I recently went through a period of nostalgia while running through one of the local parks. My mind wanders while I am running, in this case I started thinking about how fortunate I have been in my life to be exposed to some outstanding leaders.
As luck would have it, one of those individuals got in touch with me via e-mail. He was a platoon leader in my troop when I was stationed in Germany. Fox Troop, 2/2 ACR. He, among others in that unit, gave me my first glimpse of outstanding leadership.
There is no doubt that the individuals played a big part in the culture of excellence that was ingrained in that unit. I think another factor was that at that time we had a real world mission, protecting the West German border from invasion. The Cold War was very real and that ever present threat kept us to task. Last but not least, was the implementation and adherence to standards within the unit.
SWAT units usually have higher standards for weapons and possibly PT. However there are some teams that do not require PT at all, and the weapons qualification is the same as patrol officers. In some cases a higher percentage of score is required on the weapon qualifications.
On the topic of PT, there is so much information out there about the benefits of a good physical conditioning I won't go into it here. However I think it's important to say that a PT standard MUST be in place for SWAT team members. It should be a standard that provides some challenge so that officers have to PT in order to meet the standard. Stress management, lack of sleep, heavy gear and so forth are all directly related to the SWAT officers job. Physical fitness is key to your longevity and survival, both in life and on the team.
Weapons qualification is another area where I often see issues. The course of fire is too simple, it is not mission related or it does not incorporate specific skill sets that may critical to winning the gunfight. There is a tendency in LE to have the qualification course drive training. With that in mind, develop your courses of fire so that the training required to pass it is areas that directly relate to the fight.
At the end of all this, remember that it is personal discipline that allows us to succeed. If you are a team leader, then lead by example. You should be far exceeding the standards established by the team. If you are a senior tema member or the newest guy, establish your own personal training regimen so that you are ready and able to finish the fight.
Bear in mind that whatever the established standard is, simply passing means that you have me the MINIMUM standard. Nobody wants to be a minimum man, so push yourself and your teammates to excel.
As a profession we are generally in agreement when we discuss this in the team van, to that end, no excuses will be tolerated in these areas. Do what needs to be done.
I'll leave this with a quote and a comment that I will be trying to leave some thoughts on the Blog at least once a week. If you have questions or comments, shoot me an e-mail and I may discuss the issue here.
•Think thou that these magnificent, victorious legionnaires
became what they are through some arbitrary stroke of fortune? Nay! They do not sit around congratulating themselves in the wake of victory. They spend every moment refining and improving their craft. Without apology they pursue excellence. Each one knows and understands that he alone stands between the empire and oblivion. Watch them! Indeed, they appear to have been born with weapons in their hands!
