Tactical — Not A Dirty Word

The word “tactical” has been co-opted by the sales industry and has largely lost its meaning.  Tactical is not just a word you attach to something to sell; its meaning has driven success for as long as humans have been around. It has nothing to do with your clothes or gear.  Tactics, as defined by Webster, encompasses several things, the most important to me being “adroit in planning or maneuvering to accomplish a purpose.” This applies to almost everything in life.  It is a mindset and a method of decision-making that can literally save your life. 

Chess for Cops

             My introduction to “tactical thinking” started in the 6th grade. It came from a teacher running the chess club.  Back then, chess was pretty popular, and as the 6th-grade “champion,” it had a strong influence on my life.  Without video games, you learned how to think through chess and other games. My older brother was into both, giving me an early start.  To win at chess, you must quickly think several steps ahead. 

Reacting to your opponent’s actions gives them the power to control or even direct your decisions. Masters of this game can plot out various scenarios almost from the first move to the game’s conclusion. 

Yes, you still must play the game, but no one wins at chess without thinking ahead.  The same can be said for those in business, the military, pretty much every walk of life. It is critical for a police officer or anyone making life-and-death decisions. While I practiced it throughout my career, it really came into play when I took over the SWAT team and when teaching other skills. Training officers to think tactically proved itself on the street time and again. This should be a large part of what you do as a trainer or teacher, regardless of what you teach.

 

 

Real World Application!

My lifelong obsession with martial arts training started in 1972. By the time I started my police career, I already had advanced degrees in several martial arts. Much of my life was spent training. An early instructor strongly emphasized tactical thinking when applying my training in a fight.  This experience led to me teaching arrest control and combatives.

Too often, officers would only use a singular technique (as taught) and fall apart when it did not work. Things change when your opponent wants to kill you. Rather than simply parroting what the academy taught, I made them think several moves ahead. This gave them options when their first technique did not work and when the “system” they used didn’t have a solution.

 

While some of that happens nowadays, it was rare in 1983. It was proven in the field with fewer injured officers and suspects. Officers had increased control over situations involving force. Seeing what you work on the street is one of the most rewarding things for an instructor. Later, as a sergeant, the complete use of force training became my responsibility.

 

 

Combatives, firearms for patrol and SWAT, plus force-on-force.  Running the SWAT team provided a greater venue for testing and application, which was something I did until my retirement.   

  

The perfect venue.

Force-on-force training was new, but it provided the perfect venue for “tactical” thinking. Most scenarios were a “shoot no shoot” problem, but we continued to add complexity.  Not only the first response but multiple moves after.  Not just moving to cover but where to go and what to do next.  What to do if another suspect appears? Or your gun malfunctions, your partner is injured or killed.  What options do you have when their behavior changes?  Even things as simple as what to do after you search someone and before you put them in your car.

 

Most importantly, it is important to integrate ALL of the officers’ tools, not just their firearms. Guns are a solution, not the only one, and often not the best. Everything you do as an officer starts a sequence of events; surviving requires you to prepare for the sequence, not just to start utilizing everything at your disposal.   

Improvements in non-lethal simulation weapons have taken scenario-based training to new heights and not just for police.  Gunsite Academy has added scenario-based training to most of its training, as have many training academies. Beyond using cover and concealment, they teach how to think tactically.  Some schools integrate firearms with hands-on and secondary weapons. Thinking several steps ahead results in better solutions while practicing with their tools.  It’s a concept proven through years of training and scientific study.  In my own experience, the learning curve is obvious: those with the most experience using a tactical mindset in training perform better in real life. 

 

 

Studies have shown that experienced officers see things new officers don’t. With their experience, they develop solutions immediately instead of having to learn them. Simply put, the more practice they have to solve problems tactically, the better the outcome will be when it’s real. 

           

Bottom Line?

 

 

Scenario-based training is critical in scenarios and on the range.  Thinking “tactically” requires practice and application in conditions as close to the real world as possible. Provide scenarios that require options, not just “if this, then that” decisions.  Having a situation play out for multiple decisions is ideal after training for what to do if one option fails.   

Remember, the process is more critical than the outcome. Outcome-based training has a place, but it is out of their control and yours when they move onto the street. You are teaching them how to think ahead, process information, and be decisive within context, not just to reach a “desired outcome.”

The better they are at this process, the more likely they will succeed in the field. Success with a result that keeps them alive to return to their loved ones is the best outcome you can ever have!