TAP-RACK Tactical

Upcoming Training -

Carbine / Subgun User course, Klamath Falls, OR. Sept 27-29 - $350

October - Closed Course, Clatsop County Oregon

November - Carbine / Subgun Instructor, Auburn, WA. Nov. 1-5 - $550

December - Hostage Rescue Course, Bend, OR.  Dec. 8-10 - $350

If you're interested in any of the courses above are want to host training and get free spots for your team, give me a call or send an e-mail and we'll get you squared away.

I was fortunate enough to receive one of the new Tru-Spec tactical uniforms to T&E. Kevin Cain from Atlanco hooked me up with the uniform, I initially gave him the wrong size and he was very quick to replace it with the correct size. I have had other dealings with Kevin and they have been excellent as well. So props to him.

The uniform he sent was OD and I believe they will be available in different colors like the rest of their. The uniform should be available for sale some time this month. I was impressed with the stitching and the fabric. I am not a tailor, I am an end user so I don't know much about the sewing game.

The shirt fits great with plenty of room through the shoulders. The pockets are positioned correct and I like that they can be accessed either with velcro or with a zipper. With kit on I can reach inside my vest and keep stuff in the zipper section of the pockets. I carry my Ops plan and I often refer to the entry line up to ensure accountability of personnel and the equipment they brought to the job. The shirt came with a commanders arm band sewn directly to the sleeve. I tried to like this feature but ultimately cut it off. I like being able to roll my sleeves up a couple of folds and the arm band did not allow that. If you like using one and have a need for it, it's a pretty cool feature. The back and shoulder area are made from a different material that is more breathable. There is a billow on the back to allow ventilation. The cuffs are comfortable when sleeves are down and the mandarin collar is a mandatory feature. In short, the shirt is comfortable and well designed.

The pants are very much like the 24/7 instructor pants. The addition of the exterior heavy duty fabric on the knees is excellent. The tag says it is called "Superfabric" and it does a good job of prtoecting the knees even without the neoprene pads. The pants did not come with neoprene pads but I added some from another pair I had. During a course I was teaching the material did get a small 1/4" cut, but I was kneeling on rough cut rocks nad getting there from standing quickly. Very sharp stuff.

The waist band is super comfortable with hidden elastic system. If you have worn the 24/7's you know this is the most comfrotable waist band ever. I like the zipper fly and the snap waist closure. Again good stitching and the material is comfortable. The cargo pocket has the side zipper feature as well and the cuffs are zippered to mid calf. There was a large piece of fuzzy velcro sewn inside one of the front pockets. I cut that out because it felt bulky, YMMV. The back pockets are a "billow" type of design, sorry don't know the correct terminology.

I have worn the uniform during woodland training, on numerous firearms training days, during a breaching course, ballistic shield course, patrol procedures training day, and a bunch of Simunition hits. The uniform has held up very well for the amount of punishment and washings it has received.

I like the pants so much I will be buying several sets when they are available for use during all of my training courses. I highly recommend this uniform, you can see pictures of the uniform here .

Subgun/Carbine Instructor - Auburn, WA. August 23-27. Still openings in this course, shoot me an e-mail or call if interested.

I am working on a custom course that will be hosted by Clatsop County, Oregon. It will be a hybrid class that will be a mix of SWAT and Patrol Leadership scenarios. Classroom based, but with plenty of practical exercises and table tops to keep you thinking. Dates are being worked out now.

As always, if you want free training for your men, contact me about hosting a course. It is quite easy to host and you get two free spots in the course for your team.

I have been busy in the month of July and have been slow to post my thoughts on products. I finished a shield course and was able to get a Lasermax guide rod laser for T&E. The Lasermax is easy to install and it is bright! The Laser pulses so it is easy to pick up under full daylight. It was activated with an indexed trigger finger, in my case with the Glock the take down bar is replaced and becomes the switch. The only downside was that it cannot be turned off with one hand, so if your holding the shield you would have to holster with the laser activated. I don't think this would be a big deal. For muzzle down carrying, you can direct the laser into the back of the shield to prevent yourself from being targeted by the laser bouncing around. One guy in the class had an MX6 light/laser mounted to his pistol. When shooting from contact ready, recoil would knock the switch into the shield, effectively turning the laser off during firing. He was able to modify his hold to prevent this from happening, however I prefer the trigger guard to be firmly planted on the shield to help prevent malfunctions. If this is really unclear, send me an email and I'll try to clarify.

