything you have physically and mentally.  

 

This is exactly why you hear combat stories of our military men and women, and our police officers who after sustaining grievous wounds, manage through sheer mental "Will," to drive through the negative forces threatening them and not only survive, but "WIN" the encounter.              

 

 

REMEMBER

 

You cannot wish bad things away, call time outs, or have a do-over, when you've been thrust into the the combat vortex. The truth is, bad things are going to happen and your combat mindset had better be engaged so that all the bad stuff that happens, happens to the other guy and not you! Combat mindset ensures that when a point of action is required, even something as profoundly simple as pulling a trigger in .04 to .06 seconds (normal reaction time)  YOU CAN! Remember, it is imperative to maintain your weapon skills ( shooting ability and manipulation) as well as your tactical skills to the highest possible level of your overall abilities. If you don't think these skills are perishable, then you are a soft headed fool!

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NOTE:

(Reactive time study done by Fackler and Tobin)

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FINALLY

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Combat mindset is the accumulation of one's physical power and skill sets, combined with a person's elevated determined will which focuses on one single purpose  - WINNING! To be effective, a person must be able to discard any personal doubts or clouded uncertainties by burying them deep in their subconscious. 

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A person's determined will becomes the fuel source for the kind of focal intensity that allows a person to go to the tip of the spear and beyond - that is, the ability to use lethal, deadly force ...to KILL another!

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By:

 

Jack C. Perritt

Executive Director

Strike - CMC

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