Understanding the Terrain – Your Brain
Recently, I had the opportunity to take Understanding the Terrain: An Overview of Brain-Based Tactical Training Design from Dustin Salomon. It is focused on developing training that works better with our brains. The shooting portion uses the NUROs that Salomon designed. They were mentioned in a previous article HERE.. Essentially, they are a very smart shoot timer and laser projector. Who Is This Guy? Salomon is a US Naval Academy graduate who started in [...]
Where Did These Words Hurt You?
Anytime two or more shooters get together, there will be disagreements, discussions, or differences on something, just like with any other group. The discussions between those shooters can be more spirited because of their emotional attachment to certain phrases. Let’s look at a few of them, shall we? Don’t Look [...]
Where Are They Taking My Gun? — Post-Shooting Forensics
Whether you work for a department having civilians or sworn in charge of your forensic investigation unit, there are certain common denominators throughout the country. Understandably, no matter what the circumstances of an officer’s shooting are, he or she will be justifiably upset, anxious, stressed, or worse. Now, let’s give [...]
The Significance Of S.H.I.T.T.
Perhaps the most gratifying thing a police supervisor can hear is one of his officers telling another, “Yeah, the sarge really has his shit together,” or any of those other scatological allusions which convey the message that you are a master of your craft — and your troops recognize and [...]
August is Shooting Sports Month
Do you know what month it is? If you answered August, you are correct. However, you are not completely right. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), has designated August as National Shooting Sports Month. Why does that matter at American COP? In an era when law enforcement continues to [...]
Command Posts
Coordinating And Containment — Simplified “All that it takes for evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” Henry David Thoreau might not have been referencing command posts when he said that, but he could have been. Depending on who’s in charge, their level [...]
Off The Beaten [Training] Path: Wisdom Is Where You Find It
When I was promoted to sergeant in 1974 I went from Investigations back to Patrol and took over a squad on the graveyard shift. The squad’s senior officer, I learned, was Gene Chouinard. He had been a San Diego cop for only 4 years less than I had been alive. [...]
The Walking Wounded
Stepping out of the car is the only viable option for drawing from a front pocket holster. I’m going to put you in a boot for a month,” the doctor said with a frown when she took her first look at my swollen ankle. Thus began my [...]
Six Shots For Six Sergeants
This came out of a scratch gathering of sergeants, discussing the drumbeat of petty details, the constant “white noise” and perpetual distractions that plague the job, and their worst effect: distracting them from the core elements of their responsibilities. One of their suggestions was to write up a simple “bullet [...]
Teacher Or Instructor … Which Are You?
Look back to your youth and ponder your school days. Did you have teachers you admired, who made the learning process fun and exciting? Could you see their passion for the subject and did they pass it on you? I did. Now think of the teachers you didn’t like — [...]
Some Simple Sergeant’s Rules
I was asked if I had some “simple rules” for success as a sergeant; dealing with issues other than training, tactics or administrative stuff. Many years ago, after reading Benjamin Franklin’s personal rules, I came up with sets of “Always” and “Never” statements, kept them close at hand, and tried [...]