I have been shooting the crap out of my pistol with the Warren tactical sights. They ARE the best sights out there. The front sight literally explodes into view, during a recent training class I was able to see the front sight during it's entire travel through recoil. This ability makes follow up shots so much faster. I tried to do this with a diffrerent pistol wearing 3-dot sights, I could not do it. ALL of my guns will be wearing Warren sights as soon as practical, they are the cats ass.

The KG gun oil and trigger lube has been working outstanding. I will be running another 700 rounds through the rifle tomorrow, I don't expect any hiccups using the lube. The cleaning portion is still the best I have seen/used.

Last, I will be trying an Elzetta weapon light from www.tacticalleds.com . If you are interested their products, contact me for an online coupon code to get a discount. Their new website is up & running and it is much easier to navigate. I will be reporting on the Elzetta as soon as I get it mounted up.

Last, I visited the new Rainier Arms store yesterday and it is a nice place. Congratualtions to those guys for getting the store up & running. Their customer service is second to none and the prices are decent. They are having a grand opening this weekend so if your in the area stop by and throw your name in the hat for some great giveaways.

Be good, to be safe. 

Upcoming Training

Aug. 23-27, 2010. Subgun/Carbine Instructor, Auburn, WA. This is a short notice course due to the Woodburn course being cancelled. Auburn PD has graciously stepped up to host the training and hopefully we can make this one a go. If you're interested send me an e-mail or call and I'll get you the information needed to attend. Tuition is $550 and you will need 2500 rounds of .223. Yeah, I know it's a lot, but you'll probably bring some home.

The breaching course in Bellingham went pretty good. The facilities were good for this course and we had plenty of doors to ram, pry and shoot. All of the guys in the class were top notch and they did a great job keeping safe. A big thanks to Royal Arms again for supporting the oucrses with demo rounds for the students to shoot. We were lucky to have a steel exterior door with a steel bar as a locking mechanism. The Royal Arms HP cutter round made short work of it. The Flash-Bang made a big impression as they always do, those things are simply the cats-ass.

I attended training this weekend as a student. I have recently acquired a Glock 17 since so many guys are using Glocks in my classes. I went to an Aim Fast, Hit Fast course taught by Todd Green of www.pistol-training.com It was a great class and Todd is an excellent instructor. I would certainly recommend his training to anyone. The point of this post is to mention that this was the first opportunity I have had to give the Warren Tactical sights a good workout. I truly believe they are the best sights I have ever used. More on that this weekend since I will be using the sights this week at a shield class and a clsoed course with handgun and rifle updates for a local PD.

I have also switched to a Blue Force Gear SOC-C belt and it is a great piece of kit. Very comfortable and carries my standard range load very nicely. Again more on that as I get a chance to put it through some classes.

Be good, to be safe.  

Upcoming Training -

Mechanical/Shotgun Breaching - July 14 & 15, Bellingham. The class on 12 & 13 is FULL.

Ballistic Shield User - July 21-22, Sumner, WA.

Select/Semi fire Instructor in August. Woodburn, OR.

I am working on a Rifle/Subgun Instructor in the Auburn, WA. area in September of this year. I will post dates when they are settled.

Had a range day on Friday and finally got the opportunity to pull triggers for a good period of time. Worked on both pistol and rifle. Ended up shooting approximately 500 rounds of .223 adn I felt pretty good with both guns. I recently purchased a G17 and spent some time with that getting a feel for the trigger.

I have been reading alot about the need to NOT clean weapons. As long as they are lubed they will continue to run, I agree with this and have seen plenty of dirty, wet guns continue to operate. I do like cleaning my gun after heavy range days for a couple of reasons.

First - I want to feel confident that my guns will work on the day. This is a personal issue and knowing the gun is clean AND lubed makes me feel better. Bear in mind that "clean" is subjective, my version may look dirty as hell to some people and sparkly to others.

Second - A good cleaning is also a means to inspect parts for wear and or damage. It also lets me find broken parts. As an example, I decided to pull my fire control parts out to get the gunk out and relube. To my surprise, the trigger pin was broken in half. The gun was still working, but obviously I would not want to start a fight with it in that condition. This is not the first time I have found broken parts on a cleaning inspection that did not cause the gun to stop working. Ejector springs, extractor springs and extractor hooks have also been located.

Last, wear patterns may indicate issues that are coming soon and it is a good time to replace parts. Recognize that I am talking about 30 minutes of cleaning/inspection tops! This is not some insanely long process with micrometers, buffing compounds and a 100X microscope!

To this end, I recently obtained a multitude of cleaning products from KG. To be honest I was not expecting much, I figured their stuff would clean and lube as advertised, but nothing jaw-dropping. I was thoroughly and pleasantly shocked. I used the KG-1 and KG-2 as directed for the chamber and bore. I also used the KG-1 on a rag for the BCG. Carbon, grime and residue literally falls off. Spray everything down with KG-3 to remove all the junk. My chamber is literally a mirror! It is truly the fastest, best cleaning system I have ever used. Several of the guys used other products and they weren't even close to the results I had. This included using a sonic cleaner for some and another, well known companies stuff. The KG-4 oil and KG-5 trigger lube were also used to finish things up. I will report more on the lubes next month after I get a chance to heat the gun up a few times.

As always, I do not work for KG and do get anything fom KG. There stuff works very, very well and it is reasonably priced. Do yourself and your guns a favor and check them out.  http://www.kgcoatings.com/

Be good, to be safe.

Upcoming Training -

Basic SWAT - June 21-25, Lebanon, Oregon

Mechanical/Shotgun Breaching - July 12 & 13 and July 14 & 15. Bellingham, WA.

Ballistic Shield User - July 21 & 22, Sumner, WA.

Rifle/Subgun Instructor - August 23-27, Woodburn, Oregon.

I have a couple of closed courses in there but still have time available to run a course or two this year. If you want some training with free tuition in your area, get in touch with me and we can set something up.

I recently field tested a new uniform from Tru-Spec and I liked the suit a lot. Tru-Spec has been working hard to turn out quality clothing for the end user. This new uniform is no exception. The jacket has all the standard features you would expect from a current battle top. Pockets where you need them with zippers and velcro, mandarin collar and great shoulder room for shooting. The shirt has a commanders arm board sewn onto the left sleeve and I did not like that feature. Others will love it. The pants are great as well, for those that have the Tru-Spec instructor pants already, the waist design is the same. It has a hidden elastic band and they are very comfortable. Even the fat kids will like this. The knees have a pad pocket but they are also covered on the exterior with an abrasion resistant material called "Superfabric". I recommend the uniform and think they did a great job with it.

I will be testing a set of Warren tactical sights on my G17 over the next few months and look forward to putting a bunch of rounds downrange with them. I have been reading good reviews and figured it was time to give them a try. I may also expand this site and start to sell select products and items that I use and endorse. I will also have samples at classes for guys to buy on the spot.

Last, if you aren't getting enough training, look at the man in the mirror. If you haven't done something to day to improve your survivability, go do it. Dry fire, dry reloads, PT, read, something to improve your skill sets so that when it happens your ready. I obviously like it when guys sign up for training courses, but training doesn't always have to be in a formal venue. Do work and it will pay off.

I have been expanding the trauma aid section of some of my courses if it is applicable to the course. I obviously don't try to talk about in skill specific courses like shield user or breaching. We have improved alot in this area as far as equipment goes, innovations like the RMT tourniquet make acquiring easy to use, easily trained items fool proof and bordering on negligence not to have. The RMT can be found at www.m2inc.com. It is a great tourniquet and the owner, Michael Moran, has done a great job of updating, refining and improving the product for the end user. In my opinion, it is the best tactical tourniquet on the planet. 

Tactical Medical Solutions also makes their outstanding OLAES bandage. It is an all-in-one pressure dressing that does everything you need in one package. There are other dressing and bandages out there, but again the OLAES is easy to train, easy to use and everything you need for most penetrating trauma. www.tacmedsolutions.com.

I threw the negligence word out there, and alot of cops will immediately think about the agencies responsibility. I agree that the cop shop should provide this stuff for us. But what about your personal negligence? Don't you owe it to yourself, your family and your agency to be prepared? The family aspect is obvious, but the agency has already spent alot of money to train and equip you with a bunch of cool stuff. In the current economy it may be tough to buy additional equipment or update the first aid equipment you already have. With that in mind, don't you think you can afford to buy something that might SAVE YOUR LIFE! For less than $50 you can buy an RMT and an OLAES. The RMT easily fits in a pocket so it is always with you on the job. The OLAES can easily be thrown in a pocket for specific calls and at least it is always as close as your equipment bag. There is much debate about cops applying these items to citizens, liability and so forth. If we truly believe that part of our job is to help, then the answer on whether or not I would provide aid is obvious.

There is no doubt that I will survive being shot or stabbed. Having some items on hand that will help ensure that are a no brainer to me. I am fortunate that my agency and team provide these items. Prior to that being the case, I carried these items in my Tac vest. I wanted to be able to take care of myself, my teammates and citizens if I could. $50 is cheap insurance, and probably equates to one dinner and a few beers. If I am shot I probably won't be thinking about how good that steak was vs. wishing I had something on hand that could stop the bleeding. Do the right thing and get the stuff you need. 

As always, if you are interested in any training please reach out by e-mail or call.

Upcoming training events:

Shield User Course, Fife Wa. July 2010

Mechancial / Shotgun Breaching, Bellingham. July 2010

Basic SWAT School, Lebanon, Or. June 2010

Subgun/Rifle Instructor, Woodburn Oregon. August 2010

I am also teaching several closed courses in the next few month but have some time in my schedule if you are interested in hosting or having a closed course. If you are interested in any of the ocurse above, please shoot me an email or call for details.

I just finished a shield user course in Richland and it was a good group of guys. That course is physically taxing, since the shields can get pretty heavy over two days of holding them. Nobody bitched and they trained hard the entire time.

I was able to test a shield light that is made as an aftermarket addition for shields without lights. It is very lightweight and produces 520 lumens of good light. It has several features within the switch to include a strobe, momentary and on-off. The cable from the battery pack to the light is wrapped in stainless stell braiding to make it tough. The light did take several impacts from F/X marking cartridges and the exterior lens cracked. The light continued to work, but for heavy marking cartridge use, the light would have to have a secondary cover made of plexiglass. Any hardware store would have this in stock and it would cost pennies to make and attach with velcro.

Overall I was impressed with the light and would buy it if I was using a shield w/out a light. The brand used was FoxFury and they are available from tacticalleds.com.

I am teaching a ballistic shield users course in Richland, WA. in April. There are still some spots left in the class but it is filling up quickly. If you're interested, please get in touch with me. 

I am teaching a closed course in Wyoming in May, and then I have a Basic SWAT course in Lebanon, OR. in June. If you want to attend the Basic SWAT course, there is still room but I have started to get registrations for that course as well. 

I have several closed courses going in the summer and I am trying to schedule time and facilities for two breaching courses in Bellingham, WA. I also have an open Rifle/Subgun Instructor course in Woodburn, Oregon in September. If you are interested in any of these courses or if you would like to host training, let me know and we can work out the details. 

I have been incorporating Trauma First Aid into some of my courses. I recently did a Hostage Rescue course in Spokane and I think the Medical portion was well received. I will be expanding this section into most of the tactical courses because I believe it is super critical. There are a lot of guys who still do not carry individual first aid kits or the stuff they are carrying is antiquated. This has to change in our industry, not just for SWAT but patrol as well. I have seen improvements, but we aren't quite there yet. For the guys that are carrying aid kits, the training component doesn't seem to be there. Alot of times in training, I see guys touch the "wound" and say something like, "OK, he is bandaged up" without actually doing it. The same with a TQ. We need to force guys to conduct proper medical on injured teammates, civilians and suspects. If they aren't doing it training, they won't react properly in real life. I can't imagine a team breaching a door, stepping into a house and saying "OK it's clear". You do it so that you get better.

Here are some of the issues that will come up:

Gear placement, can the guys get to their stuff? Don't think that a teammate will be able to assist, if they can that's great, but what if they can't?

Proper technique, do the guys even know how to use the stuff that they have been given?

Can they do it with gloves on, fake blood and in the dark instead of stripped down, dry and in a well lit classroom?

Can they make proper assessment and evac. a downed officer.citizen from a bad spot?

These are just a few issues to consider, and like most things they get easier with training. Force medical onto your team, it may save a life someday. That life might be yours.

Be good, to be safe.

It has been awhile since I wrote something, partly because the new year has been busy. The other reason is that I don't make this as big of a priority as I should. I think about writing stuff, I tell myself I'm going to do it and then I fall down.

This coincides with what I'm going to write this month. During the course of providing training, I will invariably hear from guys that they don't get support from Admin, they don't get enough training time and they don't get enough in the way of manpower, equipment or bullets. Well, quit whining and do something about it!

My personal level of proficiency has nothing to do with what the my team or department thinks is appropriate. Everybody has different opinions on what is "enough". My team gets more training time than most teams in the region I work. It still isn't enough. I touch my guns for short duration dry fire, reloads and malfunction clears on my DAYS OFF. Holy crap, did I just say that I spend my own time training? If I believe that gun skill will keep me, a teammate or a citizen alive, then don't I owe it to everyone to do as much as I can to stay proficient? The answer is an obvious yes, but if I ask guys what they do on their own there are vey few who say they do anything.

When are you good enough? The answer is never. So, quit bitching about what you don't have or don't get and do something. Make the commitment to yourself to improve as often as possible. Dry fire is free, surely there is an hour somewhere in your week where you can touch your guns and practice. Physical fitness doesn't require a gym membership. It just requires you to move your out of shape ass. Your age, assignment and family life are simply EXCUSES. Read professional magazines, books and websites that exercise the brain.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. I'm gonna watch the game, eat some chicken wings and pizza and spend some time with family. I already worked out this morning, I checked out some websites with an eye toward gear and weapon drills, and I finally got off my dead ass and wrote something in the blog. I'm going to spend 30 minutes after the game doing dry, speed and tactical reloads with my rifle. What will you do today?

Happy New Year to everyone. If you're reading this you're still alive and that is a blessing in anyone's book. The Pacific NW has suffered terrible traqedies in the las quarter of this year and we just finished the service for Deputy Kent Mundell who was killed in the line of duty. RIP to all and condolences to the families.

My 2010 calendar is filling quickly, I will be teaching a closed course in Alaska in a few weeks ands I'm looking forward to it. I have several open courses in the first quarter including some late comers.

Fife, Washington will be hosting a SWAT team leader course at the end of February. The course information is on the CJTC and WSTOA websites or you can just e-mail me for information.

Spokane County is hosting a Hostage Rescue and a Mechanical/Shotgun breaching course in March. The breaching course is FULL, there are still a few spots left in the HR course. Same sites and contact info.

Richland PD just signed up to host a Ballistic Shield User course. This course is not specific to any brand, we will cover all the hard shields and blankets that are out there. Strengths and weaknesses of all will outlined. I believe I have completely recovered from the shield beating a Richland Officer gave me the last time I taught this course over there, so I should be ready.

I have openings in April and beyond so if you want the free spots, please contact me to talk about hosting. It really is a great way to get training for your men at no cost.

Last, I want ogive props to some industry professionals that have helped with fundraisers for families of the fallen officers. I am fortunate to be involved with some fundraisers for the families of fallen officers in our region. These are training based and all proceeds are going toward the families. I have asked for and received donations from some really good people and companies. I would like to give thanks to:

Magpul Industries - makers of great rifle furniture. Drake at Magpul stepped up and donated a bunch of PMAGS, I know they have done more than this.

Tacticalleds.com - John Moyer did not hesitate to donate a Jetbeam RRT-2 for the cause.

Danner Boots - Drew Linth and Cameron Grant have agreed top donate certificates for their products.

There are others as well and I will post up their information after the next fundraiser on Feb 27. I sincerely appreciate their help, I know the guys whose names I have posted don't want that individual recognition, but they are good guys and I felt compelled to do so. PLease support these companies, their products speak for themselves. Their giving and caring commitment to Law Enforcement should not go unnoticed.

As always, please reach out by e-mail or phone if I can help you with anything.

I think we can all agree that redundancy in certain systems has been and can be a lifesaver. As good patrol cops most of us carry a second firearm and/or an edged weapon. Hopefully these items are being carried and there placement has been well thought out, rehearsed and practiced to give you a layered or tiered response to a threat.

I recall going to range training while on grave shift years ago. I did the drills or practice that I wanted to do, cleaned my pistol and conducted a function check like I always do. I went back on the street and worked for about another month before I came back to the range to practice. I drew my pistol and pulled a dead trigger. The gun did not work and on closer the inspection, the trigger return spring had broken. The trigger was not flopping around so the spring was intact until I pulled it. That pressure broke it, and it would have been a really crappy way to start to a gunfight. As usual, I was carrying a backup gun and that thought gave me some comfort. My primary pistol was a good quality service weapon with a great reputation for reliability. It simply broke after thousands of rounds, but it drives home the point about having a layered system. Most SWAT guys enter with a rifle and handgun so this is not as important. If you are a shield guy and you are only carrying one pistol, you might think about having a second DUTY pistol assigned to you and then carry it on missions.

Now to the topic of lights. I have an issued flashlight that is rechargeable and it always rides in my patrol car. I have a second small light that I carry on my belt in case the big one fails, or I bail out and don't have time to grab the big light. I am not issued a backup light, so like most guys I have had to buy one. Some of them are very expensive and without sticking to propaganda, they do fail like any other mechanical device. Batteries, bulbs, and switches will go without warning. Regardless of manufacturer, all of them will fail at some point.

I have been field testing a bunch of small lights that were provided by John Moyer at tactical leds. You can get to their website by going to my home page, click the "links" page and then hit their logo. I have been using an Olight M30 as a primary for quite some time. This thing is blazing out 700 LUMENS at it's highest setting. It has a good focused beam that also floods an area and the run time is amazing. The tailcap has a great interface with a "clicky" tailcap and then a secondary switch that activates the light in momentary strobe. There are also brightness settings but I leave it on "retina melt". I have applied the light in a variety of scenarios on street calls and it is impressive. It is ultra impressive when you consider it's running off of 3 CR123 batteries, fits in my cargo pocket and is about one battery longer than another popular brand. The price is considerably less than you would expect to pay for a machined aluminum light of such quality and brightness. There is also a removable strike bezel for those that have strict policies forbidding them, you can simply take it off for duty and put it on for off duty. I leave it on to protect the lens .

The other lights that are truly impressive are the Inova brand. I have an Inforce White on my rifle and a 6V in my active shooter bag. The rifle light is very lightweight and puts out 150 lumens. The pressure switch is unique since you can activate the light in strobe or full on by moving your thumb forward or backward on the tape. The strobing effect on room entries is devastating, people can't help but look away. It also has a tailcap for those that like to run their lights with their thumb on a tailcap. The 6V puts out 115 lumens and is plenty bright enough to be a good patrol backup light, a primary rifle light and certainly an every day carry light. My wife wants one for her purse due to size, weight and brightness.

I carry 3 light sources on SWAT jobs and patrol. Redundancy for a critical piece of equipment, if you can't see you can't engage with the appropriate level of force. At these prices and great quality, you don't have an excuse to not be ready. I am not pimping the stuff at tacticalleds.com, the stuff sells itself. I am pointing out that good quality doesn't have to cost an arm & leg. John is good people and he is a retired copper, so he will work hard to make sure cops are taken care of. Give their site a look, check out the sale items, you can type TAPRACK10 in at checkout for an extra 10% off their lights, but regardless if you buy some of their lights or someone elses, be prepared for the contingency that your light will fail when you need it most. Have a layer ready. Be good, to be safe.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

"If it's predictable, it's prevetable" Gordon Graham 

What an incredibly sad and terrible week. I have run the gamut of emotions sionce last Sunday. Disbelief that my friend, Sgt. Mark Renninger was dead. I initially wanted to strap on gear, load the guns and rush to the scene to do anything to help. My emotions were screaming at me to take action. I soon realized that there was nothing I could do but keep my phone on hand and hope that Maurice Clemmons would end up in my teams jurisdiction. The feeling of helplessness was profound. As I watched and heard about SWAT team doing work on this case, I made several angry calls and sent text messages asking why my team was not being called upon. I wanted blood and the desire to kill the bastard that had murdered my friend and colleagues was profound. We were not needed, and the sense of frustration was huge. When I woke up Tuesday morning, I had an e-mail from a friend who was at the scene when Maurice Clemmons was killed. I was happy to read that he was dead and that noone else was hurt.

Mark was an outstanding police officer and SWAT officer. He worked hard, he took his responsibility serious, he trained as hard as anybody, and most importantly he pushed his mates to be better. The Pierce Metro SWAT team is an excellent team, Mark was no small part in that. We talked on the phone frequently to discuss ways to help a guy struggling with weapon qualification, different drills to use and so forth. We also talked about ways to help guys get switched on with team TTP's so they were more than SWAT robots. He wanted guys to know the SOG's, and also know when they needed to react instinctively instead of by the book. We talked about ways to increase situational awareness so that guys could predict what their teammate would do before it happened. We also bitched about lack of work, bean counters and poor leadership. In short, the same types of conversations that SWAT guys around the country have on a daily basis.

Mark was a quick wit and he often gave guys a ration of shit. More than anything, Mark cared about officer safety, team safety and the guys he worked with. If you were ever a victim of his banter (I was plenty of times) it just meant he cared about you. Like alot of SWAT guys, we don't wear our emotions on our sleeve.

I have had a few conversations this week with guys who can't believe a booger eater like Clemmons was able to get the drop on Mark. How is it possible that a highly trained, switched on guy like Mark was able to be killed? The underlying notion is what good was all the training, mindset, and desire to be really good at his job? There are already articles written by police magazines about officer safety, being vigilant, and so forth. I don't want to discount those practices, but the implication that Mark and the other officers weren't on their game is a bit infuriating.

If anything, this should be a catalyst for us to work harder, train harder and do better. I am convinced that nothing Mark could have done would have prepared him for this. It is a terrorist act carried out by an extremist who got to choose the time, place and circumstances. There is no way to guard against this without becoming an introvert who never leaves the house. We simply cannot let it affect our daily lives. I will go have a cup of coffee whenever and whereever I damn well please. A shit stain like Maurice Clemmons does not get to define how I will live or what I will do to prepare myself.

This is only a week old, I went to the memorial and visited with some guys from LPD on Thursday. I was lucky enough to be there when Mark's wife visited the site and I was able to talk to her for a bit. We had a firearms training day on Friday and bullet therapy helped me. I went to a fund raiser on Friday night at the Claim Jumper restaurant in Tukwila, it was a Tip-a-Cop event. I washed the Cop car yesterday so it was ready for the procession this Tuesday. I have had a lot of conversations with my wife. I plan to attend a rifle shoot this coming weekend in Custer, they are dontaing proceeds to the family. I am working with a group of good guys and we are trying to put together a shooting competition/training/raffle/auction event in January. If you're interested in the event shoot me an e-mail and I'll keep you updated. I attended a Leadership class by Kyle Lamb and he pointed out that we need to do a better job of supporting the families of fallen officers. The initial support is always there, it is the continued support that dries up as time goes by. I will endeavor to ensure that Mark's wife and kids are taken care of. It is the least I can do for the many lessons Mark gave me.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend, I wish we had talked more, got together more, trained together more. RIP Mark, you were good people and you will be missed.

I went for a run this morning and decided to stretch it out for a bit. As I was turning onto my street, my wife pulled up and said my cell phone had been blowing up. She also told me that four police officers had been ambushed and murdered in the City of Lakewood. 

I checked my phone and received the terrible news that I knew some of the officers. One of them is a good friend, he started his SWAT career on my team. He was a quick study and was made to be a SWAT man. He ended up being my assistant team leader before moving on to another police department. He quickly got on that team and was one of the team leaders at the time of his murder. The police community in this state is diminished far more than most people know. When the news identifies the officers and their accomplishments in life, everyone will know that the asshole responsible for this took more from us than he probably even realized. 

Be careful, watch each others backs, and be safe. I hope that justice is swift in this case. 

This week I had the opportunity to teach a portion of our "operators Course". To be brief, this is a course that we developed for our guys that are in the 3-5 year range. We recognize them as emerging leaders so we give them this extra week of training to go over SOG's. The idea is for them to start thinking through WHY we do things a certain versus how. They have all proven they can pick 'em up and put 'em down, this is an opportunity for them to use their gray matter a little.

I ran a team building exercise that required some physical effort with stations. Basically they run a lap, hit a station, run a lap hit a station. The stations varied from a disassembled weapon box test, to portions of a written test. This was meant as a self assessment of basic knowledge and skills. I think the point was driven home. 

I was supposed to teach a block of instruction on Immediate Action Drills. The info was pushed out but then I ended up becoming the student. The guys began to bring up points about why we DID NOT do certain things in training and on missions. The point they brought up were industry standard types of things. In fact, they were things that every team leader course that I have attended recommend we do. I won't go into detail due to OPSEC, but I would bet that if you interviewed numerous SWAT guys worth their salt they would agree that the topics mentioned were important for team safety and success.

So, what the hell is the point? The point is that over time and with success, I have become lazy. I have allowed the team to short step in some areas because we haven't had our behinds bit yet. My only recourse was to apologize for my lack of leadership. I am not alone in this, the other team leaders and even team members have some share of this load. I often preach that every team member is responsible for the teams actions overall performance. I think we have done a good job of fostering an environment where the saying "All positions are equally important" is true. Somewhere we let our performance slip, because most of the things mentioned we used to do or are part of our written SOG's.

These types of slip ups are common. We make excuses about why we don't stick to tried and true TTP's. We cut corners because of time constraints. We fail to do what is right because the budget, the Chief or command may not appreciate it. Team Leader and  team members have to be vigilant to guard against this as time goes by. The team should be willing, able and ready to slap a team leader who is not consistently sticking to SOG's. Consistency being the key, there are times when we will and should deviate, that why they're called "guidelines" and not policies. For the most part, this should not be done out of convenience or laziness. 

Likewise, we should have a mechanism in place to make sure we are re-evaluating what we are currently doing to ensure we haven't slipped into a comfortable place in lieu of the right place. Is what we're doing the right thing or the easy thing. In addition is what we're doing up to date, relevant to our missions, and right for the time and place? Those questions have to be asked on a frequent basis so that we do not become complacent. I have added an e-mail reminder that is re-occurring every six months. It is a gentle reminder to me to make sure I am doing the right things for the right reasons. Mission, Men and Me is a great book by Pete Blaber that clearly illustrates the responsibility of leaders. 

Most of us have heard of the monkeys and the ladder. Five monkeys are put in a room with a ladder. If a monkey climbs the ladder he can get to a Banana that is hanging above the ladder. One of the monkeys sees the banana and heads for it. As soon as he touches the ladder, ALL of the monkeys are sprayed with ice cold water. They soon figure out that any attempt at the ladder will result in the cold shower. Any monkey that tries it is soon beaten by the other monkeys. One of the monkeys is removed from the pen, and a fresh one added. He knows nothing about the water but sees the banana and goes for it. The other monkeys beat the stuffing out of him. Soon all of the original monkeys have been replaced with monkeys that have never been sprayed. Nonetheless, they all beat the hell out of any new monkey who tries to go for the banana and none of them have any idea why.

Don't be a monkey. Questions everything and figure out how to beat the hell out of the guy with the hose, so we can all have a piece of that damn banana. As always, sorry for typos.

This week I wanted to talk about physical fitness and establishing a standard for your team. In my state the Basic SWAT school is a requirement for most SWAT teams. On the first day of school the guys are put through the test and if they fail they are sent home. Successful completion means you get to stay for the rest of the week.

During the time I taught at that school I would often ask those who failed what they were doing for PT. Invariably I would hear that they had been sick or injured recently, they didn't sleep well, etc. I would press them and ask again, "What have you been doing for PT?". Most would say that they were running, doing pushups and so forth. The test consists of a run, pushups, situps and pullups. In other words, training for the test. No surprise, their teams did not have a PT standard.

I would ask the same thing of the studs that would crush the test. Without hesitation they would be able to tell you exactly what they had been doing. Their teams did have a physical standard but they would usually say that it was too easy or that it did not measure what they felt was important.

What's the point? The point is that PT is important. We all say it, we all know it but do we all do it? I do believe that SWAT teams should have a physical fitness standard that all members must meet. This is the baseline that allows everyone on the team to know each others minimum level. Like firearms, the standard is a minimum that all must pass on a continuing basis. The presence of a standard may make some less motivated guys get off their ass on a cold morning and go for a run. The test should be hard enough that  guys must do something throughout the year. In other words they shouldn't be able to lay off the beer a week prior and breeze through.

On the opposite end, I don't believe that the standard should be so difficult that senior guys or guys that have a different outlook than me on training have to change their regimen. I know a dude who falls into that rare category of "Large Human". This guy can deadlift a school bus, he works out with very heavy things and is obviously dedicated and disciplined to what he does. He has never faltered on a mission. How effective do you think he is at running long distances? Conversely, a guy that can run five minute miles all day is probably not gonna be as effective at operating heavy tools or moving things as the first guy. Both guys need to have a level of fitness that allows them to be effective during the teams missions. Neither should be penalized by a test that prohibits them from being on the team.

I don't have a hard and fast recommendation on what a test should be. I will say that you should have something that guys have to pass in order to remain in good standing. Just like with firearms, this is the MINIMUM required. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking time out of your training day to administer a gut check or team building exercise that pushes guys past what the minimum standard is. They are fun to do and the guys will usually have a good time with them. Be creative, challenge the whole group, set it up so that big & strong are as valuable as light and fast. Just like on a mission, each member brings strengths and weakness, these team builders should showcase each guys assets, and their weaknesses.

This has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you are on a full time team or a part time one. If your team only trains 8 hours a month or 80. Ultimately the responsibility lies with each guy to maintain their own fitness. If you are making excuses, then you are a wannabe. Plain and simple, cut & dry, end of the story. I know guys who have been leaders in PT into their 50's, they recognized it's importance and simply got it done without excuses. Just do it. If you have let your PT fall behind, logoff right now and go do something. Make it be a part of your daily routine, schedule it by WRITING it down, tell someone what you are going to do the next day for PT and have them ask you if you completed it. Go do it.

"If you cannot do what I can do, you cannot go where I can go" Unknown